STORIES TELLING STORIES

Ambrose Bierce, held in regard for his skill in horror writing alongside contemporaries Poe and Lovecraft, is a fascinating figure who died with nearly as much fascination as he lived... Today we examine one of his lesser-known horror stories... THE BOARDED WINDOW... on episode 6 of LOCKED IN A VACANCY...

Dramatic reading by Eric R Hill

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Jim Ross

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This week on LOCKED IN A VACANCY we chat about the ongoing effects of lockdown on our mental and emotional health, and tackle a dramatic reading of Ray Bradbury's short story "THE FOG HORN."

Dramatic Reading by Eric R Hill

As always, a HUGE shoutout to our Patrons

JIM ROSS

Stay Safe, Stay Healthy, Stay Home, and as always, Stay Whimsical!

Another week in isolation... this time we look at a story by Ernest Hemmingway that tells the tale of a soldier, home from The Great War and feeling lost and disconnected from his life. Nothing is interesting, he has no desire to do ANYTHING... a feeling a lot of us can relate to right now.

Dramatic reading by Eric R Hill

HUGE THANKS TO OUR PATRONS!

Jim Ross

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LOCKED IN A VACANCY ep3 has series producer Eric R Hill discussing the latest developments in the ongoing "Stay Home" order in his state, plus the disastrous economic impacts that could come if, as planned, three of the Vermont State Colleges close... He then takes us through a dramatic reading of H.G. Wells' incredible work "The Door in the Wall."

Written by H.G. Wells

Produced and Presented by Eric R. Hill

LOCKED IN A VACANCY ep2 discusses the brilliant but short-lived life of Anton Chekhov and dives into a dramatic re-telling of his classic short story "The Bet"

Read by Eric R Hill

STS PRESENTS: LOCKED IN A VACANCY: a new miniseries that examines stories of isolation and solitude through discussion and staged reading. In Episode 1 we examine Edgar Allan Poe's penultimate work "The Cask of Amontillado"

STS producer Eric R Hill sits down with friend and guest reader Rickshaw Tom for a wine-fueled discussion about Poe's best works, the current covid-19 / corona virus pandemic, being in lockdown and isolation, and how perspectives on these characters have changed as we grew from kids to adults.

“You think I give a shit what these kids think about me?”

There’s nothing to do when you’re locked in a vacancy, so sayeth John Bender, played harshly and artfully by the indelible Judd Nelson. The Breakfast Club is a legendary piece of 80’s cinema, sandwiched between Sixteen Candles and Weird Science, and serves as the crown jewel of the Brat Pack collection. Disagree? B.O.O...H.O.O… John Hughes was a juggernaut of cinema and a triple threat behind the camera, serving as writer, director, producer or any combination thereof. But where Hughes’ talent really shined was on the page. His dialogue was poignant but timeless, natural yet finely crafted, and the characters he created weren’t stymied by the tawdry archetypes that plagued 80’s cinema… which afforded his films a timelessness to which few others of the era can compare. Aside from the prevalence of cell phones and what would constitute detention vs being arrested on school grounds in the 21st century, the Breakfast Club is just as fresh and relevant today as it was on that fateful morning in 1984.

“Does Barry Mannilo know that you raid his wardrobe?”

Principal Richard Vernon, who himself is sacrificing his entire Saturday to monitor detention, approaches this rag-tag group of misfits, each a wrongdoer in their own way, broken up by the social hierarchy of high school, and assigns them a task to occupy their time… an essay… written to him and due before they leave, describing to him who they think they are… with specific instructions for the cunning Bender who would otherwise find a loophole to exploit. Although the film ends with only Brian writing an essay, on behalf of the group, and while he’s shown counting all 1,000 words, we only hear a select few as the film draws to a close, and the iconic Simple Minds anthem carries the kids home.

“Come on Sport-o, level with me, do you slip her the hot beef injection?”

