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The Scariest Things
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Your Gateway to the Trends and Tropes of the Horror Genre
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Crypticon Seattle 2026: Tiki Terror and Tropical Horror Panel
6d ago00:52:26Tap to summarizeFeel the sweat and the tropical breezes; it’s time to discuss Tiki Terrors and its tropical horror cousins. Transport yourself to an island in the South Pacific or the Caribbean. The exoticism and the removal from “civilization” provide the grounds for some evocative scares. These movies have been with us since the Golden Age. Think King Kong and The Island of Lost Souls. Embrace the mystery and heat, and learn from some veteran Crypticon panelists as they talk all things Tiki Terror. Friend of the Scariest Things, Brian Callahan, hosted a panel at Crypticon Seattle to guide us through a fateful trip to discover what lurks at the edge of the known world. Beware of cultural misappropriation and cultural stereotypes. Cultural sensitivity falls by the wayside here. The edge of the known universe gets short shrift when it comes to cultural respect. Context matters. Tiki and tropical-themed horror movies had their heyday in the ’50s and ’60s when Polynesia still felt very remote, and honestly, it was a different time. At the same time, the film industries of places like the Philippines can export some of their culture through B-movies. For the purposes of this discussion, the criteria for what movies got discussed were reasonably broad. It extended from Polynesia to some of the Voodoo themes on the Atlantic side. If it takes place on a remote island, it would be fair game for discussion. I came away from this session with a roster of films to check out, and that is the beauty of these panel talks. Brian was amazing on the trigger; there was a whole roster of films that were at his fingertips, and he was able to feather in movies, even ones that came from the audience. It was a very niche topic, but attendees came for the deep-cut discussion and were rewarded. This panel was the last panel from the Friday session, and a number of us prepared by wearing Aloha shirts for the event. These are veteran panelists, and it shows. I could listen to Tony Kay talk horror all day! He is one of the best panelists at Crypticon’s disposal. If you don’t come out of this recording with some new movies to check out, you probably are already an expert! Tony Kay, Brian Callahan, and Brien Gorham decked out in Aloha shirts and talking Tiki Horror at Crypticon Seattle 2026 Tiki Terror and Tropical Horrors: Crypticon Seattle Panel Recording Brian Callahan – HostTony Kay- PanelistBrien Gorham – Panelist Here is the panel recording from Crypticon Seattle. The first voice you will hear is Brian Callahan, the host of the panel. Tony Kay is the second voice, and Brien Gorham is the third. If you enjoyed this panel recording, check out our recording for Pets in Horror, which Brien hosted, and I was a panelist for. Representative Movies from the Discussion Here are some images from the films featured in the talk… and I’ve added a few more for reference. The Island of Lost Souls (1932) The Most Dangerous Game (1932) <img decoding="async" width="268" height="188" data-id="80015" src="https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/King-Kong-Log-Scene.jpg" alt="A mysterious creature lurking on a fallen tree over a waterfall in a dense jungle." class="wp-image-80015" srcset="https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/202...
Transcribe →Crypticon Seattle 2026: Pets In Horror Panel
6d ago00:59:17Tap to summarizeFrodo the cat serves as the ultimate horror witness in A Quiet Place: Day One (with Lupita Nyong’o) Crypticon Seattle, the great Pacific Northwest horror convention, has once again come and gone, but the memories linger. The panels are what make the convention feel like a class reunion. The panels are produced entirely by volunteer experts from across the region and are the ultimate in fan interaction. This is what it feels like to create a horror community, sharing our ideas and experiences with each other. This year, I decided to record some of the panels I participated in and attended to give you a sense of what happens at these events. This Pets in Horror panel was hosted by Brien Gorham, and I participated in it along with