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Ian, Stella and Kirsty do their best without Dan's guidance (he's away on holiday, the slacker) and dig into 'Dashcam', Rob Savage's eagerly anticipated follow-up to 'Host', with a spoiler-free and spoiler-full discussions, plus an interview with 'Dashcam' screenwriter Gemma Hurley and its producer Jed Shepherd. PODCAST TIMELINE 1'52 Trailer followed by spoiler-free discussion 22'00 Interview with Gemma & Jed 45'03 - TO END Spoilerific discussion - DO NOT LISTEN UNTIL YOU'VE WATCHED THE FILM. To hear our previous interview with Gemma for 'Host' click here To hear our previous interview with Rob Savage for 'Host' (with spoilers) click here

It's time to talk Tolkien, and specifically the more horrific elements of the Middle Earth canon.  Peter Jackson's 2001 film instalment The Fellowship of the Ring (featuring the ever-forbidding Christopher Lee, of course) has long given Ian, Stella and Dan the collywobbles, but Ralph Bakshi's 1978 animated version is also memorably nightmarish.  Joining them to enthuse about these films is the brilliant film journalist, podcaster and producer Catherine Bray, co-host of the highly recommended new podcast Not Another F*cking Elf: A Lord of the Rings Character Guide.   00.00.41 Intro and news 00.06.04 The Lord of the Rings discussion   Relevant links   Not Another F*ucking Elf (@notanotherelf on Twitter) is available on Apple Podcasts and YouTube and so far includes episodes about Gollum, Boromir, Legolas, Bilbo Baggins and Tom Bombadil, with five more episodes due to follow this season John Ezard's 2001 Guardian article on Tolkien can be read here Tickets for the 27th May cinema screening of Horror Express (1972) in Manchester can be booked here and the film is also currently streaming on BBC iPlayer.

AKA: 'Another Hannibal Love-In'... We return to the world of Hannibal, Bryan Fuller's majestic TV remix of the works of Thomas Harris.  As with our Season One discussion last year, Kirsty and Dan are joined by very special guests Dr Lori Hitchcock Morimoto of the University of Virginia and Dr Rebecca Williams of the University of South Wales for an in depth aca-Fannibal chat, and then by Stella (our very own Dr) and Ian for their take on the show. WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS for the first and second seasons of Hannibal.  If you've never seen the show, DON'T LISTEN TO THIS.  Go and find our Season One episode (which is spoiler-free) and if you like the sound of it watch the show up to Season Two, then listen to this. In the UK, Hannibal is free to stream via My5 (Season One only) or to Amazon Prime subscribers (all seasons).   00.00.41 Intro with Dan 00.05.25 Dr Rebecca Williams & Dr Lori Hitchcock Morimoto with Kirsty & Dan 01.14.10 Stella & Ian with Kirsty & Dan   All soundtrack and music clips are used for the puposes of criticism under Fair Use (US law) and Fair Dealing (UK law).  No copyright infringement intended. Visit our website, andnowpodcast.com  

The date this episode drops, 28th April 2022, would've been the 100th birthday of Nigel Kneale, the great pioneer of SF/horror TV and film, who died in 2006.  Here, in an extract from our forthcoming episode on Kneale's film version of Quatermass and the Pit (1967), renowned horror author Simon Clark tells Dan the story of how he found the script books of Kneale's 1950s Quatermass serials in a second-hand bookshop and why they are so important to him. To hear the full version of this interview, in which Simon discusses in detail not just the three script books but also Kneale's other literary works, sign up to our Patreon page. Look back through our podcast feed and on our website, andnowpodcast.com, to find our earlier Kneale-themed content: our Missed Classic on Beasts: During Barty's Party (1976) and our Halloween Retrospective on Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982), and Dan's written appreciation of The Woman in Black (1989).

