Samantha McLaren
@themeatispeople.bsky.social
Queer Scottish writer, artist, and horror fanatic. Words at Fangoria, MovieJawn, and Horror Press. Occasional Chesapeake Stripper.
Pinned
Look out! Sigourney Weaver and a giant DUST BUNNY are on the newsstand cover of FANGORIA #30. Pre-order your copy now and come on in for a peek at what you'll find inside.
DUST BUNNY Lands On The Newsstand Cover Of FANGORIA #30
Look out! Sigourney Weaver and a giant DUST BUNNY are on the newsstand cover of FANGORIA #30. Pre-order your copy now and come on in for a peek at what you'll find inside.
dlvr.it
In the summer of 2023, I visited the set of @bryanfuller.bsky.social's DUST BUNNY in Budapest, and you can read all about it in the next issue of @fangoria.bsky.social!
But first, you should go see the movie - one of my favorites of the year - which is in theaters RIGHT NOW! 🐇🐇🐇
But first, you should go see the movie - one of my favorites of the year - which is in theaters RIGHT NOW! 🐇🐇🐇
Sitting at my hotel bar tonight reading my book about the Scottish witch trials and having a quiet drink, a 60+ year old man approached me and struck up a conversation. Because I am an idiot, I didn't immediately shut it down. Here is a thread of things that transpired, in no particular order 🧵
February 11, 2026 at 1:12 AM
Sitting at my hotel bar tonight reading my book about the Scottish witch trials and having a quiet drink, a 60+ year old man approached me and struck up a conversation. Because I am an idiot, I didn't immediately shut it down. Here is a thread of things that transpired, in no particular order 🧵
I have some reservations about WHISTLE, the new teen horror flick from THE NUN dir. Corin Hardy (and THE HALLOW, which is worth checking out!) but I can't deny it's got some wickedly vicious kills. I especially enjoyed the contortionist work from Twisty Troy James & co.
Full review @moviejawn.com
Full review @moviejawn.com
MJ's @themeatispeople.bsky.social says, "WHISTLE isn’t afraid to get vicious when it comes to offing teens, though it shirks the sly humor of those films in favor of a more serious exploration of survivor’s guilt and choosing life."
#Whistle is in theaters Friday.
#Whistle is in theaters Friday.
WHISTLE is a vicious scream of a teen horror flick — Moviejawn
by Samantha McLaren, Staff Writer Whistle isn’t afraid to get vicious when it comes to offing teens, though it shirks the sly humor of those films in favor of a more serious exploration of survivor...
www.moviejawn.com
February 5, 2026 at 11:47 PM
I have some reservations about WHISTLE, the new teen horror flick from THE NUN dir. Corin Hardy (and THE HALLOW, which is worth checking out!) but I can't deny it's got some wickedly vicious kills. I especially enjoyed the contortionist work from Twisty Troy James & co.
Full review @moviejawn.com
Full review @moviejawn.com
There's some banger international horror coming out this month by the looks of it! I'm especially curious about South Korean anthology GHOST TRAIN but the sapphic vibes of DIABOLIC also have me intrigued.
Read more in my latest for @fangoria.bsky.social 👇✈️
Read more in my latest for @fangoria.bsky.social 👇✈️
This month's roundup of new horror movies from across the globe includes a haunted South Korean subway station, one sinister Spanish senior, and more. Full list right here!
7 New Movies That Will Make You Fall In Love With International Horror
This month's roundup of new horror movies from across the globe includes a haunted South Korean subway station, one sinister Spanish senior, and more. Full list right here!
dlvr.it
February 5, 2026 at 11:00 PM
There's some banger international horror coming out this month by the looks of it! I'm especially curious about South Korean anthology GHOST TRAIN but the sapphic vibes of DIABOLIC also have me intrigued.
Read more in my latest for @fangoria.bsky.social 👇✈️
Read more in my latest for @fangoria.bsky.social 👇✈️
Useful thread for writers 👇
Okay Freelancers!
1. Know who you are pitching! Sending an outlet an outline for a novel is wild work. It’s also weird to send an entertainment magazine pitches that have nothing to do with entertainment.
Do a cursory glance and read a couple of articles to figure out what the place is about.
1. Know who you are pitching! Sending an outlet an outline for a novel is wild work. It’s also weird to send an entertainment magazine pitches that have nothing to do with entertainment.
Do a cursory glance and read a couple of articles to figure out what the place is about.
February 5, 2026 at 6:21 PM
Useful thread for writers 👇
Received a gorgeous advanced copy of HANNIBAL LECTER: A LIFE from @simonandschuster.bsky.social
so naturally I did an unhinged photo shoot with it.
You can read my interview with the author, Brian Raftery, over at @horrorpress.com now. Book is out Feb 10!
horrorpress.com/books/12783/...
so naturally I did an unhinged photo shoot with it.
