Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast

Please welcome Steve Dahlin, Chicago podcaster extraordinaire from the long-running Drunktor Who podcast, as we discuss a deceptively-scary Academy Award winning film The Bad Seed (1956). We love a creepy kid and Rhoda’s the original (in large part due to the amazing acting of Patty McCormick and the rest of the cast), but we also discuss the Rob Lowe remake, the scariest episodes of Doctor Who, Tubi nonsense, how we wish more people watch black and white movies, and how wonderful it is to make podcasts with friends!Find “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Instagram and subscribe to my Substack for exclusive bonus episodes.00:00-20:00- Intro / Scary Doctor Who / Steve’s Horror History20:00- 33:00- Brief Synopsis / Book & Play / Is The Bad Seed “horror?”33:00- 56:00- Acting / Symbols & Psychology / Ending56:00- 1:12:00- Remake / Double Feature Ideas / Loose Ends / OutroPlease note, timestamps are estimates.References:* The Bad Seed by William March* The Drunktor Who ep with Andy Weir, Ep. 191 (a good starting point into Steve’s podcast)* Midnight (S4 E10) - Doctor Who horror episode* Blink (S3 E10)- Doctor Who horror episode* Hide (S7 E9)- Doctor Who horror episode* 73 Yards (S14 E4)- Doctor Who horror episodeFollow Us:* Follow Steve’s podcast Drunktor Who and on Letterboxd.* Follow Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.* Find other great film pods on the Now Playing Network.The sound/clips used in this episode are from the trailer and film of The Bad Seed (1956) and used for educational purposes.Listen to “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you’d like to get new reviews and special features, please subscribe to my Substack. Thank you for listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chloesnotscared.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to our discussion on Midnight Mass (2021), our second miniseries (our first being Rose Red) and our second Mike Flanagan, but our longest episode to date! Of course I’m chatting with my favorite person, actor and playwright Ben Tracy! Ben and I both have a background in theater so we mostly talk about theatrical aspects of the show, but also discuss how some people can twist religion into something scary (in fiction and real life) and Samantha Sloyan’s Bev Keane, Flanagan’s monologues, and adding theatrical mysticism and whimsy to horror. We also go long about how basements are sacred, what age we would most likely like to be immortal, Charlie Brown, and more.We are spoiler free until we start going episode-by-episode, so if you want to listen up until 37:40, watch the series, and then come back, please do!Let us know if you’d like to start your own chapter of Monster Movie Mayhem! Email me [email protected] “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Instagram and subscribe to my Substack for exclusive bonus episodes.00:00-20:00- Intro / Creepy Childhood Lore / Ben’s Halloween Traditions20:00- 37:40 - Mike Flanagan / Our Midnight Mass & Religious Horror History / Spoiler-Free Brief Synopsis37:40- 1:17:00- Episode 1 / Episode 2 / Episode 31:17:00- 2:08:00- Episode 4 / Episode 5 / Episode 6 / Episode 72:08:00- 2:14:00- Double Feature Ideas / OutroPlease note, timestamps are estimates.References:* Kristin Linklater’s (Hamish Linklater’s mom) Theater History as a Voice Coach (mentioned by Ben)* Midnight Mass: The Christian Horror Series with a Challenging Message for the Church by Jonty Langley, Premier Christianity, October 28, 2021 (one example of a Catholic perspective on the show)* Midnight Mass: What Muslim Representation Should Look Like, by Nouri Sardar, The Muslim Vibe, November 12, 2021 (one example of a Muslim perspective on the show)* The Netflix Series That Should Make Religious People Uncomfortable by Matthew J. Cressler, The Atlantic, October 25, 2021* Rahul Kohli remembers intense imposter syndrome he felt while shooting Midnight Mass (YouTube video, Inside of You) * Listen to Ben’s episode on Red Eye (2005)!* Listen to Chloe’s episode on Director’s Club about Mike Flanagan!Follow Us:* Follow Ben on Instagram.* Follow Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.* Find other great film pods on the Now Playing Network.The sound/clips used in this episode are from the trailer and film of Netflix’s Midnight Mass (2021) and used for educational purposes. (I did end up crying again when I added these clips, don’t judge).Listen to “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you’d like to get new reviews and special features, please subscribe to my Substack. Thank you for listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chloesnotscared.substack.com/subscribe

