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It’s alive! Our Juniversal Monsters series is ALIVE!!! And there was simply no better film to bring this theme to life than James Whale’s electrifying masterpiece, THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935). Nathan, Eric, and Dan discuss the wild tonal shifts it takes from the first film, why Dr. Pretorious is one of cinema’s most exquisite creations, the perfect opening tribute to Mary Shelley, the unparalleled craftsmanship on display in every frame, the all-time great performances from its legendary cast, the film’s religious symbolism and censorship battles, the simple but nuanced way it handles its themes of identity, isolation, and empathy, and how much James Whale’s personal life informs those themes and the way audiences have interpreted the film over time. So stop playing with your homunculi, grab a cigar, and meet us in the lab as we welcome you to the new world... of Pods and (Video) Monsters in our analysis of THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN!! If you enjoy this episode, come join the Video Monsters crew on Discord (https://discord.gg/sjyUQg8phB)!! Hangout episodes are live (and unedited!) every Tuesday night starting around 9:00pm EST. Listen and chat along with us in the Discord chat and we’ll even give you a shoutout on the episode! Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com. Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well. music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons

June belongs to the monsters! But, not the Video Monsters… the Universal Monsters! Or shall we say, the Juniversal Monsters! This month we’re tackling some of the most beloved, iconic, and influential horror films of all time and, as usual, we’re using our patented Video Rack Attack Bracket technology to determine which three films in the classic Universal Monsters canon we’ll be reviewing this month. It’s time for another Popcorn Punchout! The rules are simple: the Punchout begins by narrowing the 31 eligible films down to 20. The first 5 are chosen by an audience vote. Nathan, Eric, and Dan then take turns selecting 5 films each to compete in the bracket. These 20 films are then placed into our Skull of Decisions and drawn at random to create our initial round of 8 matchups (which means 4 films won’t even make it out of the Skull to compete!)  Each pairing is briefly discussed, votes are cast, and the film with a majority moves on to the next round. Voting continues until only two films are left. The third film is decided by our chaos bracket. Nathan, Eric, and Dan each have at least one chaos card they can use to “save” a defeated film and advance it the chaos bracket, giving it the potential to be resurrected as the third and final film to be reviewed this month. The Universal Monsters are near and dear to our hearts and each of us have multiple films within this series that we would consider some of our all-time favorites. These are movies that have shaped who we are and what we love about the art of cinema. It’s only natural that we pit them all against each other in a fight to the death! So wolf down a nice bloody stake, wash it down with a stein of invisibility potion, drop your mummy off at the opera, take a dip with your bride in the Black Lagoon, and gather ‘round the graveyard to watch the Video Monsters take on the Universal Monsters in a POPCORN PUNCHOUT! If you enjoy this episode, come join the Video Monsters crew on Discord (https://discord.gg/sjyUQg8phB)!! Hangout episodes are live (and unedited!) every Tuesday night starting around 9:00pm EST. Listen and chat along with us in the Discord chat and we’ll even give you a shoutout on the episode! Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com. Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well. music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons

On this episode, the Video Monsters are peering into the future and choosing which monthly themes we’ll be tackling in July, August, and November of 2022! And instead of wasting a whole lot of time arguing back and forth about what we should and shouldn’t do, we’re going to leverage our patented Video Rack Attack Bracket technology to decisively etch these themes into stone in a process we’ve deemed the Popcorn Punchout! The Punchout begins by selecting the 20 themes in contention. The first 5 are chosen by an audience vote. Nathan, Eric, and Dan then take turns selecting 5 themes each to round out the bracket. The final 20 themes are then placed into our Skull of Decisions and 16 are drawn at random to create an initial round of 8 matchups (which means 4 themes won’t even make it out of the Skull to compete!) Each pairing is briefly discussed, votes are cast, and the theme with a majority of votes will move on to the next round. Voting continues until only two themes are left. The third theme is decided by our chaos bracket. Nathan, Eric, and Dan each have at least one chaos card they can use to “save” a defeated film and advance it the chaos bracket, giving it the potential to be resurrected as our third and final theme. Nathan, Eric, and Dan are each very personally invested in some of these themes, which inevitably leads to some rousing triumphs and heartbreaking defeats. So without further ado, let’s get into it. Grab your chaos cards, bow down to the almighty Skull of Decisions, and never ever underestimate the power of Peter Weller, it’s time to decide the fate of the Video Monsters with another POPCORN PUNCHOUT! If you enjoy this episode, come join the Video Monsters crew on Discord (https://discord.gg/sjyUQg8phB)!! Hangout episodes are live (and unedited!) every Tuesday night starting around 9:00pm EST. Listen and chat along with us in the Discord chat and we’ll even give you a shoutout on the episode! Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com. Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well. music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons

HAAARK!!! After a few delays, our mAy24 series finally comes to a wild conclusion with Robert Eggers’s second feature film, THE LIGHTHOUSE. A gorgeous, atmospheric, inscrutable, and deeply silly (in the best possible way) black-and-white arthouse film that was unsurprisingly a big critical hit for Eggers and A24. But is there really more to this film outside of its aesthetic pleasures and exceptional performances from Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe? Does it matter if it means anything, or is it OK to just be a dark survival comedy full of madness and mermaids? Nathan, Eric, and Dan are diving in the film’s salty depths to answer these questions and so much more. So grab your monkey pump, beware the seagulls, and try not to spill your beans. You’re fond of me podcast, ain’t ye? Then see to your duties and listen to our review of THE LIGHTHOUSE! If you enjoy this episode, come join the Video Monsters crew on Discord (https://discord.gg/sjyUQg8phB)!! Hangout episodes are live (and unedited!) every Tuesday night starting around 9:00pm EST. Listen and chat along with us in the Discord chat and we’ll even give you a shoutout on the episode! Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com. Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well. music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons

We interrupt your irregularly scheduled programming for a special impromptu hangout episode of Video Monsters! Nathan, Dan and filmmaker Robert Woods (who we all agree is a major upgrade from conspicuously absent co-host, Eric) were all free one night and aching to podcast so… they did! The Video Monsters start off by paying tribute to the legendary Ray Liotta in the wake of his passing before moving on to discussions of their experiences with people who fundamentally misunderstand a film’s message (inspired by Nathan’s recent viewing of MIDSOMMAR). They also give a sneak peek at next month’s Juniversal Monsters series and put Robert in the hot seat for an exceptional round of our favorite party game, Pitchstorm! So grab your dancing shoes, keep an ear out for a cameo from the Muppets, and never read anything on Reddit again… join us on Discord instead for a special impromptu hangout episode with the Video Monsters! If you enjoy this episode, come join the Video Monsters crew on Discord (https://discord.gg/sjyUQg8phB)!! Hangout episodes are live (and unedited!) every Tuesday night starting around 9:00pm EST. Listen and chat along with us in the Discord chat and we’ll even give you a shoutout on the episode! Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com. Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well. music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons

Podcasts and good movies, ya’ll! That’s what life’s about! The Video Monsters are living life to the fullest and continuing our mAy24 series with our review of Harmony Korine’s SPRING BREAKERS (2012)! A candy-colored odyssey into the dark heart of a disaffected generation stuck in the monotonous purgatory of Spring Break, not knowing what the future holds, desperate to feel something, clinging to whatever makes them feel like they have some kind of control over their future. There’s also some stuff about materialism, capitalism, Brittney Spears, the “American Dream,” romanticizing violence, and so much more.  In this episode, Nathan, Eric, and Dan will discuss how the film’s gauzy, ethereal cinematography and elliptical editing style give the film a dreamlike quality and what that means for the story. We’ll also dissect the characterizations of the four female leads, unpack James Franco’s truly Alien performance, and go off on a tangent about the use of metaphor in modern cinema. So grab one of your many (many) different colored pairs of shorts, put SCARFACE on repeat, and meet us at the Chicken Shack because I guess I need you, baby, to listen to our review of SPRING BREAKERS! If you enjoy this episode, come join the Video Monsters crew on Discord (https://discord.gg/sjyUQg8phB)!! Hangout episodes are live (and unedited!) every Tuesday night starting around 9:00pm EST. Listen and chat along with us in the Discord chat and we’ll even give you a shoutout on the episode! Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com. Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well. music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons

The Video Monsters once again sit down with Chris Dortch II, Founder/Executive Director/Lead Programmer/Grand Poobah for the Chattanooga Film Festival, to chat about this year’s virtual fest!  We always have an absolute blast talking to Chris Dortch II, and this episode is no exception as we discuss our love of CFF, dig into the first wave of films announced so far and discuss some of the highlights we are most excited about, and mayyyyybe even pick up a few scoops ahead of the announcement of the second wave of films!! The Chattanooga Film Festival is always overflowing with love of cinema and sharing that love with others - so be sure to be a part of the 2022 virtual fest June 23rd - 28th and grab your badges today at chattfilmfest.org! If you enjoy this episode, come join the Video Monsters crew on Discord (https://discord.gg/sjyUQg8phB)!! Hangout episodes are live (and unedited!) every Tuesday night starting around 9:00pm EST. Listen and chat along with us in the Discord chat and we’ll even give you a shoutout on the episode! Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com. Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well. music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons

First up in our mAy24 series is a delightful buddy (body?) comedy about love, life, friendship, acceptance, passion, creativity, overcoming self-doubt, and trying to find some measure of happiness in a world that so often leaves us feeling like we’re at the end of our rope. Oh, and farts. It’s also about farts. The Video Monsters are thrilled to kick off mAy24 with a film by Daniels… SWISS ARMY MAN (2016)! Nathan, Eric, and our resident Dan expert, Dan, open up about how deeply this film’s simple but heartfelt message touched them, marvel over Danielle Radcliffe’s exquisite corpse, joyfully admire the quirky a cappella score, grapple with the film’s bold swing of an ending, fawn over the film’s unbridled creativity, and question how far the foley artists (or, fartists, if you will) had to go to capture the extraordinary variety of anatomically accurate sound effects used throughout the flick. So grab some cheese puffs, load up your multipurpose tool guy, and start humming the JURASSIC PARK theme song because you know deep in your bones that your compasses are directing you to hit play on our review of SWISS ARMY MAN! If you enjoy this episode, come join the Video Monsters crew on Discord (https://discord.gg/sjyUQg8phB)!! Hangout episodes are live (and unedited!) every Tuesday night starting around 9:00pm EST. Listen and chat along with us in the Discord chat and we’ll even give you a shoutout on the episode! Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com. Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well. music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons

A new month brings a new theme, and a new theme brings a new POPCORN PUNCHOUT, where we Video Monsters use our patented Video Rack Attack Bracket technology to decide which three films we will be reviewing this month. The theme for May is based around every film nerd’s favorite distribution (and occasional production) company, A24! And because we are bound by the Video Monster bylaws to capitalize on every obvious bad pun name that is presented to us, this month’s theme shall henceforth be referred to as mAy24! Obviously. Now about the bracket. We start with 20 films. The first 5 are chosen by an audience vote. Nathan, Eric, and Dan then take turns selecting their 5 films to compete in the bracket. The final 20 A24 films are then placed into our Skull of Decisions and drawn at random to create our initial round of 8 matchups (which means 4 films won’t even make it out of the Skull to compete!)  Each pairing is briefly discussed, votes are cast, and the film with a majority of votes will move on to the next round. Voting continues until only two films are left. The third film is decided by our chaos bracket. Nathan, Eric, and Dan each have at least one chaos card they can use to “save” a defeated film and advance it the chaos bracket, giving it the potential to be resurrected as the third and final film to be reviewed this month. With such an eclectic list of films, this may prove to be our most dramatic Punchout yet! So grab your AAA24 membership card, alert Film Twitter, and hit the titular Italian motorway because it’s time to get into a POPCORN PUNCHOUT with mAy24! If you enjoy this episode, come join the Video Monsters crew on Discord (https://discord.gg/sjyUQg8phB)!! Hangout episodes are live (and unedited!) every Tuesday night starting around 9:00pm EST. Listen and chat along with us in the Discord chat and we’ll even give you a shoutout on the episode! Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com. Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well. music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons

We interrupt your regularly scheduled movie reviews for another special presentation of CARDBOARD MONSTERS, our occasional series where we review board games from a movie-lover’s perspective! It seems we didn’t quite quell April’s All-Out Alien Attack because today we’ll be discussing Ravensburger’s ALIEN: FATE OF THE NOSTROMO, a cooperative strategy game that is, of course, based on one of the most influential sci-fi horror films of all time: Ridley Scott’s 1979 masterpiece, ALIEN. Nathan is joined by Cardboard Monsters regulars, Adam (who you may know from our Harry Potter series) and Jon (Cardboard of the Rings), to briefly discuss the film it’s based on before diving into what it’s like the play the board game, how much fun they had with it, and whether or not it successfully evokes the unparalleled atmosphere of the film upon which it’s based. Will the game withstand the enormous pressure of those expectations, or does it deserve to be vacuumed out into space with the rest of the trash? Let’s find out! Grab your flamethrower, save the cat, and don’t forget to kiss your MU-TH-UR goodbye before you hit self-destru… I mean, play on our CARDBOARD MONSTERS review of ALIEN: FATE OF THE NOSTROMO! If you enjoy this episode, come join the Video Monsters crew on Discord (https://discord.gg/sjyUQg8phB)!! Hangout episodes are live (and unedited!) every Tuesday night starting around 9:00pm EST. Listen and chat along with us in the Discord chat and we’ll even give you a shoutout on the episode! Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com. Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well. music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons

April’s All-Out Alien Attack comes to a close with the biggest, boldest alien invasion yet! Epic space battles! Gigantic special effects set pieces! Mass abductions across the globe! Freaky alien tech! Horrifying human experiments! And a triumphant win for humanity in the end! Nah, just kidding. We’re actually discussing Jonathan Glazer’s UNDER THE SKIN (2013), which is an altogether different kind of alien invasion film. One that’s far more contemplative and small scale. With gorgeous, haunting visuals, an arresting score, as little dialogue as possible, and a tremendous physical performance from Scarlett Johansson. It’s the exact opposite of what most mainstream audiences would expect from a typical alien invasion film which makes it a perfect choice to end this series of outlier alien flicks. So park your big white van, submerge yourself in a pool of black goo, and come dream with us while we peel back the layers of UNDER THE SKIN. If you enjoy this episode, come join the Video Monsters crew on Discord (https://discord.gg/sjyUQg8phB)!! Hangout episodes are live (and unedited!) every Tuesday night starting around 9:00pm EST. Listen and chat along with us in the Discord chat and we’ll even give you a shoutout on the episode! Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com. Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well. music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons

April’s All-Out Alien Attack continues with the dark horse contender that triumphantly won the chaos bracket in this month’s Popcorn Punchout. It’s finally time to talk about ZATHURA: A SPACE ADVENTURE (2005)! But is it really an alien movie, though? Is it more than just JUMANJI in Space? Could it actually be *gasp* better than JUMANJI?! Would the MCU exist if Jon Favreau didn’t direct this film? Is ZATHURA secretly one of the most consequential films of the 21st century?!?! The Video Monsters are on a quest to find the answers to these questions and so much more. So kill the pilot light, reprogram your defective robot, and get me a juicebox, BIATCH! It’s time to find out if you have what it takes to navigate the galaxy with our review of ZATHURA! If you enjoy this episode, come join the Video Monsters crew on Discord (https://discord.gg/sjyUQg8phB)!! Hangout episodes are live (and unedited!) every Tuesday night starting around 9:00pm EST. Listen and chat along with us in the Discord chat and we’ll even give you a shoutout on the episode! Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com. Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well. music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons

What do you get when TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE director, Tobe Hooper, joins forces with ALIEN screenwriter, Dan O’Bannon to remake a classic 50s sci-fi horror film? Why, you get a kids wish-fulfillment adventure fantasy about a 12-year-old boy saving the world from intergalactic intruders, of course! But how does it compare to other 80s remakes of 50s science fiction films? Does this film hold up if you watch it for the first time as an adult? Is the ending a cheap cop out designed to deflect any narrative shortcomings, or is it a brilliant way to recontextualize everything leading up to it? Nathan, Eric, and Dan are tunneling in deep to answer these questions and so much more! So grab a bandaid for the back of your neck, swallow the frog in your throat, and bow down to Supreme Intelligence because the Video Monsters are going over the hill to grapple with INVADERS FROM MARS (1986)! If you enjoy this episode, come join the Video Monsters crew on Discord (https://discord.gg/sjyUQg8phB)!! Hangout episodes are live (and unedited!) every Tuesday night starting around 9:00pm EST. Listen and chat along with us in the Discord chat and we’ll even give you a shoutout on the episode! Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com. Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well. music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons

There are two things that we love above all else here on Video Monsters: aliens and alliteration. So it should come as no surprise that our theme for this month is April’s All-Out Alien Attack!!! And, much like we did last month, we’re going to use our game-ified version of the standard competitive bracket system to decide on which three alien films we’ll be reviewing throughout the month, a process we’ve decided to call POPCORN PUNCHOUT: The Video Rack Attack Bracket! The rules are simple: Nathan, Dan, Eric, and the listeners on our Discord channel have selected a combined total of 33 alien films. These titles are placed into our Skull of Decisions to be drawn at random to create our initial round of 8 matchups (which means only 16 films in total will even make it out of the skull to compete!) Each pairing is debated, votes are cast, and the film with a majority of votes will move on to the next round. Voting continues until only two films are left. The third film is decided by our chaos bracket. Nathan, Eric, and Dan each have one chaos card they can use to advance a losing film to the chaos bracket, giving it the potential to be resurrected as our third and final film to be reviewed this month. Much like last month, it’s a game filled with a number of surprising twists and turns. Alliances will be forged, hearts will be broken, and only three films will triumph in the end. So grab your ray gun, take us to your leader, and keep your eyes on the sky while listening to the Video Monsters get into a fierce POPCORN PUNCHOUT with April’s All-Out Alien Attack. If you enjoy this episode, come join the Video Monsters crew on Discord!! Hangout episodes are live (and unedited!) every Tuesday night starting around 9:00pm EST. Listen and chat along with us in the Discord chat and we’ll even give you a shoutout on the episode! Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com. Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well. music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons

Grab your French horn, step away from the wires, and meet us in the barn as we search for meaning with RIDERS OF JUSTICE!! If you enjoy this episode, come join the Video Monsters crew on Discord!! Hangout episodes are live (and unedited!) every Tuesday night starting around 9:00pm EST. Listen and chat along with us in the Discord chat and we’ll even give you a shoutout on the episode! Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com. Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well. music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons

Put on your dancing shoes, pour yourself a sazerac, and don't forget your life jacket...it's time for us to have ANOTHER ROUND!! If you enjoy this episode, come join the Video Monsters crew on Discord!! Hangout episodes are live (and unedited!) every Tuesday night starting around 9:00pm EST. Listen and chat along with us in the Discord chat and we’ll even give you a shoutout on the episode! Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com. Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well. music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons

Grab your art supplies, lace up your shoes, watch out for past mistakes, and join us as we chase our soul butterfly through THE DOOR!! If you enjoy this episode, come join the Video Monsters crew on Discord!! Hangout episodes are live (and unedited!) every Tuesday night starting around 9:00pm EST. Listen and chat along with us in the Discord chat and we’ll even give you a shoutout on the episode! Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com. Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well. music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons

This month the Video Monsters are celebrating the storied acting career of Danish heartthrob, Mads Mikkelsen. Why are we mad for Mads? Well, for starters, he’s one of the most striking, versatile actors of his generation; the rare international star who has managed to crossover into flashy Hollywood supporting roles; while maintaining an acclaimed, eclectic career in European cinema; AND also starred in one of the most celebrated American television shows of the last decade….. but also we just couldn’t resist the pun. ;) So to kick off our late start to this series, we decided to really lean into the theme and determine which three Mads Mikkelsen movies we are going to cover by using a bracket system… with a twist. Nathan, Eric, and Dan have selected 16 different films from Mads Mikkelsen’s filmography. The match ups are decided by drawing titles at random. A brief debate ensues and a majority vote advances the winners until we have our final two. The third film is a chaos pick decided by a loser’s bracket, a wild card, and a Magic 8 Ball. This little game turned out to be a wild, surprisingly dramatic ride and so much fun that we will absolutely be using this method to decide on the films we discuss for our monthly themes from now on, in a future segment that we’ve decided (at least for now) to call POPCORN PUNCHOUT: The Video Rack Attack Bracket! So brace yourself for ALL the Mads puns… so many bad Mads puns… a few rad Mads puns…. maybe a tad too many Mads puns… but you’ll be glad you had time to add a little Mads to your day. Don’t be a cad! Join us for March MADSness! If you enjoyed this episode, come join the Video Monsters crew on Discord!! Hangout episodes are live (and unedited!) every Tuesday night starting around 9:00pm EST. Listen and chat along with us in the Discord chat and we’ll even give you a shoutout on the episode! Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com. Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well. music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons

SOMETHING IN THE DIRT, the latest mindbender from directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, premiered at Sundance all the way back at the end of January. So, naturally, we’re finally posting our review mid-March! (We’re very busy and important people, OK?) The film is ostensibly about two neighbors who experience a supernatural phenomenon in one of their apartments shortly after they meet for the first time, and decide to team up to try to find the meaning behind this close encounter. It’s a deceptively simple setup but, if you are familiar with Moorhead’s and Benson’s previous work, it should come as no surprise that that basic plot description barely breaks the surface of this deep, winding rabbit hole of a film. The movie works best the less you know going into it so, in this review, the Video Monsters keep things as spoiler-free as possible for most of the episode before we hit the spoiler wall. Topics discussed by Nathan, Eric, and Dan include how this film compares with other pandemic productions; the sly humor and topical social commentary; the exciting, playful way the film weaves in its narrative twists and turns to constantly shift the viewer’s perspective, and how this film possibly connects to the other entries in the ever-expanding Benson/Moorhead cosmic shared universe. So grab your speargun, fire another editor, and meet us at Ye Rustic Inn. It’s time for us to dig up SOMETHING IN THE DIRT. If you enjoyed this episode, come join the Video Monsters crew on Discord!! Hangout episodes are live (and unedited!) every Tuesday night starting around 9:00pm EST. Listen and chat along with us in the Discord chat and we’ll even give you a shoutout on the episode! Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com. Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well. music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons

We’re thrilled to have Wolfe MacReady return to the Video Monsters podcast for the final episode of Final February! Our Final Girl Finale, if you will. The topic of today’s episode is “What happens next?” We’ll be taking a look at the current trend of how slasher legacyquels bring back their final girls years later to see how they have coped with their trauma in the time since we last saw them (and, of course, bring them face to face with their tormentors once again). There is a hefty dose of discussion revolving around the latest TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE film on Netflix and how it handles (or, mishandles) many of the themes brought up in tonight's episode, so consider this your official spoiler warning. We will also discuss what we think the future holds for final girl tropes in general, and the ways we see them evolving over the next few years in order to stay relevant. So put your face on, grab the keys to your '70 Dodge Challenger, and meet us in the boiler room for the final showdown as we lay Final February to rest....for now! If you enjoyed this episode, come join the Video Monsters crew on Discord!! Hangout episodes are live (and unedited!) every Tuesday night starting around 9:00pm EST. Listen and chat along with us in the Discord chat and we’ll even give you a shoutout on the episode! Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com. Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well. music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons