The Fear of God: A Horror Movie Podcast

Reed Lackey & Nathan Rouse
  • 4.9 (118)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Semiweekly

Faith and the Horror genre may seem to be opposites, but every week Reed and Nathan put them in dialogue together. Join us for conversations about the things that haunt us and the things that heal us, explorations at the intersection between faith and fear, where we examine what scares us, in order to find what saves us.

  1. 4d ago

    Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension

    We continue our franchise run through every Paranormal Activity installment with what is, nearly unanimously, considered to be the weakest entry in the series. Building upon some direct tethers to the third film, PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE GHOST DIMENSION attempts to pull the narrative curtain back a bit and reveal to us some physical representations of the malevolent entity tormenting this new family. The results are decidedly uneven, with a handful of promising moments largely misspent on flat characterizations and overly predictable scares. Despite our feelings about the film, we're joined by friends of the show Justi Schunior and Abby Olcese for what becomes a disarmingly heartfelt and vulnerable conversation about our own inability to properly prepare for forces beyond our comprehension. In the face of inexplicable and uncontrollable oppression, how do we find the hope to persist believing that our small, daily choices can still make a difference? We were about as surprised at the richness of our conversation as we were disappointed in the film that prompted it. But we really hope you'll come along with us for this conversation because we think and hope it will encourage you. And as always, we hope you enjoy it! 4:31 - Announcements (including important details about FoGgoween) Patron Only Segment: THE SIMPSONS: Treehouse of Horror XXV 7:53 - PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE GHOST DIMENSION See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  2. Oct 15 ·  Bonus

    Better Luck Than Chuck Interview with Cast and Creators

    BETTER LUCK THAN CHUCK is a horror trivia game show that streams weekly (Thursday nights, 8 pm ET / 5 pm PT) on YouTube. It's set in a retro-mod basement filled with colorful props and decorations and it's hosted by The Widow (Alexis Allota) and the titular, zombified character of Chuck (Adam Michaels). The Jeopardy-style game show pits horror fans against one another in a fast-paced game of questions that run the spectrum of our favorite spooky genre. Nathan and Reed had the chance to host Alexis and Adam, alongside show creators Tony Wash and Meredith Tummillo, for a recurring dice-roll question game that finally gets an official name. We had an absolute blast talking with this crew about their excellent new show in a conversation that frequently turned into all of us just geeking out over some of our favorite horror and pop culture media. We hope you'll check out Better Luck Than Chuck -- see it HERE! -- and we hope you enjoy our conversation with its smart and funny creatives. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  3. Oct 13

    Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones

    We continue our franchise spooky season run through the Paranormal Activity franchise by tackling the first installment with a subtitle instead of a number. Starting off in rather unfamiliar territory, this entry follows three high school friends who just want to have fun and enjoy their summer. But when one of them begins to exhibit strange and violent behavior, a sinister influence emerges that will force them to confront everything they once believed. We're joined by friends of the show (and pastoral figures) Charlie Baber and Josh Raugh for a heartfelt and disarmingly insightful conversation about community, destiny, and the vital importance of seeing each and every one of our neighbors (and ourselves) as image bearers of God. It's a fun and uncommonly uplifting conversation that we really hope you enjoy! 4:21 - Announcements (including FoGgoween details) Patron Only Segment: THE SIMPSONS Treehouse of Horror XXIV 8:33 - PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE MARKED ONES See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  4. Oct 12 ·  Bonus

    Interview with author, director, and producer Tim Kirk

    We have another bonus interview for you this week featuring someone who has orbited around the FoG for a while now. Tim Kirk is a screenwriter, novelist, producer, and director whose work includes collaborations with director Rodney Ascher (including The Nightmare, which was a featured FoG episode, and Room 237). Tim's work features unconventional approaches to storytelling, which often involve multiple perspectives, inventive combinations of language and visuals, and a compelling theme of our shared interconnectedness as human beings. I had the chance to talk with Tim about his work and I really hope you enjoy our conversation! You can find more of Tim's work here. Check it out! 3:01 - 2 Questions with Tim Kirk 12:04 - Tim's Collaborations with Rodney Ascher 20:26 - Tim's Directorial Efforts (including short films based on Chick Tracts) 31:23 - ALL HIS DAMNED MOTHER'S SONS (Tim's novel) 44:56 - DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY: THE TERROR OF FRANKENSTEIN (Tim's feature film) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  5. Oct 9 ·  Bonus

    Job in Exile Interview with Dr David Gushee

    We have another special interview episode for you today leaning heavily into the more spiritual and theological aspect of our show, but still very much examining what scares us to find what saves us. For countless centuries, the biblical text of Job has been a source of study, debate, confusion, inspiration, and -- quite often -- frustration. Sometimes described as the "Mount Everest" of biblical study, Job is given a fresh and very text-centric examination by friend of the show, author, professor, and ethicist Dr David Gushee. Job in Exile looks at the pivotal moments in the text of the book of Job for an honest and clear-eyed examination of the ways human suffering frequently confounds our understanding of God. Often, people have approached the text feeling a deep need to defend God, or even to indict God, and the text continually pushes against overly simplistic categorizations. Dr Gushee's most recent treatment attempts to anchor the various perspectives surrounding a study of Job in the understanding that the complexity might just be part of the point: and that we have been given an invitation -- even a mandate -- to participate in the movement of God towards the wholeness, justice, and healing of the suffering of our neighbors. This is an open-hearted and often vulnerable conversation that we hope will encourage you. We hope you'll check out Dr Gushee's book at your bookseller of choice and we hope you enjoy this conversation! For more of Dr Gushee's appearances on the show, check out these discussions: Interview: Dr. David Gushee, Introducing Christian Ethics Interview: David Gushee, ethicist, author of Changing Our Mind Interview: Dr. David Gushee - Defending Democracy From Its Christian Enemies “Here We Are. Now What?” A Conversation with Dr. David Gushee Interview: The Moral Teachings of Jesus with Dr. David Gushee What Scares Us and What Saves Us Epilogue: An Interview with Dr. David Gushee The Zone of Interest w/ Dr. David Gushee See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  6. Oct 6

