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The Scariest Things
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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-...
Transcribe →Mean Horror: Episode 205
Dec 401:13:27Tap to summarizeMatt Dillon is Jack in The House that Jack Built (2018), a seriously mean movie. Great Horror movies can often be a bummer. Vicious, unrelenting, and cruel films that deny us the happy ending and the victorious fist pump. Many horror fans, and a couple of the podcasters for The Scariest Things in particular, seek these films out. We are crossing bridges too far. No punch pulling. Beware and behold Episode 205: Mean Horror. The caveats associated with the “recommendations” presented in this episode have caveats of their own. These are the films that may make you regret your movie selection decisions. Grim. Brutal. Emotionally taxing. These movies have merit, but these aren’t movies meant to be enjoyed. Quite the opposite, actually. These movies strip your soul and make you ponder the darkness in society. Often, these movies are human-on-human horror, delivering cruelty that only we can inflict on ourselves. Just know we will be following up soon with the salve for the emotional wounds that come with our “Feel Good” episode to help you recover. Here are the criteria we used in picking our movies. The movie does not require compliance with all the listed criteria, but if the movie contains many of these themes, then it would qualify for our selections. Bad things happen to innocent people. Repeatedly. The protagonists often don’t survive the movie. Evil wins. The ending is a bummer. There is little humor in the movie. Typically, people would not describe this movie as “fun.” The movie may be pervasively depressing and nihilistic. There is little hope in the movie. The movie has an emotional impact. Note that this is not a reflection of the quality of the movies. Many of them are very good and critically appreciated. They also don’t need to be gory to be mean, though they often are. The Podcast: Episode 205: Mean Horror With those caveats and warnings: brace yourselves. It’s time for MEAN HORROR. For similar content, check our Bridge Too Far Infographics. Consider yourselves warned. Benny’s Video (1992) Coming Home in the Dark (2021) Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) Invader (2024) <img decoding="async" width="1024" height="686" data-id="73179" src="https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Eden-Lake-1024x686.jpg" class="wp-image-73179" alt="Young woman holding phone, intervening in a dangerous park assault scene." srcset="https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Eden-Lake-1024x686.jpg 1024w, https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Eden-Lake-300x201.jpg 300w, https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Eden-Lake-100x67.jpg 100w, https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Eden-Lake-770x515.jpg 770w, https:...
Transcribe →Upon Second Thought – Reconsidering Horror Movies : Ep 204
Nov 101:14:05Tap to summarizeRichard Jenkins, Kurt Russell, and Matthew Fox go searching in Bone Tomahawk (2016) Upon second thought, that movie was better than I remembered. How often do you tell yourself that? Or, alternately, “What was I thinking? This movie was awful!” We’ve all been there. The movies don’t change, but we do. We get older. Our tastes change. Sometimes we weren’t in the right headspace to appreciate a film for the first watch. The Scariest Things gets contemplative in Episode 204 and reviews movies that we believe should be re-evaluated… for better… or worse. Opinions can change. Sometimes, when you go to a movie, you arrive with expectations, which can affect your view. A film’s reputation may color the first impression, and many of our reactions to the movie are influenced by the environment in which we first saw it. It makes a big difference whether you first saw the film at a world premiere with the director and stars, or if you are seeing it in a living room with a bunch of talkative friends—context matters. Was I too harsh on this film? Was I too generous? In many cases, a movie will stick with you and remind you that there was something that you really liked, and it stands the test of time, even if you didn’t initially think it was that great. Then, you go back and watch it, and realize that there was real gold there. You might also have had a situation where you decide to watch a movie to impress a friend, convincing them that the movie was great —and then… nope. That movie didn’t age well. My sixteen-year-old self thought this movie was awesome, but I was young and stupid. The Mangler, not as good as my teenage me remembered. There is a proud tradition of this in movie critic circles. A humble critic is one who can own up to re-evaluating a movie. I believe it is best to write a critical review independently of what others think, and I will avoid reading other reviews before I write my own. However, sometimes a movie arrives with tremendous buzz, all the bells and whistles: a revered director, a hot actor, and momentum from early festivals. I take these things into context, but I try my best to walk in with a blank slate. It’s tough, though. PODCAST 204: Upon Second Thought – Reconsidering Horror Movies Here is the podcast where Eric, Mike, and Heather sat down, peeled the bandage off, and admitted that perhaps we were wrong the first time. Most of these movies will be familiar to you, and some of the selections will shock you! If you want to skip the podcast and see what we picked, I have included our selections below. As always, I recommend you listen to the podcast, and come back to this post for reference. Enjoy! Upon Second Thought – The bad news: Movies we initially thought were good, but now the shine has come off. It doesn’t mean these movies are bad (necessarily), but it does mean that they weren’t as awesome as we initially thought. Mike’s List Rosemary’s Baby (1968): Dated and Slow? The Wicker Man (1972): Boring and Staid. Army of Darkness (1992): Nonsensical and not scary at all. Rosemary’s Baby (1968) The Wicker Man (1972) Army of Darkness (1992) Eric’s List Piranha (1978): A Jaws ripoff without a great conclusion. St Agatha (2018): My impressions were heavily influenced by meeting the cast and crew. Early journalism error. Hellraiser (1987): Too slow. Not sexy enough. Not bad, but not the iconic film that I remembered it being. <img decoding="async" width="1024" he...
Transcribe →The Great Horror Recast Podcast: Episode 203
Oct 2201:31:17Tap to summarizeTake a good look… we’re going to recast these characters! Horror movies love sequels and reboots. So, a recast is always around the corner. The Scariest Things is going to do what everybody fears: recasting movies that really shouldn’t be rebooted. BUT WE’RE DOING IT ANYWAYS! Redoing A Nightmare on Elm Street with blockbuster casts. Check! A reboot of Jaws with women in the lead? Done! Extending the It story to 27 years, for a Chapter 3 using a senior citizen cast. You betcha! And Hereditary, but swapping out for an all black cast? We can do that! Sacrilege? Absolutely, but you know you want to know who we picked! It’s a cottage industry, predicting who Marvel or DC might cast for their superheroes. The anticipation of who might portray… say BATMAN… has been discussed in numerous podcasts and media posts. But horror movies? The reboots are frequent, but really not that memorable. Can you name all of the Jason Voorhees actors? (tick… tick… tick…) However, there is a wonderful tradition with Dracula, in particular. This is just a portion of the casting call for the famous bloodsucker: Bela Lugosi Carlos Villarias Lon Chaney Jr. Christopher Lee John Carradine Udo Kier Klaus Kinski George Hamilton Frank Langella Gary Oldman Nicolas Cage The Podcast: Episode 203: The Great Horror Recast This was a fun episode. It is a long episode, but it’s totally worth listening to, because we know you do these experiments too! If you want to get the spoilers… read below for our selections. A little crazy, and not always on script, but this episode was a blast! Our Selections: The original cast of A Nightmare on Elm Street: Heather Langenkamp, Johnny Depp, and Amanda Wyss A Horror Recast of A Nightmare on Elm Street(What was Mike thinking?) Character Original Actor Eric’s Pick Heather’s Pick Mike’s Pick Freddy Krueger Robert Englund Andy Serkis Bonnie Aarons Kevin Durand Nancy Thompson Heather Langenkamp Madeline McGraw Nico Parker Sydney Sweeney Glen Lantz Johnny Depp Noah Toth Michael Cimino Austin Butler Tina Grey Amanda Wyss Alisha Weir Kathryn Newton Margot Robbie Rod Lane Jsu Garcia Noah Schnapp Pete Davidson (skipped) Lt. Donald Thompson John Saxon Danny McBride Billy Burke Robert Forster Marge Thompson Ronee Blakley Jennifer Aniston Thandie Newton Meryl Streep Director Wes Craven Damien Leone Lee Cronin Christopher Nolan A Horror Recast of Jaws, but with a female cast Richard Dreyfuss, Roy Scheider, and Robert Shaw in Jaws (1975) Character Original Actor Eric’s Pick Heather’s Pick Mike’s Pick Chief Brody Roy Scheider Emily Blunt Jessica Chastain Parker Posey Quint Robert Shaw Allison Janney Jodie Foster Michelle Rodriguez Hooper Richard Dreyfuss Mindy Kaling Julia Garner Sunita Mani Ellen Brodie Lorraine Gary John Krasinski Zoe Kravitz Dennis Quaid Charlie Susan Backlinie Chris Hemsworth Tom Holland Chris Hemsworth Mayor Vaughn Murray Hamilton Amy Poehler Viola Davis Melissa McCarthy Director Steven Spielberg Kathryn Bigelow Anna Kendrick Mary Harron It: Chapter 3: Casting 27 years after the previous film James Ransome, Jay Ryan, Isiah Mustapha, James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, and Bill Hader in It: Chapter 2 (2019) Character Original Actor Eric’s Pick Heather’s Pick Mike’s Pick Pennywise Bill Ska...
