If you’ve spent any time at all on HorrorFam.com, you’ve read an article or review by Christi Bandy. Now, see her face and hear her voice!

In episode 30 of the HorrorFam.com Podcast, Lauren and Christi cover a wide range of fun horror topics including new & upcoming horror movies, practical FX versus CGI, horror conventions, filming locations, witchcraft, tattoos, their opinions on horror film remakes, and more. Get to know the sleep-deprived best pals who currently create the bulk of HorrorFam.com’s content! This interview was long overdue.

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your friends! Spread the word!! You can also help support our content by becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/HorrorFam

LINKS for More Christi Bandy:

• Christi’s articles: https://horrorfam.com/author/christibandy/

FULL Written Transcript: HorrorFam.com Podcast Interview with Christi Bandy

*HorrorFam.com Podcast Intro Music*

Lauren Spear: Hi! I’m Lauren Spear from HorrorFam.com and you’re listening [to] or watching the HorrorFam.com Podcast; and this is episode number 30. My guest today is my very best friend: Christi Bandy!

And if you’ve been on HorrorFam.com for a long time – or even just a little time – I guarantee you’ve read at least one of her articles.

Christi Bandy: *chuckles*

Lauren Spear: Because… *laughs because Christi’s laughing* Next to myself, she has written the MOST articles on the entire website! And, here she is. Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!

Christi Bandy: Hiiiiiiiiiii!

Both: *laugh*

Lauren: So!! Um… *giggling* You write a ton of things for HorrorFam.com! Usually you focus on newer movies.

Did you want to talk about any of the new movies you’ve seen lately?

Christi Bandy: Well, I love going to the theater, specifically to see horror, because I think that horror should be enjoyed on as big a screen as possible. Especially gore! Obviously.

I guess the best gory movie I’ve seen lately would’ve been… you know… *leans back so audience can see her t-shirt* Terrifier 3!! Which was just… pretty recently. Just a few months back. And seeing that kind of movie in the theater I think is really exciting.

I like keeping up with what’s new. Following the series that I like. And I just think it’s really special to see horror movies on [the big] screen. Because a lot of the movies that we watch as horror fans… you don’t get that chance! It’s just direct-to-streaming – or, when we were kids, it was direct-to-video. And it was just B-movies. You didn’t get to go to the theater and see all the movies that you loved. So, it’s really exciting – now – that there are more opportunities for us, as horror fans, to see things on the big screen.

And I did see Sinners last week! Which is… It’s really, really amazing. And it wasn’t on my radar at first because it wasn’t billed, I think, as a “horror” movie. I think it was more like, “It’s a drama. It’s a period piece. And – oh, hey! – there’s a little bit of horror!” So, it wasn’t really on my radar!

Christi Bandy (continuing): But I kept seeing it pop up and I was like, “Okay. This looks good. Y’know? Michael B. Jordan and like… okay. There’s vampires!” And I went to the theater and was just BLOWN. AWAY. Completely blown away! It’s really awesome.

So, yeah. Seeing horror in the theater is really special; and I try to get to it as often as possible. For sure.

Lauren: You do a lot of, like, “in the field” trips too.

Christi Bandy: *laughs*

Lauren: You go to the conventions and sometimes you see screeners there.

Christi Bandy: Mmhmm.

Lauren: I know…

You’ve got another convention coming up later this month!

Lauren Spear (continuing): So, did you want to talk about any of that stuff?

Christi Bandy: Texas Frightmare Weekend is my home away from home!

My horror home and my horror heart. This year, it’s going to be May 23^rd through 25^th in Irving. And, every year, it’s just great to be there.  

Regardless of the guests, it’s great to be there. To be around my horror family of likeminded weirdos. I just love being around everybody! Seeing all the cosplay, meeting the guests, checking out the vendors… It’s a lot of fun.

Christi Bandy (continuing): This year, I’m really excited to meet Barbara Crampton – who I’ve, like, idolized since I was a little girl. I’m really excited to get to meet her.

And, you know, Mark Duplass I think is really exciting because I love the Creep movies and the series, The Creep Tapes. He’s just like a brilliant, insane, genius. I dunno. He’s totally wacky, but he’s great.

I’m really excited for this year. I think it’ll be a lot of fun. And it’s just a good opportunity to find out about new movies that are coming out! Specifically smaller movies! Because you’re gonna see a lot of smaller production companies that are going to have tables there and they’ve got all their movies for sale.

