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Did the discovery of King Tut's tomb really unleash a deadly ancient curse, or were the strange deaths that followed just eerie coincidences fueled by superstition and sensational headlines?*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*PARANORMAL PUNK SONGS BASED ON THIS EPISODE:https://weirddarkness.com/music-bewarethebloodybendersIN THIS EPISODE: Dracula, the Wolf Man, and Frankenstein's creation… no list of monsters would be complete without our toilet-paper-covered friend, “The Mummy” and, of course, the curse that goes with it. But in real life, did the opening of Tutankhamun's tomb by Howard Carter in 1922 unleash a terrible curse? (The Mummy's Curse) *** When driving towards the banks of the Chunky River in Mississippi, it's best not to ignore the “Stuckey Bridge Closed” sign. In fact, you might want to avoid the bridge altogether if you are the least bit squeamish. (The Hanging Man at Stuckey's Bridge) *** Feelings created by your living area. Can your home truly dictate the way you feel? (Feelings of Pain, Hatred and Anger Caused By My Apartment) *** In the early 1870s the counties of Labette and Montgomery in Kansas were experiencing an alarming number of missing persons. Could a local grocery owner and his family be to blame? (The Bloody Benders) *** The legend of Lavinia Fisher has been told and retold since her execution in Charleston, South Carolina in 1820 and with each telling it has grown more extravagant and further from the truth. (The Legend of Lavinia Fisher) *** Why are so many mysterious vanishings combined with some type of cloud, fog or mist? (Mysterious Mists And Strange Vanishings) *** Frank Lloyd Wright is regarded as one of the most brilliant minds in the history of American architecture. One of his creations was Taliesin, meant to be a hideaway for Wright and his mistress. But that beautiful home soon became a scene of utter horror – and it left behind a haunting. (Murder at Taliesin) *** A family buys a home to renovate and resell – but soon they come to realize why the previous owners might have been so eager to sell the house and get out. (The Shadow On My Sofa) *** A big smile is usually a joy-filled and even comforting sight – so why do so many terrifying encounters with evil include entities or villains with evil grins? (Smiling, Sinister and Supernatural) *** If you decide to visit the most haunted house in Philadelphia, whatever you do, avoid the "Death Chair." (Baleroy Mansion) CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = The Foreboding00:02:10.503 = Show Open00:05:21.354 = The Mummy's Curse00:22:25.375 = The Shadow On My Sofa ***00:27:33.816 = Smiling, Sinister, and Supernatural00:33:28.402 = Baleroy Mansion00:39:11.250 = Murder At Taliesin ***00:46:02.563 = Mysterious Mists and Strange Vanishings01:08:43.254 = The Legend of Lavinia Fisher ***01:18:25.912 = The Bloody Benders01:29:25.355 = Feeling of Pain, Hatred, and Anger By My Apartment ***01:31:05.910 = The Hanging Man at Stuckey's Bridge01:35:49.887 = Show Close*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad breakHELPFUL LINKS & RESOURCES…https://WeirdDarkness.com/ALBUMS = Songs and Videos by our Weird Darkness punk band, #DarkWeirdnesshttps://WeirdDarkness.com/STORE = Tees, Mugs, Socks, Hoodies, Totes, Hats, Kidswear & Morehttps://WeirdDarkness.com/HOPE = Hope For Depression or Thoughts of Self-Harmhttps://WeirdDarkness.com/NEWSLETTER = In-Depth Articles, Memes, Weird DarkNEWS, Videos & Morehttps://WeirdDarkness.com/AUDIOBOOKS = FREE Audiobooks Narrated By Darren Marlar EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/MummyCurseSOURCES and RESOURCES:“Smiling, Sinister and Supernatural” by Nick Redfern for Mysterious Universe: https://tinyurl.com/s2lpr7x“Baleroy Mansion” by Gary Sweeney for The Line Up: http://ow.ly/yb5N30m4CMj“The Shadow On My Sofa” by Bramble Woods, posted at YourGhostStories.com: https://tinyurl.com/qr49lmy“Murder at Taliesin” by Troy Taylor: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/n6w9vncw“The Mummy's Curse” posted at The Unredacted: https://tinyurl.com/tm4xmmb“The Hanging Man at Stuckey's Bridge” by Jennifer Jacob for The Meridian Star: http://ow.ly/oYTk30m2RCG“The Legend of Lavinia Fisher” by Robert Wilhelm for Murder By Gaslight: https://tinyurl.com/oxmjskn“The Bloody Benders” by Robert Wilhelm for Murder By Gaslight: https://tinyurl.com/mx72xxd“Feelings of Pain, Hatred and Anger Caused By My Apartment” by Gary Vasey at MyHauntedLifeToo.com: https://tinyurl.com/rhcanqr“Mysterious Mists and Strange Vanishings” by Brent Swancer for Mysterious Universe: https://tinyurl.com/vmadbwn(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.Originally aired: January 30, 2020ABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: #WeirdDarkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all things strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold cases, conspiracy theories, and more. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “20 Best Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a blend of “Coast to Coast AM”, “The Twilight Zone”, “Unsolved Mysteries”, and “In Search Of”.DISCLAIMER: Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.
Director, actor and writer Maggie Gyllenhaal's EXTENDED cut of her latest Late Show visit to discuss her new movie, "The Bride!," which seeks to tell the story of the woman in Frankenstein's monster's life from her own perspective for the first time on film. "The Bride!" is in theaters now. 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
The Oscars are over, and we're breaking down everything from the biggest winners and biggest surprises to our personal Top 10 movies of 2025. In this episode, we recap the biggest moments from the 2026 Oscars, including Amy Madigan's surprise win for Weapons, Sean Penn taking home another Oscar for One Battle After Another, Michael B. Jordan winning Best Actor, and Paul Thomas Anderson dominating the night with Best Picture and Best Director. Before the awards talk, we also review the movies we watched over the weekend, including Undertone, Argo, Dracula (2025), and The Great Santini. Then we each reveal our Top 10 films of 2025, featuring titles like Bugonia, Frankenstein, Sinners, Bring Her Back, One Battle After Another, Chainsaw Man: The Movie, Rental Family, and more. If you love Oscars reactions, movie rankings, film analysis, and year-end best-of lists, this episode is for you. Topics covered:
Clear your calendar, as you are getting TWO wedding invites – The Bride! and The Bride of Frankenstein will be hitched to their dearly departed bone daddies! Hey Frankie, don't shove that wedding cake in her mouth quite so hard – her neck scars are fresh! #thebride #bride #brideoffrankenstein #jessiebuckley #boriskarloff #jameswhale #elsalanchester #frankenstein
Immigration used to be the U.S.' great strength but now that's changing. What's new is illegal immigrants and naturalized citizens, who hate America but don't want to leave, are going around and violently killing Americans, explains Victor Davis Hanson on today's episode of “Victor Davis Hanson: In a Few Words.” “But how did we create it where we're getting people killing us and yelling Islamic sloganeering and championing Hamas and Hezbollah and Iran at the same time we're at war with them?… The answer is: Dr. Frankenstein created the Frankensteinian monster.” (00:00) Immigrants as Strength (00:39) The Ungrateful Immigrant (02:34) Recent Attacks and Radicalism (04:23) Why Assimilation Fails (08:06) Frankenstein of Immigration
The obvious point of comparison for The Bride! is apparent in the title, but Maggie Gyllenhaal's new revivification of The Bride of Frankenstein finds its animating spirit in a different film, with her protagonist couple spending a good portion of the movie on the run from the law in the 1930s in scenes that openly evoke Bonnie and Clyde. Whether The Bride! manages to rise anywhere close to the level of its inspiration is a question for next week's episode; this week, we're revisiting Arthur Penn's "lovers on the lam" classic to consider why it hit the way it did in 1967 and what remains striking about it to this day. Then in Feedback, we tackle a couple of listener questions concerning our recent discussions of Send Help and Wuthering Heights. Please share your thoughts about Bonnie and Clyde, The Bride!, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email or voice memo to comments@nextpictureshow.net, or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730. This episode is presented by Regal Unlimited, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code NEXTPIC26 for 15% off. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The boys are hitting the streets of grimy New York (and Jersey) for Frankenhooker directed by Frank Hennenlotter. We're joined by Frankenstein historian Brian Keiper (Holy Terrors) to discuss the comedic approach, the surprisingly complicated themes, and the iconography of the TITular character. Some need drugs, some people need booze, some just need some surgical assistance!New episodes drop every Tuesday, subscribe so you don't miss out. Rate us 5 stars while you're at it! Enter The Phantom Zone to access all sorts of bonus goodies like our monthly side show "Watching the Watchlist", movie commentaries, and polls to help shape the podcast: https://patreon.com/spectercinema Haunt. Brian on social media:BlueskyInstagramHaunt Garrett on social media:TikTokTwitterBlueskyInstagramLetterboxdYouTubeHaunt DeVaughn on social media:BlueskyTwitterTikTokInstagramLetterboxdYouTubeSpecter Cinema Club Original Theme by Andrey Kinnard
Here comes the bride... and there goes the audience. Alexis Hejna from Honeysuckle Rose Creations, Kat Scott, and Robert Winfree take a look at a modern-day adaptation of 'Bride of Frankenstein', mixed with a dash of 'Bonnie & Clyde', a dollop of 'Metropolis', and a heaping handful of sheer boredom (plus a look at the 2026 Oscars and our team's predictions). 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
Bộ phim One Battle After Another đã vượt mặt Sinners tại lễ trao giải Oscar năm nay, giành được sáu giải thưởng so với bốn giải oscar của Sinners. Các bộ phim KPop Demon Hunters và Frankenstein cũng nằm trong số những tác phẩm giành chiến thắng khác tại đêm hội lớn nhất của Hollywood. Michael B. Jordan và Jessie Buckley đã giành được các giải thưởng diễn viên xuất sắc nhất.
