Nightshade Cult; A Podcast Macabre
Film, TV & Pop Culture
About
Exploring the darkest corners of cinema, music, and subculture. Find us @nightshadecult on all social media platforms.
Episodes
- 66. Dracula's Daughter (Hillyer, 1936) Familiarize Van Helsing
This episode of Nightshade Cult, A Podcast Macabre examines the 1936 film Dracula's Daughter, highlighting Countess Zaleska's role in establishing the conflicted vampire archetype and the film's subversive nature during the Hayes Code era.
- 65. The Craft (Fleming, 1996) Her Mother Was A Witch, She Was Burned Alive
This episode reviews the 1996 film "The Craft," examining its status as a cult classic teen horror film on its 30th anniversary. The discussion includes related films and a beverage pairing.
- 64. The Mummy (Fisher, 1959) Egybberish
This episode of Nightshade Cult reviews Hammer Studios' 1959 film, The Mummy, directed by Terence Fisher. The discussion covers the film's plot elements, noting its connection to Universal's partnership with Hammer following other successf…
- 63. The Mummy (Freund, 1932) King of the Dead Mummies
This episode of Nightshade Cult, A Podcast Macabre, discusses the 1932 film The Mummy, directed by Karl Freund and starring Boris Karloff. It explores the movie's connection to the Egyptian craze of the time and its role in establishing a…
- 62. The Bride (Roddam, 1985) Bad Baron
Episode 62 of Nightshade Cult reviews Frank Roddam's 1985 film "The Bride." The hosts examine the movie's reimagining of Frankenstein's monster and his bride as lovers, drawing parallels to the 1935 film "Bride Of Frankenstein" and Roddam'…
- 61. The Curse of Frankenstein (Fisher, 1957) Oops All Villains
Cultists, it's only been a couple of months but your Horror Hosts are heading back to Castle Frankenstein. In the late 1950's, Horror had largely moved away from Gothic period pieces and toward Alien Invaders and Atomic Monsters. Terence F…
- 60. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Kaufman, 1978) Let Go Let Pod
Cultists, there's a handful of remakes that eclipse the original in the public consciousness. Phillip Kaufman's Invasion Of The Body Snatchers is certainly one of those. Kaufman moved the setting into the urban heart of San Francisco and g…
- 59. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Siegel, 1956) Stay Woke Podsheeple
Cultists, it's the Seventieth anniversary of Don Siegel's Invasion Of The Body Snatchers. Something about the low budget B-Movie captured the zeitgeist of the McCarthy era, and it then later became a cult classic after its reassessment by…
- 58. Bone Tomahawk (Zahler, 2015) Chicory Earned a Promotion
We've been on a bit of Western/Horror kick lately, and in that genre one film has been repeatedly recommended by the Cultists, S. Craig Zahler's Bone Tomahawk. The 2015 Cult Classic is part Revisionist Western and part Cannibal Horror, so…
- 57. Alien: Earth and Year End Favorites (2025) T. Ocellus + Sheep 4 Ever
Happy New Year, Cultists! This Episode your Horror Hosts are putting Noah Hawley's Alien:Earth on the Exam Table. Hawley has a knack for taking classic films and expanding on their themes to make great television. Also, this Episode, in li…
- 56. Doctor Sleep (Flanagan, 2019) A Saxophone Solo of a Movie
Cultists, your Horror Hosts aren't done with The Overlook Hotel just yet, or maybe it's not done with us. With 2019's Doctor Sleep, Mike Flanagan attempted the impossible, reconciling Stephen King's vision of The Shining with Stanley Kubri…
- 55. The Shining (Kubrick, 1980) Kubrick's Christmas Vacation
Cultists, The Shining is 45 years old this year. So it's time for your Horror Hosts to head up to The Overlook Hotel and put Kubrick's psychological horror masterpiece on the Exam Table. Hopefully we don't get snowed in. Dissection Topic h…
- [Bonus] Frankenstein (del Toro, 2025) All Frankensteins Are Beautiful
