I proclaim this the summer of George.

All right, everybody, welcome to the pod and the Pendulum and Happy Halloween.

I'm your host, Mike Snooney.

And if you're listening in Halloween, if you're listening to this like you're going through the back catalog and it's like April 12th, you're like, what do you mean Happy Halloween?

Am I Rip Van Winkle?

Did I fall asleep?

No, you didn't.

You're just not listening on the day we're dropping it.

So we are recording this like super last second right now to get like a really fun bonus episode for you up and to get us all caught up to speed on this franchise.

But that means we can make like no mistakes tonight because there's going to be just about no editing done on this episode.

So we got to like really nail it, really be perfect.

So let me introduce my Co host.

First up from the Spectre Cinema Club, you know whom is Mr.

Devon Kuyper.

Devon, how are we tonight?

Hello, hello.

Doing great, Mike.

Great.

Excited to be here.

Oh my goodness.

You nailed it.

Oh my God.

Can't believe it.

No, you know him.

You love him.

It's Mr.

Steven.

Chewy Walrus Steven.

How are we this evening?

Doing great, Mike.

Happy to be here, happy to be in on my second entry in this franchise and I'm excited for Halloween.

Boo, trick or treat, etcetera.

Excellent, excellent.

Also joining us just back from a cross country trip this back from the left coast.

She is the host of I almost said Spectre Cinema Club.

She is the host of Bodies of Horror, Miss Nicole Gobel.

Nicole, how are we?

We are doing good.

Very excited to be here and talk.

I think this is the first of this franchise that I've been on for an app, so I'm very excited to share my thoughts.

Excellent, excellent.

I'm excited to talk about.

We were just talking a little bit off air and we almost recorded like a whole episode's worth of goods if we were to go down that path before we hit the record button.

So.

Thank goodness Nicole had the foresight to say I don't want to talk about it yet.

Hit record.

Yes.

Thank God for Nicole.

As we often say, yes.

For Nicole, that might as well be the motto of the pon, the pendulum.

Honestly, thank God for Nicole.

Yep.

So this is, you know, going to be a little different from a lot of our episodes.

Like there's really no background information to go over with this one.

Like it's really going to be just like we're just going to let it RIP and talk about our thoughts on each segment and maybe our thoughts in the movie overall.

Again, just wanted to get a fun Halloween day content up there because we are nothing if not like total sluts for SEO.

I mean, that's really what we are like.

Correct I.

Think it was my wife who once wore a shirt that said we'll suck Dick for good SEO.

She did not say that and oh God, I am not editing this episode at all.

Foisted by his own petard, everyone.

I am already fucked.

No cuts.

OK.

No doing it live.

Nothing whatsoever.

All right, so I don't want to start now, I guess, because I don't know what I'm going to say.

It's been a loopy day.

It's been like an absolute like loop.

I've told you a couple of things I've said off air in professional situations and the reaction was like what the Christ, like what the actual, what were you thinking?

So.

Really the only reaction we could have had.

Yeah, which understandable.

Can't blame you.

So I guess I'll ask like, what are your when's the first time you watch this?

Like, is it a recent watch?

I know it just came out, but like, did we watch it before we decided to record in this or we like, Oh my God, we're scrambling to get this in?

This is a remembering audio format, so nodding the heads doesn't necessarily.

Well, you can't hear that.

What?

You can't hear the rattling in my skull as I shake and nod my head.

There we go.

So, Steven, how Nicole, since you haven't been on in a while, why don't you kick things off?

Yeah, I watched this as soon as we decided to do an episode.

I was actually going to hold out and watch this tomorrow improper because I've just been really busy with travel stuff.

And so was like, this is going to be so perfect because I work from home, I don't really have a lot of meetings.

So I am just going to vibe and have this and many other films on in the background.

And so I I moved it up a little bit.

So last night in the hotel room, I thank God for the Grand Hyatt in San Francisco and their Chromecast ability to, you know, broadcast what you're watching and not the channels in the hotel.

So yeah, I watched it and woo, lots of feelings on this in comparison to the others.

OK.

And are you a fan of the series in general?

I am a fan of some of the series.

OK.

Specifically.

How do you feel about it since Like Shudder has taken it over?

And it's always been a bloody disgusting production.

But how do you feel about it since, Like, Shudder has taken it over?

You know, I think the, I will say that I think the quality of the shorts overall I think is very strong.

OK.

You know, like if you watch something like the ABC's of Death.

And why would you?

Well.

I did.

You too.

And I will say, like the quality across those is wild because you have some that are just like, what is this?

And then you have some that are very, very strong.

And obviously it's a lot of them.

So they're very, very short.

So I think, you know, in terms of the BHS franchise, I really like that they are very curated in terms of like what the theme is and all of that.

Like I, I do like that they set that up.

And I think that Shutter has done a really great job at making sure that that quality stays consistent.

Sometimes I do wonder like how often do we need a new BHS?

You know, do we want to wait for someone to really make like a, a different kind of mark on the down footage landscape and then do something there and kind of go in slightly different direction where you have one director that's maybe like spearheading it?

I know we kind of do that with the, with kind of like the interludes here, but I don't know.

I, I will say though, that this surprised me because I was like, I don't know if I'm going to like it.

I mean, I, I was surprised.

Do you guys hear my Chihuahua barking?

I was going to say, it sounds like Twinkie's got some thoughts.

Twinkie has some Twinkie.

Oh my God, she's so adorable.

I love her so much.

She's such a good girl.

I will share pictures of her and my queen Lacy.

Just them sitting on the bed together.

Just totally regal.

Just yeah, the best I, you know, I when you mentioned like AB CS of Death, I thought for a second of like another Halloween anthology, like Tales of Halloween, which came out probably around, I want to say 2015, maybe later, earlier than that.

And that's one that like like AB CS of Death, like the quality is, it varies.

Like there are some really great ones, but it's really front loaded.

Like you watch Tales of Halloween and for the 1st 30 minutes you're kind of like, is this better than trick or treat?

And then you're like, oh, it absolutely is not like it's really, really front loaded.

Yeah.

Like this is like the first Halloween anthology I can think of since that or trick or treat.

That is OK.

Really left any sort of mark on me.

Steven, how about yourself like overall, what would you say like your like opinion is of like this as a franchise?

So I guested on the first VHS episode or had shared hosting duties or however you want to do that.

And then I was going to do a yes, and I was going to do a later entry in the franchise as well.

And then I didn't do that.

So this is actually the second VHS film that I've seen.

OK.

So I don't know that I really have an opinion on the franchise overall.

I don't know that I'm qualified to proffer an opinion on the on the franchise overall.

But I will say I've had, I've had fun with both of them.

Again, I feel like there's high and low points.

I question the editor's ability to put together a an anthology in a way that rises and falls in an effective way.

I feel like the the the cardinal rule of any kind of anthology is you want to start strong, you want to finish strong and maybe put like your worst thing second usually.

Oh, OK.

Yeah, you, you start with your I had a a buddy who was a high school choir teacher and whenever he was like putting together concerts, he's like, you put your best thing for or your best thing last, your second best thing first and your absolute worst thing second.

He goes.

That's how you organize like anything.

And I was like, that makes a lot of sense that way.

You're starting strong, you're ending strong, you're starting with your best, the strongest thing you have.

You're ending with the strongest thing you have.

You're starting with the second strongest thing, and you're getting your worst thing out of the way as soon as possible.

And honestly, this one, I think kind of fits that mold a little bit, a little.

Bit too.

OK, I do think it does too.

Like that's that's why I was like, oh, OK, because I think it kind of does that.

I don't think Nicole agrees, but I'm anxious to, to, to, to, to discuss this further anyway.

But like the organization, the, it, the, the beginning, I think it does.

I don't know that it ends on its strongest note.

I will say that.

Well, let's fight.

That's what I will say.

Let's fight.

Let's do it, Mike.

My goodness I I just rewatched the last segment like literally 10 minutes before sending the link to record and it fills my heart with so much love and joy.

I feel like the Grinch and Christmas morning when he's hearing everybody from Whoville sing.

I just like it really.

In fairness, that is a very mic coated segment.

It really is.

It really is just for the fact that it has Rick Baker like slagging his neighbor for the effects like.

For how cheap the effects look, it's perfect.

What a great joke.

I mean, it's just, I don't know.

And I feel like I have been both like Zach the kid and Keith the dad at various points in my life.

But we'll get to that.

I guess.

Let's start with the let's start with the prologue.

Let's start with like the interstituals that kind of cut throughout the movie.

Diet Phantasma, directed and written by Brian M Ferguson, a filmmaker that I'm not super familiar with.

It looks like he's mostly been a music video director for bands like Garbage and Arab Strap and a few others.

So I can't say that I am super familiar with his work.

But I think if anything, like the weakest part of the VHS series is typically been the interstitials like the ones that kind of how you weave in and out.

And I wonder how this worked for y'all and I guess the colds you want to give the setup of this whole segment as a whole.

Yeah, so we basically just start off in a lab and it's kind of like a focus group slash Guinea pig.

Scenario.

Where people have signed up to basically taste test this new soda called Diet Phantasm.

And so you have kind of the leader of kind of the crew there along with all the people who are monitoring things.

And so they start bringing people in and let's just say that the reactions to the soda vary, but it all usually ends in lots of goo and blood and keep the cold pipe prong thingies coming out of cans and adhering to people.

And it's interesting, I think the one thing and you said this, I think really perfectly.

I usually do.

Which is about like the couldn't the framing this, and this is one of the, this is obviously like the framing piece because we go back to this repeatedly.

They're wanting to release this soda right on Halloween, and so they're trying to find someone that has a certain reaction to it, which is basically mind control zombie to be in the commercial and basically spout the talking points, which I actually found humorous and kind of a sociological way.

But the thing that was lacking, if this is going to be something that we go back to, I really would have liked more, like more.

You could have explored it a little bit more.

You could.

Have more variety in each segment.

Exactly.

More variety and you could have understood what the motives of the company were a little bit more just because that's not clear.

I mean, you know that you need to have it.

They're obviously a really fucked up company and that's just the foundation.

But you know, it reminds me a lot of like Shamrock from Halloween.

Season.

Of the witch.

Yeah, that's a good point.

And I really like that we know more about the Shamrock court and the leader and why they are doing this.

And you don't get that here.

