Freaky Franchise

Don't get your hopes up: this movie is barely about Manhattan. It's much more about a boat that somehow transports Jason from Crystal Lake to New York. It's also a lot about toxic waste? Like, a lot. We don't understand, but we are here for it. We'll also talk about fire safety, knee-length shorts, Bella Goth, and pita pockets in your face.

If you've listened to our show before, you've almost certainly heard of Salem Horrorfest—our hometown's fantastic horror movie festival. We love it so much, we decided to do a bonus episode about it!

Horrorfest Festival Manager Jessica Locke and Festival Coordinator Doug Cross joined Theo to talk about the festival lineup and its origins, as well discuss their favorite horror movies, geek out over horror icons, and remind everyone that you should support your local library and independent bookstores.

Want tickets to Horrorfest 2019? You can buy them at salemhorror.com. Hope to see you there!

Tommy really thought he got Jason at the end of the last movie, but we all know that Jason has no problem surviving in Crystal Lake. And when a girl with telekinetic abilities accidentally sets him loose, he's ready to wreak havoc on whatever teens he can find. Luckily, there's a party next door! We'll discuss who makes the best Jason now that we've finally made it to Kane Hodder, and Cordie will attempt some telekinesis of her own. We'll also talk about fake Matthew Perry, Shawn Spencer's true love, the prefix "tele-", and aggressively offering artichoke dip.

Remember all those times that we thought Jason was dead but he wasn't? Well this time he really, truly, was, and then stupid Tommy had to go and ruin it. Now Jason's back from the grave, half-decayed and with even more superstrength than he used to have. And what does he want to do with this new lease on life? Kill a bunch of teens, of course! We'll discuss how changing a town's name won't stop bad things from happening, and why this camp seems to only be in session for a weekend. We'll also talk about francheese, Daffy Duck, Manatee safety, and ? Speeding ?

Wow, we made it to 50 episodes! To celebrate, we decided to take a break from our current franchise and talk about the horror tropes that seem to crop up over and over. Have you ever wondered who the first masked killer was? Or why people enjoy horror comedies? We'll dive deep to answer these questions and more, and use these tropes to examine all of our favorite franchises. Plus, some messages from listeners like you! Thanks for helping us get to 50!

Jason's back... or is he? This film is a definite departure from the rest of the franchise, and it's also one of the more confusing ones. It raises a lot of questions, like "Where is this place?" and "Why is everyone so angry?" and "What exactly is Showtime?". We'll do our best to answer them, but no promises. We'll also talk about The Christmas List, song associations, and eating co-worker's lunches.

Don't worry: this movie might be called "The Final Chapter", but it's far from it. We've still got 6 movies left after this. So maybe you should worry? Depends on your perspective. Anyway, Jason's at the top of his game in this one and so are the many teens who are having the worst party in the history of horror movies. We'll also talk about Scream: Resurrection, whether or not to lock doors, psychic messages through old-timey songs, and pretend juggling.

Turns out the third season of Scream is premiering Monday, July 9 on VH1! Watch along with us and check out our Instagram and Tumblr for live updates from us!

This really should have been called "Saturday the 14th" since that's when it happened, but there's so much other stuff to talk about that we're not going to worry about that. Instead of a summer camp, this film takes place in a farmhouse... that happens to be on Crystal Lake. Also, for some reason, there's a biker gang. But don't worry—it's still got the teen murder and final girl action you're used to, and (finally!) the hockey mask. We'll also talk about Sunny D and teenies, old-timey axes, and wire-based arts and crafts.

For a movie where very little happens, plot-wise, a lot somehow happens in this film. Terrible acting? Sexism? Ableism? Ugly underwear? A very confused interpretation of child psychology? Part II seems to have it all. And yet, there's something appealing about this film. We aren't sure what that is, but we'll try to figure it out. We'll also talk about Riverdale, "Where's The Bear?", the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan, and cannibal ASMR.

It's summertime, and that means it's time for camp again! But this year, we're doing it better. We're getting back to the franchise that started it all (well, for us, at least), and finishing up with the last of the Big Four. This movie is a classic, but it's also BONKERS. We'll talk about the original summer scare and the complete and total lack of a hockey mask. We'll also talk about nicknames, butt-touching, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, and whether or not CPR is sexy.

We've finally (get it?) reached our retrospective episode for Final Destination! Join us as we talk about major themes like fate, death, and bird sounds, and interview horror comic writer Jack Butterworth to talk about Rube Goldberg devices. We'll also talk about worms, scary owl sounds, manifest destiny, and Ed Sheeran's toxic masculinity problem.

This is it, y'all: the final Final Destination. And we have to say, it rounds out the franchise in a way that final films rarely do. This movie follows the same basic format as all of the others (premonition leads to cheating death leads to death getting you anyway), but has a few twists and turns. As we discuss, we'll ask the big questions like, "Why does a chef have a second job at a paper company?" and "Are we sure this isn't fanfic of The Office?". We'll also talk about Willy Wonka, coroners vs. medical examiners, EVPs, and the Crayola factory.

Is this really the final Final Destination? No, it's not, it's just called that. Despite its misleading title, the film does not disappoint: it's chock full of Rube Goldberg death machines and a complete disregard for biophysics. We'll try to figure out how some of these deaths even happen (spoiler alert: we won't get very far). We'll also talk about jean trends, how to be a cool teen, The Gentleman Cowboy, and Pixar's Cars (2006).

In this episode, we learn that Cordie cares about three things, and three things only: toxic masculinity, pigeons, and magnets. Which is a good thing, because those are all featured in this film! We'll also talk about matching windbreakers, fear of internal organs, home depot, and chicken-sized horses.

Here it is, folks: the reason that we're all afraid to drive behind a lumber truck. Exactly one year after the crash of Flight 180, Kimberly manages to avoid a similar fate for herself and a bunch of cars getting on the highway. But just like the first time around, you can't cheat death. The difference this time? Everyone is dying in reverse order. The reasoning? We have no idea. We'll also talk about eMacs, more stories from Theo's French trip, a man of hooks, and frying pan spaghetti.

Can you escape your destiny? Is there an overarching plan to the universe? How sweaty can a boy be? Our latest franchise answers all of these hard-hitting questions and more. As we discuss Final Destination, we'll take a good look at fate, and try to get to the bottom of whether or not it's possible to cheat death. We'll also talk about Theo's experience with flights to France, owls, Sonic the Hedgehog, and unnecessary decapitation.

After 7 films full of Freddy, it looks like Nightmare is finally coming to an end. Join us for a retrospective as we discuss some of the major themes throughout these films, like trust, justice, and revenge... and reminisce about how long Freddy's arms were in the first movie. We'll also be joined by a sleep expert (who happens to be our mom!) who will help shed some light on the mechanics of what might be going on in these movies.

We've made it to the end of the franchise, and it's the most wonderfully meta film in the world. This time, instead of following Nancy, we're hanging out with Heather Langencamp, Robert Englund, and even Wes Craven himself. But who else is there? Could Freddy Krueger have made his way out of the movies into the real world? We'll let you know. We'll also talk about earthquake safety, nosebleeds, side effects of sleeping pills, and our own new nightmares.