It's finally here, Cultists. Gothic Horror maestro Guillermo del Toro's long awaited adaptation of Frankenstein has dropped and your Horror Hosts promptly put it on the Exam Table. GDT has assembled a monster of a film, taking elements fro…
- 54. The Running Man (Glaser, 1987) Bachman-Arnold Overdrive
Well Cultists, this month sees the release of Edgar Wright's adaptation of The Running Man by Richard Bachman (aka Stephen King). And you know your Horror Hosts won't pass up an excuse to throw an old Schwarzenegger film on the Exam Table,…
- [Bonus] Son of Frankenstein (Lee, 1939) Boris and Bela's Excellent Adventure
Cultists, five years after the previous entry in the series, and three years since they'd made a horror movie at all, Universal convinced Karloff to sit in Jack Pierce's make-up chair for one last outing as the iconic monster. Minus direct…
- 53. Predator (McTiernan, 1987) To Catch A Predator
Cultists, whenever one of our favorite franchises comes out with a new instalment, your Horror Hosts like to look back at the original. So this episode John McTiernan's Predator will be going on the Exam Table in anticipation of Dan Tracht…
- [Bonus] Bride of Frankenstein (Whale, 1935) The (Studio) Monster Demands a Mate (Sequel)
Cultists, a successful film demands a sequel, and The Monster Demands a Mate! Coming four years after the original, and largely considered the pinnacle of the Classic Era of Universal Horror, Bride of Frankenstein arrived in a very differe…
- 52. Ginger Snaps (Fawcett, 2000) Good Thing All Dogs Go To Heaven
Cultists, it's the 25th anniversary of Canadian Cult Classic Teen Werewolf movie Ginger Snaps! Seems like a perfect excuse for your Horror Hosts to finally put it on the Exam Table. Please join us for the Dissection. Dissection Topic https…
- [Bonus] Frankenstein (Whale, 1931) Gothic Horror Deadbeat Dad
Cultists, as promised, we're bringing you Bonus Episodes for Spooky Season! In anticipation of Guillermo del Toro's new adaptation, your Horror Hosts are putting the original Universal Studios Frankenstein films on the Exam Table. Starting…
- 51. Vampire Hunter D (1985, Ashida) Fist of the Goth Star
Cultists, your Horror Hosts are kicking off Spooky Season by putting Toyoo Ashida's Cult Classic anime Vampire Hunter D on the Exam Table. Adapting the first volume of Hideyuki Kikuchi's popular novel series, the seminal OVA is celebrating…
- 50. Se7ven (Fincher, 1995) Gwen's Head In A Box
Cultists, it's been 30 years since David Fincher's Se7en first shocked and disturbed audiences. Blurring the line between crime thriller and psychological horror, the film remains incredibly influential to this day. Please join us for the…
- 49. Salem's Lot (Dauberman, 2024) New England Nosferatu 2 Electric Boogaloo
Cultists, despite being somewhat underwhelmed on their first visit, your Horror Hosts are returning to the town of Salem's Lot. This episode, Gary Dauberman's 2024 adaptation of Stephen King's novel, will be going on the Exam Table. Releas…
- 48. Salem's Lot (Hooper, 1979) New England Nosferatu
Cultists, continuing with the Sinners theme. Another one of the film's often cited influences was Stephen King's Salem's Lot. Adapted as a two part TV movie by Texas Chainsaw Massacre director Tobe Hooper, this Gothic Horror throwback scar…
- 47. From Dusk Till Dawn (Rodriguez, 1996) Chekhov's Codpiece Gun
Cultists, Sinners was a film that wore its influences on its sleeve. One obvious influence was the '90s Cult Classic From Dusk Till Dawn. The film kicked off a series of Grindhouse collaborations between directors Robert Rodriguez and Quen…
- 46. Sinners (Coogler, 2025) Vampire Lord of the Dance
Cultists, because you demanded it (and because it became available to stream) your Horror Hosts are finally putting Ryan Coogler's Sinners on the exam table. This genre defying Vampire film has held online film discourse by the jugular sin…
