Brightburn is a twisted version of the superhero origin story we’ve grown accustomed to over the years. It’s been advertised as a horror movie first and a superhero movie second. But is it scary? Does it even work as a horror movie or as a superhero story? Find out my thoughts as I discuss Brightburn in episode 23 of The Last Theater.
Netflix’s new interpretation of Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House is chilling, heart-wrenching, dramatic, and at times rather scary. Listen to episode 22 of The Last Theater podcast for my take on what worked well, what fell a little flat, and how this new interpretation stacks up to the source material and some of its other adaptations.
We have reached the end, the end of it all. Join chris and Joey as they discuss the final film in John Carpenter’s Apocalypse Trilogy, In the Mouth of Madness! With such great movies to live up to, can In the Mouth of Madness live up to the standard set by The Thing and Prince of Darkness, or does the world finally end with a whimper? Listen as we share our thoughts in episode 21 of the Last Theater podcast!
Join chris and Joey as they discuss the second part of John Carpenter’s “Apocalypse Trilogy,” Prince of Darkness! With its focus on blurring the lines between science and religion, Prince of Darkness is a movie that touches on some deep philosophical ideas while still giving viewers plenty of murder and scares. But do those scares (and the special effects) hold up over thirty years later? Listen and find out!
Deriving its terror from over-the-top body horror as well as unnerving psychological uncertainty, The Thing is an absolute classic. It is a movie that works on multiple levels and contains themes that run deeper than casual viewers might realize. Join chris and Joey in episode 19 of the Last Theater on the Left Podcast as they begin their journey into John Carpenter’s Apocalypse Trilogy with a look at 1982’s The Thing!
With its stellar cast and clever direction by Bob Clark, the man who is also responsible for Porky’s and A Christmas Story, 1974’s Black Christmas is a holiday tradition at The Last Theater on the Left. Listen to episode 18 of the podcast as chris and Joey discuss why the film is so effective, how it served as a sort of midway point between the Italian giallo films and the American slashers that were to come, and how the movie’s chilling ending might have more to it than we see.
The Crow is one of those rare films where everything seems to come together to create something that transcends the genre it exists within. Listen to episode 17 of The Last Theater on the Left podcast as chris and Joey break down the film from its comic book origins all the way up to what it means to watch the movie all these years later.
Join chris and Joey as they rank every movie in the series from worst to best and discuss how the films fare in the eyes of critics, fans, and the box office. Beyond the lists and ranking, chris and Joey dig deeper into some of the movies and discuss stuff that hit the cutting room floor, some good, some really, really bad. They also dig into some of the themes within the series and reveal whether the “Jason as a defender of morality” theme is actually present in what happens on-screen.
Theme music: “Rising Game” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
After years of meandering away from the formula established in the early films in the Friday the 13th franchise (before going off the rails completely), Jason Voorhees joined so many other classic characters in getting a remake. This film is definitely a modernized reimagining of the series and characters, but is it any good? Does it feel like a Friday the 13th movie or is it just a part of the Voorhees legacy in name only? Listen to night twelve of The Last Theater on the Left’s marathon of 13 daily podcasts to hear chris and Joey discuss what worked and what didn’t (without being influenced by any of the automatic stigma that many people seemingly attach to any remake).
Theme music: “Rising Game” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
It’s a battle that horror fans had been dreaming and talking about for years by the time it was released, but does Freddy vs Jason hold up today as a good or fun movie? And is it more of a Nightmare on Elm Street film than Friday the 13th? Listen and find out!
Theme music: “Rising Game” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0