And I feel like that that was lacking.

But I like the effects.

I, I don't know.

I just, for me it, like you said, it gets very repetitive and I'm like, I was going to drink the soda and stuff is going to come out of their face and then they die and then we get squeegee people coming in to clean.

You got it.

Just looks like a perfect Tolkien dwarf with glasses just coming in to clean up after every single one of.

Them.

You know what those people needed?

They needed a friend.

Like our friend.

It's a trap.

They needed an Admiral Ackbar there to tell these 4 participants that they were walking into a trap and that's what they didn't have.

I will say though, I love we start off with adults coming in and then we start to get the kids and that's like, oh, we're.

Gonna yes, yes, I am for that.

It's funny too, like you mentioned the sociological aspect of it.

It's set in 1982.

And if you're of a certain age and I've looked at the demographics of our show and it skews a bit older, we need to find a way to appeal to the quote UN quote kids.

How do you do the fellow?

Kids, yes, hello fellow kids.

Would you like to do some drugs?

So I've got riz and drip and all that.

67 AM I right?

Don't know that's where I draw the line.

Oh my God, that's I yelled at kids at a haunt we went to recently because first they tried to cut us in line.

So I got in front of them and I'm like, all right, you little creeps, I'm getting in front of you because you're not taking.

And they were like, Jesus, we're 12.

And then I said, and another thing, if you sit here and yell 6-7 the whole time, we're in line.

So help you God.

Well, now you're just inviting them to do it, Mike.

No, they did not.

They did not say a word.

Every parent like applauded around us.

They were like, this is great.

So but this set in 1982, folks, we're on one tonight, folks.

We are absolutely this is probably I need notes, I need a script set in 82.

It's the height of like the cola wars.

And it's when Pepsi is running these ads with like, the taste test, the blank taste test, where they would literally just pull people off the street and you would drink Pepsi or Coke.

And Pepsi was winning.

And that caused Coke to change its formula.

And I think this is like right around when Diet Coke was introduced is, well, for the first time.

Like, that wasn't a thing.

So it's fascinating that this is when it's set as well.

Yeah, and I will.

I I'm glad that you framed it like that too, because, you know, we don't really get those commercials anymore where people are doing like the blind tasting of sodas.

I remember those growing up whenever there was like a new saying that either Coke or Pepsi or even some of the other brands, they would have like saw people in a mall and antiquate it more and they would be like taste of soda.

And it, I mean, you're not in the laboratory, but it has that same kind of feel.

And I, I, I kind of liked that setup.

But again, I just wish it would have like, because we're really digging into it a little bit more, we're coming back to it and because we are in a slightly different setting, I would have liked more.

Yeah.

Because it's the framing device, I don't mind that it lacks the narrative cohesion of some of the other ones because it is, again, it's something that we're getting in between all the other pieces.

And so that that doesn't bother me as much.

And I I had a lot of fun.

With the effects and I liked how there were slight variations like there was the you know the guy who got his you know tongue stuck in the in the in the can and it got ripped off and the the tentacles would like fly out of the can and like grab their faces.

One guys head just explodes like scanners like there there is some variety in the kills there, which I think is a lot of fun and again, I basic I mean it's 1982.

It's in the height of the cola wars and yes, Mike, apparently Diet Coke, according to Wikipedia, was unveiled on July 8th, 1982.

So tis the season.

Look at you and your your Gen.

X knowledge coming to avail you.

But it's also, you know, it's, it's, it's the Reagan Reagan era, it's it's Reaganomics, it's consumerism, it's deregulation, It's, it's all of this shit happening at the same time.

And so like I'm, I'm reminded a lot of Larry Cohen's of the stuff while I'm watching this, where it's like, hey, this thing will kill you and we don't fucking care.

We just want to make it as baseline safe.

And I'm using heavy air quotes there listener as possible so that we can mass market it.

And then who the fuck cares about the consequences?

This shit's all deregulated anyway.

So like, that's the kind of the vibe I got out of it.

And so for that, I, I really, I was kind of vibing with it.

I, I really kind of dug this segment quite a bit.

I I think I enjoyed it, maybe more than than the rest of you, but I had a good time with this one.

I I didn't hate it like I thought it was much better than some of the other framing segments at some of them and a couple of the movies have like abandoned them completely.

Like they were not even going to bother having a framing segment in.

And what I did like like Tidden Cole's point, like having it really started to pick up when like you see like the very angelic looking young child go in and he's got like the big glasses and the tussled hair and he's really cute scene adorable.

And he drinks the first can and nothing happened.

I love when he's like this smells horrible.

And you have like Doctor Rothschild being like I told you to put in the pumpkin spice like.

Right.

That was like, the humor is great.

And then it's like, OK, nothing happened.

We need to up the ante.

And you don't even see the kid drink it.

You just see the the tech bring it in with a pair of tongs, doesn't even want to handle it.

But then the next thing you hear is this explosion and a bunch of viscera hit the glass.

It's like, that's great.

Like that is fantastic.

Yeah.

I just, yeah, I do.

I couldn't wrap my head around like, what are they trying to do?

Like the first segment or two, when you're watching it, you're like, OK, are they upset that like there's that first segment looks like he's getting attacked by the creature from the thing and right, that's what it really looks like with the tentacles coming out.

Yes.

And like, is that not the result that they want?

Are they disappointed that these people are dying?

Or is there something you really didn't get a sense of what they wanted?

See, and I think that that's where I'm getting at with like the lacking bit, like what, what's the motivation?

Like what are they trying to do?

What is the desired like effect?

I think they get there with that, but like, you know, are they concerned that people are dying like in any way, shape or form?

Or are they expecting people to die and just being like, what if, you know, whoever, whoever survives this soda day says ends up in a commercial?

And so I, I just wish that that would have, I mean, I think it could have taken like 4 seconds to add in something where you're able to develop that a bit more.

I think we get some of that in the mid credits scene where they're like, it's made from actual ghosts and you're like, oh, they're trying to possess the populace like that.

And the only one that was successfully possessed is the little girl who can attest.

It's scary how good it tastes like I, I, I don't know, I, I just, I just took for granted that that was the, the end goal, that obviously there's something sinister.

It's a corporation in the 80s.

Obviously they're up to no good, but, you know, to what degree and what the.

Yeah, right.

Yeah.

Citizens United.

What?

Yeah, you're right.

No, it is the time of like Reagan basically saying, why should we have any regulations?

You know, like, and that's when I mean, when you think of all the cartoons we loved during the 80s, He man Transformers, GI Joe, Care Bears, they're just commercials for action figures.

Correct.

And I hate to say it, it was better.

It was a better time.

Showing your hand there, Mike, but OK, yeah.

You know I mean.

We I, for one, welcome our corporate overlords.

What would you prefer to come home to every day like He Man and GI Joe back-to-back every day after school or whatever slop they're churning out now on AI?

Well, I mean, if my choice is a 30 minute toy commercial or AI, I'm going to take the fucking toy commercial.

Mike, come on.

It's like the kids aren't coming home to Kurosawa is all I'm saying.

You know, like No 10 year.

Old, but they should be.

Going like I can't wait to throw on Rashomon, you know, which would be.

There's probably a really lame 10 year old out there somewhere who loves Kurosawa.

I'm kidding.

Wait, Nicole?

Nicole was like, I was introduced to Kurosawa at 10.

Damn it.

No, I love Kurosawa.

No eyes, do I?

But not at 10.

OK, what's a very young age, 13?

So that's not.

10 It's not ten.

But it's.

Whoa.

It's the principal Mike and I I can see.

But at 13, that's like 1/4 of your life.

Do you know what I mean?

Like between 10 and 13.

That's like me being introduced to it when I'm like 70 is what I'm saying.

But I have a shortened lifespan, so that's different.

Oh God, OK.

You that is.

That is a mic drop moment, Mike.

I just, you know, I got nothing.

You can't come back from that I.

Was working.

I had a graduate degree.

You were working in the mines.

Think I got the black lung pop.

You were walking to and from the salt mines each day, uphill both ways.

Barefoot in the snow.

Barefoot, OK, Should we move on to our next segment?

Let's.

Do Written and directed by Anna Slakovic.

I hope I'm pronouncing that right, young director.

She her first feature I believe is Appendage, which played Sundance and was picked up by Hulu in 2022.

I haven't seen it yet, but I think I'm going to have to add this to my like, let's watch this before the end of the year list.

And Steven, do you want to give the kind of setup for Kuchi Kuchi Ku?

Sure, they're a couple of high school girls who are getting ready for their last night of trick or treating.

Ever getting stoned out of their minds, hot boxing baby masks before they go trick or treating and a bunch of kids pound on the window, tell them that mommy's going to get them because they're too old for trick or treating.

And they're like, OK, whatever.

So they, you know, they go trick or treating and, you know, get various warnings and ignore them and oh, there's a house that no one's going to and it's very large and hey, we'll go there and get all the candy.

So they run out to get quote all the candy and they, they decide to walk into a house that's not their own and immediately discover there's no way out.

And you see, you hear laughing voices, creepy faces peeking from around corners saying things like coochie, coochie COO, etcetera.

And they come across a girl that went missing last year who was dressed as a cheerleader and her face is all big and chubby like a baby.

And then they come across a grown ass man who's in a in a diaper who also has a big old chubby face.

And they're they're seeing these pictures all around the room.

They realize that's the mommy and she was like they see the the bloody sign on the on the wall that says he made me mommy.

And you realize this is a woman who was likely forced into marriage and probably assaulted.

And then as as we kind of go on, not only is there no way out, but there's no escape from their fate.

And one of the girls gets turned into a baby and the other one just kind of resigns herself and leans up against the mommy as she sings a lullaby with her multiple lactating teats, like 6 of them lined up like a dog's.

And she sings a little lullaby as the camera as the footage cuts out, and it's really effing creepy.

So yeah, I was going to say what are our overall thoughts?

Really effing creepy.

I, I like this one a lot.

Also, I think we what's interesting about this entry, and I haven't watched some of them in quite some time, so I don't have like a full-fledged recollection.

But I think, you know, with this being kind of our first earnest like anthology piece, one thing that I found really interesting is that we start to like looking back at the end, we're getting little Easter eggs of connective tissue in all of them.

And I don't think that's been a staple in all in previous VHS entry.

