Screams & Streams

Midnight is ticking down, Y2K is humming in the background, and a demon in a suit thinks New York owes him a date. We pour a Devil’s Margarita and dive headfirst into End of Days, the late-90s mashup of apocalyptic horror and action that pairs a haunted ex-cop with millennium panic. From the opening dread to the CGI inferno, we unpack why this movie fascinates even when it fumbles.

We start with the big swing: casting Arnold Schwarzenegger as Jericho Cain. Can a quintessential action icon sell spiritual grief without the trademark wink? We tr...

A whispered line changed movie history—but why does it still hit so hard? We dive back into The Sixth Sense and trace the artistry that keeps the fear alive: the red visual motif, breath in the cold, long takes that dare you to blink, and a score that hums beneath the skin instead of shouting cues. We talk about the scenes that branded themselves into our memories—the attic closet panic, the kitchen cupboards, the funeral reveal—and why the opening with Vincent Gray still shocks, even when you can recite the twist.

What surprised us most o...

Fear should crawl under your skin, not shout in your face—so why does a grand, gorgeous mansion feel so empty of real suspense? We dive into The Haunting (1999) with clear eyes and full receipts, unpacking how a stacked cast, a massive budget, and bold production design still end up smothered by noisy CGI and thin character stakes. From the ethically suspect “sleep study” setup to the locked gates that trap our crew overnight, we examine every red flag and how each choice undercuts tension rather than building it.

We talk pacing that sags between set pieces, perfor...

A millionaire promises $1 million to anyone who survives a night in a shuttered asylum, and our panel dives headfirst into whether House on Haunted Hill (1999) deserves its 31% reputation—or a little redemption. We start with a crisp plot recap, then break down what the movie does well: fast pacing, early kills, and a few set pieces that still deliver a jolt. The fake-out elevator, the roller coaster gag, and a clever camera-only surgery scene get real points for ingenuity and tension, even if the film feels like a glossy haunted attraction built for jumpy thrills.

From there we...

A Mars mission comes home with more than a headline, and a franchise sequel tries to turn sex into the scariest transmission vector imaginable. We dive into Species 2 with a clear lens and a stiff drink, tracing how a promising body-horror premise gets buried under wobbly effects, cliché military coverups, and a baffling appeal to “the human inside” a character the script treats like a test subject. We talk through the good (a few gnarly practical moments, a barn full of cocoons, an unexpectedly sharp death), the bad (cardboard rockets, digital goo, and a flag-waving finale), and the ridiculous (nippl...

Seven days is plenty of time to argue about a classic. We throw open the case file on Hideo Nakata’s Ringu and ask the hard question: does that 98% score still fit, or did the remake sharpen the scares that the original merely hinted at? From the cursed videotape’s elegant simplicity to the gut-twist of the seven-day phone call, we unpack why this story endures: it punishes curiosity and forces a brutal choice—save yourself by copying the curse, or let it die with you.

We walk through first impressions, then dive into the big craft swings...

A polite knock. A request for eggs. And then the floor drops out. Our latest dives into Michael Haneke’s Funny Games (1997), a home-invasion thriller that refuses to play by genre rules. We unpack why this film still needles under the skin: the calculated pace, the suffocating silence broken by blasts of abrasive music, and the way two eerily courteous young men turn social niceties into weapons. We compare the Austrian original to the shot-for-shot American remake, outline what makes the original feel colder and more precise, and revisit the scenes that linger—especially that ten-minute single take after ever...

A map lost, a legend found, and a final image that still sets nerves on edge. We crack open The Blair Witch Project with a mix of reverence and skepticism, exploring why a film with no score, almost no gore, and a monster you never see became a horror milestone. Julie joins Chad, Mike, and Sam to share first-watch memories, theater lore about audiences who thought it was real, and the marketing sleight of hand that turned rumor into rocket fuel long before social media.

We dig into the nuts and bolts of the scares: the weaponized...

