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Jeffrey Combs in Re-Animator (1985) It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Welcome to the late eighties, a much-revered era in the horror genre, and for many horror fans, the foundation of their love for it. The period from 1985 to 1989 was filled with fun, gory, and very rewatchable movies. It was also the era of the unstoppable (and highly profitable) horror franchises. Join the Scariest Things for our deeper dive into the late eighties in Episode 217. The early eighties gave us a spate of slasher movies. The late eighties gave us their sequels, sometimes once a year. While many will bemoan the cookie-cutter nature of some sequels, a few surpassed or matched their source material. Aliens (1987), Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn (1987), Day of the Dead (1985), and A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) were triumphs as franchise offerings. Many will also say that Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986) was the best of that franchise… though that may be a fairly low threshold to clear. Beyond the sequelpalooza trend, studios also returned to some horror roots and gave us rebooted films, tapping into B-movies and improving them a lot. The Fly. The Blob. Little Shop of Horrors. All of those films understood the core value and elevated the material beyond its humble roots. The eighties continued to successfully tap into Stephen King’s catalog, with mixed results. The era starts with Cat’s Eye (1985), Silver Bullet (1985), Stand By Me (1986), Creepshow 2 (1987), and culminates with perhaps the strongest offering, Pet Sematary (1989). What is largely missing from this era are iconic original content films. Prince of Darkness (1987) may be the closest thing we have to a well-executed original concept, but compared to today’s story-first, character-centric landscape, the late eighties leaned more into raw entertainment. For pure entertainment, it’s hard to beat The Lost Boys (1987) for a fun, sexy take on vampires and a rock-and-roll cool vibe. Apart from Sigourney Weaver’s Oscar nomination for Ripley in Aliens, and the snub that should have given Jeff Goldblum a nomination for The Fly, the horror offerings from this era weren’t exactly trying to garner Academy Awards. They chased the dollars and managed to turn a tidy profit. Killing Never Felt So Good Gone were the bleak and despairing themes of the seventies. The eighties delivered killing teenagers as a spectator sport. This time period aimed to give audiences a good time. Even the Romero movies of this time reveled in the spectacle. Gone were the apocalyptic endings. In a way, this was embracing the attitudes of fifties B-movie fare, but with sex and gore as a tantalizing coating. The offerings were pure popcorn fare. Do you want some blood on your popcorn? Sure you do! There would be a price to pay, however. Eventually, people got tired of the cookie-cutter franchise mentality. Cheering for the villain became routine, and even someone as loathsome as Leatherface would become something of a comic book character. The stories struggled to evoke real fear or emotional connections, and the nineties struggled with reconciling the hangover from the franchise era. Wes Craven was acutely aware of the state of the horror union, so he gave us a meta reading of his own material with A New Nightmare and, eventually, Scream. The Podcast: Episode 217 Gen-X horror fans still retain warm feelings for their favorites from this time. We enjoyed being scared. The scares were a roller coaster ride, not a lecture. Scattered throughout the eighties are some overlooked gems that defied the stereotype of the times, and The Scariest Things has endeavored to uncover some of these films for you in Episode 217: Horror History – The Late Eighties Franchise Era! If you want to hear about the early eighties, check out Episode 215: The VHS Era. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) April Fool’s Day (1986) Chopping Mall (1985) Demons 2 (1986) Phenomena (1985) Return of the Living Dead (1986) Poltergeist 3 (1988) The Blob (1988) Re-Animator (1985) Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn (1987) The Fly (1986) Aliens (1986) Dawn of the Dead (1985) Fright Night (1985) Hellraiser (1987) Leviathan (1989) The Lost Boys (1987) Night of the Demons (1988) Night of the Creeps (1986) Pet Sematary (1989) Prince of Darkness (1987) Silver Bullet (1985) Deep Star Six (1989) Cat’s Eye (1985) Maximum Overdrive (1985) Slumber Party Massacre Part VI (1987) Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986) Critters (1986) Near Dark (1987) Pumpkinhead (1988) Angel Heart (1987) Child’s Play (1988) Opera (1987) The Stuff (1985) Life Force (1985) The Howling II: Your Sister is a Werewolf (1985) From Beyond (1986) The Hitcher (1986) Little Shop of Horrors (1986) Slaughter High (1986) Witchboard (1986) The Gate (1987) Predator (1987) Rock N’ Roll Nightmare (1987) Rawhead Rex (1987) Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II (1988) Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988) Serpent and the Rainbow (1988) Lair of the White Worm (1988) Monkey Shines (1988) Puppet Master (1989) … and that’s just scratching the surface!

