Dark Discussions Podcast

Another surprising Shudder exclusive, the film THE RANGER dropped earlier this year. A prototype throwback to the 1980’s slasher films, the movie changes it up a bit with some back story that is not expected in such movies. Actor Jeremy Holm who stars as the title character met members of the Dark Discussions Podcast at New England Scare-A-Con in June. Their interest in the film grew and they decided to take a look at it.

When Chelsea and her four friends flee a punk rock party when law enforcement raid it, her boyfriend Garth stabs a police officer. Now on the run, they head to a state park where her family has roots. Unfortunately for them, a local park ranger is there who has other things on his mind. And the results bring back Chelsea’s personal history that she has been running away from since she was a child.

Receiving fairly good reviews, the movie was directed by first time director Jenn Wexler. With a strong cast including Chloë Levine, the movie’s real star is Jeremy Holm in a dominating performance that has been drawing positive accolades from both critics and fans alike. But is the film solid? Dark Discussions gives their critique.

1997 was an interesting year for some performers. Both Al Pacino and Keanu Reeves were on a run of rejuvenating their careers. Charlize Theron would suddenly become a leading actress, and Connie Nielsen would do her very first English language film which would put her on the radar for many years. The film that brought them all together was the 1997 horror film, THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE.

Kevin Lomax (Keanu Reeves) is a defense attorney out of Gainsville, Florida. When a Manhattan law firm asks him to come to the city to help pick a jury for an important case, not only does he shine but he’s offered a full time position. His wife (Charlize Theron) pushes him to accept. But when they move there, Kevin’s new boss may be someone more than he lets on to be. And soon the Lomax’s life begins to spiral downwards.

The movie is directed by Taylor Hackford best known for such films as AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN (1982) and DOLORES CLAIBORNE (1995). And the screenplay was co-written by Tony Gilroy who directed such films as MICHAEL CLAYTON (2007) and THE BOURNE LEGACY (2012). Dark Discussions takes a look at this cult classic and gives their thoughts.

Kaiju monster movies or their kin have been around for over 90 years. KING KONG from 1933 may be the very first. While there were a number of “one off” films starring various monsters, one creature, Godzilla, has sprung a number of films in its franchise. As of 2019, the latest in the so called Monsterverse was released entitled GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS.

Monarch, an organization that tracks the giant monsters, is hit by a terrorist attack. Some of their technology is hijacked. Soon a number of kaiju are revived and begin to attack throughout the world. With his daughter disappearing, former Monarch doctor Mark Russell (Kyle Chandler) is brought back in to help track why this new wave of monster aggression is occurring. A question is presented whether or not there was an inside job that has caused the entire bedlam.

A follow up to the 2014 film GODZILLA, this new movie stars Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Charles Dance, and Ken Wanatabe. Unlike its predecessor, the movie has reviewed mixed reviews and its box office has been uneventful. Dark Discussions takes a look at this new film and gives their opinions.

Last year, at San Diego ComicCon, James Gunn was all set to announce his latest upcoming project. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, he had to pull out of the convention and the announcement never came. The latest film, though, was getting prepared for a 2019 release. That film turned out to be BRIGHTBURN, a film directed by David Yarovesky and written by screenwriters Brian Gunn and Mark Gunn.

After failing to conceive, the Breyers are blessed with an alien child that crashed landed on their Kansas farm. Not sure where he was from, they adopted the boy and brought him up as their own. Now twelve years old, Brandon suddenly discovers that he may have abilities not like other folks. Hidden away in the family barn, the spacecraft begins to transmit messages to him which may cause him to lose self-will.

The film is being compared to such movies as CHRONICLE (2012) as well as SUPERMAN (1978). With its plot of a young boy that actually may have super powers, the question is asked what would happen if he was bad? In excellent performances, the Breyers are played by Elizabeth Banks (SLITHER) and DAVID DENMAM (THE OFFICE). Dark Discussions takes a look at this new sci-fi horror film and gives their thoughts.

The “ghost story” is such a generic term. Does it mean phantoms, or poltergeists, or demons, or all of them together? Some of the defining moments in modern ghost cinema are THE RING (1988), THE CONJURING (2013), INSIDIUS (2010), and THE OTHERS (2001). The 2018 Argentinean film TERRIFIED became a Shudder exclusive and turned out to be one of the channels top Halloween films.

A small neighborhood on the outskirts of Buenos Aires suddenly becomes a hot bed for deaths and strange occurrences. A husband is arrested for the brutal death of his wife, a young boy is killed by a commuter bus, a neighbor locks himself up in his house and refuses to see anyone, and the body appears to have been dug up from the locally cemetery and left in the kitchen of a grieving family. A police inspector and three paranormal investigators team up to figure out what is going on.

Considered one of the more terrifying ghost stories in some time, the movie was named by many as one of the top horror films of last year. Dark Discussions placed it upon their own top ten best genre films of 2018. Your co-hosts have chosen it as their latest discussion topic. Join us and hear what we have to say.

You Know Nothing, Jon Snow: A Game of Thrones Podcast. A weekly podcast discussing the HBO fan favorite show, Game of Thrones.

You Know Nothing, Jon Snow: A Game of Thrones Podcast. A weekly podcast discussing the HBO fan favorite show, Game of Thrones.

There is no doubt Lars von Trier is a fantastic director (and screenwriter). His movies, though falling more towards the arthouse, have always been solid works of art. The issue with him is he seems to say silly things or alienate folks that are supposed to critique his movies. With his latest film, THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT (2018), some critics felt the film was a symbolic attack on them. Even with that, the movie generally has been able to overcome such criticism.

Jack is a serial killer. But to him, his murdering is a form of art. However, he is smart enough to know what he is. The need to kill keeps coming back, and his issues, including OCD, seem to haunt him. When he picks up a woman who has a flat tire, her rudeness causes him to snap. This is the beginning of his treacherous ways. In numerous acts, Jack is portrayed doing his dirty work while explaining to an unseen man his thought process as he goes about his day.

In a career defining performance by Matt Dillon, the movie once more shows why such critics like Roger Ebert had considered him one of his generation’s best actors. Almost having to carry the film all by himself, the role was assuredly worth award recognition. Dark Discussions takes a look at this very controversial film and gives their thoughts.

You Know Nothing, Jon Snow: A Game of Thrones Podcast. A weekly podcast discussing the HBO fan favorite show, Game of Thrones.

In 2005, the novel NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, written by Cormac McCarthy, was released. Oddly, the novel received mixed reviews since it was a departure from the author’s usual prose. Unlike his other works, this one had originally been written as a potential screenplay prior being turned into a novel. Almost immediately the Coen brothers took the property, writing the screenplay and adapted it into the 2007 film.

Llewelyn Moss, while hunting pronghorn in the desert of Southern Texas, stumbles upon the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong. When he leaves the scene with a million dollars of drug money, he soon has a group of cartel men and bounty hunters after him, including the peculiar Anton Chigurh. Sheriff Bell is soon piecing together what has happened and is on a journey to save Llewelyn before he lands up dead.

The cast includes Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, and Javier Bardem in leading roles. Considered by many to be one of the greatest thrillers of all time, the movie went on to win a number of awards. Now considered a classic, the movie continues to be listed on “best of” lists. Dark Discussions takes a look at this amazing film and gives their thoughts.