The Spooky Town Podcast

Subterranean horror has long been a favorite sub-genre here at The Spooky Town Podcast. The mystery of what lies below our feet is rife with spooky possibilities. Enter Superdeep (2020), the Russian horror movie that takes the real-life Kola Superdeep Borehole and paints a truly terrifying picture of what lives in the depths of the Earth. Join Ashley and Stephanie as they speak to the historical context around Superdeep, play a game of “guess that subterranean horror movie,” and talk through their favorite moments in this thrill ride down to the bottom.

Put on your spectral viewers and buckle up as The Spooky Town Podcast dives into the wonderfully over-the-top world of Thirteen Ghosts. In this episode, Ashley and Stephanie talk about their favorite moments from one of the 2000s most cherished horror movies, what kind of toast each of the ghosts would be, and our delight at discovering the actor who played The Jackal is now a life coach. So hop on your scooter, zoom down glass hallways filled with ghost cages, and give it a listen before Basileus' design is complete!

In this episode of The Spooky Town Podcast, Ashley and Stephanie feature four of their favorite, and most recent, short horror film discoveries. From an evil entity with a bit of a sleep problem to one of the toughest interviews you've ever seen, these short horror gems may be brief, but they are terrifying. Come with us as we review Beneath The Skin by Tracy Kleeman and Tanner Lyon, Every Night I See Them by Ryan Godoy and Cade Scott, Don't Move by Anthony Melton and David Scullion, and Goodbye by Tyler Russo. Wondering what else is in store? Well, your spooky hosts also play a game of Real or Fake where Stephanie guesses if movie synopses are fake or just terrible 80s horror films. Trust us, you don't want to miss it.

Atmospheric, nostalgic, and set in an apartment filled with nothing but synth music, The Djinn (2021) tells the story of a young boy trying to survive an hour with an entity bent on killing him before the clock strikes midnight. Listen in as Ashley and Stephanie dissect the story, talk about the dangers of summoning spirits while taking a nice bath, and applaud Ezra Dewey on his role as Dylan, the boy who survived a night with a supernatural presence chasing him around an apartment. No easy feat. Content Warning: The Djinn (2021) features themes of suicide which we discuss. If you are experiencing these feelings and need help, we've included some free resources you can use below. National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: 1-800-662-4357 The Trevor Project (LGBTQIA+): 1-866-488-7386

In this week's episode of The Spooky Town Podcast, Ashley and Stephanie do a dropkick into the wonderfully glitchy world of co-op horror video games. From a demonic lunch lady who attempts to thwack you with a frying pan to a goat demon chasing cult members around a farm, these horror video games are both terrifying and a blast to play alongside your friends. Join us as we talk about our experience playing (and losing) Phasmophobia, Devour, and Lunch Lady — three games you can check out right now. Why? Because let's be honest, roasting ghosts is better with friends.

In this week's episode of The Spooky Town Podcast, Ashley and Stephanie head into the murky waters of Lake Mungo. Centered on a family grappling with the events surrounding their daughter's untimely death, Lake Mungo takes viewers on a terrifying journey into the secretive life of Alice Palmer — a teenager dealing with the harsh realities of both her present and what she knows is coming for her. Come along with us as we dig deep into this dark, atmospheric, and down-right terrifying horror movie that will make you reconsider lakes entirely (just kidding).

Bloody, atmospheric, and totally … hair-raising? The Stylist is a brilliant and terrifying horror drama that positions the villain as its protagonist, allowing us to see her for the human she is. After the short film of the same name premiered on the festival circuit in 2016, director and writer, Jill Sixx Gevargizian, began work on the feature-length version. Starring Najarra Townsend as the hairstylist, Claire, and Brea Grant as her client and fixation, Olivia, The Stylist takes audiences through a complex, dark world of relatable emotions. Come along with us as The Spooky Town Podcast examines the film through a detailed lens — exploring how it was made, the performances of the brilliant cast, and the legacy it leaves behind.

Blood, chainsaws, and Deadites, oh my! In this episode of The Spooky Town Podcast, Ashley and Stephanie explore the making of the wonderfully gruesome Evil Dead and Evil Dead 2. From its humble beginnings as a movie made by a few teenagers from Michigan, the Evil Dead series has grown to become one of the horror genre's most prolific franchises. Headless demons wielding deadly weapons, bodysuits filled with lentil beans, and an animated Book of the Dead that will make you never want to read again are just a few of the behind-the-scenes moments we unpack. Ready to hear more? Groovy.

Ashley and Stephanie sit down with Scott Benson, animator, illustrator, writer, and co-creator of Night in the Woods, to talk about how horror has influenced his creative work, what projects he's working on now, and the wonderfully spooky world of folk horror. From Häxan (1922) to The Wicker Man (1973), Kill List (2011), Midsommar (2019), and more, folk horror takes audiences on a wild (and often trippy) ride through the horrors of the natural world and the stories we tell about our connection to each other. Join us as we uncover the subgenre's roots and discuss how the themes have evolved since its inception.

If you thought we weren't going to do two installments of The Lost 2000s in a row, you are dead wrong. This week, we take a look at the most blood-bag exploding, logging-truck colliding, eyeball-lasering movie franchise of them all, Final Destination. A pillar of the 2000s, Final Destination built a universe around the anxiety we all feel about our imminent demise. No matter how skillfully characters maneuver around death's design, they can never quite seem to cleanly escape its clutches — striking fear into their hearts as they imagine how everyday objects could ultimately spell their gory end. Fun! More than that, Final Destination was, and continues to be, a horror movie franchise that moved beyond long-fortified formulas and built something entirely new. Listen as we discuss its legacy, Tony Todd's amazing dialogue, and of course, our favorite death scenes. Enjoy! CONTENT WARNING: Themes of suicide are present in Final Destination and are discussed in this episode.

Hop on that Razor scooter and jack into your MP3 player because The Spooky Town Podcast is taking a look back at horror movies from the 2000s! In our first-ever series, we dive into the so-called dark ages of the horror film genre, smashing that stereotype through our reviews of the best movies to come out of the misunderstood decade. For our first installment of this series, we discuss the masterfully-done Japanese horror film, Pulse (2001), directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Because Pulse deals with depression, anxiety, and suicide themes, we'd like to issue a content warning here. We discuss these themes and how they're presented in great detail, so please do not listen if these topics are triggering for you. If you are experiencing these feelings and need help, we've included some resources you can use below. National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: 1-800-662-4357 The Trevor Project (LGBTQIA+): 1-866-488-7386

In Episode 4 of The Spooky Town Podcast, Ashley and Stephanie explore the history of found-footage horror movies and dissect the best of what the sub-genre has to offer. From the rise of the epistolary horror novel hundreds of years ago to The Blair Witch Project and beyond, found-footage horror movies blur the lines between fantasy and reality in a way that's sure to leave you shaken.

In our third episode of The Spooky Town Podcast, we dig into our most anticipated horror movies of 2021 before dissecting the best of what short horror films have to offer.

In Spooky Town's last episode of 2020, we dig into our full list of best horror movies from the year and talk about why the genre is so important to us in times of turmoil.

Hello, world! In our first-ever episode of the Spooky Town podcast, we introduce ourselves, talking about where our love of horror comes from, our favorite horror movies, and what iconic horror movies we actually hate. Then, we launch right into our recommendations for the best holiday horror out there.