Kill By Kill: Talking Horror Characters One Death At A Time

Haunted. Cursed. Malevolent. Where does one even begin when it comes to the Stanley Kubrick adaptation of the Stephen King novel THE SHINING? This week on Kill By Kill, we’re exploring the impact of this totemic film on horror and cinema, and the very conflict between creatives behind it. Here to help us search these endless hallways for clues is writer (Deathbed: Horror Stories by Comedy Writers) and comedian Ritch Duncan!! Along the way, we dig into the origins of the King novel, how he bared his soul about his private parenting fears, and his complex reactions to a...

Due to the bizarre nature of this podcast, we hope you put down any sharp food utensils before enjoying Vol. 2 of our re-release bonus episode this week, discussing Happy Birthday To Me (1981)!! Here to help us unwrap this unhinged motion picture is Kill By Kill artist-in-residence and Returning Champion, Josh Hollis (Predict-O-Cast & Butterfly Kisses). We dig into it all, like whether shish kabob can ever truly be considered a midnight snack, confront the idea that we have a legit murderous Mrs. Doubtfire sitch happening here, call into question the standard operating procedures of this town’s drawbridge personnel, and ta...

Gather around, family and friends, to celebrate what we’re thankful for: deadly traps. That’s right! The reason for the season is back as we talk turkey, tenuous plot devices, and 2005’s SAW II for Sawsgiving!! Here to help us explore the Jigsaw Industrial Complex is writer (Vulture, BuzzFeed, and more), podcaster (Chasing Amy Adams), and real Saw fan Louis Peitzman!! Along the way, we explore why the Saw franchise is “special in a stupid way,” consider the shifting moral landscape of John Kramer’s terror campaign, address the terrible wigs Shawnee Smith is forced to wear, and discuss why...

Gather around, family and friends, to celebrate what we’re thankful for: deadly traps. That’s right! The reason for the season is back as we talk turkey, tenuous plot devices, and 2005’s SAW II for Sawsgiving!! Here to help us explore the Jigsaw Industrial Complex is writer (Vulture, BuzzFeed, and more), podcaster (Chasing Amy Adams), and real Saw fan Louis Pietzman!! Along the way, we explore why the Saw franchise is “special in a stupid way,” consider the shifting moral landscape of John Kramer’s terror campaign, address the terrible wigs Shawnee Smith is forced to wear, and discuss why...

Light the candles and cut the cake! If you made a wish that Kill By Kill return to the classics, then it’s about to come true! On this week’s bonus episode, Gena & Patrick are unpacking all the gory details of 1981’s Happy Birthday To Me with the help of writer-at-large for birthmoviesdeath & Fangoria, Anya Stanley!! We ask big questions, like “Is this French Motocross perv a vampire?” and “Why does this character store her gardening shears inside of a mini-coffin?” We also tackle the very idea of over-stitched underwear, debate whether Genesis is appropriate bathing music, and consider the p...

Are you ready for some football?! All my rowdy friends have gathered to get into all the gory details of this year’s pro-football horror freakout, HIM!! And the scouting report looks even better, as we've drafted someone to help us feel the impact of the film: former NFL pro Marques Ogden (host of the Get Authentic podcast)!! Along the way, we suit up for a modern-day gladiatorial battle, unpack the many horror references laced into the film, and tackle the troubling questions the movie raises, such as, “How much blood would you drink to QB1?” All this, plus massiv...

When you think about what you’ll find in your local sewer system, what comes to mind? Sure, you’ll see loose tires and teenage mutant ninja turtles - but interdimensional murder clowns? That’s right, we’re revisiting Derry, Maine, and our original reaction to the first IT film from 2017!! Here to add to our little Loser’s Club is Returning Champion, Phil Gonzales (It's Del Toro Time podcast)! This episode was recorded mere hours after our first viewing of the film, so you’re getting our immediate reactions where we discuss which character is destined to rule the Orlando...

Well… someone’s getting the hook for this one. Be warned: it’s spoilers from minute one as we once again don our 4th of July finest to get mixed up in a mystery so underwhelming even the Scooby Gang won’t spare a net or a beatnik stoner to help out. That’s right, we’re recalling our recent viewing of 2025’s rebootiquel, I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER, because you demanded it!! Folks, forget our quibbles with the original film because this reimagining is total fish bait. Along the way, we talk about evil civic planning, memorial tee-s...