I welcome back Luther Moss to the podcast as we discuss a deep cut meta horror Fade to Black (1980). We talk about Dennis Christopher’s amazing performance as your cringiest movie-obsessed friend, and mention classic films like Creature of the Black Lagoon, Kiss of Death, White Heat, The Mummy, Hop-along Cassidy, and more. We also discuss if this is a slasher, humanist horror and the Regal Theater ad featuring movie quotes. If this episode sounds a little different, it was because it was recorded in person! Find “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Instagram and subscribe to my Substack for exclusive bonus episodes (including Luther’s episode on Bram Stoker’s Dracula [1992] here).00:00-14:00- Intro / Luther’s Take on Recent Horror / Our Fade to Black History14:00- 32:00 -Brief Synopsis / Dennis Christopher, Tim Thomerson, & Linda Kerridge / Classic Movie References32:00- 44:00- Favorite Eric Moments / Los Angeles Setting44:00- 50:00- Double Feature Ideas / OutroPlease note, timestamps are estimates.References:* It’s come to my attention that the historical commentary track for the Fade to Black DVD is done by Bill Ackerman, host of Supporting Characters and part of the Now Playing Network family! Luther and I shamefully didn’t listen yet (we just let the film wash over us) but please check it out if you want actual film historians to tell you about this film!* Also, I mentioned Robert Ebert’s Fade to Black Review, November 10, 1980Find Us:* Follow Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.* Find other great film pods on the Now Playing Network.The sound/clips used in this episode are from the trailer and film of Fade to Black (1980) and the Regal Theater snipe, used for educational purposes.Listen to “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you’d like to get new reviews and special features, please subscribe to my Substack. Thank you for listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chloesnotscared.substack.com/subscribe

This is one extremely near and dear to my heart. I welcome my friend and fellow library person Jenni Schofield to talk about storytelling, fantasy, magic, and history through a discussion of one of our favorite movies of all time: Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth (2006). We go long about fairytales, how children are the future, the Spanish Civil War 101 (making Jenni dig out her knowledge from her degree in Spanish), Doug Jones, colors, the serendipitous discovery of stories, and more. I think this is the longest episode to date and the time flew by. We could’ve chatted for another 2 hours!This episode was recorded at the end of August 2026, hence the summer/Dolly Parton talk (RIP). If you’re in the Seattle area, consider supporting Scarecrow Video!Find “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Instagram and subscribe to my Substack for exclusive bonus episodes.00:00-24:30- Intro / Jenni’s Take on Summer Movies / Guillermo del Toro Life & Film24:30-41:00 -Brief Synopsis / Short Overview of the Spanish Civil War / Our Pan’s Labyrinth History41:00- 1:32:00- The Fawn / Archetypes, Fairy Tales and Magical Realism / Themes of Disobedience and Belief / The GDT Color Palette / The End1:32:00- 1:53:00- Double Feature Ideas / Celebration of Analog Media / OutroPlease note, timestamps are estimates.References:* Commentary and Featurettes on Pan’s Labyrinth blu-ray* Criterion visits Guillermo del Toro Welcome to Bleak House on YouTube (the house is mentioned by Chloe)* How the Spanish Civil War Became Europe’s Battlefield- The Great Courses (used by Jenni)* Pan person: Guillermo del Toro talks to Mark Kermode about Pan’s Labyrinth, June 25, 2020 (originally printed December 2006), BFI* Scarecrow Video in Seattle (mentioned by Jenni)* Silvia Moreno-Garcia (mentioned by Jenni)* Visitations podcast- Guillermo del Toro- Part 1 of 2 (mentioned by Chloe)* Listen to Jenni’s episode on Suspiria (2018)!* Listen to Chloe’s episode on Director’s Club about all of the films of Guillermo del Toro!Find Us:* Follow Jenni’s Letterboxd.* Follow Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.* Find other great film pods on the Now Playing Network.The sound/clips used in this episode are from the trailer and film of Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), plus Criterion’s Guillermo del Toro Welcome to Bleak House and The Office clip, used for educational purposes.Listen to “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you’d like to get new reviews and special features, please subscribe to my Substack. Thank you for listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chloesnotscared.substack.com/subscribe

