Shows
Not Your Final GirlSatan Baby: Inside (2007) & The Leech (2022)Ever wonder what it is about Christmas horror and unwanted pregnancy? Don’t worry, we’ve got this and several other dubious holiday needs covered. This episode, Candace and Ariel are talking about infamous and oddly goofy New French Extreme home invasion nightmare Inside (2007), as well as a different sort of home invasion (bad roommates) in indie horror comedy The Leech (2022).
This will be our last episode for 2023, and as always we’re so thrilled to have you with us, listeners. Whatever your plans for this final stretch of the year, we hope you can take us with yo...
2023-12-191h 17Not Your Final GirlNo Gods Only Goats: The Dark and the Wicked (2020) & When Evil Lurks (2023)Content note: Both films in our double feature this episode contain themes of suicide, and we will discuss it during the episode. One film also contains child death.
Hello ghouls, we are back at it again with a nasty bummer of a double feature (positive) from what’s so far shaping up to be a nasty bummer era — the 2020’s. It’s just Candace and Ariel this time, talking about Bryan Bertino’s bleak and tough to pin down The Dark and the Wicked (2020) along with Demian Rugna’s mean-spirited romp through catastrophe, When Evil Lurks (2023)
Mind the c...
2023-11-131h 15Not Your Final GirlTrio of Terror: A Rob Zombie Retrospective w/ Pat SpurlockContent note: Multiple of our films today include sexual violence and this episode contains discussion of that.
We’re back! Just in time for The Season, Candace and Ariel are joined by regular guest, technical and emotional support, and Rob Zombie fanboy Pat Spurlock to talk about horror’s favorite wife guy — specifically House of 1000 Corpses (2003), The Devil’s Rejects (2005), and perhaps his most challenging, The Lords of Salem (2012).
Ghouls and Wikipedia summary readers, if you haven’t given Rob Zombie a proper chance, this is your sign! If this one doesn’t get you, we’ll be back...
2023-10-161h 56Not Your Final GirlNew Release Wall: The Empty Space (2023)We're coming back with another new release, INDIE EDITION! No need to go to a theater to check this one out, ghouls- you can rent it on VOD or amazon now! Candace and Ariel give a spoiler-free mini review of filmmaker Andrew Jara's new film, THE EMPTY SPACE (2023). Cosmic horror meets humor and slice of life all while thoughtfully tackling the heavy theme of grief? Sign us the fuck up! Be sure to check out the movie here and support indie horror cinema!
Links: IG- instagram.com/nyfgpod Twitter- twitter.com/nyfgpod FB- facebook.com/nyfgpodcast/ Pod...
2023-06-1916 minNot Your Final GirlpriDEMONth: The Seventh Victim (1942) & Strangers on a Train (1951)It’s Pride Month, and much like the United States, we’re going back in time and getting scared of gay people. Come hang out while we talk about the little-known bleak cult horror of The Seventh Victim (1943), along with Hitchcock’s classic tale of murder, intrigue, and out-of-control carousels, Strangers On a Train (1951).
We mention it within the episode, but as an additional warning, The Seventh Victim deals heavily with suicide, so if you want to skip past that part of the double feature, you can pick back up with Strangers On a Train at the 32:45 mark.
2023-06-131h 06Not Your Final GirlDown the Rabbit Hole: The Empty Man (2020) & Broadcast Signal Intrusion (2021) w/ Andrew JaraThis one goes all the way to the top… or does it? Candace and Ariel are joined by filmmaker and fellow podcaster Andrew Jara to talk about (suspiciously?) underwatched mind bending conspiracy moves – creepypasta/urban legend-inspired thriller The Empty Man (2020), and the atmospheric and noir-ish Broadcast Signal Intrusion (2021)
Our connection was a little spotty during this recording, so please forgive us if we accidentally a word or sentence here or there. Also, please be warned, we do address sexual assault and suicide in our discussion, though these topics aren’t directly portrayed in either film.
Check o...
2023-05-301h 19Not Your Final GirlMother's Day Minisode: Beau is Evil DeadCandace and Ariel decided to divide and conquer at the theater to bring you a Very Special Mother's Day Episode: Ariel watched the latest in an iconic horror franchise EVIL DEAD RISE and Candace checked out the much-anticipated new Ari Aster flick BEAU IS AFRAID. In an unhinged move we bring you an entirely different format in which we give spoiler-free reviews to each other of these two movies and SOMEHOW still come up with why they might be a good double feature (hint: it's bad mommies and mommy issues).
Note- for those interested in watching BEAU...
2023-05-1536 minNot Your Final GirlJust Deserts: Zzyzyx (2006) & Horror in the High Desert (2021)This double feature is all about deceptive appearances, mysterious disappearances, and the cruel and beautiful landscape that serves as their backdrop. It’s desert horror, ghouls, and we’re talking about subtly supernatural thriller, Zzyzx (2006), and mockumentary style found footage film, Horror in the High Desert (2021).
Content note: one of these films, Zzyzx, deals with sexual violence, and our discussion covers that.
This double feature is all about deceptive appearances, mysterious disappearances, and the cruel and beautiful landscape that serves as their backdrop. It’s desert horror, ghouls, and we’re talking about subtly supernatural thriller...
