Podcasts about Macready

  • 99PODCASTS
  • 113EPISODES
  • 1h 9mAVG DURATION
  • 1MONTHLY NEW EPISODE
  • Apr 29, 2025LATEST

POPULARITY

20172018201920202021202220232024


Best podcasts about Macready

Latest podcast episodes about Macready

Killer Point Of View
The Thing

Killer Point Of View

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2025 71:09


Welcome back to The Killer Point of View Podcast, where horror gets dissected from every angle. In this chilling episode, we head to the icy isolation of Antarctica to revisit John Carpenter's 1982 sci-fi horror masterpiece The Thing, a film that continues to redefine paranoia and body horror decades after its release.We kick things off by diving into our overall thoughts on the film, from Carpenter's atmospheric direction to Ennio Morricone's haunting score, and what makes The Thing one of the most unsettling creature features of all time.Then we explore a central theme: “Trust is a hell of a thing.” In a world where anyone could be the enemy, how do you maintain sanity, leadership, and loyalty? We place ourselves in MacReady's shoes: Would we have made the same decisions? And do we believe he was human in the end?Of course, we couldn't talk The Thing without discussing the groundbreaking special effects. What was our favorite transformation? What moment still gives us the creeps?And finally, how would The Thing play out in today's world? Would modern tech, social media, or isolation fatigue change the stakes?We close the episode with our ratings, some terrifyingly good movie recommendations, and a tease for what's coming next.Whether you're a die-hard fan or discovering The Thing for the first time, this episode will make you question everyone… including yourself.

Talking Back
Episode 324: The Thing: Climate of Fear (1992)

Talking Back

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2025 54:00


This week we're checking out Volume 2 of The Thing comic books! In this Volume R.J. MacReady is rescued from Antarctica and taken to an Argentine base, unknowingly bringing the alien creature with him. As the Thing begins to infect and assimilate the base's personnel, paranoia and chaos spread.  It's another great adventure based in the world of The Thing! Hope you enjoy this review of Climate of Fear! If you'd like to unlock bonus episodes from Talking Back every month, then check out our page on Patreon! Check out our Youtube Channel Demo Dash! You can also support Talking Back by sending us a Coffee at Buy Us a Coffee!  Please consider leaving a 5 star rating and review on Apple Podcasts! This helps make our Podcast easier for listeners to find.  Feel free to drop us a line on Social Media at Instagram, and Facebook. Or drop us an email us at talkbackpod@gmail.com. This podcast is part of the BFOP Network 

Shoot The Hostage
The Thing (1982) - S10 E73

Shoot The Hostage

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2025 82:56 Transcription Available


We're back for another season of themed movies where this time, we're focusing on “Flops”! Get ready to lock your doors and check your blood, because this week on Shoot The Hostage, Dan and Sarah are diving deep into the icy paranoia of John Carpenter's 1982 masterpiece, The Thing! After 12 years of podcasting, Sarah's finally talking about what she calls her favourite movie of all time. No pressure! Expect the usual foul-mouthed fun as we dissect this creature feature classic, which was a big flop when it first hit cinemas in 1982. We'll be scratching our heads over why this cinematic gold – starring the magnificent Kurt Russell as R.J. MacReady, the moustache-less Wilford Brimley and the always-watchable Keith David didn't set the box-office alight. We'll be pondering whether the critical mauling at the time had anything to do with this box office bomb's frosty reception. In this episode, we'll be getting our teeth into: The insane practical effects by Rob Bottin (with a little un-credited help from Stan Winston) that still hold up better than most CGI sludge today. The film's return to the source material novella Who Goes There? and its relationship to the 1951 film The Thing from Another World. Was Carpenter's version a remake, a re-imagining, or something else entirely? The film's themes – is it a reflection of Cold War paranoia or something more akin to the AIDS epidemic of the early 80's? OF COURSE, we'll be arguing about that ending. Who's A THE THING! So, if you're a fan of movies that didn't do well at the box office but found their audience later, or if you just love a bit of John Carpenter brilliance, then strap in. We promise spoilers and swearing. You've been warned! Have you checked out the excellent podcast with Chris & Joel, Just The Thing? That's a big recommend whether you're a fan of The Thing or just movie-chat in general. Check it out! Season 10 runs until May 26th with 10 episodes this time Would you like to see the full lineup for season 10? The only place you can see it is on Patreon but you don't need to be a paying member. Sign up for a free membership and get access to the lineup. If you do have some loose change consider signing up as a paid member. Our £3 a month Patreon tier will grant you access to all of our end of season wrap shows for seasons 1-9 and a minimum of 2 reviews of brand new movies each month. Plus the back-catalogue of reviews from 2023 and 2024.  Enjoy the show but can't support us financially? We get it. You could submit a review on the podcast player you're reading this on right now. Or if you listen on Spotify and you haven't given us a five-star rating yet, what are ye waiting for? It's easy. If you've done some or all of that and still want to do more, we would love it if you tell a friend about the show.   Or come find us on social media: Instagram | TikTok | Threads | YouTube

For The Record
Episode 97: The Evolving Landscape of Private Equity with Elizabeth Macready

For The Record

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 30, 2024 62:51


In this episode of For The Record, we sit down with Elizabeth Macready, Director of Special Markets at Tusk Practice Sales, to discuss the evolving landscape of private equity investment and practice sales in the medical aesthetics industry. With over 15 years of experience in healthcare M&A, particularly in the dental sector, Elizabeth brings valuable insights and years of personal experience on how medical aesthetics practices can prepare for and navigate potential acquisitions. We kick it off with Elizabeth outlining the current state of Medical Aesthetics M&A which is not surprising but a reminder that this industry is growing rapidly with very little signs of slowing. We also talk through how to objectively look at your practice and understand its potential market value in an M&A transaction. She shares the key metrics to consider and an overview of the entire deal process: • EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization) is the crucial metric for valuation • Practice revenue of $3 million+ typically positions a practice well for competitive bidding • Multipliers and deal structures vary, but the underlying EBITDA calculation is critical • Buyers may manipulate EBITDA calculations to offset higher multiple offers While it may seem scary to some, there are a host of major benefits that come along with an exit! We discuss what it can mean for you as an owner, for your team, and for your patients' experience long-term when you move forward with an acquisition: • Increased buying power for products and supplies • Access to better vendor relationships and negotiations • Enhanced ability to attract and retain talent through career growth opportunities • Operational support and resources for scaling • Potential for "second bite of the apple" through future liquidity events As you listen to Elizabeth talk about the ins and outs of an M&A deal, it's abundantly clear that you have to have a middleman, a broker, to help navigate the process for you and get you the highest price for your practice. At Tusk, Elizabeth is a trusted guide helping Med Spa owners connect to the right sellers that align to the mission, vision and values of the practice, structure a deal that is favorable to both parties as this is not an event but a long term partnership where everyone needs to win, and in many cases, act as a confidante and counselor throughout the many emotional up and downs that come with this process. Elizabeth recommends a few key things as you begin down the M&A path and start thinking about your next steps. We cover her hit list which includes starting early which may be well before you intent to sell; build a strong team that provides exceptional patient outcomes and experiences as this is where you create your value; find the right team of advisors to help you with financial decisions along the way, and always keep a close eye on your numbers! We wrap it up with a look into the future of M&A and Elizabeth's predictions for the next 5 years: • Continued consolidation across medical aesthetics • Integration with other healthcare verticals (dermatology, plastic surgery) • Increasing importance of scale for competitive advantage • Evolution toward multi-specialty practices and comprehensive care models Elizabeth's team at Tusk Practice Sales offer various resources for practice owners considering their exit options, including educational content, podcasts, and one-on-one consultations. They emphasize the importance of proper timing, preparation, and partnership alignment in achieving optimal outcomes for practice sales. If you are eager to get started and connect with Elizabeth: Reach out via Tusk's website: https://tuskpracticesales.com/ & checkout all their free resources! Connect with Elizabeth on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-macready-b38b9a248/ Reach Out via email at Elizabeth@TuskPracticeSales.com

Mark Overanalyses Film

Overanalysis is a hard thing to come by these days as Mark returns to figure out what makes The Thing so paranoia-inducing, how MacReady is defined against the monster, and why Blair had Chat GPT in 1982.https://markoveranalysesfilm.buzzsprout.com/https://www.markoveranalysesstory.com/https://twitter.com/overanalysefilm

Historians At The Movies
Episode 101: The Thing with Peter Neff, Matthew Siegfried, and Daniella McCahey

Historians At The Movies

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2024 109:30


This week we dive into the history and science behind Antarctica and question who made it out: Childs or MacReady? The Thing is a 100% PERFECT film. Grab your flamethrower and join in. About our guests:Peter Neff is a glaciologist and climate scientist working primarily to develop glacier ice core records of past climate, environmental conditions, and atmospheric chemistry. Peter's current research focuses on better understanding recent climate of changing coastal regions in West Antarctica, areas which play a large role in uncertainty for future projections of sea level rise. Peter is also working to capture the last 200-500 years of hydroclimate variability in southwestern British Columbia, Canada, through recovering and developing the southernmost annually-resolved ice core record in North America, from Mount Waddington in the Coast Mountains. Peter is also the Director of Field Research and Data for the Center for Oldest Ice Exploration (COLDEX), a National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center that seeks to find the oldest possible ice core records of past climate preserved in Antarctica. Peter shares widely about ice core climate science via Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram.Matthew Siegfried is a glaciologist who uses satellite remote sensing techniques in combination with field-based and airborne geophysical methods to understand physical processes of Earth's glaciers and ice sheets. He runs the Mines Glaciology Laboratory, where the team collects and synthesizes ground-, air-, and space-based datasets in an effort to span the spatial (centimeters to 100s of km) and temporal (minutes to centuries) on which these processes occur. He is particularly interested in processes at the ice-bed interface, which lies hidden beneath 10s to 1000s of meters of ice at the intersection between glaciology, hydrology, geology, microbiology, and oceanography. He strives to work with a diverse set of researchers to create a unique perspective on the role of subglacial processes within the larger global Earth system. As a polar scientist, Matt is also committed to maintaining an open discussion of the changing cryosphere, having collaborated with institutions ranging from local elementary schools to the U.S. State Department in an effort to facilitate our conversation about the local, regional, and global impacts of changes at the Earth's poles. Matt is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Geophysics at Colorado School of Mines and is affiliated faculty with the Hydrologic Science and Engineering Program and the Humanitarian Engineering Program.Daniella McCahey's primary research attempts to connect Antarctic geographies to greater world history. Her current book project examines the United Kingdom's 1955-1958 Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition, arguing that the way this project unfolded demonstrated a scientific community unable to cope with the twin pressures of decolonization and the Cold War. Dr. McCahey has broad interests and has authored/co-authored articles and scholarly book chapters on topics ranging from the media-savvy of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, to paleontology and popular culture in the 1990s, to pornography in Antarctic research stations. She is also conducting ongoing international collaborative research projects on the history of permafrost science and on the history of the British Empire's use of science in its Southern Ocean empire. 

