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. Opening Kill Episode 53: Totally Killer

    4D AGO

    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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. Opening Kill Episode 49: The Exorcist

    JAN 8

    Opening Kill Episode 49: The Exorcist

    Shay steps in this week to fill the co-host chair as Michael is out for personal reasons, and together we tackle one of the most iconic horror films of all time: The Exorcist. We break down the unsettling performances, the slow-burn dread, and the moments that forever changed the genre. From shocking imagery to questions of faith, fear, and possession, this episode digs into why The Exorcist still holds up as a benchmark for horror—and whether it earns its place among the greatest of all time. 😈🎬 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

    49 min
  6. Opening Kill Episode 48: Bloody New Year

    JAN 1

    Opening Kill Episode 48: Bloody New Year

    This week we ring in the new year with Bloody New Year (1987), a bizarre slice of late-’80s British horror that throws a group of teens onto a mysterious island where time itself seems completely broken. What starts as a simple New Year’s Eve party quickly spirals into chaos when they discover an abandoned hotel filled with deadly traps, unexplained hallucinations, and a sinister force determined to make sure no one survives to see January 1st. We break down the movie’s strange time-loop vibes, over-the-top kills, and that unmistakable low-budget charm that only ’80s horror can deliver. From exploding champagne bottles to some truly questionable effects, we dig into what works, what absolutely doesn’t, and whether Bloody New Year deserves to be forgotten—or rediscovered as a cult oddity. As always, we also decide if the opening kill earns the coveted Butcher Knife 🗡️ or gets stuck with the dreaded Butter Knife 🧈. So grab a drink, count down the clock, and join us as we ask the most important question: is Bloody New Year a hidden gem, or just another holiday horror hangover? 🎉🩸 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

    47 min
  7. Opening Kill Episode 47: Black Christmas (2006)

    12/25/2025

    Opening Kill Episode 47: Black Christmas (2006)

    Happy Holidays! This Christmas day we dive into the 2006 remake of Black Christmas, a holiday slasher that dials the gore all the way up and then stares directly into your soul—mostly through eyeballs. We break down Billy’s messy, mean-spirited backstory, the over-the-top kills, and the movie’s bizarre obsession with eye trauma, from sharp objects to lingering close-ups that refuse to look away. It’s nasty, excessive, and clearly trying to outdo the original in shock value, so we talk about whether all that blood, skin, and eyeball carnage actually works or just feels grim for the sake of being grim. Grab some eggnog, avert your gaze don't eat the cookies, and join us as we tear into this sleazy holiday remake. 👁️🔪🎄 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 17m
  8. Opening Kill Episode 46: Jack Frost

    12/18/2025

    Opening Kill Episode 46: Jack Frost

    This week we’re talking about Jack Frost (1997), the killer snowman horror-comedy that somehow became a cult classic… even though it really shouldn’t have. We break down the plot, the low-budget effects, and the nonstop bad jokes while trying to figure out who this movie was actually made for. From questionable acting to scenes that make you wonder how this ever got greenlit, Jack Frost left us cold. We discuss what could have worked, what absolutely didn’t, and why this one completely misses the mark for us despite its holiday horror reputation. Grab some hot cocoa and join us as we melt down this frosty mess and explain why Jack Frost ends up on our naughty list. 🎄🩸 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 5m
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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
    53
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Michael Duren & Brian O'Connor
  • Show Website
    Opening Kill