2023-04-1751 minNot Your Final GirlPawn Shop Picks: Alabama's Ghost (1973) & Candyland (2023) w/ Adventures in MoviesFolks, our keywords today are Grimy and Obscure. If that sounds like your kind of thing, then come along as we’re joined by our pod pals Nathaniel Muir and Blake Heath from Adventures in Movies while we talk about an honest-to-god oddball double feature: Alabama’s Ghost (1973) and Candyland (2023).
A correction: Candyland is available to rent on several platforms now. This movie does deal with sexual violence, so mind the content notes, but check it out if you can.
And check out Adventures in Movies here!
A proud part of the Morbidly Beauti...
2023-03-2058 minNot Your Final GirlNew Release Wall: Cocaine Bear (2023) MinisodeCandace and Ariel are emerging from the deep dark woods to tell you their spoiler-free thoughts on the new horror comedy out in theaters, Cocaine Bear!
Odd are you're either the type of person to see a film with a title like "Cocaine Bear" or you're not, so it's likely our opinion won't sway you one way or the other. But hey, aren't you dying to know our smoking hot take anyway? Listen to our thoughts on this one and let us know what we should be checking out next!
Links: IG- instagram.com/nyfgpod T...
2023-03-0616 minNot Your Final GirlFreaky Little Id: Malignant (2021) & Barbarian (2022) w/ Pornsak PichetshoteThey’re splashy, they’re unpredictable, and unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of them (no offense to rock-dwellers, we respect the lifestyle). In this episode Candace and Ariel are talking to comic and TV writer Pornsak Pichetshote about a potential cultural reset in horror oddballs Malignant (2021), and Barbarian (2022).
Pornsak Pichetshote is a Thai-American writer of comics and TV. You can find the first issue of his new comic, Dead Boy Detectives, here: https://www.dc.com/comics/the-sandman-universe-dead-boy-detectives-2022/the-sandman-universe-dead-boy-detectives-1
A proud part of the Morbidly Beautiful Podcast Network. Our driv...
2023-02-201h 15Not Your Final GirlNasty Saint Nicks: Christmas Evil (1980) & Rare Exports (2010)Can you believe ‘tis the dang season once again? Not Your Final Girl may be low on holiday spirit this year, but we did dig a brilliantly unique, smart, funny, and heartbreaking double feature out of the attic for this episode: Jalmari Helander’s darkly satirical Rare Exports: A Christmas Story (2010), and one of our all-timers, Lewis Jackson’s equally whimsical and disturbing Christmas Evil (1980).
Hot off a disappointing viewing of 2022’s malevolent Santa movie (two thumbs down from your girls), Candace and Ariel are getting into the nitty gritty, the real questions, like “what is the witchy sti...
2022-12-1959 minNot Your Final GirlA Very Vintage Halloween: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), Häxan (1922), & The Curse of the Cat People (1944)Happy Halloween, girls and ghouls and freaks! Candace and Ariel have been churning the midnight butter, as the saying goes, and working to bring you our third annual Vintage Halloween. This year we’re showing love to pre 1970’s horror with artist, musician, and sound wizard Pat Spurlock (aka Phantom Stranger, the Boogeyman, our technical and emotional support, etc) about German expressionist classic The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), early documentary and horror Bible Häxan (1922), and lovably strange sequel to Cat People, The Curse of the Cat People (1944).
A fantastic triple feature (though we don’t recommend actuall...
2022-10-311h 20
Adventures in Movies!Episode 194: Fantastic French Thrillers w/ Not Your Final GirlDeep Fear is a French-Belgium co-production about three friends who are spending one last day together. One of them is going into the military the next day, so they want this day to be a special one. They decide to take a trip through the Paris catacombs. What is an exciting idea on the surface turns into their worst nightmares.Unsurprisingly, there are lots of tight moments that give a feeling of claustrophobia. While Aril enjoys cave horror, Blake does not like the feeling of getting caught in closed quarters. But did Deep Fear do enough to...
2022-10-2137 minNot Your Final GirlLIVE! on Halloween: Ghostwatch (1992) & WNUF Halloween Special (2013) w/ Lesley Manning and Chris LaMartinaOctober is finally here, and boy do we have some spooky season programming for you. Live from Not Your Final Girl HQ (not really, but we’re suspending our disbelief here), Candace and Ariel are talking about two phenomenal Halloween specials – iconic and terrifying “live” broadcast Ghostwatch (1992), and acerbic “live” news special WNUF Halloween Special (2013) – with their respective filmmakers, Lesley Manning and Chris LaMartina.
It was an absolute honor and so much fun to get these guests together and discuss the importance of verisimilitude, the horrors of both the supernatural and the mundane, revealing your DNA in your work, cap...
2022-10-101h 13Not Your Final GirlNew Release Wall: Smile (2022) MinisodeAfter chomping at the bit for this particular movie for far too long, your fave un-final girls got to watch an early screening of Smile and were absolutely blown out of the water. This one scared the shit out of us, and as hardcore horror fans we do not throw that phrase around lightly! Feature film debut of writer/director Parker Finn, Smile entertained, upset, and disturbed us. By the time the movie ended we were positively grinning from ear to ear. Listen to our spoiler-free thoughts and let us know what you think of this one once you...