Screams & Streams
Ep. 57: John Carpenter's "The Thing" (1982)

Screams & Streams

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 12, 2024 40:34


Picture this: a remote Antarctic research station, an alien entity that can perfectly imitate any living being, and a group of isolated scientists slowly succumbing to paranoia. We're popping the cork on all things "The Thing" in this episode of Screams & Streams. Grab your "MacReady's Flamethrower" cocktail as we dissect the core of John Carpenter's horror classic. With kudos to its standout performances, especially Kurt Russell's, and a nod to its nerve-racking suspense, we explore why this film has been a go-to favorite for horror aficionados, holding strong with an 84% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.Ever wonder how a film blends humor with horror so seamlessly? We shine a spotlight on some of the most memorable and unexpectedly funny lines from characters like Wilford Brimley's Blair, which add levity amidst the mounting dread. We also take a closer look at some of the film's quirks that haven't aged as gracefully, like the opening UFO scene. But we don't just stop there; we dive into the minor continuity hiccups and the unrealistic portrayal of the Antarctic chill, all while maintaining a tongue-in-cheek critique that pays homage to the film's lasting impact.Finally, we unwrap fascinating behind-the-scenes stories, from Kurt Russell's explosive dynamite encounter to the commendable performance of canine actor Jed. We discuss the film's most iconic moments, such as the blood-curdling defibrillator scene and the enigmatic ending that leaves audiences guessing. Join us for a journey through the movie's eerie soundscapes and groundbreaking special effects, exploring how these elements have cemented "The Thing" as a cult classic. You'll leave this episode with a newfound appreciation for the masterful techniques that John Carpenter employed to craft a horror staple that continues to captivate and terrify. Head to www.screamsandstreams.com for more information related to our episode.

Brutal Film Girl Experiment
The Thing (1982) - MacReady or not

Brutal Film Girl Experiment

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2024 74:30


Sarah and Emma kickoff Halloween month by watching John Carpenter's arguably best film (in Sarah's opinion): his 1982 science fiction horror masterpiece "The Thing."  The film follows a spunky all-male research team in Antarctica as it is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.  Also in this episode:Emma loves hot adventure men wearing hats.Sarah discusses the origins of the film and the critical reproach upon its release.The ladies debate whether they're even real, whether any of this is real.Come assimilate into us!Like our stupid lil movie parties? Please drop us a rating on spotify/apple and follow us on instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/brutalfilmgirlpod/

Cast-A-Role
Episode 24 - The Thing, Let's Get MacReady To Rumble

Cast-A-Role

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2024 96:31


We are back again for another edition of Cast-A-Role, and this week we enter "Spooky Season" much to the displeasure of Jim. To kick off this Halloween season, the boys are reviewing and recasting John Carpenter's The Thing from 1982. The guys start this week off discussing what food should and shouldn't go on a stick, as well as whether pineapple should go on a pizza. Jim reveals his hatred for Halloween. Nick somehow confuses George of the Jungle with The Jungle Book! Sam issues Jim a massive apology that sends shivers down Nick's spine as he starts to come to terms with the possibility of watching the Rebel Moon director's cuts. Will this classic film be safe from Jim? (probably not) For recastings this week, the guys couldn't decide on how many to recast, so have settled on just MacReady, but then served up some pitches for survival horror films, at which point Jim may have lost the plot. And to end the episode, Audio Aperitif is back. Can Jim level the score with Nick? Or will there be yet more hijinks?

Faith Driven Investor
Episode 173 - Marks on the Markets: A Data-Backed Look at the State of Faith Driven Investing with Tim Macready

Faith Driven Investor

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2024 49:46


Brightlight's Chief Investment Officer, Tim Macready, joins John Coleman and Richard Cunningham for a discussion on the state of faith-driven investing, the opportunities ahead, and the impact of faith values on investment portfolios. The three delve into the theology and purpose behind faith-driven investing, as well as the role of corporate engagement in influencing companies for good. The conversation also explores the growth and performance of the faith-driven investing market as well as key market trends. Tim also discusses his groundbreaking research about the effectiveness of and the opportunity for Faith Driven Investing around the world, providing listeners with practical insights that will help them get in the game.

Confused Heap of Facts
Episode 52 – Whitford on British Leadership in the Early 20th Century

Confused Heap of Facts

Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2024 67:55


Dr. Jonathan Abel and Dr. Bill Nance are back with LTC Andy Whitford, PhD, of DDE to discuss British army leadership in the early twentieth century. They trace the early career of General Nevil Macready through the Boer War and the Tonypandy Riots of 1910-1911. They detail how he managed to use military force effectively to keep peace in his various postings in Egypt, South Africa, and Wales. Finally, LTC Whitford offers some insights into lessons that may be learned from Macready's career and approach. “History is only a confused heap of facts.” – Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield Host: Dr. Jonathan Abel, CGSC DMH DMH Podcast Team: Drs. Jonathan Abel, Mark Gerges, and Bill Nance Artwork: Daniel O. Neal Music: SSG Noah Taylor, West Point Band

MoneyWise on Oneplace.com
Private Market Investing With Tim Macready

MoneyWise on Oneplace.com

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2024 24:57


Tim Macready is head of Global Multi-Asset Investing with BrightLight, an EverSource Wealth Advisors Team. HOW DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN AND A LEADER IN THE FAITH-BASED INVESTING MOVEMENT?Tim grew up on the mission field and returned to Australia for studies, initially working with pension plans. His desire to do something meaningful led him to a faith-based pension fund in Sydney. For 15 years, he has explored what it means to be a faithful steward of God's resources, now working with pension funds, investment advisors, and families at the intersection of faith and investing. CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE MARKETS IN INVESTING?Private markets differ from public markets in investment structures, using vehicles like private market funds, real estate investment trusts, and limited partnerships instead of mutual funds, stocks, and ETFs. These are typically aimed at more experienced investors with larger investment sizes and hold various assets such as venture capital, private equity, or private credit. HOW DO PRIVATE MARKET INVESTMENTS OFFER DIVERSIFICATION?Private markets are used by large investors to diversify into different types of assets and specific themes. These investments are becoming more accessible to smaller investors, offering diversification away from traditional public stocks and bonds. HOW DO FAITH-BASED INVESTMENTS INTERSECT WITH PRIVATE MARKETS?Initially, there were hardly any faith-based options in private markets, but now there are 50 to 100 faith-based private market funds and hundreds more in broader impact investing. Most are still for qualified or accredited investors, but I'm optimistic that faith-integrated private market investments will become available to everyday investors soon. WHAT ARE THE RISKS AND POTENTIAL PERFORMANCE OF PRIVATE MARKET INVESTMENTS?Investors should be aware of risks, especially liquidity, as private market funds cannot be sold as quickly as public stocks or bonds. Private markets can have more volatile performance due to concentrated portfolios but offer diversification and potential for investment outcomes independent of public markets. ON TODAY'S PROGRAM, ROB ANSWERS LISTENER QUESTIONS:I'm a 76-year-old single woman with a home valued over a million dollars, $80,000 in cash, and $2,000 monthly from Social Security. I enjoy a good lifestyle but am unsure about my financial future and options.I own a rental property adjacent to my home and the renter wants to buy it, along with an additional acre of land. Should I sell it as one parcel to maximize capital gains, and how can I transition from this passive income?I'm currently employed full-time but struggling to make ends meet and pay off debts, including credit cards and a personal loan. I'm considering taking out a loan to invest in a cryptocurrency business for additional income. RESOURCES MENTIONED:Movement MortgageChristian Credit Counselors Remember, you can call in to ask your questions most days at (800) 525-7000. Faith & Finance is also available on the Moody Radio Network as well as American Family Radio. Visit our website at FaithFi.comwhere you can join the FaithFi Community, and give as we expand our outreach.   Remember, you can call in to ask your questions most days at (800) 525-7000. Faith & Finance is also available on the Moody Radio Network and American Family Radio. Visit our website at FaithFi.com where you can join the FaithFi Community and give as we expand our outreach.

Movies: They're Pretty Good!
The Thing (1982)

Movies: They're Pretty Good!

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 9, 2024 38:50 Transcription Available


Imagine the chills running down your spine as you uncover the horrors lurking in the Antarctic ice with John Carpenter's "The Thing." With my "The Thing" t-shirt proudly worn, I lead you into the heart of Carpenter's masterpiece, discussing the opening's gripping spacecraft scene and the relentless suspense that follows. As the American research team delves into the eerie silence of the Norwegian camp, we're met with strange occurrences and a husky that's hiding a terrifying secret. Kurt Russell's MacReady provides a stoic center to the film's increasing paranoia, and we walk in his snow boots as the alien threat becomes all too real.The true star of the episode is the argument I lay out for the superiority of practical effects in horror films—a debate as old as the genre itself. "The Thing" stands as a testament to the bone-chilling power of physical effects, effortlessly outperforming the CGI spectacles of today in instilling genuine fear. Without a guest to temper the discussion, the conversation deepens into the characters' skepticism and the film's examination of what it means to be human when faced with an indistinguishable enemy.As we near the end of our frostbitten journey, we celebrate the film's nerve-shredding climax and draw parallels to "The Hateful Eight," another snow-laden tale with an equally compelling score by Ennio Morricone. I pour my passion into a gratitude-filled reflection on our podcast's growth, teasing future episodes that may roam through cinematic snowscapes. If you've not yet succumbed to "The Thing's" icy grip, let this episode be the beacon that guides you to one of horror's most treasured films. Stay tuned – the horizon of our discussions is as boundless as the Antarctic expanse.Own The Thing today! If you'd like to own your own copy for when this film isn't streaming, look no further!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showPlease subscribe, rate, and review! Thank you for listening! Hope you enjoy!Website: https://moviestheyreprettygood.comInstagram: http://instagram.com/moviestheyreprettygoodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087938154530Twitter: https://twitter.com/moviesgoodpodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8iGT7riyJ_K2DFLwfbTemg

Sportscast Jersey
Sportscast Jersey: Ruth Brooks and Tim Macready

Sportscast Jersey

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 4, 2024 32:36


This week Dan caught up with Ruth Brooks and Tim Macready of Jersey Touch Rugby. We spoke about the upcoming World Cup, previous big tournament experiences and local opportunities in the sport, as well as much more!

Drinks and a Movie
The Thing (1982)/ J&B Blended Scotch and Nelson Bros Cognac Cask

Drinks and a Movie

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2023 65:04


This week Matt and I discuss one of the greatest films of all time. The sci-fi horror classic that is John Carpenter's "The Thing". We pair this with Macready's drink of choice, the J&B blended scotch whiskey. Since I'm not a big scotch fan, I decide to bring out a bourbon to try as well. We finally break the seal on the Nelson Bros Cognac Cask Finished bourbon.

The Occasional Film Podcast
Episode 117: Screenwriter and author Neal Marshall Stevens on “A Sense of Dread.”

The Occasional Film Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2023 46:11


This week on the blog, a podcast interview with screenwriter and author Neal Marshall Stevens about his new book on horror, “A Sense of Dread (Getting Under The Skin of Horror Screenwriting).”LINKSA Free Film Book for You: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/cq23xyyt12Another Free Film Book: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/x3jn3emga6Fast, Cheap Film Website: https://www.fastcheapfilm.com/Neal's book at Michael Wiese Productions: https://mwp.com/product-author/neal-marshall-stevens/Neal on IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0139605/Brian Forrest's Blog: https://toothpickings.medium.com/Eli Marks Website: https://www.elimarksmysteries.com/Albert's Bridge Books Website: https://www.albertsbridgebooks.com/YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/BehindthePageTheEliMarksPodcastNeal Stevens Transcript JOHN: Neal, you have a really long and storied history in the horror cinema. Can you remember the very first horror movie that had an impact on you? NEAL: Well, actually, looking back, the first movie that scared the hell out of me wasn't a horror movie. It was actually a Disney movie called Johnny Tremaine. It was a kid's movie. And there was a scene in that movie, Johnny Tremaine was a kid during the Revolutionary War who knew Paul Revere, who, as you may remember, was a silversmith. And there's a scene in that movie, the British are coming and Paul Revere has got this urn of molten silver.It gets knocked onto a table. Johnny Tremaine trips and puts his hand face up into the molten silver and fries his hand. And I'm sure I know I, every kid in the audience goes like (sound effect.) But that's actually not the scariest part of the movie. Later on, surgeons are unwrapping his burnt hand, and they look down and they react in horror.His fingers have healed together, stuck together. We don't see it and they say, “Oh, we're going to have to cut his fingers apart,” which also happens off screen. And again, in our imagination, imagining no anesthesia back then, it's a revolutionary war. So, poor Johnny Tremaine has to have his healed together fingers cut apart. The memory of what that must be like has lasted. I must have been like five or six when I saw it. My parents dragged me to see Johnny Tremaine, it's a happy Disney movie. I'm 67 years old, so it's been over a half a century since I saw this movie and was appropriately traumatized by those images. So, Disney knew how to scare little kids. That's for sure. JOHN: He sure did. Wow. That's a horrible story. NEAL: Yeah. As for official horror movies that scared the hell out of me, again, we used to watch Phantasmic Features on the TV in Boston. I remember a movie called Teenagers from Outer Space. They weren't actually teenagers. They were all in their thirties. But anyway, these invaders had a skeleton ray that as they would aim it at someone, it would flash and you're instantly reduced literally to a skeleton. And they were, they didn't care who, so as soon as they come out of their spaceship, there's a barking dog—bzzzt!—and the dog falls down, reduced to bones. They didn't care. They would use it as a woman's climbing out of a swimming pool—bzzzt!—skeleton floating in the pool. The casualness with which completely innocent people are reduced to skeletons. Again, absolutely horrifying. Couldn't have been much older than nine or ten when I watched this movie. But the fact that human flesh has reduced the skeletons, but also the casual innocence of which people are reduced to flesh is stripped off their bones. It's terrifying to me. BRIAN: I wonder how you parlayed that early sense of, “Oh, I like horror movies” into, “I want to create horror as a genre. “ NEAL: Well, I was one of a whole generation of kids who got super eight cameras and made, you know, we made stop motion movies and made monster movies in their basements. Pursuant to that, I was writing scripts when I was 13 years old. I guess people now do it with phones. We didn't have cell phones back when I was a kid, but we had super eight cameras and then, you know, a little cartridge things that we'd slug in. And so, I made tons of those little stop motion movies down in my basement. BRIAN: Do you still have some of them? NEAL: I guess I may have them somewhere. I think I have an old creaky super eight projector somewhere. I don't think you can get a bulb for it anymore. BRIAN: I've got one up there. I wonder if it would work? NEAL: Yeah. That's the big question. I wonder if it would work? Heaven only knows. JOHN: But that's a great way to learn visual storytelling. NEAL: Yeah. When I ultimately went to NYU grad film and, and all the films that we shot the first year were all silent. First silent film then silent with sound effects, but you weren't allowed to use sync sound until you got to second year, if you made it that far. JOHN: Did you make it that far? NEAL: Yes, I did. I actually graduated. Back at NYU, it was a very rough program at the time. They cut the student enrollment in half going from first to second year. So it was, it was a rough program back then. JOHN: That's brutal. NEAL: Yeah. JOHN: So, you leave film school with something under your arm that you've shot. Where does that lead you? NEAL: It certainly didn't get me much in the way of employment at the time. I ended up going right back to NYU. I ran their equipment room of all things for something like six years. But during all those six years I was writing. They had like a computer that they used to turn out the schedules. And then when I weren't writing schedules, I was using that computer to write my screenplays using WordStar. If anyone remembers that old program. God, it was horrible, but it was free, because they had the equipment room. And eventually I sent some stuff to Laurel Entertainment, which is the company that did Tales From the Dark Side. And they had an open submission program. If you signed a release form, you could send them stuff. And I'd gone in and I'd met Tom Allen, who was their senior story editor. I had a screenplay and I went in and talked about it. He liked it. It wasn't for them, but then he invited me to submit ideas for their new series, their follow-up series to Tales from the Dark Side, which is a thing called Monsters. And I went in, and I pitched some ideas, and they bought one. And it turned out to be their premier episode of Monsters. And shortly after that, tragically, Tom Allen passed away. And the VP, Mitch Galen, invited me in and said, “Would you like to take over and be our senior story editor on Monstersand our other projects?” And meanwhile, you know, for the second part of that whole series, I was still working in the equipment room at NYU and also working as a senior story editor on Monsters and being their creative consultant and reading hundreds of scripts for Laurel Entertainment. And then eventually I quit the equipment room, and I went and I worked for them full time and wrote a bunch of episodes for Monsters. And I was a story editor on The Stand and The Langoliers— which wasn't so good—but on a bunch of other projects, it was just an enormous learning experience. And The Stand I think turned out really well. Other stuff, The Langoliers, did not work out really well. And a bunch of other projects that were not horror. BRIAN: Why do you think some things, especially, let's talk about Stephen King, why do you think some of those things adapted well and some didn't? NEAL: Well, The Langoliers was not, it wasn't that great. Wasn't that strong a project. And I think the idea, trying to make that and stretch that out into a mini-series. wasn't that strong. It wasn't that strong, the material wasn't really there. I think there are times when staying faithful to the material is the right approach. It certainly was the right approach with The Stand. Working with The Langoliers, you know, there were certainly elements of The Langoliers that were strong. And other stuff that was really just so-so. And I think if you'd had the willingness to step aside and do something different with it, it would probably have ended up—especially because they were expanding it into a mini-series—being just devoted to the original material, I think, ended up with a product that was really thin. Plus, we had hired a special effects company that the Langoliers themselves were just horrible. It was really substandard, honestly. So, it did not work out very well. BRIAN: I'm guessing with all these different projects you had to work on, you probably had to start dealing with types of horror and genres of horror that weren't in your comfort zone. Maybe not even what you wanted to do. What kind of learning curve was that for you? NEAL: You end up having to deal with a lot of different kinds of horror, especially with, you know, working in Monsters, where you just were turning stuff out tremendously fast. But also, I grew up with a certain kind of horror.I was never a huge fan of slasher stuff. I missed that whole era of horror. Certain kinds of movies appealed to me. That particular kind of transgressive material never really clicked. JOHN: Why do you think that is with you? NEAL: Because this simple act of repetitive bloodletting, for me, it always felt thin. I mean, it's not that I objected to explicit violence or explicit gore. I mean, I think that Dawn of the Deadunquestionably is one of the most brilliant horror movies ever made. And there certainly, George Romero didn't pull back from explicit violence. Or a movie like Hellraiser, the same deal. It's a question of how the filmmaker employs the use of graphic violence to elevate the material. What I've told people when you watch a movie like Dawn of the Dead, the first 10 or 15 minutes of that movie—which by the way, I saw when it virtually when it first came out and saw it in the theater—you had never seen anything like that opening scene in terms of graphic violence from being bitten and heads being blown off and all the rest. You were just put through the ringer, watching that opening. And after that opening, the movie was never that violent again. He never showed anything like that again.And you didn't have to, because you—having seen that opening scene, you were—you were so blown out of your seats. You said, “I'm watching a movie where anything could happen to anyone.” And that was a kind of really intelligent and that kind of thoughtful use of violence is what George Romero was always able to do. It was understanding how graphic images can affect the psychology of the viewer. JOHN: Do you think it's also that with Romero's films, they're actually about something, whereas a slasher film is really just about a body count, but with Romero, he always had another thing going. NEAL: Well, of course, I mean, no movie that isn't about anything is ever going to really, from my perspective, be worth watching. But I mean, even a movie like Hostel, which is exceptionally violent and harrowing, is certainly about something. And I think Eli Roth's movies, which get a really bad rap, are very much about something. He's got something to say with his depictions of violence and his images. Not necessarily to my taste. I certainly wouldn't say that he's not, he's making movies that are certainly about something. He's not a dumb filmmaker by any stretch of the imagination. JOHN: So, you work on Monsters, and then what happens? NEAL: I worked on Monsters. I worked there for around six years, and then they were acquired by a big studio, and they were shut down. And so, I was out of work. I'd known a woman named Debbie Dion from Full Moon. I figured, well, I'll give that a shot. I'll call her up and see, maybe I could write for a Full Moon. And so, I gave her a shot. I, you know, reintroduced myself and said, you know, “I'm looking to see if I could get some job, maybe writing features for Full Moon Entertainment, Charlie Band's company.” And they said, “Well, we pay around $3,000 for a feature.” And I said, “Well, I got paid more than that for writing an episode of Monsters. That doesn't seem like such a good deal.” And then my unemployment insurance ran out. BRIAN: Suddenly it's a very good deal. NEAL: Sounds like suddenly a very good deal. But, you know, I made it very clear that money buys one draft, and if you want to rewrite, you got to pay me again, because I knew what development was like, where they just expect draft after draft after draft, and I'd say, “I can't do that, that doesn't make any sense.” And also, having worked for Monsters, I had learned to write really fast. I could write a pass on a Monsters episode in two days, so I knew that I could write fast, because these were 80-page scripts. And so, I started writing for Full Moon, and over the course of like the next few years, I wrote something like... 50 or 60 features for Charlie Band. And a lot of them got made, because they're not wasting money on movies that don't get made. Tons of them got made. And in the midst of doing that, I was, you know, whenever I got a break writing a full movie, I would write spec scripts, you know, in the hopes I could sell something of my own that wasn't for $3,000. I didn't have an agent at that