In the brand new series of Just The Thing, writers Joel Jessup and Chris Regan will be pitting the terrifying, shape-shifting alien from John Carpenter’s The Thing against iconic monsters and movie characters from cinema history. Each episode explores a new hypothetical horror showdown—debating lore, abilities, weaknesses, and who’s most likely to survive.

We’re kicking things off with perhaps the most famous monster of all time, Count Dracula. We painstakingly reviewed every movie iteration of the legendary vampire and decided only one could possibly take on our favourite Antarctic nightmare. Yes, it's obviously Gerard Butler’s emo Dracula from Dracula 2000. Can an ancient vampire lord outwit a creature that could be anyone? Will The Thing assimilate the Prince of Darkness, and what would that mean for the rest of us? Also, was the turn of the millennium the greatest time to be alive, or did it mostly feel like you were permanently stuck inside a Virgin Megastore playing nu-metal on an endless loop? Check out the episode to find out!

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Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio

In the last of our bonus episodes before we get stuck into a whole new season, Joel and Chris imagine what happens when a shape-shifting alien crashes the most secretive election in the world. That’s right—we’re putting The Thing into Conclave, the tense political thriller about the inner workings of a Vatican papal election.

As Ralph Fiennes navigates political intrigue and whispered secrets in the Sistine Chapel, we ask: what if one of the cardinals wasn’t just hiding a scandal—but a parasitic alien alter-ego?

Join us for theological musings, ecclesiastical paranoia, and perfectly respectful Pope vs Thing chat.

Disclaimer: In case it seems weird that we don't mentioned it, we recorded this on 2nd April, before the death of Pope Francis and the subsequent actual conclave.

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Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio

In this bonus episode of Just The Thing, Joel Jessup and Chris Regan dive deep into Karyn Kusama’s slow-burn psychological horror The Invitation. Join us for a lively chat about super fun subjects like grief, cults, and social discomfort. We ask the question, when would you leave the death cult party? And does the film’s quiet dread and social awkwardness make it more terrifying than The Thing itself?

We also explore what happens when John Carpenter’s The Thing crashes the dinner party, comparing thematic overlaps and wondering whether Logan Marshall-Green’s Will is a low-key MacReady cosplay.

Sign up to our Patreon for monthly bonus episodes patreon.com/JustTheThingPodcast

Find us on social media https://linktr.ee/justthethingpod

Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio