Podcasts about Invisible Man

Vrai, Dee, and Peter meet to discuss the 2026 Winter season's absolute cornucopia of shojo, josei, and romance anime! 0:00:00 Intro 0:02:07 You and I are Polar Opposites 0:06:05 Sentenced to Be a Hero 0:08:03 Kaya-chan Isn't Scary! 0:13:17 Wash it All Away 0:16:21 Shiboyugi 0:20:20 ROLL OVER AND DIE 0:24:05 In the Clear Moonlit Dusk 0:33:56 Hana-Kimi 0:40:44 The Darwin Incident 0:41:24 Tamon's B-Side 0:48:24 The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-be-Wife 0:55:01 The Holy Grail of Eris 0:58:45 Journal with Witch 1:02:22 Bean Counter 1:07:13 Champignon Witch 1:13:47 Outro Vrai: https://bsky.app/profile/witervrai.bsky.social Dee: https://bsky.app/profile/deescribe.bsky.social Peter: https://bsky.app/profile/peterfobian.bsky.social AniFem Linktree: https://linktr.ee/animefeminist AniFem Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/animefeminist AniFem Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/animefeminist Recorded Sunday 1st March 2026 Music: Open Those Bright Eyes by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Ahead of her new book What's So Great About the Great Books? coming out in April, Naomi Kanakia and I talked about literature from Herodotus to Tony Tulathimutte. We touched on Chaucer, Anglo-Saxon poetry, Scott Alexander, Shakespeare, William James, Helen deWitt, Marx and Engels, Walter Scott, Les Miserables, Jhootha Sach, the Mahabharata, and more. Naomi also talked about some of her working habits and the history and future of the Great Books movement. Naomi, of course, writes Woman of Letters here on Substack.TranscriptHenry Oliver: Today, I am talking with Naomi Kanakia. Naomi is a novelist, a literary critic, and most importantly she writes a Substack called Woman of Letters, and she has a new book coming out, What's So Great About the Great Books? Naomi, welcome.Naomi Kanakia: Thanks for having me on.Oliver: How is the internet changing the way that literature gets discussed and criticized, and what is that going to mean for the future of the Great Books?Kanakia: How is the internet changing it? I can really speak to only how it has changed it for me. I started off as a writer of young adult novels and science fiction, and there's these very active online fan cultures for those two things.I was reading the Great Books all through that time. I started in 2010 through today. In the 2010s, it really felt like there was not a lot of online discussion of classic literature. Maybe that was just me and I wasn't finding it, but it didn't necessarily feel like there was that community.I think because there are so many strong, public-facing institutions that discuss classic literature, like the NYRB, London Review of Books, a lot of journals, and universities, too. But now on Substack, there are a number of blogs—yours, mine, a number of other ones—that are devoted to classic literature. All of those have these commenters, a community of commenters. I also follow bloggers who have relatively small followings who are reading Tolstoy, reading Middlemarch, reading even much more esoteric things.I know that for me, becoming involved in this online culture has given me much more of an awareness that there are many people who are reading the classics on their own. I think that was always true, but now it does feel like it's more of a community.Oliver: We are recording this the day after the Washington Post book section has been removed. You don't see some sort of relationship between the way these literary institutions are changing online and the way the Great Books are going to be conceived of in the future? Because the Great Books came out of a an old-fashioned, saving-the-institutions kind of radical approach to university education. We're now moving into a world where all those old things seem to be going.Kanakia: Yes. I agree. The Great Books began in the University of Chicago and Columbia University. If you look into the history of the movement, it really was about university education and the idea that you would have a common core and all undergraduates would read these books. The idea that the Great Books were for the ordinary person was really an afterthought, at least for Mortimer Adler and those original Great Books guys. Now, the Great Books in the university have had a resurgence that we can discuss, but I do think there's a lot more life and vitality in the kind of public-facing humanities than there has been.I talked to Irina Dumitrescu, who writes for TLS (The Times Literary Supplement), LRB (The London Review of Books), a lot of these places, and she also said the same thing—that a lot of these journals are going into podcasts, and they're noticing a huge interest in the humanities and in the classics even at the same time as big institutions are really scaling back on those things. Humanities majors are dropping, classics majors are getting cut, book coverage at major periodicals is going down. It does seem like there are signals that are conflicting. I don't really know totally what to make of it. I do think there is some relation between those two things.Ted Gioia on Substack is always talking about how culture is stagnant, basically, and one of the symptoms of that is that “back list” really outsells “front list” for books. Even in 2010, 50 percent of the books that were sold were front-list titles, books that had been released in the last 18 months. Now it's something like only 35 percent of books or something like that are front-list titles. These could be completely wrong, but there's been a trend.I think the decrease in interest in front-list books is really what drives the loss of these book-review pages because they mostly review front-list books. So, I think that does imply that there's a lot of interest in old books. That's what our stagnant culture means.Oliver: Why do you think your own blog is popular with the rationalists?Kanakia: I don't know for certain. There was a story I wrote that was a joke. There are all these pop nonfiction books that aim to prove something that seems counterintuitive, so I wrote a parody of one of those where I aim to prove that reading is bad for you. This book has many scientific studies that show the more you read, the worse it is because it makes you very rigid.Scott Alexander, who is the archrationalist, really liked that, and he added me to his blog roll. Because of that, I got a thousand rationalist subscribers. I have found that rationalists at least somewhat interested in the classics. I think they are definitely interested in enduring sources of value. I've observed a fair amount of interest.Oliver: How much of a lay reader are you really? Because you read scholarship and critics and you can just quote John Gilroy in the middle of a piece or something.Kanakia: Yeah. That is a good question. I have definitely gotten more interested in secondary literature. In my book, I really talk about being a lay reader and personally having a nonacademic approach to literature. I do think that, over 15 years of being a lay reader, I have developed a lot of knowledge.I've also learned the kind of secondary literature that is really important. I think having historical context adds a lot and is invaluable. Right now I'm rereading Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. When I first read it in 2010, I hardly knew anything about French history. I was even talking online with someone about how most people who read Les Miserables think it's set in the French Revolution. That's basically because Americans don't really know anything about French history.Everything makes just a lot more sense the more you know about the time because it was written for people in it. For people in 1860s France, who knew everything about their own recent history, that really adds a lot to it. I still don't tend to go that much into interpretive literature, literature that tries to do readings of the stories or tell me the meaning of the stories. I feel like I haven't really gotten that much out of that.Oliver: How long have you been learning Anglo-Saxon?Kanakia: I went through a big Anglo-Saxon phase. That was in 2010. It started because I started reading The Canterbury Tales in Middle English. There is a great app online called General Prologue created by one of your countrymen, Terry Richardson [NB it is Terry Jones], who loved Middle English. In this app, he recites the Middle English of the General Prologue. I started listening to this app, and I thought, I just really love the rhythms and the sounds of Middle English. And it's quite easy to learn. So then, I got really into that.And then I thought, but what about Anglo-Saxon? I'm very bad at languages. I studied Latin for seven years in middle school and high school. I never really got very far, but I thought, Anglo-Saxon has to be the easiest foreign language you can learn, right? So, I got into it.I cannot sight read Anglo-Saxon, but I really got into Anglo-Saxon poetry. I really liked the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Most people probably would not like the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle because it's very repetitive, but that makes it great if you're a language learner because every entry is in this very repetitive structure. I just felt such a connection. I get in trouble when I say this kind of stuff, because I'm never quiet sure if it's 100 percent true. But it's certainly one of the oldest vernacular literatures in Europe. It's just so much older than most of the other medieval literature I've read. And it just was such a window into a different part of history I never knew about.Oliver: And you particularly like “The Dream of the Rood”?Kanakia: Yeah, “The Dream of the Rood” is my favorite Anglo-Saxon poem. “The Dream of the Rood” is a poem that is told from the point of view of Christ's cross. A man is having a dream. In this dream he encounters Christ's cross, and Christ's cross starts reciting to him basically the story of the crucifixion. At the end, the cross is buried. I don't know, it was just so haunting and powerful. Yeah, it was one of my favorites.Oliver: Why do you think Byron is a better poet than Alexander Pope?Kanakia: This is an argument I cannot get into. I think this is coming up because T. S. Eliot felt that Alexander Pope was a great poet because he really exemplified the spirit of the age. I don't know. I've tried to read Pope. It just doesn't do it for me. Whereas with Byron, I read Don Juan and found it entertaining. I enjoyed it. Then, his lyric poetry is just more entertaining to read. With Alexander Pope, I'm learning a lot about what kind of poetry people wrote in the 18th century, but the joy is not there.Oliver: Okay. Can we do a quick fire round where I say the name of a book and you just say what you think of it, whatever you think of it?Kanakia: Sure.Oliver: Okay. The Odyssey.Kanakia: The Odyssey. Oh, I love The Odyssey. It has a very strange structure, where it starts with Telemachus and then there's this flashback in the middle of it. It is much more readable than The Iliad; I'll say that.Oliver: Herodotus.Kanakia: Herodotus is wild. Going into Herodotus, I really thought it was about the Persian war, which it is, but it's mostly a general overview of everything that Herodotus knew, about anything. It's been a long time since I read it. I really appreciate the voice of Herodotus, how human it is, and the accumulation of facts. It was great.Oliver: I love the first half actually. The bit about the Persian war I'm less interested in, but the first half I think is fantastic. I particularly love the Egypt book.Kanakia: Oh yeah, the Egypt book is really good.Oliver: All those like giant beetles that are made of fire or whatever; I can't remember the details, but it's completely…Kanakia: The Greeks are also so fascinated by Egypt. They go down there like what is going on out there? Then, most of what we know about Egypt comes from this Hellenistic period, when the Greeks went to Egypt. Our Egyptian kings list comes from the Hellenistic period where some scholar decided to sort out what everybody was up to and put it all into order. That's why we have such an orderly story about Egypt. That's the story that the Greeks tried to tell themselves.Oliver: Marcus Aurelius.Kanakia: Marcus Aurelius. When I first read The Meditations, which I loved, obviously, I thought, “being the Roman emperor cannot be this hard.” It really was a black pill moment because I thought, “if the emperor of Rome is so unhappy, maybe human power really doesn't do it.”Knowing more about Marcus Aurelius, he did have quite a difficult life. He was at war for most of his—just stuck in the region in Germany for ages. He had various troubles, but yeah, it really was very stoic. It was, oh, I just have to do my duty. Very “heavy is the head that wears the crown” kind of stuff. I thought, “okay, I guess being Roman emperor is not so great.”Oliver: Omar Khayyam.Kanakia: Omar Khayyam. Okay, I've only read The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam by Edward Fitzgerald, which I loved, but I cannot formulate a strong opinion right now.Oliver: As You Like It.Kanakia: No opinions.Oliver: Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson.Kanakia: Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson. I do have an opinion about this, which is that they should make a redacted version of Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson. I normally am not a big believer in abridgements because I feel like whatever is there is there. But, Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson, first of all, has a long portion before Boswell even meets Johnson. That portion drags; it's not that great. Then it has all these like letters that Johnson wrote, which also are not that great. What's really good is when Boswell just reports everything Johnson ever said, which is about half the book. You get a sense of Johnson's conversation and his personality, and that is very gripping. I've definitely thought that with a different presentation, this could still be popular. People would still read this.Oliver: The Communist Manifesto.Kanakia: The Communist Manifesto. It's very stirring. I love The Communist Manifesto. It has very haunting, powerful lines. I won't try to quote from it because I'll misquote them.Oliver: But it is remarkably well written.Kanakia: Oh yeah, it is a great work of literature.Oliver: Yeah.Kanakia: I read Capital [Das Kapital], which is not a great work of literature, and I would venture to say that it is not necessarily worth reading. It really feels like Marx's reputation is built on other political writings like The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte and works like that, which really seem to have a lot more meat on the bone than Capital.Oliver: Pragmatism by William James.Kanakia: Pragmatism. I mean, I've mentioned that in my book. I love William James in general. I think William James was writing in this 19th-century environment where it seemed like some form of skepticism was the only rational solution. You couldn't have any source of value, and he really tried to cut through that with Pragmatism and was like, let's just believe the things that are good to believe. It is definitely at least useful to think, although someone else can always argue with you about what is useful to believe. But, as a personal guide for belief, I think it is still useful.Oliver: Major Barbara by George Bernard Shaw.Kanakia: No strong opinions. It was a long time ago that I read Major Barbara.Oliver: Tell me what you like about James Fenimore Cooper.Kanakia: James Fenimore Cooper. Oh, this is great. I have basically a list of Great Books that I want to read, but four or five years ago, I thought, “what's in all the other books that I know the names of but that are not reputed, are not the kind of books you still read?”That was when I read Walter Scott, who I really love. And I just started reading all kinds of books that were kind of well known but have kind of fallen into literary disfavor. In almost every case, I felt like I got a lot out of these books. So, nowadays when I approach any realm of literature, I always look for those books.In 19th-century American literature, the biggest no-longer-read book is The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper, which was America's first bestseller. He was the first American novelist that had a high reputation in Europe. The Last of the Mohicans is kind of a historical romance, à la Walter Scott, but much more tightly written and much more tightly plotted.Cooper has written five novels, the Leatherstocking Tales, that are all centered around this very virtuous, rough-hewn frontiersman, Natty Bumppo. He has his best friend, Chingachgook, who is the last of the Mohicans. He's the last of his tribe. And the two of these guys are basically very sad and stoic. Chingachgook is distanced from his tribe. Chingachgook has a tribe of Native Americans that he hates—I want to say it's the Huron. He's always like, “they're the bad ones,” and he's always fighting them. Then, Natty Bumppo doesn't really love settled civilization. He's not precisely at war with it, but he does not like the settlers. They're kind of stuck in the middle. They have various adventures, and I just thought it was so haunting and powerful.I've been reading a lot of other 19th-century American literature, and virtually none of it treats Native Americans with this kind of respect. There's a lot of diversity in the Native American characters; there's really an attempt to show how their society works and the various ways that leadership and chiefship works among them. There's this very haunting moment in The Last of the Mohicans, where this aged chief, Tamenund, comes out and starts speaking. This is a chief who, in American mythology, was famous for being a friend to the white people. But, James Fenimore Cooper writing in the 1820s has Tamenund come out at 80 years old and say, “we have to fight; we have to fight the white people. That's our only option.” It was just such a powerful moment and such a powerful book.I was really, really enthused. I read all of these Leatherstocking Tales. It was also a very strange experience to read these books that are generally supposed to be very turgid and boring, and then I read them and was like, “I understand. I'm so transported.” I understand exactly why readers in the 1820s loved this.Oliver: Which Walter Scott books do you like?Kanakia: I love all the Walter Scott books I've read, but the one I liked best was Kenilworth. Have you ever read Kenilworth?Oliver: I don't know that one.Kanakia: Yeah, it's about Elizabeth I, who had a romantic relationship with one of her courtiers.Oliver: The Earl of Essex?Kanakia: Yeah. She really thought they were going to get married, but then it turned out he was secretly married. Basically, I guess the implication is that he killed his wife in order to marry Queen Elizabeth I. It's a novel all about him and that situation, and it just felt very tightly plotted. I really enjoyed it.Oliver: What did you think of Rejection?Kanakia: Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte? Initially when I read this book, I enjoyed it, but I was like, “life cannot possibly be this sad.” It's five or six stories about these people who just have nothing going on. Their lives are so miserable, they can't find anyone to sleep with, and they're just doomed to be alone forever. I was like, “life can't be this bad.” But now thinking back over it, it is one of the most memorable books I've read in the last year. It really sticks with you. I feel like my opinion of this book has gone up a lot in retrospect.Oliver: How antisemitic is the House of Mirth?Kanakia: That is a hotly debated question, which I mentioned in