Podcasts about dark discussions

666, the number of the beast. Dark Discussions podcast has reached the 666th episode, and we decided to choose satanic horror as our special milestone episode. And we chose an obscure and yet fabulous 1960 Christopher Lee film entitled THE CITY OF THE DEAD.From IMDB: A young college student arrives in a sleepy Massachusetts town to research witchcraft; during her stay at an eerie inn, she discovers a startling secret about the town and its inhabitants.The movie was produced by a small production company, and the film landed up in public domain for years. Fortunately, it has been remastered and is finally available in pristine form. Titled THE CITY OF THE DEAD in the UK, it was released in the states and is known by the alternate title HORROR HOTEL. Your cohosts take a look at this classic film on their 666th episode. Thanks for joining us in our journey.

We are already at the end of January in 2025, yet 2024 is now in the rearview mirror. It's time to take a look at the prior year and go through all the many films that came out that were considered horror and genre films. Dark Discussions and its co-hosts put together their year in review of all that was good and bad in 2024. Was it one of the better years in genre cinema or did it have too many missteps to be one to remember?Each of your co-hosts put together a list of movies they thought were good enough to recommend. Two lists were procured. This included a list of horror films and a list of other speculative fiction films. Afterwards we then combined those lists and came up with the Dark Discussions definitive lists, in both categories, as best of the year. Some obvious films like HERETIC and NOSFERATU appear but also little known films like EXHUMA and THE KING'S TIDE were too.But don't forget, we also have more lists: Our top and worst scenes, scream queens, breakout star, and anything else you can think of. Dark Discussions wraps up last year in a nice tight bow and gives their listeners a good many films to go out and search for.

New Year's resolutions are a big thing for folks. Some want to lose weight, find a spouse, get a new job, work towards completing something; others have goals that they strive for. Co-host Mike said that there are a lot of genre films he hasn't seen that he wants to get to, so as a New Year's resolution, why not ask all the co-hosts to see some film they always wanted to see and then discuss. Another year doing so, each co-host chose a genre movie that they had never seen and decided to watch it and give their opinions.Films we discuss are Lucio Fulci's 1981 Lovecraftian film THE BEYOND, the 1974 film known as DAN CURTIS' DRACULA starring Jack Palance, Dennis Hopper's neo-noir thriller THE HOT SPOT (1990), and Hammer horror film TO THE DEVIL A DAUGHTER (1976). A wide variety of films they are, but also some important ones too that one of your co-hosts finally got to see.With all that, Dark Discussions would like to say happy 2025 to all of our listeners and extra mention to our Patreon supporters, both new and old, and hope to hear about some of the films you folks have never seen and plan to in this new year. Email us at darkdiscussions@aol.com and let us know.

Religious horror has been around forever. Obviously much of it has been related to demons, exorcisms, the devil, and vampires. Much of it has focused upon faith versus nihilism. Well, the new film HERETIC (2024) takes an interesting twist with this subgenre of horror. What if filmmakers decided to pursue more a philosophical approach. Two Mormon missionaries, young woman Sister Paxton (Chloe East) and Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher), have donated their time to knock on doors to spread the word of God as well as promoting their religion. Following up on a lead from a man named Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), they leave the downtown area and knock on his door. He welcomes them in, offers them some blueberry pie that his wife has made, and listens to the young ladies and asks follow up questions.Scott Beck and Bryan Wood, the screenwriters of A QUIET PLACE (2018), both directed and wrote this new psychological horror film. Starring Hugh Grant once again in an expected and fabulous performance, the film is heavy on dialogue allowing actresses Chloe East and Sophie Thatcher to play directly against Grant's Mr. Reed. Your co-hosts take a look at the movie and give their thoughts.

You won't believe the nostalgia trip we took this week as Jay and Beck reminisced about the wild world of old-school wrestling! From epic tales of Sergeant Slaughter to the legendary antics of the Honky Tonk Man, we shared some laugh-out-loud memories and hilarious stories such as the infamous "plane ride from hell." Do you love the thrill of the eerie and the unknown? In our "Dark Discussions on Death and Horror," we kick things off with spine-chilling tales about mysterious text messages and creepy occurrences on American highways. We then shift gears to talk about bizarre desert weather phenomena and revisit the infamous "Faces of Death" films that haunted our youth. From questioning their authenticity to reflecting on their psychological impact, this chapter promises a hauntingly reflective journey that intertwines the real and the staged. What's the fastest animal you could ever hope to outrun? Get ready for a thrilling and humorous exploration as we debate the speeds of apex predators like mountain lions and grizzly bears. If that's not wild enough, we also ponder the absurdities of religious rituals, from divine oversight to the quirks of being an altar boy, including some laugh-out-loud moments involving church wafers and wine preferences. Wrap up the episode with a whimsical struggle to decipher old journal entries, proving that sometimes, our greatest challenge is understanding our own handwriting. Don't miss this eclectic mix of laughter, mystery, and candid reflections! Contains : *Adult Language *Adult Situations Thank you for listening, you Maniacs! If you like the podcast tell a friend. Please rate it 5 stars on Apple Podcasts and leave us a review. Follow us : Contact us : ⁠⁠⁠umbrellaholics@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠ Instagram⁠⁠⁠@umbrellaholics⁠⁠⁠ Facebook@⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/Umbrellaholics-110265711126471⁠⁠⁠ Twitter⁠⁠⁠@HolicsUmbrella⁠⁠⁠ Youtube@⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCguHLT224fCg9iCOasS8pjw⁠⁠⁠ Find us on all the major platforms!

With the quiet success and profit of the films X (2022) and PEARL (2022), director/screenwriter Ti West is back with his “final” film in the “X Trilogy”. MAXXXINE (2024) picks up a few years later from the events from X and continues following the story of Maxine Minx, now back in Los Angeles and trying to break into “legit” films.Maxine (Mia Goth), still dealing with what happened during the filming of her adult film in X (2022), tries out and gets the part for a sequel to the popular mainstream horror movie The Puritan. But her past seems to follow her as a mysterious video tape appears at her door with unreleased footage from the movie she had filmed back during the Texas massacre. With some recent murders, the police, her agent, a private investigator, and her friends all get wrapped up into a shocking mystery revolving around Maxine's past.Besides Mia Goth, the film stars Kevin Bacon, Michell Monaghan, Elizabeth Debicki, Giancarlo Esposito, among others including Dan Lench. Dark Discussions talks about the film and is joined by Dan as we discuss the film and talk about the movie and Dan's experiences in this fabulous production.

