Freaky Franchise

Two sisters bring a fresh and female perspective to the world of horror commentary, using humor, guestsperts, and a social conscience. We'll explore film franchises that left their mark—for better or worse—on teenagers and pop-culture for generations.

FF 104—The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) 09/05/2022

FF 104—The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) You know those horror movies where you keep yelling at the screen because the protagonists keep doing the most obviously stupid things? The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) is very much that movie. These kids pick up hitchhikers in the middle of nowhere. They go into houses alone with strange men. They agree to meet the sheriff at a secondary location. They hide in abandoned meat factories. So for this episode, we spend most of our time discussing these and countless other red flags that occurred throughout the film. We also talk about Kipper the Dog, lasagna brains, "Jassa" Dugger, and our Not-Listening eras. /episode/index/show/freakyfranchise/id/24276738

FF 103—Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation 08/19/2022

FF 103—Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation Did you know that the fourth installment of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise features not one but *two* future academy award winners? Well, we're guessing the people watching this film in 1995 didn't see that coming either. Despite turning over cannibalism for pizza parties, this film has all of the violence and gore that you would expect, as well as dinosaur skeletons and the Illuminati. Don't worry about it! We'll also talk about belt dresses, Little Ceasar's, and the Anti-Semitic Point of No Return. /episode/index/show/freakyfranchise/id/24098370

FF 102—Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3 08/05/2022

FF 102—Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3 We're back! And we're ready to dive right into The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3. This one teaches us that we should never take the Cowboy's Route, and give us a lot to think about in terms of when something becomes soup. It also gives us a look into an entirely new side of the Sawyer family that raises more questions than answers. We'll also talk about pocket chainsaws, sustainable cannibalism, and Californian underwear. /episode/index/show/freakyfranchise/id/23964402

We'll be right back... on August 5th! 07/24/2022

We'll be right back... on August 5th! It's been a long time. Like, a really long time. But the masked monsters have stopped chasing us, and we will be returning from our hiatus soon! /episode/index/show/freakyfranchise/id/23839643

FF101—100th Episode (Part 2!) 12/05/2021

FF101—100th Episode (Part 2!) We're back with more from our 100th episode! In Part 2 we'll cover HALLOWEEN (2007) and A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (2010), read some more listener messages, reveal the giveaway winner, and spend some time looking towards the future of Freaky Franchise. Thank you all for listening and making 100 episodes (well, 101) possible! /episode/index/show/freakyfranchise/id/21385700

FF100—Our 100th Episode! (Part 1) 11/19/2021

FF100—Our 100th Episode! (Part 1) We've finally made it to 100! Join us as we take a look back at all of the movies we've watched, read some messages from our listeners, and discuss the remakes of THE AMITYVILLE HORROR (2005) and FRIDAY THE 13TH (2009). If you're listening to this when it's first released, there's still time to send us a message for Part 2! https://forms.gle/ceHWBuFAHHZqBGxg9 /episode/index/show/freakyfranchise/id/21220244

FF99—The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Part II 10/30/2021

FF99—The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Part II In this episode we discuss The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Part II, a spoof sequel that came out 12 years after the original. As you can imagine, that makes this one a little different than the typical second film. We've still got Leatherface and the rest of his cannibalistic family (even Grandpa!), but now they're terrorizing all of Texas and turning people into chilli. We'll discuss whether this is a bad spoof or too good of a spoof, and talk about the importance of a cool nickname (something everyone in this film has). We'll also talk about email logins, chilli cookoffs, purse trash, and dorito meat. /episode/index/show/freakyfranchise/id/20992328

FF98: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 10/08/2021

FF98: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre This week, we're heading back almost 50 years to cover the earliest film we've ever talked about and one of the most well-known: the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. We'll discuss the many, MANY red flags that pop up in this movie, and try to figure out why Leatherface is the only one who achieved fame when he's got a whole family with their own unique murder-related passions and skillsets. We'll also talk about different types of grave robbing, armadillo skeletons, the retrogradation of various planets, and prickly pear varients. /episode/index/show/freakyfranchise/id/20756306