It ranges from, like, craaaaaaaazy stuff you’ve never heard of to things that might be on your radar; but it’s a good opportunity to kind of see what’s out there when, you know, you might not have other opportunities to. And to talk to directors! And talk to actors and all. And just get more of a bigger range of what’s out there other than what’s at the theater. Or even, like, what’s streaming.

There’s a lot of reasons why I love going. It’s really fun!

Lauren Spear: *chuckles* Yeah!

You go to conventions locally and you also do a lot of travelling as well.

Lauren Spear (continuing): Like, you recently went to Salem, Massachusetts and checked out all the witch stuff there. And investigated your own ancestry, I imagine.

Christi Bandy: *laughs* Well, I had a really good time! It’s just a dream trip that I’ve wanted to take for a long time because I’m very interested in witchcraft.

And I also got to do a horror filming location visit while I was there. Which I… I always try to squeeze those in when I can! Because one of my favorite things to do is check out horror filming locations…

Which YOU have done WITH me before!

Lauren: I have!

Christi Bandy: And it was really fun.

Lauren: Yeah! *giggles*

Christi Bandy: Because there are a LOT of them in Los Angeles!

But, in Salem, there is Heidi Hawthorne’s apartment complex from Rob Zombie’s Lords of Salem. So, as soon as saw it… It’s totally recognizable from the film! I’ve been the movie a bunch of times and it’s really great. Soooo, I kinda dragged my kid to go. “Hey! We gotta go see a filming location!!”

Anywhere I go, if there is a filming location, I’m gonna seek it out and go take pictures!

Both: *laugh*

Christi Bandy: So, it was really fun. It’s a beautiful city with a lot of really interesting history. It’s just a great vibe. I had a great time.

But, yeah, I do love traveling; and I definitely want to do more of it. And specifically to see horror filming locations. For sure. It’s really fun.

And YOU are lucky because you have SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many good ones where you are!

Lauren Spear: Yes. I do.

I guess we should mention that I’m in Los Angeles and you’re in Texas!

Both: *laugh*

Lauren:  Annnnnnnd that’s why you’re going to Texas Frightmare Weekend!

Christi Bandy: Yes!!

Both: *laugh*

Lauren: Just in case people came in late.

Christi Bandy: Right! *laughs*

Lauren: And…uhhhhh… *blows Brain Fart raspberry at her bestie*

Christi Bandy: *laughs*

Lauren: So, you said that you watched Sinners recently. And that was a vampire movie. And I watched Abigail last year; and I really liked that.

Do you think that vampire movies are making sort of a comeback?

Christi Bandy: I hope so! I mean, I don’t think they ever really left. But I feel like there aren’t as many GOOD vampire movies. Or I guess as many BIG ones…

Not everything can be like The Lost Boys. Which, you know… *shapes her hands into a heart*

Lauren Spear: Yeah.

Christi Bandy: Favorite of all time. Or Fright Night. Obviously. But I hope so!

I’m trying to think if there were any more recent vampire movies that were really good, but like…my brain… I’m drawing a blank. I can’t think of any.

But I think Sinners is a good example of a really great… Like, it’s not modern. It’s made modern, but it’s set in the 1940s. But it’s something new.

Abigail, I think, was so good because it also had that element of comedy – which a lot of really good vampire movies have, if you think about it! Like Fright Night is fff… *stops herself from saying a swear on the air* hilarious.

Lauren: Yeah! Fright Night. The Lost Boys…

Christi Bandy: Yeah. They’re all funny!

Lauren: Yeah.

Christi Bandy: So, I think that… Horror comedy is probably my favorite horror genre aside from, like, body horror. Because I feel like if you can do horror AND make it a comedy and pull that off…? It’s so awesome! And it’s so rare. Like, What We Do In the Shadows? That movie!

Christi Bandy (continuing): And Deathgasm! Which I’m SO excited about because they’re finishing post-production on the sequel right now; and I contributed to the Kickstarter because I’m a HUGE fan!! I just think it’s one of THE funniest horror movies and I can’t wait to see what they do with it.

That great combination of like a scary good HORROR movie with great effects and then just make you LAUGH so hard…! That’s such a great, like…

And that’s what Abigail did. I had no idea it would be as funny as it was, but it made me laugh really hard. And it just had so much going for it. I think it’s really awesome when a movie can do that. Especially, you know, with comedy.

Lauren: Yeah! Horror comedy is my favorite genre as well. Or, subgenre of horror, as well.

But you mentioned body horror…

Lauren Spear (continuing): And you have an article on HorrorFam.com about “20 Great Body Horror Films That Are Streaming.” And I think body horror is probably one of the most relatable subgenres…

Christi Bandy: *laughs*

Lauren: Especially for us!