It's April Fool's Day, so perhaps it's appropriate to admit our own foolishness in failing to put out our March episode actually in the month of March.  Here it is instead, and you'll get a proper April episode in due course... David Edwards, former film critic of the Daily Mirror and old mate of Ian's, is a great fan of and expert on George A Romero's unique 1977 vampire movie, Martin.  He joins Ian (who is watching the film in its entirety for the first time) and Dan (who is rediscovering it after seeing the film when he was in his teens) to discuss this powerful movie in both spoiler-free and spoiler-detailed fashion.  They also discuss the prospect of the recently-discovered extended version of the film. Kirsty and Stella sadly couldn't be involved in this episode, but they'll be back!   00.00.41 Intro 00.04.22 Trailer and spoiler-free discussion 00.24.22 Background to the forthcoming extended version 00.39.37 Spoiler discussion   Recommendations Ultraviolet (1998) is available to stream in the UK via All4   All film and music clips are used for the purposes of criticism.  No copyright infringement of intended. Visit our website, andnowpodcast.com

Now that the major episodes of the podcast have moved to a monthly schedule, we'll be dropping occasional mini episodes in between, including reviews of new movies.  Here is the first, as Kirsty and Dan sink their teeth into director Joe Badon's surreal dark comedy, Sister Tempest.   Relevant links: Order Sister Tempest on Blu-Ray Rent Sister Tempest to stream on Vimeo   Also - if you want to help the situation in Ukraine: Donate to the DEC Ukraine Appeal (the UK government will match donations up to £20million) Donate to the Red Cross Ukraine Appeal   Visit our website, andnowpodcast.com

It's 100 years since the premiere of FW Murnau's Nosferatu - Eine Symphonie des Grauens (A Symphony of Horror).  Although not quite the first screen adaptation of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula, it's the one by which all others are measured - a masterpiece of German Expressionist cinema that marks the beginning of modern screen horror. For years Kirsty has been passing on her love of this classic to her students, and on such an important anniversary, Dan was more than happy revisit it with her. Elsewhere, the two hosts discuss the trailers for the forthcoming films from Jordan Peele and Alex Garland, and there's a message from Howard.   Relevant links: The music-free version of Nosferatu is public domain and can be easily found online, and a scored version is available on Amazon or DVD and Blu-Ray  1922: The Birth of Now, including an episode focused on Nosferatu. can be heard at BBC Sounds   All trailers and music clips are used for the purposes of criticism in the spirit of Fair Dealing (UK law) and Fair Use (US law).  No copyright infringement is intended Visit our website, www.andnowpodcast.com  

Dan spent quite a while thinking up the title for this episode... Yes, having graduated from high school (or 'left secondary school' as we tend to say in this part of the UK) just as Wes Craven's seminal slasher comedy Scream (1996) first hit UK cinemas, Stella and Dan are franchise fans and wouldn't dare miss the latest in-no-way-confusingly-titled instalment, Scream (2022).  Kirsty thought it looked fun too, and Covid allowed them all to get to the cinema to see it.  Hear them chat about it. Oh, and the answer to the question posed in the title of this episode is: no. NB. Apologies to anyone who downloaded this episode within its first day of release as there were some editing problems we failed to spot.  These have now been fixed. 00.00.00 Intro and Scream franchise chat 00.30.20 Scream (2022) review (non-spoiler) 01.01.30 Scream (2022) - spoiler thoughts 01.06.32 Recommendations   Relevant Links Archive 81 is currently available to stream via Netflix in the UK The X Files is currently available to stream via Disney+ in the UK   All trailers and music clips are used for the purposes of criticism in the spirit of Fair Dealing (UK law) and Fair Use (US law).  No copyright infringement is intended Visit our website, andnowpodcast.com

Kirsty, Dan and Ian discuss 2019's Doctor Sleep and whether it was a good idea to make a direct sequel to Stanley Kubrick's The Shining (1980). Also, Merry Christmas!   00.00.00 Intro 00.09.25 Doctor Sleep and The Shining (non-spoilers) 00.40.49 Doctor Sleep (spoilers)   Recommendations Doctor Sleep (in both theatrical and Director's Cut versions) is currently streaming via Amazon Prime The Lost Boys is currently streaming via BBC iPlayer Hannibal Season One is currently streaming for free via My5 BBC iPlayer currently contains several Ghost Stories for Christmas, including Stigma, Whistle and I'll Come To You and the new production, The Mezzotint; plus all the episodes to date of Ghosts and What We Do In The Shadows Room 237 (a documentary about the conspiracy theories surrounding The Shining) is currently available to stream via IMDB TV   Visit our website, andnowpodcast.com

