Skip to Content
Podcasts

Podcast: B.J. Colangelo on ‘Alleluia! The Devil’s Carnival’

Alleluia The Devil's Carnival

Cleopatra Films

If there's one truth about Certified Forgotten, it's that we will always find time for a good horror-musical. For this much-anticipated follow-up to her episode on The Devil's Carnival, film journalist and podcaster B.J. Colangelo (This Ends at Prom) returns to discuss Darren Lynn Bousman's feature-length sequel, Alleluia! The Devil's Carnival. In the war between heaven and hell, only the theater kids win.

Building on the events of the previous film, Alleluia! The Devil's Carnival reintroduces us to Paul Sorvino's God, who is stymied by the decision of Lucifer (Terrance Zdunich) to close the doors of Hell in anticipation of an all-out assault on Heaven. To help squash Hell's rebellion, God enlists the support of The Agent (Adam Pascal), who he orders to seduce Jane (Emilie Autumn) and damn those who would seek knowledge against him. Meanwhile, Lucifer's carnival of misfits and hellions prepares for the final battle, one that will shake the very foundation of the afterlife to its core.

In this short excerpt from the episode, Colangelo explains why Alleluia! The Devil's Carnival represents such a big step forward from Bousman's original short:

I think this is more in line [with] what they wish they could have done with the first one. You're getting a lot more characters. The budget is up, but still, as a reminder, this is like $500,000 — which is a nothing budget for a musical, especially.

But they get to do feature-length. They get to do a little bit more storytelling. The first film, while, yes, has an overarching story, is very much like songs that are also parables. Whereas these songs are more in line with the story they're trying to tell, and building tension toward what should have been a third finale. Which we unfortunately did not get.

The Alleluia! The Devil's Carnival episode of the Certified Forgotten podcast is now available to stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or the podcast platform of your choice.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Certified Forgotten

Podcast: ‘Alien: Earth’ Gets Uncertified

Matthew Monagle and Matt Donato sit down to discuss Noah Hawley's 'Alien: Earth' in this Uncertified episode of the podcast.

August 22, 2025

Podcast: Amelia Emberwing on ‘Shaky Shivers’

Vigilante entertainment journalist Amelia Emberwing joins the podcast to discuss the state of the industry and Sung Kang's 'Shaky Shivers.'

August 15, 2025

‘Cloud’ Review: The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Discounts

Kiyoshi Kurosawa's 'Cloud' is the director's latest prophecy on the existential threat that online culture poses to humanity.

August 11, 2025

‘Weapons’ Review: Timing Is Everything In Zach Cregger’s Latest

Our spoiler-free review of Zach Cregger's 'Weapons' digs into the immaculate timing that makes his sophomore feature such a standout.

August 10, 2025

The Unreal Reality of ‘Series 7: The Contenders’

Horror journalist Sean Abley reflects on his own reality television experience in this piece on Daniel Minahan's 'Series 7: The Contender.'

August 5, 2025

Uncertified: ‘Weapons’ With Perri Nemiroff

Podcaster and interviewer extraordinaire Perri Nemiroff joins Certified Forgotten for a discussion about Zach Cregger's 'Weapons.'

August 4, 2025
See all posts