Spooky Tuesday - A Horror Movie Podcast

We've got a lot to celebrate this week, Spookies! Not only is it our very own Monica's birthday, it's also a Fifth Tuesday and the sneaky unofficial start to a new themed month — so of course we had to cover The Phantom of the Opera (2004). A luxe movie musical that captures the theatrical flair of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Broadway show and pairs it with the camp sensibilities of director Joel Schumacher, this flick practically jumps out of the screen when that first booming note hits. On a new Spooky Tuesday, we challenge you not to sing along as we talk all things score and book lore.
References:
https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/did-minnie-driver-and-emmy-rossum-feud-on-the-phantom-of-the-opera-set.html/
https://x.com/driverminnie/status/1275219191323217920
https://x.com/JohnTylerJRT/status/884599605601738752
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/how-to-explain-trumps-love-for-the-musical-cats
https://www.onstageblog.com/columns/2015/11/29/why-it-sucked-the-phantom-of-the-opera

Pitching itself as The Substance meets Mean Girls, Slanted (2026) is the hot new high school body horror hitting the scene — but if you go in expecting either of those movies, you're not setting yourself up for success. A slower-paced but sharply-fanged satire, this flick looks at life in America with fresh eyes as it explores themes of immigration and assimilation. With Shirley Chen and Mckenna Grace sharing one race-swapping role as Joan-turned-Jo, Amy Wang's first feature examines one way to try and remove racism from your life, and we're digging into the details on a new Spooky Tuesday.
References:
https://joysauce.com/slanted-director-amy-wang-wants-you-to-confront-your-asian-shame/
https://www.cinemablend.com/interviews/real-life-inspirations-behind-new-horror-movie-slanted
Interview with Slanted Cast and Director
Interview with Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Amelie Zilber, and Amy Wang

Did a certain recent release have you longing for a little more David Arquette? Then you might be on the same page as our Patrons, because when it came time for them to pick a flick in our Quarterly Vote, they went with Eight Legged Freaks (2002). A creature feature that takes creepy crawlies and gives them the classic toxic waste treatment, this monster movie dares to ask if there's anything scarier than a spider. The answer, BTW? Two hundred spiders that are all really big. Join us on a new Spooky Tuesday as we talk squashing bugs, Scarlett Johansson, government conspiracies, and 4DX effects.
References:
https://knowablemagazine.org/content/article/mind/2021/are-spiders-intelligent
https://www.burkemuseum.org/collections-and-research/biology/arachnology-and-entomology/spider-myths/myth-daddy-longlegs-would
https://www.unmc.edu/healthsecurity/transmission/2023/10/31/is-it-true-that-you-sometimes-swallow-spiders-in-your-sleep/
https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/insects-invertebrates/spitting-spider-guide
https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/Spiders_(Eight_Legged_Freaks)
https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3551125/eight-legged-freaks-remains-criminally-overlooked-horror-comedy/
https://sarahalbeebooks.com/reel-bugs-8-legged-freaks/
https://pophorror.com/ten-fun-facts-about-ellory-elkayems-eight-legged-freaks-2002/

In the horror community, opinions are majorly divided when it comes to Scream 7 (2026) — and that holds true here at Spooky Tuesday. Throwing it back to our Day 1 roots, we're tackling the newest collab between Neve Campbell, Kevin Williamson, and our boy Matthew Lillard as we evaluate what sort of place this flick has in the larger Ghostface franchise. Join us on our latest episode as we talk commentary and kills while waxing nostalgic about Scream movies past.
References:
https://www.joblo.com/scream-7-review-a-second-opinion/
https://www.decodingeverything.com/scream-7-review-artistic-failure/

If you love a movie with a twist or just one that's twisted, Se7en (1995) is probably at the top of your list. A serial killer crime story that stars Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, and the admin from your favorite medical shows as five-second side characters, this fucked up flick draws inspiration from the seven deadly sins — and potentially a secret eighth one if you buy into those theories. With its torturous death tableaus, it also reads as a clear precursor to John Kramer's Saw traps, and we're discussing all those details and more on a new Spooky Tuesday.
References:
https://screenrant.com/se7en-hidden-details-never-noticed-movie/
https://filmobsessive.com/film/film-analysis/one-key-detail-will-change-the-way-you-watch-se7en/
https://www.reddit.com/r/FanTheories/comments/1f5ogv/se7en_john_doe_was_not_the_killer_somerset_was/
SE7EN : Deleted Scenes, Alt. Beginning & Ending (w/edits) Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow
Deleted Scenes with Commentary | Se7en