This May Hurt a Bit

Our new franchise, as voted by our Instagram followers, kicks off with the original "The Fly" from 1958! This sad tale stars Vincent Price, David Hedison and Patricia Owens and spawned four more films over the next several decades. 

We wrap up all 8 "Child's Play" movies- and 1 season of the TV show! What's the best in the franchise? Do you prefer the campy or the slasher style? Have a favorite kill? It's been a great series to cover back to back, watching Don Mancini's work grow and change over the last four decades. We will be covering season 2 and 3 of "Chucky" over on our Patreon! If you'd like to check that out, sign up here. And check out our Instagram 6/27 to vote on which franchise we cover next!

We chat about all 8 episodes in the first season of the Syfy network's, "Chucky"! While 8 hrs causes it to be a little more inconsistent than a 90 min movie, we still found this to be a fun continuation of Mancini's story!

Well... we hit the remake from 2019. After watching all of Don's ideas unfold, all his zigs and zags, this version just feels cynical. Chucky's drive feels far less defined and boy do we miss Brad Dourif.

We are joined by special guest Michael Varrati, director of "The Chainsaw Awards" on Shudder and "Boulet Brothers- Dragula" among many others. We chat about his experience growing up with the "Child's Play" series, the Cult itself and of course all of his other projects including the adaptation of Dark Horse's "Dead Mall"!

Is it a remake? A soft reboot? A back to the basics scarefest? Kind of all of the same! After the previous two films that traded more in comedy, this one goes for a Gothic, suspense/ horror film- starring Chucky. Brad Dourif's daughter Fiona makes her debut making the Chucky series a true family affair. 

We're going full blown comedy and camp this week with "Seed of Chucky"! John Waters, REDman and Jennifer Tilly all join up with Chucky and Tiffany as Glen(da) navigates gender identity in a surprisingly earnest film considering it's release year. Check out the movie that studio heads declared, "Too gay! And too much Jennifer Tilly"!

The "Child's Play" franchise gets a well loved re-invention this week! Jennifer Tilly brings the camp and the heart as Tiffany Valentine, the murderous counterpart to Brad Dourif. Violence and laughs and a little heart- what's not to like!

"Child's Play 3" hit the theaters a mere nine months after the release of Part 2. Don Mancini, running on creative fumes, set this sequel at a military academy.. and a carnival. And while it's a good time, it lacks some of the momentum and charm of the first two. 

Sorry Jack, Chucky's back. Andy is placed in a new foster home by Laura Palmer's mom! Will this NEW family believe him that there's a killer doll on the loose? The Chucky persona gets dialed in more in this sequel that culminates in the original Good Guys factory. 

Tom Holland and Chris Sarandon return to the Hurt feed with 1988's "Child's Play"! The first in the classic killer doll slasher, this film starts in a bit more of a horror/ thriller vein. Check out all those puppet effects! 

After just two older and one brand new entry, we've come to the end of the franchise already. How do you successfully adapt these games? What did Gans learn in his 20 years in between entries? Best rendition of Pyramid Head? .... and what franchise is next!

Are we the only two people on the internet that liked this movie? Seems so! While not perfect, it still captures the feeling of "Silent Hill 2" the game and the additions do make some sense. 

We invite back to the show, our resident 3D expert, Rob Campbell! He uses advanced (dated) home 3D technology to report in on all the great 3D effects in the film. We also manage to cover- what other jobs Pyramid Head might be suited for, why Kit Harrington needs a beard, and why a Cenobite seems to be turning up in this universe. 

We take on our first video game franchise! Does the creeping dread of the game translate to the film? Can you jam lots of exposition into a story that already has a story? And who is... Pyramid Head and why is he here?While there are only two films in this franchise out now, a 3rd arrives in theaters on January 23rd of 2026!

We chat about the franchise as a whole! Best vampire(s), best Evil Ed, and where we might take the series next. Stay tuned to hear what series we tackle next....

We finish the franchise by talking about this very much related, very much a sequel... er, remake of the first one? Shot in Romania and taking place in Romania (!), this new version follows Charlie and Evil Ed taking on Elizabeth Bathory. 

On it's own this could be a fine vampire movie- but as a Fright Night remake a few of the changes left us cold as a tomb. Evil Ed and Peter Vincent both deserved better but Colin Farrell and Toni Collette did what they could with this script!

