Not Quite Dead
By Megan and Cate
Not Quite DeadSep 23, 2022
Train to Busan
Train to Busan was director Yeon Sang-ho's gift to the world in 2016. Edgar Wright of Shaun of the Dead fame calls it the best zombie film ever made - and who are we to disagree?
Gong Yoo (known now for Squid Game) plays Seok-woo, a hedge fund manager who prioritized work over his family - until a zombie apocalypse traps him and his young daughter on a high speed train. They are up against zombies and the selfishness of their fellow passengers, making for a thrilling horror film.
Discussion points include: undead animals, Korean horror themes, multiple villains.
Shaun of the Dead
Edgar Wright wraps his love of the zombie genre in many layers of era-specific humor in the buddy horror comedy Shaun of the Dead! Guest Jason Burk from Hemispheric Views joins us again to reminisce on this not-so-cult classic.
Shaun is your typical Gen X slacker who shirks responsibility at every available opportunity. That is, until a zombie apocalypse arrives in his garden. With the help of his equally lame best friend, Shaun embarks on a quest to save his mum and ex-girlfriend, and maybe do a little bit of growing up along the way (but, probably not).
Discussion points include: the loser hero's journey, hot skeletons, witty dialog, and - oh, wait, you've got red on you.
28 Days Later
Director Danny Boyle reinvigorated the zombie genre with 2002's 28 Days Later.
Cillian Murphy wakes up alone and naked in a hospital bed 28 days after a rage virus decimates England. Zombies, lack of resources, and some really gross military dudes round out some real horror in this episode!
Discussion points include: how quickly men become terrible in a disaster, falling in love in an apocalypse, how to flag down help.
Night of the Living Dead
NQD couldn't kick off a Zombies season without George Romero's classic Night of the Living Dead!
Bringing the zombie genre to life, Romero shocked 1960s audiences with his tale of the undead. It's gruesome, it's seminal, it's a ghoulish good time!
Discussion points include: earlier zombie movies, a useless woman, space radiation.
The Grudge
The Grudge came out hot on the heels of global interest in J-horror, and is one of the better American adaptations!
Sarah Michelle Gellar stars in Sam Raimi's 2004 ghost horror story as an American exchange student attempting to solve a haunting.
Discussion points include: Japanese horror history, onryo, the ghosts' rules.
Saw X - 100th Episode Xtravaganza!
Join us as we talk all things prequel, play the drinking game we came up with way back in Season 1 of the podcast, test each other's Saw trivia knowledge, and re-rank the films in the franchise. It's a blast, and not just the kind that makes you lose a limb.
Discussion points include: what makes a critically acclaimed Saw film, the return of director Kevin Greutert, John Kramer's doodling.
Smile
Smile (2022) may be director Parker Finn's feature length film debut, but it has the style and scares to feel like a veteran effort.
Psychiatric therapist Laura already has a lot of baggage - workaholic, abusive childhood, a strained relationship with her sister - when a delusional patient seems to transmit a terrifying curse onto her. Is it all in her head, or is there an entity really after her?
Discussion points include: homages to other horror films, a useless fiancé, poor trauma processing.
The Orphanage
The 2007 Spanish film The Orphanage has horrors of multiple levels: a missing child, playful ghosts, and home renovations.
The J.A. Bayona horror flick was a smash hit internationally, bringing acclaim to the Spanish film industry. Not Quite Dead gets into the details of a woman buying the orphanage she grew up in with her family, only to be plagued by ghosts and the loss of her son.
Discussion points include: abandoned beach-front real estate, watching the wrong movie, Peter Pan references.
Episode edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer. Music by Zach Pfeifer.
Casper
Not Quite Dead? More like "Not So Scary" when we cover nostalgic classics like the 1995 movie Casper! Fan favorites Christina Ricci, Bill Pullman and Devon Sawa star in the kid-friendly film about a dead child ghost falling in love with a living teen.
Discussion points include: terrible uncle poltergeists, the CGI of the 90s, and dead wives.
Evil Dead Rise
The Evil Dead Rise! The series is back and chock full of Sam Raimi-isms, with plenty of homages to the much beloved earlier entries in the franchise.
Stuffed to the brim with disgustingly gory effects and plenty of slyly funny jokes, Lee Cronin's 2023 addition to the Evil Dead series is a welcome one.
