Imported Horror

The ending of Patrick Graham's Ghoul left us grinning, but also with a few lingering questions. Marcus and Melissa explore the dystopian supernatural horror.

Spoilercasts are short bonus episodes that break down spoilers and endings for movies and television shows covered in previous episodes. We highly recommend you listen to the previous full episode on Ghoul before listening to this spoilercast.

Ever wonder what's scarier than a black site detention center in a fascist dictatorship? Try an Islamic ghoul bent on exposing the guilt and shame of the interrogators. This week, Marcus and Melissa geek out about George Orwell and Patrick Graham's "Ghoul," a dystopian horror that's light on gore and deep on psychological unease. The also both miss Jon Stewart and wonder how Dana Scully would fare in a dictatorship.

Motion Picture Terror Scale: 3 (Marcus) / 3 (Melissa). Quality: 4/4. Did my future wife watch this movie? No. Does it pass the Bechdel Test? Yes.

Articles mentioned in this episode:

Subversive, Artistic and Rooted: The New Hindi Horror Film, by Sankhayan Ghosh and Gayle Sequeira in Film Companion

'Ghoul' Director Patrick Graham: 'I wanted to bring a new, old legend to the forefront,' by Udita Jhunjhunwala in Scroll.in

13 quotes from George Orwell's 1984 that resonate more than ever, by Joel Willans in Ink Tank

Jon Stewart: 'I'm doing a movie about torture - I'm not being tortured,' by Paul MacInnes in The Guardian

Ever wonder what's scarier than a black site detention center in a fascist dictatorship? Try an Islamic ghoul bent on exposing the guilt and shame of the interrogators. This week, Marcus and Melissa geek out about George Orwell and Patrick Graham's "The Ghoul," a dystopian horror that's light on gore and deep on psychological unease. The also both miss Jon Stewart and wonder how Dana Scully would fare in a dictatorship.

Jennifer Kent's The Babadook says a great deal about mental illness. So does its ending. Marcus and Melissa break down the ending and the metaphor at the heart of the film.

Spoilercasts are short bonus episodes that break down spoilers and endings for movies and television shows covered in previous episodes. We highly recommend you listen to the previous full episode on The Babadook before listening to this spoilercast.

Jennifer Kent's The Babadook says a great deal about mental illness. So does its ending. Marcus and Melissa break down the ending and the metaphor at the heart of the film.

Spoilercasts are short bonus episodes that break down spoilers and endings for movies and television shows covered in previous episodes. We highly recommend you listen to the previous full episode on The Babadook before listening to this spoilercast.

Don't look up - there might be a dapper monster skittering across your ceiling. Don't look down - it might be in the creepy pop-up book you're reading to your child. Marcus and Melissa dive deep into Jennifer Kent's "The Babadook," a terrifying film that combines stunning visuals with a surprisingly realistic take on mental illness. Also, they discuss the Babadook's post-movie life as a gay icon and liken the film to the Persian-language "Under the Shadow."

Quality: 5 (Marcus) / 5 (Melissa). Motion Picture Terror Scale: 5/4+ Did my future wife watch this movie? Nope. Does it pass the Bechdel Test? Yes.

Articles mentioned in this episode:

"10 Surprising Facts About The Babadook," by Garin Pirnia in Mental Floss

Don't look up - there might be a dapper monster skittering across your ceiling. Don't look down - it might be in the creepy pop-up book you're reading to your child. Marcus and Melissa dive deep into Jennifer Kent's "The Babadook," a terrifying film that combines stunning visuals with a surprisingly realistic take on mental illness. Also, they discuss the Babadook's post-movie life as a gay icon and liken the film to the Persian-language "Under the Shadow."

Luca Guadagnino's Suspiria paints a haunting portrait of consent and female empowerment. It also has a confusing ending. Melissa, a first generation American from an Italian family, explains the film's conclusion and compares it to the surprisingly different 1977 original. Also, Marcus is flabbergasted by Tilda Swinton's powers of deception.

Spoilercasts are short bonus episodes that break down spoilers and endings for movies and television shows covered in previous episodes. We highly recommend you listen to the previous full episode on Suspiria before listening to this spoilercast.

Suspiria paints a haunting portrait of consent and female empowerment. It also has a confusing ending. Melissa explains the film's conclusion and compares it to the surprisingly different 1977 original. Also, Marcus is flabbergasted by Tilda Swinton's powers of deception.

Spoilercasts are short bonus episodes that explore endings for movies covered in previous episodes. We highly recommend you listen to the previous full episode on Suspiria before listening to this spoilercast.

An ancient coven of witches masquerades as a prominent dance troupe during the day - but at night, they're far more interested in human sacrifice, nudity and the macabre. Luca Guadagnino's remake of the Italian cult classic exploits darkness and 70s film techniques to compose deep feelings of dread in near constant motion, both physically and metaphorically. Marcus and Melissa debate whether this film tries too hard to be deep or succeeds by bringing rich allegories to the screen, and how many of its messages are rooted in the modern political moment. Also, Marcus offends the hell out of Melissa by calling a classic 80s movie "mediocre" but they agree that 50 Shades of Grey was an abusive train wreck.

Motion Picture Terror Scale: 4 (Marcus) / 3+ (Melissa). Quality: 5/4. Does it pass the Bechdel test? A thousand times yes. Did my future wife watch this movie? Yes!