A QUIET PLACE (2018) and A QUIET PLACE 2 (2020) were two of the very best horror films to come out these last few years. Scary, intense, and suspenseful, they put people on their toes and made a heck of a good time whether you were a horror fan or not. Now, a prequel to the series, with new characters and in a new location, by a new writer/director has come: A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE (2024).Samira (Lupita Nyong'o) is living at a nursing home with terminal cancer. When Reuben (Alex Wolff), her nurse, says he's set up a trip to Manhattan to watch a play, she agrees because she wants to have true New York style pizza one last time. However, the alien invasion seen in the first two films begins, leaving her and Eric (Joseph Quinn), a college student, lost in the half destroyed city trying to survive.The movie was written and directed by Michael Samoski who previously made the well received film PIG (2021). The film, shifting from rural America to the largest city in the country, focuses more on the individual stories of its lead characters. Dark Discussions takes a look at this film and gives their thoughts. Does it live up to the greatness of its two predecessors?

Witches in horror are one of the most interesting monsters. They can be the broomstick and black cauldron type with green skin and pointy hats, or they can be as nefarious as those seen in such films like THE LORDS OF SALEM (2012) and THE AUTOPSY OF JANE DOE (2016). The new film, BAGHEAD (2024), is another take for this villain that was just released to the streaming station Shudder.Iris (Freya Allan) hasn't seen her father in years. When he dies, he leaves her an old but impressive tavern that she can either sell or try to make ends meet. After signing the typical lawyer-like paperwork, she moves into the tavern to begin her new life. When a strange man breaks in and offers her money to see the woman in the basement, Iris has to make a decision that may determine whether she lives or dies.The movie has received mixed reviews both from critics and audiences alike. With his feature length debut, director Alberto Corredor makes an impressively atmospheric movie. The question is, does the script live up to its production values and its impressive cast that includes the "it girl" Freya Allan. Dark Discussions takes a look at this movie with all the buzz and gives their thoughts.

Over 25 years ago, the Japanese film, RINGU (1998), led a wave of horror films that took some sort of object and turned it into a talisman. Supernatural evil then begins to haunt or curse teenagers or college co-eds leaving many dead, and the remainder including the survivor girl being unable to ever escape the paranormal blight that follows them forever. The Australian film, TALK TO ME (2023), took the common trope and made it feel fresher than it deserved to be.Mia (Sophie Wilde) and her friend Jade (Alexandra Jensen) head to a house party where their high school friends have come upon an embalmed hand that can turn spirits corporeal for the person who holds the hand. When Jade's little brother Riley (Joe Bird) wants a try, things turn deadly as a curse leaves Riley injured and forces Mia into a conundrum that could ultimately lead to her death.Two new filmmakers, brothers Danny and Michael Philippou, directed this surprise A24 hit. Receiving fairly impressive reviews from reviewers while being enjoyed by audiences, the movie made $92M USD at the box office against a budget of $4.5M USD. With its success, the film landed up on many top ten lists of 2023. Dark Discussions takes a look at this interesting film and gives their thoughts.

Frank Herbert's original 1965 story, DUNE, was an astounding success. It has become one of America's great novels, and is beloved by science fiction fans. Most certainly apt to fit in with the space opera subset of speculative fiction, the book has been once again recently turned into a two part film series starting with director Denis Villeneuve's first in the pair DUNE: PART ONE (2021). Now he's back with the second, DUNE: PART TWO, that has been one of 2024's biggest successes. Rather than discuss the intricacies of the story, the movie stars an all-star cast. Timothee Chalamet plays the lead role of Paul Atreides who may or may not be a promised messianic hero. Also in the cast is Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgard, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, Charlotte Rampling, Javier Bardem, Christopher Walken, Florence Pugh, among many others.DUNE: PART TWO (2024) received glowing reviews from critics. With its theatrical success, Warner Brothers appears to have green lit the second book in Frank Herbert's series DUNE: MESSIAH. Dark Discussions takes a look at this new film and gives their thoughts.

Emerald Fennell's prior film, PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN (2020), received a lot of note and award nominations. Her latest film came out late 2023. SALTBURN (2023) is another dark thriller in same vein as such films as CRUEL INTENTIONS (1999), THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY (1999), and even classic films such as Alfred Hitchcock's REBECCA (1938). Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) comes from humble beginnings. Receiving a scholarship to Oxford, he meets wealthy Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi). After Oliver discovers his father's passing, Felix invites him for the summer to spend with his family at their estate Saltburn. Oliver slowly begins to ingratiate himself with the family, but as secrets begin to be exposed, are the Cattons using Oliver or is Oliver using them?The film stars Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Richard E. Grant, Alison Oliver, and Rosamund Pike in a highly praised performance. SALTBURN, though overlooked by some award ceremonies, the movie received excellent reviews even if the story itself may be somewhat unappealing. Your co-hosts take a look at the movie and give their thoughts.

We are already half way through January in 2024, yet 2023 is now in the rearview mirror. It's time to take a look at the prior year and go through all the many films that came out that were considered horror and genre films. Dark Discussions and its co-hosts puts together their review of all that was good and bad in 2023. Was it one of the better years in genre cinema or did it have too many missteps to be remembered?Each of your co-hosts put together a list of movies they thought were good enough to recommend. Two lists were procured. This included a list of horror films and a list of other speculative fiction films. Afterwards we then combined those lists and came up with the Dark Discussions definitive lists in both categories as best of the year. Some obvious films like MEGAN (M3GAN) and EVIL DEAD RISE appear but also little known films like THE ARTIFICE GIRL and VENUS were too.Also included are some of our “sometime co-hosts” choices and what they felt were the best of the year. And don't forget our top and worst scenes, scream queens, breakout star, and anything else you can think of. Dark Discussions wraps up last year in a nice tight bow and gives their listeners a good many films to go out and search for.

