A Cure for the Common Craig

Send us Fan MailIt's our 7th anniversary episode, and we're bringing you a Sci-Fi Actionversary Summer Spectacular, in the form of a Dystopian Double-Feature! Two movies featuring characters who are willing to stand up and challenge authority at great personal risk! Join the resistance! View the following educational films, They Live (1988) and Turkey Shoot (1982)!

Send us Fan MailIf I happen to vacation in Mexico, I wouldn't want to just spend the entire time at the pool or the beach, either. Where's the excitement in that? But while the idea of checking out some unexplored ruins may sound great at first, that may be a little too adventurous for me. Especially after seeing this movie. The world is full of wild and wonderful things, like The Ruins (2008).

Send us Fan Mail"Cannibal spiders creep and crawl! Boys and ghouls having a ball! Frankenstein, Dracula and even the Mummy, are sure to end up in somebody's tummy!" If those theme song lyrics don't convince you to watch this movie, I don't know what else you could possibly want. Behold! Spider Baby or, The Maddest Story Ever Told (1967)!

Send us Fan MailChild trauma, family conflict, tragedy, mental health concerns, supernatural happenings. If this sounds like the kind of movie that you want to subject yourself to, then stay very focused and alert for visual and audible clues, and maybe you can piece together A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)!

Send us Fan MailWhen technology works and does what you want it do to, that's great. But then sometimes it seems to have a mind of its own, and it's just not in the mood. And it sure seems like a lot of people keep wanting to give technology MORE control. Ah, the horrors of technology and AI. Good luck stopping it. But just be careful in deciding what to Upgrade (2018)!

Send us Fan MailWhat better way to celebrate the 250th birthday of the U.S., than by discussing a movie from the former Czechoslovakia? I do like to be difficult. But it's time for letter V in our little game, which means that we can pay Valerie a visit. Perhaps a somewhat polarizing film these days, we'll share our thoughts, and you can decide for yourself if you would like to spend time with Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970)!

Send us Fan MailIf you look closely, you might see it. Evil. Is that evil over there in the corner? What about under the bed? Is that evil in the swimming pool? I don't know! What I do know is that in rural Argentina, you might find evil, and then you might not be able to get rid of it, avoid it, or stop it! Because no one is safe When Evil Lurks (2023)!

Send us Fan MailYou should be grateful for MyChart these days. It probably saves you from situations like this. Barbi Benton goes to the hospital to pick up some test results, and ends up being harassed for pretty much an entire day! Just give her the damn results! In the meantime, of course, some mad killer is murdering people all around her. Stay away from that ninth floor, for sure! The Cannon Group, Golan & Globus bring to you, a hospital massacre! Cannon Films presents X-Ray (1981)!

Send us Fan MailA giallo in May? As far as I'm concerned, any day is a good day for a giallo. And when the title of your giallo is twelve words, I know that you're taking the subgenre seriously. Edwige Fenech joins Luigi Pistilli and Anita Strindberg for a sexed up death romp in Sergio Martino's Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key (1972)!

Send us Fan MailZ-A of Horror Series? What kind of nonsense is this? Well, we have to try something to crawl out of this void that we've fallen into. Plus, it gives us a chance to discuss David Fincher's Zodiac (2007), starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Edwards, Robert Downey Jr., Chloe Sevigny, Brian Cox, and approximately 187 other actors who you will immediately recognize.

Send us Fan MailThe bats are ready to emerge from their winter hibernation in the United States, and we are back with an Adorable Animals All-Out Attack celebration! We are blessed by the presence of Lou Diamond Phillips in Bats (1999), Columbia Pictures was hoping that Nightwing (1979) would be their next summer blockbuster, and then from there, Bela Lugosi is so done with imbecilic, bombastic ignoramuses in The Devil Bat (1940)!

Send us Fan MailOkay, this movie is from 1977, just putting that out there. Being from the '70s, and with how this movie starts, communist soldiers in Romania discovering a Dracula family tomb, and accidentally unleashing Dracula's dog, this movie is clearly not to be missed. Get your tail wagging with excitement for Zoltan...Hound of Dracula (1977)!

Send us Fan MailIt's a dark and stormy night in Australia. If you were a young woman, caught in a storm at the beach at 2 am, would you run to the nearest trailer park, randomly pound on the door of a mobile home, and then enter, when a lone older man opens the door? If so, maybe you should listen to our discussion of You'll Never Find Me (2023), because you might change your mind.

