Scary Thoughts

Ready or Not 2: Here I Come (2026) picks up minutes after where the previous, and enjoyable, installment left off. If you liked the first one, you're in for a treat because this is, quite literally, more of the same. This is one of those episodes where the film doesn't have much to say, we don't have much to say about it, and as a consequence, we descend into speculative madness. Fear not! We still hit many of the classic Scary Thoughts topics: unlistenable music, final girls, The Devil, shitting on A24, and dream casting for The Rock.

Hitchcock's Rear Window (1954) is responsible for dozens of film studies books and an inexhaustible number of undergrad student theses–and now a new episode of your favorite podcast featuring our unofficial third co-host Monique Jenkinson (AKA Fauxnique). We cover all of the hits: color theory, suspense, costuming, heroic ladies, weird cops, set design, relationships, whether or not Marc should powder his whole body to combat global warming, and of all things, rolling suitcases.

Clueless (1995) is one of those films that almost everyone has a soft spot for. It defined a time and place, riffed on a classic, upholds pretty good values, is extremely quotable, and makes you feel happy when you watch it (unless you are truly dead inside). So why are we covering it on a horror podcast? Well, it's Marc's favorite movie, and Chad prefers it to all horror movies. It's an episode we've joked about doing forever. Recently, we both read "As If!: The Oral History of Clueless, as Told by Amy Heckerling, the Cast, and the Crew" by Jen Chaney, so what better time than now? (It's a fun book that goes deep into everything we missed in our episode, so if you're a Clueless fanatic, it's essential reading.) We also chat about whether or not the elevated horror wave has crested. And we sneak in some Barbie vs Oppenheimer talk near the end. It's a real rambler.

It's been a while—but fear not—we have returned, just in time for Halloween! This episode covers 10 loosey-goosey horror themes that we've been pondering as of late. We praise stuff we love and do quite a bit of bitching about the state of the world. There's a little bit of optimism and a lot of that old time hate. Something for everyone! We don't focus on any particular films. However, fans of Alien, Barbie, and Jack Ryan are in for a treat. Or maybe a trick.

The Craft (1996) is a beloved teen witch movie that helped define the 90s mall goth experience. It also made supporting actress Fairuza Balk a bit of an icon for the heavy eyeshadow crowd. Does this movie still hold up? Blessed be, yes! Other than a lame soundtrack, this is a fun movie with memorable scenes and decent actors. We talk about what it was like to be a neophyte goth in New Orleans during the late 1900s, witchcraft as a thing that's cool and corny, and the role of life coaches/therapists/Tarot readers in the modern world. Veteran listeners may notice a slight uptick in incoherence from one of the hosts as the episode unfurls its dark wings. It's the curse of edibles. If it all made sense, good job opening your third eye.

Hear Chad and Marc tackle the monolithic drones of metal duo Sunn O))). They discuss witchery and ritual, gear and sculpture, fandom and influence, and (as usual) capitalism and art.

Halloween Ends (2022) is Blumhouse's last shot at making that Michael Meyers money. But rather than do more of what sort of works, they introduce us to the saddest sack character ever and focus the film on his dating life, which is sort of an interesting choice for this insufferable franchise. We don't love it. But Marc doesn't hate it as much, which makes for some high-value conversation. We also talk about A Star is Born, Dirty Harry, Tarantino's new book, and what our Halloween sequels might look like (they're bangers).

Drag legend and horror icon Peaches Christ (Joshua Grannell) is back for a fourth episode. This time we're exploring the spooky secrets of Terror Vault, a fully immersive haunted theatrical experience that takes audiences on a terrifying journey within the dank, rat-infested walls of the old San Francisco Mint. If you're into haunts, you're going to love this episode. We talk about the origins of Peaches' interest in horror performance, the technical details of running the show, how the piece is written and designed, unethical vampires, and about a million other details that will appeal to the dark nerds who listen to us.