One Battle After Another wins best picture at the 98th Oscars, while Jessie Buckley wins best actress for her role in Hamnet, and Michael B. Jordan best actor for Sinners. Other winners include Frankenstein and Sentimental Value, while Amy Madigan takes home an Academy Award for best supporting actress and KPop Demon Hunters wins best Animated Feature Film.Also: Donald Trump widens his calls for other countries to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine tells the BBC he's left the country. Ukraine's president accuses Hungary of trying to force Kyiv to re-open a Russian pipeline transporting oil. Thousands gather in Mexico to attempt a new Guinness World Record for the largest-ever football lesson, and we look at the revival of the Dull Men's Club.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight.Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment.Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk
She's been dug up, renamed, reanimated, and gaslit — and Hollywood expects her to be grateful. Maggie Gyllenhaal's The Bride! resurrects the Bride of Frankenstein for a 1930s Chicago that feels equal parts Weimar cabaret and fever dream, with Jessie Buckley delivering a ferocious, uncontainable performance at the center of a film that can't quite contain itself. Mike White and Chris Stachiw dig into the ideas the film gets right, the heavy hand that undercuts them, and why a $80 million feminist Frankenstein movie ending on The Monster Mash is both the most logical and least earned conclusion imaginable.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth-podcast--5513239/support.Become a supporter of The Projection Booth at http://www.patreon.com/projectionbooth
Ben and Rob head back into the Frankenstein mythos to tackle The Bride! (2026), the bold, chaotic, and very Maggie Gyllenhaal take on one of horror's most famous monsters. Before diving into the film's wild ideas, the pair rewind to ask the obvious question: what exactly is this movie trying to be? A gothic romance? A feminist monster movie? A gangster road film set in 1930s Chicago? Somehow, it's attempting all of them at once.From there the conversation gets stranger. The boys unpack the film's radical attempt to give the Bride a voice and agency after decades of being little more than a screaming footnote in Frankenstein history. They dig into the film's themes of identity, creation, and control, the strange outlaw-love story between the Bride and the Monster, and why the movie seems determined to throw everything (gangsters, musical numbers, philosophy, and violent rebellion) into the same electrified laboratory.Along the way they debate whether the film's chaotic energy is exactly the point, what the movie is really saying about autonomy and being “made” for someone else, and whether turning Frankenstein's monsters into Bonnie and Clyde style lovers is genius or complete madness.It's resurrection, rage, 1930s crime sprees, and a monster love story that might be more about freedom than romance, as Ben and Rob try to untangle The Bride!... and, as always, beneath the lightning bolts, stitched skin, and laboratory experiments... what does it really mean?CONSUUUME to find out all this and much, much more!PLUS! We have a Patreon with EXCLUSIVE content just for you starting at just ONE POUND a month - click the link below!Find us on your socials of choice at www.linktr.ee/everymovieeverpodcast
One Battle After Another has bested Sinners at this year's Oscars, winning six awards to Sinners' four. KPop Demon Hunters and Frankenstein were among the other winners at Hollywood's night of nights. Michael B. Jordan and Jessie Buckley won the top acting gongs.
The Movies…. Are back. The Mindset….Continues. Bet you thought we had forgotten? Will and Hesse get in right under the gun for another Movie Mindset Oscars Special. Our two professional film critics and acclaimed indie film stars discuss this year's finest offerings from Tinsel Town and debate which among them deserves to be immortalized with that finest of names “Oscar.” Will PTA finally have his crowning moment of glory this year or will it be One Disappointment After Another for the wunderkind director as he's snubbed yet again… Who will win the ideological battle over fascism this year? Will it be The Secret Agent, which maintains that fascism is bad or F:1 which stands for Fascism = #1? Is having a parent evil, or is being a parent evil? And Is it better to exist or not to? Films like this year's Frankenstein, Sentimental Value and Hamnet all delve into this tricky and universal human dilemma. The Best Actor race is among the tightest in recent memory with many industry insiders saying it's going to come down to Michael B Jordan playing a set of twins who are divided over eating pussy and becoming a vampire and Timothee Chalamet who plays an arrogant, pushy Jewish guy who gets everything he wants and conquers the world. Will and Hesse discuss all this and more! Also Train Dreams? Place your bets NOW on which of this year's movies will win, and which ones each of these professional film critics still haven't seen!
Or, 'Team Russia and the Undead Ideology Project' Can you create an ideology that is custom-engineered, poll-driven, focus grouped, workshopped and marketed? The Presidential Administration's Alexander Kharichev is certainly trying, suggesting the Kremlin's concerns about the future.I also discuss Marlene Laruelle's excellent book Ideology and Meaning-Making under the Putin Regime (Stanford UP 2025), and the link to Jeremy Morris's comments on it is here.The podcast's corporate partner and sponsor is Conducttr, which provides software for innovative and immersive crisis exercises in hybrid warfare, counter-terrorism, civil affairs and similar situations.You can also follow my blog, In Moscow's Shadows, and become one of the podcast's supporting Patrons and gain question-asking rights and access to exclusive extra materials including the (almost-) weekly Govorit Moskva news briefing right here. Support the show
Movie Mike dives into the millennial optimism era which is being described on TikTok as a strangely comforting, slightly delusional time in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Mike shares what movies best represent this era from 500 Days of Summer to Easy A as he remembers a world of hipster aesthetics, early Instagram, and a belief that life would only improve, often contrasting with current, more cynical times. Mike gives his mini review of Disney-Pixar’s Hoppers. In the Movie Review, Mike shares his thoughts on THE BRIDE! starring Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale. It takes place in 1930s Chicago where a groundbreaking scientist Dr. Euphronious brings a murdered young woman back to life to be a companion for Frankenstein's monster. Mike shares his thoughts on Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale’s amazing performances but ultimately why it felt like Maggie Gyllenhaal was holding back on the story she wanted to tell. In the Trailer Park, Mike breaks down Scary Movie 6 and the long awaited return of the Wayans brothers. Can a raunch parody movie of this magnitude work in today’s climate? It marks the return of Anna Faris and Regina Hall 26 years after the original film first hit screens. New Episodes Every Monday! Watch on YouTube: @MikeDeestro Follow Mike on TikTok: @mikedeestro Follow Mike on Instagram: @mikedeestro Follow Mike on Threads: @mikedeestro Follow Mike on X: @mikedeestro Follow Mike on Letterboxd: @mikedeestro Email: MovieMikeD@gmail.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Amy and T.J. give you the cliff notes of each of the 10 Oscar nominated films this year as we wait to see who the Academy gives the most prized award to of the evening. We will share a synopsis of each movie, what they’re nominated for and what the critics and audiences thought of the films. We will also give our impressions of them and tell you whether you should watch it… or skip it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Amy and T.J. give you the cliff notes of each of the 10 Oscar nominated films this year as we wait to see who the Academy gives the most prized award to of the evening. We will share a synopsis of each movie, what they’re nominated for and what the critics and audiences thought of the films. We will also give our impressions of them and tell you whether you should watch it… or skip it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Amy and T.J. give you the cliff notes of each of the 10 Oscar nominated films this year as we wait to see who the Academy gives the most prized award to of the evening. We will share a synopsis of each movie, what they’re nominated for and what the critics and audiences thought of the films. We will also give our impressions of them and tell you whether you should watch it… or skip it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The US military has given more details about its strikes last night on Kharg Island, where most of Iran's oil exports are shipped from. It said it had struck more than 90 military sites, including missile storage facilities. Video on social media showed multiple explosions, including at an airfield. Also in the programme: our correspondent has been to a Kurdish Peshmerga mountain base in Iraq; and we meet the man who did the make-up and prosthetics for the new film Frankenstein. (Photo: A satellite image shows an oil terminal at Kharg Island, Iran, February 25, 2026. 2026 Credit: Planet Labs PBC/Handout via Reuters)
On this episode, we discuss the great Guillermo del Toro and his recent work, including FRANKENSTEIN, CRIMSON PEAK and THE SHAPE OF WATER! Panel: Kristin Battestella, Megan Kearns Visit insessionfilm.com for merch and more! Thanks for listening and be sure to subscribe on your podcast app of choice! insessionfilm.com/subscribe
The MovieFilm boys reconvene for in-depth discussions of last week's new releases: the Frankenstein story THE BRIDE! and Pixar's latest confection HOPPERS. Plus: Timothee Chalomet ticks off some folks on his way to Oscar night, Universal gives more time to movie theaters, and much more!Listen ad-free at Patreon: https://patreon.com/MovieFilmPodcast
Amy and T.J. give you the cliff notes of each of the 10 Oscar nominated films this year as we wait to see who the Academy gives the most prized award to of the evening. We will share a synopsis of each movie, what they’re nominated for and what the critics and audiences thought of the films. We will also give our impressions of them and tell you whether you should watch it… or skip it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It's time for the the 98th Academy Awards friends! In this episode we talk directors, cinematographers, editors, actors, actresses and a lot more, including all the Best Picture Nominees: Bugonia, F1, Hamnet, Frankenstein, Sentimental Value, Marty Supreme, Sinners, One Battle After Another, Train Dreams and The Secret Agent. Subscribe on Patreon Apple - The Film Talk Spotify - The Film Talk Facebook.com/TheFilmTalk To contact Jett and Gareth go to: info@thefilmtalk.com
The gents' are back in town for their 6th installment of Flix and a Whisk. Another hiatus broken, another gem in the books. Happy Oscar's weekend everyone!
