Hi everyone and welcome to the Pod of the Damned.

I'm your host Ian and joining me is my Co host Candy, How are you?

Welcome.

I am good, I am really good and I am glad to be here tonight.

Yes, yes, we are in celebration mode.

We are, we're, we're, we're giving ourselves a little bit of a pat on the back this episode because we've reached a very, very major milestone.

And anyone, and you know, we've got obviously quite a lot of podcasting friends in the community, people who listen to the show in the court, in the, our corner of podcasting, our corner.

You know, we, we, we've got a lot of connections with people on other shows, people who have been on this show, people like Randon Newman who were on our last episode and, and, and more.

And this is our officially 150th episode.

And like I say.

I remember before I was a permanent member of the show, doing like your guys's third episode.

Of.

Reanimator celebrating his 40th anniversary this year and about to be back on the big screen.

Well, you never know because like we have actually it's, it's, it's in July every year.

So July this year was this show's 4th anniversary.

Who knows, maybe in 30-6 years time and Nico will still be here, still chatting all about horror movies.

We'll be chatting about, you know, Saw 103 and Scream 84 Halloween Kills again, no.

No anything but that.

Before we get started, before we get into what we're going to talk about today, a quick apology from Nico.

He really, really wanted to be here, but once again, unfortunately, he did have to work tonight.

Nico is, I've been trying to him a lot lately and he's really, really missing the show a lot.

He's really, really desperate to get back on the show.

He will be.

We do miss him.

He will be back on the show soon.

Don't worry.

He's not gone anywhere.

It's just he's just a very busy man at the minute.

So shout out to our our our brother, our friend, our Co host Nicole, because he is does he is such a major part of this show.

He was there from day one and you know, we love him.

So hopefully he'll be back very, very soon.

So we miss you, Nicole.

Before we get into things, let's do a little bit of housekeeping.

If you would like to support this podcast on our social media platforms, you can do we're on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, YouTube, TikTok, all at Pod of the Damned.

You can e-mail us at podofthedamned@gmail.com and you can subscribe to us on Patreon, patreon.com/pod of the Damned candy.

Where can you be found?

I'm Candy the final girl.

You can find me at Candy the final Girl on Instagram on Blue Sky on Threads.

I keep saying I'm going to do TikTok, but I just think I'm going to be 46 and this, you know, in a couple of weeks.

I just, I, I I'm trying really hard with my TikTok.

Come on though, I I really am trying.

I know, I know yeah.

I mean, it's all hooked to my Facebook as well, which is just my name, Candy Allison, so.

Yes, so please go and give us a follow there, support us on those platforms we post, we try and keep them up to date as possible.

We've got a little bit of a schedule for tonight.

So we're going to talk about a little bit about pod of the damned.

You know what we're all about for anyone who's listening to to us knew what we've what we've done over the past sort of four and a bit years, 150 episodes and and things like that.

And we're going to talk about our love for horror and podcasting.

We've got an ask us anything segment which we posted on our social media and we've got some some very fun and interesting questions.

Now, I, I obviously know and you know some of the questions as well.

I've not really thought about any of them.

I was like I.

Mean, I saw particularly Newmans because I think he emailed us both yes, but and I was like, I'm gonna think on that and I didn't.

Yeah, yeah, But I'm glad I didn't because I I'm looking forward to try to see why I.

Want to be off the cuff on it so we'll see what interesting shit pops out of my mouth.

There's some interesting questions, let me tell you.

We're also going to discuss because it's coming up very, very soon.

Can you believe it?

It's almost award season once again, because holy.

Fucking shit.

The summer is past and spooky season is just around the corner, and this always.

Spooky season.

For us, it is always spooky season for us, but when spooky season is here, that means it's a ward season.

It really, really doesn't feel that long ago that we were given that, that the substance.

Remember a white?

Last.

Year wiped the floor with our awards last year.

I don't think there's anything that's going to wipe the floor this year, not because I don't think it's been a great year for horror, but because there's so many contenders.

Yes, exactly.

So I think this is going to be a really exciting year.

So we're going to talk a little bit about that.

I'm going to do the long-awaited leaderboard update and I'm going to update us on some of the, some of the changes to our leaderboard and then we'll talk a little bit about what we've got coming up between now and the end of the year.

So that, that is what we have got for you guys today.

Now, Candy, you mentioned there, you know, you were our very, very first ever guest on the pod of the Damned.

And I was, it was like episode 3 or episode 4 or something like that.

It was way, way, way back.

And it was a conscious, it was a conscious point I wanted to make.

I wanted you to be the first guest on the show.

And I think we, we, you know, we've talked about it here and there across episodes about our sort of podcasting journey and kind of.

Had it together in our own way with my old show and your old show.

We started out at the same time.

Yeah.

And we just.

Instantly like hit it off.

I believe it was back on Twitter.

It was.

It was.

And we just kind of connected.

You were doing your thing by yourself and I had my crazy motley crew of of people, but because I just adopt everybody and and and we just hit it off right away and we were always calling each other like our sister podcast, you know?

Yes, we were.

We, we would always say that.

And you know, I mean, I think we're going back.

What about 8?

Must be seven years now.

Something like that.

Because it was it was pre COVID.

It was pre COVID.

It was definitely pre COVID.

So yeah, so we've been, we've been doing this like, like you say to separately, but together for a long time.

When I first started podcasting, I would literally sit in front of my computer screen for and and I would record solo just it was 2030 minute episodes.

And I used to, I remember when I very, very first started podcasting, I used to script my entire podcast.

I used to sit there.

I used to write a script for what I wanted to say because I had no experience in podcasting.

All I knew is that I wanted to get myself in front of a microphone and talk about the things I thought about all of my favorite horror movies.

At that point, I'd been a streamer for a couple of years.

I'd done that on and off for a couple of years.

That's where.

I had also started was I was in a pro league for Call of Duty Advanced Warfare, if that takes anybody back that and I played on leagues for Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2.

So I've always had like a big gaming thing, but so I was considered an older streamer way back then because I was in my early 30s.

Dear God.

Oh fuck.

This is when you miss Nico.

Yeah, because Nico and I are about the same age.

But yeah, and like, it was really like, so we, we, we sort of met up on social media and it, we, we had such different vibes on our podcast, like you say, because I was, I was there by myself just doing my thing.

And you had your, your whole massive family over there, you know, because, because.

Well, for me with my, the reason I wanted to start podcasting is, you know, obviously if anyone's new here, I like to talk.

I have so many ideas and I have such a passion for horror.

I just knew, like for me, it's always been stream of consciousness, no scripting.

So mine was a little bit different.

I just knew I wanted to talk and whatever came out of my mouth was going to be and, and, and often going off topic or hear this, you know, in almost a Joe Bob kind of way, a Joe Bob Briggs thing where it's like, and also here's this historical piece that I promise will fit in, you know, and, and just not sometimes I didn't even really have a topic, just a theme in the early days.

So I've had quite a journey and, and I just think it was interesting given how differently we did things that we, you know, I think we've learned, I learned a lot from you, you know, and we were just figuring it out as we went.

We were, and there would be times where we would literally just be bouncing ideas off of each other.

We'd be, you know, I remember some of the recordings that we used to do together back in those early days, the discussions we would have after we'd finished recording.

We'd last longer than the recording itself, you know.

I mean, that still sometimes happens with us, like we get done recording and you and I'll just shoot this shit for like an hour and 100.

Percent and I think it's great because it's one of those things, isn't it?

And it's one of those things I really love about doing the podcast because obviously me and Nico, we've been, we've been, you know, close personal friends.

We live in the same city, you know, we're from the same place and you, of course, are, you know, you're the other side of the world there.

We don't get to talk to you like every single day.

We obviously have our group chats and our messages, but you know, we don't have to have.

And I think it's sometimes important because I think a lot of what a lot of people I think who listen to podcasts don't always realize is the people who are recording together aren't always necessarily friends.

True.

And I think that makes AI really do think that makes a big difference when everyone is Gen.

and you know, like you say, we've been friends now for, you know, a number of years.

Me and Nico have been friends for a number of years.

My closest friends.

Yes, 100%.

And I consider you exactly the same.

And, you know, I think that makes a whole such a difference to to our whole vibe.

And it's no, it's funny.

You were talking there about, you know, how much you just kind of had this.

We all know you love to talk Candy.

I love to talk too, right?

Secret.

I love to talk too.

And, you know, our podcasts and journeys for the both of us have had UPS, they've had downs, they've had left and right, you know, and I remember, you know, when it came time to, you know, when, when you were at that point where you were without a show, I was like, I knew in my heart of hearts that you, you weren't ready to not talk about horror anymore.

You were so like supportive of me and I was really just at a loss.

I didn't you and you were the only person that really was like, I know that you're not done.

I know that you're not done and you know, just sending me the, the, the welcome and the invite here.

I, I was at such a, a mentally low place.

I was like, I'm just going to ruin your show.

But you were 100% right.

I wasn't done and I feel like being on Pot is Damned has been so inspirational and so good for me personally that I can't thank you enough for that.

You know, now you can't make me.

You can't make me cry.

You don't make an anniversary episode, OK?

I mean.

Totally the truth 100%.

I've got someone cutting onions up in here, you know, doing that, that, that that does mean so much to me.

And, you know, it was one of those things like I knew because because I had been there.

That was the big thing for me because I had been there probably what about a year or so before you were there and it and and.

Our, our, our we had some similar.

Yeah, yeah.

