Published June 9, 2025
In honor of Friday the 13th this month, we're bringing you a surprise bonus episode exclusive to our Patreon fam!
Val, our child of summer, is here to dive into 1980's Friday The 13th because summer camp horror (as you know) is the best.
This is a full length film commentary audio episode so it's designed to be listened to *as* you watch the movie along with us.
Published June 9, 2025
50 episodes, baby! As we get ready to enter year three, today Val & Ron are taking a look back at some of the memorable films we watched this past year of recording, as well as over the course of two years on Don't Watch at Night.
We're excited for more to come!
Reminder - the DWAN summer read has been chosen and we're reading Jawbone by Mónica Ojeda with a book club discussion episode coming at the end of July!
**This is a scary movie & book focused podcast. Some content may not be suitable for some audiences. Be advised.
Join Don't Watch at Night on Patreon HERE.
Find the DWAN Letterboxd list here!
Don't Watch at Night is a Ness production hosted by Veronica and Valerie. Editing by Valerie. Music by Omar Chakor. Special thanks to Lorenzo Villarreal and Alex Street for production support for this episode.
Published May 26, 2025
Val and Ron wrap up this month's "step outside Spanish language horror" films with a viewing of 1977's Suspiria! Directed by Dario Argento and starring the amazing Jessica Harper.
Reminder - the DWAN summer read has been chosen and we'll be reading Jawbone by Mónica Ojeda with a book club discussion episode coming at the end of July!
**This is a scary movie & book focused podcast. Some content may not be suitable for some audiences. Be advised.
Join Don't Watch at Night on Patreon HERE.
Find the DWAN Letterboxd list here!
Don't Watch at Night is a Ness production hosted by Veronica and Valerie. Editing by Valerie. Music by Omar Chakor. Special thanks to Lorenzo Villarreal and Alex Street for production support for this episode.
Episode Resources:
https://www.rogerebert.com/features/do-you-know-anything-about-witches-suspiria-at-40
https://movieweb.com/dark-fairy-tale-horror-suspiria-streaming-plex/
https://i-d.co/article/dario-argento-horror-giallo-suspiria-guide-2024/
NY Times interview with Jessica Harper (more recently – she was in Nightbitch)
https://www.fangoria.com/suspiria-is-not-a-giallo-seven-great-giallo-films-by-dario-argento/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dario_Argento
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspiria_de_Profundis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Three_Mothers
Rotten Tomatoes reviews: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1020662-suspiria#critics-reviews
IMDB trivia: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076786/trivia/?ref_=tt_ov_ql_3
Published May 12, 2025
Happy belated Mother's Day to all U.S. listeners!
Today Val & Ron talk about the lovely Christiane in 1960's Eyes Without a Face, directed by Georges Franju. Also Valerie maybe channels Billy Idol. Then the sisters dive into monthly recommendations + they announce next DWAN book club pick!
We're reading Jawbone by Mónica Ojeda with a book club episode coming end of summer.
**This is a scary movie & book focused podcast. Some content may not be suitable for some audiences. Be advised.
Join Don't Watch at Night on Patreon HERE.
Find the DWAN Letterboxd list here!
Don't Watch at Night is a Ness production hosted by Veronica and Valerie. Editing by Valerie. Music by Omar Chakor. Special thanks to Lorenzo Villarreal and Alex Street for production support for this episode.
Resources for this episode can be found on the Episode Blog HERE!
Episode Resources:
https://tiff.net/events/eyes-without-a-face
https://www.cbr.com/eyes-without-a-face-masked-killer-horror-trope-origin/
https://collider.com/eyes-without-a-face/
https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/677-appearances-to-the-contrary-eyes-without-a-face
https://screenrant.com/classic-black-and-white-horror-movies-still-hold-up-today-list/
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/oct/18/eyes-without-a-face-dvd-review-georges-franju
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/87111/stories-behind-8-horror-movie-masks
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2025-04-26/sinners-movie-vampires-free-speech-politics
https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2025/05/sinners-ryan-coogler-jim-crow-economy/682669/
Published April 28, 2025
It's book club episode time!