New Year's resolutions are a big thing for folks. Some want to lose weight, find a spouse, get a new job, work towards completing something; others have goals that they strive for. Co-host Mike said that there are a lot of genre films he hasn't seen that he wants to get to, so as a New Year's resolution, why not ask all the co-hosts to see some film they always wanted to see and then discuss. Another year doing so, each co-host chose a genre movie that they had never seen and decided to watch it and give their opinions.Films we discuss are Lucio Fulci's 1980 Lovecraftian film CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD, Ruggero Deodato's 1980 film CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST, the 1955 Ray Harryhausen film IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE SEA, and the 1988 Tom Holland/Don Mancini classic CHILD'S PLAY. A wide variety of films they are but also some important ones too that one of your co-hosts finally got to see.With all that, Dark Discussions would like to say happy 2024 to all of our listeners and extra mention to our Patreon supporters, both new and old, and hope to hear about some of the films you folks have never seen and plan to in this new year. Email us at darkdiscussions@aol.com and let us know.

On June 12th, 2023, actor Treat Williams passed away in Vermont in a motorcycle accident. He had been a Hollywood mainstay having been a supporting actor in many big budget films. At times he was a leading man as well, and in 1998 he starred in the horror film DEEP RISING. Dark Discussions has decided to pay tribute to his life by reviewing the film.Captain John Finnegan (Treat Williams) leads a crew that takes on whatever job is needed. When a group of mercenaries hire him, he founds out that their target is an ocean liner. On the cruise ship, Trillian (Famke Janssen), a guest on the boat, is arrested by the crew for pickpocketing. When a mysterious creature attacks the ocean liner, Trillian, a handful of survivors, and the mercenaries try their best to survive.DEEP RISING, though a critical flop, has gained a large cult following over the years. Written and directed by the prolific Stephen Sommers, the movie was an opportunity to allow Williams and Janssen a chance to become A-list starts. Though their careers didn't advance as much as some thought, they both have had a long and lustrous career. Rest in peace, Treat Williams. Your co-hosts give their thoughts.

Back in 2013, the EVIL DEAD franchise was rebooted with the film EVIL DEAD (2013). The movie was very polarizing with fans and critics loving it or hating it. Now in 2023, the next film in the series was released, EVIL DEAD RISE (2023). This one seems to be getting acclaim consistently without the black-and-white feelings of the prior.Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland) and her husband have separated. Alone with her three children, her sister Beth (Lily Sullivan) has returned home from a music tour as a guitar technician. Pregnant and without money, Ellie accepts her with love and wishes her to stay. When an earthquake hits the Los Angeles area, a hole in the parking garage opens allowing her children to find a copy of the Book of the Dead in an old bank vault. Things get worse from there.Produced once again by Rob Tapert and executive produced by Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell,, this latest edition of the series has a new director and screenwriter, Lee Cronin, who did the exceptional horror film THE HOLE IN THE GROUND back in 2019. Dark Discussions takes a look at this latest movie to star the deadites and gives their thoughts.

Demon and religious horror has always been a solid subgenre in horror. Such films as INSIDIOUS (2010), THE EVIL DEAD (1981), THE EXORCIST (1973), and THE OMEN (1976) are just a number of some of the best in the subgenre, and all very different. The new horror film, THE OFFERING (2023), was just released on VOD to fairly strong reviews. Does it live up to other movies in the subgenre?When Arthur (Nick Blood) and his wife Claire (Emily Wiseman) visit his Hasidic Jewish father at his funeral home business in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. After leaving suddenly some years ago and marrying a gentile woman, Arthur and his father have had a falling out. But his rekindling of the relationship may have a hidden agenda as he hopes to get money from his father to help pay the bills. But while visiting, the body of a deceased man arrives at the funeral home with a very dark secret.The movie was directed by British director Oliver Park based off a screenplay and story by Hank Hoffman and Jonathan Yunger. The cast includes Allan Corduner and Paul Kaye (GAME OF THRONES) and recently became available on the streaming service Hulu. Dark Discussions takes a look at this new film and gives their thoughts on the story.

Robert Eggers of New Hampshire is one of the most talked about genre directors on the internet. With his A24 distributed movie debut, THE WITCH (2015), he immediately went became the “director everyone must watch”. After THE LIGHTHOUSE (2019), his latest, THE NORTHMAN (2022), arrived to theaters on April 22, 2022 to critical acclaim.In AD 895, young prince Amleth (Alexander Skarsgard) watches his father (Ethan Hawke) be murdered by the boy's uncle (Claes Bang). His mother (Nicole Kidman) is taken prisoner and the wife of his uncle, the new king. Fleeing he eventually becomes intentionally enslaved by his uncle in hopes to get vengeance for his father and mother.The film stars Alexander Skarsgard in a role that could lead to stardom. With its supporting cast that includes award winning actress Nicole Kidman, along with Ethan Hawke and Anya Taylor-Joy, the film received critical acclaim from critics everywhere. Dark Discussions takes a look at Eggers latest film and gives their thoughts.

We are already 1/12th into 2023 and some good films have come out. However, let's reflect. Did last year start out with a bang or a whimper? Dark Discussions puts together their review of all that was good and bad in 2022. Included was the consideration of dozens of different films that were worthy enough to be considered as a top 10 movie for genre and horror films.Each of your co-hosts put together a list of movies they thought were good enough to be seen by audiences. This included both a list of horror films and a list of other speculative fiction films. Afterwards we then combined those lists and came up with Dark Discussions definitive lists of the best of 2022. Some obvious films like BARBARIAN and TERRIFIER 2 appear but also little known films like SPEAK NO EVIL, and YOU WON'T BE ALONE were considered.Also included are some of our "sometime co-hosts" choices and what they felt were the best of the year. And don't forget our top and worst scenes, scream queens, breakout star, and anything else you can think of. Dark Discussions wraps up last year in a nice tight bow and gives their listeners a good many films to go out and search for.

English director Simon Rumley is known for his fabulous dark thriller films which include RED WHITE & BLUE (2010), THE LIVING AND THE DEAD (2006), FASHIONISTA (2016), JOHNNY FRANK GARRETT'S LAST WORD (2016), among others. He has won awards at many festivals and has had his films includes as part of Fangoria's top horror films of all time. Now he has his first novel coming out later in 2023 entitled THE WOBBLE CLUB.Synopsis: Gill and Brolly are two South Londoners that are both obese. Their weight has actually become their intentional focus of life. When a life changing moment happens for Brolly, he suggest they go on a diet and change their lifestyle. Unfortunately Gill has no interest in joining him. So behind her back he goes on a diet. But when one's identity is their weight, and mental illness and personal demons weigh upon their mind, love unexpectedly takes a possible tragic and horrid turn.Dark Discussions has focused a number of their podcasts on Rumley's many films and discussed the very interesting topics that his movies seem to allude to. With the upcoming release of his book and the ending of a Indiegogo campaign, your co-hosts read a review copy of the book and bring Simon on to discuss his new project.

