The Last Theater

The Saw series has been extremely popular over the years, but, as the movies went on, the formula that made the original Saw in 2004 work so well had become rather tired. The bloody traps were almost always fun, but the stories and characters became more convoluted and shallow as new entries in the series were pumped out year after year. 2017's Jigsaw attempted to breathe new life into the legacy of John Kramer, but the results felt weighted down by the past. Was 2021's Spiral able to revive the franchise with a fresh take on the Jigsaw killer's philosophy? Find out in the latest episode of The Last Theater podcast!

In 2004, Concrete, a movie based on the horrific real-life murder of Junko Furuta, was released in Japan. Was Concrete able to pull something meaningful and worthwhile out of the tragedy that had occurred about fifteen years prior, or was the movie just an ill-advised attempt at pulling the wrong messages out of the wrong places? Find out in this brief review in the latest episode of The Last Theater.

We have come to the end. We've re-watched every film in the Nightmare on Elm Street series, and in this episode we take a look back at that experience and discuss this highly influential horror franchise as a whole. We discuss our favorite moments, some of the video games inspired by the series, possible ways to bring the franchise back, the box office history of the series, some of the overarching themes in Freddy Krueger's journey, and lots more. And of course, we each rank the series in order from our least to most favorite!Download and subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode:The Last Theater on iTunesCheck us out on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/5avwVSMlTuPNr1kQ35vDIyTotal Run Time: 1:26:16Additional Music:Selections from the A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) score by Charles Bernstein“Dream Weaver” by Gary Wright from the album The Dream Weaver

The 2010 remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street came late in a cycle of horror remakes that produced repackaged classics of wildly varying quality. Jackie Earle Haley had his work cut out for him attempting to take over the role of Freddy Krueger made legendary by Robert Englund, but could the movie come through with something new and exciting like Wes Craven's original did decades before? Find out in part nine of our Nightmare on Elm Street franchise retrospective!Download the show here:A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) – Podcast Episode 50Download and subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode:The Last Theater on iTunesCheck us out on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/5avwVSMlTuPNr1kQ35vDIyTotal Run Time: 52:50Theme music: “Rising Game” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Additional Music:Selections from the A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) score by Steve Jablonsky“All I Have To Do Is Dream” by The Everly Brothers

Since Freddy vs. Jason is a part of two wildly popular horror franchises, we once again discuss this ultimate battle of slasher icons. This time, we take a look at the movie from the perspective of it being a part of the Nightmare on Elm Street series. Does it work as a sequel and final entry in the original run of Nightmare movies, or is better viewed as a spinoff like Wes Craven's New Nightmare? And how does Freddy fare while battling Jason for screen time and kills? Find out in episode 49 of the Last Theater!Download the show here:Freddy vs Jason (Nightmare Perspective) – Podcast Episode 49Download and subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode:The Last Theater on iTunesCheck us out on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/5avwVSMlTuPNr1kQ35vDIyTotal Run Time: 1:18:03Theme music: “Rising Game” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Additional Music:Selections from the Freddy vs. Jason score by Graeme Revell“(We Were) Electrocute” by Type O Negative from the Freddy vs. Jason soundtrack

New Nightmare is a movie that draws upon the real world in order to breathe new life into an idea that had strayed far away from Wes Craven's original vision. Would this super-meta take on Freddy Krueger prove to be a welcome addition to the franchise? Find out in the seventh part of our ten-episode retrospective covering the entirety of the Nightmare on Elm Street film franchise!Download the show here:Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994) - Podcast Episode 48Download and subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode:The Last Theater on iTunesCheck us out on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/5avwVSMlTuPNr1kQ35vDIyTotal Run Time: 1:11:48Theme music: "Rising Game" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Additional Music:Selections from the Wes Craven's New Nightmare soundtrack by J. Peter Robinson

It was the sixth entry in the Nightmare on Elm Street series, and it was promised to show us the actual, final death of Freddy Krueger. Is Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare a worthy exit for an iconic slasher, or is it a step too far away from Wes Craven's original idea for it to feel like any sort of satisfying closure for the series? Find out in the sixth episode of The Last Theater's complete Nightmare on Elm Street franchise retrospective!Download the show here:Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991) - Podcast Episode 47Download and subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode:The Last Theater on iTunesCheck us out on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/5avwVSMlTuPNr1kQ35vDIyTotal Run Time: 53:43Theme music: "Rising Game" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Additional Music:Selections from the Freddy's Dead: The The Final Nightmare soundtrack by Brian May"Why Was I Born (Freddy's Dead)" by Iggy Pop