On today's episode, Valerie and Veronica discuss Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin and Val shares the recipe for a delicious Wake Up Call cocktail to go with!
Next up: Step Outside Spanish Language Month for May and we're starting with 1960's Eyes Without a Face!
*This episode will contain book spoilers.
**This is a scary movie & book focused podcast. Some content may not be suitable for some audiences. Be advised.
Join Don't Watch at Night on Patreon HERE.
Find the DWAN Letterboxd list here!
Don't Watch at Night is a Ness production hosted by Veronica and Valerie. Editing by Valerie. Music by Omar Chakor. Special thanks to Lorenzo Villarreal and Alex Street for production support for this episode.
Episode Resources:
https://profpeaton.com/2018/04/08/feeling-dis-ease-samanta-schweblins-fever-dream/#:~:text=What%20causes%20David's%20illness?,For%20example%2C%20on%20p.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/mar/24/fever-dream-by-samanta-schweblin-review
https://www.npr.org/2017/01/12/509350474/brief-but-creepy-fever-dream-has-a-poisonous-glow
https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-sick-thrill-of-fever-dream
https://www.britannica.com/topic/mate-beverage
https://www.prooftv.bar/recipes/wakeupcall
Published April 25, 2025
Book club episode is coming just around the corner and we're talking all things Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin. What a story!
We HAD to go mate hunting and wouldn't you know....Prooftv.bar brings the goods.
Mate is mentioned a few times in Fever Dream so here's a little about it! And if you don’t know what it is, you’re not alone cuz full disclosure, Val wasn’t really exposed to it until that Megan Sussex show on Netflix so there you have it.
Mate is popular and much loved in many regions of South America, including Argentina where this author is from and where this story takes place.
The drink is meant to be enjoyed with people you care about the preparation of it is very special (we talk more about it on the episode) but let's dive in now to the actual drink because we're pairing its earthy notes with the logical partner: a smoky mezcal!
The Wake Up Call recipe from ProofTV:
1.5 oz smoky mezcal
1 oz chilled GUAYAKÍ Yerba Mate
0.75 oz mate infused simple syrup (hit up your local grocery store, find the bagged tea and steep it in your simple syrup over the stove)
0.75 oz fresh lime juice
0.5 oz unsweetened pineapple juice
2 - 4 dashes of mole bitters
Toss it all in a shaker with ice and do your thing. Serve it up in an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube and garnish with a dehydrated lime wheel (dehydrated lime wheels are having a moment on this show so just go with it!).
On the show, Val recommends just enjoying GUAYAKÍ all on its own -- it's a tasty pre-brewed canned tea beverage so it's great any time BUT...another thing you can try for some mocktail game is this:
Keep the exact same recipe but use 1.5 oz FLUÈRE Smoked Agave (NA substitute) in place of your mezcal!
We're calling it a Sweet Dream. ;)
And remember when working with NA spirits....a light hand with your ice shaking/stirring ok?. Cuz we're not looking for dilution in a mocktail, babe!
Other notes:
GUAYAKÍ Yerba Mate cans offer other flavors besides the original so play around and try different stuff!
They're lightly sweetened so it won't offset the other ingredients.
Don't forget to subscribe to Don't Watch at Night and tune in on Monday!
Published April 14, 2025
Today Val and Ron tackle 2021's El Páramo (The Wasteland), directed by David Casademunt and starring Inma Cuesta, Roberto Álamo and Asier Flores. After that, a general discussion about upcoming book club as well as awesome shows like Dark Winds and St. Denis Medical!
**This is a scary movie & book focused podcast. Some content may not be suitable for some audiences. Be advised.
**Additional content warning: This episode (and film) deals with suicide so listener be advised. If you or someone you know is in need of helpful resources, please visit https://988lifeline.org/ .
Join Don't Watch at Night on Patreon HERE.
Find the DWAN Letterboxd list here!
