October 2018

This October we’re focused on one thing and one thing only… watching as much horror-related programming as possible to prime the pop culture pump in celebration of Halloween. Our consuming will be taking place nightly, and while there’s no rhyme or reason to how we’re going about choosing our scary screenings, we’ll do our best to tell you how we did it so that you can watch them as well.

Title: The Cabin in the Woods

Directed By: Drew Goddard

Starring: Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford, Brian White, Amy Acker

We Watched On: Amazon (rented for $3.99)

Trunktober Approved Because: It takes a lot to surprise us these days, but this horror/comedy hybrid from writer Joss Whedon kept us on our toes, butchering overused horror tropes and cast members simultaneously.

Biggest Scare: The entire end of the movie, which is awesomely weird and unpredictable, is alone worth the price of admission.

Toronto-based Like Pacific crashed into the punk rock shores with their 2016 debut “Distant Like You Asked,” only to roll back in two years later with the impressive follow up, “In Spite Of Me,” available now on Pure Noise Records.

We recently sat down with guitarist Greg Hall to discuss the recording process, how inside influences continue to inspire them, and why they’re always surprised by what songs their fans gravitate towards.

TrunkSpace: “In Spite Of Me” is your second album. What did you guys take from bringing together your debut, “Distant Like You Asked,” that you applied to this one in hopes of improving the creative or the process itself?
Hall: The overall process between DLYA & ISOM were almost opposites. We really did “In Spite Of Me” the way we wanted to. We got to take our time and work with amazing individuals we have always wanted to work with, where DLYA was a rather rushed process.

TrunkSpace: “Distant Like You Asked” was released in 2016. No one is closer to the music than you guys, so we’re curious, where do you hear the biggest differences or growth between your first album and this most recent offering?
Hall: I feel like the overall maturity of ISOM is the biggest growth for us personally. We really weren’t trying to go for any specific style or sound. It’s a very accurate and honest representation of us as musicians.

TrunkSpace: As a band are you constantly writing or was there some creative time off between “Distant Like You Asked” and “In Spite Of Me?”
Hall: I feel like there is always a little sigh of relief when a record is finished. There’s definitely a little off time once we finish a record as most of our time is spent rehearsing the new material.

TrunkSpace: Like your first album, this one feels very personal, as if you’re putting all of yourselves and then some into the lyrics. Are you band that has to write from that very personal space in order to feel connected to the music you’re creating?
Hall: I’ll have to answer this one for Jordan the best I can. Jordan always writes from a very personal space, and opens himself up in order to put the most genuine content forward. You could say it’s a cathartic process.

TrunkSpace: What are you most proud of with “In Spite Of Me?”
Hall: The entire thing.

TrunkSpace: Do you feel like you were influenced from any outside sources or other artists/bands that you can hear reflected in the songwriting on “In Spite Of Me” that may not have existed in your brain at the time of “Distant Like You Asked?”
Hall: Not necessarily! However, as I mentioned previously, we had new individuals (Alan Day/Derek Hoffman) involved in the creative process of “In Spite Of Me.” So you could say that would be the biggest influence from an outside source, even though at the time they were technically inside sources.

TrunkSpace: Many people say that music is a form of therapy. Is it that way for you?
Hall: 100 percent.

TrunkSpace: Is there something creatively inspiring about working within a band atmosphere? Does creativity inspire creativity and put you all in a position to be better in the room?
Hall: Absolutely! We all get hyped on each other when we figure out something sick and/or work something out that we were having trouble with. We isolated ourselves in a cabin-in-the-woods type setting to finish writing ISOM, so creativity was just flowing the entire time.

TrunkSpace: There’s so much music out there – most of which is accessible in just a few clicks. Can that be an overwhelming thought when you consider your music is being released into a crowded landscape?
Hall: I feel like that would be an overwhelming feeling only if you let it worry you. You’re right, there’s so much music out there and the scene we’re in is constantly evolving, so all you can do is your best and what’s most genuine to you. That alone settles any worry for me.

TrunkSpace: We saw you ask fans on your socials what their favorite songs off of “In Spite Of Me” are. Are you constantly surprised what people connect to and what they don’t?
Hall: Definitely! Especially since we see the songs change drastically from start to finish. You always have a preconceived idea of what your fans will like the most, but we are always surprised by what they want to hear.