Kathy Fennesy and Todd Johnstson. If you are a long-time reader of our website or a listener of our podcast, you will know that I have a big ol’ soft spot for pets in horror. Whether they are the MacGuffins, the heroes, or the villains of the story, pets provide strong emotional connective tissue within horror constructs. The use of pets also sparks some great debates regarding the narrative use of animals. Because we have such a natural affinity for critters, horror movies tend to exploit those feelings by putting the animals in peril. Fair, or not? We will talk about that in this discussion. Brien was inspired by the success of last year’s remarkable film Good Boy which we have been a huge proponent for. You can use that link to listen to an interview with director Ben Leonberg, who discusses how he coaxed an award-winning performance from his pet dog, Indy. That movie, however, is just the tip of a very big trope iceberg. Thank you to Jason and Jasen for putting me on this panel, as it is something near and dear to me, and to many attending Crypticon. Brien Gorham outlined his panel discussion topics for this panel: “Indy the Dog from Good Boy has become the latest in a line of cinematic pets to steal our hearts, but domestic animals have a long history in horror movies. Whether that be as a witness, antagonist, or, as in the case of Indy, a protagonist. Let’s discuss how our collective best friends have been represented in horror films.” Introductions Opening question: If you could choose one pet from a horror movie to have in your home, who would you choose and why? Some larger questions that can be applied to any category: How do our personal relationships with pets affect how we see them in stories? (Please feel free to include personal stories where appropriate) How does the motivation of a pet differ from human motivation? Altruism? How do we recognize animal performances? (Indy’s acting win) What resources are available for those who are sensitive to animal violence? Part 1: Pets as Witnesses Possible Movies: Cat’s Eye, Poltergeist, The Hills Have Eyes I and II Let’s start with movies where a family pet serves as a witness or bystander to an individual or family crisis. In these cases, what purpose does the inclusion of the pet serve? How much do we hate it when pets are introduced just to be killed off for sympathy? Part 2: Pets as Heroes Possible Movies: Good Boy, Cat’s Eye, Phenomena, The Hills Have Eyes Next, let’s explore pets that go above and beyond, playing an active role in saving the day. Which movie pets do you most admire? How do certain traits of specific animals play into this heroism? How much do we hate it when animals sacrifice themselves for humans? Part 3: Pets as Antagonists Possible Movies: Cujo, Lake Placid, The Uncanny, Uninvited, Pet Sematary, The Black Cat (any version) What happens when man’s best friend turns violent, and our furry friends rebel against us? The most terrifying pets in horror? The most heartbreaking transformations? Closing What beloved pets have we not seen represented in horror movies? PET HORROR RESOURCES You can check out our Favorite Horror Movie Dogs Dead List for our updated list of horror hounds for your reference. Kathy Fennessy is a former president of the Seattle Film Critics Society and runs the Seattle Film Blog. She has a blog post titled “Good Boy and Other House Pets in Horror: Purrs, barks, Growls, and Deadly Attacks.“ I find that Kathy is the unofficial research librarian for Crypticon Seattle and has a deep and thorough knowledge of the genre. For those of you who get triggered by animal harm or death in movies, please visit “Does the Dog Die?“ It’s a great resource for people who need to filter their movies for moments that will trigger anxiety, with the primary trope being that of harm to dogs. It also covers things like harm to children and rape, which are non-starter elements for many people. A Recording of Brien Gohram’s Good Boy: Pets in Horror Panel Panelists:Brien Gorham – HostKathy Fennesy Eric LiTodd Johnston Please note: I was using a compressor microphone on the table, so the audio isn’t as clean as it would be with our dynamic podcasting microphones. Todd Johnston, in particular, is a bit faint, though I did boost the audio when he is speaking. Don’t over-adjust your volume, though, because when the conversation turns back to the rest of the panelists, it pi...
