Let’s Talk Monsters

In this episode, Mike and Allison continue their series on deranged families with their second part of the Rob Zombie trilogy, discussing the semiotics of The Devil's Rejects.  

In this episode, Mike and Allison talk about Rob Zombie's filmmaking style and his nod to 1970s horror.  

In this special Halloween episode, Mike and Allison talk about one of their favorite DVDs, Monsters Crash The Pajama Party Spook Show Spectacular. Then they play a movie guessing game, all in the spirit of Halloween! 

Minisode #24 The Tenant (1976) posted on 10-30-23 Question #24 How does Polanski use the previous two films in his trilogy to convince the audience that the character of Trelkovski, played by Polanski himself, is experiencing some sort of dimensional shift or time loop?

Minisode #23 Rosemary's Baby (1968) posted on 10-29-23 Question #23 How does Polanski convince the audience that Mia Farrow's character, Rosemary, is NOT going insane, despite what the people around her are saying?

Minisode #22 Repulsion (1965) posted on 10-28-23 Question #22 How does Polanski convince the audience that Cathrine Deneuve's character, Carol, is going insane?

Minisode #21 The Fall Of The House Of Usher (2023) posted on 10-27-23 Question #21 In what was does this new miniseries qualify as an anthology? 

Minisode #20 Creepshow (1982) posted on 10-26-23 Question #20 What awards would you give each of the 5 stories in this film? 

Minisode #19 Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark (2019) posted on 10-25-23 Question #19 Did this film need to be set in 1968? 

Minisode #18 Day Of The Dead (1985) posted on 10-24-23 Question #18 With so few people still alive, how does Romero continue with his social commentary in this film? 

Minisode #17 Dawn Of The Dead (1978) posted on 10-23-23 Question #17 How does the zombie apocalypse affect different social groups in this film? 

Minisode #16 Night Of The Living Dead (1968) posted on 10-22-23 Question #16 How does George Romero use race and social class in this film? 

Minisode #15 Black Christmas (1974) posted on 10-21-23 Question #15 Do you consider Black Christmas to be a feminist film? 

Minisode #14 A Bay Of Blood/Ecologia del delitto (1971) posted on 10-20-23 Question #14 In what ways were Italian horror films more advanced than their American counterparts? 

Minisode #13 Psycho (1960) and Psycho (1998) posted on 10-19-23 Question #13 How does the 1998 remake of Psycho compare with the original, and why was the remake such a huge flop? 

Minisode #12 The Picture Of Dorian Gray (1945) posted on 10-18-23 Question #12 How do you classify Dorian Gray as a Monster and what are the monster rules for him?  

Minisode #11 The Invisible Man (1933) posted on 10-17-23 Question #11 In The Invisible Man, James Whale finally got approval from Universal to make a film without a happy ending. With all the potential heroes either killed or compromised, how does the viewer stay invested in this film?  

Minisode #10 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1932) posted on 10-16-23 Question #10 How can perspective influence what the viewer sees in a film; what is true and what isn't true? And are Mr. Hyde's evil deeds being filtered through a Victorian lens?  

Minisode #9 London After Midnight (1927) posted on 10-15-23 Question #9 Is it possible (or worth it) to try to experience London After Midnight via reproductions using still pictures and the original script, or is the 1935 remake, Mark Of The Vampire, a sufficient replacement?   

Minisode #8 The Phantom of the Opera (1925) posted on 10-14-23 Question #8 What were some of the techniques use by Lon Chaney Sr. in creating his iconic makeup for Erik, the masked Phantom?

Minisode #7 The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) posted on 10-13-23 Question #7 Should Quasimodo be considered a monster, and do you think The Hunchback of Notre Dame is really a horror film?

Minisode #6 Nosferatu - Eine Symphonie des Grauens/Nosferatu: a Symphony of Horror (1922) posted on 10-12-23 Question #6 In what ways can the original Nosferatu be interpreted as a metaphor for the First World War?

Minisode #5 Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari/The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) posted on 10-11-23 Question #5 In what ways do the sets and backdrops influence the ending of this film?