Discussion points include: sister relationships, where not to take a pregnancy test, our favorite callbacks.
Paranormal Activity
The first found footage movie to be scary since Blair Witch! Paranormal Activity debuted in 2007 to critical acclaim and a staggering box office on a shoestring budget.
Couple Katie and Micah are already on tense terms when they get third-wheeled by Katie's own personal (literal) demon. Micah is an inept boyfriend whose only skill is pissing off a demon, while poor Katie has to be haunted while surrounded by his cameras.
Discussion points include: bad boyfriends, specializing in undead hauntings, budget filmmaking.
Infinity Pool
Come away with us to tropical Li Tolqa, home to beautiful resorts and pay-to-play murder and crime sprees! The catch is teeny-tiny: be executed for your misdeeds or pay to have a clone of yourself be killed in your place.
Infinity Pool, directed and written by Brandon Cronenberg, explores issues of privilege, tourism, and scifi existentialism in one not-so-neat package.
Discussion points include: fictional tourist countries, White Lotus, Cronenberg the Elder vs Cronenberg the Younger.
Poltergeist
They're here! NQD is covering the classic horror film Poltergeist. Effectively a Steven Spielberg movie, this movie introduced a new cultural fear: getting stuck in the TV.
Join us as we dissect the haunting of this all-American 80s family, baby angel Carol Anne's entrapment in the ghostly plane, and a host of malicious spirits.
Discussion points include: the old timey 80s, what's a poltergeist vs a haunting, and sketchy special effects.
Knock at the Cabin
TW: This episode contains discussion of suicide and self-harm. If you need help or are having thoughts of harming yourself, please call or text 988.
M. Night Shyamalan, you dog, you did it again. A thrilling popcorn flick with twists aplenty, the 2023 mystery/horror movie Knock at the Cabin brings the frights. Are these four strangers really preventing the end times, or are they delusional cultists targeting a queer family?
Discussion points include: Dave Bautista's career, suicide cults, our favorite type of apocalypse.
Oculus
Director Mike Flanagan, now better known for the Flanaverse of horror shows on Netflix, helmed Oculus as one of his first feature-length films. Siblings Kaylie and Tim post up in their childhood home, where they attempt to capture definitive proof that a cursed mirror caused their family’s tragedy, not their father. Jump scares galore in this one!
Discussion points include: how to outsmart ghosts, eating things you definitely shouldn't, the nonsensical characterization of Kaylie.
- The Lasser glass, while not real, was hung in a real place - Balmoral Castle.
- Learn about other myths and folktales from the Bavarian forest.
- Pica is a real and scary condition!
Episode edited by Tedd Williamson. Music by Zach Pfeifer.
Renfield
The two greatest Nicks, together at last! Nicholas Hoult and Nicolas Cage join up for a fun, albeit critically bombed, turn in the horror comedy Renfield (2023).
Hoult plays the much maligned assistant to Cage's Dracula, with variably funny turns from Awkwafina and Ben Schwartz in supporting roles.
Discussion points include: top comedy and horror moments, vampire traits, other notable Louisiana vampire lore.
41st Anniversary of The Thing in Which We Talk About the 40th Anniversary Fathom Event
Did you know that the 80s were 40 years ago? We did, and so did the film industry! This special episode covers John Carpenter’s The Thing and its 40th Anniversary Fathom event (err….one year later).
What we consider today a masterpiece look at the horror of a perfectly-replicating alien invasion, the folks of the 80s found disgusting, depressing, and a little dull. Boo for them, yay for us! Discussion points include: lackluster Fathom events, Carpenter’s special effects, the fun of paranoia and nihilism.
- Check out some of the practical special effects in the movie.
- Learn how you too can work in Antarctica.
- Read about the real-life Nauls of Antarctica.
- Mick Garris throws shade like no other.
- BONUS! See Meg's many pages of notes for this movie, unfiltered.
Episode edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer. Music by Zach Pfeifer.
His House
A hauntingly tragic story of immigration, ghosts both real and imagined, His House is a universally acclaimed horror film. The 2020 directorial debut from Remi Weekes about a South Sudanese refugee couple in the UK touches on culture, racism, xenophobia, and war trauma. Heavy but necessary topics that truly show that horror is embedded in all aspects of society. Discussion points include: UK immigration statistics, refugee trauma, what makes a good person.
- Read about the cripplingly high bonds that immigrants have to pay to be released from detention.