Send us Fan MailIt's that time of year, and the curse is still with us. The Winter of Folk Horror is back! A mother is compelled to educate her daughter when she discovers that use of witchcraft runs in the family in Hellbender (2021). A girl with an interest in the occult performs a spell to summon a spirit to kill her own mother in Pyewacket (2017). And then from there, a young woman reluctantly visits her grandparents and discovers a dark secret in Best Wishes to All (2023).

Send us Fan MailI know what you're thinking, 1963, a man with X-ray eyes? This has to be completely ridiculous. And sure, there are a few cute scenes. But at its heart is a thought-provoking screenplay, a solid performance from Ray Milland, and a surprisingly effective dramatic turn for Don Rickles as a shady carnival barker. Do not envy X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963)!

Send us Fan MailWe again celebrate Giallo January, with a pair of gialli from 1972. A very restrained Lucio Fulci directorial effort brings us a series of child murders in a small Italian town, where superstition leads to distrust in Don't Torture a Duckling (1972). Our second featured giallo might have you asking, "Who the hell is Solange?" You will find out, eventually, if you can stomach seeing the graphic aftermath of a series of murders involving students from a girls' school in What Have You Done to Solange? (1972).

Send us Fan MailSeventeen children run out of their homes at 2:17 am, leaving just one remaining child to show up in the school classroom later that morning. Where have the children gone? No one knows. Or do they? Could their teacher be responsible? And who the hell is this Gladys character that shows up? It's one of the best horrors of last year, Weapons (2025).

Send us Fan MailThe tradition of holiday horror continues, with perhaps some lesser-known titles. A group of children discover someone in a Santa suit has fallen into a pit in the forest in Cuento de Navidad (2005). More children, during a family get together, seem to fall ill, resulting in homicidal tendencies in The Children (2008). And finally, isn't it time for Christmas trees to exact vengeance for all of their tree family members who have been chopped down over the years? It's time for Treevenge (2008)!

Send us Fan MailIt's midday in the small English village of Midwich. Whether you're talking on the phone at home, driving a bus, riding a bicycle, you suddenly pass out, without warning. Even dogs and cows are down and out! And when everyone awakens, it is eventually discovered that something very peculiar has happened to the women of Midwich. Has it become a Village of the Damned (1960)???

Send us Fan MailSpirals, spirals everywhere, so let's all have a drink! You really could have a wild "spiral spotting" drinking party while watching this movie, if you're into that sort of thing. Of course, we're not condoning that behavior. That's your own decision! Leave us out of it! And get that Millipede out of your ear! It's the madness of the Uzumaki (2000)! Plus, stay tuned for bonus Perfect Blue (1997) discussion!

Send us Fan MailTwo cult horror films with identical titles (kind of), going head-to-head! Classic 1980s heavy metal horror, with appearances by Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne, versus a 2007 horror anthology that became beloved against all odds! Which movie takes the Trick or/'r Treat crown???Happy Halloween! It's Trick or Treat (1986) vs. Trick 'r Treat (2007)!

Send us Fan MailAs an adult, your common sense usually does more to protect you than it did when you were a teenager. But holding a mystical hand, seeing a spirit, and then inviting it into yourself? Hey, I get that there's peer pressure and all, but I really hope that I had seen enough horror movies as a teen to know that would be a terrible idea. And as an adult, there's no way in hell that I'm doing that. But these are teenagers, and they just do things a little differently in Australia, anyway. You'll see what I mean, if you just Talk To Me (2023).

Send us Fan MailIt's time for the 6th anniversary episode of the podcast! And don't you think that it's about damn time that we watch a Reba McEntire movie? What's that? Oh, sure. Kevin Bacon is in this, and Fred Ward, too. Yeah, the dad from Family Ties, he's here, and the girl with the shaky Jell-O from Jurassic Park. But we're obviously here for the Queen of Country, Reba! And giant underground worm monsters.Do you feel that??? It's TREMORVERSARY time, with Tremors (1990)!

Send us Fan MailWhen you're young, you dream about being older so that you can do certain things. When you're old, you dream about being young, and doing the things that you used to do. But at some point, don't you just reach an age where you're too tired to think about being young again? With The Substance (2024), there are two bodies, sure, but you're still one. And can your really trust that younger, better version of yourself?