TrunkSpace: Finally, we’re on the back nine of 2018 now, but what’s on tap for the rest of year and what should fans be on the lookout for heading into 2019
Hall: We’re gonna be up to some fun stuff for everyone when we get home from The Hopeless Noise Tour. Keep your eyes peeled!

“In Spite Of Me” is available now on Pure Noise Records.

This October we’re focused on one thing and one thing only… watching as much horror-related programming as possible to prime the pop culture pump in celebration of Halloween. Our consuming will be taking place nightly, and while there’s no rhyme or reason to how we’re going about choosing our scary screenings, we’ll do our best to tell you how we did it so that you can watch them as well.

Title: Beyond The Sky

Directed By: Fulvio Sestito

Starring: Ryan Carnes, Jordan Hinson, Peter Stormare, Don Stark, Martin Sensmeier

We Watched On: VOD

Trunktober Approved Because: It is refreshing to discover a film about such fantastical subject matter still grounded in a very human reality. That’s what makes this UFO thriller so interesting, the fact that it’s not about a grand scale doomsday, but the doom and gloom that surrounds those individuals who believe they have been abducted by beings from another world.

Biggest Scare: When the reality of what is happening becomes apparent in the final half of the film, the action and special effects open the door to what feels like a different kind of movie than the one you’re already invested in, which works because of the tension that Sestito has built. For some the pace in the early going may seem slow moving, but it feels necessary for the overly-stretched elastic to snap free and bring you to an enjoyable cinematic climax.

Bonus: Check out our interview with Jordan Hinson here!

We were familiar with Jordan Hinson’s earlier work from her time on the series “Eureka,” but we had not seen a recent performance until about two weeks ago when we stumbled into an unexpected double feature of “Beyond The Sky” and “Breaking & Exiting,” which she also wrote and produced. The concept for “Beyond The Sky” intrigued us, especially with our Halloween antennae at full alert, so we gave it a watch.

While the film entertained us, it was Hinson’s performance and her way of commanding a scene that drew us in, so much so that we instantly tracked down “Breaking & Exiting.” She has since skyrocketed to the top of our “Favorite Actresses” list and with her fresh creative point of view working tirelessly behind the scenes as well, we are eagerly awaiting her next multi-hyphenated project.

We recently sat down with Hinson to discuss the current state of independent film, why this was such an important year in her journey as an artist, and how she’d go about spending a really big cardboard check.

TrunkSpace: One of the things that drew us to “Beyond The Sky” was that it was original, which seems to becoming increasingly more rare these days.
Hinson: I agree.

TrunkSpace: Is that part of the appeal for you, as a performer as well as a writer/producer, with going the more independent route? Is it exciting given that everything we’re seeing in theaters seems to be based on something, a remake of something, or a superhero something?
Hinson: Yeah, it definitely excited me more. I think that we’re so used to seeing alien-based films or science fiction movies where you’re waiting for this ultimate demise, like the ship comes down, but we see it through this girls’ eyes. She’s been abducted multiple times and it’s something she’s already experienced. That alone to me was really interesting. I also love that they brought in these Native American aspects to it, too – these ancient people who have this deal with others. They’ve been here before. I thought that was really intriguing, to me at least.

TrunkSpace: So many alien/UFO movies are about the aliens, but really, this is about the humans and human emotions like empathy.
Hinson: Yeah, I’ve been saying from the beginning, to me, this movie has always been about empathy and sympathizing with someone who is going through something that maybe you cannot understand. I think it is about humans and what they’re dealing with here because ultimately, it’s such a big topic that isn’t really talked about and I thought that it was really interesting that people will replace these terrible memories with something as out there as being abducted by aliens.

I like the whole movie. You don’t really know where it’s going to go and you don’t know if she’s suffering from false memory syndrome, if the people around her are, but they have this support group and it’s really interesting.

TrunkSpace: I read that you actually attended an alien abduction convention. How important was that to understanding Emily?
Hinson: It was really interesting for me. You want to go into these things being as open minded as you possibly can, even something with such strange subject matter, so we went in and it was this alien convention in New Mexico and there were a lot of people that had claimed they’d been abducted over the years. I talked to a lot of people and I know all of us – most of the cast did – and it’s easy to just put these people off like they’re crazy or that they want attention, but who am I to say what’s happened in someone else’s life? For me, it was a big lesson in empathy and understanding others, that’s for sure.