Our 4th year on, we invite Michael Holloway back to discuss what these three Fright Boys watched through the Halloween season! Like everyone, we tend to watch even more horror during October, so much so, that a spreadsheet needs to be employed. If you need to give a franchise a break, check out any of these.SocietyChild’s Play (1988)Red RoomsCensor28 Years LaterThe Quatermass ExperimentThe Stone TapeSinnersHeart EyesMaeAshSunshineToxic Avenger (both)AtaraxiaBoarding HouseHarvest BroodDangerous Animals We Have Always Lived in a CastleThe VoidBeyond the Seventh DoorClown in a CornfieldA Different ManBugBoxer’s OmenCity of the Living DeadDeathstalker

What's better than suspecting one neighbor is a vampire? Suspecting FOUR neighbors are vampires! We chat about this underseen sequel and how they managed to up the ante with four of the most fun vampire villains of the 80s. 

We chat about this classic, 1985 horror comedy- that does both well! Charlie thinks that a vampire has moved in next door and no one will believe him- not even a public access actor who plays a vampire hunter on TV! Can he and his friend, Evil Ed and girlfriend Amy defend the neighborhood from this dandy new arrival? And most importantly, would you fall for a vampire named Jerry? 

We talk through the series as a whole! Best kills, best Warlock, where to go with the franchise next! And of course, which series we will watch after....

"Hellraiser's" Kirsty- Ashley Laurence herself- stars in this third and final installment of the "Warlock" series. This extremely 90s straight to video sequel also boasts a new title character since Julien Sands decided to pass. Not awful, but after the last two, its a bit of a drop- and why is that Warlock still here????

Steven Kostanski, director of "Psycho Goreman", "Frankie Freako", "The Void" and the upcoming remake of "Deathstalker" joins us to discuss the even more crazy, "Warlock 2". What are the rules of being a Warlock? How did half of those effects come to fruition? How does Julien Sands make it all look so effortless? We also talk extensively about his own films, his work on "In a Violent Nature", balancing being a writer/director with being an effects artist- and how the latter guy has to put up with the former guy when it comes time to execute an idea. If you'd like to hear more from Steven, check out Kostanski's Krypt.

Julien Sands and Richard E Grant face off in this fantasy horror about the son of Satan assembling a grimoire to bring about the end of the world. What more could you want? Throw in some great flying effects, animatronic eyeballs and a potion involving an unbaptized child and you've got a great gateway horror. 

We wrap up our franchise chat, talking about all 5 Sleepaway Camp films! Joining us is scholar and author, Matthew Wynn to speak to us about his love for the series and most importantly- sharing sections of his Sleepaway Camp 3.5 script, written when he was just 16 years old. Matthew's Youtube Channel

Robert Hiltzik is back! Felissa Rose is back! Alan is... one of the most irritating characters in a slasher? The director's second feature in 20 years provides some inventively intentioned kills, but still pretty light on the tension. Oh and Alan... yeah, Alan. 

This was a tough one- 55 min of a 70 min film is a recycle of the previous 3 films! So to make sure we deliver, how about 30 minutes from our Patreon episode about "They / Them" ? So uh- subscribe to our Patreaon! 

Angela is back, killing her way through a new camp, taking the identity of a much younger camper. Will the punks survive? How will Michael J Pollard make use of a Playboy bunny belt buckle? Does she make it out alive for a part 4?

Brie Williams (filmmaker and writer for "Welcome to Nightvale") joins us to discsuss this sequel! This one leans much more into the self aware horror/comedy genre starring the sister of one of America's most beloved musicians. Grab your polaroid camera and join us in discussing outhouses, excessive nudity and ... party hats. 

Pull on your best cut off short shorts and let's head to camp! Angela and Ricky are sent to summer camp by Aunt Martha and kids start dropping like flies. Who's the killer? Will Mel be able to keep it all quiet? And did you see that famous ending coming? 

We made it. 11 Hellraiser movies. 5-ish months. Do we sound tired? Maybe a little beaten down? We talk through the series as a whole, our favorite kills, the best Cenobite designs and what happens when you watch this many in a truncated period of time, in all its Pleasure and Pain. 