You can read my interview with the author, Brian Raftery, over at @horrorpress.com now. Book is out Feb 10!
horrorpress.com/books/12783/...
February 3, 2026 at 5:30 PM
Received a gorgeous advanced copy of HANNIBAL LECTER: A LIFE from @simonandschuster.bsky.social
so naturally I did an unhinged photo shoot with it.
You can read my interview with the author, Brian Raftery, over at @horrorpress.com now. Book is out Feb 10!
horrorpress.com/books/12783/...
so naturally I did an unhinged photo shoot with it.
You can read my interview with the author, Brian Raftery, over at @horrorpress.com now. Book is out Feb 10!
horrorpress.com/books/12783/...
Thinking about how I was chatting to a lassie about 'IT: Welcome to Derry' a few weeks ago and my sweet mother piped up with "oh, I saw an advert for that on the telly - it's the Irish version, right?"
Lads, she thought it was set in Derry, Northern Ireland.
Lads, she thought it was set in Derry, Northern Ireland.
January 28, 2026 at 5:27 PM
Thinking about how I was chatting to a lassie about 'IT: Welcome to Derry' a few weeks ago and my sweet mother piped up with "oh, I saw an advert for that on the telly - it's the Irish version, right?"
Lads, she thought it was set in Derry, Northern Ireland.
Lads, she thought it was set in Derry, Northern Ireland.
I'm still mad about Poor Things and it shows 😅 Thanks @sharai.bsky.social for letting me vent - check out the episode below 👇
The incels are doing it for themselves in Bugonia. 🌚 Listen to me and @themeatispeople.bsky.social unpack that in this new episode. It’s a delightful time filled with threats and conspiracies.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...
a close up of a woman 's face with the words new era written below her
ALT: a close up of a woman 's face with the words new era written below her
media.tenor.com
January 26, 2026 at 3:43 PM
I'm still mad about Poor Things and it shows 😅 Thanks @sharai.bsky.social for letting me vent - check out the episode below 👇
Currently rewatching THE LODGE for some nice feel-bad wintery vibes, what's everyone else watching on snow day? 🥶
January 25, 2026 at 9:38 PM
Currently rewatching THE LODGE for some nice feel-bad wintery vibes, what's everyone else watching on snow day? 🥶
🫠🐝
The @themeatispeople.bsky.social is back Monday and we are unpacking Bugonia. So…you definitely want to do the homework and tune in next week.
a woman with a shaved head and a red jacket
ALT: a woman with a shaved head and a red jacket
media.tenor.com
January 22, 2026 at 9:13 PM
🫠🐝
The more things change, the more I rewatch Saw, apparently
January 3, 2026 at 2:38 AM
The more things change, the more I rewatch Saw, apparently
In the summer of 2023, I visited the set of @bryanfuller.bsky.social's DUST BUNNY in Budapest, and you can read all about it in the next issue of @fangoria.bsky.social!
But first, you should go see the movie - one of my favorites of the year - which is in theaters RIGHT NOW! 🐇🐇🐇
But first, you should go see the movie - one of my favorites of the year - which is in theaters RIGHT NOW! 🐇🐇🐇
Look out! Sigourney Weaver and a giant DUST BUNNY are on the newsstand cover of FANGORIA #30. Pre-order your copy now and come on in for a peek at what you'll find inside.
DUST BUNNY Lands On The Newsstand Cover Of FANGORIA #30
Look out! Sigourney Weaver and a giant DUST BUNNY are on the newsstand cover of FANGORIA #30. Pre-order your copy now and come on in for a peek at what you'll find inside.
dlvr.it
December 20, 2025 at 5:20 PM
In the summer of 2023, I visited the set of @bryanfuller.bsky.social's DUST BUNNY in Budapest, and you can read all about it in the next issue of @fangoria.bsky.social!
But first, you should go see the movie - one of my favorites of the year - which is in theaters RIGHT NOW! 🐇🐇🐇
But first, you should go see the movie - one of my favorites of the year - which is in theaters RIGHT NOW! 🐇🐇🐇
Reposted by Samantha McLaren
We are sitting at 60% funded, a 1 week increase of 20%!
The challenge grant from Jeffrey H. Skillman has made all the difference!
Our greenlight is $3,320 away and we only need y'all to kick in 1660!
Please consider giving us the gift of your support at termsandcons.com!
#Filmsky #Scriptsky
The challenge grant from Jeffrey H. Skillman has made all the difference!
Our greenlight is $3,320 away and we only need y'all to kick in 1660!
Please consider giving us the gift of your support at termsandcons.com!
#Filmsky #Scriptsky
December 19, 2025 at 4:16 PM
We are sitting at 60% funded, a 1 week increase of 20%!