TrunkSpace: The material seemed like it could have been emotionally draining for you. Was Emily a difficult character to inhabit in terms of that heaviness?
Hinson: Yes and no. I think what I was feeling in the moment I put into her and I think that she was someone from the beginning who I just immediately understood and I wanted to understand on a deeper level. When I read her, she reads as this really strong, independent woman. She’s not this damsel in distress. She’s not looking for help. She’s looking for support from her friends and the people around her, but she’s not looking for someone to save her… like a man. I thought that that was just a really interesting approach.

TrunkSpace: In terms of your career as a whole, was this an important year for you with “Breaking & Exiting” and getting involved more on the producing and writing side?
Hinson: Yeah, it was. It’s strange, because I’ve been so busy doing all of these things and trying to have all my irons in the fire that once everything came out, I was just overwhelmed. I executive produced another movie that’s coming out this year as well and so that one was being edited for so long and then reedited and then when I wrote “Breaking & Exiting.” I wanted to make it – just shoot it, almost gorilla style, almost for nothing and just get a bunch of people together, and there was all this interest in it. We made this real movie, with real distribution, and then all of a sudden, “Beyond The Sky” is coming out and another film I did, “Higher Power.” It’s been a whirlwind of a year. It started off, like in January, as, “What do I do with myself?” Two months later, it’s like, “I just wish I didn’t ask that.” It’s been an awesome experience. You never know what the end product is going to be and you never know how long these things are going to take to come out. With independent film it’s just so difficult to get a movie made. It really is.

TrunkSpace: Is it a bit of a leap of faith to work on an independent film not knowing when or if a project will see the light of day?
Hinson: It is. I think it’s even more nerve wracking to have written something and be producing it and have everything be riding on you and you’re there from the inception to the moment that it’s done in the editing room and to distributing. You never think about those things as an actor because you show up and do your job and you do it the best you possibly can and you leave with these little pieces of every character that you’ve played, but you try to move on to the next one. But when you’re producing and you’re such a part of it, it takes a while to get it out of your system and you just hope that people respond well to it. Either way, it’s a different experience. I think at least so far.

TrunkSpace: It’s got to be one of those things where you’re in the moment and you’re going, “Oh my God. I can’t sleep. This is so crazy.” And then you call wrap and you’re like, “I want to do that again!”
Hinson: Yeah. I’m exhausted, but I don’t want to just sit still. I’m just always writing. I’m constantly trying to find different facets for myself. I want to direct one day and push myself to wherever I possibly can with this crazy industry.

TrunkSpace: Is there a bit more of being able to control your own destiny when you’re also serving on the creative side and have the power to shape what you want to do next?
Hinson: Absolutely. I think that I’m such a specific type to play and I always have been. When I was 11, I was auditioning and people were telling me I was too old for things that were for a 13 year old. I have this old soul and a deep, raspy voice and now, I’m in my 20s and I have tattoos and my hair is purple. It’s a hard market to find something that specific, but I think that writing, for me, has always been a way to create my own content and when I’m auditioning, it seems like this endless pool of characters I’m never going to book. It’s a way for me to escape. What do I want to play? What’s something I’m good at? What’s my strong suit? What can I offer? I think that writing really helps you create something that you never would be able to find just in your day-to-day auditioning routine.

TrunkSpace: In that process, do your various brains ever come to blows? Does Producer Jordan ever butt heads with Writer Jordan about what is and isn’t possible to pull off?
Hinson: Well, you go through these things in your head before you make a movie. “I’ve seen someone do that, so I’m never going to do that,” and then you start realizing that you do have to save money sometimes or you do have to offer the role to someone who has a name that people recognize and then you realize that it’s not as easy as you thought it was. There is a game that has to be played in order to market a movie. With that said, I always try and stay incredibly true to myself and the film, especially, because to me, it always comes down to the script and the story of the character and if you have enough people who believe in it, you can probably take that paper and turn it to something on screen that is at least similar to what you wanted people to leave the theater with, or watch on iTunes, and leave them feeling a certain way.

