Dark Discussions Podcast

In 2015, a new group of filmmakers, the Paz brothers, released a found-footage movie entitled JERUZALEM. After doing some TV work and one other feature film, this movie was the breakout that put them in the eye of many horror fans. Kinetic and incredibly fun, the movie received good reviews and a cult following. Now in 2019, their latest film, THE GOLEM, is a new direction for the brothers. Much more a quiet film, it also has received fine reviews.

In 1673, a small isolated Jewish community in Lithuania is fortunate to avoid the plague that seems to be affecting the surrounding gentile communities. As fear begins to grip their hostile neighbors, one woman decides to dabble in the black arts and create a golem, an animated guardian to protect her village. But much like in the past, such a creature can take on its own mind.

With its plot much like a drama, the film shows a different direction by the brothers. Though filled with a cast of mostly unknowns outside their native Israel, the film has been praised as technically well acted. Dark Discussions takes a look at this newly well received film and gives their opinion.

Director Christopher Landon has returned with a sequel to 2017’s surprise hit, HAPPY DEATH DAY. This time Landon not only directs but writes the screenplay for 2019’s HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U. This one is a direct sequel to the original and was somewhat of a surprise film to be greenlit. But with the success of the first, the movie was quickly produced and released in February of 2019.

Tree Gelbman once again is stuck in a timeloop. Murdered over and over in the first film, this time she discovers that there may be a more scientific reason why this is all occurring. With the help of her boyfriend Carter, his roommate Ryan, as well as sorority sister Danielle, the group tries to decipher how to stop her predicament. However, a new ripple has caused Tree to have her doubts on whether the solution is all that good.

Once again leads Jessica Rothe (as Tree) and Israel Broussard (as Carter) return. Also the entire cast from the first has returned. Rachel Matthews (as Danielle) has a scene stealing role, while Phi Vu (as Ryan) also returns in a much larger role. Unlike the prior film, this one seems to turn towards science fiction rather than horror, but generally the film keeps the feel of the first film intact. Dark Discussions takes a look and gives their thoughts.

Creepy kids, or deranged children in general, has been a staple as a horror sub-category for scary films. From the science fiction horror film CHILDREN OF THE DAMNED (1964) to the more recent films like JOSHUA (2007) or THE ORPHAN (2009), the subgenre has often reinvented itself. Now the new 2019 horror film, THE PRODIGY, has arrived to a new generation of fans.

Eight years ago, Sarah Blume gave birth to her new son Jackson. When she and her husband John take him home, they soon find that he is much more advanced and intelligent than most his age. Soon his behavior begins to turn more dissocial leading them to believe that their child may either be troubled or something worse.

The movie stars ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK’s Taylor Schilling as Sarah. Also of note is director Nicolas McCarthy, director of such notable genre films as THE PACT (2012) and AT THE DEVIL’S DOOR (2014). Dark Discussions takes a look at this new theatrical release and gives their thoughts.

Though in the movie business for some time, Dan Gilroy really hit it big with NIGHTCRAWLER (2014). Discussed on episode 161 of Dark Discussions, the film was rated the best genre film by our podcast that year. Now back with his new film, VELVET BUZZSAW (2019), this one debuted on the streaming service Netflix and has received very mixed opinions from critics and audiences alike.

When a mysterious man dies in the hall of his large apartment complex, an art dealer finds his body and calls the police. When she is told that he was an eccentric artist and all his paintings would simply be disposed of, she sneaks into the apartment and steals them prior to their removal. During her pilfering, she discovers that the man had been trying to destroy his work prior to his passing. Rather than fulfill the artist’s wishes, she begins selling them and all involved are now beginning to die mysteriously.

The large ensemble cast includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Toni Collette, John Malkovich, Billy Magnussen, among many others. Rather than focusing on a true lead, the movie moves about between characters not much unlike a Michael Crichton novel. Dark Discussions takes a look at this very unique film and gives their very varied thoughts on the movie.

The year 1971 was a very important year for cinema. Directors and screenwriters began pushing boundaries never seen in film before. That year such films as A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, DIRTY HARRY, and THE FRENCH CONNECTION released along with Sam Peckinpah’s STRAW DOGS. The film starred Dustin Hoffman and Susan George along with a number of British character actors such as David Warner.

David Sumner (Dustin Hoffman) and his young wife Amy (Susan George) move back to her Cornish home from mid-America so David can do work for a college grant that he was granted. What looks like a beautiful little town begins to haunt Amy as old acquaintances return to her life. Soon David’s own life is turned upside down when a group of handymen begin to upend his self-esteem. As time passes, his own relations with Amy turn sour only to be brought to a head when unforeseen circumstances upend their life.

One of the most controversial films of its day, the movie is now consider a classic in both cult and mainstream cinema. Peckinpah’s tale touches such topics as masculinity, small town versus big town, foreigners in a foreign land, classism, elitism, and colloquialism. Chosen by one of Dark Discussions patreon supporters, your co-hosts take a look at this very controversial movie.

