The Pod and the Pendulum – Details, episodes & analysis

This week we're all "abuzz" to start on a new franchise. We're dipping our toes back into classic horror with 1958's science fiction / horror tale of experimentation gone amuck with THE FLY. This is the film that made Vincent Price a horror icon (even though he's in a supporting role) and contains marvelous special effects, a fantastic creature reveal, and one of the most disturbing finales ever in a horror movie. This week Mike, Brian, and Nicole are joined by Shawn Murphy from the Men Who Like Men Who Like Movies podcast to talk B-movies, the ethical dilemmas in science research The Fly raises, how the film reflects the status of disabled persons during this time and why those last five minutes still pack a nightmarish wallop. 

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Our last batch of film coverage from Fantasia, plus an interview with Adams family directing team on their new feature Hell Hole. premiering on Shudder August 23rd.  

This week we start a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup of a franchise where found footage and anthologies are smashed together into one horrific format. Mike, Rachel, Stephen and special guest Tucker (Disenfranchised podcast) talk about of of the grimiest series we've covered to date as we tackle  V/H/S/. Now six entries (and two spinoffs) deep, this started out as a showcase for some of horror's up-and-coming directors to show their stuff in short form. The first entry alone features Ti West (X, Pearl, Maxxxine), Adam Wingard (Godzilla vs Kong), David Bruckner (Hellraiser), and Radio Silence (Scream VI, Abigail). The results can be uneven, but when they work V/H/S can be a hell of a lot of fun. Also, is this the most dirtbag of all the franchises? We discuss. 

This week the gang is infiltrated by the Illuminati to tell you there's nothing to see here except perhaps one of the most understood slasher sequels of all time. Is this maligned, underseen, box-office bomb starring pre-stardom Rene Zellweger and Matthew Mcconaughey secretly brilliant? Listen now and find out 

Mike and Jessica are joined by Andrew Fabry of The Dead Letter Movie podcast to talk Leatherface, the third entry in the Chainsaw series and the first of two movies with that title. As the 80s closed and the box office fortunes of Freddy and Jason began to taper off, New Line Cinema needed a new hit franchise. Picking the bones of Cannon films, they thought they'd have a name brand icon that they could release a string of hit horror movies on. Were they right? Well, sort of since they keep making these things. This time out we talk how studio interference and an out flor blood MPAA cut this one out at the knees before it could even get up and running. 

How do you follow up one of the scariest, most unnerving movies of all time? By making a straight up comedy of course! This week, Mike and Stephen take a long look at a movie that was a decade plus in the making. From diving into the behind the scenes troubles that nearly torpedoed the movie, rating Stretch as a final girl, trying to determine just how much blow Dennis Hopper was on during filming, to examining why this one works, even if its a dramatic shift in tone and tenor. Spoiler: IT'S ALL IN THE MEAT. 

The second half of our discussion gets to the good stuff. We talk about the most iconic introduction of a horror villain ever committed to the big screen, the insanity of the dinner party, have it out over Franklin, discuss the social, economic, and political factors that influenced the making of this movie and examine its legacy. With guests Brian Keiper, Devaughn Taylor and Nichole Goble. If you haven't already, go back and check out part one. 

This week we kick off a brand new franchise with the greatest horror movie of all time, Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. This episode promises to be a massive one, and we've broken our talk down into multiple parts. For part one, we talk about the confluence of events that went into Hooper and writer Kim Henkel's script, the absolute hell it was to make this movie, where Hooper ranks amongst the masters of horror and start breaking down some of the iconic moments of the movie. Mike is joined by regulars Devaughn Taylor (The Bloody Blunts Cinema Club), Brian Keiper (Movies For Life), and guest Nichole Goble (Bodies of Horror) to talk Leatherface and family. We also ask, "Is Franklin as bad as we all say he is?" (Mike says hell yes). We'll be back with another massive installment and the second half of our talk soon. 

This is the bonus show Mike has wanted to record for a long time. This week, Jessica Scott comes on to talk about her love for 1999's dark comedy and cult classic Jawbreaker, a movie about some real mean girls that aren't above covering up a murder or two. After that Mike talks about the might Jawbreaker-the three piece punk/emo stalwarts from the East Bay. It's Mike's all time favorite band and while it might not be an in depth critical examination of their music, it certainly gets him right in the feels. 

We bring you the second half of our dive into 2022's SCREAM. This week we look at how the legacy characters fare, why this is Dewey's movie, explore the nature of fandom, talk about what we want next, and ask what the hell a requel is anyways?