my book. I think there has been a good case made that Edith Wharton, the author of House of Mirth, who was from an old New York family, was herself fairly antisemitic and did not personally like Jewish people. What she portrays in this book is that this old New York society also was highly suspicious of Jewish people and was organized to keep Jewish people out.In this book there is a rich Jewish man, Simon Rosedale, and there's a poor woman, Lily Bart. Lily Bart's main thing is whether she's going to marry the poor guy, Lawrence Selden, or the rich guy, Percy Gryce. She can't choose. She doesn't want to be poor, but she also is always bored by the rich guys. Meanwhile, through the whole book, there's Simon Rosedale, who's always like, “you should marry me.” He's the rich Jewish guy. He's like, “you should marry me. I will give you lots of money. You can do whatever you want.”Everybody else kind of just sees her as a woman and as a wife; he really sees her as an ally in his social climbing. That's his main motivation. The book is relatively clear that he has a kind of respect for her that nobody else does. Then, over the course of the book, she also gains a lot more respect for him. Basically, late in the book, she decides to marry him, but she has fallen a lot in the world. He's like, “that particular deal is not available anymore,” but he does offer her another deal that—although she finds it not to her taste—is still pretty good.He basically is like, “I'll give you some money, you'll figure out how to rehabilitate your reputation, and later down the line, we can figure something out.” So, I think with a great author like Edith Wharton, there's power in these portrayals. I felt it hard to come away from it feeling like the book is like a really antisemitic book.Oliver: Now, you note that the Great Books movement started out as something quite socially aspirational. Do you think it's still like that?Kanakia: I do think so. Yeah. For me, that's 100 percent what it was because I majored in econ. I always felt kind of inadequate as a writer against people who had majored in English. Then I started off as a science fiction writer, young adult writer, and I was like, “I'm going to read all these Great Books and then I'll have read the books that everybody else has read.” In my mind, that's also what it was—that there was some upper crust or literary society that was reading all these Great Books.That's really what did it. I do think there's still an element of aspiration to it because it's a club that you can join, that anyone can join. It's very straightforward to be a Great Books reader, and so I think there's still something there. I think because the Great Books movement has such a democratic quality to it, it actually doesn't get you to the top socially, which has always been the true, always been the case. But, that's okay. As long as you end up higher than where you started, that's fine.Oliver: What makes a book great?Kanakia: I talk about it this in the book, and I go through many different authors' conceptions of what makes a book great or what constitutes a classic. I don't know that anyone has come up with a really satisfying answer. The Horatian formulation from Horace—that a book is great or an author is great if it has lasted for a hundred years—is the one that seems to be the most accurate. Like, any book that's still being read a hundred years after it was written has a greatness.I do think that T. S. Eliott's formulation—that a civilization at its height produces certain literature and that literature partakes of the greatness of the civilization and summarizes the greatness of the civilization—does seem to have some kind of truth to it.But it's hard, right? Because the greatest French novel is In Search of Lost Time, but I don't know that anyone would say that the France in the 1920s was at its height. It's not a prescriptive thing, but it does seem like the way we read many of these Great Books, like Moby Dick, it feels like you're like communing with the entire society that produced it. So, maybe there's something there.Oliver: Now, you've used a list from Clifton Fadiman.Kanakia: Yes.Oliver: Rather than from Mortimer Adler or Harold Bloom or several others. Why this list?Kanakia: Well, the best reason is that it's actually the list I've just been using for the last 15 years. I went to a science fiction convention in 2009, Readercon, and at this science fiction convention was Michael Dirda, who was a Washington Post book critic. He had recently come out with his book, Classics for Pleasure, which I also bought and liked. But he said that the list he had always used was this Clifton Fadiman book. And so when I decided to start reading the Great Books, I went and got that book. I have perused many other lists over time, but that was always the list that seemed best to me.It seemed to have like the best mix. There's considerable variation amongst these lists, but there's also a lot of overlap. So any of these lists is going to have Dickens on it, and Tolstoy, and stuff like that. So really, you're just thinking about, “aside from Dickens and Tolstoy and George Eliot and Walt Whitman and all these people, who are the other 50 authors that you're going be reading?”The Mortimer Adler list is very heavy on philosophy. It has Plotinus on it. It has all these scientific works. I don't know, it didn't speak to me as much. Whereas, this Clifton Fadiman and John Major list has all these Eastern works on it. It has The Tale of Genji, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Story of the Stone, and that just spoke to me a little bit more.Oliver: What modern books will be on a future Great Books list, whether it's from someone alive or someone since the war.Kanakia: Have you ever heard of Robert Caro?Oliver: Sure.Kanakia: Yeah. I think his Lyndon Johnson books are great books. They have changed the field of biography. They're so complete, they seem to summarize an entire era, epoch. They're highly rated, but I feel like they're underrated as literature.What else? I was actually a little bit surprised in this Clifton Fadiman-John Major book, which came out in 1999, that there are not more African Americans in their list. Like, Invisible Man definitely seemed like a huge missed work. You know, it's hard. You would definitely want a book that has undergone enough critical evaluation that people are pretty certain that it is great. A lot of things that are more recent have not undergone that evaluation yet, but Invisible Man has, as have some works by Martin Luther King.Oliver: What about The Autobiography of Malcolm X?Kanakia: I would have to reread. I feel like it hasn't been evaluated much as a literary document.Oliver: Helen DeWitt?Kanakia: It's hard to say. It's so idiosyncratic, The Last Samurai, but it is certainly one of the best novels of the last 25 years.Oliver: Yeah.Kanakia: It is hard to say, because there's nothing else quite like it. But I would love if The Last Samurai was on a list like this; that would be amazing.Oliver: If someone wants to try the Great Books, but they think that those sort of classic 19th-century novels are too difficult—because they're long and the sentences are weird or whatever—what else should they do? Where else should they start?Kanakia: Well, it depends on what they're into, or it depends on their personality type. I think like there are people who like very, very difficult literature. There are people who are very into James Joyce and Proust. I think for some people the cost-benefit is better. If they're going to be pouring over some book for a long time, they would prefer if it was overtly difficult.If they're not like that, then I would say, there are many Great Books that are more accessible. Hemingway is a good one and Grapes of Wrath is wonderful. The 19th-century American books tend to be written in a very different register than the English books. If you read Moby Dick, it feels like it's written in a completely different language than Charles Dickens, even though they're writing essentially at the same time.Oliver: Is there too much Freud on the list that you've used?Kanakia: Maybe. I know that Interpretation of Dreams is on that list, which I've tried to read and have decided life is too short. I didn't really buy it, but I have read a fair amount of Freud. My impression of Freud was always that I would read Freud and somehow it would just seem completely fanciful or far out, like wouldn't ring true. But then when I started reading Freud, it was more the opposite. I was like, oh yeah, this seems very, very true.Like this battle between like the id and the ego and the super ego, and this feeling that like the psyche is at war with itself. Human beings really desire to be singular and exceptional, but then you're constantly under assault by the reality principle, which is that you're insignificant. That all seemed completely true. But then he tries to cure this somehow, which does not seem a curable problem. And he also situates the problem in some early sexual development, which also did not necessarily ring true. But no, I wouldn't say there's too much. Freud is a lot of fun. People should read Freud.Oliver: Which of the Great Books have you really not liked?Kanakia: I do get asked this quite a bit. I would say the Great Book that I really felt like—at least in translation—was not that rewarding in an unabridged version was Don Quixote. Because at least half the length of Don Quixote is these like interpolated novellas that are really long and tedious. I felt Don Quixote was a big slog. But maybe someday I'll go back and reread it and love it. Who knows?Oliver: Now you wrote that the question of biography is totally divorced from the question of what art is and how it operates. What do you think of George Orwell's supposition that if Shakespeare came back tomorrow, and we found out he used to rape children that we should—we would not say, you know, it's fine to carry on to doing that because he might write another King Lear.Kanakia: Well, if we discovered that Shakespeare was raping children, he should go to prison for that. No. It's totally divorced in both senses. You don't get any credit in the court of law because you are the writer of King Lear. If I murdered someone and then I was hauled in front of a judge and they were like, oh, Naomi's a genius, I wouldn't get off for murder. Nor should I get off for murder.So in terms of like whether we would punish Shakespeare for his crime of raping children, I don't think King Lear should count at all, but it's never used that way. It's never should someone go to prison or not for their crimes, because they're a genius. It's always used the other way, which is should we read King Lear knowing that the author raped children, but I also feel like that is immaterial. If you read King Lear, you're not enabling someone to rape children.Oliver: There's an almost endless amount of discussion these days about the Great Books and education and the value of the humanities, and what's the future of it all. What is your short opinion on that?Kanakia: My short opinion is that the Great Books at least are going to be fine. The Great Books will continue to be read, and they would even survive the university. All these books predate the university and they will survive the university. I feel like the university has stewarded literature in its own way for a while now and has made certain choices in that stewardship. I think if that stewardship was given up to more voluntary associations that had less financial support, then I think the choices would probably be very different. But I still think the greatest works would survive.Oliver: Now this is a quote from the book: “I am glad that reactionaries love the Great Books. They've invited a Trojan horse into their own camp.” Tell us what you mean by that.Kanakia: Let's say you believed in Christian theocracy, that you thought America should be organized on explicitly Christian principles. And because you believe in Christian theocracy, you organize a school that teaches the Great Books. Many of these schools that are Christian schools that have Great Books programs will also teach Nietzsche. They definitely put some kind of spin on Nietzsche. But they will teach anti-Christ, and that is a counterpoint to Christian morality and Christian theology. There are many things that you'll read in the Great Books that are corrosive to various kinds of certainties.If someone who I think is bad starts educating themselves in the Great Books, I don't think that the Great Books are going to make them worse from my perspective. So it's good.Oliver: How did reading the Mahabharata change you?Kanakia: Oh yeah, so the Mahabharata is a Hindu epic from, let's say, the first century AD. I'm Indian and most Indians are familiar with the basic outline of the Mahabharata story because it's told in various retellings, and there's a TV serial that my parents would rent from the Indian store growing up and we would watch it tape by tape. So I'm very familiar with it. Like there's never been a time I have not known this story.But I was also familiar with the idea that there is a written version in Sanskrit that's extremely long. It is 10 times as long as the Iliad and the Odyssey combined. This Mahabharata story is not that long. I've read a version of it that's about 800 pages long. So how could something that's 10 times this long be the same? A new unabridged translation came out 10 years ago. So I started reading it, and it basically contains the entire Sanskrit Vedic worldview in it.I had never been exposed to this very coherently laid-out version of what I would call Hindu cosmology and ethics. Hindus don't really get taught those things in a very organized way. The book is basically about dharma, the principle of rightness and how this principle of rightness orders the universe and how it basically results in everybody getting their just deserts in various ways. As I was reading the book, I was like, this seems very true that there is some cosmic rebalancing here, and that everything does turn out more or less the way it should, which is not something that I can defend on a rational level.But just reading the book, it just made me feel like, yes, that is true. There is justice, the universe is organized by justice. It took me about a year to read the whole thing. I started waking up at 5:00 a.m. and reading for an hour each morning, and it just was a really magical, profound experience that brought me a lot closer to my grandmother's religious beliefs.Oliver: Is it ever possible to persuade someone with arguments that they should read literature, or is it just something that they have to have an inclination toward and then follow someone's example? Because I feel like we have so many columns and op-eds and “books are good because of X reason, and it's very important because of Y reason.” And like, who cares? No one cares. If you are persuaded, you take all that very seriously and you argue about what exactly are the precise reasons we should say. And if you're not persuaded, you don't even know this is happening.And what really persuades you is like, oh, Naomi sounds pretty compelling about the Mahabharata. That sounds cool. I'll try that. It's much more of a temperamental, feelingsy kind of thing. Is it possible to argue people into thinking about this differently? Or should we just be doing what we do and setting an example and hoping that people will follow.Kanakia: As to whether it's possible or not, I do not know. But I do think these columns are too ambitious. A thousand-word column and the imagined audience for this column is somebody who doesn't read books at all, who doesn't care about literature at all. And then in a thousand-word column, you're going to persuade them to care about literature. This is no good. It's so unnecessary.Whereas there's a much broader range of people who love to read books, but have never picked up Moby Dick or have never picked up Middlemarch, or who like maybe loved Middlemarch, but never thought maybe I should then go on and read Jane Austen and George Eliot.I think trying to shift people from “I don't read books at all; reading books is not something I do,” to being a Great Books card-carrying lover of literature is a lot. I really aim for a much lower result than that, which is to whatever extent people are interested in literature, they should pursue that interest. And as the rationalists would say, there's a lot of alpha in that; there's a lot to be gained from converting people who are somewhat interested into people who are very interested.Oliver: If there was a more widespread practice of humanism in education and the general culture, would that make America into a more liberal country in any way?Kanakia: What do you mean by humanism?Oliver: You know, the old-fashioned liberal arts approach, the revival of the literary journal culture, the sort of depolitical approach to literature, the way things used to be, as it were.Kanakia: It couldn't hurt. It couldn't hurt is my answer to that question.Oliver: Okay.Kanakia: What you're describing is basically the way I was educated. I went to Catholic school in DC at St. Anselm's Abbey School, in Northeast, DC, grade school. Highly recommend sending your little boys there. No complaints about the school. They talked about humanism all the time and all these civic virtues. I thought it was great. I don't know what people in other schools learn, but I really feel like it was a superior way of teaching.Now, you know, it was Catholic school, so a lot of people who graduated from my school are conservatives and don't really have the beliefs that I have, but that's okay.Oliver: Tell us about your reading habits.Kanakia: I read mostly ebooks. I really love ebooks because you can make the type bigger. I just read all the time. They vary. I don't wake up at 5:00 a.m. to read anymore. Sometimes if I feel like I'm not reading enough—because I write this blog, and the blog doesn't get written unless I'm reading. That's the engine, and so sometimes I set aside a day each week to read. But generally, the reading mostly takes care of itself.What I tend to get is very into a particular thing, and then I'll start reading more and more in that area. Recently, I was reading a lot of New Yorker stories. So I started reading more and more of these storywriters that have been published in the New Yorker and old anthologies of New Yorker stories. And then eventually I am done. I'm tired. It's time to move on.Oliver: But do you read several books at once? Do you make notes? Do you abandon books? How many hours a day do you read?Kanakia: Hours a day: Because my e-reader keeps these stats, I'd say 15 or 20 hours a week of reading. Nowadays because I write for the blog, I often think as I'm reading how I would frame a post about this. So I look for quotes, like what quote I would look at. I take different kinds of notes. I'll make more notes if I'm more confused by what is going on. Especially with nonfiction books, I'll try sometimes to make notes just to iron out what exactly I think is happening or what I think the argument is. But no, not much of a note taker.Oliver: What will you read next?Kanakia: What will I read next? Well, I've been thinking about getting back into Indian literature. Right now I'm reading Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. But there's an Indian novel called Jhootha Sach, which is a partition novel that is originally in Hindi. And it's also a thousand pages long, and is frequently compared to Les Miserables and War and Peace. So I'm thinking about tackling that finally.Oliver: Naomi Kanakia, thank you very much.Kanakia: Thanks for having me. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.commonreader.co.uk