Kirsty and Dan ponder the horror films they've decided never to go near, and the reasons behind their choice.  Elsewhere, Howard returns - for the first time over Zoom - to delve into the Bag of Death.   00.00.41 Intro with Dan 00.04.55 The Bag of Death with Howard 00.25.46 The Question of Horror with Kirsty 01.24.28 Recommendations with Dan   Recommendations and Relevant Links Val Lewton's Cat People: Beyond the Shadows and The Horror Films of Val Lewton are available to stream from Dark Corners Reviews' YouTube page Cat People (1942), I Walked with a Zombie (1943) and The Curse of the Cat People (1944) are available to stream on the BBC iPlayer (in the Classic Films section) Special thanks to Leah Marks.  The Voiceover Social Podcast can be heard here   Visit our website, www.andnowpodcast.com

Ian, Kirsty and Dan discover as one the highly influential 1979 thriller, When A Stranger Calls.  Elsewhere, Dan rhapsodises about Shudder (where this film can actually be found... it's on Amazon Prime, too).   00.00.00 Intro 00.06.33 When A Stranger Calls spoiler-free discussion 00.16.39 When a Stranger Calls trailer (which contains a spoiler) and spoiler discussion 01.16.22 Recommendations   Do consider subscribing to our Patreon.  Our discussion of Hannibal Season 2 has now been added, as has Dan and Kirsty's chat about which horror film's they'll never watch (to be released on the regular podcast feed next week) All soundtrack clips are used for the purposes of criticism under Fair Use (US law) and Fair Dealing (UK law).  No copyright infringement is intended Visit our website, www.andnowpodcast.com

2002's Dog Soldiers is a fave for Stella, a 'like' for Kirsty and Dan, and frankly a source of personal angst for Ian.  The foursome all get together to chew the fat on it (and somehow never mention that director Neil Marshall went on to be a key force behind our perennial love, TV's Hannibal).  Elsewhere, Howard phones in for another pick from the Bag of Death. Oh, and (sinister pause...) Happy Halloween!   Relevant Notes and Availability (All these are relevant to the UK) Dog Soldiers is out on DVD and Blu-Ray and can frequently be found on BritBox and All4 It (2017) is broadcasting on ITV1 in the UK at 9pm on Saturday 30th October, and It: Chapter 2 is streaming now via Amazon Prime Ready Or Not (2019) is streaming now via Disney+ Us (2019) is streaming now via Amazon Prime Doctor Jekyll & Sister Hyde (1971) and the rest of the 'Classic Hammer Horror Collection' are streaming now via Britbox The Exorcist (1973) is broadcasting on BBC2 at 10.40pm on Saturday 30th October, and will thereafter be available for one month for streaming via BBC iPlayer Halloween (1978) is broadcasting on FilmFour at 10.55pm the same night (and may thereafter be available to stream via All4 for a week, but you can never be sure) The Horror Channel's Universal Monster Movie Marathon includes, on Saturday 30th October: Dracula (1931) at 1pm; Frankenstein (1931) at 2.30pm; Bride of Frankenstein (1935) at 3.55pm; The Wolf Man (1931) at 5.25pm and Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man (1943) at 6.50pm.  Then on Sunday 31st: The Invisible Man (1933) at 1pm; The Mummy (1932) at 2.25pm; The Mummy's Hand (1940) at 3.55pm; The Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) at 5.15pm; and Revenge of the Creature (1955) at 6.50pm. Rosemary's Baby (1968) is broadcasting on Great Movies at 9pm on Sunday 31st October. What We Do In The Shadows (2014) is broadcasting on BBC2 at 10.45pm on Sunday 31st October and thereafter will be streaming for one month via BBC iPlayer.  Also, the TV series is currently streaming via Disney+.   Please consider subscribing to our Patreon (our discussion of When A Stranger Calls [1979] has just gone up). All soundtrack clips are used for the purposes of criticism under Fair Use (US law) and Fair Dealing (UK law).  No copyright infringement is intended. Visit our website, www.andnowpodcast.com