Before the Loser’s Club attempted their temporal pincer movement on an interdimensional murder clown, another small group of kids from Derry discovered that something was eating the children from the sewers and tried to do something about it. Did they succeed? Let’s find out as Patrick and Gena review the first episode of HBO’s IT: Welcome To Derry!! Along the way, we discuss pacifier addiction, conal boobs, lampshare revulsion, the return of the Standpipe, The Mangler (Pickle Edition), and a movie theater popcorn-flavored edition of Choose Your Own Deathventure!! Does it sink or float? Listen in and fi...

What vampiric activities happen in Vegas often stay in Vegas… until now!! That’s right, we’re going beyond The Strip to the suburbs of Glitter Gultch to be neighborly with the new vamp in town as we cover the 2011 remake of FRIGHT NIGHT!! Along the way, we dig into 2000s remake culture, discuss how the housing bubble burst enriches this teen vampire thriller, unpack what makes one Charley Brewster “so cool” and another an annoying jerk, and get thirsty on main over Colin Farrell and Toni Collette!! All this, plus the return of Count Orlock and his shoe fetish, Mi...

Have you ever dreamt of a better version of this podcast? What about a world where you can now watch this movie on HBO MAX? We did, so we injected our format with Cronenberg’s The Fly, Street Trash, Re-animator, and… 2001: A Space Odyssey, and we’re re-releasing this episode to celebrate!  That’s right, we’re ready to pump it up all over again for the body horror flick of 2024: Coralie Fargeat’s audacious and bodacious film, THE SUBSTANCE!! Along the way, we start spoiler-free before giving birth to a conversation covering an avalanche of butts, Hollywood Walk of Fame orient...

Death to false podcasts!! We’re spinning this record backwards to summon the spirit of Hair Metal Past as we talk about 1986’s TRICK OR TREAT!! Along the way, we examine why the film believes metal fans were a targeted minority in 80s high schools, explore Gene Simmons’ scariest role, rage against the Dino De Laurentiis machine, and celebrate our new favorite horror icon: Sammy Curr played by the great Tony Fields!! All this, plus finger-licking shockers, bullied weenies, speaker veins, unfinished bedrooms, horsehead bookends, ear-melting orgasms, toilet traps, and a guitar-shredding edition of Choose Your Own Deathventure!!

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You might think that revisit of CREEPSHOW is crawling to a halt, but actually, it's just getting (re)started!! That's right, for our final episode covering the “They’re Creeping Up On You!” segment, we invited our dear friend and Returning Champion, Wynter Mitchell, on the show to help us squash all of our creepy and crawly concerns!! We discuss cockroach farming techniques, explore why the Jerry Lewis telethon was such required viewing, pitch MTV’s Joe’s Apartment as a Broadway show, and evaluate E.G. Marshall’s pajama game. All this, plus we bug out on Choose Your Own Dea...

We’ve dealt with all kinds of franchise highs and lows, but when a film series only has two parts, any dip can feel like falling off a cliff. And that’s where we meet up to discuss the sequel and conclusion to one of the biggest horror hits of the 21st century, IT CHAPTER 2!! Here to help us - the only podcast to ever discuss Stephen King and his works at great length on a podcast - is writer and Returning Champion, Jenn Adams (The Loser’s Club podcast)!! Along the way, we discuss how Derry gets removed as a c...

There’s a whole lot to unpack on this week’s revisit of our episode unlocking "The Crate" segment of CREEPSHOW with Scored To Death author and documentarian J. Blake Fichera! Along the way, we consider the coding of Henry and Dexter’s relationship, we expound upon the actual nature of boxed Yeti powers, we pour ourselves some Booze Milk, then consider who qualifies as a “sack of wet,” and debate whether The Crate Creature is actually the second half of a Strangers On A Train-like murder swap! All this, plus a fantasy-infused edition of Choose Your Own Deathventure, and Billie...

With just fourteen more days ’til Halloween, you know it’s the right time to slap that Silver Shamrock mask on and win a big prize!! That’s right, we’re talking road beers, laser mouths, and 1982’s HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH!! No Michael Myers, no problem!! We’re digging into the details of how this film zagged on the Halloween formula, cemented Tom Atkin’s “f-boy” status, lost and gained entire creative teams, and rose from the box office ashes to claim cult classic status!! All this, plus dipsticking automotons, Stonehenge importation, improbable costuming, femobot swaps, Cheese-wiz cascade...

