Best Mike Snoonian Podcasts (2025)

The Title says it all! This week we're celebrating our 300th episode with a supersized countdown of the best horror movies of the century so far. It's an all hands on deck episode and as a bonus, we welcome back former cost Lindsay Traves as a special guest! In order to come up with such a momentous list, not only did we all weigh in, but a special…

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DAWN OF THE DEAD (2004) 2:01:30

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16d ago2:01:30

2:01:30

This week we tackle one of the best remembered remakes of the 2000s with the directing debut of a young Zac Snyder as he teams up with writer James Gunn for the remake of Dawn of the Dead. Mike Ariel and Devaughn break down what makes this one so fondly remembered as it manages to update the George A Romero classic but puts its own style and signat…

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NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1990) 1:34:01

26d ago1:34:01

1:34:01

This week Mike and Ariel are joined by Tucker (Disenfranchised podcast) to talk about the often maligned official remake of NOTLD, penned by Romero himself, with special effects guru Tom Savini stepping into the director's chair. Stacked with a cast of horror royalty, and building on more than two decades of modern horror (which the original film h…

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SURVIVIAL OF THE DEAD 1:08:31

1M ago1:08:31

1:08:31

The Summer of George hits the dog days of august with a dog of a movie. Romero's last film ever, and the final film in the original Living Dead canon lacks the creative spark of his original trilogy, and is marred even further by shoddy effects, stock characters, and wooden performances. While there's not much to recommend here, Mike, Devaughn and …

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DIARY OF THE DEAD 1:40:58

1M ago1:40:58

1:40:58

This week Mike, Stephen & Devaughn go back to the beginning with George A Romero's Diary of the Dead. A reboot of sorts of the Living Dead series, Diary finds Romero dabbling in the found footage with mixed results. Clunk performances, unlikable characters and a reliance on CGI mar a solid social commentary on the emerging online media, which is a …

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LAND OF THE DEAD 1:42:20

2M ago1:42:20

1:42:20

Mike and Brian are joined again by guest Sarah J Miles to talk George Romero's return to the subgenre he created after a two decade absence with 2005's Land of the Dead. Working with a larger budget and a recognizable cast, Romero increased the scale and scope of his vision with another timely parable of a corrupt world where the walking dead aren'…

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DAY OF THE DEAD 2:16:05

2M ago2:16:05

2:16:05

In this episode of The Pod and the Pendulum, host Mike Snoonian and Brian Kieper welcome film blogger Sarah Miles on to delve into the 1985 horror classic Day of the Dead. They explore the film's production challenges, Romero's directorial choices, and Tom Savini's finest work in creating the best looking zombies ever on screen. We discuss the film…

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DAWN OF THE DEAD 2:35:41

2M ago2:35:41

2:35:41

When there's no more room in Hell, it's tome to podcast. The Summer of George continues as Mike is joined by Brian and Nichole to talk about what many consider the greatest zombie movie of all time, George Romero's Dawn of the Dead. We explore its significance in the zombie genre and its cultural commentary on consumerism and societal issues, along…

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NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968) 2:46:05

2M ago2:46:05

2:46:05

We proclaim this The Summer of George (Romero)! Your favorite horror podcast crew are barricading themselves in the basement in order to break down all six films in Romero's Living Dead series, as well as the 1990 NOTLD remake, and 2004 Dawn remake (which we're sure will be a very chill affair, with no one getting mad about it online). Mike, Brian,…

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FINAL DESTINATION: Ranking the Series & the Opening Set Pieces 1:12:20

3M ago1:12:20

1:12:20

Mike and Devaughn give our crew's rankings for all six Final Destination Movies along with the opening set pieces.

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FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES 1:49:38

3M ago1:49:38

1:49:38

After almost fifteen years away, Final Destination is back with it's most successful entry to date: Bloodlines! Far be it from us to turn down those sweet, sweet clicks as we tiptoe through the minefields of death and try to keep that pesky Rube Goldberg machine from going off and decapitating us with a handful of Q-tips. If we're not careful will …

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WISHMASTER 4: THE PROPHECY FULFILLED 1:21:21

3M ago1:21:21

1:21:21

Mike, Ari and Devaughn find their last wish is granted with a shockingly solid entry to close out the Wishmaster franchise. With solid performances all around and frank discussions on sex and romance, the mental wear and tear of caretaking for a disabled loved one, and a Djinn that finally says, "Maybe I shouldn't be such a dick if I want to actual…

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WISHMASTER 3: BEYOND THE GATES OF HELL 1:30:08

3M ago1:30:08

1:30:08

Note to the listeners: Due to some computer snafus onMike’s end, the first five minutes of this episode are lost. We join this one as it is already in progress. This week, Mike and Ariel are on hand to talk Wishmaster 3Beyond the Gates of Hell. While we were warned we might experience something on par with the lows of the worst Wrong Turn franchise…

