Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The Midnight Myth Podcast
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| (BONUS) The Wheel of Ka: Finders Keepers | 04 Apr 2024 | 01:09:42 | |
Derek and Steve discuss the second book in the Bill Hodges Trilogy, Finders Keepers and how it connects to the Dark Tower — Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, Sleep & Sorcery and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com Check out Sleep & Sorcery, Laurel’s podcast for fantasy and folklore-inspired bedtime stories. Support on Patreon: patreon.com/sleepandsorcery The Sleep & Sorcery book, written by Laurel, is now available in hardcover at Crossed Crow Books - and you can pre-order the paperback! crossedcrowbooks.com Support indie bookstores by ordering at bookshop.org. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Meditation: What's the Deal with the Jedi? | 03 Mar 2024 | 00:35:30 | |
After spending the last few months talking nothing but Star Wars, Derek and Laurel finally get to the real question we’ve all been wondering…What’s the deal with the Jedi? Religious order or security forces? Warrior or priest? — Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, Sleep & Sorcery and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com Check out Sleep & Sorcery, Laurel’s podcast for fantasy and folklore-inspired bedtime stories. Support on Patreon: patreon.com/sleepandsorcery The Sleep & Sorcery book, written by Laurel, is now available in hardcover at Crossed Crow Books - and you can pre-order the paperback! crossedcrowbooks.com Support indie bookstores by ordering at bookshop.org. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Midnight Myth Meditation: Barbie | 17 Sep 2023 | 00:47:28 | |
Come on Barbie! Let’s go party! In this laidback Midnight Myth Meditation, we’re discussing the smash-hit Barbie. We talk about its impact on cinema-going, the folklore of Barbenheimer, and how one little doll is taking on the patriarchy. With lots of love for Greta Gerwig’s triumph. — Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, Sleep & Sorcery and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com Check out Sleep & Sorcery, Laurel’s podcast for fantasy and folklore-inspired bedtime stories. Support on Patreon: patreon.com/sleepandsorcery If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Episode 151: The Ghost with the Most | Beetlejuice, Gothic & Ancient Egyptian Mythology | 24 May 2020 | 01:09:17 | |
So you’re recently deceased. Now what? Grab your handbooks and head into the strange and unusual world of sandworms and case workers, interior designers and, of course… Betelgeuse. Er, Beetlejuice? Third time’s the charm. This week on the Midnight Myth, we’re holing up in our idyllic Connecticut home with Adam and Barbara Maitland, and we’re discussing Tim Burton’s raucous 1988 comedy BEETLEJUICE! We’ll discuss the influence of the Gothic—from the historic Germanic tribes to the architecture to the literary genre—on Burton’s signature style. Plus we’ll visit Duat, the Egyptian Netherworld, and discuss how Ancient Egypt’s concept of the Afterlife mirrors much of what we see in Beetlejuice. Shake, shake, shake Senora! Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| (BONUS) The Wheel of Ka: Episode Thirteen, The Dark Tower | 20 May 2020 | 01:27:31 | |
Fellow travelers on the path of Beam, Derek and Stave are back at it again, this time discussing the epic conclusion of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower Book VII: The Dark Tower. What did this multi-verse spinning, psych power wielding, todash chime ringing narrative mean? What happens to Roland when he reaches the Tower, and confronts shape changing monsters, laughter eating vampires, and the end of the Ka-Tet we have come to love? Come with us through the advice of Stuttering Bill on Tower Road to the final stages of an adventure that took Stephen King 35 years of his life to write. The only promise we make is that it won’t bore you, as we cover as much as we can of this wonderfully strange, horrifically dark, cyclone of book. Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Episode 150: Bangarang! | Hook (1991), Psychoanalysis & Piracy | 17 May 2020 | 01:04:46 | |
The five-week nostalgia gauntlet continues on the Midnight Myth with the 1991 Spielberg classic HOOK. This clever reimagining of the story of Peter Pan begins with one fundamental question: What if Peter Pan—the boy who wouldn’t grow up—grew up? This week, we follow the second star to the right (straight on till morning) and revisit Neverland as adults, feeling a lot like Peter Banning as we do. In the process, we uncover the lost memories of childhood, interrogate our nostalgic responses, and ask ourselves what the real difference is between a pirate and a Lost Boy. Are childhood and adulthood really separate countries that can’t be united? Do we lose some sense of magic and innocence as we age? What treasures can we find when we integrate our past selves with our current selves? Through the lens of psychoanalysis, history, and mythology, we put all these questions to Hook. Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Episode 149: Great Scott! | Back to the Future, Time Travel & The History of Science | 10 May 2020 | 01:01:07 | |
We’re going back… to the future! In the first episode of a 5-week series exploring movies that brought us joy as kids, we’re covering the beloved 1990 sci-fi classic Back to the Future. We’ll explore the mythic and literary archetypes that feed into the iconic character of Doc Brown, we’ll dive deep into the complex and fascinating world of physics and time travel, and we’ll discover how the history of science and science fiction come together in this hysterical movie. What would you do if you were transported to the 1950s? How would you look at your modern world once you got back? All this and more on this week’s Midnight Myth. Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Episode 148: Don't Panic | The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Science Fiction & The Absurd | 03 May 2020 | 01:03:54 | |
