Want unsolicited explicit opinions on your favourite horror movies and franchises?
Join Justin, Coop and Byron as we take you through each horror movie franchise, sub-genre, time capsule and more as we examine each film, trivia and give our harsh truths and loud praises to the most underrated and underappreciated genre in the filmmaking world. Horror!
Site
RSS
Apple
Recent rankings
Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.
Shared links between episodes and podcasts
Links found in episode descriptions and other podcasts that share them.
#92 - Talking Terrifier and Projects with Samantha Scaffidi
Season 3 · Episode 12
Wednesday, December 25, 2024 • Duration 51:15
Today we have an extra special guest joining us.
You'll know her from the blood-soaked Terrifier franchise in which she plays Victoria Heyes, the infamous final girl turned villain and today Samantha Scaffidi joins us to discuss her career as a scream queen, actor, director and activist. Please welcome Samantha!
Chapters
00:00 Introducing special guest Samantha Scaffidi
00:35 Samantha’s current project 'Open Your Eyes' and the inspiration behind her short film
01:31 How did Samantha get her start in acting and filmmaking?
04:57 How did Samantha originally become involved in the Terrifier franchise which is now a huge beast at the box office!
07:02 How does Samantha feel about the impact that the Terrifier movies have made on the horror genre?
08:38 Samantha’s new book "I Didn't Know How To Tell You" and the process behind it
12:54 Samantha’s views on the horror genre
15:55 The Substance and Samantha’s thoughts on Coralie Fargeat
17:05 Samantha’s work with the nonprofit organization RAINN
26:06 Samantha’s upcoming Spanish film Ocaso and other projects?
28:49 Could Terrifier work in a TV Adaptation and would Samantha star in one?
30:31 Are the Terrifier movies misunderstood as misogynistic?
34:17 Do you have a favourite horror film?
39:39 Final Destination 3 and tanning beds
41:15 Samantha’s advice for exploring acting and directing
46:20 Recognition at fan conventions and imposter syndrome
47:07 Samantha’s hopes for future of the horror genre
49:25 Terrifier sending a signal to major studios for original creativity
#91 - How to Make a Short Horror Film ft. Kayley Atkinson of Profound Visions
Season 3 · Episode 11
Tuesday, December 17, 2024 • Duration 01:44:49
Joining us today is special guest Kayley Atkinson, writer, director, producer and assistant director based in Brisbane Australia.
Kayley is in post-production for her new short film 'Sentient', which focuses on the perils of social media and what happens to a group of friends whop decide to forgo their smart phones during a getaway trip, but nothing is as it seems!
Kayley joins the podcast to discuss Sentient, how it came to be, the incredible cast and crew, how Kayley fell into the filmmaking world and we muse on The Substance, Smile 2, horror franchises and more.
00:50 Tell us about your career in the Film, TV and Radio industry?
02:22 Video Hits, RAGE, Channel V inspiring a career as a music video director
04:42 Trusting your gut instinct, networking
05:40 Sentient the short film
07:42 Dangers of misinformation, the internet, AI and social media
#82 - Bloody Famous ft. Wayne River Sorrell
Season 3 · Episode 2
Wednesday, April 10, 2024 • Duration 41:24
We have a special guest! Wayne River Sorrell joins us to discuss his roles in the just released Bloody Famous, the impact of the SAG-AFTRA strike and his favourite horror movies!
Bloody Famous is a new horror tv show in which each season, a bachelor or bachelorette leads a dangerous dating show where love is a high-stakes game – elimination equals death.
Bloody Famous stars David Lami Friebe, Emmanuel Jalbert, Derek Ocampo, Tamara Alsaied, Gavyn Michaels and Wayne River Sorrell.
Join BP, Coop and Justin as review Oculus, the 2013 American supernatural psychological horror film co-written, edited, and directed by Mike Flanagan.
It is based on his short film Oculus: Chapter 3 – The Man with the Plan, and stars Karen Gillan and Brenton Thwaites as two young adult siblings who are convinced that an antique mirror is responsible for the death and misfortune that their family had suffered.
The film had its world premiere on September 5, 2013, at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and received a wide theatrical release on April 11, 2014. It received generally positive reviews from critics, and was a box office success.
Chapters
00:00 Mirror Mirror
00:11 Title Sequence
00:29 Introducing Oculus
01:10 Overall Thoughts
04:20 Favourite Parts
08:03 What We Disliked
10:17 Trivia
14:19 Ratings
16:08 Thank You
16:33 Mirrors
Follow the Complete Guide to Horror Movies podcast on our social channels below.