And obviously we're like anyone who's been long term fans of both of both of us and part of the Damned and our old shows.

And listen, we're I, I'm at peace with how things ended with the old show.

I'm at peace with the progress we've made.

Because you know what?

If it wasn't for all of that, we wouldn't be sitting here right now on the Pod of the Damned.

And honestly, like, this is this is bad.

Like Pod of the Damned is better than anything I could have imagined when I first started podcasting.

Absolutely.

This is like the place that I feel I belong the most.

The place that I feel the best understood and the most welcome and, and I really look forward to the show in a way that I didn't before.

Even though I was ready to talk about certain things in the past.

It's just like here, I don't, I don't feel so I don't know how to put it.

Overwhelmed.

Yeah, it's just fucking fun again.

Yeah, that's it, I think.

I think I for me, I was just at a point where the pressure was so high to just constantly be like making sure that you're the one who's turning out everything and you know, that I just wasn't able to do that.

And listen on the point, like I'm very, very proud of some of the things that I managed to do and achieve on my old show.

And I'm sure you are as well.

And you know, this is that's not.

Thing that happened, you know, back on my old show that was huge and I had some great interviews.

I I had some great discussions but this is much more what I need and where I'm happiest.

And listen, we'll, we'll still be bringing you some great interviews as well.

And you know, we've, we've always got we've.

Got some stuff in our pocket we've.

Always got a few irons in the works, you know, there's things happening, you know, and you know, not very long ago we had Ben Scrivens on the show from Fright Rags.

And you know, that was probably the first real interview that we've done for quite a while because we took a bit of a break from it and we decided that we were going to focus such.

A fun guess.

Yes, yes.

So please go that episode and you know, we've done things in the past.

Likes to talk to.

That was quite an episode.

I know we just seem to be we just seem to attract people who like to talk because, you know, Newman's always on the show rat and Mr.

Opinionated himself ran, you know, and.

Texting furiously because he saw Long Walk as a time of this recording.

It's just come out.

He saw it that Thursday night as it debuted and I saw the next day.

We were all like furiously texting about it, so I have a feeling we're going to be talking about that movie soon.

Yeah, quite possibly.

And it is something that we've kind of made a bit of a conscious shift towards this year because obviously the way we used to do things before and this it's partly became, it's partly because we've had over the past few months we have, we have had some issues in terms of getting, getting us all together to try and make sure we can get recordings out and releases over the past couple of months have been, you know, a bit sporadic and it's mostly due to health issues.

You know, I I've been really unwell and I've posted, you know, my by issues that I've been having.

You know, I've had some really bad blood pressure issues.

Nikos been unwell.

Can you've been unwell, You know, and you know, and and and one of the things and one of the things I had said when I first started part of the damned and it was the same with Nico and when you came on board Candy, was that, you know, we're going to put ourselves first with this show, which, you know, was something that.

Something we learned the hard way.

Yeah, 100%.

You know, and that might mean from time to time that we're not going to drop an episode for a couple of weeks or a few weeks.

But if it allows us to keep doing this for months and years down the line, then, you know, you're, you're sorry, listeners, we love you, but you're just going to have to live sometimes without an episode for a couple of weeks.

You know we're not the best.

Listeners.

Ever.

We do.

We there I I appreciate every single one of you that listen and and download because you guys are so loyal and and so wonderful and I I'm here at pot of the damned.

We we want to give back as much as possible.

So we've been for this particular episode talking about Hey, send us your questions about anything and you know what impress the hell out of us and I'm going to take somebody shopping for a little mini haul.

Newman was our last winner and he was very happy with.

No wonder he got some cool swag from that little ball.

So I'm going to take that that person on another mini fright rag spree.

So impress us.

Like I really am looking forward to these questions.

Well, you know, since since you've brought it up, shall we, shall we, shall we do our first question?

Yes, let's.

Do it.

Let's go for it.

OK, so I'm just going to run through the questions and then we'll obviously discuss off air, you know, about who's who's who's been entering them and, you know, we'll do a little prize draw and things like that.

So one of the questions we got there was, what was the movie that scared you the most as a kid?

Do you have an answer for that right away?

I do have an answer for that right away and I'm.

Curious.

About yours, let's hear you.

I think I've shared.

Very predictable.

I think, I think I've shared this before, you know, at, at various points.

So I was on holiday.

I was, I was in, I, I think I was in Spain with my parents when I was, I think I was about 6 years old.

And they were walking like we were on like a late night walk because it was really, really warm.

And there was like a bar that was showing like knock off movies, like knock off copies of movies.

And we sat there and bear man, I was 6 year old and we watched Scream in the middle of a bar in Spain.

And we had to leave our like before the movie was over.

I think we had to leave like pretty much after like the opening scene because it terrified me so, so much.

And you know, it's funny because as like as an adult, you know, I'm a 34 year old man now.

And I think Scream, out of all the big franchises, is one of the most overrated, you know, And but that opening scene is a sick.

I got a quick like little thing they let 6 year olds in a bar in Spain.

Well, I mean it was the mid 90s.

OK.

It was the mid 90s and and.

I would like to point out for our audience that Scream came out when I was in high school.

I'm really still in those 46 years right now.

I mean.

Not looking but I fucking feel it.

It was, it was the mid 90s and the laws over there are just much more relaxed anyway than they are over here.

But yeah, they think, yeah, you get let into bars and then pubs and things over there.

So yeah, that was probably the one that terrified me the most.

I also, and I hate to bring it up because we fucking hate the director, but as as a as a slightly older child, Jeepers Creepers scared the fucking shit out of me.

I was terrified to that fucking movie.

Honestly, like those two movies, like when I sit there and I think about movies that terrified me as a kid, those two movies are the 1st 2 spring to minds.

Fuck.

Fuck Victor Sulva though.

Absolutely double fuck that fuck.

But yeah, that would be it.

So they're, they're the movies that probably scared me the most growing up.

Do you do you have an answer?

I do OK and it's so predictable, but it did shape me as a horror fan.

My mom is a huge horror fan and she was always like, you know, I watched the local horror hosts.

That's why I have a deep love for like the movies and shit like that and the classic horror.

But when I was 6, my mom showed me none of the living dead and it scared the Oh my God, it scared the shit out of me in such a great way.

It was, it made me think, you know, but I I was sick and I was just terrified because.

And to this day, that movie still scares me because it, it brings up those feelings that I had at six.

And it's one of my favorite movies of all time.

I have the Criterion Collection version, which is really sweet, by the way.

But yeah, Night of the Living Dead.

So that I think that explains a lot of my horror taste.

I think sometimes those first ones that really scare us and make us into horror fans leave its mark on us.

And even if it's a movie we grow to like dislike, like, you know, Scream or whatever, for you, it's still there.

It's still part of you, like your DNA as a horror fan.

So yeah, mine is a very predictable.

It's night living.

Would you would you say, would you credit that as like the the movie that got you into horror?

Because I would never credit Scream as the movie that got me into horror or the thing that got me into horror.

My my thing is just like that scared me a lot.

And then for like, obviously I was very, very young at that point when I was like a really young teen, I actually, I always credit the video game Silent Hill 2 as the thing that got me into horror.

I remember playing that.

I'm being utterly terrified and like I.

Would say Night Living Dead actually was.

I mean, I was already into horror just because my grandfather, who was like my dad was such AB horror fan and and we would watch, you know, our local horror host here in Indiana was his name was Sammy Terry.

And he scared the shit out of me.

Anyway, I actually got to meet him when I was about 11 when my mom at her video store, He came there.

And at 11, I was still scared shitless of this guy.

But so horror had always been a big part of my life, but none of the living dead made its mark.

And it it was the thing that made me go.

I want to do that again.

I I want to feel that again.

And so, yeah, it would be the movie that made me realize, yeah, I'm a horror fan.

Absolutely.

Awesome, awesome.

Right.

Let's move on to the next question then and since we've let's let's talk about what we're talking.

We're obviously going to talk a lot about horror, but there's a couple of non horror related questions here as well.

What are your favorite 3 movies outside of the horror genre?

Oh, see, now this is complicated because you know that I have a hard time having just like one or two or even 3 favorites.

It just depends on the moment in the mood.

And I usually have like a top 10 for each number, like a top ten number one, top ten, number two.

Yeah.

And I think I'm gonna have to think on that for just.

I think we're gonna come back.

Well, maybe circle back to that one because, you know, I think and, and forgive us because I, I don't think, think I'm going to be able to give you like a definitive 3.

These are my three favorite.

Yeah, it's.

Going to be just, but I could probably think of a few that are up there.

I think like you say, it depends, depends on time of year as well and and things like that.

And there's so many factors 100%.

So we'll circle back to that one when we come back to that one at the end.

But here's one because we're going to talk about the the horror awards a little bit.

But we'll, we'll kick, maybe kick off that discussion a little bit with your favorite horror film with 2025 so far.

Oh God, there's been so many.

This has been such a great year.

And, and, and some of them I, I, we haven't discussed on the show just yet.

No.

Or it's sinners.

Sinners really stands out for me.

But but there have been so many I really like.

We just recently talked about the angry step sister.

That was a big surprise as to much how much I really enjoyed it.

Yeah, I would also have to put forth a spoiler alert.

Weapons.

It was really great.

Have you what about because because I I I think we're on like sort of similar because I think like sinners is definitely I think going to be one in the end going to be one of my favourites of the years.

I've not seen long walk yet.

Weapons.

I don't know if I could put it up there as like my favorite of the year.

I was really, really pleasantly surprised by the ugly step sister.

