Zach and Charlie join Caitlin to cover 2015's Krampus, a holiday horror favorite. We talk about family, spirit, hope, and all things Christmas. Tangents include: hot tubs, stockings, gifts, tarot, holiday traditions, and Chrsitmas hot takes. Merry Christmas, everyone! 

Maddie and Colleen join Caitlin to once again perform character analysis on horror charcters through the lens of astrology. This time, we're talking about the "big three" signs for: Kelly Anne from Red Rooms, Annie from Hereditary, Rosemary from Rosemary's Baby, Lestat from Interview with the Vampire, Owen from I Saw the TV Glow, Jigsaw from Saw, Mulder and Scully from The X Files, Maud from Saint Maud, and Elvira from The Ugly Stepsister.

Tangents include: the concept of "big six," dreams with Neptune in retrograde, the end of summer and start of fall, Halloween hot takes, Christmas trees, and pets as Over the Garden Wall characters. 

Mary joins Caitlin to cover 2025's The Woman in the Yard, a horror movie about grief and depression. We talk about the score, the cast, the symbols, and the themes, including some monstrous motherhood and a monstrous femme figure.

Tangents include: Giada-deLaurentis-speak (ugh), pets, our vacations, meals, time off, coming home, places not to vacation, FMK Moby Dick edition, songs of the summer, monetized super powers, shampoo and conditioner fragrances, bones, and our fourth favorite colors.

Mathula joins Caitlin to cover Phenomena from 1985. Also known as Creepers, this Argento flick has a monstrous mother, a bug-obsessed Jennifer Connelly, and a razor-wielding chimp. Plus Donald Pleasence. What more could we want?

Tangents include: Eggers, Aster, vampires, Giallo movies as a whole, bugs, Lost, Florida, dystropian fiction, sneezing, and bathroom trashcans.

Be sure to check out Mathula's art at Hallelujah Dystopia!

Elizabeth generously joins Caitlin for re-record of The Birds. (I forgot to hit record last time... RIP.) Elizabeth is a Birds expert, and she's my Hitchcock Blonde. We look at themes of disaster linked to female psyche, man vs nature, and some Oedipal monstrous motherhood. We also do a deep dive into the troubling production, most of which would not fly today.

Tangents include: Nick at Nite, pregnant spiders, Reese's preferences, zoos, aquariums, and hamsters. 

Mary, Zach, and Charlie join Caitlin to cover Swimfan. It's a real time capsule of a movie; it'll take you right back to 2002. It has a monstrous femme figure in stalker Madison, and it gives us themes of obsession, deception, and troubled pasts. It also gives us an iconic pool scene.

In perhaps the most unhinged second-half of a Plug It Up episode to date, we explore the following tangents: birthdays, Twilight (and Skin of a Killer), chugga chugga as it relates to choo choo, game shows, hibachi, coitus, juice (including "doodoo juice"), lots of pool talk, DP of all kinds, Michael Shannon, and some great FMKs. 

Birthday boy Bob from Straight Chilling Podcast joins Caitlin to cover 2017's Thoroughbreds, a movie that features a couple of monstrous femme figures. We look at themes of wealth, pedigree, friendship, and murder, and we do our best to tease out the distinctions between sociopathy and psychopathy.

Tangents include: physical media, chicken wings, tiki drinks, space vs ocean, snacks, antiques, puppies vs kittens, 2023 horror, and some FMKs. 

Be sure to find Bob at Straight Chilling and Let's Get Physical Media! And the book I mentioned is The Sociopath Next Door by Matha Stout. 

Soju from Straight Chilling Podcast joins Caitlin to talk about Park Chan-wook's Thirst. Thirst is a beautiful vampire romance that incorporates themes of sexuality, pain, guilt, and the monstrous feminine. Soju is my vampire homie, and we give a lot of love to Thirst. We also give a lot of love to Underworld. In fact, take a shot every time we say "Underworld" (just kidding - that's dangerous). 

Tangents include: gummies, weapons, peanut butter, Twilight, other vampire media, the Culkin brothers, and some FMKs and WYRs. Be sure to check out all the cool stuff happening over at Straight Chilling. 

