Podcasts about transylvanians

Neither Kelly nor Leandra are high, but they both are into some dumb bitch juice as they discuss frito smells, Transylvanians, and campy acting.Questions? Thoughts? Concerns? Send them all to rockyhorrorminute@gmail.com and leave those 5-star reviews on Apple Podcasts :)

Send us a textWelcome to Celebrate Poe - Episode 365 - Vampire BridesLet's jump into Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic novel - Dracula.  Now the character of Count Dracula draws from  draws from historical figures, folklore, and literary innovation, and is widely believed to be inspired by Vlad III Dracula (Vlad the Impaler), a 15th-century Wallachian prince known for his brutal tactics against Ottoman invaders.  The name "Dracula" derives from Vlad II Dracul, Vlad III's father, who belonged to the Order of the Dragon (Dracul meaning "dragon" or "devil" in Romanian).Now Bram Stoker - though we don't have any solid proof of this - likely encountered the name of Vlad the impaler - the 15th century Wallachian prince known for his brutal tactics against Ottoman invaders - in his research for his novel, but there is no proof that Stoker's modeled the Count directly on him. Scholars note Stoker's notes mention neither Vlad nor Transylvanian history in depth. He may have just liked the sound of the name.In fact, Stoker blended vampire folklore with Gothic tropes, possibly inspired by actors Sir Henry Irving (for Dracula's aristocratic demeanor) and Jacques Damala. Many scholars believe he lesbian vampire tale Carmilla (1872) also influenced the novel's tone.Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Poe.