Imogen Poots and Jesse Eisenberg get trapped in fake suburban hell in Vivarium (2019), a quintissential Liminal Horror Film. Who would have guessed that the hot trend in the 2020s would be liminal space horror? Always visually arresting, but often slow, bleak, and depressing, this subgenre has become an out-of-nowhere genre favorite thanks to the wild success of Backrooms. In addition to smashing the box office with over $360 million in earnings, it also attracted young moviegoers, which runs counter to what most marketing experts would expect younger audiences to flock to. The Scariest Things took some time to figure out why this unlikely trend has become so popular in Episode 216: Liminal Horror. Slow burn, or as Mike Campbell will suggest: No burn. Liminal horror takes its time and forces you to stare into the corners of the screen. If you watch long enough, maybe something will happen. Then again, maybe not. That’s the gamble of liminal horror. It also makes jump scares that much more rewarding when they do get sprung. This trope bathes in the uncanny valley. Unsettling. Unnerving. Something just a touch off, creating an atmosphere of unease. This can be with the way people look, or the geometry of the room, or the color of the sky. In this way, liminal horror can be frustrating. And yet, fascinating. Many films that employ this style feel like dreams or nightmares. Characters question the reality of their situation, trapped in a personal hell. Definition: The Horror HQ has a terrific definition. “Liminal horror taps into the eerie feeling evoked by “in-between” spaces, unsettling environments that seem familiar yet uncomfortably off-kilter. Unlike traditional horror, which often relies on monsters, jump scares, or gore, liminal horror creates a more insidious type of fear, drawing on subtle, deeply psychological cues to unnerve and disorient. Rooted in the concept of liminality, this form of horror brings us to places where boundaries blur—between one time, space, or state of being and another—invoking a dread that is both existential and mysterious. “ Liminal Spaces in Design As an architect, I appreciate how the built environment can confuse, shock, or unsettle someone’s experience. The works of MC Escher, Giovanni Piranesi, and Robert Eisenman all confronted viewers with challenging environments. These designers delighted in the visual stress these deliberately agitating fantastical places created. Holocaust Museum, Berlin, by Peter Eisenman Relativity by M.C. Escher The Gothic Arch by Giovanni Piranesi Abandoned Fairytale Castles in Mudurnu Turkey Some of the greatest film auteurs have dabbled in liminal space. Stanley Kubrick. Roman Polanski. Robert Altman. David Lynch. And yet liminal horror has launched the careers of some very young visionary directors: Alex Ullom (It Ends), Kane Parsons (Backrooms), and Kyle Edward Ball (Skinamarink) have arrived out of seemingly nowhere (which is appropriate for the trope). This is an era of A.I. and fake news accusations. Who is to believe what their own eyes are telling them? Don’t expect copious gore or big action sequences in these films. These films also tend to be light on dialogue. The characters often keep their distance from each other. Perhaps liminal horror was born out of the pandemic, when we were all kept apart from each other. Don’t get too close. Dangerous! What these films may lack in adrenaline and bravado is made up for in emotional intelligence. These movies are designed to spark conversations afterward over a cup of coffee. Podcast Episode 216: Exploring Liminal Horror Conceptually, liminal horror is new to the scene. It’s a buzzy topic, but when you do a bit of research, there are a number of films that fit into this trope, though the word liminal hasn’t been applied to these films until recently. Liminal Horror isn’t solely a film style either. Liz Williams brings out two very interesting books to consider when thinking liminally. Check out The House of Leaves, a stunning composition that will force you out of your reading comfort zone. The Complex Forms (2024) House of Leaves (2000) Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010) Images (1972) It Ends (2025) Skinamarink (2022) Begotten (1989) We Used to Live Here (2024) Under the Skin (2013) Vivarium (2019) Backrooms (2026) Exit 8 (2026) Eraserhead (1977) Cube (2010) Undertone (2026) Repulsion (1966) Meander (2020) The Platform (2019) Session 9 (2001) The Cell (2000) The Shining (1980) I Saw the TV Glow (2025) Suspiria (1977) 1408 (2007) The Endless (2017) Smile (2022) Annihilation (2018)

The early eighties is for many, their favorite era in horror. It was a transition time where filmmakers felt they could still push the boundaries of censorship, but a backlash was coming. This is the golden age of slashers and werewolf films. And most importantly, R-rated movies were arriving at home. That didn't just scare audiences, it scared the morality police. The Scariest Things digs deep in this episode to mine for hidden horror gems in Episode 215.

So much better than we expected! Natalie Grace in Lee Cronin’s The Mummy (2026) ★★★★ The first half of 2026 certainly made a statement in the horror genre. Reverberations will be felt across Hollywood as studios reassess what constitutes a blockbuster. The recent critical success of Sinners, Weapons, and The Substance appears to be bearing fruit. The results may have led to a diverse slate of offerings for 2026, and it is reflected in the wide array of horror offerings so far this year. If variety is your preference, then you have been in luck, so far. The unimaginable financial and critical success of Obsession and Backrooms, particularly given their low cost, have re-written the horror producer’s playbook, and will have a lasting impact for years to come. The Scariest Things evaluated what we’ve seen so far, and have come back with a report card of our favorites. The Mid Major – Large Indie Productions: It will be interesting to do an autopsy of 2026’s horror fare when we do our year end assessment. This year’s crop has been notably light on mid-major productions so far. The roaring successes we’ve seen thus far have been from the deep indie filmmakers. Backrooms, Undertone, Hokum, and Obsession. All original titles, and produced for less than $5 million. These are not the type of films you would typically predict would be box office hits. But, they outperformed any reasonable expectation, particularly startling for Backrooms and Obsession, which will have cinema economists trying to figure out the alchemy. The Major Studios: There were only a few major studio franchise sequels this year. All of them capable, but none of them superseding their source material. Scream 7 did very well at the box office, but it failed to make a big impression. Evil Dead Burn was a very violent, very intense outing that didn’t connect in the way its predecessors have. Scary Movie also did well on its $30 million budget, earning $210 million, its long layoff didn’t hurt its popularity, despite the derivative humor. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple was a hit with critics (including our own Liz Williams) but its turn from zombies may have hurt it in the box office, as it probably will not make its budget back. The notable big comeback was Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, which gives horror fans hope that Universal has gotten their monsterverse back on track, and remembered how to deliver a vicious movie with a good story. The Festival Circuit: Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to get out to as many film festivals this year as we would have liked, but we still managed to review a lot of great small indie horror films. Our traditional rotation of SXSW, Overlook, Portland Horror, and Popcorn Frights all provided very interesting films from emerging filmmakers. Even the bigger festival this year were heavy on small indie productions, and there were a lot of good offerings. We didn’t discuss all of them in our Podcast, but you can review a lot of the movies we saw with links on the images below. There is an emerging trend of release schedules for many of the best independent horror films, relative to the festival circuit. Open at SXSW (Or sometimes Sundance), get some buzz, go to Overlook to validate the buzz, and then release in the early summer. It can be a big momentum builder. Last year it was The Ugly Stepsister (Oscar Nom), and Good Boy that were the big beneficiaries of that combination. This year it was Obsession, Hokum, and Leviticus. Sometimes Panic Fest will factor into the equation, depending on when it runs relative to Overlook. Popcorn Frights still brought a massive catalogue for viewing, but this year was more reliant on reperatory films. Some of my favorite films this year were horror adjacent, and all of their streaming content was small indie productions. Our favorite local festival, The Portland Horror Film Festival had an unusually large amount of feature films, and the best part was that almost all of the directors participated in the festival. We were fortunate to get interviews with all of them. Check out our Podcasts for the interviews. It was a diverse group of films, and not a dud among them. What is Still Coming in 2026? Probably the most intriguing film still due out is a new take on Resident Evil by Zach Cregger, the director of Barbarian and Weapons. This is a major tonal shift for Sony. No more Mia Jovovic or Paul W.S. Anderson. Video game translations are usually dubious, and the franchise squandered its potential. It became more superhero and less horror. However, Sony is gambling that with the right creator, it might revitalize the legacy, and Cregger may inject real scares into this franchise for the first time since the original. We shall see. The trailer looks great. Other Mommy, which arrives on October 9, has some incredibly disturbing visuals. Jessica Chastain stars, and Rob Savage (Host) directs. This uncanny-valley movie came late to my radar and is intriguing. Later this August, the Insidious franchise is issuing Insidious: Out of the Further. Lin Shaye returns, Leigh Whannell writes this, and it has a banger trailer. This franchise has maintained some of the scariest PG-13 fare, but the sequels have been a gradual decline in quality. We’ll see how this goes. Beware Boiúna might give us the Anaconda movie we wish we got earlier this year, and wipe the slate clean from the Jack Black/Paul Rudd disappointment. It’s R-rated, and features reliable scream queen Jessica Rothe, along with Logan Marshall-Green and Kiana Madeira in the Amazon. The trailer impressed me with the snake’s monstrousness. Another fascinating man-vs-nature survival tale is Whalefall, a terrifying concept in which a scuba diver is in jeopardy of being consumed by a sperm whale if the giant squid the whale has snagged doesn’t kill him first. Clayface will attempt to bridge the superhero and horror genres, which is no easy feat. Will it have enough horror for horror fans, and will it have enough fealty to the Batman universe to appeal to the comic book fans? Mike Flanagan wrote it, and it promises real R-rated body horror, so it could be very interesting. Lastly, Robert Eggers’ period piece Werwulf is getting the full Eggers treatment, in monochrome and as moody as you could possibly want. Hopefully it will get the stink of the Wolf Man out of our popcorn. Just give me a great transformation scene, please. Keep an eye out for It Ends, a festival darling from 2025 which is finally getting a limited release this year. It is a brilliant, if melancholy purgatory metaphor. If you enjoyed Backrooms, you should check this film out if you are lucky enough to have it showing in a theater near you. Of course, some smaller films will come out of the shadows and inevitably make our end-of-the-top-10 lists, but this is what we know so far. The Podcast: The Best Horror Movies at the 2026 Halfway Mark: Episode 214 Recommendations from the First Half of 2026: Here are all the movies that we have ranked ★★★ or better, so far in 2026. The End of Oak Street (2026) ★★★★★ 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026) ★★★★ They Will Kill You (2026) ★★★★ Undertone (2026) ★★★★1/4 The Vampire Lestat (2026) Grind (2026) ★★★★ Ice Cream Man (2026) ★★★★ Send Help (2026) ★★★★1/2 Backrooms (2026) ★★★★ Obsession (2026) ★★★★ Evil Dead Burn (2026) ★★★ Big City Pizza (2026) ★★★★.5 Cat Cam (2026) ★★★1/2 Hokum (2026) ★★★★ Armageddon Road (2026) ★★★.5 Hungry (2026) ★★★ Break a Leg (2026) ★★★★1/2 Dracula: The Night Around Us (2026) ★★★★ Frogman Returns (2026) ★★★★ The Demonatrix (2026) ★★★ LandLord (2026) ★★★★ Leviticus (2026) ★★★★ Ready or Not 2: Here I Come (2026) ★★★.5 The Yeti (2026) ★★★★ Sitra Achra (2026) ★★★★ Parasomnia (2026) ★★★1/2 Thrash (2026) ★★★.5 Goody Goody (2026) ★★★★ Iron Lung (2026) ★★★★ American Dollhouse ★★★★ Buffet Infinity ★★★1/2 Faces of Death (2026) ★★★1/2 Pretty Lethal (2026) ★★★★ Friday the 69th (2026) ★★★ Ugly Cry (2026) ★★★★ Quince (2026) ★★★★ Cold Storage (2026) ★★★1/2 A Safe Distance (2026) ★★★1/2 Bagworm (2026) ★★★1/2 Bodycam (2026) ★★★ Marama (2026) ★★★★1/2 The Peril at Pincer Point (2026) ★★★ Dead Media (2026) ★★★.5 Affection (2026) ★★★1/2