#80 - An American Werewolf in London (1981) - Retrospective and Review
Season 2 · Episode 30
Sunday, November 26, 2023 • Duration 22:00
Join BP, Coop and Justin as we review An American Werewolf in London, the 1981 comedy horror werewolf film written and directed by John Landis.
An international co-production of the United Kingdom and the United States, the film stars David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, Griffin Dunne and John Woodvine.
The title is a cross between An American in Paris and Werewolf of London. The film's plot follows two American backpackers, David and Jack, who are attacked by a werewolf while travelling in England, causing David to become a werewolf under the next full moon.
Chapters
00:00 David!
00:11 Title Sequence
00:29 Introducing An American Werewolf in London
00:55 Overall Thoughts
04:24 Favourite Parts
09:40 What We Disliked
13:42 Trivia
16:29 Ratings
17:49 Final Thoughts
21:09 Thank You
21:42 She Wolf
Follow the Complete Guide to Horror Movies podcast on our social channels below.
#79 - One Hour Photo (2002) - Retrospective and Review
Season 2 · Episode 29
Saturday, November 11, 2023 • Duration 30:00
Join BP, Coop and Justin as we review One Hour Photo, the 2002 American psychological thriller film written and directed by Mark Romanek and starring Robin Williams, Connie Nielsen, Michael Vartan, Gary Cole, and Eriq La Salle.
The film stars Williams as a photo technician who develops an unhealthy obsession with a family to whom he has long provided services.
The film premiered at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival, was given a limited release on August 21, 2002, and was given a wider release on September 13. One Hour Photo received positive reviews from film critics, including praise for Williams's against-type performance, which earned him the Saturn Award for Best Actor.
The film was also a commercial success, grossing $52.2 million against a $12 million budget.
Chapters
00:00 Robin Williams
00:06 Title Sequence
00:24 Introducing One Hour Photo
00:45 Overall Thoughts
06:45 Favourite Parts
13:13 What We Disliked
20:49 Trivia
24:22 Ratings
25:00 Final Thoughts
29:00 Thank You
29:01 Obsessed
Follow the Complete Guide to Horror Movies podcast on our social channels below.
#78 - Talk to Me (2023) - Retrospective and Review
Season 2 · Episode 28
Monday, October 30, 2023 • Duration 35:00
Join BP, Coop, Pablo and Justin as we review Talk To Me, the Australian supernatural horror film directed by Danny and Michael Philippou and written by Danny Philippou and Bill Hinzman, based on a concept by Daley Pearson.
It stars Sophie Wilde, Alexandra Jensen, Joe Bird, Otis Dhanji, Miranda Otto, Zoe Terakes, Chris Alosio, Marcus Johnson, and Alexandria Steffensen. The film follows a group of teenagers who discover they are able to contact spirits using a mysterious embalmed hand, only for things to go too far.
Chapters
00:00 Queen Miranda Otto
00:16 Title Sequence
00:33 Introducing Talk to Me
00:52 Overall Thoughts
05:18 Favourite Parts
16:38 What We Disliked
23:25 Trivia
29:52 Ratings
33:29 Thank You
34:34 Talk Like That
Follow the Complete Guide to Horror Movies podcast on our social channels below.
Join BP, Coop and Justin as we review Scary Movie 5 (stylized on-screen as Scary MoVie) the 2013 American parody film and standalone sequel to Scary Movie 4 and the fifth and most recent instalment in the Scary Movie film series.
The film is the only instalment of the franchise not to feature Cindy Campbell (played by Anna Faris) or Brenda Meeks (Regina Hall).
The film parodies various horror films and other popular culture. The film received negative reviews from critics. With a gross of $78 million, it is the lowest grossing film in the Scary Movie series.
Follow the Complete Guide to Horror Movies podcast on our social channels below.
Join BP, Coop and Justin as we analyse Scary Movie 4, a 2006 American science fiction parody film.
It is the sequel to Scary Movie 3 and the fourth installment in the Scary Movie film series, as well as the first film in the franchise to be released under The Weinstein Company banner since the purchase of Dimension Films from Disney.
It was directed by David Zucker, written by Jim Abrahams, Craig Mazin, and Pat Proft, and produced by Robert K. Weiss and Craig Mazin.
