The Good, The Bad, and The Sequel

This week, The Good, The Bad, and The Sequel takes on one of the greatest sequels ever made — Bride of Frankenstein — and we’re joined by a very special guest, Antonia Carlotta, whose family history is deeply connected to Universal and the classic monster era itself.
Bride of Frankenstein isn’t just a sequel — it’s a landmark in film history. Bigger, stranger, funnier, and more emotional than the original, it helped define what sequels could be while cementing Universal Monsters as true pop culture icons.
We dig into it all, including:
⚡ Why Bride of Frankenstein is often considered superior to the original
🧟‍♂️ The bold tonal shift — gothic horror mixed with humor, heart, and operatic drama
🎭 Ernest Thesiger’s scene-stealing Dr. Pretorius and the movie’s razor-sharp wit
🎥 James Whale’s fearless direction and how personal expression shaped the film
🕯️ Stunning production design, iconic imagery, and moments that still hit nearly 90 years later
📜 Antonia’s family legacy and personal connection to Universal Studios and classic Hollywood
💬 How Bride helped define sequel storytelling, monster mythology, and cinematic ambition
Antonia brings incredible insight, passion, and historical perspective, making this a must-listen episode for classic horror fans, Universal Monster lovers, and anyone who appreciates cinema history done right.
Antonia Carlotta Links:
🌐 Website: https://antoniacarlotta.com
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/antoniacarlotta
🐦 X / Twitter: https://x.com/AntoniaCarlotta
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AntoniaCarlotta
🎬 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/antoniacarlotta
The next sequel we are covering is "Wild Things 2".. Somehow things get wilder... for it, we are chatting with Casting Director Michael Testa, who is a Jersey guy! Michael is a respected casting director known for his sharp eye for talent and his ability to assemble unforgettable ensembles across film and television. With a career built on connecting the right actors to the right roles, Testa has played a key behind-the-scenes role in bringing memorable characters to life, often helping launch or elevate performances that stick with audiences long after the credits roll. His credits include Roswell, Cold Case Files, Will Ferrell's "A Deadly Adoption", and more. Michael is also an accomplished writer with his latest film, "A Royal Montana Christmas." Great chat.
Michael's IMDb : https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0856443/
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We’re kicking off the New Year with a BIG one — actor Keith Coogan joins The Good, The Bad, and The Sequel to start the year off right. And if that’s not enough, next week we’re covering one of the greatest sequels of all time… Bride of Frankenstein. 🧟‍♂️⚡
Keith is one of those actors whose work is burned into pop culture memory. From ‘80s classics to cult favorites, his career spans decades, genres, and some truly unforgettable performances.
In this episode, we dive into:
🎬 Growing up in Hollywood and navigating child stardom
👶 His early career and legendary family lineage in entertainment
🏠 Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead and becoming part of an all-time cult classic
🛹 Adventures in Babysitting, Disney films, and working during the golden era of family movies
🎭 The transition from child actor to adult roles and staying creative in the industry
🧠 Reflections on longevity, fandom, conventions, and embracing legacy roles
✨ Stories, laughs, and insights you won’t hear anywhere else
Keith brings honesty, humor, and a deep love for the craft, making this a perfect way to kick off the year with a conversation that’s equal parts nostalgic and inspiring.
🎥 Watch the full, unedited interviewreview:sequelsonly.com/KeithCoogan
🔗 Keith’s Website:
https://keithcooganonline.com/
🎬 Your Homework:
Revisit Adventures in Babysitting or Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead — they absolutely still hold up, and they hit even harder after hearing Keith’s stories.
🎭 Next Up: Bride of Frankenstein ⚡🧟‍♀️
One of the greatest sequels ever made. Universal monsters, gothic horror, and cinema history — we’re breaking it all down next week.
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🌐 Visit the site: sequelsonly.com
💬 Don’t forget to rate, review, and share with your friends, enemies, neighbors, exes… and anyone who still says “I’m right on top of that, Rose.”

