Splice (2009): "Instant Abomination"

Spookies, it's time to fulfill the final part of a deal made all the way back in October. To complete our children's horror trifecta (and the second half of a long-separated Tim Burton TwosWeeks), we're throwing it back to Corpse Bride (2005), an animated musical about life, death, and love triangles. Inspired by Jewish folklore and running the color spectrum from drab to fab, this sweet story can warm even a hater's heart, but a healthy dose of nostalgia doesn't hurt. On our latest episode of Spooky Tuesday, we're sharing our favorite moments, CLEAR references, and ships that should've been. References:https://youtu.be/49HqqPo0_-M?si=7YKV7MQTZe6GXXUQhttps://youtu.be/kpjxILfBV60?si=-BP6lDXtnZEz7tx1https://youtu.be/EDkfu2tHBS4?si=Z6PTmp1HCAJhekkQhttps://youtu.be/EDkfu2tHBS4?si=WqdvSrxqFft9fQYz

All good things must come to an end, Spookies, but we wanted to send Monster Fucker February off with a beautiful goodbye. That's why we decided to close out this month's theme by covering The Shape of Water (2017), Guillermo del Toro's semi-underwater romance inspired by 1954's Creature from the Black Lagoon. A gorgeous period piece and Oscar winner several times over, this flick isn't lacking in fashion or function, and we're talking about it all — from sexy egg connections to upsettingly relevant political parallels — on a new episode of Spooky Tuesday. References: https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/8650-the-shape-of-water-a-touch-of-the-unknown?srsltid=AfmBOopUJPk7mRzVCH4vnyCxNKG9Sq_tRKX7sSIFDxkmonNrNu6LLa0Ehttps://www.screendaily.com/features/guillermo-del-toro-on-how-the-shape-of-water-reflects-todays-casual-racism-and-sexism/5124817.articlehttps://www.stanwinstonschool.com/blog/revealing-creative-process-behind-the-shape-of-water-creature-legacy-effectshttps://variety.com/2018/artisans/news/how-guillermo-del-toro-shape-of-water-robert-redford-1202666047/https://www.vox.com/culture/2017/9/12/16288080/shape-of-water-del-toro-review-best-picturehttps://medium.com/the-blog-in-the-woods/the-shape-of-water-a-monster-of-a-love-story-1ab7e94db16ehttps://reactormag.com/i-belong-where-the-people-are-disability-and-the-shape-of-water/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/shape-of-water-offensive-to-people-with-disabilities_n_5a8b798de4b0a1d0e12c48fchttps://www.cbc.ca/radio/day6/episode-379-populism-in-italy-s-elections-greenland-s-ice-melt-the-shape-of-water-ode-to-cds-and-more-1.4555633/what-the-shape-of-water-gets-wrong-about-disability-1.4555657https://vocal.media/geeks/the-shape-of-water-dream-dance-is-the-best-scene-of-2017https://spookytuesdaypod.tumblr.com/post/688611957921792000/ok-wait-bc-im-not-saying-finding-nemo-jacked

Here at Spooky Tuesday, we go through the highs and lows of horror — and when you fit the theme, you fit the theme, which is how Splice (2009) ended up on our schedule for Monster Fucker February. Whether you've never heard of it, were scandalized after watching it in theaters, or have been eagerly/nervously awaiting the opportunity to see it for yourself after reading a certain Internet famous LiveJournal review, this movie makes for quite the viewing experience. It's famously awful, but also features two Academy Awards winners and nominees, and isn't that exactly the sort of conflict that can make life so interesting? On our new episode, Monica takes us all down the rabbit (plus kangaroo plus bird plus fish plus human plus slug or whatever) hole as we dissect this abominable creation. References:https://makesomelove.livejournal.com/227249.htmlhttps://www.wired.com/2010/06/splice-mutant/https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/07/23/splice-the-evolution-of-drenhttps://screenrant.com/vincenzo-natali-splice-classic-monster-movie-frankenstein/https://screenrant.com/spice-movie-real-inspiration-explained/https://www.treehugger.com/animals-can-change-their-sex-4869361https://www.sarahaband.com/product-page/vacanti-mouse

