Podcasts about universal monsters

Horror, suspense and science fiction films made by Universal Studios (1920s-1950s)

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GenreVision
THE MUMMY (1999)

GenreVision

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2026 84:23


Drew and Travis raid tombs with The Mummy, the 1999 Universal Monsters remake that launched a hit franchise starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz! This is our third entry in Remake Roulette: a month of remakes! TIMESTAMPS 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:19 - The Mummy (1999) 00:58:13 - The Shelf 01:07:01 - Calls to Action 01:10:41 - Currently Consuming 01:24:23 - End SHOW LINKS Poltergeist The Phantom Primate Exit 8 GenreVision on Letterboxd Drew Dietsch on Letterboxd Travis Newton on Letterboxd GenreVision on Bluesky Drew Dietsch on Bluesky

SCIFI SNAK
Ep. 134: Barbara Truelove, Of Monsters and Mainframes

SCIFI SNAK

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2026 54:32


Og hvad hvis historien primært bliver fortalt af rumskibets AI – en ældre model der konstant bekymrer sig om sin “efficiency percentage” og ikke rigtig forstår mennesker? Det er præmissen i Barbara Trueloves Of Monsters and Mainframes, en science fiction-gyser der blander klassiske monstre med AI-humor og en god portion intertekstuelle referencer. Om Barbara Truelove Barbara Truelove er australsk forfatter og game designer, og hun har åbenlyst en ting med varulve. Hendes første roman Crying Wolf (2021) handlede om tvillinger der opdager de er varulve. I 2023 lavede hun det interaktive tekstspil Blood Moon, hvor plotlinjen er: “Du er en varulv.” Og så kom Of Monsters and Mainframes i 2025. Hun fortæller selv at inspirationen kom fra at læse Bram Stokers Dracula og Martha Wells’ The Murderbot Diaries samtidigt. Men sandheden er mere rodet end det: “Dracula er en del af blandingen, ja, og det samme er Murderbot, men det samme er Universal Monsters, autopiloten i en Airbus, R2D2, min erfaring med at programmere interaktive spil og (måske mest af alt) mit liv i 2022.” Bogen blev nomineret til Goodreads Choice Award i kategorien Science Fiction og har over 9.000 ratings med gennemsnit på 4,09. Demeter – rumfærgen der ikke forstår mennesker Vores “hovedperson” er Demeter. Demeter er ikke en alvidende HAL-AI. Hun er primært bygget til at styre rumfærgen sikkert mellem stjernerne. Hun kan navigere uden om kometer og håndtere tekniske kriser. Men mennesker? Det er en helt anden sag. Når varulv-angrebet rammer og børnene Agnus og Isaac flygter op på broen efter deres bedstemor har forvandlet sig, går kommunikationen ikke så godt. “It’s just a dumb AI, Isaac,” siger Agnus. Demeter reagerer prompte: “I am not lacking intelligence. You are using words marked as moderately offensive. This is antisocial behavior.” Børnene bliver stille. “I am Demeter. I am the ship. I am your friend. Report your injuries.” De begynder at lave lyde i lavt volumen. Demeters systemer kan ikke oversætte det. “How’s it going?” spørger Steward, den medicinske AI. “I wish I could lie,” svarer Demeter. “Humans are hard.” Det er denne kamp med at forstå mennesker – og begrænsningerne i hendes algoritmer – der gør Demeter interessant. Hun er dybt inkompetent til menneskelig interaktion, og det meste af tiden prøver hun bare at undgå at forholde sig til sine passagerer. Bedstemoderen med de store tænder Et af bogens bedre øjeblikke er varulv-scenen. Børnenes bedstemor forvandler sig ved et uheld, og pludselig står Demeter i en desperat kamp for at redde Agnus og Isaac. Hun får varulven lokket ind i en luftsluse. Men så forvandler den sig tilbage til bedstemor – desperat, menneskelig, helt forsvarsløs. Demeter er bundet af den første robotlov (Asimov): ingen AI må skade et menneske. Men der er et kort øjeblik hvor bedstemoderen bliver til skygge – i overgangen mellem former. I præcis det øjeblik reagerer Demeter prompte og åbner luftslussen. Bogen lader det ligge i det uvisse om bedstemoderen selv også trykker på knappen. Det er et af de øjeblikke hvor Demeter teknisk set handler inden for sine regler – men samtidig… ja, du ved. Steward overtager – og tror det er nemt Da Demeter er lukket ned, og rumfærgen skal tilbage til Jorden, bliver opgaver overladt til Steward. Den medicinske AI beslutter sig for at overtage styringen af rumskibet. Hvor svært kan det være? “You know what? Being an autopilot isn’t all that hard. I don’t know why Demeter seemed so stressed all the time. It’s day one of our journey, and we haven’t crashed yet.” Der var dog en lille bump ved afgang. Men det var ikke Stewards skyld. Dokken bevægede sig. I hvert fald tror Steward det. “I don’t exactly speak exterior sensor. They seem very alarmed all the time, constantly screaming in a strange, disjointed dialect of JavaScript.” Stewards plan? “Embrace my managerial role and endeavor to do as little as possible. The subsystems will sort it out.” Det er morsomt at følge Stewards overmodige forsøg på at være kaptajn. Som de fleste læger tror Steward de kan lidt af det hele. En leg med referencer – men måske for fragmenteret Barbara Truelove har åbenlyst haft det superhyggeligt med at skrive den her bog. Hun fortæller selv at reglerne var: smid et monster ombord, prøv at få så mange jokes og referencer til monsterets populærkulturelle historie ind som muligt, og tænk over hvordan det ville fungere i rummet. Der er masser af sjove detaljer. Skibet der transporterer Dracula til London i Bram Stokers bog hedder også Demeter. Wilhelmina Murray er Jonathan Harkers forlovede i Dracula. I bogens fem dele er der binær kode der oversættes til små jokes som “Artificial is the best kind of intelligent” og “I have never seen electric sheep.” Det er meget hyggeligt. Men det er også lidt som om bogen ikke helt selv ved hvor den er på vej hen. Anders beskriver det som om Barbara har skrevet 121 scener med monstre og rum-AI, blandet kortene, og så forsøgt at strikke en rød tråd på den måde stykkerne landede. Den fornemmelse er der lidt af. Action-scenerne er heller ikke bogens styrke. De er lidt svære at følge med i – hvem gør hvad, hvornår, hvorhenne og hvorfor. Det føles som dårlige Marvel-action-scener, hvor man mister fornemmelsen af, hvad der foregår. Det fede – og det mindre fede Det fede ved bogen er AI’erne og deres interne dynamikker. Demeter og Steward der slås om hvem der er klogere. Steward der er træt af at blive slukket midt i sætninger med “priority override.” Den scene hvor Agnus kommer tilbage efter 15 år på Jorden og skal rejse med Demeter igen? Rørende. Skibet er blevet totalt refurbished, og Agnus genkender først slet ikke Demeter. Det øjeblik hvor hun skraber overfladen af og finder sin barndoms AI-mor – det er faktisk ret godt. Men karaktererne er lidt flade. Selv Agnus, som er tættest på en hovedperson, er lidt bleg. Og monstrene? De er sjove nok som pop-kultur-jokes, men ikke særlig interessante som karakterer. Det er underholdning så længe det varer – fed til en togtur – men ikke en der skal læses igen. Vurderingen Jens: ⭐⭐⭐ (tre stjerner). “Jeg synes jeg var godt underholdt. Det var et sjovt take, og jeg hyggede mig med alle de mange referencer. Det er ikke stor litteratur. Men af og til er det rart med noget let og fornøjeligt. Synes Demeters kamp med at forstå mennesker var kongesjov og også dens kollegiale kampe med Steward AI’en.” Anders: ⭐⭐⭐ (tre stjerner). “Jeg applauderer Barbara for at have fået en sjov idé og åbenlyst have haft det superhyggeligt med at skrive bogen. Men jeg var sært ligeglad med karaktererne, selvom Demeter og Steward havde deres øjeblikke. Jeg synes der var alt for meget fokus på ligegyldig action, og historien var alt for fragmenteret uden en god fornemmelse af udvikling.” Bogen minder os om Stefano Benni’s Terra – skør, vild og kreativ science fiction. Og selvfølgelig Blindsight af Peter Watts, som også har vampyrer i rummet. Adrian Tchaikovskys Service Model har også klare paralleller med robotter der forsøger at forstå sig selv og omverden. Jens og Anders har SCIFI SNAKKET Of Monsters and Mainframes. Shownotes til episoden om Of Monsters and Mainframes Siden sidst Anders Har set Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein på Netflix – meget teatralsk og med store armebevægelser. Kulisserne er for vilde. Den er lidt i stil med Dracula-filmatiseringen med Gary Oldman. Meget Guillermo del Toro-stil – hvis man er til det, er den vellykket. Anders gav den 6 ud af 10. Har læst The Other Valley af Scott Alexander Howard – en tidsrejsebog med meget lidt science i den. Vi lever i et mærkeligt parallelunivers hvor en by ligger i en dal. I dalen østpå lever de 20 år ude i fremtiden, i dalen vestpå 20 år tilbage i tiden. Meget strenge regler for at man ikke må gå frem og tilbage. Velskrevet og medrivende historie. Jens Har læst The Mercy of Gods af James S.A. Corey – Expanse-forfatterne er tilbage med en helt ny verden. Anbefalet af Søren Bjørn. Mercy of Gods foregår i en fjern fremtid på en planet hvor befolkningen kun har myter om koloniseringen. Vi er blandt videnskabsfolk som forsker i hvordan inkompatible træer af liv kan samleve. Men planeten bliver pludselig invaderet af en alien race – kæmpe hummer/knæler-agtige typer. Menneskeheden bliver sat på prøve for at se om man kan være en nyttig undersåt-race. Og samtidig går det op for os at der er en kæmpe galaktisk krig igang, og en af menneskene er blevet overtaget af en sværm af nanorobotter! Trailer ude for Ryan Gosling i rollen som Ryland Grace i Project Hail Mary af Andy Weir. Kommer i biffen den 20/3. Traileren spoiler bogen helt vildt, og der er kommet en masse action-scener som ikke findes i bogen. Lytternes input Masser af gode kommentarer fra kommentarfeltet om de gode læseoplevelser i 2025. Hennings top 3/2025: “Dying inside” af Robert Silverberg, 1972, om en ældre telepat der gradvist mister sin tankelæserevne. “Hard landing” af Algis Budrys, 1993, om hvordan en besætning fra en forulykket UFO forsøger at glide ind i og camouflere sig i det jordiske samfund. “Dark is the Sun”, af Philip Jose Farmer, 1979, om en Jord millioner af år ude i fremtiden, hvor Solen er ved at brænde sammen. Som Henning selv siger: “Det er eddermame nogle deprimerende indskud.” Frederik Aarup Lauritsen delte sin top 3 for 2025: Stiftelsen af Isaac Asimov, Station 11 af Emily St. John Mandel og Efter London af Richard Jefferies – en tussegammel post-apokalyptisk bog fra 1885. Kristofferabild har ikke så meget tid til at læse Sci-Fi for tiden – er gået en lille smule i stå med Count Zero. I 2025 var det bedste han (gen)læste Rendezvous With Rama, Restaurant At The End of The Universe og Murderbot 2 og 3. Michael har ikke fået læst så meget SF sidste år, men var sært glad ved Krystalverdenen af J.G. Ballard, The Ministry of Time på vores anbefaling – “det var jo næsten en hel hjertevarm sag – sjov at komme i gang med noget romance!” – og til sidst Jordboer af Sayaka Murata, som nok er en snitter i forhold til ren SF, men en tour de force i japansk dagligliv, body horror og nogle måske rumvæsner. “Prøv det. Den er crazy!” Majbritt Høyrup gjorde opmærksom på at Elle Cordova behandler The Power i sin blogklub. Hun vil anbefale to vidunderlige novellesamlinger af Ursula K. LeGuin: The Birthday of the World og Changing Planes. Lise bidrog med sine tre bedste bøger: American Elsewhere af Robert Jackson Bennett: Starter som Twin Peaks, går over i H. P. Lovecraft. En kvinde arver et hus i en by, som ikke findes på noget kort. Cosmicomics af Italo Calvino: Vi følger universets og Jordens tilblivelse gennem væsner/grundstoffer og deres oplevelser, interaktioner og kærlighed. En fin og underfundig lille novellesamling. The Prestige af Christopher Priest: En overraskende god bog. Hun har set filmen, men bogen er meget anderledes – hele det spekulative element fylder mere, og historien er langt mere mystisk. Næste gang Anders vælger næste bog: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus fra 1818. Den fås gratis som Project Gutenberg Public Domain e-pop eller PDF. Man taler tit om den som den første moderne science fiction-bog, så den er nærmest pensum for SCIFI SNAK. Jens har tidligere syntes den var røvkedelig, men er nu klar til at prøve igen – måske er han et andet menneske nu.