FF97—Prom Night Retrospective (with Jason Stark) 09/24/2021

FF97—Prom Night Retrospective (with Jason Stark) After 5 proms (well, 4 proms and 1 private party in a former monsatary), slashers, ghosts, stalkers, a demon-possessed priest, and a whole bunch of murders, we are finally ready to wrap up this franchise. We'll discuss themes of sexism, harassment, revenge and comeuppance, and who takes you home. We will also be joined by high school teacher and co-host of The Parentacons, Jason Stark, to talk about prom. /episode/index/show/freakyfranchise/id/20590475

FF96—Prom Night (2008) 09/11/2021

FF96—Prom Night (2008) We're back with the final Prom Night movie, and we've realized that this one is much less about ghosts and avenging someone's death, and much more about an incompetent police system. Is it the worst movie we've watched for the show? Not even close. Is it the most frustrating? It very well might be. But at least these kids finally get to have their prom at a fancy hotel instead of the school gym. We'll also talk about bell boys, prophetic dreams, Danny Fenton, and tap dancer's instincts. /episode/index/show/freakyfranchise/id/20439860

FF95—Outtakes 08/27/2021

FF95—Outtakes Have you ever wondered what the recording experience is like for us? Here's your chance to hear everything that doesn't make it into the episodes that you hear with an outtakes reel. Sometimes we say words wrong. Sometimes we get onto tangents so off-topic that we don't put them in. Sometimes we get distracted. And sometimes something happens in the middle of a recording that makes us scream. Because these are outtakes the audio is sometimes a bit funky, but we hope you enjoy this (and have a new appreciation for the time we spend editing). /episode/index/show/freakyfranchise/id/20284565

FF94—Prom Night IV: Deliver Us From Evil 07/30/2021

FF94—Prom Night IV: Deliver Us From Evil It's Prom Night again! But this time, we're not going to prom. We're going to an old seminary-turned-Summer-home to be pursued by a possessed priest. Sounds crazy, right? But this one's actually a back-to-basics slasher, all about teens getting murdered with a strange yet practical weapon. We'll try once again to unpack Catholic horror and to figure out why on earth teens would pass up a perfectly good prom to sit around in an empty house all night. We'll also talk about Camp Rock, the novels of John Green, and a tour of makeout history. /episode/index/show/freakyfranchise/id/19982705

FF93—Prom Night III: The Last Kiss 07/16/2021

FF93—Prom Night III: The Last Kiss Mary Lou's back, but this time, things are a bit different. She's managed to escape the Hell Prom and she's got her sights set on Alex, the most average man that you will ever meet. Alex is cool with this (who DOESN'T want to make out with a hot ghost?) until she starts killing anyone who gets in his way. We'll talk about what Mary Lou is getting right and try and wrap our heads around why she's obsessed with Alex. We'll also talk about Mrs. Washington Goes to Smith, football fields, American patriotism from Canada, and what defines a banana split. /episode/index/show/freakyfranchise/id/19838141

FF92—Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II 07/03/2021

FF92—Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II It's prom night again, but this time things are a little different. We've got the vengeful ghost of a murdered prom queen, possession, and some Nightmare-On-Elm-Street-Style special effects. Add to that a whole lot of sexism and some heavy-handed moralism with unclear statements about Catholicism, and you've got quite a film. We'll also talk about red lipstick, high school prop closets, stink bomb experiences, and self-induced swirlies. /episode/index/show/freakyfranchise/id/19696820

FF91—Prom Night 06/18/2021

FF91—Prom Night Get your fancy dress and your corsage and get ready for some awkward photos—it's prom season! This week we're starting the Prom Night franchise, and boy is there a lot going on here. We'll discuss how we could have thrown a better prom and led a better investigation into the suspicious death of a ten-year-old. We'll also talk about violent recess games, how to pronounce the name "Wendy", everything happening at the last minute, and the Taylor Swift classic "Teardrops on my Guitar". /episode/index/show/freakyfranchise/id/19523828