The challenge grant from Jeffrey H. Skillman has made all the difference!
Our greenlight is $3,320 away and we only need y'all to kick in 1660!
Please consider giving us the gift of your support at termsandcons.com!
#Filmsky #Scriptsky
The challenge grant from Jeffrey H. Skillman has made all the difference!
Our greenlight is $3,320 away and we only need y'all to kick in 1660!
Please consider giving us the gift of your support at termsandcons.com!
#Filmsky #Scriptsky
Tonight, in a classy midtown Manhattan bar at a holiday function, I gradually became aware that the classy instrumental playlist they were piping in included the score to fucking Cannibal Holocaust 💀
Loudly announcing that it was the score from Cannibal Holocaust also did not go down well.
Loudly announcing that it was the score from Cannibal Holocaust also did not go down well.
December 17, 2025 at 2:24 AM
Tonight, in a classy midtown Manhattan bar at a holiday function, I gradually became aware that the classy instrumental playlist they were piping in included the score to fucking Cannibal Holocaust 💀
Loudly announcing that it was the score from Cannibal Holocaust also did not go down well.
Loudly announcing that it was the score from Cannibal Holocaust also did not go down well.
My last international horror round-up of 2025 for @fangoria.bsky.social is live! I've been doing these for three years now and it has helped me discover so many interesting international titles that might otherwise have slipped under my radar. Check it out if you wanna do the same! ✈️🌏
Norwegian kaiju clashes, time-loop terror from the UK, blasphemous Swedish miracles—and so much more. Follow in Santa's footsteps and travel around the world with these new and upcoming releases.
8 New International Horror Films To Unwrap This December
Norwegian kaiju clashes, time-loop terror from the UK, blasphemous Swedish miracles—and so much more. Follow in Santa's footsteps and travel around the world with these new and upcoming releases.
dlvr.it
December 15, 2025 at 7:13 PM
My last international horror round-up of 2025 for @fangoria.bsky.social is live! I've been doing these for three years now and it has helped me discover so many interesting international titles that might otherwise have slipped under my radar. Check it out if you wanna do the same! ✈️🌏
Come kiki with us! ✨🧟♀️💅 This was a really fun chat, thanks for having me!
Me and @themeatispeople.bsky.social are catching ax wounds while trying to get into this club to see Queens of the Dead.
Listen to the episode now at the link below!
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...
Listen to the episode now at the link below!
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...
December 15, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Come kiki with us! ✨🧟♀️💅 This was a really fun chat, thanks for having me!
Reposted by Samantha McLaren
MJ's @themeatispeople.bsky.social says, "Influencer culture gets the axe once again INFLUENCERS, a sleek and satisfying follow-up to the 2023 Shudder hit..."
#InfluencersMovie is now streaming on @shudder.com
#InfluencersMovie is now streaming on @shudder.com
FrightFest 2025: INFLUENCERS is a killer sequel to a Shudder gem — Moviejawn
by Samantha McLaren, Associate Editor Influencers is a fun and sleek sequel to a horror gem.
www.moviejawn.com
December 12, 2025 at 6:21 PM
MJ's @themeatispeople.bsky.social says, "Influencer culture gets the axe once again INFLUENCERS, a sleek and satisfying follow-up to the 2023 Shudder hit..."
#InfluencersMovie is now streaming on @shudder.com
#InfluencersMovie is now streaming on @shudder.com
Just a few thoughts about Dexter: Resurrection, one of the few series I watched in its entirety this year. Did you watch it? 👀
MJ’s @themeatispeople.bsky.social shares thoughts on DEXTER: RESURRECTION
#DexterResurrection is now streaming on @paramountplus.com
#DexterResurrection is now streaming on @paramountplus.com
DEXTER: RESURRECTION was surprisingly timely while still recapturing the campy magic of the past — Moviejawn
by Samantha McLaren, Associate Editor Dexter: Resurrection might not be the first spin-off or continuation of the original Showtime series, but it might be the best one.
www.moviejawn.com
December 11, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Just a few thoughts about Dexter: Resurrection, one of the few series I watched in its entirety this year. Did you watch it? 👀
Get in besties, we're doing shots at the end of the world
You should check out Queens of the Dead because me and @themeatispeople.bsky.social are hitting the club and talking about axe wounds on Monday. Trust me, you don’t want to miss this one.
a neon sign for queen of the red
ALT: a neon sign for queen of the red
media.tenor.com
December 11, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Get in besties, we're doing shots at the end of the world
As we head into the weekend, I strongly recommend checking out @kierlajanisse.bsky.social's adaptation of THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM, now streaming on @shudder.com. A deliciously chilly little ghost story for a chilly night in ❄️
Full review for @moviejawn.com below 👇
Full review for @moviejawn.com below 👇
MJ's @themeatispeople.bsky.social says, "THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM is the sort of film that is haunting in the truest sense, its chill settling deep in the bones."
