Ginger Snaps, Bud Corner: Wolf Dream Scene

It’s our final episode before we take a summer break—and we’re going out with a howl. Jess & Nicole finish their last bites of Ginger Snaps, the cult classic that blends lycanthropy, puberty, and biting social commentary.

We cover a few things in this one: the movie Heretic, at-home piercings, gender norms, Stephen King’s A Necessary Evil, and science gone way too far. We also veer into The Substance, Nicole's obsession with author Sam Kean—specifically The Ice Pick Surgeon and The Dueling Neurosurgeons—because nothing pairs with werewolves like unethical experiments and neurology deep cuts.

Also featuring:

• Anubis & the Michigan Dogman
• People weirdly eating burgers in ads
• Jess and bodybuilders (Arnold doc drama)
• I Know What I Saw by Linda S. Godfrey
• Nicole taps into her inner Mean Girl
• Sam is a cherry hound (ewww)
• That unforgettable end bedroom scene

We’ll be back in October for one final hurrah—catch you then.

Ginger Snaps, Part 2: Going as Yourself for Halloween

We’re back in Bailey Downs, and things are getting hairier (and bloodier). In Part 2 of our Ginger Snaps deep dive, Jess & Nic unpack the aftermath of Ginger’s transformation and explore what happens when puberty, rage, and patriarchy collide.

We talk Emily Perkins and Katharine Isabelle's killer chemistry, and how Perkins’s previous roles in IT and Supernatural connect to her performance as Bridgette. Plus, we get into Ginger and Bridgette’s macabre school project, mother-blaming in psychology, and the symbolism of monkshood/wolfsbane.

Also on the dissecting table:

• The "going as yourself for Halloween" trope (Hocus Pocus, Idle Hands, TMNT)

• Feminine monstrosity in Monster, Death Becomes Her, 13 Ghosts, and Kung Fu Hustle

• How Crimson Peak and Cruel Intentions mirror themes of desire and doom

• And Bridgette’s one real smile… we saw it, and we liked it.

This episode is a love letter to weird sisters, the horrors of growing up, and the monsters we become—or fight—when no one’s listening.

So grab your booze, bring your bud, and let’s get into it!

Credits: Theme song written by Levi Guth & Max Neal. Music and sound editing, mixing, and mastering by Max Neal. Hear more from Max at Zelzedian Music.

Ginger Snaps, Part 1: Raging on the Rag?

What do werewolves, periods, and patriarchal blame games have in common? A lot, actually. Join Jess & Nic as they sink their teeth into Ginger Snaps, the cult classic 2000 horror film that boldly asks: what if lycanthropy was just puberty, but bloodier?

We discuss some classic werewolf lore and transformations, and dig into why Ginger Snaps earns its place as a feminist horror landmark. From the layered relationships between sisters, mothers, and frenemies, to the glaring cultural habit of blaming mothers for everything, we examine how this film flips traditional horror tropes on their heads.

Plus, we howl about:

• Skinwalkers, mythology, and the film Antlers

• The U.S. government’s efforts to eradicate wolves (and what that says about control)

• Diana turning a man into a stag (because Greek mythology is metal)

• How John Fawcett went from Ginger Snaps to Orphan Black and Castle Rock

This one’s packed with rage, blood, fur, and feminist theory—just the way we like it.

So grab your booze, bring your bud, and let’s get into it!

Credits: Theme song written by Levi Guth & Max Neal. Music and sound editing, mixing, and mastering by Max Neal. Hear more from Max at Zelzedian Music.

Welcome to Bud Corner! This is our final episode examining The Ring. "The Matchstick Girl', Jess's favorite show Supernatural, how to stop the television curse, & the mother trope are some of the topics we geek the f*** out on. Join us and let's dive in!

Credits: Theme song written by Levi Guth & Max Neal. Music and sound editing, mixing, and mastering by Max Neal. Hear more from Max at Zelzedian Music.

Sources:

Mental Floss

Bancho Sarayashiki - Wikipedia

Naomi Watts - Wikipedia

Gore Verbinski Wikipedia

Then Now Movie Locations

The Ring Is The Best Japanese Horror Remake

ScreenRant

Verbinski Changes Original Movie

Bloody Women - Ringu

Ring American Remake

Daveigh Chase

Jane Doe

Welcome back for Part 2 of our deep dive into The Ring! Jess & Nicole ponder Seattleite stereotypes, "Punctilious pricks", if this really is a "B" movie, ghost tropes, and watching movies with the captions on.