The howling you hear isn’t from the monster—it’s from fans watching a beloved classic get saddled with a clumsy sequel. We dive into An American Werewolf in Paris and sort the few effective frights from an avalanche of awkward humor, rubbery CGI, and logic that faceplants off the Eiffel Tower. We set the scene with a spoiler warning and a tart “Sinister Sip,” then get honest about why a meager 7 percent score feels fair: the chemistry is flat, the jokes miss, and the tone wanders between frat gags and faux-goth moodiness.

We compare what made the L...

A packed preview screening. A masked crowd turned frenzy. A sequel that dares to out-meta itself while sprinting toward the next kill. We dig into Scream 2 with clear eyes and a full notebook—what still chills, what creaks, and why the twist loses oxygen on rewatch. From the opening Stab chaos to the theater-stage showdown, we trace how Wes Craven’s follow-up balances genuine tension with winks at horror rules, and where those winks become crutches.

We trade first impressions and revisit fatigue, then spotlight the set pieces that still work: the cop car crawl that forces Sidn...

A serial killer collides with a chemical spill, reforms as a wisecracking snowman, and turns a quiet town into a slushy crime scene. That’s the outrageous hook behind Jack Frost (1997), a holiday horror curiosity that splits our panel right down the middle. We dig into what makes camp work—resourceful effects, punchy pacing, and knowingly silly kills—and where this movie fumbles, from cotton-ball snow and wobbly camera setups to a bathtub sequence that crosses a line and derails the fun.

We start with expectations and tone. If you press play for so-bad-it’s-good energy, you’ll find mo...

A moody vampire wakes up in a donut shop, the mob runs out of henchmen, and David Cronenberg delivers the most quotable line in the movie. We took the listener-suggested Blood and Donuts for a spin and found a late-night oddity that’s equal parts fog machine, love story, and lo-fi punchline—and somehow never fully commits to any of them. If you’ve ever wondered how a film can be too gentle for horror and too stiff for comedy, this is your case study.

We walk through what works and what wilts: the melancholy vibe, a few li...

A quiet town, a ringing phone, and a voice that knows your name—Scream still hits like a cold draft under a locked door. We dive straight into that iconic opener and trace how Wes Craven flipped the slasher on its head without losing the thrill: self-aware teens who know the rules, killers who bleed and blunder, and a meta script that lets us play detective while the body count rises. From the first “What’s your favorite scary movie?” to the party that spirals into chaos, we unpack why these set pieces still work and where the film shows it...

A vampire bordello hidden in a funeral home should be wicked fun. Instead, Bordello of Blood stumbles between snickering one-liners, rubbery effects, and a finale that finally shows the movie it could have been. We crack it open with a candid look at why the humor wears thin, how the horror gets undercut, and where the chaos behind the scenes bleeds onto the screen.

We start with the promise: a Tales from the Crypt setup that winks at camp and invites gleeful excess. Then comes the letdown. Dennis Miller’s constant ad-libs pull the film off its ra...

A film student chasing the anatomy of onscreen violence, a campus full of secrets, and a tape no one should ever see—Amenábar’s “Thesis” has the DNA of a great thriller. We pull the story apart scene by scene, from the cafeteria meet-cute that frames two opposing worldviews to the hidden tunnels where academia and exploitation collide. You’ll hear why one of us tapped out on the pacing while another defended the premise, and how a few smart sound choices briefly turn suggestion into genuine dread.

We get granular about craft: overlong chases that bleed tensi...

A classroom empties at 2:17 a.m., a town wakes into panic, and a smiling aunt named Gladys quietly takes control. We unpack Weapons with a focus on what makes its daylight horror so unnerving: ordinary streets, ring camera footage, and fights that look messy because real people don’t brawl like stunt teams. From the opening sequence to the last chase, the film swaps cheap jolts for sustained dread and pays it off with performances that leave bruises.

We dive into the layered structure—how replayed scenes shift with each perspective, how a longer hug or a shak...

A double-booked Airbnb in a storm might be the most relatable horror premise of the decade—and Barbarian squeezes it for every ounce of dread. We open with the small stuff that sets your nerves on edge: an unlocked door, a too-polite stranger, a rope you should never pull. From there, we follow the film’s audacious pivot into AJ’s Hollywood scandal and ask why that sharp turn makes the story more honest about entitlement, denial, and the smooth language predators use to reframe harm.