Christi Bandy: Yeah! Right?!

Both: *laugh*

Lauren: But, did you want to talk about that at all…?

Christi Bandy: I think that what’s exciting about body horror, especially right now, is…

Like, with films like The Substance that kind of made it into the larger, like… whatever you wanna call it. It was more commercial. And getting nominated for an Oscar and all. So, like, it used to feel like, as horror fans, we were just sitting around in the dark watching, like, Audition. Or watching, like, these DISGUSTING movies that NO ONE ELSE knew about! And now they’re getting a larger audience!

Christi Bandy (continuing): And The Substance… I mean, it’s a body horror movie! There’s no other way to describe it. It really has all those elements of gore and great effects and really gross sequences, but it was differently received. And it seemed for a larger audience. Which I think is exciting.

But just in general, I think body horror is fun because I love to see how they do the gore. I love practical effects!

That’s what’s great about the Terrifier films. That’s, like, the best example, I think, right now of great body horror. Because almost ALL of the effects are done practically. And I watched a documentary that I… I think it’s streaming on Screambox? And it’s a look behind-the-scenes of the making of Part Three. And they really show you how they do a lot of the effects; and it’s so interesting and awesome to see all the steps they take, and all the lengths they go to, and all the people involved in making, like, ONE effect come to life! Like ONE kill scene – there’s just so much that goes into it. And, to me, that’s so fascinating because…

That’s why I think CGI just loses it for me.

Christi Bandy (continuing): Because it just doesn’t look as real. But, also, it’s not as exciting to watch it come to life. There’s something…

And YOU know! Because your parents were in Special FX! There’s something really satisfying about watching something you built with your hands come to life on screen and be like, “It looks SO real!!”

That’s what’s happening with Terrifier. These are like high… These are high-level effects! These are INCREDIBLE artists who make things that look so real that even David Howard Thornton wanted to throw up on the set of Terrifier 3!

Both: *laugh*

Christi Bandy: He actually did get sick! And he talks about it in the documentary because there was a lot of rumors and he was like, “I gotta address these rumors: Yeah. I got a little sick or whatever.” You know. And THAT is how good the effects are! That’s artistry. And it’s just such a high level of artistry.

Christi Bandy (continuing): So, I think body horror – when it’s done well – is just a great example of amazing art that people who aren’t horror fans might not consider it art but WE know what goes into that. And it’s super exciting to watch it. And I just love the gore. It’s just fun. Y’know? It’s just FUN!

Both: *laugh*

Lauren Spear: Yeah. I think, you know, gory movies got me through puberty, for sure. *chuckles*

Christi Bandy: *laughs and nods emphatically*

Lauren: It was just comforting, you know? Like watching Dead Alive or Evil Dead II or something.

Christi Bandy: Yeeeeeeeeeeees.

Lauren: And being like, “Oh, you think YOU’RE having a bad, bloody day?!” *laughs*

Christi Bandy: For sure!!

And the effects in the older movies… Like, nothing brings me more joy than, like, in Friday the 13^th when he’s squeezing the head and the eyeball pops out and it looks so fake and phony and I just die laughing for like five minutes.

There’s a lot to be said for those old 70’s and 80’s effects – just how much fun they are to watch now. And when we were kids it was so real and scary! And now you look at it and you’re like, “Oh my god…” *facepalms* That’s hilarious. Y’know? It just makes my heart so happy. *laughs*

Lauren Spear: *chuckles* I think that every generation has that though. Because, like, the people from my dad’s generation were scared of the Universal Monsters and now it’s just like… you know… “Awwww…”

Christi Bandy: *giggles* “They’re so CUTE!” I know!

Both: *laugh*

Lauren: Yeah!

Oh! And speaking of art and body…

You have a whole ton of tattoos!

Lauren Spear (continuing): You mentioned it as one of your interests in your bio on HorrorFam.com; and I know that some of them are horror-related.

Christi Bandy: Yeah. I do really love tattoos. I love art so much that I collect it on my body. I’m just customizing my avatar.

I don’t have… I’m working on my horror tattoos. Because I had kind of a vision of where I wanted to go and instead of getting, like, Art the clown and Jason and Freddy, I decided I wanted to go sort of Final Girls. Reppin’ the women! ‘Cause we need to do that.

Christi Bandy (continuing): And, obviously, the Final Girl that made the biggest impression on me as a child was Nancy. So, I have a Nancy tattoo that I just got last year and I really love it. I just told my artist what I wanted and she actually watched the ending of the movie! Because I was like, “I want Nancy, like, battle-ready.” Like, she’s in her pajamas and she’s got the white streak in her hair. And, I mean, she even added the bandage and her watch and all those little great details. And she’s just really beautiful.