TrunkSpace: Do you think the current climate, because there are so many different distribution platforms available, is a good moment for an artist like yourself who wants to be creating original content?
Hinson: I think so. I don’t think 10 years ago I could have made “Breaking & Exiting,” but I think that independent films are so important to so many people throughout the world and it’s just becoming that a lot more people want to make movies and they want to make TV shows and they’re finding other ways to do it. They go to a film studio who says, “I don’t want to make this,” and they’re like, “Great, I’m going to make it and put it out online.” I think it’s a great platform for people like me or anyone who wants to get into it because there’s people who are filming movies on their iPhones and putting them out there and they’re winning awards. I think it should always happen like this. I think that art is whatever you want to make it.

TrunkSpace: So if somebody came to you tomorrow and said, “Jordan, here’s a blank check. Go develop whatever project you want for yourself,” what type of project would you greenlight? Would you wear all of the hats – producing, writing, acting, etc.?
Hinson: I have a script right now that I wrote that I’m really excited about. It’s a dark comedy. It’s a higher budget then “Breaking & Exiting.” I’m in the process of getting it off the ground right now. It’s a character that I wrote for myself once again, but it’s something that I’m really excited to play. It would be really different for me and I would pursue the hell out of that. And I would love to eventually act in something where I could have a co-director and work with someone in that way, so when I’m working, I could have someone helping to direct my acting as well. I think first and foremost, I would go and find a lead actor that I want, a director that I want, and… if you have a blank check, the possibilities are limitless. (Laughter)

TrunkSpace: And it’s one of those giant Publisher’s Clearing House-style checks too!
Hinson: (Laughter) Yeah, that’s the one I want, the cardboard one.

“Breaking & Exiting” is available on Digital HD, including iTunes.

“Beyond The Sky” is available on Digital HD, including iTunes.

This October we’re focused on one thing and one thing only… watching as much horror-related programming as possible to prime the pop culture pump in celebration of Halloween. Our consuming will be taking place nightly, and while there’s no rhyme or reason to how we’re going about choosing our scary screenings, we’ll do our best to tell you how we did it so that you can watch them as well.

Title: The Nightmare Before Christmas

Directed By: Henry Selick

Starring: Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara, William Hickey, Glenn Shadix, Paul Reubens, Ken Page

We Watched On: Amazon Prime

Trunktober Approved Because: It doesn’t get more Tim Burtony than this modern day classic, which defies traditional character development and storytelling to give us a truly unique cinematic masterpiece. What’s this? What’s this? We’ll tell you what it is, Jack Skellington! It’s Halloween gold! (With just a touch of macabre Christmas thrown in for good measure!) If you enjoy this as much as I did then you’ll probably love these Jack Skellington onesies available at kigurumi.co!

Biggest Scare: Those mischievous Lock, Shock, and Barrel are the annoying kids in your neighborhood that kind of creep you out, only these ones have sharp instruments and a ghoulish curiosity that a curmudgeonly “GET OFF MY LAWN!” has no impact on.

There’s no denying that we live in divided times. Regardless of the subject – politics, social injustices, judicial appointments – we all could use a moment away from the noise, a reprieve from the back-and-forth to smile and escape. That’s where a show like “The Neighborhood” comes into play according to series star Sheaun McKinney. The CBS sitcom, which also features Cedric the Entertainer, Max Greenfield, Beth Behrs and Tichina Arnold, is tackling hot button talking points, but doing so in a disarming way.

There’s a sickness in this country that we’re all sharing in, and perhaps in the end, laughter will prove to be the best medicine. (Take a dose of “The Neighborhood” tonight and feel better in the morning!)

We recently sat down with McKinney to discuss the Miami Dolphins, the silver lining we should look to, and the reason those things that make us laugh are the steps we need to take to enter a bigger conversation.

TrunkSpace: We know you’re a Miami Dolphins fan, so for full disclosure, we thought it would be a good idea to let you know we’re a stones throw away from Gillette Stadium and Tom Brady.
McKinney: This is no longer off to a good start. (Laughter)

TrunkSpace: The Dolphins haven’t had a terrible start this year.
McKinney: It’s fool’s gold with the Dolphins, because this is what we do. I’m going to play out the rest of the Dolphins season, ’cause this happened for the last 35 years that I’ve been on the earth. This is what’s going to happen. We are going to lose four of the next five games. Then, they’re gonna make a valiant effort to possibly make the playoffs so we can get a middle-of-the-round draft pick that won’t pan out, à la DeVante Parker, and we’ll be stuck in this scenario until the curse of Dan Marino beats us.

