Watch If You Dare

This episode features the return of Aaron's mom Tammy as a guest! They discuss 1986's crime thriller "Manhunter" directed by Michael Mann and based off of the 1981 novel "Red Dragon" by Thomas Harris. They talk about Brian Cox's performance as Hannibal Lecktor (Lecter), the portrayal of crime procedural in media, and how Francis Dollarhyde makes for a great horror-adjacent villain. They also get i...

Aaron and Derek welcome back horror comic author extraordinaire Cullen Bunn (Harrow County, The Empty Man, The Sixth Gun, etc.) to talk 1995's neo-noir supernatural horror film "Lord of Illusions" written and directed by Clive Barker. They discuss what makes Nix such a good horror villain, Bakula's performance as Harry D'Amour, and the amazing opening sequence with the cult. They also get into the...

On this episode, the Spoop Bois discuss 1984's Australian animal attack horror film "Razorback" written by Everett De Roche and directed by Russell Mulcahy. They talk about the Ozploitation sub-genre of movies, the use of the Australian outback as a wasteland, and the elements of psychedelia and ethereal nightmare logic in visuals and storytelling. They also get into the backdrop of animal rights...

On this episode, Aaron and Derek cover 2020's supernatural folk horror film "His House" written and directed by Remi Weekes. They talk about why movies like this are so important in understanding world views that are not often represented in media, and they get into how the flawed nature of the characters Rial and Bol is well written. They also discuss the context of the South Sudan's history of c...

Val returns to the podcast once again to discuss 2006's supernatural horror film "Silent Hill" adapted from the Konami published game series and directed by Christophe Gans. They talk about how the movie captures the thematic vibes of the game franchise, comparisons and differences from the source material, and how the creative team got involved with a video game adaptation. They also get into why...

On this episode, Aaron and Derek tackle 2003's science fiction horror film "Dreamcatcher" directed by Lawrence Kasdan, co-written by Kasdan and screenwriter William Goldman, and adapted from the 2001 Stephen King novel. They talk about how this movie failed despite having a superstar team of creatives, the novel being equally as flawed, and where Stephen King was at this point in his life and care...

PODCAST DAY! For the 2025 holiday season, Aaron and Derek cover 1987's slasher sequel "Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2" directed by Lee Harry. They discuss why a large chunk of this movie is a recap of the first movie, Lee Harry's career, and the brief moments of actual depth through the film. They also get into Eric Freeman's relationship with his casting as Ricky Caldwell, the extremely low bu...

To celebrate it now being over 20 years since its release, Aaron and Derek are joined by returning guest Lauren Willson to tackle 2005's supernatural action flick "Constantine" directed by Francis Lawrence and adapted from the "Hellblazer" comic book series. They talk about how the Constantine character balances being edgy and taking the classic hero's journey. They also get into the stylistic cho...

For Thanksgiving, the Spoop Bois are joined by returning guest Valerie Morreale of the Screenage Wasteland film website and The Canon Podcast to tackle the 1980s cult holiday slasher film "Blood Rage" directed by John Grissmer. They discuss why they chose this film and what makes it perfect horror viewing for Thanksgiving. They also dig into what Val thought about the movie and her opinions on cha...

Superstar horror author Caitlin Starling (The Graceview Patient, The Starving Saints, The Death of Jane Lawrence, The Luminous Dead, and many other works) returns to the show to discuss 2016's psychological horror film "A Cure for Wellness" directed by Gore Verbinski and written by Justin Haythe with Aaron and Derek. They get into how this movie thematically pairs well with Caitlin's new book The...

For Halloween 2025 and to wrap up the "High School Horror" Season of Spoop, Aaron and Derek are joined by Raf Stitt and Valerie Morreale of the Screenage Wasteland film website and The Canon Podcast to discuss 1996's slasher classic "Scream" directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson. They talk about how "Scream" both honors and subverts slasher films, the thematic elements of mass vio...

For the second "high school horror" themed Season of Spoop episode, Heather returns to the show to discuss 1976's supernatural horror movie "Carrie" directed by Brian De Palma and adapted from the Stephen King book. They get into bullying in high school, whether or not Carrie is a sympathetic character, and how this adaptation's success impacted the careers of King, De Palma, and star Sissy Spacek...

