So Many Sequels: A Movie Podcast

The course correction. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) brought Wes Craven back to the story and got the franchise back on track — and we're covering it for week three of So Many Scares. First-time viewings for Josh and David (Garrett caught it at a Circle Cinema midnight screening), the superhero-team structure that made Josh call it "the best X-Men movie," the backstory debate (should Freddy just be a dream demon?), Patricia Arquette's film debut, "Larry Fishburn," a Dokken music video, Garrett's DJ Jazzy Jeff revelation, a $44.7M box office run on a $4M budget, and a score game where Garrett nails the Letterboxd average exactly. Ratings: Josh 3, David 3, Garrett 3. Letterboxd average: 3.5 — only 0.2 behind the first film. Chapters 00:00 — Welcome back to So Many Scares — Dream Warriors 00:24 — Garrett's DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince revelation 01:32 — Why So Many Scares rarely commits to a full series 02:18 — Before they were famous: Patricia Arquette, "Larry Fishburn" 03:38 — First-viewing verdicts (and Garrett's Circle Cinema midnight screening) 04:54 — Chuck Russell: The Mask, Eraser, The Scorpion King 06:35 — Freddy's backstory problem — dream demon or human? 09:19 — The mystery structure actually works this time 10:02 — The best kills so far 11:42 — Freddy gets a personality (and the one-liners start) 12:33 — Biggest budget yet: the effects showcase 13:56 — Beetlejuice vibes and horror homages 15:22 — Dream powers: lucid dreaming as agency 19:07 — Better acted: future stars and the creepy doctor 21:31 — "Welcome to prime time, bitch!" 22:25 — Delightfully eighties: the Dokken music video 23:23 — Box office: $8.8M opening weekend, $44.7M on $4M 24:48 — 1987: Three Men and a Baby — directed by Leonard Nimoy?! 28:54 — Our ratings: 3, 3, 3 29:30 — Letterboxd reviews 32:33 — The score game — Garrett nails the 3.5 exactly 34:23 — Next: Wes Craven's New Nightmare 🌐 somanysequels.com | 📸 @somanysequelspod

The weird one. A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985) ditches the original cast, loses Wes Craven, and has Freddy possessing a teenager instead of killing kids in their dreams — and we're covering it anyway for week two of So Many Scares. Jesse Walsh moves into Nancy's old house, the title makes no sense (Freddy won last time — revenge on who?), horror gets a rare Scream King in the "final fella," Clu Gulager reps Oklahoma, the effects hold up even when the logic doesn't, and the Letterboxd crowd has thoughts about how sweaty Jesse is. Ratings: Garrett 2, David 1.5, Josh 2. Letterboxd average: 2.8 — almost a full point down from the first film. Chapters 00:00 — Welcome back to So Many Scares 00:41 — The Letterboxd synopsis 01:15 — Box office: $2.8M opening, $29.9M total 03:32 — No original cast, Craven walks away 04:26 — Garrett was wrong about Nancy 04:36 — Clu Gulager: another Oklahoman 06:22 — "Freddy's Revenge" — revenge on who? 07:41 — Re-learning lore in every horror sequel 08:50 — Reality is as weird as the dreams 09:25 — The effects hold up 10:41 — Craven's 1988 quote: "silly script" 11:51 — The "final fella" — horror's Scream King 14:43 — Freddy has a personality; Jason doesn't 18:12 — Jesse's only crime is living in that house 20:22 — Burnt weenie, smoker, midnight toker 21:09 — The Season of the Witch comparison 21:51 — The FU endings 23:42 — Our ratings: 2, 1.5, 2 25:27 — Letterboxd reviews 26:38 — The queer subtext + the sweaty movie club 28:00 — The score game — Josh wins by 0.1, again 29:31 — Almost a full point down from the first film 30:41 — Next week: Dream Warriors 🌐 somanysequels.com | 📸 @somanysequelspod

