Listener Stories Part I: Tampon Terrors

Brother episode with off-the-charts sibling energy. Zach and Charlie join Caitlin to cover Happy Death Day, a 2017 horror comedy that features a time loop. We talk about how the time loop trope is great for setting up second chances and character redemption, and we go over funny moments from the movie.

Tangents include: ring tones, physical media, cake, cookies, Ukrop's, cereal, crunching/chewing/misophonia, oatmeal, weapons, phone cases, and hot takes. Special guest "appearance" from "Ryan."

Elizabeth joins Caitlin to talk about 1996's Scream, a movie that invigorated not just the slasher subgenre, but horror on the whole. We discuss meta storytelling, satire, subversion, and final girls, and we give Scream all the love it deserves. Tangents include: bangs, ghostface mask ideas, socks, driving, sirens in songs, the rock-and-roller to children’s-performer pipeline, lady tropes in horror, and spooking yourself with creepypastas late at night.

Mary joins Caitlin to talk about horror movies that deserve a second chance. These movies aren't necessarily "underrated" (because that means different things to different people, especially depending upon familiarity with the genre), but they're movies that got written off too soon. They deserve a second look; at least we think they do. Let us know if there are any you'd add to the list.

Maddie and Colleen join Caitlin to cover Poor Things, the new surrealist, steampunk epic from Yorgos Lanthimos. We talk about the stellar performances from Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, and Willem Dafoe, and we look at themes around sex, sexuality, identity, existentialism, gender, and bodily autonomy. There's also lots of silly joking around. The review starts around 21:45.

Tangents include: running bits, Barbie, boyfriend jumpscares, "weird Mormon pants cults," turning non-horror properties into horror properties, putting our consciousness in other bodies/robots, sleepwear, favorite toes, inedibles, wedding desserts ("that make you nut"), sperm (sorry), and letting it linger.

Mary joins Caitlin to cover Saltburn, the new controversial new black comedy from Emerald Fennell. As degenerate weirdos, we loved it, but not everyone did. We talk about the controversy, and we analyze themes (obsession, weatlh, manipulation, and more). Did you know there are two movies where Barry Keoghan slurps something, and this is not the one that traumatized Mary?

Tangents include: Kylie Jenner, Jared Leto, The Purge, texting, phones, babies, Tom Green, eating the rich, semen, Twilight throuples, wedding songs, wedding desserts, height, backpacks, and a good selection of FMKs and WYRs.

Navigating a pivot in plans, Mary joins Caitlin to cover David Gordon Green's recent body of work. We mostly chat about Exorcist: Believer, but we also talk about DGG's Halloween trilogy. To put it kindly, we weren't huge fans of Exorcist: Believer - partly because it tries to cash in on nostalgia and politics in cringe ways, and partly because it's just a bad sequel. Not even Ann Dowd could save it! Good for Ellen Burstyn for getting that bag, though.

Tangents include: general hater vibes, trends, engagement rings, Kohl's, suburban luxury, and Saltburn. Be sure to check out Skin of a Killer, the Twilight podcast we do with our buddy Charlie. Next week we'll be back with a regular review.

Eric from Bloody Good Horror joins Caitlin to cover May, a cult classic from 2002. Many of us - for better or worse - have related to May at some point. She's an often-overlooked icon of the monstrous feminine, and we wanted to give her her due. We talk about themes of isolation, identity, and being an outsider, and we look at symbols around dolls and fragmentation.

Tangents include: BGH origins, college loneliness, shoveling snow, favorite films, gangster movies, desert island books, songs of the moment, vampire universes, sleep sounds, scenes that made us horror fans, tea, and feet.

Be sure to check out Bloody Good Horror and HY-FY! And remember: if you can't find a friend, make one.

Mary and Charlie join Caitlin to cover The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the impactful David Fincher thriller. It's got it all: high stakes, revenge, heists, mysteries, Happy Meals, and more. We look at themes of misogyny, violence against women, and intuition vs politeness.

Tangents include: merkins, piercings, accents, Emma Stone, booktok, ramen, childhood aspirations, summer vs winter, takeout, Charlie's wedding, mean eggs, mean milk, sleep habits, Disney jams, Titanic, muppets, beverages, and a cutlery FMK. If you enjoy the goofiness of this episode, check us out over at Skin of a Killer.

SAIL AWAY! SAIL AWAY! SAIL AWAY!

Soju from Straight Chilling Podcast joins Caitlin to discuss Only Lovers Left Alive, an indulgent 2013 vampire movie from Jim Jarmusch. We talk about brooding, the arts and humanities, love and companionship, and O-negative popsicles. Vampirism 101, really.

Tangents include: blood types, FMK for Anne Rice vamps, which emojis are the most sinister, beverage fountains, Say Yes to the Dress, Great British Baking Show, books, lighting preferences, and upcoming movies.

Zach, Mary, Charlie, and Colleen join Caitlin to discuss the best and worst of horror in 2023. We cover our favorite and least favorite horror movies of the year, as well as our favorite horror shows. We also talk about trends in the genre, theater experiences, our favorite Plug It Up moments, and our hopes for 2024 horror. We come in SWINGING, both for movies and for one another.

Tangents include: karaoke songs, Hogwarts houses, so-bad-they're-good movies, owls, magic 8 balls, seasonal foods, gas lights, Disney characters, cringe teenage moments, chores, tattoos, drinks, sauces, and more.

Happy new year! Thank you all for your support!