Rogues Gallery

After years in development hell, a live-action adaptation of the blockbuster survival horror video game Resident Evil finally hit screens in 2002. As opposed to just retelling a story fans were already familiar with, this was intended to be a prequel featuring a new set of characters and references to the series deeper lore. 


That's... sort of what this is. Not really.


And as a result, the film's financial success was offset by a backlash from gamers who didn't appreciate the bait and switch. Or a Resident Evil that was light on gore and heavy on post-Matrix style action. 


But now that we're on the eve of Zach Cregger's reboot, we thought it would be a good time to take a look back at where it all began for RE on the big screen.


Topics include: earlier incarnations that were more reflective of the first game, George A. Romero's involvement with the project (and unceremonious departure), why Paul W.S. Anderson was exactly the right guy for the approach the producers favored, how many similarities this shares with his eventual Alien Vs. Predator film, the make-up and effects, whether or not the lack of gore is the real issue here, thoughts on the sequels, hopes for the reboot, and much more!
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Chris & Kristen's Web Series:
The Strange Case of Lucy Chandler

Chris's new EP on
Spotify and Bandcamp

Welcome back to Rogues Gallery! This week, we're gearing up for a deadly game night with Ready or Not.

What began as a sharp high-concept pitch from writers Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy became one of the most crowd-pleasing horror films of the last decade: a blood-soaked satire about wealth, tradition, and the kind of family that would literally kill to preserve both.

We trace the project's origins and how directing duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett balanced brutal horror with pitch-black comedy without letting either undercut the other. Along the way, we dig into Samara Weaving's star-making lead performance, the bizarre and dysfunctional Le Domas family, the surprisingly restrictive filming location that shaped parts of the production, and the practical effects work behind the film's gleeful carnage.

We also discuss the movie's original ending, why changing it altered the entire point of the story, and where Ready or Not fits within the larger tradition of horror-comedies.
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram

Chris's Instagram | Kristen's Instagram

Chris & Kristen's Web Series:
The Strange Case of Lucy Chandler

Chris's new EP on
Spotify and Bandcamp

This week, we're opening a case file on Aunt Gladys, the instantly iconic villain at the center of Weapons.
Told across multiple perspectives and timelines, the film constantly shifts its footing, forcing the audience to piece together what's really happening… and whether or not there's even a single, coherent truth to find.
Topics include: the two separate ideas Cregger combined to create this story, how different the film might have been if the SAG-AFTRA strike hadn't forced them to recast almost all of the major roles, details we didn't notice until subsequent viewings, Amy Madigan's Oscar-winning performance, our reactions to the news that a Gladys prequel is on the way, and much more!

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram

Chris's Instagram | Kristen's Instagram

Chris & Kristen's Web Series:
The Strange Case of Lucy Chandler

Chris's new EP on
Spotify and Bandcamp

The pod. You opened it. We cast.
Welcome to a brand new season of Rogues Gallery! We're kicking things off by opening the puzzle box on the original Hellraiser. It's a film that didn't just push the boundaries of horror, but gleefully tore them apart.
What began as a low-budget adaptation of Clive Barker's own novella The Hellbound Heart evolved into something far stranger and more enduring: a nightmarish blend of desire, pain, and the grotesque. It also introduced the world to one of horror's most iconic figures in Pinhead.
We trace how Barker's uncompromising vision made it to the screen largely intact, and how its emphasis on obsession and forbidden pleasure set it apart from the slashers dominating the late '80s. Along the way, we dig into the film's tactile, skin-crawling practical effects, the eerie mythology of the Lament Configuration, and the ways the franchise's legacy has been both expanded and diluted by decades of sequels.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram

Chris's Instagram | Kristen's Instagram

Chris & Kristen's Web Series:
The Strange Case of Lucy Chandler

Chris's new EP on
Spotify and Bandcamp

It's the season finale of Rogues Gallery, and our final investigation of the year leads us into the eerily empty halls of Hillcrest Academy for a look back at Halloween H20: 20 Years Later.

What began as a modest direct-to-video sequel was reborn as a prestige anniversary event, bringing Jamie Lee Curtis back for one last confrontation with the Shape... or so we thought.

We dig into how a late-stage rewrite and a scrapped subplot shaped this sleek, surprisingly brisk entry, and whether the glossy, post-Scream style enhances or undermines what made the early films so haunting. Along the way, we also unpack the chaotic saga of the four different Michael Myers masks, the eleventh-hour overhaul of its controversial score, and whether or not it truly delivers the cathartic ending it intended.

Finally, we debate where H20 ranks among the Halloween films we've covered thus far, and Kristen makes her predictions for the next entry.

Our next season begins April 9th!

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram

Chris's Instagram | Kristen's Instagram

Chris & Kristen's Web Series:
The Strange Case of Lucy Chandler