What is the answer to the ultimate question—of life, the universe, and everything? If you dig Douglas Adams, it’s 42. But what IS the ultimate question—and is that question really worth asking? This week, we’re taking on the beloved Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the one-of-a-kind sci-fi satire that brought us pan-galactic gargle-blasters, Babelfish, Vogon poetry, and everything in between. With insights from the 2005 film and the Douglas Adams novel, we’ll explore the philosophy that underlies the story—particularly as it resonates with the Absurdist philosophy of Albert Camus. We’ll also discuss the literary influence of Franz Kafka, the eerie prescience of Adams’ zany galaxy, and the ultimate questions that we constantly seek answers to. Just remember… Don’t panic (and bring a towel!) Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Episode 147: Masquerade | The Phantom of the Opera, Aesthetic Philosophy & Romanticism | 26 Apr 2020 | 01:03:22 | |
Put on your mask, close your eyes, and surrender to your darkest dreams. That’s right, we’re covering the longest running Broadway musical in history, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1986 mega-hit The Phantom of the Opera. We’’ll analyze the angel of music himself, the love triangle at the show’s core, and symbolism in the opera house through the lens of aesthetic philosophy and mythology—From Edmund Burke’s description of beauty and the sublime to Neoplatonism and the evolution of art-making. Is Phantom a great romance or a piece of gothic horror? All this and more on the Midnight Myth. Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Episode 146: Sheer Perfection | What Is the Perfect Movie? | 19 Apr 2020 | 01:21:58 | |
Let’s shake it up, shall we? Every week, the first words you hear on the Midnight Myth are “what is the perfect story?” We thought we’d try our hand at really answering that question. This week, we’re laying out our metrics for the perfect movie—a set of criteria we developed while trying to kill time in quarantine. We’ll go through our methodology, share listener suggestions, and run a few possibly perfect movies (Jurassic Park, Dr. Strangelove, Ghostbusters, anyone?) through the gauntlet. It’s science. We hope you have as much fun listening to this as we had making it. Stay safe (and try to stay sane!) Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Episode 145B: The End of All Things | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Medieval Literature & Eucatastrophe | 12 Apr 2020 | 01:12:32 | |
We come, at last, to the end of all things. In the final episode of our Lord of the Rings series, we cover the back half of Tolkien’s The Return of the King. From the eucatastrophic destruction of the One Ring in the fires of Mt. Doom to the Scouring of the Shire and Frodo’s departure for the Undying Lands, we do our best to leave no seeing stone unturned. We revisit some of the themes that have connected us throughout the series—humanity & heroism, cultivation & stewardship, styles of leadership, bravery & conformity. We discuss some of the literary and historical antecedents to the end of Tolkien’s story—such as the Lancelot-Grail Cycle and god-emperors of Rome and elsewhere. Finally, we devote special time and thought to the role of Samwise Gamgee, and argue for his unique brand of heroism. Thank you for joining us for this series on one of the great fantasy worlds of all time. PLUS results of our Lord of the Rings giveaway are announced! Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Episode 145A: Prince of the Halflings | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Norse Mythology & Kingship | 05 Apr 2020 | 01:07:27 | |
In the penultimate episode of our Lord of the Rings podcast series, we’re discussing the first half of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Return of the King (aka Book 5: The War of the Ring). It’s a fast-paced, combat-heavy book that sees the forces of Rohan and Gondor combine and Aragorn prepare to assume the kingship. We discuss the massive character growth of Pippin and Merry, two unassuming hobbits who rise to become heroes of war and politic. We revisit themes of stewardship and monarchy in the portraits of leaders like Denethor, Theoden, Aragorn, and Gandalf. We compare Eowyn to Brunhild of Norse mythology, and follow those mythological threads to new conclusions. We meditate on the weaponization of information, and how even the strongest, most beloved leaders can be led astray. Escape into Middle Earth with us. We’re doing a Lord of the Rings GIVEAWAY! Follow us on Twitter and check out our pinned tweet to enter for your chance to win two LotR Funko POPs and a set of LotR Trivial Pursuit. Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Episode 144: Crusty Jugglers | Hot Fuzz, The History of Bromance & The Greater Good | 29 Mar 2020 | 01:03:17 | |
Welcome to Sandford Gloucestershire! This week on the podcast, we’re covering a movie that’s been on our to-do list as long as we’ve been recording: HOT FUZZ. The insane cosy mystery/buddy cop flick/madcap action spectacular/slasher horror film by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg is a masterpiece of genre pastiche and comedy that brings up some unexpected philosophical questions. What is the greater good? What is the right way to serve a community? What do you do when the swan’s escaped? In this episode, we’ll explore just a few of the threads that come together to make Hot Fuzz a complex, rewatchable masterpiece. We’ll discuss the tradition of the bromance in literature and history, and we’ll head deep into the complexities of morality and how the “greater good” can be distorted in a vacuum. We’re doing a Lord of the Rings GIVEAWAY! Follow us on Twitter and check out our pinned tweet to enter for your chance to win two LotR Funko POPs and a set of LotR Trivial Pursuit. Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Episode 213: Summer's End | Moonrise Kingdom (2012), Mythology & Music | 23 Jul 2023 | 01:05:00 | |