Send us Fan MailYou've just married into this obscenely wealthy family, who made their fortune creating and developing games. What you did not expect is that, due to family tradition, at midnight on your wedding night, you are required to play a game. Will that game be chess? Perhaps Old Maid? Or will you actually be fighting for your life? Ready or Not (2019), here we come!

Send us Fan MailNames can be a challenge sometimes. You're assigned this name, and maybe it's difficult to pronounce, but it's not even your fault! But with Quetzalcoatl, it probably doesn't matter. It's just going to eat your head and move on. It's fine if you just call it Q (1982)!

Send us Fan MailThe English language is causing an issue in a small Canadian town. And I know what you're thinking, but no, it's not because they only speak French. There actually seems to be a vocabularial virus of some kind, and it's spreading. Can our heroes, a small group of people broadcasting out of a talk radio station, discover a solution before it's too late? If not, I would advise against visiting Pontypool (2008)!

Send us Fan MailAn oddity can be an interesting thing. A curiosity, one might say. Would you expect to receive a life-size wooden person as a gift? Probably not, because that does seem a little unusual. But hey, this movie is called Oddity (2024).

Send us Fan MailA documentary filmmaker, known for exploring the supernatural, disappears without a trace! But we get to view his final film. Will we disappear after watching it? You never know. Until you watch, Noroi (2005)!

Send us Fan MailYou're a woman who goes to the English countryside for some solitude and some time to heal after the death of your spouse. And instead of having time alone, you find yourself being constantly bothered by Men (2022).

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when you combine a young FBI agent with psychic abilities, a serial killer, children, life-size dolls with silver spheres in their heads, T. Rex, Satanism, and Nicolas Cage? You get one unsettling movie.Are you wearing your Longlegs (2024) today, almost-birthday girl?

Send us Fan MailGothic horror from Italian master, Mario Bava! A small village is cursed by the ghost of a young child, who just so happens to be causing a number of deaths. Operazione Paura, Operation Fear, Die toten Augen des Dr. Dracula, Curse of the Living Dead, Don't Walk in the Park? None of those titles feel like a good fit for this movie, and neither does Kill, Baby...Kill! (1966), but I guess we'll just go with that one.

Send us Fan MailThe adorable animals are back! This time in snake form! We have slithering serpent friends in showers, at carnivals, in air ducts, and liquor cabinets. Oh, and definitely on a plane. Join us as we sink our fangs into Snakes on a Plane (2006), Venom (1981), and Sssssss (1973)! Yes, the title is really Sssssss. Don't say it, HISS it!

Send us Fan MailIf you ever find yourself seeing demons or inhuman things, and are really uncertain as to whether or not they are dreams or reality, maybe you would develop a feeling of solidarity by watching Jacob's Ladder (1990). Actually, no. Maybe that's not such a good idea.

Send us Fan MailSydney Sweeney is hugely popular! This is bound to be our most successful podcast episode ever! Except, well, she's not actually on the show or anything. We just happen to be discussing a movie in which she stars, and also happens to produce. But it's some good old religious horror, so there's that, at least. Sydney Sweeney IS Immaculate (2024)!

Send us Fan MailMore than four years after we discussed the first film in the series, we're returning to the depths of Clive Barker's imagination. Some of us more reluctantly than others. But make no mistake, it's time to play.Puzzle boxes, people without skin, chains with fishhooks, Kirsty, people with nails or pins in their heads, blood and goo, Julia. Yes, they're all back for more in Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988)!

Send us Fan MailIs that a vampire, or a puppet? A celebration in a small French village leads to madness and chaos. And a witch's curse plagues a small Massachusetts town. It can only be the Winter of Folk Horror rising again!Join us for The Vourdalak (2023), Litan (1982), and The City of the Dead (1960)!

Send us Fan MailThey don't call it the curse for nothing. Wait. What are we talking about here? Are we talking about menstrual cycles or werewolves? Yes! The Fitzgerald sisters finally get their due on the podcast! Happy Valentine's Day to the Common Craig! It's Ginger Snaps (2000) time!

Send us Fan MailBill Paxton, director? Yes, it's true! Bill made his feature film directorial debut with Frailty (2001), in which he also stars as a single father with two sons. He believes that he has been visited in the night by an angel, who has instructed him and his sons to hunt demons. However, his oldest son, Fenton, is more than a little concerned when these demons have human names and actually appear to be human!

