FRIGHT SCHOOL
Welcome to Fright School, a podcast that explores horror films through the eyes of someone who is experiencing them for the first time. Each week, Joshua (the horror nerd) pushes Joe (the unsuspecting newbie) to the edge of the Mountains of Madness, as they discuss the cultural attitudes, conditions, and events that have shaped some of the most terrifying horror films. Will Joe survive his journey? Will Joshua take things too far? Join us every week for new episodes on Monday to find out! Are you ready? Class is in session.
Episodes
March 18, 2024 • 49 mins
Welcome back to Fright School! Happy St. Patrick's Day! How many pints of Irish are you? Joe is having a reunion with GIRLS5EVA and taking all of that girl power one step further with LOVE LIES BLEEDING. Joshua saw Madonna in Silver Daddy Land aka Palm Springs. This week, we are finishing up our mini salute to the Mary Shelley's enduring work FRANKENSTEIN with LISA FRANKENSTEIN (2024)! This neon piece of comedy horror gets a bit ov...
Mark as Played
March 12, 2024 • 52 mins
Welcome back to Fright School! Joshua catches Joe up on 22 years of SOUTH PARK history. Joe breaks down SCHMIGADOON. Joe is also gifting the world with a Cabaret to benefit Lambda Archives! This week we're celebrating the tenth anniversary of EX MACHINA (2014). We compare the film to BLACK MIRROR, discuss human responsibility and AI, explore the film's relationship to FRANKENSTEIN, and debate the ethics of ChatGPT. Can a fashion fo...
Mark as Played
March 4, 2024 • 55 mins
Welcome back to Fright School! Joshua is doing some deep processing. Joe is seeking thoughts on the state of new Beyoncé music. This week we're taking it back 30 years to MARY SHELLEY'S FRANKENSTEIN! We compare the film with previously discussed adaptations, learn about Romanticism, and find ourselves in awe of Robert De Niro's Monster.
MARY SHELLEY’S FRANKENSTEIN (1994): A RETROSPECTIVE by Keri O'Shea
'Mary Shelley's Frankenstei...
Mark as Played
February 26, 2024 • 54 mins
Welcome back to Fright School! Joe got his hair did! We discuss THE NEW LOOK and FEUD: CAPOTE VS THE SWANS. This week we chat about THE ANGRY BLACK GIRL AND HER MONSTER (2023). We break down the FRANKENSTEIN references at work in the film, discuss systemic violence, the state of mental health and substance use treatment, and the pressure on Black women to save us all.
The Humanity at the Heart of The Angry Black Girl and Her Monst...
Mark as Played
February 12, 2024 • 50 mins
Welcome back to Fright School! This week we get into it about our shifting Queer culture. We compare and contrast Queer As Folk, Looking, and Love, Simon. We're continuing our Black Horror History dive with ABBY (1974)! Hitting theatres almost a year to the day of THE EXORCIST's release, Abby was quickly mired in legal troubles from Warner Bros. We compare the two films, discuss the Queerness of the film, and get curious about the ...
Mark as Played
February 5, 2024 • 57 mins
Welcome back to Fright School! We are excited to be joined once again by Professor T.J. who tells us all about their return to JEOPARDY! Joe revisits DISTRICT 9. We are once again celebrating Black History Month with an ode to HORROR NOIRE with MA (2019)! T.J. called it a "misfire on every level" back in 2019 and we're very excited to hear about his current thoughts on the film. We also compare MA to A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, rec...
Mark as Played
January 30, 2024 • 59 mins
Welcome back to Fright School! Joe can't stop singing "Live and let Die.'" Joshua goes all ASMR trying some of Joe's cookies. We debate seeing MEAN GIRLS: THE MUSICAL. We also get nostalgic with QUEER AS FOLK and Joe shares his top 3 sex scenes. This week we wrap up Jigsaw January with SAW IV! We break down the ongoing father/son relationship trope in the series, discuss some of the confusing politics at play, and wonder about the ...
Mark as Played
January 22, 2024 • 50 mins
Welcome back to Fright School! We welcome back to the show Young David! We catch up with him and discuss how the new year is going so far. David offers his best of 2023 picks. We discuss Oscar nominations and post hot strike summer. This week, we're continuing our Jigsaw January with SAW III! We break down our favorite traps, finding a sense of purpose, and discuss the family dynamics often highlighted in the SAW franchise. Take no...
