PODCAST · tv
Essential Scares
by ESP
Join us as we watch, play, and read our way through the horror world and determine what is truly essential.
Episodes
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132. Thanksgiving (2023)
Back the Holiday season with our first episode of the year covering Thanksgiving (2023) directed by Eli Roth! How much has his directing chops improved over 20 years? Well, frankly a ton. He is still as subtle as a bull in a china shop, but for what this film is, it really is a blast. Could it...
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131. Cabin Fever (2002)
Fear the FEVER! Eli Roth's debut is certainly a solid start for any given horror director. Is this film as "mean spirited" as Bobby claims Roth's work is? Only one way to find out! ************************************************** TIMECODES 0:00 - Intro 1:21 - Spoiler Warning 2:10 - Synopsis…
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130. Wishmaster (1997)
Wishmaster is often a forgotten horror franchise, and while the later entries may deserve to be forgotten the first does not. This film is largely carried by Andrew Divoff's performance as the Djinn, his toying with characters and delivery of lines is so evil and vile it is a treat to see. Does...
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129. Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
The introduction of Jason had to make onto the show at some point and here we are. Could this film possibly live up to the expectations? Find out today! ************************************************** TIMECODES 0:00 - Intro 0:46 - Spoiler Warning 1:21 - Synopsis 2:33 - Discussion 36:06 - Final...
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128. Lake Placid (1999)
Giant Spiders last week and now Giant Crocs this week, where could we go from here?!?!?! Its been a fun time having a brief romp through the creature features subgenre of horror, and we have reach what Corbin may say is a Classic in Lake Placid. Does a Creature Feature need to have a comically...
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127. Eight Legged Freaks (2002)
The base level of scares in this film is much higher than your typical PG-13 Horror Film. Why? ITS FILLED WITH FUCKING SPIDERS. This movie is an absolute blast filled with a soundtrack of early 2000's bangers. What more do you need out a film? **************************************************...
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126. Scream 2 (1997)
Look, its Scream 2. Do you really need me to tell you that we love this film? ************************************************** TIMECODES 0:00 - Intro 1:22 - Spoiler Warning 2:09 - Synopsis 4:05 - Discussion 48:44 - Final Review 53:33 - Is it essential? 1:01:41 - Socials, Suggestions, Sign Off...
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125. Sleepy Hollow (1999)
The lack of Sleepy Hollow related media is truly disturbing, luckily we do have this gem of a Tim Burton film to fill the void. With a star studded cast and more gore than we were really expecting at the time and even today, Sleepy Hollow (1999) is a wonderful little romp....
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124. Nightbreed (1990)
How is it that two weeks in a row we ended up with movies that were far longer than they had any right to be? Well regardless we now have Nightbreed a movie that just cannot seem to decide what it wants to be. It has some of the fastest and slowest pacing in a movie the three of us have ever…
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123. Ritual
Often confused with The Ritual, Ritual is a rather bad movie focused around Jamaican rituals. Is the pacing bad? Yes. Is the CGI awful? Yes. Is this movie still a fun time, well for 2 of the 3 hosts the answer is a resounding yes. Find out who hates it today!...
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122. Aliens (1986)
************************************************** TIMECODES 0:00 - Intro 1:47 - Spoiler Warning 2:14 - Synopsis 3:26 - Discussion 30:11 - Final Review 35:55 - Is it essential? 42:35 - Socials, Suggestions, Sign Off ************************************************** Rate and subscribe! Follow us...
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121. Alien (1979)
Alien (1979) is a film that has aged incredibly well since it's initial release in 1979. Largely, this can be attributed to the exceptional writing and the use of practical effects as much as possible. This is one of the films that has long since be on our radar, and it was an absolute blast to...
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120. Snowpiercer (2013)
Is Snowpiercer a horror film? Maybe. Is it essential, also maybe! Listen in to hear the boys mull over the goods the bads and the inconsistent of the Snowpiercerverse! ************************************************** TIMECODES 0:00 - Intro 0:42 - Spoiler Warning 1:13 - Synopsis 2:28…
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119. Constantine (2005)
Is Constantine (2005) a horror film, well no but it is adjacent so we figured why not talk about it. Could it somehow be essential? Find out today! ************************************************** TIMECODES 0:00 - Intro 1:01 - Spoiler Warning 1:41 - Synopsis 2:26 - Discussion 35:18 - Final…
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118. Suspiria (2018)
We knew after watching the original Suspiria from 1977 that we would have to cover the remake at some point, well that point came sooner than expected. Suspiria (2018) follows the general idea of the original but finds ways to deepen the plot and characters in new and interesting ways. Both films...
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117. Pearl (2023)
Pearl is the follow up to TI West's excellent film X. Telling the story of how Pearl became the deranged person we see in X. TI has an excellent eye for taking a specific style of film and executing on it masterfully. This film immediately shows its hand as an homage to classic films of the early...