2022-10-0312 minNot Your Final GirlMidnite Movies: The Midnight Hour (1985) & The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)Hey girls, did you know? That uhm… ghouls just wanna have fun. And okay, it’s not actually October yet, but Candace and Ariel are exploding from their graves early to come at you with a trick-or-treat core musical monster bash double feature: chaotic made-for-tv movie The Midnight Hour (1985) and iconic “longstanding social phenomenon” (thanks for this analysis, Ebert) The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975).
What’s the difference between a “two-hour made-for-TV movie… billed as a humorous horror romp” and “a campy monster bash in which revived corpses break into song and dance?” Is Sandy from Grease spending eternity in...
2022-09-271h 05Not Your Final GirlNew Release Wall: Barbarian (2022) MinisodeCandace and Ariel got the chance to see Barbarian in theaters and you know what that means, ghouls: another spoiler-free minisode for you to snack on and whet your appetite for seeing some more big-screen horror.
We refuse to even a LITTLE BIT give away anything about this movie. No mysterious house, questionable choices, or AirBnb trip gone wrong can drag it out of us. Listen to our thoughts on this one and let us know what we should be checking out next!
Links: IG- instagram.com/nyfgpod Twitter- twitter.com/nyfgpod FB- facebook.com/n...
2022-09-2512 minNot Your Final GirlMonster-Daughter Bonding: Byzantium (2012) & Hellbender (2021)Parenting seems hard enough even when you don’t feed on the lives of mortals, right? Candace and Ariel are launching Spooky Season Lite here in mid-September with two stories of monster women, their monster daughters, and the supernatural bonds that often look just like sharing genes: blood-drenched and atmospheric Byzantium (2012), and witchy indie-rocking coming-of-age story Hellbender (2021).
First off, Candace would like to clarify that she does know the character from Pride and Prejudice is named Mr. Bingley, not Mr. Bingham. Also Byzantium just got added to Tubi, not Netflix. Corrections aside, this is a perfect offbeat do...
2022-09-1256 minNot Your Final GirlNew Release Wall: Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) MinisodeCandace and Ariel sneak away for another break to briefly discuss recent black comedy/whodunit parody Bodies Bodies Bodies or, as we like to call it, B3. Do tongue-in-cheek twitterspeak and shitty rich teen shenanigans do it for you? Listen to our short, spoiler-free review and find out for yourself! Seen the movie already? Let us know what you think on socials and we'll see you next time we go to the movies!
Links: IG- instagram.com/nyfgpod Twitter- twitter.com/nyfgpod FB- facebook.com/nyfgpodcast/ Pod merch- https://society6.com/nyfgpod
I am Not...
2022-09-1013 minNot Your Final GirlSurprise Musicals: The Wicker Man (1973) & Good Manners (2017)Your (Not Your Final) Girls are back at it again with another oddball double feature, and this one comes with earworms. We’re talking about the fun yet malignant musical folk horror of The Wicker Man (1973), along with the persistently hard to classify aspects of werewolf tale, coming of age story, and sleeper musical Good Manners (2017).
The music in these movies is fantastic - take it from two self-professed musical theater haters (with a few notable exceptions), they are both worth your time even if you detest spontaneous bursting into song. We’ve got multiple strains of cult...
2022-08-291h 06Not Your Final GirlNew Release Wall: Nope (2022) MinisodeIt's time to join Candace and Ariel for another smoke break in the back room as we give our spoiler-free thoughts on the much anticipated horror/sci-fi fine dining by filmmaker Jordan Peele: Nope! We get into the stunning film score, nods to other titans in the genre, sibling vibe check, and some of the many possible metaphors in this heady and fun summer blockbuster. This is one you can sit with for hours pondering the meaning or just enjoy as a straight romp (or both!). We love to ponder, though. Catch it in a theater near you!
2022-08-0920 minNot Your Final GirlExperimental Womanhood: Hagazussa (2017) & Under the Skin (2013)Content note: Be advised that both films we discuss in this episode depict sexual assault.
Two movies we love so much we can’t believe we haven’t talked about them yet, one about a goatherd living a socially ostracized life in 15th century Germany, the other about an alien who hunts men for meat in 21st century Scotland. Incongruous double feature, right? Wrong. Today we’re talking about Hagazussa (2017) and Under the Skin (2013), two stories that explore the experience of femininity, and the dread, isolation, and societal violence that comes with it.
These are two al...
2022-08-011h 36Not Your Final GirlLesbian Vampires: Dracula's Daughter (1936) & Daughters of Darkness (1971) w/ Annie RoseNot Your Final Girl is returning to the vampire beat, this time with the expert perspective of our guest Annie Rose Malamet, film writer and host of the excellent podcast Girls, Guts, & Giallo. Get ready for a retrospective of lesbian bloodsuckers, revolving around transgressive Universal monster flick Dracula’s Daughter (1936), and Harry Kümel’s erotically charged Daughters of Darkness (1971).
Topics include lesbians in the time of the Hays Code, sadomasochism, spunky secretaries and their boring het love interests, fucked up shit we watched in French class, the Carmilla/Elizabeth Bathory dynamic, over reliance on TV Tropes, the u...
2022-07-181h 16
Not Your Final GirlNew Release Wall: The Black Phone (2022) MinisodeIt's time to join Candace and Ariel for another smoke break in the back room as we give our spoiler-free thoughts on Joe Hill's short story brought chillingly to life by Scott Derrickson: The Black Phone! We loved this fun summer blockbuster dark nostalgia romp and think you might too. Catch it in a theater near you!
