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The THING about Films

Ambrose & Kelly

22 episodes

2 hours ago

Send us a text In this episode, Ambrose and Kelly astral project straight into Insidious (2011) and break down how James Wan and Leigh Whannell reinvented the modern jump scare with almost no gore and a tiny budget. They dig into the “quiet creative desperation” that pushed the Saw duo back to their indie roots and turned a low-budget ghost story into a box office monster. You’ll hear how Insidious pulled in nearly 100 million on a shoestring, why that 66.6x budget ratio is horror-movie perfe...

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Send us a text In this episode, Ambrose and Kelly astral project straight into Insidious (2011) and break down how James Wan and Leigh Whannell reinvented the modern jump scare with almost no gore and a tiny budget. They dig into the “quiet creative desperation” that pushed the Saw duo back to their indie roots and turned a low-budget ghost story into a box office monster. You’ll hear how Insidious pulled in nearly 100 million on a shoestring, why that 66.6x budget ratio is horror-movie perfe...

Show more...

Episodes (20/22)

The THING about Films

Why Insidious Is So Scary: The Further, Demon Design & Those Jump Scares

Send us a text In this episode, Ambrose and Kelly astral project straight into Insidious (2011) and break down how James Wan and Leigh Whannell reinvented the modern jump scare with almost no gore and a tiny budget. They dig into the “quiet creative desperation” that pushed the Saw duo back to their indie roots and turned a low-budget ghost story into a box office monster. You’ll hear how Insidious pulled in nearly 100 million on a shoestring, why that 66.6x budget ratio is horror-movie perfe...

5 days ago

47 minutes

The THING about Films

The Exorcism of Emily Rose: Real Demonic Tapes, Cursed Sets & The Tragedy of Anneliese Michel

Send us a text Don’t touch that light switch—you’re going to want to see what’s hiding in the corners for this one. In this episode, Ambrose and Kelly blur the lines between spiritual terror and psychiatric reality. We are diving deep into the heartbreaking and terrifying true story of Anneliese Michel, the young German woman whose tragic death inspired The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Was it a battle for her soul against six demons, or a failure of the medical and religious systems surrounding he...

1 week ago

45 minutes

The THING about Films

Evil Dead (1981): Cursed Cabin, Demon Gore, and Zero Good Decisions

Send us a text What happens when a bunch of broke Michigan kids decide they’d rather summon Deadites than get normal jobs? Ambrose and Kelly hike back to the cabin to dig into The Evil Dead and the beautiful chaos behind it. They walk through how Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell, and friends went from backyard Super 8 shorts to a miserable winter shoot in Tennessee, sleeping on floors and inventing Fake Shemps, Shaky Cams, and sticky DIY gore just to get this thing finished. Then they break down why...

2 weeks ago

33 minutes

The THING about Films

The Conjuring Explained: Perron Haunting, Warrens & What Really Happened

Send us a text Charge your flashlight, lock the basement door, and welcome back to The THING About Films. This week, Ambrose and Kelly are calling on The Conjuring (2013) and asking the big questions: How did a “little” haunted house movie turn into a horror empire? Where does the real Perron family story end and the Hollywood version begin? And what happens when your “based on a true story” comes with real people, real trauma, and a very real old farmhouse that will not stay quiet? They bre...

3 weeks ago

39 minutes

The THING about Films

The Real Nightmare Behind It Follows—and Its Creepy Sequel

Send us a text This week we crack open It Follows, the modern slow-burn nightmare that turned a simple idea into pure anxiety. We dig into the real childhood dream that sparked the story, why the world of the film feels “out of time,” how the camera work makes you paranoid on purpose, and how Disasterpeace built that pulse-raising score in a wild three-week sprint. We also talk box office glow-up, the pool finale, and where things stand with the sequel, They Follow. What we cover The original...

1 month ago

51 minutes

The THING about Films

The Real Curse of Hereditary — Inside the Most Disturbing Family in Horror

Send us a text 🕯️ Episode Summary This week, Ambrose and Kelly crack open one of the most disturbing modern horror films — Ari Aster’s Hereditary. From the gut-wrenching screams of Toni Collette to that unforgettable attic scene, they dig deep into the film’s raw exploration of grief, guilt, and fate. It’s family trauma turned into full-blown occult horror — and we’re not holding anything back. The duo dives into behind-the-scenes stories, production details, and the performances that left bo...

