Macabre Daily Podcast!

At the beginning of the month, we announced the launch of a new biometric entertainment platform that was going to measure how much a movie actually scares the viewer. It’s called ScareScore, and it’s a fascinating idea in a world that is obsessed with data and devices to help us understand our health, sleep, exercise, and more. Naturally, there’s good reason to be skeptical. Social media companies have abused the use of data for their own enrichment and eroded trust with users, despite the platforms still being as popular as ever. So when ScareScore’s founders, Chris Anastas and JP Ouellette, offered to speak with Macabre Daily about the platform, we were eager to learn more. We discuss what ScareScore is, how it works, where data goes, and how this could be beneficial for filmmakers, studios, theme park operators, and, of course, horror fans. We hope you enjoy the interview, and you can learn more about ScareScore here and follow them on Instagram! Stay up to date by following Macabre Daily on Instagram, Facebook, and BlueSky!

The increasing rise in interest in the horror genre has broken containment, and it’s fair to say that it’s finally getting both the critical and financial success it deserves. Hell, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences just recently opened “The Horror Show,” an interactive museum hosting legendary props and materials from the genre’s history. The same Academy that has refused to recognize horror in previous years now has a museum dedicated entirely to it- wild times. As something becomes more popular, it also must adapt to this newfound responsibility by ensuring that everyone who wants to enjoy can, and Access: Horror has made it a mission to make horror so inclusive, it’s scary! Celebrating another year of this amazing festival, we are once again joined by filmmaker, festival founder, and accessibility advocate, Ariel Baska, who shares the reasons behind this year’s move to make films available throughout the entire month of October and some of November. Baska also talks about what has changed in the world of genre and accessibility since we spoke last year, and we get an amazing update on Ariel’s short film, “Monstrous Me.” As a bonus, Ariel was generous enough to provide a 50% off discount code for all Macabre Daily readers to enjoy the back half of the fest at a discount! Use MACABRE50 at checkout to get 50% off! Stay up to date by following Macabre Daily on Instagram, Facebook, and BlueSky!

With October fully underway and September behind us, it’s time to reflect on just how awesome this year’s Fantastic Fest truly was. Every year, it feels like the fest can’t top itself, and then somehow it does. While we aren’t surprised as much as delighted, we covered a lot of ground this year both in-person and virtually, and it’s time that we talk about some of the films that really made this year special. It’s common (and awesome) that a large swath of the films shown each year are relatively unknown, but this year felt like almost every film was either having its world premiere or following a rather minor showing at another film festival. Lots of North American premieres and, of course, some older films getting a new lease on life via restoration; this year’s programming was simply chef’s kiss. Shoutout to the amazing programmers for their curations, and the Fons PR group for stellar coordination and organization. Enjoy the episode below, and stay tuned for the rest of the year as we have some amazing episodes on the horizon! And if you haven’t already, please leave a review on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen to the podcast. It really helps us out and gives us something to rub in the face of our families during the holidays! Stay up to date by following Macabre Daily on Instagram, Facebook, and BlueSky!

For certain generations of horror fans, Full Moon is synonymous with a specific era. Namely, the early to mid-90s when the direct-to-video label blossomed to become a powerhouse at the video store that birthed iconic franchises like “Puppet Master,” “Subspecies,” “Demonic Toys,” “Trancers,” and the list goes on. Not everyone feels positively about Full Moon, but that hasn’t stopped the production house that Charles Band built from maintaining both relevance and releases for multiple decades. Hell, there’s even an amazing podcast about Charles Band that everyone should be listening to! Frankly, it’s been kinda odd that up until now no one has made a documentary about Band and his wild career- that is, until Sarah Appleton showed up on the scene! Appleton is a multi-talented filmmaker who cut her teeth making special features and leveraged that passion to start making her own documentaries. From J-Horror to Found Footage, Appleton continues to demonstrate that she isn’t just making some of the best horror docs out there; she’s championing films and filmmakers that often don’t get their fair shake! We loved Appleton’s “Full Moon Rising: The Charles Band Story” and naturally wanted to have Sarah on to talk about her work, meeting Charlie, and how she became the first to capture his story after many so diligently tried! You can follow Sarah on Instagram and can catch “Full Moon Rising” as part of this year’s Brooklyn Horror Film Festival! Stay up to date by following Macabre Daily on Instagram, Facebook, and BlueSky!

It’s been a busy year at the Macabre Daily Podcast, and that’s a great thing! (Almost) Every month, we’ve been releasing two episodes featuring different folks across the horror genre and community, and as we head into peak festival season, Lowell and Matt figured it was time to do a quick check-in with each other. In “Just the Two of Us,” Lowell and Matt talk about what they’ve been watching and what they’re looking forward to the most at this year’s Fantastic Fest. Lowell and Matt will be in attendance in Austin again this year, and this year’s program is one of the more unique in terms of surprises and films that we haven’t been made aware of prior. Exciting times, to be sure, and listen to this episode to get a sense of what we’re looking forward to! We will be back with guests later this month, and hope you enjoy this episode! Follow Matt and Lowell on Instagram Stay up to date by following Macabre Daily on Instagram, Facebook, and BlueSky!