Horror Movie Franchises

The "Carnosaur" Franchise: B Movie Dino Horror

This week we're covering the obscure "Carnosaur" franchise. It consists of a trilogy and 2 spinoffs. These movies that were produced by Roger Corman (known as "The King of B Movies"). Due to budget constraints, they kept using the same two dinos and the same scenes from the first movie over and over again. 

The plots are all over the place and dont make any sense. The first movie has a geneticist (Diane Ladd) creating dinosaurs from chickens so she can wipe out the human race. She also devises a virus that makes women give birth to dinosaurs-- thus eventually killing all humans. Say what? The second movie is a straight up rip off of "Aliens"-- just with dinosaurs. The third movie has dinos in a warehouse and then on a ship for some reason. Now they must be saved because they contain human DNA and hold the secret to curing diseases. And the last two movies, I wont even bother to try to explain the story lines. 

Despite these being hokey movies, Corman gets a surprising number of prominent actors to appear-- Diane Ladd, Clint Howard, John Savage, Eric Roberts, Corbin Bernsen, Tony Todd and Dee Wallace (to name a few). 

I can't say I recommend these movies but if you want a good laugh, check them out. With the Rifftrax/MST3000 treatment, they would be much more interesting. 

Did I miss the mark? Do you love these movies? Let me know in the comments section. 

 

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Top 10 Horror Movies of 2025 — Horror Is Finally Getting The Credit It Deserves

It's that time again. 2025 marks a pivotal year for horror. Horror movies made some $1.2 billion in domestic box office (passing the previous record in 2017). "The Conjuring: Last Rites" has made $494 million thus far. The "Conjuring" universe is the highest grossing franchise EVER (raking in $2.3 billion globally). "Sinners" is in second place with $367 million. "Final Destination: Bloodlines" is close behind at $315 million. 

We also have two horror movies up for major awards at both the Golden Globes and Academy Awards. Will they come close to 1991's "The Silence Of The Lambs"? It is the only horror movie to ever win the "Big 5" Oscars-- Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay. Last year "The Substance" was nominated for five Academy Awards but did not win for Best Picture, Best Director or Best Actress. Demi Moore did however win a Best Actress Golden Globe and SAG award. 

After watching more than 100 new movies in 2025, here are my favorites. Please let me know yours in the comments:

1. Sinners
2. Frankenstein
3. Weapons
4. The Long Walk
5. Final Destination: Bloodlines
6. Bring Her Back
7. The Rule of Jenny Pen
8. Companion
9. Best Wishes To All
10. Good Boy

 

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The "Boggy Creek" Franchise: Is Bigfoot's Cousin Living in Fouke, Arkansas?

This episode dives into the obscure "Boggy Creek" franchise. The 1972 low budget faux documentary "The Legend Of Boggy Creek" and 1985's "Boggy Creek 2: The Legend Continues" are the only two films by Charles B Pierce Sr. The other three movies by this name are unrelated.

The "Legend Of Boggy Creek" is considered the grandaddy of the found footage horror subgenre. The movie's title card says its a "true" story. It came out before "Cannibal Holocaust" which in turn is considered the inspiration for "Blair Witch Trial". 

If you like Bigfoot movies, check out the original and the 2016 documentary "The Boggy Creek Monster". A number of locals are interviewed about the 1972 film. They give their opinions of what's true and what's not regarding the Fouke Monster. Is this Bigfoot's cousin? Decide for yourself. 

 

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The "Toxic Avenger" Franchise: Not For Everyone

In this episode we delve into the "Toxic Avenger" franchise. There are five movies-- including this year's reboot starring Peter Dinklage ("Game of Thrones"), Kevin Bacon, Elijah Woods and a host of other famous faces. 

Toxic Avenger (affectionately known as "Toxie") is the brain child of Lloyd Kaufman. His company, Troma Entertainment, is the longest running independent film studio in existence. Besides "Toxic Avenger", the studio is most famous for "Sargent Kubikiman NYPD", "Class of Nuke Em High" and their various sequels. 

"Toxic Avenger" was not a success when it was first released in 1984. However midnight showings at Blecker Street Cinemas and word of mouth soon turned it into a cult classic. Toxie is a satirical take on superhero movies. He battles bad guys and protects the innocent in Tromaville, NJ (the toxic chemical capital of the world).

These movies are not for everyone. All were made on a shoe string budget and are ultra violent, very un-PC and feature excessive nudity, Their target demographic seems to be 13 year old boys.

I would suggest watching the first movie and the reboot. I would like to see more of this version of Toxie. Hopefully it will do well enough at the box office to justify a sequel. Forget the rest of the movies unless you're a die hard fan. Just a word of caution. The 80s (when the original came out) were different times so there is much here to offend younger viewers if you go in blind. 

 

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"Witchboard": The Largely Forgotten Ouija Franchise

This episode of Horror Movie Franchises takes a deep dive into the "Witchboard" series — from the 1986 original, through two sequels, to the recent reboot. Movie plots, trivia, and how each film handles spirit boards and possession are covered. 

If you watch just one movie, make it the original. It has since become a cult classic largely due to Twaney Katean (as Linda) and the bromance between Jim and Brandon. Sadly, the rest (including this year's reboot) aren't that good. One reviewer refers to the franchise as "Witch Bored". That is both a funny and accurate description. 

 

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Ty West's "X" Trilogy: What Would You Do For Fame?