So I was like, I kind of like how they sewed some of this together kind of Easter eggy, very good.

But I really liked this one there.

It was very barbarian in.

Very much.

And that was upsetting.

I absolutely.

The one thing that aggravates me with shorts, like shorts like this in general is that you really can't give, you know, like, characters like our two main protagonists that we're following in the house, Once they get in, they just have a setup to be annoying and assholes.

And so on one hand, you're just like, I don't like, yeah, they were warned about it.

Go to fucking town on them because I'm over it.

And oh, you could escape, but you want to take a fucking nap?

Well, bye.

I think the idea is it's not that they want to take a nap.

It's like when that music plays like it lulls them.

But.

It's definitely a magical.

Starting to work.

Fighting it, they're just like.

Right, No, I.

Need to lay down.

I'm like, no you don't.

Maybe there's some Red Bull in that teaching You don't know.

Go find some.

I mean, we've got like 5 other segments to cover in this in this movie, Nicole.

Like they have to give up at some point.

Yeah.

I think this one would have probably been best suited for feature length, honestly.

Of all the of all the various segments maybe?

Because there's enough lore there to kind of explore with like the Mummy.

I really dug a night Nicole.

I completely agree.

Like the limited amount of time you spend with like Laci and Kaylee outside of the home, like there's not like a lot of great stuff there to offer.

Like they go to one house and they like swipe at the candy, they ring the doorbell and the guys like, aren't you too old for this?

Now?

To me, dude, who cares that they're too old to trick or treat?

Like let them have fun.

Like the world is shitty enough, but then they like immediately run up and steal candy from a kid in front of their parents.

And I will share a story here like the year of COVID Halloween when we were they did let us trick or treat.

I took my daughter to this really cool neighborhood where like they really do it up in our town.

It's kind of isolated and it's easy to get around.

And this kid who went to the school that I interned at as a school counselor and I knew him and spoke to him a few times that he wasn't a regular.

He ran up to my daughter and he scared her in a mask, which is fine.

It's Halloween.

You do that once.

But that she reacted.

But as soon as like she he saw her react, he kept trying to scare her and she was like stop and he wouldn't.

And then he ran away and I went after him and, like, go shot in his face.

I'm like, you're going to go back and you're going to apologize to my daughter because she's 10 and you're not going to be a creep.

And he did, you know, so if anyone ever stole candy from her, I would probably break their hands.

Like as a dad, I would be like, it's go time.

I'm rolling up the sleeves.

And because that Kit Kat, I'm going to be eating some of that when she gets sick of it.

Just saying.

I grew up in a really like I grew up in a rural area and so our trick or treating was a very small town and it I think looks it it my experiences with trick or treating is very different than.

What kind?

Of the visual representation.

Is.

Yeah, but what?

What was it like?

Like what was the what was it like?

So it's just like we live in a rural kind of like farm towns.

So very far apart.

Very far apart.

We did go to another town where my grandparents lived and we trick or treated there and that was a little bit more neighborhood.

Sure.

But yeah, we, I, I think that, you know, I never had that experience of someone like trying to steal candy besides, like, my older sister.

Like when I would come home, she'd be like, oh, thank you so much.

Please.

I really am excited about him, which is fine, but I yeah, it's just for me, I think, you know, going back to what I think is like an epic time tested, absolutely perfect anthology is trick or treat.

And I love that you frame kind of like the rules of trick or treating.

And I would have liked that, you know, because that's part of the Easter eggs, part of like a, a sewed together piece.

I would have liked some of like, well, why are like these people kind of being targeted?

Like why were these two girls obviously picked out to come to this house and be new babies?

Yeah, You kind of wonder if like every like the babies that we see, like every year, are those the bad kids?

Are those the teenagers that are out messing up?

And how what's weird about Halloween is it starts as a little kids holiday and then around like I'd say 15, you kind of outgrow it, you know what I mean?

Like there's a stretch between like 13 to maybe like early 20s where it's not a big deal.

And then when you're an adult, it becomes a big deal again.

And like Lacey and Kaylee are at that weird kind of like in between age.

And we don't know what they're like the rest of the year.

Like so this is just them cutting loose like the one night a year you're supposed to be able to do that.

I will say what I love about this.

Like first you see the arm coming through the door with the basket of candy and the coochie coochie COO.

And you're like, oh, that's creepy.

And that works.

Like that's so enticing.

Like you're either going to be like, Nope, there's no chance in hell I would ever do anything like that.

Or you're like, oh, I'm 100% in.

Let's go, let's go do this.

Nicole, where do you fall on this?

Oh, I I really do love that setup.

I also love that when you see the like the arm and then obviously the name tip over the the little pumpkin and you see Oombebe a very small feet eye.

I I really love that.

I love that it just lets you like linger on this figure and it's not rush you don't have it's not jump scary.

It's just really unsettling, unnerving.

And I would have been like all in.

I would have been like, oh, I'm gonna let's go like this is wild.

Yeah.

And to me, it when they're going through the house, the way it's staged and the way it's set up and the way that like the production design of it, it looks like one of the coolest, creepiest, like haunts you could go through.

Like you would pay.

Like we talked about, we didn't talk about.

I think I've like mentioned off the air, like as much as I love Hell House LLC, I love that movie so much.

The actual haunt that you would pay to go through sucks.

Like it's so bad.

Like it's not worth the money.

No wonder why Alex was losing his shirt.

This you would pay like $40 to go through it.

Like like you mentioned the pictures, like the news, like the way it's set up like it looks scary as fuck.

It is so cool and that's what I love him.

I feel like I'm going through like a really cool funhouse fun.

And I'll say that like when the baby man appears like the first time you see the dude in the diaper.

I had to pause this.

I had to pause it because I was laughing and clapping.

I was laughing so hard because it's like, now, granted, if that was put in front of me in real life, I, I would absolutely need to borrow a few of his diapers.

I'd shit myself.

But look, it wouldn't take that to get me to shit myself.

OK?

Let's just, you know, I was laughing so hard I couldn't help it.

I was just in hysterics with how much I was enjoying just that visual.

Now this one this this one from top to bottom just creeped me the fuck out.

I was so deeply unsettled through all of this, to the to the to the, to the point where I think this might be my least favorite of the segments.

I it's good.

Like I, I get it's, it's good, but I just don't enjoy it.

Like it was very unsettling for me.

Sure, the assault connotation, the the suicide, all of that kind of just like like and and again, everything is like greasy, gross, dirty and I'm just like I'm I and, and when I see the baby man, I'm I'm just like fuck, Nope, Nope, Nope, Nope, Nope, Nope, Nope, Nope, Nope.

Don't want that.

Like I'm having the exact opposite.

Like I'm curling up like my entire body is recoiling onto the couch because I'm just like I no thank you.

No, no, no, no thank you.

How do you?

How do you think our respective partners would react if like, we decided to change up the bedroom routine a little bit and showed up in our outfit on in that outfit unannounced one night?

Like what would your partner's reaction be?

I think my wife would be a little into it.

I think she'd be like.

It's I think she'd be like this is this is weird, but if this is what you're into, I guess.

I'd love that for you too.

See it.

Just want to say I love that for you too.

You want to bring her on and ask her like just.

I would.

I do not, no.

OK, fair.

Being being part of the King community, Yeah.

King Shame No.

No shaming.

Yeah, you just got to let it go and.

Be there's no shape, just love.

Just, you know.

Exactly I'm.

Down like, what?

What?

What do we do?

Yeah.

How is this factoring in?

Because.

Right.

Just because someone shows up in a diaper, don't make any assumptions.

You got to layout specifics.

Open communication, vital and important, particularly in the world of kinks.

So yeah.

I think the thing that creeped me out the most was when the Mummy character like squeezes.

I think it's Casey so tight that you hear the ribs crack and then she's just like done at that point.

Like that is what got me more than because that's an audible crack and you're like, oh, that's not good.

Oh yes.

I do want to say it played by a newcomer, Laci's played by Samantha Cochran, and this is like her I think maybe first or second on screen role.

I think she might be one of the most strikingly beautiful women I've ever seen in a movie.

Like she is just wow.

I'm just pointing that out, that's all.

Right on.

Yeah, I, I'm glad that you mentioned the the rib craft, though, because I think there's something that's really going to the like unsettling, unnerving, disturbing element of this.

You know, it's being harmed in an act of care, right?

When you hug someone so tightly that they snap and so I that just adds like that extra look to it.

And I, I really think that there's a lot of attention paid to kind of like that escalating ick factor and I appreciated that.

Yeah, same.

Should we move on to the next segment?

Let's do OK.

This is OOTS supra Sick Infra written by Paco Plaza and Alberto Marini and directed by Paco Plaza who is 1/2 of the team behind Rec Rec one in Rec 2 and I don't remember if he directed Rec 3 or 4.

He directed Rec 3.

OK, the good sequel.

The good sequel, Got it.

OK, did he also do Sleep Tight?

I don't think that was him.

He did do Veronica which literally the day after I watched this one of my Co workers is like hey have you seen Veronica?

You should check that out.

OK, it's very.

Good.

So it's very.

That's what I've heard.

Yeah, it is actually very good.

OK.

Nicole, do you want to give the rundown on this short?

Sure.

So this short is very, I think that this is kind of a slow burn short.

I feel we get flashbacks and flash forwards.

We just see this man, this man and his name is Enrique, and he along with some friends, had gone into this mansion where a medium had lived previously.

And they're being LED through the mansion and they get into this room and there's a phone.

And it's just a phone sitting in the middle of the room, very black phone esque.

And it's like, well, it shouldn't work.

But it starts ringing.

And Enrique is dressed up as I guess like a firefighter EMT type scenario.

And he's kind of fucking with the group because the person who's taking them through the house, who's dressed up as a nun, she's like, no, do not fuck with this because this was not here when I last went through.

So this ain't a prop that you want to fuck with.

So let's just keep it moving.

And he is like, no, no, no, I'm going to, like, dance on up to it.

And then all shit gets hairy, Carey.

And people die and are lifted up and eyeballs are ripped out.

And then we are kind of seeing intercepted with the story, a flash forward where investigators are taking Internet who survived back to this mansion to get information on what happened.

And lo and behold, as they go back to this room and they're they're really kind of cruel with him because at this point, like you're really sympathetic to this guy because he's seen some really horrific shit.