New Year's resolutions are a big thing for folks. Some want to lose weight, find a spouse, get a new job, work towards completing something; others have goals that they strive for. Co-host Mike said that there are a lot of genre films he hasn't seen that he wants to get to, so as a New Year's resolution, why not ask all the co-hosts to see some film they always wanted to see and then discuss. Another year doing so, each co-host chose a genre movie that they had never seen and decided to watch it and give their opinions.Films we discuss are Boris Karloff's THE OLD DARK HOUSE (1932), THE BAD SEED (1956), ALLIGATOR (1980), and TRAIN TO BUSAN (2016). A wide variety of films they are but also some important ones too that one of your co-hosts finally got to see.With all that, Dark Discussions would like to say happy 2023 to all our listeners and patreon supporters, both new and old, and hope to hear some of the films you folks have never seen and plan to in this new year. Email us and let us know.

Director, actor, and screenwriter, Ti West, has been around for a bit working on horror and mumblecore films. He's appeared as an actor in YOU'RE NEXT (2011), he directed the found footage thriller THE SACRAMENT (2013), and did the sequel CABIN FEVER 2: SPRING FEVER (2009). In 2022, he's had success where his two latest films including the slasher film X (2022) was picked up and distributed by A24.In 1979, a group of adult movie filmmakers rent a building on a Texas farm. Their plan is to film their latest movie for the booming pornographic industry. Worried that their profession could upset the farmers, they don't tell the owners of the property their real purpose of being there. How would rural homeowners feel about a production that will include sex scenes performed on their property? What will happen if the farmers find out?The movie stars Brittany Snow, Jenna Ortega, Scott Mescudi, Martin Henderson, Owen Campbell, Stephen Ure, and Mia Goth plaing two roles. Ti West both wrote and directed the movie. Released on March 18th, 2022 in the USA, on a one million dollar budget, the film grossed $14.8M USD. The faux-grindhouse film received excellent reviews from both critics and audiences alike. A prequel since has been released. Dark Discussions takes a look at this throwback film and gives their thoughts.

Sometimes the best films are those that are lower profile, cost minimal money, and appear out of nowhere. The new Lionsgate film FALL (2022) is the latest movie that shows quality filmmaking against a smaller budget yet looking like it was a mainstream big budget release. When Becky (Grace Currey) and her husband Dan (Mason Gooding) are joined by their good friend Shiloh (Virginia Gardner) to do rock climbing on the side of a mountain, a tragedy occurs leaving Becky mentally destroyed. A year later, Shiloh gets Becky to climb one of the largest structures in the world, the decommissioned 2,000 foot B67 TV tower. Will Becky face her fears or will more tragedy occur?The movie is directed by Scott Mann and co-written with Jonathan Frank. With its small budget of $3M USD, the film's box office was close to $19M USD. The small cast, besides its stars, also includes Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Released on August 12, 2022 at theaters, the movie received fabulous reviews by most critics and audiences alike. Dark Discussions takes a look at this “little” film and gives their thoughts.

Though the Taiwanese film, THE SADNESS, arrived at theaters in Taiwan in 2021, the movie reached North American audiences on May 12, 2022 through the streaming service Shudder. Oddly the film was written and directed by a native Canadian, Rob Jabbaz, the movie is in the nation's native Cantonese language and subtitled or dubbed for all other nations.Jim and Kat are a young couple living in the big city of Taipei during the epidemic virus Alvin that has been sweeping the nation. Similar to COVID-19, people are told to be careful and stay in place whenever possible. However, a variant of the virus causes people to go insane and begin murderous rampages throughout the city. Jim and Kat try their best to find each other during day one of what seems to be an apocalypse.THE SADNESS (2022) is in the frame of the “hate virus” version of the zombie film. Receiving excellent reviews, the movie is also noted for its intense violence and depravity. Not unfamiliar with Taiwanese zombie movies (ZOMBIE 108 (2012) and ZOMBIE FIGHT CLUB (2014)), the sex-and-violence genre has flourished in Taiwan. Dark Discussions takes a look at this kinetic film.

Written and directed by Zach Cregger, the new film, BARBARIAN (2022), was released on September 9th, 2022 to general US audiences.  The movie received very favorable reviews by critics and went on to gross $35.8M USD against a budget of $4M USD.  With an interesting premise of a double booked AirBNB, the movie turns into something much different as it enters its second act. Tess (Georgina Campbell) is in Detroit for a job interview.  When she arrives at her AirBNB, not only is she surprised that the neighborhood is rundown, but the house is already occupied by Keith (Bill Skarsgard).  With a convention in town and no rooms available anywhere, Tess has to decide whether to stay and share this home with a complete stranger or drive scores of miles away and try to find a room. The movie is split into numerous acts, including a flashback, and even changes perspectives of leads.  With a very dark mystery of the house, as well as the unknown backgrounds of the lead characters, the film leaves a dread that makes one ponder where the story will go.  Dark Discussions takes a look at this very interesting film which includes Justin Long and Richard Brake in the cast and gives their thoughts.

The 2009 film ORPHAN was an unexpected success.  With both critics and moviegoers alike, the movie received favorable notice by most.  When it was announced that the new film OPHAN:  FIRST KILL (2022) had arrived at theaters (and streaming), people were a bit surprised because not only was it a follow up film, but it was a prequel as well.  The actress that starred in the original film, Isabelle Fuhrman, was now a 25 year old woman so how could she play the role now.  So how could a prequel work and what was it's plot? Tricia (Julia Stiles) and Allen (Rossif Sutherland) are still trying to survive the disappearance of their daughter years ago.  When suddenly a diplomatic envoy lets them know that Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman) had been found, she comes back to live with them in their wealthy Connecticut suburb.  Tricia begins to suspect that Esther may not be who she is, and as the mystery of Esther's past becomes the focus for Tricia, things begin to spiral out of control. OPHAN:  FIRST KILL was directed by William Brent Bell based off a screenplay by David Coggeshall.  Isabelle Fuhrman returns in the role that she made iconic over a decade ago.  Critics were positive with this follow movie and gave it remarkably unexpected positive thoughts.  Dark Discussions takes a look at this new film and gives their thoughts.