Links: IG- instagram.com/nyfgpod Twitter- twitter.com/nyfgpod FB- facebook.com/nyfgpodcast/ Pod merch- https://society6.com/nyfgpod
I am Not Your Final Girl by Claire C. Holland- https://www.amazon.com/Am-Not-Your-Final-Girl/dp/0692966633
Bandcamp...
2022-07-1216 minNot Your Final GirlChattanooga Film Fest 2022 Recap w/ Gag Me with a ChainsawWe’re coming at you fresh out of the Chattanooga Film Fest 2022, ghouls. Corie and Sarah, hosts of Gag Me With a Chainsaw, help us wrap up another year of dark, weird, devastating and hilarious indie features and shorts. Yes, we spent entire days watching movies. Yes, our brains are whirring loudly and hot to the touch. And we’ve brought you the fruits of our filmgoing labor - some stuff to check out as soon as you get a chance.
We’ve got a video camera that can see into the past, a guy who can’t get ri...
2022-07-041h 04Not Your Final GirlNew Release Wall: Watcher (2022) MinisodeTime for another break in the back room. For this spoiler-free minisode, we discuss Chloe Okuno's directorial debut Watcher (2022) starring neo scream queen Maika Monroe. Imagine: you've moved to a foreign country for your husband, you don't speak the language, you are completely isolated. But don't worry, your husband isn't abusive! He's just kind of lame and doesn't believe you when you tell him a serial killer is stalking you. You hate to see it! Join us as we share our thoughts on this Hitchcockian thriller and let us know what you think if you've seen the film. We'll...
2022-06-2022 minNot Your Final GirlNew Release Wall: Crimes of the Future (2022) MinisodeGhouls, it's time for a smoke break in the back room! Join Candace and Ariel as we give our spoiler-free thoughts on David Cronenberg's latest body horror film, Crimes of the Future (2022). This film should be in a theatre near you (because if it came to Bakersfield, CA, chances are you've got access to it), so you can either catch it first or let this minisode whet your appetite for a horny, dystopian, and cerebral sci-fi movie that is rich in both metaphors and worldbuilding. Get ready to believe that the Body is Reality, Surgery is the New Sex...
2022-06-0819 minNot Your Final GirlWet Nightmares: Ms. 45 (1981) & Violation (2020)One big old content note right up top: This is an episode about rape revenge! Obviously, that means we’ll be talking frankly about sexual assault, as well as its context and ramifications. Some rough territory, but we had a great time talking about one of the more reviled and misunderstood subgenres of horror. We’re digging into Abel Ferrara’s cult exploitation classic Ms .45 (1981), along with Dusty Mancinelli and Madeleine Sims-Fewer’s lush yet difficult Violation (2020).
This is a rare just-Candace-and-Ariel episode, so to the reviewer who said they don’t like it when we have guests: Yo...
2022-06-062h 10Not Your Final GirlGrease Stains & Good Times: Pulse (2001) & Cam (2018) w/ Amber TWe’ve been subsumed into the Net, ghouls. But it’s okay; we’ve got friends in here. We’re talking to our friend Amber, host of our fellow horror podcast HornBloodFire about a double feature based on keywords: isolation, Internet, surreal - Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s darkly prescient vision of Internet apocalypse, Pulse (2001), and Isa Mazzei and Daniel Goldhaber’s folkloric tale of camming and doppelgangers, Cam (2018).
Are you Online? This episode is for you. Raise your hand if you’ve got ban anxiety, and/or if you’ve ever gotten super worried about a Twitter mutual’s mental health. I...
2022-05-241h 30Not Your Final GirlTrust Exorcise: Let's Scare Jessica to Death (1971) & The Exorcist III (1990) w/ Jessica ScottWe’re back, and talking to film critic and cosplayer Jessica Scott, who brought us two underrated and under-discussed bangers: John Hancock’s ethereal and unsettling Let’s Scare Jessica To Death (1971), and William Peter Blatty’s chaotic long lost successor to The Exorcist, The Exorcist III (1990 - and yes, The Exorcist II exists, but for our purposes, no it doesn’t).
You might wonder what these movies have in common for a double feature, and we’re here to tell you: actually a lot! Both were developed to diverge heavily from their source material (we’re dying to read...
2022-05-081h 15Not Your Final GirlReality Reset: The Cabin in the Woods (2011) & We're All Going to the World's Fair (2021) w/ Blackheart CollectiveEnter the metaverse (not that one) with us, ghouls. We had Josh and Mels from Blackheart Collective on to talk about the mechanics and interpersonal dynamics of immersive horror, along with slasher cultural reset The Cabin in the Woods (2011) and haunting ode to internet horror and the ephemeral relationships it engenders, We’re All Going to the World’s Fair (2021).
Note: We have good news and bad news. The good news is that we restructured our recording process around the background noise in this episode. We recorded it a while ago. The bad news is that there’s a lo...
2022-04-251h 26Not Your Final GirlTerror Tables: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) & The Loved Ones (2009) w/ Gretchen Felker-MartinListeners, we call you all ghouls for a reason, and we’re putting it to the test (again) in this episode. Get ready to consider your cosmic insignificance, the razor-thin divide between humans and livestock, and the intimate cruelties of family because we’re talking to author and film critic Gretchen Felker-Martin about torture porn grandaddy The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), and its unexpected but brilliantly rancid relative The Loved Ones (2009).