Though it has its moments,The Dream Child was an entry that felt like the Nightmare on Elm Street Series was running out of ideas. Or maybe they had too many ideas to sensibly deal with. Either way, the movie is kind of a mess. Listen as we try to find the positive aspects of the fifth entry in the series (and the second battle between Freddy and Alice) in The Last Theater's continuing Nightmare on Elm Street franchise retrospective! Download the show here:A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989) - Podcast Episode 46Download and subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode:The Last Theater on iTunesCheck us out on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/5avwVSMlTuPNr1kQ35vDIyTotal Run Time: 43:05Theme music: "Rising Game" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Additional MusicSelections from the A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child soundtrack by Jay Ferguson"Let's Go" by Kool Moe Dee from the A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child soundtrack

The final surviving Elm Street kids are back for part four of the series, but Freddy Krueger has plans to move beyond the last of his intended victims. The Dream Master is a movie with a troubled production, but the movie itself is pretty fun. Find out how everything came together and how entertaining it is decades later as we discuss A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, on The Last Theater podcast!Download the show here:A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988) - Podcast Episode 45Download and subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode:The Last Theater on iTunesCheck us out on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/5avwVSMlTuPNr1kQ35vDIyTotal Run Time: 1:05:56Theme music: "Rising Game" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Additional MusicSelections from the A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master soundtrack by Craig Safan"Are You Ready for Freddy" by The Fat Boys from the album Coming Back Hard Again

The Guinea Pig series is a set of movies that has become famous, but the second film, Flower of Flesh and Blood, stands above all the rest. It's a movie that has a lot of blood and gore, but there's so much more to it than that. It's an artistic splatter movie that achieves a status reached by few movies of its genre. Find out why the movie works so well, and how its associations with real-life situations caused it to become one of the most infamous movies to ever come from Japan.Download the show here:Flower of Flesh and Blood – Podcast Episode 44Download and subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode:The Last Theater on iTunesCheck us out on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/5avwVSMlTuPNr1kQ35vDIyTotal Run Time: 29:56Theme music: “Rising Game” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Nancy is back in Springwood to face her nightmares, but this time she's using her experience to support Freddy's new Elm Street targets, Kristen and her troubled group of new friends. With a great cast including Patricia Arquette in her feature film debut, a fun story that logically expands on the mythology of Freddy Krueger, and a series of memorable nightmares, why does A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors work so well? Find out in this, episode three of a ten-part franchise retrospective for the entire Nightmare movie franchise!

The seconds Nightmare on Elm Street movie took a very different approach to the mythology of Freddy Krueger. More of a haunted house and possession movie, Freddy's Revenge was rushed into production after the success of the first film in the series. While its merits as a slasher movie and an entry in the Nightmare series are debatable, the not-so-subtle subtext about the main character has become what the movie is best known for. Listen as we discuss all of this and more as we look at A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's revenge in the second part of a ten-episode franchise retrospective for the Nightmare on Elm Street series!

In 1984, Wes Craven introduced a new kind of horror movie to audiences. In a world where silent, masked killers were falling out of favor with mainstream audiences, Freddy Krueger slipped into everyone's dreams with nightmarish charisma and creepiness. Though it was a movie that spawned a franchise of increasingly silly sequels, the first A Nightmare on Elm Street is a beautiful and terrifying work of art. Listen as chris and Joey discuss the first Nightmare movie in episode one of a ten part retrospective covering every single movie in the series! Download and subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode:The Last Theater on iTunesCheck us out on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/5avwVSMlTuPNr1kQ35vDIyTotal Run Time: 1:40:26Theme music: "Rising Game" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Additional Music: Selections from the A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) Soundtrack by Charles Bernstein

Great ghost stories often have a strong sense of psychological horror to go along with the spooks and scares. The Turning is a movie that starts strong with its story of a possible descent into madness, but it's also a movie that threatens to derail all its good work with a highly divisive final act. Find out all about it in my review of The Turning in episode 40 of The Last Theater!Download and subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode:The Last Theater on iTunesCheck us out on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/5avwVSMlTuPNr1kQ35vDIyTotal Run Time: 28:41Theme music: "Rising Game" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Additional Music: "The Brakes" by Warpaint & The Turning, "Mother" by Courtney Love & The Turning, both from The Turning soundtrack

Though underwater monster movies might be a niche sub-genre, and though there are more than a few lackluster movies that fit into the same category, Underwater rises above many of its type with a great cast, a fun and tense atmosphere, and some great monsters. Listen to the latest episode of The Last Theater to find out how everything came together to create a memorable experience that fans of underwater monsters will likely want to revisit again and again.Download and subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode:The Last Theater on iTunesCheck us out on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/5avwVSMlTuPNr1kQ35vDIyTotal Run Time: 32:07Theme music: "Rising Game" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Additional Music: "Bikini Run" by Marco Beltrami & Brandon Roberts from the Underwater soundtrack, "Get Ready" by The Temptations from the album Gettin' Ready