Send us Fan MailWhat do a torso, an eyeball, and an opera all have in common? Those are the titles of the gialli we are covering for Giallo January Two! Or due, sorry.A killer using red and black scarves as their chosen weapon, pursues a group of ladies to a country villa in Sergio Martino's Torso (1973)! A group of American tourists become victims of a maniac who is after a particular body part, in Umberto Lenzi's Eyeball (1975)! And then from there, a young singer is forced to watch as a lunatic begins to slaughter those around her, in Dario Argento's Opera (1987)!

Send us Fan Mail2024 seems like it was actually a very solid year for horror movie releases. And while the Common Craig did not see them all, he did see 33 new horror-ish releases from last year. Let's rank them and decide the best and the worst of 2024!

Send us Fan MailThe holiday spectacular returns for a sixth time! It's Horror for the Holidays!We visit a boarding school with a group of Christmas killers who plan to summon a demon in The Sacrifice Game (2023). We then join a family driving to a holiday gathering who take a shortcut to nowhere in Dead End (2003). Come with us and meet a signalman who is just trying to do his job, but a pesky spectre keeps bothering him in The Signalman (1976). And then from there, let's enjoy a family Christmas at home, with some parents who probably wish that they had not been so creative, with a favorite episode from Tales from the Darkside.

Send us Fan MailA ship reappears after having been missing for seven years. Obviously, complete disregard for safety tells us that we have to go check it out, right? And where did this ship go for seven years? Another dimension? Maybe hell? Oh, yeah. This is going to go well. And the ship is in space, of course. This is the voyage of the starship, Event Horizon (1997).

Send us Fan MailIt's important to have friends. People who can be relied upon in both good times and bad. But if you're on a cave adventure, and you suddenly come upon an unexpected, hostile threat, can you really count on those people? The ladies in The Descent (2005), just happen to face such a challenge.

Send us Fan MailMore child trauma? Two episodes in a row? Apparently, we just can't get enough. When little Peter hears knocking, and then a voice, coming from his wall, his parents seem desperate to discourage him from pursuing an explanation. But, as the tagline for the movie says, "sooner or later, family secrets creep out." And in this movie, something actually does creep out! Lizzy Caplan, Antony Starr, and Cleopatra Coleman star in Cobweb (2023).

Send us Fan MailDavid Cronenberg's cathartic exercise on film, a result of a personal custody battle, is not all body horror. There is genuine child and family trauma at its core. And because of that, The Brood (1979) is not always a pleasant watch. Perhaps Cronenberg's most personal film, it still packs quite a punch some 45 years later.

Send us Fan MailA ballerina vampire must get bored between recitals, I guess. Especially considering that if you're immortal, you probably have A LOT of recitals. So, who can blame Abigail for wanting to kill some of her father's henchpeople in her spare time?We're kicking off our new A-Z of Horror Series with Abigail (2024)!

Send us Fan MailAfter 5 years, I guess that it's finally time to talk about a Nicole favorite for our 135th episode. And I can't even complain, because it's a horror comedy love letter to George Romero's zombie classics. But that's ridiculous! Don't say the Z word! We present to you, what can only be, the SHAUNNIVERSARY! It's Shaun of the Dead (2004)!

Send us Fan MailThe Final Chapter for Friday the 13th: The Episode? I'm afraid so. One movie does feature a guest appearance by one Fred Krueger, so there's that. And the other is a reboot attempt that fared well at the box office. But no! That's all. This Voorhees guy is finished! Maybe.But while you're waiting, you may as well hear our opinions of the 11th and 12th entries in the Friday the 13th film series. One, two, Freddy's coming for you. Three, four, Jason's at your door, in Freddy vs. Jason (2003)! And then from there, welcome to Crystal Lake. Again. It's Friday the 13th (2009)!

Send us Fan MailDo you believe in cryptids? Is Bigfoot, or some variation like the Fouke Monster, really out there? And if they are, are they just lonely, but shy creatures? Or are they genital-ripping monstrosities who want to mate with you? Look, we really don't know. But we'll try to answer these very important questions.We want to believe! But if these movies are any indication, you may want to use caution if you decide to go camping. Grab your guitar and serenade the sasquatch, while we discuss The Legend of Boggy Creek (1972), Night of the Demon (1980), and Willow Creek (2013). And please, mind your hogs, regardless of how much they weigh!