Watch If You Dare

This week, Aaron and Derek cover 2016's Persian-language psychological horror film "Under the Shadow" written and directed by Babak Anvari. They spend time discussing the historical background of the Iran–Iraq War and War of the Cities that sets the backdrop of this movie. They also talk about the universal feelings of horror shown throughout the plot, how the elements of war are incorporated, and...

Derek and Aaron are joined by V.P. Morris (host of "The Dead Letters Podcast" and author of the upcoming thriller novel "ShadowCast") to discuss 1991's psychological horror masterpiece "The Silence of the Lambs" directed by Jonathan Demme. They discuss the impact of Clarice as a protagonist, how effective Hannibal Lecter is in a modern lens, relatability to real life horrors, and so much more abou...

Derek and Aaron take on their second commentary track with 1989's supernatural fitness movie "Death Spa" (known in Europe as "Witch Bitch") directed by Michael Fischa. Match up your movie watch with their commentary and enjoy their takes on plot holes, various levels of effort by cast and crew, the insane set design, the surreal energy, and much more while you watch along! Exercise can kill, liste...

Welcome to 2021. In the long overdue second minisode, the Spoop Bois dig into 2019's horror film "1BR" written and directed by David Marmor by interviewing producer Alok Mishra and actress Naomi Grossman (Janice in "1BR," Pepper in "American Horror Story," Lorna in "ctrl alt delete"). They discuss how it came to be, talk about wild production stories, analyze the horrors portrayed throughout the m...

It's the Watch If You Dare 2020 Holiday Special! To wrap up the year, the Spoop Bois tackle 1984's Christmas comedy horror film "Gremlins" directed by Joe Dante. They discuss the juxtaposition of chaotic humor and legitimate darkness during the holidays, Spielberg's influence in the production and movie rating system, and the general lore behind the Gremlins folklore. They also touch on the film's...

This week, the Spoop Bois are joined by guest Kelly to discuss 1985's horror film "Fright Night" directed by Tom Holland. They tackle how "Fright Night" plays on the childhood fascination with neighborhood mystery and effective use of the "boy who cries wolf" horror trope. They also dig into excellent character work including the endearing relatability of Charley Brewster and the hypnotic menace o...

That's not cranberry sauce, it's a podcast (again)! For Thanksgiving, the Spoop Bois are joined by returning guest Jeff to revisit 1987's holiday relevant slasher film "Blood Rage" directed by John Grissmer. They discuss why they chose this film as their first one to revisit and what makes it perfect horror viewing for Thanksgiving. They also dig into what Jeff thought about the movie and how rewa...

This week, Aaron and Derek start preparing for Thanksgiving by tackling 1999's Western horror cannibal tale "Ravenous" directed by Antonia Bird. They discuss the problematic production life, the balance of satire and horror, and the large amount of character actors in the cast, specifically Neal McDonough and David Arquette. They also dig into the dynamic between Guy Pearce and Robert Carlyle's ch...

Just in time for Halloween, Watch If You Dare wrap up this year's witch themed Season of Spoop with a nostalgic trip in revisiting 1993's dark fantasy comedy horror Disney feature "Hocus Pocus" directed by Kenny Ortega. Joining Aaron and Derek are Heather, Lauren, and Chrystle. They dig into their personal histories with the movie, the new appreciation for the adult themes, and why this is a great...

As the witch themed Season of Spoop rolls on, Aaron and Derek are joined by returning guest Lauren to tackle 1922's (yes 1922) Swedish-Danish silent film documentary "Häxan" (also known as "Heksen," "The Witches," and "Witchcraft Through the Ages") directed by Benjamin Christensen. They discuss how it's aging through the decades, subject matter, and creepy dramatizations inadvertently make this a...

It's the start of October, so that means the second annual Season of Spoop™ (TM TM TM) kicks off! This year, the bois have chosen "witches" as their cinematic theme. For their first choice, they tackle one of the quintessential witch horror movies with 2015's "The Witch" (also known as "The Witch: A New England Folktale" or "The VVitch") directed by Robert Eggers. Joining them on such a task is re...

This week, Aaron and Derek are joined by Sean Marz to dig (pun intended) into 1990's creature feature "Tremors" directed by Ron Underwood. They discuss how well it holds up, if it should be considered a classic, the amazing design of the monster, and the "man vs nature" aspects that constitute it being a horror movie. They also touch on the casting and crazy franchise history. Derek also makes a h...