And obviously PTSD scale is what way high here.

And you know, he talks about his stomach hurting and how he doesn't want to like he's just having reactions.

And then, you know, they're kind of like basically making him like reenact certain moments from this event.

Lo and behold there's phone and he's like oh shit no answer it and the woman investigator is like lol I will.

And he's like, no, don't do it like I told you, like this is what fucked things up before.

And she's like, no, I just want to see what's going on.

And then it just.

She might have been like the random caller on a radio contest where like I'm trying to win Taylor Swift tickets.

Yeah, but it's not that.

It's not an.

Evil force that.

Was even worse, something even more horrifying.

And so you get the same kind of scenario that you get with party, which is everyone gets up to the ceiling and they all get flayed in eyeballs, ripped out.

The eyeball stuff really fucks me up.

I.

Hate me too.

It's.

Gross and unpleasant.

I really liked this one a ton.

I love that we get that story to it and that we're seeing kind of this like progression of time and you're learning even though we're not getting like a whole fucking background of Enrich.

You're really sympathetic to him and you're understanding like this guy was real fucked up.

I will say, though, that also, it seems that when he answered the phone initially, he becomes like possessed because when the phone rings, when they are doing it with the investigators, he's the one that has the reaction.

So yeah, that is the recap.

I liked it.

Three out of five stars.

See, I I give it a three out of five because I'm very high on this movie, but I would say it's the weakest of the segments for me.

I love this.

One this one.

I had so much.

This is my second favorite one in the movie.

I'm really high on this one.

Yeah, absolutely.

I think it's first of all, it looks incredible.

Like it.

Look, it's really, really well, Well done.

And I, you know, I love the effects of it.

I mean, yes, the eyeball stuff grosses me out, but the way that it's, it's done is really effective and cool.

I love the effect at the end when everyone goes flying up onto the ceiling and then the camera falls and then you just see all these bodies just come crashing to the ground at once.

Like it's so cool.

I, I love the, the, the slow build of it.

Again, like Nicole said, it's a slow burn and I really kind of love it for that.

The other one that in this series that I like I think even more than this one, is also kind of a slow burn hint, wink, nudge.

But like I just this one, it's suitably creepy.

It's you know, the possession ghost story thing.

You get to see the guy who's been traumatized kind of through possession, kind of get his vengeance on the people that have been fucking with him.

Like it's, I like this one a lot.

I had a good time with this one.

I think I would have liked it more if you took the flashbacks out because I think it makes this a bit redundant.

I do agree the ending is really strong.

I don't know if either of you like.

There's a ride at Canopy Lake that I like to go on.

It's called Turkish Twist where like you go against the wall, it spins really fast and then the floor drops and you're pressed against the wall.

It's like the zero gravity ride in a fun part, right?

And that's what this end reminds me of like that feeling of like I want to move and I simply can't and how scary that is.

And you combine that with like the eye trauma of getting your eyes plucked out, like that's really horrifying The.

Effect on that 1 is really cool also where I mean it's a close up, basically a close up on her face while he is pulling her eyes out and it's really really well done.

Yeah.

And I would say that this is probably the one that if to me, there's just a couple that I feel big to be feature length.

And this is 1 for me.

Like definitely I want a feature length of this now because it's so interesting and I would love to spend more time kind of in that in between section of like, you know, what happens right after when the nook is taken in and they're like, what the fuck happened?

And I I would have loved all of that, but I think what they gave us gave us just enough story that I was on the hook.

I really really, really OK.

Yeah, I think I love the ending of it.

I love the conceit of like the phone that's not hooked up and then you are just compelled against your own good judgement.

Like that works for me.

I think that if you cut the the way that it intercuts in and out didn't quite quite work for me overall, but it's still a pretty strong segment because of the things that work for it.

So I don't have much more than that.

If you guys have more please like if you guys love this one.

I mean, it's kind of one of those things like I it, I like it to the extent that I'm like, what can I say?

It rules.

Like what do you want?

What do you want from me?

It's great.

This is 1 I want to watch again and.

Again, OK.

Yeah, and I agree with you.

I would absolutely watch a feature length version of something like this.

It doesn't even need to be found footage honestly like I would.

I would watch a full a full film of this for sure.

Well, the next segment hitting right in the middle, hitting that sweet spot.

This one is fun size written and directed by Casper Kelly, who is not really a a filmmaker per SE, but he's done a lot of work in television, a lot of work with the Cartoon Network.

So like Harvey Birdman, attorney at law, Aqua teen, Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

He also.

Cooks.

Yeah, I have not seen that, so I'm not familiar with it.

It's really, it's pretty weird, OK?

I mean, you, you might like it.

You might.

You very well might.

He also he's the guy that wrote the Cheddar Goblin segment in Mandy.

Your favorite?

Movie, right?

It's a good segment which the Cheddar Goblin segment on its own kind of rules.

So I can't really complain about if it was like if Mandy was just the Cheddar Goblin, it would be amazing.

It would be a great movie.

So what you're saying is you want feature length cheddar goblin?

Oh.

My God, you don't.

It's been so long since I've seen Mandy, I don't know that I remember Cheddar Goblin, to be honest with you.

A.

Series of holiday themed movies about the cheddar goblin like cheddar goblin at Easter, cheddar goblin at Memorial Day, puking up Mac and cheese on tombstones.

It's.

Labor Day, Cheddar Goblin.

What if they did a VHS next year and it was all like horrific?

Like products.

Products gone bad.

Like VHS processed foods.

Well, that or it could be anything and it's just like evil commercial VHS consumerism.

VHS capitalism I watch.

There it is.

The cheddar goblin diet Phantasm.

There's.

Like all of these things could like be woven in.

I would actually find that that.

'D be cool from.

A psycho like a psychology perspective I I.

Find that very.

Fascinating.

There's a guy on TikTok, not TikTok on reels that I watch which I guess is the same thing.

I was going to say.

Which means he's probably from TikTok.

Pretty much I Hey, fellow kids, do you want to watch the, the TikTok together?

So his thing, he's like like slop food where like what he does is he goes and he buys like the cheapest, most processed foods, like microwavable burgers from the dollar store, for example.

And he tests them out for like how sloppy and gross they are and how bad they taste and like, it's really disgusting.

And yet I can't stop watching them and look at that Kitty.

It's.

An adorable black and white Kitty that's on that has jumped off.

He no longer wants to be part of the show, OK.

But first he wanted nothing to nothing more than to be on the show, and then as soon as he was on the show, he wanted nothing more than to be off the show.

So Steven, why don't you give the rundown of a fun size?

OK.

Is this your least favorite?

This other than coochie, coochie COO Yeah, it is.

I don't.

I don't care for.

This one coochie coochie COO was well done.

Just creep.

You up exactly.

I just don't think this one's particularly well done if I'm being very.

Honest, this would be your second.

This would be your number.

Two, this is this.

Yeah, this is my #5 out of 6.

But you would place it #2 in the running order like given your like.

Yes, yes, correct.

Yes, that.

Absolutely.

That's where I would do that.

Sorry.

I'm I and I've done so much math today, Mike.

I don't want to do more math.

I'm gonna cry.

So on your spreadsheet column B.

Yes, exactly.

Fair enough.

There we go that now you're talking my language.

No, this.

So there's a group of adults who decide they leave an adult Halloween party.

Not adult in that you know it's an orgy, but adult in that it's for grown-ups, you know for grown-ups.

Why not?

So they leave in there like it's true.

We, we pick up after so I have no idea, but they decide that there wasn't any candy, damn it, and it's Halloween and we want candy.

So they decide to go trick or treating and they come across a house that has, you know, the, the, the take only one sign.

And so they, they reach in and you know, they're like, oh, I've never heard of these candies.

These are so weird.

And someone takes more than one and the next thing you know he is getting sucked into the candy bowl.

And the next thing you know they're all being sucked into the candy bowl.

And they find themselves in a a candy warehouse being tormented by a, a candy mascot like a king with a large purple roundhead who can only utter the words bum size.

And eventually they all are killed and turned.

And their body parts are they're cut up and turned into candy.

One the the first guy that gets cut up, you, you see his penis ripped off and turned into a chocolate coated nougat filled candy bar.

And that invariably happens to all of them.

And then one point.

One of the girlfriends utters it's his balls, which is just great.

And you see all of these things being like coated with like caramel and chocolate and peanuts and it's, it's fucking weird as hell.

And then eventually there's like a a little person who's dressed as a candy bar who joins fun size to torment these people.

Eventually they all die.

One girl thinks she escapes and then she turns around and there's fun size who rips?

She's trying to remove the, the, the wedding ring that her fiance gave her because she was trying to end that relationship all the time.

And then she's killed and ripped apart.

And you see a, a kid, two kids and their mom at the, at the same house later.

And the kids like, Oh, this candy's weird.

And it's, it's the girl's finger.

And she's like, Oh my God, throw that down.

And he's like, wait, I got another one.

And then you see the bull come to life and like come at the mom and devour her.

And that's that's fun size, everybody.

Once again, I would say what those kids needed was a friend like Admiral Akbar.

It's a crap.

Thank you, Admiral.

Really.

We all need a friend like Akbar.

Let's be honest.

We need a friend like Akbar and not a friend like George C Scott.

Really.

No which?

Do you have the shortened version or the full version and the Oscar goes to?

That's OK, got to win this one and I bribed everyone in Hollywood.

George C Scott in man getting hit by football.

Once again, still Brian's greatest contribution to the show.

Track suits be damned.

Track suits, knowledge, good cheer, friendship, all that secondary to George C Scott man getting the groin by football.

I love this segment and it's funny because it kind of parallels the first one.

It's a group of like people that are maybe a little too old for Halloween.

Similar thing happens where an adult is like, aren't you too old for this?

And it's like, again, dude, these kids though, like they're not assholes.

Like, they're just like overgrown children.

And The funny thing about this, which you didn't mention in the recap, there's this weird subplot where like there's like an engaged couple and the girl clearly doesn't want to be engaged and he is unaware of this.

And throughout the segment, he just refers to her as fiance over.

He never uses her name.

It's just it's so weird and you think it's going somewhere.

It really aside from the engagement ring like it really doesn't and that it tickles me for some reason where you're just like what if I just have heard him keep referring to her as fiance for no real reason over and over and I kind.