TrunkSpace: So wash and repeat?
McKinney: Yes. (Laughter)

TrunkSpace: Well, like in the NFL, this industry has no guarantees and yet something like “The Neighborhood” seemed like it was put on a path to find success. Did the popularity of the premiere take you by surprise at all or did you see it coming?
McKinney: That’s a good question. I’m a person who tries to stay out of what the ratings are, what reviews are, what people say. I try to treat every project just like it’s theater… I go and do a play and I leave it. I think what we all felt was that we were sitting on something really cool because everybody really gets along so well, and every script that we’ve had, we’ve all come together. The way that we communicate with each other… it doesn’t happen like that all the time. The things that we discover about each other on and off set have been really cool and enlightening. The show is naturally topical with everything that’s going on in our country and certain topics naturally come up. I think we all just thought, like, “Man, there’s something really cool happening here,” and I think we’re lucky because our show is able to deal with these things through humor, and humor is very disarming. So we’re able to approach certain topics without being in your face and also without being too over-the-edge… without trying to be forceful. I think a lot of things that are out right now… we push the bar so far, and I think our show sits in this very unique pocket where we’re able to deal with these things in a funny and a somewhat non-aggressive way.

I heard that the show did great, obviously, and I think that’s just people responding to needing something to go and watch when they don’t have to either think so much or when we can let our guards down a little bit and laugh.

TrunkSpace: We live in such divisive times, but especially with comedy, it’s a way to bridge the gap, to tear down those figurative walls and bring people together without them even realizing it.
McKinney: Absolutely, and if you approach somebody with humor, you can get into a conversation about anything before you know it, and our walls come down. Everybody has an opinion today. Nobody can tell you what anybody else’s opinion really is because you’re just worried about getting your own out or defending whatever your own is, and rightfully so – whatever it is you’re passionate about or whatever it is you may be defending. We’re only gonna get somewhere if we start listening. I think that’s the key point of our show… it’s communication.

TrunkSpace: Is it a scary time for somebody like yourself who is in the public spotlight to put yourself and your opinions out there, especially in social media where things can turn so quickly?
McKinney: I think it’s a double-edged sword in that I’ve had to realize that the one thing with, whatever celebrity truly is, is that you don’t really get a chance to make a mistake in the moment, if that makes sense. What you say, people are gonna take that, harp on it, pounce on it, and, in our country, people will forget three years later or whenever they feel like you’ve suffered your penance. Depending on what you’ve done, people will forgive you. The silver lining, I think, about the climate that’s going on right now is that nobody should be silent. Nobody should be afraid to speak. The fact that a lot of people who are speaking out against people that are speaking out… those points are played, because all the bullshit they’ve gotten away with for years is coming to light.

I’m 6’1 and I’m dark. I’m African American, so I deal with a lot of stuff on a daily basis, and I’ve had to deal with racism in this climate. That’s gone on for years. Even I had to take a step back with the issues that are going on with women in this country. I have to take a step back and be like, “Holy shit.” I was enlightened. Of course I was aware of gender equality, but when you really looked at it and started listening to women and what they had to go through, it boggled my mind. As it pertains to that, I can only listen before I have any type of opinion on that. I think the silver lining about this climate… it’s recognizing that we need to speak up. We need to address these issues, but we also have to be cognizant of the fact that we’re speaking up to find the solution. We’re not speaking up to create walls and divisiveness, and I think that’s where we are in the country right now. It’s like, “What do we do now? What do we do with all these issues?” We have to find that solution.

TrunkSpace: That silver lining makes a lot of sense and it’s one that musicians – artists – seem to be jumping on. There’s a sense that people are saying something, not just saying anything.
McKinney: Exactly. Yeah and, as African Americans, most of our exemplars are people who were prominent in the arts and sports because that’s all we had. So just getting back to that mindset, when you look at Kaepernick and you look at LeBron, and you look at all these people who are using their platforms to effect change, it’s the one thing about this whole time that’s going on… we should all pay attention to the people who have spoken up on certain sides of the arguments. There’s nothing wrong with being passionate about how you feel, but whatever your stance is on anything, if that, in any way, has an infringement upon the mass populace, that’s wrong. We need to find a way, I think, to have some type of solution. Obviously, you can’t please everybody, but what can we do that’s gonna please most of the people or get equality started for now?

