The Fear of God: A Horror Movie Podcast

We're continuing our journey through the sub genre of folk horror (#whatthefolk) with another landmark entry in the genre from 1971: THE BLOOD ON SATAN'S CLAW. We're joined by Continuity Guru Steven Beckley for a hearty and vibrant conversation about one of the most controversial and infamous horror films of the 1970s. While its specifics may be a bit too disjointed (and a bit too problematic) to...

We're taking a brief intermission from our Shyamalamarama series to bring you a handful of discussions on the subgenre known as "folk horror", which we've lovingly titled #whatthefolk. We start with the 1968 film WITCHFINDER GENERAL, starring Vincent Price as the historical figure Matthew Hopkins, who executed more than 300 people for the crime of witchcraft in just under 3 years. We're joined by...

We're going to be taking a quick, temporary pause on Shyamalamarama but not before we close out our discussion of SERVANT Season 2 and take a stroll back to Nana and Pop Pop's house for a refresh on M Night Shyamalan's 2015 film, THE VISIT. We're joined this time around by Gorey Gamer Matt Murray as we assess whether or not The Visit still holds up and why it sparked a creative resurgence for Shya...

We're continuing our run through the films of M. Night Shyamalan (SHYAMALAMARAMA!) with one of "his" worst reviewed films: AFTER EARTH. Originally envisioned by its star Will Smith as a multi-platform, mega franchise launchpad, After Earth strangely failed at nearly every one of its aims, including on set reports that M. Night Shyamalan didn't actually perform most of the director duties. We disse...

Here at the Fear of God, we explore -- we don't explain -- and that's perhaps most relevant on today's discussion on KNOCK AT THE CABIN, part of our ongoing series on the works of M. Night Shyamalan called Shyamalamarama! We're joined once again by professor and author Brandon Grafius for an earnest and thoughtful dialogue about the film's philosophies and its difficulties. We dive a bit into the...

We're in a new era of Shyama-lama-rama where we're surveying nearly the entirety of the director's catalog, including revisiting some films we've previously discussed. This week, we not only wrap up our journey through SERVANT Season 1 (including a patron segment focusing on the last four episodes specifically), but we also take another look at THE VILLAGE, this time accompanied by our Horror Enne...

We're still doin' the twist on another installment of Shyamalamarama! This week, we travel to a secluded beach to reflect on the rapid movement of time with OLD, a film that works surprisingly well as a horror film, even if it forgets to slow down long enough to highlight its more thoughtful intentions. We're joined by friend of the show Jackson Harper as we explore all of the ways that aging, int...

It's here everyone! We're diving back into the M. Night Shyamalan pool. And this time we're headed to the deep end. Welcome to Shyamalamarama!, a comprehensive look at one of the most inspiring, polarizing, entertaining, and notorious filmmakers in history. We're going to be covering all of his films that we haven't already, and even revisiting (to a degree) the ones we have. We start with LADY IN...

We're setting a new precedent this week, starting a new recurring series of sorts. In between major tentpole series we have, we'll be occasionally re-introducing the one-off conversation about films which interest or excite us that don't easily fit elsewhere. This week, we're starting that trend with a Japanese language gem called One Cut of the Dead. If you've never heard of this delightful littl...

Over the past month, we've taken a unique approach for us in covering Stephen King's first short story collection: NIGHT SHIFT. Following individual segments with rotating guests and hosts, each devoted to one or two stories, we've now arrived at the finish line. This discussion features Reed and Nathan joined by Ian Olson and Andy Whitfield to do a deep dive on King's excellent essay which serves...

Back in 2019, we covered a brief run of Stephen King's non-horror material and as part of that series, we had a small discussion about his powerful short story, THE LAST RUNG ON THE LADDER. Since we're broadly covering NIGHT SHIFT, we wanted reprise that discussion for you as well. Consider it picking up an extra shift on the Night Shift. The full episode in which this excerpt is located was about...

We have some of our most fun and thoughtful conversations this week for our penultimate installment in Stephen King's NIGHT SHIFT. This week, Reed gathers together Asia Swartzentruber, Jackson Harper, and Dave Courtney to discuss the short story TRUCKS, as well as the adaptation of it called MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE (which is Stephen King's only attempt to direct a film himself). Then, Nathan walks behin...

