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This week on Jumpscare! we're discussing Nadja from 1994, Nadja is a hypnotic dive into downtown noir—where vampires brood in black-and-white and love feels as cold as immortality. Directed by Michael Almereyda and produced by David Lynch, this indie gem blends art-house style with gothic romance in the shadows of New York City. With a haunting performance by Elina Löwensohn as the mysterious Nadja and an unforgettable cameo from Peter Fonda as Van Helsing, the film feels like a dream you're not sure you want to wake from. Moody. Minimalist. Mesmerizing. If you love vampire lore with an avant-garde edge, this cult classic belongs on your watchlist. Where to find us: https://linktr.ee/Jumpscarepodcast #Nadja #1994Film #IndieCinema #GothicVibes #VampireFilm #ArtHouse #CultClassic #MichaelAlmereyda #DavidLynch #90sCinema
Clef and Tim return to the normal scheduled programming of disc golf and baseball before talking a bunch of board games. We talk recent plays of Memoir '44, Duel for Cardia, Catan, Dracula vs Van Helsing, Wooden Shoes & Iron Monsters, and Atlantis Exodus! We also discuss our motivations for buying games (trading not included). Board game talk starts at 23:33! Join the discord at discord.gg/s8hYtWkMS3 and visit punchboardparadise.com for more info on PPCon 2026!
What are all these colors doing in my DC movie? They rebooted the universe and made a brand new Superman on Harmless Phosphorescence! Support the show and get early access and exclusive content at https://www.patreon.com/harmlessentertainment https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEDmdtUAW_pJYCJfaZV7Unw/live https://www.reddit.com/r/harmlessentertainment Buy some Merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/attention-hellmart-shoppers Check out Executive Producer Michael Beckwith's movie website at https://upallnightmovies.com/ Ranked: #4 RANKINGS 1 Endgame 2 Spider-Man No Way Home 3 Infinity War 4 Superman 2025 5 Logan 6 Deadpool & Wolverine 7 Captain America: Civil War 8 The Avengers 9 The Dark Knight 10 THE Suicide Squad 11 Thor Ragnarok 12 Guardians of the Galaxy vol 3 13 Black Panther 14 Iron Man 15 Captain America: The Winter Soldier 16 Guardians of the Galaxy vol 2 17 Guardians of the Galaxy 18 Batman Begins 19 Batman 89 20 Spider-Man 2 21 Spider-Man Homecoming 22 Spider-Man Far From Home 23 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 24 Thunderbolts* 25 Thor: Love and Thunder 26 Deadpool 2 27 Deadpool 28 The Batman 29 Captain America: The First Avenger 30 Spider-Man 31 X-Men: Days of Future Past 32 Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness 33 Shang-Chi 34 Joker 35 Captain Marvel 36 Ant-Man 37 Blue Beetle 38 Black Widow 39 Ant-Man and the Wasp 40 Eternals 41 Avengers: The Age of Ultron 42 Birds Of Prey 43 Wonder Woman 1984 44 Wonder Woman 45 Iron Man 3 46 The Dark Knight Rises 47 Superman 1978 48 The Marvels 49 Dr Strange 50 Thor 51 Kick-Ass 52 X-Men First Class 53 Hellboy 54 X2 55 Darkman 56 Iron Man 2 57 Swamp Thing 58 Hellboy II: The Golden Army 59 Watchmen 60 X-Men 2000 61 Batman Returns 62 Blade 63 Defendor 64 Unbreakable 65 The Crow 66 Batman 66 67 Orgazmo 68 Superman II 69 Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania 70 Shazam! 71 Thor: The Dark World 72 The Wolverine 73 Superman Returns 74 Blade II 75 Mystery Men 76 Super 77 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 78 Venom: The Last Dance 79 Chronicle 80 Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance 81 Man of Steel 82 Venom: Let There Be Carnage 83 The Green Hornet 84 The Incredible Hulk 85 Sky High 86 The Mask 87 Constantine 88 The New Mutants 89 The Rocketeer 90 Superman III 91 Buffy the Vampire Slayer 92 The Return of Swamp Thing 93 The Flash 94 Shazam! Fury of the Gods 95 Superhero Movie 96 Blade Trinity 97 Batman V Superman: Dawn of justice 98 Venom 99 Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom 100 Captain America: Brave New World 101 Black Adam 102 Fantastic Four: The Rise of Silver Surfer 103 Hancock 104 Fantastic Four 105 Madame Web 106 Blankman 107 Supergirl 108 The Crow 2024 109 Hellboy 2019 110 Power Rangers 111 The Meteor Man 112 Justice League 113 X-Men Last Stand 114 Van Helsing 115 Spiderman 3 116 The Amazing Spider-Man 117 TMNT2 118 Superman and the Mole Men 119 Green Lantern 120 Ghost Rider 121 TMNT3 122 Hero At Large 123 Push 124 Jumper 125 Condorman 126 Howard The Duck 127 Aquaman 128 Punisher: War Zone 129 Toxic Avenger Part II 130 TMNT: OOTS 131 TMNT14 132 Hulk 133 Bloodshot 134 Daredevil 135 The Crow: City of Angels 136 The Punisher 04 137 The Punisher 89 138 Batman Forever 139 Kick Ass 2 140 Steel 141 Glass 142 The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen 143 The Amazing Spider-Man 2 144 X-Men: Apocalypse 145 Split 146 Suicide Squad 147 Brightburn 148 X-Men Origins: Wolverine 149 The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 150 Sgt Kabukiman NYPD 151 The Phantom 152 Toxic Avenger 153 The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 154 The Shadow 155 The Toxic Avenger Part III 156 Spawn 157 Batman and Robin 158 Elektra 159 Morbius 160 My Super Ex-Girlfriend 161 Zoom 162 Underdog 163 Catwoman 164 The Spirit 165 Jonah Hex 166 Fant4stic 167 Max Steel 168 Superman IV: The Quest For Peace 169 Dark Phoenix 170 Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV 171 Fast Color 172 Joker Folie a deux 173 Kraven The Hunter 174 Archenemy 175 Son of the Mask 176 The Crow: Wicked Prayer 177 Super Capers 178 All Superheroes Must Die
From the classic script written by Orson Welles and John Houseman, the Icebox Radio Theater presents "Dracula", recorded before a live audience in Int'l Falls, Minnesota on Oct 30, 2025. Starring Jeffrey Adams as the count and Seward, Dalton Johnson as Jonathon Harker, Aela Mackintosh as Mina Harker, Diane Adams as Lucy Westerna, and Justin Kapla as Van Helsing. Other voices by the talented cast. Direction and Sound Effects by Jeffrey Adams.
The group faces the growing threat of the Weaver. The fight turns deadly when Alexander shoots one of the Weaver's minions and Arty finishes him off.Van Helsing threatens the Weaver and makes it clear he plans to kill him. Dorothy reveals she still has an extra vial that could be used against the monsters.Meanwhile, Martin makes a blood pact with Julian the vampire, changing everything. At the end of the episode, a Queen is introduced, hinting at a bigger danger connected to Julian.
Dana and Tom with 5x Club Member, Sara Shea (Host and Creator of Shea Cinema; @sheacinema on X, IG), discuss the monster horror classic, Dracula (1931), for its 95th Anniversary: directed by Tod Browning, written by Garrett Fort, cinematography by Karl Freund, music by Phillip Glass, editing by Milton Carruth and Maurice Pivar, starring Bela Lugosi, Helen Chambers, David Manners, Dwight Frye, and Edward Van Sloan.Plot Summary: Dracula (1931) is a classic horror film about the mysterious Count Dracula, (Bela Lugosi), a vampire from Transylvania who travels to England in search of new victims. After a young man named Renfield (Dwight Frye) falls under Dracula's control, the Count sets his sights on Mina Seward (Helen Chandler), slowly draining her life while charming everyone around her.As Mina grows weaker, her fiancé John Harker (David Manners) teams up with the wise and determined Professor Van Helsing (Edward Van Sloan), who realizes Dracula's true nature. The film builds tension as Van Helsing uses knowledge and courage to confront the vampire and stop his reign of terror.Guest:Sara SheaHost and Creator of Shea Cinema; @sheacinema on X, IGPreviously on 12 Angry Men (1957) Revisit, Barry Lyndon (1975), Shampoo (1975), 2025 Post Oscars Reaction Show, Patton (1970), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)Chapters:00:00 Introduction, Cast, and Background for Dracula03:27 Welcome Back, Sara Shea05:12 A Bygone Era of Film09:38 Relationships with Dracula13:53 Why Do We Celebrate the Original Monster Movies?22:59 Plot Summary for Dracula24:02 What is Dracula About?28:48 Did You Know?32:08 First Break32:57 What's Up with Sara Shea?35:52 Xmas Movie Exchange42:53 Congratulations to the Newest Class of the National Film Registry43:56 Best Performance(s)55:05 Best Scene(s)01:04:15 Second Break01:04:55 In Memoriam01:12:49 Best/Funniest Lines01:14:10 The Stanley Rubric - Legacy01:19:20 The Stanley Rubric - Impact/Significance01:26:15 The Stanley Rubric - Novelty01:30:03 The Stanley Rubric - Classicness01:35:06 The Stanley Rubric - Rewatchability01:40:02 The Stanley Rubric - Audience...
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.
What if depression was the big bad and we hugged it to death? We're watching thunderbolts* on Harmless Phosphorescence! Support the show and get early access and exclusive content at https://www.patreon.com/harmlessentertainment https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEDmdtUAW_pJYCJfaZV7Unw/live https://www.reddit.com/r/harmlessentertainment Buy some Merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/attention-hellmart-shoppers Check out Executive Producer Michael Beckwith's movie website at https://upallnightmovies.com/ Ranked: #23 RANKINGS 1 Endgame 2 Spider-Man No Way Home 3 Infinity War 4 Logan 5 Deadpool & Wolverine 6 Captain America: Civil War 7 The Avengers 8 The Dark Knight 9 THE Suicide Squad 10 Thor Ragnarok 11 Guardians of the Galaxy vol 3 12 Black Panther 13 Iron Man 14 Captain America: The Winter Soldier 15 Guardians of the Galaxy vol 2 16 Guardians of the Galaxy 17 Batman Begins 18 Batman 89 19 Spider-Man 2 20 Spider-Man Homecoming 21 Spider-Man Far From Home 22 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 23 Thunderbolts* 24 Thor: Love and Thunder 25 Deadpool 2 26 Deadpool 27 The Batman 28 Captain America: The First Avenger 29 Spider-Man 30 X-Men: Days of Future Past 31 Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness 32 Shang-Chi 33 Joker 34 Captain Marvel 35 Ant-Man 36 Blue Beetle 37 Black Widow 38 Ant-Man and the Wasp 39 Eternals 40 Avengers: The Age of Ultron 41 Birds Of Prey 42 Wonder Woman 1984 43 Wonder Woman 44 Iron Man 3 45 The Dark Knight Rises 46 Superman 1978 47 The Marvels 48 Dr Strange 49 Thor 50 Kick-Ass 51 X-Men First Class 52 Hellboy 53 X2 54 Darkman 55 Iron Man 2 56 Swamp Thing 57 Hellboy II: The Golden Army 58 Watchmen 59 X-Men 2000 60 Batman Returns 61 Blade 62 Defendor 63 Unbreakable 64 The Crow 65 Batman 66 66 Orgazmo 67 Superman II 68 Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania 69 Shazam! 70 Thor: The Dark World 71 The Wolverine 72 Superman Returns 73 Blade II 74 Mystery Men 75 Super 76 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 77 Venom: The Last Dance 78 Chronicle 79 Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance 80 Man of Steel 81 Venom: Let There Be Carnage 82 The Green Hornet 83 The Incredible Hulk 84 Sky High 85 The Mask 86 Constantine 87 The New Mutants 88 The Rocketeer 89 Superman III 90 Buffy the Vampire Slayer 91 The Return of Swamp Thing 92 The Flash 93 Shazam! Fury of the Gods 94 Superhero Movie 95 Blade Trinity 96 Batman V Superman: Dawn of justice 97 Venom 98 Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom 99 Captain America: Brave New World 100 Black Adam 101 Fantastic Four: The Rise of Silver Surfer 102 Hancock 103 Fantastic Four 104 Madame Web 105 Blankman 106 Supergirl 107 The Crow 2024 108 Hellboy 2019 109 Power Rangers 110 The