La sposa! è un film di Maggie Gyllenhaal che, ispirandosi alla saga di Frankenstein, esplora temi come l'amore, la violenza e il femminismo. Rachel Kushner, con il suo ultimo romanzo Il lago della creazione, crea una spy story filosofica con diverse riflessioni su ambientalismo, evoluzione e attivismo. Nel memoir Poor, l'irlandese Katriona O'Sullivan racconta la sua infanzia tra povertà, violenza e abbandono e analizza i meccanismi alla base delle disuguaglianze. Al MaMbo di Bologna una retrospettiva racconta le molte facce della pratica artistica di John Giorno, poeta, artista figurativo, attivista e performer. CONTiziana Triana, direttrice editoriale di FandangoSilvia Pareschi, traduttriceValentina Pigmei, giornalista che collabora con InternazionaleLeonardo Merlini, giornalista di Aska news che collabora con InternazionaleSe ascolti questo podcast e ti piace, abbonati a Internazionale. È un modo concreto per sostenerci e per aiutarci a garantire ogni giorno un'informazione di qualità . Vai su internazionale.it/podcastScrivi a podcast@internazionale.it o manda un vocale a +39 3347063050Produzione di Claudio Balboni e Vincenzo De Simone.Musiche di Carlo Madaghiele, Raffaele Scogna, Jonathan Zenti e Giacomo Zorzi.Direzione creativa di Jonathan Zenti.La sposa!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhgcUArO3Uo&t=37sIl lago della creazione: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyryXnwKgx8John Giorno: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaWt0tuPErUCi piacerebbe sapere cosa pensi di questo episodio. Scrivici a podcast@internazionale.it Se ascolti questo podcast e ti piace, abbonati a Internazionale. È un modo concreto per sostenerci e per aiutarci a garantire ogni giorno un'informazione di qualità. Vai su internazionale.it/abbonatiConsulenza editoriale di Chiara NielsenProduzione di Claudio Balboni e Vincenzo De SimoneMusiche di Tommaso Colliva e Raffaele ScognaDirezione creativa di Jonathan Zenti
This week we are talking our favorite movies of 2025. We think this was a great year for movies, and we are here to gush about our favorites. After we cover those, we dive into each category of the 2026 Oscars, and give you our predictions (the answer key). Finally, we each rank the best picture nominees from 10-1. Thanks for listening, and join us on Oscar night for our reactions to the show!Thank you so much for listening! Support us at Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/DoubleBillChill Created by Spike Alkire & Jake KelleyTheme Song by Breck McGoughFollow us on Instagram: @DoubleBillChillLetterboxd: FartsDomino44
Episode Description: In this episode, Christopher Schnese and Stephen David Miller bring you a review of The Bride!. Directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal. With Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale, and Annette Bening. In 1930s Chicago, Frankenstein asks Dr. Euphronius to help create a companion. They give life to a murdered woman as the Bride, sparking romance, police interest, and radical social change. Show Notes Hosts: • Christopher Schnese and Stephen David Miller Featured Review: • The Bride! The Verdict: • Stephen: Pass with Caveat • Christopher: Must Avoid Music for this Episode: • The Day of the Dead by Randy Sharp Contact the show: • email: fans@thespoilerwarning.com Listener Survey: • Please help us by taking our survey
Podcaster and writer Harmony Colangelo joins the gang to track the many movements of THE BRIDE! Then we talk about actors we'd love to see paired up on the big screen. What's Good Alonso - matzoh Drea - filing (not clipping!) nails Harmony - definitely NOT Daylight Saving Time Kevin - zero degrees of Kevin Bacon?? ITIDIC Disney Releasing Fully Re-animated ASL Versions of Several Movie Songs Annapurna May Be Back A24 Opening a Vegas Wedding Chapel to Promote ‘The Drama' Staff Picks Alonso - Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains Drea - Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of Harley Quinn) Harmony - Baby Assassins Kevin - Promising Young Woman Listen to Harmony and BJ's show This Ends at Prom Or check out their book, Sleepaway Camp Thanks to Christian Dueñas and Gabe Mara for production support on this episode. Follow us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram, or LetterboxdWithKevin AveryDrea ClarkAlonso DuraldeProduced by Marissa FlaxbartSr. Producer Laura Swisher
Jennie Nash launches a brand-new Hot Seat Coaching series on the podcast—real, on-air coaching sessions where listeners get to hear a story develop in real time.In the first episode, Jennie brings #amwriting podcast producer Andrew Parrella out from behind the microphone as he begins work on his first novel. Fresh off completing the Blueprint challenge, Andrew shares his gothic horror premise: a Dracula-inspired story set in 1920s London, where Abriana Harker—the daughter of Mina Harker—faces a string of mysterious deaths unfolding against the backdrop of the suffrage movement.Jennie and Andrew pressure-test the blueprint together, refining the novel's central point, exploring how Van Helsing's legacy shapes the world of the story, and identifying ways to strengthen Abriana's role so the plot is driven by her choices. Andrew leaves with clear next steps—and this is just the beginning: he'll return in future episodes as Jennie continues coaching him through the process of developing the novel.You can connect with Andrew via his website AndrewParrella.com#AmWriting is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.TranscriptJennie: [00:00:00] Hi, I'm Jennie Nash and you're listening to the hashtag am Writing podcast. The place where we help writers of all kinds play big in your writing life. Love the process, and stick with it long enough to finish what matters most. Hi, I'm Jenny Nash and you're listening to the hashtag am Writing podcast.This is something new. It's a hot seat coaching episode where we're gonna work through a real challenge in real time with a real writer. And today. I'm joined by a really special guest. His name is Andrew Perella, and he has been the producer of this podcast for many, many years and is stepping out from behind the microphone to write his first novel.Andrew participated in the Winter Blueprint challenge that we recently completed. Which is to say he answered all 14 of the blueprint questions during our challenge and, and produced a [00:01:00] finished blueprint. And so I wanted to get on with him and talk about what do we do next? How do we go from there to the next thing?And he agreed to do that to help show our listeners how it goes. And I'm so excited about it because. He just did incredible work and also has so much work to go, so hopefully we're gonna get to, we're gonna get to follow Andrew as he does this for a few episodes and bring you along on the journey. So welcome Andrew from Behind the Microphone.Andrew: So much work to go. Thank you, Jenny. I'm really excited to be here.Jennie: So Andrew is, has a long career in public radio and is a producer of podcast for many people and is a storytelling guy, you know, as well as a sound guy. So this is, this is a big move. I feel like this is a right big move for you for sure, for deciding.This is the time to embrace the fact that you wanna do this thing. Does it [00:02:00] feel like that to you?Andrew: It, it feels like a right big move for me that I'm kind of prioritizing now this writing project for me. I'm prioritizing my project, um, over, over, uh, the projects of others whom, whom I help with projects.Yeah. So this is a big, big a right big moment for me.Jennie: It is totally a riping moment and. You're in the hot seat personal coaching, which I, I really appreciate you being willing to do So, um, where we stand today is, as I said, you, you finished the blueprint, you did all the work, you did the thing. So I'm just curious to sort of check in.How do you feel? Do you feel like that's an accomplishment? Do you feel some momentum? Like, what, where are you feeling, what are you feeling? Um,Andrew: I, I feel like it is a, a really big accomplishment because as we were working through the blueprint, I was getting feedback, uh, from you and KJ Dium about, uh, about, uh, how I was, how I was creating my [00:03:00] blueprint.It got me, it forced me to think about the book in some very real terms, in ways that I hadn't yet, and in ways that, you know, I had been kind of thinking about the book in more abstract notions. Um, and like this was putting pen to paper, uh, on so many things to think about, you know, beyond the, beyond the simple plot structure.Um, and I realized as I was going through this. How much I hadn't yet considered, and I think this helped to show me where the holes in my story were. Um. And he, even, even as I've finished, quote unquote, finished the blueprint, it's like I finished one inter iteration of it and like already the story has changed since I first started work on the blueprint.And so already I know I gotta go back and start reiterating on, on, on this, uh, uh, as we go along here.Jennie: Yeah. I mean, and that's the point, right? Yeah. Is the whole point is this is a tool that reveals. [00:04:00] What's working and what's not working? Is this what I want? Does this reflect my vision? And you get to, to play with that wet clay of the idea.So that's really what what we're doing. But the reason that I thought you'd be such a good candidate for coaching live in this way is your story. It really hangs together in so many ways. It's so great in so many ways and it, it would be easy to feel like, oh, I'm, I'm not that far. I got this. I could, I could start right?I can start writing. Yeah. But I hope, I hope what we're gonna show is, is really pushing yourself to answer core questions is gonna just make it so much stronger.Andrew: Absolutely.Jennie: So, um, all that being said, do you. What do you think the best way to share what you're writing with our listeners is? Do you think reading your book jacket copy feels good or do you wanna just say it out [00:05:00] loud?Andrew: Um, I feel like the book jacket copy, I. Um, that I, that I wrote doesn't quite, doesn't quite capture, I think in many ways what I think the book is going to be so Well,Jennie: and we're gonna actually getAndrew: to that. So I, and we're gonna get to that, I think. Yeah.Jennie: So why don't you just, just share what, what it is.Andrew: So, uh, the premise of the book is this happens, uh.Uh, the, the novel, it happens 20 years after the events of, uh, Bram Stoker's Dracula. Um, and so. It involves some of the same characters, and then it also involves the next generation of these characters. So these, those characters children. Um, the, uh, our protagonist is a Abriana Harker, who is the daughter of Mina Harker, who was, um, kind of the female, uh, lead in, in, in Dracula.And she was, she was bitten by Dracula in, in the original novel. [00:06:00] Um, and she is, uh, someone who is defended, um. Uh, by her, uh, by her friends and, and counterparts in, in that story, Abriana is her daughter. And Abriana is now facing a similar challenge. There are bodies that are turning up around her circle and uh, they appear to have similar injuries that Dracula's victims had 20 years ago, and some people recognize that and are.Going to begin trying to unravel the mystery. And this is all set against the backdrop of the universal suffrage movement, which is also happening in, uh, you know, 1920s London, where, where the novel is, novel is set. And so in broad strokes, that is, that is the, the, the primary premise of the book.Jennie: So the genre is horror.Gothic and I, I did some, some digging. I'm not a big reader of horror, so I did some digging into the genre to make sure that that was right. Because there [00:07:00] there's also thriller elements. There's mystery elements. Mm-hmm. There's, you know, there's other elements and it is, I always liked to, to test. Is this right?Is this right? Could it be tweaked? Could it be better? And it feels, it feels like there's really no question about the genre. Right. Do you feel thatAndrew: I, I feel that, I feel definitely, definitely feel that. And I think I, I, like gothic is, is, is a genre that I really enjoy and I want to develop some of those gothic themes in the story a little bit more than I have so far.But yes, I think gothic and, and horror is very much where, where this, where this book lives. Yeah.Jennie: Yeah. And that is something I wanna talk about for sure when we get to the inside outline. But I wanna start with, um, the second question of the blueprint is what's your point? And I know this is something you've struggled with a little bit.Yeah. Um, but so the current point that you have here is. I feel like maybe this came from me. So, [00:08:00] uh, I, it's, you can't change the world without upsetting people. The more you want to change, the more people you upset, and that's fine, but it, but it doesn't, it does, it doesn't feel like it captures. There's a real moral, philosophical debate at the center of your story.Right.Andrew: Yeah, absolutely. I think, you know, the, the characters are certainly, uh, in the midst of a paradigm shift, you know, there's the, there, the, the world order is changing as, uh, as suffrage is, is being opened to more and more people. Um, and times a world order like that changes. There are people who are for it and there are a lot of people who are against it.And so I think that's. That's an element in, in play here in the, in the novel. And that, and that's something that I wanted to explore. And obviously there are parallels in current times as well for, uh, for this, for this sort of change. So I think that's, I think that's, that's certainly, that's certainly part of, uh, of, of [00:09:00] the story.Yeah.Jennie: So I was, when I, when I review a blueprint, and for anybody who's, who's got one all on the page and, and you, you like it and it feels pretty good. The step is to, to really pressure test everything. So I, I read through the whole thing. I love looking at a blueprint. A blueprint as a whole rather than piece by piece.And in this particular case, it's like this. Yeah. This point feels bloodless, which is something we definitely don't want in this story. So I went back to your why and your why is really powerful and really personal and really political. Um, it's, it's fiery, it's articulate, like there's so much about your why that I.You can see my comments on the page. Mm-hmm. Not the listener, but Andrew can Right where I was going. Great. Yes. Very powerful. Awesome. You know, it's just, it's excellent. And you had some lines in there [00:10:00] about the, the monster in this story is not the vampire, but a man who is refusing to change with the times basically.And. That felt to me, given everything else you're saying about the parallels between this, the milieu of this story and the milieu we live in right now, the, the fraught. Climate, political climate. Cultural climate that felt more potent as a point. And I, I wondered what you thought about that.Andrew: Yeah, I mean, I think that that is as mu that is as much a part of the, the premise as I've conceived it, as, as anything else that I've, I've said, um, you know, the, the, the.Spoiler alert, the the murders aren't being committed by, by the vampire, uh, or vampires. Uh, the murders are being committed by an old white dude who is not [00:11:00] happy with how the politics are shifting under his feet and how the world is changing around him, um, and is trying to, at all costs, prevent that from happening, even sacrificing a bit of his own humanity in, in the process.And so I think that is. Is is something that certainly resonates, but I think it yeah. Is, as you say, there's a passion, there's a blood there that in in, in the why that didn't quite make it to my point. Um,Jennie: yeah, yeah, yeah. So I would suggest for the next iteration mm-hmm. To, to really push that point and.It's gonna keep changing, it's gonna keep, um, you know, getting refined as you go. But I think it's important to move it forward as you keep writing. So the, um, yeah, something that's, that's fiery and that's, um, about, ‘cause that's a, that's a, you're flipping an important trope in a. In a [00:12:00] classic novel, right?Mm-hmm. That it, it's not the vampire. So like, why that? Why, why are we flipping out? What is that showing us? What is the point of, of doing that in the story? That, so I would really play with that. Um, does that make sense? Mm-hmm.Andrew: Yes, it does. Okay. Yes, it does.Jennie: Okay, so the next thing I wanna talk about is your super, your super simple story.Mm-hmm. And. What's interesting about the super simple story is, I mean, I love everybody always. Here's me say this, who's listened to me for very long, but I love a constraint on in creativity. And this, trying to get this story in a really short space often reveals something. And what it, when it was revealing to me is, so you've got, you've got a abriana, she wants to, uh, become a doctor.Because of her mother's, [00:13:00] her mother died in childbirth with her. Um, so that's the, that's the storyline. You've got the murders that are happening and, and then you've got the universal suffragette movement, this political debate that's going on. So there's these three threads and. Even in the super simple story, it was feeling a little bit like they're disconnected.I don't think they're disconnected in your mind. I think they're disconnected on the page.Andrew: Okay.Jennie: So I wanted to just ask you to articulate that a little bit more. ‘cause you hint in the um, book jacket copy later, AA has things in common with Finn halting who's. Her uncle, the Vampire Hunter. Are you comfortable sharing what those are?Andrew: Yeah.Jennie: What those commonalities are?Andrew: Yeah, I think, I think, [00:14:00] um, uh, Abraham Von Helsing is, is a character from the original novel, um, and he helps guide the team to, uh, uh, find, track down and destroy Dracula. Um. In the world of my novel, his understanding of vampires changes as he's, as he continues to do research on them.And so he's discovered, he's discovered more about them. That will spell out a little bit more in the, uh, in the novel, but. First and foremost, and one of the, one of the primary roles he plays in the, in, in the original novel is a, as a doctor. And that's one thing that Abriana really admires about him. He becomes a bit of a, a, um, a surrogate.Parent to her with her mother dying and her, uh, her father's grief, turning into a little bit of emotional distance from, uh, from Abriana. And so von uh, van Helsing kind of fills that gap and so she associates her. I think her desire [00:15:00] to become a doctor stems from both her birth, you know, ultimately killing her mother, but also because, and, and, and wanting to prevent that from happening to other women, but also because she's seen, you know, van Helsing.Perform his, his service as a doctor. He, she's seen it in action and what it can do and wants to, and wants to, wants to emulate that. And so, and, and I think one of the, one of the things that, that I get excited about is incorporating a little bit of like historic realism into, into the novel as well. And there was in, uh, the 1920s a, a medi, the London School of Medicine for women.Um, it had it, it had been. Open for a, a decade or so. It was still a fairly new school at the time. And so that there was an, uh, a real place that she would've been able to go and get an education is something that, uh, is something that I'm, I'm excited to have part of, part of the novel and like that school wouldn't have been possible if it was not for the Women's Liberation [00:16:00] Movement, which resulted obviously in the universal.In the universal suffrage movement. And so all of that I feel, kind of ties, ties together in a way that I haven't explained very well in my super simple copy, super simple story explanation there.Jennie: So, so that's what I'm trying to get at is Adrianna is not just some random young woman. No, I mean she's, she's very clearly descended from.A, a particular, uh, family who's had a particular thing happen and you know, there several generations. So have you designed her as a protagonist