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cullenwade.bsky.social
Cullen Wade
@cullenwade.bsky.social
490 followers 670 following 420 posts
Author, S(p)lasher Flicks: The Swimming Pool in Horror Cinema (McFarland, 2025) | words @ Paste mag, Night Tide mag, Horror Homeroom, HorrorGeekLife, et al. | charlottesville, va, usa | autistic he/him | 🇵🇸BLM🏳️‍🌈ACAB🏳️‍⚧️FDT
https://linktr.ee/cullenwade
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Cullen Wade @cullenwade.bsky.social · 23h
When will we realize the REAL victims are the hot able-bodied white neurotypical middle-class college seniors with access to a backyard pool they can't use because the lazy crippled house mother let it get a little leafy? How dare she??
#poolreviews #splasherflicks #horrorksy #booksky
S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews Day 65: The House on Sorority Row (1983) Honestly I don't know what those girls were complaining about. Sure, it's in need of skim, but everything's in good repair, & as the frat boys demonstrate later in the movie, it's still very swimmable. Everything wrong with this pool could be fixed in less than an hour with available tools.
cullenwade.bsky.social
When will we realize the REAL victims are the hot able-bodied white neurotypical middle-class college seniors with access to a backyard pool they can't use because the lazy crippled house mother let it get a little leafy? How dare she??
#poolreviews #splasherflicks #horrorksy #booksky
S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews Day 65: The House on Sorority Row (1983) Honestly I don't know what those girls were complaining about. Sure, it's in need of skim, but everything's in good repair, & as the frat boys demonstrate later in the movie, it's still very swimmable. Everything wrong with this pool could be fixed in less than an hour with available tools.
February 15, 2026 at 6:55 PM
cullenwade.bsky.social
It's the weekend again, scary swim team, & time for me to remind you of another pool movie you forgot about.
#acureforwellness #horrorsky #filmsky #booksky #poolreviews #splasherflicks
S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews Day 64: A Cure For Wellness (2016) How can both of these pools exist in the same facility? The bottom one is top 5 designs in a Suspiria mold, the top is the worst one since Cat People. Feast or famine I suppose.
February 14, 2026 at 3:56 PM
cullenwade.bsky.social
This movie's queerness is underdiscussed but it should really be a big part of its reputation.
#poolreviews #splasherflicks #tombsoftheblinddead #horrorsky #filmsky #booksky
S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews Day 63: Tombs of the Blind Dead (1972) The playful zigzag, tiered deck, & beach view just scream summer fun (& that's saying something, if you've kept up with this series & know how I feel about pools next to the beach). With the diving area in the middle rather than off at one end, it must be hard to keep patrons from landing on each other's heads, which is probably why you don't see this design in modern pools.
February 13, 2026 at 11:45 PM
cullenwade.bsky.social
Thought I'd share this email I wrote my principal today when told staff weren't allowed to participate in the anti-ICE walkout because promoting a "controversial issue" was unacceptable behavior.
Good morning, Can you please link me to the larger context for this policy? Is it a building-level policy or a county policy? If there is an opportunity, I would love to help revise that language for future school years, because while "political candidate" is clear enough, "controversial issue" seems like a vague & inadequate phrase. We teach the "controversial issue" of evolution in our science classes. In our government classes, we teach about the rule of law & due process. So to add one's voice to the crowd (which according to opinion polls includes almost 2/3rds of the country & has bipartisan support in the federal legislature) asking for accountability for an agency that flouts due process, openly violates federal court orders (those same federal courts we teach our students must be respected in a functional democracy), & admits, in their publicly-released data, that a significant portion of their activities are unlawful, stretches any definition of "controversial" that I can come up with. I have always been a team player & will continue to be, unless what I am asked to do is illegal or immoral, so please don't interpret this as me being oppositional. It's in the interest of being a team player that I feel I & my fellow rule-followers could all benefit from a clearer definition of what constitutes a "controversy." How low is the bar? I would hate for a teacher to be censured for saying something like "police should obey the law" because a student complained that they heard the president say they didn't have to. I hope you don't mind that I'm copying [redacted] on this reply, because I'm interested in knowing the union's position. Again, I'd be glad to serve on a committee to revise the language of this policy, whether at a building or county level. I hope everybody has a good weekend & I wish [redacted] safe travels. Respectfully, Cullen Wade (he/him) Classroom teacher: Audio & Film Production; English 9 Monticello High School
February 13, 2026 at 11:38 PM
cullenwade.bsky.social
Can somebody explain to me what connection there is between the Supergirl movie & “Call Me” by Blondie sufficient for it to be used in the trailer? Is it just because she’s blonde?

Is that song actually about a sex worker? Are we getting the SW-positive superhero movie of our dreams?
February 13, 2026 at 1:22 AM
cullenwade.bsky.social
The even-numbered PA sequels might not be many people's favorites, but this pool is a gem.