Meteor Man 111 Justice League 112 X-Men Last Stand 113 Van Helsing 114 Spiderman 3 115 The Amazing Spider-Man 116 TMNT2 117 Superman and the Mole Men 118 Green Lantern 119 Ghost Rider 120 TMNT3 121 Hero At Large 122 Push 123 Jumper 124 Condorman 125 Howard The Duck 126 Aquaman 127 Punisher: War Zone 128 Toxic Avenger Part II 129 TMNT: OOTS 130 TMNT14 131 Hulk 132 Bloodshot 133 Daredevil 134 The Crow: City of Angels 135 The Punisher 04 136 The Punisher 89 137 Batman Forever 138 Kick Ass 2 139 Steel 140 Glass 141 The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen 142 The Amazing Spider-Man 2 143 X-Men: Apocalypse 144 Split 145 Suicide Squad 146 Brightburn 147 X-Men Origins: Wolverine 148 The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 149 Sgt Kabukiman NYPD 150 The Phantom 151 Toxic Avenger 152 The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 153 The Shadow 154 The Toxic Avenger Part III 155 Spawn 156 Batman and Robin 157 Elektra 158 Morbius 159 My Super Ex-Girlfriend 160 Zoom 161 Underdog 162 Catwoman 163 The Spirit 164 Jonah Hex 165 Fant4stic 166 Max Steel 167 Superman IV: The Quest For Peace 168 Dark Phoenix 169 Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV 170 Fast Color 171 Joker Folie a deux 172 Kraven The Hunter 173 Archenemy 174 Son of the Mask 175 The Crow: Wicked Prayer 176 Super Capers 177 All Superheroes Must Die
Van Helsing is a name to be feared... Because it's one of the biggest horror movie catastrophes of all time. Or is it secretly great!? No...no it is not. [YouTube Version] [Sources & links] Get this episode AD-FREE on Patreon, along with our exclusive podcast The Netherworld Dispatch! Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch on YouTube. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky. For more, cruise through our LINKS Sources: We watched Van Helsing. The whole thing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It's 2025 and America still isn't ready for a Red Hulk. We're watching Captain America: Brave New World on Harmless Phosphorescence! Support the show and get early access and exclusive content at https://www.patreon.com/harmlessentertainment https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEDmdtUAW_pJYCJfaZV7Unw/live https://www.reddit.com/r/harmlessentertainment Buy some Merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/attention-hellmart-shoppers Check out Executive Producer Michael Beckwith's movie website at https://upallnightmovies.com/ Ranked: #98 RANKINGS 1 Endgame 2 Spider-Man No Way Home 3 Infinity War 4 Logan 5 Deadpool & Wolverine 6 Captain America: Civil War 7 The Avengers 8 The Dark Knight 9 THE Suicide Squad 10 Thor Ragnarok 11 Guardians of the Galaxy vol 3 12 Black Panther 13 Iron Man 14 Captain America: The Winter Soldier 15 Guardians of the Galaxy vol 2 16 Guardians of the Galaxy 17 Batman Begins 18 Batman 89 19 Spider-Man 2 20 Spider-Man Homecoming 21 Spider-Man Far From Home 22 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 23 Thor: Love and Thunder 24 Deadpool 2 25 Deadpool 26 The Batman 27 Captain America: The First Avenger 28 Spider-Man 29 X-Men: Days of Future Past 30 Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness 31 Shang-Chi 32 Joker 33 Captain Marvel 34 Ant-Man 35 Blue Beetle 36 Black Widow 37 Ant-Man and the Wasp 38 Eternals 39 Avengers: The Age of Ultron 40 Birds Of Prey 41 Wonder Woman 1984 42 Wonder Woman 43 Iron Man 3 44 The Dark Knight Rises 45 Superman 1978 46 The Marvels 47 Dr Strange 48 Thor 49 Kick-Ass 50 X-Men First Class 51 Hellboy 52 X2 53 Darkman 54 Iron Man 2 55 Swamp Thing 56 Hellboy II: The Golden Army 57 Watchmen 58 X-Men 2000 59 Batman Returns 60 Blade 61 Defendor 62 Unbreakable 63 The Crow 64 Batman 66 65 Orgazmo 66 Superman II 67 Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania 68 Shazam! 69 Thor: The Dark World 70 The Wolverine 71 Superman Returns 72 Blade II 73 Mystery Men 74 Super 75 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 76 Venom: The Last Dance 77 Chronicle 78 Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance 79 Man of Steel 80 Venom: Let There Be Carnage 81 The Green Hornet 82 The Incredible Hulk 83 Sky High 84 The Mask 85 Constantine 86 The New Mutants 87 The Rocketeer 88 Superman III 89 Buffy the Vampire Slayer 90 The Return of Swamp Thing 91 The Flash 92 Shazam! Fury of the Gods 93 Superhero Movie 94 Blade Trinity 95 Batman V Superman: Dawn of justice 96 Venom 97 Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom 98 Captain America: Brave New World 99 Black Adam 100 Fantastic Four: The Rise of Silver Surfer 101 Hancock 102 Fantastic Four 103 Madame Web 104 Blankman 105 Supergirl 106 The Crow 2024 107 Hellboy 2019 108 Power Rangers 109 The Meteor Man 110 Justice League 111 X-Men Last Stand 112 Van Helsing 113 Spiderman 3 114 The Amazing Spider-Man 115 TMNT2 116 Superman and the Mole Men 117 Green Lantern 118 Ghost Rider 119 TMNT3 120 Hero At Large 121 Push 122 Jumper 123 Condorman 124 Howard The Duck 125 Aquaman 126 Punisher: War Zone 127 Toxic Avenger Part II 128 TMNT: OOTS 129 TMNT14 130 Hulk 131 Bloodshot 132 Daredevil 133 The Crow: City of Angels 134 The Punisher 04 135 The Punisher 89 136 Batman Forever 137 Kick Ass 2 138 Steel 139 Glass 140 The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen 141 The Amazing Spider-Man 2 142 X-Men: Apocalypse 143 Split 144 Suicide Squad 145 Brightburn 146 X-Men Origins: Wolverine 147 The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 148 Sgt Kabukiman NYPD 149 The Phantom 150 Toxic Avenger 151 The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 152 The Shadow 153 The Toxic Avenger Part III 154 Spawn 155 Batman and Robin 156 Elektra 157 Morbius 158 My Super Ex-Girlfriend 159 Zoom 160 Underdog 161 Catwoman 162 The Spirit 163 Jonah Hex 164 Fant4stic 165 Max Steel 166 Superman IV: The Quest For Peace 167 Dark Phoenix 168 Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV 169 Fast Color 170 Joker Folie a deux 171 Kraven The Hunter 172 Archenemy 173 Son of the Mask 174 The Crow: Wicked Prayer 175 Super Capers 176 All Superheroes Must Die
