Last Podcast On The Left

Side Stories: Movie Stories V

Date: October 15, 2025
Hosts: Henry Zabrowski, Ed Larson
Guest: Jackie Zabrowski

Overview

In this special "Movie Stories V" edition of Side Stories, Henry and Ed are joined by Henry's sister, Jackie Zabrowski, for a rollicking, horror-movie-filled episode. Together, the trio dives into recent movie watches, horror recommendations, and explores infamous true crime news. From controversial topics like the death of disgraced Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins to in-depth film discussion (with their signature off-color, irreverent humor), the episode celebrates the intersection of horror, pop culture, and bizarre news. Several tangents include Halloween costumes, home invasion movie traumas, and what makes a truly great (or bad) horror film.

Key Discussion Points & Highlights

1. Opening Banter, Riffing on Identity, and Holiday Observations

[01:16 - 04:11]

• The group jokes about race, ethnicity, and "white club" membership with signature playful irreverence.
• Ed recounts being in Madison, Wisconsin on Indigenous Peoples Day and notes the irony of seeing maintenance workers laboring on a holiday meant to honor Indigenous people, criticizing the local governor, Tony Evers.
  • "I'm just glad we began today's episode with a threat to the governor of Wisconsin." – Henry [04:02]
• Jackie officially dubs herself "BOC" ("bitch of color"), playing off earlier ribbing.

2. British Influencers, Immigration, & Internet Culture

[04:58 - 07:19]

• Discussion of "Big John," a food influencer, being deported from Australia for trying to do meet-and-greets without a visa.
  • Henry explains UK slang: "Having a big Chinese" means getting a big Chinese meal [06:17]
  • The hosts riff on the perils of travel, paperwork, and the gray area between influencer and illegality.

3. Ian Watkins: True Crime, Cancelled Art, & Justice

[07:19 - 14:27]

• Jackie, with glee, announces the "finally fucking dead" fate of Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins, recapping his monstrous crimes.
  • "He tried to fuck a baby. Which is actually honestly one of the things that's so hard because babies, they just lie there." – Henry [08:09]
• The group grapples with separating art from artist, playing a Lostprophets song snippet for context, then sliding into performative disgust.
  • "God, it's always the worst music." – Ed [08:49]
• Details on Watkins’ protective custody, eventual prison murder, and British prison politics.
  • "They stabbed him to death... Many, many, many, many, many times. Rashid Get El and Samuel Dodsworth were arrested on suspicion of murder..." – Henry [13:22]
• Dark comedic reflections on justice, religion, and hell:
  • "I hope he got to put in one last prayer so he could go to heaven with Charlie Kirk and Jimmy Savile." – Henry [14:14]

4. Halloween Costumes & Cultural Sensitivity

[17:05 - 19:20]

• Ed considers a "plus-size Michael Jackson (Thriller)" costume and the group humorously debates the racial/cultural sensitivities of such a choice.
  • "Is it blackface if the guy is a predator?" – Henry [18:40]
  • "He was white at the end." – Henry [18:48]

5. Movie Recommendations: Stir of Echoes, Sinister, and the 31 for 31 Challenge

[25:38 - 31:44]

• Jackie brings up "Stir of Echoes" from the hosts' "31 for 31" horror challenge.
  • "It's terrifying for a thriller... Kevin Bacon's really good. Kevin Bacon's very, very..." – Henry [30:42]
• Discussion of movies featuring writers as protagonists and why horror loves this trope.
  • "So many movies and horror movies that are about a writer... can you stop writing about yourself and get creative?" – Ed [32:26]
• The enduring scariness of "Sinister" and "Doctor Sleep."

6. Hollywood Nepotism & Documentary Tangents

[27:53 - 28:48]

• Roasting of Colin Hanks ("most mediocre Nepo baby")—yet acknowledgment that he's good at making documentaries, including the new John Candy doc and one about Eagles of Death Metal.

7. Home Invasion Movies & Why They're So Unsettling

[43:28 - 45:19]

• Jackie finally watches "Them" (the 2006 French-Romanian movie), noting its influence on "The Strangers" [44:01].
• Ed hates home invasion movies because of genuine discomfort:
  • "I think home invasion movies are my least favorite type of horror." – Ed [44:29]
• They debate limit-testing with even more upsetting films like "Funny Games," "Hush," and "Devil's Rejects."

8. Zombie Classics, Romero, and Zombie Fatigue

[46:14 - 47:42]

• Jackie, "not a huge zombie person," revisits Romero's films ("Day of the Dead," "Dawn of the Dead," "Night of the Living Dead") and discovers richer narrative layers.
• The hosts summarize the development of the zombie genre and highlight "28 Days Later" as a prime modern example.

9. Modern Horror Boom: New Favorites & This Year's Standouts

[48:00 - 48:22]

• Consensus that 2025 has been an incredible year for horror:
  • "This year was a very special year for horror movies." – Henry [48:02]
• Shout-outs to recent favorites like "Bring Her Back," "Eddington," "Weapons," "VHS Halloween," and "28 Years Later."