TrunkSpace: And that’s the beauty of something like, “The Neighborhood,” which is streaming into all of these different homes, and there are all of these people from different walks of life, different points of view, watching it, finding common ground in it and not even realizing it.
McKinney: Absolutely. 100 percent! And I’ve had people, already, that have texted me about just little cultural differences that have… like in the second episode where they’re discussing white people not using washcloths and black people using washcloths. We laugh at little things like that, but those little things are the steps into a bigger conversation. That, to me, is what’s important.

TrunkSpace: We spoke about the divisiveness in the country right now, but sometimes comedy can be divisive, too. One person’s trash is another person’s treasure in terms of comedic tone. You come from “Vice Principals,” and that’s, obviously, a much different type of humor than “The Neighborhood.” As an actor, how do you adjust performance and delivery in comedy for tone?
McKinney: I was telling somebody the other day, when I came off “Vice Principals,” obviously, being on cable, being on HBO, I was able to improv and you’re able to curse and you’re able to use different language. Actors, we love cursing. We love to do it. But I remembered when I left “Vice Principals,” and I came back to LA, I had an audition, like a network show, and I went in and I was like, “Oh, I’m a pro now. I got this.” I started improving and ad-libbing and cursing, and they looked at me like I had choked someone. I was like, “Oh, okay. Lesson learned. I can’t do that.” (Laughter) I had to realize with network, I have to trust the writers a little more and the overall point of what they’re trying to articulate.

I have young family members, young cousins and nephews, that can’t watch “Vice Principals” because of the language, but I can sit them down in front of “The Neighborhood,” and they can watch it and it can resonate with them. I think, as the actor, that the learning curve is trusting a little more the words that are coming from the writers, trusting your scene partners more, and trusting the overall point of what you’re trying to say within a sitcom.

TrunkSpace: Well, from a career standpoint, too, it must be so nice not to get pigeon-holed into one particular type of comedy because it certainly has happened to people in the past. To be to able to branch out and try all of these different avenues opens up the career in ways you can’t plan for.
McKinney: Absolutely. It’s funny because when I first came here… I’m a part of a theater company back home in Miami, and all we do is intense, dramatic work. I had an improv background, doing improv and guerrilla theater, and just whatever, so I was used to comedy, but my intent was always to come to LA and be, like, this serious actor first. Then comedy took off first and, for a second, I would tell my reps, “I don’t know, man. I don’t know if I wanna go through a sitcom. I don’t know if I wanna do this because I want to get into Art House, indie films.” I had to realize, it’s much easier for an actor to segue from comedy to drama because when people identify you with dramatic work, and they see you do comedy, it’s like, “Oh wait. I don’t know…” Whereas, they may see you be funny and then be dramatic, and they’re impressed by it.

TrunkSpace: Your career as a whole is a great example about how people can never really plan for things in this business, because from what we understand, you were heading back to Florida to pursue an entirely different career when “Vice Principals” happened, correct?
McKinney: That’s life in general, and me being a person of faith, I have to trust my faith. Yeah, I had moved back to Miami for about a year and half. I was gonna be a police officer, and I had taken all the preliminary tests so that you can get into an academy and I was just working at some law office and waiting to see if I could get into an academy. I came back to LA for what I thought was gonna be a weekend and things, sort of, unfolded. Within two months “Vice Principals” happened and I’m still here.

TrunkSpace: Which is a great lesson for people, to never turn your back on an opportunity or find an excuse not to do something that has the potential to change your life.
McKinney: 100 percent, brother. I would not be sitting here right now. I wouldn’t, and I’m glad I did. I’m glad I just trusted my faith and sometimes, you gotta get out of your own way and let these things unfold, and really just dive into ’em. I was listening to a pastor the other day, and he kept saying, “Just do something. Just do something. Just dive in and don’t give up. Just dive into it and you might be able to just figure it out as you go.”