In 2021, the Netflix horror film, https://www.darkdiscussions.com/podcasts/dark-discussions-podcast/dark-discussions-podcast-episode-483-the-block-island-sound-2021/ (THE BLOCK ISLAND SOUND), was released and it got very strong reviews by critics with a 90% rating on the Rotten Tomatoes website.  It portrays itself as a supernatural thriller but based off what we see, it throws in a large science fiction aspect that turns the film into something quite different than most folks may have thought when watching the trailer. The film was written and directed by Rhode Island native brothers Matthew and Kevin McManus while starring their sister Michaela McManus.  But this isn't from your regular indy directors.  The McManus brothers have worked on such programs as COBRA KAI and AMERICAN VANDAL. After reviewing the film on https://www.darkdiscussions.com/podcasts/dark-discussions-podcast/dark-discussions-podcast-episode-483-the-block-island-sound-2021/ (Episode 483) of the podcast, your crew reached out to the filmmakers and Matthew McManus came on and joined us answering all our questions about one of Dark Discussions top horror films of 2021; the film is one that fits into co-host Phil's wheelhouse actually.  Though the interview was recorded in Q4 of 2021, after some editing work for sound quality, the interview is finally able to be released and hopefully give move people awareness to one awesome film.

David Warner was one of the most prolific actors in movies these last sixty years.  For horror and thrillers, many know him for the role of Keith Jennings in the classic horror film, THE OMEN (1976).  He was a lead actor at times but was able to carve out a career as a character actor, and in many cases very unlike the good guy he played in THE OMEN.  His performance in the cult classic film TIME AFTER TIME (1979) cannot be forgotten. In the year 1893 London, the author of the novel THE TIME MACHINE, H.G. Wells (Malcolm McDowell), has actually created a time machine.  While showing it to his friends including Dr. John Leslie Stevenson (David Warner), the police arrive saying that the doctor is actually the notorious Jack the Ripper. Fleeing into the future, H.G. Wells must follow Stevenson and stop his murderous ways. The movie stars Malcolm McDowell, David Warner, and Mary Steenburgen.  The film became a cult classic as it played often back in the early days of HBO.  David Warner, on July 24th, 2022 passed away at the age of eighty years old.  Dark Discussions pays tribute to the marvelous actor and discuss TIME AFTER TIME.

The Macedonian film, YOU WON'T BE ALONE (2022), made its film premiere at Sundance 2022 where it got much notice.  The film, having a ensemble cast, including Noomi Rapace, was picked up by Focus Features and released through VOD (and a limited theater run) in April.  Most certainly arthouse, the movie is considered a horror film with its violent creature transformations and the inclusion of a witch. Nevena (Sara Klimoska) was promised to the witch Maria (Anamaria Marinca) as a baby by her mother.  Her mother hides her in a cave, but on Nevena's sixteenth birthday, the witch comes back and takes her by force.  Feral and having no social life these last fifteen years, Nevena has to learn on her own what it is to be both a witch and a human if she is to survive. With over 100+ reviews on the Rottentomatoes website, the film has a strong 93% approval.  The movie is directed and written by Goran Stolevski, as his full-length motion picture directorial debut.  The cast includes Sara Klimoska, Anamaria Marinca, Alice Englert, Carloto Cotta, and Noomi Rapace.  Dark Discussions takes a look at this foreign language film and gives their thoughts.

Faux-documentaries such as THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (1999) fall into found footage as well.  There have been many of both (or a combination of both) since due to their inexpensive ability to film and produce.  The 2021 film HOWARD'S MILL is one of the latest that actually got some notice with its well presented format. A plot of abandoned farmland in Tennessee called Howard's Mill has been used as a picnic or hobbiest dream.  Quite, peaceful, and beautiful landscape, one hobbyist and his wife bring their metal detectors to search for lost “treasure”.  When the wife goes missing, he is suspected in her disappearance.  Soon, a the documentary crew looking into her loss discover that the farmland has also been a place of multiple disappearances in the last 100 years. The faux-documentary was co-written and directed by Kaiser Whitmire and Shannon Houchins.  The movie stars Josefina M. Boneo, Mark Cabus, and Jeremy Childs.  The film is available for VOD rental and on video channels such as TUBI.  Dark Discussions takes a look at this interesting film and gives their thoughts.

MISERY (1990) was the perfect film for Hollywood.  The movie is an adaptation of a Stephen King novel, the film was directed by one of Hollywood's top directors at the time (Rob Reiner), the screenplay was written by legend William Goldman, and the film starred acting legend James Caan.  With James Caan's passing, the podcast has decided to pay tribute to the actor by discussing this classic horror film. When novelist Paul Sheldon (James Caan) finishes his latest manuscript, while driving the winter roads of Colorado, he loses control of his Mustang and crashes into a ditch.  Nurse Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates) rescues him.  While being taken cared of at Wilkes' home, Sheldon waits patiently for the winter snow to melt so an ambulance can take him to the local hospital.  Unfortunately, Annie has different plans. The film also stars Kathy Bates in her award winning performance of the unhinged Annie Wilkes.  The cast includes Richard Farnsworth, Lauren Bacall, and Frances Sternhagen.  The film was an instant classic and is considered one of the best horror films of the 1990's.  Dark Discussions pays tribute to James Caan and gives their thoughts on the movie.

It's hard to believe that the now classic horror flick SINISTER (2012) is over a decade old.  The film put together director and co-screenwriter Scott Derrickson, co-screenwriter C. Robert Cargill, and actors Ethan Hawke and James Ransone together for what would not be the only time.  Now in 2022, their new film has come out and has received good reviews.  The movie, THE BLACK PHONE (2022), based off a short story by Joe Hill, was released to theaters in late June, 2022. Finn and his younger sister Gwen live with their widower father.  For a year, their home town outside Denver, Colorado has been plagued by a child abductor given the name “The Grabber” by the press.  When Finn's friend disappears, people fear the worse.  Soon, the town is in panic as children keep disappearing to never return. The movie has received fine reviews, including a four out of four star from the Roger Ebert website.  Scott Derrickson left doing the latest Dr. Strange film to pull this remarkably solid horror film together.  Dark Discussions takes a look at this period piece (that takes place in 1978) and gives their thoughts.

