Podcast by Chris Lowe and Jordan Lowe
03 November 2026
Halloween may be over, but we are not ready to let go! This week on the Grindhouse Syndicate we are keeping the spooky season alive with one of the few Tales from the Crypt stories set on Halloween night. Season 6, Episode 2, “Only Skin Deep” (1994), is a dark and surprisingly bleak entry that stands apart from the rest of the series. We dig into the connection between this episode and the 1999 horror film House on Haunted Hill. The same writer, Dick Beebe, and the same director, William Malone, worked on both, and if you pay close attention you can spot plenty of similarities. We also take a quick history lesson on Malone, a special effects artist who worked for Don Post Studios and sculpted the creepy mask for this episode himself. We talk about how “Only Skin Deep” is a different kind of Tales from the Crypt. It drops most of the dark comedy the show is known for in favor of a depressing, hopeless story. We also get into the cinematography and how well it works with the oddly built set, and the awesome set decoration that turns a rundown, abandoned apartment building into the perfect home for horror. So grab the last of your Halloween candy and join us, because the Grindhouse Syndicate is not ready to put the pumpkins away!
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00:00
01:21:07
26 October 2026
Michael Myers is back, and so is Haddonfield! This week on the Grindhouse Syndicate we are wrapping up our Halloween special with one of the most underrated sequels in the franchise. Dwight H. Little’s 1988 slasher Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers captures that crisp midwestern autumn atmosphere better than almost any film of its era, and we dig into why that fall setting makes this one such a perfect October watch. We talk about how much we enjoyed Halloween III: Season of the Witch for what it tried to do, but how good it felt to see the Shape return to Haddonfield. We get into the kills and practical effects, and we share our honest thoughts on the controversial new mask, which neither of us could get behind. We also talk about the addition of Danielle Harris as Jamie Lloyd, a fantastic young performance that brings something fresh to the story and fills the gap left by Laurie Strode in a big way. And of course we celebrate the return of the great Donald Pleasence as Dr. Loomis, whose paranoia and PTSD this time around add real depth and realism to the character. Is Halloween 4 the best sequel in the franchise? No. But it is far from the worst, and we had a great time with it. So grab a pumpkin spice anything and join us this week because the Grindhouse Syndicate is closing out the Halloween season in Haddonfield!
Show Links:
Shows Official Website: Grindhouse horror pod
https://www.grindhousehorrorpod.com/
Shows Official Store:
https://www.grindhousehorrorpod.com/store/
Patreon: The Grindhouse Syndicate A Horror Movie Podcast
https://www.patreon.com/TheGrindhouseSyndicateAHorrorMoviePodcast
Facebook: @ The Grindhouse syndicate horror podcast
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550832364599
Instagram: @ Grindhousesyndicate.horror.pod
https://www.instagram.com/grindhousesyndicate.horror.pod/
Tik Tok: The Grindhouse Horror Podcast @ Grindhouse.Horror.Pod.
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00:00
02:15:45
19 October 2026
Vengeance is mine sayeth Pumpkinhead! This week on the Grindhouse Syndicate we are diving into one of the most atmospheric and visually stunning creature features the 1980s ever produced. Stan Winston’s 1988 directorial debut Pumpkinhead is a film that oozes Halloween from every single frame — and this week we dig into exactly why it has earned its place as one of the great cult classics of the genre. We talk about the incredible set design that gives this film such a distinctive and unforgettable look — a moonlit graveyard buried in pumpkin patches, a crumbling old witch’s house that feels like it crawled out of a nightmare, and an abandoned church that drips with dread and atmosphere. We dig into the stunning cinematography and those gorgeous fog soaked shots lit by moonlight that make Pumpkinhead look like no other horror film of its era. We talk about the makeup effects — not just the iconic creature design that put Stan Winston on the map, but the equally impressive work done on the witch that is every bit as good. We also get into Lance Henriksen’s powerhouse lead performance and how his work grounds this supernatural revenge tale in genuine human emotion and heartbreak. And we talk about the remarkable fact that Stan Winston — one of the greatest practical effects artists who ever lived — managed to make his very first film as a director an enduring cult classic. So light a candle and join us this week because the Grindhouse Syndicate is summoning Pumpkinhead!
Show Links:
Shows Official Website: Grindhouse horror pod
https://www.grindhousehorrorpod.com/
Shows Official Store:
https://www.grindhousehorrorpod.com/store/
Patreon: The Grindhouse Syndicate A Horror Movie Podcast
https://www.patreon.com/TheGrindhouseSyndicateAHorrorMoviePodcast
Facebook: @ The Grindhouse syndicate horror podcast
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550832364599
Instagram: @ Grindhousesyndicate.horror.pod
https://www.instagram.com/grindhousesyndicate.horror.pod/
Tik Tok: The Grindhouse Horror Podcast @ Grindhouse.Horror.Pod.
