The gang heads into the woods to investigate one of the most divisive films of the year. IN A VIOLENT NATURE has some thoughts about the classic slasher flick... but is it saying anything new? We find ourselves divided - can we make it out unscathed?!By Adriana Mezquitti, Amanda Forasteros, Mo Zahedi, JR. Forasteros

It's double the spider terror when the gang heads to an apartment complex overrun by a giant spider. Yes, that's the plot of both STING and INFESTED, but the similarities are mostly superficial. We explore the scares and the spiders in each film and find new ways to be afraid of those eight legged freaks.…

The Planet of the Apes franchise has a strange staying power. With the release of the latest (ninth!) film, we review the long, odd history of the franchise - including its mixed success with social commentary. Then we dive into the new film, which embodies the best and worst tendencies of its predecessors. PLUS: a Planet of the... Kyles?…

Are we over vampires? Despite several recent lackluster box-office performances by vampire films, ABIGAIL is here to insist there's still some unlife in this genre. The gang heads to a spooky old mansion to investigate. What could go wrong?By Amanda Forasteros, JR. Forasteros, Adriana Mezquitti

What would happen if we reimagined church from the ground up? Jazz musician and pastor Mark Glanville joins us for our second installment of Faith After Church. How has jazz helped Mark totally rethink what Church can look like? We should mention that Mark brought his piano...By Mark Glanville, Matt Mikalatos, JR. Forasteros

How should we respond to the genocide in Gaza? We explore the complexities of US foreign policy, the origins of Evangelical Zionism and its anti-Semitic nature. What responsibility do we have? What can we do?By Matt Mikalatos, Kathy Khang, JR. Forasteros

Is there a church anywhere in the world where single Christians are flourishing? Why are churches so indifferent - or outright hostile - to the unique struggles and strengths of single Christians? Anna Broadway joins us to share her round-the-globe tour of Christian singledom. PLUS: you won't believe how Anna met Kathy. And there's a certain book a…

Talking heads all over the country are warning we're headed for a second civil war. So is a movie called CIVIL WAR about exactly that a good idea? Kathy and JR. consider how that may be the wrong question as we explore Alex Garland's latest film from A24. What does it have to say about journalism? About politics? About being American? JR.'s article…

Baghead is the latest Shudder horror feature, so the gang heads to a greasy old pub to check out what's going on in that basement. We take in the obvious similarities to last year's Talk to Me, then explore what sets Baghead apart.By Adriana Mezquitti, JR. Forasteros, Mo Zahedi, Amanda Forasteros

What does faith look like when the church fails us? We reflect on our faith journeys - how we've all moved out of the institutional church in different ways. We explore what that has looked like, consider the state of our faith now and imagine what comes next. Join us for part one of a two-part discussion!…

When a faithful nun becomes pregnant, how could it be anything other than a blessed miracle? The gang heads to Italy to investigate Sydney Sweeney's new nun-sploitation horror film Immaculate. Is it the first pro-choice Catholic horror movie?By Adriana Mezquitti, Amanda Forasteros, JR. Forasteros, Mo Zahedi

Some say we're living in the age of remakes, reboots and legacequels, but the truth is that we've been retelling stories since that first "Once Upon a Time..." In honor of the release of James, the new retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, we explore why we enjoy retelling stories, what separates the good retellings from the soulless rem…

Why isn't police reform happening? Despite massive waves of sustained protest around the country, policing seems to be stuck. Dr. Daniel Reinhardt, an officer for 20 years, insists the problem is the internal culture of policing. How can we change that? Daniel joins us to explore what ordinary citizens can do to make real, systemic change.…

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the latest installment in franchise, moves the whole gang (no really, like everybody) back to the firehouse in NYC. This time around, they'll face an ancient god hellbent on destroying humanity (but, like, in a different way). The gang wades through Firemasters and mini-Stay-Puffs to evaluate whether this latest install…

It's the annual Fascinating Pop Culture Madness tournament. From Prince Harry to the boat-killing Orcas to the best T-Swift Team up, our patented, professionally calibrated bracket leaves nothing to chance. Listen up and get ready to cast your vote in the final game. Who will reign supreme this year? It's up to you! The 2024 Fascinating Pop Culture…

The gang heads back to the late 80s with Zelda Williams' directorial debut LISA FRANKENSTEIN. As the Bard wrote, what's in a name? But is this movie Lisa or Frankenstein enough to warrant that title? Does it even matter? Plus, why are we seeing so many feminist Frankenstein movies in the last year?By Adriana Mezquitti, JR. Forasteros, Amanda Forasteros

Why are the people with the most power so often the most miserable? Author Naomi Kanakia joins us to reflect on the way oppression hurts everyone - even those who oppress. We also explore the possible limits of found family and what's so great about the so-called Great Books. Naomi's newsletter, Woman of Letters The 2024 Fascinating Pop Culture Mad…