    Paranormal Activity 4

    We continue our annual Spooky Season franchise run for 2026 by exploring the first proper sequel in the Paranormal Activity series (because the last two were primarily prequels). PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 picks up 5 years from the events that unfolded across the first three films. It shows Alex (played by a young Kathryn Newton) alongside her parents and younger adopted brother Wyatt, not to mention her boyfriend Ben, experiencing and filming unnerving ghostly occurrences in their home. After their young neighbor Robbie must come live with them for a while when his mother suffers a terrible accident, these occurrences intensify and grow more frequent, barreling towards a sinister and fatal revelation. We're joined by friends of the show Claire Lechtenberg -- the Director of Development and Marketing for the Independent Picture House in Charlotte, NC -- as well as Sarah Welch-Larson, author and film critic for Seeing & Believing and Bright Wall, Dark Room. Together we have a surprisingly robust conversation about the spirituality of technology, and the ways that malevolent forces can be invited into our lives in a variety of ways. We also catch up with Claire and Sarah about exciting recent events at IPH and the Toronto International Film Festival respectively and we feature a Patron-only segment where Reed and Nathan discuss The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror XXIII (and way too many songs from the 80s). It's a hearty and thought-provoking conversation that we really hope you enjoy! To learn more about what's coming up for IPH, visit: https://independentpicturehouse.org/upcoming-films/ https://independentpicturehouse.org/movies/faust-w-live-score-100th-anniversary-event-screening/ https://independentpicturehouse.org/film-series/terror-of-86/ To read more of Sarah's work, you can visit: Seeing & Believing | Sarah Welch-Larson | Substack Sarah Welch-Larson, Author at Bright Wall/Dark Room 5:29 - Announcements -- including important details about this year's FoGgoween! Patron Only Segment: THE SIMPSONS Treehouse of Horror XXIII 9:18 - Catching up with Claire about IPH 14:17 - Catching up with Sarah about TIFF 22:11 - PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  7. Oct 3 ·  Bonus

    Appofeniacs Interview with Chris Marrs Piliero and Aaron Holliday

    We have another special interview for you this week for a film that opens in theaters this weekend! APPOFENIACS is a kinetic and unpredictable anthology thriller where AI deepfake technology has made it far too easy for someone to disrupt people's lives. Amused by exploiting our instinct to believe what we see and hear, Duke (Aaron Holliday) treats deepfakes like a contagious party trick. Not because he has something to prove, but simply because he can. Soon blood starts to spill, but Duke isn't the one who has to clean it up. Following three main intersecting plotlines, we witness the outrageous fallout of Duke's petty pastime. Also starring Sean Gunn, Paige Searcy, and Simran Jehani, Appofeniacs is a hilarious and terrifying trip through paranoia, confirmation bias, and baseless certainty. When anyone’s version of the truth can be created with the tap of a finger, the horror isn’t the lie. It’s what happens when people believe it. Nathan and Reed got the chance to talk with writer/director Chris Marrs Piliero and star of the film Aaron Holliday for a fun and thoughtful examination of why this film's subject is so timely and terrifying. We hope you'll check out Appofeniacs (in theaters exclusively as of October 2nd) and we hope you enjoy this interview! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  8. Sep 29

    Paranormal Activity 3

    We continue our Spooky Season (AAHHHHH!) run through the entire PARANORMAL ACTIVITY franchise by examining what most fans and critics consider to be the strongest entry in the whole series. Taking the story back to when our protagonists from 1 and 2 were children, Paranormal Activity 3 is that rare prequel that actually further develops and expands the mythology rather than merely connecting narrative dots. It's tightly constructed, inventive, and -- not for nothing -- it's very, very scary. We're joined by friends of the show (and PhDs) Brandon Grafius and Leland Merritt for a thoughtful and disarmingly observant discussion of the ways this entire franchise positions us as the audience to question what we see, what we hear, and what we believe. We laugh a lot and have some surprising depth of observation about one of the franchise's strongest films. Also featuring a Patron-only survey of THE SIMPSONS, Treehouse of Horror XXII, this is a conversation you won't want to miss and that we really hope you enjoy! 6:02 - ANNOUNCEMENTS -- Including upcoming FoGgoween details Patron Only Segment: THE SIMPSONS, Treehouse of Horror XXII 10:07 - PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

See All (610)

Trailer

4.9
out of 5
118 Ratings

About

Faith and the Horror genre may seem to be opposites, but every week Reed and Nathan put them in dialogue together. Join us for conversations about the things that haunt us and the things that heal us, explorations at the intersection between faith and fear, where we examine what scares us, in order to find what saves us.

Information

You Might Also Like