Professional Horror Podcast

New year, new list. It's that time of year again where your ole pal Chris Donovan emerges from toiling in the horror movie mines with his top ten favorite movies of the year. From road tripping families and glowing TVs, to multiple immaculate conceptions, to the world tour of Skye Riley, Chris Donovan is gonna run down all of 'em. So join me, as I present my top ten favorite movies of 2024.

The best horror quiz show around. What is the Professional Horror Podcast Quiz Show? That's correct. This episode, your lovely host Chris Donovan has assembled his friends, Sean Hogan, Nichole Cava, reigning champ Megan Pendagast, and fresh blood Julia Pendagast to test their horror braaains. Chris will test their knowledge on horror comics, the works of Clive Barker, not so final girls, and much more! Join us, to see if anyone can dethrone Megan Pendagast as the champ of horror trivia!

It's that time of the year. That time where I'm a few days behind everyone else at making my top ten horror movies of the year list. But hey, I'm getting better at it. The year of 2023 brought a very strange slate of horror movies and your ole pale Chris Donovan is ready, willing, and able to run down the lot of em. From killer sloths and pumpkin monsters, to ghost summoning hands, to just some really creepy parents. Not to mention the slashers. So. Many. Slashers. So join me as I run through all those and more as I count down my top ten horror movies of 2023!!

A quiz show to test your horror knowledge. What is this year's Professional Horror Podcast Quiz Show? That's correct. This episode Chris Donovan has brought his friends Megan Pendagast, Carolyn Drake-Coyle, Nichole Cava, and Sean Hogan back to see if they can handle this year's installment of the PHP Quiz Show. He will test their knowledge of found footage, SyFy originals, all things R.L. Stine, and more! So join us as we find out if anyone can dethrone Sean to become the reigning champion of horror trivia!

Happy Halloween! Sorry for the late episode, we showed up in Haddonfield for another Michael Myers romp and turns out he's all the way out in California! So your host Chris Donovan and his guests Megan and Julia Pendagast must go on a road trip to California, avoiding all rest stop bathrooms, to join our pals Michael and Laurie for another Halloween romp. Join us as we discuss Chekov's dumbwaiter, food foreplay, LL Cool J's erotic fiction, and why this movie should've been the proper conclusion to the Michael-Laurie saga. Because Halloween may have passed, but we're still entitled to one good scare!

Happy Halloween! It's that time of year we we dress in costumes, pass out candy, and take to the streets to find our local masked serial killer. At least that's how Haddonfield does it. So that's how your host, Chris Donovan and his guests Megan and Julia plan to celebrate as well. On this episode we go back to a simpler time in the Halloween franchise and review 1981's Halloween 2. I can't think of anything more fun than catching up with our pals Michael Myers, Laurie, Dr. Loomis, and of course, Ben Tramer. So crank up that synth music, hop in your therapeutic tub, and join us for an episode more tasty than a razor blade apple.

It's the new year, so you know what that means? It means your ole pal Chris Donovan is a few days late on making his top ten horror movies of the past year. Don't blame me though: blame 2022, because it brought a whole lot of awesome films to the table to dig through. Between studio horror good enough to make you scream and smile, to streaming services hatching up some delicious films to prey on, to our beloved Shudder dead set on streaming up more classics, 2022 had a lot to offer. So join me as I run down my top ten horror movies of 2022!

A super fun horror quiz show. What is this episode of the Professional Horror Podcast? That's correct! This episode, Chris Donovan has invited four of his friends: Megan Pendagast, Carolyn Drake-Coyle, Sean Hogan, and Nichole Cava to test their horror braaaains to see who will win the first ever Professional Horror Podcast Quiz Show! He will test their knowledge on horror musicals, Stephen King, scream queens, and more! So join us for this hilariously fun time as these four battle it out in a game of horror trivia!

Happy Halloween! What? It's almost Thanksgiving? That doesn't matter because despite the title of the movie, Halloween never ends! Join host Chris Donovan and his fellow band geeks Megan and Julia as they head down into the sewers to find out what our friends Michael and Laurie have been up to in the four years between Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends. We'll chat babysitter murders, killer synth scores, and some guy named Corey. Because Evil never dies, it just gets rebooted.

Happy Halloween! Time for candy and trick-or-treating and...masked serial killers? Huh, guess different towns have different Halloween traditions. At least that's what your host Chris Donovan, and his guests Megan & Julia find out when we visit Haddonfield for a review of the 2021 film Halloween Kills. We'll see what our ole pal Michael is up to as well as learning that maybe the real slasher, was the angry mob we made along the way. Join us for the Kills and come back next week for the End. After all, it's Halloween. And everyone is entitled to one good scare.