Transcribe →Nathan Baesel Interview – Behind the Mask II: The Return of Leslie Vernon, Crypticon 2026
2w ago00:18:16Tap to summarizeAs soon as I arrived at Crypticon Seattle, I made a beeline to the celebrity meet and greet room, knowing that Nathan Baesel was going to be in attendance. This event is the flagship horror community gathering in the Pacific Northwest. I didn’t know whether I’d get the chance to interview the actor who played one of my all-time favorite slasher villains, Leslie Vernon. The lines for these meet-and-greets can get long, and I might not have enough time for an interview. This day, luck was on my side. It’s the twenty-year anniversary of the cult classic meta-slasher film Behind the Mask: The Legend of Leslie Vernon. Not only did I get the opportunity, but I also discovered that The Scariest Things could do our part to help evangelize by getting the word out about the just-announced sequel, Behind The Mask II: The Return of Leslie Vernon. For those of you unfamiliar with the movie, it is one of the great meta-horror movies in the slasher genre. It stands side by side with Scream, The Final Girls, and Wes Craven’s New Nightmare as a gold standard of meta-horror. Like those peer films, it uses wit and familiarity with slasher film tropes. It winks and nudges, and then gets SERIOUS. The movie also emerged at the dawn of the found-footage horror film. It uses the verisimilitude of the documentary crew following the actions of a serial killer, convinced that by playing to Leslie’s ego, the film crew was immune from his depradations. They couldn’t have been more wrong. And yet, he let them in on all his secrets. It’s an absolute must-watch for fans of knife-wielding maniac movies. For more insight on Leslie Vernon, The Scariest Things previously discussed this film in podcast Episodes 199: Mockumentaries and 130: Masked Killers. The Big Announcement: Time has been kind to Nathan, as he has kept up with his cardio… an important factor for a hard-working serial killer. He is all set to put the mask back on. Now it’s time to get the band back together. Scott Glosserman returns to direct the film, and David Stieve is back to write the screenplay. Nathan will be joined by our final girl, Angela Goethals (Taylor Gentry), returning to do battle with Leslie. The legendary Robert Englund (Doc Halloran) is back to train her. The closing moments of the first movie suggested that a good serial killer is hard to kill. It just took 20 years to get him back on screen! Click here for the movie’s Kickstarter Campaign. It is being scheduled for release in 2027. There are some awesome exclusive add-ons, including a replica Leslie Vernon Mask, a trip to the shoot, a scythe prop, advance cast and crew screenings (That means if you wanted to meet Robert Englund… here’s your chance!), and all the way up to getting a chance to be killed on screen by Leslie in the movie! I mean, come on… how cool is that? They’ve already unlocked a couple of the stretch goals. The next big one ($300,000) is for a new horror icon cameo. Such is the joy of Kickstarter! From my perspective, I’m really hoping they hit the “More Shooting Time” Stretch goal ($500,000). That can mean the world to production quality. Do it! Contribute! The power of the Scariest Things compels you! C’mon, you know you want a T-shirt. It’s for a good horror cause. The Interview with Nathan Baesel: As noted before, I got lucky. Nathan had a free moment, and he was very generous with his time. Needless to say, I got a huge kick out of this chat. Check out my interview with him in this player link: A Message Straight from Nathan: In addition to the interview, he was eager to make a Kickstarter pitch.
Transcribe →The Overlook Film Festival 2026 Recap: Ep. 211
Apr 1601:35:24Tap to summarizeAnother year, another Overlook Film Festival, one of the premier genre festivals in the country. Unfortunately, this year, the main players of The Scariest Things were unable to attend the festival in person. Eric was able to get some of the films to stream, but, as is the norm, remote screeners were limited and did not include the showcase films. Fortunately for us, one of our loyal Patreon Contributors, Robin Marcotte, was in attendance again, and she helped fill in the gaps we missed. This year, there were a number of good films, and according to Robin, one GREAT film. This year, we watched fourteen films and thirty shorts. Give our recap a listen to hear our thoughts on the 2026 Overlook presentation. It pains me not to attend Overlook. It is one of my favorite events every year, but this doldrums economy forced me to be cautious with my funds, so I resorted to reviewing their films remotely. The pandemic spoiled stay-at-home movie critics, as nobody could attend festivals in person. All the films were remote. The times have reverted back, however, and one of the poorly held secrets is that film festivals rarely ever make their centerpiece films available for remote review. SXSW, Sundance, Overlook… the bigger films just don’t get the distributor go-ahead. However, some independent films were made available, and that was true for 2026. Fortunately for us, one of our valued Patreon patrons, Robyn Marcotte, was, as usual, in attendance, as she is a New Orleans local. Shockingly, many of the releases with known quantity actors and/or directors failed to connect with Robyn. Proof positive that The Scariest Things is not a shill for festival darling films! Still, there were a number of gems worth watching. Films we were able to cover: Obsession, directed by Curry Barker Hokum, directed by Damian McCarthy Leviticus, directed by Adrian Chiarella American Dollhouse, directed by John Valley Buffet Infinity, directed by Simon Glassman Chili Finger, directed by Edd Benda and Stephen Helstad Cramps! A Period Piece, directed by Brooke H. Cellars Never After Dark, directed by Dave Boyle New Group, directed by Yuta Shimotsu Normal, directed by Ben Wheatley Parasomnia, directed by James Ross II Suffocation directed by Louis Chan and Stone Chang Ugly Cry, directed by Emily Robinson So, plenty of new material to find out about! Standout Short Films include: “The Dysphoria” (AUS), directed by Kylie Aoibheann “Hot Water” (USA), directed by Myles Gunter and Cassie Cramer “Scissors” (USA), directed by Hannah Aline “Man Eating Pussy” (Canada), directed by Lee Lawson “Carousel” (USA), directed by Christopher Kosakowski “Haint” (USA), directed by Jahmil Eady “Breeder” (USA), directed by Sapphire Sandalo “House Cat (USA), directed by Kyle Spleiss “Steak Dinner” (USA), directed by Nathan Mark Ginter “Darkroom” (USA), directed by Matthew Black Here is the link to Episode 211: The Overlook Festival Recap Leviticus (2026) New Group (2026) Cramps! A Period Piece (2026) <img decoding="async" width="1024" height="430"...
