The Shrieking Shack

The Hunger Games chapters 8 & 9

The people have been crying out for more third segment content! But since we're both reading this series fresh, what can we do? This week, we find an answer (in the first segment, natch). We also discuss the final two chapters of the first act of The Hunger Games--it's good! So good, in fact, that we can't stop excitedly wondering aloud what might be in store for our heroes and villains.

The Hunger Games chapters 6 & 7

We're back with another two chapters of Hunger Games! This week's pair are a little plodding, but there's a lot of drama to discuss: Katniss and Peeta "just pretending" to be friends! Evil career fairs! And more badass knife throwing/bow firing moves to show other characters you mean business! We also fall down a rabbit hole reading a blog about fictional foods because I forgot what pesto was.

P.S Here's the Purple Melon! http://www.fictionalfood.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/111003-Pale-Purple-Melon.jpg

The Hunger Games Part 1 Chapters 4 and 5

We've made it to the Capitol! But first we've got to talk about something very important: The 7th Saga, a SNES RPG with barely any merch. We've also got our first Hunger Games listicle. Our chapters this week are full of dizzying ups and downs: brutally honest characterization and heartfelt drama alongside ridiculous action movie antics and some puzzling portrayals of a society so depraved it... wears a lot of makeup? Hmm. We chat through our feelings on whether or not the story is portraying cruel opinions a character has or simply espousing them itself, wonder aloud what synthetic fire is, and beg to know what the other costumes in the ceremony were.

The Hunger Games Part One Chapters 2 & 3

We're the tip of the spear! Or maybe just the shaft. It seems the whole world decided to reread this series around the same time we did, so we discuss a little bit of what we're seeing out and about in the world and how it's shaping our expectations. We also chat about a recent TV show announcement... that's right, the Twilight one!

After that, we've got two cool chapters to discuss. Neither of us have read this series before, so this time we're organizing our thoughts in real time as we ponder character voice vs. author voice, how we think the government works, what the allegories at play might be, and whether or not there are mutant dogs engaging in open warfare with mutant birds just outside the walls of Panem.

The Hunger Games Act 1 Chapter 1

It's time for a bit of a refresh! New book, new cover art, new... oops, I forgot to choose a new theme song. Well, we'll deal with that later--right now we've got Hungry Games to discuss! This week starts with an introduction to The Seam, The Meadow, The Forest, The Square, The Reaping, The Hob... and probably several other proper nouns I'm forgetting. We discuss the author's inspiration for the series, the wide dartboard of worldbuilding ideas this first chapter provides, and the surprising political awareness of the main characters. We also take a look at the US Bureau of Labor Statistics website (this will make sense!) and look up adult coloring books on Amazon for no real reason.

It's been a while since we did a proper news segment, isn't it? We have grievances to air with the coming and going of that game's release, a certain author's doings and new media projects, and the shambling undead franchise we are finally free of. We miiight also have a teeny tiny bit of schadenfreude to spare for some gamers whose wildest dreams weren't met by a mid AAA open world game. But that's not the main event here...

That's right, we watched Maximum Ride! A movie with a flying montage so nice they play it twice. We turn in a traditional longer-than-the-film episode, which is impressive considering the movie isn't even 90 minutes long and only covers the first half of the novel. How on earth did it manage that? Tune in and find out! Get in the cage, rarrrgh!

(Content notes: naturally, we haven't played the game and have no plans or desire to engage with it beyond , but if you're not in the mood to hear even haters chat about it, skip the first 15 minutes. The Maximum Ride movie also prestige-ified a scene to give it some assault implications--It's nothing graphic, but when you hear us start talking about super hearing, skip ahead 5 minutes if you wanna skip the scene.)

The Da Vinci Code, pt. 2

We're back to wrap up our discussion of Dan Brown's novel and we brought cards! We explore the Da Vinci Code Top Trumps deck to refresh our memories on some of the facts of the story before we walk through some of the Facts of the novel, and end up falling down a rabbit hole trying to piece together the game's design through context clues. Come for our delight at the weird card game, stay for my bad explanation of Catharism--Either way, you'll never hear the number 3 the same way again!

(I really gotta draw some new episode art! I'll get on that when I can)

The Da Vinci Code... part one!

That's right--we called an audible mid-episode this week because there's just too much to fit into even a big two-and-a-half-hour episode! In a fitting development for discussing a novel all about dualism, we're devoting an episode each to the two halves of the story: The airport thriller novel this episode, and the spurious alternate religious history on the next.

 On this installment, we talk about 𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕤 and ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤, as well as our histories with the book and Dan Brown's Langdon series. We've got a lot to cover--from Eyes Wide Shut rituals to anagrams, and everything in between. We try to solve the mystery of what, exactly, this book is trying to say about religion... or if it's even trying to say anything at all; we also try to puzzle out what exactly Aringarosa's plan was and what Teabing's plan was! 

Next week we'll be discussing 𝔽𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕤--namely, everything the book claims is a fact and how utterly wrong it gets pretty much everything it claims is true: art analysis, portrayal of various cultures and religions, geography, and even basic history. If you think we missed something big or important about the lore this week, it's probably comin' up in part 2! We'll also have a top secret fun activity that I can't wait to record...

(Note: the audio is a little crunchy this week. My apologies!)

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment

Liz has pulled the greatest coup in Shriekcast history! This week we discuss Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment, the first (sort of) book in James Patterson's hard swerve into books for kids in the wake of the Harry Potter phenomenon. So much happens in this novel, and I can scarcely keep track of it all--you're just going to have to listen to it. That might partially be because I'm already forgetting key details. I do remember that there are mutants, werewolves, shotguns, guys getting kicked so hard they die, and teddy bears. We've also got a new reader questions section in the third segment! And a soundboard. I did set up a soundboard while we were taking a break.

Twilight (the movie)

I have a confession to make: I've been listening to the soundtrack all week.

Now that we've finished reading Twilight and Midnight Sun, it's time to talk about the crown jewel of the franchise: the movie! This film launched several acting careers and catapulted the series into unimaginable popularity, and is also responsible for an unbelievable amount of songs tailor-made for breakup playlists, AIM away statuses, and AMVs. So, how does it hold up? We were very pleasantly surprised. Join us for a traditional longer-than-the-movie episode where we walk through its myriad plot improvements, hilarious acting fumbles, and banger needle-drops. And of course... Why movie look like that?

[Correction: Kristen Stewart was nowhere near as unknown as Pattinson when Twilight started! I've seen Panic Room, even!]