point. I didn't have a manager at that point. And so, I'm not really good making cold calls to people. It's not my thing. I just like to sit, write my scripts. I'd come home one day, and I saw my wife was on the phone having this long conversation with someone. When she was done, I said, “Well, who was that?” “Oh yeah. I called up to order something.” I said, “So she's really good at getting on the phone and talking to people and calling them.” And so, I convinced her to be my manager. So, she agreed. She changed, you know, she went out under her maiden name. She managed to get an option on a science fiction script that I'd written that, I mean, it was ultimately bought. It was never made. And then I decided, you know what? Horror is really my bread and butter writing for Charlie Band. But I don't really have a horror spec. And most of what was out those days in horror didn't really scare me that much. I should really write a script that would scare me. So, I wrote a script called Deader, which I thought had all the stuff in it that I thought was really scary. And Judy went out with that script, sent it to a bunch of people, sent it to some folks at Stan Winston's company, as they had a development deal. The producer that she talked to really liked it, asked if he could sort of slip it to some people. He did, he sent it to someone, a producer at Dimension, it's based in New York, and he really liked it. And they showed it to Bob Weinstein. Bob Weinstein called us on Sunday. Am I half awake? Talk to Judy. Because they didn't know that Judy was my wife. He said, “This is the best goddamn script I've read. I'm like three quarters away. Come in on Monday and we'll talk about it.” So, we came in on Monday and they bought the script. And of course, at that point, it sort of went all over town. And for a very short period of time, it was like the flavor of the month and everyone loved me. And I got myself an agent and got myself like three pictures. And as I was a really big, big to-do. From that, I also got 13 Ghosts. I had like a really big opinion of myself after, after that sale. JOHN: Has that been tempered since then? NEAL: I kind of got the opinion that like, wow, selling scripts is easy. People wanted to hire me because that script was super hot and was all over town. I learned subsequently there are flavors in writers, and I was like that flavor of the month. That fades and then you have to really do a lot more work to get things sold. That was a hard lesson to learn. But I've managed to keep working over the years. I've written many scripts, sold some, and it's been a decent career. BRIAN: I was just wondering, you were having all the success writing screenplays, when did you decide to make a jump to writing a book? NEAL: Over the last five or six years, I've been teaching. A woman that I knew from NYU, actually, Dorothy Rumpolsky had been instrumental in starting a screenwriting program at David Lynch Institute for Cinematic Studies. And she realized at one point that she had a number of students who wanted to work in a horror. She remembered me back from NYU many years ago. So, she got in touch with me and wanted to know if I was interested in mentoring those students. And I said, absolutely. I done some other online teaching at other places. And so, the way it works is, you fly out for an opening few days where you meet the students. And then you fly back to where you come from. They go back to where they come from. And it's all done remotely, the mentoring. And so, I've been doing that now for five or six years. And during that kind of get together, you meet a bunch of guest lecturers and other teachers, other mentors. And a number of those people had written books for Michael Wiese productions. And, in the course of chatting, they suggested, well, you, you know, “You have a kind of encyclopedic knowledge of horror and horror cinema. That might be a good book for Michael Wiese. Give them a call and see if you can come up with a pitch and an interesting take on it.” And so I did, and I called them and they responded. And so we were off to the races. JOHN: The book is really, maybe delightful is the wrong word, but it's a captivating book because as you read through it—you have outlined breaking down our different types of fears—you can immediately in your mind go, “Oh, that's what that movie was doing. Oh, that was that. That's what was happening there.” What was your research process like? NEAL: I think that the research kind of developed over the decades as I studied what made movies scary and what was working, not only in the movies that I was watching, but in the movies that I was writing. I mean, in the same way that when you work as a screenwriter, it becomes almost second nature to try to figure out what was working and what wasn't. Talking to fellow filmmakers and screenwriters, you have to say, “How many times do you watch a movie?” And a lot of times I will watch a movie 8, 10, 20 times. And there's a process that works when you watch a movie that many times, where you say “Certain things will work every time you watch a movie.”In the same way that you can watch a comedy and you can laugh every single time as certain things comes up. And other times, you start seeing the nuts and bolts and say, “Well, this is always working and here they're just connecting stuff.” And you start saying, “Ah, I get it. I see what they're doing. I see how they're taking this piece that works and this other piece that works and they couldn't quite, they kind of, they found some connective tissue to stick it together. I see exactly what they're doing.” And you start understanding—whether you're watching a comedy or you're watching a drama or you're watching a scary movie—they knew exactly how to make this thing scary. And this is how they're doing it. And they understood exactly how to make this thing scary. And it's like, ah, this is what they're using. Whether it is a spider crawling on someone, that's always going to work. Or, “Oh, I see, this is just a jump scare.” And the jump scare is, I understand, that's just, because a big bang, a loud noise, a hand reaching in from, that's just, that's always going to work. It's going to work no matter what. It's just a kind of placeholder scare, because they couldn't think of anything better. And there are movies where it's just jump scares. And you can always use a jump scare. You can sneak up on a cat and jab it and it'll jump. It's an instinctive response. And if a movie is just relying on jump scares, you know it's because they don't have anything better. They haven't got any deeper than just having the phone ring and they turn up the soundtrack. You can always get an audience to jump by putting a loud sound on the soundtrack. JOHN: Is there an example you can think of though, where there is a jump scare that you think is a genuinely good, effective jump scare? NEAL: I can think of a movie that has two really excellent jump scares. John Carpenter's The Thing. When the doctor's giving the electric shock to the guy's chest, and the chest opens and slams shut on his hand. Didn't expect it.That's a super great jump scare. It is perfectly integrated into that scene. Everyone jumps, but it's also a brilliant continuation of that scene. Second jump scare, when MacReady is testing everyone's blood. And saying, “We're going to do you next,” puts the needle in, and that thing jumps out of the Petri dish.Fantastic jump scare. We didn't see it coming. Everyone jumps. And it's again, it's perfectly integrated into that scene. So, two brilliant jump scares in what's already an incredibly brilliant movie. BRIAN: I remember watching the commentary on Jaws and Spielberg said he got greedy with his jump scares. He had the moment towards the end of the film, you remember that Jaws comes out of the water while it's being chummed. And he said he got this great reaction from the audience, and he wanted one more. And he went back, and he added in the scene earlier where the corpse face comes through the hole. And he said he never got the audience to react as well to the shark after he added in that corpse face coming through the hole of the ship. And I wondered, do you think there's a point of diminishing returns with jump scares in one movie? NEAL: I think there absolutely is. I mean—and I have no end of admiration for Jaws. I think it may be one of the most brilliant movies ever, and it certainly has stood the test of time. JOHN: So, we've each come armed with some movies here that I thought it would be fun to talk about them with you, so that you could sort of delve into the different types of fear that are outlined in the book and we'll just sort ofcheckerboard back and forth here. I'm going to start with one of my favorite sense of dread movies, and that's Don't Look Now, with Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie, directed by Nick Roeg which I saw way too young. First R rated movie I saw. I remember I knew that it was supposed to be really scary, and I went with my older brother, and we were standing in line and the seven o'clock show was letting out. And I said to my brother, “Well, it can't be that scary. They're not saying anything.” Not realizing that they had all been stunned into silence about the last five minutes of that movie. So, what are your thoughts on Don't Look Now and where does that fit? NEAL: When I talk about the sense of dread, which is what my book is about, it's the notion of those aspects of our lives that we think of as safe and secure and dependable and sacred being suddenly or unexpectedly penetrated by the unknown or the unnatural, the unexpected. And you have to say, well, what are the things that we depend on? We depend on our homes. We depend on our families. And so that relationship of parent and child, what violates that? And the loss of a child, loss is already wrenching. And so, this sense of parents having lost a child, but then this notion that, well, maybe not, maybe the child is still out there somewhere, is so deeply disturbing. And so this weird, this quest, this pursuit in them. And meanwhile, in the background, you have the sense of a killer, of killings going on. This really disturbing notion of the woman's half decayed body being pulled out of the water is just as an image is—and again, the notion of human body being reduced to mere flesh—it's deeply disturbing. And nakedness, coupled with decay, it's deeply disturbing. And all of this sort of happening in the background. We don't quite know how these pieces connect. The notion that the search for the child and the notion that there's a killer on the loose. We know, because the nature of cinematic storytelling is telling us that somehow these things are going to connect, because, I mean, in the real world, there are countless thousands of things drifting around that don't necessarily hook up. But we know that one thing is going to collide with another. And so, there's this growing sense of profound unease, because we know, somehow, this child in this Red Riding Hood cape is wandering around, it's like, is this the child? Is the child going to become embroiled in this? But what we don't, certainly don't expect is the ending that confronts us in the finale, which is so incredibly, the reversal is so terrifying and so hits us in the face of that sense of innocence—revealed in such a terrifying way—is the essence of dread. Where we expect to find innocence, we find a nightmare. JOHN: What's great about what Nick Roeg did there was—if you read Daphne du Maurier's short story—he basically shot the last paragraph of that short story. Cinematically, he figured out the way that she's laying out what's going on with Donald Sutherland's character at that moment. He figured out a way to make it cinematic. So, like you say, all the pieces suddenly fall into place in those last few seconds. And, like you said, we've been brought to this place, we had no idea that that's where it was going to turn. Neal, tell me about Enemy from Space, and what you like about that. NEAL: Enemy from Space is the second of the three Quatermass movie, adaptations of the serial. It's in the same vein as Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and all these other movies about human beings who are being invaded and infested by alien forces. In this case, over the past few years—but in the context of the story—there have been rains of these tiny little meteorites. Anyone who finds them, they crack open and what's inside infests human beings. And you can find these tiny little burn marks, these V shaped marks on them. And the parasites take them over and make them into these kind of human slaves. And the premise is they serve this larger being, this kind of group entity, and they proceed to start building these atmosphere plants, with the goal ultimately to turn the earth into a colony for these beings that come from outer space. But the notion of these human beings, they have infiltrated our government, infiltrated our community, and they gradually take people over, scary enough. And they have built this enormous plant that looks, he says, this looks just like this proposed lunar base with these giant atmospheric domes. A group of people managed to infiltrate one of these bases and he looks inside, manages to get close enough to look inside one of these domes and inside