Transcribe →Revenge Horror! : Episode 210
Mar 2400:58:43Tap to summarizeSweet, sweet revenge. A subgenre best served cold, with a side of yanked intestines. It is a foundational tool for horror, both from the protagonist and antagonist perspectives. Anger, jealousy, and embarrassment create grudges that stick, and payback, she is a comin’. Listen in to our recommendations for your revenge fantasy satisfaction. In horror movies, sometimes you want to keep it simple. If your plot needs motivation… this is an easy check to cash. There are several sub-tropes here. Psychology Today lists several variants of revenge. As you might expect, revenge and justice are not simple concepts. There are different motivations and complex sources for the desire for payback. We tried to marry up the psychological categories to how they get executed in horror films: Simple or direct Revenge: An eye for an eye. You killed or disfigured me, now I’m back, bitches! MUAAAAHHAHAHAHA! (Slash, slash, slash… screaming ensues) This is the staple of the franchise serial-killer movies. Candyman, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Burning, Slaughter High, Hatchet, Ghost Story, I Know What You Did Last Summer This also applies to revenge for the loss of a loved one. NOOOOOOO! You killed my father! Now you’re gonna pay! I Saw the Devil, Mandy, Redux Redux, Orca, and Sayara Constructive or transformative Revenge: Channeling pain into self-improvement and escaping the victim role. The Rape Revenge Subtrope lands here, with all of its trigger-ridden justice. Misogeny or empowerment? You make the call. Good examples: Revenge, I Spit on Your Grave, They Call Her One Eye, Last House on the Left, Teeth, Ms. 45, American Mary, Hard Candy Honor revenge: Retaliation that is intended to restore reputation or face. Restore reputation. Bullying payback often lands in this category. Who’s on top now motherfucker!?   Plenty of good examples here include Carrie, Piggy, Let the Right One In, and Sissy A subset of honor revenge would be the response to betrayal. You backstabbed me.  Honor revenge is a classic trope in Westerns and Mob Movies. When used by a protagonist, it can be the central motivation. Examples: Upgrade Usually used as a plot device rather than the central theme in horror movies. What goes around, comes around. Et tu, Burke? Burke in Aliens, Ash in Alien, Rose Armitage in Get Out, Scud in Blade, Billy Loomis…All the Scream Movies Poetic or Ironic Revenge: The proper comeuppance. Yep, you had it coming. Often, this is hubris getting the better of a monologuing evil doer. Protagonists usually don’t suffer in this manner. Poetic justice, after all. The poetry comes from the villain being undone by their own actions or plans. Good Examples: Captain Ross’s grisly demise in Day of the Dead; the explosive destruction of the La Domas family in Ready or Not; the Invisible Man gets killed by his own tech in The Invisible Man; Chef Slowick goes down with his restaurant in a fiery s’mores demise in The Menu. The Saw movies have built their premise on ironic revenge, with many of the traps Jigsaw creates symbolic of the victim’s perceived flaws. Se7en is closely tied to ironic revenge, specifically piecing together misguided justice in the grisly application of sin to sinners. Collective revenge: No! Back, you fools! Stay away from me, you heathens! AAAAAAA!!! This is where the community turns on another group, or in horror movies, usually an antagonist. The mob rules! The classic example of this variant is the 1932 Frankenstein, in which the locals, brandishing torches and pitchforks, trap and kill Frankenstein’s monster. It gave birth to the cliche. Burn him! A recent great example: Weapons, where the children turn on Aunt Gladys. Other examples include Children of the Corn, The People Under the Stairs, and The Island of Lost Souls. Fantasy revenge: This is usually the domain of comedies. Sometimes it occurs in horror when the victim of bullying or aggression dreams of turning on their abuser. A twist on this would be the mad dream visions in An American Werewolf in London. Perhaps A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. It has the dream/fantasy element, but it is more of a hero’s journey than pure revenge. Horror movies themselves, as an art form, specifically REVENGE-themed horror movies, are in themselves fantasy revenge outlets. John Wick, Death Wish, Unforgiven, and many, many action movies are testosterone-fueled male revenge fantasy flicks. The rape-revenge movies is the distaff variant of the same theme. Subtle passive-aggressive revenge: Not really part of the Horror methodology. You’re in the wrong revenge