Podcast appearances and mentions of Del Toro

When Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro was a kid growing up in Guadalajara, Mexico, he would draw monsters all day. His deeply Catholic grandmother even had him exorcised because of it. But when del Toro saw the 1931 film ‘Frankenstein,' his life changed. "I realized I understood my faith or my dogmas better through Frankenstein than through Sunday mass." His adaptation of Mary Shelley's classic book is nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Del Toro spoke with Terry Gross about getting over his fear of death, the design of Frankenstein's creature, and his opinion on generative AI.Also, John Powers reviews the noirish drama ‘Islands.' Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Guillermo del Toro’s waited his whole life to make a “Frankenstein” movie, and now he’s done it. We carefully select the (Oscar-nominated!) film’s best bits, chop them up, and then sew them back together in the grossest way possible. (We know Del Toro would approve.) You don’t need to have a degree in Frankensteinology to take a seat at the lympahtic charcuterie board, but it helps! Jason Snell with Annette Wierstra, Brian Hamilton, Monty Ashley, Tony Sindelar and Moisés Chiullán.

**THIS EPISODE CONTAINS FULL SPOILERS**Film is Lit comes ROARING back, covering a pop sensation: 9-time Oscar nominee "Frankenstein!" We just can't stop talking about Mary Shelley's Frankenstein! And we welcome Dr. Sean Flory back to the pod, the *actual* literature expert. Join our discussion of Guillermo del Toro's creature feature adaptation of Shelley's classic.#JacobElordi #Guillermo del Toro #MaryShelley #Frankenstein #FilmIsLit #movie #Oscars #filmtobook #MiaGoth #CreatureFeature #booktoscreen #OscarIsaac

Happy 2026, Vintage Sand fans! Thank you for taking time away from looking for real estate opportunities in Greenland to join us for Episodes 65 and 66, our first of 2026. Herein, Team Vintage Sand returns one last time to the source of some of our most popular episodes: Danny Peary's hard-to-find 1993 classic "Alternate Oscars". In the past, we have used Peary's model to approach the Best Picture Academy Awards from every decade going back to the 1930's. Collect them all! For this episode, we wrap up this series with the most recent complete decade, the 2010's. First, a caveat: we began this podcast eight years ago, in the spring of 2018, which means that we have already discussed many of today's films in a number of different contexts already. We did our Best of the Teens in early 2020, and recently did our Top 10 of the Century so far, wherein many of the films we're talking about today are contained. Add in that we did episodes on the best of 2018 and 2019, respectively, in those years, and you get the sense that we have already covered this ground several times. But like all good film fans, we're completists, so we conclude this series of episodes with these two, which will focus on 2010 to 2014 and 2015 to 2019 respectively. Mercifully, perhaps, these episodes are shorter than most others we've done, simply because, as mentioned, this is terrain we have already covered several times. The teens were clearly a transitional time for film, especially in Hollywood. The foreign market came to dominate, as did the teen market, which led to a kind of lowest common denominator for American film in these years. Throw in the uncertainties created by the rise of streaming and the changes in where and how people watch film, and you have…well, it's still a little too early to tell what the 2010's will look like to film historians, if there are indeed any film historians left. That being said, it's clear that the decade featured some of the greatest films ever made, ones that will stand the test of time and will continue to be watched long into the future. In many ways, the Mexican New Wavers dominated the decade, winning half of the Best Director Oscars for the whole decade: Del Toro for "Shape of Water", Cuarón for "Gravity" and "Roma", and Iñárritu for "Birdman" and "The Revenant". And of course, the stunning triumph of "Parasite" ended a decade in film that many were ready to write off (and got rid of the bad taste left behind by "Green Book" the previous year). It was also a decade that saw the arrival of some wildly innovative and talented filmmakers, among them Chloe Zhao, Ryan Coogler, Ava Duvernay, Jordan Peele, Greta Gerwig, Steve McQueen, and Damien Chazelle, plus amazing directors who transcended often marginalized genres like Ari Aster, Alex Garland, Robert Eggers and Denis Villeneuve. We also saw some great works from directors who came of age in the 90's and early 00's like David Fincher, the Coens, Spike Lee, Christopher Nolan, Todd Haynes and the Andersons, both Wes and PTA divisions. And for the icing on the cake, we got some brilliant work from the old guard Hollywood New Wavers like Martin Scorsese (who just seemed to pick up steam as the decade went on), Steven Spielberg, (at least with" Lincoln"), Terrence Malick and, most surprisingly, Paul Schrader. So make yourselves comfortable, have yourselves one of those lovely pastries from Mendl's, and join us for our final foray into the world of Best Picture Alternate Oscars!

Heed our warning… this episode is incredible!! That's right, we're getting otherworldly this week as we explore every nook and blood-splattered hallway inside Guillermo Del Toro's gothic-glam masterpiece, CRIMSON PEAK!! Here to help us unravel this twisted tale is a premier interior designer and former Final Girl on film, Shannon Ggem!! Along the way, we explore the differences between Del Toro's monsters and his ghosts, unpack what it's like to be covered from head to toe in prosthetic makeup, and debate Lucille's killer workout routines!! All this, plus color-coded ghouls, Mom characters, one good tarp, funky phantoms, moth infestitoriums, top-notch shovel shots, marketing misses, and a haunting edition of Choose Your Own Deathventure!! Crimson and clover, over and over with us today!!  NOTE: Good news! Gena's kidney transplant was a success!! Her road to recovery is still ongoing, so there may be some unforeseen disruptions in our feed in the coming weeks. We never want to leave you without new eps, but you may find us posting episodes a little more inconsistently than you've seen in the past. All apologies. Part of the BLEAV Network.Get even more episodes exclusively on Patreon! Artwork by Josh Hollis: joshhollis.com Kill By Kill theme by Revenge Body. For the full-length version and more great music, head to revengebodymemphis.bandcamp.com today!Join the new Discord Server Convo here! Our linker.ee Click here to visit our Dashery/TeePublic shop for killer merch! Join the conversation about any episode on the Facebook Group! Follow us on IG @killbykillpodcast!! Join us on Threads or even Bluesky Check out Gena's newsletter on Ghost!! Check out the films we've covered & what might come soon on Letterboxd! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

¿Sabías que la Independencia de Venezuela (y de medio continente) es básicamente culpa de un corazón roto? En este episodio de La Casa, Manuel Silva, Natalia Moretti y Samuel Rodríguez se ponen serios (y un poco sentimentales) con Doriann Márquez. Analizamos el matrimonio de Simón Bolívar con María Teresa del Toro, una historia de amor que solo duró 8 meses. Descubrimos cómo un joven Bolívar millonario y enamorado vio su vida destruirse por una fiebre, y cómo esa tragedia fue el "Evento Canónico" necesario para que naciera el Libertador. Doriann nos cuenta los detalles que no salen en los libros aburridos del colegio: ¿Cómo se conocieron? ¿Realmente juró no volver a casarse por amor o por despecho? Prepárate para entender la historia de Venezuela desde el lado humano, trágico y romántico.

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein continues to captivate audiences centuries after its publication, but not all adaptations emphasize the same ethical questions. Matthew and returning guest AK dive into both the original novel and Guillermo del Toro's recent film adaptation—not to catalog their differences, but to explore how each medium handles the story's core moral dilemmas and which approach proves more compelling.How Does the Film Emphasize “The Other” Differently?While both the book and film explore themes of parentage, responsibility, and scientific hubris, they emphasize different ethical questions. AK notes that the novel places stronger emphasis on the responsibilities of individuals in medicine and parenting, particularly through the lens of abandonment. The film, however, foregrounds questions about the grotesque other, the monstrous other, and how appearance shapes moral judgment. The visual decisions in del Toro's adaptation—juxtaposing the creature against beautiful backdrops that shift with emotional moments—underscore this emphasis.How Does the Shift from Abandonment to Abuse Change Victor's Responsibility?One of the most striking differences between the book and film lies in Victor Frankenstein's initial interaction with his creation. In Shelley's novel, Victor creates the monster, goes to bed, wakes up, and immediately flees—abandoning the creature with almost no interaction. Del Toro's film takes a dramatically different approach: Victor spends considerable time with the creature, engaging with it in ways impossible in the book. This changes the fundamental ethical question. Does Victor bear responsibility for abandonment and neglect, or for intentional, directed abuse? The film's choice to show an extended period of interaction—where Victor treats the creature as an object rather than a being—shifts the moral weight of his culpability.Why Does the Composite Body Matter More Now Than Ever?Victor's method of selecting “optimal” body parts from different corpses to create his creature resonates uncomfortably with contemporary debates about human enhancement and biotechnology. The discussion explores how Victor's approach—viewing the creature as an optimization project rather than a living being—connects to modern questions about CRISPR, genetic modification, and who decides what constitutes an “optimal” human body. These questions inevitably involve ableism and the commodification of bodies. The film's emphasis on Victor literally selecting bodies at prisons raises urgent parallels to current concerns: Who becomes test subjects for experimental procedures like Neuralink? Are they being viewed as humans or as subjects for experimentation?Other Topics Covered:Why the novel's nested narrative structure (stories within stories) creates a unique moral complexityHow both works explore humanity's relationship to nature, science, and the line between achievement and hubrisThe challenge of adapting works from different historical contexts when what counted as scientific hubris has radically changedThe concept of viewing people as player characters (with their own interiority) versus non-player characters (existing only to advance your plot)Why Frankenstein's relevance grows as biotechnology makes questions of life preservation more immediateThe conversation reveals how both Shelley's novel and del Toro's film use the Frankenstein story to explore timeless questions through different emphases—one focusing on neglect and parental failure, the other on abuse and the othering of those who don't meet conventional standards of beauty or normalcy. **************************************************************************This episode is a production of Superhero Ethics, a The Ethical Panda Podcast and part of the TruStory FM Entertainment Podcast Network. Check our our website to find out more about this and our sister podcast Star Wars Generations.We want to hear from you! You can keep up with our latest news, and send us feedback, questions, or comments via social media or email.Email: Matthew@TheEthicalPanda.comFacebook: TheEthicalPandaInstagram: TheEthicalPandaPodcastsTwitter: EthicalPanda77Or you can join jump into the Star Wars Generations and Superhero Ethics channels on the TruStory FM Discord.Want to get access to even more content while supporting the podcast? Become a member! For $5 a month, or $55 a year you get access to bonus episodes and bonus content at the end of most episodes. Sign up on the podcast's main page. You can even give membership as a gift!You can also support our podcasts through our sponsors:Purchase a lightsaber from Level Up Sabers run by friend of the podcast Neighborhood Master AlanUse Audible for audiobooks. Sign up for a one year membership or gift one through this link.Purchase any media discussed this week through our sponsored links.

CEO Alex Langer of Sierra Madre Gold and Silver discusses the company's recent acquisition of the Del Toro silver mine, operational updates at La Guitarra, and the strategic positioning of the company in the silver mining sector. Langer emphasizes the importance of de-risking projects and the positive outlook for the company amidst rising silver prices and favorable regulatory changes in Mexico.

