The Pod and the Pendulum: A Horror Movie Podcast

This week Mike, Stephen & Devaughn go back to the beginning with George A Romero's Diary of the Dead. A reboot of sorts of the Living Dead series, Diary finds Romero dabbling in the found footage with mixed results. Clunk performances, unlikable characters and a reliance on CGI mar a solid social commentary on the emerging online media, which is a message that still resonates today.

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Mike and Brian are joined again by guest Sarah J Miles to talk George Romero's return to the subgenre he created after a two decade absence with 2005's Land of the Dead. Working with a larger budget and a recognizable cast, Romero increased the scale and scope of his vision with another timely parable of a corrupt world where the walking dead aren't the worst thing humanity had to overcome.

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In this episode of The Pod and the Pendulum, host Mike Snoonian and Brian Kieper welcome film blogger Sarah Miles on to delve into the 1985 horror classic Day of the Dead. They explore the film's production challenges, Romero's directorial choices, and Tom Savini's finest work in creating the best looking zombies ever on screen. We discuss the film's lackluster initial reception, and the reappraisal it's earned over the years as a thoughtful critique on the Reagan years, military expansion, and the breakdown of community.

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When there's no more room in Hell, it's tome to podcast. The Summer of George continues as Mike is joined by Brian and Nichole to talk about what many consider the greatest zombie movie of all time, George Romero's Dawn of the Dead. We explore its significance in the zombie genre and its cultural commentary on consumerism and societal issues, along with the long road to getting it made. We also talk about why there are so many dan versions of this movie and analyze the portrayal of disability, gender dynamics, and consumerism within the film, while also discussing the impact of Romero's legacy in the horror genre. Pack a lunch folks, it's a big one.

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Please take a moment to rate and review us on the Apple Podcast app, or rate us on the Spotify app. Reviews and five star ratings help new listeners find us every day, and we greatly appreciate the feedback and support.

Check out our website for easy access to our full catalog of shows, with hundreds of hours of free content. You can search the catalog, leave a review and even leave us feedback all from the site. Go to www.podandthependulum.com to check it out.

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We proclaim this The Summer of George (Romero)! Your favorite horror podcast crew are barricading themselves in the basement in order to break down all six films in Romero's Living Dead series, as well as the 1990 NOTLD remake, and 2004 Dawn remake (which we're sure will be a very chill affair, with no one getting mad about it online).

Mike, Brian, & Stephen are on hand to talk about what is widely considered the birth of both the modern horror movie, and the zombie subgenre itself. While we focus on the way Night hit like a meteor with unsuspecting audiences (including little kids!) on its release, we also explore how the major themes of Night remail relevant today. From the generational clash that's just as dangerous as the dead outside, along with the political overtones as the country became entrenched in Vietnam, to Romero's own circuitous path to becoming the godfater of the zombie subgenre, we explore it all in today's breakdown of NOTLD.

If you like what you’re listening to make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcast feeds.

Please take a moment to rate and review us on the Apple Podcast app, or rate us on the Spotify app. Reviews and five star ratings help new listeners find us every day, and we greatly appreciate the feedback and support.

Check out our website for easy access to our full catalog of shows, with hundreds of hours of free content. You can search the catalog, leave a review and even leave us feedback all from the site. Go to www.podandthependulum.com to check it out.

If you have the means, consider becoming a patron today and support the show. Patreon members get exclusive full length episodes, audio fan commentaries, exclusive mini-sodes and more. Join today at patreon.com/podandthependulum with more than 100 hours of bonus content and growing.

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Mike and Devaughn give our crew's rankings for all six Final Destination Movies along with the opening set pieces.

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After almost fifteen years away, Final Destination is back with it's most successful entry to date: Bloodlines! Far be it from us to turn down those sweet, sweet clicks as we tiptoe through the minefields of death and try to keep that pesky Rube Goldberg machine from going off and decapitating us with a handful of Q-tips. If we're not careful will Death will come for this podcast, and wipe out all our previous episodes one by one? That's the risk we are willing to take for our listeners. Mike, Devaughn, Stephen, and Brian are all on hand to talk about why this franchise is so fun, even if we can't take it too serious, why cock piercings are just plain a bad idea, why Grandma Lois' whole plan was a crock, and we ask how come no one seems too broken up when their loved ones are getting offed? We've heard of Irish Wakes, but do the come with frozen margs and trampoline backflips? All this and more!

If you like what you’re listening to make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcast feeds.

Please take a moment to rate and review us on the Apple Podcast app, or rate us on the Spotify app. Reviews and five star ratings help new listeners find us every day, and we greatly appreciate the feedback and support.

Check out our website for easy access to our full catalog of shows, with hundreds of hours of free content. You can search the catalog, leave a review and even leave us feedback all from the site. Go to www.podandthependulum.com to check it out.

If you have the means, consider becoming a patron today and support the show. Patreon members get exclusive full length episodes, audio fan commentaries, exclusive mini-sodes and more. Join today at patreon.com/podandthependulum.

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Mike, Ari and Devaughn find their last wish is granted with a shockingly solid entry to close out the Wishmaster franchise. With solid performances all around and frank discussions on sex and romance, the mental wear and tear of caretaking for a disabled loved one, and a Djinn that finally says, "Maybe I shouldn't be such a dick if I want to actually get my plan to come to fruition" all three of us enjoyed this one. No existential crisis this week dear listener.

If you like what you’re listening to make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcast feeds.

Please take a moment to rate and review us on the Apple Podcast app, or rate us on the Spotify app. Reviews and five star ratings help new listeners find us every day, and we greatly appreciate the feedback and support.

Check out our website for easy access to our full catalog of shows, with hundreds of hours of free content. You can search the catalog, leave a review and even leave us feedback all from the site. Go to www.podandthependulum.com to check it out.

If you have the means, consider becoming a patron today and support the show. Patreon members get exclusive full length episodes, audio fan commentaries, exclusive mini-sodes and more. Join today at patreon.com/podandthependulum.

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Note to the listeners: Due to some computer snafus onMike’s end, the first five minutes of this episode are lost. We join this one as it is already in progress.

This week, Mike and Ariel are on hand to talk Wishmaster 3Beyond the Gates of Hell. While we were warned we might experience something on par with the lows of the worst Wrong Turn franchise, this one is, just sort of there. It’s not the worst thing we’ve ever watched, but it isn’t all thatmemorable either. What is memorable is the mid-episode existential crisis Mike has as he ponders whether eternity would ever get boring, or if there is capitalism in the Afterlife, and if so, does Jesus make people toil in factoriesputting little screws into “Footprints” framed posters? We do talk about the movie a bit, and whether this is the same Djinn as the same movie, ponder why the Djinn doesn’t act a little nicer when granting wishes in order to get the prophecyto come true, and wonder if Angels would ride public transportation. Good times. Mike also makes the argument again that Wishmaster 2 laid the groundwork for the landmark Supreme Court case of Citizens United. All that, plus a little bit of Buffy talk.

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This week Mike and Devaughn are joined by guest Matt Konopka (Killer Horror Critic) for a boys night on the town. Along with our fun-loving, wish-granting Djinn, we're hitting our two favorite hotspots the casino, and jail! Join us for a spirited discussion on how this straight to video sequel might be responsible for the downfall of American democracy, why the Djinn should just follow every good grandma's plan of "you catch more flies with honey than vinegar," and how Mike discovered that goth/punk art thieves that are deadly with a pistol are the kind of lady that leave him weak in the knees.

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