Send a textA young survivor, who is trapped in a sadistic cult is led by "Sir Lord" JimmyZero in a post-apocalyptic Maine. While the cult commits brutal acts of charity, Dr. JimmyWolfenstein works on a cure by befriending a chain-smoking Alpha named JimmyRavenshadow. On Episode 709 of Trick or Treat Radio our feature film discussion is 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple from director Nia DaCosta! We also pay tribute to our favorite nerd, we scour the world for Barry Sobel, and we react to new trailers for the films; Backrooms, The Faces of Death, and In A Violent Nature 2! So grab the 8K Super Mega HD physical copy of your favorite film, apply a healthy coat of iodine all over your body, and strap on for the world's most dangerous podcast!Stuff we talk about: The Colors of Horror, fade to yellow, who owns purple, Frankenhooker, Frank Henenlotter, The Uninvited, Twisted Nerve, Evilspeak, approved by church of satan, The Seduction, The Mangler II, Bikini Party Massacre, The Crazies, Alien from L.A., Son, The Grudge 2, Warm Bodies, Don't Look Up, Evil Dead (2013), James Wan, Insidious, The Conjuring, Malignant, House of the Dead 2, The Behemoth, Marc Decascos, Double Dragon, Don Shanks, The Crow: Salvation, Son of the Blob, Watermelon Man, City of the Dead, The Nightstalker, Taste of Evil, Frankenstein: The True Story, Dark Shadows, The Twilight Zone, Killdozer, The Devil's Hand, Abbot and Costello Meet the Invisible Man, Paul Dini, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Harley Quinn, Batman: The Animated Series, RIP Robert Carradine, Revenge of the Cheerleaders, Curtis Armstrong, Where in the World is Barry Sobel?, Timothy Busfield, Michael Bowen, John Carradine, Buried Alive, Arnold Vosloo, Finding Sobel, RIP Oliver “Power” Grant, Django Unchained, Ghosts of Mars, Body Bags, Mean Streets, Martha Plimpton, Backrooms, Growing Pain, Boner, Leo DiCaprio, Joker's Boner, A24, Undertone, Severance, Faces of Death, In A Violent Nature 2, Sinners, Cock Samson, Danny Boyle, Candyman, Robert Carlysle, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, Nia DaCosta, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Watchmen, Black Manta, Chi Lewis-Parry, Satanists and Pagans, Rage Zombies, Iron Maiden, Duran Duran, Jack O'Connell, Alfie Williams, Erin Kellyman, The Teletubbies, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Jimmy Savile, Top of the Pops, Ralph Fiennes, Tony Gilroy, shooting on iphones, never bend the knee, The Demon Dong of Fleet St., My Best Friend Booger, and The Slander Man.Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/trickortreatradioJoin our Discord Community: discord.trickortreatradio.comSend Email/Voicemail: mailto:podcast@trickortreatradio.comVisit our website: http://trickortreatradio.comStart your own podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=386Use our Amazon link: http://amzn.to/2CTdZzKFB Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/trickortreatradioTwitter: http://twitter.com/TrickTreatRadioFacebook: http://facebook.com/TrickOrTreatRadioYouTube: http://youtube.com/TrickOrTreatRadioInstagram: http://instagram.com/TrickorTreatRadioSupport the show

It’s time to continue our own Build-A-DUCU Experiment with 2020’s The Invisible Man, written and directed by Leigh Whannell. Does this psycho thriller of a woman (Elisabeth Moss) tortured by a rich ex-boyfriend (some guy) earn its place in the DUCU, or are the connections hard to see? Find out right here on Zero Credit(s).

