In the autumn of 2023, we marched our way through all six installments (at the time) of the SCREAM franchise. Since a brand new entry in that series hit theaters this year, we wanted to prelude our upcoming Spooky Season (AHHH!) by covering this latest film -- including updating our franchise rankings and our kills hall of fame.

Scream 7 was a woeful production from its inception, with behind-the-scenes controversies and talent exits weighing it down almost irretrievably. But the creatives at play pressed on, bringing back original writer Kevin Williamson to not only script a new film but direct it as well. Neve Campbell was back as Sidney, and most of the still-surviving cast members returned as well (including a few faces who HADN'T survived).

But as exciting as it was to get a new Scream film, was the end result worth it? Does this new film have something of substance to contribute to the franchise's legacy? Debating every corner and cobweb of that argument are Reed, Nathan, and Vera, our primary hosts (and a cameo from one special guest). There are a lot of laughs in this one as we wrestle down all of the good, the bad, and the ghostface of 2026's SCREAM 7. Enjoy!

5:57 - ANNOUNCEMENTS (including details about a live episode)

Patron Only Segment: Half Baked Takes on Scream 7

8:09 - SCREAM 7

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We have another special interview to share with you this week about a book Reed personally dubbed, "It's more than a page turner, it's a page ripper." THE HOUSE THAT EATS THE DEAD is the debut novel from Max Doty. It tells the story of a family who finds a sprawling mansion for an unbelievable price, only to discover upon moving in that the house consumes any organic matter that has died. It also, importantly, erases all memory of that thing except in the minds of the husband and wife who own the house.

What starts as a fantastical anomaly quickly becomes a moral, even spiritual, dilemma. When you have a way to erase tragedy, including its memory, would you take that option? What happens in the moment when you realize that there's not only a way to erase your losses, but your sins?

It's a thrilling and suspenseful story about grief, memory, and the choices we make when we know we can get away with anything. Max's novel is available wherever books are sold as of August 18th. We hope you'll check it out and we hope you enjoy our conversation!

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Back in July of this year, our illustrious co-host Nathan Rouse joined Gorey Gamer Matt Murray in Indianapolis for GENCON, the annual board gaming convention attended this year by a record-breaking crowd of more than 70,000 people.

To talk about the experiences of the convention, they're joined in this bonus episode by AJ Porfirio and Evan Derrick of Van Ryder Games, creator of the blockbuster gaming hit Final Girl. They discuss their experiences at the convention, including a life-size Final Girl board set up, games that caught their attention, and what's new for Final Girl.

If you haven't checked out all of the cool things at Van Ryder Game (especially Final Girl), you owe it to yourself to give them a look. And meanwhile, we hope you enjoy this debrief of GenCon 2026!

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This week ends our mini-series curated by friend of the show, the Rev DeAnna Daniels PhD by discussing a bold film from earlier this year. Adapted from her play of the same name, Aleshea Harris's IS GOD IS contains multitudes. It is a Southern Gothic revenge epic. It is a microcosmic history of inherited trauma. It is a darkly comic, allegorical odyssey. And it is a theological exploration of all that we perceive about -- and act in response to -- our understanding of God. It follows two twins -- Racine and Anaia (Kara Young and Mallori Johnson) who, injured from a young age by their elusive and absentee father (Sterling K. Brown), are contacted by their estranged mother (Vivica A. Fox -- aka God) and told to go on a quest to "Make [their] Daddy dead."

We're joined by a host of recent friends of the show, including DeAnna herself, Leland Merritt PhD, and cultural theopoet de'Angelo Dia for a rich discussion about what we talk about when we talk about God. We touch on the ways this film has the power to both inspire and infuriate, as it holds up a mirror to some of our worst suppositions and our fiercest tendencies.

It's a thoughtful and rewarding final chapter in this mini-series that has explored multiple facets of the horrific and the divine. We want to thank Dr. DeAnna Daniels again for curating and programming it and we really hope you enjoy it.

Patron Only Segment: Whatcha Watchin' / Readin' / Listenin' To?

6:00 - IS GOD IS

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Listener Discretion Advised - Before we begin, we'd like to ask you to take a moment and consider if this conversation may not be right for you. Our episode this week deals directly with the delicate subjects of mental illness, depression, and experiences of self-harm including suicide. Our conversation is vulnerable, honest, sensitive, and (we hope) ultimately encouraging. But if you are feeling uncertain about being able to engage such a conversation at this time, please prioritize your well-being as a foremost consideration.