MZNOW with Michael Zavala
Best of 2025 & Why Clark Needs Caleb Hammer (Feb 10, 2026)

MZNOW with Michael Zavala

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2026 19:56 Transcription Available


Back from the holiday break and Clark's financial situation is becoming a real problem. Between mysteriously losing (and finding) Apple TVs, paying too much for downtown Dallas living, and making questionable money decisions, it's clear someone needs to call in the TikTok finance guy for an intervention. The crew debates whether Clark should reach out to Caleb Hammer, Suze Orman, or just move into his car for a bit. MZ also hands out awards for his favorite things of 2025. Best restaurant, best podcast, best creators, and best TV show all get recognized. Plus Universal Studios Fanfest gets scrutinized for their Scooby-Doo and Universal Monsters lineup. Is it even worth the trip? Welcome to 2026! Shorter episodes, more often. New format starts now. Get more show at MZNOWWatch the full episode on YouTube:YouTube.com/@michaelzavalaFollow the Guys:Michael Zavala @michaelzavalaEric Star @mrericstarClark @justsimplyclarkFollow the Show:Instagram: @mznowtvwww.MZNOW.tvProduced at mzStudiosmzStudiosDallas.com

The Pulp Writer Show
Episode 289: Using The Universal Monsters To Write Compelling Villains

The Pulp Writer Show

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 9, 2026 12:42


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

Ocho Duro Parlay Hour (#ODPH)
Martin Simmonds & Tyler Boss (Universal Monsters: Phantom of the Opera #1) - FLZ PRESENTS

Ocho Duro Parlay Hour (#ODPH)

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2026 28:39


On this edition of FANLIGHT ZONE PRESENTS: Martin Simmonds & Tyler Boss talk with Rich about their upcoming Skybound Entertainment/Image Comics release: UNIVERSAL MONSTERS: PHANTOM OF THE OPERA #1 (FOC: MONDAY - JANUARY 26TH, 2026 - ON SALE: FEBRUARY 25TH) Follow Martin at: https://www.instagram.com/martinsimmonds/ Follow Tyler at: https://tyler-boss.com/ Follow Rich at: https://3fnpodcast.com/ Image Comics: https://imagecomics.com/ Skybound Entertainment: https://www.skybound.com/ For your must stop destination for New Comic Book Day reviews: https://www.fanlightzone.com/comics Find Your Comic Store: https://findyourcomic.store/ Your Digital Marketplace for comics & Manga: https://neonichiban.com/ FOR ALL THINGS FLZ: https://linktr.ee/fanlightzone #comics #comicbooks #horror #opera #phantomoftheopera #monsters #universalmonsters #timeless #MartinSimmonds #TylerBoss #imagecomics #skyboundentertainment #fanlightzone #new #newrelease #WeAreFLZ

The Good, The Bad, and The Sequel
Bride of Frankenstein w/ Special Guest Antonia Carlotta (Universally Me)

The Good, The Bad, and The Sequel

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2026 95:43


This week, The Good, The Bad, and The Sequel takes on one of the greatest sequels ever made — Bride of Frankenstein — and we're joined by a very special guest, Antonia Carlotta, whose family history is deeply connected to Universal and the classic monster era itself.Bride of Frankenstein isn't just a sequel — it's a landmark in film history. Bigger, stranger, funnier, and more emotional than the original, it helped define what sequels could be while cementing Universal Monsters as true pop culture icons.We dig into it all, including:⚡ Why Bride of Frankenstein is often considered superior to the original

Luces en el Horizonte
El Lobo humano de Londres - Luces en el Horizonte - Episodio exclusivo para mecenas

Luces en el Horizonte

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2026 66:09


Agradece a este podcast tantas horas de entretenimiento y disfruta de episodios exclusivos como éste. ¡Apóyale en iVoox! El Lobo humano de Londres es una película que ha dejado huella imborrable, sentando bases sobre las características de los hombres lobo. Ven a conocer una historia tremenda que trae el sello de Universal Monsters. Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

The Attractions Podcast
Original ‘Star Wars' trilogy coming to Galaxy's Edge timeline, Universal Fan Fest Nights brings Scooby-Doo and Universal Monsters, and more news! - The Attractions Podcast - Recorded 1/19/2026

The Attractions Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2026 50:10


Join Attractions Magazine contributing writers and correspondents as they bring you news and discussion about all things themed entertainment and parks, including Disney, Universal Studios and beyond on The Attractions Podcast. Topics of conversation on this week's episode of The Attractions Podcast: Universal teases mystery announcement | Roller coaster reveal incoming? Universal Orlando to celebrate 25th anniversary of ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone' Scooby-Doo mashing up with Universal Monsters for new attraction Universal reveals new ‘Harry Potter' Forbidden Forest attraction coming Disney on Broadway at Epcot Festival of the Arts 2026 | Photo tour Original ‘Star Wars' trilogy coming to Galaxy's Edge timeline The Attractions Podcast is brought to you by MEI-Travel and Mouse Fan Travel. They provide premium service and expert advice to get the most for your vacation time and dollars. Visit them at mei-travel.com. We welcome your suggestions and want you to be a part of the discussion. Please send your comments to info@attractionsmagazine.com with the subject line “The Attractions Podcast.” Statements or opinions herein are those of the hosts and advertisers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the producers, Dream Together Media LLC, or staff.