I actually would’ve been content back in Miami, but I definitely wouldn’t have been as happy as I am now and as excited as I am now about the future.

“The Neighborhood” airs Mondays on CBS.

This October we’re focused on one thing and one thing only… watching as much horror-related programming as possible to prime the pop culture pump in celebration of Halloween. Our consuming will be taking place nightly, and while there’s no rhyme or reason to how we’re going about choosing our scary screenings, we’ll do our best to tell you how we did it so that you can watch them as well.

Title: Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween

Directed By: Ari Sandel

Starring: Jeremy Ray Taylor, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Madison Iseman, Caleel Harris, Ken Jeong, Chris Parnell

We Watched On: The big screen, aka, in theaters!

Trunktober Approved Because: There are not many horror-related projects that we can enjoy with our kids, mostly because genre storytelling isn’t meant for young, impressionable, nightmare-producing brains. Thankfully, the Goosebumps brand has been bucking that trend for nearly three decades, and the latest film in the ever-expanding franchise, “Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween,” gives us some frightful fare that we can watch alongside of our little monsters.

Biggest Scare: What both the first film and this one do so well is really nail the creature designs and perfectly blend the SFX with traditional make-up and prosthetics, giving this new school storytelling and old school feel in the vain of “The Monster Squad.”

Bonus: Check out our interview with Jeremy Ray Taylor here!

As the star of the hit horror film “It” and the new “Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween,” Jeremy Ray Taylor is striking franchise gold, and he’s doing it in monster-sized fashion with plenty of monsters in tow. Next up, he will be getting his sequel on in “It: Chapter Two,” due September 2019.

We recently sat down with the young actor to discuss the “A Ben to a Beverly” effect, why it required more imagination working on “Goosebumps 2,” and the reason he’s about to become a warlock.

TrunkSpace: You crushed it (no pun intended) in “It.” We related to you. We felt for you. We rooted for you. How much has that project changed your life and career?
Jeremy Ray Taylor: Thank you! I am definitely glad to hear you were pulling for me! Ben Hanscom is one of those guys that everyone can relate to for sure! My dad said that every boy in high school was a “Ben to a Beverly” at some point.

This film has changed my life in more ways than I can count! My career is moving ahead full speed and meeting fans is amazing. It is because of the fans that the movie has done so well!

TrunkSpace: From “It” to another huge franchise, you’re starring in “Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween,” which opened on Friday. We would imagine a project like this is going to open you up to an entirely new audience because now a younger generation is going to get to see your work. Our kids couldn’t see “It,” but they are clamoring to see “Goosebumps 2.” Is that exciting, getting to connect with new viewers project-to-project?
Jeremy Ray Taylor: It is so exciting to be able to go see this movie with my friends! I wasn’t able to promote “It” to kids my age. (Laughter) I am most excited about a film the whole family can watch together.

TrunkSpace: There’s a ton of SFX involved in a movie like “Goosebumps 2.” Did that require you to take a different approach to your acting, when you’re having to imagine a monster that isn’t actually there?
Jeremy Ray Taylor: It is harder to act to something invisible, that’s for sure. Punching stuff that isn’t there and running from nothing takes imagination! What was really exciting about this movie is that a LOT of the monsters are actually real and in wardrobe! They are really cool and you are going to love them.

TrunkSpace: What did you enjoy most about getting to play Sonny? Was there an aspect of his personality that you have yet to tackle on-screen before?
Jeremy Ray Taylor: Sonny is a fun, lighthearted character. He was similar to Ben Hanscom in that he was nerdy and bullied. (Laughter) There was a lot more “playing to things that weren’t there” in this movie. It took some getting used to.

TrunkSpace: What are you most proud of with the work you did in the film?
Jeremy Ray Taylor: I am proud of the relationships I made with the cast and crew as well as the long hours and hard work we put into the movie. Those are the things I can take with me throughout my life. As an actor, I am still learning and growing and I am really proud of the way the movie turned out.

TrunkSpace: Ventriloquist dummies are creepy. They just are. Did Slappy ever make you feel uneasy, because we’ll be honest, he makes us uneasy and we don’t even have to be in the same room with him!
Jeremy Ray Taylor: Oh boy, did he creep me out! There is one scene in the movie where I am holding him and he “comes to life.” Before the scene started, I was talking to the director and Slappy reached up and touched my face and scared me to death! We never knew if he was going to move or start talking at any time. And believe me, the puppeteers enjoyed joking around.