are the parasites. When they're released, they grow together into this thing that looks like a giant blob. That's what it looks like outside of the human hosts. And a bunch of these guys are trapped inside of the atmosphere of plant. And they realize this thing, they can't survive outside the human body. They need methane to breathe, because that's what their home planet is like. “What we need to do is we need to pump oxygen into this dome to kill this thing. That'll destroy it.” And voices come over to say, “Look, this guy's crazy. There's nothing inside this dome. You send some representatives over, we'll show you anything you want.” And Quatermass says, “You're crazy if you go over there, you're going to be infected. You're going to be taken over.” But they managed to divide, they send the guys over and Quatermass is pleading with them, “Listen, they're going to get on this speaker. They're going to tell you that everything is fine, but you can't listen. Don't listen to them, whatever you say.” And then they hear this sound. This hideous sound of screaming coming down the pipes, the pipes that they've been sending oxygen down to the dome. They say, “What the hell is that? What's going on?” And then they look, they see the pressure has gone way up. There's something wrong. And the pipe is burst, the pipe that's sending oxygen to this dome. And they say, “What is it? What's happened?” And they look and something is dripping down through the pipe. And they say, “What is it?” It's blood. They took the guys that they sent, and they pushed them into the pipe. They say those pipes have been blocked with human pulp in order to keep the oxygen from coming into the dome. That is one of the most, again, all you see is just these drops of blood coming out of the cracked pipe, but that has resonated as one of the most terrifying moments from any movie that I saw, again, as a little kid. I've seen the movie recently and it's still incredibly terrifying. And again, the architecture of this web of pipes, the cold black and white architecture, is horrifyingly chilling. And the notion of human beings being reduced to mere flesh, being used as material for blocking a pipe. And the pipe's only like, it's like this big. So, you can imagine this person shoved into a pipe is hideous. JOHN: It is available on YouTube if anybody wants to watch it after that. Brian, do you want to ask about folk horror? BRIAN: Actually, I was going to jump ahead just because of what Neal was just talking about. I thought this would dovetail nicely into a question I had about a fear of contagion. And you can wrap body horror into this. Movies like The Thing or 28 Days Later, or probably The Quatermas Experiment as well. How does that fear of our own bodies being infected or watching another body change or be infected in unnatural ways? How does that—I don't want to use the word appeal—but how does that appeal to our sense of dread? NEAL: Well, I think you also have to run back to one of the most common— whether it's psychological or physiological—which is obsessive compulsive disorder. You say, well, what exactly is obsessive compulsive disorder? We have built in grooming behaviors, whether it's cleaning our hands, we clean our skin. That's wired into us. And when you turn the dial up too far, that turns into obsessive compulsive, obsessive hand cleaning or scratching, itching, hair pulling, all that stuff. It's wired in behavior, in the same way that dogs will scratch, we will scratch. And so, all of that, we react to it in the same way that if you see a spot of dirt on someone's forehead, it's almost impossible to “Clean that thing off. Get rid of that thing.” I mean, we're built in a certain way to respond to distortions, infections, invasions, in the same way that if someone's eye is cocked to one side, we react to it. Someone's face is distorted. We react to it negatively. We have to work not to respond to it. It may be a bug, but it may be a feature, because we are built to respond to a diseased or distorted members of our community. It's a survival trait. And so, in some ways, horror movies respond to that. Distorted human beings, Hunchback of Notre Dame or Igor or anyone else who are distorted, deformed, limbless creatures—Freaks—are employed in horror movies in a variety of different ways. BRIAN: And it's a very different thing from seeing an arm chopped off versus seeing an arm with three hands that are all operating. Both of them is something happening to your body that you might revolt towards, but it's a very different reaction though, right? NEAL: It is, but it's—in a sense—it's all variations of the same thing. There's a central human norm, and that which varies from the human norm beyond a certain point triggers a reaction that says, “That's not the way it's supposed to be.” And it's just, eyes are too close together, eyes are too far apart, eyes are too big, or there's an extra one. There's one missing. We recoil from it. We recoil from something that is too different, too far off the norm. And of course, in strictly social terms, you can say, but why, why should we? We shouldn't really respond in that way to others who are too different. But we do respond that way, and it comes with the programming in a very real degree. JOHN: How does that connect, then, to another movie on your list, The Island of Lost Souls, from 1932? NEAL: I think it's central to that list. The notion of the difference between that which is human and that which is animal. And Moreau, who experiments with making animals into human beings, but not really. And the sort of terrifying revelation when our hero and the woman—who we know to be an animal woman, but she looks fundamentally human—escape out into the woods and come across the animal person village. And the realization to what extent Moreau has been experimenting. It's not just tens or dozens. The animal people just come flooding out of the woods. And it's just hundreds. And the extent and the depth and the kind of nightmarish quality, they're all different. They're all horrible. And it's just like, what has Moreau been doing? He experiments with these animals, gets them to a certain state, and then he just discards them and moves on to something else. This utterly careless, sadistic god of this army of nightmares. And you sort of see when they do their, you know, “Are we not men?” And you just see row upon row upon row of these hideous nightmare faces. And you just say, “My God, what has this guy been doing for years? Just making these monsters.” JOHN: It's a classically creepy movie. I do want to ask you about the classic ghost story movie, The Haunting, and what that says about our fears. If you can, maybe tie that into Ghostwatch, because there's a similar sort of thing going on there. NEAL: They're both intriguing. They both are opening us up to this notion of unseen nightmare forces, especially the original Haunting, which shows us nothing. All you ever see: Doorknob turning. A face that may or may not be in the wall. This horribly loud banging on the door. A moment where someone thinks that her hand is being held, but there's no one there. It is simply this notion of a house that is born bad, but never really fully explained. Again, you have this idea of the world itself that should be well behaved, that should be governed by comprehensible natural laws. But there's something deeper and darker and incapable of truly being understood, nevermind being controlled. And if you just prod it a little bit too much, you're going to open it up to forces that are utterly destructive and utterly malevolent. And in both of these cases, you have this man of science and his team that are going to find out. “We're going to find out for sure whether there really are ghosts, whether there really is a supernatural, whether it really is life after death. We're going to nail this down for science.” Yeah, don't do that. Don't do that. These are things that are, that are not meant to be explored, not meant to be examined. Go back. BRIAN: I'm reminded of Van Helsing's sign off on the original Dracula, where he said, “Just remember, there really are such things in this world.” NEAL: Yeah. Yeah. And, and the same thing is true in some ways on a much more terrifying scale with Ghostwatch, where it's just, it's this kind of, “It's all just fun and Halloween, we're going to explore this. It's the most haunted house in Britain.” And it's broadcasters whose faces everyone knew at the time, and they were playing themselves. Going to this haunted house where you had these poltergeist phenomena. And we're all going to, “We're going to do it live and call in with your own experiences about being haunted.” And it all just goes so horribly wrong. JOHN: Now, Neal, I just watched that for the first time this week. Heard about it for years. I had no idea that those were real broadcasters. I thought they were really good actors. But to someone in Britain watching that, those are faces they saw all the time? NEAL: Yeah. Those are real broadcasters. They had their own shows. They were real, the real deal. JOHN: Wow. I highly recommend renting it because—it'll test your patience a little tiny bit, because it is quite banal for quite a while, as they lead you into it. But now this new bit of information that these are all faces that that audience who saw it, quote unquote, live that night, it's as terrifying as I imagined the Orson Welles' War the Worlds would have been. Because it seems very real. NEAL: And apparently the way they did it, is that there was a number you could call in. And if you called in that number, they would tell you, it's like, “Don't worry, this is all just a show.” But so many people were calling in, they couldn't get through. BRIAN: This really is War of the Worlds. NEAL: So, they never were able to get to that message that would tell them, don't worry, it's all just a show. So apparently it panicked the nation, because part of the premise was at a certain point, the ghost that was haunting the house got into the show. And so, the studio itself became haunted. It was really spectacularly well done. JOHN: It is. It's great. Let's just sort of wrap up here real quick with Neal, if you have any advice for beginning screenwriter about how to best create a really powerful and effective horror screenplay, any little tips. NEAL: Well, first of all, and I touched on this before, jump scares don't work on the page. You need the loud bang. You need the hand reaching in from the side. You describe that and it doesn't work. So, you have to rely on creating that sense of dread. And while writing screenplays, you have to keep things tight. The concept, the idea—in the same way comedy screenplays have to be funny—scary screenplays have to be scary. It has to be scary on the page. If it's not scary on the page, you're not going to sell the screenplay. And that's the fundamental trick. You got to make it scary on the page. JOHN: Excellent advice. All right, let's just quickly, each one of us, tell our listeners a recent favorite horror film that you've seen in the last couple years.I'll start with you, Brian. BRIAN: Just last night, I saw Haunting in Venice. And it worked because I had seen the other Kenneth Branagh/Agatha Christie adaptations, and I was very familiar with, and you know, you already know generally that kind of detective whodunit story: it's going to be very, you know, using logic and rationality.And when they had this episode that was sort of a one off—sort of a departure from that usual way that mysteries are solved—it was very effective. I think if I'd seen it without having already watched a bunch of Agatha Christie adaptations, I would have said, “Oh, that's an okay Halloween movie.” But having seen those other ones, it was an excellent Halloween movie. JOHN: Excellent. That's on my list. The movie I would recommend, which really surprised me, my wife literally dragged me to it because it was a French film called Final Cut, which is a French remake of a Japanese film called One Cut of the Dead. At about the 30-minute mark, I was ready to walk out, and I thought, why are we watching this? And then they took us on a ride for the next hour that, it's a really good ride. It's called Final Cut. BRIAN: And this is not to be confused with the Robin Williams Final Cut from... ? JOHN: Not to be confused with that, no. Or if you can go back to the original and watch the Japanese version. But what's great about the French version is they are literally remaking the Japanese version, to the point where they've made all the characters have Japanese names. Which the French people struggle with enormously. It's a highly effective film. Neal, how about you? Take us home. NEAL: Okay. It's not a new movie, but I just saw it very recently. It is a Chilean stop motion animated film called The Wolf House. It describes the adventures of a young Chilean woman who escapes from a repressive German colony and ends up in this bizarre house in which she blends into the walls. She's escaped with two pigs who grow up with her in this house, but again, nothing, no way in which I describe it is going to convey to you how deeply disturbing and chilling this movie is. It really is quite indescribably bizarre and disturbing and just well worth your time to watch. It's not quite like any other movie I've ever seen.

