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Welcome to the penultimate installment of this year's Spooky Season (AHHHH!) franchise run as we dive into the final entry in the Paranormal Activity franchise. PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: NEXT OF KIN is different from any of the other installments in a host of ways. It doesn't fully commit to the found-footage only motif, it neither references nor ties back into any previous narrative, and only loosely ties into the rest of its peers thematically. In many ways, it feels like this was intended to be a different film and got roped into the Paranormal Activity franchise for marketing purposes. As such, it's a pretty thin entry. That said, it looks really great (arguably best of the franchise) and features some good performances along with a handful of genuinely effective moments. With those compliments on deck, we're joined by Andrew Nelson and Vera Goudie to explore a surprising theme in a film that has flirted with technology as its central conceit: what happens in a community that has drifted to the complete other extreme? We have a lot of fun in this episode and feature some surprisingly thoughtful observations about the burden of keeping up with all of the way the world is moving on without us. It's an episode we hope you'll check out and hope even more that you enjoy. 4:36 - Announcements (LAST CHANCE FOR FOGGOWEEN) Patron Only Segment: THE SIMPSONS, Halloween of Horror 9:13 - PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: NEXT OF KIN See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We're kicking off Halloween week with a fantastic Spooky-Season reading recommendation from friend of the show and author Nick Medina. SAVAGE LAKE is Nick's fourth novel, and it is a fun and suspenseful homage to some of your favorite horror movie motifs. It tells the story of Oscar, an avid horror movie fan, who accompanies his mother to the rundown cabin on Torchlight Lake that she's just inherited. His mother Nell is haunted by the memories of this place and of the strange, still unexplained things that happened to her family here a quarter century earlier. Before long, local road closures make it impossible for them to leave as mysterious occurrences begin to unfold and Nell becomes less and less herself. As we see Oscar try to make sense of some inexplicable occurrences around him (which he of course filters through the lens of his vast horror film knowledge), we also learn Nell's story from those many years back -- a story of fractured family tensions, community prejudices, and a mysterious unsolved tragedy that tore Nell's family apart. As Nell's past and Oscar's present begin to converge, Oscar is forced to face something far more terrifying than movie monsters. Reed got the chance to speak with Nick about the inspirations for his book, its propulsive and fun narrative framework, and the richer themes on its mind about the intangible things we inherit from our families: not just eye color or hair color, but wounds and fears and hopes and dreams. Nick's book is a fantastic choice for Halloween week reading. We hope you'll check it out and we hope you enjoy our conversation! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We continue our franchise run through every Paranormal Activity installment with what is, nearly unanimously, considered to be the weakest entry in the series. Building upon some direct tethers to the third film, PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE GHOST DIMENSION attempts to pull the narrative curtain back a bit and reveal to us some physical representations of the malevolent entity tormenting this new family. The results are decidedly uneven, with a handful of promising moments largely misspent on flat characterizations and overly predictable scares. Despite our feelings about the film, we're joined by friends of the show Justi Schunior and Abby Olcese for what becomes a disarmingly heartfelt and vulnerable conversation about our own inability to properly prepare for forces beyond our comprehension. In the face of inexplicable and uncontrollable oppression, how do we find the hope to persist believing that our small, daily choices can still make a difference? We were about as surprised at the richness of our conversation as we were disappointed in the film that prompted it. But we really hope you'll come along with us for this conversation because we think and hope it will encourage you. And as always, we hope you enjoy it! 4:31 - Announcements (including important details about FoGgoween) Patron Only Segment: THE SIMPSONS: Treehouse of Horror XXV 7:53 - PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE GHOST DIMENSION See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