Check out @kierlajanisse.bsky.social first narrative outing streaming on @shudder.com
#theoccupantoftheroom #nowstreaming #shudder
Check out @kierlajanisse.bsky.social first narrative outing streaming on @shudder.com
#theoccupantoftheroom #nowstreaming #shudder
THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM is a deliciously chilly little ghost story for Christmas — Moviejawn
by Samantha McLaren, Associate Editor Director Kier-La Janisse leans into the classic ghostly scares of the source material, while also adding her own unique spin.
www.moviejawn.com
December 5, 2025 at 6:23 PM
As we head into the weekend, I strongly recommend checking out @kierlajanisse.bsky.social's adaptation of THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM, now streaming on @shudder.com. A deliciously chilly little ghost story for a chilly night in ❄️
Full review for @moviejawn.com below 👇
Full review for @moviejawn.com below 👇
Guillermo del Toro speaks my love language: Gothic monsters in Scotland 👌
Read all about it over at @fangoria.bsky.social
www.fangoria.com/del-toro-fra...
Read all about it over at @fangoria.bsky.social
www.fangoria.com/del-toro-fra...
How Edinburgh's Dark Medical History Creates A Perfect Setting For Del Toro's FRANKENSTEIN
Del Toro's Victor Frankenstein spends a significant amount of time in Edinburgh, the maniacal monster-maker would have fit perfectly into the city’s twisted medical scene of the day.
www.fangoria.com
November 17, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Guillermo del Toro speaks my love language: Gothic monsters in Scotland 👌
Read all about it over at @fangoria.bsky.social
www.fangoria.com/del-toro-fra...
Read all about it over at @fangoria.bsky.social
www.fangoria.com/del-toro-fra...
Reposted by Samantha McLaren
Celebrate Halloween with the dulcet tones of the late, great Christopher Lee in the BBC Archive's newly resurfaced documentary, A HANDFUL OF HORRORS.
Rare Christopher Lee Interview Resurfaces For Halloween
Celebrate Halloween with the dulcet tones of the late, great Christopher Lee in the BBC Archive's newly resurfaced documentary, A HANDFUL OF HORRORS.
dlvr.it
October 31, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Celebrate Halloween with the dulcet tones of the late, great Christopher Lee in the BBC Archive's newly resurfaced documentary, A HANDFUL OF HORRORS.
At the Nitehawk and I just overheard someone say "and the problem is, he's only seen the first three Saw movies," and like, tea sis, that is a problem.
October 30, 2025 at 1:13 AM
At the Nitehawk and I just overheard someone say "and the problem is, he's only seen the first three Saw movies," and like, tea sis, that is a problem.
Reposted by Samantha McLaren
MJ's @themeatispeople.bsky.social says, "AFFECTION is pleasantly high concept and well realized, even if it leaves the viewer with a few itches left unscratched."
#Affection has its East Coast Premiere tomorrow @brooklynhorror.bsky.social.
#Affection has its East Coast Premiere tomorrow @brooklynhorror.bsky.social.
BHFF 2025: AFFECTION pulls off high-concept sci-fi horror with a tiny cast — Moviejawn
by Samantha McLaren, Associate Editor For such a contained film, Affection is pleasantly high concept and well realized, even if it leaves the viewer with a few itches left unscratched.
www.moviejawn.com
October 17, 2025 at 3:20 PM
MJ's @themeatispeople.bsky.social says, "AFFECTION is pleasantly high concept and well realized, even if it leaves the viewer with a few itches left unscratched."
#Affection has its East Coast Premiere tomorrow @brooklynhorror.bsky.social.
#Affection has its East Coast Premiere tomorrow @brooklynhorror.bsky.social.
Gave this one from last year a watch and man we need Lynn Lowry in more horror!
MJ's @themeatispeople.bsky.social says, "A HALLOWEEN FEAST is packed with the kind of scrappy, practical effects that will make a horror hound’s heart sing..."
#AHalloweenFest is now streaming on #Tubi.
#AHalloweenFest is now streaming on #Tubi.
A HALLOWEEN FEAST is a gory little snack backed by a killer performance — Moviejawn
by Samantha McLaren, Associate Editor A Halloween Feast is packed with the kind of scrappy, practical effects that will make a horror hound’s heart sing.
www.moviejawn.com
October 10, 2025 at 1:10 PM
Gave this one from last year a watch and man we need Lynn Lowry in more horror!
Reposted by Samantha McLaren
It's been about a month since WRATH and we miss the madness 🥲
October 9, 2025 at 5:52 PM
It's been about a month since WRATH and we miss the madness 🥲