1 month ago

24 minutes

The THING about Films

The Prom Night Massacre: What Carrie Tells Us About Bullying and Rage

Send us a text This week on The THING about Films, we are stepping into the telekinetic terror that started it all. Stephen King’s Carrie did not just launch one of horror’s most tragic characters. It launched Stephen King himself into the pop-culture stratosphere. We break down the journey from King’s debut novel in 1974 to the iconic 1976 film adaptation that made prom night a blood-soaked cautionary tale. Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie brought Carrie and Margaret White to life with performa...

1 month ago

26 minutes

The THING about Films

Stephen King’s IT - Breaking Down the Miniseries, Movies, and the Upcoming Welcome to Derry

Send us a text Ambrose and Kelly break down how IT evolved from King’s doorstop novel into the 1990 TV classic, the R-rated 2017/2019 films, and the upcoming prequel Welcome to Derry. We talk fear, friendship, why Derry feels “alive,” and why Pennywise still wrecks our nerves. Highlights Derry as a character, not a backdropTwo timelines and why that’s hard to adapt1990 ABC constraints vs. big-screen freedomTim Curry’s charm vs. Skarsgård’s inhuman menaceChapter Two’s heart: Richie, Eddie, and...

1 month ago

45 minutes

The THING about Films

Trick ‘r Treat (2007) — The Cult Classic That Redefined Halloween

Send us a text 🎧 Summary This week, we dig into Michael Dougherty’s Trick ‘r Treat — the horror anthology that turned Halloween night into a rulebook for survival. From studio setbacks to cult status, we break down how Sam, the burlap-masked spirit of Halloween, became an icon and why this film deserves its annual spot in your spooky season lineup. 🕸️ Key Topics Michael Dougherty — Writer and director of Trick ‘r Treat and its upcoming sequel. His earlier short Seasons Greetings (1996) introd...

2 months ago

47 minutes

The THING about Films

Inside Camp Crystal Lake: The Chaos, Gore, and Genius Behind Friday the 13th (1980)

Send us a text Starring Betsy Palmer as Pamela Voorhees and Adrienne King as Alice, this landmark slasher film helped cement the genre’s place in mainstream cinema. The special effects were handled by Tom Savini, whose practical gore effects became legendary for their shocking realism. Produced on a modest budget of roughly $550,000–$650,000, the film went on to gross nearly $60 million worldwide, proving that independent horror could be a serious box office force. It effectively legitimized ...

2 months ago

37 minutes

The THING about Films

The Devil’s Rejects (2005) – Rob Zombie’s Grindhouse Outlaw Horror

Send us a text This week, Ambrose and Kelly dig into Rob Zombie’s The Devil’s Rejects — the brutal, blood-soaked follow-up to House of 1000 Corpses. It’s not just gore and chaos; it’s a dusty road trip through Americana, revenge, and the ugly heart of violence itself. We’re breaking down the Firefly family’s twisted journey, Sheriff Wydell’s descent into obsession, and why this movie feels less like a horror sequel and more like an outlaw Western turned inside out. What You’ll Hear in This Ep...

2 months ago

36 minutes

The THING about Films

The Exorcist (1973) Explained: Behind the Scenes, Real Exorcism Case & Lasting Horror Legacy

Send us a text Some movies you watch. Others you survive. William Friedkin’s The Exorcist wasn’t just a horror film — it was a cultural earthquake. Pea soup, spinning heads, fainting audiences, whispers of a “curse,” and a box office run that rewrote the rules of cinema. Half a century later, this nightmare still hasn’t let go of us. In this episode of The THING about Films, we peel back every layer of The Exorcist — from its real-life inspirations to the chaos of its production, and the deep...

2 months ago

38 minutes

The THING about Films

The Entity (1982) — Horror, Trauma, and the Fear of Not Being Believed

Send us a text Some horror movies fade the second the credits roll. The Entity (1982) isn’t one of them. This controversial classic drops you straight into a nightmare: a single mother terrorized by an unseen force. But it’s more than supernatural scares—it’s about trauma, institutional gaslighting, and the terrifying question of what happens when no one believes you. In this episode, we break down: The shocking opening that set the tone for one of horror’s most unsettling filmsBarbara Hershe...