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116. Halloween (2007)
Rob Zombie's Halloween sure BLEEDS 2007 on its sleeve. Is that a good or a bad thing? Can it possible be essential? Find out TODAY! ************************************************** TIMECODES None this week SORRY! ************************************************** Rate and subscribe! Follow us...
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115. House of the Witch Doctor (2013)
We often use other movies as comparison points when thinking through if a movie is Essential or not. Same thing also can apply when we are looking to score a movie. House of the Witch Doctor might be the single greatest comparison point we could have ever asked for. If a movie is worse than this,...
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114. Demon Hole (2017)
There are times on this show where we have the pleasure of watching movies that truly surprise us. Demon Hole is almost one of those. This film is largely bad, but it is bad in a way that is quite enjoyable. Plot holes galore, awful effects, some of the most stilted dialogue you could imagine,...
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113. Terrifier (2016)
Terrifier brought Art the Clown into the popular culture of horror and we are better for it. This movie has one particular scene it is known for, however there are so many more moments this movie should be better known for. In general this film is a masterpiece of makeup and effects, but it is…
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112. The Bye Bye Man
A movie with a title that would make you think the movie can't possibly be good starts with a pretty great introduction. Almost IMMEDIATELY though this The Bye Bye Man finds a way to fall off the cliff so fast. This movie finds ways to go out of its way to explain its own plot because it must…
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111. Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987)
The MOST time saving move of all time has finally come around to being featured on the show! Silent Night Deadly Night Part 2! The film that uses almost all the footage of the first film. Does this film live up to the greatness of the first film? Is it Garbage Day? Why is Allen's audio quality so...
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110. Ringu 2 (1999)
Part 2 of our Essential Scares double feature sees us tackling Ringu 2! This Japanese Horror filmed was releases shortly, less than a year, after the hit Ringu and not so hit Spiral launched on the same day in Japan in 1998. Did the boys wax poetically about how this was a great sequel to Ringu?...
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109. The Wicker Man (1973)
Welcome to part 1 of the Essential Scares double Feature!!!! First up is a classic 70's Horror Film, The Wicker Man (1973). The 70's ooze their own special type of horror that has gone through a major resurgence in recent times. The Wicker Man is a must watch by all means....
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108. Babadook (2014)
You can never get rid of the Babadook. One of the most effective examples of grief in a film that we have ever seen. A tale that spans all stages of grief, the Babadook tackles a carnal fear that any spouse deals with in a way that is hauntingly real. The Babadook is a must watch film, but does...
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107. House (1977)
Taking it allllll the way back to 1977, we have the cult classic Japanese Horror film House (1977)! This film is bonkers, it is at the same time incredibly serious but also entirely off the wall goofy. Sometimes it even finds ways to blends those two elements into some wonderful moments of horror...
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106. Raw (2017)
The infamous review that has followed Allen all this time. We need no further waxing poetically, here's our thoughts on the wonderful film Raw (2017). ************************************************** TIMECODES 0:00 - Intro 1:04 - Spoiler Warning 2:26 - Synopsis 3:36 - Discussion 43:16 - Final...
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105. Ringu (1998)
On the show today we have Bobby and Allen's thoughts on the absolute classic that is Ringu (1998). Most of you know of The Ring, the 2002 remake of this film. Ringu is 100% worth your time regardless of if you have seen the Ring or not. Ringu fundamentally is different in how its horror is...
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104. Suspiria (1977)
Suspiria (1977) is one of the most well known pieces of International Horror, and it absolutely earns that respect from the moment you start the film. This has been a bucket list movie for us to cover, and we are happy to finally give you our thoughts on this beautiful film....
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103. Tokyo Gore Police (2008)
In a futuristic Tokyo the Police force has been entirely privatized and the glorification of self harm is EVERYWHERE! What world are we in? The World of Tokyo Gore Police (2008) of course! This film takes the viewer down a much longer than necessary gory flick with little substance to say the...
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102. The People Under the Stairs (1991)
We just cannot seem to escape Wes Craven and his brilliance lately. Today we give our thoughts on The People Under the Stairs (1991), a film that on its surface may appear to be nothing more than just another slasher flick from Wes. However, everything in this movie is so intentional that the...
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101. Insidious: The Red Door (2023)
The next entry in the Insidious franchise has arrived and we knew we had to jump on covering it immediately. We have called this franchise many things in the past. Baby's first horror movie, the movie where the music does a lot of the work, Darth Maul Goblin. Taking place 9 years after the events...
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100. Episode 100 Spectacular Part 2
Wrapping up Episodes 41 through 99 we bring the conclusion to the 100th Episode Spectacular! Thank you all so much for coming along on this wild ride here's to 100 more! ************************************************** ************************************************** Rate and subscribe!…
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100. The 100th Episode Spectacular Part 1
The 100th Episode spectacular must be split into 2 separate episodes because frankly we WAY under estimated how long it would take to comb through the past 99 episodes of this show. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much for listening to our nonsensical rambling about our love/hate of...