When we went hunting for the right second movie to satisfy our confluence of themes — Werewolf vs. Vampire Seasonal Depression Event (WWVVSDE) and Monster Fucker February — we knew we had a tricky task ahead of us. Luckily, a quick Google search lead us to My Animal (2023), a queer werewolf romance that flew under the radar thanks to the unlucky timing of its initial release. Featuring an acid trip at a casino on a full moon, Amandla Stenberg and Bobbi Salvör Menuez in an ice hockey/figure skater flirtation, and a bona fide seggs dream a.k.a. a sex dream with eggs, this flick comes with plenty of reasons it’s worth a watch (and that’s without even getting into the Love Lies Bleeding of it all). Now that you can check it out on Shudder, we’re hoping this story gets a second wind, so join us as we break it all down on a new Spooky Tuesday.References:Shelley Duval's Faerie Tale Theatre: Beauty and the Beasthttps://www.dreadcentral.com/news/446611/my-animal-stars-amandla-stenberg-and-bobbi-salvor-menuez-talk-their-queer-new-werewolf-horror/https://www.dreadcentral.com/interviews/462854/my-animal-actors-bobbi-salvor-menuez-and-amandla-stenberg-on-this-horror-classic/https://screenrant.com/my-animal-director-amandla-stenberg-chemistry-sundance/https://www.them.us/story/my-animal-movie-jacqueline-castel-interviewFried or Fertilized Music VideoLemme Smang It Music Video

Back in December, Nosferatu (2024) was the movie that launched a million memes, and we're ready to join the fun here at Spooky Tuesday. But we're not just covering Robert Eggers's latest paranormal period piece on our new episode, we're also celebrating a true confluence of themed coverage. While we picked this flick to be our next installment of WWVVSDE (Werewolf vs. Vampire Seasonal Depression Event), it's also kicking off a little thing we like to call Monster Fucker February. Join us as we debate a very complicated love triangle, and be sure to stay until the end to learn the ~true~ significance of all the lilac featured in the film, crrrazy styleee. References:Inspo for the final shot: Smithsonian Maghttps://time.com/7202756/nosferatu-robert-eggers-interview/https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/robert-eggers-reworked-nosferatu-for-decades-before-deciding-to-make-it-ellens-story/www.gamesradar.comhttps://youtu.be/xl1UKp5K_A0?si=06sMfyEBJ983fL5whttps://www.theverge.com/2024/12/20/24322594/robert-eggers-nosferatu-interviewhttps://screenrant.com/nosferatu-love-triangle-ellen-thomas-count-orlok-explainer/https://www.dreadcentral.com/editorials/519187/robert-eggers-nosferatu-rejects-eroticism-to-portray-a-harrowing-reality/https://www.cbr.com/ellen-nosferatu-connection-explained/https://youtu.be/PHdVBjDm-UA?si=SXZs9rR_eK90Tc_fhttps://youtu.be/BWfMBSNF2eU?si=23xZMtgYq6ALw2dUhttps://youtu.be/wHGOhaXNqiM?si=5hRmDXyLenYYoggbhttps://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/nosferatu-robert-eggers-making-count-orlok-a-monster-againhttps://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/the-haunting-history-behind-nosferatuhttps://variety.com/2025/artisans/news/bill-skarsgard-nosferatu-transformation-makeup-mustache-count-orlok-1236249285/https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2025/01/10/the-occult-history-of-nosferatu-explained/https://www.studentfilmjournal.co.uk/jan-23-articles/nosferatuhttps://screenrant.com/nosferatu-count-orlok-vampire-solomonari-romanian-folklore-explainer/

Spookies, you've been asking us to cover this one for a while — but maybe we were just waiting to find the right guest to bring home to meet the family. This week, we're covering You're Next (2011) with Joey Medina, a queer horror lover and journalist we met a few months back. We're coming together for one special night as we tackle one of the big movies in the mumblegore genre, pay homage to final girls everywhere, and point out all the CLEAR references to movies like Scream, Home Alone, The Strangers, and more. Follow Joey Medina on Instagram and Twitter. You can learn more about him on his website and check out some of his work on Collider. References:https://horrorobsessive.com/2022/10/20/youre-next-still-holds-up-over-10-years-later/https://collider.com/youre-next-sequel/https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3659927/10-years-later-youre-next-quintessential-horror-film-millennials/