Transcribe →A Blind Bargain (2025) Review: H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival
Oct 300:38:59Tap to summarizeDr. Gruder (Crispin Glover) and Joy Fontaine (Amy Wright) in A Blind Bargain (2025) Intensity: 🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸Directed by Paul Bunnell Betrayal. At its core, A Blind Bargain is a movie about the worst kind of betrayal you can imagine. Desperation and greed convince a young and troubled Vietnam veteran to submit his own mother to the schemes of a mad scientist. This groovy ’70s retro thriller takes a cosmic turn through life-extending experimentation. This was the centerpiece movie of the 2025 H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival. A Blind Bargain is a retelling of a 1922 Lon Chaney Sr. silent film, which is now considered a “lost film”. The only copy of that film was lost in the 1965 vault fire that also claimed several other Lon Chaney films, including London After Midnight. Not all was lost, as the mad scientist’s story was based on a Barry Palin novel, “The Octave of Claudius, A Blind Bargain.” The biggest challenge for this movie is that you are compelled to follow a protagonist who is hard to root for. Dominic is pathetic. The Vietnam War has left deep emotional scars that he chases away with heroin, and this leaves him vulnerable on many levels. This forces him to make extremely dubious decisions. Traitorous decisions. In the original film, the censors balked at the science of playing God. Frankenstein touched on this, and with A Blind Bargain, the story centers on a Faustian deal for eternal youth. As is the case with most mad science, it is a serious overreach of power. Vitality restoration reacts badly with fate. The elusive promise of youthful beauty has undone more than a few evil geniuses. Joy, you’re going on a cosmic trip to be a star again…” Logos (Jed Rowen) The Cast of A Blind Bargain Crispin Glover plays Dr. Gruder, a mad scientist who has discovered a steroid treatment with incredible youth-restoring properties. Naturally, there are unfortunate side consequences. Jake Horowitz plays Dominic Fontaine, a damaged young man who has returned from the Vietnam War. He has returned with a heroin addiction. This forces Jake to make some very difficult and unfortunate decisions. Lucy Loken plays Ellie Bannister, who works as a nurse for Dr. Gruder. Dom is instantly smitten with Ellie when he goes in for treatment for his addiction. Amy Wright plays Joy Fontaine, Dom’s mother, who was an actress of the silent film era. Dom lives with Joy now as he tries to get his life back together. Analisa Cochrane plays a younger version of Joy Fontaine, a beautiful and alluring woman in her prime. Jed Rowen plays Logos, one of Dr. Gruder’s subjects, who acts as Gruder’s enforcer. Joy entrances the lovelorn Logos. Rob Mayes plays Vincent, Dom’s brutish and swaggering drug dealer. Dom (Jake Horowitz) makes a blind bargain with Dr. Gruder (Crispin Glover) in A Blind Bargain (2025) A Short Synopsis of A Blind Bargain Dominic Fontaine is a loser who can’t catch a break. After returning home from the Vietnam War in 1970, his life hasn’t gotten any safer. He has run into deep debt with his heroin dealer, Vincent. He’s a thin, frail fellow who is too weak to stand up to Vincent’s bullying. He also can’t stand up for himself with his mother, Joy, who has been housing him since his return. She is aware that Dom has not been honest with her and sets the conditions for him staying with her that he seek treatment. Joy gives Dom a brochure for a clinic that a social worker gave her: The Gruder Institute, where “Recovery is Within Your Grasp”. Unbeknownst to Joy and Dom, however, the institute is not what it seems. The addition therapy is a front for some shady de-aging experiments involving steroids derived from