Split Picks ventures into the Further to discuss one of the modern master of horror’s great franchises

In the first Split Picks of 2024 – things got busy, OK? — Terry Chiu (director of Open Doom Crescendo and Mangoshake), and Mark Hanson of the Bay Street Video Podcast call in from Canada. Together, Split Picks heads into the Further to talk about the first two Insidious films. When Jim and Terry spoke earlier this year, Terry promised watching Insidious (2010) and Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013) back-to-back is the ultimate cinematic experience. The narratives collide in ways that few franchises manage to achieve successfully. So everyone watched the films as a pair and have gathered to report if Terry’s promise holds up.

As the creator of the Saw, Conjuring, and Insidious franchises, plus Malignant and Dead Silence, James Wan has earned his title as one of the most influential modern director of horror. With Insidious and Insidious: Chapter 2, Wan follows a family that comes to realize their new house may be haunted by a sinister force. Along the way they encounter mysterious dream worlds, lost souls, and a team of paranormal experts who try to help them escape their situation.

Throughout, the Split Picks crew debate Wan’s standing in horror by diving deep into how his strengths — and his lesser tendencies — became so influential.

Listen to the episode below, or on YouTube, Spotify, Apple, or Amazon:

Listen to the full playlist of Split Picks’ horror by country series

Find the complete October Horror 2024 series here:

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