In 2023 we covered some incredible movies with even more incredible guests. From Anthony Jeselnik questioning intense facial expressions to the chaos that was interviewing Don Barris for his movie Blood Diner. This year was filled with so much joy and laughter. As the year went on, these episodes got sillier and sillier, and we can’t wait to see what next year brings! And with that, here’s a list of my favorite episodes from 2023.
Martrys – Anthony Jeselnik
This movie has always been on my list; I just have never gotten around to watching it, that is, until comedian and horror nerd Anthony Jeselnik said he wanted to talk about it with me. I knew he was a horror fan, but seeing how much this movie has stayed with him despite him only watching it once was fascinating. Also, he is one of my favorite comedians, so this interview was a dream, and I cannot wait to have him back on!
Summoning Sylvia – Frankie Grande
I am a huge fan of the Grande siblings, so when I heard that Frankie Grande had a horror movie he wanted to promote, I was like, bring it on! He’s such a fun person to talk to and really brings that to his character on screen.
M3GAN– Kelly Ryan – Jenna Davis
This is a two-for-one! Kelly Ryan is truly one of the funniest women I have ever met and I was thrilled when she agreed to talk M3GAN. I tell my guests not to stress about taking notes, just to come and talk about the movie. But Kelly brought in a notebook ready to go, so I knew it was gonna be a fun one. On top of that, we got the voice of M3GAN herself, Jenna Davis! Jenna was a delight, and it was so awesome to get a chance to talk to her about this iconic role.
Child’s Play – Sarah Hyland Rosenstein
Sarah Hyland Rosenstein is one of the nicest people you will ever meet, so naturally when I found out she went to school in Chicago, like me, I knew I had to have her watch Child’s Play. She brings such a playfulness to everything she does that it makes it so unique and just plain fun!
Saw – Steve Furey
This interview was a blast. I have known comedian Steve Furey for a minute now, and he brings such amazing energy to everything he does. The only thing I remember about this episode is laughing so hard that my stomach hurt afterward, and that’s always a good sign.
Midsommar – Chase O’Donnell
I said I would never watch this movie again. I saw it in theaters when it came out and had a horrible experience. But Chase convinced me to revisit it for the podcast, and I am so happy she did. There was so much more to this movie than when I first watched it. I really judged it harshly (I know, surprise, surprise), but I am glad to be proven wrong! This movie gets more f***ed up the more you watch it, and I think that is the reason why it is so many people’s favorite horror movie.
Talk To Me – David Farrier
This movie has easily made its way into my top ten favorite horrors, which is hard to do! It’s so relevant to the social media generation while also playing into timeless horror tropes. Now, the movie alone thrilled me, but talking to one of my favorite filmmakers, David Farrier, about it was the BEST!
The Conjuring – Kris Collins
I love ghosts. They scare me but are also so fascinating. Like a lot of these movies, I watched them once and said I would probably never watch them again. I am so glad social media superstar and fellow ghost hunter Kris Collins suggested we re-watch it. The cast is perfect and every moment builds so eloquently into the next. Also, I never thought I would be terrified of clapping until this movie… Plus Kris and fellow ghost bestie Celina SpookyBoo and I did some ghost hunting of our own at The Comedy Store…
Rob Zombie’s Halloween – Kayla Braxton
This movie is one of a kind and classic Rob Zombie! I have seen a few of Rob Zombie’s flicks, but seeing his interpretation of the Halloween movies was so fun. It’s such a wild ride from start to finish, and I’m excited to finish the series. Plus, bringing back the WWE and scream queen herself, Kayla Braxton, was a blast.
Scream – Jamie Kennedy
Actors are just people, but when they are in one of your all-time favorite movies, interacting with them just hits differently. Needless to say, this entire interview is just me geeking out for an hour in front of Jamie Kennedy. I feel a connection to his Scream character, Randy, as I am and have always been the movie buff of the friend group. So this was such a special moment for me, and I am so proud of this interview.
Five Nights At Freddy’s – Gabby Vargas
Matthew Lillard AND Josh Hutcherson in a movie? YES PLEASE! This movie was so fun and, eye-opening, unlocking my new fear of animatronics! Love that for me! But really I liked this movie a lot and am really excited to see where they go with the rest of the series. Comedian and fellow Lillard fan Gabby Vargas came to chat with me about the movie, and I discovered we have the same brain podcast, so naturally, it was a delightful, goofy episode.
Insidious – Kyra Gardner
Another fellow spooky friend and filmmaker, Kyra Gardner, suggested we watch one of her favorite movies, and let me tell you, I had a BLAST. I love talking to everyone about horror movies, but chatting with someone who knows the genre inside and out from both a lover of the genre and an industry perspective is such a joy. This movie scared the crap out of me and I am so glad I watched it again. The jump scares are iconic and brutal.