It's a graveyard smash! Your old pal, Chris Donovan is facing off with his good friend Nichole, one of the hosts of the Kinky Ladies Book Club, in a horror game for the ages: Monster Mash-Up! A game where we each select two poorly received horror movies and combine them into a Frankenstein's Monster of a movie pitch. Who will win? Will Chris' pairing of 80s slashers pass the test? Or will Nichole double dose of Dark Castle do-overs haunt the competition? Either way, it'll be a fun ride!

2021 had it's ups and downs. On the downside, we all got a lot more aquatinted with the Greek alphabet, but on the plus side, we got a lot of good horror movies. And your lovely friend, Chris Donovan, is here to count down his ten favorites. We got fake documentaries, frat houses, femme fatales, and ferocious furry monstrosities. Also, you know I put a SyFy original movie on this list, right? So join me as I present my list of the heckin' best horror movies of 2021. 

A little while back when Megan and Julia Pendagast joined me, Chris Donovan, to talk about Ginger Snaps, we also spent a lot of time chatting about anything but. So I've decided to cobble together our sidetracks about all things horror, from Hereditary to Goosebumps, Scream to Deep Blue Sea and edit them into a fun bonus episode. I hope you get half as much enjoyment out of this episode as we did, because sidetracking with these two was a blast!

Trick or Treat! I really hope you didn't let that jack o'lantern light go out just yet. Because tonight is when the veil between fellow podcasts is thin. In the spirit of the season, Nichole and Amanda, two of the hosts of the Kinky Ladies Book Club, have crossed through the ether to join me in a discussion about the 2009 Halloween classic, Trick 'r Treat. We talk about The Tape, creepy breathing soundtracks, and how this anthology filled us with the Halloween spirit. So grab some candy, but check it first, and join us for an episode that is sure to be a treat.

You guys heard of the Beast of Bailey Downs? Well my friends Megan and Julia Pendagast are joining me on a journey to track down and slay the beast. Or rather, they're joining me to talk about Ginger Snaps, the werewolf movie about curses both supernatural and totally natural. Grab your monkshood and join us as we discuss the finer points of sisterhood and puberty, but also field hockey and lycanthropy. So enjoy this picture perfect episode all about the delicious holiday cookie: Ginger Snaps.

The accursed year of 2020 is over! And while the year itself was not...like good by any standard, it did provide us with a ton of amazing horror movies. So obviously, your boy Chris Donovan has to count down his favorites. Just like it's obvious he would release his list weeks after the year ended, what a scrub right? Did I include another SyFy original in my list? Is nearly half my list Shudder originals? Did I spend more time talking about the dog in Love and Monsters than the movie itself? I'll never tell. I mean...I will, but you gotta listen to the episode for the answers, I'm not going to answer them in the description. I'm trying to build suspense so you'll listen. Is it working? Anywho, join me as I count down my top ten movies of 2020.

Merry...Midsommar? It may no longer be summertime, but here in 2020, time is meaningless so Carrie and I decided to take a trip to Sweden to discover what she loves (and I don't love) about this strange cult-y movie. We're going head-to-head in an old-fashioned Ari Aster-off! We debate the finer points of this film's structure, characters, and the message its trying to convey. But also, how weird that hair pie stuff is. Will Carrie sway you into joining the cult of Midsommar fans? Or will I, Chris Donovan, convince you to say 'Nah'. Either way, by the end, I'm sure you'll have the strangest smile on your face. 

After 10,000 years, I'm back! Sorry, it's only felt like 10,000 years but I, Chris Donovan, have returned from my prolonged absence and am back in the podcasting game. I am here to answer your most pressing questions. This of course is only if your most pressing question is what I thought the top ten horror movies of 2019 were. If you have another pressing question that will have to wait for another time. Did I include a movie about a pastor who becomes a dinosaur to fight ninjas? Did I actually have 11 movies because I couldn't decide between two and had to have a tie? Did I butcher some Japanese names because I couldn't find videos of their names being said but still wanted to praise their movie? Yes, yes, and unfortunately yes. So join me as I count down the (in my opinion) top ten horror movies of 2019.

Happy New Year! Before we break forward into the new year of 2019 with our hopes and dreams in full bloom, come with me, Chris Donovan, as I look back on the past year in horror and tell you which films warmed my heart the most. Because even though the year might've been rough, we at least had some top-notch horror along the way. Did I have the audacity to put a SyFy original movie in my Top 10? Do I have some controversial things to say about one of the biggest horror movies of the year? Did I put a crime thriller in my Top 10 and say 'whatever, close enough to horror for me?' Yes, yes, and yes I did. So join me as I fly solo to give you guys my ten favorite horror movies of the year.