Think about the histories of your family or memories from your past. What if you recounted them with a dash of magic? What happens when we infuse our stories on film with some magical realism? Tonight's edition of APEX Express features three filmmakers who created magical realism short films centering AAPI women. Listen to directors Cami Kwan, Dorothy Xiao, and Rachel Leyco discuss their films and experiences behind the scenes with host Isabel Li. Cami Kwan: Website | Instagram | Seed & Spark Dorothy Xiao: Website | Instagram  Rachel Leyco: Website | Instagram   Transcript 00:01 [INTRO] Isabel: You're tuned into Apex Express on KPFA. Tonight's edition is all about stories. Think about the histories of your family or memories from your past. Now, what if you recounted them with a dash of magic? What happens when we infuse our stories on film with some magical realism? I'm your host, Isabel Li, and today we have three very special guests, Cami Kwan, Dorothy Chow, and Rachel Leyco. All of them are AAPI filmmakers who received the Julia S. Gouw Short Film Challenge grant from the Coalition of Asian Pacifics and Entertainment and have created short films featuring AAPI stories with magical realism. My first guest of the night is Cami Kwan, a Chinese-American director specializing in stop-motion animation who directed the short film Paper Daughter.  Hi Cami, welcome to APEX Express!  Cami: Hello, thank you so much for having me. Isabel: How do you identify and what communities do you consider yourself a part of?  Cami: So I identify as a queer Asian American woman um and I am a descendant of immigrants, of Chinese immigrants. um Then the communities that I am part of, part of the queer community, part of the Los Angeles community, part of the Chinese American and Asian American community, part of the mixed race community and part of the stop-motion animation and independent artist community.  Isabel: I'm so excited to talk to you about your upcoming short film, Paper Daughter, a gothic stop-motion animated Chinese-American fairy tale about a young woman grappling with the guilt of using the identity of a deceased girl to immigrate to the US via Angel Island in 1926, which is such a fascinating concept. Can you tell our listeners a little bit about how you came up with this story and the historical specificity behind it?  Cami: Absolutely, yeah. So like I mentioned, I'm the child of immigrants, descendants of immigrants rather. So my great grandparents immigrated to the US from China. My great grandfather came over in 1916 and my great grandma came over in 1926. And so I've always grown up knowing the story of Angel Island and knowing the story about the paper sons and paper daughters who had to find any way into the United States that they could. And so they were forced to, you know, take on the identities of other people. And those stories have always stuck with me, you know, like it's very personal. Angel Island means a lot to me and my family. And just the extreme measures that people have always had to take just for the chance at a better life have always been really meaningful to learn about. just the like, I'll use romances in like the art movement, like romantic. It's very romantic and kind of fairy tale-ish, the idea of having to take on a new identity and pretend to be somebody that you're not. And often those identities would be people who had passed away, and then those families had then sold those identities or given those identities to new people. And so it's so interesting the idea of being like the last person to know somebody so deeply, but you'll never get to meet them and you'll never be able to thank them or repay what they sacrificed for your future. And that's kind of how I feel as a descendant of immigrants. The sacrifice that my family made for me was made so long ago that there's no way for me to ever pay it back. And I didn't really get a say in whether I received that sacrifice or not. And I think a lot of descendants of immigrants kind of have to struggle with this. What does it mean for us to be given this new chance at the cost of somebody who came before us? And so that's all of that kind of rolled up into this 14-minute film. Isabel: You describe your film as being in a gothic style? Can you describe what this looks like and why gothic?  Cami: The subject matter is just so naturally gothic. It's dealing a lot with death and a lot with guilt and those big capital R romantic subjects and stuff. My day job, my day-to-day job is working in stop-motion animation directing mostly like children's series and mostly toy related stuff. And so I spent so much of my time in the happy brighter like birthday party storyline kind of like space. But what really made me want to be a filmmaker in the first place were all these like heavier themes, these bigger themes, films by Guillermo del Toro and like Tim Burton and Henry Selig and Hayao Miyazaki and all of those kind of have this like gothic edge to them. And so that's like a story that I've been a type of story I've been wanting to tell for about a decade now.  Isabel: Stylistically, how does this show up in your film? So I imagine darker colors or do you have a visual like preview for us?  Cami: it is a little bit in the darker color space, but it's still very colorful despite all that. It's moody more so than dark, I would say. um We have a lot of like light and dark themes, a lot of like shadow. stuff and um a lot of magical realism, which is where that fairy tale aspect kind of comes in, because you're dealing with things that are so abstract, like guilt and sacrifice and wearing the identity of somebody else, that there's no literal way to convey that. Well, there are literal ways to convey that, but none of those literal ways I feel fully convey the emotional weight of everything. And so we've gone in this very magical realism space where people are tearing information out of these booklets that contain information about the person they're supposed to be and creating these paper masks out of them. And so yeah, there's this whole like magical aspect that tends to be kind of darker. There's imagery of just like being consumed by the identity that you're just supposed to temporarily wear. And there's a lot of like, yeah, there's a lot of darkness in those themes, I think.  Isabel: Wow, that's so interesting. I'd love to learn more about stop motion. What does stop motion make possible that isn't as easily accomplished through other forms of filmmaking? Cami: Yeah, I think the reason why I'm drawn to stop motion, what I stop motion makes possible is like a universality of just like a human experience because with other kinds of animation and other kinds of filmmaking, like there is kind of like an opacity to like how it's made. There's this this veneer, this magic to it, and there's that magic to stop motion too. But the difference between all of those and stop motion is made out of like everyday materials. It's made out of fabric. using paper. We're using clay. We're using materials that people have encountered in their day-to-day lives. And like, that's the one thing that we are all guaranteed to have in common is that we live in a material world and we encounter these textures and materials around us. so by like taking such a specific story and trying to convey such universal themes, it really like behooves us to be using like um a medium that is as universal as stop motion is. So I think that's like the big thing that stop motion unlocks for us. Plus also story-wise, like it's very paper centered, paper daughter, they're tearing paper strips, they're making paper masks. So like physically using these paper textures adds a lot to our world. um And I think working in stop motion gives you a degree of control that live action doesn't give you because we're creating. all of our characters, all of our sets by hand, which gives us so much of a say over what they look like and what they convey based on how they're constructed and stuff. And that's just a degree of communication that nothing else brings.  Isabel: I love that this is a magical realism film and you mentioned Guillermo del Toro. I know that in your campaign trailer, you featured Pan's Labyrinth, which is my all-time favorite movie.  Cami: Me too! Isabel: Yeah! How exactly did you come up with this specific blend of history and fantasy for your film?  Cami: I think that it's almost a natural human instinct to kind of have history and fantasy. Like, that's all that histories are, just stories told to us. And it's just being less literal about it and really leaning into the metaphors that we might use to convey the emotional realities of those histories, right? And so I feel like Del Toro does that a lot with his work. And Miyazaki as well does a lot of that with his work. So much of it deals with unpacking like World War II and things like that. And that's something that I've always just personally been drawn to. Even as a kid, my dream jobs were archaeologist or animator. And so here I kind of get to like do a little bit of both of those, know, like using the magic of animation to make history feel a lot more present and tangible and like emotionally relevant, which is It's really quite poetic to be able to be telling this story right now because it's going to mark the 100 year anniversary of my great grandmother's immigration to the US. I think we are due for an examination of immigration in our country. And I'm very interested to see how people respond to the questions that this raises of how different is the immigrant experience 100 years later. Have we gotten better? Have we gotten worse? Like I would posit it's perhaps worse now than it was then, but I'm really hoping to like, yeah, bring that reality into a more approachable space. And I feel like having that blend of magic and history just makes it a little bit more approachable than telling it in a literal way, you know? Isabel: Those are some great questions to ask. And on that same note, I'm interested in the specificity of Angel Island as well. What types of research did you do to produce your film?  Cami: Oh, gosh, I read every book I could find about it. have… How many books were those? Oh, my gosh, I want to say, like, not as many as I want there to be, you know? Like, Angel Island is not as well covered in history as places like Ellis Island, and there's a lot. to unpack as to why that may be, especially like the racial aspect of it. But I probably read about a dozen different books to prepare for this film. One of the most concrete and useful books that I read is a book called Island, and it's a collection of the poems that are carved into the walls of the men's barracks that remain on Angel Island. And those poems are a huge part, perhaps, the reason why Angel Island has even been preserved as a historical landmark. And so um the three authors went to great pains to replicate these poems, translate them into English, and provide a lot of historical context for the different topics of the poems. And there's a lot of like first-hand testimony from people who immigrated through Angel Island that they interviewed and included in this book. And so I do think that that book, Island, is like the primary source of most of my research for it. Everything else is more like quantitative history and quantitative data. Oh, also The Chinese in America by, I believe it's Iris Chang, that it's not just about Angel Island, but I read that and that gave me a much better understanding about like the place that Chinese immigrants have in American history. Because when I was a kid, like I really only ever learned about great grandma came over through Angel Island and now we're American and we live in America. But our history, as far as I was ever taught, begins and ends with us entering the United States. And so reading um the Chinese in America gave me a much broader understanding about, like, why did we leave China in the first place? And like, what has it meant for us to be in America as Chinese people since then? Yeah, all that came out of like in 2020 and 2021 when the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes were kind of coming about. I personally had to have a huge reckoning with like my racial identity and like how that has impacted like my experience growing up as a mixed-race person who's pretty perceivably Asian and all that stuff. So it was a really whole circle broad situation. Oh, I want to do a quick shout out to the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation. They were very generous with their time and they answered a lot of my questions and sent me a lot of archival images from Angel Island. So I want to thank them so much for their help in the research process of this.  Isabel: Oh, wow. How fascinating. Did you have any expectations on how the production process was going to go? And now that you're on the other side of it, what are your reflections?  Cami: I had no expectations as to whether we were going to get outside funding or not. Like I, I'm not an experienced or adept grant applicant. Like, it was really just because this was the right kind of project to fit with those kinds of grants. So I had no expectations there. So I am beyond thrilled to have received the support from Cape and Janet Yang and Julia S. Gouw and Shorescripts that we've received, like beyond thrilled for that. So that exceeded all of my expectations. um But as far as how the actual production has gone, the fabrication and the animation and the post-production, that's all stuff that I'm extremely familiar with. Again, that is my day-to-day life, that is my job, that is like what I have done for the last eight years at my studio, Apartment D.  So that all went pretty much as I hoped and expected that it would, but here on the other side, the one thing that has surprised me about it was how much love all of the artists put in this project because like we've said so much in this conversation, there's so much specificity to this. This is about my great grandma. This is about my family and my feelings about being a descendant of immigrants. It's so specific that I wasn't sure how emotionally it would resonate with anybody else that wasn't me or wasn't part of the AAPI community, you know?  But every single person — doesn't really even matter if they were Asian, doesn't really even matter if they have a specific connection to immigration — every artist that I asked to join me on this project, I immediately understood what it meant and understood what we were trying to say. And they put so much love into it. And like, we all put a lot of love into everything we do. It's stop motion. It's like, you don't do this unless you love it, you know, because you certainly are not doing it for the money or anything. um everyone was just so…I'm gonna say careful, but I don't mean careful like cautious. I mean careful like full of care. And I did not expect that and I am so grateful for it. Yeah, looking back, it's just so precious and so tender and like I'm so fortunate to have had the crew with me that I had to make this film.  Isabel: That's so lovely. What are you most excited about upon completing your film?  Cami: I'm just excited to share it with the world. I'm so proud of it. It is truly, and I'm not just saying this because it's my baby, but it is very beautiful and it is very special. For a lot of us, one of the first times that we've been able to be in charge of our own departments or to make the decisions that we wanna make and tell things, do things, show things the way that we think they should be done. And so it's kind of significant for many of us to have this film come out and to be received. What I want people to take away from it is an appreciation and a gratitude for everything that has had to happen for us to be where we are now. And I also really want people to take away the unconditional love that has occurred for us to be in the country that we have and to be the people that we are. Every single person is where they are. doesn't matter if you're in America or anywhere else, like we are all here because of the sacrifices that were made by the people who came before us. And those were all made out of unconditional love. And that's like, I want people to come away from this film remembering that our country is built on the unconditional love and sacrifice from people who came before us. And then wanting to give that unconditional love and sacrifice to everybody who's gonna come after us. Isabel: Such an amazing message. And I know that there's still lots to do and you still have a lot to celebrate with your upcoming film and with the festival circuit with Paper Daughter. But looking ahead, do you have any plans of what you want to do after the short film?  Cami: Yeah, I would love to bring it into a feature. There was so much that we had to cut out to make this film. On one hand, I'm glad that we cut out what we did because I think the film as it is, is like so tight and so like airtight and good and perfect and sparse in a really nice way, but we don't even get to delve into life before Angel Island. It begins and ends on the island, and I would love to explore the stories that brought this all about and the stories that come after. So bringing this up into a feature version and getting that in front of people would be amazing. And I have a couple other short film and feature film and script ideas that I would like to start working on as well. I've kind of really, I'm really grooving on the like Asian early Chinese American history. um So most of them are going to be set in California and focus on like Chinese immigrants and their role in the founding of America. um I'm really excited for the like, after all the film festivals, I really want this film to end up in classrooms. And I even just the other day like I have a friend who's a third and fourth grade teacher and she showed it to her class and then the students asked me questions about Angel Island and about animation. if this can play any part in helping to spread the story of Angel Island and the people that immigrated through there, like that's all that I could ever want from this. So I'm really excited for that.  Isabel: That's wonderful. I'll put your website, social media and seed and spark page for Paper Daughter up on kpfa.org so our listeners can learn more about this stop motion film and get updates for how they can watch it. I can't wait to see it when it comes out. And Cami, thank you so much for joining me on Apex Express today.  Cami: Of course, thank you so much for having me. It was a great, great time talking with you.  Isabel: You just heard Cami Kwan talk about her film Paper Daughter. On Apex Express tonight, we have two more special guests who made magical realism short films. Next up is Dorothy Xiao, who made the film Only in This World. She's a Los Angeles-based award-winning filmmaker who likes to create grounded family dramas with a hint of fantasy.  Hi, Dorothy. Welcome to APEX Express.  Dorothy: Hi. Thanks for having me!  Isabel: Of course! Thank you for coming here. My first question for you is actually quite broad. How do you identify and what communities are you a part of?  Dorothy: Oh, that is a good question. I think in a broader sense. I would say, obviously, I identify as an Asian American. um But I think, like, for me, because I grew up in the 626 or the San Gabriel Valley, I grew up with a lot of people who looked like me. So I think I didn't truly identify as being Asian or had awareness of my identity until later on when I went to college. And then I took Asian American Studies classes and I was like, oh, wow, I'm Asian. Or like, what does it mean to be Asian? You know, like, I think I, at that time, prior to recognizing and understanding what it meant, and also even to be a minority, because at that, like I said, growing up in 626, even going to UCLA, where I'm surrounded by a lot of Asians, I never really felt like a minority. But I think it was really after graduating where I, depending on the spaces that I would enter into, especially in the film industry, I was learning like, oh, yeah, I am a minority and this is what it feels like. And prior to that, I think I just identified as being a daughter of immigrants. And that still is very strongly the case just because I grew up listening to so many stories that my parents would tell me, like coming from China, growing up like they grew up in China during a completely different time. I can't even imagine what it would be like living in the way that they did, you know, during the Cultural Revolution, under communism, in an intense way where they were starving, all this political stuff. But yeah, a second gen or for a lot of people, first generation, daughter of immigrants, of parents who decided that they wanted to make a better life for their kids out here in the States. I think that I want to stand by me saying that I don't feel like I am, I don't really want to identify as only just single categories all the time, just because within each community, could be, you could have nuances, right? Because I am a woman, but I'm also like a woman who doesn't want children, you know, and there was just so many different things of how I identify. So hard for me to categorize myself like that. But they are, there are tidbits of different communities. Like I still identify, identify as Asian American. I identify as a daughter of immigrants. I identify as a female filmmaker and yeah. And a business owner, I guess. Yeah.  Isabel: Right. Yes. Thank you for that nuanced answer. You know, it's so fascinating because I was reading about your work and you have worked in animal research administration and an afterschool program and even web development for nonprofits. How did you get into writing and directing?  Dorothy: Yeah. So after graduating college, I was definitely in a place where many, I'm sure, fresh grads understand what we call the quarter life crisis, where we don't know what we wanna do with our lives. And I was working at UCLA because that was the only job that I could get out of college for an animal research administration office. And really, I worked for them as a student. So I was like, well, it makes sense to have that be my full-time job, because you're in a place where you don't have skills. So how do you get a job if you don't have skills? That weird silly catch-22 situation. So I studied psychology in undergrad because my goal was to become a therapist. I wanted to work with Asian and Asian immigrant communities to help them with mental health because there's such a stigma attached to it. And being somebody who found mental health really important and also found that it was a really great way to understand myself. I wanted to work with, I guess, the people of my community. But at that time, I realized that there's still a stigma attached to mental health and it's really hard to get people to even go to therapy. Like living with my parents, it's really difficult. I cannot ever convince them to go. um And so I had pivoted into, or at least I discovered this filmmaking competition and ended up just like making a film for fun with a couple of friends, random people that um were not in film at all. And I had a lot of fun and I realized that we could actually create stories talking about things that are very similar to mental health or could provide that catharsis and validation that you could probably get in a session, in a therapy session. And it's not clinical at all. It's not as clinical. So, you know, on all those different jobs that you mentioned, they're all day jobs, know, animal research administration and then working for an after school program. That was me still trying to figure out how to be a filmmaker on my weekends. I still needed a day job. I didn't have the luxury of going to film school. So I would work at different places that gave me the flexibility of having a day job. But then also I had free time during the weekend to just make films with my friends, make friends films with people like my mom, who was one of my first actors earlier on. Love my mom. She did not do the greatest in my film, but I love her for being there for me. But yeah, like the different organizations or just jobs that I worked for were all really good in terms of providing me management skills and also communication skills because I worked in different industries, you know, and so at the end of the day, it all culminated in me at my current place. Like I am a freelance filmmaker and I also run my own video production company. So um becoming a writer, I mean, being a writer director is my main identity as a filmmaker. However, I don't think you could be a good writer-director if you don't have life experience. And having all those different jobs that I've had provided me with a lot of varied life experience and I interacted with a lot of different people, many different personalities.  Isabel: Yeah, no, I love that. So you grew up in Alhambra, which I'm familiar with because I too grew up in the San Gabriel Valley. How would you say that growing up in Alhambra has shaped you as an artist?  Dorothy: Alhambra is really special, I feel like, because in the San Gabriel Valley, there are many cities like this. You have Chinese people who can actually get by without ever having to learn English. And the same goes for Latin communities as well. And, you know, I have aunts and uncles who lived in Alhambra for years and never learned how to speak English. So I think it's like, what's so special about it, it feels like a safe space for a lot of immigrant communities. And then my parents being immigrants from China. living in Alhambra was a place where they could feel safe and feel connected to the people that they left behind in another country. And so being a child of immigrants, a daughter of like an Asian American, like a Chinese American growing up in Alhambra, I definitely felt like I grew up with a lot of people who were similar to me. know, we were like a lot of times the first American born children of our families even, and it was, we had to essentially understand what it meant to be Asian versus American and all of that.  But I think like being in Alhambra, I never felt like I wasn't seen, or at least I never felt like I was a minority. I think I mentioned this earlier, in that growing up in Alhambra, you do see a lot of people who look like you. And I have a lot of friends in the film industry who have moved out to California because they grew up in towns where they were like one, the only person, the only Asian person in their school or whatever. And I didn't have that experience. So for me, it was really special just being able to have a whole group of friends where there's a bunch of Asians. And we all spoke different languages. Like I had a lot of friends who were Cantonese speakers, but I'm a Mandarin speaker, but it was just really cool. It was like going to your friends' places and then you have aunties. So it's almost like having more family. You could feel like you have more aunts and uncles that will feed you all the time because that is the way they show love, right?  Isabel: Oh, certainly. I think there's so many stories in multicultural places like Alhambra. And speaking of which, you did in your film Only in This World. It's about an empty nester who has to face her ex-husband's mistress in order to summon her daughter back from the afterlife, which is featured in the 2025 Silicon Valley Asian Pacific Film Festival in Sunnyvale. Congratulations on such a beautiful film. I will say that I am a huge fan of magical realism, and Only in This World has some magical elements to it. So I'd love to get to know, how did you come up with this specific plot and characters that make up this film? Dorothy: Yeah, and thank you for wanting to talk about this one. It's a special story to me just because it is, I think it's the first film that I've made where I just decided to incorporate elements of where I grew up. And so Only in This World is inspired by my mom and her Tai Chi group at our local park, so Alhambra Park. My mom would go to do Tai Chi every morning for years. And in Alhambra, actually, as I mentioned, because there are so many immigrant communities, many of the immigrant communities tend to stay together with the people who speak their language. So Chinese people usually stick together with the Chinese speakers, Spanish speakers stick together with the Spanish speakers. You don't see a lot of mingling or intersectionality. But one of the special things that I saw with my mom's Tai Chi group was that they were not just Chinese people or Asian people, but there were Latino people in their group as well. And so even though they couldn't speak the same language, they would show up and still do Tai Chi every morning because it was a matter of doing something together. And so I love that a lot. And I wanted to tell a story about just older women who are finding friendship because I think that's really important in older age and in these groups because you see that a lot of the people in these Tai Chi groups are even the ones, not just Tai Chi groups, but there are dancers in the park, you know, like you'll see them in the mornings, not just in Alhambra, but in Monterey Park, all the different parks, open spaces, they'll have little dance groups.  A lot of the people who are part of those groups happen to be seniors, and I think it's just because they don't have work, they don't have children, they're lonely. And so…I think it's really important to be aware that where friendship or loneliness is actually an epidemic in the senior community. And it's really important to providing good quality of life is to just have them have that connection with other people. And seeing that in my mom, because my mom is getting older, having her be part of that community was what kept her happier. And so, yeah, and also my mother-in-law is Colombian. And she's done Tai Chi before as well with her group in Rosemead. And so I just was like, well, I'm part of a multicultural family. I want to tell a multicultural family story. Yeah, in terms of the magical realism element, I thought a lot about just how my family, if our house has ever burned down, the things that they would take out are our photos, the print four by six, like, you know, just the print photos because they're just so precious to them. There's something about hard copy pictures that is so special that digital photos just can't take over. Like there is an actual energy to how a photo is made or even like back then when we used to use film, there's energy that's required to actually create photos. And so, you know, I wanted that to be the power that powers this magical scanner where energy is taken from the picture and then you have the ability to bring someone you love back from the afterlife. And I really love grounded magical realism because I think it just makes difficult things a lot easier to understand when you add a little bit of magic to it, a little bit of fantasy.  Isabel: Yeah, magical realism is such a special genre. What part of the production process that you find the most profound?  Dorothy: I think it was just really my gratitude in how much my family came together for me and also just like the people of this team, know, like there were, I think one major situation that I can think of that I always think is really funny was, um so we filmed at my mother-in-law's house and my husband, Diego, was also working on set with me. He is not in the film industry. He's a software engineer manager. He's like in tech, but he is one of my biggest supporters. And so…when we were like, yeah, can we film at your mom's house? He was like, okay. But he had to end up being the, quote unquote, location manager, right? Because the house was his responsibility. And then, and he was also my PA and he was also DIT. Like he would be the one dumping footage. He did everything. He was amazing. And then ah one day we found out that his neighbor was actually doing construction and they were hammering. It was like drilling stuff and making new windows. They were doing new windows. And we were just like, oh, like, how do we get them to, like, not make noise? And so, and they don't speak English. And so we were like, oh crap, you know. So like, unfortunately, my producers and I don't speak Spanish, like we're all just English speaking. And then I did have Latinos working on my set, but they, you know, they had other jobs. I wasn't going to make them translate and do all that other stuff. So then Diego so kindly went over and talked to them and was like, essentially we set up. They were totally cool about it. They were like, yeah, okay, you're making a film. then whenever you're rolling sound, we'll just like prevent, like not hammer. And then so Diego is sitting outside with a walkie and talking to the first AD and other people inside the house, because we're all filming inside. don't know what's going outside. And then so like, we would be rolling, rolling. And then um the workers, I think his name was Armando, are like…whenever we cut, Diego would hear it through the walkie and he'd be like, Armando, okay, you're good to go. You can drill. Armando would drill. And then when we're going, and we'd be like, I'm going for another take. And then Diego would be like, Armando, please stop. So it was so nice of them to be willing to accommodate to us. Because you hear a lot of horror stories of LA productions where neighbors see you're filming something and they'll purposely turn on the radio to make it really loud and you have to pay them off and whatever. And in this case, it wasn't it was more like, hey, like, you know, we're making a movie and they were so supportive and they're like, yeah, totally. This is so cool. We will definitely pause our work, our actual work and let you roll down during the brief period. So we're really grateful. We definitely brought them donuts the next day to thank them. But that was just something that I was like, oh yeah, like I don't think I could have pulled that off if I didn't have Diego or if the fact, if it wasn't for the fact that these were the neighbors, know, that we were filming at someone's house and the neighbors already had a relationship with the people who lived here.  Isabel: Wow, that's really adaptable. And I'm so glad that went well for you. Dorothy, you've directed 13 films by now. Have you ever seen one of your films resonate with an audience member that you've interacted with in the past?  Dorothy: So there was this one short I had done a couple years ago called Tarot and it came at a time when I was struggling with the idea of whether or not I wanted to have kids and many of my friends are off having their first or second kids, you know, and so I never really wanted to be a mom, but then I have a partner who I can see being a great father, so I'm more open to the idea of being a mother, but it was still something I was conflicted about. And so I put this all into a short film, just my feelings of how my identity would change if I were to become a mom, because I've read so much about that. I found a Reddit thread one day where people were just talking about how being a mother is hard. And they openly stated how much they hated it. And it's okay to feel that way. And I wanted to put those feelings into this film to just put it out there like, hey, like if you don't like being a mom, even though you love your kid, you could still hate having that identity and be lost about, and it's okay to be lost or not sure about who you are. And so it was a really short film and it ended kind of open ended. It was like five minute film, so it didn't have like a full ending, but it was an open ended ending. And then afterwards I had a bunch of people come up. I had people who were parents, not just mothers, like even, or like fathers who had just had their first kid who were coming up and telling me like, oh, I totally identify. I understand that struggle of learning about who your new identity is after you've had a kid. And then I had people who were child free who were coming to me and saying like, yeah, this is a similar feeling that I've had about whether or not I should have any kids. Because, you know, as women, we have a biological clock that ticks. And that's something I feel frustrated about sometimes where it's really because of my body that I feel pressured to have a kid versus wanting to have one because I want one. And so that was a story I wanted to, or just something I wanted to put into a film. Yeah, and I also had another person come up and tell me that they were like, this was something I felt, but I never really openly talked about. And so I resonated a lot with this and it just helped basically articulate or helped me identify like, oh, I totally feel this way. And so that was really validating to me as a filmmaker because my goal is to reach others who don't feel comfortable talking about certain things that they tend to hide because I have a lot of those types of thoughts that I might feel ashamed or embarrassed to share. But then I put it into a story and then it makes it more digestible and it's like, or it's more, it's entertaining. But then like the core message is still there. And so people watch it and if they feel that they can connect to it, then I've done my job because I have resonated with somebody and I've made them feel seen. And that's ultimately what I wanted to do when I wanted to be a therapist was I just wanted to make people feel seen. I wanted to make them feel connected to other people and less lonely because that's something that I also have struggled with. Yeah, so filmmaking is my way of putting something small out there that I feel and then finding other people who feel the same way as me. And then we can feel validated together. Isabel: Ah yes, that is the power of film, and Dorothy's work can be viewed on her website, which I'll be linking on kpfa.org, as well as her social media, so you can get new updates on what she is working on. Dorothy, thank you so much for joining me on APEX Express today!  Dorothy: Thank you! Thank you for having me, it was so great to meet you!  Isabel: That was Dorothy Xiao, our second guest for tonight's edition of Apex Express, featuring magical realism AAPI filmmakers. Now time for our final guest of the night, Rachel Leyco, who is a queer, award-winning Filipina-American filmmaker, writer, actress, and activist. We'll be talking about her upcoming short film, Milk & Honey.  Hi Rachel, it's such an honor to have you here on APEX Express. Rachel: Hi, thank you so much for having me.  Isabel: How do you identify and what communities do you consider yourself a part of?  Rachel: Yeah, I identify as a queer Filipina-American. Isabel: So we're here to talk about your short film, Milk & Honey, which is about an ambitious Filipina nurse who leaves her family behind in the Philippines to chase the American dream in the 1990s and facing conflicts and hardships along the way. How did you come up with this specific 90s immigration story?  Rachel: Yeah. So Milk and Honey is inspired by my mom's immigrant story. you know, that's really her true story of coming to America in the early 1990s as a very young Filipina nurse while, and also a young mother and leaving behind her daughter, which was me at the time. um you know, following her journey in the film though fictionalized, a lot of the moments are true and there's a lot of exploration of assimilation, cultural barriers, loneliness and the emotional cost of pursuing the American dream.  Isabel: Yeah, when I read that synopsis, I immediately thought of this short film could totally be something that's feature length. How did you sort of this story to something that is like under 15 minutes long?  Rachel: Yeah, so I wrote the short film script first. And actually, you know, this is a proof of concept short film for the feature film. I actually wrote the feature film script after I wrote the short because there was just so much more I wanted to explore with the characters and the story. It definitely couldn't fit into a short film, though I have that short film version. But there was just so much richness to my mom's story that I wanted to explore, so I expanded into a feature. So I do have that feature film version, which I hope to make one day. Isabel: And you mentioned that this film is inspired by your mom's story. Is there any other sort of research that you did into this story that really helped you write? Rachel: Yeah, one of the main reasons I wanted to write the story, I mean, there's many reasons, but one is because there, if you ask the average American or the general public, they won't really know why there are so many Filipino nurses in the healthcare system. Because if you walk into any hospital, you'll see a Filipino nurse, more than one for sure. ah so I was really curious about the history. ah Having my mom as a nurse, my sister's also a nurse, I have a lot of healthcare workers around me. I grew up with that. I, you know, growing up, I also didn't really know or learn Filipino American history because it's not taught in schools. And I, you know, I took AP US history and didn't learn anything about, you know, my culture and our history. It's, not in the books at all. And it wasn't until like my early twenties that I was really curious about my roots and my upbringing and what it means to be Filipino-American specifically. And so um I really went into like a deep dive of just researching Filipino-American history. And specifically last year, I had been wanting to tell a story about a Filipino nurse because of my proximity to it with my mother. And you know, myself being an artist, being a filmmaker in the industry, there's so many medical shows out there, like, know, Grey's Anatomy, that's been long running, but very, very few, and rarely do we see Filipino nurses at the forefront and at the center of those stories. um You know, rarely are they series regulars. You know, sometimes they'll feature a Filipino nurse for like one episode or two and, you know, a recurring or a side character, but Filipino nurses are never the main character, never the series regular. And so that was another big driving force for why I wanted to make this story. And, you know, really making my mom's character the center of it. And so as far as like research, too, I definitely interviewed my mom and I asked her to just tell me her her entire story and specifically why she even wanted to move to the United States because she could have stayed in the Philippines or she could have moved somewhere else. um she saw a newspaper or her friend actually at the time when she was in a nursing school, a friend of hers saw an ad in the newspaper that America was sponsoring nurses. And so she had it in her mind already like, oh, yeah, I've heard of America. I've heard of the United States that it's, you know, there's better opportunities for me there. And at the time she had just had me. And so she had, you she's a young mother. She's trying to take care of her baby, her newborn. And so, you know, she had her eyes set on moving to the United States and that's kind of how her journey happened. And on top of that, I also did my own research on you know, our history, I watched this really amazing documentary um by Vox. It's on YouTube. It's all about why there are so many Filipino nurses in America. And it really just ties back to U.S. colonization. And after World War II, was so many, there was big nursing shortage in the United States. you know, white Americans did not want to, you know, fill that role. So they turn to Filipino women to fill the gap.  Isabel: Yeah, was there something special about the production process that looking back, you would want to replicate in the future or that really speaks to you?  Rachel: Absolutely. um Yeah, mean, definitely this experience and a lot of the people that I brought on to this project, I want to continue to make films with them and continue to make art with them because um I'm just so proud of the team that we put together. Everyone was so passionate and they knew how important the story was. They also had their own special connection to the material that they brought so much heart and passion into the film. that really comes through in the project. so like a lot of the people I brought onto this film, I want to continue to make art with them forever. That's one thing that I'm really, really grateful for, because I got to work with some really awesome people that I had never worked before or I had been wanting to work with. And so it was such a great opportunity that was given to me to be able to connect with such amazing and talented AAPI creatives in my circle.  Isabel: Yeah, I saw on your Instagram page for the film that you shot this film in both Los Angeles and Austin, Texas. Have you ever done a production where you had to sort juggle two different sets in two very different locations? And how was that entire process?  Rachel: Yeah, that was really, it was really fun. It was my first time being able to film in two different cities, let alone like two different states, really. A lot of my past projects have just been, you know, shooting it with the resources that I had that were available to me. You know, usually like my past short film, Thank You for Breaking My Heart, that I did last year, we shot all of it in one location, which was of course like, know, that is something that's really impressive in and of itself, of course. But, you know, because of the bigger budget that we had for Milk and Honey, I really wanted to challenge myself with this. And I really advocated for filming a part of the film in Texas because it is set in Texas. I was raised there. That's where my mom was placed when she, because how the process goes is, you know, she applied for the nursing sponsorship and then they placed them in certain areas. And so she was placed in El Paso, Texas at the time. And so that's where I also grew up. So I set the film there and I really advocated for filming in Texas because I wanted the film to have that feeling of the environment and atmosphere of Texas. um And so we shot some exteriors there for like this really fun Texas montage where you can really like feel that the character is there in, you know, in that heat, the Texas heat. So that was really, that was really fun. And I, you know, we shot, we shot two days in LA and we shot half a day in Austin, Texas. And we hired a second unit in Texas, because, you know, again, like, even though we had a really good budget, was still, you know, it was still pretty small. So I wasn't able to, you know, fly my LA crew over there. um So what we did was we just hired a second unit crew in Austin, Texas, and they were amazing. And most of them were queer, non-binary filmmakers. And it was just such a fun, intimate crew that you know, we just breezed by and had such a great time shooting that.  Isabel: That's wonderful. As a director, what inspires you and what are some of your filmmaking influences?  Rachel: Yeah, I mean, I'm constantly inspired by, you know, new films, filmmakers that I've seen, em particularly for Milk and Honey. I um so the film is, you know, this grounded drama, but there are a lot of moments of magical realism that I mix into it. love magical realism. love one of my favorite movies is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It's such a beautiful film, also very grounded, but it's filled with all of this, you know, magical realism, surrealism. And so I infused that into, you know, Milk and Honey, which was really fun and a challenge to execute. But yeah, and some other filmmakers and creatives that I'm inspired by are Ava Duvernay. think her work is just incredible and also just an incredible artist overall. I love the kind of work that she does because it comes from such a deep place. And I love that she can combine art with politics and social justice as well. Isabel: I also love that you said in your one of your project funding descriptions that you use your art as your act of revolution, which is so relevant given that, you know, in our current state of, you know, our administration is silencing and suppressing voices of our immigrant communities. And how do we as filmmakers, as artists, what does that revolution and representation mean to you as a filmmaker and artist?  Rachel: I truly believe that that art is our act of revolution and just merely creating the art is that act in and of itself. We don't have to do more than that as from, in my opinion, as an artist, because the mere fact of us existing as artists, existing, myself existing and creating the work and having the work exists out there and putting it out. The most powerful thing that an artist can do is to make their art and share it with the world. And after that, just let it go, you know, forget about how it's going to be received. Forget about like, you know, the critics and, and, and the, you know, self doubt you may have and all of those things, because yeah, it's going to come. I think especially in the landscape of, like you said, of where we're at right now with our current administration and you know, just who knows what's going to happen in the next few years, but also in the face of like AI and technology and all of that, I think all we can really do as artists is to, in order for us to change the system is we have to be the change, right? And in order for us to be that change is just to continue to tell our stories and stay authentic to ourselves. Because I think that's also what a lot of people out there are really craving right now. People are craving authentic, real stories by people that we really don't get to see or hear their stories very often. And so um that for me is something that fuels me and my artistry every day.  Isabel: Very well said and a great reminder to all of us artists out there to keep making our art. What do you hope for audiences to take away when they watch your film?  Rachel: What I hope for audiences to get out of watching the film, well, one, at the core of it is a mother-daughter story. And I also did it to honor my mother and her sacrifices and her story. So I hope that, one, audiences will, you know, maybe reflect on their relationship with their mother and… um think of ways to honor their mother and their family and their ancestry as well. And another thing is to really think about what the American dream means to you, because that was another driving force for me with the film is it's called Milk & Honey because a lot of immigrants coined Milk & Honey as America's milk and honey as this like land of abundance, land of opportunity and you know, this is a, this is a place for creating a better life for ourselves. But I, for me, as I've grown up and as an adult now, really looking at like, well, what does the American dream mean to me? Is that still true to me? Do I still think the U S is a place where I can, where I can build a better life? Is it a place of abundance and something in the film, a big theme in the film is where Cherry's character scrutinizes that dream and thinks for herself, like, is the American dream worth it? And what does the American dream actually mean to me? What is the definition of that? So I think that's a big thing I would love audiences to also take away from it, you know, asking themselves that question. Isabel: That's a great thought to end on. I'll be including Rachel's social media and website on kpfa.org as usual so you can see if Milk and Honey will be screening in a film festival near your city during its festival run. Well, Rachel, thank you so much for joining me on APEX Express today. Thanks so much for having me. I really enjoyed it. Please check our website kpfa.org to find out more about magical realism in AAPI stories and the guests we spoke to. We thank all of you listeners out there. Keep resisting. Keep organizing. Keep creating and sharing your visions with the world. Your voices are important. APEX Express is produced by Miko Lee, Jalena Keane-Lee, Preeti Mangala Shekar, Anuj Vaidya, Swati Rayasam, Cheryl Truong, and Isabel Li. Tonight's show was produced by me, Isabel Li. Thanks to the team at KPFA for their support. Have a great night. The post APEX Express – 1.08.26 – Magical Realism and AAPI Short Films appeared first on KPFA.

