The Dread Lottery

In which hosts Red & Puffer take a break from the rigors of the Lottery to celebrate Samhain by watching all of 9 of the Halloween movies. (We did not watch the Rob Zombie reboot.) Pitting each against the next at random, the final of which will be the ultimate Halloween movie that represents the franchise in the Lottery. Honestly, this is just more off the cuff then usual but we had some fun with this. Halloween Theme arranged and performed by Occidental Dirt Farmers.

In which your hosts spend some time with creepy kids, in the homicidal coming of age period piece ALICE SWEET ALICE (1972) and the supernatural creepiness of SINISTER (2012). Red and Puffer dig deep into the burdens of the structures that bind us, family, religion, and things kept hidden. Two terrific, scary movies and a good discussion. Episode music and theme by Ulrike Mod. Sound design by Dread Lottery.

In which your hosts explore a couple of neighborhoods to chase down that which is hidden: lower Manhattan in the mid-80s in C.H.U.D (1984), and a Toronto apartment complex after dark in IMPOSSIBLE HORROR (2017). Red & Puffer join in a search for  mysterious screams and subterranean monsters, and hunt for meaning in the dark. Episode music by Emily Milling from the Impossible Horror soundtrack (available at https://emilymilling.bandcamp.com/album/impossible-horror-ost). Sound design by Dread Lottery.

In which your hosts unpack two horror movies about young women in bad situations facing no good options, GINGER SNAPS 2: UNLEASHED (2004) and THE WITCH (2015). Red & Puffer try to see what a couple of teenage girls, one fated to become a werewolf and the other a witch, have in common. These are both terrific movies so this was a fun discussion. Show music and theme by Ulrike Mod. Sound design by Dread Lottery.

In which your hosts Red & Puffer remember the 80s from two very different perspectives, Q - THE WINGED SERPENT (1982) & RE-ANIMATOR (1985). Two visionary directors, two tales of sacrificing and resurrecting the dead, multiple decapitations, but remarkably dissimilar movies. These movies are each a blast in their own unique ways and we had a lot of fun taking them apart. Episode music Ulrike Mod "les échos dans le puits" from the new album Les Maison Sombre.

In which Red & Puffer dust off a recording from a few months prior, that concerns, weirdly enough, two movies about being confined to the house, A DARK SONG (2016) & HOUSEBOUND (2014). Life got in the way of releasing it until now but, wow, how fitting. Anyway, they're both terrific movies and it was a fun conversation. Episode music from the new Ulrike Mod record Les Maison Sombre.  

In which Red and Puffer really bite into the meat metaphor while unpacking two classic, sadly still relevant social commentaries by masters of horror Romaro and Craven: DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978) and THE PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS (1991). This was a great draw because these are as close to perfect horror movies as one could hope for. We uncover some unexpected stuff. Good eatin'. Episode music and sound design by The Dread Lottery. (Soundtrack album coming soon)

In which your hosts Red & Puffer finally kick off the new year by tearing into two beloved films about women and monsters, BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935) & GINGER SNAPS (2001). Curses, mothers, brides, victims, fate, and the roles women are consigned to. But we have fun unpacking these, even if there's one we don't care to ever watch again. Good stuff. Episode music and sound design by The Dread Lottery. (Soundtrack album coming soon)

In which your hosts try to work up enthusiasm for a conversation about almost-obscure cult horror comedy BUBBA HO-TEP (2002) & video game adaptation SILENT HILL (2006). Gotta be honest with you all, this not a great episode. Who knows what happened but we weren't feeling it. On the upside, it is our shortest episode. Episode music and sound design by The Dread Lottery. (Soundtrack album coming soon)

In which your hosts Red & Puffer go wild on a couple of people in peril movies: the ruthless vampire hoards on the frozen town of Barstow, Alaska in 30 DAYS OF NIGHT (2007) and the lawless hoards and crazy aristocracy on to poor people of D.C. in THE PURGE: ELECTION YEAR (2016). We were a bit tired after a Meeting House relocation, but the Dread Lottery was benevolent and offered up a pretty solid discussion otherwise. Much fun was had.

In which your hosts Deep Red & Producer Puffer take a moment away from The Dread Lottery to reflect on the year that was. We pick 12 of our favorite movies from the Lottery so far and on-the-fly construct a film festival of complementary double bills. We cannot escape the dark magic of the Lottery. Happy Samhain.

In which Red & Puffer dig into two classic horror movies, THE HAUNTING (1963) and LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (2008). For this last episode recorded in our former digs, we find a couple of threads that turn out to be uniquely revelatory, as we see the world through the eyes of a couple troubled outsiders. A surprising but fun thinker. (edit: If you listened/downloaded prior to 9/4/19 there was an editing error that resulted in a few minutes of the discussion gone missing around the 50min mark; end of "Score"; beginning of "Scare-o-Meter". Please re-download/listen. We regret the error Sincerely, the Dread Lottery.) Episode & Theme music by Ulrike Mod. Sound design by The Dread Lottery.

In which your hosts, Red & Puffer, return from a brief production hiatus during which we relocated the Dread Lottery Meeting House, to examine the similarities between two movies in which, coincidentally, house & home play a central roll, HEREDITARY (2018) & THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE (1973). Possession, perversion, demon worship, and the decadence of class privilege, we go deep and get to some stuff. Episode & Theme music by Ulrike Mod. Sound design by The Dread Lottery.

In which your hosts get bucolic and wander through the hedgerow to search for esoteric connection between 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE (2016) and A FIELD IN ENGLAND (2013). Red & Puffer contemplate folk horror, aliens, abductions, and mushrooms. We have new favorite and one best described as 'meh'. But a good time was had by all. Episode music and theme by Ulrike Mod. Sound design and production by The Dread Lottery.

In which your hosts dig deeper into the world of thrilling Asian horror, this time with Japan's BATTLE ROYALE (2000) & the South Korean TRAIN TO BUSAN (2016). The body count is high, and the mettle of humanity is put to the test under horrific circumstances. But great movies makes for great discussion. Extreme conversation! Show music and theme by Ulrike Mod. Sound design by Dread Lottery.

In which The Lottery sends your hosts to meet the family, and they try to keep their wits about them while discussing GET OUT (2017) & HOUSE (1977). How these troubled secrets and dark histories express themselves is VASTLY different. From the wacky to the disturbing. We dig these movies so it was a tough one. Episode music & sound design by Dread Lottery.

In which The Lottery has pitted one lovely giant monster against two incarnations of the same vampire. It's GODZILLA (1954) against NOSFERATU (1922/1979). Red and Puffer ponder haunted national legacies, re-cut films, long shadows, and the smashing miniature infrastructure. It's a jolly good time. Episode music and sound design by The Dread Lottery.

In which The Lottery offers up the cheeky side of horror, as Red and Puffer consider the slapstick antics of TUCKER AND DALE VS. EVIL (2014) & the twisted delights of HELLO MARY LOU: PROM NIGHT II (1987). This one was a surprising thinker. Episode music and sound design by The Dread Lottery.

In which your hosts stare down the horrors and hopes of fraternal love, the complicated bonds of 'brothers', and stir up sibling rivalry amongst RESOLUTION (2010) & WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS (2014). We're documenting the documentaries. We had a blast. Episode music & sound design by Dread Lottery.

In which your hosts return to spend some quality time with family by watching, discussing THE AMITYVILLE HORROR (1979) & XX (2017). Sometimes you have a fun extended clan, and other times you forget how tedious they can be and wish you had stayed at a hotel. Episode music & sound design by The Dread Lottery.