Happy Halloween!! What? You're saying that it's actually November 13th? Well it's still Halloween in my heart. But for real, your lovely, apologetic, and constantly procrastinating host, Chris Donovan is finally here to discuss the new Halloween film that came out a month ago. He's joined by his buddies Justin Beaucage and Ryan Spooner to talk about and they will take a bite out of this movie like an apple with a razor blade in it. Which one of us was disappointed by the film? Which one is a novice to the Halloween game? And which one of us has developed a crackpot theory about the making of this film? (Spoiler: that last one is me, Chris Donovan). So crack open that last bag of candy corn and listen to us dive into the biggest movie of the fall: Halloween. Not the Rob Zombie one...or the original one...the third movie to be called Halloween.   Also I'm sorry about the delay, real life got in the way of me getting an episode out to you in time for Halloween. Also apologies to the podcasters in this movie because I ragged on them for not making time sensitive content and here I am uploading a Halloween review on November 13th. I'm a fool in man's shoes.

Welcome to Hell! Chris Donovan is back with another quick hit review this time talking about the brand new horror film, Hell Fest. Chris is a sucker for slashers but how does Hell Fest stack up. Well if you think Chris fell for this film's slick design, lovely camera work, and fun cast of characters...then you're right. I really enjoyed this film. So come on, grab your VIP pass, grab your significant other, and join me in line as we wait to get into the haunted house attraction of the season: Hell Fest.

Hey guys, Chris Donovan coming at you with a quick hit review. I saw Assassination Nation on Thursday and I had to talk about it so I went solo and recorded a really quick, spoiler-free review for the new film. I hope you like the episode and I hope you like this quick review format. I hope to have a few of these out for you this Halloween season, including next week for Hell Fest!!

Happy Birthday!! It's a special day here at PHP because it is the birthday of not just your lovely and handsome host, Chris Donovan, but it's also the birthday of our guest this week, Alex Reale!! So it only makes sense that on such a wonderful day, the two of us open up this absolute gift to the world, the 2012 film Cabin in the Woods. Join the birthday boys as we go down into the cellar and see what monsters await us. We discuss what-ifs, potential spin-offs, and who we'd like to have in charge or keeping the world safe. We also geek out about what is, for Chris Donovan's money, the greatest five minutes in film history. So what are you waiting for: let's get this party started!

Spelunking anyone? Carrie is back to join ya boy, Chris Donovan as we descend into a conversation about the classic 2005 Neil Marshall film, The Descent. Along the way we will talk about director tropes, Hudsons, and sex shop glowsticks as we try to distill what about The Descent is so awe-inspiring? Is it it's impeccable cinematography? Is it the wonderful characters? Is it the claustrophobic tension? Or is it just some cool monsters? Spoiler Alert: It's all of the above. So what are you waiting for? Put on your helmet and climbing gear and join us as we lose our minds talking about what is collectively, one of our favorite movies. You won't need night vision to see how much we love talking about The Descent.

SHH! Some of us are trying to read. Not every horror movie adapted from a book leaves the good stuff on the page. Sometimes, they capture the words and project it on screen bigger and better than we could've even imagined. Carolyn is back with your ole pal, Chris Donovan and we're gonna have ourselves a chat about what happens when horror leaps off the page and infects the silver screen. We also talk about how sharks are awesome and how unfair it is that book to TV episodes don't count to this list, but it's mostly about the cool horror films. From classic black and white tales of suspense to 2018 Netflix monster movies and everything in between. And yes, Stephen King's name gets mentioned a few times. So take a seat by the fireplace and let Carrie and Chris regale you with a tale of what happens when books become movies.

What's down that path over there? Well Chris Donovan and his guest Carolyn Drake-Coyle will show you. It goes all the way down to the Pet Sematary, a place where the dead speak! And also a fun but not great film that boasts a ton of quotable lines and questionable decisions. Join us as we discuss the 1989 Stephen King adaptation brought to us by the director of Halloweentown II and Mega Python vs Gatoroid. We'll air our grievances about how this adaptation falters whereas the book soars like a kite, we'll talk about what we're hoping for in the upcoming remake, and we'll even tell you the perfect Movie Night pairing with this film because we're super cool. So enjoy! And don't forget: sometimes...dead is better, Carolyn and I just wish this movie was too.

Great party, isn't it! Sorry it's been a while since our last episode. I got this job taking care of this giant hotel over the winter called The Overlook and it's been consuming all of my time. I've been running through this place so much, I thought I was going to go crazy. Luckily my friend Megan Pendagast was able to stop by so we could chat about the 1980 Stanley Kubrick film, The Shining. We got to talk about what-ifs behind the making of the film, the endless amount of theories this film has produced, and settle the age old question of The Shining movie vs The Shining novel. So join Megan and I as we grab ourselves a glass of ghost whiskey, book a stay in Room 237, and have a fun chat about all things Shining. Afterall, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy!