The Weekly Scroll TTRPG Podcast
EP 302 | We review HAMMERS

The Weekly Scroll TTRPG Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2026 85:40


On this episode of The Weekly Scroll Podcast, Ryan is joined by Christian Sorrell, aka Meatcastle Gameware, to review HAMMERS by Jon Davis of Sivad's Sanctum, an old-school dungeon crawler for fans of Hammer Horror, Universal Monsters, and folk horror.Find Hammers here: https://sivads-sanctum.itch.io/hammersFind Christian here: https://meatcastlegameware.com/0:00 Start1:05 Who the heck is Christian Sorrell7:30 Hammers game info8:35 Let's get into it9:40 Character Generation23:40 Rules Breakdown33:50 Leaning into the vibes37:05 Thoughts, likes, misc. bits42:50 Metrics1:18:05 Wrap upAll our links here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/theweeklyscroll⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@theweeklyscroll⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.twitch.tv/theweeklyscroll⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/the.weekly.scroll⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/theweeklyscroll.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/SQYEuebVab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠At-Coast Merch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.bonfire.com/store/the-weekly-scroll/⁠⁠

Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30
Is Six Flags Preparing to Sell More Parks? What the Filings Suggest

Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 19, 2026 30:29 Transcription Available


A new set of trademark filings has raised fresh questions about Six Flags' long-term portfolio strategy. An entity called Enchanted Parks Holdings, LLC—linked to Orlando-based Innovative Attraction Management (IAM)—has filed trademarks incorporating the names of several current Six Flags properties, including Michigan's Adventure, Six Flags St. Louis, Oceans of Fun, Water Safari, and Great Escape Lodge. While trademark filings alone don't confirm transactions, the scope and specificity of these names suggest preparation for potential rebranding tied to asset transfers.That context matters. Since the merger closed, Six Flags has been explicit that not every park fits its future model. Management has already disclosed that a significant portion of legacy Six Flags parks underperform financially, and impairment charges taken in 2025 reinforced that reality. Rolling debt forward earlier this month bought the company time—but at a higher fixed cost—making portfolio simplification a logical lever if margins remain tight.We discuss what this could mean in practical terms: water parks and resort-adjacent assets may be easier to separate than full theme parks; complexes like Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun could potentially be split; and regional operators like IAM may be assembling multi-park portfolios under unified consumer-facing brands. None of this confirms sales—but it aligns with a long-signaled strategy to slim down, reduce capital intensity, and concentrate investment on fewer, higher-performing parks.The episode also looks at parallel signals elsewhere in the industry. Delta's earnings show premium cabins overtaking main cabin revenue for the first time, reinforcing the broader shift toward bifurcated markets. And Universal's newly announced Scooby-Doo and Universal Monsters walk-through for Fan Fest Nights illustrates how IP-driven, upchargeable experiences can add revenue without long-term balance sheet exposure—an approach increasingly relevant in a higher-rate environment.Taken together, the story isn't panic or distress. It's positioning. Trademark filings don't sell parks—but they often precede decisions. And in 2026, flexibility, optionality, and capital discipline are becoming as important as growth.Listen to weekly BONUS episodes on our Patreon.

Nerd Lunch
408 | After Dinner Lounge – Rise of the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Nerd Lunch

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 29, 2025 187:24


Better late than never, but Michael, Pax, and Rob finally complete last month's lounge with conversation about Christmas podcasts, werewolf movies, Universal Monsters comics, Hamnet, an update on Pax's Young Guns signatures, and movies we've never seen on the big screen, but want to.

Main Street Magic - A Walt Disney World Podcast
830: Epic Universe Unlocked: A Family Day, an Epic Way

Main Street Magic - A Walt Disney World Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2025 60:14


We're spending a full day exploring Universal's Epic Universe to see if it really does live up to the hype. From the moment you step into Celestial Park, it's clear this isn't just another theme park — it's a massive leap forward in immersive storytelling, ride technology, and atmosphere.We break down each world we explored, starting with Celestial Park and its stunning design, headlined by the thrilling Stardust Racers coaster. From there, we jump through portals into SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, where the colors pop, the energy is nonstop, and attractions like Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge and Mine-Cart Madness bring video games to life in a way we've never seen before.Next, we head into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, where the details are next-level. We talk about our days experience with the flagship attraction Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, plus Le Cirque Arcanus, a Cirque-style live show featuring magical creatures, aerial performances, and a story pulled straight from the Wizarding World.We also explore How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, covering rides like Hiccup's Wing Gliders and the live stage show The Untrainable Dragon, before ending in the darker, moodier Dark Universe, home to classic Universal Monsters and standout attractions like Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment.We share what surprised us most, what worked, what didn't, and where Epic Universe fits into the future of Universal Orlando. If you're planning a visit — or just want to know if it's worth the hype — this episode has you covered.

Weekly Spooky
This Week in Horror History | Black Christmas, Young Frankenstein & Ghost Story (December 15–21)

Weekly Spooky

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2025 23:52 Transcription Available


Bundle up, my spookies—this week's This Week in Horror History digs into Christmas horror movies, winter ghost stories, and festive frights from December 15–21. We're hanging the stockings and turning off the lights as we revisit the classics that made the holidays just a little more terrifying.We kick things off with Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein (1974), a black-and-white horror-comedy love letter to the Universal Monsters era. It proved that audiences were happy to unwrap creepy laughs during the holiday season, turning a modest budget into a massive hit and cementing itself as a cozy winter comfort watch for monster kids everywhere.From there, we head into the snow-choked terror of Bob Clark's Black Christmas (1974)—the grim, stalker-in-the-attic slasher that helped invent the blueprint for holiday horror slashers. Killer POV shots, obscene phone calls, sorority sisters in danger, and a cozy Christmas setting turned sinister make it a must-watch Christmas horror movie for anyone who likes their tinsel tangled with blood.We then unwrap some Christmas horror gaming with the PS1-style indie nightmare Christmas Massacre, where retro graphics, a whispering Christmas tree, and a deeply disturbed killer turn nostalgic winter vibes into something nasty and unforgettable. If you're into indie horror games, lo-fi visuals, and brutally mean Christmas horror, this one belongs on your December playlist.For fans of analog horror and late-night weirdness, we shine a frosty spotlight on Local 58's Real Sleep—a fake infomercial that slowly mutates into something cosmic, invasive, and deeply wrong. It's perfect for those long, cold nights where the TV glow is the only light in the room.Our Deep-Cut Spotlight settles on Ghost Story (1981), a wintry ghost tale about regret, buried secrets, and a haunting that refuses to stay in the past. Legendary performances and snow-dusted atmosphere make it an ideal December ghost story to curl up with while the wind howls outside and the Christmas lights flicker.Along the way, we celebrate horror icons with birthdays this week, revisit the seismic impact of Wes Craven's Scream (1996) as a late-December slasher staple, and build you a Christmas horror watchlist loaded with slashers, ghost stories, analog nightmares, and cold-weather horror comfort films.Where to watch this week's picks (U.S.):Black Christmas (1974) – Currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, Shudder, AMC+ and more, and also free with ads on platforms like Tubi and The Roku Channel. Ghost Story (1981) – Streaming on Amazon Prime Video (including Prime with ads), with digital rent/buy options on Amazon, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home. Christmas Massacre (Game) – Available digitally on Steam, GOG, PlayStation, Xbox, and directly from the Puppet Combo store for PC collectors. Young Frankenstein (1974) – As of this week it's not on major subscription services in the U.S.; your best bet is grabbing a digital copy or Blu-ray from retailers like Amazon and other disc shops. Hit play on this episode of This Week in Horror History for a Christmas horror history lesson you can turn directly into a holiday horror movie night—plus the details on our sponsor's special seasonal deal.Support the show and get a tasty energy drink without the crash at AspireDrinks.com and get 25% off with promo code SPOOKY at checkout!

Are You Afraid of the Dark Universe?
The Grinch with Daniel Kibblesmith

Are You Afraid of the Dark Universe?