It’s about time that I had another guest on from the Now Playing Network family! My guest is friend Jim Laczkowski, who is a librarian, writer, critic, musician and podcaster of Director’s Club and B-Side Me. And we have some shocking news! Not only are we covering the Wes Craven flick Shocker (1989) on this episode, but we are also getting together on Director’s Club to discuss Wes Craven more broadly (so check that out on the Director’s Club feed around Halloween). In this episode, we talk about rockin’ soundtracks, Craven’s “electro-world,” Tracy Letts, and… am I going to start watching The X-Files finally? Listen to find out!Find “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Instagram and subscribe to my Substack for exclusive bonus episodes.00:00-13:30- Intro / Our Craven History / New Horror Landscape13:30- 31:00 - How Jim First Saw Shocker / Brief Synopsis / Soundtrack / Television31:00-48:00- Horace Pinker / Favorite Scenes / Themes of the “Electro-World” and Violence48:00- 01:02:00- Double Feature Ideas / OutroPlease note, timestamps are estimates.References:* Alice Cooper and Iggy Pop promote Shocker (MTV’s Headbanger Halloween)* Shocker (1989) Director’s Commentary (on Blu Ray)* Wes Craven: The Man and his Nightmares by John Wooley (book mentioned by Chloe)* Jungian archetypes (Wikipedia, mentioned by Chloe as a Craven influence)* The Texas Chain Saw Massacre episode (Jim’s first episode on this pod)Books Mentioned:* The Human Chair by Junji Ito (mentioned by Chloe)* The Dark Descent (our book club book)* House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (our other book club book)Find Us:* Follow Jim’s website for all things podcast and writing.* Follow Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.* Listen to my episodes on Jim’s podcast Director’s Club (James Wan, Guillermo del Toro, and Mike Flanagan)The music used in this episode is from the soundtrack and trailer for Shocker (1989) and MTV’s Headbanger Halloween (1989) used for educational purposes.Listen to “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. For exclusive episodes, subscribe at a paying level to my Substack. If you enjoy my work, this is the best way to financially support me! Thank you for listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chloesnotscared.substack.com/subscribe

On today’s episode, Christopher Bevard (author, podcaster) and I discuss an indie Kickstarter-funded feature called Absentia (2011). The director– you may have heard of him– is a dude named Mike Flanagan. Because Chris is a writer, we mostly discuss storytelling and creating a mythology in horror fiction, but we also chat about Muppets as monsters, Doug Jones, if we would run down that tunnel, region-free Blu-ray players and more. Our first Mike Flanagan movie on the podcast is Mike Flanagan’s first movie! Be sure to check out Chris’ podcast Cicatrix and his books.Find “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Instagram and subscribe to my Substack for exclusive bonus episodes.00:00-18:00- Intro / Chris’ Writing and Horror History / Our Flanagan History18:00- 36:00 - Brief Synopsis / Music / Elements of Storytelling / Setting36:00-53:00- Script / The End53:00- 01:06:00- Double Feature Ideas / OutroPlease note, timestamps are estimates.References:* Absentia (2011) A Retrospective Documentary* Absentia Kickstarter (with fundraising promotional videos created by the cast and crew)Find Us:* Follow Chris’s website (where all his books live), Cicatrix podcast and Cicatrix Patreon.* Follow Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.* Find other great film pods on the Now Playing Network.The sound/clips used in this episode are from the trailer and film of Absentia (2011) and used for educational purposes.Listen to “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you’d like to get new reviews and special features, please subscribe to my Substack. Thank you for listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chloesnotscared.substack.com/subscribe