So, I’m not sure who I want to do next. I kinda want to do Sienna. But I’m also really into all the Ti West movies… Pearl… I think Pearl is an amazing, like… Not that she’s really a Final Girl! She’s kind of a killer.

Both: *laugh*

Lauren: “Kind of.” Yeah.

Christi Bandy: But as far as, like, horror women, I just think his characters and those movies are so amazing. So, there’s… I’ve definitely got a few ideas in the works about what I want next.

But, for me, it’s just a fun way to kind of customize my appearance and feel good about my skin. And I love the experience. I know that it’s weird, but… *laughs* I find getting tattooed very calming! It’s kind of like therapy. It’s really relaxing and I love the experiences I’ve had with the artists. And the finished result is always just really fun and cool. And you have things that nobody else has and it’s really interesting and fun.

I’m definitely planning on adding more. I’m trying not to run out of space before I get all my ideas put together, but a lot of them will be really cool horror-related-type chicks. So… *content nod*

Lauren: Yeah!

Do you have favorite tattooed characters from movies or anything?

Lauren Spear (continuing): The only one that I can really think of is The Illustrated Man from the Ray Bradbury story. *giggles*

Christi Bandy: You know what? I’ve actually thought about doing this on myself, but I sort of have tattoos in those spots so I’m not sure… But my favorite, obviously, would have to be Tiffany’s “Chucky” tattoo!

Lauren: Oh yeeeeeeeeaaaaahhh!! *chuckles* But you have, like, a… The Supernatural *circles finger around her upper chest area* on…

Christi Bandy: Yes! *pulls t-shirt neck down to show her tattoo* I have an anti-possession symbol! It’s important not to get possessed. So, I have that.

And I was like, “But I want…” I think it would be really cute to have the “Chucky” tattoo! Because that’s so iconic and I’m such a fan of those movies. But that’s definitely probably my favorite horror character tattoo. Y’know?

Lauren: *giggles*

Christi Bandy: It’s so cute and fun. Y’know?

Lauren: You were talking about the practical effects and you wrote an article an article about how much you love practical effects called “Corn Syrup and Latex.”

Christi Bandy: *laughs* Yeah.

Lauren: And another article you wrote that caused a little bit of a stir when it came out was

your rant on remakes!

Lauren Spear (continuing): Did you want to expand on that at all…?

Christi Bandy: Sure! Hmm.

Well, as a horror fan, I think that a lot of us are sort of just… We’re very jaded to remakes, especially of films that we love. And, let’s just face it: A lot of the remakes that’ve come out either I’ll completely ignore them or watch them and just like…

I tried to watch the remake of Children of the Corn. I don’t know if you’ve watched it, but just don’t. I gave it like 20 minutes and I was like, “This is terrible.” Like, nothing’s ever gonna…

And I know this ages me! And I sound like one of those old people that’s like, “It’s never gonna be as good as the original!” But COME ON! Come on, Guys. It’s never gonna be as good as the original.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a remake that actually made me think, “Oh, this is BETTER than the original.” There are remakes that are GOOD. I know I mentioned this in my article – because it’s one of my favorite remakes – is The Blob remake. Obviously. The one that your dad worked on!

And I love when I visited and he told me how he made the Blob. Like… *hands on heart* My heart. He’s like, “You wanna know how I made the Blob?” and I was like, “YEAH!!!”

Anyway. *laughs* I love your family, Lauren.

Lauren: *chuckles*

Christi Bandy: I think that’s such a fun remake because it is close enough to the original, but it’s got so many key differences. And it’s still so interesting and fun. And it’s so of-the-era. Like the clothes and the actors are so good. I love Shawnee [Smith]. Who I love in Saw also. She’s so cute. And I just think that the characters are great.

So, when I watch a movie like that, I’m like, “Yeah. This is a good remake.” But I struggle to think of any newer remakes that I think are good. Because I feel like a lot of them are just really lacking that magic that made the original so good.

I mean…

I think it’s different when you’re talking about sequels.

Christi Bandy (continuing): Like the Halloween sequels or the Scream sequels.

The Halloween sequels – like, the newer ones… *massive cringe face* NOT the biggest fan. I didn’t really like how the series ended!

Christi Bandy (continuing): I’m a huge Laurie fan and Halloween is one of my favorite movies of all time. So, I was just kind of like, “Nah.” I don’t know how I feel about those.