The late, great Tim Curry originated Dr. Frank-N-Furter on the London stage in 1973 and made his film debut in The Rocky Horror Picture Show at 28 — and became everybody's devil. We close out our September tribute series with the most iconic cult movie ever made. The "who is your Tim Curry?" draft, the Joker role he lost to Mark Hamill, David's first-ever watch, a $1M flop that grew to $120M worldwide, Barry Bostwick and a baby Susan Sarandon, the Meatloaf timeline mystery, front-loaded bangers vs. the second-half slump, Letterboxd reviews, and a score game Josh and David split. Ratings: David 4, Josh 4, Garrett 4.5. Letterboxd average: 4.1 (1.4M logs). CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome to So Many Sequels 00:58 Rocky Horror + the Tim Curry tribute 01:33 Is he a character actor? 01:52 Nigel Thornberry?! (voice career) 02:46 He was almost the Joker (lost to Mark Hamill) 03:55 Who is YOUR Tim Curry? 07:41 Tim Curry: everybody's devil 08:31 Kicking off spooky season 08:49 The longest-running movie ever? (midnight screenings) 10:34 The callback/callout culture 13:13 The Letterboxd synopsis 13:51 Box office: $1M flop to $120M worldwide 15:36 Never write off a movie after opening weekend 16:22 Originated the role on stage (1973), film debut at 28 16:53 David's first watch (Drew Carey Show Time Warp) 19:49 The songs: Time Warp is the peak, front-loaded bangers 21:18 That voice — pure stage command 24:21 Barry Bostwick & Susan Sarandon (Brad & Janet) 25:53 The Meatloaf timeline mystery 28:34 The 2016 Fox TV version (Laverne Cox) 30:55 Circle Cinema screenings? 31:19 Our ratings: 4, 4, 4.5 33:01 Letterboxd reviews ("horny and gay") 33:58 The score game: 1.4M logs, 4.1 average — split points 35:26 Wrap: see it with a crowd (a Thanksgiving movie?) 🌐 somanysequels.com | 📸 @somanysequelspod

The one that started it all — Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) — and the first episode of our October So Many Scares series on the Nightmare franchise.Garrett's Blockbuster-kid origin story with slashers, David's first-ever watch, a $1 million budget that turned into $57 million worldwide, Tulsa's own Heather Langenkamp as the final girl who fights back, the "old man writing what teenagers say" dialogue, David's modest proposal that Freddy get two claw hands, the ending nobody can agree was a dream, Letterboxd reviews, and a score game Josh wins by a tenth of a point.Ratings: Garrett 3.5, David 3, Josh 3. Letterboxd average: 3.7. CHAPTERS00:00 Welcome to So Many Scares00:18 Kicking off Nightmare on Elm Street month00:52 The plan: ending with Freddy vs Jason01:55 The Letterboxd synopsis (reads like a VHS back)02:50 Box office: $1M budget, $57M worldwide05:41 Why this series + Garrett's Blockbuster days07:18 Only Robert Englund has played Freddy08:26 "An old man writing what he thinks teenagers say"09:49 David's first watch: dreams vs reality11:01 "Fred is a pervert"14:08 The glove: "get two claw hands"18:01 Dream logic that works (the sinking stairs)19:35 Tulsa's own Heather Langenkamp21:31 Nancy: the final girl who fights back23:25 Plot holes: how do the kids know about Freddy?26:35 Could Freddy work today? (Smile, It)30:04 The ending: was it a dream?32:13 "One, two, Freddy's coming for you"33:01 Our ratings: 3.5, 3, 335:44 Letterboxd reviews36:47 The Letterboxd score game — Josh wins by 0.138:08 Next week: Freddy's Revenge🌐 somanysequels.com | 📸 @somanysequelspod

The third film in the Bring It On franchise — the 2006 straight-to-DVD cheer-off starring Hayden Panettiere and Solange Knowles-Smith — discussed as a tribute to Hayden Panettiere.All three hosts went in with zero expectations. All three came out giving it the exact same score. Along the way: the "Bring It Oniverse," the straight-to-DVD theatrical rumor, the Heroes connection ("save the cheerleader, save the world"), Rihanna's gloriously bad green-screen music video, a Letterboxd score game with a direct hit, and a Blockbuster nostalgia spiral.CHAPTERS00:00 Welcome to So Many Sequels00:06 Bring It On: All or Nothing (2006)00:14 Tributes: Hayden Panettiere, Dolly Parton & Tim Curry02:04 Extremely 2006 — 20 years later02:18 Hayden Panettiere & Solange Knowles-Smith02:51 The "Bring It Oniverse": no connection to the original04:03 Straight to DVD + the theatrical rumor06:53 "Save the cheerleader, save the world"08:13 Remembering Hayden Panettiere's career10:03 First-time watches, zero expectations11:18 Race, class & "Hip Hop Barbie"14:47 Culture shock at Crenshaw Heights17:11 When the camp works (and when it doesn't)18:45 Rihanna's green-screen music video23:09 Body shaming, 2006 edition25:03 Our ratings: three 2.5s across the board27:19 Letterboxd reviews28:25 The Letterboxd score game — Garrett's direct hit30:03 Blockbuster & DVD-bin nostalgia33:08 Scoreboard update33:22 Next week: Rocky Horror + So Many Scares🌐 somanysequels.com | 📸 @somanysequelspod