Watch If You Dare tackles the 1960 horror masterpiece "Psycho" directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Coinciding with the film's US debut 60th anniversary, Derek and Aaron are joined by Jim McDevitt and Eric San Juan, authors of "A Year of Hitchcock: 52 Weeks with the Master of Suspense," "Hitchcock’s Villains: Murderers, Maniacs, and Mothers Issues," and other titles. They discuss the impact of this film...

This week, Aaron and Derek dig into 2015's horror film "The Invitation" directed by Karyn Kusama. They discuss Kusama's directing history, how this film is especially effective horror for adults, and parallels to real trauma and relationships. They also talk about the balance of bleakness and glimmers of hope by the end of the film. Derek and Aaron really want you to drink from a suspicious glass...

For the first time ever, the Spoop Bois Aaron and Derek recorded a commentary track. Their first choice is the insane 1983 slasher film "Sleepaway Camp" written and directed by Robert Hiltzik. Match up your movie watch with their commentary to hear them talk about the dangerous nature of the film, discuss the problematic elements, and laugh at all the ridiculous acting and dialogue choices. They a...

This week, James Hales returns to the podcast to discuss 1981's Italian supernatural horror film "The Beyond" directed by Lucio Fulci with the Spoop Bois, Derek and Aaron. They discuss the surreal and ridiculous nature of this film, Fulci movies, and Italian horror in general. They also dig into the portrayal of Louisiana, the insane amount of gore, Fulci's obsession with eye trauma, the plot deta...

This week, Aaron and Derek put on their sunglasses and watch 1988's science-fiction action horror film "They Live" directed by the great John Carpenter. They discuss the movie's politics and relevancy to today as well as whether or not this is considered a horror classic. They also gush about Roddy Piper and Keith David, dig further into Carpenter's brand, and touch on all the societal satire in g...

This week, Aaron and Derek tackle 1997's science fiction horror film "Event Horizon" directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. They discuss the nostalgia and cult status surrounding the film, the use of mid to late 90s effects and dialogue, and what it borrows from other franchises. They also dig into the possibility of the director's cut and extended footage of the "hell scenes." Aaron doesn't need eyes t...

This week, Aaron and Derek return to South Korean horror with 2016's supernatural thriller "The Wailing" directed by Na Hong-jin. They discuss why "The Wailing" is a horror modern masterpiece and further talk about the quality of Korean cinema in general. They also dig into the brilliant snap tone shifts, the ritualistic nature of supernatural and demonic activity, and the historical undertones wi...

The Spoop Bois Aaron and Derek are joined by friend and director Zach Lamplugh to discuss 2014's found footage psychological horror film "Creep" directed by Patrick Brice. They discuss how the cast being limited to 2 people works, the tight budget and runtime adding to the quality of the movie, and the effectiveness of found footage and improvisation in enhancing the horror. They also take time to...

Mother's Day may have just passed, but the Spoop Bois are still celebrating! This week, Aaron's lovely mother Tammy joins them to discuss 1982's supernatural horror classic "Poltergeist" directed by Tobe Hooper and written and produced by Steven Spielberg. They discuss the "cursed" tragedy surrounding the franchise, whether this feels more like a Spielberg or Hooper movie, and bombastic nature of...

On the last part of the Twin Peaks series, Derek, Aaron and Meryl go through the murder of Laura Palmer in the final scenes of 1992's "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me" directed by David Lynch. Among the things covered, they discuss Lynch's use of lighting, the horrific nature of BOB's host, the retrospective evaluation of the film, etc. They also skim through some of the extended media, specifically...

With part 2, Aaron, Derek, and Meryl continue to dig into the world of Twin Peaks and specifically 1992's film "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me" directed by David Lynch. This episode, they finally meet Laura Palmer herself, explore her frantic habits and relationships, see the influence of the Black Lodge in her life, and begin to unravel the dark nature of her past and family life. They also contin...

With our first multi-part series, the Spoop Bois with guest and close friend Meryl Dakin enter the town of Twin Peaks! They tackle Twin Peaks the series as a whole while focusing specifically on David Lynch's 1992 followup film "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me", which took the franchise in an even darker, more horrifying direction. In part 1, they discuss the background production of "Fire Walk with...

Aaron and Derek continue their horror journey through these quarantine days. This week, they consume 1985's satirical science fiction horror flick "The Stuff" written, produced, and directed by Larry Cohen. They touch on Cohen's approach towards consumerism with "The Stuff" and what makes this and his other films subversive. They also discuss his creative process in regard to schlock quality, cont...