The thrilling conclusion of our Wes Anderson series is here! This week, we take a close look at Moonrise Kingdom and its mythic and musical roots. What lies beneath the surface of this seemingly familiar story of star-crossed lovers? What makes the island of New Penzance such a unique place to set the scene? And what does Noah’s Flood - the Biblical story and the opera by Benjamin Britten - have to do with all of this? — Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, Sleep & Sorcery and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com Check out Sleep & Sorcery, Laurel’s podcast for fantasy and folklore-inspired bedtime stories. Support on Patreon: patreon.com/sleepandsorcery If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Boomerangerang: Rabbit Season/Duck Season | 22 Mar 2020 | 00:29:53 | |
Surprise, it’s a bonus Boomerangerang!! While we usually reserve these bonus episodes for our Patreon supporters, today we’re releasing some fun audio content out to the general public—we could all use a little distraction right now. In our signature pop culture debate, we pit Looney Tunes characters against each other in a scenarios historical, mythological, and philosophical. Play along and enjoy. We’re doing a Lord of the Rings GIVEAWAY! Follow us on Twitter and check out our pinned tweet to enter for your chance to win two LotR Funko POPs and a set of LotR Trivial Pursuit. Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Episode 143: If It's a Myth | HBO's The Outsider, World Folklore & Epistemology | 21 Mar 2020 | 01:05:18 | |
Is there a monster out in the darkness? How do we know what we know? In this week’s episode, we discuss HBO’s new Stephen King adaptation, The Outsider. Spoilers abound! We’ll talk about the epistemological conflict between Ralph Anderson and Holly Gibney, and how their tension compounds the mystery. We’ll discuss universal folklore and mythology around children, monsters, and psychic energy. This unconventional crime drama is filled with surprises, so be sure to tune in to the show before hearing our take on the history, mythology, and philosophy within! We’re doing a Lord of the Rings GIVEAWAY! Follow us on Twitter and check out our pinned tweet to enter for your chance to win two LotR Funko POPs and a set of LotR Trivial Pursuit. Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Episode 142: Modern Prometheus | Doctor Who, Gothic Horror & The Year Without a Summer | 15 Mar 2020 | 01:03:39 | |
TARDIS time! We’re hopping in the big blue box with our favorite time-traveling superhero and her fam. A new season of Doctor Who has just wrapped on the BBC, and we have tons to say about it. In this episode, we’ll analyze one episode in particular of Series 12, and that’s Episode 8: The Haunting of Villa Diodati. The Doctor and her companions visit Lake Geneva in 1816 to witness one of the most famous gatherings in literary history—that dark and stormy night when Mary Shelley, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Doctor William John Polidori, Claire Clairmont, and Lord Byron were shut indoors and decided to tell ghost stories. It’s the eve that Mary Shelley was inspired to write Frankenstein, and that also helped birth the literary vampire genre. Did we mention there was a Cyberman present? We’ll discuss the historical context of the Year Without a Summer, the psychology of horror, and the larger-than-life personalities of Lord Byron and the Shelley’s. Is the Doctor a Byronic hero? Why are the Romantics so obsessed with the titan Prometheus of Greek mythology? And how do time travel and sci-fi mix with the horror genre? All that and more in this week’s discussion. We’re doing a Lord of the Rings GIVEAWAY! Follow us on Twitter and check out our pinned tweet to enter for your chance to win two LotR Funko POPs and a set of LotR Trivial Pursuit. Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Episode 141B: Pity and Mercy | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Mythology & Heroism | 08 Mar 2020 | 01:03:40 | |
In Part Two of our discussion of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, we rejoin the Ringbearers Frodo & Sam on their journey East to Mordor. Through dangerous and barren terrain, our heroes struggle to survive and pursue the near-impossible task of destroying the One Ring. It’s in this part of the series that we finally come face to face with Gollum, arguably the most wretched character in all of literature. We’ll discuss the mythological counterparts of the Waste Land, Gollum as a dark double of Frodo, and the major departures between the book and Peter Jackson’s film in terms of Frodo’s leadership style. We’ll also delve deep into the confrontation with Faramir and the host of Gondor—how is honor preserved and freedom negotiated between characters with opposing yet complementary goals? Through to the depths of Shelob’s lair, The Two Towers asks fundamental questions about the nature of morality, heroism, and legacy. Can evil conquer forever? Let’s discuss. We’re doing a Lord of the Rings GIVEAWAY! Follow us on Twitter and check out our pinned tweet to enter for your chance to win two LotR Funko POPs and a set of LotR Trivial Pursuit. Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| (Bonus) The Wheel of Ka: Episode Twelve, The Dark Tower Part One | 04 Mar 2020 | 01:17:51 | |
