Nature Trail to Hell

Jordan and Stefan watch Fido, a 2006 zombie comedy about a 1950s-style town in which zombies are domesticated members of society. 

Okay, okay, we've both seen this one. But we couldn't do a zombie series without Shaun of the Dead, one of the instrumental films in the 2000s zombie boom. Does it still hold up? Come on, do we even need to answer that question? Have a nice cold pint and join us for the debut feature from Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright.

This one's a bit of wild card in that it doesn't TECHNICALLY have zombies in it – but it does have the dead coming back to life, which is half the battle. This one is one of Jordan's favorites, but Stefan's only ever gazed lovingly upon its neon-green-tinged VHS box. Will this be one of Stefan's favorites too? Let's find out.

BRAIIINNNNNNNS! This tongue-in-cheek punk-rock take on zombies from Dan O'Bannon is arguably the first movie to establish that zombies eat brains (and not just flesh). In a stunning turn of events, both Stefan and Jordan have seen this one (so we're breaking the format a bit), but we still can't wait to dig into it. 

For the first of our bonus episodes, Jordan and Stefan check out Lucio Fulci's Dawn of the Dead "sequel" Zombie – or Zombi 2, as it was known internationally. As part of Dario Argento's deal with Romero for Dawn of the Dead (known as Zombi in Italy), as well as Italy's lax sequel copyright laws, he was allowed to release a follow-up to that film. Known for its wormy zombie head poster, this movie is notorious for its gooey, effective gore. Does it actually connect to the Romero films? Will it make Stefan squeamish as hell? Let's get to it.

Well, maybe we didn't like Diary of the Dead all that much, but maybe we'll like George A. Romero's final zombie film? About feuding families on an island? Maybe? Jordan and Stefan find out if this series goes out with a head-shot bang or a slow, shuffling whimper.

Romero follows up his return to zombiedom, Land of the Dead, with this found footage experiment. Will this stylistic experiment pay off with fresh new terror and satiric possibilities? Neither Jordan and Stefan have seen this one before – so they're about to find out.

Romero is back, baby! After an extended absence, the zombie maestro returns in the middle of an undead movie renaissance with Land of the Dead, starring John Leguizamo and Dennis Hopper. Does he still have what it takes to compete in an incredibly competitive zombie landscape? Jordan and Stefan find out.

In this episode, our format gets irrevocably broken because Stefan actually saw this one in theaters (without ever having seen a single Living Dead film before). How will we ever recover? Well, Jordan and Stefan manage to discuss the film ANYWAY so THERE. This remake takes the mall location from the 1978 original and adds many Zack Snyder flourishes, such as slow motion and fast zombies. Stefan remembers liking it. What will he think now that he has context? Find out.

Ugh, don't you hate it when movies are in black and white? So old and GROSS. Instead, watch this updated version of the classic film, this time by makeup artist-turned-director Tom Savini and produced by Romero. How does it stack up against the original? Jordan and Stefan find out.

Dawn of the Dead was a certified banger that significantly expanded the scope of the original film. Now, eight (!) years later, George A. Romero is back with Day of the Dead in 1985. Stefan and Jordan examine the trajectory of a series that so far has gone from strength to strength.

10 years after the ground-breaking Night of the Living Dead, George A. Romero returns with Dawn of the Dead. Jordan and Stefan watch this mall movie classic and see how the scares hold up. Also, Stefan might get fixated on the Brown Derby Steakery & Luv Pub for some reason.

It's a brand new season! This time, Jordan and Stefan are watching George A. Romero's Living Dead films, starting with 1968's groundbreaking Night of the Living Dead – the film that invented the zombie movie. Will it hold up, given the flood of zombie content since then? Let's find out.

One final episode for our Leprechaun series! When Jordan was a kid, a family friend filmed the fairytale-themed Deadtime Stories in the house that he lived. Stefan visits and Jordan revisits this horror anthology to see what it was all about. Plus, Jordan designed a monster for the film. Apologies for Stefan's garbage audio in the first segment. 

Mark Jones, director of the first Leprechaun film, turned down directing Leprechaun 2 to make this week's bonus film, Rumpelstiltskin. Notice a theme? Jordan and Stefan check out his magnum opus to see if he made the right decision.