Ty West's "X" trilogy includes "X", it's prequel "Pearl", and it's sequel "MaXXXine". Each movie follows a different cinematic style:

• X is a tribute to 1970's slashers such as "Texas Chainsaw Massacre"
• Pearl is a Technicolor extravaganza. Such films were popular in the 1930s thru 50s. Think "The Wizard of Oz". These movies had big sets, big scores and were filled with vibrant colors.
• MaXXXine is a tribute to Italian giallos. They were very stylized and were controversial due to excess sex and violence. Throw in a sleazy 1980s LA backdrop, a real killer that was on the prowl (the Nightstalker) and the Satantic Panic that was frightening the country at the time. 

Mia Goth is the standout of the series. I'll admit I didnt know much her before this. I had only seen her in the remake of "Suspiria". I really enjoyed her performance (especially in "Pearl"). It's a shame she didnt at least receive an Academy Award nomination for this character study. I look forward to seeing much more of her in future movies. 

Will there be other "X" movies? Ty West said he had an idea for a fourth but has since said he liked where the series ended. While I would like to see where else they could go, I'd glad someone in Hollywood knows when to end a story (vs beating a dead horse). 

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"The Prophecy" Franchise: Angels At War

This episode covers the little known "The Prophecy" franchise. It's a five film series about a millennia-long war among angels. The first three movies star Christopher Walken. The last two were filmed back to back in Romania (and are really the same story). 

The first film was released theatrically in 1995 and has since become a cult classic. The other four were direct to video and have, for the most part, fallen out of the public conscience. 

If you like angel movies (such as "Legion", "Fallen", "Constantine", "Angel Heart" or "Warlock") give these a try. I would suggest the first (and possibly second) movies. The rest are not horrible but dont add much to the mythology.

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The Many, Many Film Adaptations of "Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde"

This episode surveys the vast screen history of Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 novella "Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". There are some 120+ films ranging from the silent era through present day. Recurring themes include: the duality of man, the struggle between good and evil, civilized vs primitive, sexual repression, the constraints of society, etc.  These films are hard to distinguish from one another since many have the same title-- "Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde". 

The landmark versions are considered the 1920 silent movie (starring John Barrymore) and the 1931 black and white film (starring Frederic March). The role won March an Academy Award for Best Actor. This is highly unusual for a horror film. The only other actor to win an Oscar for Best Actor in a horror movie is Anthony Hopkins for "Silence Of The Lambs".  There's also a 1941 remake of the 1931 movie starring Spencer Tracy, Ingrid Bergman and Lana Turner. It definitely has a powerhouse cast but it just didnt have the depth of the earlier movie IMHO. 

Other notable interpretations include: 1968's "Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" (a TV movie starring Jack Palance), 1971's "Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde", 1971's "I, Monster" (starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing), 1990's "Jekyll and Hyde" (a TV movie starring Michael Caine and Cheryl Ladd), a 2007 BBC miniseries called "Jekyll" (starring James Nesbitt) and 2023's "Doctor Jekyll" (starring Eddie Izzard).

We've got comedies, musicals, cartoons, parodies, versions where Dr Jekyll turns into a woman--you name it. And I didnt even include the shows where Jekyll/Hyde appear as ensemble characters such as "The League of Extraordinary Gentleman". We also have modern interpretations of this story that, while they dont feature Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, they're the same basic premise such as "The Nutty Professor" (both Jerry Lewis and Eddie Murphy adaptations), "The Hulk", etc. I'm sure Stevenson had no idea how many different forms his story about a man struggling with his inner demons would take. 

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Wax Museum Movies: A Lesser Known Horror Subgenre

This week we're doing something slightly different. We're talking about "wax museum" movies. "Wax museum" films are an interesting subgenre of horror. If you're like me, you have a hard time keeping track of which movie is which due to all the similar plots and titles. This is my attempt at sorting them out. 

The first such movie is the 1914 French silent film "The Man with the Wax Faces". Next is 1924 German silent anthology "Waxworks". Then the first entry in the "House of Wax" trilogy-- 1933's "Mystery of the Wax Museum". It was remade 20 years later as "House of Wax"-- starring Vincent Price. The 3rd entry is a slasher by the same name. It features Paris Hilton in her film debut. And lastly is an unofficial Italian giallo entry from 1996 called "Wax Mask". The story is by Dario Argento and screenplay by Lucio Fulci. He began as director but unfortunately passed away before the film's completion. 

There are a number of other "wax museum" movies besides these. Most are standalones. These movies typically follow one of three horror tropes: 1. Someone bets someone they wont stay overnight alone in a wax museum; 2. Some crazy sculptor/artist is killing people and turning them into wax figures; or 3. Wax statues are coming to life and attacking people. 

Is there a future for wax museum movies or are they part of a bygone era? None have been released recently. Please let me know your thoughts in the comments. Also check out @VintageHorrorMovies here for a more in-depth review of the earliest wax museum movies. 

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The "HellRaiser" Franchise: We'll Tear Your Soul Apart!

This episode (which originally aired in 10/19) has been re-recorded. The newest movie has been added and it has been edited for time (including removing some of the trivia and the recipe). 

This week we take a look at one of the largest but somewhat lesser known franchises. "HellRaiser" has 11 movies total as well and a number of related books, comic books, documentaries, short stories, etc.

When the first "HellRaiser" movie was released back in 1986, there wasnt anything like it. S&M demons from Hell, lead by the iconic Pinhead, torture anyone who opens a mysterious puzzle box. I wanted to learn more. Despite the decline in quality of later movies (5-10 were released direct to home video) the franchise still has lots to offer. 

Due to the success of the series reboot (in 2022) a sequel is supposedly in the works. I hope so. I think there's a lot more they can do with this franchise (as long as Clive Barker is involved). We need to learn more about Levithan and the other Cenobites (as well as all the people they've tortured through the centuries). 

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