shop, buddy. Horror does it directly. With an axe. This is the Woody Allen form of revenge. The Sad Truth In many revenge horror movies, revenge is often a hollow victory. The wounds still exist. The trauma lingers. Your dead wife isn’t coming back. It is a short-term dopamine high, but in many cases, you still feel hollow inside. Sometimes, proper justice gets dispensed, and the world is a better place having dispatched a monster. And we can appreciate that. Horror movie fans get to go along for the ride. Revenge, though easy to embrace, is a complex emotional rollercoaster. So much pain… and a little relief. It can make for epic storytelling, and when dipatched with bloody violence, you can understand how it resides under the horror umbrella. PODCAST EPISODE 210: Here is a live feed for Revenge Horror: Episode 210. If you enjoy this episode, please go to your streaming platform of choice and subscribe. We promise that we won’t track you down with vengeance in mind if you don’t. (Or will we?) <img decoding="async" width="1024" height="577" data-id="78084" src="https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The-Virgin-Spring-1024x577.jpg" alt="A man inspecting a small object with a woman watching in the background, dark and intense scene." class="wp-image-78084" srcset="https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The-Virgin-Spring-1024x577.jpg 1024w, https://scarie...
Transcribe →Looking Forward To in 2026: Episode 209
Mar 1200:43:19Tap to summarizeBreak out the spyglass! It’s time to forecast what is coming in 2026 We’ve got 2025 in the rear view window, and Hollywood has determined to not just relegate horror movies into the fall/Halloween schedule. Springtime apparently is a good time to have a big fear injection. So, we had to get the word out on movies you can anticipate coming to a theater near you! Admittedly, we’re out a little late this year. But, I would suggest we are just in time! Surprisingly, there are a lot of horror movies that are being released in late March. It also happens to be the eve of when many of the big genre film festivals get rolling. Sundance has just completed. SXSW is right on us now. Overlook is around the corner. So is Panic Fest. With these festivals, it sets the table for what you all can expect to come out this year. It becomes a bit of a guessing game for those of us who attend these festivals to predict what films are going to be on the schedule. Horror has proven to be profitable in what used to be a dead period for box office. Already, both Iron Lung ($50 million on a $3 million budget) and Send Help ($92 Million) opened up strong in January, traditionally the dumping ground for cast-off studio films. With the tremendous profitability and critical response to last year’s crop of films, we will see what will become this year’s banner carrier. My guess? Scream 7. There isn’t a studio backed big prestige movie like Sinners or Weapons this year, but I could very easily see a Neve Campbell led Scream 7 into a $300 million earner, much like Final Destinations: Bloodline from last year. If Scream 7 lives up to its potential, it could fly past that number. I don’t think that the effect of last year’s horror boom will be felt until next year’s crop. The studios didn’t have enough time to understand the influence until the season largely wrapped in October, well after prduction had wrapped for most films getting released for 2026. A Good Year for Indie Films? The indie horror films are in abundance this year. SXSW has a huge roster of genre films. Overlook just announced their roster, and so has Panic Fest. Usually there is a lot of overlap, but not so much this year. That suggests a wide variety and a lot of options out there. An that’s not taking into account the large Summer and Fall festivals like Frightfest, Popcorn Frights, and Screamfest. As usual, there will be films that we didn’t see coming because they come with zero fanfare, but end up surprising us with original storytelling or raw savagery. Better yet… both! We always summarize what we did from the previous year, and I think we actually did pretty well in our selections for 2025. You can check out last year’s predictions HERE. Will 2026 be as solid for Scariest Things selections? Listen in, and remember this come the end of the year! Episode 209: Looking Forward to 2026 Note… we announced this one episode off. Looking Forward To 2026: The Candidates Dolly (2026) Ready or Not 2: Here I Come (2026) Evil Dead Burn (2026) Hokum (2026) <img decoding="async" width="814" height="480" data-id="77868" src="https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/hungry-feat.jpg" alt="" class="...