Ben Winters returns to the show! He's the creator and executive producer of the hit new CBS show Tracker. He's got oodles of Audible original short novels! And his latest novel, Big Time just dropped! Will Ben reveal the secrets of his prolific career? Is it possible he is releasing something else this year? Just how long ago was the 90s, exactly? …

It's the explosive late-night episode you've never seen. LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL takes us back to the Satanic Panic of the late 1970s, to a late-night talk show that features a demon-possessed little girl. The gang explores where this film sits in the history of late-night TV, the Satanic panic and a few of the many, many allusions and references…

This weekend is St. Patrick's Day - but beyond the green and the clovers, what is Patrick all about? Host Matt Mikalatos takes us into his new book, Praying with St. Patrick, to discover what wisdom Patrick has to offer for us today!By Matt Mikalatos, Kathy Khang

Killers of the Flower Moon is getting a lot of attention in awards season - and a lot of praise for its depiction of Native Americans. But Dr. Randy Woodley, Indigenous screenwriter and activist, cautious us against rushing to heap praise upon Martin Scorsese's latest. We welcome Randy to share his experience in the film industry and how he has nav…

The gang is back! In a season premier tradition, we catch up on what we missed on break. Then Matt challenges JR. and Kathy with some slang new and old. And of course, a feral hog update.By Kathy Khang, JR. Forasteros, Matt Mikalatos

It's been quite a year for horror! The gang reviews some of the obvious greats and digs into a few lesser-known gems you really gotta see. Plus, some weirdo categories just for fun! We're going out with a bang!By Amanda Forasteros, Mo Zahedi, Adrian Tchaikovsky, JR. Forasteros

It's the last episode of the season - and the year! On our season finale, we count down our favorite books, movies and more. Plus, we share some of YOUR picks!By Kathy Khang, JR. Forasteros, Matt Mikalatos

Gremlins is a weird little Frankenstein of a movie. It's definitely a Christmas movie, but is it a horror movie? (You'll be shocked which host says it's not.) The gang explores how this film got made, the bits that didn't age so well and why it's still so beloved.By Adriana Mezquitti, JR. Forasteros, Amanda Forasteros, Mo Zahedi

Surrogacy is an act of service for another, one that involves a whole body, and two families. What are the ethics of surrogacy? And why don't our laws reflect the modern science of surrogacy? How can surrogacy be unjust? Dr. Grace Kao joins us to explore the complexity of this act. PLUS: some of our least favorite Christmas traditions! Connect with…

The surprise hit of December is GODZILLA MINUS ONE, the latest Japanese Godzilla movie. Since we all saw it, we do a spoiler-free reflection on why it's so great - and why you should try to see it if you can! Plus, since Christmas is approaching, we explore some of our Christmas favorites.By JR. Forasteros, Kathy Khang, Matt Mikalatos

It's a Wonderful Knife is the latest slasher genre mash-up; this time with the "What if I didn't exist?" concept of the Christmas classic It's a Wonderful Life. The gang investigates this new holiday horror film. Is it destined to be a classic? Or will we forget about it by Boxing Day? And what if you've never seen the original? classic?…

The author of 1 Timothy says he doesn't permits a woman to teach or have authority. He also says women are saved through childbirth. So does that mean women can't preach? Does it mean women can only be saved by having babies? Um... probably not. Dr. Sandra Glahn returns to the show to take us to the ancient city of Ephesus. What do we need to know …

Thanksgiving horror films are few and far between. But that doesn't mean Eli Roth's latest - called Thanksgiving - cuts any corners. The gang dives into this brutal, bloody slasher flick.By JR. Forasteros, Mo Zahedi, Adriana Mezquitti, Amanda Forasteros

The Marvels is the latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it's been a box office flop. So why do our three co-hosts like it so much? We review the film, including what worked for us and what didn't so much.By JR. Forasteros, Kathy Khang, Matt Mikalatos

The gang returns to a (new) classic horror anthology series with V/H/S 85, the sixth installment in this series. We dive in, segment by segment, to determine which of these is scary and which put at least one of us to sleep.By Mo Zahedi, Adriana Mezquitti, JR. Forasteros, Amanda Forasteros

For decades, science fiction writers imagined a future where religion had gone extinct. But in M. V. Melcer's new sci-fi thriller REFRACTIONS, religion is alive and... if not exactly well, then thriving. She joins us to explore why religion isn't going anywhere - even as technology continues to advance. PLUS: time-travelling telescopes and more! M.…

Can the great Nic Cage move us without uttering a word? The gang finds ourselves divided again over Willy's Wonderland, the killer animatroics movie that beat Five Nights at Freddy's to the screen. How does it stack up?By JR. Forasteros, Adriana Mezquitti, Amanda Forasteros, Mo Zahedi