David Bruckner reinvents the franchise after years and years... and years of attempts to retain the rights. Jamie Clayton gives a new interpretation of Pinhead and we get about 6 more Cenobites! Does it work? Is it exactly what we wanted?? Let's talk about the final (as of this recording) Hellraiser movie. 

Newly minted "Bloodlines" of all sorts expert, Michael Holloway joins us to chat about the latest installment of the Final Destination series! If you are new to the show, you can hear us discuss the rest of the series back in September of 2022. 

Gary Tunnicliffe, the Keeper of the Hellraiser Lore, finally gets his chance to write and direct a Hellraiser film. Every dollar is on the screen (and then some) with this one. Not as bad as it could be, though. And we will always celebrate the Passion. Unfortunately Gary pays a price- and that is his long friendship with Doug Bradley. 

We finally made it... to THIS one. Had more fun talking about it than watching it but at least it *feels* like a Hellraiser movie. Shot in 11 days for $300K, this was another attempt to retain those rights at the last minute. 

Evil Goes Online. For about 15 minutes.. and then we're just at a house party. Henry Cavill! Lance Henricksen! Pinhead decapitations! Well, they did what they could with a week's prep time.. sorta. 

Finally. We got to "Deader". And uh.. hey if you're grading on a recent curve, kinda worth checking out. Let's all go to Romania, cuz Amsterdam is so 90s. Are you still with us on this journey? 

We start the Bota triptych and seek some Hell- of our own making! And it seems like Hell is... just sorta annoying. Most importantly, its the return of Kirsty, our final girl from the original two films. Also, spot the Double Bradley! 

"Sinister" and "Doctor Strange" filmmaker, Scott Derrickson's first feature film shows us what happens when you go the "Hell of your Own Making" route. This movie thinks it is *very* clever and doesn't quite hit the spot for us with all of its shoehorned ideas. 

We welcome back special guest, Michael Holloway! Ok, part 4 runs through about 300+ years and that IS ambitious. Does Alan Smithee pull it off? Is the Workcut better? Is Angelique a lover of Pinhead or an adversary??

Is there enough to discuss in this movie to make a 90 minute show? We think so. This is where Hellraiser veers off into true franchise territory, hitting that sweet slasher time in the early 90s. Pinhead goes freelance, tries his luck without Leviathan to create a Hell on Earth. Who's your favorite psuedo-Cenobite? Do they stack up to Butterball, Chatterer and Female Cenobite? Hellraiser- Motorhead video

What's your Pleasure? Scalpel self mutilation? Messages from the beyond delivered by Skinless Men? A Labyrinth of personal hells overseen by a Leviathan? If you're like us, you'll enjoy the second Hellraiser film!

We discuss Clive Barker's seminal first film! Not a slasher of the 80s as it is often lumped in with, this much more adult  love story tackles themes of longing, complacency... and intradimensional kink demons. There's 11 of these... and we're hitting all of them. Join us! Coil's Unreleased Hellraiser soundtrack

We wrap up 2, count 'em 2 Gremlins films. Favorite Gremlin? Favorite Kill? What else could you really do with this franchise after pushing the boundaries with "The New Batch"?

Joe Dante finally returns with an idea for a sequel that is so great- the franchise went no further! Co-host of The Flophouse, Dan McCoy joins us to discuss a deeply held favorite of his and ours.  The Flophouse PodcastKey and Peele- Gremlins 2

The only way to complete talking about rasclin' is to talk about the one that did it best, "Gremlins". Do we like the  darker version of the script or the family friendly version? Who's your favorite bar Gremlin? 

In our 100th episode, we wrap up all five Critters movies with special guest Stuart Wellington! Before we get into Critters, we talk, "FRANKIE FREAKO" by Steven Kostanski, which is partially inspired by "little guys rasclin' around" type movies. Speaking of- most rewatchable sequel? Best kill? Best scene of Rasclin'?Listen to more Stuart on The Flophouse podcast and look for Frankie Freako on VOD!

The 5th and final entry in the Critters saga, some 27 years after the previous. Does "Aunt Dee" rise to the ranks of a Lori Strode of Sally Hardesty for one last ride? Does the late entry of a Mogwai like creature help? These answers are "no" of course, but still fun to talk about. 

We make it to space in four movies! This actually makes sense for this series since that's where we started. Holy moly, look at this cast though. Angela Bassett, Brad Dourif... Eric DaRe!