The Weekly Horrorscope

Found Footage

With the proliferation of cell phones, nearly every person has immediate access to a high-quality video camera. This has given us a generation full of first person documentation of events we otherwise would have never seen. It only makes sense that this concept would be used for an up close perspective in horror. Jerry and Matt look at two different examples of this technique with "Rec" from 2007 and "V/H/S" from 2012.

Best of the Decade- 1960's

The 1960's were a historically complex decade with impactful events that shaped the world in the coming years. The JFK and MLK assassinations, civil unrest, the hippie movement, the start of the Vietnam War and the Moon Landing are all milestones in history and culture. This time is reflected in the horror films, as the decade was truly a transition to the modern horror movie. This is reflected in this week's films, as Jerry and Matt look at the G rated "The Haunting" from 1963 and the seminal "Night of the Living Dead" from 1968.

Demonic Daughters

Sugar, spice, and everything nice- that's what we're told little girls are made of. So when they are instead demonic entities, it challenges our psyche in a whole new way. Jerry and Matt look at daughters who lose their innocence and become twisted sources of evil inside their families, starting with the iconic, all time classic, "The Exorcist" from 1973 (on the short list of contenders for the greatest horror movie of all time) and finishing with "Pet Semetary" from 2019, a remake that changes the narrative in a creepy and satisfying way. 

Final Girls

The "Final Girl" in horror films has a rich history in some of the most influential films of the past fifty years. Often paragons of virtue and innocence, they become true survivors and sometimes heroes. Jerry and Matt look at two unique representations of this classic trope, with Sidney Prescott from the inventive and self-aware classic, "Scream" from 1996, and Naru, the Comanche woman fighting for her life and honor in the excellent "Prey" from 2022. Girl Power to the extreme!

Underground Horror

Going down below the earth has deep and horrific implications, including claustrophobia and proximity to hell. We bury our dead, so it makes sense that being underground has an added layer of creepiness. Jerry and Matt look at two films where being underground is a part of the terror, with "As Above, So Below" from 2014 and "The Pope's Exorcist" from 2023. 

Hardcore Horror

Horror films allow the ultimate freedom and creativity as literally nothing is off limits at times. From the morbidly grotesque to the darkest taboos, special effects and commitment to the subject will push boundaries into very difficult viewing. Jerry and Matt look at two hardcore offerings, with the ultra-violent and extreme "Ichi the Killer" from 2001 and a twisted zombie tale full of misogyny and male entitlement "Dead Girl" from 2008. BYOBB (Bring Your Own Barf Bags).

Transportation Terror

People always seem to have somewhere to go. Some means of transportation create vast and open worlds to explore, while others are claustrophobic and operate completely outside of your control. These scenarios can create a potent playground for terror. Jerry and Matt look at two very different examples of this with "The Hitcher" from 1986 and "The Midnight Meat Train" from 2008. Safe but spooky travels to all!

Cannibal Carnage

Cannibalism is one of the darkest and most vile taboos in civilized society. The act of eating another human being is inherently horrific, involving blood, gore and likely death. There is also a deeper, psychological impact to the idea of being reduced to food. All of this makes for a great horror subject and Jerry and Matt look at two movies where cannibalism is a disturbing part of the story with the masterpiece "The Silence of the Lambs" from 1991 and the genre mash-up of "Bone Tomahawk" from 2015. Bon appetite.
 

Presidential Horror

In honor of President's Day, in an election year, The Weekly Horrorscope looks at the limited crossovers that qualify as presidential horror. While many would say that our current political climate had become a horror of its own, Jerry and Matt stay in the fictional world and look at two very diverse films with "The Dead Zone" from 1983 and "Abraham Lincoln- Vampire Hunter" from 2012.

Love Hurts

Happy Valentine's Day, 2024! Love is in the air! It is a wonderful thing and the perhaps the most powerful emotion. When it goes wrong, it has the ability to drive people mad and topple empires. Embracing the horrific side of relationships gone wrong, Jerry and Matt look at two diverse examples of painful love with "Bride of Chucky" from 1998 and "Gerald's Game" from 2017.