Screams & Streams

Chad, Mike, & Sam
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What if you could get a front row seat on a journey through the best and worst horror movies of the past half-century, all rated on Rotten Tomatoes? Brace yourself for an eerie tour with your hosts, Chad Campbell, Mike Carron, and Sam Schreiner, as they dissect each film with a surgeon's precision and a fan's passion. Our story began on a mundane work day, when two colleagues, Chad and Mike, decided to start a podcast centered on their shared love for horror films. The search for a genre was a winding, convoluted exploration of possibilities, before we arrived at the chilling idea of horror films.Our journey didn’t stop there. We had to figure out where to begin, how to categorize each film, and the scale to use for our rating system. We landed on a year-by-year review of the best and the worst films, starting from 1970 - the dawn of modern horror. Our shows come packed with a variety of categories like First Impressions, Tropes Hall of Shame, One-liners, and more. We also rate each film on a watchability scale, advising if it's worth your precious time. Join us as we sometimes agree, and other times disagree with Rotten Tomatoes' ratings. So, fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a spooky ride! Head to www.screamsandstreams.com for links and information related to our episodes.

  1. 10H AGO

    Ep. 116: William Malone's "House On Haunted Hill" (1999)

    A millionaire promises $1 million to anyone who survives a night in a shuttered asylum, and our panel dives headfirst into whether House on Haunted Hill (1999) deserves its 31% reputation—or a little redemption. We start with a crisp plot recap, then break down what the movie does well: fast pacing, early kills, and a few set pieces that still deliver a jolt. The fake-out elevator, the roller coaster gag, and a clever camera-only surgery scene get real points for ingenuity and tension, even if the film feels like a glossy haunted attraction built for jumpy thrills. From there we open the toolbox of tropes: storm-lashed nights, flickering lights, long drive-ins, and the immediate split-up mistake. We talk through “easy outs” the characters ignore—stay put, skip the basement, question random million-dollar invites—and why the script insists on chaos. Performances earn debate. Jeffrey Rush channels showman flair with a pencil mustache that nods to both John Waters and Vincent Price, while Famke Janssen adds magnetic bite to the cat-and-mouse marriage. Chris Kattan’s energy divides us, turning dramatic moments into sketch comedy for some and guilty charm for others. The weak spots are hard to miss. The jittery opening credits, overcooked rock cues, and a rubbery, amorphous final demon flatten suspense. Logic frays with blood vats that never dry, basement wanderings that never end, and an internet-haunting that invites only a handful of guests. We compare how other works handle similar material—Outlast, Amnesia, Until Dawn, and The Conjuring—and why tighter rules and sound design build better dread. Still, this remake is rarely boring, moves fast, and scratches that late-90s horror itch enough to land in our “watchable on TV or Tubi” zone. If you’re into campy haunted-house rides, stylish kills, and midnight-movie vibes, press play and argue along with us. Follow us on Instagram at ScreamStream Pod, visit screamsandstreams.com to suggest a film, and if you enjoyed the show, please rate, comment on, and subscribe so more horror fans can find us. Scare you later. Head to www.screamsandstreams.com for more information related to our episode.

    47 min

  2. JAN 31

    Ep. 115: Peter Medak's "Species II" (1998)

    A Mars mission comes home with more than a headline, and a franchise sequel tries to turn sex into the scariest transmission vector imaginable. We dive into Species 2 with a clear lens and a stiff drink, tracing how a promising body-horror premise gets buried under wobbly effects, cliché military coverups, and a baffling appeal to “the human inside” a character the script treats like a test subject. We talk through the good (a few gnarly practical moments, a barn full of cocoons, an unexpectedly sharp death), the bad (cardboard rockets, digital goo, and a flag-waving finale), and the ridiculous (nipple tentacles, synchronized shoulder-jogs, and space suits that look sponsored). From containment failures to consent, we unpack the choices that could have made this story tighter: real quarantine protocols, coherent alien biology, and giving Eve agency beyond a lab cage and a last-minute plea. Along the way we stack it against Alien, Aliens, The Thing, and the first Species to highlight what great sci-fi horror gets right—procedural tension, practical texture, and rules that make monsters terrifying. Yes, we also savor the camp, because sometimes bad movies make for the best conversations. If you’re curious whether a 9% Rotten Tomatoes film can still entertain, we’ve got you. Hit play for first impressions, trope takedowns, favorite one-liners, gratuitous moments, and our watchability scores. Then tell us: is Species 2 campy fun or cinematic crime? Subscribe, share with a horror-loving friend, and drop your pick for the best alien horror that still holds up. Head to www.screamsandstreams.com for more information related to our episode.