After being introduced to the show via Stella's American TV horror two-parter last year, Dan is now a huge fan of Guillermo del Toro, Chuck Hogan and Carlton Cuse's FX series The Strain (2014-17).  In this episode, Stella joins Dan for a spoilery chat about the whole series.  Elsewhere, a pre-recorded Howard is present to pluck another random gem from The Bag of Death.   00.00.42 Intro and news 00.10.46 The Strain 01.09.20 The Bag of Death 01.32.15 Recommendations   Relevant Links Details of the Horror Channel's films for Halloween weekend can be found at Den of Geek Details of WildRumpus' Halloween film screenings in Stoke-on-Trent can be found here I Know What You Did Last Summer (2021 TV series) is currently streaming via Amazon Prime Cellar Club with Caroline Munro runs from 9pm every Friday on Talking Pictures TV (UK Freeview 81)   All soundtrack clips are used for the purposes of criticism, in the spirit of Fair Dealing (UK law) and Fair Use (US law).  No copyright infringement is intended. Subscribe to us on Patreon to receive early-access and bonus content Visit our website, www.andnowpodcast.com 

FINALLY it's here, only three years after being recorded!  Join Howard, Dan and Spider-Dan (known on this recording as Dan B), in the pub with Ian Winterton (in chronologically his first appearance on this podcast) to discuss their first impressions, in both spoiler-free and spoilery fashion, of David Gordon Green's 2018 Halloween film - just in time for the release of his eagerly-awaited sequel, Halloween Kills. Elsewhere, in the present day, Stella and Dan are joyfully rejoined by Kirsty, recent life stresses all behind her, to indulge in excitement about the Toronto International Film Festival premiere of Rob Savage's new film Dashcam, the trailer for Scream 5, and lots of other things! 00.00.41 Intro with Dan, Stella and Kirsty 00.25.11 Halloween (2018) discussion with Howard, Dan, Spider-Dan and Ian (and a bit of Stella) 01.58.45 Recommendations with Kirsty, Stella and Dan   Related Links and Recommendations Danny Robbins' new podcast Uncanny is currently available via BBC Sounds The Green Knight is currently streaming on Amazon Prime (and is also in cinemas) There's Someone Inside Your House is currently streaming on Netflix The Grimmfest Virtual Festival continues until 11.30pm on Sunday 17th October   All soundtrack clips are used for the purposes of criticism, in the spirit of Fair Dealing (UK law) and Fair Use (US law).  No copyright infringement is intended. Visit our website, andnowpodcast.com

This weekend (14-17 October) it's the virtual version of Grimmfest, giving all of us lounge-lizards who missed the live festival the opportunity to catch many of its filmic highlights from the comfort of our homes.  In this mini-episode, Dan talks to Aaron Bartuska, debut director and co-writer, about his found footage/slasher/character study hybrid For Roger, which has its UK premiere as part of the online event. All films in the virtual version of Grimmfest can be viewed at any time between 1.30pm on Thursday 14th October and 11.30pm on Sunday 17th October. Click here to book tickets for For Roger and to watch the trailer. Click here to book tickets for Father of Flies and to watch the trailer. Go to the official Grimmfest podcast, Spider-Dan & the Secret Bores, to hear Spider-Dan's reports from the live festival. All soundtrack clips are used for the purposes of criticism, in the spirit of Fair Dealing (UK law) and Fair Use (US law).  No copyright infringement is intended. Visit our website, andnowpodcast.com

