Short Stuff: Spooky Recommendations | STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW

Hey and welcome to the short stuff Josh. Chuck Jerry sitting in for Dave. This is. short stuff Chuck and this is a slightly. different kind of short stuff I would. say for Halloween. >> That's right. Halloween and maybe beyond. everyone because uh we had an idea a. while ago about perhaps adding a episode. here and there where we do. recommendations cuz people are always. saying like hey when you guys recommend.

books and movies and recipes and stuff. like uh we really like that kind of. thing and uh this is maybe a chance to. formalize it. So, we're going to ask you. to let us know what you think about. this. If maybe once a month in place of. the regular shorty, we we recommend. things that we're watching and reading. and eating and drinking or whatever. It. could be like a new sleeping regimen. >> Maybe not that. >> Sure, it could [laughter] be. >> Uh, so maybe we'll just uh like one of.

us will take their recommendation and. then after the break the other one will. do theirs. How does that sound? Uh, sure. Yeah, we're like, we should say. everybody, we're literally figuring this. out as we go along in in stuff you. should know. Fashion. >> Why don't Why don't you take it away? Let's hear what you're recommending. >> Oh, geez. Well, um, you know, I love me. some good horror movies, so I thought. maybe I would just recommend a few good. horror movies for Halloween. >> All right, let's let's chat. >> Okay. Have you ever seen um Trick or. Treat? Trick R Treat?

>> I don't think so. What is it? The one. the movie from the 80s? >> No, it's from the the aunts. I think the. mid. >> aunts. All right. I'm saying it's from. 2007. >> Yeah. Bizarrely stars Anna Pacwin, the. Oscar winner, the youngest Oscar winner. of all time. >> Okay. >> And um it's just this little sleeper. movie that flew below everybody's radar, but it's actually one of the most. interesting Halloween anthologies ever.

It's really well woven together. There's. there's some like legitimately scary. stuff to it. There's a lot of creepy. stuff. There's a lot of funny stuff, which to me is like if you're able to. pull off comedy with horror, that's a. that's a real trick to do. And I think. they did that because it wasn't all. comedy. It was like, >> you know, kind of here or there. There. was some funny stuff. >> Now, I'm seeing that it's an anthology. film. Uh so it's it's several stories. all by the same person. It's not one of.

those sort of co-directed things. >> No, no, no. It's all the same same. person. Um, and I don't remember who. directed it or I think it was a writer. director kind of thing. >> Yeah, Michael Daryy. >> Okay. So, he he he did it all, but and. the way that it's an anthology is, you. know, like with a with a normal. anthology, there's like somebody telling. somebody a story and then Yeah. in. between them, you come back to that that. present, you know, reality.

>> Yeah. Like the keeper or something. Yeah, exactly. With this, everything is. all woven together and it says like. earlier that night or something like. that, so it kind of jumps around a. little bit, but it's not like it's. really well done as far as an horror. anthologies go. >> Awesome. Well, it says here in my little. uh lookup device that it has gained cult. status even though it was not very much. seen. So, >> yeah, I I totally buy that. I Yeah, I. don't want to make it sound like it's a. high art or cinema. It's not supposed to.

be. So, it's just a fun little. >> It's very bloody, so don't don't make. any mistake about that. Basically, if I. ever recommend a movie, it's either. disturbing or bloody or both. [laughter]. >> Okay. >> I should just give that caveat. >> You got another scary movie? >> Oh, sure. I got a million of them. >> Let's see which one. Uh, I will say I'll. tell you one that I've seen a couple. times now. There's um there's a movie. called Moolok. Moolak. Moolik.

>> How do you spell it? >> M O L O C H. It's the name of a demon. I. think like a real deal demon. It's not. made up. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Although I don't think this is based on. a true story. Um. >> this looks scary. >> It is scary. It's a It's not supposed to. be funny. Um and it is kind of an. attempt at cinema. I think it's Dutch. Yeah, >> Dutch folk horror. And um. it's about this I don't want to give too.

much away, but it's about this this um. family that's basically being targeted. by Moolak the demon. And there's all. sorts of really interesting reasons why. And then there's like subtitles and. everything. I do subtitles bother most. people? I know they don't bother you, but do you know anyone who are like, I. can't watch movies because of subtitles? >> Well, I don't know. Oh, I I mean, back. when we were doing Movie Crush, I do. remember um hearing from people that. some people like it didn't bother them.

