Die Laughing

Bart, Lindsey and guest, Noah Glenn, discuss Shin'ichirō Ueda's 2017 meta-zombie-horror-comedy, One Cut of the Dead, that follows a film crew who are tasked with making a zombie horror film for live television that must be shot in a single take; the film initially depicts One Cut of the Dead as a film within a film, then goes back in time to show the origins and production of the project from the perspective of the cast and crew. A fascinating exploration of low budget filmmaking!

Bart, Lindsey and guest, Billie Worley, discuss Don Coscarelli's 2002, mummy vs Elvis horror comedy, Bubba Ho-Tep. We're talking Bruce Campbell as Elvis and Ossie Davis as JFK, who both reside in a Mud Creek, Texas convalescence home, while a soul sucking mummy has arrived and starts feasting on the souls of the home's residents. With appearances by Coscarelli regular, Reggie Bannister (Phantasm),  Rob Zombie veteran, Daniel Roebuck (The Munsters), and a killer scarab, courtesy of KNB EFX, this peculiar film is a bonafide head scratcher!

Bart, Lindsey and guest, Alicia George, discuss Joe Dante's 1989 dark comedy, The Burbs. Settling in for some time off in his suburban home, Ray Peterson's vacation becomes a horror when the Klopeks, a suspiciously odd family, move in next door. Tom Hanks, Carrie Fisher, Bruce Dern, Henry Gibson, and Brother effing Theodore round out this Joe Dante classic.

In 1986, Tobe Hooper returns to his own creation, cranking the chainsaw speed to “unhinged,” and swapping the original’s documentary-style dread for neon-lit chaos, pitch-black humor, and a surprising amount of chainsaw-related enthusiasm. The gang's all here from the original Texas Chainsaw: Leatherface, Drayton Sawyer, and even the corpse of the hitchhiker, affectionally referred to as "Nubbins." Add a new sibling into the mix with scene stealing, Chop-Top, played by Bill Moseley, a vengeful Lieutenant "Lefty" Enright, played by Dennis Hopper, and Caroline Williams delivering a powerful performance as the criminally underrated, final girl and small-town DJ, Stretch. What is this blatant display of mindfuckery? Why it's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2, of course. The buzz is back!Hosts: Bart Shannon, Lindsey RobertsGuest: Joey CarrMusic provided by MKE. Check out more of his music at detectivemusic.com and Detective on Spotify.

What do you do in a film franchise when you title one of the installments, "The Final Chapter"? Why, you title the next one "A New Beginning" and keep that gravy train rolling! Friday the 13th: A New Beginning, was panned by critics and loathed by fans for tossing a fake Jason into the bloody mayhem. That's a shocking reaction for a film that shot some scenes in Corey Feldman's backyard. But, aside from these trivialities and the debate on whether this is actually a horror comedy, the film was selected because of the recent passing of actor, Corey Parker, who makes an appearance in the film as Pete, the greaser. So, let's celebrate the performances by Parker and and Miguel A. Núñez Jr. (Return of the Living Dead) who gave their all in a film that certainly didn't deserve it.Hosts: Bart Shannon, Lindsey RobertsGuest: Christian WalkerMusic provided by MKE. Check out more of his music at detectivemusic.com and Detective on Spotify.

On the latest episode of Die Laughing, hosts Bart and Lindsey welcome guest, Jared Callan, Director of Photography and co-host of The Movie Crew Podcast. They discuss the 1985, Steve Miner directed, House, starring William Katt, George Wendt, Richard Moll and Kay Lenz. This cult favorite spawned three sequels and was a reunion of Friday the 13th alums, including Sean S. Cunningham, Steve Miner, Harry Manfredini and Kane Hodder.Hosts: Bart Shannon, Lindsey RobertsGuest: Jared CallanThe Movie Crew Podcast: https://rephonic.com/podcasts/the-movie-crew-podcastMusic provided by MKE. Check out more of his music at detectivemusic.com and Detective on Spotify.

On this episode of Die Laughing, hosts Bart and Lindsey welcome producer/director, Heather Wilk, to discuss the 2014 mockumentary, What We Do in the Shadows, written and directed by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi. The New Zealand film (which inspired the series by the same name) is a delightful look at a house occupied by a gang of inept vampires.Hosts: Bart Shannon, Lindsey RobertsGuest: Heather WilkMusic provided by MKE. Check out more of his music at detectivemusic.com and Detective on Spotify.

On this episode of Die Laughing, hosts Bart and Lindsey welcome guest, Mike Thorpe, to discuss James Gunn's feature film directorial debut, Slither, from 2006. This extremely gooey creature-feature, stars Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks and Michael Rooker. Hosts: Bart Shannon, Lindsey RobertsGuest: Mike ThorpeMusic provided by MKE. Check out more of his music at detectivemusic.com and Detective on Spotify.

On this episode of Die Laughing, hosts Lindsey Roberts and Bart Shannon welcome director and editor, Laura Jean Hocking, to deep dive into the 2019 cult-favorite thriller Ready or Not. From its savage satire of wealthy family traditions to Samara Weaving’s star-making, blood-soaked performance, the group explores this wickedly rewatchable entry in modern horror, just ahead of its sequel's March, 2026 release.Hosts: Bart Shannon, Lindsey RobertsGuest: Laura Jean HockingNewport & The Great Folk Dream: https://www.newportfolkdoc.com/Music provided by MKE. Check out more of his music at detectivemusic.com and Detective on Spotify.