The date this episode drops (7th October 2021) is the first day of Grimmfest, Manchester's festival of fantastic film, returning as a live event for the first time since 2019.  And here is the second of our preview episodes, in which you can learn some details about two of the films screening there - Tarumama and Slapface.  Dan and Stella are here to introduce the interviews. 00.16.20 The first interviewee is Andrés Beltran (@andresbcine on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook), director and co-writer of Columbian supernatural horror drama from Dynamo Productions, Tarumama (Columbian title: Llanto Maldito).  Dan spoke to him over Zoom.  Andrés' short film Vanity Mirror is also showing at the Sitges Film Festival this weekend and details can be found here.  And the trailer for Tarumama (as well as screening details and booking links) can be found on the Grimmfest website here. 00.43.20 The second interview (with Dan filling in for Ian, who had to drop out at short notice due to family circumstances) is about Slapface (on Twitter as @SlapfaceFilm, soon to come to Shudder).  Dan talks over Zoom to writer/director Jeremiah Kipp (@JeremiahKipp), actor/producer Mike Manning (@Mike_Manning_), and actors August Maturo (@AugustMaturo) and Libe Barer (@libebarer).  Booking links for the Grimmfest screenings can be found here. 01.30.28 Recommendations Next week we will be dropping, at long last, Howard, Dan, Spider-Dan and Ian's take on Halloween (2018) - just in time for the release of Halloween Kills.  However, if you'd like to hear the review right now - and get access to a number of other bonuses - please consider subscribing to our Patreon.   Recommendations Midnight Mass is currently streaming on Netflix The Fly (1986, in the Star section) and every Simpsons Treehouse of Horror are currently streaming on Disney+   All soundtrack clips are used for the purposes of criticism, in the spirit of Fair Dealing (UK law) and Fair Use (US law).  No copyright infringement is intended Visit our website, www.andnowpodcast.com

We're back!  Or at least... some of us are.  Dan and Ian will be your company for the first episode of the second series of --And Now The Podcast Starts!  But fear not, Kirsty, Stella and Howard will all be returning in future episodes, accompanied by a number of great guests.   And Grimmfest is back!  Yes, it's time again for the North of England's premiere festival of fantastic films, which, following an all-virtual festival last year during lockdown, now reappears as a hybrid.  It returns as a live event to its traditional home, the Odeon Great Northern in Manchester, from 7-10 October; and then follows this with a virtual festival from 14-17 October.  All the details of what's on, and ticketing links, can be found at grimmfest.com.   Grimmfest is the main topic this week, as Ian and Dan talk to the talents behind three of the films.   00.09.53 Director/co-writer Erik Bloomquist (Twitter: @ErikCBloomquist) and actors Amelia Dudley (@AmeliaDudley) and Taylor Turner discuss their American sinister hotel thriller, Night At The Eagle Inn.  Find out more about the film here.   00.39.16 Director/co-writer Conor Boru (Twitter: @ConorBoru), producer Dom Lenoir (@DirDomLenoir) and actor/co-producer Jared Rogers (@jaredrogersword) discuss their British serial killer mockumentary, When The Screaming Starts (we like that title! Twitter: @WhenScreaming).  You can see the film's teaser trailer and find out more here.   01.20.37 Finally, director/co-writer/actor Keene McRae and actor/co-writers Kristoffer McMillan and Lane Thomas (all three of whom are also producers) discuss their American film Shot In The Dark (@ShotDarkFilm), a unique 'inspired by true events' hybrid of serial killer, love story and meditation on smalltown prospects.  See the film's trailer at their website here.   Recommendations   Marvel's What If? and The Strain are both available on Disney+.   All soundtrack clips are used for the purposes of criticism, in the spirit of Fair Dealing (UK law) and Fair Use (US law).  No copyright infringement is intended