Xtra Butta
The Thing (Ft. Austin Hernandez)

Xtra Butta

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2023 60:45


Follow the homies Cam (Cameron Cox) and Dylan (Dylan Hernandez) two former AMC Theater employees as they take a nostalgic trip back in time to rewatch films that mean the most to them! The film we are discussing in this Season 2 Episode is "The Thing" The Thing is a 1982 American science fiction horror film directed by John Carpenter from a screenplay by Bill Lancaster. Based on the 1938 John W. Campbell Jr. novella Who Goes There?, it tells the story of a group of American researchers in Antarctica who encounter the eponymous "Thing", an extraterrestrial life-form that assimilates, then imitates, other organisms. The group is overcome by paranoia and conflict as they learn that they can no longer trust each other and that any of them could be the Thing. The film stars Kurt Russell as the team's helicopter pilot R.J. MacReady, with A. Wilford Brimley, T. K. Carter, David Clennon, Keith David, Richard Dysart, Charles Hallahan, Peter Maloney, Richard Masur, Donald Moffat, Joel Polis, and Thomas G. Waites in supporting roles. Now in the Famous words of that Pig from Shrek "Play the movie.. Yeah PLAY" Austin Hernandez Socials: https://instagram.com/darkofeden?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Wanna ask us something?!? Hit us up at Xtrabutta@gmail.com or our Instagram https://instagram.com/xtrabuttapodcast?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= ALSO Follow the homie Dylan on his fantastic Podcast "The Hernandez Variety Show" https://open.spotify.com/show/58pVAOZ5sSK4ti563o5fWn?si=BjR3hTyjR9mjfKIh6itDuw

Video Monsters
ep418: Texas Chainsaw Massacre - Ranking Popcorn Punchout - special guests Kyle Kuchta and Wolfe MacReady

Video Monsters

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 26, 2023 183:33


The podcast which you are about to hear is an account of the tragedy which befell a group of five friends, in particular Kyle Kuchta and fellow guest, Wolfe MacReady. It is all the more tragic in that they volunteered for this. But, had they continued to podcast for a very, very long time, they could not have expected nor would they have wished to see as much of the mad and macabre as they were to see that night. For them an idyllic Tuesday night recording session became a nightmare. The events of that transpired were to lead to the discovery of one of the most bizarre episodes in the annals of Video Monsters history, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre… POPCORN PUNCHOUT. Use the link below to support Wolfe's Kickstarter for their feature film: GIVING UP THE GHOST!https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wolfelikeme/giving-up-the-ghost-wolfe-macreadys-first-feature-film?ref=4oq5js If you enjoy this episode, come join the Video Monsters crew on Discord - be a part of the discussion and listen in live when we record our episodes!! Go to linktree.com/videomonsterpod for the link to Discord, our socials, the most recent Popcorn Punchout poll (when active), and occasionally some highlighted episodes!! Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com. Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well. music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons

Why Did We Ever Meet?
Wolfe MacReady (writer/director)

Why Did We Ever Meet?

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2023 85:24


We're honored to have longtime friend writer/director Wolfe MacReady join us this week! We discuss our longstanding friendship built upon a foundation of horror. Wolfe shares her story on sobriety and being a trans woman and how that has impacted her writing leading up to this current project-Giving Up The Ghost. Incredible story and I'm honored we get to share it. You can support Giving Up The Ghost by checking out the kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wolfelikeme/giving-up-the-ghost-wolfe-macreadys-first-feature-film?ref=projectlink&fbclid=IwAR1iLewLzNq4ushbelIah9CTfU6pHnP0SWQPMIpOWbKFi77N5dF6h4x0uo#:~:text=http%3A//kck.st/3LIpWhm

Video Monsters
ep417: Folk Horror Popcorn Punchout - special guest Wolfe MacReady

Video Monsters

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2023 172:42


Pour out some salt and light some fires because it's time for another Popcorn Punchout: Video Rack Attack Bracket to decide on which three folk horror movies will be receiving the full Video Monsters' analysis! And joining the wild rumpus tonight is very special guest and friend of the podcast, Wolfe MacReady!! Along with adding to the chaos of the Popcorn Punchout, Wolfe also discusses the Kickstarter for their first feature film: GIVING UP THE GHOST! So hop on your motorcycle, embrace the power of nature, and watch out for wyrms as you get ready to live deliciously with the Video Monsters and special guest Wolfe MacReady as we serve up our Folk Horror Popcorn Punchout!! Use the link below to support Wolfe's Kickstarter for their feature film: GIVING UP THE GHOST! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wolfelikeme/giving-up-the-ghost-wolfe-macreadys-first-feature-film?ref=4oq5js If you enjoy this episode, come join the Video Monsters crew on Discord - be a part of the discussion and listen in live when we record our episodes!! Go to linktree.com/videomonsterpod for the link to Discord, our socials, the most recent Popcorn Punchout poll (when active), and occasionally some highlighted episodes!! Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com. Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well. music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons

Anyone Can Die
AnyOne Can Die Ep.33 - Wolfe MacReady

Anyone Can Die

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2023 52:29


We have been in a spooky slumber for far too long, thankfully we woke up just in time and for good reason...to chat with our friend Wolfe MacReady!!! Wolfe is a dear friend who LOVES horror.....so much in fact that they eat it, sleep it, write it, direct it, and do spfx make up! Super talented, creative, and always on the move Wolfe stops by for just a bit to talk about the newest project, Giving Up The Ghost and some other rad topics! Aaaaand without giving away anymore than that we dive right in! Give it a listen!

Beer and a Movie with the Weast Side Boys!

The Thing is a 1982 American science fiction horror film directed by John Carpenter from a screenplay by Bill Lancaster. Based on the 1938 John W. Campbell Jr. novella Who Goes There?, it tells the story of a group of American researchers in Antarctica who encounter the eponymous "Thing," an extraterrestrial life-form that assimilates, then imitates, other organisms. The group is overcome by paranoia and conflict as they learn that they can no longer trust each other and that any of them could be the Thing. The film stars Kurt Russell as the team's helicopter pilot R.J. MacReady, with A. Wilford Brimley, T. K. Carter, David Clennon, Keith David, Richard Dysart, Charles Hallahan, Peter Maloney, Richard Masur, Donald Moffat, Joel Polis, and Thomas G. Waites in supporting roles.

Grindhaus Movie Club
GHMC 057 - The Thing (1982)

Grindhaus Movie Club

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 7, 2023 161:42


ITS FINALLY HERE! We watched The Thing!! THE GOOD ONE FROM THE 80's! j 9/10 m9.5/10 For daily horror movie content follow the podcast on Twitter / Instagram @grindhausmc Each week we choose a movie from one of the horror genre to discuss the following week. Follow along each week by keeping up with the movies we are watching to stay in the loop with the movie club! Check out other podcasts, coffee and pins at www.darkroastcult.com ! THANKS TO ANDREW FOR MAKING THE INTRO SONG. (soundcloud.com / andoryukesuta)@andoryukesuta A US research station, Antarctica, early-winter 1982. The base is suddenly buzzed by a helicopter from the nearby Norwegian research station. They are trying to kill a dog that has escaped from their base. After the destruction of the Norwegian chopper the members of the US team fly to the Norwegian base, only to discover them all dead or missing. They do find the remains of a strange creature the Norwegians burned. The Americans take it to their base and deduce that it is an alien life form. After a while it is apparent that the alien can take over and assimilate into other life forms, including humans, and can spread like a virus. This means that anyone at the base could be inhabited by The Thing, and tensions escalate. In Antarctica, a Norwegian helicopter pursues a sled dog to an American research station. The Americans witness the passenger accidentally blow up the helicopter and himself. The pilot fires a rifle and shouts at the Americans, but they cannot understand him and he is shot dead in self-defense by station commander, Garry. The American helicopter pilot, R.J. MacReady, and Dr. Copper leave to investigate the Norwegian base. Among the charred ruins and frozen corpses, they find the burnt corpse of a malformed humanoid, which they transfer to the American station. Their biologist, Blair, autopsies the remains and finds a normal set of human organs. Clark kennels the sled dog, and it soon metamorphoses and absorbs several of the station dogs. This disturbance alerts the team, and Childs uses a flamethrower to incinerate the creature. Blair autopsies the Dog-Thing and surmises it is an organism that can perfectly imitate other life-forms. Data recovered from the Norwegian base leads the Americans to a large excavation site containing a partially buried alien spacecraft, which Norris estimates has been buried for over a hundred thousand years, and a smaller, human-sized dig site. Blair grows paranoid after running a computer simulation that indicates the creature could assimilate all life on Earth in a matter of years. The station implements controls to reduce the risk of assimilation. The remains of the malformed humanoid assimilate an isolated Bennings, but Windows interrupts the process and MacReady burns the Bennings-Thing. The team also imprisons Blair in a tool shed after he sabotages all the vehicles, kills the remaining sled dogs, and destroys the radio to prevent escape. Copper suggests testing for infection by comparing the crew's blood against uncontaminated blood held in storage, but after learning the blood stores have been destroyed, the men lose faith in Garry's leadership, and MacReady takes command. He, Windows and Nauls find Fuchs's burnt corpse and surmise he committed suicide to avoid assimilation. Windows returns to base while MacReady and Nauls investigate MacReady's shack. During their return, Nauls abandons MacReady in a snowstorm, believing he has been assimilated after finding his torn clothes in the shack.

The Letterboxd Show
Weekend Watchlist: Renfield, The Pope's Exorcist and Suzume

The Letterboxd Show

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 13, 2023 34:01


This week ⁠⁠Slim and ⁠Mitchell⁠ discuss their growing watchlists including Renfield, The Pope's Exorcist and Suzume. (Maybe Mafia Mamma, too.) Mitchell also finally watched 65 and their thoughts may shock you. After a quick ⁠⁠look back at recent releases⁠⁠ and community reviews they discuss their watchlists and creepy Kiefer Sutherland. ⁠⁠Weekend Watchlist – Updated Weekly list⁠⁠ > movies mentioned in this episode. Chapters: Opening credits (00:00:00) Renfield (00:02:33) The Pope's Exorcist (00:05:15) Suzume (00:10:13) Mafia Mamma (00:12:59) Last week (00:15:22) Top 50 of 2023 (00:21:46) Watchlists (00:23:06) Letterboxd reviews and links mentioned: ⁠Transcripts⁠ of podcast episodes available Jack Facts' ⁠Top 50 of 2023⁠ ⁠monkeyphartz & peterafro & Kate Mancini's Mafia Mama reviews MacReady's Big Hat & Brittani Tuttle's Renfield reviews BERT's The Pope's Exorcist review Booklyreads & George Carmi Suzume reviews Alexandria's The Fog review Kayla's Chef review Brian Ly's Annihilation review Brenna's Quiz Show review Kambole Campbell's Journal article on Suzume Credits: This episode was recorded in Delaware and Philadelphia, and edited by Slim. Facts by ⁠Jack⁠. Transcript by ⁠Sophie Shin⁠. Theme: ‘⁠IZON' by Trent Walton

