Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, I chat with podcaster and film festival programmer Sharon Gissy about one of our mutual faves Let’s Scare Jessica to Death (1971) directed by John Hancock (no, not that John Hancock). Because both Sharon and I are interested in mental health, those themes are the majority of the conversation, but we also chat about the horror movies that they show in film school, grave rubbings, “unreliable” narrators, and how we would never sell those amazing antiques. Be sure to check out Sharon’s film festival Mental Filmness if you’re in the Chicagoland area, one of the most unique and important film festivals in Chicago.

00:00-04:00- Intro / Mental Filmness Film Festival

04:00-13:00- Why Sharon Loves Horror / How We First Saw Let’s Scare Jessica to Death

13:00-37:00- Brief Synopsis / Themes (Mental Illness, Death) / Acting

37:00-58:00- Music / Title / Early 1970’s Horror Landscape / Watchalikes

58:00-01:00:00- Outro

Please note: timestamps are estimates.

References:

7 Facts About Let’s Scare Jessica to Death By April Snelling, Mental Floss, July 20, 2023

Director/Producer’s Commentary on the Shout Factory DVD

‘Let’s Scare Jessica to Death’ (1970) is a Dreamy and Terrifying 70’s Horror Film By Chrissy Stockton, Creepy Catalog, October 17, 2024

‘Let’s Scare Jessica to Death’ Deserves to Be Talked About More, Scaredy Cats, July 14, 2021 (I said that Hooptober is how I found out about this movie but I remembered it was actually Scaredy Cats! Shoutout to SC, please subscribe if you’re not already!)

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz, illustrated by Stephen Gammell

Thriller- Michael Jackson music video

Find Us Online:

Mental Filmness: A Film Festival about Mental Health, October 10-11, 2025 at the Chicago Hope Academy (Sharon’s film festival)

Fur, Feather and Scale (Sharon’s art page)

B-Side Me Podcast: Ep. 1: Smashing Pumpkins (Sharon’s podcast)

Follow Sharon on Instagram.

Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.

Listen to “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. For exclusive episodes, subscribe at a paying level to my Substack. If you enjoy my stuff, this is the best way to financially support me! Thank you for listening!

Welcome to Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast, where I talk to people about their favorite horror movies and why they are so special.

Today I talked with my outgoing new friend Betsy Tomszak, the bookstagrammer and podcaster behind Books with Betsy and curator of the Off Color Book Club, about an essential movie in her horror education, Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead (1981). We chat a lot about the cursed production element of this movie, but we also cover the music, a fugly necklace, why this movie is NOT a slasher, and the brilliance of a low budget scare. We also discussed a slew of books that reminded us of The Evil Dead because we are both advanced library users. Of course Betsy would pick a horror movie with a book in it!

TW: rape. There is a tree rape scene in The Evil Dead that we mention throughout (in detail at 36:00-41:00) and so an extra layer of discretion is advised.

00:00-06:00 Intro / Book Talk

06:00-15:00 Why Betsy Loves Horror / How We First Saw The Evil Dead

15:00-36:00 Production / Brief Synopsis / Scariest Scenes / Music / Acting

36:00-41:00- Tree Scene

41:00-1:05:00 Sequels / Double Feature Ideas

1:05:00- Outro / Betsy’s Podcast & Book Club Info

Please note: timestamps are estimates.

References

“27 Things We Learned from The Evil Dead Commentary Track,” Film School Rejects

“Sam Raimi and the Raping Tree,” by Matthew Lickona, San Diego Reader, October 17, 2012

“Why The Evil Dead is Still So Alive after 40 Years,” by Katie Rife, AV Club, October 29, 2021

Books mentioned:

* Uzumaki by Junji Ito

* Dark Archives: A Librarian's Investigation into the Science and History of Books Bound in Human Skin by Megan Rosenbloom

* The Viy by Nikolai Gogol

* Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix

* Dreamcatcher by Stephen King

* Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin (the next book club book at Betsy’s Off Color Bookclub, as of recording)

Find us online:

Betsy’s Instagram

Books with Betsy Podcast

Follow Off Color Brewing for info on Betsy’s Book Club. The Off Color Book Club meets 3rd Tuesday every month. Beer paired with each book. All are welcome if you live in Chicago :)

Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram

The music featured in this episode is, to our knowledge, composed by Joseph LoDuca from The Evil Dead soundtrack as well as a short clips from The Evil Dead (1981) used for educational purposes.

Thanks for listening!

Welcome to Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast, where I talk to people about their favorite horror movies and why they are so special.