- Learn about UK immigration statistics.
- How much does the average grocery bill cost per week?
Episode edited by Tedd Williamson. Music by Zach Pfeifer.
Scream 6
The requel has become a franchise! Scream 6 returns with the same cast from Scream 5 - Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera as the leads - with a few extras from the Scream days of old. Appearances from Gail Weathers and Kirby keep the franchise foundation in what we find to be a very strong entry to the series. Discussion points include: how meta is too meta, ranking the Scream films, and fakeout kill counts.
The Others
A family psychodrama wrapped up in a ghost story - the stuff of nightmares! Nicole Kidman's turn as a 1940s mommy dearest in The Others is a stellar performance, a welcome retreat from some of the campier ghost movies this season. Discussion points include: WWII, creepy children, the place of religion in an ambiguous afterlife.
- Read all about Nicole Kidman's behind the scenes trivia.
- Are light allergies real?
- Learn about the novella that this movie - and The Haunting of Bly Manor! - is based on, The Turn of the Screw.
Episode edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer. Music by Zach Pfeifer.
Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey
This isn’t the 100 Acre Woods you remember! Much to the mouse house’s chagrin, Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey was fast tracked for release once the IP came into the public domain. What else is there to do but make a gruesome, terrible horror movie out of a beloved childhood character? Discussion points include: copyright law, the uselessness of adult Christopher Robin, B-movie horror tropes.
- Learn all about the Copyright Act of 1909
- What other IPs went into the public domain when Winnie the Pooh did?
- Read about the company that made the frightening masks
Episode edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer. Music by Zach Pfeifer.
13 Ghosts
Special guest Jason from the podcast Hemispheric Views joins us for 13 Ghosts (also known as THIR13EN GHOSTS). A family inherits a mansion stuffed to the brim with arcane and creepy artifacts - throw in a character that can see ghosts and an occultist uncle and you've got a good time brewing! Discussion points include: the illustrious Matthew Lillard, what it would be like living in a glass house, and two brand new games.
- Check out Jason's podcast Hemispheric Views!
- Read Roger Ebert's most hated movies list.
- If you can't get your hands on the DVD to watch the special features, read all of the ghosts' backstories here.
Episode edited by Cate Smith. Music by Zach Pfeifer.
M3gan
She's cute, she plays games, and she can kill the annoying people in your life - it's Megan! Wait, not, it's not our podcast host Megan, it's M3GAN! Evil doll and new best friend M3GAN took the internet by storm in 2022. Discussion points include: other evil doll comparisons, who needs parents when you have consumerism, and how movies go viral on TikTok now.
- Buy your own classic Furby on eBay!
- Learn the iconic M3GAN dance.
- Check out some behind-the-scenes trivia from director Gerard Johnstone and producer James Wan.
Episode edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer. Music by Zach Pfeifer.
The Frighteners
Amazingly, The Frighteners (1996) once held the title of most cutting-edge special effects. Primarily a slapstick comedy set to a Danny Elfman soundtrack, watching it today leaves a lot to be desired. Discussion points include: the most WTF moments of the movie, Michael J Fox's career, Peter Jackson's special effects company Weta FX history.
Barbarian
What makes a Barbarian? Director Zach Cregger's 2022 movie gives the Not Quite Dead gals much to ponder on the topic. A refreshingly smart, scary, and at times hilarious movie, Barbarian is a fun new entry into the modern horror canon. Discussion points include: AirBnBs, Justin Long scary movie supremacy, the horror movie three-act.
- Read about The Gift of Fear, the book that director Zach Cregger based the first act on.
- Learn about Brightmoor, a real (sad) place.
- Just one real life example about how dangerous underground tunnels can be.
- Yuck! Here's the world's most inbred family.
Episode edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer. Music by Zach Pfeifer.
We Are Still Here
The very well-received yet little-known film We Are Still Here brings 70s ghostly delights to our screen. Couple Anne and Paul uproot their lives after family tragedy strikes, only to find themselves in a haunted new house with even creepier neighbors. Discussion points include: avoiding your weird new neighbors, what decade are we even in?, ghostly revenge.
Episode edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer. Music by Zach Pfeifer.
The Menu
The 2022 new release The Menu stars favorites Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult. The film, written by Will Tracy and Seth Reiss, is about a young couple visiting an exclusive, high-end restaurant on a remote island. What's on the menu? Death! Discussion points include: social commentary, how terrible foodies are, the food we'd want to try off the tasting menu.
Episode edited by Tedd Williamson. Music by Zach Pfeifer.
The Ring
7 days....
Not Quite Dead is kicking off the new year with the 2002 classic The Ring, a remake of Hideo Nakata's 1998 Ringu. Director Gore Verbinski helms this atmospheric, genuinely scary flick. Discussion points include: symbolism of the movie within the movie, the excellent special effects, and alternative pay-it-forward schemes.
Episode edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer. Music by Zach Pfeifer.
Not Quite Dead Holiday Extravaganza 2022
The girls wanted to wish their listeners a very Merry Christmas with this special episode that explores the horrors of the holiday season. There will be merriment, shared fears, and of course, spoilers.
Check out the movies we cover in this episode:
Dec 1 - Love Actually
Dec 2 - Gremlins
Dec 3 - Friday After Next
Dec 4 - The Santa Clause
Dec 5 - A Charlie Brown Christmas
Dec 6 - Bad Santa
Dec 7 - Falling for Christmas
Dec 8 - A Merry Friggin’ Christmas
Dec 9 - Home Alone
Dec 10 - How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Dec 11 - Miracle on 34th Street
Dec 12 - Santa’s Slay
Dec 13 - Ernest Saves Christmas
Dec 14 - Batman Returns
Dec 15 - Christmas, Again
Dec 16 - Spirited
Dec 17 - Christmas Vacation
Dec 18 - A Muppet Christmas Carol
Dec 19 - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Dec 20 - It’s a Wonderful Life
Dec 21 - Die Hard
Dec 22 - Elf
Dec 23 - Jingle All the Way
Dec 24 - Nightmare Before Christmas
Dec 25 - A Christmas Story
Season 9 Kids Horror Finale
Thank you for joining us for Season 9: Kids Horror! In this finale, we keep it short and sweet for all you busy parents - we rank the movies in age-appropriateness, and share a finger painting craft!
The Addams Family (1991)
They're creepy and they're kooky / Mysterious and spooky / They're all together ooky - that's right, we're covering The Addams Family! Featuring everyone's favorite macabre characters, the 1991 movie introduced a new audience to the bizarre aristocratic family.
Episode Extras- Watch the trailer
- Read about the history of the movie
- Learn more about the troubled production of the movie
Episode edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer. Music by Zach Pfeifer.
The Monster Squad
Ostensibly a real movie and not just a vehicle for Universal Studios to sell merchandise, The Monster Squad is a late 80s kids' classic horror movie. Featuring iconic characters like Dracula and the Wolfman, the plot of the movie is loosely draped around a group of kids trying to prevent the monsters from taking over the world.
This episode is a classic debate of nostalgia versus quality - tell us what you think!
Goosebumps
Not Quite Dead covers the 2015 movie Goosebumps, a film jam packed with references to the classic kids horror book series. The film takes a meta approach to author R.L. Stine and his creations, for better and worse!
Controversially, Megan believes this to be the worst movie we have ever covered on the podcast. Come unpack that with us in this episode!
Episode Extras- Check out the huge list of Goosebumps books in the series
- Read an interview with author R.L. Stine
- Do you agree with this ranking of the books in the series?
Fear Street: 1666
The final installment of the Fear Street trilogy takes us all the way back to 1666 - and then forward to 1994 - then back again - then back again. Sheesh! Should this series have been four movies instead of three? Were all of the plot lines resolved in the final chapter? Tune in and find out!
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
If you were an 80s or 90s baby, you may be entitled to financial compensation for emotional trauma from the illustrations featured in the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series.
This movie pastiches some of the more famous stories from the children's books into a plot involving a historic local woman accused of witchcraft, the haunted house she lived in, and the high school kids compelled to stop the murders in their town.
Fear Street: 1978
Fear Street 1978 pays homage to the campground slashers of the era, with all the blood, sex, and pot you'd expect. "Wait!" you're thinking, "Isn't this a kids' movie?" Well, listen to this minisode and hear what the NQD gals have to say about that.
The Witches (1990)
The Roald Dahl classic children's book gets the movie treatment in the 1990 flick The Witches!
This movie is notably creepy with its Jim Henson puppetry and intense witch makeup on Anjelica Huston. The Not Quite Dead gals debate the film's ending - markedly different from the book - and discuss the legacy of Roald Dahl's books.
