In today's episode, it’s Tim Burton’s fever dream masterpiece Beetlejuice—a horror-comedy classic with shades of surrealism that’s as colorfully bizarre as its namesake character! The film follows Barbara and Adam Maitland, a recently deceased couple, intent on scaring off the new living occupants of their home, the Deetz family. When their best gh…

In today’s episode, it’s creature feature, B-movie summer horror with 1979’s The Great Alligator and 1980s’s Alligator. Despite their very different settings, both films lean into the carnage caused by their snappy, tail-spinning reptilian monsters while simultaneously suggesting that the true villains are more of the two legged variety. But do the…

In today’s episode, Vincent Price helms House of Usher, a dark tale of decay inspired by Edgar Allen Poe’s 1839 short story "The Fall of the House of Usher.” Released in 1960 as the first in the Corman-Poe cycle of films, the film follows Phillip as he visits the Usher mansion in the hopes of convincing his runaway fiance, Madeline, to return to hi…

In today's episode, “one, two, Freddy’s coming for you” in Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) and Chuck Russell's A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987). In the original 1984 release, a group of teens attempt to outsmart Freddy Krueger, a supernatural killer who stalks them in their dreams. In the 1987 sequel, a band of insti…

In today’s episode, festive cheer gets a bloody makeover in Chris Peckover’s Better Watch Out (2016) and Tyler MacIntyre’s It’s a Wonderful Knife (2023). A subgenre of horror that turns beloved seasonal traditions into nightmarish fodder, Christmas horror is rife with malevolent Santas, homicidal elves, and many, many angry snowmen. But what happen…

In today’s episode, it's an old school horror-comedy romp with Matthew Goodhue’s Slotherhouse (2023). The plot revolves around Alpha, a homicidal three-toed sloth who is abducted from her home in the Panamanian jungle by poachers. Upon killing Oliver, one of the poachers, she is taken in by Emily who believes Alpha just might be her ticket to the s…

In today’s episode, we are finally tackling the film Roger Ebert called “a raw and painful experience” that “transcends the genre of terror, horror, and the supernatural.” We are, of course, talking about William Friedkin’s The Exorcist (1973). Based on William Peter Blatty’s novel of the same name, the film is an acknowledged classic trafficking i…

In today’s episode, Australian horror takes center stage courtesy of Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou’s Talk to Me (2023). In the film, Mia, who is grappling with the imminent second anniversary of her mother’s death, attends a party with Jade, her best friend, and Riley, Jade’s brother. There, they are given the opportunity to commune with th…

In today’s episode, we’re kicking off the spooky season with Michael Dougherty’s Trick 'r Treat (2007). Told in an anthology format with non-linear storytelling, the film is a virtual shoutout to Halloween lore making it a cult classic among horror fans. But does it deserve its reputation? We’re breaking it all down today with spoilers so stay tune…

In today’s episode, it’s part two of our deep dive into shark horror with Renny Harlin’s Deep Blue Sea (1999). Blending science fiction with horror, the film follows a crew of researchers as they try to replicate in sharks the brain cells of people with Alzheimer’s Disease. Predictably, the experiment does not end well. Known for its divisive heroi…

In today's episode, we are diving into the depths of cinematic terror with Jaume Collet-Serra’s The Shallows (2016) and David R. Ellis’s Shark Night (2011). In The Shallows, a young woman on a pilgrimage to her late mother’s favorite surf haunt finds herself stranded on a rock as she faces off against a relentless great white shark. In Shark Night,…

In today’s episode, it’s a disturbing journey into the misleading world of social media courtesy of Kurtis David Harder’s Influencer (2023). The story follows social media influencer Madison (Emily Tennant), who is in Thailand for what was supposed to be a romantic getaway with her boyfriend, Ryan (Rory J. Saper). But her lonely and mundane reality…

On today’s episode, we’re diving into the magnificent world of creature features with 1998’s Godzilla. Directed by Roland Emmerich, the film takes the famous monster’s story and puts a decidedly American spin on it to questionable results. We’re talking about historical revisionism and what makes a really bad horror film on today’s episode so stay …

In today’s episode, we’re diving into Zach Creggar’s Barbarian (2022). Told in a three act structure, Barbarian vacillates between realism and absurdism in what is arguably one of the most unique horror films to drop in recent years. Following three characters and their relationship to a house located in the Detroit neighborhood of Brightmoor, the …

In today's episode, we’re diving into Smile (2022), a film that has almost single-handedly reinvigorated debate over the importance of trigger warnings. Written and directed by Parker Finns, the film follows Rose (Sosie Bacon), a doctor who cares for patients at a psychiatric facility while navigating her own mental health journey. Following the de…