We did it. 400 episodes.
This week, The Good, The Bad, and The Sequel hits a massive milestone, and we’re celebrating the only way we know how — by looking back at 2025, handing out some extremely unofficial awards, and reflecting on the wild ride that got us here.
From cult sequels and surprise gems to absolute disasters we’ll never forget, this episode is a full-on victory lap for a year packed with movie madness, incredible guests, and way too many bad decisions (on screen and off).
We break it all down, including:
🏆 Our completely unhinged 2025 Sequel Awards
🎬 Best sequel surprises, biggest disappointments, and most “how did this get made?” moments
🎙️ Favorite interviews and behind-the-scenes stories from the year
😂 Running jokes, arguments, hot takes, and moments we’re still recovering from
🎉 What 400 episodes means to us — and how this podcast somehow keeps going
Whether you’ve been listening since episode one or you just jumped in somewhere around episode 237, this one’s a celebration of the listeners, the guests, and the sequels that brought us together.
🎥 Watch the full episode:
sequelsonly.com
🎭 Next Up: Actor Keith Coogan 🎬
From Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead to Adventures in Babysitting and beyond, Keith joins us for a deep dive into his career, growing up in Hollywood, and the stories you don’t hear anywhere else.
📲 Follow us everywhere: @sequelsonly
🌐 Visit the site: sequelsonly.com
💬 And don’t forget to rate, review, and share with friends, enemies, exes… and anyone who can’t believe we’ve done this 400 times either.

This week, we’re celebrating the holidays the wrong way with Silent Night, Deadly Night 2 — the sequel that somehow became more famous than the original by recycling footage, unleashing unhinged line deliveries, and giving us one of the greatest moments in horror history.
We break down all the madness, including:
🧠 Jamie’s fatal mistake of watching Silent Night, Deadly Night right before this one (big mistake, huge)
🗑️ Ricky’s completely unhinged line readings — including the immortal “Garbage Day!”
🚪 Ricky seemingly teleporting around town like a low-budget slasher wizard
🎥 The unbelievable amount of reused footage from the first movie
🎄 Why this sequel accidentally became a cult classic despite (or because of) its chaos
😱 The wild tonal shifts, nonsensical logic, and holiday slasher energy that make this unforgettable
🔪 And so much more Christmas chaos you truly have to see to believe
🎥 Watch the full, unedited review:
sequelsonly.com/sndn2
🎉 Next Week: Episode 400! 🎉
We’re hitting a massive milestone as we celebrate 400 episodes of Sequels Only. We’ll be looking back at 2025, revisiting favorite movies, guests, moments, disasters, and everything that got us here.
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🌐 Visit the site: sequelsonly.com
💬 Don’t forget to like, comment, and share with your friends, enemies, neighbors, exes… and anyone who still yells “Garbage Day!” every December without warning."

This week, we’re heading back underground with Tremors 5: Bloodlines — the sequel that resurrected the franchise, sent Burt Gummer to South Africa, and proved you can never have too many guns when fighting Graboids.
We dig into everything that makes this late-entry sequel surprisingly fun (and occasionally baffling), including:
💥 Burt Gummer officially becoming a full-blown action legend
🤨 Jamie Kennedy’s arrival — and why Jamie… was not on board with this casting
🎬 Shockingly solid practical effects and creature work for a modern sequel
🦖 Heavy influences from films like Die Hard and Jurassic Park (sometimes all at once)
🌍 Moving the franchise to South Africa and how it changes the vibe
🔫 Bigger explosions, bigger monsters, and Burt doing Burt things
🐛 And plenty more Tremors weirdness, callbacks, and franchise madness
🎥 Watch the full, unedited review:
sequelsonly.com/tremors5
🎭 Next Up: Silent Night, Deadly Night 2 🎄🔪
Just in time for Christmas, we’re covering the infamous slasher sequel that gave the world “Garbage Day!” — and yes, it’s streaming FREE on Tubi.
📲 Follow us everywhere: @sequelsonly
🌐 Visit the site: sequelsonly.com
💬 Don’t forget to like, comment, and share with your friends, enemies, neighbors, exes… and anyone who believes Burt Gummer should legally be allowed to own every weapon on Earth.