Pickens, Joe, and Victor join Caitlin to talk about Return to Oz - a fever dream, a cult classic, and, yes, the official sequel to The Wizard of Oz. For a kids' movie, it's got some serious horror beats, and it has a great monstrous femme figure in Princess Mombi. We chat about our favorite freaky moments and go over some fun movie trivia. Tangents for this episode include: Bugaboo Creek, malls, the Muppets, Disney parks, Elton John, and of course a few on-theme FMKs. 

Colleen and Maddie join Caitlin to cover 2022's Torn Hearts. Torn Hearts is a great look at the complexities in women's friendships, especially the competition therein. We get a wonderful monstrous femme villain (some would say "psychobiddy") in Katy Sagal, but we remember that, ultimately, the real villain is patriarchy. Also, what a unique setting for a horror movie! We don't get a lot of Nashville/country music horror.

Tangents include: bangs, nightmares, drinks, weapons we have stored around our homes, music, PDFs, bachelorette parties, weddings, colors, D&D, movie settings, and how my camera roll proves that I am obsessed with both Maddie and Colleen.

Christian and Mary join Caitlin to talk about the best intro scenes in horror movies. Opening scenes are important in any movie, but in horror movies, they're essential for setting the tone, establishing the stakes, getting viewer buy-in, and not giving too much away.

Movies discussed on our list include: Scream, Final Destination, Jaws, Get Out, Zombieland, The Conjuring, Dawn of the Dead, Saw, Halloween, Carrie, Ghost Ship, Evil Dead, Cabin in the Woods, 28 Days (and Weeks) Later, Sinister, Hereditary, Midsommar, The Empty Man, A Quiet Place, It: Chapter 1, It Follows, and The Ring, among others.

Tangents include: dippy eggs, sleep environments, grocery stores, other stores, senior yearbook quotes, pizza toppings, Saw traps, and more.

Elizabeth joins Caitlin to cover 2005's The Skeleton Key. We've got a great monstrous femme figure in The Skeleton Key, and the movie does a good job of exploring the intersections of race, age, gender, and spirituality. We also speculate at it possibly being an influence for Get Out, another horror movie that explores those issues extremely well. Tangents include: DVD bonus features, pizza, blankets, discount stores, flags, posters, animal horror, the haunted house Elizabeth gew up in, and some FMKs. 

Zach and Mary join Caitlin to cover Evil Dead Rise. Look at us! Covering a movie while it's still in theaters! This is a great monstrous motherhood movie, and we'd all recommend checking it out in the theater if you can. Evil Dead is such a strong franchise. Whether they're campy or scary (or both), who doesn't love a deadite? Tangents include: Bruce Campbell (of course), animal attacks, color schemes, salt, movies that actually scare us, socks, drinks, and legs.

Charlie joins Caitlin to cover Bring Her Back, the heavy new A24 release from the Philippou brothers. We talk about death, grief, ritual, and the monstrous-motherhood aspect of the movie. It's a rough watch, but likely one of the bigger and better releases of the year.

Tangents include: Midnight Sun, favorite coffee and tea blends, caffeine in general, 1 WYR, 2 FMKs, calendars, the heat, undergarments, fish, cats, Dead Dad Brunch, and trailers.

Matt, Michael, Charlie, and Caitlin got reservations at Dorsia to do some fine dining and chat about American Psycho, often cited as "a movie about a misogynist, directed by a feminist." We talk about yuppie misogyny, consumerism, and nihilism, and we quote the movie in our best Patrick Bateman voices. We also dish out some high school stories, so be prepared to be transported back to 2006-2007. Tangents include: Lady MacBeth, business cards (obviously), juice, Crocs, Ed Gein, and Ed Kemper. 

Nina, Eileen, Colleen, and Zach join Caitlin to cover 2023's Cocaine Bear. Before you side eye... she's a mama bear. A MONSTROUS mama bear! So we're counting it for monstrous motherhood. A seamless shoehorn into the Plug It Up repertoire of the monstrous feminine! We look back at our favorite scenes, recount our fun theater experience, "tag" ourselves as characters, and touch on other animal-horror favs. Tangents include: grabbing Colleen, chips, showers, SSRIs, kids, MLMs, comfort TV shows, and drunk personalities. 