The F.B.I. played a key role in the development of White Christian Nationalism. Sound like a tinfoil hat conspiracy theory? Dr. Lerone A. Martin joins us to share the receipts. His new book THE GOSPEL OF J. EDGAR HOOVER shows how F.B.I. Director Hoover worked with evangelical leaders like Billy Graham a generation before the Moral Majority and the …

The gang investigates Demian Rugna's new horror sensation WHEN EVIL LURKS. What makes this movie work so well? What do the English subtitles get wrong, and why does that matter? What does the film say about autism? Seriously - we leave no stone unturned on what is one of our favorite scary movies of the year!…

Has the gang ever been more divided? We explore Blumhouse' brand new Exorcist sequel. How does it compare to the original? Who hated this movie and who loved it? (Okay, who at least liked it?) Listen in to this one... it's as contentious as hell!By Amanda Forasteros, Mo Zahedi, JR. Forasteros, Adriana Mezquitti

Should Christians watch horror movies? What about movies about demonic possession? Film critic Josh Larsen returns to the show to take us into his new book FEAR NOT. We explore the role horror can play in creating spiritual conversations and even in spiritual formation! Episode Links: Larsen on Film (website) Josh on Letterbox Think Christian (webs…

Our own JR. is a contestant on Season 5 of Press Your Luck! He takes us behind the scenes from how he got on the show to the extensive casting process to the filming - and yeah, getting to meet the host, Elizabeth Banks.By Kathy Khang, JR. Forasteros, Clay Morgan, Matt Mikalatos

It's time for another Fascinating-on-Fascinating interview! With the launch of their new book, Kathy and Matt share the hot seat to dish on what it looks like to disagree well. How did their book on civility turn into a meditation on the fruit of the Spirit? Why is civility too low a bar? Plus: a deep dive into kindness, because nice isn't a fruit …

Satanic Hispanics is the new horror anthology featuring all Latin directors. The gang works our way through the four main segments and the wrapper. Which are winners? Which leave something to be desired? PLUS: we interview writer/director Demian Rugna, who directed our favorite segment, "Tambien Lo Vi."…

La Llorona is a strangely misogynistic legend - a woman who gets dumped, goes crazy and kills herself and her kids? Author V. Castro joins us to explore her new book The Haunting of Alejandra, which flips the curse of La Llorona on its head. She takes us behind the scenes of her book. We explore her heritage as a Mexican American woman, the legacy …

Alex Shvartsman returns to the podcast! The new book in the Conradverse features Conrad Brent, the magic Batman, facing off against his most challenging adversary yet: bureaucratic incompetence! We take the opportunity to reflect on why leadership so often fails to govern well, including a look at the historic removal of Kevin McCarthy as the Speak…

Why hasn't America ever faced its original sins of chattel slavery or genocide against Native Americans? What's at stake if we were to face those sins? What might confession look like? What about repenting or repair? On the season premier of the Fascinating Podcast, Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg joins us to frame this conversation for us. How does she fin…

Film can be a powerful agent for social change. The gang investigates the 2019 Guatemalan film La Llorona. The film imagines supernatural justice for a general who ordered genocide against indigenous Guatemalan people. How well does this reimagining of a classic Latin American horror icon work?By Adriana Mezquitti, JR. Forasteros, Mo Zahedi, Amanda Forasteros

How does a Hindu possession story go? It Lives Inside introduces American audiences to the pishach, a spirit that feeds on negative emotions. But this film is so much more than a ghost story. The gang investigates this meditation on immigration, assimilation and possession. PLUS: We're celebrity adjacent! Get the full scoop!…

The megalodons are back in THE MEG 2, a horror comedy creature feature sequel. How does it stack up to the first film? Does comedy belong in a creature feature? And where does MEG 2 rank in the annals of shark movies?By Adriana Mezquitti, Amanda Forasteros, Mo Zahedi, JR. Forasteros

The second 'Based on Dracula' movie of 2023, The Last Voyage of the Demeter hasn't performed well in the box office. But does that mean it's bad? The gang dives into this maritime tragedy to explore what makes a vampire film successful (or not).By Mo Zahedi, JR. Forasteros, Adriana Mezquitti, Amanda Forasteros

Is Cancel Culture a thing we should be worried about? Last year's smash-hit horror comedy DEADSTREAM finds a demonetized YouTuber livestreaming his night in a haunted house to win back fans. Did it work? And can the gang survive without Mo?By Amanda Forasteros, JR. Forasteros, Adriana Mezquitti

TALK TO ME is the latest horror sensation from A24, an indie box-office smash, and a possession film for Gen Z. The gang reaches out to investigate what makes this movie work so well, and what's wrong with kids these days.By JR. Forasteros, Adriana Mezquitti, Amanda Forasteros, Mo Zahedi