Video Monsters
ep373: The Shining (1997) - special guest Wolfe MacReady

Video Monsters

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2022 137:38


Writer/Director Wolfe MacReady checks into the Overlook Hotel with the Video Monsters to passionately defend the oft-maligned ABC television miniseries version of THE SHINING (1997), directed by Mick Garris and written by King himself. The series is clearly a product of its time and suffers from the limitations of 90s network television but – despite its shortcomings – it is an earnest, emotional work with moving performances that faithfully (sometimes a little TOO faithfully) adapts the more personal elements of the novel that were omitted from the Stanley Kubrick film. So take your medicine, trim the topiary, grab your croquet mallet, and meet us in Room 217 as we… wait, hold on. You passed it... No, it's 217, not 237. You've gone too far. Turn back around and… yeah. There you go. OK, great. Where was I? Oh, right. Now that we're all here, it's time to haunt the halls of THE SHINING with special guest, Wolfe MacReady! If you enjoy this episode, come join the Video Monsters crew on Discord (https://discord.gg/sjyUQg8phB)!! Hangout episodes are live (and unedited!) every Tuesday night starting around 9:00pm EST. Listen and chat along with us in the Discord chat and we'll even give you a shoutout on the episode! Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com. Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well. music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons

We Watched A Thing
253 - The Thing (1982) (w/ Paul from The Countdown: Movie and TV Reviews Podcast)

We Watched A Thing

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 3, 2022 40:39


This week I'm losing at chess, rugging up against the cold, and getting a routine blood test, all while discussing the 1982 cult classic horror film ‘The Thing' with the help of the legendary Paul from The Countdown! Find Paul and his great show at @thecountdownpc or at https://thecountdownpc.podbean.com/ The Thing is a 1982 American science fiction horror film directed by John Carpenter from a screenplay by Bill Lancaster. Based on the 1938 John W. Campbell Jr. novella Who Goes There?, it tells the story of a group of American researchers in Antarctica who encounter the eponymous "Thing", a parasitic extraterrestrial life-form that assimilates, then imitates, other organisms. The group is overcome by paranoia and conflict as they learn that they can no longer trust each other and that any of them could be the Thing. The film stars Kurt Russell as the team's helicopter pilot, R.J. MacReady, and features A. Wilford Brimley, T. K. Carter, David Clennon, Keith David, Richard Dysart, Charles Hallahan, Peter Maloney, Richard Masur, Donald Moffat, Joel Polis, and Thomas G. Waites in supporting roles. We Watched A Thing is supported by Dendy Cinemas Canberra. The best Australian cinema chain showing everything from blockbusters to arthouse and indie films. Find them at https://www.dendy.com.au/ If you like this podcast, or hate it and us and want to tell us so - You can reach us at wewatchedathing@gmail.com Or, Twitter - @WeWatchedAThing Facebook - @WeWatchedAThing Instagram - @WeWatchedAThing and on iTunes and Youtube If you really like us and think we're worth at least a dollar, why not check out our patreon at http://patreon.com/wewatchedathing. Every little bit helps, and you can get access to bonus episodes, early releases, and even tell us what movies to watch.

Lets Talk Petty!
The Astor Place Riots - Macbeth You Say? I'm The Best Macbeth. I Am British After All!

Lets Talk Petty!

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 12, 2022 70:01


We hope you aren't listening to this weeks episode in a theatre! You are going to be hearing us say Macbeth quite a few times in this episode. Kate is going to tell us all about the Astor Riots from May 10, 1849. Riots that happened over competition of who could perform Macbeth the best. Are you team Macready or team Forrest? Plus you'll find out how it was possible to sneak a carcass into the theatre (well, how Andrew would have done it anyway)If you have a petty story and would like us to discuss it, please be sure and send it in anywhere below (email preferred). Also, we'd love it if you'd subscribe and give us a review. It helps us a ton!Support The Show: Buy Us a CoffeeLets Talk Petty! Teepublic Store: Buy Our MerchWorld Wide Web: www.letstalkpetty.comTwitter: pettytalkpodInstagram: letstalkpettypodFacebook: facebook.com/letstalkpettypodEmail: letstalkpettypod@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rewind of the Living Dead
The Thing 40th Anniversary Special - Episode 93

Rewind of the Living Dead

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2022 82:42


When John Carpenter was first contacted about potentially directing a remake of the 1951 classic “The Thing from Another World,” he was reluctant to sign onto the project. The studio had already hired and fired “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” director Tobe Hooper and Carpenter didn't really see a path to a creative remake from a film he admired so much. But it was his first chance to move from independent cinema to do a studio film so Carpenter eventually decided to take on the project while putting his own original spin on the concept where he wouldn't try to hide the creature but rather explore the various incarnations of an alien who could assume the identity of any host it invaded. Rob Bottin was brought on board to handle the practical effects for the film, which ended up eating a huge part of the budget but it also helped create many of the most iconic moments in the movie. Set in a remote science station in Antarctica, a group of American scientists soon discover that they are not alone after an alien presence that can duplicate any one of them begins to systematically dismantle them one by one while proving that man really is the warmest place to hide…To celebrate the 40th anniversary of one of the most iconic horror films in history, Rewind of the Living Dead will grab the flamethrowers and get ready to do a blood test as we look back on John Carpenter's “The Thing”…

Judgment!
The Thing!

Judgment!

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2022 109:10


We begin our next match with The Thing (1982) vs. Jaws (1975)! This episode we go into depth with John Carpenter's The Thing and try to figure out what Clark is doing with these dogs. Join Andrew, Blane, Jill, and Special Guest Corey as we discuss the merits of freeze frames, MacReady's fashion choices, and if Norwegian's have the worst aim in the universe. So, grab some Milk Duds, stick your fingers through Garry's face and listen as we offer our Judgments and scores for this creature feature classic!     Judgment Podcast LinkTree   Judgment Email   Music by ComaStudio from Pixabay

Relative Disasters
Relative Disasters, Episode 60 - The Astor Place Riot of 1849

Relative Disasters

Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2022 51:30


On May 10, 1849, wealthy New Yorkers set out for a night at the Astor Place Opera House to enjoy English actor William Macready's performance in "Macbeth". A few streets away, however, fans of rival American actor Edwin Forrest were preparing to 'express their opinion' at the urging of inflammatory press pieces and Tammany Hall. Before the night was out, Astor Place would be the scene of chaos, rioting, and the deaths and injuries of dozens of New Yorkers, police, and soldiers. On this episode, we're discussing theater hooliganism, William Shakespeare, English vs. American acting styles, and how the New York State militia came to be firing cannons at unarmed American citizens in the middle of Manhattan. Sources: "Account of the terrific and fatal riot at the New-York Astor Place Opera House, on the night of May 10th, 1849; with the quarrels of Forrest and Macready, including all the causes which led to that awful tragedy! Wherein an infuriated mob was quelled by the public authorities and military, with its mournful termination in the sudden death or mutilation of more than fifty citizens, with full and authentic particulars" by H.M. Ranney, 1849 "Remembering New York City's Opera Riots", S. Simon (host), Weekend Edition, 2006 "When New York City Rioted Over Hamlet Being Too British", by B. G. Kellem for Smithsonian Magazine, 2017

The Wicked Wild Podcast
Episode 4: John Carpenter's The Thing (1982)

The Wicked Wild Podcast

Play Episode Play 30 sec Highlight Listen Later Mar 21, 2022 77:31


This week Eli, John, Mary, and Dave talk about  John Carpenter's The Thing (1982)!  The wicked wildlings reminisce about how this movie impacted their horror fan journey and what they love (and hate) about one of the iconic cosmic/sci-fi horror movies of all time.   Whether it's Carpenter's golden age movie stylings, Rob Bottin's ground-breaking practical effects, or Kurt Russell's manliest man feathered hair and carefully coiffed beard, this movie has given the Wicked Wild crew a lot to talk/gush about!  So, grab a bottle of J&B, your trusty flamethrower, and a ten gallon hat and let's get into it.  Who's MacReady?!To learn more about The Wicked Wild, visit www.thewickedwild.com and follow us on Instagram: @wickedwildweare.  Please remember to subscribe to get notified as new episodes are published and rate and share within your favorite social media and podcasting apps.

Attack of the 20th Century
Episode 26 - The Thing (1982)

Attack of the 20th Century

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 9, 2022 73:23


Guest hosts Mike & Marcus rejoin Jeff to discuss The Thing, the greatest monster movie of all time! Background (source: Wiki) - The Thing is a 1982 American science fiction horror film directed by John Carpenter, with a screenplay by Bill Lancaster. Based on the 1938 John W. Campbell Jr. novella Who Goes There?, it tells the story of a group of American researchers in Antarctica who encounter the eponymous "Thing", a parasitic extraterrestrial life-form that assimilates, then imitates, other organisms. The group is overcome by paranoia and conflict as they learn that they can no longer trust each other and that any of them could be the Thing. The film stars Kurt Russell as the team's helicopter pilot, R.J. MacReady, and features A. Wilford Brimley, T. K. Carter, David Clennon, Keith David, Richard Dysart, Charles Hallahan, Peter Maloney, Richard Masur, Donald Moffat, Joel Polis, and Thomas G. Waites in supporting roles. Instagram & Facebook: @attackofthe20thcentury Bonus Review: Jeff & Kim discuss Death on the Nile (2022) --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/attackofthe20thcentury/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/attackofthe20thcentury/support

Video Monsters
ep329: What Happens Next for Final Girls - special guest Wolfe MacReady

Video Monsters

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2022 132:29


We're thrilled to have Wolfe MacReady return to the Video Monsters podcast for the final episode of Final February! Our Final Girl Finale, if you will. The topic of today's episode is “What happens next?” We'll be taking a look at the current trend of how slasher legacyquels bring back their final girls years later to see how they have coped with their trauma in the time since we last saw them (and, of course, bring them face to face with their tormentors once again). There is a hefty dose of discussion revolving around the latest TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE film on Netflix and how it handles (or, mishandles) many of the themes brought up in tonight's episode, so consider this your official spoiler warning. We will also discuss what we think the future holds for final girl tropes in general, and the ways we see them evolving over the next few years in order to stay relevant. So put your face on, grab the keys to your '70 Dodge Challenger, and meet us in the boiler room for the final showdown as we lay Final February to rest....for now! If you enjoyed this episode, come join the Video Monsters crew on Discord!! Hangout episodes are live (and unedited!) every Tuesday night starting around 9:00pm EST. Listen and chat along with us in the Discord chat and we'll even give you a shoutout on the episode! Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com. Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well. music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons

Cromis Presents: 4 The Transformers: The Movie(s) Later
Episode 20: We called this THING from the beginning!

Cromis Presents: 4 The Transformers: The Movie(s) Later

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2022 31:27


You know the drill, coffee is 200 bells a cup. And we were joined by our friend, the emotional one, I'm sure you're familiar. Topics include Jed the dog actor, and if MacReady is the THING!!!

The Thing In Character
The Thing In Character – Macready

The Thing In Character

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2022


End of the line! With RJ here, we conclude our look at the events at Outpost 31. Thank you Listener, for being along for the line, and make sure you...