    1h 3m

  3. JAN 24

    Ep. 114: Hideo Nakata’s “Ringu” (1998)

    Seven days is plenty of time to argue about a classic. We throw open the case file on Hideo Nakata’s Ringu and ask the hard question: does that 98% score still fit, or did the remake sharpen the scares that the original merely hinted at? From the cursed videotape’s elegant simplicity to the gut-twist of the seven-day phone call, we unpack why this story endures: it punishes curiosity and forces a brutal choice—save yourself by copying the curse, or let it die with you. We walk through first impressions, then dive into the big craft swings. The original leans on silence, grief, and Kabuki-inspired movement to create unease, while the American remake trims the fat and amplifies the shocks. We compare the infamous TV crawl, the well sequence, and the tape imagery, and we’re honest about what doesn’t land in 2025: stretched pacing, “gamma vision” death shots, and a phone ring mixed to jolt more than chill. Still, several moments refuse to age—reflections in a dark screen, fingers slipping through wet hair, and that awful realization when a child has already watched the tape. Along the way we spotlight the tropes that built modern J-horror, the tech shifts that date VHS but not dread, and production gems like backward-filmed movement and a shoestring budget that birthed a global phenomenon. We close with watchability scores, clear guidance on where newcomers should start, and a balanced verdict on Ringu’s legacy: essential horror history with a moral sting that lingers, even if the remake delivers the tighter ride. Love deep-cut horror talk and smart comparisons? Follow, share with a friend who swears by the remake, and leave a quick review to help more horror fans find us. Scare you later. Head to www.screamsandstreams.com for more information related to our episode.

    47 min

  4. JAN 17

    Ep. 113: Michael Haneke's "Funny Games" (1997)

    A polite knock. A request for eggs. And then the floor drops out. Our latest dives into Michael Haneke’s Funny Games (1997), a home-invasion thriller that refuses to play by genre rules. We unpack why this film still needles under the skin: the calculated pace, the suffocating silence broken by blasts of abrasive music, and the way two eerily courteous young men turn social niceties into weapons. We compare the Austrian original to the shot-for-shot American remake, outline what makes the original feel colder and more precise, and revisit the scenes that linger—especially that ten-minute single take after everything changes. We talk craft without flinching from discomfort. The acting carries a heavy load, with a mother’s resolve and a father’s helplessness flipping expectations of strength. We get into the moral engine of the film: fourth-wall glances that put the audience on trial and the notorious “rewind” that snatches away catharsis. Is it gimmick or thesis statement? We debate how the film confronts our appetite for violent payoff and whether the refusal to grant relief makes Funny Games uniquely unsettling among home-invasion stories like The Strangers and Eden Lake. There’s practical talk, too—what choices doomed the family, which tropes still work, and how sound design manipulates stress without a traditional score. We also share production notes, from Cannes walkouts to the brutal demands placed on the lead actor to capture exhaustion on camera. If you value tension over jump scares, moral provocation over tidy endings, and filmmaking that weaponizes silence, this one’s for you. Hit play, then tell us: did the “rewind” break the spell or make the horror unforgettable? Subscribe, share with a horror-loving friend, and leave a review to help others find the show. Head to www.screamsandstreams.com for more information related to our episode.