There aren't any numbers here because that would imply a ranking. (Or at the very least, can draw the question about ranking.) Here are this movies that at least one of dug this year: SINNERS Directed by Ryan Coogler Written by Ryan Coogler From IMDB: Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back. When this was announced, I wasn't sure of what to make of it. Surely, a dip into the From Dusk Til Dawn pond wasn't a thing that crossed my mind, but we got a wee bit of that here. Currently on HBO Max WEAPONS Directed by Zach Cregger Written by Zach Cregger From IMDB: When all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance. What a great follow-up to Gregger's Barbarian. Not quite as What-The-Fuck-y as Barbarian, but it's not in short supply of nuttiness. Currently on HBO Max PREDATOR: BADLANDS Directed by Dan Trachtenberg Written by Patrick Aison and Dan Trachtenberg From IMDB: A young Predator outcast from his clan finds an unlikely ally on his journey in search of the ultimate adversary. Dan Trachtenberg returns to the Predator franchise for the third time in his career and the second time in 2025. (See below,) This time, telling the story through a young Predator out to prove to his father and his clan he is worthy of his armor. Currently in theaters with Cinema AT Home rentals coming soon.   PREDATOR: KILLER of KILLERS Directed by Dan Trachtenberg Written by Micho Robert Rutare From IMDB: Three of the fiercest warriors in human history become prey to the ultimate killer of killers. With only his third feature film of his career, Trachtenberg tells his latest stories from Man versus Predator saga in animation form this time. Great storytelling all around, with a TON of Easter Eggs to be had. Currently on Hulu   FRANKENSTEIN Directed by Guillermo del Toro Written by Guillermo del Toro From IMDB: Dr. Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist, brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation. Del Toro makes his way back into the class monster stories with his own take on Mary Shelley's well-worn story of the same name. But he does it only in a way that GDT can. Currently on Netflix   SORRY, BABY Directed by Eva Victor Written by Eva Victor From IMDB: After a tragic event, a woman finds herself alone while everyone else continues with their lives as if nothing had happened.   *THUNDERBOLTS Directed by Jake Schreier Written by Eric Pearson, Joanna Calo, and Kurt Busiek From IMDB: After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap, an unconventional team of antiheroes must go on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts. Currently on Disney +   COMPANION Directed by Drew Hancock Written by Drew Hancock From IMDB: A weekend getaway with friends at a remote cabin turns into chaos after it's revealed that one of the guests is not what they seem. Currently on Prime Video and HBO Max   Superman Directed by James Gunn Written by James Gunn From IMDB: Superman must reconcile his alien Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as reporter Clark Kent. As the embodiment of truth, justice and the human way he soon finds himself in a world that views these as old-fashioned. Wake Up, Dead Man Directed by Rian Johnson From IMDB: Detective Benoit Blanc teams up with an earnest young priest to investigate a perfectly impossible crime at a small-town church with a dark history.   BLACK BAG Directed by Steven Soderbergh Written by David Koepp From IMDB: When intelligence agent Kathryn Woodhouse is suspected of betraying the nation, her husband - also a legendary agent - faces the ultimate test of whether to be loyal to his marriage, or his country. Currently on Prime Video, and Available to Rent on All Rental Platforms, as well as 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray. CHAINSAW MAN THE MOVIE - REZE ARC Directed by Tatsuya YoshiharaWritten by Tatsuki Fujimoto and Hiroshi Seko From IMDB: Denji encounters a new romantic interest, Reze, who works at a coffee café.   2025 had a really nice mixed bag of movies we dug, and very little we didn't. We're looking forward to 2026 with some new stuff including new additions to Patreon for us to engage with all of you a little more! Here's to another year of great movies! ENJOY! Love and Rockets, Corey, Joseph, and Freddy ------------------ If you'd like to show your support for members of WGA, SAG, IATSE, as well as other workers in the entertainment industry, please take a look at the link below and maybe make a donation: Entertainment Community Fund https://entertainmentcommunity.org/support-our-work ------------------ As always, and maybe even more than ever, here are some mental health resources for North America: United States  https://www.mentalhealth.gov/get-help/immediate-help https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ The Suicide Hotline phone number has been changed. Now, just text or call 988. Canada https://www.ccmhs-ccsms.ca/mental-health-resources-1 1 (833) 456-4566 Even though we don't say it in this episode, more NOW than ever before: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE take care of yourselves and those around you. Be mindful of your surroundings. Karate in the Garage Linkages   