If it was not clear from the previous paragraph, this double feature is not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach! If that’s you, then y...
2022-04-111h 38Not Your Final GirlRoad Rage: The Hitcher (1986) & Race with the Devil (1975) w/ Kay LynchWe’re hitting the road in this episode - metaphorically, of course. Please don’t attempt to drive through the state of Texas in real life. No good can come of it. But do listen to us; we’re with Salem Horror Fest founder Kay Lynch, who brought us a double feature that tries to outrun death and chaos on the open road (spoiler: it doesn’t work). We’re talking about nightmarish and erotic coming-of-age horror thriller The Hitcher (1986), and satanic game of cat and mouse in a winnebago, Race with the Devil (1975).
We’ve got a lot of sma...
2022-03-281h 41Not Your Final GirlSick Sisters: Excision (2012) & Raw (2016) w/ Our Actual SistersIt’s a very special episode, ghouls. Turns out it was not enough to subject ourselves, our listeners, and cool people in the community to our bullshit, we also needed to upset our horror-averse sisters as well. So today, Candace and Ariel are talking to Sammi and Eliza, our respective younger sisters, about Richard Bates Jr’s blood-soaked and deeply dysfunctional Excision (2012), and Julia Ducournau’s gorgeous cannibal banger, Raw (2016).
Sorry to these sisters, but this is one of our most vile double features yet. We’ve got bird dissection, tampon sniffing, finger munching, rash itching, aggressive hazing...
2022-03-141h 14Not Your Final GirlHigh School Scrapbook: The Skeleton Key (2005) & Donnie Darko (2001) w/ LaShaunte WadeFind your low-rise jeans and come with us on a journey through time, to the epicenter of our youth: the early aughts. Candace and Ariel are talking to filmmaker LaShaunte Wade about two movies in our mental horror scrapbooks: Louisiana Gothic of menacing Spanish moss The Skeleton Key (2005), and mind-freak Millennial anthem Donnie Darko (2001).
We also talk scary grandmas, problematic jump scares, the mean streak in early 2000’s culture, thrifting tips, Ariel’s Gary Jules obsession, the sounds of Are You Afraid of the Dark, and The Cheeseburger Phone movie - you know the one. Also is Donn...
2022-02-281h 29Not Your Final GirlDowner Draculas: Martin (1977) & My Heart Can't Beat Unless You Tell it To (2021)There’s no day like today for contemplating isolation, the futility of human connections, the depraved potential of the human soul, and how we’re all just a bunch of meat bags. Happy Valentine’s from Candace and Ariel; here’s a double feature that really hones in on these themes: George Romero’s mournfully violent Martin (1978), and one of our 2021 favorites with an appropriately emo title, My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To (2021).
These movies dare to ask: What if vampires were just freaky little guys who sustained their lives on human blood? Far from the...
2022-02-131h 03Not Your Final GirlNYFG and Gag Me With a Chainsaw's Top 2021 Horror FilmsHappy New Year, ghouls! As we amble into 2022, we take the time to reflect on 2021 horror with our pals from Gag Me With a Chainsaw, Corie and Sarah. We talk the good, the bad, the ugly, and have some titles we agree on and some we don't (honestly, that always makes it more fun). Hear us talk our favorites from last year, some mentions of 2020 horror, and what we're looking out for in 2022. Maybe some of your faves made the cut! Hit us up on our socials to let us know if we missed some of the best from...
2022-01-301h 32Not Your Final GirlNasty Girls: Egomaniac (2016) & Censor (2021) w/ Alison PeirseWelcome to our final episode of 2021! We’re leaving this year with a bang, ghouls. Candace and Ariel are joined by writer Alison Peirse for our most British double feature ever: Kate Shenton’s independent dark meta horror comedy about the nightmares of filmmaking, Egomaniac (2016), and Prano Bailey-Bond’s fever dream of art, unresolved trauma, and video nasties, Censor (2021).
This is one of those film pairings that seem to have nothing in common until you watch them together, otherwise known as our favorite kind. If you love to see a sympathetic (if not necessarily relatable) character struggle to for...
2021-12-181h 29Not Your Final GirlBlockbuster After Hours: Scream (1996) & I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) w/ Lauren McKenzieWe know the 90’s are back, and we’re fully embracing it in this episode - you’re welcome! Candace and Ariel are talking to our guest Lauren McKenzie about Friends, the WB, the Clinton scandal, and of course our Kevin Williamson double feature: era-defining meta slasher Scream (1996) and its entertaining but underwhelming follow-up, I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997).
Can you The Secret-style manifest meeting your heroes? Should you? Are David Arquette and Freddie Prinze Jr. the same person? Does podcasting require jazz-hands at all times? Did Rose McGowan do Columbine? And who is Dawson? You’ll...
2021-12-051h 34Not Your Final GirlBlood, Sex, and Stepmoms: Sleepy Hollow (1999) and Snow White: A Tale of Terror (1997) w/ Ashley GeorgeWe’re officially in The Holidays, ghouls, and it’s time for some dark retellings, some real Grimm brothers shit. Candace and Ariel are talking to filmmaker Ashley George about essential Tim Burton goth feature Sleepy Hollow (1999), as well as the tragically new-to-us Snow White: a Tale of Terror (1997).