insect larvae. Dom reluctantly checks into the clinic. The lovely Nurse Ellie checks him in, and Dom flirts with her shamelessly. She takes his blood, and Dom returns home to inform Joy that he did as she asked. When Ellie calls back, Dom is informed that his blood… or more specifically, his mother’s blood… would be of great value to the Institute. Dr. Gruder would pay handsomely for her blood. Dom tricks his mother into believing the Clinic is also a spa, and that she should pamper herself there while he gets treatment. Gruder’s more involved experiments take place in an old hotel frequented by Hollywood stars of yore, which sells the ruse of the spa. The eccentric Gruder welcomes “their only spa guest” into the facility. They quickly hustle her off into a treatment room. There, much to her surprise, they restrain and sedate her. Torn between guilt and his vices, Dom agrees to a contract to have Joy convalesce at the Gruder Institute for a month. The money wins out. The next time Dom sees Joy, things will have changed. Perhaps for the better? Remember, though, Faustian deals never end the way you want them to. Evaluation A Blind Bargain is probably more dark science fiction than horror, but as soon as you mention Lon Chaney, this movie has to be at least horror adjacent. The decisions in the film are indeed horrific, and the truth of the experiments (and their inevitable failures)...
Transcribe →Reptile and Amphibian Horror: Episode 202
Sep 1400:55:36Tap to summarizeThat’s a big alligator: Lake Placid (1999) Are you afraid of reptiles? Horror movies suggest that you just might be. There is an abundance of movies with reptile and amphibian horror themes. Snakes? Lots of you. Betting odds would suggest that you either fear spiders or snakes, or both. Alligators and crocodiles? Probably not something that applies, unless you live in Florida or Egypt. But, how about frogs? Or turtles? If you are, then this episode is made for you. For the record, here are the terms for the fears you need to know for this episode: Herpetophobia = the fear of reptiles. (This covers lizards and Ophidophobia = the fear of snakes. (Common) Ranidophobia = the fear of frogs and toads Krokodeilophobia = the fear of crocodiles Chelonaphobia = the fear of turtles (Rare) So, use that as the starting block. But, normal lizards and snakes aren’t going to cut it in this discussion. Big, and I mean BIG lizards will count. Kaiju for the reptile win! And human/reptile/frog and human hybrids also can be considered. It is remarkable how many well made alligator and killer crocodile movies there have been made. And, there are so many ways to make these movies. In this day and age, you can go with the real thing (daring… Black Water), digital (YMMV: Crawl, Megapython vs Gateroid, The Bayou ), or animatronic (Alligator, The Bayou, and Rogue) Once you get bigger than an alligator, you have to get creative. Giant monsters require some imagination to scale them up. Dude in a rubber suit works. Real critters with miniatures is your budget variant. Stop Motion used to be the state-of-the-art craft. Think Ray Harryhausen. Or… Puppets! Let it be known, that most of the time, the puppets look rather lame. (Reptilicus) But sometimes it’s perfect (Beetlejuice). Episode 202: Reptile and Amphibian Horror Prominent Reptile and Amphibian Horror Movies Post podcast note: We talked about a combination of clown and reptile horror in the podcast, and initially, I mentioned Reptilicus because of the puppetry, but then I remembered a perfect example: BEETLEJUICE! This combines elements from two back-to-back episodes, including Episode 201 Clown Horror! Frogs (1972) Reptilicus (1961) Sweetheart (2019) The Alligator People (1959) Black Water (2007) Gorgo (1961) <img decoding="async" width="1024" height="645" data-id="69908" src="https://scarie...
