Opening Kill

Michael Duren & Brian O'Connor
  • 5.0 (6)
  • PERFORMING ARTS

Opening Kill is the podcast that dives deep into the chilling world of horror films! Every Thursday, we explore a different movie, uncovering behind the scenes secrets, analyzing themes and of course the opening kill. Join us as we chat with fellow horror enthusiasts to celebrate the art of fear in cinema. Opening Kill is hosted by Brian O'Connor and Michael Duren, just two friends with an unhealthy horror obsession.

  1. 5D AGO

    Opening Kill Episode 57: Frogs

    This week we’re heading into the swamp with 1972’s eco-horror cult classic Frogs 🐸 where the real terror isn’t just the croaking… it’s nature fighting back. When a wealthy, fireworks-loving family gathers at their island estate to celebrate the Fourth of July, they quickly discover they’re not alone. What starts as a few creepy critters lurking in the grass turns into an all-out animal uprising. Frogs, snakes, birds, spiders oh my. Is it revenge? Is it karma? Or is it just rich people ignoring very obvious warning signs? We break down the slow-burn swamp tension, the bizarre animal attacks, and whether these frogs are masterminds or just vibing while chaos unfolds. Plus, we decide if this opening kill earns the coveted Butcher Knife 🔪 or the dreaded Butter Knife 🧈 award. Nature is patient. Nature is watching. And nature is apparently very, very annoyed. Follow Opening Kill on our social media, to stay up to date on news and fun series we are doing. Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/opening_kill_pod/ Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/people/Opening-Kill-Pod/61569602580667/ Please subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen, and consider rating and reviewing! It helps alot! Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/opening-kill/id1777172081 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TwRykGUmXkdZqz5VKLKZP?si=e2c78820ad134728 Amazon: https://a.co/d/0BwpWuU YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OpeningKillPod Email the show for questions comments or requests! openingkillpod@gmail.com

    57 min
  2. Opening Kill Episode 56: Bram Stroker's Dracula

    FEB 19

    Opening Kill Episode 56: Bram Stroker's Dracula

    On this episode, we sink our teeth into Bram Stoker's Dracula, Francis Ford Coppola’s lavish, blood-soaked gothic romance that redefined vampire horror for the ‘90s. We break down the haunting performances from Gary Oldman as the tragic, monstrous Count, Winona Ryder as Mina, and Anthony Hopkins chewing the scenery as Van Helsing. From practical effects and shadow play to operatic costumes and that unforgettable score, this is peak gothic excess. Is this the most romantic Dracula adaptation ever put to screen? Does the love story elevate the horror or drain it? And how does it stack up against other versions of the Prince of Darkness? Join us as we explore passion, damnation, and fountains of blood in one of the most visually stunning vampire films ever made. 🩸🦇   Follow Opening Kill on our social media, to stay up to date on news and fun series we are doing. Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/opening_kill_pod/ Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/people/Opening-Kill-Pod/61569602580667/ Please subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen, and consider rating and reviewing! It helps alot! Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/opening-kill/id1777172081 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TwRykGUmXkdZqz5VKLKZP?si=e2c78820ad134728 Amazon: https://a.co/d/0BwpWuU YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OpeningKillPod Email the show for questions comments or requests! openingkillpod@gmail.com

    1h 2m
  3. (Bonus) Opening Kill Episode 55: Friday the 13th Part 2

    FEB 13

    (Bonus) Opening Kill Episode 55: Friday the 13th Part 2

    It’s Friday the 13th, so you know we had to celebrate the right way. In this bonus episode, we head back to Camp Crystal Lake to cover Friday the 13th Part 2—the film that truly brings Jason into the spotlight. We break down the kills, the final girl, the sack-mask era of Jason, and whether this sequel earns the Butcher Knife or gets stuck with the Butter Knife. Grab your gear, watch out for the woods, and join us for this special Friday the 13th bonus episode.

    52 min
  4. Opening Kill Episode 54: My Bloody Valentine (With Guest Aaron from A&B Horror Movies Podcast)

    FEB 12

    Opening Kill Episode 54: My Bloody Valentine (With Guest Aaron from A&B Horror Movies Podcast)

    This week on the show, we’re heading to the mines to talk about the slasher classic My Bloody Valentine. Pickaxes, heart-shaped candy boxes, and one of the grimiest small town settings in horror, this one has it all. We break down the kills, the atmosphere, and why Harry Warden still stands out among ’80s slashers. Joining us is special guest Aaron from the A&B Horror Movies Podcast, a fantastic horror content creator, who brings great insight (and a few hot takes) as we dig into what makes this movie so memorable. As always, we also decide whether the opening kill earns the coveted Butcher Knife or the dreaded Butter Knife. Grab your helmet, watch out in the tunnels, and press play! Follow Opening Kill on our social media, to stay up to date on news and fun series we are doing. Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/opening_kill_pod/ Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/people/Opening-Kill-Pod/61569602580667/ Please subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen, and consider rating and reviewing! It helps alot! Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/opening-kill/id1777172081 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TwRykGUmXkdZqz5VKLKZP?si=e2c78820ad134728 Amazon: https://a.co/d/0BwpWuU YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OpeningKillPod Email the show for questions comments or requests! openingkillpod@gmail.com

