247 - Kiss the Girls (1997) & The Black Phone (2021) →

CW: Suicide, Rape, Homophobia, Child Abuse

It’s Serial-Kidnappers-in-Masks Week on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey talk to strangers... and dead kids!

Read our afterthoughts for this episode HERE!

The Classic Film: Kiss the Girls (1997)
"Police hunting for a serial kidnapper are helped when a victim manages to escape for the first time” (IMDb.com). Despite its status as the first film appearance of Doctor/Detective Alex Cross, Kiss the Girls is still just one of a slew of mediocre, serial-killer thrillers churned out by the 90s.

The Modern Film: The Black Phone (2021)
"After being abducted and locked in a soundproof basement, a 13-year-old boy starts receiving calls on a disconnected phone from the killer's previous victims” (IMDb.com). A recent critical darling of the genre, Joe Hill and Scott Derrickson's The Black Phone is pretty compelling... if a tad overrated.

Audio Sources:
"American History X" produced by New Line Cinema, et al.
"The Black Phone" produced by Blumhouse Productions, et al.
"Boombastic" written by Orville Burrell, et al., and performed by Shaggy
"Deadpool" produced by Twentieth Century Fox, et al.
"Kiss the Girls" produced by Paramount Pictures & Rysher Entertainment
"Leonardo Leonardo Returns and Dante Has an Important Decision to Make" (Clerks S01E01) produced by View Askew Productions, et al.
"The Little Mermaid" produced by Walt Disney Pictures, et al.
"Robin Hood: Men in Tights" produced by Brooksfilms & Gaumont
"The Sixth Sense" produced by Spyglass Entertainment, et al.

228 - The New Kids (1985) & The Purge (2013) →

CW: Sexual Assault, Animal Cruelty

It’s Purge Night on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey are executing righteous justice that vindicates their bloodlust. Have a safe night!

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

The Classic Film: The New Kids (1985)
"A brother and sister arrive in a small town to help their relatives run an amusement park, and they find the town is terrorized by a local street gang” (IMDb.com). Lots of people would love to be the coolest, strongest, most righteous guy in their school. Loren McWilliams is that guy, and the punks at his new school have just given him an excuse to kick butt. The New Kids may be a little silly, but it can also be extremely intense, mainly due to some terrible assault and the fine acting of a young James Spader.

The Modern Film: The Purge (2013)
"A wealthy family is held hostage for harboring the target of a murderous syndicate during the Purge, a 12-hour period in which any and all crime is legal” (IMDb.com). The Purge is a simple premise that many dismiss as puerile, but its politics are worth dissecting to get beneath the heavy-handed surface.

Audio Sources:
"Batman" (1989) produced by Warner Bros., et al.
"Blade Runner" produced by Ridley Scott Productions, et al.
"Jurassic Park" produced by Universal Pictures & Amblin Entertainment
"Leprechaun 4: In Space" produced by Blue Rider Pictures
"Monster in the Closet" (Brooklyn Nine-Nine S04E06) produced by Fremulon, et al.
"The New Kids" produced by Columbia Pictures & Fogbound Inc.
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"The Purge" (2013) produced by Blumhouse Productions, et al.