The Leprechaun returns? He does? From where? Believe it or not, this is the first ACTUAL sequel in the Leprechaun series, which has heretofore been a series of standalone movies pretending to be a franchise. And Warwick Davis isn't even in it! Man, this series is just weird. Come for South Africa standing in for North Dakota, stay for the Jennifer Aniston voice impersonator.

Let's go back to the origins of...what exactly? Warwick Davis is out, Hornswoggle is in, and apparently a Leprechaun is now some sort of unseen dog monster. Sure. 

Clearly the hood was a winning setting for a Leprechaun movie, so why not try it again? This despite every single Leprechaun movie has so far taken place in a different environment.  Also – oh no! – this is Warwick Davis's final appearance in the series. Jordan and Stefan mourn and despair. 

From space...to the hood. The series takes a questionable left turn, finding the Leprechaun in Los Angeles, immersed in the most unrealistic depiction of hip hop in cinematic history. But surely this is the good Leprechaun movie, right? RIGHT? I mean, Ice-T wouldn't star in anything less than stellar, right? Jordan knows and Stefan finds out.

So...after only three terrestrial installments, the Leprechaun is heading to space – it took Jason nine movies to do the same thing! Will this be a welcome change for the franchise or a turn for the silly? Jordan and Stefan watch this WEIRD-ASS movie to find out.

Well, the Leprechaun train keeps on rolling. The first two were...not good. Will the third time be the charm? Jordan knows but won't tell. Stefan's about to find out. He may not be pleased with the answer.

Well, it's another Leprechaun movie, hot n' heavy on the heels of the last one. But didn't the Leprechaun explode...in a...well...or something? Why is he in Hollywood? What's even happening? And wrought iron is now his Achilles heel? 

Jordan and Stefan kick off the new season with the original Leprechaun from 1993. Stefan knows next to nothing about this series – not even who the big star is in the first movie! Will that make it watchable? Let's find out.

For our final episode of our Saw season, we visit Eli Roth's notorious Hostel from 2005. Jordan has been ominously warning Stefan about this one – will it live up to its dubious torture porn classification? Find out. Also, Jordan and Stefan reveal next season's horror franchise.

So what else have James Wan and Leigh Whannell been up to? Creating an ENTIRELY separate uber-successful horror franchise of course! Jordan and Stefan visit this first entry into the Insidious series to find out what all the fuss is about and see how they've developed their chops since creating the original Saw movie together.

Turns out, Saw is infinitely adaptable into other media! Jordan and Stefan explore the musical and physical possibilities in this first Saw bonus episode. 

It's all led up to this – the most well-reviewed Saw movie in franchise history. Jigsaw is front and center (no more copycats!) in this back-to-basics trap-a-thon...that's also a suprisingly heartfelt love letter to John Kramer? What is even happening? And where do these movies go from here? Jordan and Stefan wrap up the series in grand style and discuss what's it's all meant. Plus – rankings, rankings, rankings!

The one with Chris Rock and Samuel Jackson! Jordan and Stefan watch this departure from the usual Sawfare, in which there is 100% less Jigsaw and 100% more police procedural. We might also get some dialogue that seems airlifted in from Chris Rock's standup routines, but you never know. 

Jigsaw is back! Or is he???? 7 years after the last movie, Jordan and Stefan pick up the story with this much glossier take on Saw. Apparently there are trap murders happening again, and nobody can figure it out because a)Jigsaw is dead and b)we have a whole new cast of police that aren't very good at solving mysteries. But is it any good? Let's find out.

Finally, we've reached the end of the road, the final chapter, the – wait, aren't there 3 more movies after this? Jordan and Stefan watch Saw 3D (or possible Saw: The Final Chapter) and reflect on the long, twisty, flashback- and trap-filled journey to get here. What does it all mean? Have we been rehabilitated yet? Let's find out.

All roads lead here – to the one that's about health insurance. Suppose it was inevitable that the series that starts with incurable cancer will have to grapple with the intricacies and absurdities of the American healthcare system. 

Jigsaw's still dead, right? Nevermind that, let's get to what the people want – a showdown between Hoffman and Strahm! Jordan and Stefan continue down the weird plotty path of the Saw-ga with this fifth installment.

The Saw train keeps on chugging, even if Jigsaw is dead (????). But you can't keep a good trap down – Stefan & Jordan "enjoy" this fourth helping of "therapy" at the hands of John Kramer despite his apparent demise.