Some people loved foreign cinema. >> and some people like had like really. >> like solid reasons for not liking it. Like either they maybe had dyslexia or. uh it was distracting for them like in. an ADHD sort of way. So, there's all. sorts of reasons someone might like them. other than like I don't like to read. >> Huh. I'd never uh considered that, but. that's really good point. Great. Okay, good. Well, if you don't like subtitled. movies, I don't think there's an English. dub to it. I think it is all subtitles, unfortunately. But, um, there's a movie.

that I I told you about before that I. loved. It's called Lamb, the A24 movie. with, um, the girl with the dragon. tattoo. The original one, >> uh, Nomi Repe. >> Yes. And it is completely bizarre and. off-the-wall, but it's also one of the. most heart-rending movies I've ever. seen. It's so. It's just so There's parts of it that. you just want to like hug everybody, but. it's it's a considered a horror movie.

>> Oh, really? >> Yeah. It is in Icelandic, I think, and. there's subtitles. And it's so well done. that I watched it once without. subtitles, I think maybe even the first. time, and I knew I basically got. everything that was going on except for. like a couple conversations that really. didn't matter that much. >> Oh, that's cool. I like that. That I. think I've had that experience before. >> Yeah, it is. It's kind of fun because. you're like, I'm part of the the. universal humanity. I don't even need. words. Yeah. I don't even need to. understand what's coming out of your.

mouth. >> Well, I have this is spooky season for. movies for me, you know, and I watch a. lot during October. And I just last. night was looking up like what are the. best horror movies of the last, you. know, of the 2020s and and have a short. list going so I'll add these to the list. and I appreciate it. >> All right. Well, let's take a break and. then come back and we'll hear about your. stuff. [music].

>> [music]. >> All right, we are back and I am going to. recommend a couple of spooky books. everyone because uh I have talked before. kind of briefly on the show about having. never really gotten into horror or. fiction. uh but jumped back on the bandwagon when.

I randomly picked up a book that just. looked cool um from the author Keith. Rosson. uh a very great writer from Portland who. Stephen King no less than Stephen King. has championed. >> Wow. >> And I had started reading uh you know I. read his duogy uh Devil by Name and. Fever House which was a zombie thing and. both of those are great. And then I read. his follow-up to that, which was Coffin. Moon, uh, which was about a, um, was a. vampire story, uh, which was great. I.

think all of these have been optioned, by the way, so hopefully they'll come to. a movie or TV screen near you. Uh, and. then I got an advanced copy. I know I. shouted it out briefly, but, uh, I want. to talk to everyone about his newest. book, Crone. Uh, as we know, a crone is. a witch, >> and this is a witchy story. And again, I. don't want to give too much away, but it. is a really great witchy story that goes. in all sorts of kind of cool directions. Uh, what I love about Keith's books is. that they are, first of all, they are.

expertly written. Uh, he's just a. really, really great writer. Uh, and. after having read some lesser horror. novels since then, I picked up another. couple by other people. I now really. appreciate like how great Keith is just. with the with the pen or the fingies on. the keyboard. >> Yeah. So, he's a great writer and and. all of his books had this humanity and. this heart uh and they always involve. some sort of family uh story going on. that's so a lot of it is heartbreaking. uh at the same time as being like super.

scary and he just he has such a way with. describing things in such a gross gross. way. >> Oh yeah, that's tough to do man. >> Yeah. Yeah, I mean he word he uses words. like that people don't use anymore like. torpour and stuff like that where like I. got to look it up even to see what that. is. >> Uh and so he's just a very great. descriptor which are are my favorite. kinds of writers. >> So check out Cone uh and all of his. books but Cone is the most recent one. and I'm in touch with him via uh.

Instagram and he seems like a really. good dude as well. >> Well, sure if you're on somebody's. bandwagon, they're probably a good dude. >> Yeah. and we're both uh uh adoption. dads, so we we have that in common and. chat about that. >> Very cool. >> Uh and then the next one, you know, I. think I told you I'm not going to shout. it out because I told you on the plane. uh on the way home from the cruise, the. one I was reading about the the theme. park. >> wasn't very good, but I did read another. pretty good one called Hidden Pictures. Uh it is a horror fiction novel by Jason.

uh Reculac, and it was a New York Times. bestseller. And I'll just read the. description on the back cuz it doesn't. give too much away. >> Okay. >> Mallerie Quinn is fresh out of rehab. when she takes a job babysitting Ted and. Caroline Maxwell's 5-year-old son, Teddy. She immediately bonds with a. sweet boy who is never without his. sketchbook. His drawings are the usual. fair, trees, rabbits, balloons. But one. day, he draws something different. A man. dragging a lifeless body. >> Yikes. Then his stick figures evolve into.