A Butterfly wants to kill the World?Book 3 in 18 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.Although Love is both fire and shadow, we often forget to take comfort from the coolness of the memories when the burning flames are absentThere were precisely two things, okay, four things, keeping me alive. The fourth thing would come to her later when her 'furious was replaced by her 'curious' ~ as in how I knew her inhuman lingo ~ which would lead to my legacy with Grandpa.The top three reasons -She had poked my chest. It was a challenge, calling for one of my guardians to come out and play. The avatar knew I was the chosen heir of the Goddess Ishara and my goddess had devoted a good deal of time and effort to my survival and continued service in her cause. If Ishara made an 'appearance', it would be enough reason to not eviscerate me for my foul treatment of her august personage.Nope. It seemed Ishara was busy at the moment.Still, she most likely knew SzelAnya had shown a keen interest in me in Romania, though I'd never told Selena, or any other member of the 9 Clans, the Dragon's Daughter had killed Ajax for me. Figuring out SzelAnya, a storm deity, had helped me and Aya escape from our kidnapping in the midst of a cyclone in the Pacific Ocean wasn't much of a reach.But no bolt of lightning coalesced from my chest to singe her finger. No clap of thunder. Not even a cloud with a hint of disfavor appeared above us.Her obsidian fingernail began penetrating my shirt, touched my skin, then drew my blood, and something 'twitched'.That would be Contestant Goddess #3. She wasn't actually hanging around me. She didn't have to. She'd left me a memento of our last shindig before we parted ways. That was the nightmare-inducing episode where she, the chthonic goddess Sarrat Irkalli, had compressed one man's body into a dagger and then proceeded to suck another's soul into it to use as a power source for an Airbus 350 (a commercial airliner, if you didn't know).I still had that snaggletooth-looking thing at my back. Well who the Hell was I going to leave it with? Honestly, the only people I felt could keep it safe I loved too much to curse with it. Anyway, the second her divine claw touched my blood, the long dormant weapon whispered to me in a somewhat bored, lofty feminine voice from beyond the grave,Do you want me to discorporate this pathetic has-been for you?Quick check. Only the avatar and I, and her priestess-savant heard that. Of course, in downtown, New York City, noon Sunday, how weird would such a declaration be? The avatar's eyebrow arched. Her big bat-ears (still looking human to the normal viewing public) flicked this way and that, figuring out precisely where the threat originated from. Slowly, her once poking hand began to slide across my chest, along my ribs and around my back.She touched the dagger. Nothing.Gingerly, she drew it forth. I'd had a makeshift sheath made. As the blade made its journey around me, she took a half-step back to better observe it."Please don't kill him!" Theddy squealed. "We haven't had sex yet!"Being 'who' and 'what' she was, the avatar did what came natural. Fortunately for Theddy, I'd become accustomed to working with psychopaths.She stabbed the dagger at Theddy. I clamped my hand down on her wrist. The claws of her left hand came down on my constraining wrist. My free hand came down on that hand, trying to pry it free. It was a hopeless struggle, except.Yes, my old friend 'except'. Except the avatar was holding the dagger. As powerful as Ītzpāpālōtl was, she wasn't pushing against me. She was pushing against Sarrat Irkalli.Ītzpāpālōtl was a living, breathing terror machine who killed and received sacrifices on a regular basis.Sarrat Irkalli hadn't been actively worshipped in 3,000 years.Uneven contest? Oh yeah.See, Ītzpāpālōtl had spent the past 500 years continuously fighting against the Weave to keep her fingers on this side of reality.Meanwhile, for the most part, Sarrat Irkalli had sat upon her throne in the Sumerian Underworld with hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of souls toiling under her watchful gaze for eternity. Sure, her version of Hell wasn't getting any fresh deposits, but she knew how to milk the system well.Even the bad karma for the dagger's creation wasn't hers. She'd stolen it from the foolish Gong Tau sorcerers who had meant to enslave my soul, aka one-third of the Baraqu-Alal-Cáel deal she'd worked out millennia ago. It was the Weave giving her a 'freebie' for playing by the rules, if you considered the Weave sentient.And now Ītzpāpālōtl was touching it. Whoops. It wasn't as if Ītzpāpālōtl was stupid. It isn't like there are tons of magic weapons running around, much less soul-munchers like the one I had. Rationally, who would give a novice like me, a weapon like this? I say again, 'whoops'.Once I'd figured this out, I couldn't stop being me."Theddy, do you like girls?""What?" she squeaked. Here was this psycho trying to drive a Smilodon incisor into her bosom and I was giving her a sex quiz.Ītzpāpālōtl was really starting to struggle now."I, ah, are you okay?" she continued."Oh, I'm dandy. I'm serious. You think this chick is hot? I mean, would you do her in a three-way?" I proposed casually."Timothy?" Sovann."Bro?" Timothy to me."It's all good. Sovann, you want to know what my life is like? This lady who came to discuss business with me today is an immortal mass murderer. You give the word, I'll let go and this knife is going to cut her up like a Ginsu blade on market day because just cutting her heart out isn't going to be enough. Worse. Eventually she'll get back up.""Timothy?" Sovann repeated, this time with more concern. He thought I was nuts. I released my left hand. The blade flipped up, twisting in the avatar's grasp. That was the point her minions figured out something was wrong."El Amado?" the priestess-savant called out softly. The three goons began reaching for 'things'."Call them off, or I open my other hand," I cautioned the avatar. She spared me a swift, hostile look. My fingers tingled."Esten quietos!" she snapped. They stopped."Cáel, bad day, or not. This isn't you. Stop it. The girl's in danger," Timothy spoke up. He didn't mean Theddy. He meant the avatar."I'm being a real asshole, aren't I?" I sighed."Pretty much. You never let the bitches get to you before. Girl pops an attitude, you smile and move on. Life is too short," he reminded me. Too true."I'm going to put my hand over the blade," I told Ītzpāpālōtl. "When I do, you can let go."She didn't say anything for several seconds, even after my left hand covered the semi-serrated edge."Why should I trust you?" she sizzled."Because 'me' letting anything bad happen to you would make me a total, judgmental jerk. I don't know you. Whatever you did before you showed up today shouldn't matter to me. I acted stupidly. I should have stopped you. I didn't. I didn't even warn you and I could have. I was angry, and not even at you. Just angry and I apologize. Now, let go.""Why?""Hi. I'm Cáel Nyilas. Can I have my knife back? Please?"Blink. She released it. For a millisecond, it wanted to do something else because bitches are bitches. It didn't, so my palm wasn't sliced open. My right hand took the hilt. I carefully put the blade away."Yes," Theddy gulped."Huh?" Sovann shook his head at the sudden evaporation of the life and death tension. Welcome to my life. Theddy meant 'yes' to the 'girl-girl-guy' thing I had proposed earlier. It pays to keep things prioritized."What is this movie you were talking about?" Ītzpāpālōtl asked. Had she forgiven me for anything which had transpired? Bwahahaha, no way. She was taking the initiative and going with Option 1 from my earlier insane diatribe."Wait!" Sovann nearly shouted. "You nearly, I don't know, threatened Cáel's life and tried to stab Theddy and now you think you can go with us to a movie?""I told you," Timothy put an arm around his shoulder, "life with Cáel is rarely dull.""I thought you meant he was fun to party with, or something like that," Sovann looked up at his lover. "I thought his uncle showing up, and trying to kill him and then being blown the fuck away by those women and federal agents, and that other girl who pointed a gun at us, is this the new normal?""I love you, Sovann," Timothy grew compassionate. "Cáel is my best friend. He'd never deliberately hurt either of us and normal friends are something he has in short supply. Today being a great case in point."Ten seconds passed."The title is 'As Above, So Below'," Sovann addressed the avatar, "and what do we call you?"Since 'if you are not a worshiper and addressing me, I normally am about to kill you' would sound really cool in Olmec-ic, but I might be asked to translate,"How about we go with 'Obsidian', please?" I pleaded with her.She knew I was currying favor now ~ and behaving like a weather vane caught in the wall of a tornado ~ she gave a gracious bow of her head."Obsidian will do for now. Is the Legend of the dagger 'business'?" Translation: it had better not be."No," I smiled. "It's pillow talk." Rancor, 'how presumptuous', followed by 'but that dagger ups the count to three Goddess interested in him', and next to recalling all the trivial babble about me being a sexual dynamo (I prayed my PR was that good) having some relevance. Her chimera emotions allowed me to get a few more crucial words out, because even women who aren't sleeping with me are jealous."Esta mujer fue la primera en ofrecer bienes funerarios tras la muerte dee mi padre," I reinserted Theddy back into my close company. For some reason, Obsidian considered me unreliable thus had to verify what I'd just said."Did you make funerary offering upon his father's passing?" she asked Theddy. Let's think about this. The wacko chick questioning Theddy had tried to stab a huge freaking blade into her not a minute ago. Fleeing in terror while screaming for the cops? Nope."Yes. I baked him some walnut and caramel chip cookies," she nodded. "It is a family recipe." Sovann looked over the three of us, then back to Timothy."I told you 'that's impressive cocking like I've never seen before'," he explained."She may remain," Obsidian 'permitted'. Theddy wrapped up my right arm with her left and gave it a squeeze. She wanted attention/explanation."Obsidian is a Master Vampire, Theddy," I leaned in and whispered. "Before she was turned, she was captured in a raid by the fey, mentally, spiritually and physically raped and made into their sex-slave. Part of her spirit never healed properly. While this imperfection allows her to walk around in daylight, her heart can never hold on to any emotion for long, so she is forced to forever seek passion, no matter how dangerous, from the world around her."Revealing secrets? Ha. I had noticed Theddy had every work done by Laurel K. Hamilton in her place, including the comic book series."You are not supposed to know, so act like I didn't tell you anything, okay?"'Okay,' she mouthed back at me. I could see it in her eyes. My chaotic life suddenly 'made sense' to her because a best-selling fiction author said so.Obsidian thought the movie was; hilarious. She couldn't stop snickering, giggling and poking at me as horrible shit happened to the various actors. She thought the plot was 'insightful' and wouldn't stop whispering to me throughout the entire thing. During the closing credits, I told her I'd get her the DVD for Christmas ~ she knew the concept behind digital technology, but didn't own any ~ she kissed me.The first kiss was fierce and joyous with the added benefit of her tongue doing things no normal tongue could do, it stretched. Not sure how I felt about that. The second kiss was more sultry, longer and came with some accompanying body action which, I'm no virgin. Not even close. She was on my left side, so when she twisted in her seat, her left leg insinuated itself between mine. Her left hand cupped my jaw and held my head in place as her lips played along mine.A dance of the scorpion perhaps? Tender at first, then suddenly stabbing, dominant and brutal. My lips and tongue battled back, using my superior Kiss-fu to nullify her natural strength and agility. She liked it. By her moaning, she liked it a lot. As the kiss progressed, more and more of her flowed from her seat into my seat, body facing me. Her body rose over mine, forcing my neck back to maintain contact."So, Dot Ishara is hovering around somewhere close, isn't she?" I murmured as our lips separated barely a centimeter apart. One chick kissing you to make another one jealous. It's happened to me plenty of times. Obsidian didn't give a damn about Theddy, or any other mortal woman in close proximity so,"Yes," she purred. "Do you mate with her?""A man does not brag of such things, but no, unless heavy petting counts?""What will she do to you when I steal your seed?"'When'? Why was I not surprised? Why was I not surprised another concussion was in my immediate future either? Was it possible I was, learning?"Chastise me for not fighting harder," I breathed across her lips, "and, in case you forgot, I'm on a date with the girl beside me.""Who I care nothing for," she sent a cruelly playful look Theddy's way. Wisely, the girl shivered."Who I am indebted to and how I honor my debts might matter to you," I hazarded. My words hurt Theddy's feelings. That was on purpose. Obsidian took pleasure in me hurting Theddy because she was basically a vicious monster."Yes?" I pressed her gently."Yes," Obsidian allowed, easing up slightly both romantically and physically."And Theddy, if you believe I'm with you solely because of some sense of obligation, you clearly haven't been listening to your recordings," I shot the human girl a wink."Oh.""Am I, or am I not, a sex-obsessed little monkey?" I teased her. Theddy giggled. I paid for my diversion with four obsidian claws to my ribs outside of Theddy's view. After all, it wasn't like Theddy could possibly compete with her for my attention. Considering Obsidian's legendary ability to rip open her opponent's ribcages and feast upon their hearts, I slipped my left hand, the one next to her between her legs and stroked her cotton-slacks covered cunt.Theddy hugged my right arm and put her head against my shoulder. Not to be outdone," Qu  un centenar dee hombres se quemaron vivos como el sonido?" Obsidian inquired with sexually sadistic hunger. Ah, memories of burning 7P Commandos.Whoops. Theddy knew Spanish."No lo s . Ten an respiradores en," I replied casually. "Si lo desea, puedo describir lo que se siente al tirar de una flecha de guerra lanzar mi propio muslo.""Eep," slipped out of Theddy's lips."Why did you do that?" Obsidian looked over us both."Well, I was showing a little girl I believed in her,""And she shot you?" Theddy gulped."No. She hit the target I was standing next to. A co-worker mistook me for a cardboard cutout of a Jehovah's Witness and let fly. Seems she had issues with organized religion as well as a reaction to the oscillation effect of florescent lighting and ceiling fans.""But why did you pull the arrow out?" Theddy asked. "Couldn't you wait until you got to the hospital?""Mosquito," Obsidian menaced, insinuating Theddy was a pest."I wasn't thinking rationally at the moment, I work in an asylum, I had a hot date in a few hours, any of those three will do," I smiled at Theddy."Copil such as Cáel don't bother with petty human conventions," Obsidian turned my gaze back her way with her hand on my jaw. 'Copil's were 'god-touched' in her lingo."More than one girl?" Theddy mused."Four.""Okay," she sighed happily."Theddy, three under-age girls and the police office he was dating acting as their chaperone," Timothy intervened. "He hurried home so he could keep a promise to the children, not for sex." Bastard. He really was my best friend. He didn't mention my post-injury, pre-festivity sex with Odette giving me a few extra, urgently needed Brownie Points to suggest I might be a decent human being."You are a wonderful guy," Theddy ran a fingernail over my free hand. Clearly I was 'wonderful' enough to risk Obsidian's anger over. The screen went blank as the last credits scrolled away and the room was plunged into darkness. Five seconds later, the lights snapped on.Pain!"Fuck," I hissed. It wasn't any extra physical trauma causing me discomfort. No, a metaphysical dam had burst within and my stream of conscious thought had been turned into a white-water rapids. The competing cyclones of thoughts in my mind had stopped cooperating and my hypothalamus was letting me know I was in danger."Cáel", "Cáel", "Bro", and "Ishara" all came in rapid succession. I needed some space both tangible and social."I need to step outside," I eased Obsidian off me and stood up. My sense of my personal danger was ratcheting up. While I had been studying Obsidian, so I could screw her, I had discovered more and more Alal-badness.The light display had ignited a series of pressing implanted memories which had been clamoring for my attention. Things like not all 'divinities' were stewards of the Weave. Some even wanted its destruction, preferring risking all on a chaotic restructuring of reality over what existed now ~ things like Obsidian. They weren't attempting to do so because they thought they had no chance.But there was. A real serious chance to unravel reality existed; and it was staring her in the face. It wasn't 'me' as in 'I was the Anti-Christ'. But with the torrent of memories pouring forth, I knew where the peril lay and I was completely responsible for it. Hell, I was a prime ally of Armageddon and hadn't even known it.'Holy Shit!'I blinked. Timothy was shaking me. We were out in the lobby."Oh my God, Timothy," I nearly wept. "What am I going to do?""I have no idea what you are talking about. Is there someone you can talk to about this?" he suggested. Normal folks were around us. Obsidian was at my side. Sovann was behind Timothy with an arm around Theddy's shoulder."Theddy," I looked at her. "Can I catch up with you later? I just realized I've screwed up something fierce." I put my best 'really don't want to go but I gotta' face on. Her worried look brightened, she slipped around Timothy and gave me a tingling French kiss."I'll hold you to that, Cáel," she murmured when we parted."Timothy, go home, I got shit to deal with," I hoped my grin didn't become as feeble as I felt it to be."I," he started to say something. "Time not to ask questions?""Yeah.""Okay.""Wait." I pulled us to the side and went on to my toes, leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Tell Pamela 'he' sent Ajax to kill the Professor, his family and the sisters. They were the targets all along. It wasn't me, or the other women. Just in case,""Okay," Timothy patted my arm. It was cryptic. It was the best I could do. See, I wanted to cry so badly.{2:09 pm Sunday, September 7th ~ Last day}Where to begin:Every mythology across the globe has some creature, or creatures, which threatens Existence. Usually a God, or a Hero-God, slays the creature and everything is right with the world, except such a being, being older than Existence itself, can't really die, so they are carved up, buried ~ what have you.Illuyankamunus was one such manifestation of this underlying cancerous desire to destroy reality. He'd had a far more real child, SzelAnya, and she's never quite given up on her dad. Of far greater critical importance, she was 'part' of Illuyankamunus, somewhat in the way I was part of Alal and Baraqu. And yes, that meant all the offspring of Bolu, the guy I'd praised a few hours earlier, held the seeds of that malignant deity as well.And Alal knew it. He hadn't been killing off the descendants. He'd left that task up to a group far more capable of the task, the Egyptian Rite, who knew a fucking threat to existence when they saw it. Lest I forget, No secret society are the 'good guys'. Also lest I forget, I alone decided to go after the Arinniti sons to fulfill Vranus' quest. I had no divine mandate I was aware of nor any real world orders.Inadvertently, I had rounded up the last five mortal remains of Illuyankamunus in one place for convenient disposal in a remote Transylvanian town. The only problem was: if someone didn't get to them quickly, I was also about to whisk them into the loving (and heavy-armed) protective embrace of the Amazon Host, where the completion of centuries of culling would have suddenly become a cast-iron bitch instead of a simple disposal.Enter Ajax. Yeah, I bet the Egyptians were trying to figure out how I stopped him as well as Alal. I thought I was being clever by not telling most of the world. In fact, they most likely suspected; and the reality of SzelAnya watching over me was much more terrifying. Ishara had put a serious curse on the Amazons, yet her curse only affected her followers, the Amazons, who were fair game.SzelAnya had killed someone for me, and I hadn't been one of her followers. Thus I had committed a blasphemous act only a magician of some significant ability could have managed. I wasn't a sorcerer, but I had a cornucopia of mystic knowledge rolling around in my noggin. Trying to figure all this out was one of my major headaches.The others?I even suspected I knew who betrayed me ~ kinda. They didn't do it on purpose. At least I hope they didn't, because my odds-on favorite was my Mother by way of Captain Delilah Faircloth. Realistically, there was only one secret society who might help her against Grandpa and that was the Egyptian Rite, and they did send three people to Dad's funeral including two 'somebodies'. I'm an idiot.I'd chatted away in fluent New Kingdom Egyptian and it never occurred to me how odd it was for two of them to also be so fluent in it. Know it, sure, but as fluent as Kimberly had taught me to be? That should have been a Red Flag.The Earth & Sky had sent Iskender, who should have been the benchmark I judged the other delegations by, damn it.Three Condos? They'd killed my Dad and their guys had been flunkies.The 7 Pillars had been nobodies, which they'd proven by their inaction.Now I had to question why I had 3 actual  9-Clans  assassins at my dad's funeral too. Holy Ishara, I wasn't nearly paranoid enough.Anyway, why would the Amazons be aiding and abetting the End of All Life on Earth? Normally, they wouldn't be, but 3000 years ago, the majority of Human life did a colossal dump on the Amazons. And when they needed help, they got it in the form of SzelAnya and her dual-sex followers. I seriously doubt they told the Amazons their purpose was to resurrect SzelAnya's daddy. I imagine the Amazons didn't pry too much either.It turned out almost to be okay. During the 2nd Betrayal, the Amazons betrayed SzelAnya and almost short-circuited her plans by exterminating her lineage.Except for the Arinniti elders and Bolu. Good old 'except'.I can imagine when the Egyptians heard about the 2nd Betrayal, they figured they were 'okay'. Those wacky Amazons had inadvertently done the world a favor. Except an act of maternal love kept a slender hope of Illuyankamunus' return alive. By the time the Egyptians realized they'd been prematurely hopeful, Bolu's descendants were all over the Balkans and hunting them down had proven difficult.But, it gets worse. Much worse.When those Gods shattered Illuyankamunus, they scattered him in the relative certainty no one would ever gather the parts back together.His flesh was scattered across the land, modern day Turkey, but encompassing everything from Pakistan to Italy and Egypt to Poland. The flesh became soil, then plants, the things that eat plants, then food for humans. Get the picture.Whoops. SzelAnya had been doing just that for centuries upon centuries every time she mated with a mortal of Illuyankamunus' line and had offspring, they accumulated his energy, which made hunting down the few remaining ones easier to find, since they were 'beacons of badness', except...There were two key pieces missing which SzelAnya could never get. After all, you would think burying them on the far side of the world would matter, right?The 'breath of Illuyankamunus' ~ his cosmic fire ~ they buried in a volcano in a distant land far across the Great Sea. His spirit 'body' they imprisoned in a great river, again, across the Great Sea.But wait, it gets worse.The being standing next to me knew precisely where the 'breath of Illuyankamunus' was. Seems Mesoamerica is laced with volcanos. They'd discovered 'the breath' long ago and used it as a weapon called Xiuhcoatl. Better yet, Alal suspected she and her buddies were more than happy to reunite it with the rest if they thought the Weave itself wouldn't annihilate them for daring to do so.In their current, weakened state they were vulnerable to such a karmic backlash. In theory, a reborn Illuyankamunus would have access to power beyond the bounds of the Weave, older and more terrifying. Still, without the mortal remains to anchor the energy, giving it to the spirit would be pointless.Alal knew where the spirit body was (in general), but that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was where it was,Of all the places the Arinniti sons could have fled to, they had to choose Brazil, the burial place of the restive spirit body of Illuyankamunus. Mother-fucker.And Ildiko 'Alkonyka' aka Dusk Lovasz had sworn she'd travel to Brazil to fulfill Bolu's side of the quest in the same way I was holding up Vranus' end. If I tried to stop her, SzelAnya would know something was up. Fuck.I was processing all of this when Obsidian violently yanked me out of the way. A cabby had swerved to avoid a flurry of trash and nearly run over us. It was the third near-concussive experience in the past five minutes she'd help me avoid while she had walked by my side. I'd been mumbling like a madman."That would be my Goddess wanting to talk with me," I looked her way."I know," she gave me a clever smile."She's really not going to like that," I shook my head."I know that too," she kept smiling. "Where is your mind?""Five lives away from making the world a safer place," I sighed."Safer for who?" she purred. Where were all the bimbos? Not only was it an insightful question, it cut straight to the heart of my dilemma.What decision could I make? If I elected to help my fellow Amazons, I risked screwing with the world. In truth, I was risking everything even if I did nothing. Well Dad was always clear that things didn't change by themselves. You needed to do something that would have an effect. So, 'What are you going to do?'More to the point, I wasn't Grandad. Killing the last five of the line of Illuyankamunus wasn't 'me', so it wasn't going to be something I'd worry about.SzelAnya wanted to bring back her Dad, I could understand that. I'd have to figure out a way for her to believe this world sticking around was more important. How? Well, I had a goddess-like creature right in front of me to probe for ideas."You are an immortal," Obsidian commented. She'd been weighing her opinion for some time. I could tell by the wonderment with which she gifted each word."What? No. I can die.""No. I don't think so. Your wounds. Normally the wounds I inflict flow freely for some time. Yours have already scabbed over," her eyes flickered to the various minor scars she'd imparted to me in the few hours we'd been together.Of course, her idea was insane, Oh God No! I was in Grandad's body. Well Duh! His body was supposed to be immortal."Are you sure?" I looked deep into her eyes."You are a young immortal, the youngest I've ever met, but you are an immortal," she seemed to be convincing herself as much as me.Stupid Assumption (on my part)! I wasn't in Alal's body. I was in Cáel's. Because the Cáel soul shard was young, Alal hadn't been able to find it because it had moved through Time, to me, sonofabitch! 'I' hadn't been around for him to find. No! I was making yet another damn assumption.What did I know? When Pamela found Baraqu, it had been in an object, not a person, though she had been short on details. When the Alal-shard went to the Land of the Endless Black Sands to bring Saku back, the Cáel-shard had been in reality, so it had been allowed to create a body, 'me'. Still, the curse Sarrat Irkalli placed on Baraqu was on Alal and myself as well, which meant I might just be immortal.My Alal-mind agreed with Obsidian's assessment. In his first years, his healing had been slow, still taking days for what took mortal people weeks. I'd stupidly attributed my swift recovery to Amazon medicines, ugh. Because I got wounded more than most Security Detail trainees while concurrently entertaining two and three sex partners."Can you talk with Dot Ishara?" I asked her."Yes, but why would I?""Sex?""We are going to have sex anyway," she smiled. I'd tricked her. Set her up with the right so I could now drop her with the left."I can bring the mbo  tat  back to life," I pledged. That was not what she was expecting at all. "If you bring the Xiuhcoatl, I can bring the flesh and we can unite the three." Mbo  tat  was the Tupi name for the legendary 'fiery serpent' of the Amazon Basin. In Portuguese, it had become Boi-tat , a will-o-wisp with a confused, Christianized mythology ~ a serpent dwelling in darkness, devouring the eyes of corpses, glowing in the forests at night."Where is the flesh?" she whispered."In his mortal children," I replied."Who?""You are a monster, Ītzpāpālōtl. I'm not going to tell you and you don't have the time to drag the information out of my mind before my allies drop on you like a nuclear detonation," I drew my body tightly to her."Why would the Amazons do this?""They are not. This is a deal between you and me," I kissed her lips. I pulled back. A few seconds later she kissed me back."Why?""My grandfather had my father murdered and I would avenge him. In the end, despite my father's Amazon heritage, my 'Sisters' will let his death go unavenged for the greater good of the Host. He was a man and they will never look beyond that ~ they will never value his life as they would that of a woman.""Your mother's father?""Yes. Cáel O'Shea of the Illuminati.""We are not at war with the Illuminati," she murmured. It was a casual observation, not a protest."You are at war with Cáel O'Shea.""He was slain.""He didn't stay dead.""You know much more than you are saying," she was finally catching on."Absolutely.""I need much more than a few names to convince my kin to help," she purred, a cocktail of sexual immersion and flesh-flaying pain."I don't work for you. You are agreeing to work for me," I was hard as iron in more than one way. Why? Boundaries. She lived in a world where only the fundamentals of reality constrained her. Having a human, no matter how polished my pedigree, or how much I might appear to be 'special', tell her 'you are not the boss' in a reasonable fashion was new and very unwelcome."What would make you think that?""My mentor taught me knowledge is a curse. It is our inability to forget, and I can see into your soul, Ītzpāpālōtl. You care not one wit for the life of an assassin. But the thought of the other 'Factors' of the 9 Clans treating you as an equal galls you almost as much as the crushing reality that you need them."You have lived 500 years in chains and I'm offering you a desperate grab at freedom," I added."Your brief glimpse of immortality gives you no insight into my existence," she bristled."Oh, how many have given up? How many have decided the fight was no longer worth it and faded from the Sunlight to make their final trip into the Underworld, never to return? Do you even visit them?" I spoke with a voice tinged with compassion and loss. I pulled upon the pitiless, blank memories of a childless Alal all those centuries and imprinted on them my own fears of fatherhood and failure."How do you know so much?" she let her fa ade crack, then blow away, in the hollowness of her own sorrow. How could I pity such a monster? I could because I was me and I wouldn't surrender that to the barbaric past and most likely horrific future. I pulled her close, resting my chin on the top of her head."You are not the first, wonderful, very bright woman who has stepped into my life, Obsidian," I whispered. "You are not even the first divinity. For all the millions of differences enforced by power and time, I think love, hate and the conflict between the two wear upon us all. If anything, you face an endless parade of hope and misery. Even if you chose to ignore it, you have seen it and perhaps it leaves its marks ~ water scarring the rocks of a riverbed."We paused. I was able to peripherally scan about and realize we'd made it to Central Park ~ the Ramble and off the beaten path."Your Goddess is a fool for not keeping you closer," she murmured."She does keep me close. You have been actively keeping me from her," I reminded my guest. "She also plays by the rules, so is of limited help in my plans for vengeance."Translation: I could enlist Ītzpāpālōtl's aid while still remaining loyal to my matron Goddess. Ishara could not provide what I needed and my Amazons wouldn't agree with my scheme, so I needed her. Three hours ago, she wouldn't have considered me a worthy supplicant, much less an allied equal, yet here she was conspiring with me to shake the foundations of Creation.Personally, I was thanking Mamitu, Destiny. Had I not been having my worst Sunday ever when we first crossed paths and then acted like a total cockhead, pissed her off and led her to holding Sarrat Irkalli's dagger, thus putting her life in my hands, and not had Timothy as a best friend, I wouldn't have taken her to the movie, and my mind wouldn't have wandered down those dark corridors of Alal's memories to piece things together.Whatever itinerary Obsidian had approached me with, my abrasive behavior had forced her to it cast aside. Dagger, movie, revelations, I was now so much more in her eyes than she had envisioned."Share my need and share with me an ounce of your sorrow," I murmured to her as I gently curled my fingers in her hair and directed her head up until she faced me."The dagger," she rumbled. While she was stroking my hard-on, I knew she was using it as a double meaning."I was pinned to an onyx sacrificial table," I began my tale. We worked off pants to mid-thigh then 'got busy'. Penetration was only going to be possible by turning her around. Ground-breaking was her ready acceptance of my instruction. I leaned against a tree, then pulled her onto my lap. She guided my phallus home.One locomotion and I sunk in deep. It was warm molasses until I hit and pressed against her cervix. For a second Obsidian trembled, then her muscles clamped down tightly, gripping my manhood firmly in a vise, keeping me still."Ah," I groaned. Obsidian had her neck twisted, so we were kissing with eye contact as I described my adventures with the Gong tau sorcerers. She shot me a quick twinkle of delight, a connection. She'd relayed physical pleasure in the way I was giving her cerebral gratification, aka hope.I rolled up her shirt, and gave both nipples a brutal tweak in response. She gasped. I was applying a little 'rough' with my tender intercourse. She rolled her tush against my groin, an invitation to double-down on my nipple-play. I kept my left hand working over each tit while working my fingernails down her abdomen. As I described the terror in old Tsu's face as he shouted out 'M iyǒu! (Mandarin for 'No!') as he recognized too late the curse he was invoking. She relished the visual of the Han necromancer's terror.'Me' smacking two fingers down on her clit earned me a squeal and a small gush of fluids on my nut-sack. Her look of astonishment was something I'd always cherish. Before me, sex was something she demanded from her followers/victims and definitely orchestrated. Her partners being fearful/worshipful must have limited their initiative."A-a-a-ah, we are being observed," she groaned, her lips less than an inch from mine. It took me a second."Which direction?" I kept pumping her, strumming her clit and treating her tit like taffy on a hot Coney Island summer afternoon. Her hooded eyes flickered to our right. I gave it ten seconds. I had to get Obsidian refocused on what I was going to do to her next, in case this was innocent voyeurism. Nope. It was Chaz.Why Chaz? See, I'm an idiot. My cryptic warning to Timothy for Pamela had been good for all of one minute. He'd called her and she'd gathered what she could and come looking for me.Why was she concerned? I was babbling to Timothy then wandering off with a 'beyond-freaky' chick I had just met named 'Obsidian' who came my way courtesy of another chick with the name of Estere.Let me see, Estere was Hashashin and for Timothy to describe someone in my life as 'beyond freaky' was bad news. Timothy was seriously worried about me and Timothy was an emotional rock ~ he didn't panic. Lest we forget, I was in a federal taskforce. A quick peek into New York traffic cameras revealed me and Obsidian wandering into Central Park from the south, so in the rescue party went, splitting up and Chaz 'lucked-out'.I still had two, no, three problems. I was really enjoying my sexual excursion with Obsidian and she was seeming to truly enjoy her experience with me. Oh, and Central Park is big, Pamela had been pressed for people, so she had pressed some unlikely participants into my rescue party."He's," smooch, "my brother, by adoption," I headed off the whole idea she'd been briefed on me already."Visual, Peacekeeper Six, OS2, L-11," Chaz muttered into his headset before taking up a casual stance on the path overlooking our trysting spot. Sex with an audience didn't bother her, so, we worked out as much action from twist, turns and two inches of in-and-out motions (she liked to keep our bodies tight) as we could. Obsidian was humming along in no time. Her vaginal walls were undulating, wearing away at my self-control.Panting, not from us,"Is he o, are they, who is she?" huffed and puffed a trio of voices from Chaz's locale. Oh. Pamela had recruited my 'Hounds'.I accidently (from a timing perspective) took that moment to grind my nails into her left nipple, pinched her clit and hammered her as hard as I could. Obsidian howled. Her vocalization exited the human realm in a cataclysmic manner.The noise scared avians a mile away into terrorized flight. Cats hissed, then raced for cover. Dogs tucked tail and ran. Streetlights a hundred yards away shattered in sprays of glass. Better yet, for the entertainment of my viewing public, she lashed out with her right hand at the closest Black Cherry sapling, exploding it into a mist of sap and pulverizing the bark and wood fiber into pulp.On the downside, her cervix gave my balls an ultimatum ~ release my seed at once, or she was going to twist off my head. My cock and balls have a long history of making decisions without me. I began lavishing her. Before I finally got the feeling I was out of the danger zone. She was back to rubbing against me and purring in blissful satisfaction."Onun g zleri," whispered Belgin, one of the Turks. 'Her eyes'?"Cáel, are you aware of the alternative nature of your liaison?" Chaz coolly cautioned me. Translation: 'mate, do you know you have your cock in a demon?'"Yeah," I coughed. I had a face full of her hair. I was working on some post-coital nuzzling along with slowly helping her get her pants back up."Ininzqueoccehpa," she hummed to me, ignoring our gathering. That was 'let's do this again'."Tehuatlcochitlehua," I replied with some fondness. She studied me for a second before deciding my term was one of endearment, thus 'you are what dreams are made of', not 'nightmares'.Obsidian had another issue to deal with. Timothy would call it a righteous cocking. Whatever it was, her hold on her human mein had slipped and her inhumanity was slipping through, mainly in her glass-like, black, multi-facetted eyes and her fingers which now ended in molten obsidian talons. On the subconscious level, her predatory nature was setting everyone close-by on edge. I could also make out the high pitched, ultrasonic pipping of her chiropteran cries ~ purpose unknown.Obsidian made her way off farther into the underbrush leaving me a few precious seconds to appreciate her retreating posterior while holstering my equipment. More people were arriving. I had one more thing to take care of before, oh look, Nikita had brought her Mom along, the NYPD Sergeant."Chaz, I need to have a quick chat with Dot before I can explain things. She's been waiting and that's unwise," I looked to the Brit. He nodded."Cáel? Mr. Nyilas? Prince?" all came my way. I relaxed as best I could. Chaz went to a body blow to stagger me, then an epic upper cut to send me to Lullaby Land.Dot & the DragonessDot and SzelAnya, in dragon form, were waiting as I tumbled forward. By the state of my haziness, I knew my unconsciousness wouldn't last long."You gave her your seed," came the accusation."Yes," I staggered, "and now you should be able to track her," I pointed out the bonus part of the arrangement. No comment."I've got to make this quick, SzelAnya, I've found your father, geographically speaking," I dropped the bomb."Don't," Dot Ishara commanded. After all, she and her divine cohorts had done the killing and corpse-dividing eons ago. Undoubtedly, they'd executed their own oaths to one another to 'never reveal what they had done' as well."Too late," I shook my head. SzelAnya's attention was magnetized. "I owe you and I'm paying my debts. I'm not blind to the dangers, believe me.""You have no idea what power you are invoking," Dot's undercurrent of displeasure was the worst I'd experienced."Wrong. I've got thousands of years of Alal boiling around in my head, Plus the rest of you betrayed her 2600 years ago. It doesn't mean I have to. And now, given the chance, I'm not. Even if you kill me, she's got enough toBack in the Ramble"Really expect me to believe," Nikita's mom was growling."Man down," I waved a weak arm skyward."Mr. Nyilas, what is going on here?" the Sergeant addressed me. I was reclining in a circle of my 'Hounds'; most were kneeling. Chaz was in a tiny bit of trouble for having clocked me."Umm, thanks for coming out and looking for me. I assure you, Mr. Tomorrow did what he did as a matter of his professional duties ~ intelligence gathering." As I struggled to stand, my ladies helped me. I saw Pamela with three Hounds coming up fast from one direction and Virginia with three more coming from the other. The gang was all here.The mutterings in non-English tongues suggested a bit of explaining was already going on."You've been bleeding," Nikita pointed out with an unspoken 'again'."This?" I pulled my shirt out and looked at the first bloodstain of my encounter. "This is the just the start of the bad news." I shed my windbreaker and then t-shirt.The professionals shouldered aside the others to take a closer look."All of these are from noon and less than an hour ago," I identified the damage. Sarge was skeptical. Chaz, Nikita and Virginia less so."They look older," the senior lawman noted."I've been curious about that," Chaz frowned."I've inherited my Grandfather's curse. My soul fragment was in the 'Here and Now' twenty-three years ago while his was, 'over there', so I was allowed to come into creation. According to my recently departed guest,""You are immortal," Virginia mumbled to finish the thought. Had the speaker not been a member of the FBI, who knows how the thought would have been received."From the memories I've been gifted with," I tapped the tiny divot on my forehead, "his healing abilities started out rather slowly too. I certainly don't want to test this theory, so no worries there," I scanned the group."How do you explain seeing your Grandfather in Hungary and again in Rome?" Virginia wondered."Again, that woman who just left," I got out."Was no woman," Nuray, another one of my Turkish Hounds interrupted. "Her eyes..." she tried to explain, "and look what she did to that tree," she pointed to the greatest piece of evidence of supernatural wrongdoing. The other two witnesses nodded."We all saw the same thing. Her eyes were, bottomless, definitely not human," Belgin affirmed. The veteran players looked to Chaz."She had a collapsed nose-bridge, lacked a blink response, her dental work was carnivorous and her tongue was extremely clipped and showed prehensile qualities," he reported calmly. Pause. Chaz was a freaking intelligence operative, after all."If her hands were a type of glove weaponry, I've never seen it s like before. While I know it is possible for a human to exert the force-pounds necessary to snap a two inch diameter tree trunk in one blow, it is a rare skill and requires intense discipline. This appeared to be done spontaneously, without preparation of any kind and as a reaction to other stimuli," he added."It was also your assessment he needed to be knocked unconscious?" Nikita's mom countered."Mr. Nyilas' psychological constructs are something the whole team has to work around. At times, he seeks 'insight' from his mind in a deliberately unconscious/non-sleep state," he replied."He claims to be talking with spirit powers. I know when he returns to consciousness, he delivers useful intelligence. I'm not a psychologist, psychiatrist, or psychic. I don't know why his mind functions that way. I do know results. And I know I work with people who would achieve those results by other means if it were at all possible. Since we haven't found another method, we accept that from tim