My fellow travelers on the path of beam, the long wait, the long walk through the desert wastes, into the minds of the three to be drawn, through the city of Lud, into the pasts of Mejis, we have all traveled. It is here. Book 7 of Stephen King’s the Dark Tower: The Dark Tower. The final tale will be told and we shall share it together before we all meet again, at the clearing at the end of the path. Derek and Steve discuss each character’s journey through the first two installments of Book 7, which starts with the Ka-Tet scattered across where’s and when’s. We follow Roland’s band as they unite one last time, for one last battle before the Ka-Tet shatters forever. This is the first of two before we reach the conclusion of King’s epic, say true? Say thank ya! Have you checked out our main podcast, The Midnight Myth? Right now we’re deep into a reread of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, and we’re doing a giveaway! Follow us on Twitter and check out our pinned tweet to enter for your chance to win two LotR Funko POPs and a set of LotR Trivial Pursuit. Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Episode 141A: The Turn of the Tide | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Medieval Literature & History | 01 Mar 2020 | 01:07:04 | |
Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? This week, we return to you with the next installment of our multi-part discussion of JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, this week covering the first part of The Two Towers, The Treason of Isengard. We follow Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas in their pursuit of the orcs who absconded with Merry and Pippin. We mourn the death of the complicated man Boromir. We meet new cultures—like the Ents and the Rohirrim—and find common ground on an uncertain road. Join us again in Middle Earth for discussions rich with history, mythology, medieval literature, and more. ***GIVEAWAY*** As part of our Lord of the Rings series, we’ll be giving away a LotR gift basket to one lucky listener, including a Trivial Pursuit set, two Funko Pop vinyl figurines, and some Midnight Myth Merch (a $75 value). Follow us on Twitter @themidnightmyth and stay tuned to this series for details on how to enter! Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Episode 140: None of This Is Bad | The Good Place, Moral Philosophy & Religion | 23 Feb 2020 | 01:03:37 | |
Welcome. Everything is fine. NBC’s acclaimed philosophical comedy The Good Place came to an end recently, and we’re here to discuss the emotional series finale and the lasting legacy of the show. Having finally reached the real Good Place, Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani, and Jason (along with architect Michael and not-a-girl/not-a-robot Janet) have overseen the creation of an entirely new afterlife system. In the finale, “Whenever You’re Ready,” the show grapples head-on with the most difficult questions of existence. What happens after we die? What does it mean to live a good and happy life? Can people really improve, and how? In this installment of the Midnight Myth, we’ll also grapple with these questions of morality, spirituality, and Maximum Derek. We’ll look for insight in Buddhism, Virgil’s The Aeneid, Aristotelian virtue ethics, and other tentpoles of moral philosophy. Will we find the forking answer to lasting peace? Maybe. But until then, take it sleazy. *Spoilers for Seasons 1-4 of The Good Place!* Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Episode 139B: Those Who Wander | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring pt. 2 | 16 Feb 2020 | 01:08:44 | |
Part two of a two-parter on J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring. Hearken now to the conclusion of our conversation on J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Last week, we discussed the start of Frodo’s journey, the strange characters who lurk in old forests, and the shifting boundaries and morals of Middle-Earth. This week, we’ll drill down on some key moments in Fellowship, particularly the Council of Elrond at Rivendell and the meeting with Galadriel in Lothlorien. We’ll explore Frodo Baggins’ character growth through his choices, and discuss Tolkien’s depiction of mankind through Boromir. How did Tolkien’s scholarship in medieval literature influence his writing? How does the War of the Ring apply to the modern international experience? All this and more as we continue our journey through the Third Age of Middle-Earth. Stay tuned for future episodes on The Two Towers & The Return of the King, as well as details on an upcoming Lord of the Rings Giveaway! Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Episode 139A: One Pod to Rule Them All | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring pt. 1 | 09 Feb 2020 | 01:09:07 | |
Part one of a two-parter on J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring. One ring to rule them all… The Midnight Myth Podcast returns once more to the land of Middle Earth as we embark on a quest to explore J.R.R. Tolkien’s massively influential book series The Lord of the Rings. In this ongoing series, we’ll reread The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King, discussing each book as a work of art and history. In this first installment, we discuss key moments in The Fellowship of the Ring, from the auspicious meeting with Tom Bombadil in the Old Forest to the crossing of the threshold into Lothlorien. We’ll talk about language and literacy in Middle Earth, the means by which history is communicated, and the significance of cultural difference in a world that’s breaking down. We’ll share some insights from the Peter Jackson film adaptations, but hew closest to Tolkien’s original text. Keep listening to our Lord of the Rings episodes for more information about our upcoming LORD OF THE RINGS GIVEAWAY! Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Episode 138: The Laughing Place | Castle Rock S2, Puritan History & The Old Testament | 02 Feb 2020 | 01:01:30 | |
An ancient evil lurks underneath the seemingly idyllic New England villages of Castle Rock and ‘Salem’s Lot. In this episode of the Midnight Myth, we’ll discuss Season 2 of Hulu’s Castle Rock, the anthology series set in the universe of Stephen King’s writing. This season mashes up characters and locations from Misery, Salem’s Lot, Stand By Me, and more to create a complex portrait of communities in transition. We explore parallels to the Book of Genesis in the Bible—especially the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah—and explore the rise of Puritanism in 16th-18th century England and the American colonies. Sometimes, you just have to worship a demonic angel for food. This is an exciting discussion that ties in with our ongoing podcast project, The Wheel of Ka, a quest to understand Stephen King’s fantasy series, The Dark Tower. Say thank ya! PSA: Beware men in cloaks bearing baskets of fruit. They only want one thing. Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| (BONUS) The Wheel of Ka: The Talisman Part 2 | 19 Jul 2023 | 01:11:42 | |