You know, it's it's it's it's it's it's far and I know you don't really fuck with it that much.

It's far from the the best in terms of quality, but you know, I always have a good time watching like a final destination movie.

I I enjoyed bloodlines.

My husband and I, we go on date nights, and one thing I wanted for my birthday was we just gotten out of my Drafthouse here in Indy and it's over in Speedway where Sean and I had grown up.

I know none of that makes any sense to you, but our American listeners will understand.

I live in the suburbs now, but it's just we go on these date nights but the kids had not.

My daughter is a huge Final destination fan and she can't really defend it.

She's like, I don't know why I just I just they're not great all the time.

But I just showed it to her because it is currently streaming and it's I thought it was fun and but like the Tony Todd part was the main reason I wanted to see it.

I think you've you've also we've also together, which came out not too long ago.

I was I We haven't done an episode on that yet, but we most certainly could because it looks like we.

Don't have a I'm going to give you a quick moment on on together.

Here's how, and I know that we're going to do an episode, but I'm going to just say something.

It did not go hard enough.

It had some society type vibes and and screaming Matt George should have been on like effects that could have been gorier.

And we get a lot of plot threads that don't matter or aren't explained.

So it's like, you know, one of the cool parts from the trailer where we've got the they're they're going to cut the arm and it's like it doesn't even show it and it's like there was there some interesting shit niche, sure, but like I just together was such a disappointment to me on.

This are you?

Are you trying to tell me that Megan 2.0 wasn't your favorite of the year?

Fuck off with that shit.

I didn't even like the first one.

No, me neither it.

Was stupid.

Or, or I know what you did last or there's been some shit out this year as well.

I went and saw at the drive in together and it was playing with I know what you did last summer and we we left after together like we didn't even bother with.

There's there's still.

Was a surprise to me was Until Dawn I it's not great, not.

Seen it yet?

It's not great.

It's on currently on Netflix.

It's not great, but I was impressed with it because it was better than I expected.

Do I think it's gonna like rate really high for the year?

No, but it was probably the biggest surprise for me.

There's still so much to actually come out this year as well that could be in that it's.

The 40th anniversary of Dawn of Day of the Dead.

Yeah, that's going to be back in theaters in October.

Yeah.

We haven't even talked about 28 Years later, which is probably one of the biggest releases of the year.

It was probably one of the most anticipated releases of the year.

Very.

Divisive.

Yeah, I it wasn't for me.

I've never been a fan of the franchise.

Obviously OK, but we've still got Black Phone 2 to come out this year which I.

Was I was shocked by, like, why would they do a sequel?

But I gotta say, I'm kind of feeling, yeah, like, ready for that movie.

Five Nights at Freddy's 2.

I'm gonna see it because, you know, I love Matthew Willard.

I've actually in Dead by Daylight.

I'm currently like meaning as they say, Spring Trap and William Afton and I got the skin of Matthew Willard as as in in the Spring Trap costume.

So if Matthew Lillard's in it, I'll fucking see it.

Plus also Skeet Ulrich is in it, so it's kind of like this little mini scream thing.

Yeah.

And there's loads of other stuff that still come out this year as well.

Like they're like, that's what we're talking about now.

Entering spooky seasons.

Exactly, exactly.

But you know one word for me.

I think so far 2025 probably have to go with sinners so.

Sinners is by far the best effort.

Ren and I talked about that extensively.

It's still way, way up there.

A.

100%.

I can't say that I'm trying to put this in a way that isn't giving too much away, but it's like so far it's the one I have mentioned the most.

OK, and best and worst slasher you've ever seen.

Worst, worst is a long list.

I'll, I'll give you my worst.

I'll give you my worst right off the fucking ban.

You're going to hate me for it because it's fucking pieces, that piece of fucking shit.

Trash movie No.

What the fuck?

Come on in, you can't even have fun with it.

I mean, I'm not saying it's good, but it's not fun.

It's not for me.

And the kills are so inventive, you know?

It's it's so like I can't even, I can't even get on it.

The art of a good bad movie.

I love bad movies in a way that is so deep and and just enjoyable.

I I have a current book I'm reading and it's called like horror art and trash.

It's it's new and it's and it just dives into that.

But best slasher for me of all time is Maniac.

Nice, nice.

I think that was one of the first episodes we did when you you came on the show.

Permanently.

No, it was the summer thing right before.

Oh.

Yeah, cuz we did that summer thing like.

That's right it.

Was a couple of years ago.

Yeah, yeah, it was when?

You think about how long I've been on the show, it it doesn't seem that long, but it's actually been a minute.

Yeah, I mean, yeah, I was talking about when Nico the other day and I was like, it turned, it was like, I think it's been like 2 years.

It pops up on my Facebook periodically because obviously we post to Facebook and it was like 2 years since we've done like our Stir of Echoes episode.

And Nico was like, oh, I thought we didn't do that very long ago.

And I was like, no, that's, that's been a couple of years now.

I don't think it'll be any surprise to anyone.

Best slasher movie for me.

It's going to be Halloween.

It's it's the it's the it's the daddy of slasher movies, isn't it?

It's the slasher movie that inspired all that came after it.

It's what most slasher movies based themselves upon for such a long time.

It completely redefined the sub genre.

I know it wasn't the first the the.

The Jolo because Jolo's are like proto slashers.

They were like, without Zalo films, you know, the Italian horror films that were specifically slashers.

Without those, I just, we wouldn't have the genre.

And I think that Carpenter took that and, you know, made the modern slasher, which was, you know, about right when Jolla was was dying, you know, out or in the midst of like kind of going out of vogue and just really created the modern slasher.

It did and it was such a huge success as well.

You know, it, I think for the longest time, I don't think it's, it's not anymore, but for the longest time, you know, it was the, the, the highest grossing independent horror movie of all time.

And and you know, it gave us one of one of the most iconic villains.

It doesn't matter if you, you know, you're a Freddie guy, a Freddie guy or a Jason guy.

Everyone knows that Michael Myers is still one of those like absolute top tier horror villains.

I agree and I'm not a Michael Myers person and I'm not a Halloween person.

My favorite Halloween movie doesn't even have a minute.

Technically.

Technically.

On the commercial, but you know what I mean.

I, I love Halloween 3 because Daddy Tom Atkins.

I mean, I'm into not just older men, I'm into old men.

It's it's a true thing.

I'm bisexual.

I love me some hot women and some old men.

I I I have a friend who claims that the hottest person alive is Dame Judi Dench.

And he, they, they just think that she is the most attractive person even now because what Judi Dench is like, what, 90 years old?

Yeah, she's, she's up there.

Yeah, yeah, so, so.

I, I got mad appreciation for that man.

That's, that's a, that's a candy choice right there.

You know what I mean?

Like me and Tom Atkins, me and Tom Sabini, me and you know, I, I, I got, I got it respected, but like the worst slasher is such a a difficult one.

Most recently, I mean, the first thing that pops in my head, I did not like the most recent Halloween movies.

I thought the the 2018 had a little promise.

It wasn't still worth all the hype that people gave it.

I I really enjoy Halloween ends.

Made me want to like choke somebody out.

I hated that movie and I saw it at the drive in and I just was like so angry when we left.

I was like, it was fucking pissed.

It was such a choice that movie to, to, to, to give us to give us the story they gave us.

And listen, right, I'm the biggest Halloween apologist out there.

And you know, I have been known at times when I'm sitting at home alone to just be like, I'm going to watch Halloween sex and, you know, just enjoy it the shit out of it.

You know, I'm going to watch a young Paul Rudd.

And I'm not going to lie, I don't mind Halloween.

I'll watch it.

I've watched it.

Quite a few I've watched.

That whole series of like the reboot which had so much potential.

I hate David Gordon Green's movies.

I.

You didn't like Exorcist?

No.

Hell no.

That was a piece of shit.

Now I'm looking forward the Flanagan's Flanagan there.

There's nothing he's got like the Midas touch.

Everything he does is so phenomenal.

So the fact that David Gordon Green sucked so bad, they gave it to Mike Flanagan and said like, Jesus Christ, what the fuck was that shit?

But like, I, I just, it made me just really dislike David Gordon Green and I didn't really have an opinion on him before that too much.

But like, it just went from meh to bad, he said.

Dear fucking God.

It was, it was it they, it was just, it was so bizarre, right?

Because for me, it doesn't really matter whether you liked ends or you didn't like ends.

It wasn't the story they were telling up until that point.

And again, it's the same thing.

It doesn't really matter if you liked Halloween Kills or disliked Halloween Kills.

At least Halloween Kills was carrying on the story from Halloween 2018.

I mean, but the whole evil dies tonight.

I was like, please shut the absolute fuck up because evil did not die that night.

And the way that they killed him, it's like this Michael Meyer just been beheaded.

Like he's had all kinds of crazy shit happened to him and you're going to like, just put him in a grinder and now he's dead.

I mean, what?

No, no, no, no.

But I, I just that's a recent one, but I'm going to go with.

Also, you know, I know what you did last summer.

Like it was riding that wave.

The first one I didn't mind so much.

I mean, it was still not good, but I like I like Freddie Prinze Junior.

He's just got good vibes.

And I love Sarah Michelle Gellar and I love them together.

So that made it watchable.

But like not a lot.

And so it was like, you know, scream kind of reintroduce Scott slashers back out there and all of that.

But when I'm where I'm going with this, I guess pertaining back to the the newer prop of of Halloween movies is like Halloween Ends felt like, OK, so with Jason movies, I'm a Freddy person, but one of my favorite Jason movies is Part 5.