FF90—Cloverfield Retrospective 06/04/2021

FF90—Cloverfield Retrospective Join us as we do our best to connect the dots between three very different movies. We'll discuss giant monsters along with themes of saving yourself vs. saving others, found family, documentation, and survival. We'll also go through a disaster survival checklist and see if we're ready to face a Cloverfield event (spoiler alert: we're not). /episode/index/show/freakyfranchise/id/19354199

FF89—The Cloverfield Paradox 05/07/2021

FF89—The Cloverfield Paradox This week, we're in space! The third and final (at least for now) film in the Cloverfield franchise gives us some insight into how this whole thing started. At least, we're pretty sure it does. Not going to lie, it's a bit hard to follow. In this episode, we'll spend equal amounts of time talking about what happens in the film and trying to define the word "paradox". We'll also talk about astronaut food, 3D printer safety settings, flex tape, and how to pronounce Neve Campbell's name. /episode/index/show/freakyfranchise/id/19011557

FF88—10 Cloverfield Lane 04/26/2021

FF88—10 Cloverfield Lane Would YOU trust a strange man who kidnapped you, put you in a bunker, and told you that the apocalypse had happened and you're one of a few people safe and alive? You probably shouldn't, but in this film, that seems to genuinely be the case. Howard, Michelle, and Emmet are now stuck in a bunker while the rest of the world goes to Hell. But this is a horror movie, so you know it's a bit more complicated than that. We'll discuss whether or not having a bunker is a good idea and how we would cope with this situation. We'll also talk about CPR certification, People Crying Underground, fruit roll-ups, and a different Bradley Cooper. /episode/index/show/freakyfranchise/id/18853301

FF87—Cloverfield 04/09/2021

FF87—Cloverfield Quick question: if a monster was wreaking havoc on New York City, would you a) flee the city or b) run into the center of the city, right into the path of the monster? If you chose b we don't know what you're doing, but maybe you'll understand the people in this movie better than we do. We'll talk about our own plans for if something like this happens, and why we're going with option a. We'll also talk about box offices, the definition of "lawn", Scrappy Doo, and Coney Island baby warmers. /episode/index/show/freakyfranchise/id/18652232

FF86—The Amityville Horror Retrospective (with Chris Granniss) 03/26/2021

FF86—The Amityville Horror Retrospective (with Chris Granniss) After watching more movies than we have for any other franchise, we're ready to say goodbye to the Amityville Horror house (along with the countless haunted objects that came from it). We'll take a look at all 11 of the movies we watched to discuss themes including truth vs. fiction, corruption, and bad dads. We'll also talk with Chris Granniss to give us the perspective of an Amityville local. /episode/index/show/freakyfranchise/id/18473789

FF85—The Amityville Murders 02/27/2021

FF85—The Amityville Murders We're ending our coverage of the Amityville Horror franchise where it really began: with the murder of the DeFeo family at 112 Ocean Avenue. We'll discuss the ethically murky waters that this film resides in, and try to parse out what is true from what was clearly created for a compelling film. We'll also talk about Long Island accents, applying to only one college, fake nightmares, and vibing with Nona. /episode/index/show/freakyfranchise/id/18116522

FF84—Amityville: The Awakening 02/15/2021

FF84—Amityville: The Awakening What is this? A movie with a theatrical release? After the last few Amityville films we watched, we weren't sure that something like this would ever happen again. But here we are, with recognizable actors and a significantly bigger production budget than we have seen in some time. Once again, a family has moved into the Amityville House, only this time, the original book and movie are well-known cultural icons to everyone except for the family. At first it seems like it's all hype, but when the family's son suddenly awakes from a... coma? Persistent vegetative state? It's unclear. All we know is that he probably isn't alone in there. We'll talk about some big issues, like ableism and sexism. We'll also talk about cool middle school styles, pottery barn, tunics, and whether or not you pull a literal plug. /episode/index/show/freakyfranchise/id/17961311

FF83—The Amityville Haunting 01/29/2021

FF83—The Amityville Haunting This film takes a whole new approach to the Amityville haunting, through the lens of a twelve-year-old boy making a documentary about the haunted house that he and his family just moved into. The literal lens, since this is a found footage movie. We'll join Tyler and his family as his father quickly descends into madness, the ghost of Ronald DeFeo causes all sorts of problems, and a family under-reacts to multiple people dying in their home under mysterious circumstances. We'll also talk about spying on each other, bad parenting, and John Matthews. /episode/index/show/freakyfranchise/id/17732357

