Verbal Diorama

When it came to thinking of a horror movie I'd love to feature, The Thing (1982) was top of my list. It's not a movie most would associate with someone who admits to not liking horror, but the combination of science fiction and horror remains one of my favourite genre mixes (see also Alien!)

It's also a movie that continues to delight and terrify me. The practical effects, created by Rob Bottin (only 21 years of age at the time) still hold up as visually inventive, repulsive and unforgettable, almost 40 years later. It's an accolade that the recent 2011 prequel could never have lived up to (and yes, I saw it recently, so I will talk about it a little, if only to serve as a highlight to how excellent the 1982 movie really is!)

On the surface a graphic, gory body horror, but it's not the gore that makes it scary, it's the emotional and mental horror, as it depicts the descent into fear, madness and paranoia that this group of twelve men encounter and the toxic masculinity which prevents them from actually working together to face their fears.

The titular alien, nameless and faceless, remains sentient even at a cellular level, which adds to the fear factor. How do you know every cell of The Thing is dead? It's a stark contrast to 1982's other well-known alien movie, where that alien (E.T: The Extra-Terrestrial) is sweet, kind and befriends small children.

Then critically derided, now critically lauded; it's a true masterclass in showing the isolation and despair of the characters and the lengths to which The Thing will go to survive, gift wrapped in glorious nightmare-fuel special effects by Rob Bottin.

But how do you know this is the real episode 48? Could it just be a copy? Look for the light in my eyes....

The original Randall William Cook stop-motion Blair-Thing can be seen in this clip here

The Fangoria art contest entries from 1981 are available to view here!

I would love to hear your thoughts on The Thing! You can get in touch on

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Thank you to patrons Simon E, Sade, Jardiel, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Jason, Kristin, Cat, Andy and new patron Mike for supporting Verbal Diorama.

You can rate or review the show at Apple Podcasts or Podchaser and I'd very much appreciate that!

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Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song

Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe Facebook

Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)

Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Princess Mononoke, or Mononoke Hime to give it its Japanese name, could have been covered in February for the anniversary along with Howl's Moving Castle, My Neighbour Totoro or Spirited Away, but honestly I'm glad I can devote a whole regular-sized episode to it, because it's so jam-packed full of greatness. As much as I love all the aforementioned movies from the legendary writer/director Hayao Miyazaki, Princess Mononoke really is something more epic.

It's more adult, more complex, more violent and graphic, and while Mr Miyazaki himself would never admit to it being a masterpiece, it truly is.

With an English dub written by Neil Gaiman, it's widely considered one of the best translations of the original Japanese script. While Ghibli loved Gaiman's work, his name was removed from the credits and the U.S. release of Princess Mononoke was purposely ruined by real-life villain and nasty piece of work Harvey Weinstein, who gets mentioned several times just for being a massive a-hole when Disney appointed Miramax the distributor. No surprise there.

Princess Mononoke, though, is a masterclass of character and world building, all encompassed in a beautiful shell of traditional animation, with the minimal of CGI (in places you wouldn't expect!) and doesn't actually have a true antagonist. Every character struggles with being consumed by hate, even the empathetic Ashitaka - one of few male lead characters featured in Miyazaki's stories, but who remains a force for good, despite the evil growing within him.

We all have the power to co-exist with each other, and with the natural world. Now, more than ever, the demon of hate is threatening to consume modern society. Princess Mononoke might be set during feudal Japan, but its message of love, acceptance and co-existence is more relevant now than it has ever been.

Whole Hog Theatre's incredible stage production of Princess Mononoke can be found here

Joshua Garrity's video can be found here

I would love to hear your thoughts on Princess Mononoke! You can get in touch on

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Thank you to patrons Simon E, Sade, Jardiel, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Jason, Kristin, Cat and new patron Andy for supporting Verbal Diorama.

You can rate or review the show at Apple Podcasts or Podchaser and I'd very much appreciate that!

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Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song

Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe Facebook

Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)

Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios.