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2025 94:55


Months ago, Emmy-winning writer and author Daniel Kibblesmith was driving through Burbank, California when he made an astounding realization - The Grinch is a Universal Monster. Therefore, he is eligible for inclusion in the Dark Universe, the sprawling film franchise that was launched in 2017, immediately scrapped, and then continued by Dylan & Dalton on the previous incarnation of their podcast!What are Daniel's plans for the green meanie with a penchant for devilry and a hatred of Christmas? Let's find out...SPONSORSYou can search for the Frankencast wherever you listen to podcasts.Check out TOWNIE(S), a TTRPG by Jellyfishlines, at https://jellyfishlines.carrd.co/And you can find Spooky Aurora's White City at retrofit-games-company.itch.ioAnd as always you can join our Patreon - Patreon.com/DylanAndDaltonCHAPTERS00:00:00 - Intro00:03:25 - Our guest, Daniel Kibblesmith!00:06:56 - Some Grinch history00:31:10 - Sponsors: The Frankencast & TOWNIE(S)00:32:29 - Casting the Grinch 00:35:19 - Daniel's pitch00:52:46 - Workshopping the pitch01:25:26 - Sponsor: The White City01:26:40 - What's coming up on the pod?

Inglorious Rankers
Ranking Universal Monsters deel 3

Inglorious Rankers

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2025 109:32


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

We Could Survive That
Episode 505: Frankenstein (2025)

We Could Survive That

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2025 25:47


In episode 505, the "survival experts" try to determine who is the real monster, Frankenstein or the sexy monster the he made. Chris thinks about the Shape of Water and Jack thinks about couples therapy. E-mail your survival suggestions to us at wecouldsurvivethat@gmail.com or Twitter @WeCouldSurvive or find older episode on Youtube at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXAa8-wNqv1G14ts_DHenkg/feed

I Read Comic Books
Back To Life. Back to Reality.

I Read Comic Books

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 26, 2025 42:21


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

How I Met Your Monster
Dracula, Wolf Man, Frankenstein, Gill Man, and The Mummy in Fred Dekker's THE MONSTER SQUAD

How I Met Your Monster

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2025 113:43


As we continue our IN DA KLERB WE ALL MONSTERS triple feature, we're stocking up on silver bullets and garlic pizza to meet an ‘80s take on the Universal Monsters in THE MONSTER SQUAD, starring Andre Gower, Tom Noonan, Duncan Regehr, Ryan Lambert, Jon Gries, Ashley Bank, Leonardo Cimino, Brent Chalem, Robby Kiger, Stephen Macht, Mary Ellen Trainor, Stan Shaw, Lisa Fuller, and Jack Gwillim.  Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTubeFor bonus content and commentaries, check out our PatreonFollow the show on Instagram, TikTok, and FacebookWant to support the show and save 20% on Fangoria? Visit Fangoria and enter PROMO CODE: HOWIMETYOURMONSTER at checkout!Looking for How I Met Your Monster merch? Check out TeePublic for shirts, stickers, mugs, and more!Questions and comments: howimetyourmonsterpodcast@gmail.com

The Pulp Writer Show
Episode 278: Autumn 2025 Movie Roundup - Frankenstein, Universal Monsters, The Naked Gun, and others