    1h 12m
  5. Opening Kill Episode 53: Totally Killer

    FEB 5

    Opening Kill Episode 53: Totally Killer

    In this episode, we’re heading back to 1987 to cover Totally Killer. When a modern-day teen accidentally time-travels to the year her mom’s friends were being hunted by a masked slasher, she teams up with the younger version of her mother to stop the killer before history repeats itself. We talk about the mix of comedy and horror, the nostalgia for the late ’80s, the kills, and whether the movie balances its tone or leans too hard into the jokes. Strap in for time-travel, neon, and a masked maniac as we decide if Totally Killer lives up to its killer premise. Follow Opening Kill on our social media, to stay up to date on news and fun series we are doing. Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/opening_kill_pod/ Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/people/Opening-Kill-Pod/61569602580667/ Please subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen, and consider rating and reviewing! It helps alot! Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/opening-kill/id1777172081 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TwRykGUmXkdZqz5VKLKZP?si=e2c78820ad134728 Amazon: https://a.co/d/0BwpWuU YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OpeningKillPod Email the show for questions comments or requests! openingkillpod@gmail.com

    59 min
  6. Opening Kill Episode 52: Scream (1996) With Guest Stephanie Rose

    JAN 29

    Opening Kill Episode 52: Scream (1996) With Guest Stephanie Rose

    This week, we’re dialing back to Woodsboro to break down the slasher that rewrote the rules: the original Scream. From that legendary opening phone call to Ghostface’s razor-sharp meta kills, we dig into why this movie still sets the standard for modern horror. We’re joined by author Stephanie Rose (Hiding Lies and the upcoming novella Small Town Slasher), who brings killer insight into suspense, small-town terror, and what makes a slasher really work. Fast, funny, and full of blood-splattered nostalgia—this episode proves one thing: in Scream, everyone’s a suspect. 📞🔪 Check out Stephanie Rose's work: https://stephanierosewriter.com/   Follow Opening Kill on our social media, to stay up to date on news and fun series we are doing. Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/opening_kill_pod/ Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/people/Opening-Kill-Pod/61569602580667/ Please subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen, and consider rating and reviewing! It helps alot! Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/opening-kill/id1777172081 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TwRykGUmXkdZqz5VKLKZP?si=e2c78820ad134728 Amazon: https://a.co/d/0BwpWuU YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OpeningKillPod Email the show for questions comments or requests! openingkillpod@gmail.com

    1h 12m
  7. Opening Kill Episode 51: Until Dawn

    JAN 22

    Opening Kill Episode 51: Until Dawn

    This week, we’re breaking down the Until Dawn movie adaptation, diving into how the snowy survival horror translates from screen to scares. 🏔️🔪 We’re joined by researcher Shay, who helps unpack the film’s themes, characters, and creature mythology as everything spirals into chaos over one very long night. From tense atmosphere and brutal kills to what works (and what doesn’t) in bringing Until Dawn to the big screen, we’re asking the real question: does the movie live up to its horror potential, or does it miss the mark? Bundle up—things get cold, bloody, and unpredictable. ❄️🩸 Follow Opening Kill on our social media, to stay up to date on news and fun series we are doing. Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/opening_kill_pod/ Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/people/Opening-Kill-Pod/61569602580667/ Please subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen, and consider rating and reviewing! It helps alot! Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/opening-kill/id1777172081 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TwRykGUmXkdZqz5VKLKZP?si=e2c78820ad134728 Amazon: https://a.co/d/0BwpWuU YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OpeningKillPod Email the show for questions comments or requests! openingkillpod@gmail.com

    1h 11m
  8. Opening Kill Episode 50: Barbarian

    JAN 15

    Opening Kill Episode 50: Barbarian

    🎉 Episode 50 – Barbarian 🎉 We made it to 50 episodes, and we’re celebrating the milestone by diving headfirst into one of the wildest horror rides in recent years: Barbarian. This week, we break down the movie that starts as an uncomfortable Airbnb nightmare and spirals into something way darker, weirder, and way more brutal than anyone expects. We talk spoiler-free vibes up top, then tear into the twists, the shifting perspectives, and how Barbarian weaponizes tension, trauma, and audience expectations. From the insanely effective first act to that hard tonal pivot, we debate what works, what shocked us the most, and why this movie had horror fans split down the middle. Does Barbarian earn its place in modern horror canon? How did we feel about the creature reveal, the themes, and the risks it takes? And most importantly—did it deliver enough carnage to satisfy for a 50th episode celebration? Grab your tape measure, double-check your rental, and hit play—Episode 50 is here, and it’s feral. 🗝️🩸  Follow Opening Kill on our social media, to stay up to date on news and fun series we are doing. Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/opening_kill_pod/ Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/people/Opening-Kill-Pod/61569602580667/ Please subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen, and consider rating and reviewing! It helps alot! Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/opening-kill/id1777172081 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TwRykGUmXkdZqz5VKLKZP?si=e2c78820ad134728 Amazon: https://a.co/d/0BwpWuU YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OpeningKillPod Email the show for questions comments or requests! openingkillpod@gmail.com

    55 min
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5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Opening Kill is the podcast that dives deep into the chilling world of horror films! Every Thursday, we explore a different movie, uncovering behind the scenes secrets, analyzing themes and of course the opening kill. Join us as we chat with fellow horror enthusiasts to celebrate the art of fear in cinema. Opening Kill is hosted by Brian O'Connor and Michael Duren, just two friends with an unhealthy horror obsession.

Information

  • Creator
    Michael Duren & Brian O'Connor
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    57
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Michael Duren & Brian O'Connor
  • Show Website
    Opening Kill