#horrorsky #filmsky #booksky #paranormalactivity #splasherflicks #poolreviews
S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews Day 6: Paranormal Activity 2 (2010) The shape has a nice flow to it, accented by those irregular paving stones. Not quite a naturalistic look, but in that neighborhood.
February 13, 2026 at 12:03 AM
cullenwade.bsky.social
I appeared on Horrifically Well-Read, Bled, & Said podcast (don’t forget the Oxford comma) & had a really fun conversation with Adam about S(p)lasher Flicks. Fun times!
#horrorsky #podcast #splasherflicks #booksky
The logo of the “Horrifically Well-Read, Bled & Said” podcast, with the episode title “Splasher Flicks w/ Cullen Wade”
February 12, 2026 at 2:38 PM
cullenwade.bsky.social
Hey scary swim team, what's a movie you disliked at first but gets better every time you watch it?
#halloween2007 #horrorsky #booksky #filmsky #poolreviews #splasherflicks
S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews Day 61: Halloween (2007) Look, this is obviously in need of refurbishing, but there's a great pool beneath the grime. It's got those recessed footholds I like in place of a ladder, & a cool off-kilter shape. Good thing it has steps, because watching Michael climb down a pool ladder would not be very scary.
February 11, 2026 at 11:50 PM
cullenwade.bsky.social
Okay it's the one you've been waiting for, American dreamers.
#horrorsky #filmsky #poolreviews #splasherflicks #booksky #poltergeist
S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews Day 60: Pooltergeist (1982) People always ask about this one but I don't know how to review an unfinished pool excavation. You want me to judge a hole? I'm only human. P.S. The misspelled movie title above was a typo but I'm keeping it.
February 10, 2026 at 10:30 PM
cullenwade.bsky.social
I don't think we talk enough about how "Tyler the Creator" is quietly one of the best rap names
February 10, 2026 at 10:26 PM
cullenwade.bsky.social
Asymmetry is a cruel mistress.
#horrorsky #filmsky #booksky #poolreviews #splasherflicks #thefaculty
S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews Day 59: The Faculty (1998) I like how the mounts for the starting blocks blend in with the floor pattern, but there's something irksome about that springboard being off-center.
February 9, 2026 at 10:35 PM
cullenwade.bsky.social
Happy Sunday to everybody on my scary swim team who always wondered where all these high schools with giant pools were.
#filmsky #horrorsky #booksky #poolreviews #splasherflicks #chud2
S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews Day 58: C.H.U.D. II: Bud the Chud (1989) This teal & pale yellow color scheme seems to be a popular one for schools, since The Craft & A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) also have it. Ceiling's a bit low I think, but it's nice to see what a school pool in America looks like at night with the lights on.
February 8, 2026 at 8:22 PM
cullenwade.bsky.social
If you haven't watched Mermaid Legend, stop depriving yourself of some wildout proto-#goodforher Japanese lunacy. (CW: SA)
#poolreviews #splasherflicks #horrorsky #filmsky #booksky #mermaidlegend
S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews Day 57: Mermaid Legend (1984) Larger than any single family needs, with a spotless, spacious deck surrounded by manicured but modest-looking vegetation, definitely more than a one-person job to maintain. A pool fit for a plutocrat.
February 7, 2026 at 7:31 PM
cullenwade.bsky.social
Happy Friday, scary swim team. Here's one of the top 5 pools I get asked about most often.
#splasherflicks #poolreviews #horrorsky #filmsky #booksky #jennifersbody
S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews Day 56: Jennifer's Body (2009) One of the hard things about this job is looking past a pool's superficial condition to try to see its soul. This hot mess of a pool does not make that easy. I like the symmetry of the steps, though. All I can say is there's hope.
February 6, 2026 at 7:33 PM
cullenwade.bsky.social
Good afternoon scary swim team, here's a cautionary tale about putting free labor into a rental property.
#horrorsky #filmsky #booksky #poolreviews #splasherflicks #burntofferings
S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews Day 55: Burnt Offerings (1976) I love seeing an neglected pool restored to its handsome former self. We don't see it in the film, but there must have been some pressure-washing judging by the condition of those steps. Personally I might have sprung for a paint job.
February 5, 2026 at 5:14 PM
cullenwade.bsky.social
ANOES 2010 is not a bad movie & it deserves more love. In a few years when its 20th anniversary rolls around & it gets a big reappraisal, remember where you heard it first.
#splasherflicks #poolreviews #horrorsky #booksky #anoes2010
S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews Day 54: A Nightmare on Em Street (2010) Smart use of space: put the 3m diving board & the starting blocks on the same side of the pool, then just unhook the lane dividers when it's time for diving practice. As for the cement cistern: not a true pool, so I have no remarks.