BETTER LUCK THAN CHUCK is a horror trivia game show that streams weekly (Thursday nights, 8 pm ET / 5 pm PT) on YouTube. It's set in a retro-mod basement filled with colorful props and decorations and it's hosted by The Widow (Alexis Allota) and the titular, zombified character of Chuck (Adam Michaels). The Jeopardy-style game show pits horror fans against one another in a fast-paced game of questions that run the spectrum of our favorite spooky genre. Nathan and Reed had the chance to host Alexis and Adam, alongside show creators Tony Wash and Meredith Tummillo, for a recurring dice-roll question game that finally gets an official name. We had an absolute blast talking with this crew about their excellent new show in a conversation that frequently turned into all of us just geeking out over some of our favorite horror and pop culture media. We hope you'll check out Better Luck Than Chuck -- see it HERE! -- and we hope you enjoy our conversation with its smart and funny creatives. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We continue our franchise spooky season run through the Paranormal Activity franchise by tackling the first installment with a subtitle instead of a number. Starting off in rather unfamiliar territory, this entry follows three high school friends who just want to have fun and enjoy their summer. But when one of them begins to exhibit strange and violent behavior, a sinister influence emerges that will force them to confront everything they once believed. We're joined by friends of the show (and pastoral figures) Charlie Baber and Josh Raugh for a heartfelt and disarmingly insightful conversation about community, destiny, and the vital importance of seeing each and every one of our neighbors (and ourselves) as image bearers of God. It's a fun and uncommonly uplifting conversation that we really hope you enjoy! 4:21 - Announcements (including FoGgoween details) Patron Only Segment: THE SIMPSONS Treehouse of Horror XXIV 8:33 - PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE MARKED ONES See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We have another bonus interview for you this week featuring someone who has orbited around the FoG for a while now. Tim Kirk is a screenwriter, novelist, producer, and director whose work includes collaborations with director Rodney Ascher (including The Nightmare, which was a featured FoG episode, and Room 237). Tim's work features unconventional approaches to storytelling, which often involve multiple perspectives, inventive combinations of language and visuals, and a compelling theme of our shared interconnectedness as human beings. I had the chance to talk with Tim about his work and I really hope you enjoy our conversation! You can find more of Tim's work here. Check it out! 3:01 - 2 Questions with Tim Kirk 12:04 - Tim's Collaborations with Rodney Ascher 20:26 - Tim's Directorial Efforts (including short films based on Chick Tracts) 31:23 - ALL HIS DAMNED MOTHER'S SONS (Tim's novel) 44:56 - DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY: THE TERROR OF FRANKENSTEIN (Tim's feature film) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We have another special interview episode for you today leaning heavily into the more spiritual and theological aspect of our show, but still very much examining what scares us to find what saves us. For countless centuries, the biblical text of Job has been a source of study, debate, confusion, inspiration, and -- quite often -- frustration. Sometimes described as the "Mount Everest" of biblical study, Job is given a fresh and very text-centric examination by friend of the show, author, professor, and ethicist Dr David Gushee. Job in Exile looks at the pivotal moments in the text of the book of Job for an honest and clear-eyed examination of the ways human suffering frequently confounds our understanding of God. Often, people have approached the text feeling a deep need to defend God, or even to indict God, and the text continually pushes against overly simplistic categorizations. Dr Gushee's most recent treatment attempts to anchor the various perspectives surrounding a study of Job in the understanding that the complexity might just be part of the point: and that we have been given an invitation -- even a mandate -- to participate in the movement of God towards the wholeness, justice, and healing of the suffering of our neighbors. This is an open-hearted and often vulnerable conversation that we hope will encourage you. We hope you'll check out Dr Gushee's book at your bookseller of choice and we hope you enjoy this conversation! For more of Dr Gushee's appearances on the show, check out these discussions: Interview: Dr. David Gushee, Introducing Christian Ethics Interview: David Gushee, ethicist, author of Changing Our Mind Interview: Dr. David Gushee - Defending Democracy From Its Christian Enemies “Here We Are. Now What?” A Conversation with Dr. David Gushee Interview: The Moral Teachings of Jesus with Dr. David Gushee What Scares Us and What Saves Us Epilogue: An Interview with Dr. David Gushee The Zone of Interest w/ Dr. David Gushee See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We