Themes of this episode include: unusual gore, witchcraft, maiden/mother/crone dynamics, stuff you can’t believe they were allowed to put on screen in the 90’s, psychotic womanhood, and of course stepmothers who make you go “Good For Her.” Put on this double feature for the whole family if yo...
2021-11-241h 22Not Your Final GirlVintage Halloween: Cat People (1942), The Curse of Frankenstein (1952), & Carnival of Souls (1964) w/ Chelsea StardustThe time is nigh! From the black and white world, Candace and Ariel are hanging out with filmmaker Chelsea Stardust for our annual Vintage Halloween episode, where we discuss some of the most festive pre-1970 horror films.
Get ready for this triple feature - spanning three decades, we’ve got atmospheric and suspenseful psychological classic Cat People (1942), followed by Hammer campfest The Curse of Frankenstein (1952 - and in color!), in which Peter Cushing is toxic in his little outfits. Last up, low-budget indie nightmare of our hearts, Carnival of Souls (1962). In case you’re wondering, there is a co...
2021-10-251h 40Not Your Final GirlObligatory Chainsaw: Haunt (2019) & The Houses October Built (2014) w/ Jourdain BlancoIt’s Not Your Final Girl’s inaugural October episode, get ready for the jump scares - just kidding, we won’t do those, but there are some spooky sound effects in the background because our guest was literally in a haunted house. Today, we’re talking to haunter Jourdain Blanco about Haunt (2019) and The Houses October Built (2014), two films whose plots are deceptively similar, but deliver plenty of diverse scares.
We’ve also got spooky season stories, a murder roadie, a day in the life of a scare actor (so much punching!), price estimates on the average ex...
2021-10-111h 24Not Your Final GirlCosmic Disco: They Live (1988) & Dark City (1998) w/ Hailey PiperWelcome to the world underneath, ghouls. Don’t panic, Candace and Ariel are here to guide you out of the simulation with the help of author Hailey Piper; we’re talking about John Carpenter’s Reagan-era classic They Live (1988), along with Dark City (1998), a mind-bending noir we couldn’t believe came out right before The Matrix.
In this episode: Lovecraft (barely), monster fucking (of course), houseless protagonists, horror noobery, the merits of edgy teenager politics (maybe it really is all bullshit), meta alien Roger Ebert, and the way time is a flat circle. Also, this episode is especial...
2021-09-271h 36Not Your Final GirlBLACK WOMEN ARE SCARY PODCAST- Flash Fiction Friday: Ep1Hey ghouls! Today we've got a special feed drop for you from our incredibly talented pod-friend, Wi-Moto Nyoka of Dusky Projects and the Black Women are Scary podcast. Come for the flash fiction starring Candace and Ariel in which we are horribly murdered, stay for the eclectic conversation about a bunch of other fun topics including the dirt on libraries and what's what with fast food.
"Join us as we talk horror, fast food, and what it's really like to be a librarian, with Candace and Ariel of Not Your Final Girl Podcast.
Flash fiction by...
2021-09-1356 minNot Your Final GirlInto the Woods (Again): Backcountry (2015) & Wolf Creek (2005)Content note: One of the movies we talk about in this episode features sexual assault, both discussed and implied. If you don’t want to hear us talk about that, you can stop listening at about the 52 minute mark to avoid it.
We promised you ghouls an update on our backpacking/trail maintenance trip in the Los Padres National Forest back at the beginning of the summer, and here we are with two more wilderness horror movies, along with a harrowing hiking tale of our own. Today we’ve got backpackers atmospherically getting chased by a bear in B...
2021-08-301h 36Not Your Final GirlFrying Pan Films: Green Room & Funny Games w/ Pornsak PichetshoteGreetings, ghouls, and get ready for a little tension and suspense. Candace and Ariel are back from the beach, still relatively young, and are talking to comics and tv writer Pornsak Pichetshote about the horror comics that freaked us out the most, film criticism as a defense mechanism, and of course our double feature. Today we’ve got two variations on the home invasion genre - Green Room (2015), and Funny Games (1997 and 2007 because we accidentally watched two different versions lol oops).
Stick around for discussion of so-called “elevated” horror, analysis of punchable faces, a performance “devoid of camp,” m...
2021-08-161h 23Not Your Final GirlTHIS BOOK THAT BOOK PODCAST- Interview with Co-Host of Not Your Final Girl, Ariel DyerYour illustrious hosts are living their best aquatic horror life at the beach this weekend so we're sharing a feed drop from another podcast! Ariel had the privilege of guesting on This Book That Book to geek out about some of her favorite childhood reads, and of course that includes horror! Tune in to hear her talk formative media and youthful pranks gone too far, and we'll be back in a couple weeks with another NYFG episode.
This Book That Book is a narrative interview podcast where host Katherine Kwong interviews a guest about a meaningful book...
2021-08-0221 minNot Your Final GirlRaising Your Demons: Hereditary & Rosemary's Baby w/ Gorefriends PodcastAre you tired of heavy-hitting double features by now? We hope not, because this week we’ve got a barn burner of an episode - Candace and Ariel are joined by Mars and Story from Gorefriends Podcast to talk about horror classic Rosemary’s Baby (1968), and its sister-from-another-mister Hereditary (2018).