In 2000, M. Night Shyamalan released UNBREAKABLE, a very brooding and slow film that at the time received mixed reviews. Yet, interest in the director and also the fairly strong story brought with it a cult following that gave the film a well deserved re-evaluation by many. Years later, in 2016, he made the sequel entitled SPLIT that was an instant success both critically and at the box office. Now, the third film, GLASS (2019), in what has now been dubbed the Eastrail 177 Trilogy, has been released.

With the disappearance of serial killer Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy), David Dunn (Bruce Willis) as the mysterious “superhero” Overseer heads out to the warehouse district of Philadelphia in search of Crumb. But unexpectedly Dr. Ellie Staple (Sarah Paulson) captures both of them so to try to cure them of their “super powers.” Soon after Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) better known as the supervillian Mr. Glass is transferred to the same facility so he too can be cured. But unforeseen circumstances happen that may change the future of not just the three but also the entire world.

Receiving very mixed reviews, GLASS was still able to dominate the box office its first two weeks in release. Starring the same cast, in the same universe of the prior films, the highly anticipated movie has continued both Shyamalan and production company Blumhouse’s financial success. Dark Discussions takes a look at the third film in the Eastrail 177 Trilogy and gives their critique.

We are already a month into 2019 and some good films have come out. But last year was a heck of a year too. Dark Discussions puts together their review of all that was good and bad in 2018. More than 75 different films were worthy enough to be considered as a top 20 movie in genre cinema.

Each of your five co-hosts put together a list of movies that were worthy of their own personal top films of the year. This included both a list of horror movies and a list of other speculative fiction films. Afterwards we then combined them and came up with Dark Discussions definitive lists of the best of 2018. Some obvious films like A Quiet Place and Hereditary appear but also little known films like Housewife, Mon Mon Mon Monsters, and Terrified were considered.

Also included are some of our listener choices and what they felt were the best of the year. And don’t forget our top and worst scenes, scream queens, breakout star, and anything else you can think of. Dark Discussions wraps up last year in a nice tight bow and gives their listeners a good many films to go out and search for.

There have been many films where people are stuck in some sort of game or scenario that leaves them in a life or death situation. Examples include THE BELKO EXPIRMENT, CUBE, 13 SINS, SAW, THE COLLECTOR, THE KILLING ROOM, and EXAM just to name a few. The very first mainstream release of 2019 is ESCAPE ROOM which itself follows the same concept.

Six individuals from different walks of life receive gifts to participate in an escape room; basically a form of LARP. The winner is guaranteed a ten thousand dollar prize if they can solve the puzzle. As the game begins, the participants find out that the game may not be a game at all, but a life or death trap. As people begin to die, each finds out their prior life events may actually be the reason they were picked in the first place.

The film is directed by Adam Robitel who had directed successful horror films THE TAKING OF DEBORAH LOGAN and INSIDIOUS: THE LAST KEY. And the movie brings together in starring roles genre favorites Deborah Ann Woll, Tyler Labine, and Logan Miller. With a fairly good critical rating and successful financially, some think it may be a new franchise. Dark Discussions takes a look at this latest film in the line of “game-themed” horror and gives their thoughts.

With January 2019 underway, it is time to visit what is coming this year to cinemas, video-on-demand platforms, as well as those genre films that are going straight to disc. Last year, horror seemed to dominate genre and there were a lot of great flicks. This year once again there seems to be a lot of great ones coming. Plus also more superhero flicks. Reboots and remakes and sequels are also arriving too.

Dark Discussions once again is back with their look forward to the new year and which films seem to interest them most. Some of the more high profile flicks spoken of include IT CHAPTER 2, PET SEMATARY, GODZILLA KING OF THE MONSTERS, as well as the new ANNABELLE film.

Some other flicks talked about include VELVET BUZZSAW, THE HOLE IN THE GROUND, UNDER THE SILVER LAKE and BRIGHTBURN. And then at the very end we list off other films and talk about some of the latest news about movies and genre cinema.

ERREMENTARI (2018) is an unusual film. Translated from its Basque language, the word means blacksmith. Rather than a straight horror film, it is based upon an old folklore tale entitled The Smith and the Devil, a legend where a smith makes a deal with the devil by offering his soul, but later is able to renege upon the deal with trickery. The new film, released in the United States by Netflix, uses this as a backdrop for a more personal message of the Basque people.

When the orphan girl, Usue, has her doll thrown over a property fence surrounding the hermit-like blacksmith, she sneaks inside the perimeter. Curiosity gets the most of her where she enters the domain of the recluse. While inside she finds a boy imprisoned in a cage. Being the kind soul she is, she tries desperately to free him before the blacksmith discovers her presence.

Much like many films released on Netflix, ERREMENTARI had little to no prior hype surrounding it. But it has gained some notice as the channel and its algorithm advertised it on its main page or after similar films. Dark Discussions takes a look at this very odd yet interesting film and gives their thoughts.