They call it the scooby-doo Jason, right?

I fucking love that movie.

It is not well loved, but I love it because it's not even Jason, it's Roy.

Now.

I felt a little bit like Halloween Ends was trying to do that and did it wrong.

I think as well, you know, it wouldn't even have been so bad if this was a like the character we were following was a character that had been introduced in the 1st 2 movies as well it.

Seemed out of nowhere.

They were just completely left field.

I remember sitting in the theaters just being completely baffled by what was going on.

But yeah, I mean, like, I think it's a valid, it's a valid choice.

I fully understand why people don't fuck with Halloween Ends.

I really enjoy 2018.

I think it's one of the better Halloween movies in the franchise, which maybe isn't saying a lot because pound for pound it's probably one of the weaker franchises, even though I will always go to bat for it no matter what.

So yeah, yeah, I think it's a very valid choice.

Just moving on because we've.

As far as like one of my other favorite slashers would be sleep away camp and sleep away camp too.

Which we've been promising for a long time, but we will be covering it, yeah.

I I love both of those.

I actually prefer sleep away camp too.

I think it's slept on.

When we talk about slashers, we don't talk enough about the sleep away camp films and besides, we won't talk about Return to Sleep Away Camp because.

That if we're going to talk about slashers, it's probably a time for our episodic mention of the Terrifier franchise, isn't it?

Oh, God.

And you know, and talk about a great slasher.

Those those have never disappointed and they're going to be back.

If you if you go to the Alamo Drafthouse, they're showing all of them again.

And I didn't get to see the first one on the big screen.

No, I'm saying very.

Excited about that, even though it's not.

Even though I think it's the weakest, it's still really great, so I think all three Terrifiers count as one of my top tiers.

100% listen, Terrifier is absolutely the weakest of the three in my opinion, but it again, it is.

It's still strong enough.

It's what Halloween did in the 70s, though it's it's more it's modernized, it's brought slashers, it's it's defined the sub genre.

It was completely they.

Injected some some fresh blood in there you.

Know it's completely irradmining for independent horror movies as well because of Terra Fire.

Other independent horror movies, for better or for worse, have gone out there and managed to get themselves theatre releases and proper release.

And you know, it's it's it's it's completely a complete shot in the arm for the sub genre, let alone the fool genre.

And you know, we've got a now a modern icon and I think we I think I might have said it in our last episode we recorded that I now do consider art the clown.

It's not the big three anymore.

It's the BIG4.

Yeah, and it's been so long because that's one thing that this, the 70s and the 80s gave us were just these iconic to this day, iconic as fuck.

You know, we've got Freddie, we've got Jason, we've got Michael.

Leatherface, Chucky.

Who?

I'm a big fan.

Of and heads.

Yeah.

And and so it's been that long if you think about that, you know, like 40 something years before we got something that was even remotely close.

And there have been many, many tries.

Many, many times.

I think Ghostface I don't qualify because Ghostface is always.

Too, But that's probably the most recent one that has come come to that sort of level.

Like you say, I'm kind of I'm in the same camp as you.

It's it's different people.

It's not one person.

So it doesn't really count for me.

But it's probably the most recent like Icon in terms of villains that comes to that sort of level.

You know, you've got Candyman in there as well.

That came a few years before, but since then there really hasn't been.

There's been lots of attempts and you've got things like, you know, off like my brain's drawn a blank.

Victor Crowley, for example, or.

You know, I mean, the, the hatchet movies are fun, but it didn't pull off, you know, it wasn't on the level of like, if we're talking about the Mount Rushmore of, of, of villains.

I mean, there's still like Michael, you know, I mean, Leatherface isn't beloved enough.

I mean, he's, he just, he's almost, but not quite on there.

It would be the big three, Michael, Jason, Freddy, but Ark the clown.

Ark the fucking Clown is just everything we needed and to be able to create such a character and have such a huge effect in such a small amount of time.

The thing is as well, right, I think what what it does so well and it and this is, you know, massively down to David Howard Thornton and his performance as well.

You know, Freddie is the charismatic villain, right?

Jason and Michael are the the the silent Hulk, the silent hulking villains, and out the clown, somehow, without saying a word, manages to be both.

Yeah, yeah, I mean, he's charismatic, he's entertaining, he's and he's brutal as fuck.

I mean, there, this man stops at nothing.

Now, if I can talk about I just recently saw the Dragula 666 tour with the Boulet brothers.

I'm a big Dragula fan.

And Asia Consent who won season 6 spoiler or as they called it season 666 Asia consents first performance.

And I was like right in the front was art the clown and it became a filth performance.

And if you watch the show, you know what I mean and it was just epic as fuck.

It was amazing and it was just like that's you know, and and and Dragula is horror and punk and alternative drag and it was just everything like a glammed up crazy Art the clown thing and and it was just amazing to see like this is such a huge part of the zeitgeist.

Yeah, it is completely.

Think that it's going to leave?

No.

And you know at the time we're recording, we are 7 days away from Terra Fire for commencing.

It's filming because I think that's the 21st of September that that starts filming and that's due to come out and.

Great happens in September.

Yeah.

And that that that's that's due to come out in 2026.

I believe it's going to be the last one that's involving at least involves Damien Leone in terms of the story, Yeah.

But I don't think that that's, I mean, much like, you know, Wes Craven kind of handed over, you know, he didn't do, he had nothing to do with two, but he did come back as a producer and a writer for Dream Warriors, you know what I mean?

So.

But I, I think, I think Damian Leone has kind.

He has, I don't think he's expressly came out and said it, but I think he's kind of alluded to the fact that just because it's the end of Hayes Rd.

with Tara fire doesn't necessarily mean it's the end of Tara fire, right?

Because.

People are clamoring for more.

I mean, when we had Ben Scrivens on the show, that's the one thing he talked about, you know, talking about sales.

And I'm currently wearing fright rags as usual, because they just did a return Living Dead collection and I had to have I have a couple of the shirts, but it's it's it's trash and I love trash, but it's like it's he's like anything with with Arthur clown on it is going to sell.

That is the money maker.

And to think that it's just this, it was this grassroots independent film, and to become, in such a short time, one of the most iconic horror villains of all.

Time.

And it was really.

Everyone knows about Arthur the Clown.

And it was really terrifier too, that.

Really, too really put.

It off because Terrifier itself was out for what I want to say about six years or so before and then before.

That we had All Hallows Eat, which I didn't care for that.

No, but that's that's even even lower budget, Howard.

Thornton.

Yeah, that was also Mike Jane Alley, who David Howard Thornton credits is doing an incredible job.

I still think Mike Jane Alley does a credible job as arguing as well, but.

David Howard Thornton has the magic.

So he's taking it to the next level, hasn't he?

Yes, right.

Let's let's try and quick fire a couple of these.

I know that's difficult for me.

When I get going.

Let's try and quick fire a couple of these.

What is a good horror film ruined by the ending?

Oh God, there are so many.

You know, I love Near Dark.

Near Dark is is, you know, my vampire movie.

As opposed to, like a lot of people say, Lost Boys.

I've seen Near Dark.

I think the ending is so fucking sappy.

It doesn't ruin the movie, but I like to just stop right about that point.

Like you know where he where he saves her and they're not vampires anymore.

It just feels so tacked on and cheesy as compared to the rest of the film, which is fantastic.

So Near Dark is one of mine that I just really hate the ending.

I'm trying like think of one off the top of my head.

I'm really, I'm really toiling toiling here about like having to think of 1 a good movie that's ruined by the ending.

All I can think now is like movies that have got like, incredible endings, you know, things like, like Saw has such an incredible final scene, you know, My God.

The first time I saw the first saw, I remember that that Ash wasn't even born yet.

10 year old, my youngest, but it was like that just blew my fucking mind.

It was so amazing.

I immediately it was like a roller coaster like I'm a coaster hound.

So I'm like I want to do that again.

I want to do it again.

I experience that again.

But you know what, Speaking of maniac, I really could have done without the eye opening like like the the whole movie is God damn amazing.

But well, we have the cops come in at the very, very end.

And I believe I talked about this when when we did that little summer camp episode several years ago.

But and and it an otherwise perfect movie.

The reason I didn't give it a perfect score.

I don't think the cops come in.

They look at the guy, they're like, oh, he's dead.

They don't check a pulse, they don't do shit.

They close the door, they leave, which why would you do that?

Because we got this murder suspect who's been like killing women and then his eyes open and I'm like, come on, you're better than this.

So yeah, I would say Maniac, despite being a an almost perfect film, I just really didn't like that part.

I might, I might have to come back to this one.

I'm really, really toiling to think of something that really, really offends me in terms of like just the ending.

There's very, very few movies out there I think that I've been really enjoying because if I've really enjoyed a movie, it takes a lot for me to be like a final scene that just flips it for me, you know, I think.

I'm using it in a looser turn, like, yeah, ruin the movie for me.

I was disappointed by the ending.

Like I was disappointed.

I love Near Dark.

Nothing had changed that.

But I was disappointed by the ending.

I was disappointed by the ending of Maniac, those last few moments and and Maniac's one of my favorite movies of all time.

Yeah.

So, you know, stuff like that.

I as far as like, ruined a movie.

That's that's harder.

I don't know.

Yeah.

OK, if you could go back in time and give 6 year old you one piece of advice, what would it be?

I'm trying to think it's like should I do this horror related?

Should I do this?

