Dark Discussions Podcast

David Warner was one of the most prolific actors in movies these last sixty years.  For horror and thrillers, many know him for the role of Keith Jennings in the classic horror film, THE OMEN (1976).  He was a lead actor at times but was able to carve out a career as a character actor, and in many cases very unlike the good guy he played in THE OMEN.  His performance in the cult classic film TIME AFTER TIME (1979) cannot be forgotten.

In the year 1893 London, the author of the novel THE TIME MACHINE, H.G. Wells (Malcolm McDowell), has actually created a time machine.  While showing it to his friends including Dr. John Leslie Stevenson (David Warner), the police arrive saying that the doctor is actually the notorious Jack the Ripper. Fleeing into the future, H.G. Wells must follow Stevenson and stop his murderous ways.

The movie stars Malcolm McDowell, David Warner, and Mary Steenburgen.  The film became a cult classic as it played often back in the early days of HBO.  David Warner, on July 24th, 2022 passed away at the age of eighty years old.  Dark Discussions pays tribute to the marvelous actor and discuss TIME AFTER TIME.

A Weekly discussion of your favorite TV show, Westworld.

A Weekly discussion of your favorite TV show, Westworld.

The Macedonian film, YOU WON’T BE ALONE (2022), made its film premiere at Sundance 2022 where it got much notice.  The film, having a ensemble cast, including Noomi Rapace, was picked up by Focus Features and released through VOD (and a limited theater run) in April.  Most certainly arthouse, the movie is considered a horror film with its violent creature transformations and the inclusion of a witch.

Nevena (Sara Klimoska) was promised to the witch Maria (Anamaria Marinca) as a baby by her mother.  Her mother hides her in a cave, but on Nevena’s sixteenth birthday, the witch comes back and takes her by force.  Feral and having no social life these last fifteen years, Nevena has to learn on her own what it is to be both a witch and a human if she is to survive.

With over 100+ reviews on the Rottentomatoes website, the film has a strong 93% approval.  The movie is directed and written by Goran Stolevski, as his full-length motion picture directorial debut.  The cast includes Sara Klimoska, Anamaria Marinca, Alice Englert, Carloto Cotta, and Noomi Rapace.  Dark Discussions takes a look at this foreign language film and gives their thoughts.

A Weekly discussion of your favorite TV show, Westworld.

Faux-documentaries such as THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (1999) fall into found footage as well.  There have been many of both (or a combination of both) since due to their inexpensive ability to film and produce.  The 2021 film HOWARD’S MILL is one of the latest that actually got some notice with its well presented format.

A plot of abandoned farmland in Tennessee called Howard’s Mill has been used as a picnic or hobbiest dream.  Quite, peaceful, and beautiful landscape, one hobbyist and his wife bring their metal detectors to search for lost “treasure”.  When the wife goes missing, he is suspected in her disappearance.  Soon, a the documentary crew looking into her loss discover that the farmland has also been a place of multiple disappearances in the last 100 years.

The faux-documentary was co-written and directed by Kaiser Whitmire and Shannon Houchins.  The movie stars Josefina M. Boneo, Mark Cabus, and Jeremy Childs.  The film is available for VOD rental and on video channels such as TUBI.  Dark Discussions takes a look at this interesting film and gives their thoughts.

A Weekly discussion of your favorite TV show, Westworld.

MISERY (1990) was the perfect film for Hollywood.  The movie is an adaptation of a Stephen King novel, the film was directed by one of Hollywood’s top directors at the time (Rob Reiner), the screenplay was written by legend William Goldman, and the film starred acting legend James Caan.  With James Caan’s passing, the podcast has decided to pay tribute to the actor by discussing this classic horror film.

When novelist Paul Sheldon (James Caan) finishes his latest manuscript, while driving the winter roads of Colorado, he loses control of his Mustang and crashes into a ditch.  Nurse Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates) rescues him.  While being taken cared of at Wilkes’ home, Sheldon waits patiently for the winter snow to melt so an ambulance can take him to the local hospital.  Unfortunately, Annie has different plans.

The film also stars Kathy Bates in her award winning performance of the unhinged Annie Wilkes.  The cast includes Richard Farnsworth, Lauren Bacall, and Frances Sternhagen.  The film was an instant classic and is considered one of the best horror films of the 1990’s.  Dark Discussions pays tribute to James Caan and gives their thoughts on the movie.

A Weekly discussion of your favorite TV show, Westworld

It’s hard to believe that the now classic horror flick SINISTER (2012) is over a decade old.  The film put together director and co-screenwriter Scott Derrickson, co-screenwriter C. Robert Cargill, and actors Ethan Hawke and James Ransone together for what would not be the only time.  Now in 2022, their new film has come out and has received good reviews.  The movie, THE BLACK PHONE (2022), based off a short story by Joe Hill, was released to theaters in late June, 2022.

Finn and his younger sister Gwen live with their widower father.  For a year, their home town outside Denver, Colorado has been plagued by a child abductor given the name “The Grabber” by the press.  When Finn’s friend disappears, people fear the worse.  Soon, the town is in panic as children keep disappearing to never return.

The movie has received fine reviews, including a four out of four star from the Roger Ebert website.  Scott Derrickson left doing the latest Dr. Strange film to pull this remarkably solid horror film together.  Dark Discussions takes a look at this period piece (that takes place in 1978) and gives their thoughts.