Not Quite Dead

In-laws, am I right? Ready or Not (2019) is the most contemporary movie of Season 6, and it is a raucous ride of real scares and real laughs. Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett helmed the original concept of newlywed Grace who is unwittingly forced into a family ritual on her wedding night. The Not Quite Dead gals discuss family traditions, board games, and the institution of marria...

The darkness of Rosemary's Baby comes from within and without. Unfavorably associated with director Roman Polanski, Rosemary's Baby is now often viewed through the modern lens of the post #metoo movement era. But! It is a horror movie, and one of the all-time greats. We give credit where it is due to the stellar performance of Mia Farrow and get into the controversial gray area of problematic arti...

The House of the Devil has all of the late 70s to early 80s horror trappings an audience could desire: pizza delivery gone awry, a teen girl babysitting in a rural old house, and a spooky title card declaring the film is "based on true events." The Not Quite Dead gals discuss how convincing this film is, considering it was released in 2009. Intended as an homage to satanic panic and slasher films...

So iconic that it has transitioned to parody and back again, we are covering The Exorcist (1973). Loosely based on real events, The Exorcist introduced a generation to the head spinning, vomit- and curse-spewing Linda Blair and the concept of needing a young AND an old priest. The OG of satanic panic movies has a veritable wealth of things to talk about, and boy-how do the Not Quite Dead gals talk...

Not Quite Dead is kicking off Season 6: Rituals with a double feature of everyone's favorite dance horror classic and its remake: Suspiria! The 1977 Dario Argento film is acclaimed for its iconic style, while Luca Guadagnino's 2018 remake is polarizing (as most remakes are). Get into this spooky season as we discuss all of the satanic and pagan tropes and debate which occult rituals are more effec...

The Purge series has always asked its audience to suspend its disbelief. The greatest instance of this is trusting that homicidal purgers respect that come the 7AM purge-ending sirens, all crime is illegal again. The Forever Purge is the next logical step in this franchise, because of course a contingent of these masked maniacs will want to keep purging! It's the American way! Special guest Brett...

There were laughs, there was bloodshed, there was an animated crass little doll AND his gross offspring. This season was a rollercoaster of the highest of cinematic highs and the lowest of lows, both of which involved Jennifer Tilly. Read our blog for episode extras, including photos of the Not Quite Dead girls' very own voodoo dolls! Edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer and Cate Smith. Music by Zach Pfe...

Everyone loves a remake! Or wait, no. Remakes are a highly divisive topic for many fandoms, the Child's Play one included. In this 2019 film by Lars Klevberg, Child's Play gets an update for the modern, smart home era. Gone are the voodoo rituals and serial killer soul transfers, hello Aubrey Plaza and Buddi doll. Listen in and tell us if you think this is a worthy addition to the mythos of Chuck....

With a psychiatric hospital setting and the promise of a multitude of Chucky dolls murderously scampering around, you would think Cult of Chucky would be a strong entry to the series. Listen in on this short episode as the Not Quite Dead gals explain why this one is very skippable. From plot holes to a thin script, the cult is not nearly as scary nor funny as audiences would hope. There's still fu...

The first straight to DVD entry in the Child's Play franchise...Curse of Chucky! Bringing back Brad Dourif and his daughter Fiona in the leading roles of Chucky and Nica Pierce, director Don Mancini leans into the horror part of this horror comedy. Listen in as the gals dig into the movie that attempts to redeem the franchise after the less-than-stellar Seed of Chucky. Edited by Cate Smith. Music...

Woof! Seed of Chucky, the anticipated follow-up to Bride of Chucky, is a marked low point in the Child's Play franchise. In this Chuck's Notes minisode, the Not Quite Dead girls go over the few plot highs and many plot lows to keep you up to speed on the series. Edited by Cate Smith. Music by Zach Pfeifer .

Here comes the bride…from hell! Chucky gets lucky when his girlfriend Tiffany Valentine – portrayed by the iconic Jennifer Tilly – becomes his hot doll companion. Bride of Chucky breathes life into the flagging franchise. Listen in with the gals as this horror comedy strikes just the right balance of slashing and fun. Edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer. Music by Zach Pfeifer .