In this episode, I talk to my childhood best friend, the actor and writer Ben Tracy, about Wes Craven’s Red Eye (2005). The majority of our discussion is focused on how Red Eye is the best thriller about working in customer service, but we also discuss a lot of ~2000’s Minneapolis lore~ as well. You can learn about me advocating for Ben to see The Ring at age 11, a love letter to independent video stores, if a pineapple or grapefruit is more complex, and renovating an old Victorian house as a child. And don’t worry… “Glee” comes up twice. Plus, which recent horror movie actor was nice to Ben during his stint in the service industry? Listen to the end to find out!

On a serious note, two of the video stores referenced in this episode were on the same street as the site of a deadly mass shooting that occurred in the past month. While we recorded this podcast before the tragedy, it feels wrong to wax poetic about our neighborhood and not mention that our hearts go out to Minneapolis right now. Donate to the families on this verified page.

00:00- Intro / Video Store Appreciation Segment

00:08:00- How We First Saw The Film / The Trailer

00:16:00- Brief Synopsis / Performances

00:26:00- Service Industry Theme

00:45:00- Characters / Plot / Scene Discussion

01:00:00 Double Features / Customer Service Horror Stories / Outro

References:

“A First Class Thriller from Wes Craven” Robert Ebert, August 18, 2005

Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors at the Evolution Theater in Columbus, OH (Ben’s play in October 2025)

Follow Ben on Instagram

Follow Chloe on Letterboxd and Instagram

I’m still learning about podcasting, so please be nice :) Thanks for listening!

Welcome to Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast, where I talk people about their favorite horror movies and why they are special.

In this episode, I talk to two childhood besties, cinephiles Matt Epp and Jenni Schofield, at the same time, discussing our collectively-favorite director and his unique remake Suspiria (2018). Unfortunately we all forgot to get degrees in psychology and European history before we recorded, so this is less of an analysis and more of a conversation about a kickass film. We cover comparisons to the 1977 Dario Argento original, where this movie fits in director Luca Guadagnino’s European films, why Dakota Johnson actually rules, and how watching physical media has changed over the last decade. Ah, Lacan!

00:00-10:00- Intros / How We First Saw the Film

10:00-12:30- Brief synopsis

12:30-27:15- Themes / Comparisons to Suspiria (1977) / Dance sequences

27:15-40:00 Comparisons to other Guadagnino movies

40:00-52:00- Score / Acting

52:00-1:11:00- Reception / Legacy / Double Features

1:11:00- Outros

References

Interview with Luca Guadagnino for The Ringer, November 1, 2018

“What is Suspiria Trying to Say?” The Hollywood Reporter, November 2, 2018

Martha Graham

IFF Boston (the screening that Matt talks about has come and gone— sorry Matt!- but IFF is amazing and is always doing something interesting, please check them out!)

Central Cinema in Seattle, WA

Scarecrow Video in Seattle, WA

Follow Matt on Letterboxd

Follow Jenni on Letterboxd

Follow Chloe on Letterboxd and Instagram

The music featured in this episode is the “Main Theme” from Suspiria by Goblin, and Thom Yorke’s “Suspirium,” as well as a short clip of the trailer for Suspiria (2018) used for educational purposes.

I’m still learning about podcasting, so please be nice :) Thanks for listening!

Welcome to Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast, where I talk people about their favorite horror movies and why they are special.

This episode is near and dear to my heart because I get to talk to my very best friend about one of our formative childhood movies, the 2002 miniseries Rose Red. During my chat with Bree Tighe (no relation to Kevin), we cover how the movie was almost directed by Speilberg, Stephen King miniseries in general, shipping Ellen and Sukeena, and why you should never get iced tea in the middle of the night (aside from the caffeine).

00:00:00- Introduction / Background / How We First Saw This Movie

00:11:30- Synopsis / Character Discussion

00:23:30- Favorite Set Pieces / Moments / The House Itself

01:01:00- Early 2000’s Horror Landscape / Double Feature Ideas / Outro

Sources

“Bad House: The Making of Rose Red” (2002):

“Stephen King And Steven Spielberg Almost Teamed Up For A Haunted House Movie”- Chris Evangelista, Slash Film (Feb. 17, 2024)

The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer: My Life at Rose Red (the ARG novelization)

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (inspiration for the film)

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer (Bree’s book rec for a Rose Red readalike)

Winchester Mystery House (other inspiration for the film)

I’m still learning about podcasting, so please be nice :) Thanks for listening!

My guest, Gabe Powers of Genre Grinder podcast (also on my new network, the Now Playing Network) and I discuss the Italian classic Zombi 2 (1979), which goes by many names including Zombie and Zombie Flesh Eaters. As you’ll hear, Gabe’s specialty is Italian horror including directors Lucio Fulci and Dario Argento (as well as zombie classics), so we discuss a lot of the Italian horrors coming out around this time and George A. Romero’s zombie films in America, to which Zombi 2 is an unofficial sequel. We also cover booby scuba, dusty zombies, and combing the used DVD section for obscure horror gems. This is a truly one-of-a-kind episode for all you Italian horror lovers out there, so get your Letterboxd ready because you’re gonna add a ton of movies to your watchlist!

Gabe is the host of the Genre Grinder podcast, my next-door neighbor on my new network (the Now Playing Network). Each month, Gabe delves in the depths of all sorts of subgenres.

00:00-22:00- Intro + New Theme Music / How Gabe Got Into Horror / The History of Zombi 2

22:00-54:30- Brief Synopsis / Lucio Fulci’s Direction / The Zombies / Music

54:30-1:22:00- Other Zombie Movies / Italian Horror Cinema History

1:22:00-1:35:00- Double Feature Ideas / Book Recs / Outro + Gabe’s Zombi 2 Theme

Please note: timestamps are estimates.

References:

Exclusive Memoir: “Zombie”’s Ian McCulloch Remembers Co-Star Richard Johnson, June 26th 2015, Fangoria

Fulci for Fake (documentary that Gabe mentions)

House of Horrors website

Book list:

Beyond Terror: The Films of Lucio Fulci by Stephen Thrower (mentioned by Gabe for further Fulci lore)

The Black Guy Dies First: Black Horror Cinema From Fodder to Oscar by Robin R. Means Coleman and Mark H. Harris (mentioned by Chloe)

Broken Mirrors/Broken Minds: The Dark Dreams of Dario Argento by Maitland McDonagh (mentioned by Gabe)

Eaten Alive!: Italian Cannibal and Zombie Movies by Jay Slater (mentioned by Gabe)

Profondo Argento: The Man, The Myths and the Magic by Alan Jones (mentioned by Gabe)

Roberto Curti’s books on the Italian Gothic (mentioned by Gabe for further research on Italian horror)

Genre Grinder

Wizard Jail, a Visionaries Rewatch Podcast (Gabe’s other podcast)

Genre Grinder Cares (merch with profits donated to charity, currently donating to the Minnesotan org Gender/Justice)

Follow Gabe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.

Follow Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.

Check out more film pods on the Now Playing Network

The music used in this episode is from the soundtrack and trailer for Zombi 2 (1979) used for educational purposes.

Listen to “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. For exclusive episodes, subscribe at a paying level to my Substack. If you enjoy my work, this is the best way to financially support me! Thank you for listening!

Have you heard the good news? I’m on the Now Playing Network! To celebrate, I’m hosting other podcasters on the network to come tell me about their favorite scary movies. And oh, how the tables have turned… usually I’m the guest on Jim Laczkowski’s podcast Director’s Club, but now he is my guest. Jim— a writer, film critic, musician, and librarian— joins me to talk about his favorite horror movie of all time, Tobe Hooper’s masterpiece The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974). We discuss astrology, Franklin, the uncanniness of Texas and owning too many horror t-shirts. Be sure to listen to the end to hear Jim’s song written and performed especially for this episode!

00:00-28:00- Intro / Jim’s Horror History / How We First Saw The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

28:00-41:00- Brief Synopsis / Themes of Outsiders and Class

41:00-55:00- Tobe Hooper’s Inspiration / Marilyn Burns’ Performance / Soundtrack / Effects

55:00-01:10:00- Remakes and Sequels / Double Feature Ideas / Books Recommendations / Outro [+ special song!!!]

Please note: timestamps are estimates.

References:

Jim’s essay on The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre: The Shocking Truth (2000) Retrospective (Documentary)

Tobe Hooper Remembers Texas Chain Saw Massacre- The Austin Chronicle, Marjorie Baumgarten, Friday October 27, 2000

Books Mentioned:

The Final Girls Support Group by Grady Hendrix

Killer on the Road by Stephen Graham Jones

Follow Jim’s Substack for all things podcast and writing.

Follow Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.

Listen to my episodes on Jim’s podcast Director’s Club (James Wan, Guillermo del Toro, and Mike Flanagan)

The music used in this episode is from the soundtrack and trailer for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) used for educational purposes.

Listen to “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. For exclusive episodes, subscribe at a paying level to my Substack. If you enjoy my work, this is the best way to financially support me! Thank you for listening!

In this special bonus episode, I chat with hair stylist, energy worker and lifelong Halloween fan Chad Evans on the gateway horror movie of his youth and one of my favorites, Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982). We discuss this anti-capitalist cult classic as a place in the Halloween franchise, the spiritual Stonehenge elements, beauty in flawed characters, and how this movie will remain relevant as long as there are cult leaders. We hope you enjoy! Now watch the magic pumpkin… watch… watch…

00:00-13:00- Intro / Why Chad Loves Halloween III

13:00-17:30- Quick Synopsis / Why Chloe Loves Halloween III / How it Fits Into the Franchise

17:30-51:00- Score / Characters / Themes / Acting

51:00-01:08:00- Double Feature Ideas / Easter Eggs / Outro

Please note: timestamps are estimates.

References:

Halloween III: Season of the Witch- The Inside Story of a Cult Classics, October 14, 2022, Jack Beresford, Den of Geek

Sinisterhoood podcast, The Georgia Guidestones (Episode 111)

Follow Chad on Instagram.

Follow Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.

The music used in this episode is from the soundtrack and trailer for Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) used for educational purposes.

Listen to “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. For exclusive episodes, subscribe at a paying level to my Substack. If you enjoy my work, this is the best way to financially support me! Thank you for listening!

In this episode, Paige Sechrest (PhD) joins me to discuss the unsung hero of Jordan Peele’s filmography, Us (2019). We are pretty interested in talking about the intersection of race and class in Us, especially in relation to the phenomena of Get Out. But also, we share our favorite Twilight Zone episodes, the art of playing with audience expectations, and monstrosity in Black horror. Do we understand the logistics of the tethered? No, and we don’t care! Paige is incredibly smart, a wonderful person and a great friend— I hope you all enjoy!

00:00-11:00- Intro / Why Paige Loves Horror / How We First Saw Us

11:00-27:00- Brief Synopsis / Us in relation to Get Out & The Twilight Zone

27:00-50:00- Performances / Music / Dance / Themes of Race and Class in America

50:00-01:08:00 Favorite Characters / Scary Moments / Double Feature Ideas / Outro

Please note: timestamps are estimates.

References:

The All American Nightmares of Jordan Peele- by Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, January 29, 2019

Behind the Scenes: Jordan Peele Gives Us a Glimpse Behind the Curtain

Jordan Peele on ‘Us’- The Big Picture Podcast, March 19, 2019

Books Mentioned:

The Black Guy Dies First: Black Horror Cinema From Fodder to Oscar by Dr. Robin R. Means Coleman and Mark H. Harris (mentioned by Chloe)

“Many Thousands Gone,” an excerpt Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin (mentioned by Paige)

The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl by Issa Rae (mentioned by Paige)

Follow Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.

The music featured in this episode is the “I Got 5 On It” and the “Tethered Mix” from Us (originally by Luniz), as well as a short clip of the trailer for Us (2019) used for educational purposes.

Listen to “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. For exclusive episodes, subscribe at a paying level to my Substack. If you enjoy my stuff, this is the best way to financially support me! Thank you for listening!

Today I welcome freelance journalist, coworker, friend, and fellow librarian, Anna, to talk about their favorite horror movie from growing up, An American Werewolf in London (1981). In discussing this werewolf/zombie/ghost sad horror romantic comedy, Anna & I discuss the infamous dream sequences, our love of practical effects, the “rules” of being a werewolf, 70s fashion, and having empathy for the monster. You won’t catch us “hill-walking” in the Yorkshire moors at night, especially not during a full moon, but maybe catch us doing the Thriller dance in a cemetery.

And listeners from across the pond: please forgive our terrible British accents. We love you!

00:00-17:16- Intro / How Anna Got Into Horror / How They First Saw An American Werewolf in London / Our Opinions on Werewolf Movies

17:16-53:00- Brief Synopsis / Dreams / Werewolf Rules / The Brits v. Americans / Genre Hybridity

53:00-01:14:00- Effects & Thriller Music Video / Double Feature Ideas / Outro

Please note, timestamps are estimates.

References:

* Horror Queers Podcast- An American Werewolf in London episode (mentioned by Anna)

* How “American Werewolf in London” Transformed Horror Comedy- Joshua Rothkopf, August 19th 2016, Rolling Stone

* In Black & White by Jan Mark (kids book mentioned by Chloe)

* Jenny Agutter Interview with David Childs (1981)

* John Landis reveals his original plan for An American Werewolf in London sequel- Gary Collison, December 3rd 2017, Flickering Myth

* Michael Jackson’s The Making of Thriller

* Rick Baker’s Makeup Behind-the-Scenes clip

* “Thriller” Music Video- Michael Jackson

Find Us:

Follow Anna’s Letterboxd and Bluesky.

Follow Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.

Find other great film pods on the Now Playing Network.

The sound and music used in this episode is from An American Werewolf in London (1981) trailer and film, used for educational purposes. I could’ve added SO many clips— each line is classic and hilarious— but it’s better to watch the movie and experience for yourself!

Listen to “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you’d like to get new reviews and special features, please subscribe to my Substack. Thank you for listening!