Last Podcast On The Left: Side Stories
Episode: "One Story After Another"
Release Date: October 8, 2025
Hosts: Henry Zebrowski & Ed Larson
Overview
This episode is a classic "Side Stories": a fast-paced, comedic, and irreverent ride through recent true crime and weird news, with the hosts weaving in personal anecdotes, listener emails, debates on morality, and, of course, a healthy helping of horror movie banter. The central theme is a mix of Halloween horror movie marathons, recent headlines ranging from drone sightings to bizarre crimes, and the joy of sharing spooky listener-submitted ghost stories. As always, the tone is darkly humorous, self-deprecating, and unapologetically ridiculous.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Halloween Movie Marathons: "31 for 31"
[01:18–14:23]
- The hosts discuss their annual October quest to watch 31 horror movies in 31 days.
- Debate on nostalgia vs. quality in horror movies:
- Some childhood favorites (“The Gate,” “Sleepaway Camp 2”) don’t hold up, but that’s embraced as part of the "spirit of Halloween."
- "Even the ones I said I did not like...I'm glad I watched all of them." – Ed Larson [11:51]
- Insight into personal horror tastes:
- Ed prefers some 70s and older horror, while Henry admits he needs “action, tits, blood, and brains” to stay engaged past 8:30pm [04:28].
- Fun trivia about actors and movies (Tom Atkins getting “so much pussy,” Pamela Springsteen’s odd career arc).
- Horror streaming woes and the return of local video stores:
- Ed laments digital availability, resolves to frequent “Be Kind, Rewind,” his neighborhood video rental.
- “Why am I going to give Apple five bucks when I can give this fucking dude with a pile of DVDs five bucks?” – Ed Larson [14:03]
2. Listener Story: The Aaron Hernandez Brush
[14:27–18:37]
- Listener email: woman unknowingly reprimands Aaron Hernandez for not paying at a Patriots Place escape room, only to later find out he’s arrested for murder.
- Henry is amused by the sheer number of listeners with “murderer run-in” stories.
- Larger point: Fame brings criminals into more “ordinary” contact with people.
- "Across the board, he was a piece of shit... Not a single person said, 'I had a good, good interaction with Aaron Hernandez.'" – Henry Zebrowski [18:00]
3. Ed's Restaurant Story: Hosting NFL Bad Boys
[18:37–20:14]
- Ed recounts managing a sports bar that hosted Ray Lewis and Ray Rice, reflecting on the duality of welcoming celebrities with dark pasts.
- The nervousness and gallows humor about assigning “the scariest” football players to the nicest server.
4. Recent True Crime & Weird News Updates
a) Drone Invasions at European Airports
[22:13–30:23]
- Multiple drone sightings shut down major European airports (Munich, Copenhagen).
- National security concerns: Unclear whether these are Russian military drones, UFOs, or something else.
- Conspiracy riff: “If I was an alien and they saw that we had all these drones, why not try to make shit that looks like our shit?” – Ed Larson [24:45]
- Discussion expands into US military UFO sightings and congressional reactions: skepticism about politicians, mockery of those discussing UFOs in public.
- Reflection on how the “answer” to these drone/UFO questions will never be made public:
- “Somebody got the answer and we’re not allowed to know what it is.” – Henry Zebrowski [30:02]
b) Morality Debate: Man Holds Dog-Killer Hostage
[34:06–43:53]
- A Texas man (Alberto Joshua Hernandez, 22) forcibly makes another man bury his dog and withdraw money after the man accidentally ran over the dog.
- Hosts launch into a nuanced, darkly comedic debate about vengeance, grief, and empathy for the dog’s owner.
- "I do sympathize and understand where he's coming from." – Ed Larson [40:16]
- Both hosts admit they can imagine losing control if their own beloved dogs were killed, balancing gallows humor with honesty about grief and loss.
- Legal technicalities: Ed and Henry speculate on jail time, focusing on where the "line" is legally (the ATM withdrawal, not just the gunpoint burial).
- Notable: The hosts distinguish between grief-driven crime and outright malice, urging listeners to see both sides.
c) Teen Texts After Double Murder: “jk”
[44:56–45:48]
- Brief but chilling news: A Pennsylvania teen murders his mother and her friend, then texts his girlfriend “I just killed my parents – jk,” turning out not to be joking.