Derek and Steve talk Stephen King's the Talisman Part 2. — Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, Sleep & Sorcery and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com Check out Sleep & Sorcery, Laurel’s podcast for fantasy and folklore-inspired bedtime stories. Support on Patreon: patreon.com/sleepandsorcery If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Episode 137: Communism Is Just a Red Herring | Clue (1985), Whodunits & McCarthyism | 26 Jan 2020 | 00:59:03 | |
You’re probably wondering why we’ve gathered you all here today. Assume your alias, join us for champagne in the billiard room, and all will be revealed… This week, we’re discussing the outrageous 1985 black comedy Clue—the best movie based on a board game. This wacky film is equal parts sex farce and murder mystery, with a cast so star-studded it lights up any cable TV lineup. Through the jokes and conventions of Clue, we’ll explore the history of the Whodunit genre—especially the works of Agatha Christie—and its oft-overlooked ties to politics and social commentary. The characters in Clue may say Communism is just a red herring, but we’ll also reveal the significance of McCarthyism, the Red Scare, and blacklisting in the movie. Most importantly, we’ll reveal who did it, and where, and with what. Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| (Bonus) The Wheel of Ka: Episode 11, Song of Susannah Part Two | 24 Jan 2020 | 00:58:36 | |
Hello Fellow Travelers on the Path of the Beam, Derek and Steve are back at the next installment of the Wheel of Ka, talking the last half of Song of Susannah. Ever wonder if that sweet smelling dark looking BBQ place on the city block next to you is actually sheltering inter-dimensional monsters who are feasting on human flesh? Welcome to the Dixie Pig of episodes as your Ka-Tet breaks down the characters, scenarios and situations of Roland, Eddie, Jake and of course Susannah, can I get a God-Bomb? Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Episode 136: Revenge of the Giant Face | Inglourious Basterds, Alternate History & Revenge Tragedy | 19 Jan 2020 | 00:57:47 | |
Once upon a time in… the Midnight Myth Podcast studio, Derek and Laurel took on their first study of Quentin Tarantino with his 2009 masterpiece Inglourious Basterds. This alternate history of World War 2 paints a bloody picture of power and revenge in Nazi-occupied France. We follow two independent assassination plots on Hitler and the German high command, which converge, of all places, in a cinema. In this episode, Derek & Laurel interpret Inglourious Basterds as, by turns, a fairy tale, a Western, and a classical or Elizabethan revenge drama. We’ll discuss why Seneca the Younger was Ancient Rome’s version of Quentin Tarantino. We'll learn why QT likened Shosanna to Joan of Arc. We’ll dig into the ethical quandaries presented by this movie’s very existence. We’ll really put the music into “Enzo Gorlomi.” And we’ll barely scratch the surface. Recommended further reading.listening: Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Episode 135: This Is the Way | The Mandalorian, Westerns & Ancient History | 12 Jan 2020 | 00:59:36 | |
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, some wars were fought, a Jedi rose, and grand destinies were revealed. But what was happening just outside of that orbit? How did the many races and species of the galaxy fare when all was said and done? Disney Plus’s new Star Wars show The Mandalorian asks these questions, and gives us a few answers. We follow a lone bounty hunter from an ancient culture through worlds familiar and new on his unexpected quest. In this episode of the Midnight Myth, we explore the influence of the Western film genre—in particular the Spaghetti Western—on The Mandalorian, and discuss the similarities and differences of the mysterious Mandalorian culture to that of Ancient Sparta. This is the way. Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Episode 134: There Is Only Zuul | Ghostbusters (1984), Spiritualism & Ancient Near East History | 05 Jan 2020 | 00:53:01 | |
When there's something strange in your neighborhood, who ya gonna call? That’s right, friends, we are talking GHOSTBUSTERS! The original blockbusting comedy is full of supernatural insights, historical tie-in’s, and made-up mythology. We’ll discuss the foundations of Spiritualism in America in the 19th Century, from seances to parapsychology. We’ll visit the Ancient Near East to find out who they were really worshipping in 6,000 BCE. Who are Gozer, Zuul, and Vinz Clortho? What is Slimer made of? What happens when you cross the streams? All this and more feed into the climactic battle between the forces of this world and the next in Battlefield New York. I ain’t afraid of no ghost. Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Use code ‘HOLLY’ at checkout for free shipping! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Episode 133: The Journey Home | 2019 Year-in-Review | 29 Dec 2019 | 00:44:20 | |
We’ve made it to the end of a decade—and what a decade it was! Continuing our tradition, this episode is a Midnight Myth Year-in-Review. We’ll look back at our conversations through the year and identify the common themes, motifs, and memories. Three major franchises came to a kind of close this year, so watch out for ***SPOILERS for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Game of Thrones Season 8, and Avengers: Endgame.*** In our continued search for universal themes in storytelling, this year-end conversation helps us to gain some clarity and understand ourselves better through the stories we choose to tell. From us here at the Midnight Myth, we wish you a healthy, happy new year! Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Use code ‘HOLLY’ at checkout for free shipping! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Episode 132: You're a Mean One | Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas! & the History of Christmas | 22 Dec 2019 | 00:50:19 | |
Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot, but the Grinch, who lived just North of Whoville… did NOT. Welcome, friends, to another Midnight Myth Christmas Special! This is our favorite time of year, in part due to the Winter holidays’ rich historical and folkloric tradition. Each year, we turn our eye to a beloved classic holiday story to identify its connections to universal themes. This year, we’re unpacking Dr. Seuss’s ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas!’ We’ll discuss the inspiration for the story, its roots in earlier Christmas classics like A Christmas Carol and A Visit from Saint Nicholas (’Twas the Night Before Christmas), and how the history of Christmas permeates its meaning. We’ll get in the time machine and explore Christmas in the Roman Empire, then learn more about real-world Grinches, the Puritans. We’ll even carve the roast beast. Whatever you celebrate this Solstice Season, we wish you a warm, safe, and happy occasion, and a blessed new year. Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Use code ‘HOLLY’ at checkout for free shipping! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| (Bonus) The Wheel of Ka: Episode Ten, Song of Susannah pt. 1 | 19 Dec 2019 | 01:01:15 | |
Welcome back, fellow travelers on the path of the Beam, and thank you for your patience as Derek and Steve prepared the next episode of the Wheel of Ka, say true? Say thank ya! This week is our first episode on Song of Susannah, and our 10th episode in the series. As we cross the milestone together, like a band of ancient cowboys crossing a magically opened door to another where and when, we sing the commala in unison! Our heroes are scattered in time and space, with Roland and Eddie battling familiar, but younger foes, Eddie and Jake are stranded in the future, watching out for the falling God-bombs, and Susannah fights the mysterious Mia for control over her own body. We are one step closer to the Tower, and will the final Beam fall? Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Use code ‘HOLLY’ at checkout for free shipping! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Episode 131: A Certain Point of View | Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Mythology & History | 15 Dec 2019 | 00:53:26 | |
Is C-3PO a god? Did Obi Wan tell the truth from a certain point of view? Can the worst of the worst, like Darth Vader, really be redeemed? In the final installment of our podcast series on the Star Wars Original Trilogy, we’re hopping on our speeder bikes for a joy ride through the Forest Moon of Endor. We’ll compare the teachings of the Jedi to the contradictory nature of real-world knighthood, discuss the basis of Ewok society, and track the formation and formalization of ritual in Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Use code ‘HOLLY’ at checkout for free shipping! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Episode 130: Old Man Yoda | Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, Mythology & Eastern Philosophy | 08 Dec 2019 | 00:58:59 | |
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away… In the second installment of our series on Star Wars and mythology, we’re unpacking the most powerful symbols in Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. Considered by most to be the best of the Star Wars movies, Empire has no shortage of philosophy and mythic symbolism to mine. We’ll explore the sacred space of darkness and light that Yoda inhabits on Dagobah, and compare his understanding of the Force—which draws deeply on Buddhist philosophy—to what we learned about it in Episode IV. We’ll meditate on the revelation of Luke Skywalker’s parentage—arguably one of the most important moments in cinema history—and its significance to the hero’s journey. Subscribe to our friends at the Pop Venture Family on YouTube, and listen to this episode for details on how to enter our joint Star Wars Funko Pop giveaway! Here is the video you’re looking for. Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Midnight Myth Meditation: Succession | 29 Jun 2023 | 00:53:59 | |
While we gather our notes for the continuation of our Wes Anderson series, enjoy this meditation on HBO’s recently wrapped Succession. What kind of tragedy unfolds in the high echelons of corporate America? Why does the “war of succession” story compel us, wherever or whenever it is set? — Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, Sleep & Sorcery and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com Check out Sleep & Sorcery, Laurel’s podcast for fantasy and folklore-inspired bedtime stories. Support on Patreon: patreon.com/sleepandsorcery If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Episode 129: Let It Go | Frozen, The Snow Queen & Scandinavian Folklore | 24 Nov 2019 | 01:09:03 | |
The snow glows white on the mountain tonight, not a footprint to be seen… Come with us to the fairy tale kingdom of Arendelle, the setting of Disney’s 2013 megabit: Frozen. Hot (or cold) on the heels of the release of Frozen’s long-awaited sequel, we’ll unpack the meaning of Anna and Elsa’s journey into the depths of winter. You’ll hear the story Frozen is inspired by—Hans Christian Andersen’s ‘The Snow Queen’—and an analysis of the changes Disney made to the source. We’ll talk trolls and magic in Norse myth and Scandinavian folklore. Together, we’ll try to understand Frozen’s place in the canon of Disney’s creative output—and in the fairy tale continuum. Subscribe to our friends at the Pop Venture Family on YouTube, and listen to Episode 128: Maclunkey for details on how to enter our joint Star Wars Funko Pop giveaway! Here is the video you’re looking for. Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Midnight Myth Time Machine | Episode 20: Dark & Full of Terrors | Stannis Baratheon, Greek Tragedy & Existentialism | 23 Nov 2019 | 00:59:48 | |
