Trick or Treat listeners as we have a very special bonus episode for you this Halloween. Mike, Stephen, & Nichole have brought our own bag of goodies as we talk about this year's latest entry in the long running horror anthology franchise V/H/S. While it seems hard to believe, this is the first time the Shudder / Bloody Disgusting coproduction has focused exclusively on the Halloween theme. Does it work? Hell yes it does as the five segments and wraparound represent some of the best work yet. From the creepy weirdness of "Coochie Coochie Coo" to the satanic panic inspired Kid Prints, and the goofy romp of Home Haunting, this one really captures what makes the holiday a blast.
This week we have special cooking, and we get to push back talking about AVP: Requiem another week! Double Win!
Our own diabolical Devaughn Taylor has set up a draft where your crew picks five of their favorite franchise follow ups. Since it can't be that easy, there are rules! Only one franchise can be represented. We can steal a pick from another host, or we can wipe the whole slate clean. There are trivia challenges. It's surprise picks, threats of bodily harm, lots of cursing, way too personal confessions and overall pure chaos, and we wouldn't have it any other way.
Your players are Devaughn, Mike, Stephen, and Brian.
For this week's episode we have a very special bonus for all of our listeners. With it being the scary season and with Halloween right around the corner we know that hardcore genre fans and seasonal drop ins alike are gearing up to watch as many horror movies as possible. Maybe you're getting ready for an all-nighter at your local theater as they do their yearly marathons. Maybe you're throwing an annual Halloween bash and you want to have a line up of scary favorites for all of your guests. Or maybe you just want to curl up on a cool fall evening under the blankets with that big old tub of popcorn and something nice and hot to drink while watching a bunch of horror movies on your own. no matter what your crew has a number of marathons that we planned out each featuring our own special theme.
Brian has a quartet of meta-horror titles for you to enjoy. Devaughn doubled up on his themes featuring horror from around the world along with creature classics. Stephen is so over Halloween that his choices feature holiday horror that have nothing to do with the 31st of October. Mike has a foursome of frightful anthologies to set the mood for those with shorter attention spans. Finally, Ariel has also doubled up, with a slew of movies that take place on Halloween night that aren’t part of the Halloween franchise, and also double as haunted attractions.
How did we do, comment on our Spotify page, or send us a note, and if you have your own movie marathons planned, we want to hear about them.
This week Mike is joined by guest Alex Pagliuca to talk about what went wrong with 2018's THE PREDATOR. From behind the scenes controversies including extensive reshoots, to the questionable casting of a sex offender (and then hiding that info from the cast) this one seemed doomed from the start, despite writer / director Shane Black coming off a bit of a hit streak. We're here to break it all down, from the dodgy CGI to the unfortunate depiction of autism. Plus, what would have been different if HAL Holbrook had been cast in the lead as opposed to Boyd?
After the disappointing reception of the Alien vs Predator movies (a concept so simple, only a Hollywood studio could screw it up) it was time to take the Predator back to the basics. The result is a fairly fun B-monster movie that mirrors a lot of the beats of 1987's Predator, while moving the action off planet. Mike, Stephen, and Brian are on hand to talk about what goes right while also scratching our heads over whoever thought "Adrian Brody, action star" could be a real thing.
Proving he is not too old for this shit (and we're not above mixing up our movie puns) Mike is back this week with guest Alex Pagliuca to talk about how the Predator fares in a different kind of jungle: the asphalt jungle. Turns out this oft-neglected sequel has more going on for it than expected at first blush. While it doesn't reach the action/horror/sci-fi heights of the original, it still features a stellar cast and practical effects while giving us the first tease of an eventual showdown with the Xenomorphs.
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This week, we ain't got time to bleed.... because we're too busy breaking down one of the most iconic action/sci-fi/horror movies of all time, PREDATOR. Starring the one and only charisma machine Arnold Schwarzeneggar, who himself is surrounded by the manliest of men in Carl Weathers, Jesse The Body Ventura, Bill Duke (among others) this remains a just as vital nearly 4 decades later. Mike, Stephen & Devaughn are on hand to talk how this came to life, why the Predator remains so iconic, why it lives on in the memes and how John McTiernan put himself on the Mt. Rushmore of "dad cinema."
Mike and Brian take one last look back at the summer of George, and deliver our crew's rankings of the six Romero films alongside the two remakes.
The Title says it all! This week we're celebrating our 300th episode with a supersized countdown of the best horror movies of the century so far. It's an all hands on deck episode and as a bonus, we welcome back former cost Lindsay Traves as a special guest!