I would be remiss if I didn't follow up: we found out that Zach DOES INDEED have a Capricorn moon. Colleen nailed it. The Zach/Colleen friendship was tested by both the Cocaine Bear movie and this episode recording, but they persevered. The Zach/Colleen leo/virgo alliance remains strong.

Mary joins Caitlin to cover Bones and All on episode 100 of Plug It Up! We look at themes regarding coming of age, motherhood, destiny, identity, sexuality, and morality, and we long for a pretty cannibal boyfriend of our own. Tangents for this episode include: Timothee Chalamet's jaw, M&Ms, pizza, ice cream, and sharks. We also got some great FMKs and questions with a "100" theme. Thank you all so much for going on this journey with me and for supporting the show. I love doing it, and I'm so glad to have your support. Thank you! Cheers to 100 more! 

Mathula bravely joins Caitlin to cover the controversial 2009 arthouse horror movie Antichrist. We look at themes of internalized misogyny, religion, nature, and grief, and we get into why this movie falls into the "monstrous feminine" category. Tangents include: Willem DaFoe's dong (duh), mail carriers, Kool-Aid, vacations, tattoos, and breakfast sandwiches. Be sure to check out Mathula's art over at Hallelujah Dystopia! 

Bob, Randy, and Soju from the Straight Chilling Podcast join Caitlin to review The Stepford Wives (2004). We dig into gender roles, patriarchy, book vs movie comparisons, and behind-the-scenes trivia. We take an unfortunate look at the "trad wife" and Quiverfull movements, but somehow have a blast talking about even the grimmest topics. Tangents include Tom Cruise, horror movie memorabilia, unpopular food opinions, horror TV, anthology horror, and animals. Stick around until the end to hear the Straight Chilling freestyle remix to the Plug It Up theme song, graciously delivered by Bob from episode 415 of Straight Chilling. Love my Stepford husbands.

Check out Straight Chilling wherever you get your podcasts! And the book I mentioned is Quiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement by Kathryn Joyce, if you're interested in learning more and getting truly scared.

Mary and I had the pleasure of chatting with filmmakers Eric England and Caitlyn Greene, two of the most wonderful people we've met. We talked about Contracted, which Eric wrote and directed, as well as how both he and Caitlyn got into horror. We also talked about some of their upcoming projects, all of which sound fantastic (and right up our alley). We chatted like old friends about gender and sexuality tropes in horror, and we bonded over some of our favorite horror movies. It was a great time, and I can't wait to see what they do next. Huge thanks to Eric, Caitlyn, and Mary! Let's make this a regular thing! 

Zach and Charlie join Caitlin for some bridal horror! We cover Rec 3, the most Spanish movie ever. We talk about Rec 3's humor, gore, and Catholic zombies, and we look at the ways it subverts wedding traditions. Tangents include: Cocaine Bear, Twilight, organ donation, marriage, favorite numbers, vacations, Sarah's wedding, and scariest horrror moments. 

Mary and Christian join Caitlin to count down the best and worst horror remakes. We rank the 15 best and 15 worst, then we do a lightning round of yea-or-nay to remakes that we didn't rank (with a special shoutout to The Fly, which should've made the best-of list). We also discuss confirmed upcoming remakes, and we chat about which horror movies we can see being remade. One running theme: we've got a real affinity for the early 2000s remakes. Thanks to Mary and Christian for joining! I'm glad our friendship survived this battle royale.

Maddie and Mackenzie join Caitlin to cover 2014's Lyle, often touted as a lesbian re-telling of Rosemary's Baby. We look at some classic monstrous motherhood themes, including gaslighting partners, losing a child, and Satanic syndicates poaching your offspring. We also discuss the most iconic (for better or worse) fake website in horror history. We really love Lyle, though, and we have a great time talking about this lesbian re-telling, as well as imagining lesbian re-tellings of other famous horror movies. Tangents include: karaoke, shoes in the house, and cheez whiz.

Colleen and Christian join Caitlin to cover 2022's Don't Worry Darling. We go full roast mode on this one, so be prepared. We look at the film's themes of sex and technology, and we talk about how it really missed the mark when it comes to actual empowerment. We also get into the way the movie was marketed, and finally, we air our all our lingering questions and complaints. We still love Florence Pugh, though! Tangets include: Galentine's Day, eggs, cartoons, fantasy worlds, our 50s personas, and TikTok, and we get a great FMK. Be sure to check out It's Only A Podcast! 