The Pulp Writer Show

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2025 22:13


In this week's episode, I rate the movies and streaming shows I saw in Autumn 2025. This coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in The Ghosts series at my Payhip store: GHOSTS2025 The coupon code is valid through December 1, 2025. So if you need a new ebook this fall, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 278 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is November 21st, 2025, and today I am sharing my reviews of the movies and streaming shows I saw in Fall 2025. We also have a Coupon of the Week and an update my current writing, audiobook, and publishing projects. So let's start off with Coupon of the Week. This week's coupon code will get you 25% off all the ebooks in The Ghosts series at my Payhip store, and that is GHOSTS2025. And as always, we'll have the link to my Payhip store and the coupon code in the show notes for this episode. This coupon code is valid through December 1, 2025, so if you need a new ebook for this fall, we have got you covered. Now for my current writing and publishing projects: I'm very pleased to report that Blade of Shadows, the second book in my Blades of Ruin epic fantasy series, is now out. You can get it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Apple Books, Smashwords, and my Payhip store. By the time this episode goes live, all those stores should be available and you can get the book at any one of them and I hope you will read and enjoy it. I'm also 15,000 words into what will be my next main project Wizard-Assassin, the fifth book in the Half-Elven Thief series, and if all goes well, I want that to be out before Christmas. I'm also working on the outline for what will be the third book in the Blades of Ruin series, Blade of Storms, and that will hopefully, if all goes well, be the first book I publish in 2026. In audiobook news, as I mentioned last week, the audiobook of Blade of Flames is done and I believe as of this recording, you can get at my Payhip store, Google Play, Kobo, and I think Spotify. It's not up on Audible or Apple yet, but that should be soon, if all goes well. That is excellently narrated by Brad Wills. Hollis McCarthy is still working on Cloak of Embers. I believe main recording is done for that and it just has to be edited and proofed, so hopefully we'll get both audiobooks to you before the end of the year. So that is where I'm at with my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. 00:02:08 Main Topic of the Week: Autumn 2025 Movie Review Roundup Now on to this week's main project, the Autumn 2025 Movie Review Roundup. I watched a lot of classic horror movies this time around. The old Universal black and white monster movies from the '30s and '40s turned up on Prime for Halloween and I hadn't seen them since I was a kid, so I watched a bunch of them in October and November, which seemed an appropriate thing to do for Halloween. They mostly held up as well as I remembered from when I was a kid, which was a nice surprise. As ever, the grades I give these movies are totally subjective and based on nothing more than my own opinions and thoughts. With that, let's take a look at the movies from least favorite to most favorite. First up is The Other Guys, which came out in 2010 and this is a parody of the buddy cop/ cowboy cop movie along with a heavy critique of the reckless and corrupt culture of late 2000s Wall Street. "Dumb funny" movies I've noticed tend to fall on either side of the "dumb but actually funny" or "dumb and not funny" line. And this one definitely landed on "dumb but actually funny". Danson and Highsmith, played by The Rock and Samuel L. Jackson, are two maverick popular detectives who never do paperwork. Their paperwork is always done by Allen Gamble, who's played by Will Ferrell and Terry Hoitz, played by Mark Wahlberg. Gamble is a mild-mannered forensic accountant, while Hoitz desperately wants to be as cool as either Danson or Highsmith, but since he accidentally shot Yankees player Derek Jeter (in a recurring gag), he's a pariah within the New York Police Department. However, Danon and Highsmith's plot armor suddenly run out and they accidentally kill themselves in a darkly hilarious scene that made me laugh so much I hurt a little. Hoitz wants to step into their shoes, but Gamble has stumbled onto potentially dangerous case and soon Hoitz and Gamble have to overcome their difficulties and unravel a complicated financial crime. This was pretty funny and I enjoyed it. Amusingly in real life, someone like Gamble would be massively respected in whatever law enforcement agency he works for, since someone who prepares ironclad paperwork and correct documentation that stands up in court is an invaluable asset in law enforcement work. Overall Grade: B Next up is Fantastic Four: First Steps, which came out in 2025. I like this though, to be honest, I liked Thunderbolts and Superman 2025 better. I think my difficulty is I never really understood The Fantastic Four as a concept and why they're appealing. Maybe the Fantastic Four are one of those things you just have to imprint on when you're a kid to really enjoy or maybe at my age, the sort of retro futurism of the Four, the idea that science, technology, and rational thought will solve all our problems does seem a bit naive after the last 65 years of history or so. Additionally, the idea of a naked silver space alien riding a surfboard does seem kind of ridiculous. Anyway, the movie glides over the origin story of Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm and gets right into it. To their surprise, Reed and Sue find out that Sue is pregnant, which seemed unlikely due to their superpower induced genetic mutations. Shortly after that, the Silver Surfer arrives and announces that Earth will be devoured by Galactus. The Four travel in their spaceship to confront Galactus and realize that he's a foe far beyond their power, but Galactus offers them a bargain. If Reed and Sue give him their son, he will leave Earth in peace. They refuse and so it's up to the Four to figure out a way to save Earth and Reed and Sue's son. Pretty solid superhero movie all told, but it is amusing how in every version of the character, Reed Richards is allegedly the smartest man on Earth but still can't keep his mouth shut to save his life. Overall Grade: B The next movie is Superman, which came out in 1978. After seeing the 2025 version of Superman, I decided to watch the old one from the '70s. It's kind of a classic because it was one of the progenitors of the modern superhero film. Interestingly, it was one of the most expensive films ever made at that time, costing about $55 million in '70s-era dollars, which are much less inflated than today. A rough back of the envelope calculation would put 55 million in the '70s worth at about $272 million today, give or take. Anyway, this was a big gamble, but it paid off for the producers since they got $300 million back, which would be like around $1.4 billion in 2025 money. Anyway, the movie tells the origin story of Superman, how his father Jor-El knows that Krypton is doomed, so he sends Kal-El to Earth. Kal-El is raised as Clark Kent by his adoptive Kansas parents and uses his powers to become Superman- defender of truth, justice, and the American way. Superman must balance his growing feelings for ace reporter Lois Lane with his need for a secret identity and the necessity of stopping Lex Luthor's dangerous schemes. Christopher Reeve was an excellent Superman and the special effects were impressive by the standards of 1978, but I think the weakest part of the movie were the villains. Lex Luthor just seemed comedic and not at all that threatening. Unexpected fun fact: Mario Puzio, author of The Godfather, wrote the screenplay. Overall Grade: B Next up is Superman II, which came out in 1980. This is a direct sequel to the previous movie. When Superman stops terrorists from detonating a nuclear bomb by throwing it into space, the blast releases the evil Kryptonian General Zod and his minions from their prison and they decide to conquer Earth. Meanwhile, Superman is falling deeper in love with the Lois Lane and unknowing of the threat from Zod, decides to renounce his powers to live with Lois as an ordinary man. I think this had the same strengths and weaknesses as the first movie. Christopher Reeve was an excellent Superman. The special effects were impressive by the standards of the 1980s, but the villains remained kind of comedic goofballs. Additionally, and while this will sound harsh, this version of Lois Lane was kind of dumb and her main function in the plot was to generate problems for Superman via her questionable decisions. Like at the end, Superman has to wipe her memory because she can't keep his secret identity to herself. If this version of Lois Lane lived today, she'd be oversharing everything she ever thought or heard on TikTok. The 2025 movie version of Lois, by contrast, bullies Mr. Terrific into lending her his flying saucer so she can rescue Superman when he's in trouble and is instrumental in destroying Lex Luthor's public image and triggering his downfall. 1970s Louis would've just had a meltdown and made things worse until Superman could get around to rescuing her. Overall, I would say the 1978 movie was too goofy, the Zac Snyder Superman movies were too grimdark, but the 2025 Superman hit the right balance between goofy and serious. Overall Grade: B Next up is Dracula, which came out in 1931, and this was one of the earliest horror movies ever made and also one of the earliest movies ever produced with sound. It is a very compressed adaptation of the stage version of Dracula. Imagine the theatrical stage version of Dracula, but then imagine that the movie was only 70 minutes long, so you have to cut a lot to fit the story into those 70 minutes. So if you haven't read the book, Dracula the movie from 1931 will not make a lot of sense. It's almost like the "Cliff's Notes Fast Run" version of Dracula. That said, Bela Lugosi's famous performance as Dracula really carries the movie. Like Boris Karloff in Frankenstein and The Mummy (which we'll talk about shortly), Bela Lugosi really captures the uncanny valley aspect of Dracula because the count isn't human anymore and has all these little tics of a creature that isn't human but only pretending to be one. Edward Van Sloan's performance as Dr. Van Helsing is likewise good and helped define the character in the public eye. So worth watching as a historical artifact, but I think some of the other Universal monster movies (which we'll discuss shortly) are much stronger. Overall Grade: B Next up is The Horror of Dracula, which came out in 1958. This is one of the first of the Hammer Horror movies from the '50s, starring Peter Cushing as Dr. Van Helsing and Christopher Lee as Count Dracula. It's also apparently the first vampire movie ever made in color. Like the 1931 version of Dracula, it's a condensed version of the story, though frankly, I think it hangs together a little better. Van Helsing is a bit more of an action hero in this one, since in the end he engages Dracula in fisticuffs. The movie is essentially carried by the charisma of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee and worth watching as a good example of a classic '50s horror movie. Overall Grade: B Next up is The Wolf Man, which came out in 1941. This is another one of the classic Universal horror movies. This one features Lon Cheney Jr. as Larry Talbot, the younger son of Sir John Talbot. Larry's older brother died in a hunting accident, so Larry comes home to reconcile with his father and take up his duties as the family heir. Larry is kind of an amiable Average Joe and is immediately smitten with the prettiest girl in the village, but when he takes her out for a walk, they're attacked by a werewolf, who bites Larry. Larry and everyone else in the village do not believe in werewolves, but they're about to have their minds changed the hard way. The transformation sequences where Larry turns into the Wolfman were cutting edge of the time, though poor Lon Chaney Jr had to stay motionless for hours as they gradually glued yak hair to him. I think Claude Rains had the best performance in the movie as Sir John and he's almost the co-protagonist. Overall Grade: B Next up is Jurassic World: Rebirth, which came out in 2025, which I thought was a perfectly straightforward but nonetheless enjoyable adventure film. After all the many disasters caused by various genetic engineering experiments in the previous movies, dinosaurs mostly live in relatively compatible ecosystems and tropical zones near the equator. No one's looking to create a theme park with dinosaurs or create bioengineered dinosaurs as military assets any longer. However, the dinosaurs are still valuable for research and a pharmaceutical company is developing a revolutionary drug for treating cardiac disease. They just need some dinosaur blood from three of the largest species to finish it, and so the company hires a team of mercenaries to retrieve the blood. We have the usual Jurassic Park style story tropes: the savvy mercenary leader, the scientist protesting the ethics of it all, the sinister corporate executive, the troubled family getting sucked into the chaos. And of course, it all goes wrong and there are lots and lots of dinosaurs running around. It's all been done before of course, but this was done well and was entertaining. Overall Grade: B+ Next up is The Thursday Murder Club, which came out in 2025, and this is a cozy mystery set in a very high-end retirement home. Retired nurse Joyce moves into Coopers Chase, the aforementioned high end retirement home. Looking to make new friends, she falls in with a former MI6 agent named Liz, a retired trade unionist named Ron, and psychiatrist Ibrahim, who have what they call The Thursday Murder Club, where they look into cold cases and attempt to solve them. However, things are not all sunshine and light at Coopers Chase as the two owners of the building have fallen out. When one of them is murdered, The Thursday Murder Club has to solve a real murder before Coopers Chase is bulldozed to make high-end apartments. A good cozy mystery with high caliber acting talent. Both Pierce Brosnan and Jonathan Price are in the movie and regrettably do not share a scene together, because that would've been hilarious since they were both in the James Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies in the '90s with Brosnan as Bond and Price as the Bond villain for the movie. Overall Grade: B+ Next up is The Creature From the Black Lagoon, which came out in 1954 and is one of the last of the black and white classic horror movies since in the '50s, color film was just around the corner. When a scientist finds the unusual half fish, half human fossil on a riverbank in Brazil, he decides to organize an expedition upriver to see if he can find the rest of the fossil. The trail leads his expedition to the mysterious Black Lagoon, which all the locals avoid because of its bad reputation, but a living member of the species that produce the fossils lurking the lagoon while it normally doesn't welcome visitors, it does like the one female member of the expedition and decides to claim her for its own. The creature was good monster and the underwater water sequences were impressive by the standards of the 1950s. Overall Grade: A- Next up is The Invisible Man, which came out in 1933, and this is another of the classic Universal black and white horror movies. Jack Griffin is a scientist who discovered a chemical formula for invisibility. Unfortunately, one of the drugs in his formula causes homicidal insanity, so he becomes a megalomaniac who wants to use his invisibility to rule the world. This causes Griffin to overlook the numerous weaknesses of his invisibility, which allow the police to hunt him down. The Invisible Man's special effects were state of the art at the time and definitely hold up nearly a hundred years later. It's worth watching as another classic of the genre. Claude Rains plays Griffin, and as with The Wolf Man, his performance as Griffin descends into homicidal insanity is one of the strengths of the movie. Overall Grade: A- Next up is The Mummy, which came out in 1932, and this is another of the original Universal black and white horror movies. Boris Karloff plays the Mummy, who is the ancient Egyptian priest Imhotep, who was mummified alive for the crime of desiring the Pharaoh's daughter Ankh-es-en-Amon. After 3,000 years, Imhotep is accidentally brought back to life when an archeologist reads a magical spell and Imhotep sets out immediately to find the reincarnation of his beloved and transform her into a mummy as well so they can live together forever as undead. Edward Van Sloan plays Dr. Mueller, who is basically Edward Van Sloan's Van Helsing from Dracula if Van Helsing specialized in mummy hunting rather than vampire hunting. This version of the Mummy acts more like a Dungeons and Dragons lich instead of the now classic image of a shambling mummy in dragging bandages. That said, Boris Karloff is an excellent physical actor. As he does with Frankenstein, he brings Imhotep to life. His performance captures the essence of a creature that hasn't been human for a very long time, is trying to pretend to be human, and isn't quite getting there. Of course, the plot was reused for the 1999 version of The Mummy with Brendan Fraser. That was excellent and this is as well. Overall Grade: A- Next up is The Wedding Singer, which came out in 1998, and this is basically the Adam Sandler version of a Hallmark movie. Adam Sandler plays Robbie, a formerly famous musician whose career has lapsed and has become a wedding singer and a venue singer. He befriends the new waitress Julia at the venue, played by Drew Barrymore. The day after that, Robbie's abandoned at the altar by his fiancée, which is understandably devastating. Meanwhile, Julia's fiancé Glenn proposes to her and Robbie agrees to help her with the wedding planning since he's an expert in the area and knows all the local vendors. However, in the process, Robbie and Julia fall in love, but are in denial about the fact, a situation made more tense when Robbie realizes Glenn is cheating on Julia and intends to continue to do so after the wedding. So it's basically a Hallmark movie filtered through the comedic sensibilities of Adam Sandler. It was very funny and Steve Buscemi always does great side characters in Adam Sandler movies. Overall Grade: A Next up is Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, which came out in 2025. This movie was sort of a self-indulgent victory lap, but it was earned. The writers of the sitcom Community used to joke that they wanted "six seasons and a movie" and Downton Abbey got "six seasons and three movies". Anyway, this movie is about handing off things to the next generation. Lord Grantham is reluctant to fully retire as his daughter goes through a scandal related to her divorce. The next generation of servants take over as the previous ones ease into retirement. What's interesting is both the nobles and the servants are fully aware that they're sort of LARPing a historical relic by this point because by 1930, grand country houses like Downton were increasingly rare in the UK since World War I wiped out most of them and crippling post-war taxes and economic disruption finished off many more. Anyway, if you like Downton Abbey, you like this movie. Overall Grade: A Next up is Argo, which came out in 2012, a very tense thriller about the Iranian hostage crisis in 1979. During that particular crisis, six Americans escaped the embassy and hid out at the Canadian Ambassador's house in Tehran. For obvious reasons, the Canadian ambassador wanted them out as quickly as possible, so the CIA and the State Department needed to cook up a plan to get the six out while the rest of the government tried to figure out what to do about the larger group of hostages. Finally, the government comes with "Argo." A CIA operative will create a fake film crew, a fake film company, and smuggle the six out of Tehran as part of the production. The movie was very tense and very well constructed, even if you know the outcome in advance if you know a little bit of history. Ben Affleck directed and starred, and this was in my opinion one of his best performances. It did take some liberties with historical accuracy, but nonetheless, a very tense political thriller/heist movie with some moments of very dark comedy. Overall Grade: A Next up is The Naked Gun, which came out in 2025, and this is a pitch perfect parody of the gritty cop movie with a lot of absurdist humor, which works well because Liam Neeson brings his grim action persona to the movie and it works really well with the comedy. Neeson plays Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr., the son of the original Frank Drebin from The Naked Gun movies back in the '80s. After stopping a bank robbery, Drebin finds himself investigating the suicide of an engineer for the sinister tech mogul Richard Cane. Naturally, the suicide isn't what it appears and when the engineer's mysterious but seductive sister asks for Drebin's help, he pushes deeper into the case. Richard Cane was a hilarious villain because the writers couldn't decide which tech billionaire to parody with him, so they kind of parodied all the tech billionaires at once, and I kid you not, the original Frank Drebin makes an appearance as a magical owl. It was hilarious. Overall Grade: A Now for my two favorite things I saw in Autumn 2025. The first is the combination of Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein, which came out in 1931 and 1935. These are two separate movies, but Frankenstein leads directly to Bride of Frankenstein, so I'm going to treat them as one movie. Honestly, I think they're two halves of the same story the way that Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame would be two halves of the same story 90 years later, so I'll review them as one. Frankenstein by itself on its own will get a B. Colin Clive's performance is Dr. Henry Frankenstein was great, and Boris Karloff gives the Creature a suitable air of menace and uncanny valley. You really feel like he's something that's been brought to life but isn't quite right and still extremely dangerous. The movie does have a very pat ending that implies everyone will live happily ever after, with Dr. Frankenstein's father giving a toast to his son. But Bride of Frankenstein takes everything from the first movie and improves on it. It's one of those sequels that actually makes the preceding movie better. In Bride, Henry is recovering from his ordeal and swears off his experiments of trying to create artificial humans, but the Creature survived the fire at the windmill at the end of the last movie and is seeking for a new purpose. Meanwhile, Henry receives a visit from his previous mentor, the sinister Dr. Pretorius. Like Henry, Pretorius succeeded in creating artificial life and now he wants to work with Henry to perfect their work, but Henry refuses, horrified by the consequences of his previous experiments. Pretorius, undaunted, makes an alliance with the Creature, who then kidnaps Henry's wife. This will let Pretorius force Henry to work on their ultimate work together-a bride for the Creature. Bride of Frankenstein is a lot tighter than Frankenstein. It was surprising to see how rapidly filmmaking techniques evolved over just four years. Pretorius is an excellent villain, more evil wizard than mad scientist, and the scene where he calmly and effortlessly persuades the Creature to his side was excellent. One amusing note, Bride was framed as Mary Shelley telling the second half of the story to her friends, and then the actress playing Mary Shelley, Elsa Lancaster, also played the Bride. So that was a funny bit of meta humor. Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein combined is one of my two favorite movies of Fall 2025. Overall Grade: A+ And now for my second favorite movie of Autumn 2025, which as it turns out is also Frankenstein, but Guillermo del Toro's version that came out in 2025. And honestly, I think Guillermo del Toro's version of Frankenstein is the best version put to screen so far and even does the rarest of all feats, it improves a little on the original novel. Oscar Isaac plays Victor Frankenstein as a brilliant, driven scientist with something of a sociopathic edge. In other words, he's a man who's utterly inadequate to the task when his experiment succeeds and he actually creates an artificial human that have assembled dead body parts. Jacob Elordi does a good job as the Creature, playing him is essentially a good hearted man who's driven to violence and despair by the cruelty and rejection of the world. The recurring question of the Frankenstein mythos is whether or not Victor Frankenstein is the real monster. In this version, he definitely is, though he gets a chance to repent of his evil by the end. Honestly, everything about this was good. The performances, the cinematography, everything. How good was it? It was so good that I will waive my usual one grade penalty for unnecessary nudity since there were a few brief scenes of it. Overall Grade: A+ So that was the Autumn 2025 Movie Roundup. A lot of good movies this time around. While some movies of course were better than others, I didn't see anything I actively disliked, which is always nice. So that's it for this week. Thanks for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes at https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave your review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and see you all next week.  