THE WOMAN IN THE YARD, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and starring Danielle Deadwyler is a chilling portrait of oppressive grief. Ramona (Deadwyler) is injured, both physically and emotionally from an accident that claimed the life of her husband and the father of her two children. She struggles to sustain her sanity and the basic necessities of care for their remote farmhouse. One morning, when a mysterious woman dressed in black appears on their front lawn, Ramona will soon be forced to confront all that she's been keeping from her children and all that she's been hiding from herself.

We're joined by the curator of this series, Rev DeAnna Daniels PhD, and writer Johnny Lee Brown-Sampayo, whose blog, Black Horrific, merges Black history with social commentary and discussions of Black horror media. The film provides a unique opportunity to raise important questions of ourselves about empathy, struggle, grief, and despair. We present it in the faith that through the gift of seeing our neighbor's struggles more clearly, we can draw closer to a more meaningful understanding and a stronger sense of hope.

If you, or someone you know, is struggling, please consider reaching out to someone you trust or a mental‑health professional. You are not the first person to feel like this and support is available. And if you listen to our discussion, we hope it will uplift you and hopefully feel just a little less alone.

4:26 - Two Questions with Johnny Lee Brown-Sampayo

Patron Only Segment: Whatcha Watchin / Readin / Listenin to

16:17 - THE WOMAN IN THE YARD

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We have another interview bonus for you this week about a film that hits theaters Aug 21, 2026 from the acclaimed director of The Lure. In HOT SPOT, set in a near future society ruled by sentient A.I., a private eye investigates a murder case only to discover a rebel group capable of undermining the digital overlord. As the detective's identity slowly unravels, his world enters a state of hypnotic meltdown.

We were able to sit down with director Agnieszka Smoczyńska for a remarkably thoughtful conversation about loss of control amidst an era of escalating fears. Hot Spot is a thought-provoking, hypnotic experience that is part murder-mystery, part techno-neo-noir, and part body horror nightmare. It's inventive and propulsive and we hope you'll check it out.

Meanwhile, we hope you enjoy our conversation!

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We're continuing our special series curated by our friend, Rev DeAnna Daniels, PhD. The series is intent on elevating horror-themed cinematic works that directly feature voices and experiences that grow our spirits, our minds, and our capacity to love all of God's FoGgers better. This week's film, directed by Lee Daniels, is THE DELIVERANCE, which centers around a struggling single mother who has battled both addiction and personal demons. When she moves her three children and her mother into a new house in Indiana, she soon finds herself battling what might very well be a real demonic presence.

Tilting away from stereotypical Catholic approaches to exorcism tales, The Deliverance is rooted directly in the Pentecostal tradition of deliverance ministry. It makes some dubious creative choices -- including a wide-swing choice of characterization from Glenn Close -- and it's not clear if the end result is as effective as it would like to be. But there is something undeniably compelling in the substance of the film that is difficult to dismiss.

Joining us and DeAnna is returning friend of the show Dr. Nicole Symmonds and newcomer to the FoG, Dr. James Howard Hill. Together we dive deep into both the missteps and the potential of the film's thematic interests, including the ways faith-centric thrillers have often missed the greater opportunities to speak to a truly liberating theological framework.

It's a hefty and thoughtful conversation that we really hope you enjoy!

5:10 - Two Questions with Dr. James Howard Hill

Patron Only Segment: Whatcha Watchin' / Readin' / Listenin' to?

19:56 - THE DELIVERANCE

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We have another special interview bonus episode for you this week focusing on the debut novel from Isabelle Spotts. SAINT DELILAH, a feminist supernatural suspense drama, tells the story of a young woman who has been brutally murdered and left in the woods in the small midwestern town. But for Delilah, her death was only the beginning. Delilah finds herself in a surreal, spectral existence. She's hunted by mysterious entities and her only real friend is the town medium, Magda. When a stranger arrives named Cross who can not only see Delilah but touch her and love her, she feels alive once again. But Delilah is steadily hurtling towards a dreadful, tormented afterlife existence unless she, Cross, and Magda can learn who killed her and find a path to justice for her untimely death.

Isabelle's novel is part Twin Peaks, part Promising Young Woman, and saturated with rich and complex characters. It grapples with the threat of male violence, particularly towards overtly sensual women, and the ways that moral judgments are cast upon victims as barricades to keep us from facing our most horrific tendencies. It's a wonderful book and we really hope you'll check it out.

We sat down with Isabelle for a brisk and remarkably fun conversation about her novel, its origins, and its numerous treasure trove of compelling themes. We hope you'll check out SAINT DELILAH, available wherever books are sold as of August 11, 2026 and we hope you enjoy our conversation with the author, Isabelle Spotts.

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