Hey kid, there’s a spider in your bed! From Kingdom of the Spiders (1977) We’re going back to horror history class with Episode 212: Slashers Come of Age and Horror Finds Religion 1975-1979. Seven years ago, in the early days of the Scariest Things, we did some horror history, diving into some of the more obscure titles that you may not be aware of. We stopped at the early seventies, and then went on a very long hiatus. But now we are back with some (maybe) forgotten gems from 1975 to 1979. Friend of the podcast Ian Parker joins Eric and Mike in this deep dive. It took a while, but we are back to our chronology of horror movies. We have picked up the baton and are moving our movie history lessons forward. The seventies were a turbulent period in history. The Hayes Code, now dead and defeated, is no longer. The early seventies started playing around in the margins with movies that pushed the boundaries of what was possible. The advent of the massive summer blockbuster began to separate movies into big-budget and indie-budget films, and horror was part of that trend. Jaws (1975) and The Exorcist (1972) proved that with the right director, scary movies could bring in big money and be legitimate critical darlings as well. The doors opened for studios to pour big money into movies that would become The Omen, Alien, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and Carrie, landmark movies all. Big-name actors with great pedigrees were coaxed into performing in big studio horror projects. Gregory Peck did The Omen. Faye Dunaway at the height of her career did The Eyes of Laura Mars. It wouldn’t be long before Jack Nicholson got cast in The Shining (1980), but we’ll get to that one later. Having said all that, the studios weren’t quite all-in yet. There were a few pet projects out there. But the domain of the horror movie was still in the dilapidated old downtown movie houses and drive-in theaters. You couldn’t yet rent movies for home viewing. If you wanted to go see independent horror movies, you had to be willing to get down and dirty. The Cineplex wasn’t yet ready for showing off the gory delicacies that were being cooked up in the era when the boundaries between R and X hadn’t been settled yet. Slasher Movies Come of Age Horror never forgot its roots. You could still make a low-budget movie, with no-name actors, scare some teenagers, and turn a profit. But a guy in a rubber suit wasn’t going to cut it anymore. Real explicit violence and raw visceral horror are now how to make a memorable mark. Following in the footsteps of Black Christmas (1972), Last House on the Left (1972), and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), the slasher film was going to find the sweet spot of low budget and mass appeal. Enter Halloween (1978). Stabbing and spooking were now moving into the suburbs. On a budget of $325,000, Halloween would go on to earn $47,160,000. On a budget of $325,000, Halloween would go on to earn $47,160,000. Hollywood noticed. The impact of Halloween would be felt primarily in the early eighties, but a few filmmakers picked up on the trend early. The slasher films influenced directly in the wake of Halloween include: Don’t Go Into the House (1979), Silent Scream (1979), Tourist Trap (1979), Driller Killer (1979), Prom Night (1980), Maniac (1980), Friday the 13th (1980), Don’t Go into the Woods (1981), Madman (1981), Happy Birthday to Me (1981), My Bloody Valentine (1981), The Burning (1981), The House on Sorority Row (1982), and The Slumber Party Massacre (1982). All of these films featured a masked killer (usually) and some sort of stabbing weapon (usually), and oblivious teen victims (usually), with sexual activity usually as part of the equation (usually)… and a final girl (usually). That’s the modern slasher template. It didn’t take long for filmmakers to figure out the formula. Our great directors who would lead horror for the next twenty years were in place. John Carpenter, Tobe Hooper, and Wes Craven had their knives out and were ready to dominate the field. This genre still felt fresh. The sequels had yet to take control of the industry, and the concept felt raw and scary. This trend would find its killer’s stride in the 80’s, but this is when the slasher movie came out of the shadows. Horror Gets Really Weird, and Discovers God While the sixties still had a safety belt on, and the eighties went for the reliable thrills, the seventies was a period that allowed directors to stretch out their ideas. The early seventies also contributed a number of strange films, but it is hard to match the back half of the seventies with the likes of The Manitou (1976), Phantasm (1979), Hausu (1977), and Eraserhead (1977), which brought wildly original concepts to the table. Religion was a big thing too. Conventionally, there were movies like The Omen and The Exorcist that were, while very scary, using traditional good-and-evil concepts. This era also had a more counter-cultural and artistic interpretation of holy horror. God Told Me To (1976) and The Visitor (1979) were gonzo strange concepts that never found an audience, but were challenging with their takes of what celestial beings might be. What is Jesus, really? For that matter, what is God? An alien? Perhaps. Truly strange, blasphemous stuff. Perhaps it was all the hallucinogens that were popular of the era. Cosmic horror found truth in a far-out metaphysical moment. It wouldn’t take long for the politicians and the morality police to put an end to such wild concepts. But in truth, the conservative backlash was waiting in the next decade. In the seventies, the liberal notions of acceptable content had plenty of room. That would be coming to an end soon, especially when movies could come home on cable TV and VHS. The Scariest Things History of Horror Episodes Episode 22: The Silent Era 1920s Episode 25: The Rise and Fall of the Golden Age 1930’s and 1940s Episode 29: Horror Comes Back – The Matinee Era Part 1 1950-1954 Episode 31: The Height of the Atomic Age – The Matinee Era Part 2 1955-1959 Episode 51: The International Gothic Trend – Horror From 1960-1964 Episode 53: The Diversification of Horror – Horror From 1965-1969 Episode 57: Horror Gets Trippy – Horror From 1970-1974 Episode 213: Slashers Come of Age and Horror Finds Religion 1975-1979 Friend of the Podcast Ian Parker joins Eric and Mike to talk about some deep cut movies from the late seventies. We have tried to avoid the obvious stuff and to notify our audience about some curious gems that you might have missed when shuffling through your streaming options: Burnt Offerings (1976) Don’t Go Into the House (1979) God Told Me To (1976) Kingdom of the Spiders (1977) Rabid (1977) Shock Waves (1977) The Witch Who Came From the Sea (1976) The Eyes of Laura Mars (1978) The Manitou (1978)