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Rogue One was the first anthology movie announced post the Disney takeover of Lucasfilm in 2012; the year after Star Wars Episode VII The Force Awakens had enticed and delighted audiences across the world. The rogue one, you might say...

Rogue One, born of the simple question "how did the Death Star plans end up with Princess Leia?" is probably most famous for its CGI recreations of Grand Moff Tarkin and Princess Leia, and its enduring of lengthy re-shoots to change the narrative of the third act and insert additional scenes. To be honest, it's not as dramatic a change as people think it is. The trailer contained shots that were never intended to even be in the finished movie.

Grand Moff Tarkin.... well that's another issue entirely. At least Carrie Fisher was alive to approve her younger likeness....

As a spin-off of the existing Skywalker Saga, Rogue One remains separate to the existing story enough to be talked about independently, but connected enough to matter in the timeline between Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV: A New Hope.

In fact, I'd argue it enriches the world of Star Wars. It shows the true sacrifice of rebellion; the nameless soldiers who gave their lives for a greater cause are given names. It's a powerful reminder on the cost of war. We never hear about Jyn, Cassian, Chirrut, Baze, Bodhi, Saw or K-2SO ever again (ignoring the fact that we can't, because the characters didn't exist in 1977!!) because we never hear the names of soldiers lost to war.

Moral, ethical and character issues aside, it remains one of my favourite Star Wars movies. Not the favourite, but certainly up there. It's enjoyable, with some great cinematography, memorable characters, and like all rebellions, it's built on hope.

Right now, we could all do with a little more of that.

I would love to hear your thoughts on Rogue One! You can get in touch on

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Thank you to patrons Simon E, Sade, Jardiel, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Jason, Kristin and Cat for supporting Verbal Diorama.

You can rate or review the show at Apple Podcasts or Podchaser and I'd very much appreciate that!

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Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song

Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe Facebook

Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)

Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios.

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Little Shop of Horrors, based on the off-Broadway musical, in turn based off the 1960 Roger Corman dark comedy The Little Shop of Horrors... is probably my favourite ever screen musical.

It contains within several elements that never fail to delight me:

-Rick Moranis - a true gem of a man, on-and-off screen, who was a regular for all us 80s and 90s kids growing up

-It's a musical - with music and lyrics by the award-winning team of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman

-Practical effects - the puppet work is some of the greatest ever put to screen, with Frank Oz at the helm and a talented team of professional puppeteers (including Brian Henson), Audrey II feels real, tangible and a genuine threat to our heroes Seymour and Audrey

At the time, the most expensive motion picture Warner Bros had ever released, it had a lot riding on its mean, green shoulders. It failed to deliver at the box office but has since become a cult classic on VHS, and it was the first ever DVD to be recalled for content.... and not for the busting of balls, although the song "Mean, Green Mother From Outer Space" was the first song containing naughty words to be nominated for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards. It didn't win, sadly. And nor did it win for Visual Effects, but at least it lost that to Aliens....

The cast is flawless and an 80s/90s kid's dream;

Rick Moranis is the perfect nerdy, unconfident Seymour that we can all immediately root for. Ellen Greene (reprising her role from the stage) has a meek, shrill voice for Audrey, which transforms into a powerful set of pipes once singing, showing Audrey's inner strength. Steve Martin's Orin Scrivello (D.D.S!) is memorable and threatening enough to be fed to a carnivorous plant without us caring all that much for his loss and additional cameos from Bill Murray, Jim Belushi, Christopher Guest and John Candy just add to the brilliance of the production.

And finally, Levi Stubbs just IS Audrey II. His charisma and charm flows through an inanimate puppet, adding to the experience of seeing Audrey II come to life on screen.

Famously filmed with an original ending which was scrapped due to a very negative test screening, a new ending was hastily put together and it was the only ending available until the previously only black-and-white footage was digitally coloured and enhanced for released in 2012. "Don't Feed The Plants" - the final song and footage from the Director's Cut, is available on YouTube. It's all table-top miniatures created by Richard Conway and it's delightful - watch it here!