For this Universal 1933 Studios Year by Year episode we commit the sacrilege of trashing a James Whale movie, The Invisible Man, which is also Claude Rains' first major screen role, albeit mainly as a voice. A ranting, irascible voice in a movie with very little evidence (in our irresponsible opinion) of Whale's voice. But then we turn to a movie bearing a strong directorial imprint, William Wyler's Counsellor at Law, which contains probably John Barrymore's best screen performance. We discuss Wyler's contested status among auteurists and the multiple layers of Elmer Rice's adaptation of his play about early 20th century American antisemitism and how to live with the knowledge of one's moral compromises. And in Fear and Moviegoing in Toronto, we took in a Valentine's weekend screening of Sternberg's The Devil Is a Woman at the TIFF Lightbox cinematheque, giving us another opportunity to grapple with its ironies and opacities.  Time Codes: 0h 00m 25s:      1933 and Universal 0h 03m 51s:      THE INVISIBLE MAN (1933) [dir. James Whale] 0h 19m 21s:      COUNSELLOR-AT-LAW (1933) [dir. William Wyler] 0h 48m 06s:      Fear and Moviegoing in Toronto: Josef von Sternberg's The Devil is a Woman (1935) at TIFF Lightbox Studio Film Capsules provided by The Universal Story by Clive Hirschhorn Additional studio information from: The Hollywood Story by Joel W. Finler 1933 Information from Forgotten Films to Remember by John Springer                                 +++ * Marvel at our meticulously ridiculous Complete Viewing Schedule for the 2020s * Intro Song: "Sunday" by Jean Goldkette Orchestra with the Keller Sisters (courtesy of The Internet Archive) * Read Elise's latest film piece on Preston Sturges, Unfaithfully Yours, and the Narrative role of comedic scapegoating. * Check out Dave's new Robert Benchley blog – an attempt to annotate and reflect upon as many of the master humorist's 2000+ pieces as he can locate – Benchley Data: A Wayward Annotation Project!  Follow us on Twitter at @therebuggy Write to us at therebuggy@gmail.com   We now have a Discord server - just drop us a line if you'd like to join! 

A little halfway through the season, time to talk about everything thats airing, with our Mid-season check in! SPOILERS AHEADSocials/Discord - https://linktr.ee/whatdoyousayanime0:00 - Intro2:40 - Journal with Witch9:16 - Shiboyugi: Playing Death Games15:12 - Fate/Strange Fake18:00 - You and I are Polar Opposites21:54 - Tamon's B-Side26:23 - Invisible Man and His Soon to be Wife30:46 - In the Clear Moonlit Dusk34:05 - Demon King's Daughter is Too Kind36:40 - Sequels for later (Medalist S2 & Hell's Paradise S2)37:33 - Trigun Stargaze37:53 - Oshi no Ko S340:26 - Jujutsu Kaisen S342:04 - Golden Kamuy Final Season42:38 - Sentenced to be a Hero44:15 - Wash It All Away44:52 - Kaya-chan Isn't Scary45:22 - Frieren S2

With only five weeks left in this year-long journey, I can feel the end approaching—less like a high-wire act and more like gathering momentum toward something unknown. Week 47 of Ted Gioia's Immersive Humanities course explores twentieth-century American fiction through short stories and novel excerpts, revealing a distinctly American voice: sharp dialogue, vivid settings, and an experimental edge.O. Henry, “The Gift of the Magi” (1906): A charming story of love and sacrifice.F. Scott Fitzgerald, “A Diamond as Big as the Ritz” (1922): Wealth, excess, and a surprising twist.Ernest Hemingway, “The Killers” (1927): Sparse, tension-filled dialogue.William Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury (1929, excerpt): Challenging, with shifting time and perspective.Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man (1947, excerpt): A powerful sense of invisibility and identity.Shirley Jackson, “The Lottery” (1948): Disturbing and unforgettable.Flannery O'Connor, “A Good Man is Hard to Find” (1955): A Southern Gothic tale with shocking turns.Together, these works feel spacious, restless, and distinctly American—and they remind me how much more willing I am now to embrace difficult, even strange, books.This is a year-long challenge! Join me next week for a little Magical Realism.LINKTed Gioia/The Honest Broker's 12-Month ImmersiveHumanities Course (paywalled!)My Amazon Book List (NOT an affiliate link)CONNECTThe complete list of Crack the Book Episodes: https://cheryldrury.substack.com/p/crack-the-book-start-here?r=u3t2rTo read more of my writing, visit my Substack - https://www.cheryldrury.substack.com.Follow me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cldrury/LISTENSpotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpySInw1e8IqNQvXow7Lv?si=9ebd5508daa245bdApple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crack-the-book/id1749793321Captivate - https://crackthebook.captivate.fm

This Week in Horror History (Feb 23–Mar 1) is your weekly horror release-date rundown—with where to watch (U.S.), a deep-cut spotlight, and a weekly recommendation for that weird stretch where winter won't let go. This week we've got small-town paranoia, social terror, a survival nightmare in the pines, and love at the end of the world—plus a Deep-Cut that turns disbelief into the monster.Inside this episode✅ Horror releases from Feb 23–Mar 1Feb 26, 2010 — The CraziesRomero-era paranoia without zombies: a small Iowa town, something in the water, and trust collapsing fast.Where to watch: Free with ads on The Roku Channel; or rent on Amazon Prime Video, Fandango at Home, Apple TVFeb 24, 2017 — Get OutJordan Peele's debut turns “nice” into a trap—social dread, politeness that cuts like a blade, and the slow realization you're being played.Where to watch: Max (HBO Max) subscription (including via add-ons like Hulu/YouTube/Sling); or rent on Amazon Prime, Google Play, YouTube, Apple TV, Fandango at HomeFeb 23, 2023 — Sons of the Forest (Early Access release)A cabin getaway becomes a survival horror sprint—puzzles, panic, and the creeping feeling something is tracking you between the trees.Where to play: Steam (PC)Feb 25, 2024 — The Walking Dead: The Ones Who LiveA tight six-episode run that makes the apocalypse feel personal again—love, loss, and what survival turns people into.Where to watch: AMC+

LIVE! from Not in Portland (Please excuse Heath”s Hot Mic) the boys break down a bunch of awesome films! 765.  SPIDERMAN NO WAY HOME  (2021) 764.  THE INVISIBLE MAN (2020) 763.  RUN LOLA RUN  (1998) 762.  THE BROTHERS MCMULLEN  (1995) 761.  THE DRY  (2020) 760.  UNFORGIVEN  (1992) 759.  IRONMAN 2  (2010) 758.  THE MONSTER SQUAD  … Continue reading "The (New) Film List 765-747"