Transcribe →The Worst Horror Movies of 2025: Episode 208
Feb 1100:53:37Tap to summarizeWhat’s that smell? It’s time to sift through the Worst Horror Movies of 2025! Here come the stinkers! It’s time to discuss the Worst Horror movies of 2025. Of course, just like our favorites, our disappointments are highly subjective. You may be surprised to discover that some of the movies we didn’t enjoy have received plaudits from other critics. We have some fun internal disagreements, for sure. We know you love hearing us throw shade on movies. Enjoy the hot takes! This year, we have big hits, well-established franchises, underdeveloped indie films, and even a book. (From Liz, of course.) We watched a record number of films this year, with Eric seeing over 100 and Heather more than 150. So, we have a good sample size to pick from. Also, remember that this subjective list may include movies we had high hopes for and were disappointed to see fall well short of expectations. And then, of course, there are the movies that you watch because of boredom on a Saturday night, and rent a free campy movie, and it really stinks. I regret to say that it happened to me often this year. Hey, it was free! I have a full roster of the movies I saw in 2025 on my favorites list. By the way, if you haven’t listened to our best of 2025 episode, you can listen to it HERE. And remember, most of us thought it was a very good year for horror, so these are the outliers. Some of our opinionated themes this year: Mike: Big directors who should know better, and gave us unlikable characters.Liz: Turned off more movies than she can count this year. Got burned at the festivals.Eric: After watching a record number of horror movies in a year… plot still matters. Here’s our Podcast for the Worst Horror Movies of 2025: Episode 208 If you watch any of these films, you’ve been warned! If you disagree with us, by all means, let us know. Trolls are welcome! (Ahem) Spoiler Alert: Here are our selections <img decoding="async" width="683" height="1024" data-id="74419" src="https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/The-Shrouds-683x1024.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-74419" srcset="https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/The-Shrouds-683x1024.webp 683w, https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/The-Shrouds-200x300.webp 200w, https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/The-Shrouds-67x100.webp 67w, https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/The-Shrouds-770x1155.webp 770w, https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/The-Shrouds-1024x1536.webp 1024w, https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/The-Shrouds-1365x2048.webp 1365w, https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/The-Shrouds.webp 1200w, https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/The-Shrouds-293x440.webp 293w, https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/The-Shrouds-1400x2100.w...
Transcribe →The Top 10 Horror Movies of 2025: Episode 207
Jan 2301:58:27Tap to summarizeIf it’s January, you know it’s time for our Top 10 Horror Movies of 2025. You might think there is a group consensus, in a year that had so many goo...
Transcribe →Indy the Dog wins Astra Award for Best Acting in a Horror/Thriller for Good Boy!