Fresh from defeating the Flatwoods Monster, the group barely has time to breathe before a new terror arrives. The Weaver steps from the shadows, flanked by his skinwalker-like enforcers.Van Helsing demands the use of a secret vial to end the threat — but Martin, distrustful and impulsive, refuses to give it up. Hidden tensions rise when Dorothy reveals she has salvaged part of the vial's power.Arguments erupt. Trust collapses.A gunshot rings out.To be continued…
— You durn foolWaves of hot lava washed down my throat, past my lungs, and hit my stomach like an acid avalanche.By day, Nick Sipe works as a mild-mannered IT manager for a Fortune 150 company. By night, he mostly recovers from the workday, but occasionally finds time to write. He enjoys writing Twilight Zone-style short stories, mostly horror and light sci-fi. Nick is currently shopping his debut novel, “Midnight Springs,” to literary agents. “Midnight Springs” is the first in a planned horror-Western series that sends classic monsters (think Frankenstein, Van Helsing, the Wolfman) to the Wild West to tangle with their American counterparts (think witches, the Headless Horseman, the Wendigo). Nick live in Gastonia, North Carolina. He is a member of Charlotte Writers Club.
We talk Van Helsing, Vampire Lore, and whether Penny Dreadful is letting us down or not.
A witch, a medium and Van Helsing get together to talk about all kinds of divination...the good, the bad and the ugly.
A found-footage extravaganza, Dracula: 2004 dares to ask what happens when you combine vampires and dial-up internet. Join Jonathan as he survives the work trip from hell; gossip with Mina and Lucy over Lucy's three suitors; and meet the eccentric Van Helsing and her vampire-hunting armoury. This is a new millennium, a new age of technology, and a version of Dracula that you have never experienced before. Dracula: 2004 is a modernised version of Dracula set in the year (you guessed it) 2004, exploring key themes of friendship, faith and inner light. Find the show on all podcast platforms! In this episode, Jonathan Harker, solicitor, arrives in Romania, listens to a voicemail from Mina, records his travel log, and meets his employer's new client: Count Dracula.Content warnings: Imprisonment, wild animal attack Transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14XmVMYjOt9KL01DOa2CXoN6a5jbB7pD58w46FrfLfJk/edit?tab=t.0 Find us online:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/redraculaMerch: https://store.dftba.com/collections/re-draculaWebsite: www.ReDracula.liveTumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/re-draculaBloody Disgusting Website: www.Bloody-Disgusting.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
[14x1] We're back! Season XIV begins with giallo legend Dario Argento's take on Bram Stoker's famous story. It's Dracula 3D from 2012, which finds Thomas Kretschmann as the Count and Rutger Hauer as Van Helsing. And making her third trip via podcasket is videographer and film critic Sarah Williams... Hosts: Hugh McStay & Dan Owen Guest: Sarah Williams Editor: Hugh McStay "I was taken from the darkness and sent to Earth to rob my people of blood. It's the only way I can still feed this stinking corpse." -- Count Dracula Help Us Grow the Show! If you enjoy what we do, please take a moment to: Subscribe and leave a positive review! Your feedback and ratings are vital for bringing you more great episodes. Want more? Support us directly! Make a donation on Ko-fi or unlock special perks by joining our Bite Club! Follow our social media here. We're part of the Film Stories podcast network. Credits: Opening music: Nela Ruiz Episode artwork: Dan Owen Podcast artwork: Keshav Sound FX: Epidemic Sound Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week we celebrate the season by listening to the Insane Clown Posse and wishing you all a very merry ICPissmas! We are listening to the brand new album The Naught, released Aug. 12, 2025. Fair warning, it isn't all Faygo and murder this time dear listeners. These clowns are getting older and beginning to fill their songs with existential dread and fears about their own mortality (it's pretty funny). In this episode we discuss poorly designed demons, Tim claims Jesus is a clown, pathological aging, spontaneous games of pickup basketball, how to celebrate this strange holiday we made up, if ICP is now writing songs about our show, the dangers of online dating and subsequent catfishing, undercover Van Helsing sting operations, a debate about which host is "softer", bed wetting, existential dread, and so much more! Hatepod.com | TW: @AlbumHatePod | IG: @hatePod | hatePodMail@gmail.com Episode Outline: Top of the show "Do you hate it?" Personal History History of Artist General Thoughts Song by Song - What do they mean!?! How Did it Do Reviews Post Episode "Do you hate it?"