Of and it's like fiance run.

Yes.

Come on, Beyoncé, let's go.

Even in situations where it's absolutely absurd, he's he's doing it.

I love this segment.

Like the special effects are incredible.

I mean like you get one of the weirdest deaths of all time in a movie where one girl, the cheerleader of the group, has a tube that is filled with what look like Skittles shoved up the poop shoot.

And then they are basically like shot out of that tube at the speed of light until they burst out of her face, which doesn't kill her, it just makes her whole face explode.

And then she lies on the conveyor belt and dies.

Like that to me is incredible.

7 stars out of six, no notes.

Love this so much.

I did not love it, but I appreciated it.

I thought it was very obviously it knew what it was doing.

From the beginning.

I the I here, I think you got a little bit more of the like trick or treating lore was like bad things happen if you don't take just one.

So I appreciated that.

I liked the ick factor of like watching someone's body get process and then covered with caramel.

I thought that was really funny and disgusting.

I also thought it was very clever that you have the air vent turn into the conveyor belt and they really don't escape, but they do, but they don't.

So I really liked that.

I so in San Francisco by the hotel so being on the East Coast I have never had jack-in-the-box.

Not a fast food franchise I've ever had.

I don't really do a lot of fast food just because vegan options.

Fast food is rough.

Although I did, my hotel was right next door to a Mr.

Charlie's, which if you're familiar with a Mr.

Charlie's.

I am not it.

Is basically like an art piece that they will stage across the street or next door to a McDonald's and they have what's called frowny boxes and it's or frowny meals and it's wild and it's all vegan and I was so excited.

All right on.

I walked by a jack-in-the-box and I'm like, that is a fucked up clown mascot and I don't care for it.

And then when I watch this, I'm like, oh fuck, it's the jack-in-the-box.

Kind of is, yeah.

I am in California and it's here and it is blocks for me and it will get me and I did not appreciate having the dreams of a clown from fast food.

I thought it was like, look like the mayor of McDonald Town, like if you remember that mascot, that's what it Mama.

Cheese.

Merry Mcchees, Yeah.

Yeah, I did.

Not with Skittles instead of beefy goodness.

And then the little beefy goodness.

Assistant, obviously.

I would venture to guess that they'd probably cast a little person in that role.

And I have feelings.

OK.

About that.

Such as?

I feel so weapons that came out earlier this year, there is an incredible scene towards the end, lots of running and they use as kind of like for the running shots where you don't see the faces, little people, very child's play coded in that sense.

And it's like, why couldn't you just have like a short about where a little person was in the lead and they were just cool?

With a little person, what?

Why?

Why can't you just have a little person in the lead?

Right of.

A horror of a horror short or a horror film instead of having them in very like contained sectors.

Got it.

A film.

OK.

Kind of like either a creepy element and or stunt.

Right.

Yeah.

Instead of instead of stunt casting, actually, you know, put them front and center.

What would a what would a horror movie from a little person's perspective be like?

Now I want to see that someone make that movie, Nicole, make that movie.

So this is what I struggle with and we've kind of talked about this before is like I because the little person in the role, like it's not monstrous because it's a little person.

It's monstrous because it's it's a fast food mascot that is like trying to kill people, same as like Mayor Mccheese, like shooting Skittles out of its arm when you cut its arm off.

Like what would be the alternative?

I guess just I think, and I think you're going for that because you're going for the contrast of like the tall, lanky character and then you have like a much smaller character.

And it's not like it's monstrous because he's little.

It's monstrous because like, they're a murderous fast food mascot.

Like both of them are pretty creepy.

Creepy when you especially like the sequences where it's just the assistant, OK, and they're kind of fucking with people.

I get it.

Like, that's fine.

It's not that I have an issue that that it's cast that way.

It's just why is this so consistent?

Got it.

Why not have?

Someone you know, why can't you know, they play a parent in one of the other, you know, films that We'll talk.

About or one of the group of four kids that are getting chased, Right.

Yeah, I can't argue against that.

That makes sense.

Yeah.

I'm I'm right there with you, Nicole.

So not to change the subject, but if you saw our human body go through this conveyor belt and cover it in nougat and caramel and chocolate, what do you think the most delicious part of the body would be that you would like?

Be like, you know what, I will try that delicacy.

I want you to go first, Mike.

I'm not going to incriminate myself until you do.

I'm thinking the butt, I think because there'd be like enough, you know, like protein and chew to it.

But it wouldn't be tough like the tongue.

It wouldn't be crunchy like a finger.

It's already sweet, that's why they call it cake.

Yeah, yeah, I'm thinking the butt.

I mean, I know that's a very basic answer.

You know, I do not have an Al Pacino.

She's got a great ass cute lined up for the board.

So unfortunately I feel like I've dropped the ball.

I've let myself, my country, my listeners doubt.

But yeah, and your Co hosts, not to mention your Co hosts, yeah.

How about yourself, Steven?

I'm going to go, I mean, if we're talking like similar to like like a pig, I'm going to go with the belly meat because that's where the bacon comes from and chocolate covered bacon is delicious.

It is delicious.

So yeah, that's what I'm going with.

And Nicole, do you need to abstain because this would not be vegan or?

Yeah, it's all just, it's all just meat and it's flesh and it's upsetting and I can't even eat the caramel and that's bad.

Oh, that sucks that you can't even eat caramel.

Oh, that's a bummer.

Because of butter.

Yeah.

Can't you make caramel with your sugar and water?

No, you usually have to put like some either butter or some type of.

Cream, yeah.

Or margarine.

Can you do it with?

Can you do it with like coconut milk?

I mean you can do lots of things with coconut milk, it doesn't really use good.

OK, Yeah, well, think about vegan food as it usually doesn't.

I'm kidding.

I'm kidding.

I was a joke.

Mike, there is a lot of delicious vegan.

Food base, you're not a beast like there are some vegan stuff that is.

Just.

Like not so far to go.

And I think this is it.

Like what?

What would a vegan take on this short bee?

I don't know, like tofu people.

Hydrox, like Merrimick cheese, would be made of Hydrox cookies which are vegan.

Oreos are vegan.

Are they?

I do not think they were.

Yep.

I ate mostly vegan for lunch today and then I put sour cream on it and then it wasn't vegan anymore.

Did you, I was going to say, did you eat mostly Oreos for lunch?

Like it's that.

One no, no, Mike, I'm diabetic.

I really shouldn't do this stuff like that.

No, I no, I did.

I did a tofu scramble with tofu and some veggies, kind of fried it up and then put like some salsa like to soak in the tofu to give it like make it kind of spicy.

It was really good.

And then, you know, to cool it down, I put sour cream on it.

So I kind of ruined, but it was vegan up until that point.

Well.

I just think that this, it was a very fun, short, pun intended like that.

It is almost like a centerpiece to some of like the themes and little Easter eggs.

I appreciated that.

But yeah, I guess part of it was I was just so distracted by a jack-in-the-box or, wait, is it jack-in-the-box or in and out that has the clown?

It's Jack in.

The box jack-in-the-box.

It's jack-in-the-box.

OK, thank you.

And I was very upset about that.

Like I literally did dream about the jack-in-the-box clown.

I'm so sorry.

And like, sitting like in the lobby and me being like, the fuck is this?

And then trying to run.

So it was very emotionally upsetting and also very not vegan.

So yeah, I give it two out of five stars.

Given it four I really love this segment.

I really enjoyed it.

I it's a good parallel to the first segment like and that's that's for better or for worse, the fiance.

It just has a sense of humor that tickles me.

When they cut off the mascot's arm and it shoots out gumballs and she yells, it's not human.

Like that is just the kind of humor that I don't know, it's so.

And when they just stop, when they're watching their friend get processed and the dude just is like, is that caramel?

Like that, like the whole like absurdity of this.

It tickles me in a way that few things do.

Yeah, you're going to love too many cooks, Mike.

You're going to love too many cooks.

Well, Speaking of children and tickling, that brings us to our next segment directed by written and directed by Alex Ross Perry, Kid Prince and Perry's probably probably the most accomplished director of anyone in this like his 100% lineup and cute clothes like Christopher Robin, her smell starring Elisabeth Moss.

He's directed the Paul Schrader documentary Man in a room.

More recently, like this year, he released a documentary called Pavements, which is about the indie rock, these indie rock band Pavement who fucking rule.

And I haven't seen that doc yet, but I really want to.

I'm going to cue that up.

Nicole, I see you nodding your head to like the acknowledgement of that Pavement rules.

I'm going to ask you a question.

Could only have one Pavement or Archers of Loaf.

Pavement.

Archers of Loaf.

Steven Foxworthy smiling politely.

Sorry, I love both, Payment is great, but Archers of Loaf, one of the most under heralded bands of Archers of Loaf after their first indie record was successful and everybody was courting them.

They're like, we're going to make a super noisy uncommercial record just so labels will leave us alone.

And that record was even better than the first record.

Annie, I love Archers of Loaf so fucking much.

Pavement rules, no argument.

What's your argument for Pavement over Archers of Loaf?

I I mean, Pavement was really one of those early bands for me that I just got super into OK.

I was very into indie rock and I love the little like spat between Pavement and Smashing Pumpkins.

I thought that was very funny because I also am a big Smashing Pumpkins fan and so I felt a little riff.

But no, I just like Pavement.

Yeah, it's a very good.

They are an excellent band.

They are an excellent band.

Absolutely adore them.

So, kid print Nicole, I think you're up.

Yeah, I love, love.

This is my favorite.

Not my favorite but I love this segment.

It's so good.

Horrific.

It is, yeah.

It is disturbing.

So fucked up it is.

Upsetting it.

Oh my goodness.

So yeah, you mentioned that this is directed and written by Alex Ross Perry, and I'm also a big fan of his personal Queen of Earth.

Listen up, Phillip.

Yeah, listen up.

Phillip is very good.

Like he is very influential and really a landmark in terms of like your mumble core yeah genre.

So kind of running hand in hand with like Kai West and so I the.

Duplasses.

Yes, the Duplasses, the brothers Duplass.

So I was very excited when I saw that he was on board for this, and it is no surprise that this was my favorite.

Basically, you have this town, it's Halloween time, and there have been reports of all of these, like missing teenagers and kids in this community to a point that they're basically on the walk down now.

They've decided that for their trick or treating, they're not necessarily going to do trick or treating.