Episode edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer. Music by Zach Pfeifer.
Fear Street: 1994
Netflix's three-part Fear Street series is getting the Not Quite Dead minisode treatment this season! Come listen to discussion on the surprisingly (to some) mature content and debate with us when you can introduce kids to their first slasher movie.
Episode edited by Cate Smith. Music by Zach Pfeifer.
Hocus Pocus
We’re kicking off spooky season with a genre of scary movies that’s fun for the whole family: Kids’ Horror!
This season premieres with the 90s Disney cult classic Hocus Pocus. Join the NQD gals as they discuss the Sanderson sisters, the perfection of New England fall vibes, and the rules around black flame candles.
Season 8 Comedy Finale
Thank you for joining us for Season 8: Comedy! In this finale, we have some fun segments for you: mad libs, bingo, and a Cabin in the Woods inspired craft!
The Dead Don't Die
What kinda movie is this? A dark comedy, an homage to George Romero, a not scary movie about the end of the world? Jim Jarmusch's The Dead Don't Die might be a head-scratcher, but it's a fun one.
Join Not Quite Dead for the last movie of the horror comedy season and all of its meta humor!
Mars Attacks!
The 1996 Tim Burton helmed Mars Attacks! marks a turning point in the notable filmmaker's career - and boy do the Not Quite Dead team have a lot to say about it.
As a fleet of Martian spacecrafts are invading planet Earth, it is up to the incompetent global governments, overeager American military, and hapless citizens to fight back. The cast is stacked, the CGI is campy, and the heads are enormous in this episode!
Episode edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer. Music by Zach Pfeifer.
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil
Is this a horror-comedy, or one of the best buddy comedies ever made?
The Not Quite Dead gals adore Tucker & Dale vs Evil (2011), directed by Eli Craig. The story of two redneck best friends whose vacation is ruined when ignorant college students mistake them for serial killers is irresistible - and we hope you feel the same!
Zombieland
The 2009 smash hit Zombieland was the cultural phenom that brought us the concept of a double tap, reinvigorated America's love for Twinkies, and gave us one of the best Bill Murray cameos of all time.
The Not Quite Dead gals talk about the many "rules" of surviving a zombie apocalypse, the practicalities of a cross-country roadtrip, and the early 2000s appeal of Jesse Eisenberg. Starring Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin - don't miss this one!
Episode edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer. Music by Zach Pfeifer.
Scary Movie
Well, they're not all winners.
Scary Movie kickstarted a decade's worth of spoofs, from the long-running franchise itself to the dismal Epic/Date/Disaster Movie series. The movie has its laughs but join us in this quickie episode as Not Quite Dead tears apart the very dated jokes.
Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice....Beetlejuice....Beetleju -- Not Quite Dead!
The first of two Tim Burton-helmed flicks this horror-comedy season is Beetlejuice! With an over-the-top performance from Michael Keaton and iconic turns from Winona Ryder and Catherine O'Hara, this movie was an instant comedy classic. The Not Quite Dead gals also get into the creepiness of this movie, from post-post-modern interior design to giant limbo sandworms.
The Cabin in the Woods
The Cabin in the Woods (2011) is a quintessential Joss Whedon flick - irreverent, effortlessly funny, and punctuated with moments of surprisingly brutal violence.
This meta horror-comedy plays on classic horror movie tropes - a group of hot college kids are stalked and murdered one by one in a remote cabin in the woods. Boring? No way. The B plot is a workplace comedy about the office workers orchestrating the murders as part of a god-appeasing ritual.
Gremlins 2
Gremlins 2: The New Batch is the silly, Looney Tunes-riffing, meta little brother of the original Gremlins movie. In this episode, we talk the surprisingly great comedy and horror moments, and most controversially, which other sequels outshine their predecessors.
Episode edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer. Music by Zach Pfeifer.
Ghostbusters
Who you gonna call? Not Quite Dead!
This beloved 80s mega-hit gets the NQD treatment to kick off Season 8: Horror Comedy! Join us as we weigh scares against laughs and go over the many underrated merits of Rick Moranis.
Season 7 Vampires Finale
Thank you for joining us for Season 7: Vampires! In this finale, we have some fun segments for you: a vampire trait commonality matrix, a genre trivia quiz with a special guest, and a build a vampire craft!