Cromis Presents: 4 The Transformers: The Movie(s) Later
Episode 13: It's about Love, MacReady

Cromis Presents: 4 The Transformers: The Movie(s) Later

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2022 27:39


We didn't watch the THING today. Instead we watched the 2020 Netflix Comedy Eurovision Song Contest: The story of Fire Saga. Because, you know, Galentines and whatnot. Topics include: David Dobkin's filmography, Jam's disdain for all things Christmas, and how much of your day we're allowed to take up. Jam's art can be found on Etsy and Patreon pee pee poo poo

Headlong Into Monsters
Episode 13: Here's The Thing with Horror Fan Ryan

Headlong Into Monsters

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 7, 2022 137:37


On this episode, Ashley and Raul are joined by guest Ryan to talk about The Thing from Another World (1951), The Thing (2011) and The Thing (1982). Share this experience as we talk movies, crack some jokes and Raul tries not to cry. Ratings: The Thing From Another World Raul - 8.5 out of 10 Plasma bags (buy) Ashley - 9 out of 10 Holy cats (buy) Ryan - 7 out of 10 Flailing huskies (buy) The Thing 1982 Raul - 10 out of 10 Cheat bitch computers (buy) Ashley - 8.5 out of 10 Macready beards (buy) Ryan - 10 out of 10 Keep your dirty underwear out of my kitchen (buy) There Thing 2011 Raul - 9 out of 10 Malfunctioning flame throwers (buy) Ashley - 5 out of 10 Blah (avoid) Ryan - 6.5 out of 10 Teeth fillings (bargain bin buy) Links: Website Links: Website - https://headlongintomonsters.godaddysites.com Twitter - https://twitter.com/In2Monsters E-mail - headlongintomonsters@gmail.com Ashley Links: Twitter - https://twitter.com/BarelyAshley Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/barelyashley Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ashley.pinkard Raul Links: Twitter - https://twitter.com/RaulVsMonsters Letterboxd - https://letterboxd.com/into_monsters/ Ryan Links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/HorrorFanRyan Opening Music: https://audiojungle.net/item/80s-horror-retro-background/33176055 Closing Music: https://audiojungle.net/item/hip-hop-horror/25238003

Single Serving Cinema
SSC 12: The Thing (Carpenter, 1982) — Finding a Warm Place to Hide

Single Serving Cinema

Play Episode Play 37 sec Highlight Listen Later Oct 20, 2021 65:08


For October's second horror-centric episode, Tim and Tay talk John Carpenter's not-so-immediately appreciated masterpiece The Thing. From evergreen creature effects to unsettling philosophical implications, this movie has it all. SynopsisAn American research base in Antarctica is infiltrated by an alien that can assume the shape of anything it attacks. The social fabric of the small community quickly erodes as each resident realizes they can no longer trust those around them. Directed by John Carpenter, The Thing was released June 25, 1982, and stars Kurt Russell, Keith David, and Wilford Brimley. The Thing is available to stream on Netflix. Scene [1:17:41 - 1:26:36]As the remaining group begins to suspect Macready, he forces everyone into a blood test to determine who, if any are actually The Thing.Links3:00 - A monster budget4:30 - E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)6:50 - An initial critical flop7:20 - Blade Runner (1982)8:25 - Too "strong" for audiences20 - Carpenter on the difficulty of ensemble shoots2230 - The Thing's script26:15 - The Thing (2011) & CGI FX28:20 - The Thing From Another World (1951) / Who Goes There?30:06 - A long pre-production30:40 - Invasion of the Body Snatchers - 1956 and 1978 34:00 - The split diopter shot35:53 - Toy Story 4's split diopter shot56:15 - Stan Winston57:49 - Jed the dog actor59:40 - Ethan Hawke's most impressive costarRecommendationsTim: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Kaufman, 1978). Available to stream on Prime.Tay: Attack The Block (Cornish, 2011). Available to stream on CTV.All links are verified at the time of publication and based on availability in Canada.

On The Digital Soapbox with Soapbox Jay
Season 2, Episode 4: We Ain't Ever Getting Grand Theft Auto 6 Y'all... And I Mean Never!

On The Digital Soapbox with Soapbox Jay

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2021 29:03


On this weeks episode, Soapbox Jay speaks about Street of Rage 4's Mr. X Nightmare and what a dream it is to play. A handful of recently announced & released Nintendo Indies (Including a spotlight on Boyfriend Dungeon), changing McCree's name in Overwatch (who I accidentally renamed MacReady in this episode), and why Grand Theft Auto 6 is never happening.

Black Women Watch...
"Checkmate" (The Thing, 1982)

Black Women Watch...

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2021 57:32


In this episode of BWW, Tish goes back to the early 80s for a film that was initially panned by critics, one of which asking "Is this the most hated movie of all time?".But in the decades after, "The Thing", directed by John Carpenter; written by Bill Lancaster; starring Kurt Russell, R.J. MacReady, Keith David & Wilford Brimley (Based on the novella "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell Jr.) has shaken off the negative reviews it initially gained and has become somewhat an essential watch for any Sci-Fi fan. TIMESTAMPS:Intro - (00:30) history/relationship - (01:58) “Let's take it from the top” - (03:24) “The Cast” - (12:51) “Issues with the cast” - (21:22) “The filming” - (27:27)“Make your art” - (37:39) “Likes and dislikes” - (39:21) “The Uncanny Valley” - (42:30) “Outro” - (56:36)BWW is produced, hosted & edited by Tishon Pugh. Executive Producer: Charlie Taylor of The 5th Element Podcast Network.Thanks for listening! Be sure to rate & review wherever you listen and share to help spread the word. Below are the socials & necessary links to everyone involved, give us a follow!BWW - (Twitter) @BWWthepodBWW - (IG) @bwwthepod_5EPN - (Twitter & IG) @5thElement_UKIntro Music - "Tony's Belated Breakfast" By BirocraticThanks to ChillHop Music for the ability to use.Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:Diggin' In The Digits In Search of Sauce5EPN Radio"What's Good?" W/ Charlie Taylor

The Drunken Drive-In Podcast
The Thing (1982) - J&B Scotch Whiskey

The Drunken Drive-In Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2021 69:37


The Thing, released in 1982, tells the story of 12 men who find themselves faced with an otherworldly terror in the harsh winter of Antarctica. What would appear to be a simple horror film about aliens is instead a gripping story about survival, mistrust, paranoia, and humanity. A critical and commercial flop upon initial release, the film has grown over the years to being acknowledged as one of the greatest horror films of all time. Join us as we take a deep dive into quite possibly John Carpenter's most effective work, The Thing. While also enjoying, just like our pal R.J. MacReady, J&B Scotch Whiskey. As always... Drive safe. Drink responsibly. And keep watching movies!! @drunkendriveinpodcast on Facebook & Instagram @drunkdriveinpod on Twitter  

The Final Podcast
39 - The Thing (1982) Review

The Final Podcast

Play Episode Play 57 sec Highlight Listen Later Jan 25, 2021 97:44


Tough times in Antarctica especially when a team of researchers are pitted against one another when an unknown alien starts to perfectly imitate its host. John Carpenter's, The Thing  has long been a favorite of the The Final Podcast and we are thrilled to be reviewing it with MacReady look-a-like, Tim Ryan. Please catch our review of this body horror, mystery classic!As always, a special thanks to Green Knuckle Material for our new music. Please give these guys a listen because they are super hot and are reinventing rock music.Please like and check out their events on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GKMband/Follow our friends on Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/gkmband/Follow our boys on Twitter  https://twitter.com/gkmbandnj

Aspect Radio
002: John Carpenter's The Thing

Aspect Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2020 29:44


It's a solo episode this week. Sam expresses his love for this classic horror film that shaped his eventual love for cinema. Uncover the practical effects behind the iconic villain, the badass MacReady, and so much more packed into the conspiracies behind that final scene.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/aspectradiopodcast/support

The State of Synth
S3E16 - I'm Coming

The State of Synth

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2020


MacReady join Dennis and Jules and turn their brains to mush. Vosto goes hot on the trail to uncover the meaning behind an ominous message by Kavinsky. Primo tells it like it is. #blacklivesmatter

Synth & Brews Podcast
#9 Sake Special with Macready

Synth & Brews Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2020 58:53


This week we drink sake and talk with synthwave group Macready!

The Night Club
Episode 12: Teeth Bared Across Time & Space

The Night Club

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 31, 2019 55:29


We've explored the depths of madness, the depths of ourselves, the depths of another elsewhere.... now join Travis Maxel Boone to discover the terror of John Carpenter's The Thing(1982). Join The Night Club on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, iHeartRadio, RadioPublic, Stitcher and more at http://thenightclub.fireside.fm Find us on Facebook and Instagram @thenightclubpodcast Email the coven: thenightclubpodcast@gmail.com

War Starts at Midnight
Halloween (1978) • TCS-005 (Reissue)

War Starts at Midnight

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2018 62:17


We've reached the end of an era. With this episode, we can no longer endlessly taunt Jake for one of the most shameful cinematic sins ever confessed on the War Starts at Midnight and The Carpenter Shop, because today Jake finally watched John Carpenter's Halloween!  Listen as we analyze this indie horror juggernaut, discuss the what does (or doesn't) make The Master of Horror a certified auteur and debate who would win in a fight to the death between R.J. MacReady and The Shape.

Cracked Spines
John Carpenter's The Thing

Cracked Spines

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 3, 2018 39:27


In keeping with our ongoing theme of polar horror, Sarah and Amelia watch John Carpenter's gooey vore masterpiece "The Thing." Yes, that is its official description. Featuring the raw erotic energy of MacReady's perpetual cowboy hat, discussions of practical effects vs CGI, and a brief digression on what opiods do to your poop. It's mostly relevant.

In Reel Deep Podcast
Episode 40: The Thing

In Reel Deep Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2017 33:04


"Mac wants the flamethrower!" Very rarely does a quote sum up a movie quite like that line and The Thing, John Carpenter's 1982 science-fiction/horror classic. You've got bearded Kurt Russell with beautiful flowing hair; you've got Keith David, Wilford Brimley, and a terrific cast of character actors; and you've got a gore-filled, paranoia-centric monster story that still holds up today. For our latest entry in Horror Month, we travel to Antarctica with MacReady and prepare for battle with a shape-shifting alien.

War Starts at Midnight
Halloween • TCS-005

War Starts at Midnight

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 6, 2017 80:43


We've reached the end of an era. With this episode, we can no longer endlessly taunt Jake for one of the most shameful cinematic sins ever confessed on the War Starts at Midnight and The Carpenter Shop, because today Jake finally watched John Carpenter's Halloween!  Listen as we analyze this indie horror juggernaut, discuss the what does (or doesn't) make The Master of Horror a certified auteur and debate who would win in a fight to the death between R.J. MacReady and The Shape.