We get granular on what the movie does brilliantly early on—atmosphe...

What if your teachers weren’t just strict—they weren’t even human? We revisit Robert Rodriguez’s 1998 cult favorite The Faculty and pull apart why a movie that isn’t all that scary can still be a blast. From a stacked cast and deliciously campy set pieces to a soundtrack that transports you straight to the late 90s, this one hits the sweet spot between teen drama and creature feature.

We kick off with a quick setup and a “sinister sip” cocktail, then get into what makes the film tick: archetypal teens forced to trust one another under...

A single room, a tiny budget, and a terrifying idea. We take Cube (1997) apart panel by panel to see why this indie puzzle-box still grips, frustrates, and inspires. From the first “Wonder Bread” kill to that nerve-wracking silent room, the movie turns constraints into storytelling fuel—smart sound design, practical effects with real bite, and a set built to trick the eye into believing there are thousands of ways to die.

We share our first impressions and split ratings, then wrestle with the film’s sharp edges. Does the cop’s barely-contained rage work or wear thin? How do the...

A vampire drifts into Brooklyn with destiny on his mind—and somehow leaves horror and comedy at the door. We pull apart Vampire in Brooklyn with a candid look at how a dream lineup of Eddie Murphy, Angela Bassett, and Wes Craven gets tripped up by clashing tones, studio pressures, and choices that confuse more than they charm. From the opening shipwreck to the final showdowns, we trace the moments that could have worked if the film had committed to being scary first and funny second.

We dig into the big swings and misses: the inconsistent accent th...

A skeptical professor, a brooding estate, and a family who won’t let go—Haunted (1995) promises classic chills but delivers something stranger: a Gothic romance in ghost story clothes. We unpack why the movie looks older than its year, how the narration flattens tension, and where the tone drifts from eerie to oddly cozy. From fog-drenched train platforms to self-playing pianos and that not-so-subtle painting, the film throws every haunted-house trope on the table, then blurs the rules of the afterlife until the logic starts to wobble. If a ghost can drive a car, ride a horse, and charm a sk...

A film crew, a rogue hunter, and a snake that just won’t stop—we take on Anaconda (1997) with equal parts curiosity and side‑eye. We open with a quick plot setup and a themed “sinister sip” that goes spectacularly wrong (absinthe plus tequila, never again), then dive into why this movie feels bigger in memory than it does on rewatch. From the out‑of‑place British adventurer to the hitchhiker-turned-expert guide, we map the 90s trope trail and ask the only question that matters: does any of it still create real suspense?

We break down the effects with c...

The unexpected brilliance of From Dusk Till Dawn lies in its fearless genre-bending approach. Starting as a gritty crime thriller following the Gecko brothers on a violent spree across Texas, the film morphs into a blood-soaked vampire extravaganza without warning – leaving audiences either thrilled or bewildered. This bold storytelling choice creates an unforgettable viewing experience that continues to captivate fans decades after its release.

George Clooney shines as Seth Gecko, bringing a perfect balance of menace and charisma to his role as the professional criminal trying to keep his unstable brother Richie (Quentin Tarantino) in check. Harvey Ke...

Ever wondered what happens when folklore meets filmmaking failure? Look no further than our deep dive into 1994's "Leprechaun 2," a horror sequel so bizarre it might just leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about Irish mythology.

When we first pressed play on this Saint Patrick's Day nightmare (which scored a dismal 6% on Rotten Tomatoes), we weren't prepared for the sheer absurdity awaiting us. The plot follows an evil leprechaun who must wait 1,000 years before claiming a bride, specifically targeting the descendant of a woman he previously failed to marry. What unfolds is a confusing mess...

What happens when the monster from the movie screen steps into your real life? Wes Craven's "New Nightmare" takes us on a mind-bending journey that blurs the boundaries between fiction and reality in ways that kinda feel fresh nearly three decades later.

When actress Heather Langenkamp (playing herself) begins experiencing strange phone calls and disturbing dreams, she discovers that the character she portrayed in the original "Nightmare on Elm Street" has become tragically relevant to her actual life. As earthquakes shake Los Angeles and her young son Dylan begins exhibiting troubling behavior, Heather realizes that something has...