They're going to have like a little event where kids and the family can go and cops are there to hand out.

A piece of candy.

A piece of candy for everyone and they still have some games like.

Jeff's kiss on that, by the way.

Like Jeff's kiss on that little detail.

You're going to get a piece of candy.

Right.

And none of the kids want to be there.

And I also really love that, like none of the kids are really into it from the junk.

But you also get these intersections of what are these kid print videos, which is basically these videos that are filmed so that kids that go missing, there's this video that kind of explains who they are, a little bit of detail so that they can be found and returned to their family.

And it is intense.

You then follow kids that are captured and you think it's one thing, but it's not.

It takes place at a video store.

The guy who is the owner is a person that's filming kind of the main segments, and then you find out that the kid print and the horrific stuff that's happening to the kids that are coming in is by the assistant and I hated him very much.

The assistant.

Yeah, Bruce, I thought that he was horrifying and like that he wouldn't hurt a family type.

Yeah, he kind of gives off like a Levar Burton vibe in terms of like sweetness and kindness.

And then even when he's like almost like he doesn't know what he's actually doing, like there's a sense of like disconnect or depersonalization that is going on with his character, which I found really fascinating.

Well, and when you see like what's happening to these people, like he's getting them, it's gross, yes, and very visceral.

I think one of the standout moments for me is towards the end when so so his name is Bruce, the owner of the store.

His name is Tim.

And everyone thinks that maybe Tim could be behind this.

Like people like he's kind of considered a little creepy, a little awkward, but no one really has any beef with Bruce.

And so you see Bruce, he was saying, Tim being kind of a the guy that he is, he's like, hey, wouldn't it be really cool if I just solved all of this with my camera?

And so he goes to his store and he traces it back and he walks in on it.

Do you think that's what he's doing?

Because like, I have a different impression of Tim.

I feel like Tim is oblivious to what's going on.

And like, he goes back to the store because the cop has asked him, can you go find this tape?

And he just stumbles on it.

No, I but he does make that mention earlier when they're going to the trick or treat event with the cops.

He's like, wouldn't it be cool if I had my camera and.

I got it, yeah.

So it's just creepy.

We see, like I said, the stand up moment to me is when.

So Tim goes back to this video store, this electronic store.

He's kind of discovers what's going on.

The two captured teenagers end up killing ten, thinking that he's in cahoots with Bruce.

And then you see Bruce with part of his skinned face.

I think it's Ethan's face, right?

He is giving like Ethan is what we see kind of like the prey of Ethan, where he's like, oh, come back to the store.

Let me show you a camera.

It's going to be cool if you had one and it's very unsettling, but it's done in a way that you're like, but you see him and he's kind of in this role of like playing kind of like this scared kid and responding to some of the questions and prompts that the kids get when they make these videos.

It's very disturbing.

It makes me wonder if he like had something happened to him as a kid?

Almost I.

Think so, yeah.

Had to have.

Because he even makes mention like kind of brings you back to your own childhood and what could have happened to him and.

Yeah, so they when Tim is killed, they think that they have the police come, they find that Tim is dead.

They can't find the two teenagers bodies from my understanding.

Correct.

And so they're like, oh, this was all Tim, and now he's dead and everything is safe.

And you get the little interview with Bruce, who says what you just said, like, takes you back to your childhoods.

I had no idea that this was going on, blah, blah, blah.

And then you see it literally the very, very end.

And the last restraint is that there's another girl that has been lowered there.

It's now November and she is doing a kid print video and she's scared and she's getting killed by Bruce.

So the massacre continues because.

He don't know.

So I agree with you both.

This is a great segment.

What I found distracting when I was watching it, I'm like, is that Tim Robinson?

Like that they somehow get Tim Robinson to start because like he really gives off that vibe, especially when he interacts with anyone else.

Like when he has that like brief segment with his wife and two kids and they're like getting ready for this event.

And like nobody seems to act.

The wife seems to loathe him from Jump Street.

She's like, Oh my God.

Like it very much.

Like we talked about friendship, the vibe that Kate Mara has with Tim Robinson from Jump Street.

So I found that like a little bit distracting.

Like I know it's not, but I can't help it to the point of like, he's such a boob.

Like he's doing this service, but like, they're at this event and one of the mothers is like, I'm bringing my kid home.

There was just another kidnapping today.

I'm horrified.

They mentioned and they mentioned the girl's name and it's literally like the girl that we meet later in the in the shore, Yeah.

Off in the distance, there's like a little girl sitting alone with another adult that no one seems to know.

And he's like, it's just some fat guy here for candy for Halloween.

Like, totally oblivious.

You know, when there's reports on the radio, he shuts them off like he has like no understanding how bad it is.

And then he just like stumbles like into this like horrific scene and gets like gets got for it.

Like that is it's a great performance and it is very Michael Scott vibes as well.

I would say like totally, I'm on board with it.

How about yourself, Steven?

I I also love this one.

I heard you guys talking earlier about what you enjoyed about, or I guess the, the elements that that made Bruce as creepy as he was apparently, and I read this on IMDb, so take it with a grain of salt.

Apparently that guy's a minister in real life.

Like that's, yeah, the guy that plays Bruce, he's actually a minister.

So, you know, do it, do with that what you will.

But no, I, I, I really, I really dig this one.

I dig how creepy it is.

I dig how unsettling it is.

Like it's, it's not unsettling in the way that like I, that put me off with Coochie Coochie COO like this one was just, And again, I, I, I, I think a lot of it is owed to Alex Ross Perry, who is just an incredible filmmaker and really knows how to stitch a story together and do a lot with a little.

And I mean, he comes from, you know, comes out of indie indie cinema and like really is doing able to do a lot with what he's got to work with here and just creates a really effectively creepy story that in the fact that they they don't get the guy at the end makes it I think he all the more unsettling.

It's that case of mistaken identity thing that when we're when it when it's done well, is really, really effective.

You know, talking to the killer at the end, who is just, you know, basically telling on himself and no one knows.

But we know because we we know who he is.

But like, just in, in a way that just makes it even creepier.

Like it's, it's just so well done.

I really loved it.

Yeah, I, I, yeah, I had a lot of fun with it.

And it's easily the best segment of the of the film for me.

Adds to the creep factor.

Nicole, you kind of mentioned this is like when you know what's happening, like when Bruce has been revealed, you start getting these sort of quick cuts with like other segments of other children as they're very scared.

And then like the torture scene, Bruce like skinning the kid alive.

All these little quick horrifying cuts to see.

You get just enough to like get very unsettled and disturbed and then you're on to the next thing, then you're on.

It's a perfect segment.

Like I don't know if I'd want to see this.

It also gives off like very much like Derrickson and Cargill vibes in the way that it's filmed.

Like there's something that feels almost like sinister with this as well, like just the aesthetic of it.

I love it.

I think it's also, it's not paranormal like this shit happens.

Yeah.

And I think that that makes it release.

I mean, I think that's the like really ace horror of it is that this shit happens.

But I also I'm forgetting the name of the Hulu Into the Dark movie that came out.

I think it was this year or maybe it was last.

No, it would have been last year where it was like a, a Mr.

Rogers figure that there was this tape and it got circulated.

These different kids and people ended up being kidnapped and parents were murdered.

I'm forgetting the name of it.

And I don't know why it reminded me very much of that because again, when he mentions like how I feel, you know, like taking you back to your childhood, it's like something probably pretty sinister happened to him.

And there's probably like some sick and twisted conduit in his brain where he's like, I think I am sparing these kids from even worse now.

Don't know because literally the news report says this is the most gruesome thing we've ever seen.

Right.

And he does not hold back.

But there's that, you know, doing something to spare a child and save them when it's actually doing the exact opposite.

Right.

I did not know Paul Verhoeven directed one of the Into the Dark film.

So just like trying to find that movie and I had no idea.

I'm going to need to start going through some of those.

Like I cancelled.

We had like the yearly membership to Disney in Hulu when they did the like, get it for a year for 30 bucks.

So that expires in a month and we've cancelled.

So yeah, I'm going to have to go through that.

OK last segment.

Are we ready to move on?

Are we ready to go to the OK last segment?

Home haunt written and directed by Micheline Pitt, Norman and RH Norman husband and wife team.

This is my favorite segment of the whole thing.

This might even be like my favorite VHS segment full stop.

Like I is it better than safe haven?

Like no, it's not like a better put together segment, but Oh my God this is the most Mike Snooney encoded segment of all time.

That is, that is correct.

So it starts with this kind of like almost like cheesy home commercial of this home hunt with like this little kid, He's like 11 years old playing Igor and dad is doing the voice over work and they're giving a tour of the home hunt and everyone is kind of, it's very cheesy.

It's very early to mid 2000s.

There's something like very slapdash about it.

I don't know if you guys have seen the movie An American Scream, the documentary about

3:00.

There's a town in Massachusetts where three different families did three different varying levels of home haunts.

One of them was like, and I think the people, the home that did it like they were definitely, I would say intellectually impaired, but they put together like a really cute, fun, whatever they could find home hunt, God love them.

One was in the middle, just a dad, like whatever trash he could find, he could do.

And then one family was like, no, we want to GoPro.

And the dude spent all year putting this together.

This was not that level of home haunt.

To think this was like Jeezy.

And then the kid Zach is like, dad cut the shit, cut off the camera kid is now in high school.

These videos have been posted on YouTube and you're not going to believe this, but that has made Zach not the cool dude on campus scoring with all the ladies, but the object of ridicule and scorn amongst his peers.

I know.

Shocking.

And Keith, the dad doesn't understand this.

He's trying to convince.

Like Zach, I need you.

I need to take part in this.

Come on, buddy.

This is great.

Dad's clue.

His heart's in the right place, but he's clueless.

He's very clueless.

And it takes mom, who's played by Nancy.

I'm sorry, mom Nancy, who's played by Sarah Nicklen, who folks that don't know, like she came up did a lot of films with Richard Griffin, indie filmmaker out of Providence that makes like super micro budget films, a lot of exploitation.

So she has started works like none of that.

The disco exorcist, Dr.

Frankenstein's hungry wax Museum of the dead, murder university.

I adore her.

Like she's a terrific actress on her own and she is like just a strikingly beautiful person, but she's also like just supremely talented.

So it's fun to see her here.

