Well-Adjusted Horror

This week's movie is a litmus test for fans of horror. The House That Jack Built is a characteristically bitter piece of visual candy from Lars Von Trier, and oh do the boys have questions. Is interpreting art through the identity of the artist valid criticism or fashionable nonsense? Should viewers care whether artists are virtuous people? Are serial killers interesting? And is it okay to laugh w...

This week the boys discuss the possibility of life in outer space, the wonders of Dee Wallace's filmography,  the lack of adult supervision that kids enjoyed in the 80s, and why carpet on the toilet is always a bad idea. Also, don't give Levi a radio telescope, because he will unilaterally call the aliens. 

Less than a week after the U.S. Capitol was stormed, the boys discuss irrational beliefs, the terror of the wilderness, the power of words, the ickyness of Puritans, and, oh yeah, Robert Eggers' The Witch  

We can't wait to see 2020 end. But before it goes, we take a long look at Stephen King's first and only directorial effort, Maximum Overdrive . Easter eggs abound in the casting, as well as in the lore surrounding the drug-fueled production. In a movie filled with memorable deaths, we each pick a favorite. Finally, we discussed what each of us learned during 2020. Pop a bottle of champagne with us...

It's the end of the year and the boys have nothing but questions. Is A Christmas Carol a proper horror story? Was George C. Scott capable of portraying joy? Which three actors would portray our Xmas ghosts? Are people capable of genuine spiritual transformation?  

What do you get when you combine a lunatic hiding in the attic of a sorority house with mean girls and drinking? 1974's Black Christmas , that's what. The boys lament that it took them so long to recognize this as the mother of all slasher films and consider how different it is from later entries in the genre. This one has it all: John Saxon as the archetypal police detective, Margot Kidder before...

The boys look at one of their very favorite seasonal disasters, 1984's Silent Night, Deadly Night. This one has it all: holiday murder sprees, horrible nuns, a demented grandfather, and a toy store with a selection to (literally) die for. Levi bemoans the loss of innocence when belief in Santa wanes. Johnathon wants more Linnea Quiqley.  Also, Xmas is quite literally the darkest time of the year f...

When he wasn't single-handedly creating the zombie genre, George Romero made his mark on just about every other corner of the horror filmverse. This week, the boys look at Season of the Witch and Martin .  The first is a film ostensibly about a 70s housewife finding liberation through witchcraft and mariticide; the second is one of the most original and disturbing takes on vampirism you'll ever se...

This week the boys take on the zombies of old, with a look at George Romero's 1978 classic Dawn of the Dead. Levi wonders whether COVID fatigue is similar to zombie fatigue. In both cases, how long can the human spirit endure? Johnathon has kind words about the 2004 remake, despite its use of fast zombies.  And both wax nostalgic for the lost era of shopping malls.

It's election day in the United States, but Levi and Johnathon do their best to focus on supernatural monsters rather than literal ones. Is An American Werewolf in London the pinnacle of werewolf movies? What about the other pretenders to the throne? 

This week the boys discuss John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness, a sci-fi / horror crossover that's too often overlooked among the director's more famous work. From there they jump right into the big questions. Which is scarier, theoretical physics or Alice Cooper? Will theaters ever recover after the COVID shutdowns? And who takes vacations in Oklahoma?

Johnathon and Levi celebrate the month of October with a special guest, and everyone has opinions about the 2018 not-quite-remake of Suspiria. Levi puts the movie on his October must-watch list, while Johnathon mumbles about the bona fides of Dario Argento's original. Also, everyone has thoughts about women and Joss Whedon. 

What do homeless people do when they're denied social services, charity, and housing? They worship nuclear waste and transform into mutant cannibals. Except for Utah. In Utah they get a place to live. Johnathon and Levi cover every exquisite detail of CHUD, a cult classic.

Johnathon and Levi skip right over their collective jealousy of Kurt Russell's beard to mansplain why great practical effects will always beat CGI. Levi provides a precise measurement of the amount of KY Jelly needed to bring a shape-shifting alien parasite to life. Johnathon wonders whether Norwegians are better with explosives in real life. Finally, both of your hosts take a heavy detour into th...

Shockwaves debuted in the same year as Star Wars: A New Hope . Surprisingly, fewer people stood in line to see it. Shockwaves stars Peter Cushing, David Caradine, and a group of stuntmen who got really, really good at holding their breath. Johnathon and Levi talk bathing suits, the lamentable persistence of fascism, and why the Victrola and the banjo are basically the same thing.  

The only thing worse than sleep is not being able to get any. The boys segue from the phenomenon of COVID dreams to Wes Craven's Nightmare on Elm Street. Listen along for a deep dive on Johnny Depp's first major film role, the limitless number of sleep disorders, and what keeps your hosts up at night.

Is the Exorcist III better than the original? Maybe not, but it's still a terrific sequel with stand out performances by George C. Scott and Brad Dourif.  Johnathon and Levi discuss the lost art of monologuing, whether supernatural evil is de facto proof of supernatural good, and one of the best jump scares in the history of cinema. 

Larry Cohen's 1974 horror film It's Alive is a forgotten (and surprisingly timeless) classic. Levi and Johnathon discuss the film's place in the canon of monster movies, the moral and ethical implications of birthing a monster, whether the philosophy of antinatalism has a leg to stand on, and why you should never mess with Mama Bear.