The Toolbox Murders (1978) and Toolbox Murders (2004)

In this Twice Told Tales episode, we examine a film and its "remake," though few pairs could be more different. Some would argue that the 2004 film is a remake in name only. Even so, in addition to the name, the two share enough connections, both on screen and behind the scenes, to make for an interesting comparison.

On one side is an unflinching exploitation film; on the other, a more modern story infused with supernatural elements—or is it? Both films are unmistakably products of their respective eras, reflecting the cultural anxieties, filmmaking styles, and audience expectations of their time. What they choose to show us, and what they feel compelled to say, reveals as much about the decades that produced them as the stories themselves.

The most obvious connection between the two is their inventive use of tools as murder weapons. Whether those kills are clever, outrageous, or simply exploitative is for you to decide. The same goes for whether the 2004 film deserves to be called a true remake or is merely a title borrowed for recognition. But if both films succeed on their own terms as entertaining horror, perhaps that distinction matters less than we think.

Films mentioned in this episode:

The Blob (1958), Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Five Nights at Freddys (2023), The Fly (1958), The Fly (1986), Frankenstein (1931), Frankenstein (2025), Freddy vs Jason (2003), Friday the 13th (1980), The Funhouse (1981), Goodnight Mommy (2014), Goodnight Mommy (2020), The Grudge (2004), Halloween Kills (2021), Hostel (2005), Inside (2007), Ju-on: The Grudge (2002), Let Me In (2010), Let the Right One In (2008), Maniac (1980), Mother of Tears (2007), Mrs. 45 (1981), Nosferatu (1922), Nosferatu (1979), Poltergeist (1982), Psycho (1960), Psycho (1998), Quarantine (2008), [REC] (2007), The Ring (2002), Ringu (1998), The Thing (1982), The Thing from Another World (1951), Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2004), The Toolbox Murders (1978), Toolbox Murders (2004), Toolbox Murders 2: Coffin Baby (2013)

Believe it or not, there was a time when instant access to hundreds of horror movies didn't exist. Scary thought, huh?

Before the late 1950s, unless you caught a movie in the theater, you probably weren't going to see it again, especially when it came to the classic monster films like Dracula and Frankenstein. But in October 1957, Universal released 52 of its horror films to television in what became known as the Shock Theater package. To help promote the broadcasts, television stations were encouraged to create "horror hosts" to introduce the films.

Simply put, it exploded, and helped give birth to the Monster Kid generation. Then, the following year, Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine debuted, and there was really no turning back.

Now you could watch these monsters in the safety of your own home. It was a far cry from today's world, where you can hop on a computer or streaming service and have thousands of horror titles at your fingertips. But this was the beginning of modern horror fandom: getting your weekly fix of classic monsters on television, reading Famous Monsters, building Aurora monster model kits... life was pretty great.

In this episode, we discuss the importance of this moment in horror history and why it was such a game changer for horror fans.

Films mentioned in this episode:

Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), The Addams Family (1964-66), The Black Cat (1934), Blood of Dracula (1957), The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Dark Shadows (1966-71), Dawn of the Dead (1978), Day of the Dead (1985), Dracula (1931), The Exorcist (1973), Frankenstein (1931), The Gorgon (1964), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), The Invisible Man (1933), I Was a Teenage Frankenstein (1957), I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957), Jaws (1975), The Jungle Captive (1945), King Kong (1933), The Last Warning (1938), The Mummy (1932), The Munsters (1964-66), The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1935), Night of the Living Dead (1968), Return of Dracula (1958), Rosemary's Baby (1968), Smokey and the Bandit (1977), Son of Kong (1933), The Spy Ring (1938), Star Wars (1977), Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), Them (1954), The Wolf Man (1941)

The Hallow (2015), The Ritual (2017), and Antlers (2021)

Cryptids occupy a couple of different categories in modern life. One of them is fun, if a bit kitschy and silly: think concrete bigfoot statues sitting in whimsical gardens or funny little Mothman plaques hanging on the wall. But another is truly terrifying, buried down deep below the surface of our culture and our geography, a place where most people refuse to even touch the soil, much less dig. On this episode, we are going to dig deeply into those terrifying cryptid myths and uncover some wonderful horror films. Because in the last decade or so, a handful of filmmakers have chosen to put spade to soil and go deeply into that taboo territory and yielded some wonderfully horrific results.

Films mentioned in this episode:

Antlers (2021), The Blair Witch Project (1999), Bugonia (2025), Cocaine Bear (2023), District 9 (2009), Frankenstein (2025), The Hallow (2015), Hellraiser (2022), The Irishman (2019), The Mothman Prophecies (2002), The Nun (2018), The Omen (1976), The Ritual (2017), Scars of Dracula (1970), Shaun of the Dead (2004), The Signal (2007), Southbound (2015), Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), Weapons (2025), Whistle (2025)