Don't Watch at Night is a Ness production hosted by Veronica and Valerie. Editing by Valerie. Music by Omar Chakor. Special thanks to Lorenzo Villarreal and Alex Street for production support for this episode.
Episode Resources:
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-wasteland-movie-review-2022
https://screenrant.com/wasteland-movie-netflix-ending-explained/
https://www.highonfilms.com/the-wasteland-2021-netflix-review/
Published April 7, 2025
Today we're bringing you a surprise bonus episode exclusive to Patreon fam!
To honor the beloved Val Kilmer, OUR Val takes a look at 1996's The Ghost & The Darkness and makes the case that this is indeed a horror movie. :-P
This is a full length film commentary audio episode so it's designed to be listened to *as* you watch the movie along with us.
Published March 31, 2025
Today Valerie & Veronica are discussing the beautiful 2007 film, El Orfanato (The Orphanage). Directed by J.A. Bayona and starring Belén Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Roger Príncep and Óscar Casa. Then a quick discussion of Netflix's The Residence and a closing reminder for book club at the end of April!
Finish reading Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin and join the discussion with us!
**This is a scary movie & book focused podcast. Some content may not be suitable for some audiences. Be advised.
Join Don't Watch at Night on Patreon HERE.
Find the DWAN Letterboxd list here!
Don't Watch at Night is a Ness production hosted by Veronica and Valerie. Editing by Valerie. Music by Omar Chakor. Special thanks to Lorenzo Villarreal and Alex Street for production support for this episode.
Episode Resources:
https://collider.com/the-orphanage-streaming-paramount-plus/
https://www.aspentimes.com/news/the-orphanage-more-than-just-a-horror-film/
https://screencraft.org/blog/how-sergio-g-sanchez-tackled-gothic-horror-in-the-orphanage/
https://www.austinchronicle.com/events/film/2007-12-28/the-orphanage/
https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-orphanage/
https://twincitiesgeek.com/2015/10/throwback-thursday-the-orphanage-brings-all-the-right-scares/
Published March 17, 2025
Monday, March 17th, Val and Ron are talking about 2022's MexZombies, directed by Chava Cartas and starring Iñaki Godoy, Marcelo Barceló, Roberta Damián, Luciana Vale, Vincent Webb, Daniel Tovar and Bárbara de Regil. After that it's monthly recommendations and summoning the will to live! :-P Don't forget: Book club episode is coming at the end of April and we're reading Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin!
**This is a scary movie & book focused podcast. Some content may not be suitable for some audiences. Be advised.
Join the Don't Watch at Night Patreon HERE.
Find the DWAN Letterboxd list here!
Don't Watch at Night is a Ness production hosted by Veronica and Valerie. Editing by Valerie. Music by Omar Chakor. Special thanks to Lorenzo Villarreal and Alex Street for production support for this episode.
Episode Resources:
https://screenrant.com/best-inaki-godoy-movies-tv-shows-ranked/
https://ihorror.com/tadff-2022-review-mexzombies/
Published March 3, 2025
The ladies are back! This week Val & Ron discuss 2016's Las Tinieblas (The Darkness), a Mexican - French horror thriller directed by Daniel Castro Zimbrón. It stars Brontis Jodorowsky, Fernando Álvarez Rebeil, Aliocha Sotnikoff, Camila Robertson Glennie, Meraqui Pradis and Alejandro Villeli.
As usual: Spoilers ahead in this episode so go watch this movie first or be warned.
After that, a quick reminder of the newest DWAN Book Club pick (Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin) + a little closing chat on what's been on the TV watchlist recently!
**This is a scary movie & book focused podcast. Some content may not be suitable for some audiences. Be advised.
Join the Don't Watch at Night Patreon HERE.
Find the DWAN Letterboxd list here!
Don't Watch at Night is a Ness production hosted by Veronica and Valerie. Editing by Valerie. Music by Omar Chakor. Special thanks to Lorenzo Villarreal and Alex Street for production support for this episode.
Episode Resources:
https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/318389/
https://www.latamcinema.com/entrevistas/daniel-castro-zimbron-director-de-las-tinieblas/
https://www.gatopardo.com/articulos/las-tinieblas-sobrevivir-en-la-oscuridad
https://www.cronicajalisco.com/notas/2017/80865.html
https://moreliafilmfest.com/entrevista-a-daniel-castro-zimbron-en-el-festival-de-cannes-2014
Published February 17, 2025
The ladies are back with a fun look at 2017's Errementari (also known as The Blacksmith & The Devil), directed by Paul Urkijo Alijo!
Then Ron and Val announce the next Don't Watch at Night book club pick as Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin and close out the show with an impromptu mini-chat over 2019's The Dead Don't Die!
**This is a scary movie & book focused podcast. Some content may not be suitable for some audiences. Be advised.
We've got a fun creepy cocktail hour livestream coming up Friday, February 21st over on Patreon and we want you with us!
Join the Don't Watch at Night Patreon HERE.
Find the DWAN Letterboxd list here!
Don't Watch at Night is a Ness production hosted by Veronica and Valerie. Editing by Valerie. Music by Omar Chakor. Special thanks to Lorenzo Villarreal and Alex Street for production support for this episode.
Episode Resources:
https://www.buzzfeed.com/saraspice/put-your-horror-movie-memory-to-the-test-and-match-284lkm5nhw
https://variety.com/2017/film/festivals/cannes-film-festival-2017-filmax-paul-urkijo-errementari-1202428488/
https://mashable.com/article/best-fantasy-movies-netflix
https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3478994/errementari-imagery-capture-souls-unwitting/
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-35358487
Published February 3, 2025
This week, Veronica and Valerie take a look at 2010's Los Ojos de Julia (Julia's Eyes) -- directed by Guillem Morales with Guillermo del Toro producing and starring Belén Rueda, Lluís Homar and Pablo Derqui!
**This is a scary movie & book focused podcast. Some content may not be suitable for some audiences. Be advised.
Don't Watch at Night is a Ness production hosted by Veronica and Valerie. Editing by Valerie. Music by Omar Chakor. Special thanks to Lorenzo Villarreal and Alex Street for production support for this episode.
Episode Resources:
https://collider.com/julias-eyes-guillermo-del-toro-horror/
https://screenrant.com/julias-eyes-movie-foreign-horror-better-bird-box/
https://youtu.be/gLFMIcMSojg?si=GrjztHAr5yz4tp0-
https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/julia-eyes-review/
https://youtu.be/NbTDahK9Cew?si=hkIE2mEkU7S77BDU
https://youtu.be/QuWfDDqRv6U?si=GYpQojdhph0Nv_Ux
https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3567051/suspiria-midsommar-psychology-color-horror/
Published January 21, 2025
We’re back with a bonus short where DWAN guest, Perla Caballero, talks about the greats of David Lynch’s career and we all give our monthly recommendations!
**This is a scary movie & book focused podcast. Some content may not be suitable for some audiences. Be advised.
Don't Watch at Night is a Ness production hosted by Veronica and Valerie. Editing by Valerie. Music by Omar Chakor. Special thanks to Lorenzo Villarreal and Alex Street for production support for this episode.
Published January 20, 2025
We're back with a meaty book club episode for ya'!
Today Val and Ron are joined by friend and founder of the West Seattle Chapter of The Morbidly Curious Book Club, Perla Caballero (@pxcaballero), to discuss Extended Stay by Juan Martinez!
We've got games, we've got cocktails plus we've got a lot to say and ruminate on when it comes to this excellent book. Spoilers ahead in this episode so listener beware.
This 40th episode is available on video over on our DWAN Patreon! patreon.com/dontwatchatnight
**This is a scary movie & book focused podcast. Some content may not be suitable for some audiences. Be advised.
Don't Watch at Night is a Ness production hosted by Veronica and Valerie. Editing by Valerie. Music by Omar Chakor. Special thanks to Lorenzo Villarreal and Alex Street for production support for this episode.