On the latest episode of Die Laughing, hosts Bart and Lindsey welcome guest, Drew Smith, to discuss Jim Cummings' 2020, werewolf whodunit, The Wolf of Snow Hollow. Terror grips a small Utah town as bodies are discovered after each full moon. As the murders continue, Officer John Marshall (Jim Cummings), struggles to stay on the wagon, while trying to conceal the failing health of his aging father, the Sheriff. (Played by Robert Forster in his final role)Hosts: Bart Shannon, Lindsey RobertsGuest: Drew SmithMusic provided by MKE. Check out more of his music at detectivemusic.com and Detective on Spotify.

On the Christmas episode of Die Laughing, hosts Bart and Lindsey welcome guest, Rosalyn Ross, actress, producer and former member of the Grammy Award-winning Fisk Jubilee Singers, to discuss Josh Ruben's 2021 werewolf whodunit, Werewolves Within. With a silver bullet cast (Sam Richardson, Milan. Vayntrub, Michael Chernus, Harvey Guillén, Cheyenne Jackson) and Mishna Wolff's witty and suspenseful script, this entertaining horror-comedy deserves a fate far better than it's Covid hindered, 2021 theatrical release.Hosts: Bart Shannon, Lindsey RobertsGuest: Rosalyn R. RossMusic provided by MKE. Check out more of his music at detectivemusic.com and Detective on Spotify.

On the latest episode of Die Laughing, hosts Bart and Lindsey welcome guest, Jamie Harmon, photographer and man behind the Amurica brand, to discuss Jim Jarmusch's 2019 Zom-Com, The Dead Don't Die. This absurdist, zombie comedy features a star studded cast, which includes Adam Driver, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Selena Gomez, Austin Butler and RZA, just to name a few! "I'm thinking Zombies."Hosts: Bart Shannon, Lindsey RobertsGuest: Jamie HarmonAmurica: https://amurica.com/about/Music provided by MKE. Check out more of his music at detectivemusic.com and Detective on Spotify.

On the latest episode of Die Laughing, hosts Bart and Lindsey welcome guest, Alexis Grace, a singer/songwriter and final 11 contestant on Season 8 of American Idol. They discuss the 1990, Ablin Entertainment produced film, Arachnophobia, about a small California town that is invaded by a deadly spider species, and the town's residents' struggles against the offspring of this Venezuelan Super Spider! In the directorial debut of Frank Marshall, the fingerprints of Steve Spielberg are all over this one AND we get to wallow in the glory of Julian Sands' hair!Hosts: Bart Shannon, Lindsey RobertsGuest: Alexis GraceAlexis Grace website: https://www.alexisgracemusic.com/Music provided by MKE. Check out more of his music at detectivemusic.com and Detective on Spotify.

On the latest episode of Die Laughing, hosts Bart and Lindsey welcome guest, Melissa Sweazy, a writer/director and creator of the true ghost stories podcast, You Can See Me in the Dark. They discuss the 2022 film, Deadstream, about a disgraced content creator attempting to resurrect his career by livestreaming himself spending the night in an infamous haunted house. It's a very ambitious, directorial debut from husband and wife filmmakers, Joseph and Vanessa Winter. Your nostrils will never feel the same again!Hosts: Bart Shannon, Lindsey RobertsGuest: Melissa SweazyYou Can See Me In The Dark: youcanseemeinthedark.libsyn.com/Music provided by MKE. Check out more of his music at detectivemusic.com and Detective on Spotify.

The Return of the Living Dead is a 1985 comedy-horror film that completely redefined the zombie genre. They talk? Check. They move fast? Yep. And way before 28 Days Later, too. They eat brains and the reason is explained by a zombie torso? Gurl, you better know it. Written and directed by Dan O'Bannon, (who wrote a teeny little film called Alien) and based on a story that was originally conceived to be the sequel to Night of the Living Dead, this film is a fractured brain pan full of fun!Hosts: Bart Shannon, Lindsey RobertsGuest: Joey CarrMusic provided by MKE. Check out more of his music at detectivemusic.com and Detective on Spotify.

Where do we even start with Edgar Wright's 2004 Zom-Com, Shaun of the Dead? Should we start with it's air tight script? Maybe we start with the fact that George Romero loved the film and had Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg play zombies in his film, Land of the Dead? Or, hear me out... maybe we just start with how this film may be the absolute pinnacle when it comes to horror-comedies? No matter where we start, this iconic and laugh packed take on the zombie genre, is an absolute classic that no fan of horror OR comedy should miss. How's that for a slice of fried gold?Hosts: Bart Shannon, Lindsey RobertsGuest: Savannah BeardenPurchase tickets for Savannah's The Makeup Show: https://friendsofgeorges.org/shows/the-makeup-show/Music provided by MKE. Check out more of his music at detectivemusic.com and Detective on Spotify.

Peter Jackson's 1996 horror-comedy is a wild romp, that follows paranormal grifter, Frank Bannister, (Michael J. Fox in his final leading-man film role) as he battles a murderous ghost who is crushing the hearts of the townspeople of Fairwater, California. Add in what might be the most deliciously over-the-top performance in cinema history, delivered by Jeffrey Combs, and you've got a film that will be remembered for far more than just being Peter Jackson's last film before changing Middle-earth forever.Hosts: Bart Shannon, Lindsey RobertsGuest: Brandon SamsMusic provided by MKE. Check out more of his music at detectivemusic.com and Detective on Spotify.

Following the success of National Lampoon's Animal House, and armed with the first produced script from Lampoon staffer and future coming-of-age maestro, John Hughes, the fine folks at the Lampoon venture into the realm of horror spoofs with their 1982 film, Class Reunion. Is it funny? Is it scary? Is that Anthony Kiedis' father as the vengeful classmate and killer? So many questions... Thankfully hosts Bart Shannon and Lindsey Roberts came wielding answers in the inaugural episode of the Die Laughing podcast!Music provided by MKE. Check out more of his music at detectivemusic.com and Detective on Spotify.