In today's episode, it is early horror with an unexpected feminist twist in 1946’s The Spiral Staircase, directed by Robert Siodmak. Set in 1906, the film follows Helen (Dorothy McGuire), a woman with traumatic mutism, who cares for Mrs. Warren (Ethel Barrymore), the difficult and bedridden lady of the manor. When a serial killer begins killing off…

In today's episode, it's an old-Hollywood tinged journey into repression and murder via Ti West’s Pearl, the sequel to his massively successful X. Set against the final days of World War 1, the film follows Pearl (Mia Goth), a young woman who feels trapped by her mundane farm life and who yearns to take her place alongside the Big Screen stars she …

In today's episode, the Horror Homeroom crew dives into John Hyam’s SICK (2022). Situated in the early days of the pandemic, the film follows friends Parker and Miri as they quarantine at a remote lake house owned by Parker’s parents. They are joined unexpectedly by DJ, Parker’s friend with benefits, who is eager to make their relationship exclusiv…

In this condensed episode, Dawn and Liz are chatting about 2020’s CIRQUE BERZERK by Jessica Guess. Part of the 'Rewind or Die' series, the story takes place 30 years after a group of kids went on a killing spree at a local carnival; a massacre that left a dozen people dead. Decades after the tragedy, a group of students, including best friends Sam …

In this episode, we’re deep diving into John Logan’s highly polarizing They/Them (2022). A slasher film that takes place at a conversion camp, the film drew early criticism on social media with many wondering if there aren’t some topics that should be off limits. But what does that mean for a genre like horror that is predicated on exploring taboo …

In this episode, horror and pornography become not so strange bedfellows in Ti West’s "X". A love letter to 1970s low budget filmmaking, the movie blends humor, heart and lots of boobs to create a shockingly effective meditation on the complexities of aging. We’re going to spoil the hell out of this film today so stay tuned. Join us at Horror Homer…

On today’s episode it’s creepy kids meets arthouse violence with 1976’s Alice, Sweet Alice. Arguably more Giallo than classic slasher, this film merges religious iconography with straight up taboo to reflect a specifically 1970s horror sensibility. But despite a rabid cult fanbase, this movie never quite ascended to the heights of other well known …

In this episode, we are heading back to 1987 with Joseph Ruben's The Stepfather. Inspired by the horrific murders committed by John List, this movie doesn't just deconstruct the myth of the nuclear family, it detonates it...and sets it to a slamming 80s soundtrack. We're talking conservative values run amuck on this episode, so stay tuned! --- Supp…

How much do we love Adam Cesare's CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD (2020)? So much that we braved Zoom just to bring you this episode! From its in the moment politics to its creative deployment of slasher tropes, Dawn and Liz are explaining why this novel deserves its buzz on this episode so stay tuned! SPOILERS ABOUND IN THIS EPISODE SO TAKE HEED. --- Support…

Killer kids take center stage in this episode in which we break down The Prodigy and Eli. Both dropping in 2019, these films center children and evil in ways that both reflect and challenge conventional depictions of childhood monstrosity. So stay tuned!--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/horror-homeroom/support…

On today's episode love hurt as we look at the Canadian slasher My Bloody Valentine (1981), as well as its 2009 3D American remake. Quintessential slashers, these films demonstrate that although the tropes remain the same, there is a generational divide in how they are deployed. We're celebrating Valentine's Day the way it was intended on this epis…

One of the standout horror films of 2019, READY OR NOT was an unexpected hit with both fans and critics. Directed by the duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, this foray into generational lore and unrestrained privilege offers up an intriguing blend of campy gore and pointed black humor that feels particularly relevant in Trump's America. We…

What happens when feminists dislike a feminist anthem horror film? We're finding out today in our discussion on Black Christmas, the latest adaptation of the 1974 slasher that has grown to be a cult favorite. Directed by Sophia Takal, whose impassioned defense of the film’s PG-13 rating on Twitter launched debate over whether a horror film needs to…

On today’s episode we’re handling with scare two film festival darlings: Kurtis David Harder’s Spiral and J.D. Dillard’s Sweetheart. Genre hybrids with political messages very much in the cultural zeitgeist, both films are currently garnering buzz on social media. But do they deserve the accolades? We’re talking movie monsters, Republicans and repr…

In this special episode of Horror Homeroom Conversations, we're talking about what movies have scared the hell out of us over the years. From irascible aliens to malevolent ghosts to religious zealots, we're breaking down our biggest fears and talking about why it is that we are so drawn to horror.--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotif…

Greetings thrill shriekers! In this episode of Horror Homeroom Conversations, we're adding some shlock to our shock by reconsidering the Creepshow franchise. Beloved and reviled in equal measure for its decidedly campy love letter to EC horror comics of the 1950s, Creepshow is arguably still the standard for cinematic anthology horror. But does it …

On today's episode we're talking The Curse of La Llorona (2019), Michael Chaves' ode to the popular Mexican folk story in which a ghostly woman in white stalks and kills young children. Does this horror film introduce some much needed LatinX representation into American horror film or does its potential go unmet? And how does the film's positioning…