The Peggy Mount Calamity Hour is nothing if not a podcast of juxtapositions and contrasts, like mixing vintage TV shows with digital platforms, and necking Malibu and Quatro out of the antique sherry glasses. And it's this grating collision of 1980s futurism and sepia-toned yesteryear to which the hosts turn once again, because everyone knows it's not really a horror-season if you don't put A Dracula™ in it... Yes, messrs Velvet, Blackout and Bognops break out the garlic and make sure the pooper-scoopers are within arm's reach, as Flash Gordon, The Phantom and a host of King Features chums (as well as a minibus full of their kids) find themselves knee-deep in Transylvanian doings when the Defenders Of The Earth (defenders...) wonder what exactly has gone into Dracula's Potion. How many biological-photocopying superpowers does Dracula have that that even Bram Stoker didn't know about? How does the Grade-2-listed status of a 900yr old Eastern European castle affect a local authority application for an on-site massage parlour with neon-pink accent lighting? And how do the Defenders Of The Earth (defenders...) think that turning up unannounced in a remote woodland village dressed like the Aerobics-Wing of the Gladiators isn't going to lead to a little bit of adverse comment at the very least? Nip round to Phaze for a quick change of clothes, press Play and find out... The Peggy Mount Calamity Hour is a free podcast from iPorle Media, which holds production copyright. Opinions and recollections expressed are not to be taken as fact. The title and credit music is by Doctor Velvet, with additional accompaniments from Ozzy Bognops. Audio segments from television programmes are presented for review and informational purposes only under fair use, and no ownership of these is claimed or implied by this show. Email enquiries to peggymountpod@gmail.com

Awaken, my friends. We're on a stateside vampirism kick—no Transylvanian castles allowed. This run begins south of the border with “From Dusk Till Dawn” (1996) a horror-action romp that begs the question, what if pistol-toting outlaws stumbled into a biker bar run by the undead? Matthew Jackson (host of “The Scares That Shaped Us” podcast) kicks off this series. He's here to talk about George Clooney's first starring role, anoint the hottest on-screen vampire of all time, and reflect on just how seismic it was when Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez joined forces in 1996. Listen to Matthew's podcast here: https://thescaresthatshapedus.com/

The Protestant Reformation spread around Europe in the 16th century but blossomed in Transylvania during the 17th century. Join Trinity, Mina, and Sean as they discover how Christ protected the Protestant churches in Transylvania and nearby Hungary and Romania. Listen to our Romanian guest, Rev. Mihai Corcea, as he explains the interesting history of the Transylvanian church during this time.   Show Notes: If you'd like to find out more about the people Rev. Corcea mentioned in this episode, here are their names: Istvan Fogorasi, Istvan Szonyi, Istvan Bocskay, and Zsuzsanna Lorantffy.  