In this episode, we look at how the classic black & white Universal movie monsters tap into universal fears, and how you can use that to create compelling villains in your book. This coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Dragonskull: Shield of the Knight, Book #2 in the Dragonskull series, (as excellently narrated by Brad Wills) at my Payhip store: GARETH50 The coupon code is valid through February 16, 2026. So if you need a new audiobook this winter, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 289 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is February 6, 2026, and today we are discussing how you can use the Universal monsters to write interesting villains. Before we get into that, we will have Coupon of the Week and an update on my current writing and publishing projects. First up is Coupon of the Week and this week's coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Dragonskull: Shield of the Knight, Book #2 of my Dragonskull series (as excellently narrated by Brad Wills), at my Payhip store. And that code is GARETH50. And as always, the coupon code and the link to my Payhip store will be available in the show notes. This coupon code is valid through February 16th, 2026, so if you need a new audiobook to get you through the middle of February, we have got you covered. Now let's see where I'm at with my current writing and publishing projects. As of this recording, I am 63,000 words into Cloak of Summoning and I am almost but not quite halfway through my outline. So this is definitely going to be a long book and it's probably going to come out in the first part of March because it's long enough that it will take me a while to finish writing it and then to edit and proof it and everything else. So I'm making good progress on it. It was a very productive week, but I am still not even halfway through, so I think it's probably going to be March. I am also 5,000 words into Blade of Wraiths. That will be the fourth book of my epic fantasy Blades of Ruin series, and that will probably be in April, if all goes well. In audiobook news, Blade of Shadows (as narrated by Brad Wills) is done and it is slowly starting to roll out to the various platforms. I think as of this recording, the only place it is live right now is my Payhip store and Google Play, but hopefully by the time I record the next episode, it will be available at even more stores than that. Hollis McCarthy is working on Cloak of Titans and I think she's about halfway or two thirds of the way through recording, so we should be able to get that to you before too much longer. So that is where I'm at with my current writing and publishing and audiobook projects. 00:02:13 Main Topic: Universal Monsters, Universal Fears, and Creating Villains Now our main topic, which is the Universal monsters and the universal fears and how you can use that to create villains. One idea a writer can use to create compelling villains is to tap into some of the universal fears, and in some ways, those universal fears are embodied by the classic Universal monster movies. I mentioned before that in Halloween of 2025, I saw that a bunch of the old black and white Universal monster movies were on Prime Video. So I watched them for the first time since I was a kid, and I was pleased to see that they held up pretty well for movies that are nearly a century old, especially considering these were some of the very first movies ever made with sound and the filmmakers were kind of figuring it out as they went along. Dracula is a bit uneven because they tried to cram the stage play version of the book into a 70 minute movie, which really doesn't work, though Bela Lugosi's performance as Dracula and Edward Van Sloan as Van Helsing really carried the movie and helped define the characters in the public eye, but the others are all good and Bride of Frankenstein is legitimately a great movie, but why have these particular movies lasted so long in the public consciousness? For that matter, why do people keep coming back to new versions and new stories of Dracula and Frankenstein's Creature and all the others? Partly it's because these characters are in the public domain and you can use them without getting sued. True, but there's a lot of stuff in the public domain that doesn't see the light of day nearly as often as these classic monsters. I think it's because the classic monsters tap into the universal (small U) fears or classic archetypes of the things that people fear in real life. It's interesting to note that most of the classic Universal monsters were either originally humans who became monstrous or creations by humans that turn monstrous. Essentially, the monsters tap into archetypal fears and are exaggerated versions of villains and monsters we might actually encounter on a day-to-day basis. What do I mean? Let's expound. First up, Dracula. Count Dracula is in some ways the easiest metaphor to explain. He's an aristocratic vampire that feeds upon people and gives them nothing but evil in return. Perhaps he will pass on his own immortality to some of his victims, but it's a cursed and hellish form of immortality and any vampires that he creates are essentially his slaves, sometimes his mindless slaves. Dracula is the fear of the Evil Elite. This of course, takes many different forms in the modern era, but it is very much alive and well. The various conspiracy theories that the elite of society might be devil worshippers or engaged in sinister cults are definitely Dracula adjacent (and based on recent news reports, it indeed appears at least some of these conspiracy theories turned out to be accurate). More prosaically, "rent seeking behavior" is often characterized as vampirism. Rent seeking behavior is defined as finding ways to extract profit without adding value by manipulating the legal or regulatory environment. The landlord who raises rent by $500 a month for no reason. A software developer who reduces features while raising the subscription price or a financier who manipulates the regulations for an industry while investing in it are good examples of rent seeking behavior that is metaphorically vampiric. For that matter, it can be downright mundane. The middle manager who bullies his employees and then takes all the credit for their work is a very boring and unpleasant, but nonetheless, an all too common example of the vampire metaphor in real life. Frankenstein's monster is a much easier metaphor to explain now than it would've been before ChatGPT went mainstream. There is always a fear that we will be destroyed by the works of our own hands, especially in the last a hundred years since the creation of nuclear technology and gene editing. Probably most famous examples of that in science fiction are The Terminator and The Matrix movies series. However, these days the metaphor for Frankenstein's monster is almost ridiculously easy. We have generative AI to fulfill the metaphor of Frankenstein's monster for us. Karl Marx famously said that history repeats twice, the first time as tragedy, the second as farce. Nuclear weapons as a metaphor for Frankenstein's monster was a tragedy but generative AI is a farce. The tech bros sold it as this omniscient mind that could solve all problems and eliminate all jobs. What we've actually gotten is an imbecilic chatbot that makes a lot of mistakes, can't remember anything, can't actually do anything right, inflicts widespread damage to the economy, drives up electricity costs, and makes existing products like Windows 11 and Google search much worse. It's like as if Frankenstein's monster was really, really stupid and wanted you to add glue to your pizza to keep the cheese from sliding off. The Wolf Man, of course, is a metaphor for the potentially bestial nature of man. We all know, of course, or are eventually forced to learn that human beings have a dark side that can come out in times of anger and stress. Civilization is sometimes a thin veneer over the animalistic side of humans. Sometimes the veneer grows even thinner and the dark side comes raging out in riots and wars and mass slaughter. For Larry Talbot, the original Wolf Man in the movie, his situation is even more terrifying. He's a rational man who believes in science and psychology and doesn't believe in things like werewolves. Yet when he is bitten, he nonetheless loses control and transforms into the Wolf Man. He doesn't want to transform and attack people, but he has lost control of himself to the werewolf curse, and so he does. In a sense, all humans are werewolves in that we have a monstrous side that can come out under the right or the wrong conditions. The worst of us embrace that fact, just as in medieval legends, sometimes people would make pacts with the devil to become werewolves. The Invisible Man was originally a science fiction story, which means that the Invisible Man represents a new fear created by science. "Transhumanism" is an idea that eventually humans will merge with machines and evolve and become something new. Naturally, many people think this is a bad idea, and so a new idea has emerged: "posthumans" or humans that have been so modified by science that they are no longer recognizably human. So far, this has remained mostly science fiction, but you can see the glimmers of it beginning in biology and medical science. There's a reason performance enhancing drugs are banned in most sports. Genetic engineering opens up the possibility that corporations could create their own custom humans, essentially their own posthumans. The possibilities for abuse in such situations are sadly endless. So the Invisible Man, like Frankenstein's Creature, taps into the fear of science or more accurately the fear of what horrors science might create. On the surface, the Creature from the Black Lagoon is a monster story about a creature that carries off a pretty girl. I think it taps into a deeper fear, however, namely that the world is older and stranger and more alien and incomprehensible than we can possibly know. Like hardcore creationists say that the earth is 6,000 years old or so, and the traditional scientific view is that the earth has been around for four and a half billion years or so, and both groups have detailed charts explaining why their theories are correct, but what if they're both wrong? Oceanographers say that we don't fully understand the oceans. And a common theory among UFO people is that UFOs emerged from hidden bases at the bottom of the ocean, inaccessible by any human. There are other theories that there have been entire civilizations such as Atlantis that have vanished without a trace and were more advanced than our own, or that all of human civilization is a cycle that constantly destroys itself and restarts without a memory of its previous failures, or that aliens have influenced and controlled human history or that aliens created the earth and this is all some sort of elaborate science experiment. Of course, all these theories are likely bunk. Probably. I think it is true to say that not only is the world stranger than we know, it is stranger than the human mind is actually capable of comprehending. And depending on how far that goes, that could be a terrifying thought. So the Creature from the Black Lagoon, the idea that some race of fishmen lurks beneath the waves that we don't know about, taps into that fear. Like The Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Mummy on the surface is another story about the monster who wants the girl since Imhotep waits 3,000 years for his love to be reincarnated. But I think this taps into a deeper fear, namely that we can't escape history, that no matter what we do or how hard we try, history will catch up to us (whether our own personal history or national history). Political philosopher Francis Fukuyama famously wrote a book called The End of History and The Last Man in 1992, arguing that with the collapse of Communism, liberal democracy was the final form of government achieved by mankind and it would have no serious competitors in the future. This was a nice dream, but I think it's fair to say that the last 34 years since 1992 have proven that thesis profoundly wrong. History is definitely not over and in every domestic or international political crisis of the last 34 years, you can trace its roots back for decades or even centuries. It took 3,000 years for the dead hand of Imhotep to affect the present, but it usually doesn't take nearly that long for history to have negative effects in the present world. The Phantom of the Opera is considered one of the Universal monsters, but I don't think he really taps into a deeper fear, maybe just to be wary of a creepy guy who lives in a theater basement and is unhealthily obsessed with the leading actress. Honestly, that just seems like good common sense. Maybe poor Christine Daae just needs some pepper spray or a good solid shotgun. In conclusion, I think each of these Universal monsters remains popular because they tap into a deeper, more profound fear. So if you're a writer looking to create a memorable villain, you could do worse than to follow those universal fears. You don't even explicitly have to write horror, science fiction, or fantasy to do it. In a mystery novel, you could have a Dracula type villain in the form of a slumlord who traps his tenants with restrictive lease agreements to bleed them dry financially or an Invisible Man villain in the form of a scientist who is illegally injecting college athletes with an experimental drug without their knowledge. The Wolf Man appears quite often in detective and thriller fiction as a serial killer or some other kind of violent criminal. Naturally we cannot escape history, so the Mummy can appear as a conflict that had its roots in events that happened decades ago. Of course, the range for universal fear villains in science fiction and fantasy is much greater. Then you don't even have to be metaphorical. So hopefully this look at the Universal monsters and the universal fears they tap into will give you some good tips and ideas for writing villains in your book. So that's it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes in https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy, and we'll see you all next week.  

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In this episode, we complete our quest to find out which fictional character is the ultimate fighter in our 2025 Unmatched tournament! To run the tournament, I identified our 16 most-played Unmatched heroes, then set up some brackets to pit them against each other. A few episodes ago, I reported on the first half of the tournament: the first-round games that whittled our list of heroes to the Elite 8. Today, I'm excited to share the second half of the tournament!As a reminder, the hero who wins each battle isn't necessarily the hero who moves on in the tournament. The teenager and I play a game with each pair of heroes, then discuss the game and the heroes and decide which of the two heroes we like playing the most. That's the hero that moves on to the next round.Achilles, Little Red, Houdini, Invisible Man, Beowulf, Jekyll & Hyde, Shakespeare, and T-Rex! Who will be the champion?Episode Resources:Buy Unmatched sets on Amazon.Listen to our 2023 review of Unmatched.Listen to Part 1 of our 2025 Unmatched tournament.Music:"Open Road," Purple Planet Music"Field of Heroes," Tabletop AudioSend us a textPodcast Links: Order a First Player Token coffee mug. Visit the First Player Token website. Join the FPT Facebook group. Follow @firstplayertoken on Bluesky. Join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord.

Send us a text Ep 272 -- In this jam-packed gossip dump, I'm breaking down the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City reunion part 3 tea starting with Dan Cosby reaching out with exclusive information about Mary Cosby's TLC docuseries and exposing every single business that funded her money from church members. Then I'm getting into Bronwyn Newport being spotted alone and disheveled at Sundance—plus why I believe her Todd Bradley marriage storyline was fake from the start—and wait until you hear what I discovered about Todd's new investment firm Niobrara Capital where he's partners with Mike Pompeo, Trump's former Secretary of State and CIA Director. The reunion recap covers Heather Gay being outed for allegedly sharing pills, Whitney Rose's suspicious marriage troubles, Brittani Bateman's antisemitism drama with Meredith Marks, and why Meredith is having her Camille Grammer moment calling out production. I'm also revealing tea on Lisa Barlow and Heather both allegedly working with finsta accounts—so why is only Lisa getting called out? Then we dive into the massive Epstein files drop where Elon Musk got exposed asking about the "wildest party" on the island despite claiming he refused invitations, Ghislaine Maxwell calling Prince Andrew "sweet pea" and him using the email name "The Invisible Man," Steve Bannon's hundreds of texts with Epstein, and a shocking Bill Gates draft email. I'm also reading you the explosive Congressional letter to Pam Bondi about Ghislaine Maxwell's five-star prison treatment including a puppy, room service, private CNN viewing, and unsupervised laptop access—plus disturbing whistleblower allegations of sexual abuse and retaliation at FPC Bryan. Finally, I'm introducing you to the Colleen Ballinger scandal and how this Miranda Sings creator allegedly had inappropriate relationships with underage fans including Adam McIntyre—this rabbit hole goes deep and involves some truly disturbing allegations about her inner circle. Full episode only available at Dishing Drama Dana Patreon,it's only $6.00 a month, join the fun! https://www.patreon.com/cw/DishingDramaWithDanaWilkeySupport the showDana is on Cameo!Follow Dana: @Wilkey_Dana$25,000 Song - Apple Music$25,000 Song - SpotifyTo support the show and listen to full episodes, become a member on PatreonTo send Dana information, show requests and sponsorships reach out to our new email: dishingdramadana@gmail.comDana's YouTube Channel

First impressions on some of the interesting anime this season.1. Sentenced to Be a Hero2. Jack-of-All-Trades, Party of None3. Shiboyugi: Playing Death Games to Put Food on the Table4. The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-Be Wife5. Kunon the Sorcerer Can See6. Dead Account7. Isekai Office Worker: The Other World's Books Depend on the Bean Counter8. Roll Over and Die9. Dark Moon: The Blood Altar10. You Can't Be In a Rom-Com with Your Childhood Friends!11. An Adventurer's Daily Grind at Age 2912. Scum of the Brave13. Reincarnated as a Dragon Hatchling14. A Misanthrope Teaches a Class for Demi-Humans15. You and I Are Polar Opposites16. The Darwin Incident17. Kaya-chan Isn't Scary#Anime #FirstLook #Flash #Impression #WinterFollow our guest on:-TikTok - ⁠⁠@nebulajpInstagram - ⁠⁠@nebulajpYoutube - @nebulajpSpecial thanks to these awesome artists for letting us use their music:Intro by ckotty3 - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://pixabay.com/users/ckotty3-25960960/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Outro by Playsound -⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://pixabay.com/users/playsound-24686998/⁠⁠