Send us a textStake, silver, and a whole lot of spectacle; this week we dive headfirst into Van Helsing (2004), the loud, lavish monster mash that tried to launch a new Universal era and left us with glorious chaos. We unpack why this movie still feels like a relic from a braver time in blockbuster filmmaking: a place where studios gambled on pulpy ideas, action never took a breath, and Dracula could fund Frankenstein's science to bring his bat-babies to life without irony getting in the way.We talk through the craft that often gets overlooked: the striking black-and-white prologue, clever camera choreography, map paintings that nod to classic Hollywood, and creature work that swings from impressive werewolf transformations to delightfully rubbery CGI. Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale anchor the adventure while the supporting cast leans hard into operatic camp, especially a Dracula who turns melodrama into a contact sport. At the center of the noise sits Frankenstein's monster, rendered as both eloquent and thunder-forged, the closest thing the film has to a soul.From there, we zoom out. Universal's long quest to revive its monster pantheon, theme park crossovers, and why Van Helsing tried to do in one film what today's studios stretch across phases. We compare it to Underworld, Reign of Fire, and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, drawing a line between bold swings that win hearts and calculated “universes” that lose them. Along the way, expect laughs about Faramir in a bumbling turn, Jekyll and Hyde's Andre the Giant homage, and a final set piece that's equal parts juicy and joyous.If you crave throwback adventure with teeth, this one's a wild ride worth revisiting. Hit play, then tell us: camp classic or beautiful mess? Subscribe, share with a fellow monster fan, and drop a review to keep the geeky goodness flowing.Twitter handles:Project Geekology: https://twitter.com/pgeekologyAnthony's Twitter: https://twitter.com/odysseyswowDakota's Twitter: https://twitter.com/geekritique_dakInstagram:https://instagram.com/projectgeekology?igshid=1v0sits7ipq9yYouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@projectgeekologyGeekritique (Dakota):https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBwciIqOoHwIx_uXtYTSEbASupport the show
This is one of those conversations that reminds you how quickly the sport can move when the right horse, the right timing and a lot of patience come together. Lea Siegl joins the show to reflect on a career that has quietly turned into something pretty extraordinary. From being the youngest rider at the Tokyo Olympics to delivering Austria's best-ever European Championship result at Blenheim, she talks about the moments that shaped her, the pressure that didn't always feel like pressure, and the belief it took to keep going when things weren't straightforward. At the heart of it all is DSP Fighting Line. The horse who taught her patience, trust and resilience. Lea also looks ahead to the next phase, with Van Helsing stepping into his moment and Aachen 2026 firmly in focus. Highlights The Olympic journey that came earlier than expected Why Tokyo changed everything, for both horse and rider DSP Fighting Line's story, from spooky youngster to championship star Five-star ambition, championship pressure and learning to trust the process Van Helsing's rise and what the next few seasons could hold Guests Lea Siegl - Austria's leading event rider, Olympic competitor and European Championship top-five finisher, with multiple five-star performances to her name and a growing presence at the very top of the sport. This show is kindly supported by Bedmax, purpose-made, natural horse bedding designed to protect respiratory health, support hooves, and provide a clean, comfortable stable environment.
Send us a textA polite knock. A perfect harmony. A smile that asks, not forces. That's where this vampire story sinks its teeth: on the threshold where fear becomes a choice. We pick up part two of our centers breakdown and dig into why the smartest bloodsuckers don't need to break doors—they make you open them. From the “let me in” dance to that unnerving song at the stoop, we map how social pressure, charm, and ritual turn hospitality into horror.We unpack haints, folk beliefs, and the power of naming. Calling a thing “haint” or “vampire” shifts the playbook, and this story plays the gray zone well. The crew's confidence flips genre expectations, dialing down jump scares and dialing up moral tension. When your protagonists keep their cool, the threat has to evolve—so it does, mocking the sinner's prayer, reciting scripture like a dare, and performing piety as a weapon. That choice reframes faith and fear as contested symbols, not automatic protections.We also weigh hive minds, corrupted souls, and charisma-driven evil. Is the group truly linked, or is one will simply louder, bending others toward harm in the name of belonging? That lens explains why the villain wants a voice more than blood—humanity as an instrument is the prize. Along the way, we connect the dots across vampire canon—Underworld, Blade, Van Helsing, 30 Days of Night—and talk true forms, Nosferatu echoes, and why this movie's scariest moment is still the courteous, rhythmic ask to come inside.If you love smart horror, folklore, and rule-tight storytelling, you'll want to jump in. Hit play, then tell us: which vampire rule would you keep, change, or kill? Subscribe, share with a friend who loves creature features, and leave a review so more horror fans can find us. Stay alive.
