Morbid Network
202 episodes listed below
Horror fandom with a thesis.
That Was Pretty Scary treats horror as both a thrill machine and a mirror. Episodes move from release details and plot reminders into animated reads on slashers, body horror, identity, class rage, grief, and why certain scary images stick.
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That Was Pretty Scary is a horror film show built around enthusiasm with an argument behind it. It loves the genre out loud. Recent episodes cover franchise staples, modern releases, cult curiosities, and creator conversations, with enough plot setup to orient returning fans and first-time viewers who do not mind spoilers. The show is especially strong when a familiar title gets reframed. April Fool's Day becomes less a failed slasher than a movie performing the rhythm of a prank. A Nightmare on Elm Street 4 turns into a story about Alice becoming a mosaic of the friends she loses. Ready or Not gets treated as both a bloody game-night thrill ride and a class satire. Friday the 13th is placed inside the 1980s moment when slashers became cultural events. The show also makes room for newer work like Bring Her Back, Slanted, and Didn't Die, where horror connects to grief, identity, representation, and emotional collapse. Some episodes are solo breakdowns. Others are Scary Talk conversations with actors, filmmakers, writers, and guest hosts who bring production memories or specialist knowledge into the room. George Young and Michole Briana White revisit Malignant through casting and James Wan's working style. Diandra Lazor brings Elm Street expertise. Amy Wang talks Slanted as satire, identity drama, and body horror. Meagan Navarro joins a Friday the 13th discussion with a sense of horror as emotional and cultural experience. Meera Menon and Kiran Deol discuss Didn't Die as more than a zombie-apocalypse story. The pacing stays conversational, with quick jokes and side roads, but the show keeps circling back to meaning. It is criticism for people who want horror to be fun, personal, and thought through.
Made for: For horror fans who want more than a recap: genre history, character reads, spoiler-friendly breakdowns, and creator conversations with real enthusiasm. It especially fits listeners who like slashers, body horror, modern horror, and franchise reappraisals.
What sets it apart: The show pairs fan-speed energy with close reading, so a movie can be funny, bloody, nostalgic, and thematically loaded all at once. Its guest episodes also bring working actors, filmmakers, and horror writers into the same critical conversation.
That Was Pretty Scary is a horror podcast hosted by Jon Lee Brody. From reviews and recaps of classic and contemporary horror to deep dive analysis and conversations with creators, JLB explores why scary movies stick with us and why they matter. NOTE TO LISTENERS: When That Was Pretty Scary first launched in 2023, it began as a joint venture between Jon Lee Brody and Freddie Prinze Jr. In 2025, after 102 episodes together, Freddie departed the show and JLB continued on as the solo host. New listeners can enjoy the full archive of early episodes and then seamlessly transition into the current...
Based on 5 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Jon Lee Brody turns horror plots, visual choices, and genre conventions into clear arguments about how scary movies create meaning.
That Was Pretty Scary treats horror films as arguments waiting to be reconstructed. Jon Lee Brody moves from plot and character to visual design, genre convention, and cultural context, giving familiar movies a fresh organizing idea instead of settling for recap.
Jon Lee Brody defends a slasher where nobody dies; your horror group chat gets fresh ammunition.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A messy horror chat that stays grounded in the people and production behind it.
This episode keeps its footing by leaning into the mess instead of sanding it down. It treats the film like a wild mix of giallo and cop procedural, and the behind-the-scenes material gives the piece its best shape: a throwaway role grows into Officer Lee, and James Wan's habit…
A horror discussion that treats Alice's arc as a mosaic of the people around her.
The review reads the 1988 Freddy story less as a straight horror recap and more as a study of Alice finding herself in other people. It points to the way she absorbs traces of her friends, from Kristin's gymnastics and smoking to Sheila's analytical habits, Joey's voice power,…
A slasher-shaped prank whose ending still invites argument.
That Was Pretty Scary frames April Fool's Day (1986) as a slasher that knows exactly how to look the part. The house, the friends, the isolation, and the movie's false sense of danger all build toward a reveal that turns the whole thing into a prank.
A forceful take on Frankenstein as tragedy, not just a monster story.