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Paranormal: The New Normal
PTNN Present Paranormal Primetime: Dean Couldn't Go to the Monster Movie When He Caught Yellow Fever

Paranormal: The New Normal

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 19, 2025 49:13


Well folks we're knee deep into Season 4 at this point and we have 2 great monster of the week episodes for you. In this first one, it's a great homage to Universal Monster movies of the 30s and 40s and in the second one we have one of Dean's best episodes ever and an amazing karaoke performance. So come sit back and enjoy with Jeremy and Malachi. Episodes Discussed: S4 E5: Monster Movie S4 E6: Yellow Fever Uncensored, Untamed & Unapologetic U^3 Podcast Collective: https://www.facebook.com/groups/545827736965770/?ref=share Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@juggalobastardpodcasts?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8xJ2KnRBKlYvyo8CMR7jMg

Happy Horror TIMe!
Ep 282: Frankensweetie (w/Philip Faiss, host of Netflix & Phil)

Happy Horror TIMe!

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2025 69:17 Transcription Available


It's a tale as old as time… well, as old as 1818 at least, since that's when Mary Shelley's novel was first published. And after multiple film adaptations, Guillermo del Toro is now putting his stamp on this classic monster story. Tune in as we're joined by Philip Faiss, host of Netflix & Phil, to break down Netflix's “Frankenstein” — from the many different layers behind this narrative, to the ways del Toro changed the source material, and of course, how Jacob Elordi can be sexy even as The Creature.Check out Netflix & Phil on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@philoween_trends

The Horror Squad Podcast
Episode 408: Frankenstein (1931 & 2025)

The Horror Squad Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 14, 2025 92:00


Episode Notes This week, we fulfill our annual obligation of reviewing a Universal Monster film by reviewing both Frankenstein (1931) and its most recent adaptation as well! Also in this episode, Joe talks about attending John Cena's Boston farewell on WWE's Raw, Todd tries to maintain his quarter trivia lead and Steve reviews a brand new theatre release with Predator: Badlands! All that and more! Music provided by www.purple-planet.com

TB Toycast
Ep. 211: TMNT Universal Monsters

TB Toycast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2025 80:22


The random TMNT figures were never my favorite, I always wanted the regular versions. But these were awesome and have definitely risen in value! We also talk Ninjombie, Mezco Hulk, Simpsons, LJN John Cena, Jesse Ventura, Mythic Legions and Micro Titans Wrestling! Check it out now!Also check out the TB Toycast YouTube Channel!https://youtube.com/@tbtoycast?si=89KsXSWdemMiL97DAlso the return of The Saturday Morning Rumble Wheel! Check it out as wellhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-saturday-morning-rumble-wheel/id1654659843

Halloweenies: A Freddy Krueger Podcast
Ranking: The Universal Monsters

Halloweenies: A Freddy Krueger Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2025 124:16


The Monster Mash has reached its end! Before they leave the Universal backlot, the Halloweenies (Dan Caffrey, McKenzie Gerber, Rachel Reeves, Michael Roffman, and Justin Gerber) take inventory on all those Universal Monsters they've covered this year. Who's the all-timer? Find out in this season finale ranking. Bonus: They also announce next season! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Bizarre podcast
The Monster Squad The Universal Monsters Movie That Universal Didnt Make

Bizarre podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 8, 2025 10:54 Transcription Available


The monster squad the best monster movie ever

Movie Trivia Schmoedown
NEW Avengers: Doomsday Trailer Details?!