Like, you know what, like I think if I was to go back in time and don't necessarily have to be 6 year old me, just younger me.

I think my, my, I like to keep my friendship group small, especially as I've gotten older, because I much I value quality of friends over quantity of friends.

And I think I would go back to a younger me.

And I would say be more careful about who you choose to let into your life because, you know, there's been times where, you know, I used to get really lonely.

I used to be really sad.

I used to be really isolated.

And I would just, I would just yearn for people's affection in people's approval in people's this.

And I would, I ended up lacking a lot of really not very nice people into my life and all the way up.

And like, that hasn't really stopped for me.

I've tried my best to sort of limit that as I've gotten older.

But up until recently, you know, that's still something that I've been struggling with is just letting people into my life who are only really there to take advantage of, you know the thing.

And like, I'm not a particularly well off or high status person, but you know, I, I, I, I, I, I, I'm very hard working and I do what I can.

And people just want to like, take advantage of people's generally good natures.

So yeah, I think, I think that would be the one for me.

I think it would be be more careful about who you choose to let into your life.

Absolutely.

And I, I think that's just good advice all around.

You know, I have noticed that you can be very closed off.

I mean, I'm not going to get like super personal or anything here, so don't worry.

But I noticed when you're going through a hard time, you do what I do, you just kind of vanish a little bit and you and you don't, and you don't talk about it until you're ready.

And that's with your close friends, because I, I consider us close friends.

Like I reach out to you and I know that you'll get back to me when you're ready, but you don't necessarily want to talk about it at that point.

And I think maybe that's a holdover.

I'm playing psychologist right now.

But I mean, I do think that's a bit of a holdover because I do the same thing.

And you reach out to me and you're, you know that I'll get back to you when I'm ready because I've been burned in the past, you know?

And it's not that I think that you would.

It's just like a learned behavior.

Yeah, 100 percent, 100%.

That's completely agreed.

For me, I would 6 year old me, I, I'm going to go a little older than that because like I, when I was in high school, I mean, I was a cheerleader, I was very popular and all of that.

And I would tell myself, none of this fucking matters.

This shit, you know, of wanting to be accepted, wanting to be popular, all the people out there who may be listening to that.

It's, it's not going to fill the hole for you.

It's not going to, you know, who are you trying to impress?

And I think I was trying to impress myself, but I've ended up feeling very, very hollow.

And it wasn't, you know, everybody sort of it's something, even if you don't want to admit it, you want a little bit, you want to have that influence it and be that kind of important.

But you know what it, it doesn't really matter.

It is the, the quality over quantity.

And so a lot of people are like, you know, I can see that you were a cheerleader.

I can tell these things about you.

But you know what?

I still didn't fit in.

That wasn't my place.

The the place that I fit in is where I am right now.

And that's it.

And I think it's, it's something that you do learn as you get older as well, because you know, when you're at school or in your sort of like early 20s importance status, you know, it's, it's it, there's so much made about it.

And, you know, I think in this age of social media and this may age where, you know, you have your online influencers who, you know, are are more famous and more important now than they have ever been.

And you know, I think that's really difficult for a lot of young people to sort of wrap their head around that this stuff that they're constantly being bombarded with.

It doesn't matter.

It doesn't matter at all.

And you know, all you, all you have to do is just be yourself.

And eventually you'll find your people.

You'll find the people that matter to you.

You'll find your friends that matter to you.

You'll find the people you want to spend your life with and talk about the things that you're passionate about and right.

And my daughter won't mind me telling this story.

She's 25, but she had a very difficult, she's very much like me, except personality wise, like I'm really peppy and stuff and she's got clinical depression.

She had a very hard time in high school.

She's a lesbian, you know, and wasn't even accepted by, you know, the, the gay club there at her high school and stuff.

And I told her because she's in, she was an art major.

She majored in Fine Arts in college.

We have a really good art school through IU here and.

I said when you get to college, you're going to find your people and just by being yourself.

And she has made her best friends, just amazing people.

And I was so glad for her.

And, and it's OK.

There's no time slot in, in life to find your people.

And we all go through our shit.

Like I was popular, but I never quite fit in because I, I was weird.

I liked horror movies and I, I like to, to read and, and it's never been a cool thing to read, you know what I mean?

Like you're always kind of a dork and a nerd always got a book in your hand, you know, So I just, I still never fit in.

But with my daughter, you know it.

It happened to her.

And in college that she found her people by being herself.

And you will.

So anybody out there who's feeling lonely, who's feeling like you're never, ever going to find a place that belong, you will just be you and just be patient because you don't want the wrong kind of people.

Yeah.

100 percent 100% OK Funniest or most embarrassing podcast moment?

Oh my God, every show.

I'll tell you my most embarrassing one, right.

So this is on the old show and I was going through a phase on the old show where I was just inviting people from other podcasts on like left, right and centre.

And if I had like interacted with you a few times on, you know, Twitter and then eventually you probably got a message from me at some point being like, hey, let's do an episode together.

Hey, let's let's collaborate.

Hey, let's do this, let's do that, you know, and that's, you know, probably, you know, it was a good thing, you know, I mean, we, we, you know, we made a lot of connections that way, But you know, we also maybe, you know, let some people on the show who probably shouldn't have been on the show and and things like that and one of those.

Been there, done that.

Yeah, A.

100% but anyway, so we'd we'd reached out to this guy whose whose name I apologize, but his name escapes me at the moment.

And he ran a true kind, a true crime broadcast and he, I had invited them on and we were going to talk about the collector, which talking of slasher movies, you know, like a more recent sort of lower budget slasher set of slasher movies.

And we were going to talk about that.

And I was like that that's cool because I really like those movies.

I think they're they're underrated gems, if you will, I think.

And what I hadn't realized at the time is when I'd invited him onto the show, he thought I was talking, there's a 1950s like move, actually 1950s like mystery movie, I think called the Collector.

It's a completely different movie.

And we, we then proceeded to have a very awkward hour long episode where we have nothing to talk about because we had, he hadn't seen the movie The Collector and I hadn't seen, I mean, the Collector that he was interested in.

And so, yeah, we just ended up releasing like this really sort of awkward hour long episode where we didn't really talk about much.

I'm trying to think of like the most embarrassing because I have had some embarrassing ass shit.

Like can't even pinpoint 1 even on part of the damn that one time because I have a gap in my, my bottom teeth and I, I was talking and I whistled and I turned so red that I and I was just, and you guys were like, Oh my God, you're like, your face is so red.

And I'm like, Oh my God, I hate when I do that.

You know, but and, and I have what I call because I have, I have like severe anxiety disorders.

I have more than one and I know it doesn't seem like it, but yeah, if you ever watch the show, sometimes you'll see it like I have a little tear fire pill case has my my Valium in it and I was just like popped one earlier because I, I need that it it's just, I, I, I'm trying to think it's usually on other people's shows, like when I do a guest appearance.

You know what, I remember when we did the the, the big quiz on Tim Mills, on Tim's show, on Tim's show.

And, you know, I think we were first and 2nd between us, you know?

Yeah.

Yeah, we we really.

But I there was a question about the thing in there.

Yes.

And it was basically it was, it was like it was asking for like a character name or something.

And the.

Dog guy and I got half credit the dog guy and they're like I have credit.

But I like and The thing is like I always like.

Thing is one of my favorite movies of all time.

I fucking love the Thing.

I've seen it so many times.

And I named a character from the video game instead of the movie.

Yeah.

And it's like, it's so more certifying, like the fact that I, it's one of my favorite films and I'm all like the dog guy.

That was his name to me.

And I was like, oh God.

I think I think we redeemed ourselves though.

Yeah, I mean, hey, we we kind of, we were up on the podium together.

We did pretty well because I'm pretty great at trivia.

But the dog guy?

Oh God, Come on, Candy.

OK, so this is ask us Anything and we're pretty open about, you know, everything in our lives.

And Newman's run with that theme, and he's asked, where is the most unconventional geographic location you've ever committed a sex act?

Oh man mine is so cringe.

It's it's embarrassing, but I will tell it because fuck it.

OK, so I was known as the ice queen in high school because I didn't date.

I was in love with this one guy and we were actually engaged much later because he was, he was an upperclassman and I was a freshman.

And no, I was, I was a sophomore and you know, he ended up being in, in college and I was still just desperately in love with him.

But anyway, so this one guy, and this is, this is my dating history before I, I got smart, he just kept asking me out.

And I finally gave in 'cause he was funny and I like funny.

And at the time, I was struggling with my sexuality because I liked girls as well.

And I was just kind of like, am I gay?

Like, what's am I, what's going on here?

Because I like this one guy, but I don't like other guys.

Anyway, So I was 15 and, and I was the last of my, my girlfriends.

I, I, I was still a virgin.

See, this is the most awkward fucking story.

You guys are going to get your money's worth on this.

And I was a virgin and everybody else was, you know, like, oh, my God, Candy, I can't believe you haven't had sex.

And I felt like a child.

I was 15.

I was like, what do you?

I'm not really feeling ready to have sex.

But eventually, through pressure and just me trying to sadly fit in.

Yeah, we all fall prey to it sometimes.

We had been dating for a minute.

And we were driving around one night, smoking pot, just hanging out.

We ended up at our high schools.

And this wasn't the guy I was live with.

This is the other guy I was dating briefly.

He was the only other guy I dated.

And we ended up just hanging out at our high school parking lot.

And I had sex for the very first time in my high school parking lot at night, and it was the worst thing.