using those elements of the family yet, or, or is it more kind of just convenient that she's there? Does that make sense?Andrew: I think so, [00:17:00] and I think it's probably somewhere in the middle.I think I like the idea of tying her into these characters that who have an existing history, and it then gives her a little bit of, a little bit of, uh, gravitas for the listener when they, when they start digging in that maybe they, maybe they, maybe they have read Dracula, are familiar with those characters and so, okay, this is the next, this is the next generation.But yeah, I mean, I think Abriana reflects. A lot of other things that, that aren't in, that aren't represented in the original novel. Um,Jennie: I guess what I, I guess what I'm saying is it feels, one of my concerns is it feels as if you could write this story about Adriana and not have her beat from this family.She could, she could be kind of. Anyone Gotcha. In this [00:18:00] situation? Gotcha. Does that, am I, am I missing, am I missing that? What would make, you know, let's just, um, I know there's, there's several women in the novel who have, have important roles. So I'm gonna pick a name that's not them. Let's say that, uh, there's a young woman, Catherine, you know, not connected to, um.Ben Helsing not connected to her mother, not connected to that whole thing. And same time period, same motivation. She wants to be a doctor. Maybe she had someone in her family die, and that's her motivation. You know, like suffrages, like that whole story could still play out with Catherine. Uh, am I wrong? I want you to prove me wrong.Andrew: So like, yes, it could, I feel like, I feel like one of the things I like about tying in Van Helsing is it, it presents a red herring, um, in the sense that it's like, oh, we all think. [00:19:00] That we're gonna find out vampires are responsible for all of these deaths. Um, like, I don't know, like, and I, and I can kind of slow burn the, you know, the reveal of vampires in general and, and, and how they end up not actually being the antagonists in this By, by which is So by borrowing, by borrowing his name and sharing his glory a little bit.Yeah.Jennie: Right. But back to Catherine, our, our mm-hmm. Mythical protagonist.Andrew: Yeah.Jennie: Same thing could happen there. Everybody thinks, oh, the vampires are back. Um, Catherine, you know, they, they keep happening around her. She's gotta figure it out. You know what I mean? So,Andrew: well, so, soJennie: isAndrew: Yeah,Jennie: no, go ahead.Andrew: The question, the question I, I think that I've been grappling a bit with too is do we exist in a world where.Is, does the novel, does the world of the novel, a place where people [00:20:00] have recognized the efforts of Van Helsing and that vampires exist? Is that, is that common knowledge in this world, or is all of that still unknown to folks?Jennie: Okay, this. Is the piece that I've been missing.Andrew: Okay.Jennie: That's exactly the piece that I've been missing.That's totally it. That, so here, this is world building. If anybody's writing anything with magic, fantasy, sci-fi, even just straight up history, and maybe it's a retelling or a re um, imagining, you often know those, those questions for sure. And especially for where for. My understanding, I, I'm, like I said, I'm not a horror reader, but I do know a little bit about Dracula, but the, it was a, a sort of science versus, um, like science played a big role in that.What [00:21:00] can we know? Mm-hmm. What can we prove? What is, what is unknowable?Andrew: Mm-hmm.Jennie: Those sorts of things. Absolutely. So that, you've gotta know that here. Mm-hmm. Has it been proved? Is it. Accepted knowledge. Is Van Helsing a hero who's locked away in his lab continuing to, you know, with funding and whatever to research his thing?Or is he some. You know, recluse who was shamed in the public eye and people think he's crazy, like that's gonna color everything. Mm-hmm. Okay. And that's gonna be, that's gonna then be the answer I'm looking for. Like, why Adriana as our protagonist and not Catherine. Right. So she's gonna have that, you imagine her going to medical school with.Those two different stories behind her, how different it's [00:22:00] gonna be when she shows up in the classroom and people know, you know, or when they know who she is.Andrew: Right? Yeah.Jennie: So there, there's a real, the reveal to the reveal to the reader about her connection and who she is and then her, her reveal to the society she lives in about.Who she is and you know, the meaning she makes from all that you know, and did, no matter what you decide about Van Helsing, she then you have to all just also decide about her. Does she agree with the prevailing wisdom? If everybody thinks he's a hero, does she think he, he is too? Or does she think he's kind of whacked and then, um, learns otherwise or, you know, like the or, or the other wayAndrew: around?Jennie: Yeah. Or the other way around. Yeah. Yeah. Right. So yeah, this is the piece that's missing is I feel like you have, and this is what I felt the second I heard you talk about your story. I'm like, oh, this could be so [00:23:00] good. Like, this is so potent, but you're like, you're missing it. You're just, it's like it's, it's like it's not landing as as solid as it should, and I think this is why.Right. I had not been able to figure it out, but. And you have, so I gotta make sure I understand the character. So a Adriana's dad is the brother of Van Helsing.Andrew: Uh, they're not related in the original, in the original novel. They're, they're, uh, they're just friends. Okay. Okay. But they're, but they're clo Okay.They're, they're close friends. And because Van Helsing ultimately saved both of their lives, uh, he is kind of a, a, a surrogate uncle. So, uncle, uncle in quotation marks. Yeah,Jennie: yeah, yeah. Uncle is Is an honorific.Andrew: An honorific, exactly. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. Yep.Jennie: That confused me. Okay. So I thought that there was a direct lineage there.Andrew: Right.Jennie: But there's not No,Andrew: no genetic link. Yeah, yeah, yeah. [00:24:00]Jennie: But a link through. Her mother a link to Van Healthing Through the mother.Andrew: Yes.Jennie: Um, and, and what happened to her. So, okay. Yeah. We have to understand his role, who he is, what he's doing in the world, what people think of him. Mm-hmm. Um, and also this is important for.Just the environment of your story, because we've got this division, political division around the suffragette movement. Is there, is there o, are there other, um, like, I wanna say mood, like what's the mood of the place where she's, this story's taking place? Is it, you know, a creeping sense of doom on many levels?Uh, is the do the vampire, like, is the fact, oh, maybe the vampires are [00:25:00] back. Does that make sense for the times? Um, like you and I are talking right now in 2026, um, during very extreme political upheaval and also during the time when there's this been this kidnapping of this prominent. Um, media personalities, family member that hasn't been solved.And there's this sense like, well of course this is happening now. Like this, you know, is there a weird, are we gonna have a, um, famous serial killer? Story unfolding in our time. Right. Like, that's what I keep thinking, right? Like there's a sense of, of course these things are going to start happening now ‘cause things are, feel so unstable and unsettled.Andrew: Yeah.Jennie: Is that what's going on there? [00:26:00]Andrew: I mean, I think potentially yes. I, I've, because yeah, I feel like this, it, it, it, it was an unsettled moment politically. And also a little bit medically as they as like the medical establishment is transitioning from miasma theory to germ theory. And that was kind of late, late, uh, 19th century, early 20th century.But like there's, there's kind of been a, a paradigm shift there. So I think, I feel like yeah, there does wanna be, as you were saying, kind of like this constant, creepy. Creepy feeling. Yeah. I'm like, I'm like to lean into the gothic, like I thought, like, I really want that to pervade every, every chapter, every page.I want that kind of like creeping sensation that that doom is around the corner. Um, that, thatJennie: Right. And doom for many sources. Right. Because I think that that's kind of one of your points.Andrew: Mm-hmm.Jennie: Is well, what I'm going back to what [00:27:00] the point, point was. The point we're kind of, um. Leaning toward is people who review, refuse to evolve.When the world demands, it can become monsters. So the world is evolving in many different ways and probably getting the opportunity for a lot of different people to have to evolve in a lot of different ways. It's not just one way. It's not just like, oh, get on this bus, or you're missing. Get on, you know, what's the metaphor?Like you'll miss the boat if you don't get on the boat. But it feels like there's all kinds of boats one, one might miss here, right? Um, I think so. And so that's that. Yeah. Okay, so, so in terms of what to do next, I think your, your homework here is you've gotta get to know Van Haling. Yeah. And the, and the world a little bit better.So I would do some character [00:28:00] development work on, on him and what the world thinks of him and what a Brianna's stepping into the, the light by. Insisting on going to medical school does to Van Haling. Does it delight him? Does it challenge him? Does it, um, you know, what does he think of that? I think that's important.Andrew: Yeah.Jennie: Um, to know too.Andrew: Yeah.Jennie: Um,Andrew: a couple, a couple of things that are occurring to me. I think I had taken for granted the reader's knowledge of the events of Dracula, and I don't think I can do that. I think I need to. To develop these characters for my own, as you're saying, I, I gotta, I have to develop Van Van Hels, the Van Helsing character.I have to develop him for, for my own purposes for this novel. Um, which makes a lot of sense.Jennie: Well, that's actually a really good question. You defined your ideal reader in a