The tide is high, but we are holding on as we revisit this classic episode discussing CREEPSHOW's Something To Tide You Over segment with filmmaker, YouTuber, and Returning Champion, Patrick H. Willems!! Along the way, we discuss the artistic merits of fart machines, consider AV snobbery, formulate some sand burial escape plans, fawn over Leslie Nielsen, and discover our secret connection to Ted Danson and the BJ & the Bear Universe! All this, plus as we expand Choose Your Own Deathventure to include near Creepshow-like deaths we encounter in real life, and we finally outline Patrick (Hamilton’s) policy on ge...

Don’t talk to strangers… but listen to a couple of them discuss the 2022 Joe Hill, Scott Derrickson, and C. Robert Cargill collab, THE BLACK PHONE!! That’s right, we delve into the juicy production backstory of the project, explore our real-life trauma related to serial killers, examine the Wile E. Coyote aspect of the film’s plot, and discuss a nothingburger controversy that took over the internet for a whole week when it was released. All this, plus switchblade pinball, middle-aged napping schedules, grades of shine, magic tricks, driving with balloons, and swift and sudden edition of Choose Your Own...

A revisit of CREEPSHOW just landed right in front of you!! That’s right, this week we crack open the second story of the film: The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill! Here to help us pry open this meteoric segment of the movie with us is another one of the gang from We Hate Movies and a Returning Champion to Kill By Kill: the one, the only, Eric Szyska!! Along the way, we discuss medical-grade cleavers, imagine a nu-metal Joker, we rank Stephen King’s onscreen performances, expose the special relationship between ghosts and aliens, tout the benefit of free...

In space, no one can hear you scream. On Earth, everyone can totally hear everyone else complain. That’s right, we hear to get an eyefull - including the tenticles - of FX’s ALIEN EARTH!! Along the way, we stumble over what the plural version of consciousness is, go deep into the “big feelings” of synthetic pre-tweens, argue with HR robots about our indentured servitude, and debate which hour of TV was the most successful overall!! All this, plus “James Spader” eyebrows, methodically unscientific methods, squirmy eye squids, corporate nation-states, meet “plantus,” lack of due diligence, and crash directly into a...

How can we possibly cover Stephen King without talking about CREEPSHOW? Wait. We already did. Who cares?! Let’s raise these episodes from the grave and revisit this incredible George A. Romero and Stephen King collab! And here demanding his own slice of the Father’s Day segment is one of the gang from We Hate Movies and Returning Champion to Kill By Kill, Stephen Sajdak!! Along the way, we discuss undead reactions at the Oscar ceremonies, investigate the regenerative powers of Jim Beam, consider Ed Harris’ many disco faces, evaluate our Renaissance Fair tolerances, wonder what it would be lik...

Light the fires and kick the tires, this episode of Kill By Kill is about to go up in flames as we ignite the debate of the pros and cons of 1984’s FIRESTARTER!! Along the way, we explore Stephen King’s “bad dad” novels, tell the tale of one ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream party, investigate what Dino De Laurentiis actually liked about King properties, and litigate the case of reality vs. casting George C. Scott in the role of a 30-something, indigenous Vietnam vet. All this, plus mind torpedos, Lot-6 key parties, Heather Locklear blinks, SyFy sequels, horse shields, bus station...

They say that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger… but how many of those people have spent over nine years making a horror movie podcast with their friend? To celebrate 400 episodes of putting movie characters in the grave, we’re talking about a movie that gives us life: the ultimate 1980 musical disasterpiece, THE APPLE!! This movie has everything: bubbles on station wagons, plexiglass keytars, tooth jewels, 121 heartbeeps, softshoe clowns, molested landladies, actual vampires, subtle religious overtones, unsubtle disco orgasms, TV’s Eric LaSalle, vinyl riots, brutalist lobbies, dance belts, and SPEEEEEEDD!! It’s a celebration of life as we neve...

Terror has no shape, but it does have a podcast!! That’s right, we’re returning to Arborville, CA, where Friday nights mean football, flirting, and a hungry mass of space gelatin looking to slurp all the meat it can off the bone in the fantastic 1988 remake of THE BLOB!! Here to help us make sense of all the space madness is director Colin Karwchuk!! [THE JESTER 2 is in theaters for special screenings Sept 15th and 16th via Fathom Events.] 