Sarah (Jessika Van) and Molly (Courtney Pouroso) receive some unfortunate marketing data in Grind (2026) Intensity: 🩸🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸 Directed by: Brea Grant , Ed Dougherty, and Chelsea Stardust Written by: Brea Grant and Ed Dougherty Does working in today’s economy feel like you are on a treadmill that is getting too fast for you? Has your job killed your dreams? Employment in the modern world can be… a Grind. Grind is a timely anthology that is neatly stitches together how working for Mega-Corporations (TM) can erode your sense of being and may cost you more than a diminished paycheck. If you ever thought “This job is gonna kill me.” Grind will resonate with you. In a world where gas prices soar past $4.00 per gallon and groceries routinely cost more than $150 per visit, just having a job might not cut it. A minimum wage job isn’t going to pay the bills. Hell, even a white collar professional job might not cover the costs. This is an environment where a paying second side hustle may be necessary. Maybe you need to use your car to be an Uber driver. Or, perhaps you need a side marketing hustle. Perhaps you just need to hang in there a little longer with your primary job in hopes of being promoted to something greater. These are the traps that Grind examines. This anthology is the brainchild of Brea Grant and Ed Dougherty. Dougherty is a veteran music video director, and Grant is a star actress who has transitioned into a powerhouse indie horror director. (Torn Hearts, 12 Hour Shift, Lucky) Chelsea Stardust is an emerging young director who already has a cult classic feature to her credit. (Satanic Panic) Both Stardust and Grant are featured in my 32 Important Women Horror Directors You Should Know Deadlist. The trio have tapped into something timely and resonant. Horror in the workplace never felt so present. Here in Portland, with skyrocketing housing prices, a wavering job market, and a general economic malaise, this movie seems to have been channelled for us. Appropriately, the Portland Horror Film Festival featured Grind as one of its featured presentations. The directing trio: Brea Grant, Chelsea Stardust, and Ed Dougherty Directors’ Statement: People all over the world are waking up. The current state of things as we see it — the average American is suffering while billionaires line their pockets, driving income inequality to a level not seen since the 18th century. Workplace safety is declining, worker exploitation is rising, and wage theft is rampant. Things are bad but people are realizing it. The public’s approval rate of unions is higher than ever — not just in our industry but industries around the country. From hotels to coffee shops to Waffle Houses, workers are fighting for their rights– often against harsh union busting reprisals. This is a historic moment of anger and fear, and these topics are what everyone’s talking about… …And thus it’s the perfect theme for a horror film. We want to tackle this subject in a fun, scary way that will provide a cathartic release for audiences everywhere. This is a film for anyone who’s ever hated their job, had a bad boss, or felt taken advantage of at work. In other words, it’s a film for all of us. GRIND is a WIP. Sound is final. VFX and color are not (which you will definitely notice). Warehouse Wonders Directed by Chelsea Stardust Starring: Mercedes Mason as Maria, James A. Janisse as Justin Maria is a DRGN warehouse employee who is racing through the aisles to retrieve a ring light for an expedited delivery order. Time runs out on her search, and she gets transferred to “Special Gifts.” It’s neither a gift, nor special. This is the opening wraparound connective segment for the anthology. We follow the package to the next segment… Maria (Mercedes Mason) discovers something ominous within the DRGN warehouse in Grind (2026) MLM Directed by Brea Grant Starring: Jessika Van as Sarah, Courtney Pauroso as Molly, Hunter Smith as The Axe Man, and Barbara Crampton as The Founder Sarah has joined La La Leggings as a downline multi level marketing (MLM) agent in an attempt to earn some extra cash, selling cheap yoga pants online. She is a lackluster sales agent, and her performance reflects it. Her upline partner, Molly notifies her the dire consequences of failing to meet her quota. Notably, one of the contractual conditions of failure is that her husband’s penis will turn into a scrub jay. Yep. Just like it says. It’s hysterical and horrifying, and it’s true! The consequences only get worse from there, and pretty soon, Molly’s reputation is affected. So, Molly comes by to help her pitch stretchy pants. Even combined, the sales are so poor that it summons the immortl Axe Man. (Clad in La La Leggings). They should have sold more leggings! After the battle with the axe man, a doorbell rings and food has arrived! We now transfer the story from Sarah to Benny. Sarah (Jessika Van) looks for the approaching Axe Man in Grind (2026) Delivery Directed by Brea Grant Starring Vinny Thomas as Bennie, Gigi Saul Guerrero as Camilla, and Thor Harris as the Frightening Man After delivering to the La La Leggings house, Bennie continues his food delivery grind. It’s a thankless job, literally, at times, because he is working for tips. And Los Angeles residents are stingy tippers. Delivery after delivery and it becomes an effort in futility. He gets a mysterious Ghost Kitchen call, where his text message directions instruct him to retrieve a manky paper bag from a locked chest for a preposterously big tip. If it seems to be too good to be true, it is. Bennie is caught in a combination deadly escape room and a time loop, where he is requested to do increasingly risky tasks. If he fails, the delivery resets. As things get weirder and weirder, Bennie has no option but to comply with the bizarre and painful requests. As is true for most time loops, in order to close the loop, he has to satisfy the requests. He guts through the torturous pain and comes face to face with a bizarre epiphany, whereafter he continues on as a food delivery driver for one last drop… to the DRGN headquarters. Delivery guy Bennie (Vinny Thomas) encounters his mirror form in Grind (2026) Content Moderation Directed by Ed Dougherty Starring: Christopher Rodriguez Marquette as Joel, James Urbaniak as Richard, and Rob Huebel as Andy Joel is a teacher looking for a career change, and has arrived at the DRGN headquarters to apply for a plum job. Andy, a relationships manager at DRGN tells him of the wonderful opportunities at the company. A job that starts at $175,000 and with all the benefits that a high tech job has to offer. However, there