Fresh Meat Review + October Horror Watchlist (Carrie, Crystal Lake)

Our Fresh Meat review is in, and honestly? Dead Meat's horror anthology is a lot better than the cranky online ratings say. James A. Janisse and the Dead Meat team took more than 500 short film submissions, whittled them down to 13, and wrapped them in "Sate the Screen," a butcher shop story about a little girl and a TV that has to be fed (fresh meat, get it?). We caught the one-night-only screening on October 12 with a packed theater that gasped, laughed, and yelled at all the right moments. Fantasia Festival energy, basically. After that: Below on Netflix (sea creature horror in Newfoundland, with Josh Hartnett and Charlie Heaton doing the accent), Crystal Lake on Peacock with Linda Cardellini as Pamela Voorhees, and two Brooklyn Horror Film Festival screenings, the slasher Slay and the folk horror comedy Mountain King. Meaghan breaks down Trad Wife by Saratoga Schaefer, and we close on Hallowarrior on Shudder and Clayface. Fresh Meat Review: Dead Meat's Horror Anthology Dead Meat turned a short film contest into Fresh Meat: Volume One, 13 horror shorts picked from more than 500 submissions. The wraparound, "Sate the Screen," is written and directed by James A. Janisse, who plays a butcher whose daughter is hooked on a screen that needs feeding. Our one-night-only theater crowd was loud in the best way, and that's how an anthology like this should be seen. Shorts we keep talking about: Jinx, Dagnabbit!, Tchotchke, Why Did You Stop Me?, Earworm, You'll Be Fine, and Vape Glow. Mike Flanagan's Carrie Review (Spoiler-Light) Summer H. Howell is excellent as Carrie, and Samantha Sloyan makes Margaret White uncomfortably reasonable. Alison Thornton gives Chris Hargensen actual motivation; Amber Midthunder, Matthew Lillard, and Tim Bagley round out a strong school staff. Our Mike Flanagan TV shows ranking: The Haunting of Hill House on top, then The Fall of the House of Usher, Midnight Mass, Carrie, and The Haunting of Bly Manor. October Horror TV: Crystal Lake and Below Crystal Lake on Peacock: Linda Cardellini's Pamela Voorhees, real gore, and a lot of franchise lore. Friday the 13th tangent: Part VI's zombie Jason, The New Blood's telekinetic showdown, and why Jason Takes Manhattan is mostly boats. Below on Netflix brings sea creature horror to Newfoundland and Labrador, with Josh Hartnett and Charlie Heaton. Brooklyn Horror Film Festival: Slay and Mountain King Slay: high school seniors, a cabin, and a killer somewhere in the group. It gets better once they reach the cabin. Mountain King is a funny Scandinavian folk horror rom-com with great practical makeup, starring Hannah Deale and Carter Sirianni. Carter Sirianni also leads Chat; our interview with writer-director Ole J Hartmann is coming soon. Horror Books and Audiobooks Trad Wife by Saratoga Schaefer: a trad wife influencer, a farmhouse, and something in the well. Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke takes the trad wife trend in a more psychological direction. Kirby Heyborne's narration of Whalefall by Daniel Kraus is up there with Ray Porter's Project Hail Mary. More Horror for Halloween Weekend Whalefall in theaters: Austin Abrams carries almost the whole film. Hallowarrior on Shudder: Milly Shapiro in a post-apocalyptic Halloween movie that's perfect for a party. Clayface, co-written by Mike Flanagan, is DC going full body horror. Anthology picks for October: The Mortuary Collection and Trick 'r Treat. Follow us & Subscribe: Spotify Apple Podcast TikTok Instagram Threads Grave Tone Horror Podcast Website Horror Newsletter Background music by: Steve Swisher from the Producer's Chair Podcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.