Horror Obsessive Radio

If you’ve ever wondered whether the Wolf Man has nards, you’ll love this latest episode of the Horror Obsessive Podcast. JP Nunez and Sean Parker discuss the 1987 cult classic The Monster Squad, and for once, we both agree that this movie is a ton of fun.The Monster Squad is a love letter to the Universal Monsters and horror fanatics of all ages about a group of monster-loving kids who learn that Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster, and a few other classic horror villains have descended upon their town. These creatures are planning to take over the world, but to do that, they have to get through the titular Monster Squad first.Sean and JP are both fans of the film and, throughout their discussion, cover everything from the quotable one-liners and the cool monster designs to all the remarkable characters. But somehow, even though this is one of the few movies we actually agree on, we still find a couple of things to argue about. It just wouldn’t be The Horror Obsessive Podcast without some classic Sean vs. JP debates, and this episode is no different.On top of that, Sean and JP also discuss some of the best and most exciting news to hit the horror world in the last two weeks, like almost everything The two saw at FrightFest last week, the upcoming physical release of Prey, Terror Vision’s The Monster Squad Soundtrack vinyl, and the recent IFC horror film birth/rebirth. And, as always, if you enjoy listening to us talk about The Monster Squad, be sure to join us again in two weeks for the next episode of The Horror Obsessive Podcast, when we discuss Cronos, the fantastic directorial debut of Guillermo del Toro.

Have you ever watched an adult thriller like Fatal Attraction and thought, “This movie is pretty good, but it would be a lot better if it had some ghosts?” If you answered yes, you’ll love this latest episode of The Horror Obsessive Podcast. Sean Parker and JP Nunez discuss the 2000 supernatural thriller What Lies Beneath (not to be confused with the 2020 flick What Lies Below), and as usual, they come at the film from entirely different points of view.What Lies Beneath concerns empty-nester Claire (Michelle Pfeiffer), who begins experiencing seemingly supernatural phenomena in her house, and when she tells her husband (Harrison Ford) about the ghostly goings-on, he doesn’t believe her. Still, the creepy occurrences persist. And after a while, Claire learns that her spectral visitor is there to uncover a long-buried secret that will turn her world upside down.Sean and JP have very different takes on this movie, and their conversation covers all the reasons to like or dislike it. Diving into the scares, the atmosphere, the cinematography, and the characters, and even though they don’t agree on much, they meet in the middle, understanding one another’s perspectives.Plus, they also discuss some of the biggest and best news to hit the horror world in the last few weeks, like the recently announced Talk to Me sequel, the upcoming release of Podcast alum Dane Elcar's Brightwood, and a few more of our favorite films from the Fantasia International Film Festival.As always, if you enjoyed listening to us talk about What Lies Beneath, join us again for the next episode of The Horror Obsessive Podcast in two weeks. We’ll be discussing one of the most beloved cult classics from the 1980s and one of my most cherished childhood favorites: The Monster Squad.

On the latest episode of The Horror Obsessive Podcast, Sean and JP talk about the little-known kaiju movie Monster Seafood Wars. JP first became a fan of the film when it played at the Fantasia International Film Festival back in 2020. Receiving good buzz from JP's favorite critics, he revels in the fact a copy now sits proudly in the kaiju section of his Blu-ray collection, and he's excited to introduce this giant monster gem to all of you.Monster Seafood Wars is your typical kaiju flick about a crab, a squid, and an octopus that grow to enormous proportions after being exposed to a sci-fi drug called Setap Z. Unsurprisingly, mayhem ensues when these creatures attack Tokyo. However, the film manages to set itself apart from its cinematic peers in one unique way.Losing limbs as they fight, the monster's severed body parts become kaiju meat for the humans, and it's tastier than they ever could’ve imagined! That little twist makes for a really distinctive take on the genre, and it also gives us a whole bunch of laughs that make Monster Seafood Wars one of the funniest giant monster films out there.In JP's opinion, this movie is an absolute joy to watch, but Sean disagrees and argues against the film's enjoyment, so naturally, JP and Sean have quite a bit to talk about. Their discussion covers everything from characters to story elements and the fun kaiju suitmation. As usual, it’s a hoot and a half.As always, the boys also talk about some of the biggest news to hit the horror world in the past few weeks, like the new Exorcist trailer, the recent release of Talk to Me, and some of our favorite films so far from this year’s Fantasia Film Festival. If you enjoyed listening to us discuss Monster Seafood Wars, be sure to join us again in two weeks for the next episode of The Horror Obsessive Podcast, when we dissect the psychological ghost thriller What Lies Beneath.

If you’re a fan of bizarre parodies that transpose the plots of classic films into completely different contexts, you’re going to love this latest episode of The Horror Obsessive Podcast. After debating The Conjuring vs. Insidious in the last episode, Sean and JP go back to their standard format, discussing a single movie: the 1989 horror comedy Blades.The movie is a bizarre parody of Jaws that revolves around a haunted lawnmower killing people on a golf course, and in their discussion of it, they highlight some of the ways it riffs on that film. From the opening to the very last scene, Blades mimics some of the most famous moments from the Sharksploitation classic, like the mourning mother slapping Chief Brody, which Sean thinks is absolutely hilarious in Blades. JP, on the other hand, does not, and considers the film as a real chore. So, as usual, the boys come at it from entirely different points of view.On top of that, this week's episode also highlights some of the most important news to hit the horror world in the last few weeks, like some upcoming genre film festivals and a few ways we can help support struggling movie and TV workers during the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes. And, as always, if you enjoyed listening to us talk about Blades, be sure to join us again in two weeks for the next episode of The Horror Obsessive Podcast, when we discuss the fantastic kaiju comedy Monster Seafood Wars.

Talking about everything from the scares to the stories and the characters, Sean and JP, unsurprisingly, can’t seem to agree. Sean is team Insidious, but JP is team Conjuring, and as usual, their differing viewpoints make for a really riveting discussion.That being said, the boys manage to find a bit of common ground. For example, Sean acknowledges The Conjuring's technical merits, while JP admits Insidious has a more satisfying third act. But don’t worry, those agreements are few and far between, so this episode of The Horror Obsessive Podcast still has all the bickering and bantering you’d expect from an old married couple….or from two movie aficionados passionately clamoring about James Wan and Leigh Whannell.On top of all that, Sean and JP also discuss the biggest news to hit the horror world in the last few weeks, like Pluto TV’s new Godzilla channel, the upcoming kaiju gem Shin Ultraman, and a few of the really cool movies Vinegar Syndrome and its partner labels are putting out on Blu-ray later this month. As always, if you enjoyed listening to Sean and JP debate, come back again in two weeks for the next episode, where we’ll be discussing the Jaws-inspired 1989 horror comedy Blades, about a possessed lawnmower that stalks unwitting victims on a prestigious country club’s golf course.

Dane Elcar’s Brightwood was one of the highlights for Sean at Salem Horror Fest this year, sticking out as an off-the-beaten-path original that excels thematically while also being a genuinely disturbing horror portrait of a doomed relationship. It’s sort of the opposite of an anti-rom-com, trapping two people at a pond where infinite versions of themselves begin to populate. Elcar’s snapshot of these people at the worst point in their marriage, eviscerating and cannibalizing each other through vicious rhetoric, may not seem it, but it was very much inspired by a few classic films that both reside in The Criterion Collection’s catalog: Jean-Luc Godard’s Weekend and Andrei Tarkovsky’s Stalker.  If you’ve never seen Stalker, the movie is currently ranked number forty-three on BFI’s greatest films of all time. It’s an exceptionally grounded science fiction film with a haunting history. The story of the Stalker character taking a writer and a professor through the contaminated “zone” is as atmospheric and ambient as films get and bolsters many underlying themes about religion and life in the U.S.S.R. at the time it was made in 1979. It becomes even more metaphorical when they arrive at “the room,” a place that reputationally has the power to grant wishes.Elcar and company clue us in on some funny on-set Brightwood stories, from garden snakes to the amount of bug spray needed to shoot in the woods, a typo in the credits that nearly caused a conniption, and why Dana’s character calls Max’s character “Buzzy,” seemingly out of nowhere at one point. Staff writer Brendan Jesus joins the podcast this week, filling in for JP Nunez, who will return next episode. Brendan and I lead into the show by letting you know a little more about our writer, who recently published a Larry Fessenden icons piece we discuss, as well as the rabbit hole obsession both of us went through with Bruce Campbell. And discuss Horror Obsessive’s two new weekly features, Slasher Saturdays and Trash Cinema (aka So Bad it’s Good) Thursdays. Please join us in getting lost in the (Bright)woods on this episode. It’s an absolute blast. And join JP Nunez and me in two weeks for the debate of the century: Conjuring vs. Insidious.