ScaryCrit: A Black Horror Podcast

Beware the stare of Mary Shaw. She had no children, only dolls. And if you see her in your dreams... You BEST bet'not scream!!! Tf? Today on ScaryCrit, we're taking a trip down to dreary Raven's Fair to hang with the good sis Mary and her vociferous dolls and dish about Dead Silence (2007). A brainchild of the fathers of Saw (2005), Leigh Whannel and James Wan, we have a fun time an...

Today on ScaryCrit, we're getting lower than low, crittin' the 2014 found-footage horror gem As Above, So Below. Quite an underrated entry in the genre, drop down with us as we chat about the film's not quite on-the-nose take on Dante's Inferno, the first act's noteworthy genre shift/blend, the film's take on what hell is and how this personally affected each of the c...

     This season of ScaryCrit keeps coinciding with some must-watch horror releases and we'd be remiss if we didn't take full advantage! This week's episode is no different as we grab hold of A24's horror feature Talk to Me (2023), having seen it on its opening night. We think that Talk to Me is a unique film in that it operates parallel to your typical possession horror flick...

We return to the Further in today's episode as we crit the recently released Insidious: The Red Door , the fifth installment of the iconic supernatural horror series! Some of the things we discuss are whether or not the series was able to maintain its scare factor, the complicated father/son relationships that frame the story, the refreshing inclusion of Dalton's college friend Chris (sh...

When we tell you Lauren has been dying to talk about Near Dark (1987)  since season 1! Kathryn Bigelow's genre bending cult classic holds a special place in our hearts and if you haven't seen this vampire-cowboy-romance then strap in for the ride of your night. For this crit, we discuss the true meanings of relationships, loneliness, and the canonical depictions of vampires and how this...

Wassup Podcast People! After a break to recharge and plan WE. ARE. BACK. And what a season opener we've got in store for you! We call the Negronomicon off the shelf to give you updates on the WGA strike and talk about the games of the summer, Diablo IV and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom . Then, we crit one of the most anticipated horror films this year, The Blackening (2023);  our...

Timing was on our side for our season 8 finale, as we decided to go with a good ol' fashioned bookend—anybody remember the season premiere? That's right! Our film for today is none other than the just-released Evil Dead Rise (2023)! The trope for this one centers on murderous mothers so you know we get into all the things possessive, obsessive and manipulative parenting (which goes a bit...

Our trope this week dear Critters is that of witches, who we stan over at ScaryCrit. For this one, we're lighting a candle and opening the book to Robert Egger's 2015 folk-horror gem, The VVitch . From Egger's ardent direction when it came to historical authenticity, to Thomasin's plight and Jared's passion for good for her!  stories, there's so much to conjure up whi...

Ooooh, it's playtime over at ScaryCrit today as we unbox 1991's plastic horror Dolly Dearest. While the 90s are well known to have been in the grip of another tiny terror, Dolly Dearest still offers a lot for us to talk about, from Dolly's design, the family dynamics of the Wades, stark cultural differences and the uncanny.  So come join us in the dollhouse—it's teatime! Sign U...

It's a funhouse over at ScaryCrit today as we encounter Art the Clown in 2016's indie gore-fest, Terrifier. Coulrophobia, what may have inspired Terrifier, the strong and weak points of the film and how ridiculousness is Terrifier's fuse box are just some of the crazy things discussed in today's episode. And for our The Last of Us Part II (2020) players, Jared has finally made...

Ever make a deal with the devil? In the Crit this week on ScaryCrit, Lauren and Jared discuss sour deals and  alt-Black Girl Magic with Henry Selick's Netflix phenom Wendell and Wild (2022). Rate and review ScaryCrit on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!   Sign Up for our Newsletter Find Us Online www.scarycritpodcast.com Twitter @ScaryCritPod Instagram @ScaryCritPod Timestamps 16:11 - Negronomicon...

So, let's say your ex disappears for 2 years, pops back up with a new man, and invites you to a get-together out of the blue to "reconnect?" Well, that's just what happens to our buddy Will in 2015's indie thriller The Invitation , which we use as the crux for our trope this week: cults. Listen as we explore what cults are and why they have a draw, Will's trauma as a...