Guillermo del Toro has yet to find any boundaries when it comes to intimacy within a story or the scope of its telling. He uses genre like a stained palette, leaving residue of fusions and clear-cut influences.So it makes sense that his debut, CRONOS, is no different. Del Toro reinvents the vampire using alchemy, entomology, Gothic principles, the mixture of Medevial and Renaissance periods. But anchoring this smattering of ideas is the simplest one: the unconditional love between a grandfather and granddaughter.Jesus Gris (Federico Luppi) is a Mexican antique shop owner raising his granddaughter Aurora (Tamara Xanath). One day, they discover a golden egg-shaped device hidden in one of the shop's archangel statues. After fumbling with the device's dial, Jesus is wounded when the Cronos machine pops out sharp, insect-like legs and latches itself into his hand, Facehugger-style. What starts as mere accident lingers in Jesus' mind as he finds himself not only drawn to the device but also its method of doling out pain. The more Jesus uses the Cronos device, the more vivacious and young he feels. But this newfound rejuvenation comes with an aching appetite for flesh, for blood.CRONOS introduces many of the subjects found throughout Del Toro's 30+ year career: death, fatherhood, the clash between an archaic past and promising future, Ron Perlman. It sometimes feels as though the movie is incapable of holding all the thought that went into its world's development but that's part of what I enjoy about Del Toro. His movies are never complete after first viewing. In a way, they're the amuse bouche to the boundless mind that hides beneath, a mere foyer to a curious mansion.---Please rate and review The Movies wherever you listen to podcasts!Financially support the show using the tip jar.Follow The Movies on Instagram & Letterboxd