I mean, looking back, yes, virginity, losing your virginity is just, it's always awkward and unpleasant.

And it was about 10 seconds of the worst fucking sex I've ever had in my school parking lot.

So I, and I'm not an exhibitionist.

I tend to be like, no, I'm not going to be like that.

But yeah, so I lost my virginity in a very public way in the back of a 70s Impala in my high school parking lot.

And it was even looking back, terrible sex.

Well.

Funny because I think I think my one would also be my my virginity story.

That's.

What I'm saying losing your virginity is is so awful.

It's, yeah, awful.

I mean, so, so I, I was, I was 16 and, and which is, is kinda it's, it's gonna sound real bad.

I think.

I think it's kind of like, at least for my generation, a little old here because 16 is the age of consent in in the UK.

And so like, I think that's like, it's kind of considered a little late to have lost because I feel like there's quite a large proportion of people out there who lost their virginity before the age of consent, you know, and I was with my.

Girlfriends had been having sex since 13.

Yeah, exactly.

You know, and my girlfriend at the time, who was also was the same age as me, she was my very, very first girlfriend.

And she was actually from like the other side of the country.

So we had like a little like a little young, like long distance thing going on.

And she came to visit me one time and we were just walking like we were walking about and I was like showing her around like my city.

And we took a walk down to we've we've got like quite a nice beach.

We're right on the sea front.

So we took a walk down there and down at the beach is where our city's football stadium is.

It's, it's down by the beach and right next to it is this like big hill.

And we, so we were walking up the hill and we, we decided that, you know, we were, we were young and we were kind of like making out in the grass, but the grass was like shoulder height on me.

And like, I, I at the time, I was like 5-10, you know, So like, it was really tall grass.

And, you know, it was one of those things where like one thing led to another.

And yeah, we, we, we lost our virginity in the middle of like a grass field at the top of the hill next to the football stadium.

And it was in the middle of the day and we very nearly got caught by someone walking their dog.

And it was, it was terrible, as most virginity stories are.

And it's.

Just terrible.

I'm pretty sure I got like grass rash on my ass but like.

He didn't get like chiggers or like something in the grass because those are the worst.

So so yeah, there you go.

Right.

That that's it for the Ask Us Anything questions.

We'll we'll we'll circle back.

Have you got anything for your three favorite movies outside the horror genre?

I've got, I think I have a couple.

I was just listening to the soundtracks.

I like to listen to because I have like Victrola, like type situation where I have like, well, I think it's it's made by Victrola.

It's like a record player, a CD player and then you can hook up your like Bluetooth like, you know, phone, like I can hook up my Spotify or whatever, do it.

And I was listening to the soundtrack of Velvet Goldmine and Velvet Goldmine is a slept on cult classic.

I love that movie.

Ewan McGregor, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, who had AI have a big thing for her.

And it's sort of based on David Bowie and Iggy Pop.

But and and David Bowie was on board to do the film and then he changed it because it was kind of capitalizing on the affair between Bowie and Iggy Pop, who were both bisexual and Christian Bale, very young Christian Bale's in it.

And I fucking love that movie.

I remember working at the video store.

It was a mom and pop, and when it came out on video, we had one copy of it because it wasn't a big release.

And I grabbed it and I was just like, Jesus Christ, where's this movie been my whole life?

So it's very influential.

And then when my daughter got older, I showed it to her and she's obsessed with it.

So I would say Velvet Goldmine's one of mine.

It's fantastic.

I mean, I could probably knockout 3 with just like one pick because three of my favorite movies of all time is the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Yes.

They they are just before.

Sean and I got our white Gold Star Wars bands because we have the I love you.

I know we have I, I they were the 1 ring.

Nice.

Yeah, like in particular 2 Towers is for me the like just such a masterpiece of I mean, they, they all are, all three of them are absolute masterpieces.

It's weird that Peter Jackson, he did these amazingly beautiful fucking movies, but then he did like brain dead.

He did meet the Fables, he did bad taste, and then he does the fucking Lord of the Rings.

I mean, this man is multifaceted.

Absolutely incredible sets of movies.

I'm going to go with like an animated one because it was my favorite growing up and to this day, even though like a couple of the later ones haven't been as good, Toy Story will always be like an absolute favorite of mine, like.

I remember when that movie came out, I was in high school and so and my brothers are four years younger than me, so we were a little older, but my mom and I got high and watched Toy Story and we were both like, Jesus Christ, I was a great fucking movie.

Oh, I'm also I, I just thought of one of mine.

There's a story to it and I think I've told it before.

My biological dad was taking me to see I, I beg to see Interview with the Vampire because I'm a big Anne Rice fan and I love vampires.

And he's like, well, I heard of this kind of artsy new movie that you know, we're going to see.

Instead I'm like, motherfucker, you just pulled a switcheroo on me and it turned out to be Pulp Fiction.

And Pulp Fiction was such a Oh my God, it just knocked me the fuck out.

It was amazing.

And he is very prudish.

So he kept wanting to leave and he's like, I was 15 and he's like, please don't tell 'cause I had just turned 15.

And he's like, please do not tell your mother.

It took you to see this.

And then like during the scene with bring out the game types type thing, he he he actually left the theatre and, and tried to get me to leave.

And so he waited outside for the rest of the movie.

I had the best time with that movie and that movie was just it spoke to me.

And so I would have to put Pulp Fiction up there.

I.

Mean, if we're going down like the sort of Tarantino route, Tarantino is a piece of shit as well.

But like, yeah, Reservoir Dogs as well, I think is such an incredible movie and like an absolutely incredible class.

And RIP Michael Madstone, who who passed away.

Not I know.

I was so bombed.

So yeah, I would probably put that up there as well, but there's so many.

There's so, so many.

Like you'd be like there's, there's, there's, there's too many to choose from for me to pick just three and specifically be like, that is 123 Green Mile for me is another one.

But like, that's like my sad cry film.

So yeah.

I mean, I'm just kind of like picking on like picking films from like just where I'm at right now.

Yeah.

Pulp Fiction is always going to be in that three.

I, I couldn't tell you exactly where it would place, but third film would be shit.

I'm, I'm trying honestly.

And this is just the mood I'm in.

Scott Pilgrim versus the World.

You know what?

That's a solid as fuck choice.

Like no, I don't think anyone.

Movie, I'm never tired of it.

It is amazing.

The details are great.

It's it's fun.

It's got, you know, great performances by a lot of people who went on to do really big things.

You know, I, I just, I have to say it's a cult classic in my home.

We watch it a lot, so Scott Pilgrim versus the World is going to be up there and that's and I love Edgar Wright.

So, you know, it's just.

Awesome, right.

Well, thank you very much for people for all those wonderful questions.

And hopefully you've learned a little bit more about me and candy in our lives and, and, and you know, the things that go through our head.

We'll move on.

Let's do a bit of AI.

Would like to mention Ian and I are going to have a discussion and we're going to, we're going to decide which question gave us the best conversation and I'm going to do a little mini shopping spree at Fright Rags with them.

So we will announce that coming up soon, like in the next few days.

So pay attention to our social media.

100% right.

Should we do a little bit of a leaderboard update?

Because I know you've been dying for the leaderboard update, right?

So basically the reason this call came around is there was a few months ago, my leaderboard file got corrupted and I lost our entire leaderboard shit.

And I had a major stress about it.

And then I decided, you know what, it's fine.

I'm going to use it as an opportunity to refresh the leaderboard.

Because obviously for anyone who's listened to any of our episodes, you'll know every movie that we do, we tell you the correct scores.

That's IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, and Metacritic.

But over time, those scores change.

Those aren't permanent scores and they change over time.

And for a number of our movies, practically all of them, to be fair.

They have changed in some way.

Some of them have changed very, very slightly and hasn't really made that big a difference of all.

Some of them have changed quite a lot and you know, there's been some movement up and down the leaderboard so.

And I have been eager to hear this information because you've been talking about it for a minute.

So I am like, yeah, let's hear it.

So I'll, I'll start right.

We'll, we'll start at the very top right, and I'll tell you what the top ten was before the update.

So before the update, in 10th place we had Grindhouse.

I did so well in the leaderboard.

9th place was Hereditary and 8th place was the Omen.

In the in 7th place was Reanimator.

In 6th place was the thing.

Misery was in fifth, Halloween in fourth, Jaws in 3rd, Alien in 2nd, and Aliens in first.

It was an alien sweep.

Deserved.

I prefer aliens.

So it was it was an alien sweep at the top.

But now, now that the update is being completed in 10th place, is The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Holy shit that was my pick.

That was your Christmas pick this year.

Yeah, yeah.

So that that's that's shot right up the leaderboard.

It's such a huge.

Like cult thing.

100% and I, I just think it's so it kind of encapsulates this whole podcast.

I think that that's in our top ten in 9th place is misery.

So that's actually dropped down from 5th to 9th.

I'm glad it's.

Still I'm the top 10 though.

Oh, it's, it's a near I actually just because I didn't have it.

I actually just bought the book because I I realized I'd never actually read the book.

That was one of my first ones that I read in the book.

I actually so.

God damn amazing.

Nice.

Right there I.

Want to review?

Full review from you.

Excellent.

In 8th place is The Exorcist, which is one of the greatest horror movies of all time.

And you know, no.

Debate there.

In 7th place is Train to Busan, a great modern entry in the top ten and good.

Yeah, that movie is phenomenal.

A fantastic movie in 6th place.

Speaking of more modern entries, let the right one in in 6th place and.

So glad that that one rated so high because yeah, damn great.