Kirsty, Stella, Ian and Dan gather for the last time this series, to cast their minds back over the podcast so far and discuss whatever comes to mind.  Meanwhile, Howard (who has now recovered from his COVID-19 jab) phones in for another delve into the Bag of Death. The show will now go on a short hiatus.  We'll be returning around June to discuss, once again, the best and worst of horror with the choicest of guests.  In the meantime, keep an eye on our webite, andnowpodcast.com, for new content, follow us on Twitter (@AndNowPodcast, @KirstyWorrow, @StellaGaynor, @IanWinterton, @LifeIsAboutFic and @LeeCushingPod) and consider donating to our Patreon page. (Footnote: Apologies that this episode is dropping a day or so late.  This is due to Dan being involved in an almost nasty accident.  He's okay, though, and no-one else was hurt.)   We have a sea of recommendations to tide you over: The Love Witch is streaming via All4 (free in the UK) until 20th April The Uncanny Hour is exclusively available to Patreon Supporters of the Cosmic Shambles Network Wellington Paranormal is now streaming as part of the Now TV Entertainment package in the UK The Handmaid's Tale Seasons 1-3 are currently streaming free to UK Amazon Prime subscribers The Margaret Atwood episode of Samira Ahmed's How I Found My Voice podcast is available on Apple Podcasts Doom Patrol is streaming via Starz Play in the UK The Boys Seasons 1 and 2 are currently streaming free to UK Amazon Prime subscribers They Reach is currently streaming free to UK Amazon Prime subscribers The ninth episode of The Battersea Poltergeist podcast has been delayed due to the BBC coverage of the death of Prince Philip The podcast Tanis is available to listen here Sour Hall is still available to listen on Audible (and Leah Marks and Nicola Redman's podcast The Voiceover Social, for voice actors and podcasters, is available here) 

It's time to wrap up the first series of --And Now The Podcast Starts! with a general chat between Kirsty, Stella, Ian and Dan as they reflect on producing 60-odd episodes of horror discussions during a global pandemic, pick out some favourite moments, and add in some bits they meant to say about earlier topics.  More in this style next week, and then we're taking three months off. Please note: the sound quality is a little lower than usual this week, as a tight turnaround caused by everyone's pre-Easter work pressures meant we had to use the Zoom sound recording and didn't have time to edit it much.   Relevant Links and Availability NB. Contrary to what Dan says on the podcast, The Wicker Man (1973 disguised as 2006 version) is no longer streaming for free to Amazon Prime subscribers in the UK.  The 2006 version is available to Starzplay subscribers Owen's appearance on Blue Peter can be seen on BBC iPlayer Women Make Horror is published by Bucknell University Press and other outlets The Battersea Poltergeist is continuing its broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and the new ninth episode debuts at 9pm on 9th April Global TV Horror (featuring Stella's essay) is available from University of Wales Press For All Mankind is streaming via Apple TV The Silt Verses podcast is available here   Visit our website, andnowpodcast.com  

A return to 2018 (oh, those carefree, carefree days) this episode, as we release the second-to-last of our series of Halloween franchise reviews recorded in that year, with our look at Rob Zombie's sequel to his own remake.  Usual suspects Dan and Howard are joined by regular Halloween guests Spider-Dan (who at the time of recording was only just starting his own illustrious podcast) and actor, writer and sometime Michael Myers, Luke Richards.  But what will be their verdict?  As if you can't guess.   Relevant Links and Availability Halloween II (2009) is available on DVD, Blue-Ray or rental streaming via Amazon or YouTube.  It can also be streamed for free to members of Shudder Spider-Dan is on Twitter and his podcast's website is here Luke Richards is also on Twitter: follow him to learn more about his Halloween fan film, One Night in Haddonfield Don't Breathe is showing on Film4 in the UK at 11.15pm on Saturday 27th March The Battersea Poltergeist podcast is still available for download here and begins broadcasting every weekday at 11.30pm on Radio 4 from Monday 29th March The Guest is showing on Sony Movies in the UK at 11.20pm on Tuesday 30th March The Terror can be streamed via BBC iPlayer and is showing in the UK on BBC2 at 9pm on Wednesdays Overlord is showing on Film4 in the UK at 10.45pm on Friday 2nd April   Visit our website, andnowpodcast.com