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WISHMASTER 2: EVIL NEVER DIES 1:20:39

4M ago1:20:39

1:20:39

This week Mike and Devaughn are joined by guest Matt Konopka (Killer Horror Critic) for a boys night on the town. Along with our fun-loving, wish-granting Djinn, we're hitting our two favorite hotspots the casino, and jail! Join us for a spirited discussion on how this straight to video sequel might be responsible for the downfall of American democ…

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WISHMASTER 1:31:53

4M ago1:31:53

1:31:53

This week we're making dreams come true with 1997's throwback creature feature WISHMASTER. Featuring a who's who of horror both in front and behind the camera, the birth of the Djinn makes for a fun romp in the vein of not only 80s splatter horror, but also the classic Universal Monsters of yore. With FX from KNB and appearances from Robert Englund…

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An Interview with Payton McCarty Simas, Author THAT VERY WITCH 24:34

4M ago24:34

24:34

In this bonus episode, Ariel interviews author Payton McCarty-Simas about their upcoming book, That Very Witch: Fear, Feminism, and the American Witch Film. The two of them discuss how witch films follow the cycles of feminism and other political movements in the US, why history matters in horror, and why Heather in The Blair Witch Project did noth…

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WRONG TURN FRANCHISE RANKINGS 1:17:29

4M ago1:17:29

1:17:29

Let's do what all shows love to do: rank things! Mike, Ari, and Devaughn have counted the votes and we're here to put the Wrong Turn series in proper order.

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WRONG TURN (2021) 1:32:24

5M ago1:32:24

1:32:24

Mike and Devaughn are joined by returning guest Kat Hughes to talk about the way better than it has any right to be reimagining of Wrong Turn. Mike would also recommend you check out Mathew Modine's other masterpiece, Vision Quest, the only movie about high school wrestling you need to see.

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WRONG TURN 6: LAST RESORT 1:14:10

5M ago1:14:10

1:14:10

Mike and Ari are happy to report that Wrong Turn 6 is one of the most unabashedly horniest movies we've ever covered on the show. Eschewing the traditional hot couples hooking up, this one has more of flair for kink, sadomasochism, and voyeurism. At least, it certainly does compared to most slasher movies, let alone the sixth entry in a long runnin…

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WRONG TURN 5: BLOODLINES 1:30:15

5M ago1:30:15

1:30:15

A movie so bad it made Mike question whether he actually liked horror movies. Luckily he's joined by Ariel, Devaughn, and special guest Kinell to talk this one through.

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WRONG TURN 4 BLOODY BEGINNINGS 1:56:00

5M ago1:56:00

1:56:00

This week we go back to the beginning with Wrong Turn 4:Bloody Beginnings, Returning guest and queen of the B-movie and culinary horrorSarah Stubbs ((Final Girls Feast) is on Mike’s side championing the merits ofthis blizzard-set, asylum located slasher. Meanwhile Devaughn has recruited firsttime guest Sean Abley (creator and co-editor of Queer Hor…

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WRONG TURN 3: LEFT FOR DEAD 1:07:15

5M ago1:07:15

1:07:15

This week Mike and Ariel reach the nadir of the Wrong Turn franchise, with the third entry, Left For Dead. It's the film that dares to as who one would root for in this situation: a murderous Cartel warlord, a white supremacist, or the cops? Filled with poorly rendered CGI, dodgy acting from a cast that looks like generic versions of much better pe…

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WRONG TURN 2: DEAD END 1:21:30

6M ago1:21:30

1:21:30

Mike and Devaughn are on hand to talk a straight to video follow-up that just might improve on the original. Director Joe Lynch shot right out of the gate with a nasty, gory, funny splatter film that has the feel of an over-the-top 80s sequel while still being grounded in its own moment in time. Henry Rollins leads a rag-tag crew of wanna be stars …

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WRONG TURN (2003) 2:00:11

6M ago2:00:11

2:00:11

This week, Mike, Ariel and Nichole have loaded up the jeep with our camping gear, a cooler full of beer, some beef jerky and a way out of date paper map as we’re about to break down WRONG TURN as we kick off our latest franchise. This nasty hillbilly horror bridges the gap between the second wave of slashers and the more extreme “torture porn” that…

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THE BEST EXORCISM MOVIES THAT AREN'T THE EXORCIST 1:36:08

6M ago1:36:08

1:36:08

This week Mike, Rachel, Nichole and Devaughn are all on hand to talk about the best movies that features exorcisms (of a sort) that aren't The Exorcist. It's a wide ranging list and as we're prone to do, we get fast and loose with some definitions. This is what Mike loves to call the "notepad" style of episode, because we think listeners will want …