This live episode was recorded at Mount Vernon as part of The American Military at 250: The 2025 George Washington Symposium.Retired Marine Corp General and former Chief of Staff John Kelly, the 78th Secretary of the Navy the Honorable Carlos Del Toro, and former Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Comptroller the Honorable Kathleen Miller discuss the American military today in this panel conversation moderated by Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky. Leadership and Legacy: Conversations at the George Washington Presidential Library is hosted by Washington Library Executive Director Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky. It is a production of the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association and Primary Source Media. For more information about this program, go to www.GeorgeWashingtonPodcast.com.

This live episode was recorded at Mount Vernon as part of The American Military at 250: The 2025 George Washington Symposium.Retired Marine Corp General and former Chief of Staff John Kelly, the 78th Secretary of the Navy the Honorable Carlos Del Toro, and former Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Comptroller the Honorable Kathleen Miller discuss the American military today in this panel conversation moderated by Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky. Leadership and Legacy: Conversations at the George Washington Presidential Library is hosted by Washington Library Executive Director Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky. It is a production of the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association and Primary Source Media. For more information about this program, go to www.GeorgeWashingtonPodcast.com.

Look out, Sherlock Says is going back to the Holmes at 3 AM for more Hound. This time, it's the Granada version with Our Boy Jeremy. Unfortunately, they didn't have the juice this time, but we have an idea who might...NOTE: Sherlock Says is going on a brief holiday break after this episode! We'll be back in mid-to-late January with an episode about the Frogwares game Sherlock Holmes: Year One.Contact the pod! Linktree at: https://linktr.ee/sherlocksayspod?fbclid=PAAaalIOau9IFlX3ixKFo3lsvmq6U1pYn8m3cf7N6aOqkqUGCljCO0R00KZ3E

In this episode of The 10 Ninety Podcast, Mason talks with Brit Del Toro about losing her infant son, Zeppelin, the ripple effects of that tragedy on her marriage and mental health, and the support and judgment she faced while navigating postpartum depression and grief. Brit also shares the recent loss of her husband, Troy, who struggled with addiction, bipolar disorder, and chronic pain before taking his own life. Together, they discuss the stigma around suicide, parenting through trauma, and the daily effort it takes to stay present for her children while rebuilding a sense of purpose. Brit's honesty offers insight into the realities of grief and the strength it takes to choose hope one day at a time.

Alex Langer, President and CEO of Sierra Madre Gold And Silver (TSXV: SM) (OTCQX: SMDRF), joins me to discuss the acquisition of the Del Toro Silver Mine in the Chalchihuites District in Mexico from First Majestic Silver Corp. for total consideration of up to US$60 million, inclusive of delayed and contingent milestone payments.  We also get a update on operations from the ongoing ramp-up and expansion of silver and gold production from the La Guitarra, Coloso, and Nazareno mines in Mexico.    Pursuant to the Transaction, Sierra Madre will acquire a 100% interest in the 2,129-hectare Del Toro Property in Zacatecas State that includes three fully-permitted underground mines, a 3,000 tonnes per day ("tpd") flotation processing circuit and numerous historic mines.   Alex outlines that in the near-term, their plan for Del Toro is to advance exploration and prepare an updated resource report while their operating team focuses on completing the two-stage expansion at La Guitarra.  The initial plan is to commence the mine restart process at Del Toro in mid-2027, with silver and base metals production currently slated for mid-2028. However, Alex mentioned that if silver prices continue on their current upward trajectory, there is a possibility of restarting Del Toro within a 12-month time period."   We reviewed that once again this transaction was completed with their largest strategic shareholder, First Majestic Silver, who is excited to see the team at Sierra Madre unlock value from these assets as they participate from an equity perspective. Alex points out that as was the case with La Guitarra, First Majestic has done an exceptional job in keeping permits current and maintaining the mine and plant in an operations-ready state.   Key transaction specifics of the Del Toro acquisition:   Upon closing of the Transaction, US$20 million in cash and US$10 million in Sierra Madre shares at the Issue Price. Within 18 months of Closing, US$10 million in cash or, at the option of the Company, Shares at a price per share equal to the market price. If, within 48 months of Closing, the Company files a National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") technical report over any or all of Del Toro that demonstrates "mineral resources" of at least 100Moz AgEq or the Company issues a news release announcing "mineral resources" of at least 100Moz AgEq, an additional US$10 million in cash or, at the option of the Company. If, within 60 months of Closing, the Company achieves commercial production at Del Toro of at least 4,000 tpd for 30 consecutive days, an additional US$10M in cash or, at the option of the Company,     Alex then unpacks how Del Toro is an excellent match for their portfolio, not just on a production basis, but with considerable exploration upside; with an already built production plant and a strategic land position in the large, under-explored Chalchihuites District.  This ties into their team's long-standing corporate business model is to acquire mines, such as La Guitarra, with existing production facilities, and then to build a resource base in under-explored, large historic mining districts.   Alex also just got back from a site visit to Mexico, so we unpacked all the activity on the ground the planned two-stage expansion at their La Guitarra processing plant located in Estado de Mexico, Mexico. Alex discussed how the ongoing purchase of additional milling and processing equipment along with rolling fleet equipment will allow for the implementation of increased production in incremental stages over the next 2 years.   In addition to throughput growth, there will also be grade-driven growth at the La Guitarra complex. This higher-grade ore which will continue be sourced from both the Coloso and Nazareno Mines to augment the material from the La Guitarra Mine, in addition to development work at La Guitarra reaching higher grade material. As production and operations continue ramping up this blended material will raise the grades and recoveries of gold and silver, as well as start lowering costs over the next few quarters. Wrapping up we discuss the preparations and early targeting work underway to engage in a significant exploration program at the East District concessions, which will include a drill program of over 25,000 meters in 2026.  The property hosts 8 different past-producing mines, with the first 2 priorities being to explore around the El Rincon and Mina de Agua mines.   There will also be more announcements about the exploration plans at the Del Toro complex and land concessions in the new year.       If you have any questions for Alex regarding Sierra Madre Gold and Silver, then please email them to me at either Shad@kereport.com.   In full disclosure, Shad is a shareholder of Sierra Madre Gold and Silver and may choose to buy or sell shares at any time.   Click here to follow along with the latest news from Sierra Madre Gold & Silver   For more market commentary & interview summaries, subscribe to our Substacks:   The KE Report: https://kereport.substack.com/ Shad's resource market commentary: https://excelsiorprosperity.substack.com/     Investment disclaimer: This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, an offer, or a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Investing in equities and commodities involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions. Guests and hosts may own shares in companies mentioned.

