Macabre Daily Podcast #123 - Chris Dortch (Chattanooga Film Festival) June 2026

Macabre Daily Podcast #123 - Chris Dortch (Chattanooga Film Festival) June 2026

The number of genre-focused film festivals seems to be increasing year over year, or at the very least, the ones that exist are getting far more attention than ever before. This is a good problem to have in horror, especially when we are seeing the mainstreaming of the genre (again) thus being one of the best times to take a look at what the future of the genre will look. People like Ari Aster, Jane Schoenbrun, and Demián Rugna [https://www.macabredaily.com/articles/tag/Demi%C3%A1n+Rugna] are just some of the names of filmmakers who’ve carved out niches for themselves born out of the festival circuit, and its because of events like the Chattanooga Film Festival [https://www.macabredaily.com/articles/tag/Chattanooga+Film+Festival]that they have a chance to not only reach a broader audience, but one that revels in the kind of dark delights they offer. Festival founder and director, Chris Storch, was happy and willing to talk about the festival he’s been running for over 13 years, and let us in on what folks can expect for this year’s festivities both in-person and online. Not only that, Chris describes the ethos of the festival focusing on independent films that don’t have a theatrical release, as well as throwback late night films that have become one of the festival’s premier event. We don’t want to give away all the goods, so you’ll have to listen, and the festival will take place in-person from June 18-21 and virtually from June 19-28. Macabre Daily is a sponsor of this year’s event, and will be holding a Q&A with Emily Bennett after a screening of her film, “Blood Shine.” Get tickets for Chattanooga Film Fest here! [https://www.chattfilmfest.org/]

Macabre Daily Podcast #122 with Guest John Harrison (Creepshow, Day of the Dead, Tales from the Darkside) May 2026

Legends never die, and they certainly don’t stop working. At least that’s the case for John Harrison, the writer/director/composer who has worked with some of the best in the genre while becoming great in his own right. Most folks probably will know John for the scores he contributed to two powerhouse genre films, “Creepshow” and “Day of the Dead,” which came from being First AD to George A. Romero. The thing about legends is, they aren’t just known for one or a few things; they lay claim to many achievements. Harrison also directed another outstanding anthology film, “Tales From The Darkside: The Movie,” as well as providing one of the most book-accurate versions of “Dune” out there, AND working on shows like “Tales From The Crypt,” “Monsters,” and the Shudder revival of “Creepshow,” bringing his career full circle. Not content to rest on those laurels, Harrison is still writing scripts for TV and film, while also carving out a niche as a genre author himself, and still finding time to compose. Candidly, John Harrison isn’t just an inspiration; he’s a living legend. We hope you enjoy this amazing interview with John, and please support his work by visiting his website [https://www.officialjohnharrison.com]. His next novel, “Did You Get The Package?” will be released this fall! Stay up to date by following Macabre Daily on Instagram, [https://www.instagram.com/macabredaily/]Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/MacabreDaily/], and BlueSky [https://bsky.app/profile/macabredaily.bsky.social]!

Macabre Daily Podcast #121 - Rebecca Roberts & Kurt Szarka of ReadyMade Productions (May 2026)

It’s not easy to make a film, and much like a child, it can take a village to do so without driving oneself mad. The good news is that the broader film community, and notably the horror genre, has continued to embrace the works of independent creators both as a rejection of the mainstream and as a sign of hope for the future of the creative medium of film. While big studio productions are amazing feats of coordination and collaboration, independent films are much more like miracles in that they have so much working against them; it’s miraculous when things fall into place. Rebecca Roberts and Kurt Szarka of ReadyMade Productions know that all too well, and it’s part of what makes their supernatural thriller, “Brother,” so effective. Rebecca and Kurt spent some time speaking with Matt from the Macabre Daily podcast about their passion for filmmaking and how that inspired them to start a production company that works on elevating everyone who works on a film equally. Their debut feature, “Brother,” is a tense and intimate story about a family that is left in disarray after their brother is presumed dead, or is he? It was a lovely discussion about not just the genre, but filmmaking as a whole, and we can’t thank Rebecca and Kurt enough for their time. Their debut feature, “Brother,” is available to rent or buy now [https://brotherfeaturefilm.com], and you can follow ReadyMade’s work on their website [https://readymadeproductions.com]!

Macabre Daily Podcast #120 - The Debra Hill Podcast with Jordan Gass-Porre'

We cover a variety of topics on the Macabre Daily podcast, but one we’ve never really tackled before was podcasting itself.  Today we’re lucky to be joined by Jordan Gass-Poore' [https://jgasspoore.com], podcast producer and investigative journalist who’s currently working on the latest season of Tales From Beyond the Pale. [https://www.talesfrombeyondthepale.com] Gass-Poore' talks about her transition from covering climate change to, well, fictional horror and the folks who made it.  She’s currently crowdfunding [https://givebutter.com/debra-hill-podcast] a podcast about the life of the late, great Debra Hill.  You may know her credits as producer (“Halloween,” “Escape From New York,” “The Dead Zone,” and “Clue” to scratch the surface), but Gass-Poore' is ready to show the world Hill was a pioneer for women in the horror space.  We can’t wait! For more on Jordan, check out @jgasspoore and @debrahillpodcast on Instagram. The Debra Hill podcast is seeking funding through Givebutter [https://givebutter.com/debra-hill-podcast].

Macabre Daily Podcast #119 - "The Trouble With Tessa" with Bethany Watson & Dennis Cahlo (April 2026)

One of the best things about being a horror fan these days is that we have not one, but multiple streaming services that cater to our darkest desires, and one of our favorites is Screambox [https://explore.screambox.com/]. They have been curating some great originals yanked from some of the best genre festivals, and even released some series, like "The Trouble with Tessa" [https://explore.screambox.com/the-trouble-with-tessa/] (read our review [https://www.macabredaily.com/articles/the-trouble-with-tessa-2025-is-a-horror-home-run-for-screambox-review]). And if you aren't familiar with the show, then you may not be familiar with the power couple behind if of Bethany Watson [https://www.instagram.com/msbethanywatson/] and Dennis Cahlo [https://www.instagram.com/denniscahlo/]! Lowell and Matt are delighted to spend some time with the two filmmakers as they discuss what they've been watching, some behind-the-scenes tid bits about filming "The Trouble with Tessa," and a whole lot of laughter as we explore tangents upon tangents of digressing discussion. We had so much fun, we didn't even have time to get to our main topic, so stay tuned for a Part 2 coming soon!   Finally, happy belated birthday to Dennis, who celebrated another trip around the sun the day before this posts!