John Lee Brody treats Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein as a reset more than a retelling, and that choice gives the piece its shape. He pulls the focus back to Mary Shelley's story and its real concern with how people get the name and meaning wrong, then moves past the familiar…
A horror puzzle box gets a clean read on fear, control, and scapegoating.
The review treats Weapons as a movie that should have buckled under its own mix of Fincher mystery, Romero chaos, Crucible pressure, cop-action energy, and folk-horror rot, but argues that the parts do hold together.
Reddit nightmares, cleanly narrated and sharply turned.
The episode revisits a horror movie with a guest.
This episode takes on a well-known franchise turn with a 1988 MTV-aesthetic energy and then moves toward what makes Alice such a resonant central character.
That Was Pretty Scary takes on April Fool's Day (1986).
This episode analyzes the 2025 Australian horror film 'Bring Her Back' by the Filippo Brothers, exploring its impact and critical reception.
This episode analyzes the 2019 horror-comedy film 'Ready or Not', exploring its plot, characters, and underlying themes ahead of an upcoming sequel.
Host Jon Lee Brody interviews filmmaker Amy Wang about her debut feature film 'Slanted', a satirical body horror about an Asian-American teen who undergoes a procedure to become white.
Host Jon Lee Brody interviews horror critic Megan Navarro about the cultural significance of Friday the 13th.
Host Jon Lee Brody interviews the director and star of the horror film Didn't Die, discussing its themes of emotional apocalypse and representation.
Host Jon Lee Brody presents a full unedited interview with Michael Harriot about Black history and horror, encouraging listeners to educate themselves beyond Heritage Months.
Jon Lee Brody explores the history of black horror, tracing its roots from blaxploitation to modern films like Get Out.
Jon Lee Brody reviews and analyzes the 2025 horror film 'The Gorge', discussing its themes and why it deserves more attention.
Jon Lee Brody explores blaxploitation horror, arguing that its monsters emerge from systemic American issues rather than supernatural curses.
Jon Lee Brody reviews the horror movie Death Name and interviews screenwriter Regina Kim about its Korean American themes.
Jon Lee Brody analyzes the 2001 horror film Valentine, exploring its cult status and place in horror history.
Jon Lee Brody explores the history and critique of blaxploitation horror in a mini-series.
Jon Lee Brody and guest Sabrina Zohar analyze the horror-romance film Warm Bodies, exploring themes of love and emotional numbness.
Host John Lee Brody interviews writer/director Aimee Kuge about her horror film 'Cannibal Mukbang' and discusses Asian-American representation in filmmaking.
The episode treats Frankenstein as one of history’s most misunderstood stories.
Jon Lee Brody interviews the director of the horror film Good Boy about his unique cinematic perspective.
The hosts introduce a retrospective episode looking back at 2025 in horror, featuring new formats and guest interactions.
The host and guests discuss Christmas horror movies, with a special guest filmmaker Stephen C.
The episode opens with a pop quiz hot shots and asks what you get when a movie mixes Fincher mystery, Romero chaos, The Crucible, cop action energy, and a little folk horror.
This episode features an interview with Rachel Belosky, founder of Screamfest, discussing her 25-year journey building and evolving a horror film festival platform.
Jon Lee Brody analyzes the 2006 animated horror film Monster House, discussing its unique place in animation history and its effective use of horror tropes.
The host revisits the 1982 film Halloween III: Season of the Witch, discussing its initial failure and later cult status.
Host John Lee Brody interviews actress Sarah Nicklin about her career in indie horror and her role in the upcoming film V/H/S Halloween.
Jon Lee Brody explores John Carpenter's original vision for Halloween 4 and imagines how a different ending could have changed horror history.
Host Jon Lee Brody interviews filmmaker Justin Tipping about his upcoming sports horror movie HIM and his career.
Jon Lee Brody analyzes the origins of iconic horror characters like the Joker, tracing them back to the silent film The Man Who Laughs.
Host Jon Lee Brody interviews director Christopher Landon and actress Jessica Rothe about the Happy Death Day films.
Jon Lee Brody introduces a two-part deep dive into the film Sinners, discussing its cultural impact and supernatural elements.
John Lee Brody and guest host Maggie Levin discuss the 2014 horror film The Babadook, exploring its themes of grief, motherhood, and psychological horror.