Today I welcome Full Bleed Zine creators and artists Eerie Ed and Tombstone Tony (aka Edward Witt and Tony Recktenwald) to talk about the excellent gateway horror classic Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988). We discuss all things special effects, Ed’s hatred of clowns, what we would do if we encountered a circus tent in the woods, and how more horror movies need a cool theme song. We also chat about the power of Letterboxd connections and the wonderful horror community in Chicago. Ed and Tony are two of the most positive welcoming people I’ve met— their positivity & joy about the genre is contagious. Take a listen!If you are in Chicago, come hang at Super-Horror-o-Rama at the Music Box Theater! Ed and Tony are programming a great two-night double feature on September 25-26, 2026. Come to one or both films! And be sure to pick up Full Bleed Zine at select comic book stores in Chicago (or buy a digital issue)!Find “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Instagram and subscribe on Substack for exclusive bonus episodes.00:00-20:00- Intro / Chicago Horror Community Love / How Ed and Tony Got Into Horror and First Saw Killer Klowns20:00- 47:00- Brief Synopsis / Scariest Scenes / Special Effects / Characters / Favorite Gags47:00-01:05:00- Genre / The End / Theme Song01:05:00- 01:12:00- Double Feature Ideas / OutroPlease note, timestamps are estimates.References:* Super-Horror-o-Rama- Music Box Theater in Chicago (Ed and Tony’s involved screenings are September 25 and 26, 2026- come to one or both!)* Full Bleed Zine info* Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Making of Killer Klowns featurette on YouTube* Killer Klowns from Outer Space: Visual Effects with Gene Warren featurette on YouTube* Chicago Alternative Comics Expo (CAKE)* Ruined PodcastFind Us:* Follow Full Bleed Zine on Instagram.* Follow Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.* Find other great film pods on the Now Playing Network.The clips used in this episode are from the Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988) trailer and film, and the theme song Killer Klowns by The Dickies are used for educational purposes.Listen to “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you’d like to get new reviews and special features, please subscribe to my Substack. Thank you for listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chloesnotscared.substack.com/subscribe

Bonus! Books!!! I’m joined by Betsy Tomszak, bookstagrammer and podcaster behind Books with Betsy (from episode 5 where we talked about The Evil Dead), to talk about ten horror books that we read this year (and mention about a gazillion more). We chat about books released in 2026 (starting at 09:00) but also a few new-to-us books, what all of our book clubs have been reading, our experience with the Chicago Public Library Summer Reading Challenge, Creepypasta-inspired horror, how horror fiction makes us make sense of the horrors of the world, and more!What horror books have you been reading this year? If books aren’t your thing, never fear! We will be back to our regular format on August 18.Main books we talked about:* The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig* Back for Blood: Never Whistle at Night II (release: 8/18/26)* Trad Wife by Saratoga Schaefer* You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine by Alexandra Kleeman* The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer* Old Country by Matt and Harrison Query* Warning Signs by Tracy Sierra* The Extra and The Other novellas by Annie Neugebauer* Whalefall by Daniel Kraus* The Morgue Keeper by Ruyen Meng (not technically horror but graphic & violent historical fiction)Other books mentioned:* Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler* The Road by Cormac McCarthy* It by Stephen King* The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones* Witchcraft by Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix* The Dark Descent anthology* Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix* Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology* The Mobius Book by Catherine Lacey (not horror)* Trad Wife by Sarah Langan* The Mad Wife by Meagan Church* Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke* A Better World by Sarah Langan* You Weren’t Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White* We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer* House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski* Night Watching by Tracy Sierra* Angel Down by Daniel Kraus* A Beast Slinks Towards Beijing by Alice Evelyn Yang (not horror)* Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Family by Patrick Radden Keefe (not horror)Find us online:* Betsy’s Instagram* Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram* Books with Betsy Podcast* Follow Off Color Brewing (Chicago) for info on Betsy’s Book Club. The Off Color Book Club meets 3rd Tuesday every month. A beer is paired with each book!Listen to “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you’d like to get new reviews and special features, please subscribe to my Substack. Thank you for listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chloesnotscared.substack.com/subscribe