Horror fans, your favorite nightmare-inducing podcast is back! After a refreshing summer break, we're ready to plunge back into the depths of horror cinema – both the critically acclaimed gems and the delightfully terrible misfires that make us question our life choices.

Mark your calendars for September 13th when the full Screams and Streams crew reunites to kick off our return with Wes Craven's meta-horror masterpiece "New Nightmare" (1994). This fan-favorite marks our re-entry into 90s horror territory, and we couldn't be more excited to dissect what made this self-referential Freddy Krueger revival so significant. Don't worry, we're also su...

Danny Boyle's return to the rage-infected universe delivers a mesmerizing evolution of horror that feels both familiar and startlingly fresh. Set almost three decades after the original outbreak, "28 Years Later" transports viewers to a Britain permanently transformed—where small pockets of humanity cling to existence alongside the changed infected.

The film's emotional core centers on Spike, a 12-year-old boy who has never known a world beyond his island community. His coming-of-age journey becomes entangled with his mother's terminal illness, forcing a dangerous expedition to the mainland that reveals how both the infected and survivors have adapted to th...

That tense, breathtaking opening scene in the isolated cottage sets the tone perfectly - Robert Carlyle's character makes the ultimate cowardly choice, abandoning his wife to a horde of infected to save himself. This moral failure haunts the entire film and creates one of the most devastating character arcs in zombie cinema.

28 Weeks Later builds on the frenetic energy of its predecessor while shifting toward military action horror. Six months after the rage virus decimated Britain, American forces establish a safe zone in London to begin repopulation. The false security of military protection quickly unravels when two...

An empty London. A hospital bed. A man waking from a coma to discover the world has fallen apart. This is how we meet Jim, our protagonist in Danny Boyle's revolutionary 2002 horror film "28 Days Later." What follows is a heart-pounding journey through a Britain devastated by the rage virus – a pathogen that transforms ordinary people into blood-spewing, relentlessly aggressive infected in mere seconds.

The film's groundbreaking approach to the zombie apocalypse genre still resonates two decades later. Shot on consumer-grade digital cameras that give it a raw, documentary feel, "28 Days Later" replaced shuffling corpses with sprinting infected ca...

A devilish shopkeeper arrives in a small Maine town, his suitcase packed with wonders and his ledger full of names. In "Needful Things," we witness the unraveling of Castle Rock through the machinations of one Leland Gaunt, a stranger with uncanny insight into the deepest desires of everyone he meets.

Max von Sydow masterfully portrays Gaunt, the charismatic proprietor offering townsfolk exactly what they want most—a rare baseball card, a carnival glass lampshade, Elvis Presley's sunglasses—items that speak to profound yearning far beyond their material worth. But these treasures come with a hidden cost. Each cust...

Bruce Campbell swaggers into medieval times with a chainsaw hand and a double-barrel shotgun in this cult classic horror-comedy that transforms the Evil Dead franchise from pure terror into something gloriously ridiculous.

Transported to the distant past after the events of Evil Dead 2, our reluctant hero Ash Williams finds himself captured, imprisoned, and thrown into a pit with deadites – only to emerge as a prophesied savior who must retrieve the Necronomicon to return home. What follows is a masterclass in physical comedy, stop-motion animation, and endlessly quotable one-liners that fans still recite three decades later.

Di...

The year was 1993, and director Anthony Hickox had unleashed what would become one of horror cinema's most spectacular failures upon unsuspecting audiences. Warlock: The Armageddon arrived with a thud that still reverberates through horror history, eventually earning the rare distinction of a perfect 0% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

We dive deep into this bizarre sequel where Julian Sands returns as the titular warlock, born during a rare eclipse and tasked with collecting six mystical rune stones to unleash Satan upon the world. Standing in his way? An "order of druids" consisting of three elderly men and two teenagers...

Ever wondered what happens when legendary horror directors decide to have a little fun between major projects? John Carpenter's Body Bags (1993) offers the answer - a wickedly demented horror anthology that blends camp, gore, and a remarkable roster of genre talent both in front of and behind the camera.