Radio Stelvio - S08 AFL29 (225) - De KerstspecialKoersklappers: Alex Colman, Jappe TootenLive bij Bike Project in Zwijndrecht: onze unieke terugblik op het wielerjaar 2025. Pogacar was té sterk, dus smeten ex-prof Alex Colman en vlotte analist Jappe Tooten zich door onze rennerpoules en kozen hun runner-up van het wielerjaar. Met interventies van Ward Rigole en Jonas Vergauwen vanuit De Karper in Gent, inclusief een kijk op de strafste vrouw van het jaar!En verder? Vueltas vergelijken met WK's, de koersschoenen van Jappe, niet meer door de regen willen, fitnesstoestellen en de nieuwe fiets van Remco.Steun Radio Stelvio(00:00:00) Intro(00:13:20) Kortnieuws(00:28:30) Ode aan Pogacar(00:30:37) Poules(01:06:44) Beste vrouw van 2025(01:15:46) Finales(01:37:10) NapratenBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/radio-stelvio--2841595/support.

On today's episode of the podcast we talk about Mexican cycling phenomenon Isaac Del Toro, an athlete who captured the world's attention with his achievements in 2025. We also look at how sports have helped shape and develop Modern Mexico's identify, and how Mexico's social and political context have impacted the country's athletes. Within the world of sports, Isaac Del Toro is Mexico's top star right now. Host Nathaniel Parish Flannery talks about how he traveled to Italy to watch Del Toro compete at the Giro d'Italia, Italy's biggest cycling race, and wrote about Del Toro for the British magazine ROULEUR. Historian David Wysocki talks about his research on the history of sports in Mexico. They also discuss the culture vs institutions debate. Wysocki's paper "Exercising the Cosmic Race: Mexican Sporting Culture and Mestizo Citizens" is available for free here: https://repository.arizona.edu/bitstream/handle/10150/625658/azu_etd_15795_sip1_m.pdf

Los Malos De La Película despiden el 2025 con un dramático mega-episodio cubriendo lo bueno, lo malo y lo feo de las últimas semanas.El programa de la velada incluye items como:José Miguel y Adelso comparten sus experiencias de trauma tras haberse sometido a los terribles remakes "The Roses" y "The Running Man".Adelso defiende la "Frankenstein" de Del Toro ante los ataques brutales de José Miguel.La perfección de "No Other Choice" y porqué nadie lo hace como Park Chan-wook.La misantropia brillante de "Bugonia" y el trance desértico de "Sirāt".La belleza y tristeza de "Train Dreams" y "Sentimental Value".Las hermosas pero desperdiciadas actuaciones de Adam Sandler y Dwayne Johnson en "Jay Kelly" y "The Smashing Machine".El poder enorme y feroz de Rose Byrne y Jennifer Lawrence en "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You" y "Die My Love", dos de las más grandes actuaciones del año.Como bonus, conversan sobre la subvalorada "Magazine Dreams" de 2023 y la prometedoras serie "Pluribus" de Vince Gilligan.Disponible desde ya en Spotify y Apple Podcasts.

Send us a textA stitched body, a sharpened mind, and a creator who won't claim what he made. We dive into Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein on Netflix with fresh eyes and full hearts, exploring how the film restores Mary Shelley's original genius while reshaping a century of monster-movie expectations. From the icebound framing device to the creature's own testimony, the story gives the “monster” his voice back—and with it, a moral authority that turns the tables on Victor.We talk about the texture of creation: the unsettling, hyper-real gore that makes every cut feel consequential, and the cinematography tricks that make key encounters float with eerie grace. Oscar Isaac's Victor is magnetic and cold, driven by ambition he can't control, while Jacob Elordi's creature evolves from bewildered newborn to eloquent judge, his slender, powerful frame reading as reassembled personhood instead of prop. Mia Goth's Elizabeth cuts through the gloom with presence that grounds the stakes. We also trace Del Toro's love of cinema history, from the inclusion of an Igor archetype to the blend of gothic realism that separates his style from the baroque and the camp.The heart of the episode is the ethics: What do we owe what we create? If the creature is functionally immortal, does denying him a companion become the cruelest act? We follow the thread of generational harm—from Victor's father to Victor himself—and the way indifference breeds monstrosity more reliably than lightning ever could. It's not a perfect film; the pacing stretches in places. But the ideas, performances, and design make this a rare adaptation that feels both faithful and new.If you love smart horror, literary roots, and craft on screen, hit play. Then share your take, subscribe for more deep dives, and drop us a review so others can find the show.Twitter handles:Project Geekology: https://twitter.com/pgeekologyAnthony's Twitter: https://twitter.com/odysseyswowDakota's Twitter: https://twitter.com/geekritique_dakInstagram:https://instagram.com/projectgeekology?igshid=1v0sits7ipq9yYouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@projectgeekologyGeekritique (Dakota):https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBwciIqOoHwIx_uXtYTSEbASupport the show

What are you most thankful for this year? Is it listening to these educational Lessons from the Lab?  If so, you are in luck – enjoy this Thanksgiving edition of Lessons from the Lab as Drs. Rubin and Del Toro talk turkey, stuffing, and nerves!

Today Jimmy sits down with Meg Del Toro, better known as Kambo Meg, a Kambo practitioner who facilitates one of the most intense and misunderstood healing experiences out there. For those unfamiliar, Kambo is a traditional Amazonian medicine that uses peptides from frog secretion to intentionally activate the body's fight or flight response. It is not psychedelic, it is legal, and it is designed to purge, reset, and regulate the nervous system. Jimmy has personally sat with Meg multiple times and regularly brings her in to facilitate sessions for men in his group. Meg shares her personal story of childhood trauma, nervous system dysregulation, and the long road through therapy, plant medicine, and embodiment work that eventually led her to Kambo. Together, Jimmy and Meg talk about why chaos feels familiar after trauma, how the nervous system gets stuck in survival mode, and why practices like Kambo, Sananga, cold exposure, and breathwork help retrain the body to stay present under stress. They also break down what an actual Kambo ceremony looks like, why surrender matters more than toughness, the role of purging, boundaries, emotional regulation in relationships, and how healing the nervous system changes the way you show up as a partner, parent, and leader. This conversation is raw, grounded, and honest. If you struggle with anxiety, addiction patterns, emotional reactivity, or feeling disconnected from your body, this episode will give you a new framework for understanding why and what you can do about it. Find Meg:Instagram: https://instagram.com/kambowithmegDM her to schedule a discovery call and learn if Kambo is right for you. Jimmy's Instagram: https://instagram.com/mrjimmyrexJimmy's TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@mrjimmyrexJimmy's YouTube: https://youtube.com/@mrjimmyrex Subscribe for more conversations around healing, personal growth, masculinity, and living with intention.

Frankenstein is a 2025 American Gothic science fiction film produced, written, and directed by Guillermo del Toro, based on the 1818 novel by Mary Shelley. The film stars Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi as the Creature, with Mia Goth and Christoph Waltz in supporting roles. The story follows the life of Frankenstein, an egotistical scientist whose experiment in creating new life results in dangerous consequences.Del Toro had long imagined a faithful Frankenstein film as a "dream project". This was initially in development for Universal Pictures, with del Toro casting frequent collaborator Doug Jones as the Creature, and Bernie Wrightson being considered for the monster's design. However, Universal suspended the project in relation to its planned Dark Universe franchise. Netflix revived the project in 2023, with Elordi instead portraying the Creature. Filming took place from February to September 2024. Wrightson had died in 2017, and the illustrated compilation Bernie Wrightson's Frankenstein was a key inspiration for the film's look.Frankenstein premiered at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on August 30, 2025. It had a limited theatrical release in the United States from October 17 and was globally released on November 7 on Netflix. The film received generally positive reviews from critics. Both the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute named it as one of the top ten films of 2025. It received five nominations at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture – Drama.Disclaimer: The following may contain offensive language, adult humor, and/or content that some viewers may find offensive – The views and opinions expressed by any one speaker does not explicitly or necessarily reflect or represent those of Mark Radulich or W2M Network.Mark Radulich and his wacky podcast on all the things:https://linktr.ee/markkind76alsohttps://www.teepublic.com/user/radulich-in-broadcasting-networkFB Messenger: Mark Radulich LCSWTiktok: @markradulichtwitter: @MarkRadulichInstagram: markkind76RIBN Album Playlist: https://suno.com/playlist/91d704c9-d1ea-45a0-9ffe-5069497bad59 

"Is it better to honor death or create new life?" That's the burning question that kicks off this episode of Systematic Geekology as Joshua Noel and returning guest Ryan Does dive deep into Guillermo del Toro's latest cinematic masterpiece, Frankenstein. The duo explores the rich themes of creation, loss, and what it truly means to be human, all wrapped up in del Toro's signature style. They chat about the film's emotional impact, the stellar performances, especially from Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi, and how the story resonates with the dark and light aspects of existence. With their usual banter and a sprinkling of humor, Joshua and Ryan dissect the film's take on classic motifs while sharing personal reflections, making it a thoughtful journey for fans of the horror genre and beyond. Buckle up for a conversation that's as engaging as it is insightful, and prepare to see Frankenstein in a whole new light!The discussion kicks off with Joshua and Ryan diving into the intriguing theme: is it more noble to honor the dead or to forge new life? Their banter is light-hearted and full of witty exchanges, hinting at their excitement to delve into Guillermo del Toro's latest adaptation of Frankenstein. Ryan expresses his recent obsession with the film, reminiscing about his love for past adaptations while Joshua humorously admits to his struggles with pronouncing names, leading to a shared laugh. They touch upon their personal histories with the Frankenstein mythos, from the classic Universal films to their childhood encounters with the creature in Scooby-Doo episodes. As they analyze the film, they explore deeper themes such as fatherhood, grief, and the quest for immortality, highlighting how del Toro's version provides a fresh yet faithful interpretation of Mary Shelley's original work. They each reflect on how the film's emotional core resonates with their own experiences, creating a rich dialogue that balances humor with poignant insights.The episode encapsulates the essence of a thoughtful yet casual discussion about Frankenstein, exploring the dichotomy between creation and destruction. Joshua and Ryan tackle questions that resonate on both personal and philosophical levels, such as the nature of humanity and the inherent loneliness of the creature. With humor woven throughout their analysis, they reflect on their own interpretations of the film and how it connects to their experiences with loss and connection. They share their thoughts on the significance of del Toro's artistic choices and how they enhance the storytelling, ensuring that the listener walks away with a deeper understanding of not only the film but also the timeless themes it explores. The episode is a delightful blend of intellect and levity, making it a treat for both die-hard fans of the Frankenstein legend and newcomers alike. As they wrap up, the camaraderie between the hosts shines through, leaving the audience entertained and enlightened.Takeaways: In this episode, they explore the heavy themes of life creation versus honoring death in Guillermo del Toro's adaptation of Frankenstein, sparking deep philosophical conversations. Joshua and Ryan express their excitement over how Del Toro's Frankenstein honors the original novel while also bringing a fresh, modern perspective to the narrative. The discussion dives into the emotional depth of the characters, particularly the creature, showcasing how his interactions reveal profound themes of loneliness and the desire for connection. They highlight the impressive performances of the cast, especially Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi, and how their portrayals enrich the storytelling experience. Throughout the episode, they reflect on how the film challenges the viewer's perception of monstrosity and humanity, making them ponder what it truly means to be human. In a witty exchange, they share personal anecdotes about their...