increasingly sophisticated sketches. depicting one disturbing scene after. another. Is Teddy troubled or is he. channeling forces he cannot possibly. understand? Knowing just how crazy it. all sounds, Mallerie must decipher the. images and save Teddy before it's too. late. >> Nice. Who wrote that? >> Uh his name is Jason Reculac, I guess, is how you pronounce it. And uh Stephen. King uh also has a a cover quote saying,

"A one-of-a-kind thriller. I loved it.". And it's good. And the kind of one of. the fun things here is is the author uh. draws these pictures along the way. >> Oh, yeah. That is cool. >> as well. So, he's drawing these pictures. and it's uh the the first sort of creepy. one. There's just a a nice impact you. have when you're seeing these kind of. just kid drawings and all of a sudden. you see the creepy one. And the story. takes a lot of twists and turns. I'm. sure this is going to be optioned. I'm.

I'm sure it already has and it's in that. pipeline because it would make I think. it would make a pretty fun movie. You. know, I think that a horror story is one. of the hardest types to carry through an. entire novel because you have to pay. everything out just so. >> or you have to go all in and then top. every. >> scene essentially or else you're it's. just like what are you doing? >> I think short stories are the ideal or. is the ideal format for horror. So if. you can pull off a horror novel,

>> you're doing something pretty. spectacular in my opinion. Not not many. people can do that. >> Yeah, I'm with you. I'm kind of new to. the whole thing, but we have read a. bunch of short horror for, you know, our. Halloween episodes. So, I think I'm with. you on that. So, it's uh I'm not sure. how much more I'm going to go down the. horror lane because I'm kind of one for. two with the non Keith Rosson's when he. was I was four for four with him. >> Yeah. >> Uh and I'll read every book that Keith. puts out like as soon as uh it comes. out. I'm like that big of a fan at this.

point. >> Keith spoiled you. >> He has spoiled me. You can't go back. I. need to read a Stephen King. I know it's. uh kind of silly that I haven't. So, >> wait, wait, wait, >> wait. You've never read a Stephen King. novel of any like ne none of them. Is. that what you're saying? Is that what. I'm picking up? >> No, I've never read any horror or any. Stephen King. And so, uh I've had people. recommend various ones. Uh I would like. to read a really scary one. Maybe maybe. I should read The Shining. That'd be. might be a good one to start out with.

>> So, it is nothing like the movie, you. know, right? you are, you know that from. being I've Okay. Um. >> I I think Stephen King's an actually a. great example of what I'm talking about. I My beef with his novels is that very. rarely by the ending are you just like, man, this is a great ending. It's like. great buildup. >> The payoff's not there. His short story. collections are out of this world, though. >> All right. >> Uh so yeah, maybe consider. >> maybe I should do that. >> Yeah. Um, yeah. But let me know what you.

think of whatever Stephen King book you. read. >> Do you have a particular short story or. anthology of his that you can recommend? >> I like the earlier ones like skeleton. crew or whatever the other one is. I. can't remember. It had like a bandaged. hand with a eye in the middle of the. palm. >> Yeah. Creepy stuff. But he had some. really good like genuinely scary short. stories. And then his son Owen, uh, whose pen name is Joe Hill, he has a. great story collection, short story.

collection called 20th Century Ghosts. that I think blows his dad out of the. water. >> Oh, okay. Well, he has a quote on here, too, from Joe Hill. One of the best and. most inventive ghost stories I've read. in years, a beautiful dark rush of a. novel. Uh, I didn't realize that was his. son. I guess he he did that to to keep. from appearing as a Nepo baby. >> Yep. And I think that was a great move. And yeah, even if his dad's calling. publishers to get his stuff published, he deserves it. He's that good. >> All right. Well, check those out. Uh,

this was kind of fun. I liked it. I hope. everyone else did it. >> Yeah, I liked it, too, Chuck. I hope I. didn't hog too many recommendations. >> No, this is this is great. I thought it. was well balanced and went down smooth. like a fine scotch. >> Well, let let us know if [music] you uh. took this like a fine scotch or if. you're just like, "Guys, don't ever do. this again." We want to hear all of it. Uh, and I think [music] short stuff is. out. Happy Halloween. >> Stuff You Should Know is a production of. iHeart Radio. For more podcasts, iHeart.

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