Plug It Up: A Horror Movie Podcast

Mary and Nichole join Caitlin to cover 2011's We Need to Talk About Kevin, a monstrous-motherhood modern classic. We discuss themes around memory, reluctant motherhood, "bad seed" children, and what it means to love (and hate) a monster, especially when that monster is your child. We carry a lot of empathy for Eva, which seems to be an unpopular take. Where do you land? Tangents include: psychopathy, podcast catalogs, favorite museums, bows and arrows instead of guns, a Kevin FMK, John C. Reilly, Tilda Swinton, pro-choice movies, pet peeves, and evil kids. Also forgive my temporary misgendering of Ezra Miller, who uses they/them pronouns.

Mary and Christian join Caitlin to review Obsession, the record-smashing (and face-smashing) new horror hit from director Curry Barker. We discuss autonomy, consent, rejection, and the danger of "the nice guy." #bearbad - you heard it here first. Tangents include: the pledege of allegiance, animal deaths in movies, first horror movies, annoyances, AI, the best shapes, toilet paper preferences (someone please take my side on this one), our latest obsessions, and obsessive relationship stories.

Charlie joins Caitlin to cover Swallow, a fan favorite from 2019. We talk about themes around pica, motherhood, class, marriage, and abortion, and we praise the movie's writing and direction. It's a great one; find it on Shudder. Tangents include: Diet Coke, my garden, birds, clocks, swallowing things, bad haircuts, TV volume, instagram, and strange foods.

Rachel joins Caitlin to cover Jakob's Wife, the underseen Barbara Crampton vampire movie from 2021. This is a personal favorite of ours: it's feminist, it's funny, and it's Barbara Freaking Crampton. We discuss transformation, menopause, humor, Christian patriarchy, and more! Tangents include: forgetting to hit record, the Overlook Film Festival, recent horror watches, gold vs silver jewelry, steak, potatoes, The Pitt, card games, and board games.

Charlie joins Caitlin to cover the show's first Kubrick review: Eyes Wide Shut from 1999. We dig into sex, conspiracy, and male fragility. It's a fun movie to talk about, and it certainly hits different in 2026, knowing what we do now. Tangents include: the one percent, hit movies of the 90s, ideal leaves, Scrubs, and cursive (and also Cursive). DQ something different.

Rachel joins Caitlin to cover The Amityville Horror, a 1979 horror movie based on the true story of the Lutz family haunting following the DeFeo family murders. We talk about the supernatural power of a mother's love, patriarchal unraveling, menstruating real estate, the failure of the church, and more! If you're a fan of the 2005 version, we also comment on that one a fair amount. Tangents include: the Warrens, true crime, chopping wood, cats, evil locations, haunted houses, ghosts, paranormal experiences, favorite franchises, tote bags, t.A.T.u., The Bride, James Brolin vs Ryan Reynolds, sexual awakenings, and a good ol' FMK. Thanks to Jodie for inspiring this episode!

This episode has a longer introduction that reflects on my history as a feminist activist, my time in Chile, and the current state of US politics. It may not appeal to everyone, but I felt it was important to share. The review of 2025 horror releases starts around 14:00. I cover my favorites, my medium-recommends, some flops, horror TV, and what I'm looking forward to in 2026. Here's to a more active (in all senses of the word) 2026!

Maddie and Colleen join Caitlin to once again perform character analysis on horror charcters through the lens of astrology. This time, we're talking about the "big three" signs for: Kelly Anne from Red Rooms, Annie from Hereditary, Rosemary from Rosemary's Baby, Lestat from Interview with the Vampire, Owen from I Saw the TV Glow, Jigsaw from Saw, Mulder and Scully from The X Files, Maud from Saint Maud, and Elvira from The Ugly Stepsister. Tangents include: the concept of "big six," dreams with Neptune in retrograde, the end of summer and start of fall, Halloween hot takes, Christmas trees, and pets as Over the Garden Wall characters.

On this solo episode, I share my favorite soundtrack moments in horror (which is separate from my favorite horror movie original scores, which will be its own episode). Movies mentioned include: Dawn of the Dead, Final Destination 3, Shaun of the Dead, Us, American Psycho, Silence of the Lambs, X, Zombieland, Cocaine Bear, Scream, The Strangers: Prey at Night, Urban Legend, Beetlejuice, The Autopsy of Jane Doe, Insidious, The Purge: Election Year, Final Destination: Bloodlines, Together, Black Swan, and American Horror Story: Coven. Tangents include: books about the monstrous feminine, my cats, hanging out with Ripley, headphones, and bands.

Charlie joins Caitlin to cover Demian Rugna's Terrified from 2017. It's a great movie with well-developed characters, solid writing, and excellent scares. Tangents include: Mark Ruffalo, Chinese takeout, memoir titles, freezer placement, and a tricky Would You Rather.

Talking sin and censorship with Joe as we cover 1971's The Devils. It's one of the most controversial and most censored movies in the Western world, but it's also thematically very important (and relevant). We love this movie for its set design, its performances, its writing, its themes, and, of course, its reputation. Tangents include: Space Jam 2, Nine Inch Nails, Jodie's awesome Monopoly and video game save point questions, things we're looking forward to, places we'd move if language wasn't a barrier, and our midlife crises

Mary and Mathula join Caitlin to cover Eli Roth's Hostel: Part II. It's a movie that the three of us really enjoy, and we contest that it's more than "torture porn." It's got a great "good for her" moment, and we just love seeing Heather Matarazzo. Tangents include: meeting celebrities at cons, gay crushes, cleaning out the fridge, the goodwill auction site, custom monopoly game pieces, theoretical video game save points, walk-out music, renting vs owning, and favorite animals.