Movie Trivia Schmoedown

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2025 116:36


AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY Trailer Description Reveals A Big Doctor Doom Twist! Kristian Harloff dives into the latest Marvel and DC news, including new details about Robert Downey Jr.'s take on Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday! The trailer description teases a massive twist — and it sounds like Downey "went full Universal Monster." Plus, we cover Damson Idris' response to those Black Panther casting rumors, updates on DC's Lanterns series delay, a Kang Dynasty rumor involving Nathaniel Richards, Famke Janssen confirming she wasn't asked back as Jean Grey, and David Krumholtz teasing what Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow reveals about the House of El. SPONSORS: CASH APP - Download Cash App Today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/76rlxe00 #cashapppod . Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. See terms and conditions at https://cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement. Direct Deposit, Overdraft Coverage and Discounts provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit http://cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. RIDGE WALLET - Upgrade your wallet today! Get 10% Off @Ridge with code KRISTIAN at https://www.Ridge.com/KRISTIAN #ridgepod

Four Finger Discount (Simpsons Podcast)
Treehouse Of Horror XX (S21E04)

Four Finger Discount (Simpsons Podcast)

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2025 72:05 Transcription Available


It's the spooky season ocne again and conveniently it's time to revisit Treehouse Of Horror XX, which gives us a fun Hitchcock homage with "Dial 'M' for Murder or Press "#" to Return to Main Menu", a classiz zombie tale with "Don't Have A Cow, Mankind", and Sweeney Todd parody with "There's No Business Like Moe Business."We also discuss the dangers of playground round-a-bouts, why the Universal Monsters aren't popular anymore, the thrills of "knick-knocking" and more. Happy Halloween!If you enjoy this review, please consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1 per month at patreon.com/fourfingerdiscountListen on Spotify - spoti.fi/4fDcSY0Listen on Apple Podcasts - apple.co/4dgpW3ZCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Goin' Down To South Park - spreaker.com/show/goin-down-to-south-parkThe Movie Guide with Maltin & Davis - themovieguidepodcast.comThe One About Friends - spreaker.com/show/the-one-about-friends-podcastTalking Seinfeld - spreaker.com/show/talking-seinfeldSpeaKing Of The Hill - spreaker.com/show/speaking-of-the-hill-a-king-of-the-hill-The Office Talk - spreaker.com/show/the-office-talk-podcastBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/four-finger-discount-simpsons-podcast--5828977/support.

Ready 2 Retro
Halloween 2025 Special: 3 Favorite Halloween Commercials & Spooky Toys from the 90s

Ready 2 Retro

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2025 78:20 Transcription Available


Happy Halloween!Max and The Duchess of Horror, Chelsea, wind down the spooky season as they share about meeting John Carpenter, visiting Knotts Scary Farm, watching horror movies and their other adventures. Also they share about their favorite 90s Halloween commercials and spooky themed toys!Whether you're unwrapping a pack of Gushers or rereading a Goosebumps book today, remember. keep it creepy, keep it kooky, and keep it totally RETRO!

The Horrific Network
Haunt Season 10.30 – Universal Horror Unleashed: Year-Round Terror in Las Vegas

The Horrific Network

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2025 151:49


Send us a textVegas isn't just for casinos anymore — it's home to horror. Join Jimmy on the road as he explores Universal Horror Unleashed at AREA15 in Las Vegas, NV.  Inside this 110,000-square-foot warehouse of fear, Jimmy walks through four epic haunted houses (including The Exorcist: Believer, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Universal Monsters and an original story, Scarecrow: The Reaping). He also explores themed live-zones, horror-bars and immersive food & beverage venues crafted for the truly braveBecome a backer for Ghost Executioners 3 Starring Anastasia Elfman! https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ghost-executioners-3-the-final-haunting/x/38704812#/ Ghost Executioners and Halloween Gory Nights Merchandise! https://www.teepublic.com/user/thehorrificnetwork?utm_source=designer&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=horrificnetwork Follow All Things Horrific Network Here https://linktr.ee/thehorrificnetwork

The Secret Origins of Mint Condition
292. Halloween 2025: Looking back on 80's Horror Monsters

The Secret Origins of Mint Condition

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 29, 2025 67:39


Halloween 2025 is here and once again the SOMC crew is joined by our King of Halloween Patrick. After spending many years sharing the love they have for the classic Universal Monsters, the crew takes a turn and talks about the monsters of the 80's. Patrick is our guide through the horror/ slasher movie icons, telling us what makes them great and what movies any horror fan should check out. There will be a few tricks but lots of treats but in the end remember to have a Happy Halloween.

Talk Film Society Podcast
Cinema To The Letter: Universal Monsters Drive-In Special - Patreon Unlock

Talk Film Society Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2025 104:25


To celebrate 100 years of Universal Monsters, this Halloween is going with a classic spooky Patreon unlock! Hear Bryan and Thomas celebrate the spooky season back in 2023 with a little drive-in marathon of some classic Universal Monster films! All of which Bryan saw for the first time! Listen to their live reactions to all five films (Dracula, Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, The Wolf Man & Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man) as well as the other entries in the Universal Monster canon. Join our Patreon for $1 to hear monthly audio reviews of new releases which you can vote on at patreon.com/cinema2letter! Follow us @cinema2letter on socials! Artwork by Michelle Kyle! Music by Burial Grid! We're a proud member of the TalkFilmSociety podcast network! 

IseeRobots Radio
Classic Episode Repost: The Toys R Us Report Ep.134: The Top 5 Universal Monsters Plus Blade Runner 2049

IseeRobots Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2025 52:30


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

The Flicks & Friends Podcast
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein

The Flicks & Friends Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2025 51:47


Week three of our Universal Monster Month brings together the Universal Monster shared universe for the first time. Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are unfortunately center stage of this and what they have to do to get out of it is crazy! 

Optimism Vaccine
The Universal Monsters (Shawntober 2025)

Optimism Vaccine

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 26, 2025 65:12


THIS WEEK: Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), The Mummy (1932), The Invisible Man (1933), Bride of Frankenstein (1935), The Wolf Man (1941) and The Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954)We're breaking format for the (permanent?) finale of Shawntober, as we take a wide-ranging look at the origins of the American horror film.Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

Musicals with Cheese Podcast

Spooky time has arrived, and we're talking about one of the goopiest films to ever grace the cinematic screens with David Cronenberg's body horror classic "The Fly." Join us while we talk about the hotness of the two leads, the beauty of gross, and how at its heart this is just another Universal Monster movie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mahoning Drive-In Radio
152 - Mike Weatherford on Universal Monster Mash IX, Monster Kid Memories, and DRIVE-IN KINGS OF 1977

Mahoning Drive-In Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2025 60:01


Mark in joined by Las Vegas entertainment reporter Mike Weatherford, author of CULT VEGAS: THE WEIRDEST! THE WILDEST! THE SWINGIN'EST TOWN ON EARTH! and the comic series DRIVE-IN KINGS OF 1977, to talk about the film in this weekend's October 24-25, 2025 "Universal Monster Mash IX" at The Mahoning Drive-In Theater, along with Monster Kid Memories, local Tulsa horror host Mazeppa, Castle Films, Aurora model kits, THE GREEN SLIME, and the latest issue of DRIVE-IN KINGS of 1977!Recorded 10/21/25For Universal Monster Mash IX tickets:https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/mahoningdrivein/UniversalMashIXCheck out DRIVE-IN KINGS OF 1977 here:https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/driveinkings1977/drive-in-kings-of-1977-1-6https://www.facebook.com/p/Drive-in-Kings-of-1977-comic-100090057309258/For exclusive additional podcasts, videos, sneak peeks, and on-site discounts, visit the Mahoning Drive-In Patreon page at:https://www.patreon.com/mahoningdriveinhttps://www.mahoningdit.comhttps://www.facebook.com/mahoningdriveintheaterhttps://www.instagram.com/mahoningdriveintheaterhttps://twitter.com/mahoningditFor Mahoning Drive-In merch online:https://merchbin.net/collections/mahoning-drive-in-theaterhttps://www.crackerjackposters.com/s/shop

Film Alchemist
The Invisible Man (1933)

Film Alchemist

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2025 37:19


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

Bizarre podcast
the Wolfman 1941 , universal monsters

Bizarre podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2025 7:30 Transcription Available


today i dive into the  universal monster movie ,  the wolfman from 1941 , that defined everything you know about the werewolf

Broken VCR
#213 The Monster Squad (1987)

Broken VCR

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2025 96:03


Fred Dekker's 1987 Goonies-esque monster adventure, THE MONSTER SQUAD, is our feature presentation this week! We talk about the monsters at the heart of the film, the epic opening siege of Dracula's castle, Wolfman's nards, and we ask if the squad's treehouse is the best treehouse ever depicted on film? We also eulogize Diane Keaton, Drew Struzan, and MTV, as well as rank our TOP 7 UNIVERSAL MONSTERS in this week's SILVER SCREEN 7!  Join our Patreon ($2.99/month) here linktr.ee/brokenvcr to watch the episodes LIVE in video form day/weeks early. Find us on Instagram @thebrokenvcr and follow us on LetterBoxd! Become a regular here at THE BROKEN VCR!

