We have a fun surprise interview for you this week about a film that made tremendous waves at last year's Fantastic Fest. DOLLY is a gleefully disturbing, unflinching, gore-drenched love letter to every horror film you had to sneak into your basement to watch after everybody else went to bed. Filmed in classic 16mm, it tells the story of Macy (Fabianne Therese) who while on a woodland excursion with her partner (Seann William Scott) encounters a monstrous figure (Max the Impaler as "Dolly") who abducts her with the intent of raisin her as their own child.

It’s a vintage shot of pulp-novel flavored nightmare fuel, beholden to the greats but carving out a path of its own. Reed had the privilege to sit down with both the co-writer and director Rod Blackhurst and the star Max the Impaler to discuss the design and craft of this stylish film, as well as some of the surprisingly thoughtful ways it plays around with the conventions of slasher thriller tropes.

DOLLY is in theaters exclusively as of March 6th. We hope you'll check it out and we hope you enjoy this interview!

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We have an epic episode for you this week about an epic film from last year (#2025stillalive). Ryan Coogler has been a striking creative visionary in cinema for years now. With SINNERS, he unleashed a tour de force of creative storytelling, groundbreaking behind-the-scenes negotiations, and a powerhouse commentary on culture, art, and history. Sinners has now been nominated for a record-breaking 16 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and continues to find and captivate new audiences daily.

We invited a panel of friends and FoGgers to discuss this film with us, including returning friends of the show Chris Clark and Natashia Deon (attorney, professor, and author of The Perishing) and new-to-the-FoG guest Shaherah White (entrepreneur and host of the Love Manifested podcast). Together we dive deep into the themes and the cultural touchstones of Coogler's impressive film, including what it has to say about freedom, power, temptation, and art. It's one of our heartiest and most compelling discussions of this entire series.

Also featuring returning guest Charlie Baber to discuss STRANGER THINGS, Season 5, Episode 7 on a Patron-only segment, this is a hearty and full conversation that we really hope you enjoy.

4:39 - Two Questions with Shaherah White

Patron Only Segment: STRANGER THINGS, Season 5, Episode 7

10:55 - SINNERS

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We continue our look back at some of the most noteworthy and interesting horror films of 2025 (#2025stillalive) with an examination of Steven Soderbergh's unconventional haunted family drama, PRESENCE. Shown entirely from the perspective of a mysterious entity moving among them, Presence displays the escalating tensions of a family as they settle into a new home. As tensions escalate between the nuclear family members, and pressures begin to boil from both internal and external conflicts, the titular presence watches them all. Who, or what, is this presence? Why is it here? What does it want or need? And in what ways, if any, will it be able to affect the fate of this family?

We're joined by FoGger friends both new and old -- Nicole Amato, Will Frank, and (making his debut) Mike Runyon -- to discuss the film's fascinating thematic interests about time, connection, regret, grief, fear, outrage, and (possibly) redemption. It's a fascinating film and an even more fascinating conversation. Also featuring a Patron-only segment where Nathan is joined by Nicole Amato and (also making his debut) Josh Heake to discuss STRANGER THINGS, Season 5, Episode 6, this is a hearty and lively conversation that we really hope you enjoy.

4:26 - Two Questions with Mike Runyon

12:04 - Whatcha Playin'?

Patron Only Segment: STRANGER THINGS, Season 5, Episode 6

28:31 - PRESENCE

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We continue our series looking back at some of the most noteworthy horror movies of 2025 (#2025stillalive) by discussing the latest feature from Josh Ruben (of Werewolves Within). HEART EYES is a rather lightweight film with an ambitious goal: to make a film that is both a romantic comedy and a slasher. Although the balance is sometimes a bit off, the film impressively succeeds at being funny, charming, suspenseful, and fun. We're joined by returning guests, novelists Nick Medina and Christina Henry, to discuss what works and doesn't about this unique cocktail as well as what the film might entice us to think about in this age of trivial social media sentiments and our tendencies to romanticize dangerous things.

Also featuring friend of the show Andrew Nelson in a Patron-only segment discussing STRANGER THINGS, Season 5, Episode 5, this is a fun and breezy conversation that we really hope you'll enjoy.