Sometimes a film gets a bit of buzz simply because of its outrageous premise.  But that doesn't mean the film doesn't work.  The new Hulu original, FRESH (2022), is most certainly one of those bizarre films that seems to be one thing but turns into something completely different than one would think. Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) is a twenty-something that just can't seem to find love.   She starts using dating apps and has many blind dates but most turn out to be completely awful.  Then one day while she's grocery shopping, she meets Steve (Sebastian Stan) who seems to be everything she's ever wanted in a guy.  After hitting it off quite well, the two head to his vacation home.  While enjoying their time together, something drastic happens that will change her life. The film is directed by Mimi Cave form a script by Lauryn Kahn.  Besides starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan, the film's cast includes Jonica T. Gibbs and Charlotte Le Bon.  Dark Discussions takes a look at this generally positively reviewed film and gives their thoughts.

Zombie films are most certainly nothing original.  Whether “fast zombies” or “slow zombies”, whether “virus zombies” or the undead, the market has been saturated with them.  However, a few prominent one have appeared recently.   One of them is VIRUS-32 (2022) from Uruguay.  The question does it do enough new to make it stand out. When it is her weekend to take care of her daughter, Iris (Paula Silva) has to bring her to work.  As a security guard at a massive workout and activity center, she lets her daughter play basketball in one of the indoor ball courts while she does her rounds.  Soon out on the street, people begin to go violent and attack and kill innocent bystanders.  As Iris, her daughter, and a man named Luis (Daniel Hendler) try to survive, the infected begin to break in. The movie is directed by and from a story by Gustavo Hernandez.  The screenplay is written by Juma Fodde.  The movie was released to the television station Shudder during Q2 of 2022, only a short time after its initial release in its home country.  Dark Discussions takes a look at the latest in the zombie genre and gives their thoughts.

It all started back in 1990 when the novel, JURASSIC PARK, written by the great author Michael Crichton, was released.  When the movie was released, screenplay written by Michael Crichton and David Koepp and directed by Steven Spielberg, the whole world were introduced to one of the biggest franchises of all time.  Now on the sixth installment of the movie franchise, 2022 is the release of JURASSIC WORLD:  DOMINION to the world. Now that dinosaurs have escaped into the world, the environment may be in danger and the dinosaurs have to integrate into modern life.  But there's nefarious things going on; pouching and corporate greed.  When formerly extinct giant locusts begin to destroy crops and food supplies, a group of scientists have to come together and try to save the world. Directed by Colin Trevorrow, the director of JURRASSIC WORLD, is back for this latest installment.  The film stars Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum reprising their former roles.  The film has made millions and is a theatrical success.  Dark Discussions takes a look at this latest film in the Jurassic franchise and gives their thoughts.

Scary old manor houses and doors to another world; that's the theme of many horror films.  Even authors such as H.P. Lovecraft focused his tales upon such menaces.  The new joint Irish/Belgian film, THE CELLAR (2022), popped up on the television station Shudder as VOD on April 15th, 2022.  With its haunted house theme and a possible door to hell, the movie was a throwback to the 1970's films. Keira Woods (Elisha Cuthbert) and her family move to the Irish countryside for a new job as social media agents.  The home purchased is a giant manor home that was got on the cheap.  With its mysterious fully furnished rooms and its bizarre history, things begin to happen that may be more than just simple creaks of an old settling house. Canadian actress Elisha Cuthbert stars as the mother/wife of the family.  The cast includes Eoin Macken and Abby Fitz.  Irish director Brendan Muldowney also wrote the screenplay.  Dark Discussions takes a look at this new film and gives their thoughts.

Australian actress Teresa Palmer has made a great career playing horror and genre films.  Her starring roles include the movies RESTRAINT (2008), WARM BODIES (2013), LIGHTS OUT (2016), and BERLIN SYNDROME (2017).  She also was the lead for the well received television series A DISCOVERY OF WITHCES that just ended its run this year.  Now she's starring in the new film THE TWIN (2022). When Rachel (Teresa Palmer) and Anthony (Steven Cree) have a car accident, one of their twin sons Nathan (Tristan Ruggeri) dies.  As grief holds its ugly cloud over the family, they decide to move back to Anthony's home of Finland.  As they try to make a new life for themselves, Elliot, their other son, says that Nathan has returned to them.  Soon strange things begin to occur around their new house. Shot in Finland and Estonia, the movie was directed Taneli Mustonen and co-written by him and producer Aleksi Hyvarinen.  The cast also includes Barbar Marten.  The movie made its debut in North America on the television channel Shudder May 6th, 2022.  Dark Discussions takes a look at this highly anticipated film and give their thoughts.

H.P. Lovecraft being adapted to the big screen has been mixed to say the least.  And in many cases, such movies are part of his “universe” he created rather than based off any specific story that he has written.  The movie THE DEEP ONES (2021) appeared late last year and got some notice with its title alone – about a group of monsters that appeared or were mentioned in numerous tales of his. Alex and Petri are on vacation for some good old relaxation.   The property they are renting is owned by Russell Marsh, a local mover-and-shaker that runs a small colony of the beach town that the couple vacations in.  When a mysterious woman warns the couple about a mysterious cult, Alex especially becomes concerned when changes begin to happen with Petri's behavior. The film is written and directed by long time indy horror filmmaker Chad Ferrin.   THE DEEP ONES stars Gina La Piana, Johann Urb, Robert Miano, Silvia Spross, Jackie Debatin, and Kelli Maroney.  Dark Discussions takes a look at this midnight movie and gives their thoughts on this Lovecraft adaptation. 