We're back this week with a packed show of different guests, different discussions, and a handful of different stories from Stephen King's collection: NIGHT SHIFT. This week, Reed hosts Quarterly Queen Jess Fischli and Continuity Guru Steven Beckley for a very fun trip down memory lane discussing the film CAT'S EYE from 1985, which adapted two stories from Night Shift (QUITTERS, INC. & THE LED...

We're continuing our special format series covering Stephen King's NIGHT SHIFT, focusing each week on a couple of stories with their own unique collection of hosts. This week, Nathan, Dave Courtney, Vera Goudie, and Jackson Harper brave the frightening effects of a bad can of beer when they discuss GRAY MATTER, and then Reed, Matt Murray, and Steve Beckley fight toy army men in a penthouse apartme...

Welcome to our second celebration of the premiere achievements in the world of horror cinema last year: The FoGgy Awards! Last year, we debuted 7 awards for the best in horror, with Best Picture being awarded to James Wan's Malignant. This year, we introduce two brand new categories (as well as split out an old one into two more new ones) for a total of TEN awards recognizing such nominees as The...

We're trying something new and exciting this week as we launch a series of episodes focusing in on some of the stories from the first collection by Stephen King: NIGHT SHIFT. In a shake-up to our typical formatting, each story is given its own segment AND its own unique collection of hosts. First up is the rats-in-the-basement pulp thriller GRAVEYARD SHIFT (hosted by Nathan and Reed, joined by Mat...

In our final installment looking back at horror films from last year (#2022.2), we once again welcome the Quarterly Queens as Jess, Vera, and Asia dissect the fractured chaos that is DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS. While the film is something of a mixed bag both on horror and MCU measurements, it has some surprising considerations about motherhood, grief, and the responsibilities we h...

In our penultimate installment of #2022.2 which looks back at some of the best horror films of last year, we're tackling a throwback double feature with Ti West's visionary pairing of films from last year: X and PEARL. Linked by characters and location but wildly varied in tone and production, these two films are having a fascinating conversation about bodies, gender, desire, age, and sexuality. W...

Continuing our series on the best horror films of last year, 2022.2, we revisit Gotham City for the latest vision in the ever-evolving saga of the legendary vengeance: THE BATMAN. Matt Reeves' latest contribution to the Batman legacy ramps up the fear, the ambition, and the runtime for an unquestionably compelling installment. We're joined by film critic, professor, and friend of the show Noel Man...

Continuing our series looking back at some of the best horror of 2022, #2022.2, we're heading all the way back to the 800's for visionary director Robert Eggers' intensely immersive Norse epic: THE NORTHMAN. Joining us in this quest for Valholl is friend of the show and founding director of The Order of St Hildegard , Frances Cutshaw. Together we explore the myriad of compelling imagery, symbolism...

Continuing our series looking back at some of the best horror films of 2022, #2022.2, we are answering Scott Derrickson's latest chiller starring Ethan Hawke: THE BLACK PHONE. We're joined by our special guest, Brandon Grafius, author of the recent book Lurking Under the Surface: Horror, Religion, and the Questions that Haunt Us. Together, we discuss the emotionally complex ways the film engages b...

We continue our look back at some of the best films of last year, #2022.2, with a discussion of the biting horror satire of THE MENU. Starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Ralph Fiennes, the film goes to some unexpected and emotionally complicated places which forces us to think about our own complicity with destructive things in the name of art or experience, and to question the attraction we have for peo...

We continue with our annual run looking back at last year's strongest films by examining the latest offering from visionary director Jordan Peele: NOPE. Peele continues his streak of unpredictability with this simultaneously vast and intimate movie about sibling horse trainers who discover terror in the skies above their remote California ranch and make a concentrated effort to capture proof of th...

Welcome to 2023! We're back with our regularly scheduled weekly episodes and kicking off a fresh look back at some of the best films of last year with #2022.2! This week, we are joined once again by the creators of the mega-smash, multi-award-winning, bestselling solo board game sensation Final Girl (A.J. Porfirio & Evan Derrick) as well as our good friend Matt Murray (now adopting a new role...

We're coming to you a bit earlier than our normally scheduled programming for a special prelude to the upcoming look back at 2022's best in horror. DEADSTREAM is a mostly real-time, live streaming pov horror comedy about an internet streamer with a huge personality and a whole lot of apologizing to do who decides to spend the night in a haunted house to attract an audience. Unfortunately he attrac...