Writer and critic Rachel Bellwoar joins me on the podcast to discuss the glam-rock campy classic of our dreams, Brian De Palma’s The Phantom of the Paradise (1974). I’m so excited to talk about our first horror musical on this pod, so Rachel and I fully take advantage of our mutual love of musicals to go kinda long about our favorites (13:00-18:00). But mostly we chat about Phantom, specifically the loveable awkwardness of Winslow and Phoenix, mask horror, surveillance and homages in De Palma movies, and of course, BEEF. Be sure to check out Rachel’s writing on Comicon and The Physical Media Advocate, and follow her on Bluesky! FYI- she writes about books too!Find “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Instagram or email me at [email protected]. Subscribe to Substack for exclusive bonus episodes.00:00-22:00- Intro / Rachel’s Horror History / How We First Saw The Phantom of the Paradise / Our Experience with Musicals and De Palma22:00-39:00- Brief Synopsis / Songs / Characters / Direction39:00-50:30-Faust & the Music Industry / Beef50:30-01:04:00- Imagery / The Ending01:04:00-01:22:30- Double Feature Ideas / OutroPlease note, timestamps are estimates.References:* Rachel on Director’s Club (Jack Clayton episode)* Phantom of the Paradise Shout Factory BluRay (interview mentioned by Chloe)* Popcorn Disabilities by Kristen Lopez (book mentioned by Rachel)* Uncanny Valley Girls by Zefyr Lisowski (book mentioned by Chloe)* Both of us wish we’d had time to properly research queer readings before the discussion, so if you’re craving that, here’s an episode of our beloved and often-mentioned Horror Queers podcast talking about The Phantom of the Paradise!Find Us:* Follow Rachel’s writing on Comicon, The Physical Media Advocate and Bluesky.* Follow Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.* Find other great film pods on the Now Playing Network.The clips used in this episode is from The Phantom of the Paradise (1974) trailer and film, used for educational purposes.Listen to “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you’d like to get new reviews and special features, please subscribe to my Substack. Thank you for listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chloesnotscared.substack.com/subscribe

The Meg Loves Movies x Chloe’s Not Scared crossover that you’ve all been waiting for! Playwright, theater educator and dramaturg Meg Mechelke joins me on the pod to discuss the Y2K cult classic Ginger Snaps (2000). We howl about the sadness of werewolves, the cynical women canon, our upbringing in a cold almost-Canadian climate, funny yet competent moms, and taking angst seriously. If you’re not following Meg, what are you doing with your life? Give them a follow! Meg brings a much-needed critical look at the horror genre with a fun, conversational tone.Please note that dog death (at 18:00) and suicide (at 21:00) are major plot points so we do briefly discuss these topics.Find “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Instagram or email me at [email protected]. Subscribe to Substack for exclusive bonus episodes.00:00-12:00- Intro / Meg’s Horror History / Our Experience with Werewolf Movies / How We First Saw Ginger Snaps12:00-37:00- Brief Synopsis / Setting / Characters / Themes37:00-53:00- The Werewolf / Legacy53:00-1:10:00 - Sequels (mostly Ginger Snaps 2) / Double Feature Ideas / OutroPlease note, timestamps are estimates.References:* Creating the Beast: Behind the Bloody Making of Ginger Snaps Featurette* Faculty of Horror podcast* Horror Queers podcast* The Nottingham Horror Collective (Meg is/will be published here!)Find Us:* Follow Meg on Instagram and Meg Loves Movies.* Follow Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.* Find other great film pods on the Now Playing Network.The clips used in this episode is from Ginger Snaps (2000) trailer and film, used for educational purposes.Listen to “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chloesnotscared.substack.com/subscribe