A remake is in the pipeline, but I guarantee it will never be able to emulate the charm, nostalgia or dream-like quality of this, and while this in itself is a remake, it's hard to not fall completely in love with everything about it. For me, this really is THE Little Shop of Horrors.

Just don't feed the plants!

I would love to hear your thoughts on Little Shop of Horrors! You can get in touch on

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Thank you to patrons Simon E, Sade, Jardiel, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Jason, Kristin and new Patron Cat for supporting Verbal Diorama.

You can rate or review the show at Apple Podcasts or Podchaser and I'd very much appreciate that!

My website is at https://verbaldiorama.com

Thanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:

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Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song

Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe Facebook

Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)

Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios.

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STOMP-STOMP-CLAP

STOMP-STOMP-CLAP

STOMP-STOMP-CLAP

STOMP-STOMP-CLAP

It's the unmistakable beat of Queen's 1977 anthem "We Will Rock You", filling an arena, as a massive crowd of people do a human wave. The competitors enter the stadium and the crowd goes wild at seeing their favourite sportsperson. The competitors are announced loudly, as a hush falls over the crowd, and the sport begins....

It could be the scene at any modern sporting event, except it's actually in medieval Europe, the sport is actually jousting (and occasionally sword fighting) and Heath Ledger's William Thatcher is the star of the show. It was supposed to be his master Sir Ector, except he's sadly no longer of the mortal realm, or as Roland puts it, he's pooped himself to death (except he didn't use pooped!) William, with the help of his friends Roland, Wat and Geoffrey (Chaucer!) becomes the seeker of serenity, the protector of Italian virginity, the enforcer of our Lord God, the one, the only, Sir Ulllrrrich von Lichtenstein.... to prove that you don't need to be noble to be a knight.

While not his most accomplished or memorable performance in his short career, it's a role Heath Ledger is perfect for - a charming, handsome, down-on-his-luck squire who just wants to change his fortunes and be more than what his destiny as a peasant offers him. It's something we can all relate to; the want to change our stars.

A Knight's Tale isn't high art, award-winning or historically accurate, it's just a really fun time. It's got sport, it's got dancing, it's got David Bowie (music, not in-person) and it's got a cast that genuinely had a great time together making this movie.

If anything, this movie just highlights what a brilliant and special young talent Heath Ledger was; it wasn't his first role, but it was his first lead role and his face alone was the focus of a massive marketing campaign for the movie, which ended up being marred by a critic called David Manning. He may sound familiar....

While Heath Ledger undoubtedly went on to star in bigger and better roles in Brokeback Mountain and The Dark Knight, his untimely death aged just 28 is still a dagger to my heart. Just imagine what he could have achieved had he not passed away so young....

Thankfully, we have wonderful performances like this to remember him by.

I would love to hear your thoughts on A Knight's Tale! You can get in touch on

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Thank you to patrons Simon E, Sade, Jardiel, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Jason and Kristin for supporting Verbal Diorama.

You can rate or review the show at Apple Podcasts or Podchaser and I'd very much appreciate that!

My website is at https://verbaldiorama.com

Thanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:

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Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song

Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe Facebook

Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)

Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios.

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In 1943, Philip K. Wrigley (of chewing gum fame!) founded the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) in order to maintain sport and public morale during World War II, at a time when many eligible young men, including professional sportsmen, were drafted to fight overseas.

Whilst A League of Their Own is a mostly fictional account of the players and founders behind the AAGPBL, it still tells a story of the real-life resilience, spirit and tenacity of the young women involved, many of whom had husbands fighting in the war, coming together to provide entertainment and boost the morale of the nation through sport, despite the sexism and misogyny of the era.

Penny Marshall's 1992 movie remains my favourite, and dare I say it, the greatest sports movie of all time. A story of determination, sisterly love, sacrifice and friendship within the very real backdrop of World War II, when women could finally prove they were more than just potential housewives and mothers.