continue our annual Spooky Season franchise run for 2026 by exploring the first proper sequel in the Paranormal Activity series (because the last two were primarily prequels). PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 picks up 5 years from the events that unfolded across the first three films. It shows Alex (played by a young Kathryn Newton) alongside her parents and younger adopted brother Wyatt, not to mention her boyfriend Ben, experiencing and filming unnerving ghostly occurrences in their home. After their young neighbor Robbie must come live with them for a while when his mother suffers a terrible accident, these occurrences intensify and grow more frequent, barreling towards a sinister and fatal revelation. We're joined by friends of the show Claire Lechtenberg -- the Director of Development and Marketing for the Independent Picture House in Charlotte, NC -- as well as Sarah Welch-Larson, author and film critic for Seeing & Believing and Bright Wall, Dark Room. Together we have a surprisingly robust conversation about the spirituality of technology, and the ways that malevolent forces can be invited into our lives in a variety of ways. We also catch up with Claire and Sarah about exciting recent events at IPH and the Toronto International Film Festival respectively and we feature a Patron-only segment where Reed and Nathan discuss The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror XXIII (and way too many songs from the 80s). It's a hearty and thought-provoking conversation that we really hope you enjoy! To learn more about what's coming up for IPH, visit: https://independentpicturehouse.org/upcoming-films/ https://independentpicturehouse.org/movies/faust-w-live-score-100th-anniversary-event-screening/ https://independentpicturehouse.org/film-series/terror-of-86/ To read more of Sarah's work, you can visit: Seeing & Believing | Sarah Welch-Larson | Substack Sarah Welch-Larson, Author at Bright Wall/Dark Room 5:29 - Announcements -- including important details about this year's FoGgoween! Patron Only Segment: THE SIMPSONS Treehouse of Horror XXIII 9:18 - Catching up with Claire about IPH 14:17 - Catching up with Sarah about TIFF 22:11 - PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We have another special interview for you this week for a film that opens in theaters this weekend! APPOFENIACS is a kinetic and unpredictable anthology thriller where AI deepfake technology has made it far too easy for someone to disrupt people's lives. Amused by exploiting our instinct to believe what we see and hear, Duke (Aaron Holliday) treats deepfakes like a contagious party trick. Not because he has something to prove, but simply because he can. Soon blood starts to spill, but Duke isn't the one who has to clean it up. Following three main intersecting plotlines, we witness the outrageous fallout of Duke's petty pastime. Also starring Sean Gunn, Paige Searcy, and Simran Jehani, Appofeniacs is a hilarious and terrifying trip through paranoia, confirmation bias, and baseless certainty. When anyone’s version of the truth can be created with the tap of a finger, the horror isn’t the lie. It’s what happens when people believe it. Nathan and Reed got the chance to talk with writer/director Chris Marrs Piliero and star of the film Aaron Holliday for a fun and thoughtful examination of why this film's subject is so timely and terrifying. We hope you'll check out Appofeniacs (in theaters exclusively as of October 2nd) and we hope you enjoy this interview! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We continue our Spooky Season (AAHHHHH!) run through the entire PARANORMAL ACTIVITY franchise by examining what most fans and critics consider to be the strongest entry in the whole series. Taking the story back to when our protagonists from 1 and 2 were children, Paranormal Activity 3 is that rare prequel that actually further develops and expands the mythology rather than merely connecting narrative dots. It's tightly constructed, inventive, and -- not for nothing -- it's very, very scary. We're joined by friends of the show (and PhDs) Brandon Grafius and Leland Merritt for a thoughtful and disarmingly observant discussion of the ways this entire franchise positions us as the audience to question what we see, what we hear, and what we believe. We laugh a lot and have some surprising depth of observation about one of the franchise's strongest films. Also featuring a Patron-only survey of THE SIMPSONS, Treehouse of Horror XXII, this is a conversation you won't want to miss and that we really hope you enjoy! 