But, like, the new Scream series…? I’m very interested to see what they’re going to do with this new movie. Especially since they announced all the characters! I would say “Spoiler Alert,” but if you don’t know already then what are you doing?! *laughs* You should be watching movies!

All the characters that’ve been killed, you know, these actors are coming back to the new series! Like Matthew Lillard. And I’m just like, “What are they going to do here??”

Christi Bandy (continuing): But I was really excited with Scream VI. It was really good! I really loved… I loved the actors. I loved the story. I thought it was genuinely scary. Like that Ghostface in the subway scene? The subway scares the… *pauses to not swear* …me anyway. Whenever I visit New York, it’s scary. And imagining that happening? Oh my god. So scary!

I loved the end. I loved the reveal. I thought it was really creative and fun. So, I’m like…

Okay. Every time I go to the movies to see a movie like that – that’s a legacy sequel or a remake – I’m always very worried that it’s not going to do the original films justice. You know?

Christi Bandy (continuing): But sometimes you get surprised. And I like to think that I’m sort of open-minded, but… Have you SEEN the Child’s Play remake? Like… *cringes and shakes head*

Both: *laugh*

Christi Bandy: It’s really bad! And I did watch that one in its entirety and I was just like… You know. Did we NEED it? I’m not sure.

Christi Bandy (continuing): The only upside of remakes, in my opinion, is that it might steer people that are watching it back to the original. Or at least that would be my hope. That they would go, “Oh. Well, this is a remake. Let me go back and watch…” Because that’s what I would do!

I mean, it’s kind of like, when you watch an American version of an Asian film… I always want to go back! Like, when I saw The Ring, I wanted to go back and watch Ringu. Y’know? I wanna see where that comes from.

So, I do hope that sometimes… If people went and saw that crappy Children of the Corn and they’d never seen the original – God. It’s just so good – maybe they’ll back and watch. That’d be my hope. Or go back and discover the original Child’s Play, y’know? That would be one good thing to come out of it.

Christi Bandy (continuing): But I just want original horror! I want… you know. I think there are so many great directors. Ti West is one of them. Jordan Peele. Mike Flanagan, who is like my favorite. One of my favorite directors. Period. Right now in horror.

And there’s all these people who’re bringing fresh stories to horror. And NEW characters! Like Art the clown. And that’s just really exciting. So, I think we should have more of THAT instead of just beating to death these same old stories that really don’t need to be retold. Because, even though these movies are old, a lot of them – and I’m not just saying that because I grew up in the ‘80s! – a lot of them still really hold up. I think. I’m rewatching them and I’ve shown them to my kids and they’re still worth something. So, I don’t need a remake. Y’know? Just sayin’.

Lauren Spear: *chuckles* Yeah. I think if there’s a really good IDEA that wasn’t realized quite…right…

Christi Bandy: *laughs*

Lauren: It’s like… Okay. Try again. Now that you’re able to.

Christi Bandy: Right…

Both: *chuckle*

Lauren: But if they nailed it the first time? Leave it alone. Just leave it alone.

Christi Bandy: I know, right?! Don’t mess with perfection!

Lauren: Yeah! *chuckles* That’s the thing that I don’t understand. Like, why are you remaking something that was done right the first time? Remake something that had a great idea that didn’t pull it off!

Christi Bandy: Right? Yeah. And there probably are way more opportunities for those types of films than for the actual movies that get remade like the Nightmare on Elm Street remake. We don’t need to talk about it. Ever. Really. But that’s a good example of a movie that’s still…

Obviously, it’s my favorite horror movie of all time so I’m going to be a little biased. But it’s still a movie that’s so good today. And so scary. And never needed a remake.

Christi Bandy (continuing): And I know… I’ve been hearing the rumors about it getting tossed around like they’re gonna do another one. Or they’re gonna bring Freddy back in some capacity. And Robert Englund has already said, “I’m done with Freddy.” You know. Which I get! He’s older now. He’s been there and done that. He’s amazing. He’s so awesome. But, you know. I know they’ve approached him about maybe being in an A Nightmare on Elm Street SOMETHING, but I’m really very hesitant about that. You know?

Lauren: Yeah. I mean… If somebody doesn’t want to be there… Like, just let him… Let him not! *chuckles* Let him rest.

Christi Bandy: *chuckles* Freddy’s dead, y’all! Sort of.

Both: *laugh*

Lauren: So, originality is one of the most important things for you.

Since you review horror movies, what are some of the other things that you look for?

Lauren Spear (continuing): When it comes to a film really wowing you.