Episode Resources:
https://chireviewofbooks.com/2023/01/13/deciphering-horror-from-reality-in-extended-stay/
https://locusmag.com/2023/05/jake-casella-brookins-reviews-extended-stay-by-juan-martinez/
https://www.nightmare-magazine.com/fiction/esther-1855/
https://www.instagram.com/mcbcwestseattle/followers/
https://www.buzzfeed.com/alexalvarez/canker-in-the-heart-of-the-rose
https://cheersonline.com/2015/02/06/valentines-day-cocktail-recipes-round-two/
https://www.liquor.com/recipes/waldorf/
https://ultimatemaitai.com/about/orange-curacao/
https://www.wineenthusiast.com/ratings/spirit-ratings/rum-ratings/best-white-rums/
Cocktail Codex by Death & Co
Published January 17, 2025
Just a quick reminder that Monday, January 20th, our book discussion kicks off for Extended Stay by Juan Martinez on Spotify or anywhere else you listen to podcasts!
Did you know?
The video episode comes one day early on Sunday, the 19th, to Patreon friends and you can be part of that fam HERE: patreon.com/dontwatchatnight
We want to encourage you to consider joining the Patreon (free to join and $3 tier to unlock all the extra good stuff) to be part of book club discussion with others as they make their way to that space. Please invite any other book lovers you know! Alright on to the good stuff....
As a bit of tribute to the great city of Las Vegas and this mesmerizing book, Val has chosen a much beloved cocktail found at the Vegas bar of Herbs & Rye. There, it's known as a Weekend at the Waldorf. (Val's talking a whole bit of history on this Monday so don't forget to tune in!)
For the purposes of our episode however, we're calling it Weekend at the Alicia.
The Weekend at the Alicia cocktail features rum, orange curacao, strawberries, lime juice and it's garnished with a dehydrated lime wheel -- a garnish specifically chosen for its appearance as it almost looks like something that's been turned inside out, giving it a feel that maybe it's something you'd find within the walls of the Alicia!
For those looking to try the mocktail version, we've dubbed it (and this might be our favorite drink name ever): The First Esther.
The world of mixology has never been better when it comes to finding alternatives that allow folks to enjoy delicious beverages without the alcohol so our recipe card offers up some rum and orange liquor alcohol free alternatives that we hope you'll enjoy!
Don't forget to subscribe to Don't Watch at Night and tune in on Monday!
Published January 8, 2025
This week, Val and Ron discuss Guillermo del Toro's gem of a vamp movie: Cronos!
Find it on Spotify or anywhere else you get your podcasts.
Don't forget you can find Don't Watch at Night extras over on Patreon too! patreon.com/dontwatchatnight
Published January 6, 2025
Happy new year! The horrors persist, yet so do we. Today Ron and Val take a look at Cronos, a film directed by Guillermo del Toro which first debuted in 1992 and then enjoyed more expanded release by 1993.
Don't forget the next episode coming this month will be book club discussion for Extended Stay by Juan Martinez!
You can be part of the discussion by visiting and joining our Patreon HERE: https://www.patreon.com/c/dontwatchatnight
**This is a scary movie & book focused podcast. Some content may not be suitable for some audiences. Be advised.
Don't Watch at Night is a Ness production hosted by Veronica and Valerie. Editing by Valerie. Music by Omar Chakor. Special thanks to Lorenzo Villarreal and Alex Street for production support for this episode.
Episode Resources:
https://www.fangoria.com/guillermo-del-toro-cronos-4k/
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/cronos-1994
https://collider.com/cronos-guillermo-del-toro-movies-review/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104029/trivia/
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cronos#critics-reviews
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuKS9CUpqJg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VD4kspP5hRs
https://www.vulture.com/article/best-guillermo-del-toro-movies-ranked.html
https://www.looper.com/1615882/labyrinth-what-happened-to-hoggle-where-is-he-now/
