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With October fully underway and September behind us, it’s time to reflect on just how awesome this year’s Fantastic Fest truly was. Every year, it feels like the fest can’t top itself, and then somehow it does. While we aren’t surprised as much as delighted, we covered a lot of ground this year both in-person and virtually, and it’s time that we talk about some of the films that really made this year special. It’s common (and awesome) that a large swath of the films shown each year are relatively unknown, but this year felt like almost every film was either having its world premiere or following a rather minor showing at another film festival. Lots of North American premieres and, of course, some older films getting a new lease on life via restoration; this year’s programming was simply chef’s kiss. Shoutout to the amazing programmers for their curations, and the Fons PR group for stellar coordination and organization. Enjoy the episode below, and stay tuned for the rest of the year as we have some amazing episodes on the horizon! And if you haven’t already, please leave a review on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen to the podcast. It really helps us out and gives us something to rub in the face of our families during the holidays! Stay up to date by following Macabre Daily on Instagram, Facebook, and BlueSky!

For certain generations of horror fans, Full Moon is synonymous with a specific era. Namely, the early to mid-90s when the direct-to-video label blossomed to become a powerhouse at the video store that birthed iconic franchises like “Puppet Master,” “Subspecies,” “Demonic Toys,” “Trancers,” and the list goes on. Not everyone feels positively about Full Moon, but that hasn’t stopped the production house that Charles Band built from maintaining both relevance and releases for multiple decades. Hell, there’s even an amazing podcast about Charles Band that everyone should be listening to! Frankly, it’s been kinda odd that up until now no one has made a documentary about Band and his wild career- that is, until Sarah Appleton showed up on the scene! Appleton is a multi-talented filmmaker who cut her teeth making special features and leveraged that passion to start making her own documentaries. From J-Horror to Found Footage, Appleton continues to demonstrate that she isn’t just making some of the best horror docs out there; she’s championing films and filmmakers that often don’t get their fair shake! We loved Appleton’s “Full Moon Rising: The Charles Band Story” and naturally wanted to have Sarah on to talk about her work, meeting Charlie, and how she became the first to capture his story after many so diligently tried! You can follow Sarah on Instagram and can catch “Full Moon Rising” as part of this year’s Brooklyn Horror Film Festival! Stay up to date by following Macabre Daily on Instagram, Facebook, and BlueSky!

It’s been a busy year at the Macabre Daily Podcast, and that’s a great thing! (Almost) Every month, we’ve been releasing two episodes featuring different folks across the horror genre and community, and as we head into peak festival season, Lowell and Matt figured it was time to do a quick check-in with each other. In “Just the Two of Us,” Lowell and Matt talk about what they’ve been watching and what they’re looking forward to the most at this year’s Fantastic Fest. Lowell and Matt will be in attendance in Austin again this year, and this year’s program is one of the more unique in terms of surprises and films that we haven’t been made aware of prior. Exciting times, to be sure, and listen to this episode to get a sense of what we’re looking forward to! We will be back with guests later this month, and hope you enjoy this episode! Follow Matt and Lowell on Instagram Stay up to date by following Macabre Daily on Instagram, Facebook, and BlueSky!

One of the best things about the folks here at Macabre Daily is that we alllll have very distinct tastes. If you need proof, just check out Steven’s recent Part 1 of 2 rankings of Wes Craven’s filmography to see how wild those takes can be. That often means that our internal chats are exciting and divisive, but there’s one thing that everyone who's seen “Blood Shine” agrees on: it’s one of the best genre films we’ve seen in years. After catching it at last year’s FrightFest, we’ve been buzzing with excitement for the film to get a wide release, and thankfully that time is almost here, as Dark Sky Films will release “Blood Shine” in theaters on Friday, August 21, 2026! We had the great pleasure of speaking with the filmmakers behind this tremendous film, Emily Bennett and Justin Brooks, about making the film, but also about the themes of purpose and how that shows up in their creative lives. We hope you enjoy the interview as much as we enjoyed recording it, and we have both audio and video versions available for your viewing/listening pleasure! Stay up to date by following Macabre Daily on Instagram, Facebook, and BlueSky!

Back when Macabre Daily started in 2020, Lowell and I had a “wish list” of people that we would hope to talk to one day. While there are certainly some familiar names on there that would be on any person’s list, there were also some independent filmmakers who we have a deep respect for. One of them is Chelsea Stardust, whose work behind the camera and behind-the-scenes on the business side of filmmaking is an inspiration that many could learn a lot from. Chelsea has made the outrageously entertaining “Satanic Panic,” made one helluva gut-punch episode of Blumhouse and Hulu’s “Into The Dark” series, and has steeped herself even more in the world of production and mentorship, which has led to her contributions to one of the best horror anthologies out there, “Grind.” We were fortunate enough to see “Grind” as part of this year’s Chattanooga Film Festival, and Chelsea was gracious enough to speak with us about the production and how she got involved. Chelsea also imparts wisdom about what it takes to be a good producer, what she’s learned over the years working with all kinds of industry folks in various capacities, and her passion for helping more women enter the production side of the business. Not to mention, Chelsea’s partner, Sean Keller, makes a “Killer” Halloween Mix! We hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed recording it, and stay tuned for more news about “Grind” soon! Follow Chelsea on Instagram Follow Matt on Instagram Follow Lowell on Instagram Stay up to date by following Macabre Daily on Instagram, Facebook, and BlueSky!

As noted in our recent review of the new survival horror slasher, “Pitfall,” camping can be a real drag, and that isn’t improved when you have a hulking survivalist hunting you and your friends in the woods. While most of us (thankfully) won’t have to experience this firsthand, the great thing about horror is that we can live these experiences vicariously through the characters in films, from the safety of our homes and/or a dark theater. Survival horror isn’t one of the more popular sub-genres these days, but filmmaker James Kondelik makes a strong case for why there aren’t enough of them in “Pitfall,” which is out now on VOD from Cineverse. James was kind enough to spend some time talking to Macabre Daily about how “Pitfall” came to be, the challenges with short shooting days compounded by location manager snafus, and the resilience it takes to make a damn film, and in this case, a damn good one! This was a really fun conversation, and we hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed recording it! Stay up to date by following Macabre Daily on Instagram, Facebook, and BlueSky!

Macabre Daily has always been a champion of queer horror. We understand the power of the horror genre to offer catharsis and empowerment to marginalized communities, and we seek out opportunities to feature films that focus on the queer experience whenever we can. For Pride Month, we couldn’t simply rest on our laurels. We needed to find a way to step up our game, which is where Brian Finnerty, contributor and author of our Skeletons In The Closet column, comes in.  Together with regular host and Editor-in-Chief of Macabre Daily, Matt Orozco, we reached out to some of our favorite queer filmmakers to help us instigate a Pride Month takeover of the Macabre Daily Podcast. Joined by Roger Conners, Joshua R. Pangborn, and Zack Ogle, we were so excited to dive into the topic of queer horror. These filmmakers were so generous with their time and lived experiences, sharing how their queer identities influence their work. We also dug into some of our earliest memories of linking the horror genre to our queer identity and discussed where we want to see the queer horror subgenre go in the future. They also found time to dole out some important Pride-related fashion advice to our hosts.     Listen to this very special episode of the Macabre Daily Podcast below or wherever you subscribe.  Follow Roger Conners, Joshua Pangborn, and Zack Ogle on Instagram to support them and learn more about their work. Stay up to date by following Macabre Daily on Instagram, Facebook, and BlueSky!

There are a few things in this world that we can rely on: death, taxes, and, in the US, extremely high medical bills. None of these things is particularly enjoyable, but they are consistent. Consistency isn’t always a bad thing, as is the case with the new long-running documentary series, “In Search of Darkness,” which has tackled two of horror’s most dominant decades with the 1980s and 1990s. Many have been asking, “Why not go back further?” To the decade that perhaps defined what modern horror would become, and birthed some of the most legendary titles in the genre’s pantheon, like “The Exorcist,” “The Omen,” “Black Christmas,” “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” and “Halloween,” to name only a few. That’s right, CreatorVC and writer/director David Weiner are going back to the post-free love era of the 1970s!   David was gracious enough to join us on the latest episode of the Macabre Daily Podcast to talk about the forthcoming entry in the series and how he approaches the process of defining what to cover in such an active decade in genre history. We also share our love for the series with David, which we find to be the ultimate horror nerd comfort food, and the commitment that he and CreatorVC have to delivering fan service the right way. You can join the pre-order for “In Search of Darkness ‘70s” using this link and ensure you receive your copy when it releases next July!

The number of genre-focused film festivals seems to be increasing year over year, or at the very least, the ones that exist are getting far more attention than ever before. This is a good problem to have in horror, especially when we are seeing the mainstreaming of the genre (again) thus being one of the best times to take a look at what the future of the genre will look. People like Ari Aster, Jane Schoenbrun, and Demián Rugna are just some of the names of filmmakers who’ve carved out niches for themselves born out of the festival circuit, and its because of events like the Chattanooga Film Festival that they have a chance to not only reach a broader audience, but one that revels in the kind of dark delights they offer. Festival founder and director, Chris Storch, was happy and willing to talk about the festival he’s been running for over 13 years, and let us in on what folks can expect for this year’s festivities both in-person and online. Not only that, Chris describes the ethos of the festival focusing on independent films that don’t have a theatrical release, as well as throwback late night films that have become one of the festival’s premier event. We don’t want to give away all the goods, so you’ll have to listen, and the festival will take place in-person from June 18-21 and virtually from June 19-28. Macabre Daily is a sponsor of this year’s event, and will be holding a Q&A with Emily Bennett after a screening of her film, “Blood Shine.” Get tickets for Chattanooga Film Fest here!