Grab a candle, pull up a chair at the seance table, (maybe put a hold on House of Psychotic Women) and join us to talk about family grief, the horror of isolation, deals with the devil, madness, and the conspiracy of patriarchy. Heavy topics, sure, but at least the...
2021-07-191h 48Not Your Final Girl(Sub)urban Legends: Halloween & Poltergeist w/ Travis HunterHang out in the scary suburbs with us this episode! Pod Mortem co-host Travis Hunter asked us to pick a formative horror movie to go with his, and we ended up with a heavy hitter double feature for the books. First off we’ve got simplicity, style, and one of the greatest final girl/movie monster face-offs of all time in Travis’ kindergarten(!) favorite, John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978), followed by whimsical-yet-terrifying classic Poltergeist (1982), which Candace and Ariel can both call early nightmare fuel.
Stick around for discussion of iconic soundtracks, normie stoners, ghost ASMR, dads losing their absolut...
2021-07-051h 26Not Your Final GirlGayliens: Gender, Sexuality, and Wetness in the Alien FranchiseContent note: This episode's movies heavily feature themes of sexual assault, and while they are mostly figurative, we do thoroughly discuss those themes.
We're back, and we've got a QUADRUPLE FEATURE for you this time. It's Pride Month, ghouls, and we've been dying to talk about all the queer stuff in the Alien franchise. Come along with us on a journey of gender nonconformity, mommy issues, hypercapitalism, found family, and of course- penis-headed monsters. If you aren't already a Ripley 8 x Call shipper, you will be once we're done here, and you'll be pleased to know there...
2021-06-211h 33Not Your Final GirlSCREENVOMIT PODCAST- Gone Girl: "Leave the himbos alone!"Broadcasting live from summer vacation, Ariel and Candace are bringing you a VERY SPECIAL EPISODE this week: a feed drop from one of our fave podcast friends, ScreenVomit! Your fearless pod hosts decided to take on woods horror for real this past weekend and went on a backpacking trip to do some trail work with the Los Padres Forest Association. We lived to tell the tale, but first we’re going to sleep a shit ton and we’ll save our stories for the next episode. In the meantime, we’re kicking off Pride month with a send-up of straig...
2021-06-071h 38Not Your Final Girl"Cult" Comedies: Satanic Panic & We Summon the Darkness w/ Jessica GuessIf you’re anything like us, today’s double feature is going to make you wanna wear a leather jacket. Candace and Ariel are joined - for the second time - by author, blogger, and Twitter-famous person Jessica Guess to talk about 2019 Satanic horror comedies Satanic Panic, and We Summon the Darkness. These movies have a ton in common: murderous cults, rock n roll, great hair, 80’s aesthetics, if not necessarily actual 80’s settings.
We’ll tackle some important issues in this one, such as compulsory heterosexuality, characterizing virgins, the difference between Baphomet and Satan himself, realistic atmosphere...
2021-05-241h 26Not Your Final GirlI am Your MOTHER: All That We Destroy and We Need to Talk about KevinHappy Mother’s Day, ghouls. We at Not Your Final Girl are keen to delve into some of the less palatable experiences of motherhood, such as when your kid just has extremely bad vibes. Candace and Ariel are talking about the violent and sci-fi tinged Into the Dark installation All That We Destroy (2019) and the movie that inducted Tilda Swinton into horror mom-dom: We Need to Talk About Kevin.
Aside from covering goo-based life forms, unsettlingly tiny shirts, people named Ezra, nature vs nurture, and possible either communing with the dead or uploaded consciousness, we also get in...
2021-05-101h 31Not Your Final GirlTwo Wrong Turns Don't Make a Right Turn w/ Julie Mana-ay PerezNot Your Final Girl is catching the zeitgeist with this one. In this episode, Candace and Ariel talk to writer and graphic designer Julie Mana-ay about early 2000’s slasher powerhouse and undying franchise, Wrong Turn (2003) - as well as its socially conscious-ish reboot, Wrong Turn (2021). We learn many important lessons in the process, such as the names of the mutant cannibals (Three Finger, Saw Tooth, and One Eye), the difference between a story credit and a writing credit, and the correct pronunciation of Dushku.
Remakes are always fun to talk about (even if they’re not technically…. good...
2021-04-262h 14Not Your Final GirlMisunderstood Woods: Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and Storm WarningWhat’s up, listeners, Candace and Ariel coming at you from K-NYFG with several important questions: Have we given enough consideration to these two gnarly backwoods family horror movies? Did the tragically and fantastically Reagan-era Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) really let down the legacy of its predecessor? Is the murder in the outback in Storm Warning (2007) such a pale imitation of Wolf Creek? Is radio DJ the ideal final girl career path? Can you talk about a five-minute short film without completely spoiling it? We went there, listeners, so you don’t have to.
Come through the perfectly norm...
2021-04-121h 20Not Your Final GirlBirds from the Crypt w/ Carla BarrientosIt’s wall-to-wall Thrills, Chills, and Spills in this episode. And about a million crazy birds. Ariel and Candace are talking to Hello Bakersfield host Carla Barrientos about a couple of good ol spook shows: Hitchcock’s classic The Birds, and EC Comics adaptation (and forerunner to the TV show that scared the shit out of Candace as a kid) Tales From the Crypt.