Putting lives back together after the battle.By FinalStand. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels.Either you embrace Change and are destroyed by it, or you resist Change and are overwhelmed by it. What is your choice? (The Politics of 'Not' Being Dead)The rest of the trip was made in silence. They dropped us off at the edge of Miercurea Ciuc, home base of the 61st Mountain Troops Brigade, of Professor Loma and from whence all this craziness had originated. The meeting was already awkward before I arrived. It only got worse. Where to begin? Well, Russia, the United States, the UK, Romania, Hungary and Ireland were now all interested parties. And I had gained two personal distinctions:1.) Not only was I now heralded (and not really joking anymore) by some sources as Magyarorszag es Erdely Hercege, I was thereby re-awakening old nationalistic and territorial fears. Hungary didn't want a Prince, yet they did have an anemic Monarchist party. I might not be a Hapsburg (the last royal house of Hungary), but I could possibly be misconstrued as a long-lost Árpád scion (first King and founder of the Hungarian state), which would be even better.A crisis was looming in my ancestral crucible. It seems I already had a webpage in Budapest and six hundred "friends" within 24 hours. Worse, they had some pictures of me. Besides being 'of regal bearing' in the descriptions, I was sexy-hot and a soldier of fortune, a modern day 'Wild Geese, (Goose?)' who was wanted for questioning in a, or perhaps multiple, murder(s) involving either a duel over a woman's honor or killing a dozen armed gangsters who prayed on young innocents newly arrived to the big city.I wasn't alone. My trusty companion was A.) an ascetic Jedi Mistress (my own, personal Yoda), B.) an ancient witch schooled in the necromantic arts (apparently the reason I couldn't die), or C.) a Cold-War Era SMERSH (too much James Bond) assassin repaying an old debt to the descendent of an anti-communist partisan she'd killed years ago, eerily close to the truth for once. That, plus the TEK investigation, were Hungary's main points of concern involving me.2.) I was now a person involved in significant events for half a dozen nations on the world scene.Let's start with Romania. Okay, foremost, I was responsible for the single deadliest day in modern (post-WWII) Romanian Land Forces history. There was no covering this up. Close to one hundred men and women had died in combat, and then you added the forty-some dead Amazons, many of them apparently tortured, and this was a political and public relations nightmare.No one doubted their troops behaved heroically. That wasn't the problem. The political conundrum was how could they explain Ajax and his fifty seasoned killers penetrating into central Romania with no one being aware of the danger? A few politicians wanted to blame Székely nationalists (by that, they meant the ethnic minority who 'vaguely' wanted Transylvania to rejoin Hungary), except they had me, the Hungarian Prince, leading the charge.Life would have been so much easier for them if I had died. Yes, I could read the minds of those politicians. Screw a girl, then her younger sister, and then his wife, who all say they love me, and you'll recognized the emotional intent a father directs your way. (I'd only done that once, and once was enough.) I was getting that vibe again.Unfortunately for them, I wasn't dead and three big time foreign governments (and Ireland) seemed really curious about me, my performance and my mortality. So dragging me out back for a firing squad wasn't going to happen. Riki Martin of the US State Department was there and she told me a representative of the US Military Mission was on his way up to debrief me. Russia's sexy military attaché was still on site and looking happy for some reason. Flaviu, who had some experience with me, was soon to be gone; replaced by some person who had some serious lettuce before his actual name and didn't know me from didly. Not good.The UK had one of their diplomats coming up as well, just so I didn't get lonely. They weren't driving up with the Irishman, or the American. No one considers their carbon footprint in a crisis, I swear. But wait! It gets better. My Romanian Special Force dudes had brought the rest of their company (around a hundred new buddies) with them, they seriously didn't want me to get homesick and wander off (because, you know, I liked living and freedom).The Romanian army shouldn't have worried. It seemed that there were some US Army Rangers with NATO in Kosovo, Albania, or Bosnia and Uncle Sam was expressing a desire for them to 'stop by'. Maybe they could share their C-130 with the British paratroopers who were equally concerned about my well-being. I just hoped everyone was going to play nice when the Spetsnaz arrived. Putin was suddenly (and surprisingly to me, anyway) my new pal. I had a feeling I'd soon be discovering my secret Russian heritage if I wasn't careful. I was thinking maybe I could squeeze an Order of Lenin, or a Hero of the Soviet Union out of him. I heard they both looked nice, were obsolete and came without an actual pension.If Katrina wouldn't let me write off this calamity as PTO, I was going to be irate. I was on the verge of having a large family to support after all, unless you considered me marrying a billionaire's heiress to be compensation enough. The only group involved who weren't trying to actually see me was the Khanate.Temujin most likely had some shamanistic mojo that would let him know if I croaked. That bit smacked of paganism, so it was kept under wraps because he had to appear dutifully Islamic for the masses. Still, some koumiss would have been nice. Heck, right then I could have gone for an 'atta boy', perhaps even a 'two thumbs up'.Oh yeah; the general of the 4th Romanian Division wanted me to stop by when I had the chance (if I didn't, he'd send men to kill me, or so it was insinuated). The 61st Mountain Troops was part of his division's combat command and if the General Staff went looking for someone to crucify, he was making damn sure it wasn't going to be him.It occurred to me that I could send a handsome-looking Spetsnaz (if there was such a thing) to go in my place. They were brother Slavs, right? I was sure that between the 'Fall of the Berlin Wall', Moldavian Independence and Romania joining NATO, they would have much to discuss. Out of the blue, Pamela smacked me on the back of my head, Jethro Gibbs' style. My 'more-evil Russian doppelganger' idea must have been poorly thought out.Before I could implement that silliness, or trigger the big brouhaha, there was a preamble: I had three compatriots. Of greater importance, I had three heavily armed/gravely-serious bodyguards who wouldn't surrender their weapons and/or abandon me. So I thought "play nice" thoughts to myself.Diplomacy, sovereignty and legality all reared their ugly heads. I wasn't really an Irish diplomat. My paperwork was still valid, but the Romanian government hadn't permitted my entry into their country under the standard diplomatic protocols. Ireland wanted to talk to me about that, why was I running around armed and killing people in two Central European countries? I was acting more like an Irish adventurer from the 17th century, than a genteel civil servant from the 21st.Then there was the niggling little complication that involved me, my friends and our criminal possession of military-grade hardware. Chaz had the dubious excuse of being an official British government agent on assignment. That meant he could hope for a prisoner exchange within the next decade. Rachel and Pamela were private citizens with painfully sketchy proofs of US citizenship.When the Romanian legal system finished buggering them, it would be off to Hungry and its serious inquiry into all the dead bodies we'd left in our wake. Who was I kidding? What I was really worrying about was how many members of the Romanian penal system would die when they escaped. Their flimsy identities gave no clue to how dangerous they actually were. Hell, they'd beat me home.I had the added difficulty of Ireland and their questions about who the fuck I was and why I had their gold filigree on something I didn't deserve sitting snugly in my back pocket.So first off, this new band of 'Eagles' wanted to disarm and separate us."Don't insult me," I scoffed. "I am your Prince. Don't make me explain it to your widow.""I'm not married," the Lieutenant snarled back, daring me."Well, rush out and marry somebody. I haven't got all day. We don't want me to be caught in an idle boast now do we?" I grinned. Verbal sparring apparently wasn't in his repertoire."What?""Shut the fuck up, Carl," Chaz blithely inserted himself into the conversation."But you don't even speak Romanian," I countered. "How do you even know what I said?" The Romanians didn't know English, but they knew Carl. The tension between us ebbed."By the expression on the officer's face, Hercege," he winked. "It's universal to the brotherhood.""Who is he with?" The officer questioned me."You and he are the same," I answered."You cannot go any farther armed," he returned to his mission parameters."I don't envy you going in and telling the Colonel to come out here, but so be it," I held my ground."We could kill you and take them off your corpses," he studied my reaction."You are the second handsome man to tell me that today," I shook my head. "I'll tell you what I told him: 'you sure are cute, just not my type'." Pause then laughter."You are a madman," the lieutenant snorted. "I'll go talk to the Colonel."I was a jerk, loved maidens and was a master of bullshit. Did that make me a modern day Minotaur? The lieutenant came back out, then ushered me inside; Riki had to wait for the moment. He motioned my team come along. In the staff room of the 61st were a handful of officers and several suits."Mr. Nyilas," the Colonel gazed upon me. "I don't know what to make of you.""You and my Mother both," I mumbled. Despite the somber atmosphere, a few of the men and women let their moods lighten. They didn't hold my levity against me. I'd been there, on the battlefield and if humor was how I dealt with the experience, so be it."Ha," the greying man mused. "It is wholly my fault that I disregard most of the information you supplied my staff. You were unerringly accurate in your assessment of our enemy's capabilities. I know my men and I know how good they are. Veteran commanders can barely describe what my troops endured. You warned us and I didn't believe you. I was wrong and my men died because of it," he sighed."Sir, I do not believe you could have done anything else and succeeded," I interrupted."Succeeded? Is this what you consider success?" he hardened."Absolutely, Sir. Had you been slower to respond, those men would have most likely come here, to Miercurea Ciuc, and you would have fought the same battle, except your civilians would have been caught in the mix," I lied.If Ajax had escaped he'd have hunted me down. The location would have been irrelevant to him. How he knew where to be was a question for later and something to be presented to smarter, more experienced minds."Perhaps," he allowed. "They were heading north when we encountered them.The Alal in me was going back over the plan. It had been sound."Sir, you had every reason to doubt my military experience and to believe I exaggerated the threat. I was right and I take no joy in that, nor do I think anyone can hold your decisions against you," I stated.Now he gave a bitter laugh. Yes, they could hold all the deaths against him."We both know your men and women didn't die for their country, they killed for it. Quite frankly, I believe they killed some of the most vicious creatures to ever walk the face of the Earth. Fuck them for taking so many of us. Pile their bodies up and burn them," I suggested."They deserve no more Romanian soil than a spot to inter their ashes," I concluded."You do not sound like any diplomat I've ever met," the Colonel regained his gruff exterior."I'm not. I'm a fraud. I know as much about Ireland as I do about being a prince," I confessed. "That said, I didn't come here to kill anyone. I came to save lives.""How has that worked out for you?" a sitting woman in a suit questioned, in Romanian. She was slender, waspish and didn't sound comfortable speaking English, though she knew enough to get by."I am not a fortune-teller. I don't know how this is going to work out," I said."That's not what I asked," she prodded."Yes it was," I corrected her. "You wanted to know if I thought the price of your dead countrymen was worth the life of me, my friends and the lives of your countrymen I came to save. I can't measure the promise of those lives against the loss of all the dead. Don't play games with me. I'm have a degree in Philosophy and I eat morally ambiguous people like you for lunch."Pamela laughed aloud and lively."Kimberly and Katrina would be so proud of you right now," she chortled."I don't think you grasp the deep pit your find yourself in, Friend" the suit stayed chillingly calm."Oh, I think we all know we both screwed the pooch big time," I smirked. "The difference is me and mine are all happy to be alive after two of the most trying, fun-filled days of our lives. You want to throw us in prison. The Hungarians want to throw us in prison. I'm sure if I get back to the States, they will want to put us in prison too. Have I missed anyone?""I'm glad you will confess. It will make it easier on us," she grinned like sexy weasel."Wait," Rachel put a restraining arm on me. "I've wanted to say this for some time." To the weasel, "Blow it out your ass, dipshit.""Rachel, you don't know what she said," Pamela faux-gasped."I don't know the words, but I know what he meant," Rachel glowered. She missed Charlotte so much, she was willing to court pain and death. "I want to go back in time and slap her mother repeatedly for not strangling her in the crib. Is that succinct enough?""I apologize for ever meeting you, Rachel. I've brought you to a bad end," I gave her a tender look."It's okay. I never thought I'd live long enough to sleep with you anyway," she smiled back.Phifft, sigh. It was so sad that I recognized the sound of a low-caliber, silenced round."Listen up, dipshit," Pamela snickered. "Good one, Rachel. If you don't believe the next one is going through your skull, you clearly haven't been listening to us. You are fucking with the wrong monkeys. You have this bizarre idea that if I kill you, your government won't replace your worthless, bullet-riddled hide with someone we find more agreeable. My grandson sent in motion a half million combatants a few hours ago, he nearly died leading your soldiers against your nation's enemies and you want him to kiss your shoes as if you matter at all in the grand scheme of things?" she snarled. "Think again."No one was moving because Pamela had her silenced 22 Beretta out and pointed at Weasel's head. The SF's were caught flat-footed, as was everyone else. No guards came rushing in because the closed doors further muffled the sound. "I think this is a good time for us to get a drink," Chaz advised as he slowly reached out and lowered Pamela's gun hand.It was Pamela's gunboat diplomacy yet again. She hadn't meant to kill the women. Hell, she'd been a random target of opportunity. What Pamela had done was clear up the doubts in the room. Everyone on the staff could self-consciously let themselves off the hook for not being in the front lines, risking themselves with their comrades. Thanks to Pamela, they too had confronted violence.'Crazy' Grandma had fired off her piece and everyone sighed with relief when Chaz got her to lower it. I was pretty sure Chaz was in on this dangerous game. It resided with the Colonel as to how to resolve this hiccup in our dispute."Mr. Nyilas, why don't we take a walk outside, just the two of us?" he 'requested'.I nodded because I'm not always as dumb as I look. He was letting my people off with incredible temperance and I could honorably send them away. They'd scoped out the scene and believed I'd be safe enough. He, in turn, had an excuse to take a step away from his political watchdogs."I think that is for the best," I nodded. "Do you want me to leave my guns behind?""No, Mr. Nyilas, we might run into trouble out there and one of my Captains has suggested you are a man who can take care of himself," he replied. That was very nice of him indeed. If I did do something stupid, he had a ton of troops about who would make my regrets rather temporary. I decided to behave as if I had a passing acquaintance with sanity.His first questions were about the fighting at the ruins. I peppered our exchange with my interest in what had happened to the advance force of the 22nd. It was bleak news, yet the Colonel felt a sense of relief. He was coming to accept the lethality of his enemies, which in turn, led to an understanding, if not acceptance, of the carnage his men had been subjected to.He was in a cycle of context, grief, context. He'd gambled on me and men died. Once the battle was joined though, his soldiers had done precisely the right thing under considerable stress. He could be proud without dishonoring the dead. Only Pamela and I had engaged Ajax earlier. Only I had talked with the man.The Colonel had to look into my eyes to get the spark that led to understanding the mind and ruthlessness of his opponent. The name 'Ajax' never came up. That was more than a rational mind could accept at the moment. He knew his men had fought and killed the best and that helped him cope a tiny bit. Our interview ended when the first of the unwanted guests arrived.Only when I walked inside did it occur to me that this had been my first soldier to soldier chat. We had respected one another and discussed matters like men who knew the score. That was depressing in its own right. It was well passed nightfall when we went back inside. In our absence, Riki had started to redeem my existence. My salvation lay in Romantic Americana Symbolism.Translation: I was a Horatio Alger, a working class kid raised by a widower father, who earned a scholarship to a quiet New England college, graduated near the top of my class and gotten an excellent job (salary and benefits not disclosed). That was the was the first part of the Americana, proof positive that America was still the land of opportunity and a place where poor children could still reach the highest levels of society (umm, okay?).The second Americana Part: my Father had been murdered in a case of mistaken identity. Those heavily-armed foreign corporate/rogue governmental-sponsored terrorist mercenaries (their exact origin was shrouded in double-dealing misinformation) had ruthlessly murdered my Pa to cover up their error. Like any true Son of the American Dream, I had sworn vengeance.The Symbolic Part: My compassionate, understanding government (the good governmental servants of Republican Democracy, not the bad, hires the covert, secret, black-bag, unaccountable private contractors/ pawns of the Wall Street Elite bureaucrats) allowed me to participate in a multi-national taskforce. These selfless guardians of the freedom had formed a coalition which had hunted down the villains.With the priceless assistance of two Central European countries, who currently had to remain nameless (cough: Hungary and Romania), we'd achieved a final, violent confrontation in which my allies and I had emerged bloody, scarred, yet victorious. Once more, free men and women had answered the call of duty and some had made the ultimate sacrifice.See, I had a good government that cared enough about me to let me become a gun-toting menace to the civilized world. Like a Hollywood Western hero of the 1950's, 60's and 70's, I had taken personal revenge against the forces of wickedness, exit the railroad tycoons and cattle barons, enter the shadowy world of private security forces and uncontrolled corporate capitalism.