Cheers, Buds!

Credits: Theme song written by Levi Guth & Max Neal. Music and sound editing, mixing, and mastering by Max Neal. Hear more from Max at Zelzedian Music.

Sources:

Mental Floss

Bancho Sarayashiki - Wikipedia

Naomi Watts - Wikipedia

Gore Verbinski Wikipedia

Then Now Movie Locations

The Ring Is The Best Japanese Horror Remake

ScreenRant

Verbinski Changes Original Movie

Bloody Women - Ringu

Ring American Remake

Daveigh Chase

Jane Doe

Jess & Nicole are especially excited for this episode! "The Dish Mansion," Sick Girl Horror, TV = Bad, dysfunctional family tropes, Samara, Sean Combs & Ashton Kutcher… just a few of the topics we explore as we delve into The Ring.

Considered one of the best American adaptations of a Japanese horror film—and the movie that kicked off the J-horror remake craze in the U.S.—The Ring was filmed in our beloved PNW, perfectly capturing that drizzly, real-life experience of The Long Dark vibe.

Let’s dive in.

Credits: Theme song written by Levi Guth & Max Neal. Music and sound editing, mixing, and mastering by Max Neal. Hear more from Max at Zelzedian Music.

Sources:

Mental Floss

Bancho Sarayashiki - Wikipedia

Naomi Watts - Wikipedia

Gore Verbinski Wikipedia

Then Now Movie Locations

The Ring Is The Best Japanese Horror Remake

ScreenRant

Verbinski Changes Original Movie

Bloody Women - Ringu

Ring American Remake

Daveigh Chase

Jane Doe

Dolls. Creepy, cursed, and possibly out to get you. In this episode, Nic & Jess finish up our dive into Child’s Play and Annabelle, exploring everything from haunted dolls to liminal spaces to The Island of Dolls.

We also chat about: 🪆 Doll tulpas—can dolls manifest something sinister? 🍄 Jess’s plan to become a mushroom when she dies (and some truly wild horror movies about fungi). 👀 The unsettling truth about parents who don’t believe their kids… even when those kids see shadow figures. 🎭 Nicole wearing the creepiest white mask (seriously, we need a pic). 🃏 Horror Tarot and why, if you believe in God, you should believe in the Devil.

So grab your booze, bring your bud, and let’s get into it!

We hope you've been entertained, informed, and truly terrified! If you enjoy what you hear, please leave us a five-star review and follow our podcast on your platform of choice. For more 420-inspired content, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @boosandbuds. Got any terrifying tales to share? DM or email us at boosandbudspod@gmail.com.

Cheers, buds!

Credits: Theme song written by Levi Guth & Max Neal. Music and sound editing, mixing, and mastering by Max Neal. Hear more from Max at Zelzedian Music.

Attributions:

beautiful or ominous music box.wav by xtrgamr -- https://freesound.org/s/268511/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Music Box For Suspenseful Stories (Demo Version) by Universfield -- https://freesound.org/s/696300/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Crackle.wav by kwahmah_02 -- https://freesound.org/s/261574/ -- License: Attribution 3.0

Welcome back to Part 2 of Nicole & Jessica's deep dive into the uncanny and often terrifying world of DOLLS! In this episode, we focus on the horror movie Annabelle. Cold chills, tension-building horror, eerie sewing machine and baby crying sounds, supernatural incidents that happened on set, heteronormativity, The Museum of Death, haunted rocking chairs, traditional role conventions, and things that show up in mirrors—these are just some of the topics we unravel.

So buckle up, grab your booze, bring your bud, and let’s get into it!

Credits: Theme song written by Levi Guth & Max Neal. Music and sound editing, mixing, and mastering by Max Neal. Hear more from Max at Zelzedian Music.

Sound Attributions:

• beautiful or ominous music box.wav by xtrgamr – Freesound – License: Attribution 4.0
• Music Box For Suspenseful Stories (Demo Version) by Universfield – Freesound – License: Attribution 4.0
• Crackle.wav by kwahmah_02 – Freesound – License: Attribution 3.0