Movie in 5th place, dropping down from 3rd.

It's Jaws.

Jaws drops a couple of places.

In fourth place is Shaun of the Dead.

Oh.

OK, a horror comedy there, one of my favourites of all time in third.

Yeah, it's.

One of the best movies.

Ever in 3rd place now is Alien.

Alien has dropped a place down into third.

In 2nd place is the greatest slasher movie of all time, Halloween.

That's moved up a couple of places.

That's one of the benefits.

It's, I think it's, it's, it's, it's definitely, and Aliens is still number one.

It's still number one.

Wow.

It's score did actually drop ever so slightly.

Not by a huge amount.

It was one of those ones that it only dropped by like a fraction, but it did actually drop a little bit in its score.

But it's still #1 So Aliens, Halloween Alien, Shaun of the Dead, Jaws, like the right one in Trained, Abusan, The Exorcist, Misery, Nightmare before Elm Street, the things dropped out the top 10.

So is The Omen, Re Animator, Hereditary, Grindhouse all dropping out of the top 10.

Wow.

So that being said, let's go down to the bottom of the leaderboard because I know there's some exciting stuff down there.

Yeah.

So I'll do the I'll just do the bottom 5.

So before before the update, 5th from bottom was Long Time Dead which I don't think you've seen, which is a British horror film.

I have not.

Seen it.

4th from bottom is Winnie the Pooh.

Blood and honey, third.

Fuck that movie.

3rd from bottom is Troll 2.

I think troll 2 is better than that.

Yeah, so do I.

Second from bottom is Attack of the Herbals, which again, that's not even like, that's like a totally local film to me and Nico.

And then Bottom is Lost Boys, the Tribe.

That movie was a piece of shit.

And I'm going to say the bottom.

The bottom 4 have remained the same.

There's been no change in the bottom 4 but 5th from bottom now.

So instead of long time dad, 5th from bottom, now is Halloween resurrection.

That movie, like IH2, oi remember seeing it in the theater and I was like, yeah, that was all right.

You know, the resurrection.

I was like, come on, come on.

Can we?

End it.

There's, but there's been, there's been so much movement in, in the leaderboard that it would, it would take me hours to go through every single one.

I will create a graphic of our brand new full updated leaderboard and I'll get that released in the next couple of days.

But there's been some, some really positive scores and just looking throughout some of the big headers elsewhere on the leaderboard, so Texas Chainsaw Massacres score increased.

It's now in 20th place.

So it's broken itself back into the top 20, which is great I.

Think it still deserves to be higher?

Yeah, I would say so.

Nightmare on Elm Street in 17.

My favorite films of all time.

Which had its score increased, the ugly step sisters in there in the top 20 as well, which, you know, I think is really good.

But even just going down that list, you've got Candyman, whose score increased now in 26th.

The dissent twitch.

Man was interesting because that was the first live episode that you did and I was your guest host at the time.

Like your Co host?

That's right.

Yeah, I.

Remember, we had a really great discussion.

I I adore that movie, absolutely adore that a.

100%.

The dissent actually dropped score and is now down in 30th place.

I think it is one of the most underrated horror movies.

I think it's such a good film.

Hellraiser score increased but it's still down in 42nd place.

Ridiculous, but I.

Have we done Part 2?

We haven't.

It's on the list.

It's coming up soon.

We've.

Got it.

We've got to do, yeah.

Saw for as much as people might hate the software on choice, it's sitting in 52nd place at the minute and I think it deserves to be way higher than that.

Oh yeah, Saw.

It's like I think once everybody learned the twist and then kind of I think the sequels hurt the original.

I really felt like as a standalone film, it's it's phenomenal.

Yeah.

And I mean, like going down this sort of middle section of the leaderboard, there's some huge movies that are, you know, in the 50s, sixties, seventies, 80s and beyond.

Scream is in 54th place.

You've got An American Werewolf in London in 57th place.

Child's play.

That movie is like the I'm not a werewolf person, but it deserves better than that.

That is a fantastic.

Film You've got a Child's Play in 58, You've got Terra Fire two and 63rd.

That's fucking ridiculous.

I'm sorry.

Event Horizon because it was so panned by a lot of the Craigs.

It's in 70th place and I think bullshit.

That's like one of the greatest sci-fi films.

That's when the you and I did before I was a permanent member on the show, and we just lauded that movie with wonderfulness.

Maniac is in 86th place, you know.

Why'd I go do me dirty like that?

But, well, if you want to really do you dirty, Halloween 3 is in 118th place, son.

Of a whore.

People are so.

Mean to that movie?

Your favorite Freddy versus Jason's in 115th should.

Be lower.

What else have we got there?

Oh, we've got Resident Evil in 116th.

The remake of Child's Play is in 120th, you know, so there's just some some of the things back.

Of that's higher then Halloween 3 is really fucking bullshit.

Just I know that you're an apologist for that movie, but I'm sorry.

No, no.

Now here's here's something that I think will mix things up in a very large way.

We all know where I'm headed with my choices.

There hasn't been a secret that we're going to be doing the original of the Dead trilogy.

We're going to do Night of the Living Dead, we're going to do Dawn of the Dead, and we're going to do Day of the Dead.

And those movies are so iconic and so beloved that I'm really curious.

I think it's going to do some major shaking up.

That's my prediction.

I think two of them will break the top 10.

Which 2?

I think Night will break the top ten and I think Dawn will break the top 10.

And as George Ramiro himself said, only the real trolls love Day.

But it is the 40th anniversary.

Check your, I mean listeners, if if you're a big fan of Day or you need to give it another shot because I think day, the older I get, the more that I'm obsessed with Day.

I just recently rewatched it again for like the 50th time this year because Joe Pilatto.

Just choose that scenery in the best fucking way possible.

The gore is top notch.

This is when Gregory Nicotero was studying under Tom Sabini.

I mean it is just phenomenal.

So do yourselves a favor, check your local listings and get out and see that in theaters.

Yeah, 100%, definitely.

We've got so much exciting stuff coming up.

Let's go.

We'll quickly talk about some of the movies that we've got coming up and then we'll finish things off by talking about the awards that are coming up this season.

So obviously this episode has been in the works for quite a while.

We've been kind of sitting on the 150th episode coming up for quite a while and we've we've kind of put a lot of other things on pause for a bit for us to get this done.

Plus we've had a number of new releases.

We're going to talk about all the new releases that we see, whether that's weapons, whether that's together, whether that's Five Nights at Freddy's 2, whether that's, you know, All Black Phone 2.

Matthew Lillard, you know, you know, I saw the first one.

Set.

Yeah.

And, and I think one of the great things about this show, and you know what?

Nico's probably the best one for it.

It doesn't matter if the movie is good or bad, we, we, we will still talk about it.

We'll tear it apart and every once in a while Nico will turn around to me and be like, mate, we haven't done anything really shit for a while, let's pick something really bad and just fucking do it right.

Hey, I got a whole host of fucking bad movies.

Through you, I mean, Nico kicked you off your permanent tenure on the podcast was kicked off with Army of the Dead.

Yeah, I still owe him for that because he missed pieces.

But currently we have the top, and I know I've said this quite a lot lately, the top five series is has not gone away.

I know we haven't done much this year in terms of the top five series, but.

Yeah, because I think we've been focusing a lot more on current.

We have, but you know, we still plan on doing more of those as well.

So that's not going anywhere.

Like I say, we always have some irons in the works and you know, we'll still be working a way to bring you some fun, cool guests and guest appearances and interviews.

And Ren and Newman and Sarah ET al and beyond will be on the show at some point.

So please look at that go.

Back on here.

Too 100% yes.

And because he's trying.

To get his movie made.

Yeah, 100%.

And you know, he was on for our Terrifiers 3 episode, which was a fantastic discussion between the four of us as well.

Nico, he's got some interesting points of view.

I think that all of us come from such an amazing place that we have some great talks.

100% but let's talk about some of the movie.

Well, we won't go into too much detail, but just some of the movie topics that we have coming up for you guys.

So you've obviously mentioned the of the Dead trilogy.

We'll be getting those recorded and soon.

But some of the other movies that we've got on our schedule at the moment, Sleepaway Camp 2 is one that we've been having in the works for a really long time.

That'll probably be one of the first ones that we get recorded.

When we get back to recording Heather's as well, we're going to be recording very, very, very.

I know that Sarah is very interested in that, so hopefully she'll she'll need a break.

How it is.

Well, you don't, but when you're parents, especially of a little one, sometimes you need a little me time.

100% and our best wishes go out to Sarah as well.

Who?

Yeah, she.

Is so happy and her little baby is absolutely adorable.

But also coming up, Wolf Creek is on our list and I'm super excited to talk about.

That like this really sick amazing copy of it too so.

Nice Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Next Generation.

That's a Nico choice.

That's that's very much.

I don't.

I think even if you hadn't said that, I think listeners would have known that that was a Nico choice.

And that Wolf Creek was a my choice.

Hellraiser 2, we talked about it earlier.

It's on the list.

It's coming up very, very shortly.

I can't wait to talk about that.

I am ready to talk about Hellraiser.

Two life force, which is another Nico choice.

Yeah, I think that's going to be an.

That's a Sean movie.

He I've seen it because of Sean.

Yeah, I think that's going to be an interesting 1 though.

Yeah, I think so.

The people under the stairs, which is very, very much my choice.

I think I'm.

Going to surprise everyone with that one.

I can't wait for a toxic Avenger.

Is that a you choice?