way that I thought was. [00:29:00] Completely delightful. Like she was so fleshed out. She felt like a, a full on character and I was like, oh, I know that.I know that woman. I loved it. It was great. But an important piece you missed in that is you said that she enjoys books about. London, the city and maybe some horror and gothic, but what is her relationship to Dracula, your ideal reader? You need to know that.Andrew: Yeah. Yeah.Jennie: My, you know, this is what's funny sometimes about being a book coach is I always say that the, the writers, the god of their own story, I can't possibly know everything that the writer knows about what they're writing about, what they've read, what they've thought, how they've lived, any of it.And, and in this particular case, I don't read. I don't read horror. I, I, I could barely tell you the, the bear outlines of Dracula if, if press, [00:30:00] um, I mean, I know the, you know, cartoon, the cartoon version. I, I, I could tell you a little more about Frankenstein only because I, against my will, watched the recent, um.Retelling.Andrew: Oh yeah. I haven't actually seen that yet.Jennie: So I say against my will because I was like, oh my gosh, this is too much for me. But um, you need to know if, so here's a perfect, let me finish my sentence. You need to know if your reader is a fan, is a reader, is a immersed in the gothic world, is gonna know all these things.Know all the tropes and know all the connections or not. And the, um, perfect example of that is, remember that book, um, pride and Prejudice and Zombies?Andrew: Yes.Jennie: So that appeal to people who love Jane Austen.Outro: Mm-hmm.Jennie: Like, you're probably not gonna read that book if you're not a Jane Austen [00:31:00] fan, but if you are a Jane Austen fan, you're, you cannot wait to get your hands on that.And. Also probably if you're a zombie horror fan, you know, you would delight in that even if you didn't understand the depths of the Jane Austen piece. But that book spoke to such a very particular audience that turned out to be a massive audience. Right, right. So, yeah,Andrew: yeah, yeah.Jennie: You know, I think you need to make a decision.Are you writing for someone like me who's, who's like, I don't know, like I think when I first read it, I was like. Who's Ben Sing? And you're like, he's the famous guy from the thing, right? So are you writing for someone like me or does your, a avatar, your ideal reader hear, you know, does she watch the movie?Does she, does she read the books? Does she gobble that stuff up?Andrew: Right? Yeah.Jennie: What, what is your instinct right now?Andrew: Singling out one or the other is going to, is going to change [00:32:00] how I write the book. Um. What is my instinct? Uh, I dunno. When I think about the character that I, that the character of the reader that I fleshed out in the blueprint, um,Jennie: yeah,Andrew: I don't think she necessarily would have read Dracula.She might be familiar with the story, but she might not have, um, uh, have read, uh, Dracula itself.Jennie: Okay. So yeah, let's get to, let's get really clear on that. Mm-hmm. Because it's gonna really change. And for those listening. The ideal reader. Oftentimes people think it's just a throwaway part of the blueprint because they kind of can just picture, you know, generally who their reader is.I mean, first of all, no part of the blueprint is the throwaway. Uh, something really important can come from any one of these. So really go back to your ideal reader. And think about them in relationship to their story. ‘cause this [00:33:00] conversation reveals how drastically you would change the writing of this book, depending on your ideal reader's relationship to the, to Dracula.Andrew: Yeah.Jennie: And, and there's no right answer. Either answer's. Great. Right. So, um, so that's, I just put that on the list of, of things too, um, that you're gonna be thinking about. Um. So once you get that, so yeah, the understanding of of Van Healthy's re reputation in the universe right now is going to be the way that you bring your reader up to speed a little bit.Right? Like famous Vampire Hunter still doing his thing or, or. Famous vampire hunter, you know, shamed and, uh, not doing his thing. Um, that's, those are gonna tie [00:34:00] together,Andrew: right? Yeah, yeah, yeah.Jennie: And cement down the world that we're coming into, um, more.Andrew: Absolutely. No, I can, I can see how that will change things.Yeah.Jennie: Okay. So, um. We're not gonna have time to dig, to dig into this yet, but I just wanna touch on it so that, um, when you're doing this work, you can be thinking about, um, thinking about this piece, but the, um, there's a cause and effect trajectory that's obviously what the inside outline is. And at some really key places in yours, you miss an opportunity to to tie in.So we always want our protagonist to have agency to be making the [00:35:00] decisions that cause things to get worse or cause them to be in a worse position or, um, and, and there's several places in your inside outline where. Things just sort of happen, which is the plot, and then she sort of happens to be there.But if you understand better these parts of her and her connection to this, uh, the not her uncle now, uh, her, this guy, uh, and her connection to what's happened with her mother and those things, then we wanna use that to push the story. To push the, so the plot has to serve the story. So the things that happen are gonna push your character in ways they don't wanna be pushed to make decisions that are gonna then push them further and, and they're gonna get deeper and deeper each time.And [00:36:00] you have a murder mystery. So each murder, we wanna feel more and more as if. She is boxing herself in by what she does. By what she thinks. By what she believes, by what she wants. And the, the CLO is gonna squeeze her to the point where she asks to make a, a big decision, you know, comes, that's the climax, comes to that like, will I, in this case, um, confront.Uh, both the murderer and her father is kind of where it all ends, so,Andrew: yeah. Yeah.Jennie: You know, it's not gonna be just like, and now we arrive at a place where she confronts the people. It's gotta be like. Gut wrenching along the way. Right,Andrew: right.Jennie: So, um, there's a lot to say there, and I made some comments on the outline, which, which you'll see [00:37:00] sort of my thoughts and thinking there, but I actually think that this conversation we've had is gonna be the solution because the, the big question I had was, is it coincidental that Adriana is.These murders are sort of following her around and people think that it, she might be responsible. Is that coincidental or is there something real there? Yeah. Do you know the answer or not?Andrew: I, I, I'm, I've been thinking about that and I think there are ways that it's not entirely coincidental. I mean, obviously she's not causing the murders, but I think, I think yes, I think there are things that she does that prompts these.That prompts these women to become targets of the murderer.Jennie: That's what I hoped you were gonna say. Yeah, because that's what's gonna, that's like, it's, I think this was on the page and maybe you didn't realize it, but. [00:38:00] Being friends with Adriana is a little dangerous,right?Andrew: Yes. Yes. I think that could be, that could definitely be part of the part, part of the, part of the theme there. Yeah.Jennie: So that, that shouldn't, that shouldn't be coincidental. Well, and this is what's so, so great about the blueprint and showing it to a critique partner or a writing group or an editor or a book coach, is.Somebody else can say, do you see that you're doing this thing that's actually really cool? Or do you, do you see that you're not doing this? Like it's things are just revealed. So,Andrew: yeah. Yeah, yeah. Absolutely.Jennie: So let's just wrap this up. Your next iteration, you're gonna work on sharpening your point. You're gonna work on sharpening the super simple story so that the Dracula connection is clear.Dracula connection to your [00:39:00] protagonist is, is more clear and you're gonna under in order to do that. You're gonna understand then Helsing, the world that we live in and what his relationship of that world is 20 years after Dracula. What, what is happening with him? What is happening with the world? And and that's gonna help inform the connection between your.Protagonist in these things. And then I think you already answered the ideal reader, but just make sure that you're comfortable with that, that she's not a super fan. This is not a insider. Um, folks who know and love and read Dracula, it's, it's more someone like me. He was a little clueless. And then if you have time to dig into.How that all plays out in the cause and effect of the inside outline. That's, that's where I would go. [00:40:00] So it's, um, I had an agent, my first agent, way back in the day, used to say, run it through the typewriter one more time because we were actually writing on typewriter. Yeah. Right. Back in the day. And, uh, that's kind of what I feel, you know, with these ideas in mind, like, run it all through one more time and let, let it all flow through One more time.Um, and we'll see where it goes.Andrew: Excellent. No, this sounds good. This is, this is some good homework. I'm looking forward to, to digging into this now.Jennie: I know. I can't wait to see too, and I hope our listeners have enjoyed, uh, going along on this conversation and gotten some inspiration for what, how to pressure test your own, uh, blueprint.And if you're not doing the blueprint. Uh, also fine, but pressure test what you're writing. Uh, this is just a tool for doing that, but there's this kind of questioning and making sure that things are not [00:41:00] assumed. That's, that's the key, right? It's that you, you sort of make these assumptions, but we have to articulate them and pin them down so that we can use them to make a much better story.Well, thank you Andrew. Really thank you for being willing to, uh, expose yourself in this way. Come out from behind the mic, uh, share your journey. It's not easy to do that, and I appreciate it.Andrew: Well, it's, it's fun. Thank you for pushing me outside my comfort zone. Uh, I've really enjoyed this.Jennie: I have too. So, uh, for our list.Thanks for joining in. Now let's get back to work.Outro: The hashtag am writing podcast is produced by Andrew Perilla. Our intro music aptly titled Unemployed Monday was written and played by Max Cohen. Andrew and Max were paid for their time and their creative output because everyone [00:42:00] deserves to be paid for their work. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe
Oscar-nominated actress Maggie Gyllenhaal follows up her Oscar-nominated directorial debut (The Lost Daughter) from a few years ago with this VERY loose reimagining/adaptation of a portion of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. This portion of course focuses on the desire of Frankeinstein's monster (played by Oscar-winner Christian Bale) create a companion which he gets helps doing from another mad scientist Dr. Euphronius (Oscar-nominated Annette Bening) in 1930's Chicago. The undead woman brought to life is Ida (Oscar-nominated Jessie Buckley) and she relishes her newfound freedom. Together they embark on a Bonnie & Clyde-like adventure, raising hell wherever they go - hot on their trail are two detectives played by Emmy-nominee Peter Sarsgaard and Oscar-winner Penelope Cruz. And chaos ensues.....Here Comes the Motherf&%king Bride!!!Host & Editor: Geoff GershonProducer: Marlene Gershon Send a textSupport the showhttps://livingforthecinema.com/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Living-for-the-Cinema-Podcast-101167838847578Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/livingforthecinema/Letterboxd:https://letterboxd.com/Living4Cinema/
Get an educated head start on your Oscar Pool this year! Go on a deep dive into each nominated film in the Best Sound Category at this year's Academy Awards. Featuring interviews with the sound teams behind One Battle After Another, F1: The Movie, Sinners, Sīrat, and Frankenstein. ______SPONSORS: Great sound leads to great storytelling. With Sound Ideas Memberships, you get full online access to the largest professional sound library in the world. Choose the tier that fits your needs, including up to unlimited downloads on the royalty-free use of hundreds of thousands of sounds. From cinematic impacts and detailed ambiences to everyday essentials and specialty effects, it's all ready to preview and download on demand. Just head to https://sound-ideas.com/pages/memberships to find the Membership that's right for you. ________ MORPHOSIS is a powerful neural timbre-matching tool designed for audio professionals. It works by applying the tonal qualities of one sound source, onto a second sound in surprisingly effective ways. I think where Tonebenders listeners will be most interested is in what it can do with sound effects and voices. Head to https://www.hal-audio.com/product/morphosis/ now and use the promo code TONEBENDERS25 to get 25 percent off your purchase of Morphosis until March 31st. Episode Notes: https://tonebenderspodcast.com/353-2026-oscar-pool-sound-category-round-up/ Podcast Homepage: https://tonebenderspodcast.com This episode is hosted by Timothy Muirhead
It's OSCAR WEEK! It's time to roll out the red carpet, grab some popcorn, cast your ballots, and join our discussion of this year's Academy Award nominees. Sam and Ian predict who will win, who should win, and who should have been nominated, as the best of the best compete for the film industry's most coveted accolades.Check us out on...Twitter @TSMoviePodFacebook: Time SensitiveInstagram: @timesensitivepodcastGrab some Merch at TeePublicBig Heads Media
It's yet another Friday the 13th, which means we should continue our coverage of the franchise! We're talking Jason Lives today, in which Jason comes back from the dead thanks to Frankenstein's revivification scheme and terrorizes another group of hapless teens and adults. We talk about the unseriousness of this movie and how enjoyable that actually makes it!We're also talking Fidens Brewing Company's A Murder of Crows triple IPA in this episode.Approximate timeline0:00-14:00 Intro14:00-24:00 Beer talk24:00-end Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
We talk with Kent about the 2025 film.
A little banter on the anatomy of Frankenstein's monster.
Drac and Swan discuss their GLAAD Awards nomination and what it reveals about how queer representation is recognized in reality television. They also review Maggie Gyllenhaal's “The Bride”, starring Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale, and debate its feminist themes, strange storytelling choices, and place in the Frankenstein legacy. Plus listener questions and tour updates! Follow The Boulet Brothers on Insta: @bouletbrothers To watch the Creatures of the Night podcast videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BouletBrothersProductions Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're listening or by using this link: https://bit.ly/BouletBrothersPod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Academy Awards are coming up this Sunday and more horror movies than ever have been nominated, including a record-breaking 16 nominations for Sinners! Join us for this bonus mini episode and root for all the Messed Up Movies nominated: Sinners, Frankenstein, Bugonia, Weapons and The Ugly Stepsister! Help us make our first feature length Messed Up Movie: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/mr-creamjean-s-hidey-hole-horror-comedy-movie#/ Support the show on the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/messedupmoviespod #podcast #AcademyAwards #Oscars #Sinners #Weapons #Frankenstein #movie #horror
On The Verge - BSL Radio - Baltimore Orioles & Orioles Minor League Talk
Zach, Nick, and Bob return to the lab to put together the ultimate prospect using the tools of the players in the system. Join our Discord! - https://discord.gg/bwxTfRbBbA Subscribe to our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp_Ni5B6UU3nUh5CeFnlxig Become a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/c/OnTheVerge Subscribe to our Substack: https://oriolesontheverge.substack.com/ Check out our merch store - https://orioles-on-the-verge.printful.me/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
On this week's monster mash, Steve, Dana, and Julia gather around the proverbial reanimation laboratory to take on the nutty, goth, and unbridled The Bride! Maggie Gyllenhaal's feminist—or not, it's up for debate—retelling of Frankenstein features a truly committed performance from Jessie Buckley. Do the disjointed pieces add to a coherent whole? They discuss.Next, they take a look at Paul McCartney: Man on the Run, the Morgan Neville documentary about the moment when the legendary songwriter and rockstar stopped being a Beatle and had to become something else.Finally, they wade through the morass of titles like How to Tame a Silver Fox and Ms. CEO's Baby Daddy Is the Merchant of Death to explore the exceedingly cheap and increasingly popular world of vertical micro-dramas via the app ReelShort. In a bonus episode for Slate Plus subscribers, they tackle the question of when, in fact, one becomes an adult—inspired by a recent piece in The New Yorker by Shayla Love. And if you're watching the Oscars this week, don't miss a chance for a special live pre-show with your fave Gabfest critics. Dana joins Isaac Butler, Nadira Goffe, and Sam Adams on Thursday, March 12, for an Oscars preview unlike any other. They'll weigh in on the sinners and saints of this year's award season.EndorsementsDana: The compilation of Kris Kristofferson songs The Essential Kris Kristofferson, especially the first disc.Julia: The novels of Helen Garner, particularly The Spare Room.Steve: Jean Guéhenno's account of life in Occupied France Diary of the Dark Years, 1940-1944.---Email us your thoughts at culturefest@slate.com. Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch. Production assistance by Daniel Hirsch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this episode of The Next Reel, Tyler Johns and Lance Taylor break down everything they've been watching lately and make their Oscars 2026 predictions for the biggest categories. The guys recap a wide range of films, from legendary classics to buzzy new releases. Lance talks about seeing Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2 as one epic theatrical experience, plus first-time watches of On the Waterfront and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Tyler reviews The Bride, Hoppers, The Secret Agent, and the new Guillermo del Toro Frankenstein, which both hosts rave about as one of the best takes on the classic story ever put to screen. They also touch on War Machine, the animated short Snow Bear, the Bob Probert documentary, and The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, while Tyler shares early thoughts on Daredevil and previews the upcoming A24 horror film Undertone. Then it's time for awards talk as Tyler and Lance give their picks for:
On this episode of Thumb War, JD and Rachel review the movie The Bride!, Maggie Gyllenhaal's ambitious reimagining of the Frankenstein story. With a star-studded cast and big ideas about feminism, identity, and classic movie monsters, the film certainly swings for the fences. But does it actually work? We discuss the movie's wild tonal shifts, confusing narrative, memorable performances from Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale, and why audiences seem so divided on the film. Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts & Spotify Support the show on Patreon for ad-free episodes & bonus content : http://bit.ly/44Mo8xU Like & Subscribe Leave a 5-star review if you're enjoying Thumb War Email us: ThumbWarPod@gmail.com Full Thumb War episode out now. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
On this week's monster mash, Steve, Dana, and Julia gather around the proverbial reanimation laboratory to take on the nutty, goth, and unbridled The Bride! Maggie Gyllenhaal's feminist—or not, it's up for debate—retelling of Frankenstein features a truly committed performance from Jessie Buckley. Do the disjointed pieces add to a coherent whole? They discuss.Next, they take a look at Paul McCartney: Man on the Run, the Morgan Neville documentary about the moment when the legendary songwriter and rockstar stopped being a Beatle and had to become something else.Finally, they wade through the morass of titles like How to Tame a Silver Fox and Ms. CEO's Baby Daddy Is the Merchant of Death to explore the exceedingly cheap and increasingly popular world of vertical micro-dramas via the app ReelShort. In a bonus episode for Slate Plus subscribers, they tackle the question of when, in fact, one becomes an adult—inspired by a recent piece in The New Yorker by Shayla Love. And if you're watching the Oscars this week, don't miss a chance for a special live pre-show with your fave Gabfest critics. Dana joins Isaac Butler, Nadira Goffe, and Sam Adams on Thursday, March 12, for an Oscars preview unlike any other. They'll weigh in on the sinners and saints of this year's award season.EndorsementsDana: The compilation of Kris Kristofferson songs The Essential Kris Kristofferson, especially the first disc.Julia: The Helen Garner novel The Spare Room. Also her new LA-based news outlet, L.A. Material, launching next week.Steve: Jean Guéhenno's account of life in Occupied France Diary of the Dark Years, 1940-1944.---Email us your thoughts at culturefest@slate.com. Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch. Production assistance by Daniel Hirsch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Synopsis You’ve heard the story of Frankenstein's monster many times. Once just a few months ago in fact. But that is only half the story. Something has long been missing. What we really need is a femininominon. The Bride is about a woman named Ida who is (I think) possessed by the ghost of Mary Shelly. After causing a scene she is pushed down a flight of stairs to her death. Meanwhile our boy Frankenstein’s monster, or as the kids call him, frank, meets with a therapist to talk about his loneliness. Just kidding he goes to a mad scientist and begs for a sexy wife. You can see where this is going. Now resurrected and missing her memory, Ida must make fundamental decisions about her life. Who is she? What is she? Was she really just created to be someone's wife? And does she even want this life? For all this and more, watch the movie yourself or stick around for the spoilers section. Review of The Bride! It wasn’t too long ago that we were recording an episode about a different take on Frankenstein, and going into the movie I was feeling a little burnt out by the story. I love Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (and by that I mean the book, not the movie that is literally titled Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein). But I am often left wanting when it comes to these movie adaptations. Luckily The Bride is a fairly unique take on the creature and the creates as they struggle in this world together. The movie has a strong emphasis on women's rights. Based in 1938 we are shown lots of gender inequality in the workplace, as well as some pretty nasty misogyny and sexual harassment and assault of women. All problems that are still very relevant today. I enjoyed watching the Bride attempt to become her own person, while constantly being pulled in different directions from those around her, including the very wacky version of Mary Shelley that lives in her head. Score 6/10
The Bride! (2026) is an anachronistic, theatrical reimagining of the story of Frankenstein's monster and his bride. Set in Chicago in the 1930's, the film depicts a young woman, Ida (Jessie Buckley), who begins experiencing strange auditory hallucinations, disorganized speech, impulsive outbursts, involuntary echolalia, and memory lapses. Due to an unfortunate accident, she meets an early death. Meanwhile, Frankenstein's monster (Christian Bale), "Frank," seeks the help of a mad scientist, Dr. Euphronious. He asks her to make him a bride. They dig up the corpse of Ida and successfully reanimate her. Though her post-mortem body is functional, Ida's mind remains fragmented. She is unable to piece together her identity. She is haunted by dissociations, traumatic images, and the intrusive, commanding voice of real life author Mary Shelley. As she tries to recollect her memories, Ida--who Frank calls Penny--stumbles into a Bonnie-and-Clyde like world of crime, violence, and life as fugitives. To hear about our panel at this year's WonderCon, coming later this month, tune into this episode's release on YouTube on Saturday, March 14, at 6pm!
Welcome to Multiverse News, Your source for Information about all your favorite fictional universesIt's been a bit quiet on the DCU front other than the Supergirl trailers, but we finally got a first look at Lanterns, the series starring Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre as Green Lantern characters Hal Jordan and John Stewart, respectively. Hoppers topped the weekend box office with a domestic haul of $46 million and $88 million globally, the biggest launch for an original animated film since the studio's Coco was released in 2017. Maggie Gyllenhaal's The Bride! bombed with a third-place domestic debut of $7.3 million. Overseas was just as weak for the new take on Frankenstein and his spouse as it limped to $6.3 million for a worldwide launch of $13 million against a net budget of $80 million before marketing.Prime Video has released the first teaser trailer for the fifth and final season of The Boys where we see Homelander on a quest for immortality using a new version of the Compound-V serum. The trailer also confirmed some Gen V character crossover and takes a turn at the end with Homelander sitting in the Oval Office.Director Lee Isaac Chung has exited Warner Bros.‘ planned feature prequel for its Ocean's Eleven property. Chung had been developing the movie with the studio and Margot Robbie, who is attached to star with Bradley Cooper and produce through her LuckyChap banner. A representative for Warner Bros. confirms that Chung left amicably amid “creative differences.”John Leguizamo has joined the cast of Mike Flanagan's untitled The Exorcist feature, joining Scarlett Johansson, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane.Disney has entered the early stages of development on Tink, a live action series based on Tinkerbell. Liz Heldens and Bridget Carpenter are teaming up to write the project.Jamie Lee Curtis, who has a recurring guest role on Hulu's The Bear, has confirmed that the upcoming fifth season which is currently in production will be the final season of the show.Two-time Emmy winner Jeff Daniels has joined the cast of the fifth season of AppleTV's news drama The Morning Show.Arnold Schwarzenegger is returning for King Conan, a new Conan the Barbarian movie in development at 20th Century Studios that has the Mission: Impossible franchise's Christopher McQuarrie attached to write and direct.During a recent Reddit AMA, filmmaker Carlos López Estrada confirmed that Disney was not moving forward with his planned live action adaptation of Robin Hood, a planned adaptation of the 1970 animated filmDuring a Nintendo Direct presentation, Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri announced a handful of voice cast members for the upcoming Super Mario Galaxy Movie including Luis Guzman as Wart, Issa Rae as Honey Queen, and Donald Glover as Yoshi.Over the past two weeks, Firefly fans have been speculating as Nathan Fillion has taken to social media to post videos of himself visiting the cast of the cult favorite show. He has visited 6 members of his former firefly crew and said in effect, “It's time”. An announcement will apparently be made March 15th.
David, Devindra, and Jeff explore the animal kingdom with Hoppers, cast a web with the MCU Spider-Man films, and head back to campus with Rooster. Then they check out Maggie Gyllenhaal's resurrection of the Frankenstein story with The Bride!.We're making video versions of our reviews! Be sure to follow us on the following platforms: YouTube Tiktok Instagram Threads Thanks to our SPONSOR: SVS: If you've already gone big on your TV, don't let it be held hostage by bad audio. Go to SVSound.com and give your movies the sonic upgrade they deserve with SVS.Weekly PlugsDavid - Decoding TV: The Pitt + DTF St LouisDevindra - Engadget Podcast on MacBook Neo + Anthropic vs. DOD with Spencer AckermanJeff - Microplastics Aren't a Big DealShownotes (All timestamps are approximate only) What we've been watching (~00:03:03)David - Hoppers, Pillion, What Happened Was…Devindra - Hoppers, MCU Spider-Men (Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home), KiffJeff - Rooster, DTF St. LouisFeatured Review (~00:50:57) The Bride!SPOILERS (~01:16:45)Support David's artistic endeavors at his Patreon and subscribe to his free newsletter Decoding Everything. Check out Jeff Cannata's podcasts DLC and We Have Concerns. Listen to Devindra's podcast with Engadget on all things tech. You can always e-mail us at slashfilmcast(AT)gmail(DOT)com.Credits: Our theme song is by Tim McEwan from The Midnight. This episode was edited by Noah Ross who also created our weekly plugs and spoiler bumper music. Our Slashfilmcourt music comes from Simon Harris. If you'd like to advertise with us or sponsor us, please e-mail slashfilmcast@gmail.com. You can support the podcast by going to patreon.com/filmpodcast or by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts.
Speaking In Tongues Mary Shelley possesses Hamnet star Jessie Buckley and turns her into The Bride!, a politically charged sequel to her 1818 novel Frankenstein. But would the reinvigorated woman prefer not to be engaged to Christian Bale's Monster when his idea of romance is stomping on mobsters' heads while pretending he's tap dancing in a movie musical? And is director Maggie Gyllenhaal a mad scientist for fusing a Bonnie and Clyde love story with Gothic horror? Follow dubious detectives Brock, Stuart, and Arnie as they investigate this brain attack!