Does Principle Vernon always have to monitor Saturday detention or is he merely filling in? Did he really bribe Carl with the $50 he asked for to keep his mouth shut? And Bender and the Princess? That would never last… shoulda been the Basketcase… This is… DEAR MR VERNON, as read by Anthony Michael Hall and the cast of THE BREAKFAST CLUB, on STORIES TELLING STORIES...

“Itchy tasty”

Gaming in the late 90’s was turned on its head when RESIDENT EVIL was released on the original playstation. While zombie games weren’t unheard of, the “survival horror” genre was still relatively unexplored territory. But visionary director Shinji Mikami put the gaming world on notice as he brilliantly weaved puzzles, silence, fixed angles, limited save states, and crap 32-bit graphics into a package that was incredibly fun, engaging, and having wickedly high replayability.

The original Resident Evil (or Biohazard in its native Japan) tells the first chapter in an ongoing story of the Umbrella Corporation’s biotech research in developing the “T-Virus” that breached the walls of the primary facility and infected neighboring Racoon City. Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine, elite members of the S.T.A.R.S taskforce, are dispatched to investigate the disappearance of their team members, stumbling across an old mansion, and having to face the horrors within.

Of the numerous books and documents you uncover as the story progresses, one has always stuck with me… a diary written by the caretaker of the mansion, which documents the effects of the T-Virus infection in his blood and the slow decline in his cognitive ability, until he’s able to utter only single words before losing the ability to write all together…

If a “cure” for the virus was found, would it work to bring back those already deemed zombies? Do you think the caretaker was cognitive of how bad it really was? And would you let the virus run its course or would you take matters into your own hands before it was too late? This is… The Keeper’s Diary, from Resident Evil 1… as read by generic video game voice actors, on Stories Telling Stories...

“Itchy itchy scott came, ugly face, so killed him...”

Stories Telling LOVE Stories is a special Holiday Production of Stories Telling Stories, produced in association with Seeing ReDD productions and STS-Media Group. Be sure to LIKE us on Facebook and give us a follow on Instagram at STORIESTELLINGSTORIES. There’s also a Patreon page where you can show your support for the show and have a say in future episodes! That’s it for now! I’ll see you all next time. And until then… stay whimsical!

“It’s a coffee table book…”

Welcome back to STORIES TELLING STORIES! It is now SEASON 3 and we’re coming hot off the tails of our most successful month and successful year to date! For some reason beyond my understanding, our Season 1 holiday episode A PETER GRIFFIN CHRISTMAS absolutely exploded this year, garnering hundreds of listens a day and helping bring our yearly count to almost 20,000 for 2019! Amazing! For everyone that checked us out and continues to support the podcast, all I can say is thank you!

Looking ahead at what’s to come in SEASON 3, we’re going to do a deeper dive into video game stories, with selections from Skyrim, and both new-and-old classics. We’re also going to branch into some classic cinema and tie in more holiday-centric episodes. But we’re not losing sight of our roots, as we’re launching this season with another story from the inspirational source of this podcast… this is… “100 GIRLS I’D LIKE TO PORK” from “Throw Momma From the Train” on Stories Telling Stories…

As I’ve no doubt explained this film several times in this podcast, I’ll spare you the specifics. Billy Crystal’s professor Donner is a community college instructor, teaching a creative writing course. Of the colorful class of characters, one who always stood out to me was MR PINSKY, who notably produces a piece of… literature… for class, which amounts to a list of 100 girls he’d like to… hmm… This simple bit of “fantasy” spurs a lively debate in the class and, as we discover at the end of the movie, actually gets turned into a “coffee table book” as Pinsky described. Will wonders never cease!

For a film that came out in the 80’s, will today’s audience even recognize his choices? Is Mrs Hazeltine so judgemental because she didn’t make the list? And what did Professor Donner think of the published copy that eventually landed in his lap? This is… “ MR PINSKY’S 100 GIRLS I’D LIKE TO PORK” from Throw Momma from the Train, written and read by Professor Donner's creative writing class... on Stories Telling Stories…

“Maybe I should… change the title?”