It's such a struggle watching a movie with Jonesy & Amanda.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the weekend, the J&A team had a movie night where we watched the 2020 film, The Invisible Man. Even though Amanda had already seen the movie, she had no idea what was going on, which begs the question - do you have a family member or friend who drives you insane while watching a movie? Have a listen to these stories!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Episode 217!  There is a lot of inspiration paced into 35 minutes.  We have a family that made a radical lifestyle change to help others.  There is the story about one of the most important Civil Rights activists you probably never heard of, and then there is the story about a woman from Mexico who is using the tradition of her people to win ultra marathons around the world.  Come have a listen.   #BeKind #WeStandWithUkraine We would love to hear from you. Send us your comments or even your own inspirational stories at tangentialinspiration@gmail.com. Follow us on our social media: Website: tangential-inspiration.com Instagram: tangentialinspirationpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tangentialinspiration Twitter: https://twitter.com/TangentialInsp1   Produced and Edited by Craig Wymetalek

Nick Halloway (Chevy Chase) is a stock market executive. Through his colleague/maybe friend George (Michael McKean,) Nick meets Alice Monroe (Daryl Hannah) and they bang it out in a bathroom at a restaurant. True love! Nick keeps his party going, drinks himself silly and then attends a client's conference the next day. Hungover as hell, he sneaks off and takes a lil' catnap in an office bathroom/sauna. Also, some high-level science stuff is going on and going wrong. Through a coffee spill accident, everything goes bonks and all that was in the building (including Nick) turns invisible. Now, the government, especially CIA official David Jenkins (Sam Neill), wants Nick so they can harness his molecules. RTS shacks up at George's beach house and goes on the new all clear food fad diet. Jeremy uses this newfound power for nefarious purposes. La-Mar teaches us that playing the stocks is always a guaranteed success. Collin reveals himself, watches this film and then decides to go ghost-invisible again. Rami immediately goes to Switzerland. It has always been the only choice. What would you do with the power of invisibility?

What does it mean to be an "anav" and why Moshe Rabbeinu's greatest compliment was that he was an "eved (servant of) Hashem".

Genre is enigmatic (at best). Writers, agents, readers, and editors, all have different perspectives, and sometimes they lead to heated debates. In this episode, which originally aired in Season 2, Melanie and I totally disagree on the genre. She thinks it's a horror, I think it's a thriller. Which of us is right? Tune in to find out. We'll be back next week with a brand new episode. Until then, Happy New Year! - V. Acquire the power to write a bestselling story at storynerd.ca/courses For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle.To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website.

2026 is just around the corner, and on todays episode we are going over all the new shows that caught our eye for next season and talking sequels towards the end. Looking for something specific? Use the timestamps to navigate!Socials/Discord - https://linktr.ee/whatdoyousayanime0:00 - Intro3:20 - Playing Death Games to Put Food on the Table8:50 - You and I are Polar Opposites12:47 - Love Through a Prism19:38 - Journal with Witch25:49 - Kaya-chan Isn't Scary28:44 - In the Clear Moonlit Dusk33:13 - Dead Account40:43 - The Holy Grail of Eris46:58 - The Demon Kings Daughter is Too Kind49:34 - The Darwin Incident55:50 - The Invisible Man and his Soon-to-Be Wife1:02:40 - Frieren S21:06:24 - Hell's Paradise S21:09:21 - Oshi no Ko S31:11:13 - Chained Soldier S21:11:59 - Trigun Stargaze1:13:28 - Golden Kamuy Final Season1:13:58 - Medalist S21:15:30 - Other shows, sequels, and movies

Final Episode of the year! We had a blast making the episodes, and we hope you enjoyed listening to them!   Warning: May Contain Spoilers Created by: Cristo M. Sanchez Written by: Cristo M. Sanchez and Jason Nemor Harden Hosted by: Jason Nemor Harden Music by: Creature 9, Wood, Cristo M. Sanchez and Jason Nemor Harden Follow us on instagram for the latest updates and more! And don't hesitate to support us on patreon if you enjoy the show

Newly released files from the U.S. Justice Department's ongoing Epstein Files Transparency Act disclosures include email exchanges from 2001–2002 between Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted Epstein accomplice, and an individual identified only as “A” who signs off the messages with “The Invisible Man” and “A”—widely reported by multiple outlets as former Prince Andrew, now Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. In one August 2001 message sent from Balmoral, the British royal family's Scottish residence, the correspondent asks Maxwell whether she has “found me some new inappropriate friends,” a line that has drawn fresh scrutiny because of its phrasing and context. In response, Maxwell wrote she had only been able to find “appropriate friends,” and the exchange also touches on personal matters such as travel plans and the death of a longtime valet.Other documents in the same tranche show Maxwell arranging for introductions or social plans involving “girls” and a supposed friend referred to as “Andrew,” including correspondence related to a planned 2002 trip to Peru in which Maxwell described seeking “friendly and discreet and fun” companions and forwarding contact details to the person signing as “A.” While the emails do not on their own prove criminal conduct and there is no indication that law enforcement has charged Mountbatten-Windsor in connection with this material, the exchanges add to longstanding public and legal scrutiny of his ties to Epstein and Maxwell. Andrew has previously denied wrongdoing and has consistently rejected allegations related to Epstein's network; earlier civil allegations were resolved through a settlement and he has since been stripped of royal titles and duties amid controversy over his association with Epstein.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.com

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Newly released files from the U.S. Justice Department's ongoing Epstein Files Transparency Act disclosures include email exchanges from 2001–2002 between Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted Epstein accomplice, and an individual identified only as “A” who signs off the messages with “The Invisible Man” and “A”—widely reported by multiple outlets as former Prince Andrew, now Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. In one August 2001 message sent from Balmoral, the British royal family's Scottish residence, the correspondent asks Maxwell whether she has “found me some new inappropriate friends,” a line that has drawn fresh scrutiny because of its phrasing and context. In response, Maxwell wrote she had only been able to find “appropriate friends,” and the exchange also touches on personal matters such as travel plans and the death of a longtime valet.Other documents in the same tranche show Maxwell arranging for introductions or social plans involving “girls” and a supposed friend referred to as “Andrew,” including correspondence related to a planned 2002 trip to Peru in which Maxwell described seeking “friendly and discreet and fun” companions and forwarding contact details to the person signing as “A.” While the emails do not on their own prove criminal conduct and there is no indication that law enforcement has charged Mountbatten-Windsor in connection with this material, the exchanges add to longstanding public and legal scrutiny of his ties to Epstein and Maxwell. Andrew has previously denied wrongdoing and has consistently rejected allegations related to Epstein's network; earlier civil allegations were resolved through a settlement and he has since been stripped of royal titles and duties amid controversy over his association with Epstein.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-moscow-murders-and-more--5852883/support.

If you're not listening to the Chasing Chevy Chase podcast, here's an episode to whet your appetite... Chevy Chase takes an unexpected turn into sci-fi thriller territory with Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992). Directed by John Carpenter and adapted from H.F. Saint's novel, the film follows Nick Halloway (Chase), who becomes invisible after a freak laboratory accident. As he grapples with the perks and pitfalls of invisibility, he also tries to evade ruthless CIA operative David Jenkins (Sam Neill) and connect with Alice Monroe (Daryl Hannah). It's an ambitious mash-up of comedy, romance, and paranoia that didn't quite land with audiences or critics at the time but remains one of the oddest entries in Chase's career. Mike, Mark, and Chris break down the film's tonal shifts, behind-the-scenes clashes, and its place in both Chase's and Carpenter's filmographies.Visit http://www.chasingchevypodcast.com for more... 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 

Newly released files from the U.S. Justice Department's ongoing Epstein Files Transparency Act disclosures include email exchanges from 2001–2002 between Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted Epstein accomplice, and an individual identified only as “A” who signs off the messages with “The Invisible Man” and “A”—widely reported by multiple outlets as former Prince Andrew, now Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. In one August 2001 message sent from Balmoral, the British royal family's Scottish residence, the correspondent asks Maxwell whether she has “found me some new inappropriate friends,” a line that has drawn fresh scrutiny because of its phrasing and context. In response, Maxwell wrote she had only been able to find “appropriate friends,” and the exchange also touches on personal matters such as travel plans and the death of a longtime valet.Other documents in the same tranche show Maxwell arranging for introductions or social plans involving “girls” and a supposed friend referred to as “Andrew,” including correspondence related to a planned 2002 trip to Peru in which Maxwell described seeking “friendly and discreet and fun” companions and forwarding contact details to the person signing as “A.” While the emails do not on their own prove criminal conduct and there is no indication that law enforcement has charged Mountbatten-Windsor in connection with this material, the exchanges add to longstanding public and legal scrutiny of his ties to Epstein and Maxwell. Andrew has previously denied wrongdoing and has consistently rejected allegations related to Epstein's network; earlier civil allegations were resolved through a settlement and he has since been stripped of royal titles and duties amid controversy over his association with Epstein.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

If you're not listening to the Chasing Chevy Chase podcast, here's an episode to whet your appetite... Chevy Chase takes an unexpected turn into sci-fi thriller territory with Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992). Directed by John Carpenter and adapted from H.F. Saint's novel, the film follows Nick Halloway (Chase), who becomes invisible after a freak laboratory accident. As he grapples with the perks and pitfalls of invisibility, he also tries to evade ruthless CIA operative David Jenkins (Sam Neill) and connect with Alice Monroe (Daryl Hannah). It's an ambitious mash-up of comedy, romance, and paranoia that didn't quite land with audiences or critics at the time but remains one of the oddest entries in Chase's career. Mike, Mark, and Chris break down the film's tonal shifts, behind-the-scenes clashes, and its place in both Chase's and Carpenter's filmographies.Visit http://www.chasingchevypodcast.com for more... 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 

Headlines: The former Duke of York denies any wrongdoing or knowledge of the child sex offending by his close friends Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein, whose correspondence about girls and ‘inappropriate friends’ with someone called ‘A’, the Duke of York and ‘The Invisible Man’ are detailed in a new dump of documents from US authorities. Plus, the latest news relating to the Bondi Beach anti-Semitic terror attacks. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, the US department of justice has released the largest amount of so-called “Epstein files” so far - but what exactly is in the latest batch? Among the latest files is an email from someone called ‘A' from ‘Balmoral' asking Ghislaine Maxwell for ‘inappropriate friends'. Adam is joined by Sumi Somaskanda, the BBC's Chief News Presenter in Washington D.C.Plus, the Government has watered down their inheritance tax plan for farms. Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds says the government has “listened closely to farmers across the country” and that they want to support the farms and businesses “that are the backbone of Britain's rural communities.” Adam and Alex Forsyth discuss where this policy climbdown has come from, and why now? You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscordGet in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Rufus Gray and Grace Reeve. The social producer were Joe Wilkinson, Sophie Millward, and Gabriel Purcell-Davis. The technical producer was Ricardo McCarthy. The assistant editor was Jack Maclaren. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Paul en Vincent gaan verder met het ranken en bespreken van de universal monsters films.... Deze keer komen Dracula 1931, Frankenstein 1931, The Invisible Man 1933 en The Wolf Man uit 1941 aan bod....