When extraterrestrial contact mixes with a commune environment, what usually occurs isn't considered healthy.  The commune usually turns into something more, specifically a cult.  Individuality and freedoms fade away and connection with family and old friends dissolves.  The new film, COSMIC DAWN (2022) from Canada, gives us a tale that is both a science fiction story of first contact but also the harm of what cults may be. Aurora (Camille Rowe) has fled from an alien abduction cult four years earlier.  When she was a child her mother disappeared where she believed the woman was abducted by the greys.  As she got older, she found a group of similar folk led by Elyse (Antonia Zegers) and soon fell into their sect.  After tragic events, she was able to escape but is still haunted by both them and the fear of being once more found. Director Jefferson Moneo also wrote the film.  The cast includes Camille Rowe, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Antonia Zegers, Joshua Burge, Miho Suzuki, and Philip Granger.  Released earlier this year, the Dark Discussions crew decided to take a look at the movie and give their thoughts and discuss the film's many topics.

Sometimes some of the most frightful and dreadful stories happen in real life.  We've seen it with such things as the riots in cities, the war in Ukraine, and the Jeffrey Epstein crimes.  The latest film, THE SCARY OF SIXTY-FIRST (2022), takes the former and builds a tale around a horrific crime that shocked not only a city but the world.  Noelle (Madeline Quinn) and Addie (Betsey Brown) find a new apartment in Manhattan that would be convenient for both their work and social life.   When a mysterious woman (Dasha Nekrasova) appears, she tells Noelle how her new residence was a sex dungeon for some of Jeffrey Epstein's victims.  While the woman and Noelle research the property, Addie begins to behave oddly until finally the three young women must face a possibly dark presence besides the apartments dark history. The movie stars two of the film makers.  Dasha Nekrasova directs the movie while co-writing it with Madeline Quinn.  Released on VOD through Shudder, the film originally played at festivals where it won some awards.  The Dark Discussions co-hosts take a look at this independent film and give their thoughts.

March of 2022, film fans lost a legend in William Hurt.  His passing came as a surprise at the age of 72 since he kept his illness with cancer to himself.  He starred in many important films during his career including winning awards for his performances.  The movie, BODY HEAT (1981), made many stars.  Not only was it Kathleen Turner's first major role, but it made William Hurt a leading man.  It also was the directorial debut of Lawrence Kasdan. Ned Racine (William Hurt), a two bit lawyer, happens upon the beautiful Matty Walker (Kathleen Turner) one night and immediately falls for her.  There's one catch unfortunately.  She's married.  But that doesn't deter Ned.  Soon their relationship turns more passionate than he ever thought.  Not discouraged by the situation, Ned along with Matty come up with a plan that could lead them to their own marital bliss.  Yet there is a catch. The film received fantastic reviews where iconic reviewer Roger Ebert listed it as one of the best films in movie history.  The movie launched the careers of both Kathleen Turner and William Hurt and made Lawrence Kasdan one of the most successful directors the following decades.  Dark Discussions pays tribute to one of films great actors and take a look at one of William Hurt's best films.

Vampire films have changed throughout the years.  From the dapper debutante to the gothic monster to the dreamy love interest to the feral beast, the “monster” has had many turns in books and movies.  In the 2021 German film, BLOOD RED SKY, the movie turns vampires into feral beasts but with a twist that the condition is a disease. When Nadja (Peri Baumeister) and her son Elias (Carl Anton Koch) head out on an overnight flight from Germany to New York to see a specialist that can cure Nadja of a mysterious condition, the jet plane they are traveling on is hijacked by a group of ruthless men who have a secret agenda that none of the travelers know about.  When something goes wrong, and one of the hijackers acts unhinged, Nadja must do something she hoped to never do to save her son from danger. The film was debuted in July of 2021 on Netflix.  Starring a cast of mostly foreign actors, the movie played well on the network and found a strong following.  Joined by the actor Dan Lench, who suggested the film for review, the Dark Discussions podcast gives their thoughts on the movie.

Frank Herbert's original 1965 story, DUNE, was an astounding success.  It has become one of America's great novels, and is beloved by science fiction fans.  More part of the space opera subset of stories, the book has been turned into two adaptations including a TV mini-series and a movie by David Lynch.  Now, director Denis Villeneuve's first part in a two film series was released in October 2021 to both HBO Max and theaters.  Rather than discuss the intricacies of the story, the movie stars an all-star cast of performers.  Timothee Chalamet plays the lead role of Paul Atreides who may or may not be a promised messianic hero.  Also in the cast is Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgard, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem, among many others. DUNE: PART ONE (2021) received glowing reviews from critics.  With its success both on streaming and at theaters, Warner Brothers immediately green lit the second part in the two movie series.  If success follows the second film, one wonders if a new franchise in the Dune universe will expand to others stories in the books that Frank Herbert wrote.  Dark Discussions takes a look at this new film and gives their thoughts.

Small foreign films seem to appear out of nowhere at times.  Some do get a little buzz.  And when the filmmakers decide to use English as the language of the choice, these movies even get more notice.  The small film, A PERFECT ENEMY, jointly produced by France, Spain, and Germany, while having an international cast which includes Polish and South African performers, has English as the spoken language of the picture, getting it to a wider audience. Polish architect Jeremy (Tomasz Kot) lost his wife years ago when she suddenly disappeared.  Weighing heavily upon him ever since, he's focused his life upon his work.  While waiting for his flight at the airport, a mysterious girl named Texel (Athena Strates) begins to show interest in him.  When her topics begin to sound somewhat unhinged, Jeremy begins to wonder if Texel is more than she says she is. The film is directed by Kike Maillo and written by Cristina Clemente, Kike Maillo, and Fernando Navarro.  Found wherever VOD movies are found, the film is readily available to view including free on some paid services.  Dark Discussions takes a look at this interesting film and gives their thoughts.

The 1974 horror film, THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE, is arguably one of the most iconic psychological thrillers of all time.  It is considered a classic film in this day and age.  The movie had a supporting character breakout in the iconic villain Leatherface.  Since its original release there has been numerous sequels and even remakes.  Now in 2022, the latest in the series, TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (2022), was dropped on Netflix. Lila and her sister Melody follow their friends, Dante and Ruth, travel to an old deserted town that has been bought up by Dante.  His plans are to make it a commune and home to similar progressive thinking people.  When Dante discovers a handful of people that still live in the town, he tries to evict them which leads to a chain reaction that sets off a murder spree reminiscent to the one from the original film in the franchise. The movie is directed by David Blue Garcia from a script by Chris Thomas Devlin.  Fede Alvarez, the director of EVIL DEAD (2013), produces.  The film brings back the iconic  characters of both Leatherface and Sally Hardesty from the original 1974 movie.  Dark Discussions takes a look at this new movie and gives their thoughts.

