The Midnight Myth Podcast

It has come. With It released, Derek and Laurel peek under the belly of all the ghouls, goblins, and ghosts going bump in the night. This week on the Midnight Myth, the subject is horror; where horror stories come from and why they scare us. In particular, the podcast focuses on the scary clown and how Stephen King turns the childhood favorite into a monster that keeps you up at night. With a few “boomerangs” to keep you on your toes, this week gets to the bottom of horror and how it stands the test of time as part of the perfect story.

Our histories and our stories are intertwined, and often visual media, such as film, becomes the conduit by which we contextualize our past. This week, we examine the film Gangs of New York from director (legend) Martin Scorsese and how it brings nativists philosophy to the forefront fighting for control over the grimy slums of 1860s New York City, right as the Civil War ravages the south. Part of a multi-parter exploring this particular moment in our nation’s past from a multitude of perspectives— and learning to understand the real-world implications of historical fiction.

We never thought we’d nearly cry over the death of a fire breathing, scale covered, flying monster that can burn and eat people alive. Somehow, that happened. What am I talking about? Dragons— the darling of the fantasy world, and the monster that so many great heroes have had to over come. Yet, somehow in the Game of Thrones they have become characters that the audience empathizes with. How did this happen? This week, listen as we talk about he history of Dragons and how Game of Thrones turned them from evil beasts to emphatic heroes.

From the winding streets of Rome to the cobbled alleys of Philadelphia, our histories are always just beneath our feet as we follow the well-worn tread of those generations that came before us. This week, Derek & Laurel explore the most powerful historical narratives of Western culture and their inextricable ties. In the end, all roads truly do lead to Rome and two monolithic figures: Jesus Christ and Julius Caesar, whose archetypes continue to resonate throughout Western storytelling. Untangling some of the powerful mysteries of the Roman Empire and the Catholic Church, we also turn our eyes to what we can learn about ourselves in the stories we’ve always told.

When at the brink, we often look for a unifying philosophy that sums up the experience of our confusion and pain, while pointing us towards a better moral life— a life that bring conscience, direction, and purpose. We at the Midnight Myth may have found those words:

“Life’s a piece of shit when ya look at it.”

Join us as we jump into the obscure and silly world of Monty Python and The Life of Brian. Nothing is scared as we peel apart what makes this movie so damn smart, funny, loony, and insightful.

We haven’t done comedy before, so don’t laugh at us (nudge nudge, wink wink)!

Derek and Laurel have returned from traveling the great wide world and bring you another episode about a favorite character who travels the great wide universe. In our second Doctor Who case study, we focus not only on the Doctor himself, but an unexpected friend, the painter Vincent Van Gogh. In Season 5, Episode 10 of the beloved BBC series, we explore questions of madness, alienation, loneliness, and ecstatic joy. Most importantly, we ask, what does it take to be a truly great artist?

Derek and Laurel are back from Europe. We've missed you guys and we want to jump in with a full game episode. It is a battle of wits, words, creativity, and nerdiness. Who will emerge victorious, what is the format, how does this battle even work? Listen my friends, and all will be revealed.

So when the shit hits the fan, and the world collapses around you, what do you do? You form a totalitarian regime bent on exploiting the weak to propagate the powerful. Listen this week as Derek and Laurel tackle the modern dystopia. In particular, they examine Margaret Atwood’s landmark novel-turned-blockbuster-hit from Hulu, The Handmaid’s Tale. It’ll be another exciting ride in the search for the perfect story!