Ju-On: The Grudge was one of the most popular movies in the j-horror explosion that captured the fear and imagination of the world. It's seventeen years later though, so can an American remake/soft reboot hope to recapture even a little of the atmosphere that captivated audiences so long ago? Find out in episode 38 of The Last Theater!Total Run Time: 39:41Theme music: "Rising Game" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Additional Music: "Lost Ones" and "We Get What We Deserve" by The Newton Brothers (featuring Dead Sara) from The Grudge soundtrack

The original Black Christmas is a classic horror movie that helped shape the slashers that followed it, and its socially aware messages still resonate today. The second remake of the original, 2019's Black Christmas, is a movie with similar aspirations. This modern reinterpretation tried hard to create something significant and meaningful, but the end result feels like less than the sum of its parts. Find out why in the latest episode of The Last Theater!Download and subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode:The Last Theater on iTunesCheck us out on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/5avwVSMlTuPNr1kQ35vDIyTotal Run Time: 38:14Theme music: “Rising Game” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Additional Music: “Opening” and “Up in the Frat House” from the Black Christmas soundtrack by Will Blair & Brooke Blair

My experience with Countdown has been a strange one. I went from disbelief, to grudging acceptance, to a powerful indifference with the span of a few hours. Find out why as I review and lightly analyze Countdown in the latest episode of The Last Theater!Total Run Time: 26:10Theme music: "Rising Game" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Additional Music: "Matt & Quinn" from the Countdown Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, composed by Danny Bensi & Saunder Jurriaans

We've come to the end of the Halloween road for now. Every movie currently in the Halloween franchise has been discussed, so now all that's left is to rank them! Plus, we have more fun with lists, stats, and some extra commentary that we didn't fit into the previous episodes! We share some surprises we experienced while watching all eleven Halloween movies so close together, and chris comes up with an idea for a new movie containing six actors picked from the casts of the Halloween franchise!Total Run Time: 1:24:29Theme music: "Rising Game" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Additional Music: Halloween theme composed by John Carpenter

In 2018, forty years after the original Halloween, John Carpenter and Jamie Lee Curtis returned to Haddonfield with a direct sequel to the original movie. The hype was huge, but did the actual movie live up to the hopes and expectations we had from the buildup? Find out as we discuss Halloween (2018) in the eleventh of twelve episode covering the entire Halloween franchise in The Last Theater!

Rob Zombie's second Halloween movie was even further removed from the 1978 original, but did that actually free it from the restraints of a reboot and make it a better movie? Halloween II is absolutely violent and often strange, but there's a heart to it that Zombie's first Halloween never quite achieved. Find out what we think about this divisive entry in the Halloween franchise in the tenth episode of The Last Theater's complete Halloween retrospective!

Rob Zombie reimagined Michael Myers, Laurie Strode, and Dr. Loomis in 2007, but does his focus on Michael's background help or hurt the effectiveness of the classic story? Chris and Joey discuss this question and many more in the ninth of twelve episodes covering the entirety of the Halloween franchise!Total Run Time: 1:11:30Theme music: "Rising Game" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Additional Music: "Love Hurts" by Nazareth from the album Hair of the Dog, Halloween theme composed by John Carpenter

In 2002, story of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode continued, but Halloween Resurrection ironically ended both of their stories in different ways. Halloween Resurrection is a mess of a movie with baffling creative decisions from start to finish. But is there anything worth watching in the eighth Halloween movie? Find out as chris and Joey discuss Halloween Resurrection in the eighth of twelve episodes covering the entirety of the Halloween franchise! Total Run Time: 56:43Theme music: "Rising Game" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Additional Music: Selections from the Halloween Resurrection soundtrack by Danny Lux, Halloween theme composed by John Carpenter

As the 20th anniversary of the original Halloween approached, Jamie Lee Curtis agreed to return to the series that had helped start her career. Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later ignored the previous three sequels and refocused the series on the effects of Michael's attacks and the trauma Laurie Strode had spent twenty years trying to cope with. Was the seventh movie in the Halloween franchise a return to form? Find out as chris and Joey discuss Halloween H20 in the seventh of twelve episodes covering the entirety of the Halloween franchise!Total Run Time: 1:01:29Theme music: "Rising Game" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Additional Music: Selections from the Halloween H20 soundtrack by John Ottman and Marco Beltrami, Halloween theme composed by John Carpenter