FF82—Amityville Dollhouse 01/15/2021

FF82—Amityville Dollhouse This week, we're finally back in the Ocean Avenue house... in miniature. The miniature house is inside a real house that is definitely not the Ocean Avenue House. We can't tell you exactly how this dollhouse got there, or how it's doing the things that it's doing, or why there are wasps involved, since all of the previous movies have featured flies. What we can tell you that this house is just as haunted and evil as the full-sized version. We'll also talk about fire safety training, detention, and suspicious gerbil death. /episode/index/show/freakyfranchise/id/17554436

Minisode: Predicting the New Year 01/01/2021

Minisode: Predicting the New Year Happy New Year! With 2020 coming to an end, we thought that this might be a good time to continue our vacation from the Amityville franchise and make some predictions for the coming year. We tried a variety of different divination methods to see what the next year has in store for all of us. Here's looking forward to 2021! /episode/index/show/freakyfranchise/id/17386490

FF81—Santa Claus is Comin' to Town (A Horror Story) 12/18/2020

FF81—Santa Claus is Comin' to Town (A Horror Story) Happy holidays! We're continuing our annual tradition of discussing why a beloved Christmas special is actually a horror movie. This year we're talking about Santa Claus is Comin' to Town. This film is typically thought of as the origin story of our beloved Kris Kringle, but it also examines what it means to be a monster. Sometimes, the monsters aren't the big scary wizards with evil powers. Sometimes, the monsters are people just like us. They might even be the people that we would call our heros. /episode/index/show/freakyfranchise/id/17247059

FF80—Amityville: A New Generation 12/04/2020

FF80—Amityville: A New Generation We are now officially on our third haunted object movie of the Amityville Horror franchise. But don't worry, this time it's TOTALLY different (and actually slightly more connected to the original plot than the others have been). This time around, we've got a mysterious demon-filled mirror that comes to haunt a group of unsuspecting artists, weird detectives who may or may not be part of a profiling unit, and some serious daddy issues. We'll also talk about Candance Cameron Bure, the best Justin Timberlake songs, how to style overalls, and "phertographers" (furtographers?). /episode/index/show/freakyfranchise/id/17064179

FF79—Amityville: It's About Time 11/14/2020

FF79—Amityville: It's About Time The title says it all: this is a movie about time. Once again, we are whisked away from Amityville and taken to California, this time in the form of a clock that apparently belonged to a cannibalistic headmaster before it made its way to Ocean Avenue, where it was picked up by an architect designing a planned community. And this isn't just any clock: it's an EVIL clock, that makes men angry and violent and makes girls dress sexy. We'll try and wrap our heads around how this works, and what the relationship is between the two main adults in the film, which are equally difficult narratives to unravel. We'll also talk about tapestries, a citizen's grounding, ectoplasm colors, and full on ROFLing. /episode/index/show/freakyfranchise/id/16809347

Halloween Bonus! Scary Stories 10/31/2020

Halloween Bonus! Scary Stories Join us around the (metaphorical) campfire as we tell our own versions of some of our favorite scary stories, with Special Guest, our Mom! Tales include The Pink Sweater, The High Beams, The Clown Statue, Aren't You Glad You Didn't Turn on the Light?, and The Black Velvet Band. Happy Halloween! /episode/index/show/freakyfranchise/id/16626539

FF78—The Amityville Curse 10/23/2020

FF78—The Amityville Curse After making a detour to California, this movie brings us back to Amityville—but not to the Amityville house that we're all familiar with, to a different house in Amityville, because apparently they're all haunted. The fifth movie in the Amityville Horror franchise features a group of friends who intend to flip a house, only for one of them to maybe probably become possessed by the ghost of a man who maybe probably didn't die in this house. We'll also talk about the werewolves of Jane Eyre, ANTM: Boys in the House, an unknown Alice, and Theo's super cool discman. /episode/index/show/freakyfranchise/id/16518569

Freaky Franchise

TOPICS