February 4, 2026 at 7:49 PM
cullenwade.bsky.social
I try to keep these writeups diegetic, but the Müller’sches Volksbad in Munich is a bucket list swimming destination for me & I'd love to hear from anybody who's been there.
#poolreviews #splasherflicks #horrorsky #filmsky #booksky #suspiria #munich
S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews Day 53: Suspiria (1977) Not enough space here to do justice to the beauty of this art nouveau public bathhouse but I must at least point out how clean the sight-lines are compared to other large halls of this vintage (1901). The pools of continental Europe, we do not deserve you!
February 3, 2026 at 7:50 PM
cullenwade.bsky.social
Hey there scary swim team, I can't believe we're halfway through this project. Thanks for coming on this journey. It's all downhill from here.
#poolreviews #splasherflicks #alligator #horrorsky #booksky #filmsky
S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews Day 52: Alligator (1980) Please don't leave floats & toys in the pool overnight. It looks tacky, it's bad for the toys' durability, plastics can leach into the water & gum up your filtration system, & worst of all, they can obstruct your view of hazards.
February 2, 2026 at 5:59 PM
cullenwade.bsky.social
Another day in Prowlerdise.
#splasherflicks #poolreviews #horrorsky #filmsky #booksky #theprowler
S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews Day 51: The Prowler (1981) Just a bit zany & playful in its design. I'd be interested to know how that shape was arrive at, & the crosshatched brick deck in shades of oatmeal is an offbeat take on the standard red brick grid. It also looks to have a 12' section, deeper than your average residential pool. Those little touches add up.
February 1, 2026 at 5:48 PM
cullenwade.bsky.social
Man oh man, I am so pumped for this guy to face *checks notes* no consequences whatsoever.
Headline: “Bovino is said to have mocked prosecutor’s Jewish faith on call with lawyers” Headline: “once compared to a confederate general, Greg bovino faced discrimination lawsuit” Headline: “‘it’s all about us now’: video shows bovino’s orders to agents in L.A. raids” Headline: “US immigration chief Gregory bovino set to leave Minneapolis after deadly shooting”
January 31, 2026 at 10:27 PM
cullenwade.bsky.social
Like rock & roll, teenage pool hijinks will never die, baby.
#poolreviews #splasherflicks #slumberpartymassacre2 #horrorsky #filmsky #booksky
S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews Day 50: Slumber Party Massacre II (1987) No right angles to be found, just a humbly elegant oval & a nice uncluttered deck space. The privacy vegetation is necessary in a flat housing development like this one without much native flora, but it looks suitably natural. This is what you want out of a residential pool: optimized for the space without looking like it's trying to be.
January 31, 2026 at 5:39 PM
cullenwade.bsky.social
It's Friday again, scary swim team! This past week has felt like a blur, here in the Mid-Atlantic US we're still covered with ice but if you're in the southern hemisphere I hope you've got pool party plans.
#anoes2 #poolreviews #splasherflicks #horrorsky #filmsky #booksky
S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews Day 49: A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985) Grass along one edge & a raised wooden deck along another is a good compromise (although the woods looks in need of a resurfacing), & being offset from the house by a big yard & iron fence ensures teen pool party privacy.
January 30, 2026 at 4:45 PM
cullenwade.bsky.social
The first film to say "hey wouldn't it be crazy if Nazis made a comeback? Not like THAT could ever happen."
You know this movie is fantasy because the old senile war criminal in charge actually isn't happy about it.
#poolreviews #splasherflicks #horrorsky #filmsky #booksky #shockwaves #antifahorror
S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews Day 48: Shock Waves (1977) Lots of potential here. Even after 4 decades of abandonment, this pool is in great shape, a testament to its quality construction. Particularly the tile work, which is even & well-grouted, with a natural gradient of blue rising toward coping that slopes gently inward without leaving the swimmer feeling boxed in.
January 29, 2026 at 5:32 PM
cullenwade.bsky.social
Rush infancy is being wowed by Neil Peart.
Childhood is appreciating Geddy Lee.
Adolescence is believing Alex Lifeson is their secret weapon.
Maturity is realizing they never made a good album without Terry Brown.
January 28, 2026 at 11:03 PM
cullenwade.bsky.social
It's hump day, scary swim team. Let's be sure to only take a dip where we are wanted.
#poolreviews #rockyhorror #splasherflicks #horrorsky #filmsky #booksky
S(p)lasher Flicks Pool Reviews Day 47: The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) Absolutely gorgeous, supremely impractical. The ziggurat-style steps look beautiful from above but all they do is attenuate the swimming space. Lovely symmetry with the 3 ladders but they're clearly excessive in number. The diving board being shorter than the steps is horrible design, but even without that, the pool appears too shallow for safe diving. There's no way any inspector approved that.
January 28, 2026 at 4:37 PM