Episode notes
This week, we're stepping into the stylish, seductive, and deeply divisive world of Dressed to Kill . Released at the height of Brian De Palma 's fascination with voyeurism, identity, and cinematic sleight of hand, the film is both a love letter to classic thrillers and a provocation in its own right. Drawing heavily from the work of Alfred Hitchcock (that's putting it mildly) while pushing further into sex, violence, and dreamlike excess, Dressed to Kill quickly became one of the most controversial films of its era. We discuss how De Palma's visual style helps put a new spin on familiar…
Podcast
Rogues Gallery
27th Letter Productions · Film & TV · English
Kristen, M.J., and Chris investigate pop culture's most memorable villains, antiheroes, and misunderstood monsters to find out how they make being bad look so good. New episodes every other Thursday.
More from Rogues Gallery All episodes →
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1 Oct 2026 · 1 hr 43 min
Case File 131 - Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
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24 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 52 min
Case File 130: Wes Craven's New Nightmare
Ten years after Freddy Krueger first invaded our dreams, Wes Craven returned to the franchise he created with something very different in mind. New Nightmare brought Freddy into the "real world," with Craven, Heather Langenkamp, Robert Englund, and John Saxon playing versions of themselves in a film that blurred the line between fiction and reality. Join us as we trace Craven's complicated history with the Nightmare on Elm Street series, what brought him back after years away, and how New Nightmare allowed him to reconsider both Freddy Krueger and the effect the character had on popular…
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23 Jul 2026 · 2 hr 2 min
Case File 129: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers - The Movie
Released at the height of the franchise's popularity, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie brought the titular heroes to the big screen with a larger budget, redesigned costumes, and a brand new villain to contend with. Behind the scenes, however, there was an entirely different battle being fought. We trace the project's troubled development and the many changes that reshaped the film along the way. We also discuss the movie's complicated relationship with the continuity of the television series, how it was received by critics and fans, whether or not this feels suitably cinematic…
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2 Jul 2026 · 2 hr 9 min
Case File 128: Zombieland
Originally pitched as a television series in the early 2000s, Zombieland was ultimately reconceived as a feature film. Join us as we trace the project's unusual journey from rejected TV pilot, to low-budget direct-to-video concept, to hit studio release. Along the way, we dig into the film's distinctive sense of humor, the chemistry between its unforgettable cast, and how the story evolved as its scope grew larger. We also discuss whether Zombieland: Double Tap managed to recapture the original's magic, the ill-fated Amazon television pilot that brought the franchise full circle, where…
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18 Jun 2026 · 2 hr 5 min
Case File 127: Final Destination
What began as a spec script for The X-Files evolved into one of horror's most enduring modern franchises. By stripping away the traditional slasher formula and replacing the killer with fate itself, Final Destination turned everyday spaces and ordinary objects into sources of dread. We trace the project's unconventional origins and how director James Wong and writer Glen Morgan transformed a familiar teen horror setup into something more unique. Along the way, we dig into the film's elaborate death sequences, the challenge of creating tension without a physical antagonist, how later entries…
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21 May 2026 · 2 hr 8 min
Case File 125: Resident Evil (2002)
After years in development hell, a live-action adaptation of the blockbuster survival horror video game Resident Evil finally hit screens in 2002. As opposed to just retelling a story fans were already familiar with, this was intended to be a prequel featuring a new set of characters and references to the series deeper lore. That's... sort of what this is. Not really. And as a result, the film's financial success was offset by a backlash from gamers who didn't appreciate the bait and switch. Or a Resident Evil that was light on gore and heavy on post- Matrix style action. But now that we're…
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7 May 2026 · 1 hr 37 min
Case File 124: Ready or Not
Welcome back to Rogues Gallery ! This week, we're gearing up for a deadly game night with Ready or Not . What began as a sharp high-concept pitch from writers Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy became one of the most crowd-pleasing horror films of the last decade: a blood-soaked satire about wealth, tradition, and the kind of family that would literally kill to preserve both. We trace the project's origins and how directing duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett balanced brutal horror with pitch-black comedy without letting either undercut the other. Along the way, we dig into Samara…
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23 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 54 min
Case File 123: Weapons
This week, we're opening a case file on Aunt Gladys, the instantly iconic villain at the center of Weapons . Told across multiple perspectives and timelines, the film constantly shifts its footing, forcing the audience to piece together what's really happening… and whether or not there's even a single, coherent truth to find. Topics include: the two separate ideas Cregger combined to create this story, how different the film might have been if the SAG-AFTRA strike hadn't forced them to recast almost all of the major roles, details we didn't notice until subsequent viewings, Amy Madigan's…
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9 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 57 min
Case File 122: Hellraiser
The pod. You opened it. We cast. Welcome to a brand new season of Rogues Gallery ! We're kicking things off by opening the puzzle box on the original Hellraiser . It's a film that didn't just push the boundaries of horror, but gleefully tore them apart. What began as a low-budget adaptation of Clive Barker 's own novella The Hellbound Heart evolved into something far stranger and more enduring: a nightmarish blend of desire, pain, and the grotesque. It also introduced the world to one of horror's most iconic figures in Pinhead. We trace how Barker's uncompromising vision made it to the…
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15 Oct 2025 · 2 hr 12 min
Case File 121: Halloween H20
It's the season finale of Rogues Gallery , and our final investigation of the year leads us into the eerily empty halls of Hillcrest Academy for a look back at Halloween H20: 20 Years Later . What began as a modest direct-to-video sequel was reborn as a prestige anniversary event, bringing Jamie Lee Curtis back for one last confrontation with the Shape... or so we thought. We dig into how a late-stage rewrite and a scrapped subplot shaped this sleek, surprisingly brisk entry, and whether the glossy, post- Scream style enhances or undermines what made the early films so haunting. Along the…
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