🤖 AI Summary
Overview
This episode dives into the world of horror cinema, as Gilbert Cruz, Jason Zinoman, and Erik Piepenburg debate and curate a definitive list of the top 10 horror movie franchises of all time. They explore the evolution of horror, the cultural impact of iconic franchises, and the artistry behind the scares.
Notable Quotes
- Horror is about breaking rules, Gilbert, and that's what I'm here for.
- Jason Zinoman, on the chaotic nature of the genre.
- I think for sure, Nightmare on Elm Street, especially the second one, which I think is influential in a lot of ways that I'm not sure if people fully appreciate.
- Erik Piepenburg, on the queer subtext of Freddy's Revenge.
- The structure of a suspense sequence that builds tension and leads to a scream is analogous to the structure of a joke, which builds tension and then leads to a laugh.
- Jason Zinoman, on the connection between horror and comedy.
🎥 The Current State of Horror
- Erik Piepenburg describes the genre as being in a prolonged golden age
that began with Get Out, highlighting innovative films like Weapons and indie gems such as Bleeding and Good Boy.
- Jason Zinoman counters with a more cautious view, suggesting the golden age may be ending, with horror becoming more respectable
and leaning toward prestige and Oscar-bait films.
- Both agree that horror remains a reliable box office draw, with big studios and indie filmmakers producing quality content.
🧟♂️ Defining a Horror Franchise
- The trio debates what constitutes a franchise, with Jason Zinoman challenging the definition as a series of related films with recurring elements.
- They explore the origins of horror franchises, starting with Universal Monster movies like Frankenstein and Dracula, and discuss the interconnected worlds these films created.
🔪 Iconic Franchises and Their Legacy
- Halloween is praised for its influence, though Jason Zinoman critiques how Season of the Witch shaped the franchise's future.
- A Nightmare on Elm Street stands out for Freddy Krueger's personality and surreal dream logic, which set it apart from other slasher films.
- Child's Play is celebrated for its queer representation and cultural impact, with Erik Piepenburg noting its influence on modern queer horror.
👻 Modern Franchises and Their Impact
- The Conjuring is highlighted as the quintessential modern horror franchise, with its interconnected universe of films like Annabelle and The Nun.
- Paranormal Activity is lauded for popularizing found footage horror and its surprising box office success.
- Final Destination is recognized for its creative and often absurd death sequences, blending horror with dark comedy.
🏆 The Final Top 10 Horror Franchises
1. Night of the Living Dead
2. Halloween
3. Friday the 13th
4. The Evil Dead
5. A Nightmare on Elm Street
6. Child's Play
7. Final Destination
8. Saw
9. Paranormal Activity
10. The Conjuring
The hosts conclude with their personal favorites: Evil Dead (Jason Zinoman), Child's Play (Erik Piepenburg), and A Nightmare on Elm Street (Gilbert Cruz).
AI-generated content may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon as a sole source of truth.
📋 Episode Description
The only thing Gilbert Cruz loves more than celebrating Halloween is watching scary movies. And between the classic horror franchises that span decades and the prestige original films of the current moment, he has seen hundreds of them.
On today’s episode, Gilbert puts his knowledge to use in conversation with his fellow horror aficionados Jason Zinoman and Erik Piepenburg. They comb through a century of spooks, frights and screams to crown the Top 10 franchises in cinema history.
Horror franchises discussed on this episode:
“A Nightmare on Elm Street”
“A Quiet Place”
“Alien”
“The Amityville Horror”
“Candyman”
“Child’s Play”
“The Conjuring”
“The Exorcist”
“The Evil Dead”
“Final Destination”
“Friday the 13th”
“Halloween”
The Hannibal Lecter films
“Hellraiser”
“The Hills Have Eyes”
“Insidious”
“Jaws”
“Night of the Living Dead”
“The Omen”
“Paranormal Activity”
“Phantasm”
“Poltergeist”
“Psycho”
“The Purge”
“The Ring”
“Saw”
“Scream”
“Terrifier”
“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”
The Universal monster films
“V/H/S”
On Today’s Episode:
Jason Zinoman is a critic at large for The Times and the author of “Shock Value: How a Few Eccentric Outsiders Gave Us Nightmares, Conquered Hollywood, and Invented Modern Horror.”
Erik Piepenburg covers culture for The Times, and writes a monthly column about horror movies.
Additional Reading:
25 Jump Scares That Still Make Us Jump
Five Horror Movies to Stream Now
‘Good Boy’ Review: Sit. Stay. Scream.
Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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