This week's pick has been on our Matty Lilly Birthday Episode Wish List for years — and now it's finally time for Scooby-Doo (2002) to have its day on Spooky Island. A live-action flick with an iconic cast that brings one of television's most famous cartoons to the big screen, this movie went through about a million different tweaks and rewrites before it finally made its debut. Not only was it toned down from an R-rated adult comedy to a PG that still managed to be pretty provocative (or, as Scoob might say, ruhrohcative), it also got a lot less gay. Not totally no gay, though — and given that it's got a full, feature-length, starring-role dose of Matthew Lillard, we're pretty sure this is going to be one of our most special installments of Spooky Tuesday so far. References:https://www.indiewire.com/features/commentary/how-2002-scooby-doo-movie-raised-entire-generation-bisexuals-1235037327/https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/james-gunn-studio-rejected-velma-gay-scooby-doo-1234572972/https://screenrant.com/scooby-doo-r-rated-cut-deleted-scenes-details/https://www.tiktok.com/@fredagainagain/video/7194934369138543878?_r=1&_t=ZT-8t7jKlKPg1mhttps://people.com/tv/sarah-michelle-gellar-freddie-prinze-jr-relationship-timeline/Historical Evidence that Velma is LESBIAN!!!!https://www.reddit.com/r/Scoobydoo/comments/1emrega/its_unlikely_anyone_expected_scooby_to_bring_up/Deleted Scenes: https://youtu.be/dIgLWY7fF24?si=Uw37tNhBMP3FjPyAThe Many Loves of Dobie Gillis: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052490/?ref_=tt_mv_close

Hold up — did we just travel through time? Somehow, it is simultaneously both January and Novembleak as we cover Josh Hartnett's 30 Days of Night (2007), this month's second entry into WWVVSDE (Werewolf vs. Vampire Seasonal Depression Event). Messy time-keeping might just be the theme of the episode too, especially as we take on a monster movie where the premise is that those nocturnal bloodsuckers of legend don't just have a few hours to hunt their prey, they've got four full weeks. Originally meant for the screen and then turned into a comic book and then adapted back for the screen, this story definitely had a vision, and we're ready to discuss how well it stuck the landing on a new Spooky Tuesday. References:https://collider.com/30-days-of-night-action-horror-genre/https://www.wateronline.com/doc/the-true-story-of-monsters-in-barrow-alaska-0001https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3648186/revisiting-dark-thrills-30-days-night/https://halloweenyearround.wordpress.com/2022/10/19/15-fun-facts-about-30-days-of-night/https://screenrant.com/30-days-night-movie-vampires-explained-major-differences/

Wait a second... Has one of the most famous monster movies in horror actually been a HoRoCo all along? Now that a new month is here (welcome to 2025, everybody!), we're continuing WWVVSDE (Werewolf vs. Vampire Seasonal Depression Event) with An American Werewolf in London (1981), a flick that manages to balance body horror and bisexual bed chem with surprising grace. Between writer/director John Landis's colorful comedic interjections and the legendary Rick Baker's intense, practical effects transformation, this film has a lot going for it, and we're digging our claws in on a new episode of Spooky Tuesday. References:https://www.jewcy.com/arts-and-culture/whats-jewish-werewolves/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/12/how-we-made-an-american-werewolf-in-london-john-landishttps://jackedinmovies.com/article/behind-the-scene-tales-from-an-american-werewolf-in-london/https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3609546/an-american-werewolf-in-london-iconic-transformation-came-80s/https://collider.com/an-american-werewolf-in-london-ending-explained/https://screenrant.com/american-werewolf-london-trivia/https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/wtf-moments-the-zombie-nazi-massacre-in-an-american-werewolf-in-londonhttps://www.kindertrauma.com/an-american-werewolf-in-london/David Naughton's Dr. Pepper commercial

A new year is right around the corner, Spookies, and you're going to want to start it off right. That's why we're ending our 2024 by watching quite possibly the *best* New Year's Eve movie of all time. For our December Fifth Tuesday, we're cuddling up for a cozy night in with When Harry Met Sally... (1989), a romcom that truly nails both the rom and the com. That seems to be a rare feat in our modern age, which is why we're manifesting more yearning and naked affection in cinema for 2025. Join us as we set that intention and celebrate a classic on our latest episode of Spooky Tuesday. References:Cowboy Table