The Pod and the Pendulum: A Horror Movie Podcast

By Mike SnoonianTV & Film Film Reviews Film History

The Pod and the Pendulum: A Horror Movie Podcast episodes

December 13, 2021 GREMLINS 2: THE NEW BATCH
After the success of Gremlins, a sequel seemed inevitable. Yet despite the massive box office success and pop culture impact of the first movie, it seemed like no one aside from the accounting department at Warner Brothers wanted to make the new thing. It took a lot of coaching, a massive upgrade in pay and the promise to let him do anything he wanted as long as Gizmo and gremlins were involved to get Joe Dante behind the camera for another go-round.

The result? Perhaps the best middle finger to corporate movie making we’ve ever been blessed with. The New Batch takes everything we loved about the first movie, cranked the dial to eleven and added in heaping servings of critiques on consumerism and mass media. That the film was a minor disappointment at the box office doesn’t matter. In fact, Dante seemed to relish in the movie underperforming at the box office, as it proved his point there was no great need for more of these films.

Over the years The New Batch has received a revaluation, with critics and fans lauding Dante’s subversive and cynical sense of humor. Gremlins 2 is the closest marriage of the classic Bugs Bunny cartoons with the gross-out terror of EC Comics. Adding Rick Baker to create the gremlin creatures for the second go-round allowed for a more diverse cast of critters imbued with their own personalities and idiosyncrasies that managed to improve on an already near-flawless movie monster. It’s a classic that just gets better with every viewing.

This week we’re joined by Kay Lynch. Kay is the director of the Salem Horror Festival, which just wrapped it’s fifth season with massive in-person and virtual programs. Also joining us is Rachel Reeves, co-host of The Losers’ Club podcast and writer whose bylines have appeared on Rue Morgue, Consequence of Sound, and Dread Central among others.

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1 hr 45 min
December 02, 2021 GREMLINS (Part 2 of 2)
We're back this week to wrap up our discussion of Joe Dante's GREMLINS. As we get deeper into the movie we talk how it nails seasonal depression and just how hard the holidays can be for some people. We also talk some of the complicated racial stereotypes that are played for laughs in this movie, how Randall Peltzer embodies the mediocre white dude, and the unbridled chaotic energy of the bar and Snow White scenes. Brian Keiper of Movies for Life and Stephen Foxworthy of the Disenfranchised pod are back as guests.

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1 hr 19 min
November 29, 2021 GREMLINS (Part 1 of 2)
This movie is so massive we had to break our talk about it into two shows. Mike is joined by longtime friends of the pod Brian Keiper (Movies for Life podcast, Dread Central) and Stephen Foxworthy (Disenfranchised podcast) to talk about the 1984 horror comedy classic that thrilled and scarred children for life. We’re talking Gremlins.

For the first part of our discussion, we talk about how this movie got made, where 1984 ranks in terms of best years ever for a movie and why the children’s movies from this era still resonate nearly four decades later. We break down whether Joe Dante is Martin Scorsese for the B-movie crowd and how Spielberg lent his magic touch to this one. We discuss the rules around the Mogwai and why that kitchen scene still scares the bejesus out of us today.

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1 hr 18 min
November 10, 2021 MOM & DAD w/ guests Caged In Podcast
As we take a break in November to relax, retool and come back, we're releasing a bit of our patreon content so you still have new-to-you shows to listen to. In December, we'll be back with GREMLINS/GREMLINS 2

This week, we're releasing Mom & Dad from the vaults. This batshit crazy jam starring Nic Cage and Selma Blair finds parents actually doing what we've all wanted to do with our children at one point: murdering them stone cold dead. It's an absolute blast of a film, and one of Cage's top-shelf genre efforts.
Please check out Petros' show Caged In, which covers the career and life of Nic Cage.

Please take a moment to rate, review and subscribe to our show wherever you enjoy your podcasts.

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1 hr 41 min
October 31, 2021 Halloween Bonus: TRICK ‘R TREAT with Mike‘s Daughter
It's time for our third annual dad and daughter Halloween bonus show. This year Mike's daughter Ada joins him to break down the most appropriate movie of the season, the 2007 anthology and instant classic Trick 'r Treat. Along with talking about the major themes of the movie, how it taps into the holiday and what makes each segment so special, the duo have a lot more on tap. For instance, Ada gives a very detailed plan on how she'd choose her victims if she were a serial killer and which of her friend's parents would be the most likely to suggest a group pact to have all the kids in their social circle murdered off.

