Chapter 1: What are the top 10 horror movie franchises discussed?
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I'm Gilbert Cruz, and this is the Sunday Special. I could not be more excited about today's episode. Producers, cue the spooky music. I love Halloween. I love the spooky vibes. I love candy. I specifically love, like, mini Heath bars. But maybe more than all of that, I am obsessed with scary movies, and that is what we are talking about today. Here with me is Eric Piepenberg.
He is the horror movie columnist at The Times. Hi, Eric. Hello, Gilbert. And our first returning guest, what an honor, Jason Zinnemann, a critic at large and the author of the book Shock Value, How a Few Eccentric Outsiders Gave Us Nightmares, Conquered Hollywood, and Invented Modern Horror. Why is this subtitle so long?
It's way too long. I was young. But I just sold the French rights. It's coming out in France. Literally today, I signed the rights. Zut alors!
Welcome, Jason. Good to be here. Okay, I brought the two of you on here for a very particular reason. Today we're going to come up with the definitive list of the greatest horror franchises in cinema history. According to us three. We're going to make this list. We're all going to agree. We're going to get along. And then we'll all hug at the end. Maybe. Maybe? Maybe. We'll see.
Gotta keep some suspense, Gilbert.
You're right. You're right. Okay. Before we jump into this task, and it is a hearty task, I want to know how you all are feeling about the current state of horror movies. Like, how are we feeling about where... The genre is right now in this year, 2025. Eric.
I'm feeling good about it. I think we are in a sort of prolonged golden age of horror right now. The period that sort of started with Get Out, I think, is continuing. And when I think about just this year alone, Weapons is just one of the best horror movies I've seen in quite some time. We're seeing a lot of new faces, new ways of seeing horror. Jason, do you think so?
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Chapter 2: How do the hosts feel about the current state of horror movies?
It feels like this is the beginning.
But what ties it all together in me is the monster and the character in a way that I would like to include, like, young Frankenstein. I'd like to include Shaun of the Dead in the Dead series. I don't want to go by the rules of Hollywood producer.
Yeah, but you understand that we need to have rules here, right?
I have horrors about breaking rules, Gilbert, and that's what I'm here for. No, I'll go along with whatever definition you have.
Okay. Eric, we know who the chaos agent is. Can we agree Universal franchise should proceed?
I think it should proceed. I hear you, Jason. I also think you make some really good points, but the answer is yes. For our purposes here, let's continue on that line.
Okay. We're going to move to the early 1960s. 1960, in fact, when one of the first slasher movies, the first slasher movie, if we consider Psycho, Alfred Hitchcock's all-time classic to be a slasher movie.
We all go a little mad sometimes.
came out in 1960 no one thought it would be a franchise but starting in the early 80s you had Psycho 2 Psycho 3 and then Psycho 4 at the beginning which was a prequel TV movie this is very weird we're gonna encounter some of these it's a franchise where the first movie is one of the greatest movies ever of all time.
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Chapter 3: What criteria define a successful horror movie franchise?
Do you know what you look like to me with your good bag and your cheap shoes? You look like a rube. A well-scrubbed hustling road with a little taste. To see two genius actors doing the same thing in different ways. I don't think of it as horror. It's almost like too classy for horror.
Yeah, that's true. Does classiness get in the way a bit?
Yeah, for me, part of the appeal of horror is to be disreputable. And if something is trying to be too classy, I just don't find that enjoyable.
Speaking of disreputable, I think the next movie would fall in that category. It's 1987's Hellraiser. Of course, about an evil puzzle box that when you manipulate it, it calls a bunch of demons.
Explorers in the further regions of experience. Demons to some, angels to others.
I think that's right. I'm not a big fan of the Hellraiser. I think those sort of fancy production design, it all looks a little too Party City for me. I don't know. It's just not my kink. So yeah, I think I'm going to pass on that. You don't like the leather? You don't like the chains? No, I don't like the leather and the chains and the drapey like muumuu stuff and the headgear and the makeup.
No, it just looks like Cabaret plus Party City plus Busted. So no. Okay.
We're not going to move Hellraiser along. 1988's Child's Play.
Hi, I'm Chucky. Want to play?
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Chapter 4: What are the unique elements of the Universal Monsters franchise?
Oh, God, these. Saw. I want to play a game.
Here's what happens.
I mean, it's the most franchise-y of franchises, at least unless you count some of those in the 80s. So I would say you have to have Saw on the list. Yeah, and in some way it feels like a sister or a cousin to Final Destination, so I would say yeah.
Okay. Paranormal Activity, 2007. I feel it.
I feel it breathing on me. I feel good about Paranormal Activity. I think, for me, that's top ten material, I think. I agree, especially because we didn't put Blair Witch on here. We got to have one of those two.
Insidious, the next series that James Wan sort of dealt with.
I can still hear that voice. Just because we can't have both Insidious and The Conjuring, I would say I would err on the side of The Conjuring. You got the very wise. It's very wise of you. Oh, thank you. I think that's right. And I really want Patrick Wilson to come back to Broadway. I'm sorry. Yes. I saw him in Oklahoma, and he needs to come back and sing for us, so.
You guys are the perfect, perfect pair to talk about both of those things. The VHS series.
Mm-mm. Whoa.
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