The Pod and the Pendulum: A Horror Movie Podcast

Coming at the tail end of the teen slasher revival, Joy Ride knows exactly what it is. A fun, popcorn movie that’s part car chase, part noire-thriller and part road trip movie. Released October 2001, this feels like one of the final films of a specific era of horror, where genre wasn’t afraid to mix a lot of fun and lightheartedness into the scares. 911 changed that, and it wouldn't be long before this style would give way to the over the top gore and misery porn we’d see when films like Hostel, Saw and House of a 1000 Corpses started to take over the big screen. Coming out before the Fast and Furious franchise took off and made Paul Walker a star and when studios were trying to do the same for Steve Zahn,  Joy Ride proves itself to be the kind of effortless B movie that was a stroke of Sunday afternoon cable TV.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week we’re joined by Sarah Stubbs (@geekswhoeat) and filmmaker Josh Stifter (@joshstifter) to talk about Ridley Scott’s followup to the divisive 2012 Prometheus. Pressed by studio and fan reaction that rebelled against the purer sci-fi and philosophical tone of the Alien prequel, Scott delivered a more straightforward Gothic horror movie in line with the tone of his 1979 classic. This still managed to run a lot of people the wrong way, leaving Scott’s plans to continue the story through the beginning of Alien, and the future of the franchise as a whole, up in the air. 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 2012 Ridley Scott returned to the Alien universe, looking to answer the question “who the hell is the space jockey?” The result, Prometheus, divided audiences that came to theaters expecting a straight forward prequel to Alien but instead found Scott in a more contemplative mood. Set in the same world as Scott’s masterpiece, Prometheus explores creation myths and asks if science and faith must be mutually exclusive from one another. The end result is a movie that asks more questions than it cares to answer but still leaves the viewer with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the 1979 sci-fi horror masterpiece. This week Mike and Jerry are joined by first time guest Danielle Ryan (@danirat) and the returning Alienverse expert Lindsay Traves (@smashtraves) for a deep dive into the movie.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week we're joined by Daily Grindhouse's ROB DEAN (@neuroticmonkey) to break down the 1997 sci-fi horror romp, Alien Resurrection, a movie that could only exist between 1992-1999 for all the good and bad that entails.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week Nat Brehmer (Dread Central, Bloody Disgusting) and Terry Mesnard (Gayly Dreadful, Scarred For Life podcast) are back for part two of our look at Alien 3. Last week we explored the troubled behind the scenes production. This week we dive into the movie itself. While following up two revered classics like Alien and Alien is a daunting task, David Fincher did his best (in his directorial debut to boot) despite studio hamstringing. Alien 3 provides an emotionally draining but fitting end to a trilogy of films that explore our existence and what lays at the end of it.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week Mike is joined by Nat Brehmer (Dread Central, Wicked Horror, Bloody Disgusting) and Terry Mesnard (Gayly Dreadful, Scarred for Life pod) to talk about David Fincher's Alien 3. This is the first of two episodes, as it breaks down the many attempts to bring the film to live as well as the behind the scenes turbulence and studio interference that led to Fincher disowning the film and almost quitting Hollywood altogether.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week were joined by Jessica Parant form Spinsters of Horror to breakdown James Cameron's sci-fi action packed sequel to Alien.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A preview of this weekend's CFF with festival director and lead programmer Chris Dortch.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week kicks off our coverage of the Alien franchise. We’re joined by Daily Dead’s Lindsay Traves (@smashtraves) to dissect perhaps the greatest science fiction and horror hybrid of all time, Ridley Scott’s Alien. From the iconic image of the chestburster, the immense and terrifying scope of HR Geiger’s surrealist vision to the machine-like Xenomorph itself, Alien proved that while in space no one can hear you scream, audiences can be heard loud and clear shrieking in terror even forty-plus years later.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We have a bit of a twofer for listeners this week. Jerry and Mike break down a film John Carpenter called "a documentary" with a special one-off look at THEY LIVE. We examine how the film challenged 8 years of Reaganism, what made Roddy Piper such a charismatic performer and how the film still resonates today. 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.