Christi Bandy: Well, yeah. Originality, obviously. That’s what I always think of when I watch Jordan Peele’s movies. He’s a great example of a director who…

Like Nope. That movie is BONKERS. Like, what a CRAZY story! And so engaging, y’know? So creative.

Christi Bandy (continuing): And effects, also. Obviously.

And: Is it SCARY? Like, I know that it… I know that it’s really hard to scare me. I don’t… Like, whenever people ask me what scares me, I have to really stop and think, and then I’ll come up with two or three random movies that you probably wouldn’t have guessed would scare me. Because it’s not like your typical…

I’m not going to sit down and get scared watching whatever. Like Sinners or Terrifier or something. That’s not going to scare me.

But if something CAN really get under my skin and I’m still thinking about it later – or, better yet, if I have NIGHTMARES! I get excited when I have nightmares. *laughs*

Lauren: *chuckles because her bestie is cute/happy, but doesn’t relate on this point*

Christi Bandy: Because if I watch something that is SO scary that I get a nightmare, I wake up and I’m like, “That was a GREAT movie!” Like, if it can scare me [to the point] that I’m still thinking about it. That I’m nervous about it later. That I wake up and think about it… That’s a movie done right. And there aren’t enough of those.

And the ending. Even if a movie’s good, but it ends badly… It’s really hard for me to like. I really need a solid… I need it to stick the landing! I need a solid ending. Because you want to leave the theater with that satisfied feeling of “Yes. That’s exactly…”

Like Scream. Like, okay, are they going to pull this off? Scream VI? Yes. It had a great ending. It had a really fun reveal. It was good.

I like a movie with a great ending that leaves you feeling like… You know.

That was one of the only things I didn’t like about MaXXXine. I think the trilogy as a whole is amazing. X is amazing. Pearl is amazing. MaXXXine is a great movie, but I didn’t really like the end. Not that that changes how I feel about the movie, but I thought it could’ve been a little stronger. I felt like it was a bit of a weaker ending. So, it’s going to be my least favorite of the three films. Pearl is my favorite, obviously.

Christi Bandy (continuing): But those are just things that I would look for.

I really love being scared. And that just doesn’t happen very much. And I know part of it is me being jaded…

Or even grossed out would work! *laughs* I really get, like, grossed out… I want to have a STRONG emotion! A reaction. Whether it’s…

I think that’s one of the things that was great about Sinners. It didn’t scare me. The effects are great. But I had a strong emotional reaction because there’s a lot of story going on. There’s the 1940s – it’s a period movie – so you kind of know what’s going on historically then. There’s a lot of dark stuff happening. So, you’re already having these emotional reactions to what’s happening to these characters. Like, in their lives. But it pulled an emotional punch that I wasn’t ready for. And I LOVE IT when a horror movie makes me cry!!

It’s not the genre you associate with feeling, like, super weepy and emotional about, but I left the theater sobbing. And I was totally happy about it. Because I thought, “That’s a REAL emotional reaction.” And anything that provokes that type of reaction is really exciting for me – whether it’s fear, joy, any of those really strong…

You don’t want to get up from a movie and just be like… *shrugs* “It was okay.” Y’know? “It was fine.” I want a reaction. For sure. That’s it.

Lauren Spear: Were…

Were there other [horror] movies that have made you cry?

Lauren Spear (continuing): Like, for me personally, I cry when I watch The Monster Squad and Pheobe’s saying to Frankenstein, “Please don’t go!”

Christi Bandy: *laughs*

Lauren: And she tosses him Scraps.

But, for the most part, I don’t cry during movies too much. But I was curious what ones have triggered that for you.

Christi Bandy: This is going to sound crazy, but you already know I’m crazy, sooo…

I would say my second favorite movie of all time. My first is A Nightmare on Elm Street. And the second would be The Devil’s Rejects. It’s really special to me. And I still cry every single time I watch the end.

Because the very first time I watched it in the theater, I thought that they were gonna die! As soon as that end scene comes, and like… It’s so emotional and it’s so good. And you’ve become so in love with these characters. And you’re rooting for the bad guys at this point! And you see… You hear the gunfire and you see the shots flying and I’m just like, “Oh, God, no! They can’t die! They can’t die!”

Christi Bandy (continuing): And I’ve seen the movie SO many times and I still get teary-eyed at that end scene. And I think it’s one of the most beautiful endings of a horror movie. It’s a beautiful movie for a variety of reasons. I could talk about – on another podcast – just THAT movie. It’s so special.