Hot Girl Mary joins Caitlin to cover a slew of 2025 horror movie trailers. We review the trailers for: I Know What You Did Last Summer, The Long Walk, Gator Creek, Him, Weapons, Together, M3GAN 2.0, and The Conjuring: Last Rites. Will you see these? In theaters?

Tangents include: happy meals, squishmallows, pets, Eli, hot girl behavior, The Office, bread, moldy bread, shrimp, so-bad-they're-good movies, what makes a good trailer, and two FMKs.

Mary and Nick join Caitlin to cover 2013's Contracted. It's a body-horror, zombie-movie fav! We get into themes of sex and sexuality, and we (unfortunately) do a deep dive into necrophilia. We also cover Contracted: Phase II. Both are currently available on Tubi, and both contain our favorite horror doctor. Tangents for this episode include: ranch (and general condiment wars), Tilikum the whale, lessons from horror movies for anxious individuals, hot horror villains, real-life eyeball horror, Traumagotchi (TM, don't steal our idea), chapstick, Lasik, and paranormal experiences. 

Mary joins Caitlin at the Player Haters' Ball to count down the most hated characters in horror. We actually cover a few lists: horror characters we happen to hate (complete with runners-up), horror characters we love to hate (slash who we're supposed to hate), horror characters that we think are unfairly hated, and hateable characters from horror TV. We make our cases, debate a bit, and generally have a good time as haters. Send in your hated characters to the plugituppod gmail! 

Maddie and Mary join Caitlin to discuss a new addition to the Plug It Up repertoire of the monstrous feminine: bridal horror. Although weddings are beautiful and fun, they can also be catastrophic, or even deadly. 2019's Ready or Not is a favorite in general, and it perfectly captures wedding chaos and bridal horror. Plus, Samara Weaving's scream is everything. We look at themes of family, wealth, and deals with the devil, and we go on plenty of wedding tangents. *Cues Love Me Tender and lights a cigarette.*

It's a Zach and Charlie episode, so you know the accents are a'flowin. This time it's Aussie accents, mate, since we're covering 2022's Sissy. Sissy is great; it's a mix of The Stylist and Tucker and Dale vs Evil. It's got great gore, and it explores themes of friendship, bullying, and social media. Plus, what's more horrifying than a bachelorette party? We go off the rails pretty quickly. Tangents include: nicknames, Zach's corn "girlfriend," movie times, the Queen, Crocodile Dundee vs Steve Irwin (RIP), VH1, music tastes, and first jobs. That's not a knoife!

Joe Ferry joins Caitlin to discuss 2022's Hellbender, a folk horror favorite that explores witchcraft, shifting power dynamics, and control. It's got beats of both monstrous menstruation and monstrous motherhood, and in general it's a very Plug It Up movie. We do say the word "flesh hole" a few times, so beware. Tangents include: salamanders, ice shapes, track suits, cereal, and miscellaneous witchery. Be sure to check out Joe's podcasts Films at First Sight and No Film Left Behind, and find his writing at Bloody Good Horror and The Wicked Wild. 

Victor, Maddie, Zach, and Colleen join Caitlin to talk about M3GAN, the first big theater release of 2023 horror. We had a great time in the theater together, and we enjoyed talking about movie. We loved the humor and the scares, and we liked the Black-Mirror-esque questions the movie raised about AI. We also get into how and why Megan is a gay icon. Tangents include: Friday the 13th, Kraft macaroni and cheese, theater snacks, and, of course, TikTok.

Jon Schnaars of Bloody Good Horror fame joins Caitlin to cover Resurrection, a 2022 horror movie starring Rebecca Hall. We look at themes of motherhood, trauma, and surrealism, and we get into the creepy Tim Roth of it all. (We say that with respect - what a chilling and fantastic performance.) Tangents include soda, board games, and top sheets. This was recorded in December, hence all the holiday talk. Thanks for joining, Schnaars! 