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.
Kevin and Tim finally crack open their long-awaited bargain-bin banger: Van Helsing! They revel in the movie's gothic, supernatural James Bond vibes, debate who in their right mind would choose to live in this murder-town, and nitpick Kate Beckinsale's brother's truly questionable werewolf-catching strategy.
Jim Hill and Eric Hersey trace the ambitious — and ultimately ill-fated — vision for Universal's Dark Universe, from the scrapped sequel to The Mummy to Tom Cruise's push to reinvent himself as the studio's modern Van Helsing. NEWS Universal courts talent and headlines by hiring Mark Platt and director Lorene Scafaria for a Sabrina Carpenter–led Alice in Wonderland musical. Comcast explores a bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, with Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs advising. Competing interest from Netflix and Apple raises the stakes ahead of WBD's planned corporate split. Peacock sets a new premiere date for The Epic Ride documentary, now featuring rare dragon-drone testing footage from Epic Universe. A closer look at how the industry shake-ups could affect theme park rights, licensing, and future Universal IP development. FEATURE The original plan for a direct sequel to 2017's The Mummy — and how the story would have expanded Dr. Jekyll's organization and the gods-and-monsters mythology. Why Tom Cruise's version of Nick Morton was conceived as the entry point to a larger shared universe… and how internal plans positioned him as the modern Van Helsing, monster hunter and connective tissue between films. How Cruise's hands-on creative control — the same instinct that later led Top Gun: Maverick to a $1.4B box office — clashed with Universal's rollout of the Dark Universe brand. A breakdown of what actually killed the Dark Universe: mismatched expectations, a premature cinematic universe announcement, and a marketing campaign Cruise felt undermined the film he delivered. Why Epic Universe's Dark Universe land succeeds where the films didn't — channeling classic-monster storytelling without the burden of a forced franchise blueprint. HOSTS Jim Hill — X/Twitter: @JimHillMedia | Instagram: @JimHillMedia | Website: jimhillmedia.comEric Hersey — X/Twitter: @erichersey | Instagram: @erichersey | Website: erichersey.com PATREON Love the show? Support more insider stories, deep dives, and history of themed entertainment at:https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia/ FOLLOW US Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews YouTube: @jimhillmedia TikTok: @jimhillmedia PRODUCTION Edited by Dave Grey Produced by Eric Hersey — Strong Minded Agency SPONSOR Unlocked Magic — Save up to 12% on Universal Orlando and Walt Disney World tickets, including discounts on after-hours events like Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party and Jollywood Nights. Start planning at UnlockedMagic.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week, we sink our claws into Ginger Snaps (2000), a dark, coming-of-age horror story that turns puberty into a full-blown monster movie. What starts as a tale of two outcast sisters quickly spirals into a blood-soaked exploration of transformation, identity, and the brutal side of growing up and growing apart.We're talking werewolves, womanhood, and why Ginger Snaps still stands as one of the most honest and gnarliest depictions of teenage horror ever made.It's moody, messy, and magnificently macabre...just how we like it.Timestamps5:21 - Negronomicon14:41 - Crit1:04:50 - Final CurlsGems from Ep. 114The Mummy (1999)The Mummy Returns (2001)Scream 5 (2022)Scream VI (2023)Ready or Not (2019)The Family Plan (2023)The Family Plan 2 (2025)The Deliverance (2024)The Whale (2022)Rental Family (2025)The Mummy (2017)The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)Twilight (2008)Romeo Must Die (2000)Paper Mario (2001)The Mummy (1932)Frankenstein (2025)Frankenstein (1931)Ginger Snaps (2000)Trick r' Treat (2007)She's the Man (2006)Freddy vs. Jason (2003)American Mary (2012)Carrie (2002)Carrie (upcoming, television series)Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed (2004)Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning (2004)Final Destination 3 (2006)Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)Smallville (2001)Edward Scissorhands (1990)Pleasantville (1998)The Monstrous Feminine (Barbara Creed, Routledge, 1993, Print)Being Human (2008, television series)Van Helsing (2004)An American Werewolf in London (1981)Jennifer's Body (2009)Heavenly Creatures (1994)Yellowjackets (2021, television series)Cube (1997)Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon (2013, video game)Luigi's Mansion 2 HD (2024, video game)Support the show
It's time to get official! This week we talk about a new Barry's Steamer, the Texas Renaissance Festival, Outer Worlds 2, Ball x Pit, Truth and Treason, Angel Films, the GeekShock Film Institute, The Vexing Menagerie, The Spark Devil, Halls of Torment, King Sorrow, Chairman Meow, Jungle Action comics, Marvel's Champions, Titan Comics Conan, Marvel Age of Revelation, JSA All In, Van Helsing, the Kelvin Universe ends, new Hollywood lows, Pokémon scalpers, The Mummy 4, Miss Piggy, Reading Rainbow, and Herbert West: Reanimator. So, count em down, it's time for a GeekShock!
Bat Therapy: Psychology of Batman and other Comic Superheroes
For our Halloween episode we went with one of Keeden's favorites, Van Helsing. We explore how Van Helsing's personal experiences help to overcome prejudice and the struggle we all have in trying to overcome our initial reactions to a “monster” like Frankenstein's who may be the most human of them all.