Hosted by a formaldehyde-drinking, ghoulishly comedic coroner (played by Carpenter himself), Body Bags presents three distinct tales of terror. "The Gas Station" traps a female college student working the graveyard shift at an isolated gas station while a serial killer lurks nearby. "Hair" follows a balding man (Stacey...

Dare to say his name five times in the mirror? Bernard Rose's 1992 horror classic Candyman continues to haunt our nightmares with its perfect blend of urban legend, racial commentary, and genuine terror.

We journey through the decaying hallways of Chicago's notorious Cabrini-Green housing project alongside Virginia Madsen's Helen, a graduate student whose research into urban legends leads her to the horrifying truth behind the hook-handed killer. As we dissect this influential film that scored 79% on Rotten Tomatoes, we explore how the tragic origin story of Daniel Robitaille transforms what could have been a standard slasher into a...

When criminal psychologist Bill Chrushank loses his arm in a devastating car crash, a groundbreaking transplant procedure gives him a second chance. There's just one catch - his new arm once belonged to a vicious serial killer. As Bill begins to recover, the appendage seems to develop a will of its own, acting with increasing violence against his family and others.

What starts as a medical miracle rapidly descends into a nightmare as Bill struggles to maintain control while questioning the very nature of evil itself. Could malevolence truly reside within flesh and bone, transferable from one...

Take two aspirin and prepare for a lethal dose of 90s medical horror as we dissect "Dr. Giggles," the 1992 cult slasher that transforms everyday medical tools into weapons of destruction. Larry Drake delivers a maniacal performance as the titular villain whose high-pitched laugh and cringe-worthy puns accompany each of his uniquely gruesome kills.

With an impressive body count of 17 victims, Dr. Giggles dispatches his patients using oversized tongue depressors, thermometers through eye sockets, and even a giant band-aid for suffocation. Despite scoring a meager 23% on Rotten Tomatoes, this film has developed a devoted following among fans who...

Peter Jackson's outrageously gory 1992 splatter comedy "Dead Alive" surprised us all with its impressive 89% Rotten Tomatoes score. While we initially struggled through the slow-paced first twenty minutes, the film quickly transforms into a wild, blood-soaked roller coaster that had us simultaneously laughing and gagging.

"Dead Alive" follows timid Lionel, whose controlling mother gets bitten by a Sumatran rat monkey at the zoo, turning her into a rapidly decomposing zombie who infects everyone she encounters. What follows is perhaps the goriest film ever made, featuring memorable scenes like a kung-fu priest who "kicks ass for the Lord," a...

The killer doll that launched a franchise continues to haunt our collective nightmares. Child's Play (1988) introduced us to Chucky, a seemingly innocent "Good Guy" doll harboring the soul of serial killer Charles Lee Ray. When young Andy Barclay receives the doll as a birthday present, his excitement quickly turns to terror as Chucky reveals his true nature.

Director Tom Holland masterfully builds tension through a gradual unveiling of Chucky's sinister capabilities. The film plays on primal fears about childhood objects coming to life, particularly resonant during the 1980s toy crazes. What makes Child's Play particularly effective is...

A white-faced puppet with blade hands, a tiny strongman with oversized fists, and a doll that vomits killer leeches—welcome to the bizarre world of "Puppet Master." This 1989 cult classic might have only scored 50% on Rotten Tomatoes, but somehow spawned an empire of 14 sequels, comic books, and even a video game.

The film draws us into the mysterious Bodega Bay Inn where a group of psychics gather following their colleague's apparent suicide. What they discover is the legacy of Andre Toulon, a puppeteer who unlocked the secret to animation—bringing his creations to murderous life. As the psyc...

From the depths of 90s horror cinema comes "Critters 3" – a film so critically panned it earned a 0% Rotten Tomatoes score, yet somehow launched the career of one of Hollywood's most celebrated actors.

Before becoming a global superstar and Oscar winner, Leonardo DiCaprio made his film debut battling furry alien monsters in this bizarre creature feature. These ravenous alien furballs have moved from rural settings to urban hunting grounds, specifically targeting a Los Angeles apartment building filled with quirky tenants and a sleazy superintendent. What follows is a strange blend of horror, comedy, and subtle commentary on housing in...