Straight Chilling: Horror Movie Review (2026)

#557 – The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Released on 12/10/2025

Jack Skellington, The Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, attempts to take over Christmas this year.

On this week's episode…

Join the crew as we discuss stop motion animation, Danny Elfman's incredible music, and the movie that was not directed by Tim Burton, The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).

Show Notes:

Housekeeping (4:40)

Back of the Box/Recommendations (11:21)

Spoiler Warning/Full Review: (18:56)

Rotten Tomatoes (1:08:15)

Trivia (1:14:55)

Cooter of the Week (1:27:00)

Hotline Scream (1:32:55)

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#556 – Scrooged (1988)

Released on 12/03/2025

A selfish, cynical television executive is visited by three ghosts bearing lessons on Christmas Eve.

On this week's episode…

Join the crew as we discuss Bill Murray, Bobcat Goldthwait, and the classic 80's take on A Christmas Carol, Scrooged (1988).

Show Notes:

Housekeeping (4:25)

Back of the Box/Recommendations (10:52)

Spoiler Warning/Full Review: (18:30)

Rotten Tomatoes (59:05)

Trivia (1:08:30)

Cooter of the Week (1:14:00)

What We've Been Watching (1:19:18)

Hotline Scream (1:28:50)

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#555 – The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)

Released on 11/26/2025

Doctor, scientist, organist, and biblical scholar Anton Phibes seeks revenge on the nine doctors he considers responsible for the death of his wife.

On this week's episode…

Join the crew as we discuss Vincent Price, plague based murders, and perhaps the proto Jigsaw killer in, The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971).

Show Notes:

Housekeeping (5:05)

Back of the Box/Recommendations (11:20)

Spoiler Warning/Full Review: (17:45)

Rotten Tomatoes (57:50)

Trivia (1:05:10)

Cooter of the Week (1:09:41)

What We've Been Watching (1:14:30)

Hotline Scream (1:28:10)

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#554 – Freddy vs. Jason (2003)

Released on 11/19/2025

Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees return to terrorize the teenagers of Elm Street. Only this time, they're out to get each other, too.

On this week's episode…

Join the crew as we discuss Robert Englund, Kelly Rowland, and the most 2000's movie ever made, Freddy vs. Jason (2003).

Show Notes:

Housekeeping (4:25)

Back of the Box/Recommendations (12:10)

Spoiler Warning/Full Review: (19:20)

Rotten Tomatoes (1:15:21)

Cooter of the Week (1:25:25)

What We've Been Watching (1:31:00)

Hotline Scream (1:48:55)

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#553 – Frankenstein (2025)

Released on 11/12/2025

A brilliant but egotistical scientist brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation.

On this week's episode…

Join the crew as we discuss lapsed Catholics, Osacr Isaac's God complex, and Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein (2025).

Show Notes:

Housekeeping (4:10)

Back of the Box/Recommendations (8:16)

Spoiler Warning/Full Review: (12:00)

Rotten Tomatoes (1:22:55)

Trivia (1:30:12)

Cooter of the Week (1:37:02)

Hotline Scream (1:44:16)

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#552 – Heartland of Darkness (2022)

Released on 11/05/2025

Single father, Paul Henderson, purchases a newspaper in the small town of Copperton, Ohio and moves there with his daughter Christina. The two soon come to realize the townsfolk led by evil reverend Donovan, are Satanic cult members.

On this week's episode…

Join the crew as we discuss extremely low budget filmmaking, Linnea Quigley deserving better, and the 1989 shot on video movie that wasn't finished until 2022, Heartland of Darkness (2022).

Show Notes:

Housekeeping (15:05)

Back of the Box/Recommendations (22:18)

Spoiler Warning/Full Review: (29:10)

Cooter of the Week (1:04:28)

What We've Been Watching (1:08:06)

Hotline Scream (83:45)

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#551 – Triple Feature: Frankenstein (1931), The Invisible Man (1933), The Wolf Man (1941)

Released on 10/29/2025

Frankenstein (1931)

Dr. Henry Frankenstein is obsessed with assembling a living being from parts of several exhumed corpses.

The Invisible Man (1933)

A scientist finds a way to become invisible, but in doing so becomes murderously insane.

The Wolf Man (1941)

Upon his return to his father's estate, aristocrat Larry Talbot meets a beautiful woman, attends a mystical carnival and uncovers a horrifying curse.

On this week's episode…

Join the crew as we celebrate Halloween by discussing 3 absolutely classic Universal monster movies!

Show Notes:

Housekeeping (6:00)

Back of the Box/Recommendations (13:10)

Spoiler Warning/Full Review: (20:30)

Rotten Tomatoes (56:58)

Trivia (1:03:40)

Back of the Box/Recommendations (1:11:58)

Spoiler Warning/Full Review: (1:16:25)

Rotten Tomatoes (1:47:40)

Trivia (1:54:05)

Back of the Box/Recommendations (1:58:30)

Spoiler Warning/Full Review: (2:04:20)

Rotten Tomatoes (2:43:23)

Trivia (2:47:22)

Cooter of the Week (2:53:51)

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#550 – Trick 'r Treat (2007)

Released on 10/22/2025

A Halloween anthology provides 5 intertwining tales: a principal's dark secret, a virgin looking for her first time, a group of kids pull a prank, a woman who loathes Halloween doesn't respect the rules, and an old man's dark past returns to visit him.

On this week's episode…

Join the crew as we discuss horny ass werewolves, an adorable Halloween mascot, and potentially the best horror anthology of all time, Trick 'r Treat (2007).

Show Notes:

Housekeeping (4:20)

Back of the Box/Recommendations (14:25)

Spoiler Warning/Full Review: (20:55)

Rotten Tomatoes (76:00)

Trivia (83:37)

Cooter of the Week (90:10)

Hotline Scream: (100:15)

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Support us on Patreon

#549 – Re-Animator (1985)

Released on 10/15/2025

After an odd, new medical student arrives on campus, a dedicated local and his girlfriend become involved in bizarre experiments centering around the re-animation of dead tissue.

On this week's episode…

Join the crew as we discuss Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, and one of the greatest horror comedies of all time, Re-Animator (1985).

Show Notes:

Housekeeping (4:10)

Back of the Box/Recommendations (11:50)

Spoiler Warning/Full Review: (19:00)

Rotten Tomatoes (69:42)

Trivia (76:40)

Cooter of the Week (81:05)

What We've Been Watching (84:28)

Hotline Scream: (95:35)

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