Jan 1400:37:51Tap to summarizeAstra Award-winning actor, Indy! He won for his performance in Good Boy (2025) Who’s a good boy? Why, you are, Indy! In a monumental achievement, Indy the dog’s performance in Good Boy earned him the Astra Award for Best Performance in a Horror or Thriller, beating out his esteemed human competition. In a year that has started off with so much social friction, it is amazing news like this that gives us hope. This win is for the underdog. How did Indy do it? Listen to my interview with director Ben Leonberg about how they pulled off this miraculous feat. The Astra Awards are presented by the Hollywood Creative Alliance, a collective group of movie industry professionals, and this was their ninth annual awards ceremony. The Astra Awards expand the genres eligible for awards. Like the Golden Globes, they award separate categories for dramas and comedies/musicals. In a laudable move, they also have awards for best horror or thriller. So, this is not a genre awards festival; they have set these awards to align with the end of the year and the lead-up to the Oscars. Indy’s competition this year was strong: Alfie Williams for 28 Years Later Alison Brie for Together Ethan Hawke for The Black Phone 2 Sally Hawkins for Bring Her Back Sophie Thatcher for Companion Indy the Dog for Good Boy Curiously, no acting nominations for Sinners or Weapons. I’m actually pleased that these other performances got rewarded. No worries. There will almost certainly be Oscar noms for Amy Madigan and Michael B. Jordan. This may be a first: a non-human acting award over human competition. I think the Astra Awards just made some waves. For those of you who fall in love with Indy and want a dog like him, he is a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. It’s an uncommon breed, but I’d expect this movie to make the breed a lot more popular! The AKC describes this breed as “lovey dovey”, pretty good with other dogs, and very good with children. Moreover, they are super cute. How Did They Pull This Off? First and foremost, it helps that Indy is director Ben Leonberg’s pet. Secondly, it took a very long time, over three years from start to release. Hundreds of hours of footage had to be shot to capture the perfect reaction for Indy, and the shooting schedule was limited to three-hour sessions with him to avoid wearing him out. For anyone worried about harming the dog, worry not! All the acting was done with positive reinforcement and treats, and a stunt dog was used for any truly perilous scenes. Harm to dogs is a trigger for many viewers, particularly in horror movies. People who willingly put good money to see teenagers get slaughtered by the dozen will nope out with violence to a dog. So, many people have asked me, “Does Indy make it?” I can’t say that without spoiling the movie, since it’s all about him. However, if it means the difference between seeing the movie and not, I suggest you go to the site Does the Dog Die trigger warning database to get the spoilers. Good Boy is going to go down as the little Indie Horror film that could for 2025. On a reported budget of only $70,000, the movie to date, with a limited release, has a worldwide gross of over $8,700,000… plus whatever they were able to receive as their Shudder contract. That’s over a 100:1 ratio of profitability! Congratulations to Indy and Ben for their wonderful movie. This will be a cult film favorite. It lands at #4 on my Horror Movies for 2025, and I know I am not alone in my admiration for this movie. The Interview: For deeper insight into the movie’s production and how Ben got such a wonderful performance out of Indy, here is my interview with Leonberg at the Overlook Film Festival in April 2025. I’ve been doing industry interviews for going on nine years, and this is one of my absolute favorite discussions. Check it out! Ben Leonberg of Good Boy, directing his dog, the award-winning Indy. On set with the dog height camera rig: Indy and Ben Leonberg from Good Boy.
Transcribe →Feel-Good Horror: Episode 206
Dec 2201:00:18Tap to summarizeReady or Not (2019) is one of our favorite Feel-Good Horror Movies Consider Feel Good Horror as a palate cleanser for those of you looking for a bit of optimism and good vibes in your horror movies. For those of you who may have followed up on our recommendations from Episode 205: Mean Horror, we’re making it up to you now. Triumph over evil! Protagonists for the win! Fist pumps all around. It’s time for some emotional healing through horror with Episode 206: Feel Good Horror. Just because the primary motivation of a horror film is often to scare you, that doesn’t mean you can’t be smiling the entire time. Horror films elevate your emotions, and often that means your happiness as well as your fear. Those movies that do both are usually big winners. When we consider feel-good horror, we ask ourselves the following questions: Is there a happy ending? Do you have a real rooting interest in the protagonists? Are there good nostalgia vibes? Was evil vanquished satisfyingly? Is there a fist-pumping “OH YEAH!” moment? Is the movie fun? Are we laughing throughout? Do the antagonists/monsters get what they deserve? Does the movie make you laugh (for the right reasons)? Did I immediately want more of the movie? Is this a movie that I would go back to as “comfort food” Final girls fit this model. Horror comedies often fit this category. Horror romances are often feel-good films. But, as always, the emotional takeaways from a movie are specifically subjective. Heather has different kinds of horror: films that are comforting and familiar, and films that are light, colorful, and breezy. These are the horror movies that put you into a happy place, however you get there. Podcast Episode 206: Feel-Good Horror You can listen to us discuss our selections using the link below. Don’t forget to find us on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, or wherever you like to stream your podcasts! Key Feel-Good Horror Films include: Totally Killer (2023) Ready or Not (2019) The Hitcher (1986) Day of the Dead (1985) Love and Monsters (2020) <figure class="wp-block-...
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