Mark as Played
January 8, 2024 • 57 mins
Welcome back to Fright School! It's a whole new year of FEAR! We start off with a chat about our New Year's experiences. Joshua read some books. Joe plans to read the other 11 books he meant to read last year. We share our thoughts on SALTBURN. Feeling thirsty? Whose bathwater would you most like to drink? In honor of the 20th anniversary of SAW we are dedicating our 2024 January Franchise Deep Dive to the sequels in the sadistic s...
Mark as Played
January 1, 2024 • 44 mins
Happy New Fear! We’re looking back at 2023 and sharing our favorite moments!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mark as Played
December 26, 2023 • 49 mins
Happy Horrordays, Fright School! To celebrate, we thought we’d release this chat between Joshua and Jacki from the JERSEY GHOULS celebrating 50 years of THE EXORCIST! This streamed as part of Geekscape’s Holiday Livestream-tacular! We hope your holiday season, however you may celebrate, has been kind to you! Scary Cryptmas, children, and here’s to a New Year filled with FEAR!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adc...
Mark as Played
November 20, 2023 • 44 mins
Welcome back to Fright School! Thank you for sticking with us while we navigated some technical issues behind the scenes! This week we took in SAW... X? 10? 1.5? Whatever! We were just happy to see Tobin Bell and Shawnee Smith taking the franchise back to basics!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mark as Played
October 23, 2023 • 72 mins
Welcome back to Fright School! Joshua threw his annual Halloween party! Thanks again to everyone who came out to our THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW screening with Lambda Archives and Diversionary Theatre! It was a wild and untamed success! This week it’s more Hammer Horror with CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mark as Played
October 16, 2023 • 43 mins
Welcome to another Fright School Field Trip! We went to see THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER and have some thoughts that are about as convoluted as the plot of this film...
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mark as Played
October 9, 2023 • 87 mins
Welcome back to Fright School! This week we welcome director (among many other things) Sam Irvin to the show! We discuss Sam's horror pedigree, his fanzine BIZARRE, and his books I WAS A TEENAGE MONSTER HUNTER: How I Met Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, & More! and The Epic Saga Behind FRANKENSTEIN: THE TRUE STORY! Joshua and Sam, who just so happens to have directed ELVIRA'S HAUNTED HILLS, reminisce about their trip ...
Mark as Played
October 2, 2023 • 49 mins
Welcome back to Fright School! We are kicking off our EIGHT season! In honor of LGBTQ History Month, we are teaming up with LAMBDA Archives and the Diversionary Theatre for a showing of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW! Join us for a discussion of the enduring legacy of the film and new perspectives on its meaning to Queer audiences. Joe is catching up on the GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW. Our 2023 Halloween Horror Film Challenge is out N...
Mark as Played
September 25, 2023 • 52 mins
Welcome back to Fright School! The summer tourists are leaving San Diego just in time for the Invasion of the College Students from OUT OF STATE! Joshua forgot about scratched CDs! Count yourself among the lucky if you have no idea what he is talking about. This week we take on teenage alienation- literally- with THE FACULTY. It's INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS meets THE BREAKFAST CLUB with a twist of THE THING! Oh, the late 90s! W...
Mark as Played
September 18, 2023 • 50 mins
Welcome back to Fright School! Joe talks about drag on Guam! Joshua tries some Chamorro Chip Cookies! This week we take it back with the cult classic PROM NIGHT!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mark as Played
September 11, 2023 • 51 mins
It's time to get back to Fright School! Joe regales us with tales from Guam! We discuss plane rides as we age. Once you get that taste of a few more inches of space, it is hard to go back! Joshua catches Joe up on the state of his practicum experience. She's therapisting ya'll! This week, we went to the movies (though thousands of miles apart) to see TALK TO ME! We take on the comparisons to HEREDITARY, addiction narratives, and in...
Mark as Played
August 7, 2023 • 66 mins
Welcome back to Fright School! We are wrapping up our PRIDE season! We welcome Ben to the show. Joe's a volunteer. We need Vanjie's List. Ben's a SCREAM! This week, we take another French turn with TITANE. We chat about objectophilia, gender affirmation, techno anxiety, and how family is often what you make of it. What a great theme to end PRIDE season on! We are taking a few weeks off for a summer break! See you in the fall! It's ...
Mark as Played
Popular Podcasts
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.
Anna Sale explores the big questions and hard choices that are often left out of polite conversation.
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people.
A straightforward look at the day's top news in 20 minutes. Powered by ABC News. Hosted by Brad Mielke.