In an attempt to tie together and explain many of the plot threads introduced in the previous movies, the sixth Halloween ended up being a disappointment for many people. Is there anything to love in this installment, or did the many behind-the-scenes disagreements end up completely derailing what finally made it to the screen? Also, is the producer's cut any better? Find out as chris and Joey take a look at Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers in the latest episode of The Last Theater's complete Halloween franchise retrospective!Total Run Time: 1:17:48Theme music: "Rising Game" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Additional Music: Selections from the Halloween 6 soundtrack by Alan Howarth, Halloween theme composed by John Carpenter

The fifth Halloween movie, released in 1989, continued the story of Michael Myers, Jamie, and Dr. Loomis, but it failed to live up to the expectations set by the well-crafted ending of part four. The filmmaking and creative decisions are odd and plentiful in Halloween 5, but is it a worthy entry in the series? Find out as we discuss Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers in the fifth of twelve episodes in our Halloween franchise retrospective!Total Run Time: 54:28Theme music: "Rising Game" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Additional Music: Selections from the Halloween 5 soundtrack by Alan Howarth, Halloween theme composed by John Carpenter

In 1988, decade after the original Halloween, Michael Myers returned home to Haddonfield. Instead of stalking his sister Laurie though, Michael's target this time was his niece Jamie. Halloween 4 was a new start for the series, but did the additions to the legacy of the Myers family help or hurt the franchise? Find out in episode four of The Last Theater's look back at the entire Halloween franchise!

After two successful outings with Michael Myers, the Halloween franchise decided to try something different with the third film, Season of the Witch. It's a movie that can be divisive for some since it is so different from anything else in the series, but is a good movie on its own? Find out as chris and Joey discuss Halloween III: Season of the Witch in the third episode of their Halloween franchise retrospective!Theme music: "Rising Game" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Additional Music:"Chariots of Pumpkins" by John Carpenter and Alan Howarth from the Halloween III: Season of the Witch soundtrack."Stonehenge" by Spinal Tap from the This is Spinal Tap soundtrack.

For viewers, three years had passed since Michael Myers returned home, but for Laurie Strode and Dr. Loomis, their night of terror would continue. In a lot of ways, Halloween II from 1981 is a very different film from John Carpenter's original masterpiece, but do the increases in blood and bodies help or hurt the sequel? This is one of the many questions chris and Joey discuss as they look back at two versions of Halloween II (theatrical and TV) in the latest episode of The Last Theater.Total Run Time: 68:04Theme music: "Rising Game" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Additional Music:Halloween II theme music as composed by John Carpenter in association with Alan Howarth."Mr. Sandman" by The Chordettes from the album Mr. Sandman / I Don't Want to See You Crying

Chris welcomes Joey back to The Last Theater as they start their journey towards October 31st. In this first episode of their franchise retrospective of the series that started a slasher craze, they take a look at the original Halloween from 1978.Episode Length: 55:27Theme music: “Rising Game” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Additional music: Halloween theme music as composed by John Carpenter

Brightburn is a twisted version of the superhero origin story we've grown accustomed to over the years. It's been advertised as a horror movie first and a superhero movie second. But is it scary? Does it even work as a horror movie or as a superhero story? Find out my thoughts as I discuss Brightburn in episode 23 of The Last Theater. Download the show here: Brightburn – Podcast Episode 23 Download and subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode: The Last Theater on the Left on iTunes Non-spoiler review: 0:00 – 19:16 Spoiler-filled reactions: 19:16 – 32:22 Total Run Time: 32:22 Theme music: “Rising Game” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 The intermission & outro include the Brightburn theme music as composed by Timothy Williams Thanks for listening! If you like what you hear, please leave a review on iTunes. And if you have something you want to tell us about the show or anything else, leave a comment here or send us a message on Facebook!    

Netflix's new interpretation of Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House is chilling, heart-wrenching, dramatic, and at times rather scary. Listen to episode 22 of The Last Theater podcast for my take on what worked well, what fell a little flat, and how this new interpretation stacks up to the source material and some of its other adaptations. Download the show here: The Haunting of Hill House (2018) – Podcast Episode 22 Download and subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode: The Last Theater on the Left on iTunes Non-spoiler review: 0:00 – 24:50 Spoiler-filled reactions: 24:50 – 40:54 Total Run Time: 40:54 Theme music: “Rising Game” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 The following songs used in this episode are all by The Newton Brothers from The Haunting of Hill House score: Intro background: “The Haunting of Hill House (Main Titles)” Intermission: “Whatever Walked There, Walked Alone” Outro: “The End” Thanks for listening! If you like what you hear, please leave a review on iTunes. And if you have something you want to tell us about the show or anything else, leave a comment here or send us a message on Facebook!    