The film marks the final franchise appearances of the main stars, Anna Faris and Regina Hall (who portray Cindy and Brenda, respectively), and concludes the original story arc.
This was initially intended to be the final film in the Scary Movie film series, until Scary Movie 5 was released by The Weinstein Company on April 12, 2013, in a different storyline, with Simon Rex, Charlie Sheen, and Molly Shannon in different roles.
It grossed $178 million dollars, becoming the third highest grossing film in the series.
Follow the Complete Guide to Horror Movies podcast on our social channels below.
Join BP, Coop and Justin as we take a look back at Scary Movie 3, the 2003 American parody film which parodies the horror, sci-fi, and mystery genres. It is the sequel to Scary Movie 2 and is the third film in the Scary Movie film series, and the first to be directed by David Zucker.
The film stars Anna Faris and Regina Hall reprising their roles as Cindy Campbell and Brenda Meeks, respectively.
New cast members include Charlie Sheen, Simon Rex, Anthony Anderson, Kevin Hart, and Leslie Nielsen.
It is the first film in the series to feature no involvement from the Wayans family.
The characters of Shorty Meeks and Ray Wilkins, previously played by Shawn and Marlon Wayans, do not appear, nor are they referenced.The film's plot significantly parodies the films The Ring, Signs, The Matrix Reloaded and 8 Mile.
The film grossed $220.7 million worldwide, becoming the second highest-grossing film in the series.
A sequel, Scary Movie 4, was released in 2006.
Follow the Complete Guide to Horror Movies podcast on our social channels below.
Oculus is based on director, co-writer, and editor Mike Flanagan's earlier 2005 short horror film, Oculus: Chapter 3 – The Man with the Plan.
The short contained only one setting, a single actor, and a mirror. The short became highly acclaimed, and interest quickly arose regarding the adaptation of the short into a feature. Initially, studios were interested in found footage format; however, Flanagan was opposed to this and passed on such offers.
Eventually, Intrepid Pictures expressed interest in producing the film "as long as you don't do it found footage".
Expanding the premise to a feature-length screenplay proved challenging, as Flanagan felt like he had "pushed the limit" of what could be done with the premise in the short. The solution Flanagan came across was to combine two storylines, past and present, intercut with one another.
The idea was to "create a sense of distortion and disorientation that would be similar for the viewer as it was for Tim and Kaylie in the room." In early drafts, it was difficult to distinguish between the two timelines, until the team hit upon the idea of writing all of the scenes from the past in italics.
Inspired by the stories of H. P. Lovecraft, Flanagan chose to not explain the mirror's origins, explaining that he liked how Lovecraftian literature often seemed to be an "alien force that if you even were to try to comprehend it completely it would drive you mad." He expanded: "Evil in the world doesn't have an answer."
Landis wrote the first draft of the screenplay for the film in 1969 and shelved it for over a decade. Prospective financiers believed that Landis' script was too frightening to be a comedy film and too humorous to be a horror film.
After achieving success in Hollywood with the comedies The Kentucky Fried Movie, National Lampoon's Animal House and The Blues Brothers, Landis was able to secure financing from PolyGram Pictures to produce An American Werewolf in London.
An American Werewolf in London was released in the US by Universal Pictures on August 21, 1981. It was a critical and commercial success, winning the 1981 Saturn Award for Best Horror Film and the first ever Academy Award for Best Makeup. Since its release, it has become a cult classic.
A sequel, An American Werewolf in Paris, was released by Hollywood Pictures in 1997 and received mostly negative reviews upon its release.
Filming took place between February and March 1981 because director John Landis wanted the film to take place during poor weather.
The moors were filmed around the Black Mountains in Wales, and East Proctor is in reality the tiny village of Crickadarn, about six miles (9.7 km) southeast of Builth Wells off the A470. The Angel of Death statue was a prop added for the film, but the red phone box is real, though the Welsh road signs were covered by a fake tree.
The pub shown in the film known as the Slaughtered Lamb was actually a cottage located in Crickadarn, and the interior scenes were filmed in the Black Swan, Old Lane, Martyrs Green in Surrey.
An American Werewolf in London was the first film allowed to shoot in Piccadilly Circus in 15 years. Landis accomplished this by inviting 300 members of London's Metropolitan Police Service to a screening of his new film The Blues Brothers.