She convinces Zach they have to.

He has to take part in this.

And Zach and dad go to this thrift store to get the props.

Dad sneaks into the backroom of the thrift store where it says employees only because that's where all the good stuff is.

He finds a record.

Halloween Horrors says, I know what I'll do.

I'll steal this record.

Although he does say he puts money on the counter for the woman, but it's clearly not for sale.

And you're not going to believe this when you play a haunted record.

Bad shit happens.

So Halloween night now they unveil A haunt that actually looks really fucking cool.

Like, I'm sorry, when like Zach pulls down that tarp and you see like the top of a giant demon head and these giant hands coming over and I'm like, that's some cool shit.

I mean, so probably.

Cool.

It looks really neat, there's a line out the door and there's a varying degree of enthusiasm by people that are lined up for it.

There's 2 girls from Zach's school and one of them is like hi Zach.

Like actually gives him a little smile.

It's like dude, game on, go get you some Playa play a go play and then her friend is like hi Igor and you're like what a bitch.

One of the people in line is Keith's neighbor, played by Rick Baker, the great Rick Baker, great Rick Baker Oscar of they created a kids special effects were so good.

The Academy created award just so Rick Baker could win The man behind the effects of America were Open London, which is something I recommended to a client to watch tomorrow night.

He was looking for a movie recommend.

Great.

Rack Honestly 100.

And 40 bucks an hour.

You might not get good therapy, but you will get tremendous recommendations.

Tremendous.

Rick Baker's in mind and all he's there to do is talk shit to Keith about how bad everything is.

I don't know if he's supposed to be Rick Baker or he's just playing a guy named Rick, but I'd like to think he's playing Rick Baker and he's so salty.

I think his name was Rich.

Like it's like the one letter difference, like the plausible deniability of it all.

It's it's him.

It's him.

So they go into the hunt, Dad puts on the record, and shit gets real really quick.

Like they get stuck in the room, things burst on fire, there are zombies, people are getting eaten, it's chaos.

They go to the next room.

Rick is like, this is all fake, this looks stupid, this is dumb, why do we come here, blah blah blah.

And then he gets like a ghost sheet comes over his head, squinches him, blood is spurting everywhere.

And you're like, oh, it's on like Donkey Kong.

Chaos ensues.

They're running from room to room to room, 1 by 1.

They're getting picked off.

The really like bitchy girl from the front start of it abandons her young sister that he was bringing through.

She was bringing through this.

She goes into the electrocution, the torture room, she gets electrocuted.

They run.

The only people that are left are the family, Keith and Nancy and Zach.

And they're horrified.

They end up in a display that looks like basically Hansel and Gretel and the little witch's cabin.

And the little girl wanders into the cabin.

And five seconds later, Keith kicks in the door.

It's too late.

The girl is already in a boiling cauldron, getting cooked alive.

This ugly like green skin like classic haunted house which bites off the girl's fingers, pulls like Nancy into the rescue, starts whooping ass on the witch.

The girl is boiled a lie.

The next time you see her she's just a skeleton.

Nancy tries to drown the witch.

They family eventually like gets out but the witch isn't dead.

She grabbed.

I don't think the family gets killed, but she does grab the camera from the from Zach and you get a point of view shot of the witch flying on her broomstick as she's going through a street of unsuspecting trick or treaters grabbing kids, ripping their heads off.

Blood is spurting and we go to credits and it's like what an ending.

It's the perfect way.

It's so much fun.

It is everything I love about Halloween, including there's even a comment.

Zach is like, there's a lot of dead kids on the cover of this record and dad's like, I know, right?

It's.

So.

Good.

Isn't it great?

It's so good.

I love everything about it.

I would not only watch like this is a full length movie.

I I want a Peter Jackson director cut Lord of the Rings trilogy of just this family.

I love it so much.

18 stars out of four, no notes.

Why am I wrong guys?

Why are you going to deflate me right now?

Why are you going to bring me down?

I like this a lot.

I thought it was a lot of fun and I like the dynamic between dad and son and how he saw a little bit of that over time too, when he was very little and was really like excited to be part of the Halloween happenings.

And then as you know, like you said, you get into that magical age where it's just not as cool.

And adding in like now that this has just become like their family's thing, he is getting teased about it at school and kind of cramping his style that way.

And so I really loved just being able to like exist in this world with his family because I thought the family was really interesting.

He saw the ending with the witch was my favorite part just because I was like yes, kids getting heads ripped off, like guts ripped while she's doing a little twirly twirl on the room.

Loved it.

I love a little panache, and I love that we end with a shot of Like the the Haunt, like the little demon hands.

Yes, I love that.

And I was.

Crumbling.

And I thought that was really cool.

I I, I agree.

I think it I think that kid print impacted me more.

Yeah.

But I really liked just the vibe of this.

This is very Halloween.

This is the vibe I want from Halloween.

It's scary and funny and clever and a little bit silly, where kid print is like we're going to skin teenagers alive.

Yeah, which is also cool.

We're for it.

I mean, yeah, I I agree.

Like this is something that I like you said, this could be a feature film and this would definitely be on high rotation.

Like.

Your annual Halloween feeling because it really does set the scene and it's fun.

But I don't know.

I would give to me, I would rank this probably like maybe 4 out of five stars because I really did enjoy it.

I give kid print 5 out of five just because it's so dark and scary and upsetting.

Yeah.

But I this is such a good one to kind of like end on.

To it is because.

It just makes you feel.

You can't end on kid print like you can't end on.

No, no.

Because you think of like, traditionally the VHS films, the last segment is usually like, like Radio Silence made their debut with like, I think it was like 1031, I forget the year.

But it's like the Haunted House 1 where it's like really fun.

Like typically like, that's how VHS, like typically how the end is.

They tend to go for a bit more fun.

Yeah.

What about yourself, Steven?

It's not that I didn't like this one because I did again, like everything you guys are saying is correct.

It is very fun.

It just didn't work as well for me as some of the other segments.

So like where this one fall like it falls in the bottom half, but only because I really thought three of these segments were really were were stronger than this one.

Honestly, there's only really two that I didn't care for and that's fun size and Coochie coochie COO like.

So I still enjoy this one, but it's just not like it.

It doesn't stand up with the other ones for me.

And again, this is totally a matter of personal preference, but it is a lot of fun.

Like I knew a guy I did a movie once with a guy who had a home haunt in Muncie, IN called the Organ Trail and he dressed up as a killer clown named Creepy who had a bat with a little buzz saw at the end called that he called his giggle stick.

You can actually watch the short film on YouTube.

It's called We did.

Yes.

The Pumpkin Man 3 is the name of the film.

It's like 1/2 an hour long.

It's on YouTube.

Check it out.

It's really fun.

It was directed, it was written Co written by a student of mine, a former student of mine.

And he was like, hey, I we need an adult.

Can you come play a cop?

And I was like, yeah, sure, why not?

You know, it's one night.

There were like 2 nights across like 2 weeks.

Yeah, this is going to be fun.

And it was, it was a good time and it's one of my now 3 IMDb credits that I have.

So go check it out.

It's fun.

But I mean, he was a really, he was a really cool, really great stand up guy.

He did like local wrestling and he actually started the haunt to as a fundraiser for local charities around the Muncie, IN area.

Like he would like it was in honor of his infant son who had passed away.

And like, eventually the thing got shut down for like zoning violations and stuff like that, like, you know, typical home haunt reason things.

But like there was a really well structured and very elaborate haunt and you know, so the the kind, but he was not like the goofy dad.

It wasn't like the cheesy kind of stuff, but you know, it.

I like the contrast of what if this very silly, goofy, cheesy thing that only like a certain kind of people are going to find scary, it actually comes to life and becomes truly terrifying.

Like, I like the contrast of that.

And I think it's the contrast of that that I think makes this one work as well as it does that.

Yeah, on its surface, it is goofy as shit.

But then once the demons from the from the record come out and infest and haunt and possess everything, well, then it's a terror.

Then this haunt is actually haunting and.

And poor Rick Baker.

But I mean, yeah, it it's it's fun.

It's silly, it's goofy, it's scary.

Before talking that much trash.

I mean, here's the thing, he's not wrong, he's just an asshole.

See.

I did prove though that the the quip afterwards was like I want to see you do a haunt and I'm like if he did a.

Haunt.

Sign me the fuck up.

I didn't.

Lose your mind.

Yep, I so the greatest thing that you've.

Ever experienced in your?

Life I'm going to challenge you here, Steven, because even before the stuff goes down, like they go into that first room where the record player is and there's a lot of like just the entryway when you go in you have that huge open mouth.

The demon facade looks really cool.

You can tell a lot of work went into it.

That first room where the record player is like there's a lot of detail and character like it's a cool like for a neighborhood hunt like that looks better than some of like like we said hell, how's LLC?

They're like they're letting that hotel do a lot of heavy lifting in order to make that like thing work.

Like they have three scare actors in the whole thing and one of them's thing is like I can bug out my eye.

It's like good for you dude, have a cookie.

This is I wouldn't pay to go through this one before I pay to go through like the apaton.

I thought it looked was very very cool for all so.

I mean, and and it's the the elements that I think that I'm with Rick Baker on is like they walk into the next section and it's just like these sheets hanging from like fishing lines.

And I'm like, yeah, that looks shitty.

Like I agree absolutely.

Rick Baker.

But then one comes to life and like sits on his head and eats him and that's hilarious.

I mean.

It is.

It is objectively funny.

Like I can't, I can't argue with that.

And I think this is the most effectively comedic of the segments as well.

Like this is the one where I was actually like I was, I was having a great time just laughing with this one.

But again, like in terms of like my overall enjoyment, it it falls short of for me in in this particular order, kid printing OOTS supra Sikh infra and diet fantasma for me.

So do we have any final thoughts?

I really like the vibe of this overall.

I think it was very cohesive.

It was very Halloweeny because you went to the mood and even the moms that I didn't really care for, I still found myself really liking and enjoying.

I I would have to say of the VHSS so far, this would rank really high for me because I just like the the terminal clarity.

This strikes.

So yeah, this is definitely worth a watch on Halloween.

Yeah, I agree.

Steven, you first.

You're overall No, I mean, I thought it was.

I thought it was fine.

