Horror has been embraced by the film industry almost since its beginnings. The moving image is ideally suited to evoke the chills and thrills inherent in the genre. And perhaps greater than any other genre, horror has evolved over the ensuing century, reinventing itself so that it continues to compel new audiences long after monsters and maniacs and demons lose their fright value over subsequent generations. Many of these horror properties have resonated so intensely, they’ve spawned long-running film franchises that have spawn new films over and over again, some going on for decades themselves. Now, the Great Pop Culture Debate podcast wants to consider those scare factories, as we determine the best horror film franchise of all time.
Listen as Host Eric Rezsnyak, GPCD panelist Kate Racculia, and special guests alternative-drag icon Peaches Christ and screenwriter and journalist Kellee Terrell discuss and debate 16 of the most iconic horror film franchises of all time, ultimately naming the best of the best.
To listen to Round 1, showing how we got to the Sweet 16 down from the Top 32, become a Patreon supporter of the podcast today to access the exclusive Part 1 episode.
The Round 2 match-ups are:
Note that, for the purposes of this debate, we looked at the franchises listed as a whole, not as individual films.
Match-Up 1: Nightmare on Elm Street (1) vs. Child’s Play (5)
Match-Up 2: Universal Monsters (3) vs. Gremlins (2)
Match-Up 3: Evil Dead (1) vs. Poltergeist (4)
Match-Up 4: Hellraiser (3) vs. Conjuring Universe (2)
Match-Up 5: Halloween (1) vs. Hannibal Lecter Series (4)
Match-Up 6: Living Dead Series (Romero) (3) vs. Scream (2)
Match-Up 7: Alien (1) vs. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (5)
Match-Up 8: Psycho (3) vs. Friday the 13th (2)
Want to play along at home?
Download the listener bracket here and see if your picks match up with ours!
Looking for more related content?
Check out these other episodes from Great Pop Culture Debate:
And if you want more content, check out Brendan Hay’s Top 10 List of the Best Final Scares in horror films!
Have a say in future episodes!
Finally, if you want to have a say in what episodes we tackle next, vote in our Topic Polls! And we would love to have you pick your faves in the polls currently open for your votes!
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EPISODE CREDITS
Host: Eric Rezsnyak
Panel: Kate Racculia
Special Guests: Kellee Terrell, Peaches Christ
Producer: Bob Erlenback
Editor: Jack Kwait-Blank