It’s so special and it’s so good. And the way he makes you care about those characters so…

I just rewatched it recently and I did still get teary at the end. During that scene when they’re in the car and they’re all bloody and hurt and… It makes me so sad. Because I don’t want anything bad to happen to those guys. *laughs* You know? SAVE THEM!!

So, yeah, I do cry. I’m an emotional person. But I just think it’s really exciting to have that kind of a reaction.

It’s a good thing if you have ANY reaction. Even if you hate something. If something can at least make you react then it’s doing its job as a film to get you invested. Because you wouldn’t react if you didn’t care, right?  

Lauren Spear: Yeah. I always say that the WORST thing a film can do is be boring. *chuckles*

Christi Bandy: Yes!! You’re right!

And there are horror movies… I have seen movies that are… Not really boring, but just forgettable. Like, they’re not going to end up on a list at the end of the year. You’re not going to recommend them to friends. You know?

So, if I recommend something, just know that it’s something that made ME react. That I think that YOU might have a reaction to. You know? I don’t want to tell people to watch something that’s just going to be like… meh.

We don’t need meh! There’s too many movies! You wanna watch something that’s really going to excite you, you know?

Lauren: Yeah.

Well, we’ve only got a few minutes left.

Did you want to talk about anything else?

Christi Bandy: Ummmmm…

Lauren Spear: I know you’re not so much on social media, so… Uh. *laughs* Normally, at this point I would be like, “And follow her on her website!” but you don’t have…

Christi Bandy: Nooo. But I write when I can!

Going to the movies is my favorite thing to do. I’m really looking forward to the new Final Destination film. I’m a big fan of the series and I was really crushed when we lost Tony Todd. It’s his last role. So, that’s a really… I did cry watching the trailer. Just seeing him. You know?

Lauren: Yeah…

Christi Bandy: I was a really big fan of his; and I’ve seen every movie. Even the bad ones!

Both: *laugh*

Christi Bandy: That he’s been in. And just really, really loved him from a young age. So, I’m excited to see him in this role. Obviously, nobody else could pull off that role but him.

But, also, I just think they’re really fun movies. They’re just so gory and campy and silly and I can’t wait to see what the kills are in this movie.

It looks like it’ll kind of… Like it’s a story that’ll go back and explain how the whole “Final Destination” curse started? And the trailer was in a tattoo shop, but it involved a septum ring. *touches her own nose septum ring*

Lauren: Yeah. *chuckles*

Christi Bandy: And THAT was triggering when I saw it! *laughs*

Lauren: It was like right before your appointment to get that too!

Christi Bandy: *laughs*

Lauren: They dropped the trailer and you were like, “Ohhhh… should I…?”

Christi Bandy: It was right after!

Lauren: It was right after??

Christi Bandy: It was right after! It was right after I got it, but I was about to go in to switch to a bigger hoop! But I was like, “Should I do that…?”

Both: *laugh*

Christi Bandy: They’re really fun. Just fun movies. And I’m excited about that.

And I did hear that they may have halted production or pre-production on the new Saw that was supposed to come out…? I haven’t really heard anything definitive, but the last one was so good that I don’t think they need any more. It was a really great kind of…

It fits in right between Part One and Part Two really well and it’s so beautifully done. And I did cry watching that! Because I’m a big fan of those actors and characters.

And I think I wrote about it…?

Lauren: You did! *chuckles* You reviewed Saw X on HorrorFam.com back when it came out in theaters.

Christi Bandy: Oh, good!

I’ll be glad if they leave that one alone. Just because they ended it on such a…

It’s such a great series.

Lauren: It felt very final.

Christi Bandy: Yeah.

Lauren: Like, Frank and I went and saw that one in theaters, too, and it felt like The End.

Christi Bandy: Yeah. And I hope it is. Because that’s another example of something we don’t need. We don’t really need more of… It’s good. You know?

Lauren: I was wondering whatever happened to Spiral 2…? *chuckles*

Christi Bandy: There was supposed to be a Spiral 2?! But… Spiral is… *laughs* …not good. There doesn’t need to be one!

Lauren: I kinda liked it! *laughs*

Both: *laughing*

Christi Bandy: I’m good. I’m good with that. It’s all good.

Lauren: Well, I think we’ve pretty much covered everything that we were gonna talk about!

Though I think maybe Tony Todd needs to be the next HorrorFam.com Horror Hottie. You know? I’m sorry that we didn’t get around to it when he was alive, but we’ve been doing it every other year…

Christi Bandy: Those movies scared me really bad… When we were kids, Candyman scaaaaaared me. Like, that’s a scary movie. It’s so good and I just…

I miss him. His voice. I met him once. At Texas Frightmare. And he was just so sweet. And… tall.