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THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER 2:05:45

6M ago2:05:45

2:05:45

Mike Stephen, and Ariel are back to wrap up another franchise with 2023's Exorcist: Believer. This one isn't divisive as audiences and critics alike hated this one seemingly from the moment David Gordon Green announced it would be his next project after Halloween Ends. What was planed to be a legacy sequel that would launch a trilogy wound up scrap…

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DOMINION: PREQUEL TO THE EXORCIST 1:20:17

7M ago1:20:17

1:20:17

We’re back to talk about ANOTHER prequel to The Exorcist (afilm so nice they had to tell the origin twice), but fortunately, this week Mike and Stephen are here to talk about the good one. Yes indeed, this week we’re here to talk about the most expensive DVD feature of all time, the completedvision of Paul Schrader’s Dominion: Prequel to the Exorci…

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EXORCIST: THE BEGINNING 1:46:17

7M ago1:46:17

1:46:17

This week we’re talking about Renny Harlin’s The Exorcist: The Beginning because we’re contractually obligated to due to the format of the show. Mike and Stephen are here to talk about hot moms, the 1995 coming of age movie Angus, (featuring not one but TWO Oscar winners), the Angus soundtrack, what makes up the weakest entry in the Back to the Fut…

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THE EXORCIST III 2:16:09

7M ago2:16:09

2:16:09

After what Mike called the low point of the show in terms ofmovie we’ve covered, this week we’ve rebounded with a minor classic, WilliamPeter Blatty’s The Exorcist 3. Or is it Legion? Or is it The Exorcist 3:Legion? Or is it The Exorcist 1990? As you can see already, this one had a long, winding, andoften confusing path to the screen. From creative…

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EXORCIST 2: THE HERETIC 1:54:24

7M ago1:54:24

1:54:24

This week we’re talking about a movie so awful it made Mike question the whole format of the show. Do we really want to cover every franchise if it means films likeThe Exorcist II: The Hereticare forced on our eyeballs? Widely regarded as one of the worst films of all time, it had the unenviable task of following up one of the most successful horro…

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THE EXORCIST (Part 2) 2:10:49

8M ago2:10:49

2:10:49

After last week's episode on the background of the movie, Brian and Mike are back to dive into The Exorcist proper. We discuss where it fits in the canon of the great 70s, auteur driven works, how Friedken's insistence on reality lifted this above genre conventions and gave birth to the modern horror movie, and how making the Church the heroes in t…

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THE EXORCIST (Part One) 3:29:58

8M ago3:29:58

3:29:58

What a wonderful day to talk about The Exorcist. This weekMike, Brian, and Stephen start our discussion on one of the foundational filmsin modern horror, 1973’s The Exorcist. For the first half of our twoparts on this title, your hosts share their initial reactions to this masterwork,as well as how our thoughts on the film have evolved as we’ve gro…

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LONGLEGS (Unlocked Patreon Episode) 2:32:28

8M ago2:32:28

2:32:28

This week we're unlocking our patron vaults and giving everyone a taste of what you get when you become a subscriber. Mike, Brian, and Stephen joined forces to break down the Oz Perkins smash hit, and one of the most commercially and critically successful genre offerings of 2024. With Nic Cage as the titular serial killer, audiences could expect a …

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THE BEST HORROR MOVIES OF 2024 2:42:40

9M ago2:42:40

2:42:40

Before we go out with the old and in with the new, yourfearless crew is taking one last look back at 2024. Mike, Devaughn, Steven,Brian, and Ariel are all on hand to unveil their top ten genre films of thepast year. While there was near unanimous consensus on our number one movie ofthe year, each of lists represent just how wide a net horror covers…

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GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE 1:38:24

9M ago1:38:24

1:38:24

This week we talk Frozen Empire, the 2024 semi-return to form for the series, along with the landmark Supreme Court case, Grooberson vs. The State of New York, which determined whether the proton packs fall under the protection of the second amendment.

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HOME ALONE 2:04:26

9M ago2:04:26

2:04:26

This week we deliver our annual Christmas episode in your holiday stocking. This year we’re covering the heartwarming story of a young boy and his family as they learn the lesson of love, togetherness and what the holidays are really all about When poor young Kevin is left “home alone.” Along the way Kevin (a brilliant, young Mccauley Caulkin) gets…

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GHOSTBUSTERS AFTERLIFE 1:46:09

9M ago1:46:09

1:46:09

For the folks that asked, "What if Ghostbusters, but with none of the jokes?" we present "Afterlife." In 2021 Jason Reitman heled a sequel to his dad's two entries from the 80s, ignoring the existence of the 2016 movie altogether. The result is a good looking, well acted, well directed, two hour slog of a film filled with Easter Eggs and nostalgia …