Pull up a sarcophagus and turn on some ominous organ music, cause we’ve got prank addictions, hetero hijinks, literal poetic justice, a killer Santa (and no other mention of Christmas?), and a crypt...
2021-03-291h 34Not Your Final GirlFinal or Not Final: Traumatic Revenge w/ Wi-Moto NyokaThis episode is all about REVENGE and TRAUMA. Among other things - several other things. On this episode, Ariel and Candace are with Wi-Moto Nyoka, the founder of Dusky Projects and host of Black Women Are Scary, talking about elevator scares, haunted libraries, creepypastas, Chris Pine’s face, and of course our films for today: “Apologies,” Episode 2 of The Girl From Nowhere (2018) and The Villainess (2017). We also talk about radio drama, VPN sponsorships, and why zombies always go right for the guts. We may stray far, listeners, but we always bring it back around. You can trust us.
WI-M...
2021-03-151h 45Not Your Final GirlRunnin on Vibes: Alucarda and The Hunger w/ Emma CoganHere come the vibes, ghouls, and they’re immaculate. Ariel and Candace talk B movies, sapphic longing, deals with the devil, overcoming patriarchy (including in the script of your own movie), and what if vampires had proboscises with Emma Cogan, co-founder of Monstrous Femme Films. We’ve got a tale of forbidden love and Satanic devotion in the midst of a macabre Catholic orphanage in Alucarda (1977), and an extremely goth fever dream/music video about ephemerality, lust, and blood (of course) in The Hunger (1983). This episode is dedicated to Susan Sarandon and Willem Defoe. You know what it is.
2021-03-011h 37Not Your Final GirlGore, Glitz, & Tits: House and Ghost Story w/ Mary-Madison BaldoAriel and Candace had the pleasure of talking to Mary-Madison Baldo about interior design, abolitionist readings of holiday classics, favorite Twilight Zone episodes, and of course feminine desire & rage beyond the grave in our haunted double feature House (1977) and Ghost Story (1981). We’ve got a butt-biting severed head, a sinister squatter boy in high heels, an evil cat, full frontal male nudity, and a man transformed into a pile of bananas. Listen to find out which of these are featured in Fred Astaire’s last film.
Mary-Madison Baldo is an independent filmmaker, artist, and educator with the voic...
2021-02-152h 04Not Your Final GirlConspicuous Consumption: Cannibal Commentary in Ravenous and Eating RaoulFellas, is it gay to consume the flesh of your enemies in order to absorb their power, losing touch with your own humanity in the process? We at Not Your Final Girl agree - it’s pretty gay.
Our double feature for today includes varying amounts of monchin’ and cronchin’, several wendigos, increasingly slapstick murders, a mysterious stew, a dominatrix named Doris, and as you might imagine, a wee bit of critique of American culture. Come hang with Candace and Ariel while we pick at two off kilter cannibalism movies, the bizarrely dry Eating Raoul and a fun, g...
2021-02-011h 05Not Your Final GirlShrinking 2020 w/ Dr. HaakenWe're shrinking heads in 2021. For the first double feature of the year we have clinical psychologist, filmmaker, and professor Jan Haaken discussing the horrors of the body, the bonds that form family, and stuff that looks like buttholes in Sea Fever and Relic - both 2020 movies with female directors. You love to see it, folks.
Check out our guest Jan Haaken at https://www.jhaaken.com/, where you can find her films, books, and projects.
Jan Haaken is professor emeritus of psychology at Portland State University, a clinical psychologist and documentary filmmaker. From refugee camps...
2021-01-181h 29
Not Your Final GirlWomen Who PodcastHey cool cats, we've got something a little different for you this week. Back in October, we got to talk to the women of HelloBakersfield, a podcast devoted to exploring the people, places and culture of Bakersfield. We discuss the ins and outs of podcasting, how to get started on your very own podcast, and being a woman in the world of podcasts. If you're looking to start your pod, now's the time! Feel free to hit us up if you want any specific advice, too at nyfgpod@gmail.com.
A proud part of the Morbidly...
2021-01-0449 minNot Your Final GirlScare Me w/ The Shine On Collective's Anna MavromatiBreaking the fourth wall and beyond in this episode with special guest Anna Mavromati of the L.A. based immersive theatre company, the Shine on Collective! Anna- writer, horror movie aficionado, professor, and all-around cool cat- chose the 2020 American horror comedy film SCARE ME written, directed, and produced by Josh Ruben and streaming for your viewing pleasure now on Shudder (we talk about Shudder so much. Sponsor us you cowards!).
Join us for a discussion that touches on transcending the boundaries of traditional theatre and storytelling in a pandemic, then veers off into improv actors doing cocaine...
2020-12-211h 15
ScreenVomitGone Girl ft. Candace Sluder: "Leave the himbos alone!"We're joined by Candace Sluder of the Not Your Final Girl podcast talking about our formative horror films, true crime, unhinged dialogue, and toxic straight culture as we do a deep dive on 2014's GONE GIRL. Please forgive a bit of audio weirdness due to loud neighbors and computer feedback. After dark, we get into The Cell, Cam, and Sex Education. CW: mention of r*pe (there is no r*pe scene, just mention of an accusation) Follow Candace's podcast Not Your Final Girl! www.instagram.com/nyfgpod Follow...
2020-10-191h 35