We have reached the end, the end of it all. Join chris and Joey as they discuss the final film in John Carpenter's Apocalypse Trilogy, In the Mouth of Madness! With such great movies to live up to, can In the Mouth of Madness live up to the standard set by The Thing and Prince of Darkness, or does the world finally end with a whimper? Listen as we share our thoughts in episode 21 of the Last Theater podcast! Download the show here: In the Mouth of Madness (1994) – Podcast Episode 21 Download and subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode: The Last Theater on the Left on iTunes Total Run Time: 40:00 Theme music: “Rising Game” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Outro song: “In the Mouth of Madness” by John Carpenter, Jim Lang, and Dave Davies from the In the Mouth of Madness soundtrack Thanks for listening! If you like what you hear, please leave a review on iTunes. And if you have something you want to tell us about the show or anything else, leave a comment here or send us a message on Facebook!    

Join chris and Joey as they discuss the second part of John Carpenter's “Apocalypse Trilogy,” Prince of Darkness! With its focus on blurring the lines between science and religion, Prince of Darkness is a movie that touches on some deep philosophical ideas while still giving viewers plenty of murder and scares. But do those scares (and the special effects) hold up over thirty years later? Listen and find out! Download the show here: Prince of Darkness (1987) – Podcast Episode 20 Download and subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode: The Last Theater on the Left on iTunes Total Run Time: 1:06:10 Theme music: “Rising Game” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Outro song: “Prince of Darkness” by Alice Cooper from the album Raise Your Fist and Yell Thanks for listening! If you like what you hear, please leave a review on iTunes. And if you have something you want to tell us about the show or anything else, leave a comment here or send us a message on Facebook!    

Deriving its terror from over-the-top body horror as well as unnerving psychological uncertainty, The Thing is an absolute classic. It is a movie that works on multiple levels and contains themes that run deeper than casual viewers might realize. Join chris and Joey in episode 19 of the Last Theater on the Left Podcast as they begin their journey into John Carpenter's Apocalypse Trilogy with a look at 1982's The Thing! Download the show here: The Thing (1982) – Podcast Episode 19 Download and subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode: The Last Theater on the Left on iTunes Total Run Time: 50:07 Theme music: “Rising Game” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Outro song: “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder from the album Talking Book Thanks for listening! If you like what you hear, please leave a review on iTunes. And if you have something you want to tell us about the show or anything else, leave a comment here or send us a message on Facebook!    

Every year there seems to be a lot of debating about what is and isn't a “real” Christmas movie. Does Die Hard count? What about Gremlins? (For the record, they both qualify.) And what about horror movies? Can a movie designed to frighten and disturb you really embody the holiday spirit? Well, with its focus on family, friends, and a mysterious man sneaking into a house to give gifts in the form of bloody murders, I say Black Christmas certainly qualifies as a film fit for holiday consumption. With its stellar cast and clever direction by Bob Clark, the man who is also responsible for Porky's and A Christmas Story, 1974's Black Christmas is a holiday tradition at The Last Theater on the Left. Listen to episode 18 of the podcast as chris and Joey discuss why the film is so effective, how it served as a sort of midway point between the Italian giallo films and the American slashers that were to come, and how the movie's chilling ending might have more to it than we see. Download the show here: Black Christmas (1974) – Podcast Episode 18 Download and subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode: The Last Theater on the Left on iTunes Total Run Time: 51:04 Theme music: “Rising Game” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Thanks for listening! If you like what you hear, please leave a review on iTunes. And if you have something you want to tell us about the show or anything else, leave a comment here or send us a message on Facebook!

The Crow is one of those rare films where everything seems to come together to create something that transcends the genre it exists within. It is a comic book tale of revenge, but it is so much more than that. It is a story of love and loss, and of the pain of letting go when people we care about are taken away from us. It is a story about Eric Draven, but it is just as much a story about the actor who brought him to life, Brandon Lee. It is an extremely powerful movie for many reasons. From the filmmakers, to the supporting cast, to the star-making performance from Brandon, The Crow is a film in which means as much today as it did when it was made. Listen to episode 17 of The Last Theater on the Left podcast as chris and Joey break down the film from its comic book origins all the way up to what it means to watch the movie all these years later. Download the show here: The Crow (1994) – Podcast Episode 17 Download and subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode: The Last Theater on the Left on iTunes Total Run Time: 1:16:22 Theme music: “Rising Game” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Thanks for listening! If you like what you hear, please leave a review on iTunes. And if you have something you want to tell us about the show or anything else, leave a comment here or send us a message on Facebook!