Scooby Doo and the gang been taught us, y'all: the monsters are (almost)  always human. That's our trope this week on ScaryCrit, with Lauren and Jared taking a look at one of the most harrowing horror/suspense films in recent memory, The Boy Behind the Door (2020). A vicious juxtaposition of violence against innocence, this Crit explores the intersectionality that instigates Bobby and Ke...

Lemme tell y'all about the original ghoul, the first found footage horror, the one who was causing paranormal activity over a decade before Micah set up that camera. Our trope this week is found footage and we're taking a trip across the pond to discuss the poltergeist Mr. Pipes and his supernaturally effective 15 minutes of fame in 1992's Ghostwatch.  From the scares, filming techn...

Our trope this week is one of the undead... Zombies! While we're so used to all the death, destruction, and chaos that this trope brings, we're actually talking about a more stripped down approach to the subject by taking a look at the 2018 French horror film The Night Eats the World . What happens when you give a misanthrope a whole apartment building to survive in solo during the zombi...

"So you wanted a twist, aye?" Well, you're gettin' one because our trope for this week is twist endings! Forget a locksmith--we've got The Skeleton Key (2005) to Crit this week. We unlock thoughts and feelings about twist endings, the perception and motives of the film's "antagonists," situational awareness across the characters and their cultures, and why t...

Everybody remembers their first mad scientist, right? Maybe Herbert West was yours back in '85! On today's episode, after we dust off the Negronomicon (14:34) we're covering the aforementioned "Mad Scientist" trope in all its white-lab-coat-glory via Re-Animator (1985).  Get ready for a humorously experimental discussion (37:11)   of science, morality, this film's inf...

Strap in, Critters! Hearkening back to our humble beginnings of super-long episodes, we've got a lot to get through this week! After flipping through a stacked Negronomicon featuring our reviews of Velma (2023) and the premiere episode of The Last of Us (2023), your favorite horror pod hosts dust off our VCRs and press play on a true crit of David Cronenberg's Videodrome (1983). The trop...

An invasion? A mystery... kind of? Freaky children?! John Carpenter's remake of   Village of the Damned holds a 30% on Rotten Tomatoes, but it holds a special place in Lauren's heart. This week, we examine the story of the children of Midwich. The gimmicks, the cast, and the plot in between. Sign Up for our Newsletter Find Us Online www.scarycritpodcast.com Twitter @ScaryCritPod Instagra...

Oh how we've missed you, Podcast People! What Happy Holidays, Happy New Year, and all the things in between.  For our S8 premiere we finally finally  crit the one, the only, The Evil Dead. You don’t just watch The Evil Dead, you experience it. So much has been said about this cult phenomenon, so check out our thoughts on Sam Raimi's beloved classic! Rate and review ScaryCrit on Apple Pod...

For our 75th, you know we had to do something special. And you've all probably been wondering why we haven't tackled a certain horror classic. Well, wonder no more! In our super-sized season 7 finale, we finally hopped on the slay-train to Woodsboro and caught up with everyone's favorite and fabulous video clerks, The Carpenter Queens to discuss the one and only, tried and true, sha...

It's not spooky season if we don't talk about one of its most iconic creatures, the vampire! Or, in this case, the Daywalker! That's right, put on your finest black leather trench and get ready to slice and dice your way through our crit about 1998's Blade.  From its blaxploitation vibes and Wesley's iconic portrayal of the Marvel comic character to how the film was able t...

In E73, we venture through the gory, insane funhouse that is Rob Zombie's House of 1000 Corpses  (2003). Join Lauren, Jared, and Intern Andrew as we chat about the pure unconventionality of the editing and narrative style in this film, Sid Haig's beloved performance as Captain Spaulding, and why (or, in a certain somebody's case, why not) this film is a foundational horror film. Sig...

According to Lauren, it's officially spooky season! What better way to ring in the Halloween Spirit than by covering one of the creepiest found footage films in the genre, Paranormal Activity (2007)?  Aside from taking a peek at what made this film so noteworthy and effective, we also wonder about Micah and Katie's economic situational awareness, their frightfully  toxic relationship dyn...

It's your typical group-of-young-adults-get-stranded/stuck-in-a-remote-location-and-then-get-hunted-down-by-the-savage-cannibalistic-locals picture but you know what? That's what makes it work! Have a seat with Lauren and Jared as they discuss 2003's backwoods horror romp Wrong Turn. Our hosts get into why they each consider it foundational in their horror upbringings and why the fi...