Transcribe →Coulrophobia : Clown Horror Movies: Episode 201
Sep 201:02:43Tap to summarizeArt the Clown in Terrifier (2016) If you hear squeaky shoes, run away! The very popular trope of coulrophobia, the fear of clowns, taps into childhood fears and manages to go to almost unthinkable extremes. With the rise of Art and Pennywise, the horrorverse knows there is a vein that taps into real, deep-seated fears. Join Heather, Mike, and Eric in our breakdown of some clown-themed films for your consumption. Were you afraid of circus clowns as a kid? If so, you weren’t alone. The white face paint. Exaggerated features. The ridiculous costumes. This goes beyond the uncanny valley into the bizarre. Normal people don’t dress up like this, and you may question the psychology of anybody who dons the getup. Not helping the situation is that individuals like John Wayne Gacy, who dressed up as a party clown, reinforce the reputation of clowns as unstable. Fear of clowns may be a learned fear, for most, however. Birthday clowns still exist, and little kids still love the comedic silliness of a good circus clown. But, with the disappearance of the traditional circus as a form of entertainment, clowns may have been permanently relegated to horror movies. Sorry, Bozo. Check out some of our recommendations for deeper cut clown horror… you may be surprised at how many options there are for those of you who love to be scared by clowns. The Podcast: Here is Episode 201: Coulrophobia-Clown Horror. If you like this, you might also like Episode 164: Amusement Park and Circus Horror! Coulrophobia-Clown Horror: The Films Clown in a Cornfield (2025) Hell House LLC (2015) Clown (2014) Conversation with a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes (2022) It (1990) <img decoding="async" width="600" height="360" data-id="69631" src="https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Stitches-the-Clown.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-69631" srcset="https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Stitches-the-Clown.jpg 600w, https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Stitches-the-Clown-300x180.jpg 300w, https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Stitches-the-Clown-100x60.jpg 100w, https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Stitches-the-Clown-293x176.jpg 293w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100v...
Transcribe →Deep Cut Grindhouse! : Episode 194
Feb 9, 202501:02:34Tap to summarizeWes Craven’s iconic grindhouse film Eaten Alive (1978) Who needs your fancy schmancy elevated horror?!? Turn the page back to when real horror villains had no feelings or emotional depth other than deep blood lust. These are the horror movies your mother feared you might be watching. Get ready! It’s grindhouse time at The Scariest Things Podcast! Grindhouse as a method isn’t gone. Oh no, it’s still around in a slightly more polished form. The Terrifier franchise alone has proven that the love of grindhouse cinema is still alive. Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey is a hugely successful take on tasteless is proof positive that there is still a big audience for cheap thrills. However, you should recognize that we are far from the golden age of the grindhouse. For that, you need to travel back to the early 1970s, when old downtown cinemas and aging drive-in theaters had to find a way to get audiences without paying the studios big money for the latest blockbuster. You can thank Jaws and Star Wars for that. Roger Corman’s influence from the 1950s B-movie scene translated to the indie grindhouse scene, upping the racy and bloody content and keeping it fun. There are three pillars to grindhouse: Sex, drugs, and violence. These are the requirements. This is what titilates people.” Mike Campbell, The Scariest Things A Brief History of Grindhouse Cinema The grindhouse movement began at the dawn of cinema. It will probably not surprise you that sex and violence have always been alluring to potential moviegoers, and that was true at the dawn of the medium. People have ALWAYS been curious. The grindhouse was a practice that promoted movies all day, with escalating costs and quality as the day turned to prime-time evening viewings. Counterintuitively, the daytime was often when the cheap thrills were available, and the more respectable programming was later. The grinders lure visitors in like carnival barkers, cajoling the curious to come in for a few coins. When the theater audiences dwindled in the 1960s, with changing societal codes, the old downtown movie theaters and drive-ins could not afford to compete with the multiplex cinemas. As a result, the grindhouse returned with increased vigor. Small theaters turned to upscale arthouse and foreign films or lowbrow grindhouse fare. Emerging genres that would find difficulty getting a booking in the suburban cineplex found homes in the grindhouse theaters. Blaxploitation. Kung-Fu. Nunsploitation. Revenge thrillers. And… pornography… which took a while to develop its methodology. Some theaters would find room for a Russ Meyer or John Waters film that would be wild and crazy but not overly explicit. Titliating? Yes. Perverse? Probably, but the times they were a changing. Our Definitive Grindhouse Films: Our podcast will discuss some of the more obscure grindhouse horror pictures. That is not to say that we think the ones we discuss are the most important, as the top of the sub-genre