The Professor Frenzy Show Episode 386 Maria Llovet's Artificial #3 from Image | Written and art by Maria Llovet The Invisible Man #4 of 4 from Image Comics (W) James Tynion IV (A) Dani $4.99  Assorted Crisis Events #6 from Image Comics (W)  Deniz Camp (A) Eric Zawadzki $4.99 Exquisite Corpses #7 from Image Comics (W)  Michael Walsh w/James Tynion IV (A) Claire Roe w/Michael Walsh $4.99 Red Book #2 from Dark Horse Comics (W) James Tynion IV (A) Michael Avon Oeming $4.99 Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees:  Rite of Spring #4 from IDW Publishing (W/A)  Patrick Horvath  $4.99 The Twilight Zone #2 from IDW Publishing (W/A) Thomas Scioli $4.99 Dick Tracy #13 from MadCave Studios (W) Alex Segura and Michael Moreci (A) Geraldo Borges $4.99 Josie and the Pussycats Annual Spectacular #1 (one shot) from Archie Comics  MAD magazine #46 $5.99  Minor Arcana #11 from Boom Studios | Written by Jeff Lemire | Art by Patricio Delpeche | Cruel Universe #11 Hello Darkness #16 from  Boom Studios

Paul, Kait, and Danny sat down to discuss comics recommended by their Local Comic Book Shops (and Librarians!)--part of our Goodreads Theme of the Month.Check out our Goodreads Theme of the Month thread here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/23264561-november-2025-botm-recommended-by-your-lcs-or-libraryTimestamps:00:00:00 - Start/Last Week in Comics00:01:32 - Loving, Ohio00:07:05 - Absolute Martian Manhunter Vol. 100:15:42 - Paul's Trip to LA00:19:07 - Shout outs to our Goodreads!00:19:30 - Little White Duck: A Childhood in China00:25:18 - Libraries and IN, bay-bee!00:26:23 - Universal Monsters: The Invisible Man #400:31:33 - Lazarus The Third Collection00:36:38 - Discord Picks00:37:02 - Ice Cream Man vol. 3: Hopscotch Melange00:40:04 - WrapMusic provided by Infinity Shred. Find them on Bandcamp.IRCB Avatars by @ICELEVELIRCB Logo by Kyle RoseProducer: Mike RapinProoflistener: Nick WhiteEditor: Zander Riggs Support us on Patreon to get access to our Patreon-only series: IRCB Movie Club, Saga of Saga, Giant Days of Our Lives, A Better Batmobile, and more! patreon.com/ircbpodcastBuy a copy of our anniversary zine Totally Not A Cult: https://ircbpodcast.com/shop/p/totally-not-a-cult-zine-1Email: ircbpodcast@gmail.comTwitter: @ircbpodcastInstagram: @ircbpodcastDiscord: discordapp.com/invite/E8JUB9sReddit: ireadcomicbooks.reddit.comIRCB GoodreadsMerch: ircbpodcast.com/shop

In this episode of the Fan2Fan Podcast, Bernie and Pete dig into why horror remakes aren't just cash grabs...they're cultural mirrors. The duo explores how new versions of The Thing, The Fly, The Crazies, and The Invisible Man reflect the fears, politics, and anxieties of their time. From Cold War paranoia and AIDS-era panic to post-9/11 distrustand gaslighting, each remake captures what society is truly afraid of in its era. Whether it's shape-shifting creatures, viral outbreaks, or unseen abusers, these films reinvent monsters for a new generation. The conversation was inspired by Ariel Fisher's article, "These Horror Remakes Are Vital Sociopolitical Mirrors Of Their Time" (www.arielfisher.com). For more info about the Fan2Fan Podcast, visit fan2fan.libsyn.com.

Greetings horror fans and welcome back to The History Of Horror which is the theme for 2025 where the crew reviews one movie a year from the last five decades.Join your hosts Austin and Gabby as they talk about The Invisible Man. The conversation starts off with a brief intro, followed up by the Jason pick for the week and then some Oscar winners for 2020. After that, they move on to the IMDb roundup portion of the episode and follow that up with a spoiler heavy review of The Invisible Man. Sit back, relax and enjoy the conversation! Stay Spooky! Check out the Linktree below for all our social media sites as well as the crews Letterboxd pages and much more! linktr.ee/frightmarespodcast stayspooky@outlook.com Timestamps for episode. Intro - 0:00 - 3:23Jason Pick - 3:23 - 8:09Oscar Winners - 8:09 - 16:31IMDb Roundup (Spoilers) - 16:31 - 20:57Trailer - 20:57 - 23:28Review (Spoilers) - 23:28 - 1:04:26Wrap Up and Ratings - 1:04:26 - 1:07:14Bad/Funny Reviews - 1:07:14 - 1:08:41Outro - 1:08:41 - 1:09:49

Here is an episode of Video Villa Entertainment that I was on where we talked about John Carpenter's Memoirs of an Invisible Man! https://youtu.be/3K3K7pQBKTM?si=o99yZwxfGRXHiRpU

The Professor Frenzy Show Episode 382 The Invisible Man #3 from Image | Writer: James Tynion IV | Art: Dani, Brad Simpson Maria Llovet's Artificial #2 from Image | Written and Art by Maria Llovet Red Book #1 of 4; from Dark Horse Comics Writer:James Tynion IV, Michael Avon Oeming Artist: Michael Avon Oeming $4.99   Sleep #2 from Image Comics (W/A/CA) Zander Cannon $3.99 Dick Tracy Halloween Special from Mad Cave Studios.  (W) Alex Segura, Michael Moreci, Chantelle Aimee Osman (A) Craig Cermak $6.99 The Adventures of Lumen N. #2 of 4 from Dark Horse Comics (W) James Robinson (A)  Phil Hester  $4.99  Exquisite Corpses #6 from Image Comics (W) Tyler Boss w/James Tynion IV (A)  Gavin Fullerton w/Michael Walsh $4.99 Feral #17 from Image Comics (W) Tony Fleecs (A) Trish Forstner, Tone Roriguez $3.99  Murder Podcast #s 1 and 2 from Ignition Press, $4.99 W- Jeremy Haun A - Mike Tisserano Barbaric:The Black Knight (One shot) from Vault Comics | Writer: Michael Moreci | Art: Gui Balbi, Fabi Marques, Jim Campbell SIKTC - A Monster Hunter Walks Into a Bar #1 | Writer: James Tynion IV  | Art: Werther Dell'Edera, Miquel Muerto Conan Scourge of the Serpent #2 from Titan Comics | Writer: Jim Zub | Art: Ivan Gill, Jao Canola, Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith  Outlaw Showdown #1 from the EC Imprint of Boom Studios | Writer: John Arcudi, Tony Moore, Ann Nocenti, Christopher Cantwell | Art: Sebastian Cabrol, TonyMoore, Rico Renzi, Lee Loughridge, David Lapham, Nick Filardi, Dan McDaid, Michael Atiyeh - Classic from Two Fisted Tales #20 by Harvey Kurtzman and Jack Davis March-April 1952 I Hate Fairyland #45 from Image | Writer: Scottie Young | Art: Jay Fosgitt, Jean Francios Beaulius, Nate Piekos

Educator & podcaster Tony Holt Jr continues his thoughts on Ralph Ellison's essays; Shadow and Act this week! This massive conversation had to be split in two (all Patreon supporters had both parts two weeks ago), but this week in part 2, Tony & Mike's discussion on Ellison's writing style continues! They delve deeper into specific essays and how they bring forward often overlooked perspectives, including some in Harlem. The duo also talk about how short a time it's been since the major developments in the Civil Rights era around the 1960s and even the 13th Amendment from around 100 years prior. Their first Ellison discussion on GCC was in ep 260 (February 2025) delving deep into Ellison's most famous written work; Invisible Man. If you want early access to GCC episodes, as well as weekly bonus episodes, including even more episodes for Spooky Season, including reviews on Candyman, live-action Scooby-Doo, The Exorcist and more! Support at www.patreon.com/GenuineChitChat or https://ko-fi.com/GenuineChitChat Tony is part of the relaunching of Pop Guerrillas, listen to the trailer now and subscribe to hear the new episodes coming very soon: https://podfollow.com/popguerrillas Find Tony Holt's socials and more info on his website https://www.theproft.com & Linktree: http://linktr.ee/tonyholtjr Tony's appearance discussing Birth Of A Nation with Spider-Dan & Tonya Todd: https://tinyurl.com/2ctmeeo4 Tony also regularly appears on Tonya Todd's Banned Books conversations, for 2025 he discussed Beyond Magenta, listen or watch here: https://podfollow.com/femme-on/episode/bca3215da1a297f2ad9cbacd4bda736a9c618d25/view & https://youtu.be/GTlqcO5_tO4 Tony's Ellison/Black Panther essay is found in Comics Lit Vol 1: www.accomplishinginnovationpress.com/product/comics-lit-vol-1   Find all of Mike's social media & other links at https://linktr.ee/GenuineChitChat If you're a Star Wars fan, check out Star Wars Chit-Chat for Mike's in-depth reviews, breakdowns & things you missed episodes for Andor, The Clone Wars and more, on any podcast app or on YouTube: https://podfollow.com/starwarschitchat & https://youtube.com/@starwarschitchat Guest Spots: Mike went on the 20th Century Geek podcast to talk about Child's Play, here: https://pod.fo/e/32462c Mike has been on the 20th Century Geek podcast, reviewing Superman '78, Superman II, the Super/Man documentary and Superman 2025! https://pod.fo/e/2bea07 Please review/rate, subscribe and share – it helps the show out an incredible amount!

After contributing to The Pod and the Pendulum's 300th episode on the 25 best horror films of the 21st century, we decided to run through our individual lists for listeners.How did we each approach the task? (hint: thank god for Letterboxd) Which film(s) appear on both lists? And what movies will top our individual lists?! Don't scroll if you don't wanna know!Joe's Top 25 Horror Films of the Century (Ranked)The Invitation (2015)Knife + Heart (2018)Hereditary (2018)Train To Busan (2016)Relic (2020)Saint Maud (2019)The Descent (2005)The Perfection (2018)Inside/A L'Interieur (2007)Raw (2016)Better Watch Out (2016)Under The Skin (2013)Black Swan (2010)Let The Right One In (2007)Stoker (2013)Femme (2023)Annihilation (2018)Blink Twice (2024)The Skin I Live In (2011)The Strangers (2008)The Invisible Man (2020)Hostel Part 2 (2007)Ginger Snaps (2000)The Substance (2024)Midnight (2022)----------Trace's Top 25 Horror Films of the Century (Ranked)The Substance (2024)The Descent (2005)The Den (2013) - Listen to our guest spot on TGIFHereditary (2018)The Invitation (2015)Martyrs (2008)The Perfection (2018)The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)It Follows (2014)The Outwaters (2022)Drag Me To Hell (2009)Grindhouse (2007)Trick 'r Treat (2007)Insidious (2011)The Witch (2018)The Cabin In The Woods (2011)Bug (2006)The Mist (2007)Evil Dead (2013)Green Room (2008)[Rec]² (2009)Doctor Sleep (2019)Don't Breathe (2016)Detention (2011)Zombeavers (2014) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(00:00-11:28) A Missouri breakdown with Invisible Man by 98 Degrees as the score. Are you familiar with Uncle Danny on Twitter? Is Uncle Danny at war with Jamie Rivers? Jackson vs. Tiger Nationalists. The Mammoth sign Logan Cooley to an 8-year $80M contract extension. Nice analysis, Jackson.(11:36-18:22) Congrats to Kennesaw State for becoming bowl eligible. Tough beat last night in the Kennesaw State vs. UTEP game. Get yourself a pot pie and calm down.(18:32-23:04) E-Mail of the DaySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Frankenstein (1931) Dr. Henry Frankenstein is obsessed with assembling a living being from parts of several exhumed corpses. The Invisible Man (1933) A scientist finds a way to become invisible, but in doing so becomes murderously insane. The Wolf Man (1941) Upon his return to his father's estate, aristocrat Larry Talbot meets a beautiful woman, attends a mystical carnival and uncovers a horrifying curse. On this week's episode… Join the crew as we celebrate Halloween by discussing 3 absolutely classic Universal monster movies! Show Notes: Housekeeping (6:00) Back of the Box/Recommendations (13:10) Spoiler Warning/Full Review: (20:30) Rotten Tomatoes (56:58) Trivia (1:03:40) Back of the Box/Recommendations (1:11:58) Spoiler Warning/Full Review: (1:16:25) Rotten Tomatoes (1:47:40) Trivia (1:54:05) Back of the Box/Recommendations (1:58:30) Spoiler Warning/Full Review: (2:04:20) Rotten Tomatoes (2:43:23) Trivia (2:47:22) Cooter of the Week (2:53:51) Connect with us: Support us on Patreon Website Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Shop