- 45. 28 Years Later (Boyle, 2025) Post-Apocalyptic Grief Counseling
Cultists, hopefully we're not disappointing the hardcore 28 Weeks Later fans but your Horror Hosts have opted to skip that splatter fest, and jump directly to Boyle and Garland's return to the franchise: 28 Years Later. Taking place nearly…
- 44. 28 Days Later (Boyle, 2002) True KVLT Cinema
Cultists, in 2002 director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland dropped 28 Days Later and inadvertently ignited a new Zombie craze that's arguably still ongoing. This month they're returning to that world they created so your Horror Hosts a…
- 43. Jaws (Spielberg, 1975) The Gen X Moby Dick
Cultists, we hope you didn't think it'd be safe to go back in the water this summer. Because this year is the 50th anniversary of Jaws. This episode, we're putting the film that catapulted the career of Steven Spielberg and changed everyth…
- 42. Friday the 13th (Cunningham, 1980) Halloween+Meatballs=$$$
Cultists, what do you think of when someone mentions Friday the 13th? A hulking hockey masked machete wielding ghoul stalking teens around a summer camp? Well, in Sean S Cunningham's original 1980 Summer Camp Slasher, very little of that i…
- 41. Psycho (Hitchcock, 1960) Zero Star Yelp Review
Cultists, your Horror Hosts are finally putting an Alfred Hitchcock film on the Exam Table: his Proto-Slasher Psycho. The boundary-pushing film is celebrating its 65th anniversary, and it continues to be influential to this day. Please joi…
- 40. American Psycho (Harron, 2000) Manhattan Chainsaw Massacre
Cultists, this episode your Horror Hosts are again returning to Y2K for another Cult Classic celebrating its 25th anniversary, American Psycho. The Neo-Noir Quasi-Slasher that generated countless memes, and propelled Christian Bale into Su…
- 39. Memento (Nolan, 2000) Remember to Write a Title For This Episode
Cultists, there are a number of films celebrating significant anniversaries in 2025. So your Horror Hosts are using that as an excuse to put some real gems on the Exam Table. First up the film that introduced most of the world to Christoph…
- 38. Twin Peaks: The Return (Lynch, 2017) Teach Me How to Dougie
Cultists, Nick and David have escaped from the Black Lodge just in time to bring you the fourth and final installment of our series Dissecting Twin Peaks. In this episode, your Horror Hosts put the 2017 Limited Event Series, Twin Peaks: Th…
- 37. Twin Peaks Fire Walk With Me (Lynch, 1992) The Absence of Frost
Cultists, less the week after Twin Peaks Day we're back with the third in our Twin Peaks series. In this episode, your Horror Hosts will put Lynch's controversial film, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, on the exam table. A critical and comme…
- 36. Twin Peaks Season 2 (Frost and Lynch) Nadine Goes Back To School
Cultists, we are back with the second part of our Dissection of Twin Peaks. In this episode, your Horror Hosts will put Season 2 of the cult series on the Exam Table. Notoriously the second season struggled, with studio interference, frict…
- 35. Twin Peaks Season 1 (Frost and Lynch, 1990) PNW Noir
Cultists, on January 20th, 2025, just five days short of his 79th birthday, the world lost David Lynch. A true auteur director, Lynch was someone we held very high esteem at Nightshade Cult. In response to his passing, we will be putting T…
- 34. The Wolf Man (Waggner, 1941) Leisure Suit Larry
Cultists, there's a new interpretation of the Wolf Man releasing this weekend. That means it's time for your Horror Host's to put george waGGner's 1941 classic on the Exam Table. This was not Universal's first Werewolf film but it proved t…
- 33. Nosferatu (Eggers, 2024) For Auld Fang Syne