In order to come up with such a momentous list, not only did we all weigh in, but a special thanks goes out to Joe Lipsett, Sarah Stubbs, Kinnell, Richard Newby, Kat Hughes, Alex Pagicula, Mae Shultz, Rocco Thompson, Jay Krieger, Tori Potenza, Zoe Rose Smith, Amber T, & Garrett McDowell for taking part.
Special Thanks to our listeners, from those who have been wit us since day one, to anyone who is hopping on for the first time today.
If you like what you’re listening to make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcast feeds.
Please take a moment to rate and review us on the Apple Podcast app, or rate us on the Spotify app. Reviews and five star ratings help new listeners find us every day, and we greatly appreciate the feedback and support.
Check out our website for easy access to our full catalog of shows, with hundreds of hours of free content. You can search the catalog, leave a review and even leave us feedback all from the site. Go to www.podandthependulum.com to check it out.
If you have the means, consider becoming a patron today and support the show. Patreon members get exclusive full length episodes, audio fan commentaries, exclusive mini-sodes and more. Join today at patreon.com/podandthependulum.
This week we tackle one of the best remembered remakes of the 2000s with the directing debut of a young Zac Snyder as he teams up with writer James Gunn for the remake of Dawn of the Dead. Mike Ariel and Devaughn break down what makes this one so fondly remembered as it manages to update the George A Romero classic but puts its own style and signature on this new movie with an emphasis on action over horror at times. Along with 28 Days Later it sparked the Great “should Zombies run?” debate. Stacked with a fantastic cast and some exhilarating moments and will always be in our hearts for the introduction of the zombie baby.
This week Mike and Ariel are joined by Tucker (Disenfranchised podcast) to talk about the often maligned official remake of NOTLD, penned by Romero himself, with special effects guru Tom Savini stepping into the director's chair.
Stacked with a cast of horror royalty, and building on more than two decades of modern horror (which the original film helped kickstart), this one deserves the critical reappraisal it has received since its underwhelming release. We talk the updated themes, what worked and where we thought it disappointed at time. This remake does what far too many don't as it manages to honor the spirit of the original while managing to do its own thing and even surprise the audience more than a few times.
The Summer of George hits the dog days of august with a dog of a movie. Romero's last film ever, and the final film in the original Living Dead canon lacks the creative spark of his original trilogy, and is marred even further by shoddy effects, stock characters, and wooden performances. While there's not much to recommend here, Mike, Devaughn and Stephen do their best to keep it entertaining.
This week Mike, Stephen & Devaughn go back to the beginning with George A Romero's Diary of the Dead. A reboot of sorts of the Living Dead series, Diary finds Romero dabbling in the found footage with mixed results. Clunk performances, unlikable characters and a reliance on CGI mar a solid social commentary on the emerging online media, which is a message that still resonates today.
Mike and Brian are joined again by guest Sarah J Miles to talk George Romero's return to the subgenre he created after a two decade absence with 2005's Land of the Dead. Working with a larger budget and a recognizable cast, Romero increased the scale and scope of his vision with another timely parable of a corrupt world where the walking dead aren't the worst thing humanity had to overcome.
In this episode of The Pod and the Pendulum, host Mike Snoonian and Brian Kieper welcome film blogger Sarah Miles on to delve into the 1985 horror classic Day of the Dead. They explore the film's production challenges, Romero's directorial choices, and Tom Savini's finest work in creating the best looking zombies ever on screen. We discuss the film's lackluster initial reception, and the reappraisal it's earned over the years as a thoughtful critique on the Reagan years, military expansion, and the breakdown of community.
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Please take a moment to rate and review us on the Apple Podcast app, or rate us on the Spotify app. Reviews and five star ratings help new listeners find us every day, and we greatly appreciate the feedback and support.
Check out our website for easy access to our full catalog of shows, with hundreds of hours of free content. You can search the catalog, leave a review and even leave us feedback all from the site. Go to www.podandthependulum.com to check it out.
If you have the means, consider becoming a patron today and support the show. Patreon members get exclusive full length episodes, audio fan commentaries, exclusive mini-sodes and more. Join today at patreon.com/podandthependulum.
When there's no more room in Hell, it's tome to podcast. The Summer of George continues as Mike is joined by Brian and Nichole to talk about what many consider the greatest zombie movie of all time, George Romero's Dawn of the Dead. We explore its significance in the zombie genre and its cultural commentary on consumerism and societal issues, along with the long road to getting it made. We also talk about why there are so many dan versions of this movie and analyze the portrayal of disability, gender dynamics, and consumerism within the film, while also discussing the impact of Romero's legacy in the horror genre. Pack a lunch folks, it's a big one.