We break it all down, including The Blob’s origin story, why the films are plagued by old tee...

Light the fuse, people!! That’s right, we’ve loaded up a 1980s Stephen King favorite for you as we sink our teeth into SILVER BULLET with the help of Certified Forgotten writer and podcaster, Matt Monagle!! We tear into the origin story of King’s and illustrator Bernie Wrightson’s Cycle of the Werewolf, make the wolf die so people cry with Dino De Laurentiis, we learn this film’s connection to Phantasm, and reconsider the cinematic presence of Gary Busey!! All this, plus Everett McGill’s angry Wikipedia picture, trainyard scuba breathing, fist-to-snout action, Tarker Mills’ front page news, kit...

Do you remember that one post-Scream, college-set slasher filled with TV pretty 20-somethings and a few horror legend cameos? No? Neither does one of its stars! That’s right, we’re studying up on 1998’s URBAN LEGEND!! (A film that is neither particularly urban nor legendary… discuss) Our student advisor for this episode knows a whole lot about urban legends, creepypastas, and very scary stories, podcaster Jon Grilz (Small Town Horror and Creepy)!! Along the way, we explore the mid-‘90s lineage of slashers that lead up to Urban Legend’s cash-in, open the book on some of the cast’s more...

The podcast you’re about to hear is based on a true story… the story that we went to the theater and watched the fantastic new horror film, WEAPONS!! Also, we wanted to talk about, and we happen to own microphones. So we have a quick non-spoiler review right at the top for those who haven’t been lucky enough to catch this new film in theaters yet before we dive into the thorny, thrilling, and often laugh-out-loud funny motion picture!! We unpack the unexpected themes of the film, shop around our ideas for more soup-based flicks, discuss the power...

It’s time for love. It’s time to punch with your hands and feet. It’s time for us to discuss one of the two movies where Chuck Norris fights a Michael Myers… 1982’s SILENT RAGE!! Which is neither silent nor a rage… discuss. Here’s to help us raise this action-horror hybrid from the dead is Returning Champion Galen Howard!! Along the way, we explore Chuck’s unique “acting” style, dig into why Ron “Actor/Activist” Silver just can’t turn it off even for a second, and examine every moment of the worst love scene ever committed to film!! All th...

Friends, neighbors, mere acquaintances… ever see a horror movie you just can’t get out of your head? Well, for us it’s that giallo-flavored, hidden twin horror flick from 2021, MALIGNANT!! Erupting onto the show to help us work it all out is actor/producer (Perfectly Good Moment is now streaming free on Tubi) and podcaster (Don’t Be Crazy) Amanda Jane Stern!! Along the way, we celebrate the singular talents of writer Akela Cooper and director James Wan, discuss janky Hellraiser sequels, connect to B-movie brilliance, veer into intentional tonal shifts, talk about the tether the story has to real...

It’s the summertime, and the weather is hot… and deadly! That’s right, we’re heading deep into the Oregon woods for a little camping, a little foolin’ around, and a lot of grizzly murder as we discuss the 1981 cult classic, JUST BEFORE DAWN, with the help of multimedia artist and Skulk the Hulkling creator, Steve Pasieka!! Along the way, we explore the movie’s survival thriller roots, how director Jeff Lieberman pushed back on the slasher craze of 1981, and Patrick’s dangerous physical media obsession with the movie!! All this, plus E.T. drop-ins, calls to skadoot, timpani drum s...

No one gets out of here alive, but when a death curse is attached to your family, that horrific accident exit comes awful fast. That’s right, we’re back on our Season 5 beat digging into all the gory details of this year’s franchise revival, FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES!! Along the way, we explore the Bad Penny theory, consider how the Sky View Restaurant ever got approved to open its doors, and delve into our personal struggles with the specter of death itself. All this, plus a magnetically enhanced Double #GetBunked, bad elevator management, swiping garbageman, final girls in STEM...

The podcast feed… is gonna BREAK!! this week, as we dig into one of Stephen King’s most prophetic novels and one of the best film adaptations, 1983’s THE DEAD ZONE!! Here to help us see into the past and future of this terrifyingly political tale is writer and podcaster Matthew Jackson (The Scares That Shaped Us)!! Along the way, we discuss how the film ended up in the hands of the incredible David Cronenberg (thanks to Debra Hill), consider the right and wrong of Dino De Laurentiis' involvement with various King properties, and we explore how the key to the...