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00:00
01:46:00
15 October 2026
Ghostface is in New York and nobody is safe! This week on the Grindhouse Syndicate we are heading to the big city for the sixth installment of one of horror’s greatest franchises. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett’s 2023 Scream 6 takes everything you love about this franchise and drops it into a brand new playground — and we are here for every single second of it. We dig into how brilliantly the New York City setting works for this story and why the shift from Woodsboro to the streets of Manhattan breathes fresh life into the franchise in ways we did not see coming. We talk about the genius decision to set the film on Halloween, the incredible use of horror character costumes that create some of the most tense and creative sequences in the entire series, and how the film pays loving tribute to all five previous entries and the franchise as a whole in a way that will make longtime fans very happy. We get into the new mask — one of the coolest and most menacing looks Ghostface has ever had — and how this version of the killer is easily the most brutal and relentless we have ever seen. We also talk about the return of Kirby Reed and Gale Weathers and what they bring to this chapter, and of course we get into the kills — creative, brutal, and deeply satisfying from start to finish. So grab your phone and watch your back because the Grindhouse Syndicate is hitting the streets of New York!
Show Links:
Shows Official Website: Grindhouse horror pod
https://www.grindhousehorrorpod.com/
Shows Official Store:
https://www.grindhousehorrorpod.com/store/
Patreon: The Grindhouse Syndicate A Horror Movie Podcast
https://www.patreon.com/TheGrindhouseSyndicateAHorrorMoviePodcast
Facebook: @ The Grindhouse syndicate horror podcast
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550832364599
Instagram: @ Grindhousesyndicate.horror.pod
https://www.instagram.com/grindhousesyndicate.horror.pod/
Tik Tok: The Grindhouse Horror Podcast @ Grindhouse.Horror.Pod.
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00:00
03:06:00
05 October 2026
THIS IS IT... FINALLY PART 2! This week on the Grindhouse Syndicate we are back with part two of our Exorcist coverage and this time we are diving deep into the film itself. William Friedkin's 1973 masterpiece The Exorcist is not just a horror film — it is a masterclass in storytelling, atmosphere, and pure cinematic craft and this week we break down exactly why.
We dig into the chilling moment Father Merrin discovers the Pazuzu head and how instantly and brilliantly the stage is set for a rematch between this ancient demon and the one man who has faced it before — a confrontation where only one of them will survive. We talk about how Pazuzu weaponizes Father Karras's crippling guilt over his mother, exploiting his deepest wound to get inside his head, and how the demon uses Regan's possession as a chess move — working through Regan to get to Karras and then using Karras to lure Merrin back to the house.
We get into the stunning cinematography that gives the film such an oppressive and otherworldly beauty, how Dick Smith's legendary makeup work holds up as some of the greatest practical effects ever committed to film, and the way Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells wraps the whole experience in a tone and atmosphere that is unlike anything else in horror history.
And we close out with that devastating and perfect finale — Pazuzu finally facing off with Father Karras, a man who reclaims his faith in the most heroic and heartbreaking way possible. A five out of five from both of us. So join us this week as the Grindhouse Syndicate delivers its verdict on the greatest horror film ever made!
Show Links:
Shows Official Website: Grindhouse horror pod
https://www.grindhousehorrorpod.com/
Shows Official Store:
https://www.grindhousehorrorpod.com/store/
Patreon: The Grindhouse Syndicate A Horror Movie Podcast
https://www.patreon.com/TheGrindhouseSyndicateAHorrorMoviePodcast
Facebook: @ The Grindhouse syndicate horror podcast
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550832364599
Instagram: @ Grindhousesyndicate.horror.pod
https://www.instagram.com/grindhousesyndicate.horror.pod/
Tik Tok: The Grindhouse Horror Podcast @ Grindhouse.Horror.Pod.
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00:00
02:36:30
28 September 2026
The power of Christ compels you — to listen to this episode! This week on the Grindhouse Syndicate we are celebrating our 150th episode by doing our first ever 2 part episode on a film we have covered before. THATS RIGHT… WE ARE DIVING BACK INTO THE EXORCIST from 1973. And on PART 1 we are focusing on the production only. We are spending an entire episode pulling back the curtain on one of the most legendary and troubled productions in Hollywood history. William Friedkin's 1973 masterpiece The Exorcist is not just one of the greatest horror films ever made — it is a film surrounded by a story so wild, so dark, and so bizarre that it deserves its own episode. We start at the very beginning with the real life case of Roland Doe — the true story of alleged demonic possession that inspired William Peter Blatty to write the novel that would change horror forever. We dig into how Blatty brought that story to the page and eventually to the screen, and then we get into the man behind the camera — William Friedkin. A director whose behind the scenes behavior on this production was so unhinged, so unpredictable, and so controversial that it is a miracle the film got made at all. We talk about the injuries sustained during filming, the deaths connected to the production, and all the eerie and unsettling curse stories that have followed this film for over fifty years. And we close out with the massive cultural earthquake that was the film's release — a moment that genuinely shook the world and changed horror cinema forever. So join us this week because the Grindhouse Syndicate is going behind the curtain on the most cursed production in horror history!
00:00
01:58:09