6:02 - ANNOUNCEMENTS -- Including upcoming FoGgoween details Patron Only Segment: THE SIMPSONS, Treehouse of Horror XXII 10:07 - PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We're excited to bring you another interview episode this week for an upcoming theatrical release. NEVER AFTER DARK tells the story of Airi, a traveling psychic who helps lost souls move on in the spirit realm. When she accepts a job at a remote house, she soon encounters a powerful entity, dark secrets, and a deadly threat unlike anything she's had to face before. It's part supernatural thriller, part detective mystery and delivers a disarming emotional resonance once its secrets are all revealed. Reed and Vera sat down with writer/director Dave Boyle and star of the film Moeka Hoshi to discuss the film's craft and inspiration. We hope you'll check out NEVER AFTER DARK -- exclusively in theaters Sep 25 -- and we hope you enjoy this interview! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We continue our Spooky Season tradition of walking through an entire franchise by tackling the sequel to the landmark cultural phenomenon of Paranormal Activity. PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2 throws both the familiar and the inventive at the screen as it unfolds the story of Daniel and Kristi, who after welcoming their new baby Hunter to their home soon discover some inexplicable phenomena may be occurring right under their nose. Now they, and their teen daughter Ali, must navigate something they barely believe, let alone understand. We're joined by friends of the show Matt Ruff and Julie Ahern for a lively and thoughtful discussion not only of the merits and demerits of this sequel, but also of the ways that dismissing what scares us can often give it substantive influence over us. Also featuring a Patron-only segment where Reed and Nathan venture back to Springfield for TREEHOUSE OF HORROR XXI, it's a fun and thoughtful conversation that we really hope you enjoy. Patron Only Segment: TREEHOUSE OF HORROR XXI 7:49 - Matt Ruff's upcoming novel 9:46 - PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We have a really cool interview for you this week with two of our friends from Restoration Games about some of their upcoming releases! Lead Marketing Alchemist Beth Erickson and Meeple Mover Josh Willenbrink sit down with Nathan to not only discuss some recent delights they've been playing in the board game world, but also to offer up a preview of two very exciting upcoming titles. UNMATCHED: HELLBOY will become available this Fall and will feature Mignola's signature legacy comic book character in all of the thrilling gameplay you've come to expect from the Unmatched series. Josh provides some cool specifics about not only that release, but a few other exciting things on the horizon for that series. Then, they unveil a preview of THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE KING'S GAMBIT, a sprawling new epic battler that previewed at GenCon and has been eagerly awaited by fans (particularly its special Mithril Edition release). It's a brisk and fun conversation about all things board gaming. We hope you'll check out and support Restoration Game's upcoming kickstarters and we hope you enjoy this conversation! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The episode this week is special for a number of reasons. First, it's the first episode of this year's Spooky Season (AHHHH!). We're spending this September and October marching through the entire PARANORMAL ACTIVITY franchise. Beginning with a discussion we haven't revisited since 2018. The original Paranormal Activity was a landmark cultural phenomenon, building upon found footage characteristics popularized by The Blair Witch Project to shock and terrify audiences. The story of how it came to the screen is inspiring and also sparked the history of the groundbreaking Blumhouse Studios. But this episode is also special because, for the first time in the history of the Fear of God, we recorded the episode LIVE for our patrons. It was a special chance to revisit this film alongside fellow FoGgers Vera Goudie, Matt Murray, Steve Beckley, and Jocee Worley. It's full of all of the laughter and thoughtfulness you've come to expect from the FoG. And we hope you enjoy this episode half as much as we did recording it with and for our friends. 4:14 - ANNOUNCEMENTS (including details about FoGgoween) 10:56 - Conclusion of the Annual FoGgerknocker 15:57 - PARANORMAL ACTIVITY REDUX See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We have an exciting interview for you this week! If you're a fan of either 2014's Creep or 2017's Creep 2, you'll likely have caught up with the first two seasons of THE CREEP TAPES, which expands both the lore and the victim population of the titular, prolific, socially awkward serial killer. Patrick Brice starred as the victim in that inaugural film and is credited as director for every installment in the franchise. Ahead of the premiere of Season 3 of The Creep Tapes, Nathan and Reed sat down with Patrick to discuss how the franchise began and also what makes it so inventive and perpetually fascinating. It's a brisk and fun conversation that you won't want to miss and we really hope you enjoy! Season 3 of The Creep Tapes premieres on September 14th on AMC+ and Shudder. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.