Welcome to ROADSIDE presented by Zwift!    In today's episode, Tom and Jet unpack the latest contract gossip, grand tour schedules, beef between grand tour contenders and will we see a Wiggins/Froome moment with Del Toro and Pogacar at next year's Tour de France? We also pray to god that all bikes don't come out looking like the Factor ONE in the future…   Zwift Mailbag: Send in your questions, hypotheticals, takes and everything in between to thepressroompodcast@gmail.com and we will read the best ones out in the next episode!   -  -    The Roadside Cycling Show is presented by Zwift   Need a trainer? Try the all-new Zwift Ride - zwiftinc.sjv.io/55gL11 Head to https://www.zwift.com/ to start your free 14-day trial today. The Roadside Cycling Show is also supported by FE Sports, the home of premier cycling brands and products such as Wahoo, Pirelli, 100%, Campagnolo and more. Check out their range now - https://www.fesports.com.au/Shop/c_230/Products  Roadside's Tour de France coverage is brought to you by Quadlock! Use Roadside10 for 10% off Quadlock products and listen to our episodes for your chance to win a $200 voucher! https://www.quadlockcase.com.au/

We spoke about immortality & aging last week in the holly jolly Hook, this week Dan Burgess & I look at it from an entirely different perspective as we wind up the gears in #GuillermoDelToro's ancient alchemical device in his debut feature film the very merry #Cronos! What happens when an elderly doting grandfather becomes addicted to an insect's rejuvenating sting, but in doing so also develops a thirst for human blood? Join us a we discuss Del Toro's troubling childhood, #RonPerlman's pitch-perfect performance & keeping excrement in jars... #PrepareForPrattleYou can see more of The Toronto International Film Festival's Maverick Conversation with Del Toro in 2001 here! https://youtu.be/Lm1ZwavsHh8?si=SDCAtiIIeFrKoCDYAnd if you want read some of my Letterboxd reviews on Del Toro's other early entries in his filmography you can do here https://tinyurl.com/37ktyfwr & here https://tinyurl.com/ymy386nfFind Dan on Instagram here ⁠https://www.instagram.com/picstopixels/⁠ & here! ⁠https://www.instagram.com/dansphoto/Check out the social media accounts for film production companies that Dan is currently working with... Sunny Runny & Going NowhereWhere to find the Spider-Dan & The Secret Bores Podcast…Follow this link to find your preferred podcast catcher of choice ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pod.link/danbores⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/secretbores⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@spiderdansecretbores⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tiktok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@dan_bores⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/spiderdansecretbores/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.com/invite/CeVrdqdpjk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IMDB: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22023774/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://letterboxd.com/spiderdan_2006/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Like, share, comment, subscribe etc. and don't forget to use the #PrepareForPrattle when you interact with us.Please subscribe to The Pop Culture Collective newsletter to find out what myself, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Comics In Motion⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and all the other related podcasts are up to week by week ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://pccnewsletter.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠I'd like to thank my patrons on #Patreon for their continuing donations it is very much appreciated and helps PrattleWorld keep turning and if you ever find yourself in a position to help the podcast please consider it. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/spiderdanandthesecretbores⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you would like to make a one off donation head over to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/spiderdanandthesecretbores⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you want to #JoinThePrattalion and to be briefed in full on the #SecretBores head over to #PrattleWorld ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.spiderdanandthesecretbores.com/

In seeking a new episode...we found a masterpiece!Today, the guys get together to discuss the newest and arguably most briliant movie from acclaimed director, Guillermo Del Toro. Frankenstein! What did Mike think about this movie outside of his typical interests? How does this movie compare to Del Toro's other masterpieces of cinema? What do the protentious critics on Rotten Tomatoes have to say about it? Find out all of that and more, right here!Click here to send us a message! If you would please go follow us on all the socials? We would love you all forever...in a friend way...don't be weird!!!Please go rate and review us anywhere you get your podcastsPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/CultureShockedPodcastTwitter/X: https://www.twitter.com/cspodcast21TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cspodcast21?lang=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/cultureshockedpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/cultureshocked21YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/cultureshocked21Website: https://cultureshocked.buzzsprout.com/

What happens when tequila meets soccer?

What happens when tequila meets soccer?

Guillermo Del Toro is back, and you guessed it, it's a monster movie! But not just any monster, the granddaddy of all monsters, Frankenstein! It won't take long to find out Del Toro has some serious daddy issues in this latest interpretation of Mary Shelley's classic. Is the world ready for a sexy Frankenstein? Is this movie too sexy? Why does Electro hate Guillermo Del Toro so much? Should this movie have had a wider theatrical release? Some of these questions get answered in the latest episode of The Movie Power Hour! Listen now!

Leslie Goodwins, director of 1943's Ladies' Day, a farcical comedy set in the world of baseball, needed a lead actress that woluld believably cause players to throw games and lose focus.  Stunning Mexican beauty Lupe Velez was just that actress; and luckily, Goodwins and Velez had a good working relationship.  She was the star of his Mexican Spitfire films, a series with Velez as the recurring lead.  This would be their last collaboration as Velez would tragically end her own life only a year later. Dan and Vicky discuss the forgotten comedy along with lots of recently seen including Del Toro's Frankenstein, Oz Perkins' Keeper, Edgar Wright's The Running Man, Predator Badlands and Bugonia. You'll also hear about Vicky's trip to Disney, Dan's own stay in Florida and an AI machine who's feelings get hurt? Our socials:  hotdatepod.com FB:  Hot Date Podcast Twitter: @HotDate726 Insta:  hotdatepod

What happens when tequila meets soccer?

This week we will be taking a look at Netflix's new version of Mary Shelley's classic horror tale, Frankenstein. Directed by master of horror, Guillermo DelToro and starring Oscar Isaac as the titular mad scientist obsessed with bringing the dead back to life. This film also stars Jacob Elordi as his tragic creation who just wants affection and a little love from his father/creator. Also, in supporting roles are Mia Goth and Christoph Waltz. This film has been a passion project for DelToro and he has been trying to get it made for almost decades now. It's a very faithful adaptation of Mary Shelley's novel but, how successful was DelToro in adapting this horror classic? Listen in and find out what we thoguht!

Sandy shares writing advice from Guillermo del Toro, a talented director, screenwriter, producer, and artist whose incredible work spans horror, fiction, and fairy tales. Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 1964, del Toro's passion for film and horror blossomed during his childhood. His unique style beautifully blends genres, often finding grace in the grotesque, and draws inspiration from anime, manga, and Japanese TV. Del Toro has brought to life impressive big-budget movies like Blade II, Hellboy, Pacific Rim, and The Shape of Water, along with Netflix's captivating Frankenstein.  

This Predator Looks Like He's One Shoulder Cannon Away from Being a Warhammer Mini This week on The Infamous Podcast, Brian and Darryl dive into a stacked slate of reviews — including The Running Man starring Glenn Powell, Predator: Badlands, and Guillermo del Toro's haunting Netflix adaptation of Frankenstein. Plus, we break down John Cena's emotional final appearance at Madison Square Garden. In News Bites, we react to the brand-new Season 2 trailers for Monarch: Legacy of Monsters and Fallout. Tune in for reviews, insights, laughs, and plenty of pop-culture chaos. Episode Index Intro: 0:07 News Bites: 5:31 Cena’s Last MSG Match: 10:17 The Running Man: 25:42 Frankenstein: 33:16 Predator: Badlands: 46:49 News Bites Monarch: Legacy of Monsters – Season 2 Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSfq48ytevA Apple TV+ drops a monster-sized teaser showing off new kaiju threats, a deeper dive into Monarch's origins, and the return of Wyatt Russell. The tone looks bigger, darker, and much more action-heavy than Season 1. We'll talk about the visual direction, the Godzilla tease, and what we expect from the expanded MonsterVerse. Coming February 27th! Fallout – Season 2 Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECI3eCAxRGw Prime Video gives fans their first look at the follow-up to one of 2024's biggest breakout hits. Lucy, the Ghoul, and Maximus are back, and the trailer leans heavy into the chaos, dark humor, and wild world-building that made Season 1 a smash. Plus, the big question: Are we finally going to New Vegas? Out December 17th! John Cena’s Last Time is Now An emotional, career-spanning farewell from one of WWE's most iconic figures. Cena gives a speech that's equal parts gratitude and grit, putting a final period on his legendary MSG history. We'll recap the full segment, crowd reaction, notable cameos, and what this means for Cena's future inside the ring. Movie Review Catch Up The Running Man (2025)  A sleek, neon-drenched reimagining of the 1980s cult classic. Glenn Powell carries the film with charisma and controlled swagger, leaning hard into the satire without losing the stakes. We'll break down the world-building upgrades, how this version uses modern media culture as its villain, and whether it succeeds where the original stumbled. Ratings Out of 10 When Did 18 days Equal 30 Days? Darryl: 6.7/10 Brian: 6.71/10 Frankenstein (Netflix Original)  A haunting, beautifully constructed adaptation dripping with gothic style. Del Toro delivers a deeply emotional and visually stunning take on the classic tale — focusing on tragedy, humanity, and the monster we create by failing one another. We'll dig into the performances, the creature design, and how Del Toro balances horror, heartbreak, and hope. Ratings Out of 10 Would You Want to be Alone in the Woods With a Wolf or a Frankenstein’s Monster? Darryl: 6.8/10 Brian: 7.3/10 Predator: Badlands (2025) The newest entry in the Predator anthology line continues the trend of smaller, character-focused stories set against the backdrop of a galactic apex hunter. Badlands brings brutal hand-to-hand combat, a grounded survival narrative, and one of the most intimidating Predator designs to date. We'll talk pacing, kills, atmosphere, and where this ranks in the modern Predator revival. Ratings Out of 10 When Your Brother Dies You Need to Go on a Mission to Fight Your Dad Darryl: 7.1/10 Brian: 8/10 Contact Us The Infamous Podcast can be found wherever podcasts are found on the Interwebs, feel free to subscribe and follow along on social media. And don't be shy about helping out the show with a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts to help us move up in the ratings. @infamouspodcast facebook/infamouspodcast instagram/infamouspodcast stitcher Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Play iHeart Radio contact@infamouspodcast.com Our theme music is ‘Skate Beat’ provided by Michael Henry, with additional music provided by Michael Henry. Find more at MeetMichaelHenry.com. The Infamous Podcast is hosted by Brian Tudor and Darryl Jasper, is recorded in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show is produced and edited by Brian Tudor. Subscribe today!

In this inter-seasonal episode, Stephen Roach is joined by returning guests Paul Anleitner and John Mark McMillan for a discussion of Guillermo del Toro's new Frankenstein adaptation. Together they explore del Toro's visual storytelling, the spiritual and theological roots of Mary Shelley's original vision, and why horror remains one of the most powerful vehicles for truth in our modern age.What We DiscussMary Shelley's Origin Story The Geneva “ghost story” challenge, volcanic winter, and the dream that inspired Frankenstein—plus the timely synchronicity with Stephen's upcoming book.Del Toro's Visual Parable Color symbolism, the contrast between Victor and the creature, and how the film communicates its meaning through pure imagery.Theology, Philosophy & Monsters Del Toro's spiritual connection to the story, humanity's desire to play creator, and how horror works only within a moral universe.Ambition, Ego & Shadow Victor and the creature as two halves of the same self, crucifixion imagery, and why many successful people feel they've “created monsters” of their own.Why Horror Still Haunts Us Horror as enchantment, ancient narrative patterns, and our longing for stories that reveal hidden cosmic significance.GuestsPaul Anleitner – paulanleitner.substack.comJohn Mark McMillan – johnmarkmcmillan.comHostStephen Roach, author of the upcoming How to See Invisible Things (October 2026). makersandmystics.com • thebreathandtheclay.comSend us a textSupport the show Get Tickets to The Breath and The Clay 2026 featuring Malcolm Guite, Jon Guerra, and Jonathan Pageau! March 20-22 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein (2025) is a visually stunning adaptation of the original novel by Mary Shelley. Del Toro turns the well known horror story of Frankenstein into a romantic, emotionally absorbing fairy tale. He softens the grotesqueness of The Creature by giving him tenderness and benevolence, angling the perspective to heighten audiences' sense of compassion and even relatability toward an individual who does not earn the abandonment and cruelty given to him. 