2 months ago

34 minutes

The THING about Films

Art the Clown Unmasked: Terrifier 1–3 Breakdown & What’s Coming in Terrifier 4

Send us a text Grab your popcorn (and maybe a barf bag) because this week we’re diving straight into the blood-soaked circus of the Terrifier franchise. From Art the Clown’s scrappy beginnings in indie shorts, to audiences literally fainting during Terrifier 2, to the twisted holiday carnage of Terrifier 3 — and yes, all the speculation about where Damien Leone is taking us in Terrifier 4. In this episode, we cover: 🎭 Art the Clown’s slow climb from background creep to full-blown horror icon....

3 months ago

30 minutes

The THING about Films

Full Moon Madness: The Legacy of An American Werewolf in London

Send us a text What happens when horror and comedy collide on the foggy English moors? In 1981, John Landis gave us the answer with An American Werewolf in London—a film that’s as bloody as it is hilarious, and as tragic as it is unforgettable. This week on The THING about Films, we’re diving deep into one of the most iconic horror-comedies ever made. From its strange real-life inspiration to the decade-long struggle to get it produced, we’ll unpack the story behind the nightmare. Along the w...

3 months ago

29 minutes

The THING about Films

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Send us a text Barbecue, road trips, and… cannibalism? This week, we’re diving straight into the sweaty, sun-baked nightmare that changed horror forever: Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. We’re talking: 🔪 The chaos of filming — unbearable heat, unwashed costumes, and a dinner scene so rancid it made actors sick.🎥 The art of grit — how a shoestring budget, 16mm film, and Daniel Pearl’s raw cinematography gave the movie its iconic “too real” documentary vibe.🎧 Sound as terror — from bu...

3 months ago

47 minutes

The THING about Films

The Silence of the Lambs: Hannibal, Clarice & Horror’s Greatest Villain

Send us a text Grab your fava beans and a nice Chianti, because this week we’re digging into Jonathan Demme’s Oscar-sweeping nightmare masterpiece, The Silence of the Lambs. In this episode, we explore how a horror film not only broke into Hollywood’s most exclusive club but completely cleaned house — winning the “Big Five” Academy Awards: Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Adapted Screenplay. It’s a feat so rare, only three films in history have ever done it. What’s Inside the Episo...

3 months ago

33 minutes

The THING about Films

Final Destination: Bloodlines – Death’s Most Twisted Upgrade Yet

Send us a text After a 14-year hiatus, the Final Destination franchise roared back to life with Bloodlines—and we’re diving headfirst into why it’s more than just another round of creative death scenes. From box office dominance to bold mythology rewrites, this episode unpacks how a horror sequel turned into one of the biggest genre hits of 2025. We break down: 📈 From Streaming to Theatrical Juggernaut – How Warner Bros.’ risky pivot from HBO Max to theaters paid off big time.💀 The Bloodline ...

4 months ago

30 minutes

The THING about Films

Rewriting the Rules of Horror: Scream (1996) & Its Requel (2022)

Send us a text Welcome film fans! In this episode, your hosts Ambrose and Kelly pull back the curtain on the horror franchise that changed the rules: Scream. We're taking a deep dive into the groundbreaking 1996 original and its meta-savvy 2022 successor to explore how this witty, surprising, and complex series came to be and why its legacy endures. The creation of the original Scream is almost as dramatic as the film itself. The Writer's Desperation: The journey began with screenwriter Kevin...

4 months ago

42 minutes

The THING about Films

The Sun, The Bad, and The Bloodthirsty

Send us a text The THING about Films - Episode: Near Dark In this episode, we're diving deep into the dusty, sun-baked, and utterly brutal world of Kathryn Bigelow's 1987 cult classic, Near Dark. Forget everything you think you know about vampires – no gothic castles or sparkling teenagers here! Near Dark rips up the rulebook, offering a raw, violent, and surprisingly haunting take on the vampire mythos. It's a gritty blend of horror, western, and even tragic romance, setting itself apart fro...

4 months ago

28 minutes