TrunkSpace: What’s been the most exciting thing to happen to you in your career thus far – the moment or experience that you still need to pinch yourself in order to believe?
Jeremy Ray Taylor: Meeting and working with Harrison Ford on the set of “42” was unbelievable. I also met Chadwick Boseman that day. So cool!

TrunkSpace: “Goosebumps 2” takes place on Halloween. Are you a fan of the holiday yourself, and if so, do you have big costume plans for this year?
Jeremy Ray Taylor: I LOVE Halloween! We always carve pumpkins and dress up every year. Last year, my brother and I dressed up as Russell and the old man from “Up.” This year, I would like to dress up like a really cool warlock. I haven’t completely solidified my plan yet.

TrunkSpace: Next up you’re back in the “It” universe for the sequel. We know you can’t say much, but what can you tell us about the scare factors going into the follow-up installment? Do we need to prepare ourselves now for more creepy visuals and disturbing clown-related horrors?
Jeremy Ray Taylor: As the director Andy Muschietti put it, you need to bring your adult diapers! I’m pretty sure everyone should heed his warnings. (Laughter)

It will have flashbacks of the losers as kids, but mainly focus on the adults encountering Pennywise in new and disturbing ways.

TrunkSpace: Finally, Jeremy, you’ve faced two formidable foes in your cinematic career thus far, but what if they went head to head? Who would win a battle between Pennywise and Slappy?
Jeremy Ray Taylor: Oh my… that’s a really good question. Maybe they will have to make a movie about that! “Slappy vs Pennywise!”

“Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween” is in theaters now!

This October we’re focused on one thing and one thing only… watching as much horror-related programming as possible to prime the pop culture pump in celebration of Halloween. Our consuming will be taking place nightly, and while there’s no rhyme or reason to how we’re going about choosing our scary screenings, we’ll do our best to tell you how we did it so that you can watch them as well.

Title: The Shining

Directed By: Stanley Kubrick

Starring: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers

We Watched On: Netflix

Trunktober Approved Because: The Stephen King novel that the film is based on remains one of the scariest pieces of written word we’ve ever read, but this cinematic classic, which was released in 1980, still holds up as well. Many of the iconic horror films we grew up terrified of as kids give us more of a chuckle than a scare at this stage in our lives, but this frightening film holds true to its purpose… to make us all want to stay out of room 237!

Biggest Scare: “The Shining” has plenty of traditional, jump-out-of-your-chair scares, but the aspect of the film that Kubrick did so well was to create a believable sense of isolation, one that makes Jack Torrance’s emotional decay all the more terrifying, even when you know it’s coming.

Zombie Rollerz

Initial Release Date: October 3, 2018

Developer: Zing Games

Genre: Pinball Zombie Survival

Platforms: IOS 9.0 or later

Why We’re Playing It: It’s that magical, pumpkin-spiced time of year where it’s perfectly acceptable to adorn your yard with body parts and random atrocities, so we’re plunging into the digital cobwebs of the app store to find you a game fit for a Pumpkin King. This time around “Zombie Rollerz” showed up on our trick or treat list and it’s easy to see why. They took pinball and zombie survival and somehow spliced the two genres together! What’s not to love?

What’s It’s All About?: You and a few select heroes are tasked with saving what’s left of the world from the cute little zombie monsters that are hungry for babies and villagers. A handy-dandy “Omnipedia” is there to guide you on your path and fill you in on how to play the game and use power-ups.

That’s Worth A Power-Up!: If you had told 10-year-old us that we would have a pinball machine in our house when we grew up, we would have flipped out… now, if you told 10-year-old us that pinball machine was going to be on a handheld device and feature zombies, we would have thought you were Marty Friggin-McFly! This game is so great, because it not only gives you the classic pinball vibe, they work in puzzle aspects and loads of survival moments that you could never achieve with a traditional pinball game.

Bonus Level: Bet you never thought you would have a “boss battle” in a pinball game! Well, no longer! “Zombie Rollerz” is breaking down gaming boundaries, and they aren’t shying away from the big battles with the big foes.

And that’s why this game is a certified quarter muncher!