It's a fun episode, and our last original one for a month as we take a break to retool. Thanks to all our listeners and supporters for everything over the past two and a half years.

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1 hr 1 min
October 26, 2021 Our Halloween Go-to Picks, PLUS The Best of Horror Streaming Right Now
It's time kids. Gather around the television. It's officially Halloween week which means our horror movie viewing habits are kicking into overdrive. If you're like us, sometimes it's easy to suffer from choice paralysis when there are so many great things to choose from this season. Mike and Lindsay unveil a handful of their go-to picks as the 31st draws closer. PLUS: What do you do when there is so much content to pick from across so many streaming platforms? Sometimes the greatest nightmare of all is all the doom-scrolling for hours on end but never actually choosing something to watch. Mike takes some time to break down what the most popular streaming services are offering across their Halloween Hubs. Mike breaks down the best offerings from Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Shudder, HBO Max, and Peacock when you need something to watch and watch right now.

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1 hr 10 min
October 20, 2021 Festival Flicks That Will Be Your Future Horror Favorites
This week Mike and Lindsay dive into the genre films currently making the festival circuit that are sure to be on your most anticipated horror and genre titles in the coming year. We talk about what makes the festival experience so great for horror fans and dive into over a dozen titles (without getting too spoilery) and what made them such fantastic watches. Titles covered include but aren't limited to: The Sadness, Agnes, Silent Night, Hellbender, When The Screaming Starts & more...

Plus, we address the future of the show and why we're taking a break in November...

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1 hr
October 13, 2021 HORROR AT YOUR FINGERTIPS: Exploring The World of Horror Video Games
We're continuing our "let's try some new stuff" this Halloween season, this time with an overview of the games you should be firing up if you're in the mood of scaring the bejesus out of yourself this Halloween season. Lindsay and Mike talk about what makes a great horror-themed game and talk about some of our favorites like Friday the 13th, Until Dawn, Alien: Isolation, Dead By Dawn, Bioshock, Alan Wake, Man of Medan and more. So fire up the console, stretch out those digits, load up on Mountain Dew and Bagel Bites and have your self a good old fashioned gaming night.

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48 min
October 05, 2021 A Spooky Guide to the Best Horror Comics for the Halloween Season
We’ve gathered a list of some of our most anticipated and favorite horror comics to keep you cozy this Halloween season.
It’s Halloween season, my spooky friends, and the best time to curl up with a pumpkin spiced latte, thick socks, and a good book. And the best kind of book for the occasion: a spooky graphic one.
To get all your warm toes and spiced tongues in the spooky spirit, here’s a collection of my favorite new and anticipated upcoming spooky comics.

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51 min
September 13, 2021 Naked American Balloon Thievery Alert: AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON
Beware the moon, listeners! This week, we're taking a break from the format and covering a one-off movie, and it just happens to be Mike's favorite horror movie of all time: John Landis' An American Werewolf in London. Lindsay needed to take the week off for TIFF, so Mike's brought on a pair of fantastic guests to fill her shoes, KiIll By Kill's Gena Radcliffe joins us to discuss how this movie turned her into a lifelong horror fan, and Daily Grindhouse's Jessica Scott is on board to talk about how much this movie has meant to her over the years. Long time listeners are in for a treat as Mike goes off on why Werewolf is indirectly responsible for his marriage.

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1 hr 55 min

About The Pod and the Pendulum: A Horror Movie Podcast

From the publisher's feed

The Pod and The Pendulum is a new horror movie podcast covering every movie in every franchise. From heavy hitters like Friday the 13th, to the direct-to-video titles like Subspecies, we’ve got you covered. We feature guests on every show in order to discuss their love of movies like The Blair Witch Project, Scream, Alien, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Jaws, Halloween, The Conjuring, and many more. Support the show and become a patron today at www.patreon.com/podandthependulum and get access to exclusive bonus content.