Geena Davis embodies the 40s starlet as the statuesque, seemingly perfect Dottie Hinson. Tom Hanks, playing against type as alcoholic ex-player-turned-manager Jimmy Dugan delivers most of the movie's iconic lines. Lori Petty as Kit Keller, just wants to step out of her older sister's perfect shadow and Madonna, in probably one of her most beloved screen roles, as "All The Way" Mae Mordabito, with a great on-screen comedic partnership with Rosie O'Donnell's brash Doris Murphy.

Even though the real AAGPBL was dismantled in 1954, its legacy lives on in this movie. It encapsulates a time in recent history that not many are still alive to tell the story of. Sadly, Mary Pratt, the last remaining member of that inaugural 1943 Rockford Peaches roster, passed away just before this episode was released. She lived to 101 and spent her life championing women's sport.

These women were inspirational, trail-blazing, legacy-creating and really were in a league of their own.

I would love to hear your thoughts on A League of Their Own! You can get in touch on

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Thank you to patrons Simon E, Sade, Jardiel, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek Jason and Kristin for supporting Verbal Diorama.

You can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and Podchaser and I'd very much appreciate that!

My website is at https://verbaldiorama.com

Thanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:

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Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song

Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe Facebook

Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)

Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios.

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For clarification, this episode discusses and spoils:

John Wick

John Wick: Chapter 2

John Wick: Chapter 3 Parabellum

The Boogeyman. Baba Yaga. Mr Wick. Jonathan. Jardani Jovonovich.... John Wick is known by many names, but everyone knows of him and everyone should fear him. Especially if you kill the one thing he loves most in the world, and the only link to his recently deceased wife; the one woman who helped him leave this life behind. John Wick does what John Wick does best: rains vengeance on everyone involved, digging himself even deeper into the world he was so desperate to leave.

John Wick is a man of myth and legend, so who better to join me to talk mythology, history and Slavic folklore than the incomparable Derek and Laurel of The Midnight Myth; two of the kindest and smartest people podcasting right now. It was a genuine joy to dissect these incredibly in-depth and beautiful movies with them.

It's easy to dismiss the John Wick movies as mindless violence, and to declare Keanu Reeves a one-trick pony (I would never!), but we discuss the real life myths and legends surrounding the movie, how Keanu is the perfect John Wick and that these movies are deeper and more meaningful than you think they are.

It was never just a puppy....

I would love to hear your thoughts on John Wick, John Wick: Chapter 2 or John Wick: Chapter 3 Parabellum! You can get in touch on

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Massive thanks to Derek and Laurel for being involved in this episode. You can download all episodes of The Midnight Myth from any podcast app, or visit their website at midnightmyth.com. They're also available on Twitter @themidnightmyth, Instagram & Facebook @midnightmythpodcast and I highly recommend their amazing podcast!

Thank you to patrons Simon E, Sade, Jardiel, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Jason and Kristin for supporting Verbal Diorama.

You can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and Podchaser and I'd very much appreciate that!

My website is at https://verbaldiorama.com

Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song

Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe Facebook

Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)

Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The perfect homage and satire of classic 50s monster B-movies, Tremors initially failed to set the box office alight. Like most cult classics it found a resurgence on VHS and ended up spawning multiple sequels, a prequel, a 2003 one-season TV show and a failed 2018 TV pilot starring Kevin Bacon, back as Val McKee.

Praised for its special effects work, the chemistry between Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward and a female lead character who's actually there to do something more than just look pretty and be damseled, Tremors remains a cult and fan favourite 30 years after its release in 1990. There's good reason why; it mixes humour and terror perfectly.

This movie gave me serious nightmares as a child, and watching it now it's easy to see why. The Graboids are more than just dumb monsters, they learn and evolve and attempt to outwit the humans at every turn. The creature design is equal parts phenomenal and terrifying. Emulating Jaws by not showing the monster initially and only what it could do, worked wonders for a creature that made you afraid to walk through the desert. Having fully practical effects meant each Graboid (and their little snakey mouths) felt tangible and a real threat to our heroes.