It's just a bunch of hocus pocus! It's Halloween tonight in Salem so why don't you join Chris Donovan and his guest Sarah David as they visit the old Sanderson house? We'll be here until sunrise talking about the 1993 Disney classic Hocus Pocus. So come on: leave your weird colonial Halloween party, grab your lucky rat tail, down a empty cup of cider, and join us as we brew up a scary fun time. Just don't light any candles when you're in here, because they can be a witch to put out.    Also big shoutout to Marshall Hicks and Kat Wells from the incredible Boys and Ghouls podcast. Kat was nice enough to let me use her cover of 'Come Little Children' in this episode. Check them out at boysandghouls.podbean.com or you can listen to their show on iTunes as well. Just listen to one episode and I guarantee they'll put a spell on you.

Welcome to the Loser's Club!! We've been looking for new members since our last few have mysteriously disappeared. The only members left are our fearless leader Chris Donovan and his buddies Justin Beaucage and Ryan Spooner. Join us as we take a trip to Derry, Maine and check out every sewer, circus, and haunted house to find the new clown show. We've heard it's a real scream! By that I mean, we're going to talk about the 2017 smash hit movie It and the Stephen King novel it is based on. I don't know, I try to get all fancy with episode descriptions because I'm weird like that.

We're bad to the bone! Sean Hogan is back on the show with host Chris Donovan for an odyssey of awful. In this episode we talk about our favorite affronts to the basic tenents of storytelling. Movies that failed on many levels but succeeded in winning our hearts. We'll see magic shows and musicals and mysteries, oh my! Sean and I have a lot to talk about today, so what are you waiting for? Join us for talk of killer sheep, claymation bears, dinosaur detectives, and dominatrixes. Yeah, it's a weird episode...

It's good to be bad! We all enjoy watching good horror movies but there's something about getting together with some friends and watching an awful horror movie that can't be beat. To celebrate that feeling, I joined with one of my best friends to talk about a movie that will add some energy to everyone's 'Bad Movie Night'. Join Sean and I as we accept the challenge of discussing Rock 'N Roll Nightmare, a movie with bad Australian accents, polite Canadian harbingers, weird looking puppets, and tons of awful sex scenes. So get your friends together, grab a Coca Cola Classic, and get ready to jam out because here at PHP, we live to rock!

Let's get this party started! Justin Beaucage is back on the show with host Chris Donovan to throw a party at our house on Willow Street. Join us as we play the Monster Mash-Up, a game where each of us pick a horror movie to mix with From a House on Willow Street and then pitch our respective Frankenstein of a movie. Which pitch will come out victorious? Will it be the one where Hazel and her crew have to face-off with Jacob Goodnight, or the one where they venture past Willow Street to a House on Haunted Hill? That's for you to decide. Either way, it'll be a graveyard smash!

Welcome to our house on Willow Street. Justin Beaucage and I are delighted you could join us. Don't be shy, let yourself in, help youself to an apple, and leave your claw ring by the door. Just don't go upstairs, something smells up there. Join us as we discuss the new film 'From a House on Willow Street', the story of a possesed girl, and the poor souls that kidnapped her. Is it a diamond in the rough, or will watching this film leave you feeling burned? All I can say, is that listening to this podcast will mean you're the furthest place on the planet from bored. 

Be careful, this is where Chris Donovan and his guest Ryan Spooner come back for one last scare. Join us as we bring you through the moments we thought we had certain horror movies figured out only for them to turn the table on us in those cruical last frames. We venture inside Dr. Caligari's cabinet, book a room at the Overlook Hotel, and try to make sure we don't miss Mary Shaw's ventriloquist show on our way. Make sure you keep your wits about you for the ending of this episode because a fake-out might be coming your way. There isn't one, don't worry. Or is there?

  APRIL FOOL'S!!! That's what this group of college kids keeps saying during their lovely island vacation. It's April 1st and tis the season for whoopie cushions, collapsable chairs and dribble glasses. But not everyone on the island is in a joking mood. Someone is up to something on this island and they're not playing around--or are they?? Join Chris Donovan and his guest Ryan Spooner as they share their 'WELL-th' of knowledge about this 1986 gem, April Fool's Day. You'd have to be a fool to miss this one.

Everyone is entitled to one good scare! Join Chris Donovan and his first guest, Dan Lawton as they journey to Haddonfield to discuss what happened the night HE came home. Also stick around for some professional-grade suggestions for what movies you should watch on All Hallows Eve. So grab yourself a bag of clearance candy, turn off the lights, but don't put out that Jack O'Lantern just yet. Because the Boogeyman is coming!