is a probationary period, that requires potential new employees to work in The Pit. Joel is skeptical about the offer, but Andy assures him that all he has to do is content moderation for Hatchbook, DRGN’s social media site. The catch is, the content that has to be watched is some of the most vile and disturbing content on the internet. Watch enough videos, and you can get that big paycheck with the cushy benefits. How many videos? Only a mere 6,750,000. This is a staggering and emotionally taxing amount of awful content to be viewed. Joel is determined to be the rare, and perhaps only person to emerge from the Pit to get the big job upstairs. Andy will do everything to make sure that doesn’t happen. The consequences are corrosive and psychologically devastating. Joel (Christopher Rodriguez Marquette) has a shit job doing content moderation in Grind (2026) Union Meeting Directed by Ed Dougherty Starring: Sharlene Cruz as Kayla, Ify Nwandiwe as Todd, James A. Janisse as Justin, Aubrey Shea as Mel, James Paxton as Crowe, Teri Gamble as Clara, Rob Heubel as Andy, and Vee Nixie as Neptulia Power to the people! The employees of a Neptulia Coffee shop are forming a union, and going on strike! No more minimum wage, lousy benefits, high job turnover, and understaffed work loads. The crew is a mixed bag of oddballs. Kayla is the committed union leader. Todd is the burly, but geeky corporate supportive shift manager. Crowe is the dimwitted activist wannabe who glues himself to the cashier counter, but now has to pee badly. This strike is doomed for failure. Meanwhile, DRGN corporate overlord Andy has been tracking the special gift delivery destined for the coffee shop. It’s the same package from the opening wraparound. The delivery is the size of a refrigerator, and weighs a ton. Why would they receive a package from HQ? DRGN is going to bust this strike, with a stealthy option. There’s a toothy monster mermaid in that “gift”, and woe be to the would-be labor organizers. Can the gang that can’t get their act together fight off the blasphemous namesake of their shop? Mel (Abrey Shea) and Kayla (Sharlene Cruz) in Grind (2026) Neptulia (Vee Nixie) the monster mermaid in Grind (2026) Black Box Directed by Chelsea Stardust Starring: Barbara Crampton as the Founder and Rob Heubel as Andy In the back half wraparound, we discover that Andy and the La La Leggins founder are a married power couple, basking in their wickedness and enjoying their domain. A package has arrived at the door, though. A black box. That could only mean one thing: DRGN Gift, which is as we know now, not a good thing. But, why would DRGN turn on two of their power brokers? What could it be? The slightly damaged box suggests it might not be what they think it is… Barbara Crampton and Rob Heubel discover “What’s in the Box” in Grind (2026) Evaluation of Grind Grind may be the best anthology I’ve seen since Southbound. The narrative threads and thematic consistency show real intent. The hilarious MLM is the foundation of the movie, as it was generated as a short film that worked the festival circuit in 2025 and was a fan favorite. I saw it at both Overlook and

Larry Fessenden’s The Last Winter (2006) BRRRRRR! It’s so cold outside! Wait, what? The thermometer reads 102? What’s the date? Ah, forget the date; this is a brain freeze for you because we decided to cool you off with some freezing cold horror films just in time for the summer heat wave! YES! Cold themes are the icy wet blanket that puts you at unease. Friend of the Podcast, Ian Parker joins the Scariest Things, as we put our parkas on for a discussion of some frozen horror treats. Enjoy! Think of this as mid-summer air conditioning by way of podcast. Granted, we considered this episode much earlier in the year, but with so many PHFF interviews, it got pushed further into the summer months! So, let this discussion help cool you with shivers down your spine! Themes of isolation, where the environment itself adds to the danger of just being outside, never mind the killer or monster waiting for you out there. It’s that extra addition that makes just getting around in a horror movie difficult. Almost every variant of horror is represented with the overlay of freezing temperatures. Serial Killer / Psychopath? Check. Vampires? Multiple times. Zombies? Uh huh. Aliens and monsters? Plenty of them. It’s freezing PLUS scary antagonist. Frozen horror is often a melancholy affair. With the exception of perhaps Werewolves Within, these movies tend to be quite serious. The colors are desaturated and high contrast. The music is often spare, with hints of wind blowing in the background. The other partner of ice-cold horror is darkness. Many times the location will be in fringe or polar latitudes, limiting the amount of daylight. Characters subjected to freezing to death are different than those burning up in the desert. This is still a constitution check, though It’s less about exhaustion and more about willpower. That, and there might be a vampire waiting for you. They seem to be OK with freezing temperatures. Also, if you are making this a theme within your movie, you will want to have plenty of the activity outside. There are films that use bad weather to limit the locations (Think Pontypool (2008) or Climax (2018)). For this episode, we want the characters to endure the cold. Get out there! Don’t be a sissy! Just keep moving. That’ll keep you warm. The Podcast: Freezing Cold Horror: Episode 212 For this episode, we avoided repeating ourselves with Holiday Horror, particularly Christmas-themed horror, as we have already done that in Episode 114: Ho Ho Horror. Another similar theme, if you like this stuff, is Episode 172: Canadian Horror. Harbinger Down (2015) True Detective: Night Country (2025) The Last Winter (2006) Wintertide (2023) Ice Cream Man (1995) The Black Phone 2 (2025) Cold Prey (2006) Dreamcatcher (2003) Devil Times Five (1974) The Lodge (2019) Wind Chill (2007) Frozen (2010) Snow Beast (1977) The Shining (1980) The Thing From Another World (1951) The Thing (1982) The Thing (2011) 30 Days of Night Black Mountain Side (2014) The Terror (2021) Blood Glacier (2013) The Yeti (2026) Shriek of the Mutilated (1974) Werewolves Within (2021) Breaking Surface (2020) Dead Snow (2009) Dream Eater (2024) Alien vs. Predator (2004) Let the Right One In (2008) Frankenstein (2025)

Friday the 69th is a horror parody asking: What if a failing porn studio tried to make a conventional slasher movie? Charming and silly. Not as raunchy as you might expect. This is an interview with the director, Alex Montilla and star Rob Zoppo. Part of the Portland Horror Film Festival slate of films.