This week on The Gateway Gamers Podcast, Bryan and RP dust off their magnifying glass, grab their stakes, and hop across the rooftops of foggy Victorian London as they dive into Unmatched: Cobble & Fog from Restoration Games!They'll debate who reigns supreme in this battle of literary legends, is it Sherlock's clever deduction, Dracula's charm (and bite), the Invisible Man's sneaky tricks, or Jekyll & Hyde's mood swings that win the day? Expect plenty of laughs, unnecessary tangents, and maybe even a few bad British accents as the guys break down what makes this expansion one of the most popular in the Unmatched series.So put on your deerstalker cap and tune in, it's time to see which hero (or villain) truly matches up!

Hey kids. I had some scheduling issues on my side so things kind of fell apart as far as making a new episode.. sorry. Anyway here is a blast from the past that is sure to help fuel the Halloween fire! Hey kids! Thanks for stopping by. We have a super fun show ahead of us this week. We start off with some talk about a recent Moon-Zombie problem we've been having. They are gross and walk around the moon reaching us once a year around this time. It's a Halloween treat here on The Moon Base.   From there we look at Blade Runner 2049 the sequal the famous Blade Runner flick from back in the day. What did I think? You'll have to tune in to find out.   Then we're onto The Main Event of the show a indepth look at The Top 5 Universal Monsters Of All The Times. It's a pretty enlightening peek at the famous monsters from Universal Studios! Frankie, Drac, The Invisible Man, The Mummy and all that! 

Today we unleash our worst behavior as we become The Invisible Man. We discuss how this monster is the most evil of all the Universal Monster, the mind blowing special effects, and what lies inside of all of us if we could be free of the eyes of others. This movie is Messed Up in ways that audiences hadn't seen at the time, and it still is just as effective today.  Synopsis: A scientist finds a way of becoming invisible, but in doing so, he becomes murderously insane. Starring: Claude Rains, Gloria Stuart, William Harrigan Written by H.G. Wells, R.C. Sherriff, Preston Sturges Director James Whale 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 Watch our newest short film Sugar Tits Now! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sz7leFqqo4g  

It's a party! It's a Mad Monster Party? (dir. Jules Bass) when Derek and Beth team up with Mark Holmes to discuss this perfect movie fo the Halloween season! Plus Listener Feedback, Kenny's Look at Famous Monster of Filmland, and Mark Matzke's Beta Capsule Review (Ultraman Taro)! Voicemail: (360) 524-2484‬ Email: Deth Designs - Monster Kid Radio on Patreon - Monster Kid Radio on Twitch! - Monster Kid Radio on YouTube - Follow Mark Matzke Small Town Monsters - Classic Horror Film Board -  Executive Producer -  "" provided courtesy of Bride of Monster Kid Radio is a Production. All original content of Bride of Monster Kid Radio is licensed under a . You can learn more about Team Deth, our other projects like Deth Merchant, Mail Order Zombie, Deth Writer, and more at . Please rate and review Monster Kid Radio wherever you download your favorite podcasts. Next time on Bride of Monster Kid Radio:

Educator & podcaster Tony Holt Jr returns to GCC to talk about the first of Ralph Ellison's essays; Shadow and Act! This massive conversation had to be split in two (all Patreon supporters already have it in full), but this week in part 1, Tony & Mike discuss Ellison's writing style and the value & timelessness of the essays. The two come from different perspectives (Tony: a Black American and Mike: a White Englishman) and not only discuss how a healthy dialogue can be made, but also spend their time deconstructing the meaning and value of such discussions and the work of these essays, both on specific parts and on the overall themes within. Although we encourage you to read these essays, they are not essential to enjoying this incredibly important discussion on one of the 20th Century's most talented and prolific authors. Their first Ellison discussion on GCC was in ep 260 (February 2025) delving deep into Ellison's most famous written work; Invisible Man. Part 2 will release in two weeks, but if you want early access, as well as bonus episodes, including extra episodes for Spooky Season, including the Candyman and the Scooby-Doo movies, and more! Support at www.patreon.com/GenuineChitChat or https://ko-fi.com/GenuineChitChat Find Tony Holt's socials and more info on his website https://www.theproft.com & Linktree: http://linktr.ee/tonyholtjr Tony's appearance discussing Birth Of A Nation with Spider-Dan & Tonya Todd: https://tinyurl.com/2ctmeeo4 Tony also regularly appears on Tonya Todd's Banned Books conversations, for 2025 he discussed Beyond Magenta, listen or watch here: https://podfollow.com/femme-on/episode/bca3215da1a297f2ad9cbacd4bda736a9c618d25/view & https://youtu.be/GTlqcO5_tO4 Tony's Ellison/Black Panther essay is found in Comics Lit Vol 1: www.accomplishinginnovationpress.com/product/comics-lit-vol-1   Find all of Mike's social media & other links at https://linktr.ee/GenuineChitChat If you're a Star Wars fan, check out Star Wars Chit-Chat for Mike's in-depth reviews, breakdowns & things you missed episodes for Andor, The Clone Wars and more, on any podcast app or on YouTube: https://podfollow.com/starwarschitchat & https://youtube.com/@starwarschitchat Guest Spots: Mike went on the 20th Century Geek podcast to talk about Child's Play, here: https://pod.fo/e/32462c Mike has been on the 20th Century Geek podcast, reviewing Superman '78, Superman II, the Super/Man documentary and Superman 2025! https://pod.fo/e/2bea07 Please review/rate, subscribe and share – it helps the show out an incredible amount!  

The Universal Monsters (also known as Universal Classic Monsters and Universal Studios Monsters) is a media franchise comprising various horror film series distributed by Universal Pictures. It consists of different horror creature characters originating from various novels, such as Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde, the Phantom of the Opera, Count Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, the Mummy, and the Invisible Man, as well as original characters the Wolf Man and the Creature from the Black Lagoon.Also the review of The Monster Squad is a 1987 American horror comedy film directed by Fred Dekker, and written by Dekker and Shane Black. Peter Hyams and Rob Cohen served as executive producers. It was released by Tri-Star Pictures on August 14, 1987. The film features pastiches of the Universal Monsters, led by Count Dracula. They are confronted by a group of savvy children out to keep them from controlling the world.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Now that we're in October already, it's a fine time to reflect on the uncanny grasp that horror has in the hearts of so many queer people. So for this week's episode, we're heading into the Sewers archives for a chat with director Jeffrey Schwarz, for whom horror is just one small slice of the story. Jeffrey's made a lifelong study of film, starting with an early job editing the documentary The Celluloid Closet, right up to today with documentaries about people like Divine, Vito Russo, and horror icon William Castle. I chatted with Jeffrey back in 2017, when he was about to debut a documentary about the flamboyant producer Alan Carr — a fitting subject, since as a young gay man, Jeffrey found kindred spirits in people who, like him, reveled in intensity and excess. We'll have that conversation in just a minute. First, a reminder that I have a new YouTube videos out about the movie Kiss of the Spider Woman. That's available now at youtube.com/mattbaume.And also! For the entire month of October I'm hosting livestreams of films by and about James Whale, the iconic director behind 1931's Frankenstein and many other classics. Join me every Saturday and Sunday on Twitch for movies like The Old Dark House, The Invisible Man, and of course Frankenstein and The Bride of Frankenstein. This weekend we'll be watching clips from the 1994 film Gods & Monsters, and examining how closely that fictional account of Whale's life follows the reality. That's at Twitch.tv/mattbaume this Saturday and Sunday.And as always, if you're enjoying The Sewers of Paris, support the show on Patreon at Patreon.com/mattbaume.

My guest this week is writer Mark Waddell. His novel, Colin Gets Promoted and Dooms the World, comes out next week on October 7 — a queer story about an office worker whose career advancement involves world-ending consequences. There's an autobiographical edge to the story, since in his real life Mark had a dream job going back to childhood… and it was only after he achieved it that he realized just how harmful his dreams were, and decided to leave it all behind to become a writer.We'll have that conversation in just a minute. First, a few announcements: As I'm sure you know, I make YouTube videos about iconic movies and TV shows, and I have a brand new video out now about the movie Kiss of the Spider Woman — and how it was made in defiance of the film industry, in defiance of Ronald Reagan, and in defiance of multiple fascist dictators. That's available now at youtube.com/mattbaume.The topic of next month's video is the iconic 1931 Frankenstein film and its maker, James Whale — and in his honor, for the entire month of October I'm hosting livestreams of films by and about James Whale. Join me every Saturday and Sunday on Twitch for movies like The Old Dark House, The Invisible Man, Gods and Monsters starring Ian McKellen and Brendan Fraser, and of course Frankenstein and The Bride of Frankenstein. These films helped define a century of scary movies, and they are incredibly queer. It all starts this Saturday October 4 at noon pacific at Twitch.tv/mattbaume.

In 2004 Universal attempted the impossible, recreate the success of The Mummy reboot from 1999 using the classic monsters of old. At it turns out that was impossible and would continue to be so until The Invisible Man in 2020. Over the next four weeks we're going to take a look at a series of movies that each tried to start their own Dark Universe incorporating classic movie monsters. This week it's Van Helsing starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale which pits Gabriel Van Hesling against a really bizarre version of Dracula. Thanks for watching our Caravan Of Garbage reviewSUBSCRIBE HERE ►► http://goo.gl/pQ39jNHelp support the show and get early episodes ► https://bigsandwich.co/Patreon ► https://patreon.com/mrsundaymoviesJames' Twitter ► http://twitter.com/mrsundaymoviesMaso's Twitter ► http://twitter.com/wikipediabrownPatreon ► https://patreon.com/mrsundaymoviesT-Shirts/Merch ► https://www.teepublic.com/stores/mr-sunday-movies The Weekly Planet iTunes ► https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-weekly-planet/id718158767?mt=2&ign-mpt=uo%3D4 The Weekly Planet Direct Download ► https://play.acast.com/s/theweeklyplanetAmazon Affiliate Link ► https://amzn.to/2nc12P4 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.