Winchester (2018)

Winchester, alternatively known as Winchester: The House That Ghosts Built, is a 2018 horror film that had been in some form of development since 2009. It's an anachronistic take on the infamous Winchester Mystery House, a building erected by the wealthy rifle heiress Sarah Winchester. This woman was convinced that she was being haunted by the vindictive ghosts of those killed by the Winchester repeating rifle, so the house was under perpetual renovation during her lifetime and it bears many architectural curiosities that were supposed to trap, confuse, and misdirect vengeful spirits. Cheryl picked this film because it reminded her of many early-2000's horror movies that she has nostalgic fondness for (she's also a bit of a nerd for haunted house lore, which is covered during the thematic portion of the episode). Ryan considers Winchester to be a pretty mediocre film and focuses more on how the history surrounding the Winchester Mystery House influenced the production of the movie. There is, however, some talk about the delightfully hammy performance from a totally slumming Helen Mirren and how she very much didn't deserve her Razzie nod. The discussion points for this episode include the film's shallow subtext surrounding gun control, the movie's commentary upon the spiritualism fad that swept Western Europe and America during the late-19th/early-20th centuries, and how haunted houses are interpreted in various cultures and time periods.