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GHOSTBUSTERS (2016) 2:08:52

9M ago2:08:52

2:08:52

This week Mike and Brian look back at the 201 reboot of Ghostbusters. Featuring a cast of four of the most gifted female comedians, the movie seemed doomed from the start as fandom reared its ugly head. We look back at the online backlash, the trolls, and the litany of abusive, racist and sexist comments the cast had to endure. We ask what kind of …

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GHOSTBUSTERS 2 1:42:34

10M ago1:42:34

1:42:34

This week we're back to talk about one of the most (unfairly)maligned sequels of the 80s. Facing strong headwinds on the road to getting made, Ghostbusters 2 was criticized as a carbon copy of the first, and it struggled to capture even half of the box office of the 1984 classic as Batman fever swept the nation, and sequels from Back to the Future …

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GHOSTBUSTERS (1984) 3:36:25

10M ago3:36:25

3:36:25

In our biggest episode to date, Mike, Brian, and Stephen strap on the proton backs and try not to cross the streams as we take on the mother of all 80s comedies: GHOSTBUSTERS. Something this funny, this quitable and this memorable could only come from a group that defined comedy in the 70s and 80s, and there's nothing like watching Bill Murray, Har…

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ALIEN ROMULUS 2:20:35

10M ago2:20:35

2:20:35

In space no one can hear you scream, but can they hear you podcast? This week Mike and Stephen are joined by guest Katy Terry (Fangs for the Memories podcast) to talk about Fede Alvarez entry into the Alien canon, Alien Romulus. WE discuss where the film goes right, with its adherence to practical effects and sets, fantastic set pieces that make th…

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V/H/S BEYOND 1:34:57

10M ago1:34:57

1:34:57

This week we're back with the latest from long running found footage horror anthology series V/H/S. Two out of three cohosts agree this is one of the stronger entries into the franchise, with the shift to sci-fi horror being a welcome change. However, is there enough variety between our segments and wraparound or does it rely too heavily on the fam…

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SCARIEST CLOWNS IN HORROR PLUS FESTIVAL FAVORITES 1:42:18

11M ago1:42:18

1:42:18

Happy Halloween listeners! Coming off our Terrifier series we still have clowns on the brain so Stephen and Mike are counting down the top ten scariest clowns in horror history as voted on by your band of grease paint and squirting flower fearing podcasters. Plus, Mike and Ariel sat down during the last day of the Telluride Horror Show to talk abou…

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TERRIFIER 3 2:09:22

11M ago2:09:22

2:09:22

This week we wrap up another franchise with a giant discussion on what is now the highest grossing unrated movie of all time: TERRIFIER 3.Mike and Ari are joined by guest Jacob Harper (Talking Terror podcast, 1428 Elm Street) to talk about the Christmas horror of it all, the live action "Itchy & Scratchy" antics of Art the Clown, the welcome reintr…

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TERRIFIER 2 (part two of two) 1:50:02

11M ago1:50:02

1:50:02

This week concludes our supersized review of TERRIFIER 2. We dig into the movie and explore the moments that made this an indie horror sensation. Brian, Mike, Nichole and Ariel talk not just why Art the Clown is such an icon, but also how Laura LaVera has quickly entered the pantheon of best final girls as Sienna Shaw. Plus all the kills, chills, l…

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TERRIFIER 2 (part one of two) 1:36:41

11M ago1:36:41

1:36:41

This week we finally get to talk about the indie horror sensation TERRIFIER 2. What was supposed to be a one-night theatrical event went on to become one of the most successful independent horror movies of all time as audiences could not get enough of Art the Clown’s return. This time our master of mayhem in greasepaint isn’t alone as he’s joined b…

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TERRIFIER 1:59:52

11M ago1:59:52

1:59:52

This week we kick off our coverage of the TERRIFIER franchise with the 2016, over the top infamous slasher film. While Art the Clown got his start in a pair of short films that became the anthology All Hallows' Eve, its really this one where he started down his path to iconic status. Mike and Ariel are joined by author Josh Millican (Teleportasm) t…

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THE FLY II 1:41:56

12M ago1:41:56

1:41:56

This week we wrap up another franchise with 1989's sci-fi monster movie THE FLY II, starring Eric Stoltz. While it doesn't reach the creative heights or thematic depths of Cronenberg's earlier remake, there's still a lot of fun to be had with this oozy, oddball straight up monster movie. Mike and Devaughn are joined by guest Jay Krieger to talk its…

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THE FLY (1986) part two of two 1:40:45

12M ago1:40:45

1:40:45

We're back with the second half of our massive episode on David Cronenberg's THE FLY. If you haven't already make sure you go back and listen to our previous episode on the background and elements of this movie. This time around Mike, Brian, Devaughn, and guest J Blake Fichera dive into the movie proper. We examine the romance between Seth and Ronn…