Creep – Shane Hartline
This movie is a DOOZY. I am such a fan of this movie. It goes from being so seemingly innocent to just absurd and horrifying. Both actors just knock it out of the park. On top of that, presenting it as a found footage movie is the best, and I need more of them pronto. Comedian Shane Hartline came on the pod to talk about the movie, and we truly had so much fun.
Terrifier – Catherine Corcoran
Oh the Terrifier movies. What a crazy trilogy. The more I watch, the more obsessed I become. So it was an honor to interview one of Art the Clown’s most iconic kills, Catherine Corcoran, about her time battling the demonic silly being. These movies up the brutality factor x10000 every single time, and for that, I think they will go down in horror history.
The Exorcist – Saul Trujillo
I love talking with people and suggesting a movie that scared them as a child. So naturally, when comedian Saul Trujillo wanted to watch The Exorcist, I said bring it on! Now, I’ve seen this movie a bunch, but this time, it felt different and scarier. I love reading about the backstory and all the conspiracies around the movie. Whether they are real or not, they added a new scary layer.
Cabin in The Woods – Ken Napzok
Comedian Ken Napzok is not the biggest horror fan, but he was very brave watching one of my favorite movies, Cabin In The Woods. This movie is perfect. I remember watching it for the first time, utterly terrified, and my brother walked in and said, “Why are you scared? This is a comedy”. And my life has never been the same when it comes to horror. This movie is perfect, and I will fight anyone who says otherwise.
Dr.Giggles – Amanda Frtiz
This movie is terribly wonderful. There are some movies you watch because they are just silly, and this is one of them. Also, maybe one of the most unhinged interviews I’ve ever done with one of my good friends and comedian, Amanda Fritz. There’s just so much laughter in this episode; even re-watching it, I find myself cackling at the absurdity that came from our brains.
Living With Chucky – Kyra Gardner
My bestie Kyra made a documentary about her life growing up with a Chucky doll as a little brother. No, I’m serious! Her dad is genre legend Tony Gardner, who is responsible for creating the iconic Chucky dolls we know and love. I am so proud of Kyra for this film, and I HIGHLY encourage you to drop what you’re doing and watch it!
Blood Diner – Don Barris
If you don’t know who Don Barris is…What are you doing with your life? Clearly, not going to late-night comedy shows and seeing him close out The Comedy Store or warming up audiences for Jimmy Kimmel or watching his movie Windy City Heat. But man, oh man, if you know him from Blood Diner… you’re a true fan! He’s only in this movie for a total of three seconds, but he has so many stories about being on set. This was one of the weirdest movies I have watched; however, I recommend it to everyone so they can experience what I endured.
Evil Dead Rise -Joel Jimenez
It only makes sense to watch the entire Evil Dead Series with Comedian and Evil Dead super fan Joel Jimenez! Evil Dead Rise was insanely fun and had so many moments that made me grit my teeth. I still cannot get the cheese grater scene out of my head.
Two Witches – Rebekah Kennedy
I got a random DM, which became a lifelong friendship with a group of filmmakers who made this horror movie, Two Witches. It’s a wild movie with actors that are the future of horror. Rebekah is a gem and deserves the world.
Scream V – Sam Roberts
I love guests who aren’t comedians but just love the genre, and radio personality Sam Roberts was the perfect guest to talk about Scream V. Look, some people have problems with the new wave of Scream, but this movie packs a different punch than the rest. You can literally FEEL each kill, and that is brutal and brilliant.
Krampus – Justin Martindale
As someone who is German, I love the lore around Krampus, and this movie delivered that and more. The overall feel is a family film with a hard switch to horror, and that is perfection. Reviewing it with comedian Justin Martindale was a blast.
Bodies Bodies Bodies – Stephen Kramer Glickman
*Big Time Rush Theme Plays Violently* I Was honored to have a childhood icon of mine, Stephen Kramer Glickman, on to talk Bodies Bodies Bodies. This is the most Gen Z Movie ever, and I am here for it. You can tell the whole cast had a blast while filming the stir craziness that can happen while isolated inside a house. Also, Pete Davidson needs to be in more horror ASAP, please, and thank you.
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors – Mark Ellis
Of all the horror franchises, A Nightmare on Elm Street is probably the one I have seen the least of. I was really excited when comedian Mark Ellis suggested we watch the third movie in the installment. This movie had so many brilliant one-liners and unique kills that it’s made me want to binge the whole franchise.