- Used to segue (in classic fashion) into shameless plugs for live tour dates.
d) Dockworker, Subway Sandwich, and Penis Scandal
[54:08–58:12]
- Australian dock worker fired, then rehired, after (allegedly) putting his penis in a coworker's Subway sandwich and showing bikini photos of female colleagues.
- Hosts riff on the irreverence of Australian workplace culture, questioning evidence: “There’s no proof unless you got mustard on your balls.” – Henry Zebrowski [56:18]
- Wraps with self-aware commentary on workplace tribunals and men's clubby code of silence.
5. Listener Spooky Stories: “Listener Pasta”
[58:19–68:47]
- The hosts kick off a new segment: "Listener Pastas," reading audience-submitted ghost and paranormal encounters.
- Example 1: Twerking handstand at a girls' night triggers pounding on the door and odd poltergeist activity, including ghostly coins and flying mail.
- Ed: “Maybe the ghost likes strippers, literally...he’s throwing money at her.” [63:09]
- Example 2: A classic “woman-in-white” haunting in a University of Wisconsin dorm, supported by a video sent in years later. Both hosts reflect on personal beliefs and the suggestibility of young adults in unfamiliar settings.
Notable Quotes & Moments
-
On nostalgia and bad horror films:
"That is the one thing about horror movies is I can watch a really bad one and just be like, oh, okay. I feel good about that." – Ed Larson [01:44] -
On male leads in '80s horror movies:
"Tom Atkins gets so much pussy in every movie he’s in. There’s something about Tom Atkins." – Henry Zabrowski [06:32] -
On streaming vs. physical media:
"Why am I going to give Apple five bucks when I can give this fucking dude with a pile of DVDs five bucks?” – Ed Larson [14:03] -
On the accidental dog killing in Texas:
"He's the villain... But you're the villain because you love too much. The love is so big." – Henry Zabrowski [38:49] -
On US politicians and UFO hearings:
"The problem is all the guys I gotta talk to like that—everybody’s a fucking child molester, fucking crazy person...they’re all just sitting at home doing jack dick loving life..." – Henry Zabrowski [29:18] -
On grisly real life intersecting with the comedy brand:
"It’s not funny to sell tickets [as a murder joke]." – Henry Zabrowski [46:04] -
On supernatural twerking poltergeists:
“Maybe the ghost likes strippers, literally...he’s throwing money at her." – Ed Larson [63:09]
Timestamps for Important Segments
| Segment | Topic | Timestamp | |---|---|---| | 01:18 | Halloween horror marathon starts | [01:18] | | 03:29 | Explaining the marathon "rubric" | [03:29] | | 10:32 | Best of seven watched: Night of the Living Dead '90 | [10:32] | | 13:56 | Ed's local video store solution | [13:56] | | 14:27 | Listener’s Aaron Hernandez encounter | [14:27] | | 18:37 | Ed's NFL player celebrity restaurant story | [18:37] | | 22:13 | Drone shutdowns in Europe | [22:13] | | 24:45 | Alien/drones conspiracy riff | [24:45] | | 34:06 | Texas dog killing/kidnapping debate | [34:06] | | 44:56 | Teen “jk” murder text | [44:56] | | 54:08 | Australian dock worker and Subway sandwich scandal | [54:08] | | 58:19 | Listener ghost stories (“Listener Pastas”) | [58:19] | | 70:45 | Live show and tour plugs | [70:45] |
Overall Tone & Style
- Dark humor, irreverence, and boundary-pushing banter
- Freely mixing the macabre, the absurd, and the personal
- Sincere passion for horror and the weirder side of life
- Confessional moments of vulnerability (on grief, aging, mental health)
- Audience participation encouraged – both in content contributions and live events
For First-Time Listeners
This episode is an exemplar of the “Side Stories” style: a blend of true crime, horror culture, dark comedy, and spontaneous tangents. The hosts fearlessly veer between earnest debate (on grief and morality), off-color jokes, and genuine affection for their community—whether that’s listeners, fellow horror fans, or the local video store guy.
There's no required knowledge of prior episodes; new listeners can jump right in and enjoy the hosts’ unique voices, riotous chemistry, and their particular brand of cathartic, communal weirdness.