In today's episode, we’re wading into Alexandre Aja’s Crawl. Now, we all know that Jaws made a generation afraid to go into the ocean, but does this film’s ode to bloodthirsty alligators offer up a similar heart-pounding experience? And why are we so afraid of what lurks within the water? We’re giving some gator love on this episode, so stay tuned!…

In this episode, we're talking about Tod Browning's 1932 landmark film, Freaks, and it's still controversial today depictions of disability.--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/horror-homeroom/support

In part two of our School's Out series for June, we're looking at how queerness has been represented in horror films and discussing why these depictions matter. We're also giving our list of top 10 non-horror LGBTQ+ films.--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/horror-homeroom/support…

In part one of our School's Out series for June, we're pairing one horror film with one non-horror film in order to show the fluidity of the genre. In this episode, we're celebrating Pride 2019 by breaking down all the components that make But I'm a Cheerleader (1999) and Psycho Beach Party (2000) so darn irresistible.--- Support this podcast: http…

Given its traditional focus on extreme violence and gratuitous sexuality, exploitation horror isn't for everyone. Our lists run the gamut from soul-crushing nihilism to campy silliness and to everything in between!--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/horror-homeroom/support…

Think Jaws is the scariest reason to stay out of the water? Well, think again! In today’s episode, we’re deep diving into the Piranha franchise. A glorious mixture of exploitation and, at times, shockingly relevant social critique, Piranha is often dismissed as an uninspired parody but does it deserve that label? We’re breaking it all down on today…

Spinsters, witches, and hags, oh my! In many films, aging is a transgressive state but what does it mean to be "old" in horror and why are these characters more often than not female? In today's bonus episode, we're celebrating May being Older Americans Month by counting down our top ten favorite elderly characters in horror!--- Support this podcas…

It's a totally bitchin' two for one on this episode of Horror Homeroom Conversations in which we head back to the 1980s with Todd Strauss-Schulson’s The Final Girls (2015) and François Simard, Anouk Whissell and Yoann-Karl Whissell’s Summer of 84 (2018). Criminally underrated, both films deploy depictions of nostalgia in order to reflect and then d…

In honor of Earth Day, Gwen and Liz are counting down their top 10 picks for the best of the best in eco-horror. We're covering B-movie creature features, low budget "trash" films, harrowing contagion movies, and so much more!--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/horror-homeroom/support…

The Horror Homeroom crew rarely agrees completely on a film but in this case, we're unanimous in our criticism of the latest adaptation of Stephen King's 'Pet Sematary.' From its privileging of male grief via the systematic erasure of adult female characters to its deeply misguided use of the Wendigo, this film had us wondering if perhaps dead is b…

1970s horror was a wild ride of gritty realism, nudity, questionable production quality, and original storytelling. It was also the era in which former A list stars popped up with alarming frequency. In this bonus episode, we're ranking our top 10 favorite films from the decade.--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/horro…

Jordan Peele’s Us has inspired a multitude of think pieces dissecting everything from its ridiculously good soundtrack to its striking visuals to its very open to interpretation plot. While few would argue its status as an interesting film, does that make it a good horror movie? We’re a divided crew on this episode of Horror Homeroom Conversations!…

On this bonus episode of Horror Homeroom Conversations, we’re journeying back to the time of Bill Clinton, grunge and Barney the dinosaur. An admittedly divisive era in American horror film, the 1990s gave us a number of unforgettable films whose cultural impact is still being felt. Whether you consider the decade the boring counterpart to the 1980…

In this episode of Horror Homeroom Conversations, we’re delving into the connective tissue that links Wes Craven’s 1991 The People Under the Stairs with Fede Álvarez’s 2016 Don’t Breathe. While both films feature protagonists breaking into homes only to discover unexpected horrors, do they send similar messages? And how do the urban environments de…

In this bonus episode, we've challenged ourselves to do the impossible: we're ranking our top 10 horror movies from the 80s!--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/horror-homeroom/support

Directed by Jason Zada, The Forest is ostensibly the journey of a young woman who travels across the world to find her twin sister who has gone missing. But lurking beneath this benign narrative is a complicated web of PTSD, trauma, and grief. Situated in Aokigahara, a place in Japan known internationally as The Suicide Forest, the film borrows lib…

Need some cinematic inspiration for a snowy day? The Horror Homeroom crew has got you covered! In this bonus episode, we're sharing our list of top 10 horror films.--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/horror-homeroom/support

It's Women in Horror Month and we're taking on Amy Holden Jones' THE SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE (1982). Both adored and reviled, this cult classic consistently divides audiences. Is it feminist? Is it exploitative? Can it be both? Today the Horror Homeroom crew is weighing in on those questions as well as asking whether death by a 12-inch drill can eve…