3:28 - Upcoming works from Christina Henry and Nick Medina

7:10 - Whatcha Watchin' / Readin' / Listenin' To

Patron Only Segment: STRANGER THINGS, Season 5, Episode 5

22:00 - HEART EYES

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We have another special interview episode for you today for something that's not directly horror-related, but definitely falls within our framework of examining what scares us to find what saves us. Recently, Nathan was invited to host an author discussion at Troubadour Booksellers in Charlotte with author and pastor Greg Jarrell, whose book OUR TRESPASSES: WHITE CHURCHES AND THE TAKING OF AMERICAN NEIGHBORHOODS paints a sobering portrait of the ways that "race, geography, policy, and religion have created haunted landscapes in Charlotte, North Carolina, and throughout the United States." The conversation was so strong, Nathan invited Jarrell to share his book with us on the show.

As was observed of Jarrell's work, he "brings receipts" for a conversation that is compelling, challenging, and thought-provoking about the moral gravity of having displaced and devalued our neighbors, both systematically and ideologically. Offering substantive research and thoughtful analysis, Jarrell provides not only an insightful portrait of how we got here, but what avenues might be open to us for lasting change.

We hope you'll check out Greg Jarrell's book and we hope you enjoy this conversation!

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Our lookback series at some of the best films of 2025 (#2025stillalive) continues this week with the sequel to Scott Derrickson's 2021 film The Black Phone. Picking up 4 years after the events of the first film, BLACK PHONE 2 tells a decisively scarier and more spiritually conscious story about Gwen and Finn making their way to a Christian camp in the mountains to confront the mysterious, haunting, lingering power of The Grabber. It's a film of disarming potency, with both a strong emotional and spiritual resonance, making it one of the strongest films of Derrickson's career.

We're joined by FoG favorites Steven Beckley and Blake Collier, as well as welcoming a new guest to the show: long-time FoG community member Abby Dewsnap. Also featuring a Patron-only segment where we discuss STRANGER THINGS, Season 5, Episode 4 (with yet another first-time guest Josh Raugh), this is a hearty and heart-filled episode that we really hope you enjoy!

5:09 - Two Questions with Abby Dewsnap

Patron Only Segment: STRANGER THINGS, Season 5, Episode 4

11:48 - BLACK PHONE 2

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We have another special interview episode with you this week featuring director Darren Lynn Bousman discussing his latest film, TWISTED, available right now to buy or rent on VOD. Starring Djimon Hounsou and Lauren LaVera, Twisted tells the story of a resourceful con artist (LaVera) whose con involves flipping houses they don't own and pocketing the deposits. When her latest mark brings her in contact with a respected surgeon (Hounsou), she soon discovers that he has secrets and intentions which will flip the situation back on her and her partner (Mia Healey) in ways they never could have imagined.

The plot is full of surprises, reminiscent of classic pulp thrillers, and has a complex moral ambiguity at its center. Bousman sat down with Reed to discuss exploring this tale and blurring the lines (both thematically and aesthetically) in creative ways.

Twisted is available as of 2/6/26 to rent or own on VOD and we hope you enjoy our conversation about it!

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We continue our look back at some of the strongest and most interesting horror films of 2025 (#2025stillalive) by examining a decisively unconventional and deeply affecting horror film called THE RULE OF JENNY PEN. Starring Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow in powerhouse performances, The Rule of Jenny Pen tells the story of an elderly judge (Rush) who, following a debilitating stroke, finds himself in a long-term care facility that is menaced by a maniacal bully (Lithgow). As his physical condition worsens and the staff become increasingly less likely to intervene, he finds every inch of his perceived power and authority stripped away from him. It is a harrowing and thought-provoking film of truly unique impact.

We're joined by a host of FoG friends and Final Girl gamers: Paula Deming, Meg Oak, and Julie Ahern. Together we unpack all of the various terrors and hopes that this film has to offer, resulting in one of our heartiest and most vigorous conversations ever. Also featuring a Patron-only segment where we continue our journey through STRANGER THINGS Season 5, this is a lengthy but deeply thoughtful conversation that we really hope you enjoy.

4:32 - Favorite Final Girl Stories

19:53 - Recent Favorite Board Game Plays

Patron Only Segment: STRANGER THINGS, Season 5, Episode 3

34:42 - THE RULE OF JENNY PEN

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