Shoot The Hostage

Messiah of Evil - S15 E116

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Welcome back to the second stop on Sarah’s tour of liminal space movies, and this week we’re descending into the 1973 cult cinema classic, Messiah of Evil. It’s the film that sparked this entire season, and while it might have sat on a shelf for years, it’s currently having a bit of a second coming on the pod.

We’re breaking down the dreamlike logic of Point Dune (formerly new Bethlehem) and exploring why this film feels so much like David Lynch’s style, even though it was hitting screens before Eraserhead was a glimmer in Lynch’s eye. We discuss directors Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck ambitious artistic vision and how editor Scott Conrad (of Rocky fame) managed to piece together such an atmospheric experience from a production that literally ran out of money.

Beyond the hanging beds and important Mr Blobby tangents, we wade through the claret to get to the iconic supermarket scene to discuss the consumerist ghoul angle. Dan finds a rare moment of connection between the film’s hand-painted murals and his own Dad’s late-night black-tape art projects, while Sarah defends the Dick Smith neon-lurid blood recipe as peak 70s cinema aesthetic.

What to expect in this episode:

  • A breakdown of why Walter Hill’s throat-slitting open features the loudest shoe foley in the history of cinema.
  • Sarah explains why the weird movies energy of Messiah of Evil was the specific catalyst for this entire season of liminal space movies.
  • Dan reveals why he’d rather be watching Noel’s House Party.
  • Discussion around the true liminal space horror of derelict theme parks and Mr Blobby World.
  • The obvious but necessary comparisons to David Lynch.
  • We explore the logistical genius of the hanging bed and why it’s the ultimate space-saver unless you live in the Sistine Chapel.
  • Sarah geeks out over the peak 70s era production design, including the Michael Greer white suit and those polyamorous drifter arrangements.
  • We suggest which scenes would have been improved with swapping characters out for clones of Noel Edmunds in a Mr Blobby costume.

    • This season has eight episodes, concluding July 6th

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