The journey has come to an end. We've watched and discussed every film in the Friday the 13th franchise. So what else is there to say? Plenty. Join chris and Joey as they rank every movie in the series from worst to best and discuss how the films fare in the eyes of critics, fans, and the box office. Beyond the lists and ranking, chris and Joey dig deeper into some of the movies and discuss stuff that hit the cutting room floor, some good, some really, really bad. They also dig into some of the themes within the series and reveal whether the “Jason as a defender of morality” theme is actually present in what happens on-screen. Listen to all that and more (including chris' dream cast and movie spin-off idea) in the finale of The Last Theater on the Left's marathon of 13 daily podcasts covering the entirety of the Friday the 13th franchise! Download the show here: Friday the 13th Franchise Wrap-up – Podcast Episode 16 Download and subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode: The Last Theater on the Left on iTunes Total Run Time: 1:21:15 Theme music: “Rising Game” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Thanks for listening! If you like what you hear, please leave a review on iTunes. And if you have something you want to tell us about the show or anything else, leave a comment here or send us a message on Facebook!

After years of meandering away from the formula established in the early films in the Friday the 13th franchise (before going off the rails completely), Jason Voorhees joined so many other classic characters in getting a remake. This film is definitely a modernized reimagining of the series and characters, but is it any good? Does it feel like a Friday the 13th movie or is it just a part of the Voorhees legacy in name only? Listen to night twelve of The Last Theater on the Left's marathon of 13 daily podcasts to hear chris and Joey discuss what worked and what didn't (without being influenced by any of the automatic stigma that many people seemingly attach to any remake). Download the show here: Friday the 13th (2009) – Podcast Episode 15 Download and subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode: The Last Theater on the Left on iTunes Total Run Time: 1:07:26 Theme music: “Rising Game” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Thanks for listening! If you like what you hear, please leave a review on iTunes. And if you have something you want to tell us about the show or anything else, leave a comment here or send us a message on Facebook!

Jason is raised from the dead once again, but this time he's not alone. Freddy sets Jason loose on Elm Street in order to sow fear into the minds of those who have forgotten him, but Jason isn't the type of monster who is easy to control. This was quite the event-movie when it was released, but does it hold up today? Is Freddy vs Jason the fight of the century, or were the hopes and expectations too high for it to ever be a success? And if the movie does work, does it work better as a Friday the 13th movie, a Nightmare on Elm Street movie, or a balanced combination of the two? Find out the answers to these and other questions on night eleven of The Last Theater on the Left's marathon of 13 podcast episodes covering the entirety of the Friday the 13th film franchise! Download the show here: Freddy vs Jason – Podcast Episode 14 Download and subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode: The Last Theater on the Left on iTunes Total Run Time: 47:41 Theme music: “Rising Game” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Thanks for listening! If you like what you hear, please leave a review on iTunes. And if you have something you want to tell us about the show or anything else, leave a comment here or send us a message on Facebook!

Where do horror franchises go when they run out of good ideas? Apparently they go to outer space. Although, a slasher movie on a spaceship isn't the worst idea. The potential for claustrophobic tension built in endlessly twisting corridors with no escape is pretty great. It's been done previously, and it's been done well. Does Jason X deserve to be in the same sentence as some of the great sci-fi horror movies like Alien? You probably already know the answer to that, but it could still be campy fun, right? Listen to night ten of The Last Theater on the Left's marathon of 13 daily podcasts covering the entirety of the Friday the 13th franchise to find out what chris and Joey have to say about that question and so many more! Download the show here: Jason X – Podcast Episode 13 Download and subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode: The Last Theater on the Left on iTunes Total Run Time: 46:34 Theme music: “Rising Game” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Thanks for listening! If you like what you hear, please leave a review on iTunes. And if you have something you want to tell us about the show or anything else, leave a comment here or send us a message on Facebook!

With its move to New Line Cinema, the Friday the 13th franchise has dropped the “Friday the 13th” from the title. That seems entirely appropriate given that Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday barely feels like a Friday the 13th movie at all. Instead, this is a movie about magic and body swapping that invents all sorts of new things about the character they call Jason Voorhees despite the fact that Jason is barely in the movie at all. Does this new spin on the character work either as a continuation of the series (which was already getting increasingly bizarre) or as a standalone movie with few connections to previous films? Listen as chris and Joey discuss this and more in night nine of The Last Theater on the Left's marathon of 13 daily podcasts dedicated to the entirety of the Friday the 13th franchise! Download the show here: Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday – Podcast Episode 12 Download and subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode: The Last Theater on the Left on iTunes Total Run Time: 38:20 Theme music: “Rising Game” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Thanks for listening! If you like what you hear, please leave a review on iTunes. And if you have something you want to tell us about the show or anything else, leave a comment here or send us a message on Facebook!