Legends never die, and they certainly don’t stop working. At least that’s the case for John Harrison, the writer/director/composer who has worked with some of the best in the genre while becoming great in his own right. Most folks probably will know John for the scores he contributed to two powerhouse genre films, “Creepshow” and “Day of the Dead,” which came from being First AD to George A. Romero. The thing about legends is, they aren’t just known for one or a few things; they lay claim to many achievements. Harrison also directed another outstanding anthology film, “Tales From The Darkside: The Movie,” as well as providing one of the most book-accurate versions of “Dune” out there, AND working on shows like “Tales From The Crypt,” “Monsters,” and the Shudder revival of “Creepshow,” bringing his career full circle. Not content to rest on those laurels, Harrison is still writing scripts for TV and film, while also carving out a niche as a genre author himself, and still finding time to compose. Candidly, John Harrison isn’t just an inspiration; he’s a living legend. We hope you enjoy this amazing interview with John, and please support his work by visiting his website. His next novel, “Did You Get The Package?” will be released this fall! Stay up to date by following Macabre Daily on Instagram, Facebook, and BlueSky!

It’s not easy to make a film, and much like a child, it can take a village to do so without driving oneself mad. The good news is that the broader film community, and notably the horror genre, has continued to embrace the works of independent creators both as a rejection of the mainstream and as a sign of hope for the future of the creative medium of film. While big studio productions are amazing feats of coordination and collaboration, independent films are much more like miracles in that they have so much working against them; it’s miraculous when things fall into place. Rebecca Roberts and Kurt Szarka of ReadyMade Productions know that all too well, and it’s part of what makes their supernatural thriller, “Brother,” so effective. Rebecca and Kurt spent some time speaking with Matt from the Macabre Daily podcast about their passion for filmmaking and how that inspired them to start a production company that works on elevating everyone who works on a film equally. Their debut feature, “Brother,” is a tense and intimate story about a family that is left in disarray after their brother is presumed dead, or is he? It was a lovely discussion about not just the genre, but filmmaking as a whole, and we can’t thank Rebecca and Kurt enough for their time. Their debut feature, “Brother,” is available to rent or buy now, and you can follow ReadyMade’s work on their website!

We cover a variety of topics on the Macabre Daily podcast, but one we’ve never really tackled before was podcasting itself.  Today we’re lucky to be joined by Jordan Gass-Poore', podcast producer and investigative journalist who’s currently working on the latest season of Tales From Beyond the Pale. Gass-Poore' talks about her transition from covering climate change to, well, fictional horror and the folks who made it.  She’s currently crowdfunding a podcast about the life of the late, great Debra Hill.  You may know her credits as producer (“Halloween,” “Escape From New York,” “The Dead Zone,” and “Clue” to scratch the surface), but Gass-Poore' is ready to show the world Hill was a pioneer for women in the horror space.  We can’t wait! For more on Jordan, check out @jgasspoore and @debrahillpodcast on Instagram. The Debra Hill podcast is seeking funding through Givebutter.

One of the best things about being a horror fan these days is that we have not one, but multiple streaming services that cater to our darkest desires, and one of our favorites is Screambox. They have been curating some great originals yanked from some of the best genre festivals, and even released some series, like "The Trouble with Tessa" (read our review). And if you aren't familiar with the show, then you may not be familiar with the power couple behind if of Bethany Watson and Dennis Cahlo! Lowell and Matt are delighted to spend some time with the two filmmakers as they discuss what they've been watching, some behind-the-scenes tid bits about filming "The Trouble with Tessa," and a whole lot of laughter as we explore tangents upon tangents of digressing discussion. We had so much fun, we didn't even have time to get to our main topic, so stay tuned for a Part 2 coming soon!   Finally, happy belated birthday to Dennis, who celebrated another trip around the sun the day before this posts!

Macabre Daily's Paper Cuts column has grown by leaps and bounds of the last 12 months, and has become a go-to source for reviews and interviews with some of the most exciting authors in the horror literature space. In an effort to increase the reach of these amazing discussions, Macabre Daily will be launching a special, PAPER CUTS PODCAST this month, and below is a preview of what's to come as host and Editor of the Paper Cuts Column, Sean O'Connor, speaks with author Luke Dumas about his latest novel, "Nothing Tastes As Good."

We love our physical media over here at Macabre Daily.  Aside from the satisfaction of having our favorite discs on our shelves, we’re big fans of the commentaries, supplements, and even the bloopers that show up alongside the updated resolutions of some of our favorite horror films.  Today on the podcast, we’re lucky enough to speak to Chris MacGibbon, Production Coordinator at Red Shirt Pictures, a company that works tirelessly to make the classics of yesterday look and sound incredible in our disc drives. Chris is no exception.  We go over his work on Scream Factory’s retrospectives on “Night of the Demons,” as well as his current projects for Synapse like the jam-packed 4K of 1986’s “Trick or Treat.” He also updated us on the long-awaited (even that feels like an understatement) “Fright Night part 2” 4K, which comes out later this year!  This is a look behind the curtain that collectors and film fans alike won’t want to miss.