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Please take a moment to rate and review us on the Apple Podcast app, or rate us on the Spotify app. Reviews and five star ratings help new listeners find us every day, and we greatly appreciate the feedback and support.
Check out our website for easy access to our full catalog of shows, with hundreds of hours of free content. You can search the catalog, leave a review and even leave us feedback all from the site. Go to www.podandthependulum.com to check it out.
If you have the means, consider becoming a patron today and support the show. Patreon members get exclusive full length episodes, audio fan commentaries, exclusive mini-sodes and more. Join today at patreon.com/podandthependulum.
We proclaim this The Summer of George (Romero)! Your favorite horror podcast crew are barricading themselves in the basement in order to break down all six films in Romero's Living Dead series, as well as the 1990 NOTLD remake, and 2004 Dawn remake (which we're sure will be a very chill affair, with no one getting mad about it online).
Mike, Brian, & Stephen are on hand to talk about what is widely considered the birth of both the modern horror movie, and the zombie subgenre itself. While we focus on the way Night hit like a meteor with unsuspecting audiences (including little kids!) on its release, we also explore how the major themes of Night remail relevant today. From the generational clash that's just as dangerous as the dead outside, along with the political overtones as the country became entrenched in Vietnam, to Romero's own circuitous path to becoming the godfater of the zombie subgenre, we explore it all in today's breakdown of NOTLD.
If you like what you’re listening to make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcast feeds.
Please take a moment to rate and review us on the Apple Podcast app, or rate us on the Spotify app. Reviews and five star ratings help new listeners find us every day, and we greatly appreciate the feedback and support.
Check out our website for easy access to our full catalog of shows, with hundreds of hours of free content. You can search the catalog, leave a review and even leave us feedback all from the site. Go to www.podandthependulum.com to check it out.
If you have the means, consider becoming a patron today and support the show. Patreon members get exclusive full length episodes, audio fan commentaries, exclusive mini-sodes and more. Join today at patreon.com/podandthependulum with more than 100 hours of bonus content and growing.
Mike and Devaughn give our crew's rankings for all six Final Destination Movies along with the opening set pieces.
After almost fifteen years away, Final Destination is back with it's most successful entry to date: Bloodlines! Far be it from us to turn down those sweet, sweet clicks as we tiptoe through the minefields of death and try to keep that pesky Rube Goldberg machine from going off and decapitating us with a handful of Q-tips. If we're not careful will Death will come for this podcast, and wipe out all our previous episodes one by one? That's the risk we are willing to take for our listeners. Mike, Devaughn, Stephen, and Brian are all on hand to talk about why this franchise is so fun, even if we can't take it too serious, why cock piercings are just plain a bad idea, why Grandma Lois' whole plan was a crock, and we ask how come no one seems too broken up when their loved ones are getting offed? We've heard of Irish Wakes, but do the come with frozen margs and trampoline backflips? All this and more!
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Please take a moment to rate and review us on the Apple Podcast app, or rate us on the Spotify app. Reviews and five star ratings help new listeners find us every day, and we greatly appreciate the feedback and support.
Check out our website for easy access to our full catalog of shows, with hundreds of hours of free content. You can search the catalog, leave a review and even leave us feedback all from the site. Go to www.podandthependulum.com to check it out.
If you have the means, consider becoming a patron today and support the show. Patreon members get exclusive full length episodes, audio fan commentaries, exclusive mini-sodes and more. Join today at patreon.com/podandthependulum.
Mike, Ari and Devaughn find their last wish is granted with a shockingly solid entry to close out the Wishmaster franchise. With solid performances all around and frank discussions on sex and romance, the mental wear and tear of caretaking for a disabled loved one, and a Djinn that finally says, "Maybe I shouldn't be such a dick if I want to actually get my plan to come to fruition" all three of us enjoyed this one. No existential crisis this week dear listener.
If you like what you’re listening to make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcast feeds.
Please take a moment to rate and review us on the Apple Podcast app, or rate us on the Spotify app. Reviews and five star ratings help new listeners find us every day, and we greatly appreciate the feedback and support.
Check out our website for easy access to our full catalog of shows, with hundreds of hours of free content. You can search the catalog, leave a review and even leave us feedback all from the site. Go to www.podandthependulum.com to check it out.
If you have the means, consider becoming a patron today and support the show. Patreon members get exclusive full length episodes, audio fan commentaries, exclusive mini-sodes and more. Join today at patreon.com/podandthependulum.