We're well and truly on our way into the Saw-ga now! This third installment involves traps, traps, and some first solid indications that the franchise is going to obsessed with its own complicated plot. Also: Stefan has a crisis of fear and Jordan talks him through it.

With the original Saw a runaway success, Saw II was immediately greenlit and put into theaters a year later. Jordan and Stefan watch as Saw attempts to make the leap from scrappy indie hit to new horror franchise. Also, there's a new kid on the block.

Jordan and Stefan kick off a brand-new season of Nature Trail to Hell with 2004's iconic Saw. Stefan has been dreading this series for years – will he hack off his own foot to get out of watching this one or will his fears prove unfounded? Let's find out. 

For our final episode of this season, we visit 2016's "The Belko Experiment," written and produced by James Gunn. We follow a group of office workers who are having...shall we say...a rough go of it. This movie is one of Jordan's favorites and Stefan hasn't even HEARD of it. Let's finish out strong.

We're not done with free-for-all killing sprees yet! Jordan and Stefan watch the Japanese cult classic Battle Royale, where an island full of kids killing each other is somehow supposed to cure society's ills. Does it make any more sense than the Purge as a social experiment? Let's find out.

Jordan and Stefan watch 1997's Funny Games, the harrowing home invasion film from Austrian director Michael Haneke, with widely varying results. What will Jordan think upon rewatching this gem? Will Stefan ever forgive Jordan?

Purging? Forever? What does that even mean? All crime is always legal? What even is crime anymore? Jordan and Stefan watch the oh-so-subtle "Forever Purge" from 2021 and debate the future of the franchise.

Oh boy, let's find out how the Purge began! In this episode, Jordan and Stefan watch "The First Purge," which apparently was an indignity forced upon Staten Island. Hasn't Staten Island suffered enough? 

The Purge series goes political! I mean, more political than usual. Jordan D. White and Stefan Lawrence watch the 3rd installment of the Purge Series, released in July of 2016 with the slogan "Keep America Great." Yes, the last movie improved on the first one. Will this movie continue the trend? 

Now this is Purging! Jordan and Stefan watch the second film in the series, The Purge: Anarchy, from 2014. No more being stuck inside a house! This time we get down and dirty ON THE STREETS. Stay safe.

It's time for a whole new season of the increasingly inaccurately named Nature Trail to Hell, in which we explore The Purge series! What happens when ALL CRIME IS LEGAL one night a year? Jordan D. White knows and Stefan Lawrence is about to find out. In this episode, we check out the very first Purge movie from the innocent beforetimes of 2013.

Jordan and Stefan watch Ti West's 2022 film, X, which owes quite a bit to the original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre from 1974. Instead of an old Leatherface stomping around Texas like we saw in 2022, we now just have...old people. But don't worry, old people can do the murder just as good as the youngs. 

Rounding out our Texas Chainsaw Massacre series, Stefan and Jordan will be watching two films inspired by them. The first is Rob Zombie's lurid technicolor nightmare, House of 1000 Corpses. Maybe, just maybe, we'll be able to spot Mr. Zombie's inspirations buried deep in the subtext of the film.

Jordan and Stefan reach the end of the road with 2022's reboot, Texas Chainsaw Massacre (not the missing definite article – that's how you know it's cool). We can finally answer all the questions, such as how old is Leatherface? Is this series even about cannibalism? And can you call it Texas Chainsaw Massacre if it insists on being filmed in Bulgaria? FIND OUT.

Jordan and Stefan watch ANOTHER origin story for Leatherface – Leatherface from 2017! Wanna know how Leatherface got those scars? Wanna watch Stephen Dorff perform some extremely questionable policework? Wanna watch Bulgaria convincingly stand in for Texas? Yeah, you do. 

Ah heck, let's just reboot this series again! This week, Jordan and Stefan are watching Texas Chainsaw 3D, the 2013 reboot that's a direct sequel to the original film. Wait, does this one actually attempt a new plot? WEIRD.

Stefan and Jordan watch the Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, the 2nd film in the newly rebooted franchise. In this 2006 film, we learn the origin of Hoyt's missing teeth and maybe, just maybe, why Leatherface loves chainsaws so much. 

Jordan and Stefan have reached the end of the original run of the series, and begin the reboot era with this 2003 remake, now produced by Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes. Are we ready for a new, glossier take on Leatherface? Are they cannibals this time? Is saw still family? Are they even called the Sawyers? Let's find out.