Editor - Evan Schiff ACE Frankenstein editor Evan Schiff ACE first began his journey as an assistant editor on Del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth (2006). Over the next, nearly two decades, Evan would establish himself as an action movie editor to be reckoned with.  He would flex his cutting chops on films like John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017), John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019) and Bob Odenkirk's action debut, Nobody (2021).  Evan would also drop by the MCU to cut The Marvels (2023).  But to hear Evan tell it, it was hardly his skills as an action editor that would prompt Del Toro to hire his former assistant editor to cut Frankenstein. Produced, written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, and based on the 1818 novel by Mary Shelley, Frankenstein stars Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, and Christoph Waltz. The film follows the life of egotistical scientist Victor Frankenstein whose experiment in creating new life results in dangerous consequences when his monstrous creation comes to life. EVAN SCHIFF ACE (In Evan's own words...) Originally from Syracuse, NY, I started my career in the film industry at the age of 16, between my junior and senior years of high school, with an internship at Stan Winston Studio (now Legacy EFX). After graduating from high school and being accepted into USC's film production program, SWS hired me back to do tech support as their Systems Administrator and eventually their in-house VFX Editor. I worked there part-time for all four years of college and full-time for one year after. While at USC, I got bit by the editing bug. I found that, even more than creature or visual effects, I loved sitting in the editing bay for hours on end putting my student films together. So a year after graduation, and five years after starting my job at Stan Winston's, I started to pursue editing full-time. It was slow at first, but eventually I got my first few jobs as an assistant editor, and things took off from there. The Credits Visit Extreme Music for the new Extreme Music panel for Avid Media Composer Hear Evan's interview for John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum See which Avid Media Composer is right for you Subscribe to The Rough Cut podcast and never miss an episode Visit The Rough Cut on YouTube

Visual effects veteran Dennis Berardi joins the podcast to discuss the resurrection of his legendary studio, Mr. X, and his latest collaboration with Guillermo del Toro on Frankenstein. Dennis shares the technical and artistic challenges behind the film, detailing how his team blended massive physical builds with digital artistry to create the film's "invisible" effects. From creating expansive Arctic icescapes in a Toronto parking lot to blowing up 20-foot "bigature" miniatures for the climactic tower sequence, Dennis explains how they achieved an operatic scale while maintaining the emotional intimacy of Del Toro's father-son narrative. The conversation also navigates the complex business of visual effects, as Dennis recounts the dramatic story of selling Mr. X to Technicolor and his subsequent fight to reclaim the brand and IP after the parent company's collapse. He outlines his philosophy for rebuilding Mr. X as a boutique, filmmaker-focused studio that values artistry over volume. Finally, Dennis, Chris, and Daniel speculate on the future of the industry, discussing the impact of AI, the fracturing of the VFX market, and why relationship-driven, smaller shops may be the key to sustainable high-end filmmaking. Mr. X Website > Dennis Berardi bio > Dennis Berardi on IMDB > Frankenstein on Netflix > The Empty Man Trailer >   This episode is sponsored by: Center Grid Virtual Studio Kitbash 3D (Use promocode "cggarage" for 10% off)  

Send us a textWelcome back to DMR Directed by the acclaimed Guillermo del Toro, the new Frankenstein on Netflix features an exceptional cast led by Oscar Isaac as Dr. Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi as the Creature. The ensemble also includes Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, and Charles Dance, bringing together a powerhouse of talent under del Toro's gothic vision. The film reimagines Mary Shelley's timeless tale with the director's signature blend of emotional depth and dark beauty, crafting a hauntingly intimate exploration of creation and consequence.The story follows Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant yet tormented scientist whose obsession with conquering death leads him down a path of obsession and tragedy. Del Toro's interpretation emphasizes both the horror and the humanity of the tale, pairing breathtaking production design with an emotionally charged narrative. Critics have hailed it as one of the director's finest works, earning a stellar score on Rotten Tomatoes and widespread praise for its performances, atmosphere, and heart-wrenching storytelling.Be sure to grab your 30 day free Audible trial in the link on this show and help support DMR!Support the showThe audio clips used in this podcast, including excerpts from movie/series/documentary trailers, are used under the principles of fair use and fair dealing for the purpose of criticism, commentary, and review. All rights to the original trailer content & music belong to the respective copyright holders. DMR (Dewey's Movie Reviews) is an independent production and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any film studios or distributors.

Joe, Claira, and Sydney discuss Guillermo Del Toro's latest film, Frankenstein!----------------------------------------------------------------Check out the team on social media!Joe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd ⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Claira⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LetterboxdSydney⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IG⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠Intro music created by Taylor Hollingsworth, check him out on Instagram!⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠--------------------------------------------------------------------------------House of Cinema officially has merch! Check it out over on: ⁠houseofcinemapod.com/⁠--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Check out the Patreon and become a Roomie! Exclusive episodes, access to the private Discord, and a lot more!⁠www.patreon.com/HouseofCinema⁠

Synopsis Honestly if you don't know what Frankenstein is about, I don't know why you're listening to a horror movie podcast. Review I heard a lot of mixed reviews about this, but I tried to stay away from as many spoilers as possible, as if this story could really be spoiled. Del Toro does add some new elements to the classic tale, some might say maybe too many new elements. Some might say that. I'm not saying it. But some might. It is kind of long. This movie is beautifully shot, albeit sometimes you can tell it was Made For Streaming (cough cough why is the sunlight in my face cough cough), but for the most part it's colorful, playful, and imaginative, with backdrops and settings that match the incredible costumes. Mia Goth looks ethereal in all of her elaborate gowns, veils, and feathers. Her wedding dress deserves its own moment of silence. The bandaged look around her arms? So major. The costumes tell their own stories, and they do a wonderful job at that. Oscar Isaac gets hotter every time I see him in a movie. Don't know how he manages that but he manages it well. Even though he's pretty evil in this he still looks good. Jacob Elordi does an amazing job as the Creature, he proves himself time and time again, with physical and emotional acting. He captivates and intrigues. He shines.The story is good, it is a bit hammed up at times and Del Toro is quite heavy handed; so much so that it feels like being hit in the head with a hammer. Yes, I understand the story you're trying to tell Mr. Del Toro, thank you for making sure I do. Also not a big fan of the narration aspect, don't think it added much to the story. I really could have done without the Danish sailors in their entirety and this would have been a lot better. Christoph Waltz was a pleasant surprise, although his character has little to no narrative impact. I always enjoy seeing him on screen but I felt as though he was a little pointless. All in all I really had a good time watching this. It's compelling, emotional, gorgeous, and thrilling. And God Damn You Netflix For A Limited Theatrical Release. Score 8/10

There is a mysticism that covers Latin America. Stories of monsters, spirits, and tales of dark family secrets. Sure, it sounds like a telenovela, but literature calls it Gothic: tales that frighten and force us to confront our fears. Now, Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro has reimagined the classic gothic story “Frankenstein.” But this time with a Latin American twist. Del Toro’s adaptation features catholic imagery, long stares into the camera, and Guatemalan-born Hollywood superstar Oscar Isaac. Oscar gets into the film, the state of the country, and why he dropped Hernandez from his stage name. Latino USA is the longest-running news and culture radio program in the U.S., centering Latino stories and hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa. Follow the show to get every episode. Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes chisme on Latino USA and all our podcasts. Follow us on TikTok and YouTube. Subscribe to our newsletter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The ComicBook Nation keeps spooky season going strong with reviews of the new films Predator: Badlands and Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein. Over in comics, Alien's xenomorphs take on Marvel's Captain America!  PLUS: New trailer breakdowns for Marvel's Wonder Man, Five Nights at Freddy's 2, and the Michael Jackson biopic, with TV recaps for It: Welcome to Derry and Devil in Disguise.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kate Hawley is the costume designer for Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein. In this episode, Who What Wear Senior Fashion and Social Editor Tara Gonzalez sits down with Hawley to discuss how she worked with longtime collaborator del Toro on his retelling of the classic tale. Hawley walks us through her extensive research process, shares why her team used such a saturated color palette, and highlights standout accessories from the film—like the Frankenstein family crest and Elizabeth's scarab beetle necklace—that were custom-made by Tiffany & Co. Plus, Gonzalez predicts which item worn by Mia Goth's character she thinks fashion people will embrace after seeing the film. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When director Guillermo del Toro asked Tamara Deverell to be the production designer on his film adaptation of Frankenstein, she had a good idea of what he wanted. Del Toro had been dreaming of making a Frankenstein movie for years, and she had worked with him on several projects before. She told me they're so much sync, “I find with Guillermo, it's not speaking in words, it's speaking with images.” But that didn't make the production design any less challenging. We discuss where Tamara looked for inspiration, why it's important for her to build physical sets no matter the size, and how she reimagined the signature set piece of every Frankenstein adaptation -- the lab where The Creature comes to life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Out in cinemas and now streaming worldwide, the culmination of Guillermo Del Toro's creative work, Frankenstein introduces a new generation of moviegoers to Victor and The Creature. This week on Geek History Lesson, Ashley is joined by TikTok sensation Fallon Prinzivalli to give a full SPOILER FILLED review.Follow Fallon on Threads ► https://www.threads.com/@fallonvalli#SpookySeason2025 Merch ► https://www.teepublic.com/stores/jawiinFor exclusive bonus podcasts like our Justice League Review show our Teen Titans Podcast, GHL Extra & Livestreams with the hosts, join the Geek History Lesson Patreon ► https://www.patreon.com/JawiinGHL RECOMMENDED READING from this episode► https://www.geekhistorylesson.com/recommendedreadingFOLLOW GHL►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geekhistorylessonThreads: https://www.threads.net/@geekhistorylessonTik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@geekhistorylessonFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/geekhistorylessonGet Your GHL Pin: https://geekhistorylesson.etsy.comYou can follow Ashley at https://www.threads.net/@ashleyvrobinson or https://www.ashleyvictoriarobinson.com/Follow Jason at https://www.threads.net/@jawiin or https://bsky.app/profile/jasoninman.bsky.socialThanks for showing up to class today. Class is dismissed!

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 31, 2025 is: hobgoblin • HAHB-gahb-lin • noun A hobgoblin is a mischievous goblin that plays tricks in children's stories. When used figuratively, hobgoblin refers to something that causes fear or worry. // This Halloween we were greeted at our door by werewolves, mummies, and a wide assortment of sweet-toothed hobgoblins. See the entry > Examples: “Vampires and zombies took a big bite out of the horror box office in Sinners and 28 Years Later, and with Del Toro's Frankenstein hitting theaters next week, it would seem that a return to classic marquee monsters is one of the stories of this summer's movie season. But there's one old-school hobgoblin that's lurking around the edges of this narrative, omnipresent, repeated across a number of notable new titles, but still somehow avoiding the limelight: the witch ...” — Payton McCarty-Simas, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Aug. 2025 Did you know? While a goblin is traditionally regarded in folklore as a grotesque, evil, and malicious creature, a hobgoblin tends to be more of a playful troublemaker. (The character of Puck from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream might be regarded as one.) First appearing in English in the early 1500s, hobgoblin combined goblin (ultimately from the Greek word for “rogue,” kobalos) with hob, a word from Hobbe (a nickname for Robert) that was used both for clownish louts and rustics and in fairy tales for a mischievous sprite or elf. The American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson famously applied the word's extended sense in his essay Self-Reliance: “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.”

Today on the show: The Vuelta is headed to Pogačar's door, Evenepoel may not be headed to the Tour, and Del Toro is the Mexican champ. 

Spencer Martin and Johan Bruyneel break down the end-of-season racing and transfer news, including Isaac Del Toro's rising dominance, whether he can continue to fit in at UAE with Tadej Pogačar as his level improves, and whether the recent high-priced transfers are truly worth it for the acquiring teams. Before wrapping up, Johan shares his thoughts on Pogačar's 2026 schedule, the Gravel World Championships, and answers a few questions from listeners in the live Members' chat. Become a WEDŪ Member Today to Unlock VIP Access & Benefits: https://access.wedu.team Fabric: Join the thousands of parents who trust Fabric to help protect their family. Apply today in just minutes at https://meetfabric.com/THEMOVE. Policies issued by Western-Southern Life Assurance Company. Not available in certain states. Prices subject to underwriting and health questions. Gusto: Try Gusto today at https://gusto.com/THEMOVE, and get three months free when you run your first payroll. Mint Mobile: This year, skip breaking a sweat AND breaking the bank. Get this new customer offer and your 3-month Unlimited wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month at https://mintmobile.com/themove. Upfront payment of $45 required (equivalent to $15/mo.) Limited-time new customer offer for the first 3 months only. Speeds may slow above 35GB on Unlimited plan. Taxes & fees extra. See MINT MOBILE for details.