Happy New Year, Cultists. We're doing things a little differently this year. Because you demanded it, your Horror Hosts are going to deliver their Hot Takes on Robert Eggers's Nosferatu before they get into the annual rundown of their Year…
- 32. Shadow of the Vampire (2000, Merhige) The Vampire Disaster Artist
Cultists, we've arrived at the third instalment in our Nosferatu series. This episode your Horror Hosts are putting E. Elias Merhige's 2000 Metatextual Gothic Horror on the exam table. This fictionalized telling of the making of Murnau's e…
- 31. Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979, Herzog) You Can Never Have Too Many Rats
Cultists, for round two of our Nosferatu series your Horror Hosts will be putting Werner Herzog's 1979 homage to Murnau's seminal piece of German Expressionism on the exam table. The Bavarian auteur brought an art house sensibility to his…
- 30. Nosferatu - A Symphony of Horror (1922, Murnau) Great Grandpire
Cultists, in anticipation of Robert Eggers upcoming adaptation of Nosferatu, your Horror Hosts are going back to the original. In this episode, we put F.W. Murnau's 1922 Symphony Of Horror on the exam table. Please join us for the Dissecti…
- 29. They Live (Carpenter, 1988) The Future's So Bleak I Gotta Wear Shades
Cultists, with election day just around the corner, the time feels right to put John Carpenter's They Live on the exam table. The horror maestro hid a scathing rebuke of the '80s capitalist culture under the thinnest veneer of sci-fi actio…
- 28. Halloween (Carpenter, 1978) Adventures In Babysitting
Cultists, just in time for the fall holidays, your Horror Hosts are putting two of Maestro John Carpenter's classics on the exam table. First up the blueprint for the Slasher genre 1978's Halloween! Please join us for the dissection. Disse…
- 27. Batman Returns (Burton, 1992) A Tale of Two Trumps
Cultists, just as your Horror Hosts are concluding their series Dissecting his Imperial Phase, Tim Burton graduated to becoming one of the Top 10 Highest Grossing Directors of All Time! Certainly, 1992's Batman Returns was a significant co…
- 26. Edward Scissorhands (Burton, 1990) Florida Man Scissors Neighborhood
Cultists, for the second installment in our examination of Tim Burton's Imperial Phase we come to what has often been called Burton's "Most Personal Film" 1990's Gothic Fairytale, Edward Scissorhands. This is the first time Burton worked w…
- 25. Beetlejuice (Burton, 1988) We Don't Quote Creeps
Cultists, with The Ghost With The Most making his long awaited return to the silver screen, the time felt right for your Horror Hosts to put the films of Tim Burton's Imperial Phase on the exam table. First up of course is 1988's Beetlejui…
- 24. Shaun of the Dead (Wright, 2004) Dawn of the Ed
Cultists, it's hard for your Horror Hosts to believe that it's been twenty years since Shaun Of The Dead was released. But that's all the excuse we need to Dissect Edgar Wright's breakout 2004 Rom Zom Com! Please join us for the dissection…
- 23. Alien (Scott, 1979) Space Road Truckers
We saved the best for last, Cultists. The third and final installment in our Dissection of Ridley Scott's Alien films is the one that started it all, 1979's Alien. Sir Ridley took the tropes of the nascent Slasher genre and sent them into…
- 22. Alien: Covenant (Scott, 2017) The Monster Becomes the Mad Scientist
Cultists, N&D have heard that Alien: Covenant is the most divisive film in the Alien franchise. Sir Ridley's second Alien prequel divided the fandom and allegedly any time it's discussed the internet explodes. Rest easy because your Horror…
- 21. Prometheus (Scott, 2012) Cosmic Daddy Issues
There's a new Alien instalment on the horizon, Cultists. Perfect opportunity for your Horror Hosts to put Sir Ridley Scott's three contributions to the franchise on the exam table. We'll be dissecting the films in event order rather than r…