Companions, History and Heroism.By FinalStand. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels.There are two distinct phases of falsehood. In the first, you realize you can lie to those closest to you. In the second, you realize you shouldn't.(And the stars continue to shine forth)"Stop trying to save me," Pamela remarked, once she was sure we were alone once more."Ask me to do something I'd at least consider doing," I sighed. "Let's go back to the party, I'm not sure where we are.""You've been walking in one big circle, Dummy," she chided me.Why was she letting me off the hook for walking off with the Grand Villain in the scheme of things? Well, if she started hitting me, she probably wasn't sure she could stop."One of these days I'm going to screw up and not get out of it," I noted sadly."That is the epitaph of anyone who has ever taken up a weapon and a cause," Pamela smiled.Maybe she wasn't angry with me."Why aren't you more pissed off?" I wondered."You are a good guy, Cáel," Pamela enlightened me. "That means you are going to reach out to people you think you can save. Personally, I don't think Alal can be, but then I'm biased.""Guy coming back from the dead?" I inquired."Damn right. No more surefire way to anger an assassin than to come back from the dead," she related. "Did you take note of his body?""Not really. What did I miss?" I requested."It didn't look right," Pamela shook her head. "Nothing more specific than that. I was hoping, since you touched him, you might have picked something else up.""Nope. I was too busy slipping a GPS locator on him," I grinned."You don't have one and the technology doesn't work that way, ya numbskull," she play slapped my left bicep."Wouldn't it be cool if it did?" my grin broadened."Laugh it up, Monkey-boy," Pamela countered. "Buffy would have you tagged like a mule deer in Yellowstone.""Eek," I gasped. "Point taken.""Well, " Pamela huffed."He's going to kill my soul," I observed. "Now I'm sure of it. All of that discussion was just gauging my personality so that when he offs me, he can become Cáel Nyilas / Wakko Ishara." Pause."Good for you," Pamela let go of a tense breath. She didn't have to ask."The whole Condottieri situation is a scam," I passed on that bit of information I'd first put together with the Vizsla. "It never left Granddad's control. Currently he's going to use various other factions to kill off the Condottieri and Illuminati leadership that oppose him, then it is Unity Time.""If he takes your place, that gives him leverage on the Amazon Council plus your appeal to the 9 Clans and the Earth  and  Sky," Pamela helped me work things through. "He couldn't get his hooks into the Egyptians because they knew too much about him. Matters of race stymied his efforts with the Earth  and  Sky and Seven Pillars.""Except I saved Temujin and he's been supplying them with weapons and tech for over fifty years," I told her. "Even when he was dead, his plan was working, he had predicted the path that warfare would take, invested wisely and left orders to implement his plans. When the time came, they were ready to take out the Seven Pillars.""Without you saving Temujin, the E and S wouldn't have cared, but you," Pamela nodded. "If it comes down to his coalition of Illuminati, Condottieri, Amazons and 9 Clans, the Egyptians will join him, Global Unification has been their goal all along," she continued. "Besides, you made one hell of a positive impression on them the only time you've met. Bang up job, Stud.""Temujin will join as well. He's anything but suicidal," I finished the roll call of my fate. We were almost back to the rave by this time. "You know, you could kill me and short-circuit all of this mess," I reminded her."No way. I plan to win, damn it," Pamela patted me on the back. "Save the Dum-sel in Disrepute, slay the Evil Warlord and re-retire with a boatload great-grandbabies to spoil.""I gave the Vizsla a clue," I let Pamela know the possible complications to her plan. "In 1847, one General of the Condottieri tried to have the Italian Black Hand kill another. Unfortunately, the victim in question was a puppet for Grandpa and the assassin team attacked them both. Because they saw his face, he hunted them back to their base and slaughtered the entire Verona Chapter house of the Wolf.""He must have fucked up a few other times as well," Pamela assured me. Speaking of miscalculations, Anya, Katalin and Orsi broke from the thrashing mob and ran up to me."Your crazy ex-girlfriend called," Anya seemed steamed. "She insisted must she talk to you." At first glance, it would be 'which crazy ex-GF', except only one had Anya's phone number. I took her phone."Bonjour, ma petite amie méchante ," I greeted Anais, the Mountie, in French. Yes, I was calling her a 'meanie'."Cáel, how are you? Where are you?" she was truly concerned. I didn't doubt her sincerity. I also didn't doubt she was convinced she knew what was best for me, as well."I've talked with the Hungarian Police too," I let my pique come through. "You screwed me over. I asked you to let me handled this and you didn't.""You are still a Jerk," she snapped. "I've been trying to help. And from the sounds of it, you are at a party.""It's a rave. It is a rave brought about by the police keeping people penned up in the town all afternoon. Now, if you would stop treating me like a freaking child, you would realize that I'm actually safer in a crowd than I am alone, holed-up in some room without a weapon because you've made it so that the TEK is now keeping a sharp eye on me," I retorted."Can't you tell I'm trying to help you?" she got loud, on the cusp of becoming enraged."Yes. I called you, asking for help. I also called to apologize, without making it sound like some lame stupid stunt to get you back. I'm in real trouble here and I've put other people in danger at the same time," I told her. And yes, I planned to get some 'Anais' when I got back to North America."I'm telling you," she persisted, "let Hungarian law enforcement help you.""I'm trying to make you understand," I countered, "that this is a situation that the police can't help me with. I called you because I believed I could trust you, even though you hate me.""I'm angry with you, Cáel. I don't hate you," she grumbled. "I am trying to help.""If I didn't believe that, I wouldn't still be talking to you, Anais," I allowed. "What did Timothy tell you?""Is that all you care about?" she grumbled."Actually, this is me trying not to be a selfish jackass," I said. "People are in danger because of me and I need to make sure they are safe before I take care of myself.""That's, very unlike you," Anais sounded unsure."I've been doing some growing up since graduation," I replied. "I only wish I'd grown smarter.""I, I'm sorry about your Papa," she quieted down."They gunned him down in his own home," I told her. "Dad never touched a gun in his life and they shot him with an assault rifle.""Oh, well, I understand your Federal Justice Department is investigating the matter," Anais tried to comfort me. "I talked with your Prosecutor Castello. She wouldn't tell me much.""Pity," I mumbled. "I know they are having difficulties.""It is an American problem," she noted."Not really," I sunk in my hooks. "We've been working with MI-6 and the CIA. They are all part of that international task force I told you about {see last chapter}.""Yes, how did you get Irish diplomatic status? That doesn't make any sense," she perked up. Anais liked puzzles. Actually, she liked solving conundrums. It made her a great cop."We are missing the party," Monika protested, in German."That's right. Tell your EX-girlfriend good-bye, Cáel," Anya insisted loudly."Who is that?" Anais groused."It is Anya, the Bulgarian mechanical engineer. We've had sex since you and I last talked and I think she's feeling a tad possessive," I explained.Pause."Bastard," Anais seethed. I was sure her cunt was twitching already. "Fine. I talked with your roommate, he says you have my uniform in a dress bag and my boots in a sealed box, so I forgive you. Anyway, he said Odette called, and she gave him a number to give to you."Since it didn't have 555 in it, I had hopes it was genuine. This was not the time to give Anais the quick kiss-off."I appreciate it, Anais," I sighed with relief. "Have you decided which restaurant you want to go to when I get back?""I haven't given it much thought, Cáel," I could feel her defrosting further. "How can I keep in touch with you?""Ugh, I don't have my own phone right now. Tomorrow I'm going to steal some means of conveyance and, " I grinned."Don't tell me that," Anais complained. "I'm still an officer of the law.""Well, the new 'me' is trying to be more honest with you, Anais. I've got to get out of town tomorrow. Would you rather I lied to you, again?" I confounded her."Well, no. Try to be careful, prends soin de mon amour," she sighed."I will call you as soon as I'm able. Thank you again," I signed off."I still say, 'that one' is confused about her 'ex' status," Orsi teased me."Do you know what is worse than having one woman save your soul?" I tossed out to them. They could not divine an answer. "Having three women do it at the same time, for different reasons. Now I believe we have a party starving for our attention."(Reunions)Pamela had convinced me the motorcycle driver who belonged to our newly acquired BMW K1600 GT would be at least four hours regaining consciousness and getting himself untied. We had stopped at a petrol station along the 431, between Kiszombor, Hungary and the Romanian border. She wanted to fuel up before the border crossing, in case things didn't work out, you know, with our guns and this stolen vehicle.She was already peeved that I'd stopped in Szeged to pick up a few pounds of paprika. Rumor had it that the fields around that stretch of the Tisza produced the highest quality of that spice on the planet, especially the sweet kind. Pamela pointed out I knew 'jack' about cooking. I agreed. What I did know was cooks, the female variety.Fresh spice from the 'source' was way better than a dozen roses, even with a box of chocolates added. Did I have a cook lined up in New York? No, but I was sure I could find one. Wait! Yasmin, my Brazilian, ex-Super Cop, hottie should be back in town by now. If she didn't cook, she'd definitely have a friend I could seduce.Honest to Ishara, I was starting to believe this constant 'work-work-work' was ruining my normally poor judgment where sex and fidelity were concerned.Pamela was getting some lunch for us while I gassed up my crotch-rocket. My luck kept being, exceptional. Two Hungarian motorcycle troopers showed up; both were women and they apparently had decided that I was worthy of attention. Hey, I'm good-looking, and I was wearing a ballistic vest. (The durability of my long coat wasn't so obvious.) "Nice bike," the first one, the one directly confronting me, said. "Thanks. It is a KT1600 GT, 2009," I smiled. "What are you two on?" "Yamaha FJR1300A's," she answered. I put up the nozzle, capped the tank and walked over to her conveyance. It was a really sweet ride. "You have a gun," she noted calmly. She and her partner both had their hands on their holstered weapons. Since the flaps were still down, I wasn't panicking. "Yes. More than one in fact," I kept pretending to look over her bike while I was really scoping her out. I'd nailed all six boat girls and then had the Macedonian babe for breakfast. So I still had three good sexual bangs in me before dusk and these two were nice and pleasant enough. "Do you have permits for those?" she asked. Her partner was calling something in. "Are we still in Hungary?" I mused. The question was a joke. "I believe we are," she smiled. Sure, I may have been a dangerous felon, but I was a nice looking and engaging one."Nope. I'm afraid not," I sighed. She understood my English. "Why are you so armed?" she kept calm. "Are you law enforcement somewhere?" "Does a secretive, non-governmental, paramilitary organization count?" "No," she sighed. "That sounds rather criminal. So, what are you carrying?" That was a nice way of saying 'give me your gun'."Left, right, back, or ankle?" I replied. "Which one do you want first?" "Let's try this again. Can I see some form of ID?" she remained rather comfortable despite this having to be the most bizarre traffic stop of her career."I'm reaching around to my right rear jean pocket for it," I related. Something dating Anais had taught me was that you always tell an on-duty cop what you are doing before you do it.She nodded, so I pulled out my NY Driver's license, my US passport and my Irish Diplomatic ID. She began looking them over. "You are Cáel Nyilas?" she looked over my documents. "If that who it says I am, then yes," I grinned.For a second, she was P-O'ed, then she realized I was playing with her. She snorted in amusement and returned to looking over my stuff.   "Nyilas is a Hungarian name," she hummed. "Székely," I clarified. "My family emigrated to America at the end of World War II. I've actually come back here to look over the homeland." "You couldn't land in Bucharest?" she handed me my ID back. "What?" I feigned an insult to my intellect. "Hungarian women are far prettier.""You don't appear to be Dortmund Schuyler," her partner looked me over.

In part two of Transylvanian Tumbleweeds we explore the legacy of Dracula-themed attractions, particularly focusing on the Castle Dracula experience at Universal Studios. We discuss the concept of the "JayBang" introduced by Jay Stein and the challenges faced as audience tastes shifted, leading to innovative adaptations in modern amusement parks.• Exploration of Universal Studios' background • Delving into the concept of "JayBang" • Nostalgia surrounding Castle Dracula • The impact of cultural changes on horror representation • Insights into Bill Tracy's influence in theme park design • Upcoming Universal Horror Land discussions Thanks for listening!We'd love it if you would give us a cheeky little review on your podcast platform of choice. They're really helpful.Come visit our Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1511094196139406 or drop us a note to comments@lowdown-plus-up.com and let us know any questions or comments about how YOU would like to plus-something-up! We are a Boardwalk Times production.Boardwalk Times, https://boardwalktimes.net/Boardwalk Times store, https://boardwalktimes.store .

Send us a textWhat does it really mean to be a producer, and why do so many women hesitate to claim the title?In this episode of Girls Twiddling Knobs, we sit down with Fran & Flora—an innovative violin and cello duo blending Yiddish, Romanian, and Transylvanian folk music with improvisation, electronics, and sound experimentation. We dive into their co-production journey on Precious Collection, navigating self-perception as producers, and the evolving landscape for independent artists. Expect candid insights on gender in music, creative collaboration, and the art of crafting immersive soundscapes. A must-listen for musicians, producers, and folk music lovers!Stream and download Precious Collection >> Fran & Flora website >>Connect with Fran & Flora on Instagram >>If you loved listening to this week's episode of the podcast, leave a review wherever you're listening now and let me know

In part one of our exploration of the Transylvanian tyrant turned tourist trap, we break down some of Dracula's origins. Don't worry, this is not going to be that same old "Dracula is based on Vlad the Impaler" lecture that you've already heard. It's much stranger than that. And much more wonderful.Then we start to place the good Count into some of his earliest theme park appearances.Part 2 should be up next week!Thanks for listening!We'd love it if you would give us a cheeky little review on your podcast platform of choice. They're really helpful.Come visit our Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1511094196139406 or drop us a note to comments@lowdown-plus-up.com and let us know any questions or comments about how YOU would like to plus-something-up! We are a Boardwalk Times production.Boardwalk Times, https://boardwalktimes.net/Boardwalk Times store, https://boardwalktimes.store .

tep into the eerie, gothic world of Nosferatu!

The band Katlan from the Transylvania Region, plays authentic folk music from Transylvania and Hungary as well as bluegrass music. Each of the members has been involved in folk music for more than 10 years and now we have started a special project. Our first album will be released soon and will feature Transyl-vanian Hungarian, Romanian and Gypsy folk music as well as American bluegrass music. In addition, in January we have been invited to the United States of America, to Kentucky, to meet Ray-mond McLain, retired director of Morehead State University, one of the most outstanding musicians in bluegrass music, who will give us a music workshop and we will also record a joint album in an American studio. Their goal is to bring Transylvanian folk culture to America and to bring back the experiences they learn here.

Nosferatu, the new film by Robert Eggers, has been the talk of the movie-town since its release on Christmas Day. With his remake of F.W. Murnau's 1922 classic of the same name, Eggers has become the latest auteur to bring Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula to the screen, joining a group that also includes Werner Herzog and Francis Ford Coppola. Like those before him, Eggers makes the tale of the Transylvanian vampire all his own. His Nosferatu is rooted in precise historical detail—as in his earlier films like The Witch (2015) and The Northman (2022)—while also bringing a contemporary psychodramatic sensibility to the characters, particularly Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård) and Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp). On today's Podcast, Eggers joins Film Comment Editor Devika Girish to discuss why he wanted to make Dracula “scary” again, the polarizing feminist readings of Nosferatu, and the visual restraint of the film. If you stick it out until the end, you'll also hear Eggers share some of the movies and T.V. shows he counts as Guilty Pleasures—including a reality show featuring a “demonic masc villain.”

Hey! It's a brand new podcast on the same feed. Welcome to UDS Film Club, a bi-weekly look at films new and old. Join us as we dive into what we like, what we don't like, and more tangents than my GCSE maths calculator. On this pilot, we watch Robert Eggers Nosferatu. We discuss the film's themes of grooming, coersion and power dynamics, the use of tone and atmosphere, and why Willem Defoe is the gift that keeps on giving.  Also expect to hear more attempts at a Transylvanian accent you could swing a bat at.  Stay tuned for more episodes soon! Visit upsidedownshark.com Subscribe to our YouTube channel

This week we are rebroadcasting our episode on Count Dracula! The Nosferatu craze has gotten ahold of us too.  Enjoy! -----------  There is much about the myth of the vampire that science will never understand. They crawl from their graves, blood running from their mouths trailing mist in search of innocent victims to join them in monstrosity. They are alluring in their terror and terrifying in their allure, and human kind will never cease to wonder if they are simply a legend, or if there is much more. This week we explore the origins of most famous and enduring vampire of all time: Count Dracula. If you're thinking this will be a whole episode on Vlad The Impaler, think again. There is so much more to the iconic count than one Transylvanian tyrant with a pointy nose.  Click to learn more     WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

Two enigmatic icons with enduring holds on the Western imagination are currently lighting up multiplex screens: fearsome Transylvanian vampire Dracula and Nobel Prize–winning American treasure Bob Dylan. Both released on Christmas Day, Robert Eggers's Nosferatu and James Mangold's A Complete Unknown are ambitious efforts at crafting new and absorbing tales out of these two mainstays of pop culture. Nosferatu stars Bill Skarsgård, Lily Rose-Depp, and Nicholas Hoult in the latest adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel, joining a cinematic canon established by filmmakers like F.W. Murnau, Francis Ford Coppola, and Werner Herzog. A Complete Unknown features Timothée Chalamet as the young Dylan, tracing his arrival in New York in 1961 to his set at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, where he famously decided to “go electric.” On this week's Podcast, Film Comment editors Devika Girish and Clinton Krute invited Lovia Gyarkye, film critic at The Hollywood Reporter, and FC's very own Michael Blair (a Dylan aficionado) to debate the successes and failures of the two films—for both loyalists and neophytes of Dylan & Dracula. The group also discussed a few other Christmas Week releases, including Barry Jenkins's Mufasa and Rachel Morrison's The Fire Inside—and if you stay till the very end, you can also listen to their thoughts on Peter Watkins's monumental La Commune (Paris, 1871) (2000), which the Film Comment team viewed this past weekend at Anthology Film Archives. Sections: A Complete Unknown (7:25) Nosferatu (31:20) Mufasa (48:00) The Fire Inside (52:16) La Commune (Paris, 1871) (55:56)

Send us a textThis week we are unwrapping 2024's Transylvanian classic meet-cute rom-com: "Nosferatu"! Instead of writing about the review here we will just let the AI generated catchphrases from our show serve as the episode description and you just have to mark all these off on a little sheet while you're listening. It'll be like Mummy Dearest Podcast bingo. Catch 'em all!"Hey my little blood suckers.""I am Nosferatu-coded.""This is definitely a movie.""The sound editing was insane.""I will watch this every holiday.""He's in love with her.""I want cone hats and veils!""I felt like I was going insane.""I need that sexy vampire film!""I just wanted more out of it.""I want $4 million, I want nothing.""I will never trash an Eggers movie.""I do think he ruined it.""I think that's fucked up."Enjoy this week's episode more than Sloane enjoyed Nosferatu!Support the showVisit MummyDearestPodcast.com for merch and more!Follow the podcast on Instagram!Follow Sloane on Instagram!Follow Zach on Instagram!And most importantly, become a Patron and unlock hundreds of bonus episodes!

