Grave Discussions

Episode 89 - It’ll Never Let You Go

Another decade of horror has passed and a delectable new year promises a whole new slew of fear... enter the Terrifying 20s! With their annual ritual complete - thanks to you gore-geous gravers - Barnabas and Samael arise to cover the year in earnest, beginning with a review of a familiar old face: "The Grudge." Not quite a reboot or a sequel, all eyes are on Nicolas Pesce to begin a new age of horror with more wet hair, Lin Shaye, and supernatural groaning than anyone knows what to do with! Following the review, the undead ushers guide you through horror in 2020, including their most anticipated films, expected trends, and other scary projects. So don't go anywhere - much like the grudge, we'll never let you.

Episode 88 - 2019: The Year’s Best Fears

What a year it's been! The world of horror has seen an uptick in critic and fan approval with some fantastic and disturbing fare, from Jordan Peele's socially conscious "Us" to Ari Aster's mind-bending "Midsommar", but what terror-filled tale stands above the rest? In such an approachable and creative genre, many filmmakers vie to create something truly horrifying and thought-provoking, and Barnabas and Samael have ingested their fill to the point of creating respective top 10 lists! Will your favorite movie make it in or leave 2019 a distant memory? Tune in now to find out, and have a Happy New Fear!

Episode 87 - Ho Ho Ho, She Didn’t Know

Now a holiday classic, the 1974 cult stalker-slasher "Black Christmas" gave the horror world Billy, a sorority sister killer whose frantic voice disturbed audiences. Sophia Takal's innovative PG-13 re-imagining bears the same name but subverts the typically vague, moody atmosphere of the original with a direct examination of male privilege and female empowerment. Is Takal's "Black Christmas" a vital product of its time or simply a brash attempt at using a famous name for relevance? Though it likely won't escape 2019 without being swathed with controversy, Barnabas and Samael use the penultimate episode of the year to break down the film and determine if it is, in fact, naughty or nice!

Episode 86 - A Present from Billy

Jingle , jingle , jingle all the slay!! 2006 saw the return of Billy in Glen Morgan's "Black Christmas" remake, a considerably more brutal take on Bob Clark's original holiday slasher. With another adaptation hitting theaters this holiday season, Barnabas and Samael look back on the controversial film with fresh, squirming eyes. Does "Black Christmas" hold up despite near-universal criticism, and what kind of precedent does it set in the face of Sophia Takal's female-focused effort? These presents and more are just waiting to be unwrapped in the newest episode! Join us in the attic, take a look out of the window, and don't forget to breathe.

Episode 85 - Be of Good Fear

The horrordays are upon us and Barnabas and Samael are filled with glee! They've put up their ornaments and placed a black star on top of their tree. Now sit back, grab a Christmas cookie, and listen to this all-new episode for free! The grievously grinchy group open their hearts this merry season and explore more festive, bloody holiday horror by highlighting two underrated Christmas gems in "Better Watch Out" and "Rare Exports"! These subversive films are quite the unique treat in a snow-laden horror landscape, best partaken by only the naughtiest gravers around... if only the elves don't get to you first! Happy Ho-Ho-Horrordays.

Episode 84 - Get Stuffed!

Thanksgiving is a time for family and friends to get together and appreciate the good that warms their lives, so per usual in the horror genre, somebody has to mess it all up! In this episode, Barnabas and Samael invite Turkie to their deliciously dreadful dinner table and examine perhaps the most prominent Thanksgiving-themed horror film of all time, "Thankskilling"! The raunchy, ultra-low-budget slasher and its "fowl"-mouthed star quickly became a cult favorite and could be one of yours too, so fill up your plate and then stick around for a few other recommendations to get you in the Thanksgiving mood. Just consider avoiding the dark meat... it may be a little spoiled.
* Correction: We made an error while discussing the first article about "Brand New Cherry Flavor"; the author is Todd Grimson, not Todd Grisham. Our apologies!

Episode 83 - The True Knot

The sins of the past haunt Danny Torrance in "Doctor Sleep", Stephen King's epic sequel to "The Shining", and who better than modern-day horror maestro Mike Flanagan to direct the feature adaptation? The "Haunting of Hill House" director helms an ambitious foray into the dark fantasy world of Dan's clouded adulthood, where a little girl with a familiar psychic power reigns him into a battle he's woefully unprepared for. In this episode, Barnabas and Samael review "Doctor Sleep" and discuss its connection to Kubrick's "Shining". Will it live up to the hype, or become lost in the endless, snowy maze of the sinister Overlook Hotel?

Episode 82 - All Work and No Play

The [Stephen] King of Horror has historically opposed Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of his now-famous haunted hotel novel, "The Shining", but that hasn't stopped it from becoming one of the most acclaimed films of all time. Now, 40 years later, the sequel "Doctor Sleep" hits theaters worldwide, and the dreary winter air makes revisiting Kubrick's Overlook Hotel the perfect holiday activity. In this episode, Barnabas and Samael reacquaint themselves with the Torrance family and examine the controversial 1980 adaptation and the potential implications for Mike Flanagan's ambitious follow-up. Join the Grave-y Twins on their return to Room 237... if you can stomach it!

Episode 81 - Spill Yer Beans

Robert Eggers captivated some and lost others with his debut film "The VVitch," igniting conversations about the state of ambiguous, fever pitch-style horror. His sophomore project, "The Lighthouse," puts many of the same elements on the pedestal and challenges convention with a black-and-white nightmare helmed bravely by Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe. The film has been critically hailed as a masterpiece, but how does it stack up to Barnabas and Samael's standards? In this episode, the deadly duo spill their beans on "The Lighthouse" and try not to get lost at sea.

Episode 80 - The Shape of Halloween

Much like Michael Myers's murderous intent, this special episode has been a long time coming: an in-death dissection of the original "Halloween"! John Carpenter's 1978 masterpiece ingrained realistic horror into the suburbs of contemporary America and changed the landscape of the genre and fanbase forever; Barnabas and Samael examine how this tonal shift came to pass and also how the film set about influencing other Halloween-themed horror movies of the future. After all, "It's Halloween; everyone's entitled to one good scare"!