In this, night eight of The Last Theater on the Left's marathon of 13 daily podcasts covering the entirety of the Friday the 13th franchise, chris and Joey discuss the slightly misnamed Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan. Sure, Jason Voorhees winds up in New York City for a portion of the movie, but the majority of the film (and murder) takes place on a cruise ship. A cruise ship that started its journey in Crystal Lake. Sound implausible? Well, try not to think about it too hard. You might enjoy the journey more that way. Download the show here: Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan – Podcast Episode 11 Download and subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode: The Last Theater on the Left on iTunes Total Run Time: 48:09 Theme music: “Rising Game” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Thanks for listening! If you like what you hear, please leave a review on iTunes. And if you have something you want to tell us about the show or anything else, leave a comment here or send us a message on Facebook!

Tommy's time with Jason is over, but Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood introduces a main character, Tina, who, much like Tommy, is haunted by her traumatic past. The similarity to Tommy is clear, but listen to this, night seven of The Last Theater on the Left's series of 13 daily podcasts, to find out how Tina is also written to somewhat mirror Jason Voorhees. In this episode, chris and Joey attempt to make sense of the movie and draw out the plot points that actually have a lot of meaning, despite what the story-squashing presence of Jason (and some of the questionable decisions from the filmmakers). It all ends with a completely implausible battle of mind versus matter, but is the movie actually better than chris and Joey remember it being? Download the show here: Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood – Podcast Episode 10 Download and subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode: The Last Theater on the Left on iTunes Total Run Time: 38:55 Theme music: “Rising Game” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Thanks for listening! If you like what you hear, please leave a review on iTunes. And if you have something you want to tell us about the show or anything else, leave a comment here or send us a message on Facebook!

Tommy Jarvis returns once again, and this time he's looking for closure. Unfortunately for the people of Camp Forest Green (formerly Camp Crystal Lake), Tommy screws up in a major way and brings the man behind the mask, Jason Voorhees, back from his grave. Friday the 13th Part VI is the debut of zombie-Jason, and he brings some very obvious comedy to the series in a way the movies haven't really attempted before. Does it work, or is it too big of a departure from what has comes before? Check out the sixth installment of The Last Theater on the Left's series of 13 daily podcast episodes to find out what chris and Joey think! Download the show here: Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives – Podcast Episode 9  Download and subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode: The Last Theater on the Left on iTunes Total Run Time: 47:46 Theme music: “Rising Game” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Thanks for listening! If you like what you hear, please leave a review on iTunes. And if you have something you want to tell us about the show or anything else, leave a comment here or send us a message on Facebook!

Jason Voorhees is finally dead! Or is he? Will he ever truly be dead if he lives on in the minds of the people he terrorized? People like Tommy Jarvis? That's the setup for the fifth movie in the Friday the 13th franchise, but how well does it play out on screen? Listen to tonight's entry in The Last Theater on the Left's marathon of 13 daily podcast episodes covering the entirety of the Friday the 13th movie series to find out what chris and Joey think! Here's a little teaser: at least one of them isn't too happy about having to watch A New Beginning again. But their pain is your enjoyment as they break down the good, the bad, and the painfully obvious about Tommy's adventures in a halfway house! Download the show here: Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning – Podcast Episode 8 Download and subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode: The Last Theater on the Left on iTunes Total Run Time: 57:14 Theme music: “Rising Game” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Thanks for listening! If you like what you hear, please leave a review on iTunes. And if you have something you want to tell us about the show or anything else, leave a comment here or send us a message on Facebook!

It's been a long yet productive few days for Jason Voorhees. He's covered a lot of ground, he's killed a lot of people, and he even had time for a makeover during his reign of terror. Sure, he's almost been killed a couple of times, but that's no big deal for Jason! Now he's back for one “final” night of stalking and slaying, but he's starting to make some enemies ever since he's made his presence known. The fourth Friday the 13th features the debut of one of the few recurring characters in the series, Tommy Jarvis. Is Tommy interesting enough to carry the franchise into the future? Did the filmmakers learn their lesson from the overly gimmicky and simplistic previous movie? Find out what chris and Joey think in night four of The Last Theater on the Left's 13 day marathon of podcasts devoted to the entirety of the Friday franchise! Download the show here: Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter – Podcast Episode 7 Download and subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode: The Last Theater on the Left on iTunes Total Run Time: 46:53 Theme music: “Rising Game” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Thanks for listening! If you like what you hear, please leave a review on iTunes. And if you have something you want to tell us about the show or anything else, leave a comment here or send us a message on Facebook!