    47 min

  5. JAN 10

    Ep. 112: Daniel Myrick & Eduardo Sanchez’s "The Blair Witch Project" (1999)

    A map lost, a legend found, and a final image that still sets nerves on edge. We crack open The Blair Witch Project with a mix of reverence and skepticism, exploring why a film with no score, almost no gore, and a monster you never see became a horror milestone. Julie joins Chad, Mike, and Sam to share first-watch memories, theater lore about audiences who thought it was real, and the marketing sleight of hand that turned rumor into rocket fuel long before social media. We dig into the nuts and bolts of the scares: the weaponized ambiguity, the way darkness and sound design conspire to make the trees feel alive, and how the infamous basement corner communicates more terror in a second than most films manage in an act. Our panel also challenges the film’s weak spots—the breathless narration, the endless shouting, and a third-act sprint that trades tension for noise. We ask whether found footage is inherently a one-and-done experience, compare Blair Witch with Paranormal Activity, The Ritual, and other entries in the subgenre, and debate how modern tech would change the stakes unless you grant the witch a signal-jamming mood. Behind the scenes, we surface production choices that shaped its realism: guided improvisation via daily notes, deliberate sleep and food deprivation to fray nerves, and town interviews that blur documentary and performance. Those decisions gave the movie its raw texture—real annoyance, real disorientation, and a geography that feels discovered rather than staged. Love it or roll your eyes at the map-in-the-creek moment, Blair Witch remains essential horror literacy, a reminder that what you don’t see can haunt the hardest. If this breakdown hits your horror sweet spot, follow the show, share the episode with a friend who swears the corner shot still gets them, and leave a quick review so other genre fans can find us. Head to www.screamsandstreams.com for more information related to our episode.

    1h 9m

  6. JAN 3

    Ep. 111: Anthony Waller's "An American Werewolf in Paris" (1997)

    The howling you hear isn’t from the monster—it’s from fans watching a beloved classic get saddled with a clumsy sequel. We dive into An American Werewolf in Paris and sort the few effective frights from an avalanche of awkward humor, rubbery CGI, and logic that faceplants off the Eiffel Tower. We set the scene with a spoiler warning and a tart “Sinister Sip,” then get honest about why a meager 7 percent score feels fair: the chemistry is flat, the jokes miss, and the tone wanders between frat gags and faux-goth moodiness. We compare what made the London original sing—sharp timing, grounded performances, and practical effects that respected the shadows—against Paris’s bright lights and louder is better approach. That contrast becomes a lesson in horror-comedy craft: reveal less to scare more, let the music accent the mood instead of drowning it, and trust character choices to build tension rather than forcing chaos with car pileups and nightclub gross-outs. Still, we call out the sequences that almost redeem it: a strobe-lit attack that hides the seams, a flickering flashlight stalk through tunnels, and a few practical blood beats that feel tactile, if brief. Along the way, we share production notes and trivia: early CGI experiments that haven’t aged well, lion-inspired creature design, a scrapped werewolf-baby ending, and Julie Delpy’s candid reason for signing on. We also untangle head-scratchers like Eiffel Tower physics, non-silver bullets, and accent roulette. By the time we score watchability, the verdict is unanimous and blunt. If you’re revisiting werewolves, start with An American Werewolf in London or even Silver Bullet. If you’re here for the trainwreck, we’ve mapped the wreckage so you don’t have to. If you enjoyed this breakdown, follow the show, share it with a horror-loving friend, and leave a quick review. Your support helps more listeners find smart, funny genre talk without the fluff. Head to www.screamsandstreams.com for more information related to our episode.

    48 min

  7. 12/27/2025

    Ep. 110: Wes Craven's "Scream 2" (1997)

