Macabre Daily Podcast #125 - Pride Takeover with Brian Finnerty, Roger Conners, Joshua R. Pangborn, and Zack Ogle (June 2026)

Macabre Daily Podcast #125 - Pride Takeover with Brian Finnerty, Roger Conners, Joshua R. Pangborn, and Zack Ogle (June 2026)

Macabre Daily has always been a champion of queer horror. We understand the power of the horror genre to offer catharsis and empowerment to marginalized communities, and we seek out opportunities to feature films that focus on the queer experience whenever we can. For Pride Month, we couldn’t simply rest on our laurels. We needed to find a way to step up our game, which is where Brian Finnerty, contributor and author of our Skeletons In The Closet column, comes in.  Together with regular host and Editor-in-Chief of Macabre Daily, Matt Orozco, we reached out to some of our favorite queer filmmakers to help us instigate a Pride Month takeover of the Macabre Daily Podcast. Joined by Roger Conners, Joshua R. Pangborn, and Zack Ogle, we were so excited to dive into the topic of queer horror. These filmmakers were so generous with their time and lived experiences, sharing how their queer identities influence their work. We also dug into some of our earliest memories of linking the horror genre to our queer identity and discussed where we want to see the queer horror subgenre go in the future. They also found time to dole out some important Pride-related fashion advice to our hosts.     Listen to this very special episode of the Macabre Daily Podcast below or wherever you subscribe.  Follow Roger Conners [https://www.instagram.com/thescreamqueer/], Joshua Pangborn [https://www.instagram.com/sidekickproductions/], and Zack Ogle [https://www.instagram.com/zackogre/?hl=en] on Instagram to support them and learn more about their work. 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 #124 - David Weiner (IN SEARCH OF DARKNESS '70s) June 2026

There are a few things in this world that we can rely on: death, taxes, and, in the US, extremely high medical bills. None of these things is particularly enjoyable, but they are consistent. Consistency isn’t always a bad thing, as is the case with the new long-running documentary series, “In Search of Darkness,” which has tackled two of horror’s most dominant decades with the 1980s and 1990s. Many have been asking, “Why not go back further?” To the decade that perhaps defined what modern horror would become, and birthed some of the most legendary titles in the genre’s pantheon, like “The Exorcist,” “The Omen,” “Black Christmas,” “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” and “Halloween,” to name only a few. That’s right, CreatorVC and writer/director David Weiner [https://www.macabredaily.com/articles/in-search-of-darkness-1995-1999-director-david-weiner-on-making-the-seminal-90s-horror-documentary-interview] are going back to the post-free love era of the 1970s!   David was gracious enough to join us on the latest episode of the Macabre Daily Podcast to talk about the forthcoming entry in the series and how he approaches the process of defining what to cover in such an active decade in genre history. We also share our love for the series with David, which we find to be the ultimate horror nerd comfort food, and the commitment that he and CreatorVC have to delivering fan service the right way. You can join the pre-order for “In Search of Darkness ‘70s” using this link [https://insearchofdarkness.com/]and ensure you receive your copy when it releases next July!

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]!