It's October, so 2025's Season of Spoop begins! This year the theme is "high school horror." To start off this year's series, Nate and Tyler (hosts of the Hate Speech Podcast, The Bruce Campbell Podcast and Animorphing Time Podcast) return to discuss 1998's science fiction horror film "The Faculty" directed by Robert Rodriguez with a screenplay by Kevin Williamson.  They talk about what makes high...

On this episode, Aaron and Derek take a road trip with 1975's road horror film "Race with the Devil" directed by Jack Starrett. They discuss RV culture, how this movie is a mix of 70s Satanic panic, road movies, car chases and hicksploitation, and the differences between Satanism in media in the 1970s vs the 80s and 90s. They also talk about the meeting of old school Hollywood and modern horror, P...

On this episode, acclaimed author Caitlin Starling (The Luminous Dead, The Starving Saints, The Death of Jane Lawrence, etc.) joins Aaron and Derek to discuss 2010's Norwegian dark fantasy mockumentary "Trollhunter" written and directed by André Øvredal. They talk about Caitlin's bibliography, inspirations, writing process and experiences with professional publishing. They also get into Trollhunte...

On this episode, Aaron and Derek discuss 1995's haunted machine film "The Mangler" directed by Tobe Hooper and based off the 1972 Stephen King short story. They talk about how Hooper combined his humorous horror sensibilities with King's insane creative energy and adding more to what is an otherwise direct adaptation of the short story. They also get into Hooper's use of lighting and set dressing,...

On this episode, Aaron and Derek tackle 2001's psychological horror film "Frailty" directed by and starring Bill Paxton. They talk about Bill Paxton's creepy earnestness, how the writing cleverly handles multiple twists and reveals, and what makes this an effective horror movie without any jumpscares. They also get into McConaughey's proto-True Detective mannerisms, this flick's place between late...

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of "Jaws," Damian returns to the show to talk the 1975 masterpiece film directed by Steven Spielberg and adapted from the 1974 novel by Peter Benchley. They discuss why "Jaws" is a horror movie first, the effect on merchandise pre-Star Wars, and how it popularized the summer blockbuster. They also get into personal experiences with the movie, the horrors of an unc...

On this episode, Heather returns to discuss 2002's post-apocalyptic horror film "28 Days Later" directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland. They get into how the lo-fi quality helps enhance the movie, the effect it had on horror and pop culture, and what this did for the careers of Cillian Murphy and Naomie Harris. They also talk about how this watch was different for Derek, the character...

For this Friday June 13th, actress Katie O'Hagan (Mia Winters in Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village) returns on short notice to discuss a personal favorite 1981 slasher sequel "Friday the 13th Part 2" directed by Steve Miner in his directorial debut with Derek and Aaron. They talk about the consistency of the Friday the 13th franchise, how the sequel tries to outdo the first, and the accept...

On this episode, Derek and Aaron discuss 1990's psychological horror film "Jacob's Ladder" directed by Adrian Lyne. They talk about how screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin's spiritual journey and beliefs influenced the script, the heavy inspiration this movie had on the Silent Hill video game franchise, and how this sits somewhere between cult hit and horror masterpiece. They also get into the explorati...

Aaron's brother Josiah returns to the show to discuss 1992's New Zealand comedy splatter film "Braindead" ("Dead Alive" in North America) directed by Peter Jackson with the Spoop Bois. They talk about the wild nature of Peter Jackson's career trajectory, the amount of fake blood used with the practical effects, and the insane humor and how it works. They also get into their favorable scenes, why s...

On this episode, Derek and Aaron discuss 2000's science fiction psychological horror film "The Cell" directed by Tarsem Singh. They talk about how style over substance helps this movie, the Hollywoodization of mental illness and serial killers, and how much of the plot takes place as a true crime thriller vs the dream horror scenes. They also get into how the cast features Jennifer Lopez, Vincent...

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of its release, Aaron and Derek discuss Italian giallo film "Deep Red ('Profondo rosso' in Italian)" directed by Dario Argento. They talk about what makes this a quintessential giallo film, the straightforward slasher elements, and how the movie challenges perception and memory. They also get into the film's portrayal of sexual orientation and gender dynamics, the...

In time for Saint Patrick's Day, actress Katie O’Hagan (Mia Winters in Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village) returns to the podcast to discuss 2015's British-Irish co-produced supernatural horror movie "The Hallow" directed by Corin Hardy with Aaron and Derek! They get into the portrayal of Irish folklore with nature and vegetation, distrust of outsiders, and the horrors of changelings. They...