It's the Cinema Smorgasbord HOLIDAY SPECIAL and as usual we're heading (virtually) to the Weihnachtsfilmfestival in Berlin, Germany to check out TWO films that played at their 2023 edition. We start with the sweet Korean fantasy comedy SWITCH from 2023, about a superstar actor who learns a few lessons in love and humility after having his life switched with that of his lowly assistant. Then we finish off with the devastating Romanian drama R.M.N., about the xenophobic fallout when some Sri Lankan workers are hired at a Transylvanian bread company. It's a very special episode so why not send the kids to bed and listen? The post Episode 253 – The Cinema Smorgasbord Holiday Special – Switch (2023) & R.M.N. (2022) first appeared on Cinema Smorgasbord.

In this week's episode of the world's-fastest-movie-review podcast Jackson and Mike review TWO new films!!! First “NOSFERATU”. Set in 1838 in Germany, Nosferatu follows the obsession between a haunted young woman, Ellen Hutter, and the ancient Transylvanian vampire stalking her, Count Orlok, leading to untold horror. Starring Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Willem Dafoe. Then a quick review of “KRAVEN THE HUNTER”. Kraven is a man whose complex relationship with his ruthless gangster father, starts him down a path of vengeance with brutal consequences, motivating him to become not only the greatest hunter in the world but also one of its most feared. Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ariana DeBose, and Russell Crowe.

Mok O'Keefe - aka 'The Gay Aristo' - returns to the podcast this week as a guest host. Mok - who lives in an actual castle - is a great fan of all things Gothic and so he's the perfect person to help Phil explore the scandalous life of Lord Byron and his circle of friends, and the creation of classic gothic tales during a memorable summer in a small villa near Lake Geneva. It was here that Bryon, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary Shelley and other staged a writing competition that created Frankenstein and the first modern Vampire novel. Romani academic Madeline Potter is fascinated with the writers of this period and brings her expert knowledge - and enthusiasm for all things Transylvanian - to the conversation. You can buy the books we feature on the podcast here, along with thousands of others...https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/scandalmongersPhil's upcoming book on 1945 is now available for pre order in the UK. It will be published in April 2025 in Britain, Australia, New Zealand and India...https://www.amazon.co.uk/1945-Reckoning-Empire-Struggle-World/dp/139971449X/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=#Looking for the perfect gift for a special scandalous someone - or someone you'd like to get scandalous with? We're here to help...https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ScandalMongers*** If you enjoy our work please consider clicking the YouTube subscribe button, even if you listen to us on an audio app. It will help our brand to grow and our content to reach new ears.The Scandal Mongers...https://x.com/mongerspodcastPhil Craig...https://x.com/philmcraigMok O' Keeffe...https://www.instagram.com/mokokeeffe/THE SCANDAL MONGERS PODCAST is also available to watch on Youtube...https://www.youtube.com/@thescandalmongerspodcastYou can get in touch with the show via...team@podcastworld.org(place 'Scandal Mongers' in the heading)Produced byPodcastWorld.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Of het nu groot of klein is, anoniem of niet, eenmalig of maandelijks, elke bijdrage helpt ons om dit fascinerende verhaal voort te zetten en meer verborgen verhalen aan het licht te brengen: https://fooienpod.com/kunstmaffiaZeer veel dank mochten jullie iets voor onze podcast over hebben! Wij maken momenteel geen gebruik van adverteerders!Een 19-jarige kunststudent, Spencer Reinhardt, en zijn vrienden plannen een gewaagde diefstal van enkele van de meest waardevolle boeken ter wereld uit de bibliotheek van de Transylvania University. Hun droom om miljonair te worden lijkt binnen handbereik, maar hun onprofessionele voorbereiding en amateuristische uitvoering leiden tot een chaotische overval die hen in de problemen brengt. Terwijl ze zich als bejaarden verkleden om de bibliotheek binnen te komen, ontdekken ze al snel dat hun plan veel zwakker is dan gedacht. Na een mislukte poging zijn ze gedwongen hun strategie aan te passen, maar uiteindelijk loopt alles uit de hand. Deze bizarre en tragische zaak, die de kunstwereld in shock achterlaat, leidt tot arrestaties en een mediastorm, en inspireert zelfs een film over hun roekeloze avontuur.Takeaways: Chess Allen's life takes a drastic turn when he becomes a millionaire on paper, only to face a home invasion by a heavily armed squad team. The story follows Spencer Reinhardt, a disillusioned art student, who hatches a plan to steal valuable books from his university's library. The art heist highlights the vulnerabilities in securing rare cultural artifacts, as Betty Koets struggles with inadequate security for priceless manuscripts. Spencer's group, motivated by boredom and the allure of wealth, naively attempts an elaborate heist inspired by Hollywood films. Despite their planning, the robbery quickly unravels due to their amateurish approach and lack of a solid escape strategy. The aftermath of the heist leads to a federal investigation, revealing the boys' identities and resulting in severe legal consequences for all involved. Companies mentioned in this episode: Christie's Auction House Set against the backdrop of Lexington, Kentucky, the podcast episode chronicles the reckless journey of four college friends who attempt to pull off an art heist that would change their lives forever. The narrative begins with Chess Allen, a young man whose dreams of wealth and success quickly dissolve when he encounters a squad of armed police officers. This event signals the start of an enthralling exploration of their misguided ambitions as they plot to steal rare and valuable books from their university library, spurred on by a librarian's casual mention of their worth.The episode delves into the motivations behind their audacious plan, painting a vivid picture of their dissatisfaction with life and their search for excitement. Spencer Reinhardt and his friends, searching for an escape from their mundane existence, devise a plan to steal priceless books, including a coveted edition of Audubon's work. However, their preparations are laughably amateurish, drawing inspiration from Hollywood heist films instead of engaging with the realities of their undertaking. The podcast captures the absurdity of their disguises and the eventual failure of their first attempt, all while maintaining a sense of suspense as the story unfolds.As events escalate on the day of the heist, the tension mounts, leading to a chaotic confrontation that leaves the librarian incapacitated and the group scrambling with their ill-gotten gains. The episode does not shy away from the harsh realities of their actions, culminating in an investigation that reveals the boys' identities and leads to their swift downfall. The consequences they face serve as a stark reminder of the risks...

In this episode, we're taking a journey back to the eerie roots of horror cinema by exploring the thrilling world of Pre-Code horror films of the 1930s. Joining us is Leslie, a dedicated podcast host, photographer, and true horror fanatic, ready to share insights into some of the most iconic films that defined this genre before Hollywood's Production Code put restrictions on content. These pre-code films were daring, experimental, and unafraid to push boundaries, introducing audiences to terrifying monsters, dark themes, and twisted characters that would shape horror for generations. We begin by delving into the legendary classic Dracula (1931), where Bela Lugosi's portrayal of the Transylvanian vampire set the standard for cinematic horror. Leslie sheds light on how Dracula brought an air of sophistication and dread to horror, with its haunting atmosphere and Lugosi's unforgettable performance, making it a cultural icon and solidifying the vampire as one of horror's most enduring creatures. Next, we turn to Bride of Frankenstein (1935), James Whale's masterful sequel to the original Frankenstein, which brought a new level of emotion and complexity to the genre. Leslie discusses the film's exploration of loneliness and creation, its stunning visual style, and Elsa Lanchester's portrayal of the iconic Bride, who became a symbol of both beauty and horror. The Bride's brief yet powerful presence left a lasting impact on horror cinema and expanded the scope of what horror characters could represent. We also take a closer look at Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931), with Fredric March's Academy Award-winning performance showcasing the duality of human nature. This adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's story was one of the first to depict the terrifying transformation of a man into a monster, both physically and psychologically. Leslie shares thoughts on how the film's groundbreaking special effects and dark exploration of identity and morality pushed the boundaries of horror and captivated audiences with its chilling take on inner darkness. For honorable mentions, we discuss other unforgettable films from the era, such as King Kong (1933), a film that combined adventure with horror, captivating audiences with its impressive visual effects and tragic monster. The Black Cat (1934), starring horror legends Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff, offered a disturbing tale of revenge and occult themes. The Invisible Man (1933) showcased Claude Rains' brilliant performance as the unseen terror, while Island of Lost Souls (1932) delved into themes of science gone wrong with its haunting depiction of genetic experimentation. In closing, Leslie reflects on how these films from the 1930s laid the groundwork for the horror genre, challenging societal norms and fearlessly exploring themes of the monstrous and the unknown. The legacy of these pre-code films lives on, inspiring countless filmmakers and horror fans today, as we continue to revisit these dark classics that dared to push the limits of cinema in a way that still resonates nearly a century later.

Emily Gerard (1849-1905) was a Scottish writer whose collection of Transylvanian folklore served as direct inspiration for Bram Stoker as he was penning his famous and beloved novel Dracula.  For Further Reading:  Mystery of the Scottish woman who inspired Dracula  The Scottish Anthropologist Who Inspired Dracula ‹ CrimeReads  Bram Stoker's Dracula inspired by writings of maverick Scotswoman | Scotland | The Guardian Womanhood   The Project Gutenberg eBook of Transylvanian Superstitions, by Emily Gerard The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Land Beyond the Forest, by E. Gerard. October is the perfect time to delve into all things spooky. So this month, we're talking about the women who give us goosebumps. Some are real-life creators of spine-chilling works of fiction. Others are the subjects of frightening folklore. Either way, these Scream Queens are sure to give you a scare. History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn't help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should. Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we'll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures. Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Sara Schleede, Paloma Moreno Jimenez, Luci Jones, Abbey Delk, Hannah Bottum, Lauren Willams, and Adrien Behn. Special thanks to Shira Atkins. Original theme music composed by Brittany Martinez. Follow Wonder Media Network: Website Instagram Twitter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We found a real Transylvanian Vampire Historian to talk to us about Romania's various mythological beasts and ghoulies.

In this spine-chilling episode of Paranormal Activity with Yvette Fielding, we venture into the eerie world of two of Europe's most haunted locations: Corvin Castle in Romania and Houska Castle in the Czech Republic.Yvette explores the terrifying paranormal activity surrounding these historic strongholds, delving into the mysterious hauntings that have terrified visitors for centuries.We'll also uncover the dark and twisted history of Vlad the Impaler, the ruthless figure who inspired the infamous character of Count Dracula.From his gruesome reign of terror to his connection with Corvin Castle, Yvette unpacks the legends and ghost stories surrounding Vlad's spirit.Discover how Bram Stoker drew inspiration from Vlad's life and Transylvanian folklore to create his gothic masterpiece, Dracula.Join us for a thrilling exploration of history, hauntings, and horror as we unravel the truth behind the legends and paranormal phenomena linked to some of Europe's most haunted sites.Dare to listen?A Create Podcast Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/paranormal-activity-with-yvette-fielding. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jake, Gareth and special guest Eric Edelstein talk to a caller who's preparing to see in-laws with a hardcore meat diet. Later, the guys talk to a coach about cutting a goalie and someone upgrading their poker night (picture here). Want to call in? Email your question to helpfulpod@gmail.com.MERCH: heretohelppod.comINSTAGRAM: @HereToHelpPodTIKTOK: @HereToHelpPodIf you're enjoying the show, make sure to rate We're Here to Help 5-Stars on Apple Podcasts.Advertise on We're Here to Help via Gumball.fm See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Join us on an exhilarating journey through our latest episode as we navigate a labyrinth of absurdity and whimsy in Transylvania. From cryptic and eerie introductions to bizarre gift exchanges, our escapades are filled with surreal dialogues and humorous interactions. Whether it's a peculiar request for imported silicone items or a heartfelt discussion about relationships and shared memories, each moment is a blend of chaos and charm, culminating in poetic reflections on the impermanence of footprints on the sands of time.  Experience the thrills of our paranormal encounters as Jay Maniac interviews Manny about ghost sightings and unexplained phenomena. We recount eerie tales of being chased in the wilderness, camping in remote areas, and supernatural encounters with departed pets. The suspense builds with stories of glowing blue eyes and aggressive animals, leaving you on the edge of your seat. Our playful banter and detailed descriptions bring these spine-chilling experiences to life, hinting at more spooky adventures as we head towards Transylvania.  Prepare for laughter and nostalgia as we test each other's movie knowledge, engage in lively trivia games, and tackle a whimsical "Cryptid or Not" challenge. From discussing memorable movie scenes to humorous interactions at a supernatural party, our episode is packed with entertaining and competitive moments. We explore mythical creatures, recount sibling rivalries, and share a fun gift exchange among friends, all while navigating the quirks of Transylvanian hospitality. Don't miss out on the playful dynamics and thrilling tales that make this episode an unforgettable adventure. Special thanks to : Mollie Heckerling, Liz Days, Floyd, Peter Solomon, Kat, Disastra, Rachel Sweeting, The Bear, Madeline Maser, Kristin Finger, FlaMinMonKey and Drahos Milkovic. Contains : *Adult Language *Adult Situations Thank you for listening, you Maniacs! If you like the podcast tell a friend. Please rate it 5 stars on Apple Podcasts and leave us a review. Mollie Heckerling Socials : Instagram@mollieheckerling X@mollieschmollie Youtube (for the show, "Ratso", "Brave Little Toaster" (live action), & other content) @ https://www.youtube.com/@mollieheckerling1875 Find Kristin Finger's podcast, Remark : ⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCstNF98J9tPHqmUcEpcQ1Hw⁠⁠⁠ Lizzy Maniac portfolio : ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/user/TheLizDays/videos⁠⁠⁠ Madeline Maser art and contacts : ⁠⁠⁠madelinemaserart.com⁠⁠⁠ & IG : ⁠⁠⁠@madelinemaser⁠⁠⁠ The Bear - Bearded Bear Entertainment : ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Youtube : ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@beardedbearentertainment?si=5agBG9n59P2Dr37U⁠⁠ Facebook : ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/share/Zx37QHqw8uGDnTKt/?mibextid=JRoKGi⁠⁠ Follow us : Contact us : ⁠⁠⁠umbrellaholics@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠ Instagram⁠⁠⁠@umbrellaholics⁠⁠⁠ Facebook@⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/Umbrellaholics-110265711126471⁠⁠⁠ Twitter⁠⁠⁠@HolicsUmbrella⁠⁠⁠ Youtube@⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCguHLT224fCg9iCOasS8pjw⁠⁠⁠ Find us on all the major platforms!

In the 39th episode of the ECM podcast, Lucain Ban and Mat Maneri join us to discuss the fascinating process of making their new album "Transylvanian Dance". They talk about Béla Bartók, the duo's shared passion for folk music, and the beauty of transmission.