And again, anthology movies for me tend to be a little more hit or miss just because there's so many different pieces and you've and again, because people don't know how to put together in anthologies, a lot of that the rise and fall the over because it's one cohesive it it's one film, but the pieces are all usually directed by different people and in different, you know, configuration.

So the effectiveness of the overall anthology plays a role.

So again, anthology is usually for me, not something I seek out because again, they tend to be hit or miss.

That said, this one's a lot of fun.

Again, it it fits the vibe, it's the theme is theming.

Like it absolutely works.

It absolutely fits fits the vibe.

And again, I think it would be a very good Halloween night watch or just, you know, again, if you, if you've got the day off today, you're just putting on a bunch of movies, toss this one on, you know, MM, you included it in your in your Halloween marathon that we that we programmed earlier.

Like you really enjoyed this one.

I.

Love this movie.

This is the re watching it for the show Like this is my favorite of the VHS movies that I really enjoy it as a series overall.

I've had the good fortune to see three of them in theaters at Fantastic Fest, like I saw Too Viral and last year's Beyond and I wish like I know that Bloody Disgusting and Shudder sometimes do theatrical runs.

I don't know why this doesn't get a small theatrical like because I think this would make bank.

Like this is the perfect.

I wonder Steven, like if your opinion of this would improve if you saw this in a crowded theater with the with the audience it was hyped for.

I think that adds to it because I I went back like I when we did VHS viral.

I'm like, I really don't like this movie.

I found my review of the movie and I'm like, I really like this.

Like watching at home alone was such a different vibe and to me, like it really nails so much of why like Halloween is such a great holiday.

It hits different segments of it.

There's some overlap.

And like you said, Nicole, there is some little things that kind of tie and bind them together.

There's a great ebb and flow to it.

And there's like segments that really creep you out, segments that scare you, segments that kind of like are a bit puzzling.

And then there's things that are like, let's just have some fun.

But when I tend to be like that fun size home haunting, those are the things that grab me the most.

So this is not only my favorite like VHS movie, but you know, we do our top 10 for the year.

I think you'll hear about this movie again.

But when we talk about our top 10 for the year, I really love this so.

Yeah, I just, I just tallied up mine and it's probably not going to make the cut, I'm afraid.

No.

I've there's a few more, there's a few more big movies of the year that I still have to see that I I feel have a good chance of beating him out for the year.

So.

Yeah, that's fair.

And you know, everyone has like, different.

Steven, what role did you play in The Pumpkin Man 3?

I was the cop that they call when when the when the first roommate dies.

I'm the lead investigator on the case and I'm the guy that they call in when when the shit hits the fan.

His name is Ed, which is ironically my father's name.

I will say that the the comments seem to be like almost universally positive on this short and it's funny.

The first segment, the first comment is that detective is really funny actually.

There you go.

There you go.

I mean, it's the script I did do.

I did do a fair, fair bit of ad libbing in the interrogation scene, which again, you'll see.

Yeah, I know, right?

It's hard to believe.

Well Steven, aside from the Pumpkin Man 3, where can our listeners find you?

You can find me on Blue Sky and Letterboxed at Chewy Walrus.

You can listen to me and my Co hosts over at the Disenfranchised podcast every Thursday.

We just just yesterday, as of the release of this episode, released our episode on Bob Balaban's My Boyfriend's Back with our good friend JP Lek, who directed a little film that we're all in called Circle City Supernatural 2, which as of the time of this release is available on Fossum.

So if that's a streaming app that you have access to and why shouldn't you?

It's free.

You can watch that movie free with ads.

You can also watch the 1st Circle City Supernatural on Fossum tube.

You can rent it on Amazon Prime.

I'm in that one also.

And you can also check out my other podcast, Wells University.

We're on a bit of a hiatus right now while I catch up with life and do research, but that one I do with my friend Hope Lichtner about the life and work of the great Orson Welles.

Yeah, but you can also find me on the I'm also on the Endless Elsewhere podcast Halloween special this year.

I'm, I'm one of the lead characters in that.

So all sorts of places you can find me these days.

Is the Fossum network short for four possums?

Is it the only network created by possums and four possums?

I think it stands for Fucking Awesome.

OK.

But you can't put fucking in like a, so it's fossum.

OK, so it's not Foss.

No, it's FAWE.

Well, that makes a lot more sense.

Right.

OK.

I think you just broke Nicole.

I think I did.

Nicole, where can we find you laughing?

I love.

How you were just so earnest about that.

You're like, is this a?

Network.

Yeah, we, we when I worked at a school, we once had a meeting with the mayor and he came in to talk with myself, the other three counters, the principal about post COVID, what to do about the attendance issue.

Like people were not coming to school.

Like it was like really bad.

And we're spitballing ideas.

And I said with a completely straight face, I'm like to the mayor and my principal, I'm like, what if we renamed the school the Davis Fireworks and Ice Cream Factory?

Because kids really like ice cream and fireworks and maybe they think we'll have that and they'll come.

And they just looked at me.

The mayor never met me.

The principal knew.

And she just after like a 15 second silence she's like what the fuck is wrong with you?

You commit to the bit, and that's why we love you, Mike.

I do never broke.

Sorry Nicole.

Where can folks find you?

Yeah, you can find me over on Anatomy of the Screen hosting a podcast called Bodies of Horror where I talk about horror films through the lands of disability and chronic illness and talk about topics also around caregiving.

November is National Family Caregivers Month.

I work for the organization that leads National Family Caregivers Month.

We set the theme every year, we lead the campaign, so it is all sublease right now.

It is amazing.

So I'm going to be doing as I do every November, some episodes that really zero in on caregiving because caregiving is a part of that journey.

Outside of that you can find me sometimes on Blue Sky really bad about doing Blue Sky.

Like I want to, I want to say things, but I just feel like I'm not cool.

Or witty.

That's not true at all.

So.

But no, I started last night so after I had watched VHSI have a tradition that one of the only things I will watch in the hotel room are the 10,000 reruns and marathons of Law and Order SVU.

Just because it doesn't matter what day, it doesn't matter what time zone you're in, any time today there is an episode of Law and Order SVU playing somewhere.

Absolutely.

And I will watch it.

And so I started like basically just like going through episodes and being like, I'm now watching this episode.

This episode is bad.

Here's why the hair It was a bad time also.

I have watched a total of 0 episodes of any Law and Order ever.

It's wild.

Yeah, that's insane law.

And Order SVU is really like the best just because you have in older seasons, you have Belzer who is.

The best?

Amazing.

I love iced tea as Otafen Finn Tutuola.

It's all good.

So yeah, maybe someday I will do a whole like spiel on why this is both the most problematic but also interesting show you.

Can.

Spend multiple hours, but that's it.

That's where you can find me.

And now no one will want to find me.

You can also shoot me an e-mail at buddybefore@gmail.com.

But one place you might find that rent at some point might be in our patron page, which listeners of the show, if you really love what we do here, after after two hours of this, you're like, give me more, give me more of this go to.

Hook it up to my veins, yeah.

Pwwpatreon.com/pod on the pendulum where we have about 80 plus hours of extra content for the month of October alone.

We released an episode of Steven and I talking about 20 times James Gunn's Superman, which was a lot of fun.

Fun episode.

Ari and I did 2 fan commentaries.

As of right now the Dead to Silence fan commentary is up so you can cue that movie up.

James Wan's under appreciated.

I don't want to say classic, but a really fun, I think great movie for this time of year I would say.

Goofy as hell.

Yeah, that that one.

I think you do kind of have to queue up the movie and listen along with us.

I could not put that on as a stand alone episode.

But we also did an episode which will drop at midnight on Halloween.

A fan commentary on 2007's Rob Zombies Halloween and I think although like it's probably better if you watch along with that movie, you can listen to that one on its own.

It's just kind of us kind of shooting the shit as we like talk about that movie and what works and what doesn't work for that was a lot of fun because that's a movie that you know long time listeners know fucking.

I hated that movie when it we recorded on it and I've come around on it like I think like the fact that the very least he's doing his own thing compared to David Gordon Green.

Just like what else can I do to mimic John Carpenter in this one?

Please, fans like this movie, please like our movie.

It made me kind of respected a lot more.

If you you can find me at Mike Snoonian on Blue Sky once I change my handle back to that because I gave myself like an unreadable like, oh, we're doing spooky names and yeah.

You're supposed to change just your your profile name, not your full account name.

I realize that I've been trying not to use spooky this season.

There's been a lot of writing about why it's a problematic term.

So I've tried to use scary.

So I've gone with like my ghoul boonie and it just doesn't work.

So I'll have to change it back to Mike's Noonie and.

It took me like 5 minutes to find you the other day when I was trying to tag our our drafts episode.

It's an issue.

You can find me on Instagram at Mike Chump Change.

One letterbox at Mike Chump Change and find the pod of the pendulum at Instagram and blue sky both at pod and pendulum been a bit more active like posting a lot more stuff on there having some fun going through some archives and like we are a delight like even when we disagree with people, I try to be a delight and polite and kind because you.

Are always you.

Know why not I?

Guess.

One thing I do want to one thing I do want to throw out before we end the episode, like you mentioned this the the Superman episode, I also want to shout out the episode that that the two of you, Nicole and Mike recorded on The Long Walk.

Yeah, it's a.

Great, great friggin episode.

Really, really enjoyed listening to that.

One thank you so much.

That's also up on the Patreon.

Check that out.

I Nicole, I, you're one of my favorite people to talk movies with.

I, I mean that sincerely, I love talking movies with you.

So I was, I told you before we started recording, I was so stoked that you were able to join us.

And that that holds through.

I, I, I, I stand by that.

It's, it's, it's been an absolute joy talking about this movie with you guys.

It absolutely has been, yeah.

No, I always love when I.

Needle to make it.

Yeah, we love so.

Are we and listeners who want to wish you all a happy Halloween?

If you're listening this on Halloween, we hope you're doing something fun, spending with friends and family and people you love.

We hope you're giving out good candy, otherwise your house will get egged correct.

You know you'll deserve it.

Like if you don't give out candy to kids on Halloween, you deserve every piece of toilet paper that you get, but we don't want that.

If you're listening to this Not on Halloween, we wish you a happy June 16th if that's the day.

Happy Tuesday everybody, Happy Tuesday.

Everybody milking this out to time it with the exit music and here we go.

Hell yeah, it's.

In trouble?