In Season 5, check out the Chuck's Notes minisodes, covering the, erm, more skippable Child's Play series movies. Listen to this short episode to find out what you need to know - and why, exactly, this movie is not worth a rewatch - before the next franchise entry, Bride of Chucky.

The fun just doesn't stop in Child's Play 2! Director John Lafia helms this sequel that sees child Andy Barclay shuttled into a foster home with the killer doll Chucky close on his heels. This episode is chock full of quippy one-liners and doll-gore, plus we continue our new segments of Catchphrases and Cate's Predictions! Edited by Cate Smith. Music by Zach Pfeifer .

SPOILER ALERT! Presenting a special episode of the latest entry in the Saw franchise: Spiral! With Darren Bousman, James Wan, and Leigh Whannel back at the helm, the 9th installment of the series sees Chris Rock grapple with a new Jigsaw copycat killer. The gals see and review Spiral during its opening weekend and get very much into the details, so watch it first before listening! Edited by Megan...

In the Season 5 premiere episode, the gals start the Child’s Play franchise off – a series that Megan loves and Cate has never seen! This classic campy slasher series introduces Chucky to the world, played by the legendary Brad Dourif. This first movie has it all: a haunted doll, defenestration, Haitian voodoo, cursing at children…it’s an 80s dream. Edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer. Music by Zach Pfe...

Join us as we celebrate the galactic greatness of our Space Horror season! From a space-themed baking challenge to picking this season's overall MVP film, Megan and Cate reminisce on the best and worst films that straddle the genre lines. Listen in and thanks for listening to Season 4!

The co-hosts of the podcast High on Film join us for a special episode covering Gravity! In a season of sci-fi horrors, we ask the question: Is the space thriller movie Gravity actually a horror movie? And what other movies are potentially in the wrong genre? Join us for our rapturous praise of Alfonso Cuaron's film and an all-new game (that may live and die in this episode). Episode edited by Meg...

Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of graphic sexual assault and sexual behavior. The French psycho-sexual space horror High Life (2018) from director Claire Denis is so much more than its plot summary of a man surviving in space alone with his daughter after his crewmates' deaths. From its non-linear plot structure, ritualized survival methods, and through-line of dark sexuality, t...

The year is 1974 and the space race has cooled - or has it? Government conspiracy theories and moon rock-based creatures abound in the found footage space horror Apollo 18 (2011). Director Gonzalo López-Gallego would like to have us believe his film is truth about a failed NASA mission, but the overall effect is underwhelming. The gals still find enough to talk about in this episode! Edited by Meg...

Holy convoluted plot, Batman! If you like your movies stuffed with as much plot as it can handle, look no further than the 2009 sci-fi thriller Pandorum. Starring Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster, this film is a melange of psychological horror, Twilight Zone-esque creatures, dead wives, post-apocalyptic scenarios, AND an interstellar journey gone awry. The gals get so into the weeds on this one, you al...

A small, unremarkable episode nestled in between the behemoths of the season. Each minute of this episode as dense as the center of a dying star. Intrepid podcasters exploring a strangely familiar frontier. What untold mysteries lie in wait in... the Not Quite Dead Twilight Zone Minisode? The gals get into the classic sci-fi anthology series to plumb it for the best space-themed episodes with all...

Director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland team up post-28 Days Later for Sunshine (2007), a criminally under-rated science fiction drama/horror with a soon-to-be all star cast. Cillian Murphy, Chris Evans, Rose Byrne, Michelle Yeoh and Cliff Curtis are an ensemble crew en route to reignite the dying sun when things, as they often do, go awry. Join us as we show this movie some love for its plot...

From the depths of Crystal Lake to the great expanse of the galaxy, director James Isaac brings us the space slasher Jason X (2001). Yes, this is the tenth installment of the Friday the 13th series and yes, (spoiler) Jason ends up with a chrome hockey mask in this movie. In a baffling extension of a franchise that already literally went to hell, a research ship is terrorized by the immortal Jason....

We're blasting off into Season 4 with the classic Ridley Scott space horror Alien (1979). This crew of space truckers get sidelined by a distress call that brings aboard an unwelcome and terrifying stowaway. We talk practical effects, HR Giger, and all of the glorious '70s hairstyles in this episode. Plus - with all new segments this season, this is something you don't want to miss. Edited by Cate...