Substandard CGI-driven monster movies are ten-a-penny nowadays (thanks, Sharknado!) and Tremors is a movie that will no doubt be remade one day, but it'll never capture the heart, humour and horror that made the original such a classic.

Everyone seems to love Tremors (except my mother....!)

I would love to hear your thoughts on Tremors! You can get in touch on

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Thank you to patrons Simon E, Sade, Jardiel, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek and Jason, and new Patron Kristin for supporting Verbal Diorama.

You can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and Podchaser and I'd very much appreciate that!

My website is at https://verbaldiorama.com

Thanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:

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Sheena

Erik

Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song

Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe Facebook

Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)

Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I find Paul Feig's directorial career fascinating; Spy, The Heat, A Simple Favour and Ghostbusters, all female-fronted and each of them a lot of fun and very enjoyable in their own right.

2011's Bridesmaids really was the catalyst, not only for Paul Feig's career, but the Hollywood careers of Saturday Night Live alumna Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph, for Rose Byrne to prove her comedic timing and for a standout Oscar-nominated performance by Melissa McCarthy. This is more than just "the female Hangover". This is Bridesmaids. It's better, it's funnier, it treats its characters like people and it's more relatable. Without Bridesmaids, we would almost certainly not have Girls Trip, Pitch Perfect, Booksmart or Trainwreck, among others, and our lives would be less rich without all of them. (They're all great - I highly recommend them!)

Bridesmaids didn't just get a nomination for a supporting actress Oscar either; Kristen Wiig & Annie Mumolo's screenplay was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay.You think women can't be funny? Well, you're wrong. Women can be funny, they can be gross, they can be sweet and they can be powerful. Bridesmaids means more for women in Hollywood than you might think. It means more for women than you might think. It means a hell of a lot just to me.

Bridesmaids, while it does resort to hilarious potty humour (literally!) also has a deep and meaningful core of the values of friendship, beneficial relationships and mental health that The Hangover doesn't dare go near. These women are real women, flaws and all, and they deserve that effing cookie!

I would love to hear your thoughts on Bridesmaids! You can get in touch on

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Thank you to patrons Simon E, Sade, Jardiel, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek and Jason for supporting Verbal Diorama!

You can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and Podchaser and I'd very much appreciate that!

My website is at https://verbaldiorama.com

Thanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:

Twitter peeps

@geeksaladradio

@joshmikeking

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Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song

Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe Facebook

Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)

Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Four years after Hellboy, Hellboy II: The Golden Army came out. Bigger, bolder and more del Toro than its predecessor, it concentrated on its existing characters and introduced a more complex and interesting antagonist in the dedicated, skilled warrior Prince Nuada - fighting for the survival of his dying race as humanity continues its greed and desire to consume everything around it.

Influences of Tolkien and del Toro's other famous works are apparent throughout, as is the lack of the occult and horror elements of the previous movie. This time, we have tooth fairies, trolls and elves to deal with, not to mention the small matter of 4900 golden mechanical indestructible robots.

There will never be a day I don't lament the fact we will never see this trilogy come to fruition with a third Hellboy movie, but boy, am I glad we got Hellboy and Hellboy II: The Golden Army. In a world of superhero and comic book movies, these stand out independently and together as some of the most original, beautiful and interesting adaptations of their source material.

While Peter Briggs did not co-write the sequel to Hellboy, he features once again to talk about the spin-off he was asked to write that ultimately never materialised: Hellboy: Silverlance. Thanks to Peter for permitting me to include this.

I would love to hear your thoughts on Hellboy II: The Golden Army! You can get in touch on

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Thank you to patrons Simon E, Sade, Jardiel, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek and Jason for supporting Verbal Diorama!

You can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and Podchaser and I'd very much appreciate that!

My website is at https://verbaldiorama.com

Thanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:

Massive thank you to the wonderful Peter Briggs, co-writer of Hellboy (2004) @ThePeterBriggs for being involved in this episode and for telling us all about the proposed spin-off Silverlance!.

Twitter peeps

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Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song

Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe Facebook

Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)

Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.