BLOODHAUS
Episode 188: Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

BLOODHAUS

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2025 73:56


This week Josh and Drusilla discuss the baby of the Universal Monsters, Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954). From wiki: “Creature from the Black Lagoon is a 1954 American black-and-white 3D monster horror film produced by William Alland and directed by Jack Arnold, from a screenplay by Harry Essex and Arthur Ross and a story by Maurice Zimm. It stars Richard Carlson, Julia Adams, Richard Denning, Antonio Moreno, Nestor Paiva, and Whit Bissell. The film's plot follows a group of scientists who encounter a piscine amphibious humanoid in the waters of the Amazon; the Creature, also known as the Gill-man, was played by Ben Chapman on land and by Ricou Browning underwater. Produced and distributed by Universal-International, Creature from the Black Lagoon premiered in Detroit on February 12, 1954, and was released on a regional basis, opening on various dates.”Also discussed: non-alcoholic spirits, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, and the Muppets, Matango (1963), Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell, Kill Bill, Monster Squad, and more,  NEXT WEEK: Double Feature: The Black Cat (1934) and The Raven (1935)  Bloodhaus:https://www.bloodhauspod.com/https://www.instagram.com/bloodhauspod/https://letterboxd.com/bloodhaus/Drusilla Adeline:https://www.sisterhydedesign.com/https://letterboxd.com/sisterhyde/‪@sisterhyde.bsky.socialJoshua Conkelhttps://www.joshuaconkel.com/https://www.instagram.com/joshua_conkel/https://letterboxd.com/JoshuaConkel/  

X-Ray Vision
XRGC: What We Can Learn From the 2025 Box Office and the Failed Launch of the Dark Universe

X-Ray Vision

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2025 63:32 Transcription Available


In this week’s group chat, Jason and Rosie dive into the world of classic horror films, focusing on the legacy of Universal Monsters and the failed attempts to create a modern Dark Universe. Then they explore the lessons we can learn from the box office trends in 2025, and wrap up by sharing their favorite Halloween treats. Follow Jason: IG & Bluesky Follow Rosie: IG & Letterboxd Follow X-Ray Vision on Instagram Join the X-Ray Vision DiscordSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hack The Movies
Young Frankenstein Mel Brooks' Hilarious Homage to Classic Frankenstein Films! - Hack The Movies (#426)

Hack The Movies

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2025 80:32


Tony and Casey get together to pay tribute to Mel Brooks' classic tribute to the Universal Monster films of the 30s and 40s. It's Young Frankenstein! One of the best comedies of all time that gets everything almost exactly right. It's as funny today as it was back in the 70s!

The K.B. Radio Network
2025 Halloween Special Part 2 - Universal Monster Movies/The Monster Squad (1987) Movie Review

The K.B. Radio Network

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2025 59:59 Transcription Available


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

GenreVision
BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN

GenreVision

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 12, 2025 81:47


Drew and Travis read their vows to the Bride of Frankenstein! Now celebrating its 90th anniversary, this Universal Monsters classic is the second film of Happy Happy Halloween, a month of horror films made to maximize your enjoyment this October. TIMESTAMPS 00:00:00 - Bride of Frankenstein 00:53:17 - The Shelf 01:04:05 - Calls to Action 01:04:57 - Currently Consuming 01:21:47 - End SHOW LINKS her Dracula's Daughter Ghost of Yotei Deep Impact GenreVision on Letterboxd Drew Dietsch on Letterboxd Travis Newton on Letterboxd GenreVision on Bluesky Drew Dietsch on Bluesky

Real Fans 4 Real Movies (RF4RM) Podcast
RF4RM #267 - Halloween Commercial Special 2025

Real Fans 4 Real Movies (RF4RM) Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2025 47:31


Andy, Michael, and Scott return to celebrate spooky season with three more retro Halloween commercials for Monster Cereals, Budweiser, and CVS. Happy Spooky Season, everyone! Find more Real Fans 4 Real Movies on the internet: Web | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram   Rate, review, & subscribe to the RF4RM Podcast on: Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Stitcher | TuneIn   Your feedback is appreciated. Send emails to podcast@rf4rm.com

Super Hero Homies!
Marvel Zombies: Awesome or Awful? Full Breakdown & Spoiler Review!

Super Hero Homies!

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2025 107:27


In this episode of SuperHero Homies, we dive into the brand-new MCU series, Marvel Zombies! After years of anticipation, Marvel finally delivers its gory, post-apocalyptic zombie universe — but does it live up to the hype? We start this episode with a fun cold open where Homie Caleb shares details about his trip to Universal's Epic Universe! From Mario World to How to Train Your Dragon, Universal Monsters, and the new Harry Potter-themed section, Caleb gives a full breakdown of rides, attractions, and park details. Afterward, we briefly discuss upcoming comic book reviews like Absolute Batman #1–6 and Doomsday Clock. Then at the 40-minute mark, we dig deep into Marvel Zombies! We cover everything from its brutal action and creative character use to the plot holes and rushed pacing that hold it back. While the show has issues, it's still a fun, bloody ride for Marvel fans who love the darker side of the MCU.

The DIS Unplugged: Universal Edition - A Weekly Discussion About All Things Universal Orlando
Universal Orlando Holidays Details, Krampus & Kin, Scooby Doo x Universal Monsters, and More!

The DIS Unplugged: Universal Edition - A Weekly Discussion About All Things Universal Orlando

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2025 32:46


Universal Orlando Resort's Holidays Celebration returns, Krampus joins Universal Horror Unleashed for a sinister holiday season, a Scooby-Doo x Universal Monsters experience is coming to 2026 Fan Fest Nights, and more in this episode of the DIS Unlimited Universal Show!Here is the link to Kevin Rodriguez Zavala's Go Fund Me as mentioned in this episode:https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-loving-memory-of-kevin-rodriguez-zavalaLinks:UO Fan WebsiteGet a FREE No-Obligation Quote on a Universal vacation from Dreams Unlimited Travel today!Important DIS links and more information!Support us and get exclusive content on Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Jim Hill Media Podcast Network
What Other IPs Could Be Coming to Universal's Fan Fest 2026? (Ep. 71)

The Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2025 53:58


Jim Hill and Eric Hersey dig into a leaked Universal survey that hints at the future of Fan Fest in Hollywood. From Scooby-Doo teaming up with Universal Monsters to the possibility of Pokemon Go and Sailor Moon activations, the lineup could be one of the most surprising yet. And in the second half, the guys rewind to explore the retro roots and hidden details of Cabana Bay, Universal Orlando's massive value resort. Marvel Zombies and Fangoria's bold Halloween crossover at Hollywood Forever Cemetery Survey leaks teasing Scooby-Doo, Pokemon Go, One Piece, and more for Fan Fest 2026 How Sailor Moon could bring anime fandom to the DreamWorks Theater The Simpsons movie sequel and its impact on Universal's theme park rights Cabana Bay's history, retro theming, and how it reshaped Universal's hotel strategy Universal's future IP plans meet its nostalgic past in a packed episode that covers both zombies and neon retro vibes. Follow Eric on X and Instagram @EricHersey Follow Jim on X and Instagram @JimHillMedia Unlocked Magic Unlocked Magic, powered by DVC Rental Store and DVC Resale Market, offers exclusive Disney & Universal ticket savings with TRUSTED service and authenticity. With over $10 MILLION in ticket sales, use Unlocked Magic to get the BIGGEST SAVINGS. ⁠⁠Learn More Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Halloweenies: A Freddy Krueger Podcast
The Top 10 Bride Movies (We Think)

Halloweenies: A Freddy Krueger Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2025 77:28


The Halloweenies conclude their Universal Monsters coverage in September with 1935's Bride of Frankenstein. In anticipation, the gang suits up for the big old wedding by revisiting their favorite "Bride flicks." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.