Is there such a thing as love at first sight? There sure is when the thing you see 2025’s HEART EYES!! That’s right, initially on the schedule for February of this year, bumped due to a scheduling conflict, and now we’re finally getting a chance to sing this film’s praises on the show!! So, who gets their flowers? How about that genuinely fast and funny script by Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day) and Michael Kennedy (Freaky)? Or the crackerjack timing in how Josh Ruben films it? Then there are two insanely charming leads in Olivia Holt and Maso...

Not sure if you should listen to this episode? Well, we’re talking about 1997’s I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER so… what are you waiting for, huh?!! That’s right, the 90s Summer slasher - the hit screens in the Fall - is in our hooks, so how does this measure up next to Scream? We get into it all, including an exploration into the origins of the film, Kevin Williamson’s first full swing at a slasher flick, a deep dive into Sylvester Stallone movies we both did and didn’t get to see, the truly wild plot ma...

It’s five minutes to midnight, Antonio Bay - time for one last story!! That’s right, crank up the worst, loudest jazz record that’s ever been etched onto a 12-inch, we’re talking about a quintessential “this town is going to hell” tale, John Carpenter’s THE FOG!! Along the way, we delve into the origin story of Carpenter and Hill’s follow-up to Halloween, wonder how these 100 year old ghosts know so much about gas stations, fall into bed with Tom Atkins, try to define what a true fish toilet is, and re-litigate our feelings about Jamie Lee Curtis...

You’ve heard the story before: a Maine telekinetic teen snaps after her bullies play a prank that goes too far… but what if the soundtrack has third-wave ska? 

That’s right, consider this Carrie vol. 3 - we’re getting matching tattoos, confessing our love for Shirley Manson, and having our minds blown (apart) by THE RAGE: CARRIE 2!! Here to help us unpack a whole locker’s worth of background and foreground 90s references is author (the new comic book Be Not Afraid from Boom! Studios - issues #1 out now! And a new non-fiction book "DILF: Did I Leave Fem...

It’s double the Carrie, double the body count this week as we unpack not one, but two remakes of the seminal Stephen King spectacular, CARRIE (2002 and 2013)!! And we’re bursting out of the scary prayer closet with two Retuning Champions you know and love - from Horror Queers, it’s Joe Lipsett and Trace Thurman here to help us two more modern Black proms and the problems that come with them!! Can any version of Carrie live up to DePalma’s? What if you add a lot of Dutch angled, vaseline-lensed SyFy Original visuals? What if you turn Carrie W...

If you’ve got a taste for terror - and seconds - you have a date with us and our 2023 episode covering the 1976 classic, CARRIE!! But why go back to Prom? The sixth season of Kill By Kill starts this Friday, and we'll be covering the cinematic adaptations of Stephen King!! To properly set up that bucket of pig's blood we'll be pouring over the two remakes, we wanted to give you a chance to revisit our thoughts on the Brian De Palma original - an explosive dance of teenage hormones, religious mania, and plenty of split diopter lens sh...

It’s bright lights and multiple Deadites this week as we leave the woods for Patrick’s hood on the season 5 finale of Kill By Kill!! That’s right, we’re wrapping up our Necronomicon coverage with the latest entry in the franchise, EVIL DEAD RISE!! Along the way, we uncover Rise’s unusual route to the cineplex, how a few direct sequels to the 2013 film got buried, and break down how each character is able to unveil themselves before a Deadite swallows their soul!! All this, plus unnecessary explainers, TV show curses, pick between “-ubis,” hat disguises, visit Los Angeles, N...

It’s an open invitation to what might be the very best (horror) movie of the year! That’s right, we’re wrapping up Season 5’s Vampire coverage with the runaway original smash of 2025 so far, SINNERS!! Along the way, we dig into the complex web of personal relationships that make the film sing, the dazzling performances of the entire cast, and the sensuous and satisfying performances that bring everything alive... even the undead! All this, plus spit takes, guitar shots, dapper hunters, missing babies, endless praise for the cast, Michael B. Jordan worship, vampire rankings, and a communal edition...