We're just getting started delving into the world of Jason Voorhees, and 1982's Friday the 13th Part 3 continues along with the idea and format established in the first two films of the series, but it definitely has some elements that sets it apart as truly memorable. For one thing, this movie features the debut of the iconic hockey mask. Ironically, even though this film establishes the look of one of the most famous movie serial killers of all time, the characters in the film itself apparently don't know anything about the legend of Jason Voorhees. Does that work in favor of the movie, or does it make things that much harder to believe? And speaking of characters, there are certainly some memorable ones here. But are they memorable for the wrong reasons? And what about the 3D aspect of the film? Does it hold up over time? Is it (and was it always) too gimmicky for its own good? Listen to night three of The Last Theater on the Left's Friday the 13th marathon of podcasts to find out which one of us had some serious issues with, well… a lot of things in this movie! Download the show here: Friday the 13th Part 3: Episode 6 Download and subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode: The Last Theater on the Left on iTunes Total Run Time: 49:03 Theme music: “Rising Game” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Thanks for listening! If you like what you hear, please leave a review on iTunes. And if you have something you want to tell us about the show or anything else, leave a comment here or send us a message on Facebook!

Welcome back for night two of the Friday the 13th franchise review marathon! Sequels to great movies can be difficult to get right. SHould you go with more of the same or should you try to branch out and do something very different? There are merits to both approaches, and Friday the 13th Part 2 feels like it took some cues from both sides of the creative debate. Did it work? Is part 2 a worthy sequel, or is it one that should be forgotten? Listen as we discuss Friday the 13th Part 2, a sequel that, for better or worse, definitely changed the course of the franchise. Download the show here: Friday the 13th Part 2: Episode 5 Download and subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode: The Last Theater on the Left on iTunes Total Run Time: 35:02 Theme music: “Rising Game” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Thanks for listening! If you like what you hear, please leave a review on iTunes. And if you have something you want to tell us about the show or anything else, leave a comment here or send us a message on Facebook!

Welcome back to The Last Theater on the Left podcast! The audio portion of this site has been dormant for a long time, but this is the beginning of a brand new ongoing series of shows. Since this is a special occasion, I thought I'd start off with something of a big deal: a review of the entire Friday the 13th film franchise! The timing couldn't be better, either. Starting today, October 1st one new episode of The Last Theater on the Left podcast will be released every day leading up to a grand finale on Friday, October 13th! That's one episode devoted to each of the 12 movies in the series (yes, we're including Freddy vs Jason and the 2009 Friday remake) and a final episode where we rank the entire series and discuss various aspects about the phenomenon that this series of films has become. Tonight, listen as we (Joey and myself, chris) discuss the original Friday the 13th from 1980. We've both seen it many, many times, but why do we keep going back to it? Is it really worthy of being deemed a classic in the horror genre and one of the most recognizable titles in all of film? Where does it work, and where does it fall flat? Download the show here: Friday the 13th (1980): Episode 4 Download and subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode: The Last Theater on the Left on iTunes Total Run Time: 44:47 Theme music: “Rising Game” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Thanks for listening to this fresh start for the podcast (it's not quite A New Beginning, but we'll get to that in a few episodes). If you like what you hear, please leave a review on iTunes. And if you have something you want to tell us about the show or anything else, leave a comment here or send us a message on Facebook! Be sure to check back tomorrow when we dive deep into Friday the 13th Part 2!

It's been a while since I've done one of these, but I was so inspired by watching Nobuhiko Obayashi's House that I decided to reboot my podcast! Well, it's not so much a reboot as it is a sequel. But whatever you want to call it, I hope you'll join me for the long-awaited (for me at least) third episode of The Last Theater on the Left Podcast! In this episode, I discuss a movie I recently watched for the first time and can't stop thinking about, 1977's House! This film has gotten a lot of praise and has been called “crazy” and “incomprehensible” by many reviewers, but I think most of the commentary I've seen online, even though it might be positive and well-meaning, misses the point of this fabulously wild Japanese horror movie. Listen as I dig into the deeper meaning behind the frenetic visuals of House and try to get people to view it from a different perspective. Yes, it's a crazy movie, but it's so much more than that. It's crazy for a purpose, and I think it's brilliant. Download the show here: Episode 3 – House Subscribe to the feed here: http://feeds.feedburner.com/lasttheater Show Summary: 0:00 – Reintroduction to the podcast 8:39 – Review and analysis of House 44:51 – Movie recommendations inspired by House 52:29 – Outro and plugs Total Run Time: 54:24 Theme music: “Rising Game” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Thanks for listening! I'll be working to get the show up on iTunes and in other places soon, but in the meantime, let me know what you think of House! Did I change your mind about anything? Am I just thinking about it too hard? Let me know here or over on Facebook and Twitter! And while you're here, check out my written review of House! House (1977) – Review