The Burbs (1989)

Bart and Lindsey take on their first short film with the 2019 horror comedy short, "Finley" directed by J. Zachary Thurman.Finley, available on Youtube, and banking a cool, 17 million views, is a cheerfully energetic horror short, following the shenanigans of a ventriloquist dummy as he tries his best to kill a group of young people who have moved into his house. 

Bart, Lindsey and guest, Noah Glenn, discuss Shin'ichirō Ueda's 2017 meta-zombie-horror-comedy, One Cut of the Dead, that follows a film crew who are tasked with making a zombie horror film for live television that must be shot in a single take; the film initially depicts One Cut of the Dead as a film within a film, then goes back in time to show the origins and production of the project from the perspective of the cast and crew. A fascinating exploration of low budget filmmaking!

Bart, Lindsey and guest, Billie Worley, discuss Don Coscarelli's 2002, mummy vs Elvis horror comedy, Bubba Ho-Tep. We're talking Bruce Campbell as Elvis and Ossie Davis as JFK, who both reside in a Mud Creek, Texas convalescence home, while a soul sucking mummy has arrived and starts feasting on the souls of the home's residents. With appearances by Coscarelli regular, Reggie Bannister (Phantasm),  Rob Zombie veteran, Daniel Roebuck (The Munsters), and a killer scarab, courtesy of KNB EFX, this peculiar film is a bonafide head scratcher!

Bart, Lindsey and guest, Alicia George, discuss Joe Dante's 1989 dark comedy, The Burbs. Settling in for some time off in his suburban home, Ray Peterson's vacation becomes a horror when the Klopeks, a suspiciously odd family, move in next door. Tom Hanks, Carrie Fisher, Bruce Dern, Henry Gibson, and Brother effing Theodore round out this Joe Dante classic.

In 1986, Tobe Hooper returns to his own creation, cranking the chainsaw speed to “unhinged,” and swapping the original’s documentary-style dread for neon-lit chaos, pitch-black humor, and a surprising amount of chainsaw-related enthusiasm. The gang's all here from the original Texas Chainsaw: Leatherface, Drayton Sawyer, and even the corpse of the hitchhiker, affectionally referred to as "Nubbins." Add a new sibling into the mix with scene stealing, Chop-Top, played by Bill Moseley, a vengeful Lieutenant "Lefty" Enright, played by Dennis Hopper, and Caroline Williams delivering a powerful performance as the criminally underrated, final girl and small-town DJ, Stretch. What is this blatant display of mindfuckery? Why it's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2, of course. The buzz is back!Hosts: Bart Shannon, Lindsey RobertsGuest: Joey CarrMusic provided by MKE. Check out more of his music at detectivemusic.com and Detective on Spotify.

What do you do in a film franchise when you title one of the installments, "The Final Chapter"? Why, you title the next one "A New Beginning" and keep that gravy train rolling! Friday the 13th: A New Beginning, was panned by critics and loathed by fans for tossing a fake Jason into the bloody mayhem. That's a shocking reaction for a film that shot some scenes in Corey Feldman's backyard. But, aside from these trivialities and the debate on whether this is actually a horror comedy, the film was selected because of the recent passing of actor, Corey Parker, who makes an appearance in the film as Pete, the greaser. So, let's celebrate the performances by Parker and and Miguel A. Núñez Jr. (Return of the Living Dead) who gave their all in a film that certainly didn't deserve it.Hosts: Bart Shannon, Lindsey RobertsGuest: Christian WalkerMusic provided by MKE. Check out more of his music at detectivemusic.com and Detective on Spotify.

On the latest episode of Die Laughing, hosts Bart and Lindsey welcome guest, Jared Callan, Director of Photography and co-host of The Movie Crew Podcast. They discuss the 1985, Steve Miner directed, House, starring William Katt, George Wendt, Richard Moll and Kay Lenz. This cult favorite spawned three sequels and was a reunion of Friday the 13th alums, including Sean S. Cunningham, Steve Miner, Harry Manfredini and Kane Hodder.Hosts: Bart Shannon, Lindsey RobertsGuest: Jared CallanThe Movie Crew Podcast: https://rephonic.com/podcasts/the-movie-crew-podcastMusic provided by MKE. Check out more of his music at detectivemusic.com and Detective on Spotify.

On this episode of Die Laughing, hosts Bart and Lindsey welcome producer/director, Heather Wilk, to discuss the 2014 mockumentary, What We Do in the Shadows, written and directed by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi. The New Zealand film (which inspired the series by the same name) is a delightful look at a house occupied by a gang of inept vampires.Hosts: Bart Shannon, Lindsey RobertsGuest: Heather WilkMusic provided by MKE. Check out more of his music at detectivemusic.com and Detective on Spotify.

On this episode of Die Laughing, hosts Bart and Lindsey welcome guest, Mike Thorpe, to discuss James Gunn's feature film directorial debut, Slither, from 2006. This extremely gooey creature-feature, stars Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks and Michael Rooker. Hosts: Bart Shannon, Lindsey RobertsGuest: Mike ThorpeMusic provided by MKE. Check out more of his music at detectivemusic.com and Detective on Spotify.

On this episode of Die Laughing, hosts Lindsey Roberts and Bart Shannon welcome director and editor, Laura Jean Hocking, to deep dive into the 2019 cult-favorite thriller Ready or Not. From its savage satire of wealthy family traditions to Samara Weaving’s star-making, blood-soaked performance, the group explores this wickedly rewatchable entry in modern horror, just ahead of its sequel's March, 2026 release.Hosts: Bart Shannon, Lindsey RobertsGuest: Laura Jean HockingNewport & The Great Folk Dream: https://www.newportfolkdoc.com/Music provided by MKE. Check out more of his music at detectivemusic.com and Detective on Spotify.