Overview of Short Stuff: Spooky Recommendations
In this Halloween-themed Short Stuff episode, Josh, Chuck, and Jerry test a new format: a recommendation roundtable where they share spooky movies and books they’ve been enjoying. The conversation is loose, funny, and meant to gauge whether listeners would like these occasional recommendation episodes alongside the usual short-form content. The focus is on horror picks that are creepy, emotional, weird, and—importantly—actually worth checking out.
What the Episode Is About
- A trial run for a possible new Short Stuff format centered on recommendations
- A Halloween-special vibe, with the hosts inviting feedback on whether this should become a recurring segment
- A shared love of horror that leans toward:
- cult movies
- unsettling folk horror
- emotionally rich horror fiction
- smart, well-crafted scares
Josh’s Spooky Movie Recommendations
Trick ’r Treat (2007)
- A cult Halloween anthology film directed by Michael Dougherty
- Starring Anna Paquin
- Described as:
- cleverly woven together
- genuinely creepy
- funny without losing the horror
- Josh calls it one of the best Halloween anthologies and a fun, bloody watch
Moloch
- Dutch folk horror film
- Very serious, not comedic
- Centers on a family targeted by a demon named Moloch
- Josh notes it uses subtitles and may not be ideal for viewers who dislike reading while watching, but he found it scary and effective
Lamb
- A24 film, in Icelandic
- Weird, emotional, and haunting
- Josh says it’s one of the most heart-rending movies he’s seen
- He highlights that it works even if you don’t catch every line of dialogue
Chuck’s Spooky Book Recommendations
Keith Rosson’s Horror Novels
Chuck is especially enthusiastic about author Keith Rosson, praising his writing style, emotional depth, and grotesque imagery.
Recommended titles include:
- Fever House
- Devil by Name
- Coffin Moon
- Crone — the newest and current standout recommendation
What he likes about Rosson’s work:
- strong prose and vivid descriptions
- horror mixed with family drama and humanity
- scary, heartbreaking, and emotionally grounded stories
- a knack for writing disgusting, memorable scenes in a way that feels fresh
Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak
- A horror/thriller novel about a babysitter and a boy whose drawings become increasingly disturbing
- The book includes illustrations that heighten the creepiness
- Chuck recommends it as a twisty, effective horror story with strong commercial appeal
Notes on Horror Fiction vs. Horror Film
The hosts also talk about why horror is especially hard to sustain in novel form:
- a horror novel needs careful pacing and payoff
- short stories and anthologies may be the ideal horror format
- Stephen King is mentioned as a master of short horror, even if the hosts think his endings are sometimes less strong than his setups
Additional Horror Reading Mentioned
- Stephen King’s short story collections, especially earlier works like Skeleton Crew
- Joe Hill’s 20th Century Ghosts
- Chuck says it may be even stronger than Stephen King’s collections
- Joe Hill is noted as Stephen King’s son, writing under a pen name to avoid obvious nepotism optics
Key Takeaways
- This episode is a pilot for a possible monthly recommendations format
- Josh leans into horror films
- Chuck leans into horror books
- The strongest recurring theme: horror works best when it’s not just scary, but also emotionally resonant and well written
- The hosts want listener feedback on whether this kind of episode should continue
Final Recommendation List
Movies
- Trick ’r Treat
- Moloch
- Lamb
Books
- Crone — Keith Rosson
- Coffin Moon — Keith Rosson
- Fever House / Devil by Name — Keith Rosson
- Hidden Pictures — Jason Rekulak
- Skeleton Crew — Stephen King
- 20th Century Ghosts — Joe Hill