The Scariest Things Podcast Extra: An Interview with "Dexter: New Blood" Composer Pat Irwin
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Remember who we are: Your Gateway to the Trends and Tropes of the Horror Genre. That means we had better know our tropes... like REALLY know our tropes. And as such, welcome to Tropetown! This is a speed round session where we try and come up with the best and most original example of the trope. It's a game of can-you-top this? The winner gets to be named Mayor of Tropetown!
The Pandemic fueled dread of Dashcam is showing at Panic Fest in Kansas City on May 1 and May 4. TST had the great opportunity to interview the director Rob Savage to discuss his latest creation.
At Panic Fest in Kansas City, a wicked slice of horror-comedy has been ordered up in the form of an indie UK feature, When the Screaming Starts. The Scariest Things podcast crew immediately fell for this mockumentary about a Manson Family-style murder cult setting its roots in London. We were joined by the Director and Actor/Producers of the film to discuss the story of the "family" that slays together and doesn't stay together (ahem!).
SXSW made its return to live audiences in Austin in March of 2022, and The Scariest Things was present for the event. Liz Williams took in as much as she could at the festival, and the rest of TST's staff followed by streaming for one of the world's great film festivals.
For Episode 143, The Scariest Things examines the works of three directors that we think you should know more about. Under the radar? Maybe. Horror masters? Definitely.
Couples. Partners. Lovers. Siblings. Spouses. Besties. Some of the most fascinating horror characters come in pairs. Whether they team up for good or evil, these characters are inextricably linked together to their fates. In Episode 142 we explore some of our favorite horror duets.
Detective, you are a loose cannon! Turn in your piece, your shield, and make sure to turn that ancient evil tome into evidence. Now get out of my office! The cop cliches are layered on top of a genre with plenty of our favorite tried and true horror tropes. This is the world of the thriller and the hunt of serial killers. It is time for Episode 142 and we're talking police procedural horror.
Call it a hunch. Or perhaps morbid curiosity. We think these upcoming films could be pretty cool. As we transition from what was to what could be, The Scariest Things team casts its gaze forward to what horrors might entertain us the most! Listen in to Episode 140 and find out what you can look forward to with us in 2022!
This is the annual ritual of summarizing the year that was. We first celebrate the best of the year, and then we have to get real. Not everything was worth your time when it comes to scary movies last year. We don't enjoy doing this, but we have to name names. Welcome to Episode 139 where we dish out what wasn't good in 2021.
We have decided to do something a little different, this time: A single film analysis. We look back at one of our favorite independent horror films of the last 20 years: The House of the Devil (2009), by Director Ti West. It's a near-perfect exercise in horror story development and execution, and you can hear our rationale in this bonus podcast episode!
Happy New Year Scariest Friends! The Scariest Things has now banked FOUR YEARS of podcasts and reviews, and despite a world-wide pandemic, we were able to see a lot of good movies and share our impressions with our ever growing fan base. It's a good time to thank everybody who has checked in with us over the year. The new Golden Age of horror continues on, unabated, and we look forward to sharing with you a fantastic 2022!
We Horror fans are an odd lot. We actively seek emotional sensations that make us uncomfortable, agitated, and if done well, terrified. To say that we are adrenaline junkies testing our courage is an easy way out, and doesn't really get to the truth of things. Ashley Hirusina, a graphic artist managed in one poster, a deep but succinct analysis of why we seek the scary.
Hey! Watch where you're sticking that thing! Do you believe in UFO's? Do you think of aliens from outer space with fascination... or dread? Sometimes the aliens look like Alf. Sometimes they look like little green men (and later... little grey men). Some come for peace, and some come to carry us off the earth for experiments of the most awful kind. We will be talking about the latter! Enjoy Episode 136: UFO Horror!
The Horror Potluck is back! What is the potluck? It's when each of the podcasters brings a movie to the recording session and we all discuss a movie that the others selected. This time, each of us picked just one movie that we thought had a compelling reason to spend additional time dissecting. The movies we picked are: Baskin, Halloween Kills, and Tourist Trap, each of them worthy of a longer look for uniquely different reasons.
Mysterious sightings and local folklore have pushed curious crypto hunters into the woods and onto deep lakes to reveal the truth. Maybe, just maybe, that local legend will show itself to you. In horror movies, they are true, and they will WRECK you. The Scariest Things talks about some of our favorite cryptid creepies in Episode 134.
Once upon a time... horror was something you learned from your grandmother or the tribal elder. It is ancient horror by way of magic and myth, bolstered by the shared beliefs of a culture. This sub-genre is open to a broad range of interpretations and can be somewhat hard to pin down for definition. Leave it to the Scariest Things who were not afraid to give our own takes on what Folkloric horror is all about.
The Scariest Things loves its short horror films, and we had the privilege to talk with director Tim Shechmeister who gave us our favorite horror short from the extensive roster of great shorts that played at the Portland Horror Film Festival. Check out an exclusive release of Hello? right here in this post!
One hundred thirty episodes in and we're finally getting to what has to be what most horror fans identify as the iconic horror trope of all time: the masked killer! Well fret no longer horror fans, we are coming to one of the cornerstones of the genre. You start with Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, and Leatherface, but we'll get you to the next level in episode 130!
Shall we play a GAME? For some of the brainiest horror movies, go to the tradition of tricks and traps horror. The punishment for not figuring out how to win the game is often painful and deadly. And face it, you watch reality TV shows to see people get eliminated, right? This horror sub-trope takes that idea to the next bloody level.
2021 has delivered a number of films that were held in reserve over the awkward year that was 2020. The studios held back some of their most proven titles, and when the theaters opened up a slew of them hit the theaters, and several of them were worth the wait.
Just off of a buzz generating debut at the Tribeca Film Festival, the trailer for Sean King O’Grady’s feature film...
Skittering. Scuttling. Swarming. And sometimes... crushing. For millions of people, their greatest fears come with six or eight legs. Yipes! Is something crawling up my leg? AAAAAIIIIEEEE!
Buona sera! If you like your horror with a large slice of salacious, then look to the Italians and their bloody thriller tradition of Giallo. Where to start? Let the Scariest Things point you the way to a bloody good time.
The best way for you to learn about Horror Films is to read and listen to The Scariest Things. The next best thing to do is to watch a Horror Documentary. You will find a documentary that aligns with your favorite horror tropes. Giallo? Check! Grindhouse? Check! Classic Universal Monsters? That too. In Episode 125, the Scariest Things team reveals nine movies that will increase your knowledge and love of the genre.
For a pantheon inhabiting monster, it is odd that a good Mummy movie a rarity. Unlike werewolves and vampires, Mummies got stuck in a same-story trope vortex of sameness. Fear not, though, The Scariest Things has found some buried treasures for you!
The Scariest Things sat down for a fun and lively discussion with director Ryan Barton-Grimley to break down his raucous horror-comedy Hawk and Rev: Vampire Slayers, one of our favorite movies from 2020.
It's time to celebrate the best of horror from 2020, with the third annual Thingy Awards! Once again, we summoned a jury of expert horror aficionados to determine the worthy winners from a pool of great (if perhaps under-seen) scary movies. Raise the curtain and let's hand out some awards!
Happy Mothers Day! The archives of horror films are filled with great matriarchs. It's the strongest, and often the most important relationship of our lives, and the horror genre takes full advantage of all the emotional triggers of all things mommy.
Howdy partner! The western expanse is big and full of terrors. I'd be careful out there if I were you. A man can go missing out there right quick if you're not careful. The Scariest Things heads west along the trail of much bloodletting as we examine Horror Westerns in Episode 121.