The Horror Short Film Director Roundtable is one of the most important things that we did at the Portland Horror Film Festival. It provided an elevated platform for horror short filmmakers. Oftentimes, this is ground zero for original horror ideas. Unless you are a Hollywood nepo-director, short film creation is where you learn your chops. I wanted to give these creatives an opportunity to share their experiences in making movies, both good and bad, so that we can all learn a little more about the craft. Life as a short filmmaker can be an experience in the shadows. Your films are rarely seen outside of film festivals, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. This is where most creative minds hone their crafts. Take a simple concept and do it well. Do you have something scary or funny to tell? Is there an idea that has been lurking in the back of your brain that you have to give life to? A short film will give you the opportunity to learn production, editing, budgeting, and team management. It also places you in a community of people who are open to sharing their work with one another. That’s where the round table fits in. After our discussion, I told the group that, even though I wanted this discussion to be a forum for them to share their wins and losses with each other, I selfishly set up this talk so I could learn more about horror moviemaking. Nine years in on being a small horror press journalist, and I still feel like I am only scratching the surface about what a director has to do. Just how do you do it? These discussions give me more talking points and access to better questions to ask. The Portland Horror Film Festival is one of the best curated horror film festivals in the country. Not only do Gwen and Brian Callahan select some of the best horror short films for their festivals, but they also provide opportunities for short film alumni to showcase their feature films. One of the questions I asked in our roundtable discussion was, “How many of you are looking to be feature film directors?” All of them raised their hands (with the exception of Patrick Hogan, who has already directed a feature film). For these directors, here is some encouraging data. This year alone had FIVE directors who previously presented short films at either PHFF or the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival and later had their feature films shown at these festivals. Here are the PHFF Alumni filmmakers who presented a short film and then a feature: Anthony Cousins: Short Films – “The Bloody Ballad of Squirt Reynolds” and “Every Time We Meet for Ice Cream Your Whole F*****g Face Explodes” to Feature Films – Frogman (2023) and Frogman Returns (2026) Jeff Ferrell: Short Film – “Morella” to Feature Film – The Demonatrix (2026) Levi Buchannan: Short Film – “We Said Forever” to Feature Film Sitra Achra (2026) Krsy Fox: Short Film – “What the Spell” to Feature Film – Big Baby (2026) Masaki Nishiyama: Short Film “Smahorror” to Feature Film “The Invisible Half” (2026) Zack Ogle: Short Film “We Got a Monkey’s Paw” to Feature Film – It Needs Eyes (2025) Craig Ouellette: “Str$p” to Feature Film – Straight on Til Morning (2025) Andrew Bowser: Short Film – “Little Willy” to Feature Film – Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Evil (2022) Izzy Lee: “My Monster”, “Dark Signals”, “Rehomed” to Feature Film – House of Ashes (2024) Kenichi Ugana: Short Film – “Visitors” to Feature Film – Love Will Tear Us Apart (2023) Alice Maio Mackay: Short Film – “The Serpent’s Skin” to Feature Film T-Blockers (2023) Matthew John Lawrence: Short Film “Larry Gone Demon” to Feature Film – Uncle Peckerhead (2020) Justin Harding: Short Film “Kookie” to Feature Film – Making Monsters (2019) The PHFF Horror Short Film Director Roundtable Recording: Here is the roundtable discussion. It’s all about the lessons learned. The good, the bad, and the ridiculous. My past experience doing these round tables sometimes put the filmmakers on the spot, and I didn’t want this to be a “stump the directors” exercise. I prepared them with the following questions: Apart from financing, what was the biggest challenge in making your movie? What was the most interesting thing you learned while making this film? How many of you are filmmakers as a second career? What remains a mystery to you as a filmmaker that you think might be answered by one of your peers in this discussion? What piece of advice do you have for your fellow directors? This group really got into the discussion, and had the festival not started up, we could have gone on for quite a while longer. I had a great time, and I believe they did as well. The Horror Short Film Director Roundtable Films: Blindsided Directed by P. Patrick Hogan Starring Crystal Loverro Portland Horror Film Festival: Winner of the Devil’s Discord (Best Sound Design) A blind schoolteacher struggles to survive through a nightmarish night when an alien spaceship crashes and unleashes a monstrous predator. This unique horror short film features an all-low-vision cast and places the audience in the POV of a blind protagonist who is only able to hear what happens around her. Director Statements: “Blindsided is a riveting short horror film that takes a unique narrative approach, providing audiences with an immersive glimpse into the harrowing experience of Maria, a blind woman confronting the most terrifying ordeal of her life. The horror remains unseen, both to her and the audience, heightening the suspense and reminding us that sometimes, the most terrifying things are the ones we don’t see coming… This is an innovative short film that ventures into uncharted territory within the horror genre. The narrative unfolds in a tranquil neighborhood, abruptly disrupted by a crashing alien spacecraft and the horrifying monster it unleashes into the night. However, what sets this film apart is the unique perspective from which the story is told – the POV of Maria, a blind schoolteacher living alone. Maria’s desperate struggle to evade the otherworldly predator, guided solely by what she hears, will provide an experience unlike any other horror short. Additionally, to promote diversity and inclusivity, in conjunction with our Disability Authenticity Consultant Vanni Le and Casting Director Danielle Pretsfelder Demchick, all the characters in the film are played by low-vision