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99. Basket Case 3: The Progeny (1991)
Wrapping up the lauded Basket Case Franchise, we present our thoughts on Basket Case 3: The Progeny! Why is it that this film has a subtitle that is never referenced at all in the film? This thought has kept gnawing at our brains for days now. We finally see just how ridiculous this franchise can...
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98. Basket Case 2 (1990)
Continuing on with the Basket Case Franchise we have the sequel Basket Case 2! There are more baskets and there are more questions as to what is in the basket. This time around though both 8 years and 8 days have passed depending on what is gong on in the film at the time. Belial and Duane find a...
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97. Basket Case (1982)
WHATCHA GOT IN THAT BASKET KID?!?!?! So Basket Case (1982) is an oddly charming movie until it very much isn't near the end of the film. One massive part of this film that is historic is the moment in time it captures from New York City in the early 80's. This movie through and through looks and...
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96. A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
We finally made it. The end of the franchise is here and does it go out with a bang? Nope, not really. Missed opportunity is the name of the game when it comes to Nightmare 2010. There are bits of this film that do really bring some new life to the franchise, however it is certainly too late and...
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95. Wes Craven's New Nightmare
Wes Craven's New Nightmare is a little odd. It plays with this whole idea of a meta slasher before it really existed. Wes himself would fix that a few years later. Were does that leave us with this film in the context of Freddy Kruger. Well its both brilliant yet stunted. This style of horror...
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94. Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare
We have finally gotten here. Freddy's Dead, that's it the franchise is done...for now. Can the "finale" of the Nightmare franchise reach the heights of entries like the first film? Is the Nightmare Franchise as a whole essential? Do we need to have multiple essential discussions on this…
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93. A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 5: Dream Child (1989)
The decline in this franchise is frankly shocking. A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 5: Dream Child (1989) follows its predecessor in a massive downward spiral. Is it worse than the previous film? Probably not, however the sting of the franchise's failure is becoming more painful as the awful…
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91. A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 4: Dream Master
How the mighty have fallen my friends. This film just does not live up remotely to the level that Dream Warriors set. Dream Master is a film that is filled to the brim with an incredibly boring story with occasional bits of wonderful practical effects. This might be one of the biggest examples of…
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90. A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 3: Dream Warriors
DREAM WARRIORS!!!!!!!!!!! It's hard to avoid being overly positive on certain films that we cover for this show. Dream Warriors by most accounts is this franchise truly making a name for itself that is entirely unique within the Slasher genre. However, there seems to be a disturbance in the...
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89. Shocker (1989)
Corbin is away again, so that means its a Bobby and Allen special! To make sure that we can have the full crew here for Dream Warriors next week, Bobby found a little known Wes Craven film Shocker (1989)! This strange 3 in 1 film extravaganza HAS to be intentional, right? This movie really does...
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88. A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985)
WAY back on episode 17 we covered the original A Nightmare on Elm Street. With the new format of the show charging through franchises we felt it was best to revisit Freddy in his sophomore outing. Panned for years, Nightmare 2 was shockingly good all things considered. It is a very different kind...
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87. Aliens vs Predator Requiem (2007)
Often times a sequel finds ways to miss the entire point of giving us more of the franchise. AvP Requiem is the opposite of that. This movie 100% understands the assignment and just gives us so much more of Aliens and Predators going at it. There are PLENTY of throwaway characters to be fodder…
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86. Alien vs Predator (2004)
THE TRIFECTA IS BACK! It was Corbin's turn to pick and franchise and he chose one near and dear to his heart. Alien vs Predator (2004)! Some say this movie hasn't aged well, some say it is one of the worst examples of PG-13 Horror, and some even say this movie is aggressively mediocre. These...
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85. See No Evil 2 (2014)
In the final episode of the Corbinless arc, Bobby and Allen break down just how purely mediocre See No Evil 2 (2014) truly is! Make no mistake it is CERTAINLY a better movie than its predecessor, however that is a hilariously low bar to pass. I'm potentially being a bit too harsh, but this film...
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84. See No Evil (2006)
In a week where Bobby and Allen have been given the reigns to the show while Corbin is off galivanting in Disney World the show basically goes off the rails without Corbin's guiding presence. Dear listener we knew this would happen so we filled these two weeks of Corbinlessness with a duology…
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83. Hell House LLC 3 Lake of Fire (2019)
The time has come dive fully into over the top Christ like metaphors. Today we wrap up the Hell House Saga with Hell House LLC 3 Lake of Fire (2019). We have had an absolute blast coming back around and finishing this series off, which was not exactly what we expected. Found footage horror has a...
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Essential Scares have?
Essential Scares currently has 138 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Essential Scares about?
Join us as we watch, play, and read our way through the horror world and determine what is truly essential.
How often does Essential Scares release new episodes?
Essential Scares publishes regularly with 138 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Essential Scares?
You can listen to Essential Scares on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Essential Scares?
Essential Scares is created and hosted by ESP.
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