Welcome to the Midnight Myth Time Machine! Take one last trip down memory lane with us for this episode from June of 2017. “Ours is the fury.” These are the words of House Baratheon. Lords of the Stormlands, and House that brought about King Robert’s rebellion. Yes my friends, Derek and Laurel travel to the fantastic realm of Westeros, as they perform the first of many Game of Thrones character studies. The focus of the first study is Stannis Baratheon, younger brother of Robert, and his journey from second fiddle to claimant of the Iron Throne, perpetrator of filicide, and ultimately the one who brings ruin to his house. We learn that Stannis is not a unique figure, drawing upon his Greek mythological character archetype, and historical parallels. Perhaps the more fitting words for House Baratheon, “Go on, do your duty.” Subscribe to our friends at the Pop Venture Family on YouTube, and listen to Episode 128: Maclunkey for details on how to enter our joint Star Wars Funko Pop giveaway! Here is the video you’re looking for. Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Episode 128: Maclunkey | Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Mythology & Psychoanalysis | ***Giveaway*** | 17 Nov 2019 | 01:13:18 | |
In just over a month’s time, we’ll gather, along with millions across the globe, to partake in an ancient ritual: the viewing of Star Wars. The Rise of Skywalker, the conclusion to the epic Skywalker Saga, is just around the corner, so we’re going back to the source. In this discussion of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, we’ll work to decode the symbolic language in this myth for our time. Drawing on the work of Joseph Campbell, Sigmund Freud, C.G. Jung, and others, we’ll attempt to understand the true power and legacy of this beloved story. GIVEAWAY TIME! Subscribe to our friends at the Pop Venture Family on YouTube, and listen to THIS EPISODE for details on how to enter our joint ***Star Wars Funko Pop giveaway!*** Here is the video you’re looking for. Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Midnight Myth Time Machine | Episode 19: Don't Break the Rules | 14 Nov 2019 | 00:44:23 | |
It’s the Midnight Myth Time Machine! This episode originally aired in 2017. Ya know, there are rules to this. All of this. You can’t just go around doing what you want, saying what you want, podcasting what you want. Rules. Well, listen as Derek and Laurel debate the battle tactics of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Then, a discussion of how magical systems in storytelling relate to the world of American politics. Subscribe to our friends at the Pop Venture Family on YouTube, and stay tuned for details on our upcoming Star Wars giveaway collaboration! Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Episode 127: You Remind Me of the Babe (feat. Verbal Diorama!) | Labyrinth (1986), Myths, Fairy Tales & Puppets | 10 Nov 2019 | 01:40:32 | |
Turn back, listeners. Turn back. Unless you’re truly prepared for the epic team-up of Midnight Myth X Verbal Diorama! We’re thrilled to welcome Em on the podcast to discuss Jim Henson’s Labyrinth. We’ll try not to take anything for granted as we explore the technique, the enduring relevance, and the very David Bowie of it all. We’ll discuss Sarah, the fairy tale heroine who finds her own voice, Jareth, the Goblin King who sexually confused a generation, Sir Didymus of the Bog of Eternal Stench, the whereabouts of the Hoggle puppet, and so much more. Subscribe to our friends at the Pop Venture Family on YouTube, and stay tuned for details on our upcoming Star Wars giveaway collaboration! Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Midnight Myth Time Machine | Episode 18: Woman Inherits the Earth | Jurassic Park, Frankenstein & Climate Change | 06 Nov 2019 | 01:07:25 | |
This episode originally aired in 2017. This episode discusses the 90s class Jurassic Park. We are re-imagining the blockbuster classic as an intellectual treatise on the role humanity has on biological systems, as we grapple with manmade climate change. Derek & Laurel trace the evolution of the age-old conflict between man and nature, exploring Jurassic Park’s modern man vs. nature narrative (and its parallels to Mary Shelley’s classic story, Frankenstein). The debate is palpable, and reminds us of the many false actors in today’s turbulent climate change discourse. But don’t let it bum you out, cause there will always be sloths on the internet. At least, I hope. Subscribe to our friends at the Pop Venture Family on YouTube, and stay tuned for details on our upcoming Star Wars giveaway collaboration! Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Episode 126: Remember Remember | V for Vendetta, Shakespeare, History & Politics | 03 Nov 2019 | 01:09:20 | |
Remember, remember the Fifth of November, the Gunpowder Treason and Plot. I know of no reason the Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot. This week on the Midnight Myth, we’re exploring the 2005 film V for Vendetta—and what a treasure trove of theme, history, literature, and philosophy it is! We’ll unpack connections between the 1605 Gunpowder Plot and similar historical attempts at rebuilding society through destruction of the status quo. We’ll explain why V quotes so much Shakespeare, and why he makes Evey sit through The Count of Monte Cristo. We’ll discuss the implications of the troubling torture sequence and celebrate the film’s emotional impact. Subscribe to our friends at the Pop Venture Family on YouTube, and stay tuned for details on our upcoming Star Wars giveaway collaboration! Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| (Bonus) The Wheel of Ka: Episode Nine, Wolves of the Calla pt. 2 | 29 Oct 2019 | 01:12:53 | |
