* Halloween Unmasked
Halloween Unmasked is an eight-part podcast that delves into the background of the classic film Halloween, its franchise, and the 2018 sequel. Film critic Amy Nicholson details the motivations of making the film, the casting, and the relationships of the people behind the scenes. John Carpenter really wanted to make westerns and agreed to direct Halloween as a stepping stone. Jamie Lee Curtis wanted to break out of the shadow of her famous parents and step out of background parts. Nobody really expected Halloween to endure as a classic. Further episodes examine Michael Meyer's psychology (and Dr. Loomis' incompetence), the many and varied sequels of the franchise, and the science of fear. I love this series. It's really opened my eyes to so much about this beloved franchise and puts many things in perspective. Very well done and researched.
* Test Pattern
Jacob and Tab over at Test Pattern have Halloween goodies for their listeners. Their first October episode tackles two classic witch films, The Witches and Hocus Pocus. Both are family friendly movies where witches kill children, but one is much more well known than the other. Their second episode covers the original Nosferatu and the modern reimagining of its making, Shadow of the Vampire. The background of Nosferatu is fascinating and includes a lawsuit by Bram Stoker's widow, an expensive marketing campaign, and almost the complete destruction of every copy of the film. The two films have so much in common, but completely different tones and aims. Their third episode covers the Halloween Tree book by Ray Bradbury and the cartoon. I haven't listened yet because I haven't finished the book yet, but I'm sure it'll be awesome.
* Darkest Night
After the explosive conclusion of season 2, Darkest Night season 3 starts of oddly without resolving the previous season. I'm completely on board with all the seemingly supernatural events seen in Project Cyclops, where the optic nerve of someone dead is harvested to see the last moments of their lives. The stories are gruesome, chilling, and varied within one season and through them all. It's fun to guess who dies, why, and how. This season is a bit different than the others in the plot (because the main character Katie usually acts as a mole in the company where she works) and the narrator (now voiced by the awesome Keith David). This season is harder to see how everything is going to come together because so much of the frame story is obscured, but I'm along for the ride to see what it will be.
No comments:
Post a Comment