    A packed preview screening. A masked crowd turned frenzy. A sequel that dares to out-meta itself while sprinting toward the next kill. We dig into Scream 2 with clear eyes and a full notebook—what still chills, what creaks, and why the twist loses oxygen on rewatch. From the opening Stab chaos to the theater-stage showdown, we trace how Wes Craven’s follow-up balances genuine tension with winks at horror rules, and where those winks become crutches. We trade first impressions and revisit fatigue, then spotlight the set pieces that still work: the cop car crawl that forces Sidney to climb over Ghostface, the glassed-in sound booth sequence, and Sarah Michelle Gellar’s balcony fall that lands like concrete. We also call out the sequel’s weak seams—overcooked music cues, video-gamey stab sounds, a cafeteria serenade that ages like milk, and a swarm of red herrings that blur mystery into noise. Along the way, we unpack sharp one-liners, the movie-within-a-movie Stab, and Liev Schreiber’s unnerving Cotton, whose every smile reads like a threat. For the trivia lovers, we bring receipts: the rush from Scream’s release to Scream 2’s production, box office muscle, script leak rumors, and casting what-ifs that might have changed the vibe. Then we compare revenge motives across franchises, weigh the film’s meta commentary against its own trope pileup, and land on honest watchability scores—great for first-timers, shakier for veterans. Hit play for a lively breakdown of copycat killers, media spectacle, and the thin line between homage and habit. If you’re into slasher analysis, sequel autopsies, and horror history, this one’s for you. Enjoy the ride, then tell us: does Scream 2 hold up? If you like the show, follow, share with a horror-loving friend, and leave a quick review—it helps more fans find us. Head to www.screamsandstreams.com for more information related to our episode.

    46 min

  8. 12/20/2025

    Ep. 109: Michael Cooney's "Jack Frost" (1997)

    A serial killer collides with a chemical spill, reforms as a wisecracking snowman, and turns a quiet town into a slushy crime scene. That’s the outrageous hook behind Jack Frost (1997), a holiday horror curiosity that splits our panel right down the middle. We dig into what makes camp work—resourceful effects, punchy pacing, and knowingly silly kills—and where this movie fumbles, from cotton-ball snow and wobbly camera setups to a bathtub sequence that crosses a line and derails the fun. We start with expectations and tone. If you press play for so-bad-it’s-good energy, you’ll find moments worth cheering: the fast, grisly chemical dissolve; the axe handle lodged down a throat; and the anti-freeze solution that leads to a memorable final toss. The slowed-down Christmas carols add a smart, eerie vibe without shouting. But the editing and continuity strain the illusion, and the script leans on puns that yo-yo between grin and groan. We unpack how budget constraints can breed creative kills while also spotlighting choices that feel lazy rather than playful. Then we ask the tougher question: when does camp turn cruel? The infamous bathroom death reframes earlier innuendo as something mean-spirited, and we call out why that matters. Horror can provoke; good satire can bite. But shock without purpose breaks the pact with the audience. By comparing Jack Frost to small-town terror done right—Gremlins for mischievous chaos, The Blob for mounting dread—we map the line between joyous mayhem and tasteless spectacle. If you’re building a holiday horror marathon, we’ll help you decide where this one fits. Come for the laughs, stay for the craft breakdown, and hear why our ratings range from “never again” to “party watch with drinks.” Enjoy the ride, then tell us: camp classic or coal in the stocking? Subscribe, share with a horror-loving friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show. Head to www.screamsandstreams.com for more information related to our episode.

    50 min
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About

What if you could get a front row seat on a journey through the best and worst horror movies of the past half-century, all rated on Rotten Tomatoes? Brace yourself for an eerie tour with your hosts, Chad Campbell, Mike Carron, and Sam Schreiner, as they dissect each film with a surgeon's precision and a fan's passion. Our story began on a mundane work day, when two colleagues, Chad and Mike, decided to start a podcast centered on their shared love for horror films. The search for a genre was a winding, convoluted exploration of possibilities, before we arrived at the chilling idea of horror films.Our journey didn’t stop there. We had to figure out where to begin, how to categorize each film, and the scale to use for our rating system. We landed on a year-by-year review of the best and the worst films, starting from 1970 - the dawn of modern horror. Our shows come packed with a variety of categories like First Impressions, Tropes Hall of Shame, One-liners, and more. We also rate each film on a watchability scale, advising if it's worth your precious time. Join us as we sometimes agree, and other times disagree with Rotten Tomatoes' ratings. So, fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a spooky ride! Head to www.screamsandstreams.com for links and information related to our episodes.

Information

  • Creator
    Chad, Mike, & Sam
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    119
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Screams & Streams
  • Show Website
    Screams & Streams