Play this episode directly in front of a mirror and no reflection of it shall ye see because this episode, the first of season fourteen, is all about vampires thanks to Stan of Manchester. Little is known of the elusive Stan of Manchester other than he always travels with 50 boxes of Transylvanian soil. Make of that what you will.Join our PATREON for ad-free episodes and a monthly bonus episode: www.patreon.com/threebeansaladWith thanks to our editor Laura Grimshaw.Merch now available here: www.threebeansaladshop.comGet in touch: threebeansaladpod@gmail.com @beansaladpod

In this whimsical episode of "Fall Asleep with Henrik," our host takes us on a meandering journey through the imaginary world of Transylvanian maids, intertwining personal reflections, cosmic musings, and quirky challenges. Henrik's stream-of-consciousness narrative weaves together the democratic society of 200 maids living in a castle, his own podcast aspirations, and deep thoughts about meditation and awareness.As Henrik describes the slow-living overmaid Delilah and the daily dance rituals in the castle's atrium, he subtly explores themes of purpose, existence, and the beauty of embracing life's confusing moments. The episode is peppered with Henrik's trademark humor, including an impromptu mission for listeners and playful linguistic stumbles that remind us of his non-native English speaking.Throughout the episode, Henrik's soothing voice and meandering thoughts create a relaxing atmosphere, perfect for drifting off to sleep or simply unwinding. His genuine gratitude for his listeners shines through, making this a heartwarming addition to the "Fall Asleep with Henrik" collection.For more information on Henrik Ståhl, click here: https://linktr.ee/Henrikstahl Become a supporting member and listen to ad free episodes at: https://plus.acast.com/s/falli-asleep-with-henrik. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last weekend, Viktor Orbán travelled to the town of Băile Tușnad, deep in the Transylvanian mountains of Romania, to attend a 'music and ideas' festival. He was on the bill. Amongst the ethnically-Hungarian diaspora who live in the region, Orbán is a regular visitor. In fact, the Tusványos festival was started by Fidesz back when the party was effectively four people. That was in the early-90s. Today, it has swelled to accommodate over 10 000 people. The place is billed as an 'open university', with talks by a range of academics, thinkers and politicians. Traditionally, Orbán gives his own 'series of lectures' , just like many of others speakers. The difference is that Orbán speaks from the main stage, in front of a crowd of a few thousand. In recent years, these speeches have become philosophical key notes to understanding the Hungarian perspective. In previous years, his talks have made world headlines, including the one where he said he regarded Hungary as an 'illiberal democracy' (though this was partly mis-translation). Rarely does a world leader get as philosophical as Orbán does in these talks. He lays out a deep vision of the future as he sees it for the upcoming year, one that connects history, economics, and metaphysics. This year's speech was among the deepest - and the spiciest -ever. Not only did it catch the headlines, with its barbs against Poland, and naming US intelligence as the saboteurs of the Nordstream pipeline, it could even justifiably be called 'historic'. Orbán talked openly of Hungary's coming pivot to China, of the decay of the Western soul, and of the shape of the peace that must come beyond the Russo-Ukraine War. Gladden Pappin is the President of the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs. A prominent academic and leading light in the post-liberal movement, Pappin is perhaps one of the hidden architects of Hungary's dynamic foreign policy. This week, The Lads ask him about the deeper meaning of Orbán's Big Talk. ***Be excellent to each other, and -Get us on Twitter. https://www.x.com/multipolarityOn Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/multipolarity Or on our Substack. https://substack.com/@multipolaritypod

Our friend Tom, who just released his critically acclaimed new record, I Am Towards You, returns to chat with Chris and Jason about Gambino's retirement, a dinner party in Harlem, Online Ceramics is going Call Her Daddy mode, local Highland Park dining, macro bowls, Tom's thoughts on "the ear," anybody who wants to do anything can just do it, Red Bull tour support, money earning labor, the Cayman Islands podcast charts, a Transylvanian train ride, and his thoughts on Bronny and The WNBA. instagram.com/howtodresswell twitter.com/donetodeath twitter.com/themjeans howlonggone.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

rWotD Episode 2623: Banat Romanian dialect Welcome to Random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia’s vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Tuesday, 9 July 2024 is Banat Romanian dialect.The Banat dialect (subdialectul / graiul bănățean) is one of the dialects of the Romanian language (Daco-Romanian). Its geographic distribution extends over the Romanian Banat and parts of the Serbian Banat, but also in parts of the Timok Valley of Serbia.The Banat dialect is a member of the northern grouping of Romanian dialects, along with the Moldavian dialect and the group of Transylvanian varieties. Features of the Banat dialect are found in southern dialects of Romanian: Aromanian, Megleno-Romanian, and Istro-Romanian.The Banat dialect has been long classified separately from the Transylvanian varieties, but in early studies such as those by Mozes Gaster these were sometimes grouped together as a single variety. The Banat dialect was considered separately by Heimann Tiktin, Gustav Weigand, Sextil Pușcariu (in his latter studies), Emil Petrovici, Romulus Todoran, Ion Coteanu, Alexandru Philippide, Iorgu Iordan, and others.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:39 UTC on Tuesday, 9 July 2024.For the full current version of the article, see Banat Romanian dialect on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Amy.

Under the cover of a full moon, we shed a light on Jack Russell, WEREWOLF BY NIGHT! How many Warren Zevon references do we fit into this episode? Listen now to find out! Intro Apologies for delays in episodes - Doc and I going thru stuff (separately)  Reminder that Shenanicon registration is now open - still no word on exact date & time of Baccano panel Background (3:13) Jack Russell, Werewolf by Night, created by Roy Thomas, Jeanie Thomas, Gerry Conway, & Mike Ploog in Marvel Spotlight #2 (Feb. 1972) Jacob Russoff is the son of Gregor Russoff, a Transylvanian baron whose ancestor was bitten by a werewolf working for Vlad Dracula in 1795 Gregor acquired the Darkhold and read it, triggering the latent curse and turning him into a werewolf - after he was killed, his wife Laura moved to America and remarried her brother-in-law Phillip Russell, and Jacob became Jack Russell Jack's curse took effect on his 18th birthday, and shortly thereafter his family's driver sabotaged his mother's car to crash under Phillip's orders - before her death she told Jack the truth about his heritage and made him promise not to take revenge on Phillip (no promise was made about the driver, though…) Spent most of the next few years on the run from the Committee, who wanted to capture him and use him for their own purposes - among the many people hired by the Committee was Moon Knight, who defeated Jack before having a change of heart and teaming up with Jack to escape Spends a chunk of the 80s on a motorcycle driving around the country - after a battle with the Hulk, his father's spirit tells him he must accept his beastly nature or die; he does, and gains control over his transformation and abilities Unfortunately his control didn't last, and he began seeing visions of Hell during his transformations - this drove him to alcoholism and suicidal thoughts until he encountered a woman similarly afflicted and under siege by a small town - they killed the leaders and agreed to help each other live free He was given a vaccine by Michael Morbius that helped him regain control, and he joined the Midnight Sons - his new mindset was that of acceptance, and he was determined to find other “monsters” around the world and help them the way he had been helped - this includes Rahne Sinclair's son, who she rejected because the child was feral He had his head blown off by Deadpool after Wade found him in bed with his wife - he survived, but it took some time for his head to grow back Issues - Theme is “a sheep in wolf's clothing” (7:46) Finally reached an acceptance of his werewolf nature, even if the world hasn't Formerly suicidal alcoholic (14:10) A drifter who's unattached to any one place for too long (24:28) Break (32:12) Plugs for I Am Your Target Demographic and Hops Geek News Treatment In-universe - Treat yo self Out of universe - Focus on the addiction issues first, and then work on the other things Skit (41:40) Hello Jack, I'm Dr. Issues. - Hi. Man, I could have used you a long time ago. *pause* Thaaanks? So, what can I do for you…now? - Just hear me out. I've hesitated to do any therapy because I didn't think anyone would listen.  Oh, so my reputation precedes me. -You never answered my calls or emails. I can be scant in my availability, yes. But that should be a deterrent, right?. -Every review I read said that you are the most patient psychiatrist they've ever met, but you're hard to track. I like that. Maybe you can tolerate my story.  My goal is more than tolerance. I want patients to thrive. But sometimes you have to crawl, then walk, then run. -You got that right! So I did my homework. I know this is confidential as long as I'm not a threat, right? Yup. -Well, what if I told you that there's only a certain number of nights where I was a threat, but I kept everyone safe with an airtight plan? Makes sense, right?  I guess -*interrupting* and what if I told you that I even went so far as to meditate to harness my rage in a form that was productive. Are you with me? Is this a metaphor for male menopause or -*interrupts again* Heck man, I even found a, uh, “alternative healer” to basically cure me. This is some wild stuff, huh? You sound like an infomercial right now. What is your angle? Are you trying to promote some woo-woo healthy positivity or what? I'm confused. You're way more upbeat than I thought you'd be. I just scrolled through your emails -Better late than never *Interrupting* No wonder I blew you off. You sent me an autobiography that reads like Ann Rice decided to make out with Kafka. -*pause* So a bit melodramatic? Therapy is supposed to be more than just venting. You say you have all of these tools to…wow this is long…survive with lycanthropy?! You could have just said “I'm a werewolf.” -Well you always use those vocab words in your writing so I was trying to match you. And how dare you try to shame a patient. I've come a long way, you know! No shame, no blame. Just…*sigh* I get this a lot. You want to connect on a human level. That's awesome. I'm impressed, because you're clearly putting the proper energy into this. But there IS a way to swing too far on that pendulum. I want to be your trusted professional, but I'm not your buddy. There's a difference. Let's focus on your accomplishments so far, since that's your focus out of the gate. -Cool! First off, I survived a family that sometimes turned feral. Lots of reconciliation. Great. -I am on the sober path. Wonderful. -I can live in my own skin…and fur.  Check. -No, further east than that. Huh? -Nevermind, bad joke.  Not rushin ya -Huh? Even worse joke. -*snaps fingers* You DO have a bright side.Anywho, what I'm trying to say is, I don't have everything figured out. But I've taken care of the boulders. Now I need to take care of the smaller rocks, the pebbles…you get it? Yup. Much better clarity. I'll take you on as a patient under one condition -No werewolf? How'd you guess? -Just a hunch. Oh, and here's my local pharmacy.  I don't think you need a prescription -It's the only one I know willing to incorporate silver compounds. *pause* Welp, that's either a dark backup plan, or the wickedest joke of this encounter. *simultaneously* WHY NOT BOTH? Ending (46:03) Recommended reading: Legion of Monsters Next episodes: Storm, Wonder Woman, Shadowman Plugs for social & GonnaGeek Network Transcript References: “BBL Drizzy” - Anthony (2:23) Shenanicon 2024 - Anthony (2:50) “Werewolves of London” - Doc (8:55) “Papa Was a Rollin' Stone” - Doc (25:30) SHE CAME DOWN IN A BUBBLE - Anthony (36:00) “Hair of the Dog” - Anthony (46:40) Apple Podcasts: here Google Play: here Stitcher: here TuneIn: here iHeartRadio: here Twitter Facebook TikTok  Patreon TeePublic Discord

Welcome back to Lez Hang Out, the podcast that will now be brought to you with a Transylvanian accent.  This week, Leigh (@lshfoster) and Ellie (@elliebrigida) hang out with Alix Markman (@markwoman), television and video game writer and returning podcast guest, to talk about why the 2004 campy, spooky action masterpiece Van Helsing Should've Been Gay.  If you are like Leigh and somehow managed not to see the chaotic bisexual fever dream that is Van Helsing 2004, the movie is essentially The Avengers for classic monsters like Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, and the good ol' fashion werewolf. This monster hodgepodge is incredibly queer throughout, with Dracula's wives in a sexy polycule, Dracula himself having an intriguing lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers vibe with monster slayer “GAY-briel” Van Helsing, and a beautiful bond developing between Van Helsing and Frankenstein's Monster (and beloved himbo Carl) throughout the film. Of course, because it is 2004, literally every queer-coded woman ends up dead in the end, and we will not stand for this injustice!  In our better, gayer version of Van Helsing, we honestly do not even have to change that many things. There was every reason for Anna to either get bitten by her brother to become the werewolf that ultimately ends Dracula or to get turned by seductive vampire Aleera and join the power polycule. She 100% did not have to die before ever getting revenge for her family, but of course, Van Helsing gets the glory instead. Along with talking about how we would change the movie to be even gayer, we also discuss the inherent queerness of monsters (there is no such thing as a heterosexual vampire and you cannot convince us otherwise) and briefly touch on the trans allegory of Frankenstein's Monster.  We know one thing for sure, Van Helsing Should've Been Gay.  Follow us on Twitter: (@lezhangoutpod) and answer our Q & Gay questions at the end of every episode. You can also join us on Facebook.com/lezhangoutpod and Instagram (@lezhangoutpod). Find us individually on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok at Leigh (@lshfoster) and Ellie (@elliebrigida). You can support Lez Hang Out while unlocking a bunch of awesome perks like access to our exclusive Discord, monthly full-length bonus episodes, weekly ad-free episodes, and more by joining us on Patreon at bit.ly/lezpatreon. You can also support the podcast by buying our original merch at bit.ly/lezshop and purchasing our original Lez-ssentials songs for as little as $1 each on Bandcamp! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Part 1 is all about Africa, where a kit controversy has escalated into a geopolitical dispute between Algeria & Morocco ahead of the CAF Confederations Cup semi-final between USM Alger & RS Berkane. Elsewhere on the continent, Rising FC from Rodrigues Island in the Indian Ocean have made the long voyage to mainland Mauritius to take part in the cup, winning their last-32 tie! It's back to Europe - or at least, UEFA - in Part 2 as Paul & Lee discuss the 'Isolation Derby' between SKA Khabarovsk & Yenisay Krasnoyarsk in the Russian second division and look at some of the lower-league clubs on track for cup success - including Transylvanian outfit Corvinul, who have made it to next month's final against Oțelul Galați with an all-Romanian squad. On the bonus segment, there's talk of Harry Redknapp & Romario returning from retirement, a look at some goal-laden games in the ninth tiers of Italian and English football & the story of a Polish goalkeeper presented with a Zimmer frame as a birthday present by his Portuguese club. To listen to that, simply join us over at patreon.com/sweeperpod. RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 - Intro 00:59 - Algerian airport anger 09:12 - Russ Cook's Africa run 10:52 - From Rodrigues Island to Mauritius 18:32 - The 'Isolation Derby' in Russia 21:12 - The Niue Island listener 23:11 - Corvinul & other second-tier cup runs 30:10 - Champions League fallen giants

That's right, we're pulling out the big guns to finish up season 6 (and the series as a whole!) and big daddy Drac is the biggest gun of all. We're all familiar with the story of the Transylvanian noble that becomes a vampire and then tries to have sex with his realtor's fiancee, but that's all a work of fiction...isn't it? Only one way to find out: tune in! And don't get spooked!