will be familiar enough that they don’t need introductions. When considering what would qualify for a grindhouse movie, here are the crieteria: The movie was independently made. Even mid-major studios would be a disqualifier. Apologies to Friday the 13th (Paramount) and A Nightmare on Elm Street (New Line). They have all the other attributes, but these privileged films were promoted and were released in the Cineplexes. In a way, they helped usher out the grindhouse trend. I discount Blumhouse and A24 from this consideration as well. The movie used sensationalism to promote themselves. The more hyperbole, the better. Don’t forget… It’s Only a Movie. It’s Only a Movie. It’s ONLY A MOVIE! Some combination of sex, violence, and drugs are in the movie… though drugs would be a negotiable variable. Apologies to Carnival of Souls, The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activities, which would otherwise fit the mold. Scary? Sure. Exploitation? Not so much. They don’t have the sleazy grindhouse feel. The movie isn’t aiming to be more than it is. Keep it simple! You are not trying to change society. (Even if the movie might be a change agent.) The movie has a small budget—less than $2 Million. With those considerations, here are our most significant Grindhouse Horror Films in chronological order. Judging a grindhouse film by quality is antithetical to the genre. This grouping is for influence, longevity, and impact on horror. Sometimes, the little guy has to play dirty to stay in the game. These are not the most pleasant or enjoyable films, but they have cut a bloody swath through the consciousness of horror fans. You have to respect them even if it’s not your cup of tea. Time will tell if the more recent films will be revered similarly. (I’m suspecting that Terrifier will be.) Blood Feast (1963) Night of the Living Dead (1966) Last House on the Left (1972) Black Christmas (1974) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1975) The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) Suspiria (1977) Halloween (1978) I Spit on Your Grave (1978) Cannibal Holocaust (1980) The Evil Dead (1981) Re-Animator (1984) Episode 194: Deep Cut Grindhouse With that now written on a stone tablet, you can listen in to Eric and Mike discuss this topic in-depth and get some deep-cut grindhouse for you to consider. Here is a grouping of some notable horror grindhouse films. How many have you seen? Don’t Go Into the House (1979) Eaten Alive (1978) <img decoding="async" width="1024" height="674" data-id="54969" src="https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/maniac-1980-07-g-1024x674.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-54969" srcset="https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2...
Transcribe →The Worst Horror Movies of 2024: Episode 193
Jan 20, 202500:45:25Tap to summarizeIt’s time to reveal our selections for the Worst Horror Movies of 2024. Sigh. Here they are, our Worst Horror Movies of 2024. It’s an annual obligation. You can’t win em all, and it is time to reveal the losers from 2024. The Scariest Things had disagreements about how we felt about the horror offerings from 2024. Some thought it was a strong year; others thought it was weak. We also had crossover on several of our best and worst selections, which made for some fun interaction. We already talked about our favorites. Here are our disappointments. For those of you who enjoy kicking a bad movie when it is down, today is the lucky day for the wrong bettors! In craps gambling parlance, this is somebody who plays the don’t pass and don’t come lines. In an era where critical evaluations come out black and white with not much grey, there are certainly plenty of wrong-side bettors. That makes things spicy! We are going to lay some shade on movies that we thought were a train wreck. Don’t be stunned if one of your favorite movies is on this list. If you haven’t gotten a chance to listen to Episode 192: The Best Horror Movies of 2024, we had an entertaining and robust debate. Even some of the movies that some of us loved were loathed by one of our fellow critics. In fact two movies that were ranked #1 on our respective critics list also snuck in to the bottom of the year list. It made for a very complex evaluation year. In a manner befitting the subject material, our worst of the year list is a bit more random than our more refined best of list. The rules are a little loose. Some of us picked three movies. Others picked nine. There are some bigger production films from directors or actors who we have a lot of respect for that somehow left a bad taste in our mouths. Other films were ones that we took a chance on, and found us unimpressed. Here are our dubious double dozen movies from 2024. Podcast Episode 193: The Worst Horror Movies of 2024 <img decoding="async" width="691" height="1024" data-id="54114" src="https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/longlegs_poster-691x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-54114" srcset="https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/longlegs_poster-691x1024.jpg 691w, https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/longlegs_poster-202x300.jpg 202w, https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/longlegs_poster-67x100.jpg 67w, https://scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/longlegs_poster-770x1141.jpg 770w, ht...
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