Matt and Mer join Caitlin to cover another A24 Favorite: The Lighthouse. We look at themes of isolation, madness, sexuality, homoeroticism, and masculinity. We say the word phallus a whole bunch of times. We also say "mermaid vagina" a lot. And don't forget the bodily fluids! It's a great time. Tangents include Last Podcast on the Left, curly hair (I have a type), fun-size candy, and hoarding. Thanks to Matt and Mer for joining and being good sports. I know yer fond of me lobster! 

Mary joins Caitlin to cover Luca Guadagnino's reimagining of the Italian horror classic Suspiria. Like the original, the remake is hypnotic and surreal, and it features dancing and witchcraft. The 2018 version digs into motherhood themes, and it explores the dark feminine. AND, it stars Tilda Swinton, Tilda Swinton, and Tilda Swinton. Despite our qualms about the triple-casting, we really do love this one. Thanks for joining, Mary!

Pickens joins Caitlin to cover Dario Argento's Suspiria. We talk about Italian horror overall, Suspiria's bright colors (and its bright blood), the iconic score by Goblin, and lots of trivia. Tangents for this episode include: Return to Oz, chickens, Diablo Cody, Rugrats, and Sheetz. Be sure to check out Pickens' instagram to see photos from his very cool meet-and-greet with Felissa Rose! 

Nichole of the Light and Shadow Podcast joins Caitlin to cover 2020's Relic, an underseen gem that deserves attention. We talk about monstrous motherhood, fears of aging, decline, deterioration, and the trauma that we can all inherit. Find it on Shudder.

Tangents include: tarot cards, FMK: coloring utensils, favorite forms of potato, M3GAN 2.0, 2025 horror, podcasting, feel-bad movies, and FMK: peanut butter. 

Zach, Maddie, Colleen, Mary, and Charlie join Caitlin to look back at the year in horror. We share our top 5 (and bottom 3) movies of the year, and we look at the rankings from other Plug It Up guests. Thanks so much to all the guests who submitted lists! We also talk about horror TV from this year, and we look back at our favorite Plug It Up episodes and moments. We talk about the horror movies we're looking forward to in 2023, and we make plans on what movies (new and old) to cover on the show next year. Tangents include: holiday food, rom-coms, life advice, and our roles in a theoretical slasher movie. Thanks so much to Charlie, Mary, Maddie, Colleen, and Zach for joining, and thank you all for the support throughout the year. Happy new year, everyone!

Mary and Victor join Caitlin to talk about 2003's Dead End - a Christmas horror movie that features a monstrous femme figure and some monstrous motherhood. Overall opinions varied, but we all appreciated the very 2003 vibe. Since this is a Christmas movie, we discussed all things Christmas: Christmas movies, Christmas traditions, Christmas presents, Christmas meals, and good ol' white elephant gift exchanges. Thank you all for submitting the fun questions, and thanks to Mary and Victor for joining! Happy holidays! 

Victor joins Caitlin to talk about 2019's Saint Maud, a psychological slow-burn from director Rose Glass. It's got one of the most memorable final seconds of a movie ever. We talk themes of religion, penance, ecstasy, and delusion, and we look at some symbolism, too. We also talk about self-immolation, because how can you not? Tangents include board games, our creative writing projects, a rousing FMK of The Chipmunks, an existential FMK, and upcoming horror for 2023.

Mary and Nick join Caitlin to talk about Stephen King's Misery. Annie Wilkes is an icon of the monstrous feminine, and Kathy Bates won the Academy Award for portraying her. We get into themes of isolation, obsession, and addiction, and we talk at length about hobbling. Mary and Nick cracked me up this episode. We talk about our favorite Stephen King adaptations, our food court orders, how we like our hash browns, our ideal sleeping conditions, and our relationship dealbreakers. Standard horror podcast chat. Thanks for submitting questions!

Colleen joins Caitlin for what might be the most Plug It Up movie that ever plugged it up: 2022's You Won't Be Alone. It's a slow burn folk horror movie that has a Plug It Up trifecta: a monstrous femme figure, monstrous menstruation (well, some coming-of-age, at least), and monstrous motherhood. It explores gender in really interesting ways, and it's a real accomplishment of a movie in terms of script, direction, scope, and acting. Tangents for this episode include: tattoos, dogs, roadtrip playlists, and fruit. Cantaloupe stan until I DIE. 