The police were so impressed by his work that they granted the production a two-night filming permit between the hours of 1 and 4am. Traffic was stopped only three times for two-minute increments to film the automobile stunts involving the double-decker bus.
Other filming locations included Putney General Hospital, Chiswick Maternity Hospital, Redcliffe Square in Earl's Court, the area around Tower Bridge, Tottenham Court Road Underground station, London Zoo, Putney High Street, Belgravia, Hampstead and Southwark.
Filming also took place at Twickenham Film Studios in Richmond Upon Thames.
Trent Reznor, of the band Nine Inch Nails, was originally asked to compose the film's score. However, early in the process, Romanek was allegedly pressured by the studio to hire a "real composer" and Reznor was dropped from the production. Some of the music Reznor created for the film evolved into material found on the Nine Inch Nails EP Still.
In accordance with the photography-themed movie, the names of several characters are drawn from actual photographers: Sy's assistant at the Savmart, Yoshi Araki (named for Nobuyoshi Araki), manager Bill Owens (Bill Owens); Det. Van Der Zee (James Van Der Zee); Det. Outerbridge (Paul Outerbridge); Maya Burson (Nancy Burson); and Savmart customers Mrs. von Unwerth (Ellen von Unwerth) and Mr. Siskind (Aaron Siskind).
In one of the voice-over pieces Sy can be heard to say, "They actually believe that any idiot that attends a two-day seminar can master the art of making beautiful prints in less than an hour. But of course, like most things, there's far more to it than meets the eye." Williams prepared for the role by training for two and-a-half days in a Southern California photo development lab.
In an interview, Romanek said that he was inspired to create this movie by films from the 1970s about "lonely men", notably Taxi Driver (1976).
In the DVD commentary, Romanek says that Jack Nicholson was first approached to play the lead character. Nicholson turned down the role reportedly because he thought the character was too similar to the role he played in The Shining (1980).
Talk to Me premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival on 30 October 2022, and was released in Australia on 27 July 2023 by Maslow Entertainment.
The film received positive reviews from critics, who praised its story, direction, horror sequences, practical effects, sound design and performances, with Sophie Wilde and Joe Bird receiving particular praise.
It was a box office success, grossing $90 million worldwide against a $4.5 million budget, becoming A24's second highest-grossing film.
The main films parodied in Scary Movie 5 include Paranormal Activity, Black Swan, Mama[ and Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Other films parodied are Sinister, Inception, Ted (only in the unrated DVD), Evil Dead (which was released a week prior to the film), The Cabin in the Woods, Insidious and The Help.
The film also parodies the best-selling novel Fifty Shades of Grey and Tyler Perry's character Madea.
In its opening weekend, the film grossed a total of $40.2 million, the third best opening weekend of the Scary Movie franchise.
It has the best Easter weekend opening weekend ever, beating Panic Room which made $30.1 million in its opening and also the second best April opening, only $2 million behind Anger Management's record.
As of October 18, 2006, the film has grossed a total of $90,710,620 at the United States box office and $178,262,620 worldwide.
Critical response
Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes reports that 34% of 126 critics gave the film a positive review, with an average rating of 4.60/10.
The site's consensus states, "Sure to inspire a few chuckles, but not enough to compensate for the recycled material from its predecessors."
On Metacritic, film has an average of 40 out of 100, based on 23 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "C+" on a scale of A+ to F.
Stephen Hunter of The Washington Post stated that while "Scary Movie 4 never takes you close to death by laughter... it's funny enough to turn the hands on your watch much more quickly than you can believe."
Nathan Lee of The New York Times' described the film as being "organized on the principle of parody, not plot... it's an exercise in lowbrow postmodernism, a movie-movie contraption more nuts than Charlie Kaufman's gnarliest fever dream. It's cleverly stupid."
Accolades
The film won a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress (Carmen Electra, also in Date Movie).
On November 22, 2002, Dimension Films announced a third Scary Movie without the Wayans brothers returning.
The movie was given the title Scary Movie 3: Episode I — Lord of the Brooms, and the movie was supposed to spoof the Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter franchises.
Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer were the writers of the movie.
David Zucker was going to shoot that script but eventually decided to not use it.
Filming started on March 12, 2003 and wrapped on July 16, 2003.
The movie was shot in British Columbia and in Washington, D.C.
Discover shows related to The Complete Guide to Horror Movies, based on actual content similarities. Explore podcasts with similar topics, themes, and formats, backed by real data.