Elegant and refined aren't words you'd normally bandy about Mel Brooks' filmography, but with Young Frankenstein, they just seem to fit. This horror homage is really a delicate soufflé, crafted with care and dedicated to the Universal horror flicks of the 1930s. Brooks seems to genuinely love the James Whale/Boris Karloff adaptation of Mary Shelley's book, and he's very careful to steer his humor away from even a hint of ridicule. Brooks (who co-writes with Gene Wilder) builds his story as a modern echo of Shelley's work. Frederick Frankenstein (Wilder) is the grandson of the infamous scientist. He teaches a fringe class on anatomy and physiology, which only invites curious questions from nosy students. Frederick is touchy on the subject, and he erupts at any comparison to his grandfather–even their names are pronounced differently. (“It's FRONKEN-STEEEN!!!”) Soon, Frederick receives word that he's inherited the Transylvanian estate of his great-grandfather. He heads off to Eastern Europe, where both his heritage and destiny await.Of course, this is Mel Brooks, so Frederick's foray into his family history will take the form of unadulterated wackiness. First, we meet Igor (Marty Feldman), whose grandfather was once a blathering sycophant to Frederick's grandfather. Once Feldman totters into the story, Young Frankenstein‘s silliness cranks up to eleven. Feldman, who looks like a Picasso version of Peter Lorre, just about picks up the movie and walks off with it. (No small feat with this cast!) He mugs for the camera, breaks the forth wall, and helps Brooks guide this Frankenstein right off the rails.On that subject, another key player in this mad little tale is Cloris Leachman. She plays Frau Blucher (“Neighhhhh!”), the caretaker of Frankenstein's estate. Like Feldman, Leachman realizes that in a Mel Brooks movie, there's no such thing as too goofy. Her severe housekeeper storms through the mansion, delivering stern proclamations and playing the violin like a wild-eyed loon. Poor Teri Garr gets stuck playing it straight in this sea of spoofs.And this being a spoof of Mary Shelley's masterwork, you know we'll have to eventually get around to the titular monster. That means we've got to have another lumbering golem, and this time he's played by Peter Boyle. Boyle has impeccable comic timing.Brooks' film even pulls off the little throwaway moments, like the scientist's office door that has an after-hours dropbox for donated brains. That also extends to Gene Hackman's cameo, which ranks as one of my favorite in all of movie history. But then, Young Frankenstein packs in so much goodness, it's hard to cram it all into one review. I haven't even touched on Kenneth Mars' unhinged portrayal of the local police inspector, or the redoubtable Madeline Kahn, as Frederick's overly vain squeeze. As a cherry on top, Brooks even reached out to Kenneth Strickfaden, the propmaster of Whale's original film.Put all that together, and you've got a unique entry in Brooks' off-the-wall oeuvre. It's not his funniest work, that honor belongs to Blazing Saddles. Nor is it his cleverest, we'll give that trophy to The Producers. That said, this is probably Brooks' most complete film. It's loaded with knuckleheaded gags, and most of them land perfectly. Young Frankenstein is like a raunchy joke, served up on the fanciest silver platter.105 min. PG. DVD and Blu-Ray Only.

[7x2] We're back in the late-1970s for Stan Dragoti's vampire comedy Love at First Bite, starring George Hamilton as Count Dracula, who's evicted from his Transylvanian castle and flies to New York City to start a new life, only to fall in love with a fashion model...And making his debut in the sarpodphagus is Canadian vampire scholar Murray Leeder...Hosts: Dan Owen & Hugh McStayGuest: Murray LeederEditor: Dan Owen"I'm going out to get a bite to drink." -- Count Dracula.Subscribe and leave a rating or review to help support the show. You can also leave a donation at Ko-fi and follow us on various social media platforms here. A proud part of the We Made This podcast network. Theme music composed by Nela Ruiz • Podcast artwork by Dan Owen. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/vampire-videos--5546381/support.

Fluent Fiction - Hungarian: Hungarian Heart: Embracing the Power of Family and Language Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.org/hungarian-heart-embracing-the-power-of-family-and-language Story Transcript:Hu: Áron az asztal végén ült, szemben a lassan hömpölygő Duna és a híressé vált Lánchíd látványával. A nagy pesti családi összejövetelek mindig ott voltak, a nagymama patinás ötödik kerületi lakásában, csodás panorámával a város szívére. A konyha illatlanával telt meg az egész lakás, ami mint valami láthatatlan szőnyeg, átfonta a szobákat.En: Áron sat at the end of the table, facing the slowly flowing Danube and the famous Chain Bridge. The grand family gatherings of Pest were always held there, in his grandmother's elegant apartment in the fifth district, with a marvelous view of the heart of the city. The whole apartment was filled with the scent of the kitchen, which, like an invisible carpet, permeated the rooms.Hu: Az összejöveteleknek mindig volt valami meghatározó pillanata, amit mindenki nagyon várt. Most ez az időtlen pillanat épp Áronon volt a sor. Nála volt a főszerep ez alkalommal. Megpróbált magyar szavakat kiejteni, miközben falatozott a nagymama híresen finom gulyásából. Egy erdélyi faluban nőtt fel, a magyar nyelv árnyalt voltát még mindig tanulmányozta.En: The gatherings always had a defining moment that everyone eagerly awaited. This timeless moment was now Áron's turn. He had the spotlight this time. While sampling his grandmother's famously delicious goulash, he attempted to pronounce Hungarian words. He had grown up in a Transylvanian village, still studying the subtle nuances of the Hungarian language.Hu: Mindenki vidáman figyelte Áront, ahogy az apró falatokat tunkolta a zamatos gulyásba. Kiejtett hosszú, bonyolult szavakat, nevetgélt a család, de vele együtt, soha nem rajta. Ők nem parodizálták, hanem szeretettel figyeltek, miközben Áron harcolt a szavakkal.En: Everyone cheerfully watched Áron as he dipped small bites into the savory goulash. He pronounced long, complicated words and the family laughed, but never at him. They weren't making fun, but rather watching with love as Áron struggled with the words.Hu: Körbejárt a kacaj a szépen megterített asztalon, egyik arcáról az öbölkirály, néha mosolya elnyeli a gúny. Áron elpirulva, de büszkén nézett körbe, megragadva a pillanatot. Nem volt szégyenben. Ez az összejövetel volt a lehetőség arra, hogy önmagát mutassa, hogy belesimuljon ebbe a színes, szeretetteljes családba.En: Laughter echoed around the beautifully set table, the laughter sometimes swallowing the teasing. Blushing, but proudly looking around, Áron seized the moment. He was not ashamed. This gathering was an opportunity for him to show himself, to meld into this vibrant, loving family.Hu: Az este lassan véget ért. A gulyásból már csak a roston sült paprika illata áradt. Az asztalnál előbb csak Áron maradt, aztán a bátyja, József érkezett vissza, hogy megvigasztalja. Józsi Áron vállára tette a kezét és nézte a Duna örökösen változó kavargó vizét.En: The evening slowly came to an end. Only Áron remained at the table, and then his brother József returned to console him. Józsi put his hand on Áron's shoulder and watched the ever-changing swirling waters of the Danube.Hu: "Nem gond, Áron, a szavak nem azt jelentik, amik vagyunk. A tetteink számítanak, és a te tetteid mesélnek rólad." Józsi szavai nyugalmat hoztak Áron szívébe.En: "It's okay, Áron, words don't define who we are. Our actions matter, and your actions speak about you." Józsi's words brought peace to Áron's heart.Hu: A következő családi összejövetelig még sok idő van hátra, de Áron már tudta, hogy meg fogja próbálni újra a nehéz szavakat kiejteni. Az ő idejük lesz majd. Ő pedig ott lesz, büszkén, minden egyes nehéz szóval. Mert ő, Áron, része volt ennek a családnak, része volt ennek a történetnek.En: The next family gathering was still far off, but Áron already knew he would try to pronounce the difficult words again. It would be his time. And he would be there, proudly facing every challenging word. Because he, Áron, was a part of this family, a part of this story. Vocabulary Words:Áron: Áronsat: ültend: végtable: asztalslowly: lassanflowing: hömpölygőDanube: Dunafamous: híresséChain Bridge: Lánchídfamily: családigatherings: összejövetelekPest: pestigrandmother: nagymamaelegant: patinásapartment: lakásdistrict: kerületimarvelous: csodásview: panorámaheart: szívcity: városkitchen: konyhascent: illatinvisible: láthatatlancarpet: szőnyegpermeated: átfontarooms: szobákpronounce: kiejteniHungarian: magyarwords: szavaklaughter: nevetés

Episode 107:  This Week, Steven and Leo travel to Transylvania and take a bite our of 1931's Dracula! They talk about Bela Lugosi, Beautiful Cinematography, Transylvanian real estate, Bat's on Strings Part 2 and what happens when a great movie shows the best parts first. Watch the trailer here - Dracula 1931Like the show? Rate us on Apple or Spotify!A Beautiful Shot From the Film - The Brides of DraculaNational Lampoons Vacation - Holiday RoadFollow us on Instagram Follow us on TwitterLike the Ads? Check out our friends at...Give Me Back My Action & Horror Movies100 HorrorsDark AdaptationHorror HouseA Cut Above: Horror ReviewManic Movie Monday PodcastGood Beer Bad Movie NightBucket of Chum PodcastDissect that FilmThe CinemigosComing Soon... January 10th - IT FOLLOWSJanuary 17th - DEMONSJanuary 24th - SMILE 

Pack your bags and travel light as the hosts are about to make a trip to Transylvanian, wrapping up their fourth annual special spooktacular season, reviewing one of the earliest classic horror films, Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi and directed by Tod Browning. Based on the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker, it's known as the first film in the Universal Studios' classic monster movies series. The hosts pair the film with the Vampire Kiss cocktail. So enjoy your stay in the castle and join the hosts as they help Van Helsing square off against the Count with this all time classic film. Come listen and follow us on Instagram @the.gentlemenpodcast and our website thegentlemenpodcast.com

Robert sits down with Jack O'Brien to talk about how the life of a Transylvanian prince turned into the story of Dracula. (1 part) Sources: https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/the-origins-of-dracula-vlad-the-impaler/ https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/history-andcivilisation/2023/03/is-the-shamrock-a-myth-the-truth-behind-5-stpatricks-day-symbols https://mythology.net/mythical-creatures/vampire/ https://theconversation.com/vampire-myths-originated-with-a-real-blooddisorder-140830   https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/vampire-disease-origins  https://news.virginia.edu/content/how-spread-disease-juiced-lorevampires-pandemic-proportions https://www.livescience.com/24374-vampires-real-history.html  https://theconversation.com/americas-first-vampire-was-black-and-revolutionary-its-time-toremember-him-149044 https://news.virginia.edu/content/more-disease-dracula-how-vampiremyth-was-born-0 https://www.amazon.com/Vampire-New-History-Nick-Groom/dp/0300232233 https://www.amazon.com/Vlad-Impaler-Search-Real-Dracula/dp/0750929650 https://www.amazon.com/Vlad-III-Dracula-Times-Historical/dp/159211038X/ref=pd_lpo_sccl_3/137-0258767-1043075?pd_rd_w=HwU7a&content-id=amzn1.sym.116f529c-aa4d-4763-b2b6-4d614ec7dc00&pf_rd_p=116f529c-aa4d-4763-b2b6-4d614ec7dc00&pf_rd_r=HVFTK1DHS8NQH2E5J7BG&pd_rd_wg=d6J4W&pd_rd_r=2de9f88d-7743-4f92-8c69-f8f7a740d112&pd_rd_i=159211038X&psc=1 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SynopsisOn today's date in 1992, one of the strangest — and some would say most strikingly original — violin concertos of the late 20th century had its premiere performance in Cologne, Germany. It was written by Transylvanian-born Hungarian composer György Ligeti.Ligeti became famous in the West when some of his music appeared in the 1968 Stanley Kubrick film 2001: A Space Odyssey. Kubrick used Ligeti's music to evoke the eerie and empty vastness of outer space. And, in fact, Ligeti was fascinated by the sounds traditional orchestral instruments make when pressed to the extreme limits of their range — their own sonic “outer limits.” There's some of that in Ligeti's 1992 Violin Concerto, plus a dash of the traditionally melancholic Hungarian strain familiar from the music of Ligeti's famous compatriot Béla Bartók. Finally, tossed in for good measure, is Ligeti's puckish fondness for thumbing his nose at life, the universe and traditional concert hall decorum.As if to counterbalance his melancholic strain, or perhaps just express it in a more surprising way, there's a good deal of the clown in Ligeti, who includes a chorus of ocarinas in the score of his Violin Concerto.Music Played in Today's ProgramGyörgy Ligeti (1923-2006) Violin Concerto - Saschko Gavrilov, violin; Ensemble InterContemporain; Pierre Boulez, cond. DG 439 808

Hear about things to do in Transylvania in Romania as the Amateur Traveler talks to Ela Palmer from WhereNextNomad.com about this historic and beautiful place that has much more to offer than Dracula stories. https://amateurtraveler.com/things-to-do-in-transylvania/ Ela starts this itinerary in Bucharest but immediately hops a train to Sinaia, a beautiful mountain town in the Bussegi Mountains. Sinaia is known for its stunning fall colors and is home to two magnificent castles from the Romanticism movement of the 1800s, Peles Castle and Pelesor Castle. You can explore these castles, enjoy the charming town, and visit the 17th-century Sinaia Monastery. After Sinaia, you can take a train to Brasov, a city in Transylvania that Ela fell in love with.  Brasov offers a variety of museums, and Ela suggests getting a ticket that allows access to 11 different museums in the area. Some notable museums include the Black Church, the Museum of Ethnography, the Museum of Urban Civilization, and more. The Black Church is known for its display of Turkish rugs donated by Saxon guilds in Brasov. Saxons were brought to the region to aid in the defense against the Ottoman Turks. Brasov serves as a convenient base for hiking in the surrounding mountains, with cable cars available for easy access to stunning viewpoints and rock formations. Poiana Brasov, a ski resort located about 20 minutes from Brasov, is recommended for both skiing and hiking. Ela mentions enjoying hikes between Tampa and Poiana Brasov. The best-known site in the area is Bran Castle. Ela does think this stunning castle is worth seeing. The castle is sometimes called Dracula's Castle but has little historical connection to Vlad Dracula who was an actual Transylvanian ruler. Ela advises against visiting during Halloween due to crowds. Sighișoara is a smaller city compared to Brasov. It is a complete Saxon citadel with medieval streets, towers, and museums. Ela recommends the the Mystical Transylvania Museum where you can learn more about the actual Vlad Dracula and decide for yourself if he is a hero or villain. The Carpathian Mountains and heavily forested Transylvania surrounding Brasov are home to one of the largest bear populations in Europe. Ela shares their experience of bear watching from a hide near Zărnești. Ela suggests continuing the journey to other places like Cluj or visiting the Turda Salt Mines. This region of Romania has become one of Ela's favorite places in Europe. See if you don't respond the same to the mountains, forests, castles, and picturesque cities of Transylvania.

Night has fallen on the campground, and the party is dying down. The crickets hum – punctuated by the occasional, startling pop and crack of embers from the dwindling fire, like exclamation points for warnings you can't hear. When suddenly, just beyond the smoke, the flames illuminate a strange figure. Some thing inhuman, with two hollow bulging black eyes. Eyes that have been watching you from the dark. From an unsettling Cynocephaly encounter in the Woods of Ottawa, to a conjured vampire prowling  a Pennsylvania suburb. Join us on this episode of Belief Hole as we present compelling accounts of encounters with creatures assumed to be myth, unsettling disturbances with bedroom spacetime, and sentient craft watching it all, from just above the trees.

Director Cristian Mungiu discusses his new film, R.M.N., with fellow Director Victoria Hochberg in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Mungiu discusses the importance of diagetic sound and ambience in the film, the subconscious effect the film's visual imagery contributes to the mood, and how he takes the time to fully understand his material before working on a film. The film tells the story of a father who returns home to his family in their Transylvanian village in Romania after a violent incident at his job in Germany. When the local factory hires foreign workers, deep-rooted impulses and animosities emerge, causing ethnic and economic resentments and shattering the veneer of peace in the community.

Think you know everything about Bram Stoker's infamous vampire after a century of big screen adaptations? The 2014 prequel Dracula Untold promises to shed new light on the legend's days as an undead Transylvanian swordsman. Can Fast and Furious heavy Luke Evans resist the urge to lap blood off the battlefield once he strikes a devilish bargain to defeat an invading Turkish sultan? And would the historical Vlad The Impaler really comply with Universal Studios' unholy masterplan to rebrand their iconic movie monsters as superheroes? Listen and find out.   

Bat Man Forever Think you know everything about Bram Stoker's infamous vampire after a century of big screen adaptations? The 2014 prequel Dracula Untold promises to shed new light on the legend's days as an undead Transylvanian swordsman. Can Fast and Furious heavy Luke Evans resist the urge to lap blood off the battlefield once he strikes a devilish bargain to defeat an invading Turkish sultan? And would the historical Vlad The Impaler really comply with Universal Studios' unholy masterplan to rebrand their iconic movie monsters as superheroes? Listen and find out.