actors, placing the spotlight on the often-overlooked talent within the low-vision community. We are very proud of Blindsided and look forward to enjoying it in theaters with an audience who doesn’t know what they are about to experience.” Scullion Written and Directed by Trevor Graciano Starring: Whitney Garner as “Samantha”, Cody Parr as “Greg”, and Jim Close as “The Maid” A playful couple test their household chore habits and unknowingly summon a vengeful presence. Director Statements: “We all carry habits inherited from our parents into adulthood. I grew up in a religious household where some of those habits were helpful, but many were not—and they’ve lingered in ways I don’t welcome. Some habits fade with time, while others remain, quietly shaping us in the background. This film explores the struggle to break free from those ingrained patterns, and the imaginative consequences of what happens when they refuse to let go. *It’s really just about how to load the communal dishwasher correctly.” Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done Directed by PJ Germain Written by Autumn Palen and PJ Germain Starring: Brady Gentry, Benjamin Nowak, Bix Krieger, Charlie N. Townsend, Cailyn Rice, Ethan Ahn, Emma Smith Watts, and Erin Rae Kykendall HIGH SCHOOL REALLY SUCKS… and no one knows that better than best friends Aaron and Keith. So when they set out to crash the last graduation party of the summer, emotions fly high, and the culture clash of teenagers finds them playing a simple game that has dire consequences. Director’s Statement: “Before he passed, screenwriter Gil Dennis told me during my time at AFI, “Write what hurts.” That idea has stayed with me; it’s the compass I use when choosing the stories I want to tell. When I first read Autumn Palen’s original draft of Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done, it hurt. It transported me back to moments in my own adolescence; memories filled with shame, ridicule, and isolation. But what floored me was its third-act twist. It was something I’d never felt so viscerally in a short script. I knew I had to direct it. What began as a contained character piece evolved into something more personal. I rewrote the script to reflect my own lived experiences, with every character, every event drawn from real moments that left a mark. I wanted to take a character that I felt so intertwined with, and make him someone that the audience would really relate to before reaching the moment where everything changes; the blood-drenched punchline to the twisted joke these high school kids played on each other. I set it during the 90’s, as it was a period of transition for me as an 80’s kid, being on the cusp of the old and new world. I needed the film to be an exploration of adolescent loneliness which dealt with the complexity of the friendships and social hierarchies that often defined who we were at that fragile age. We weren’t quite kids anymore, but we weren’t adults yet either, so how did we approach the consequences of reckless behavior? My team and I knew that casting would make or break the film. To capture that truth, casting was everything. I reviewed over 6,000 submissions, narrowing it down to a callback of who I thought could embody the characters. I needed authenticity, so at that callback, I ditched the script and asked actors, in character, to describe moments like first dates or getting asked to prom. It reveal

This is an interview of the director of Dracula: The Night Around Us, following its world premiere at the Portland Horror Film Festival. This is a tight, focused film that concentrates on Dr. Seward, Mina, Renfield, and Lucy. Dracula is a looming presence, but us utilized here as a threat rather than the key character. You won't see an arrogant Count, taunting and regally imposing himself on the village folk. This is a modern tale, with strong psychological horror components. Listen, and learn!

The Bloody Judge for the 2026 Portland Horror Film Festival was Andrea Subissati, the Executive Editor of Rue Morgue. She is one of the most compelling voices within the horror community, and is a powerful advocate for women within the genre. Andrea was kind enough to set some time aside to talk some terror with us between feature film showings at the festival.

★★★1/2 out of ★★★★★ Intensity: 🩸🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸 The Demonatrix is a cheeky, lightly racy horror-comedy that reflects on the economic troubles of the time. A dominatrix looking to get some extra income turns to hosting fake séances to make ends meet. When things inevitably go awry, she turns to a priest working in a church across the street from her kink studio. It's a silly, simple tale that features some great costumes and a couple of horror legends you will recognise.

★★★★ out of ★★★★★ Intensity: 🩸🩸1/2 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸 LandLord poses the question "If vampires can't come into your home without an invitation, what happens if they own your housing?" A bounty hunter checks her conscience in order to save an orphaned boy from the predations of a vampire landlord consuming the tenants of a Lousiville housing complex. This gritty and moody debut from writer director Remington Smith was featured at the Portland Horror Film Festival.

My Bloody Valentine turns 45 years old this year. The director, George Mihalka, was the guest of honor at this year's Portland Horror Film Festival. George was kind enough to speak with the Scariest Things, who are huge fans of the film. Lost cutting room footage was recently found when the producer was absorbed by Lionsgate, allowing some of the missing gory effects to be brought back into the movie. So, it's time to revisit this movie and talk to the creator about why it remains important today.

Indie horror filmmakers Gabby Rosson and Emily Tullock are creating Trash Queen, a sci-fi horror comedy, starring Tulloch and legendary scream queen Lynn Lowery. They joined the Scariest Things to talk about what goes into developing a self-funded independent horror film. It is the journey of many an ambitious creator, and we talked about all of the joys and difficulties of crafting a horror movie. If you have ever wanted to produce a movie yourself, this may be an instructive conversation, so join us as we take a trip to the dump, for all the right reasons.