The Wheel of Ka returns with its final discussion on Stephen King’s the Dark Tower Book V: Wolves of the Calla. Your reliable hosts again discuss all the themes of this epic book from the lens of what the Dark Tower means and how this installment fits into the broader series. The second half of Book V sees the Ka-Tet working with the good folken to prepare Calla Bryn Sturgis for battle with the the deadly Wolves. From the Dogan, to trips to NYC to save the Rose, a mysterious plant deeply linked to the survival of the Tower, to learning that Walter, Flagg and Martin are all the same mysterious magical nemesis of Roland, Derek and Steve deliver the next stop on the quest, say thank ya, big-big. Subscribe to our friends at the Pop Venture Family on YouTube, and stay tuned for details on our upcoming Star Wars giveaway collaboration! Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Episode 125: Everybody Gonna Shine | Halloween Special! The Shining, Horror History & Philosophy | 27 Oct 2019 | 01:12:46 | |
Happy Halloween 2019! Come get snowbound with us on our 3rd annual Halloween Special. This year, we’re exploring one of the spookiest, scariest, and greatest horror films of all time, Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. Bringing insight from the source novel by Stephen King (who famously hated the screen adaptation so much he produced his own adaptation for television), we’ll wander the halls of the Overlook Hotel, peer into Room 237 and into the crumbling sanity of Jack Torrance. Also: history of Gilded Age resorts in America, philosophy of evil, and the short story that forms the basis for much of what makes The Shining so terrifying—Edgar Allen Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death. Subscribe to our friends at the Pop Venture Family on YouTube, and stay tuned for details on our upcoming Star Wars giveaway collaboration! Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Midnight Myth Time Machine | Episode 17: This Is the Girl: David Lynch, Mulholland Drive & Artistic Intent | 26 Oct 2019 | 01:02:59 | |
Welcome to the Midnight Myth Time Machine! This episode originally aired in May 2017. If you’re easing back into the world of “Twin Peaks” like we are, you’re ripe for a discussion of David Lynch’s 2001 masterpiece, “Mulholland Drive.” You might not realize just how much the two have in common. Spoilers abound as we take a trip down a lost highway, exploring some of Lynch’s major artistic themes and motifs as he develops as a filmmaker. Using Lynch as our blueprint, we make a case for the universal artist as an evolving thing, a person who wrestles with themes over time, allowing those themes to mature. Like our buddy Shakespeare. Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| (BONUS) The Wheel of Ka: The Talisman Part 1 | 16 Jun 2023 | 01:03:46 | |
Wheel of Ka Returns to talk Stephen King’s the Talisman — Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, Sleep & Sorcery and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com Check out Sleep & Sorcery, Laurel’s podcast for fantasy and folklore-inspired bedtime stories. Support on Patreon: patreon.com/sleepandsorcery If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Episode 124: Doomsday Clock | Watchmen (2009), History & Psychology | 20 Oct 2019 | 01:12:23 | |
Who watches the Watchmen? We did! This week on the Midnight Myth, we’re jumping down the massive rabbit hole that is Zack Snyder’s 2009 adaptation of the iconic graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. We analyze some of the film’s most fascinating and disturbed characters from a psychological and philosophical perspective, trying to learn what makes the Watchmen tick. It’s a landscape of real and imagined gods, human and institutional monsters. In the context of alternate history, we discuss the consequences of the counterfactual—what happened to the American Dream? It came true. Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Midnight Myth Time Machine | Episode 16: Stranger Things & the Science of Nostalgia | 18 Oct 2019 | 00:50:06 | |
Welcome to the Midnight Myth Time Machine! This episode was originally published in 2017. Man, it sure feels good when movies and tv remind me of my youth. What’s that called again? Nostalgia. Listen as Derek and Laurel deconstruct nostalgia as a story mechanic. To uncover how it can be utilized effectively, Derek and Laurel focus on the Netflix original series, Stranger Things and look at episode 5, The Flea and the Acrobat. We also explore the weaponization of nostalgia, which can be a manipulative tool in storytelling and in politics. Watch out for Midnight Myth boomerangs, because this episode will having you flying past the moon with lovable creatures in your bike basket before you know it! Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||
| Episode 123: Timey Wimey | Doctor Who's Weeping Angels, Theology & Quantum Theory | 13 Oct 2019 | 00:57:04 | |
Don't blink. Don't even blink. Blink and you're dead. They are fast, faster than you can believe. Don't turn your back, don't look away, and don't blink. Good luck. On this, the illustrious day of the anniversary of Derek & Laurel’s marriage, we’re going back to the story universe that brought us together in the first place: the BBC’s Doctor Who. In a new episode format, we’ll turn our unblinking eye to the occurrences of a particular Doctor Who monster: the Weeping Angels. First appearing in the episode Blink and in several subsequent episodes and stories, the Weeping Angels terrify in a way unique among the series’ villains. Taking the form of a comforting image, they can move lightning fast, but only when they’re not being observed. We’ll dive into the iconography and theology of angels (angelology, in fact), and the quantum physics behind the Angels’ ability in this fun new installment. Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Learn more about our upcoming Star Wars Funko Pop Giveaway by subscribing to our partners, the Pop Venture Family on YouTube! Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! | |||