The gentlemangs from Straight Chilling Podcast join Caitlin to cover 1987's Blood Rage - a Thanksgiving horror movie for the ages. It's got some monstrous motherhood beats, and it gives us a great evil twin story. It also takes place in Jacksonville, FL, home of Straight Chilling! Tangents include chain restaurants, celebrity nemeses, and getting "the ick." Be sure to check out Straight Chilling wherever you get your podcasts. Happy Thanksgiving!

Long time friend Dani joins Caitlin to cover 2014's A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night. It's a feminist favorite, and it uses vampirism to explore addiction and subversion. It also has a killer soundtrack. Who wouldn't love a black-and-white movie about a chador-wearing, skateboarding vampire who stalks bad guys and plays good music? We also talk about what's going on Iran currently, and we have a lot of fun with the fan-submitted questions. Thanks, as always, for sending those in! 

Back with another solo episode! On this one I go over some of my recent horror watches, including Bodies Bodies Bodies, My Best Friend's Exorcism, Halloween Ends, and American Horror Story: New York City. I also talk about which horror movies I still need to see to round out 2022, some of which look great, and some of which give me pause. I also talk at length about the Dahmer series on Netflix and true crime as a genre in general. That's actually, like, half the episode - whoops! Keep an eye on the feed for more 2022 releases, coverage of classics, and a few holiday movies that fit Plug It Up's themes. The year's not over yet! 

Matt and Maddie join Caitlin to cover 2022's Piggy. Based on a short by the same name, Piggy tells the story of a brutally bullied girl faced with the decision of whether or not to save her tormenters. We look at themes of size, bullying, and compulsion, and we give our best Castilian pronunciations. THERDITA! Tangents include pork dishes, books, discount stores, and muppets. I'd also like to give a special thanks to Magnolia Pictures for the screener.

Joe from Small Town Failing Podcast joins Caitlin to cover Hocus Pocus 2, a sequel that had a lot to live up to. We go over our favorite scenes and jokes, and we cherish the themes of friendship and sisterhood. Then we sauce it up with some FMKs and Satanic Panic 2.0 talk. We also share our go-to karaoke songs, and Joe takes a walk down memory lane reminiscing about Melanie Griffith's interactive website from the 90s. All the expected avenues, ya know! 

Randy from the Straight Chilling Podcast joins Caitlin to cover the newest installment in Netflix's Fear Street saga: Prom Queen! In many ways, Fear Street: Prom Queen is a very Plug It Up movie, as it features coming of age horror AND monstrous motherhood. We enjoyed being taken to a gory 80s prom - tropes and all.

Tangents include: horror news, prom (of course), VH1's I Love the [Decade]s show, nicknames, camp, superlatives, and yearbooks.

Maddie joins Caitlin to cover Watcher, the newest release from director Chloe Okuno. We talk about stalker movie trops, such as gaslighting and isolation, and I open my heart to Maika Monroe. Tangents include: pumpkin carving, TikTok (always), and scary movie theater experiences. This one is sitting on my top 10 list for 2022 horror - well done, Watcher! 

Mary joins Caitlin to cover 2022's Orphan: First Kill, the much anticipated prequel to 2009's Orphan. We talk about Esther/Leena as a monstrous femme figure, and we look at the multiple angles of monstrous motherhood we get in this movie. Definitely give it a watch, and go in blind if you can. Our tangents this episode include: JonBenet Ramsey, franchise horror, Christmas, gifs, water, and our unwillingness to fight back against a horror foe. Thanks, as always, for the great questions!

It's a special! Special guest Alfonso joins Caitlin to discuss Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers (The Producer's Cut), and to talk about the Cult of Thorn backstory that enriches not just the 6th chapter of Halloween, but all chapters of Halloween. Alfonso walks me through the lore he's developed about the Druid curse featured in the producer's cut of Halloween 6 - its origins, its effects, and the way it perfectly weaves through the Halloween franchise. It's fascinating, and it makes perfect sense. You may notice that we were recording during a hurricane, so forgive my anxieties of the power cutting off our conversation. I'm glad the power stayed on and our conversation about the lore wasn't lost! Must've been the Druid curse protecting us...