I think that was a you choice, wasn't it?

I love Trump so much and I've met Lloyd Kaufman and what a darling man.

Yes, he's, he's fucking awesome.

He's.

Brilliant dude went to Yale.

You know what I got I there's a very couple of times where because I know he's, he does it every once in a while.

It could be worth reaching out to him, to be honest.

Oh yeah, you know, he is.

He is so personable and sweet and we got to work on that because I think he'd love it.

And then the final movie that's on our current list is 13 Ghosts.

You get your Matthew Lillard fix, Matthew.

Lillard, I love him so much.

So there you go.

That's just an example of some of the incredible movies that we've got coming up.

And that's just the current list.

As always, we're constantly adding things, including new releases, including mini swords, including top five.

So there's so, so much to look forward to.

We're getting near to spooky season, which usually means I we pick, we're gonna get.

A glut of films.

100% and then once spooky season is passed, it's time for that Christmas series of episodes again, which always brings out.

The Beast.

I want to say the best of us.

I'm not 100% convinced it does bring out the best of us to be honest, because.

Yeah, it brings out the beast of us.

The Chris I'm sure people are sick fed up of me mentioning it, but the Christmas episode on It's a Wonderful Life very nearly caused the end of the pot of the doubt.

Yeah, that was that was brutal.

It's still out there for people.

I wasn't on that episode because you want to talk about carnage.

I mean, if I mean like that was back in the day when people really genuinely questioned whether Nico and I were friends.

People like because we were so mean to each other in the like first year and that, but that's just like our friendship.

Yeah, I mean, when you're really good friends with somebody, you fuck with them, so you know what I mean?

Because you have that friendship thing going and it's like nothing's gonna break up that friendship so.

Yeah, 100%.

And I think at least in terms of like the podcast, I think we've mellowed out quite a lot over the past couple of years.

So, people.

I've been a calming influence.

Maybe.

Perhaps.

Now I'm the chaos.

But but before, when people used to question that, we would always say that there's absolutely no animosity ever between me and Nico.

Like everything on the show is in good jest and we take it as friends and things.

The It's a Wonderful Life episode.

There was animosity on that episode.

I, I, there was so many occasions where I was just ready to hit, stop recording and just be like, fuck this episode.

Like we got so mad at each other in that episode.

And you know what?

I think it made for great a great podcast because it's one of our most downloaded episodes to this day.

Yeah.

I mean, sometimes it's it's surprising which ones, which episodes go over well or that people really like you're kind of like that one, but it's then you remember like how like crazy that episode was and some of the wild shit that.

100% the first year we did the Christmas episodes, I think we did.

We did Krampus and Gremlins, which are two classics or horror adjacent Christmas.

And then last year when we did it, Nico would pick Scrooged, which was a fun episode topic.

You did a love Scrooged, Yes.

Yeah.

You'd picked A Nightmare on Elm Street and I was the one who went completely left field and picked love.

Love, Actually.

Yeah, I wish.

I was really surprised.

I was like, what it?

Doesn't have to be.

It doesn't have to be a Christmas horror film.

So yeah, that's.

True, it's true.

I just I that movie.

It's not about it not being horror, it's just about it sucking.

I mean, some people might say it's a, it's a bit, it's, it's somewhat of a horror.

Yeah, it's a horror because like, oh God, this movie, you know?

But anyways, Speaking of Christmas and the end of the year, as we've alluded to quite a few times, we are very, very close to our end of year award season and our fifth annual Damned Horror Awards.

This is something that we do every single year and it usually runs from about mid-october.

We open up nominations for our horror, horror, I say a horror movie, but our categories, we have a number of categories in which we award various things for horror movies from the year.

We always do it from November to November because obviously putting the nominations in the voting, it takes time and you know, it's not fair I think on a move like.

Bracket style as.

Certain, yeah.

And I I don't think it's can.

Be some very difficult choices.

Yeah, and I don't think it's fair on movies that come out in November because they're going to lose out in voting because simply there's just like not enough time for people to get out and see them.

So we always run them November to November.

So movies this year, movies from November 2024 all the way up to the end of October 2025 will will count and will be open for nominations.

We have a number of categories as always, and we haven't added any new categories in from last year.

I think we've got like the nice sweet spot of categories as always.

We will have our horror Hall of Fame.

We will have our best score, slash soundtrack, best cinematography, most unexpected success, best supporting performer, best lead performer, best director and best movie slash series.

And as we've said before, I think for each of the last few years we've kind of known what's going to take home most of the awards.

Last year it was the substance, you know.

I mean, are we going to wager some guesses?

I think we it would be cool if we did.

Yeah, let's go for it.

Let's go for it.

So I mean, do you want to do just sort of broad strokes?

Do you want to take each category?

Like if we're going to, let's go for the big.

Yeah.

I mean, I'm going to say overall, I'm going to go with sinners.

I think Sinners is going to be the front runner for a lot of the categories, but I don't think it's going to sweep the floor the way that like the substance dead, no.

No, I don't.

Expect a few years ago.

Pretty heavy in there.

And of course, our voting isn't just open to movies as well.

Any horror series that was released also is is eligible for voting.

If you go back to our first horror awards, Midnight Mass actually won won the best horror movies last.

Series.

It's something I rewatch at least once or twice a year.

It's.

Phenomenal Hamish linkletter as like fucking father Paul like.

That.

Was amazing.

But you know, if you go to go through going through the carriers, I genuinely think the ugly step sister, especially for something like most unexpected success is is is going to be up there.

There's been some fantastic cinematography this year in horror already and I think.

I mean, I'm thinking centers is, you know, when Ran and I did centers, we had both seen the movie several times in theaters and we talked a lot about the cinematography.

I really think that it was.

It's a front runner.

Yeah.

And I think for score as well, it's going to be in there as well.

Oh yeah, it almost has to be.

I do think that Bloodlines can be in there as well for soundtrack, because I do think Bloodlines is a really fucking cool soundtrack and I hope you're starting to think about your Horror Hall of Fame nomination for this year.

Yes.

I, I'm a bit torn because like I, I kind of like each of the each of my nominations.

I've kind of made a point about them.

One thing I noticed like when when we did like the first couple of years of voting was that there wasn't a lot of female representation in the votes.

It was going half heavily towards.

And listen, this is not to say that people like, you know, John Carpenter and Vincent Price and George Romero and Tom Savit, they they don't deserve your votes, but there just wasn't that much.

So my first year I pop, I put Barbara Crampton into the Hall of Fame.

I put Sigourney Weaver in my second year.

My third year, I put Alvira in.

Last year I put Tony Todd in because it felt like the right thing to do, so I don't know what I'm going to put in this year, Chris said.

Deserves to be.

There.

So, so yes, so that's coming up very shortly.

Stay tuned to our social media because the categories are coming out shortly.

And that is it.

That's going to be it for our episode.

We are 150 episodes old, young, however you want to call it.

Here's to the next 150.

Absolutely.

Candy, thank you so, so much for joining me.

Don't forget you can follow us on our social media platforms.

We're on Facebook, Threads, Instagram, Blue Sky, TikTok, YouTube, all the pot of the dam.

You can e-mail us at potofthedam@gmail.com.

Where can you be found Candy?

I'm Candy Funnel Girl.

You can find me at candy Funnel girl on Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky.

I think I I'm gonna try TikTok again.

I just think I maybe I'm too old for this crap 'cause I'm just not good at it.

I'm just like, I'll do it later.

And I'm on Facebook.

It's Candy Allison.

It is hooked up to my Instagram, so you can just follow it from there.

And what else?

Oh, and you can e-mail me at chemicalgeisha@gmail.com.

That is my gamertag.

I've had that e-mail forever because it's my gamertag on Xbox.

I'm the big gamer, so.

And please please, please please friend me on Xbox.

I'm looking for people to play Death By Daylight with me.

Awesome, right, guys?

That's it.

We're going to do it.

We're going to get the fuck out here.

It's 10:30 where I am and I need to go bed.

Yeah.

It is.

It is 530 here so I got to get ready and do dinner.

Nice.

OK, Candy, thank you so much once again for joining me and guys so.

Good to see you and I.

I'm ready to see Nico.

I can't wait to to see him again.

That's.

The great thing about doing Zoom is, you know, you may live in Scotland, but I get to, I get to see that mug.

You know, there's something special about, you know, talking face to face and I and I and when people watch our our podcast, you will see that that camaraderie there.

I think so.

I agree.

I agree.

And please check out our Patreon.

Yes.

Because in in a here in the USI believe it's like AI don't know what $1.50 or something.

Yeah, it's £1.00 in the UK and it's $1.50 in.

The US to a lot of stuff and I'm still going to now that we're going to be doing my Romero stuff.

I have so many amazing rare things to show off and I will do a little film for Patreon for that.

You guys will be amazed at the level of crazy.

I have a signed copy of Dawn of the Dead by George Romero and Tom Savini.

Nice, not equal things.

Yeah, there will.

We're going to put a bit of a renewed focus into the Patreon because it's something that we've neglected a little bit.

But thank you to people who give us your support on there.

It does help us pay, you know, the bills of, of the things like like this, like Zoom and and there's those sort of things.

Keep the lights on and just so we can keep having fun.

We make no money from this.

We do it for fun and stay tuned for our little mini shopping spree because we appreciate your questions.

And you know, I, I, I just really enjoy shopping for other people.

I like your shop.

Right, thank you very, very much once again to everyone.

And until next week on the Pod of the Damned, just remember, you're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't.

The.