Both: *laugh*

Christi Bandy: Really, really soft-spoken and just really kind. And, you know, he just seemed like a really sweet guy.

Lauren: Yeah.

Christi Bandy: Definitely miss him. But very excited about the movie. I hope it’s as fun as the other movies in the series are. Which it probably will be.

Lauren: Yeah! I mean, there’s not too much that can go wrong! They all have basically the same formula…

Christi Bandy: Right.

Lauren: …and if you like that formula, then you’re gonna like it! *laughs*

Christi Bandy: Yeah. You’re not, like, super attached to any… There’s not, like, characters that you get… I don’t think there’s anything they can really mess up! Because it’s not like other sequels where you’re worried about what will happen to characters you like. Like… DEWEY. That’s all I’ll say.

Lauren: Yes! That was… devastating! He was my fa-

Both: My favorite character!!

Lauren: Yes!

Christi Bandy: My favorite character in the whole [Scream] series!!

Lauren: Mine too!

Christi Bandy: But he’s coming back in Part Seven and I’m very, very interested in what they’re going to do with all of these legacy characters. And I’m…

I want to say that I’m excited, but I’m very nervous too. But it’ll be great to see all of them again anyway. Regardless. Y’know?

Lauren: Yeah. Frank was thinking that maybe they would open it where…

Dewey’s reading one of Gale’s books and he closes it and goes, “You know that didn’t happen! I’m still alive! What are you talking about?!” and that’s how they ret-con the other ones.

Both: *laugh*

Christi Bandy: If only! That would be amazing!

But how would… How ‘bout Stu though? They can’t do that with Stu, you know.

Lauren: Yeah. *shrugs*

Christi Bandy: I love seeing Matthew. He’s such a trip. He’s a sweet guy and he’s so talented and fun. And I think it’ll be really cool to see everybody again.

I just hope it’s good.

I hope they do it right. I hope they do us fans right. That’s all I’ll say. Y’know?

Lauren: Yeah.

Christi Bandy: It’s all we can hope for.

Lauren: One of the nice things about the Final Fantasy…er…the Final DESTINATION movies were that… You said that you don’t really get attached to people?

Christi Bandy: Yeah.

Lauren: But, it’s like… The PACING is good! You know?

Christi Bandy: Yeah!

Lauren: They keep everything going!

The woooorrrrrst, for me, because my favorite movies all have charact— I have a lot of emphasis on good characters in my favorite films. And it’s like… If I can’t have a character to anchor on, then…

Christi Bandy: Yeah.

Lauren: …then the pacing needs to be…!

Christi Bandy: Yeah. Right. To hold your interest. Yeah.

Lauren Spear: Yeah! The WORST is when it’s like, “I care about NONE of these people and they are dying…SO…SLOWLY.”

Both: *laugh*

Christi Bandy: That’s totally true!! Yeah! *laughs* I hate it when you can’t get engaged! When you can’t…

I think that’s one of the best parts of a GOOD horror movie: You actually CARE whether someone lives or dies! You need to have that attachment to the characters, you now?

Lauren: Yeah! That’s important. To me.

Christi Bandy: *laughs* Yeah. I agree.

Lauren: Well, I guess that’s about it!

Both: *giggle*

Lauren Spear: Be sure to keep an eye out for Christi’s articles on HorrorFam.com! She’s on there all the time. *laughs*

And… yeah!

Christi Bandy: *chuckles*

Lauren Spear: Thanks, Christi!

Christi Bandy: Thank you, Lauren! *laughs*

Lauren Spear: Byeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Christi Bandy: Byeeeeeeeeeeeee!!

*HorrorFam.com Podcast Outro Music Starts*

*Tina Spear interrupts/meows to announce a Blooper*

*Cut to right after Lauren had a Brain Fart and blew a Raspberry at Christi…*

Lauren: I… I had things that I was going to talk about and then I totally just… BLANKED.

Christi Bandy: *sleepily stares into the distance*

…

…

Gotta get some sleep…

I’m starting to feel like, frickin’… WE should be characters in Nightmare on Elm Street. Like… *hard blinks*

Lauren: *sigh-laughs* Yeah! *blinks*

Both: *laugh*

*Outro music resumes and finishes with a card thanking everyone for watching*

Photos for this transcript were provided by Christi Bandy; except for the movie stills and posters, which were purchased via MovieStillsDB and CineMaterial with captions added on for clarity and/or funsies.