10. Creep Show, Leslie Nielsen, and Anthology Horror

[48:40 - 49:41]

• Ed’s first time seeing "Creep Show" leads to new appreciation for Leslie Nielsen as a horror presence.
• Jackie identifies the iconic "roach" segment as the most memorable.

11. Horror Comedies: Repossessed, Army of Darkness, and Ghostbusters

[52:58 - 54:16]

• Praise for the joy of "Repossessed" (a Leslie Nielsen parody of "The Exorcist"); debate over what qualifies as a true horror comedy.
  • "To me, a true fantastic horror comedy is 50/50." – Henry [53:44]
• Agreement: "Ghostbusters" is the #1 horror comedy, "Tucker & Dale vs. Evil" is also a favorite.

12. Deep Dives: Kill List, We Need To Talk About Kevin, Lynne Ramsay

[54:17 - 55:28]

• Henry pushes Ed to watch "Kill List":
  • "He's going to love Kill Us." – Henry [54:24]
• Gushing over director Lynne Ramsay ("We Need To Talk About Kevin," "You Were Never Really Here"):
  • "She's only made horrific films." – Henry [55:21]

13. New Films, Dead Snow & Scandinavian Horror

[57:57 - 60:34]

• Discussion of "Dead Snow" as a pivotal Norwegian horror film referencing Hollywood tropes and featuring Nazi zombies ("Einsatzgruppen").
• Connections are drawn to "Sisu" and "Rare Exports," with praise for Eastern European and Scandinavian humor in horror.

14. More Movie Picks: Hammer Horror, Videodrome, Event Horizon, and More

[65:04 - 66:10]

• Ecstatic anticipation for watching "Event Horizon," Christopher Lee's "Horror of Dracula," Cronenberg's "Videodrome," and more.
• Ed laments package theft interfering with his horror Blu-ray collecting:
  • "I think someone stole my package. You believe that?" – Ed [65:34]

15. Wrapping Up: Black Phone 2, Freddy Krueger, and Queer Coded Horror

[66:15 - 68:33]

• Jackie and Ed plan to see "Black Phone 2," debate the merits of the original and its supernatural twists.
• The origins of Freddy Krueger and how he remains Jackie's favorite slasher due to his terrifying backstory.
• Upcoming watches: "Night Breed" (Clive Barker, queer coded, featuring David Cronenberg), "Near Dark," and the taxonomy of vampire greatness.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On podcasting as a horror trope:
  "The only movie that features podcasters that I… took vaguely offense to...was Tusk. That was the first one that said podcasters are obnoxious." – Henry [33:08]

• On home invasion movies:
  "I just get really upset." – Ed [44:33]

• On classic horror's lasting legacy:
  "Everything’s ripped off. Of course… But also, you… it shows me… what the education and music and film does, which is: fills the artist with reference points." – Henry [41:52]

• On separating art from artist:
  "When you’re so hungry, it’s like the choices you make separate the art from the artist. And so this guy, couldn’t happen to a nicer guy, Ian Watkins." – Henry [14:02]

• On horror comedies:
  "To me, a true fantastic horror comedy is 50/50." – Henry [53:44]
  "Ghostbusters is the number one of all." – Henry [54:03]

• On seeing Creep Show for the first time:
  "I loved it. Loved it. It was so good... Do you recognize the little boy at the beginning? – It’s Joe Hill." – Ed & Henry [48:59]

• On Tom Atkins' enduring allure:
  "He just knows it happens. He knows women want to [sleep with] him, and he supplies that d---." – Henry [63:41]

• On the craft of Hitchcock:
  "He also changed pop culture and he changed the way. There’s a sequence in this movie that is the one of the most ornate, beautifully shot, like chase sequences..." – Henry, on "Frenzy" [41:31]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 04:58 – British food influencer "Big John" deported for visa shenanigans.
• 07:19 – Ian Watkins (Lostprophets) true crime rundown and murder in prison.
• 17:05 – Ed’s Halloween costume conundrum (Michael Jackson, blackface debate).
• 25:38 – "Stir of Echoes" discussion kicks off the horror movie talk.
• 30:58 – Home invasion movies and how they hit too close to home.
• 41:52 – The influence of classic directors (Hitchcock, Kurosawa) on modern cinema.
• 48:40 – Ed experiences "Creep Show" for the first time; Leslie Nielsen’s horror chops.
• 53:44 – Debating what makes a true horror comedy.
• 57:57 – "Dead Snow" and Scandinavian horror highlighted.
• 62:03 – "Halloween 3: Season of the Witch" in the 31 for 31 lineup.
• 65:04 – Upcoming watches: "Event Horizon," "Videodrome," "Horror of Dracula."
• 66:15 – Anticipating "Black Phone 2," love for the Freddy Krueger mythos.

Conclusion & Last Words

The episode closes with plugs for Jackie’s and Ed’s projects, reflections on horror fandom, and upcoming LPN live events. In true Last Podcast style, the episode is a blend of macabre humor, sincere movie fandom, and breezy banter, making it a must-listen (or read!) for horror buffs and fans of the show.

For listeners who want to vibe with the irreverent, the insightful, and the just plain weird side of the horror community, this episode delivers it all—plus a dozen horror movie recommendations to keep you up all October.