High school angst films were the big thing back in the day.  They still hold some power in today's world.  Some of the most memorable are films like CLUELESS (1995), JAWBREAKER (1999), or MEAN GIRLS (2004).  One of the biggest cult films of them all, HEATHERS, came out in 1989.  With its social dystopia along with its dreamlike results took Generation X by storm.  Though a failure at the box office, the movie became a success on video tape. Veronica (Winona Ryder) goes to Westerburg High School in Sherwood, Ohio.  When she is accepted into the popular clique Heathers lead by Heather Chandler (Kim Walker), she thinks she's finally find her identity.  When she discovers that being a Heather isn't all what its was built up to, she finds solace in J.D. Dean (Christian Slater), an outsider rebel who gives her hope.   Soon the two of them start going down a dark path that leads to worse things than high school politics. The movie was directed by Michael Lehmann and written by Daniel Waters.  Besides Christian Slater and Winona Ryder, the film co-stars Shannen Doherty, Kim Waters, and Lisanne Falk.  The movie helped jettison Slater, Ryder, and Doherty to stardom, and laid out the way future high school films would be made.  Dark Discussions takes a look at this Patreon pick and gives their thoughts on this cult classic.

Stage productions, especially musicals, have been turned into very successful movies.  CHICAGO (2002) is a perfect example of that.  Well, one such production was a wink-and-a-nod to horror and science fiction of yesteryear and was turned into a movie in 1975.  That film, ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, unfortunately was received all not that well during its immediate release.  But a 20th Century Fox executive had the idea to turn it into a midnight movie.  And from there, it became an instant hit and now is considered a classic film. One night when a young couple, Brad (Barry Bostwick) and Janet (Susan Sarandon), get lost in a thunder storm, they head to a remote castle for help.  Invited in by Riff Raff (Richard O'Brien), they meet the castle's owner, Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry).  Unfortunately for Brad and Janet, the “good” doctor may have plans for the young couple which includes more than simply using the telephone.  The musical stage show was written by co-star Richard O'Brien and brought to the screen by him along with director Jim Sharman.  The film's cast included many from the original stage show including Tim Curry in the iconic role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter.  With the film's fan interaction during midnight screenings, the movie has become a cult classic and is considered an important film by the National Film Registry and the Library of Congress.  Dark Discussions takes a look at this Patreon pick by listener Holly and gives their thoughts about the film and its significance.

We are already 1/12th into 2022 and some good films have come out. Yet did last year start out with a bang or a whimper? Dark Discussions puts together their review of all that was good and bad in 2021. Included is the consideration of dozens of different films that were worthy enough to be considered as a top 10 film for genre and horror films. Each of your co-hosts put together a list of movies they thought were good enough to be seen by audiences. This included both a list of horror films and a list of other speculative fiction films. Afterwards we then combined those lists and came up with Dark Discussions definitive lists of the best of 2021. Some obvious films like A QUIET PLACE 2 and MALIGNANT appear but also little known films like TILL DEATH, KNOW FEAR, and THE VIGIL were considered. Also included are some of our listener choices and what they felt were the best of the year. And don't forget our top and worst scenes, scream queens, breakout star, and anything else you can think of. Dark Discussions wraps up last year in a nice tight bow and gives their listeners a good many films to go out and search for.

New Year's resolutions are a big thing for folks. Some want to lose weight, find a spouse, get a new job, work towards completing something; others have goals that they strive for. Co-host Mike said that there are a lot of genre films he hasn't seen that he wants to get to, so as a New Year's resolution, why not ask all the co-hosts to see some film they always wanted to see and then discuss. Another year doing so, each co-host chose a genre movie that they had never seen and decided to watch it and give their opinions. Films we discuss are THE INNOCENTS (1961), TARANTULA (1955), BLOW OUT (1981), and RABID (1977).  A wide variety of films they are but also some important ones too that one of your co-hosts finally got to see. With all that, Dark Discussions would like to say happy 2022 to all our listeners and patreon supporters, both new and old, and hope to hear some of the films you folks have never seen and plan to in this new year. Email us and let us know.

David Bruckner is one of today's modern breakout genre directors.  His participation in such films as V/H/S (2012), SOUTHBOUND (2015), the spin off film SIREN (2016), and finally THE RITUAL (2017).  He's now the filmmaker for the latest HELLRAISER (2022) film, but now in 2021, he's released a new film entitled THE NIGHT HOUSE. School teacher Beth (Rebecca Hall) is a widow left alone at a beautiful lake front house that her architecture husband left her.  Mourning the loss of her spouse, she begins to breakdown from loneliness, loss, and sadness.  Soon she begins to believe the property is haunted as strange phenomena happen around her.  As summer break begins, she begins to discover dark secrets about her husband.  But even worse, her own dark history begins to encompass her. After directing the now classic horror film THE RITUAL, David Bruckner's latest film some say may be as good as that film.  THE NIGHT HOUSE has a very strong performance by English actress Rebecca Hall.  Dark Discussions takes a look at this new film and gives their thoughts on whether or not it deserves the praise that it is getting.

Like a lot of films, FATMAN (2020) was another one that got treated badly because of the COVID pandemic.  Originally made to be a full theatrical film to be seen everywhere and anywhere, it got relegated to a limited release and then a November 2020 “straight-to-VOD” to release afterwards.  Though written and directed by lesser known brothers Eshom and Ian Nelms, the film has two strong leads in Mel Gibson and Walton Goggins. When Billy Wenan (Chance Hurstfield) receives coal from Santa (Mel Gibson), he becomes tilted and searches out “fixer” and hitman, Jonathan Miller (Walton Goggins), to get vengeance on Santa.  Miller has had his own troubles with Santa and agrees immediately on the work.  As this occurs, Santa has his own troubles.  More than 50% of children are now receiving coal, and he's running out of money to continue his work.  Seeing this opportunity, the U.S. government and its military branch propose a solution. In a fantastic performance, Mel Gibson brings to the screen a pessimistic version of Santa struggling with the world he sees today.  However, in a screen stealing performance, Walton Goggins plays the unhinged and yet miserable hit man chasing his own childhood demons.  Dark Discussions takes a look at this future cult classic and gives their thoughts.