2 Guys And A Chainsaw - A Horror Movie Review Podcast

We talk about its under-the-radar release, recognizable-but-not-huge cast (including Mariel Hemingway and Michael Paré), and how the movie feels like a bright, slick ’90s horror with occasional ’80s vibes. We praise the gore, the bold amount of on-screen werewolf action, and Steve Johnson’s practical creature effects, while criticizing the flat cinematography, weak characterization, and pacing that delays the central conflict until the final stretch. We compare it to the novel Thor by Wayne Smith—told from the dog’s perspective—and discuss how the film strips away that richer concept, leaving muddled motivations, odd plotting, and a rushed finale, though we still think it’s worth one watch for the effects and the dog.

Happy Halloween! We wrap up our fifth and final Halloween episode of the season with The Witching Season, a micro-budget, Halloween-soaked horror anthology that began as a web series and plays like five connected episodes. We talk about how the segments share a cohesive look, consistent cinematography, and clever little callbacks (radio/TV clips and visual nods) that tie everything together. We break down each short, from the slasher to the killer stuffed animal tale, the alien abduction, the longer “writer in a haunted house” meta-story that later became a feature, and an urban-legend-style closer. We end by discussing uneven payoffs, overall ambition, and the news of a funded Part II.

We talk about what made the first film iconic—Angela’s weird energy, the dance, the poster art, and practical effects—and why this version feels like a bigger-budget copy-and-paste with less charm. We break down the New Orleans setting, the party vibe, the confusing character/space staging, and the juvenile “push the envelope” moments, plus the underused cast (including Shannon Elizabeth and Edward Furlong). From the basement skeleton reveal to the safe-room exposition dump and chaotic finale, we cover why it’s not terrible—just forgettable and disappointing compared to the original.

We dig into how convincingly it recreates the era—VHS degradation, nonstop regional commercials, and corny local-news Halloween coverage—and why it works best as nostalgic “party atmosphere” rather than a sit-down scare. We break down the funniest bits in the opening news segments, the repetitive ad structure that undercuts tension, and the ultimately chaotic haunted-house special involving a rude host, paranormal investigators (and their psychic cat), an exorcist, and a cult-driven finale.

We talk about why the movie feels so different from Carpenter’s first two films—more jump scares, more comedy, and a less-mystical Michael Myers—while still appreciating Jamie Lee Curtis’s return as a traumatized, alcoholic Laurie Strode living under an assumed name. We break down the opening with Loomis’s nurse, the tense rest-stop sequence, the teen cast (Josh Hartnett, Michelle Williams), the Janet Leigh cameos and Psycho nods, and the finale Laurie vs. Michael, including the controversial “definitive” ending and how the next sequel undermines it.