Minisode #4 Der Golem, wie er in die Welt kam/The Golem: How He Came into the World (1920) posted on 10-10-23 Question #4 In what ways is The Golem a creation myth?

Minisode #3 The Son of Frankenstein (1939) posted on 10-09-23 Question #3 Is The Son of Frankenstein on the same level (artistically) with the first two Frankenstein films, even though the SOF was not directed by James Whale? Should the first three Frankenstein films be considered a true trilogy?  

Minisode #2 The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) posted on 10-08-23 Question #2 If Dr. Pretorious were allowed to continue his experiments, what would he have done? What was his ultimate goal? 

In order to celebrate this Halloween season, Mike and Allison are beginning a series of mini episodes that center around a question, relating to a single film. This one-episode-per-day series will continue until Halloween night.  Minisode #1 Frankenstein (1931) posted on 10-07-23 Question #1 By today's standards, are Jack Pierce's makeup and James Whale's special effects still scary. What (if anything) has been emulated throughout the decades, since the film's original release? 

In this episode, Mike and Allison continue their discourse on movies about deranged families. In this one, they talk about generational conflict and social class divide, and the roles those topics play in this film.

In their Season 2 debut, Mike and Allison discuss the vampire rule of vampires needing to return to their native/burial soil. Then, they segue into discussing the currently running film, The Last Voyage of the Demeter.    

In this episode, Mike and Allison talk about one of the most deranged families ever to grace the silver screen. They also mention how this film was ahead of the curve and foreshowed certain aspects in later films from the 1980s.  

In this episode, Mike and Allison talk about the (1932) Tod Browning classic, "Freaks", arguing that the non-freaks were the ones who were actually deranged. 

In this episode, Mike and Allison talk about the (1967) cult classic "Spider Baby". With excellent performances from Lon Chaney Jr., Sid Haig, Jill Banner, and Beverly Washburn, this film has gone on to influence and inspire countless horror and slasher films.  

In this episode, Mike and Allison talk about The Fly (1958), debating whether a common household fly should be considered 'murderous'. 

In this episode, Mike and Allison continue their discourse on Vincent Price, focusing on one of his most unique and memorable roles as "The Abominable Dr. Phibes".  

In this episode, Mike and Allison talk about the main monster guys in Universal Horror films and beyond, eventually focusing on the magnificent Vincent Price and his portrayal of Edward Lionheart in the campy "Theater Of Blood" (1973).  

In this mini episode, Mike and Allison discuss the rule of vampire decapitation, citing its use in an episode of a 'not very well-known, nor remembered' TV series called, "Fear Itself" (2008). 

In this episode, Mike and Allison talk about the original Mummy and its connection with eternal life and the myth of Cagliostro.     

In this episode, Mike and Allison discuss the Creature from the Black Lagoon trilogy and its similarity to King Kong, as well as other mythologies. 

In this episode, Mike and Allison talk about the origins of superhero vampires and vampire action films. 

In this mini episode, Mike and Allison discuss vampire hierarchy and its connection to militarism, focusing on the Night Gallery episode, "The Devil Is Not Mocked".

In this mini episode, Mike and Allison welcome a special guest, Lyzze, an expert on the Twilight saga. 

In this episode, Mike and Allison discuss the teenage-aspect of "The Lost Boys".

In this episode, Mike and Allison talk about teenagers in vampire films, citing "Salem's Lot" and "Fright Night" as examples.   

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In this episode, Mike and Allison discuss certain aspects of "The Fearless Vampire Killers" and "From Dusk Till Dawn".

In another mini-episode, Mike and Allison talk about the vampire rule of sunlight.

In Episode 09, Mike and Allison talk about a few unorthodox vampires, focusing on George A. Romero's Martin (1977) and The Hunger (1983). 

In this short episode, Mike and Allison introduce the concept of Monster Rules, starting off with vampire rules concerning mirrors.

In episode 08, Mike and Allison talk about "Blacula" and Richard Matheson's "I Am Legend".

In episode 07, Mike and Allison continue their discourse on Vampires, talking about the qualities of the Romantic vampires. 

In this short episode, Mike and Allison add clarity and a couple more points about the previous episode (EP06).