Send us a textKatie and Bridget get the hell out of Transylvania as they re-watch: Van Helsing! It's a movie all about vampires, werewolves, Frankensteins, and monster hunters - all of whom are KINDA HOT! WHY!? Come along as we meet our main character Van Helsing, a man who has weird ethics but truly wins the beauty pageant for hottest werewolf. When he is sent to Transylvania to kill Dracula he encounters a lot more bullshit and jam packed action than we could have imagined. So much so that we might actually get lost in the plot when talking about it, but we certainly didn't feel that way while watching it! This movie asks the deep questions, such as: Why did Dracula put his hidden castle in Narnia? Why does Anna have to wear a corset, leather pants, AND heels while fighting vampires and werewolves? WHY DID WE ABANDON FRANKENSTEIN IN A GRAVEYARD WITH NO SECURITY AND THEN ACT SURPRISED WHEN HE GETS KIDNAPPED!? All these and more in this fun, spoopy flick! Released in 2004, it was written and directed by Stephen Sommers and stars Hugh Jackman, Kate Beckinsale, Richard Roxburgh, David Wenham, and Shuler Hensley.
This week, the League, alongside Rod from FlickAttack, dives back into the early 2000s with a review of Van Helsing! We're talking vampire hunts, werewolf transformations, over-the-top action, and why this gothic monster mash still has such a cult following. Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1628612284256101/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leagueofmelanatedgentlemanpod/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLMGPodcast Hosts: Brandon Willis, Jordan Mitchell, Spenser Jones
For fans of Van Helsing, Underworld, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, we present you with 90ish pages of an amnesiac bug killer's adventures in New York.Happy Halloween, readers!https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/240581511-hot-for-slayer?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=rJheNUyCQv&rank=1 Similar BooksBride by Ali Hazelwoodhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/181344829-bride?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=X0ErFtXhst&rank=1The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V. E. Schwabhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50623864-the-invisible-life-of-addie-laruePeaches & Honey by R. Raetahttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62691790-peaches-honey?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=60Ms4otfBB&rank=1Subscribe to our Youtube channel! https://www.youtube.com/@notanotherheroine
We all crave a good meal. The challenge is savoring it once it's placed before you. Kelley Jones and Matt Wagner have wickedly, and delightfully, discovered a way to make Bram Stoker's Dracula not one good dish, but three...and possibly four and five. For the last several years, they've transformed the classic vampire novel into a feast impossible to gobble down in one sitting. By taking throwaway sentences in the book and building two graphic novels out of them (Dracula Book I: The Impaler, Dracula Book II: The Brides), they've miraculously extended their love affair with Vlad, and ours in the process as well. Now, with Dracula Book III: The Count, which only has a week left on Kickstarter, Jones and Kelley properly excavate Bram Stoker's book. This third entry tackles the iconic plot, but only from Count Dracula's perspective. We all know this story from Jonathan Harker, Mina, and Van Helsing's point of view, but how did the vicious beast at the center of their fear experience the whole endeavor? No more letters. Only the Count's singular, hungry howl of self. We've read and watched many Dracula adaptations, but none as exhaustive and creative as this. As a result, this week's podcast had to match Jones and Wagner's studious passion. All together, we dig deep into their previous entry, Dracula Book II: The Brides. We discuss how, in chaining themselves to Dracula's perspective, they create unparalleled empathy for the monster and his godless pursuits. Is there danger in that? Again, Dracula: The Count only has seven days left on its Kickstarter campaign. Please visit the crowdfunding project by clicking HERE. You can continue the conversation with Kelley Jones by visiting his Instagram. You can follow Matt Wagner on Blue Sky and Instagram. This Week's Sponsors Launching this October, it's the latest entry in IDW Publishing's Kei-Sei line of Godzilla comics: Starship Godzilla, a cosmic adventure. It's written by award-winning scribe Chris Gooch (of In Utero fame) and illustrated by inventive artist Oliver Ono (I mean, come on, did you read their Godzilla: Monster Island Summer Camp? Insta-Classic). The Kai-Sei Era is the only ongoing Godzilla story of its kind, crafted for comics readers who have never bought a Godzilla book and Godzilla fans who have never read a comic. Starship Godzilla #1 is out now wherever rad comic books are sold. Judge Dredd Megazine turns thirty-five years old this October, and it'll be celebrating with a very special issue perfect for first-time readers! Featuring the return of the critically acclaimed series Dreadnoughts and Megalopolis, this 100-page issue is a brilliant way to jump into the crazy world of 2000 AD. You'll also find incredible new stories featuring Judge Dredd, Judge Anderson, and much more inside! Get a print subscription to the Megazine and it'll arrive through your American mailbox every month – or get a combi subscription and receive 2000 AD each week as well! If you subscribe digitally, you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe' now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today! Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: Previously on CBCC: Kelley Jones and Matt Wagner on Dracula Book 1: The Impaler Subscribe to The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics Watch The Harvey Awards on Popverse NYCC 2025 Patreon Dispatch: Michael Walsh on Exquisite Corpses Grab Your Tickets for Addams Family Values on 10/26 at the Alamo Drafthouse Winchester, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY. The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Chris has gone big with his next pick, Van Helsing, Universal's flashy attempt to revive their classic monsters for a modern blockbuster audience. Directed by Stephen Sommers, hot off the success of The Mummy films, the project was designed as both a gothic action spectacle and a potential launchpad for a wider franchise. With a hefty budget of around $160 million, the film spared no expense on lavish sets, elaborate costumes, and state-of-the-art visual effects to bring together Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, werewolves, and more in a single monster-mash universe. Universal saw Van Helsing as a tentpole production that could recapture the energy of their golden age monsters.The production itself was an enormous undertaking, with filming spanning locations such as Prague, Paris, and a host of detailed soundstages built to recreate grand gothic landscapes. ILM and other VFX houses were tasked with delivering cutting-edge digital effects, while Hugh Jackman, in the title role, underwent intense training to perform many of his own stunts. Despite all the ambition and money thrown at it, Van Helsing was met with mixed reviews upon release — critics praised the spectacle but criticised its overstuffed narrative and heavy reliance on CGI. Still, it's a fascinating example of early-2000s Hollywood excess, where studios swung for the fences trying to build franchises before “shared universes” became the norm.If you enjoy the show, we have a Patreon, so become a supporter here.Referral links also help out the show if you were going to sign up:NordVPNNordPassTrailer Guy Plot SummaryIn a time when monsters walk the earth… one man hunts them all. Hugh Jackman is Van Helsing — the ultimate warrior against evil. Armed with gadgets, grit, and a grim sense of duty, he'll face Dracula, werewolves, Frankenstein's monster, and a horde of nightmares that refuse to stay dead. With danger around every corner and darkness closing in, the battle between man and monster is about to erupt in a gothic showdown like no other. This summer… evil has met its match.Fun FactsThe enormous set for Dracula's castle was one of the largest ever constructed at Prague's Barrandov Studios, showcasing Universal's investment in the film's gothic style.Director Stephen Sommers insisted on practical stunts wherever possible, leading to Hugh Jackman doing many of his own wirework sequences.The vampire brides' flying scenes were achieved with a mix of motion capture and practical harness work, which was notoriously difficult for the actresses to perform.The film's werewolf transformations were a blend of prosthetics and CGI, considered cutting-edge at the time, but often criticised for looking dated only a few years later.Dracula's three brides were modelled after classic vampire lore, but with a modern twist — Sommers wanted them to feel like “supermodels crossed with banshees.”The production team used more than 1,500 visual effects shots, making it one of the most VFX-heavy films of 2004.Kevin J. O'Connor, who played Igor, was a longtime collaborator with Sommers, having appeared in both The Mummy and The Mummy Returns.The iconic horse-drawn carriage chase scene was filmed on massive outdoor sets in the Czech Republic, with many practical explosions added to heighten the chaos.Universal Pictures released a tie-in video game for Van Helsing on PlayStation 2 and Xbox, voiced by Hugh Jackman.The film's attempt to revive Universal's monster legacy would later inspire the failed “Dark Universe” reboot attempt with The Mummy (2017).thevhsstrikesback@gmail.comhttps://linktr.ee/vhsstrikesback
Welcome back to The Literary Life podcast today and our series on Bram Stoker's Dracula. This week Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins, and Thomas Banks cover chapters 8-11 of the book. Angelina explains both the “New Woman” and “Angel in the House” ideas of the Victorian era and makes some observations about Dr. Seward's interactions with Renfield in contrast to the nuns ministrations to Jonathan Harker. We are also introduced to Dr. Van Helsing in this section of the book as the foil for Dracula, and we quickly learn that he is more than just a medical man. Our hosts discuss Stoker's own medical knowledge and both the historical and metaphorical context of the blood transfusion procedures in these chapters. Be sure to check out all that is happening at The House of Humane Letters and Morning Time for Moms in this season so you don't miss out on all their current offerings! And to view the full show notes for this episode, please visit https://theliterary.life/298.
Andrea is a British actress best known for her role as Burnheart in the epic live-action remake of ‘How To Train Your Dragon'. The recurring role of Tyson in TNT's ‘Snowpiercer' & Lucky in SYFY's ‘Van Helsing'. Andrea also guest stars as the voice of Mrs. Jorgensen in ‘Monster Loving Maniacs' & voiced the role of the check-out chimp in “Chip & Potato”. Follow Andrea on Instagram at @andreamwarePlease support the podcast by following us on Instagram @thedaronjenkins
Today we follow Dracula to the UK and Hammer Horror in The Horror of Dracula. We discuss the differnce seeing Dracual in saturated colors brings, the feral predator vampire portrayl of Christopher Lee's Dracua, and making Van Helsing a worthy adversary. Hammer filled Dracula with new blood, joining in drinking it deep from this vein. Synopsis: When Jonathan Harker rouses the ire of Count Dracula for accepting a job at the vampire's castle under false pretenses, his friend Dr. Van Helsing pursues the predatory villain. Starring: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Michael Gough Directed by Terence Fisher Youtube: https://youtu.be/MwmoaU4bLm0 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
This week's wiggiest horror movie is... Van Helsing.This film has everything: a wig that out-monsters the monsters, an electrical Wonka, And a that might be having a little bit too much fun. If you love catastrophic hair, candy-coated mad science, and truly maximalist nonsense, this episode's for you!What did you think of our episode on Renfield? Tell us on social media @HorrorVirgin or @HorrorVirginPod on Twitter.Up Next: Weapons (2025)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In 2004 Universal attempted the impossible, recreate the success of The Mummy reboot from 1999 using the classic monsters of old. At it turns out that was impossible and would continue to be so until The Invisible Man in 2020. Over the next four weeks we're going to take a look at a series of movies that each tried to start their own Dark Universe incorporating classic movie monsters. This week it's Van Helsing starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale which pits Gabriel Van Hesling against a really bizarre version of Dracula. Thanks for watching our Caravan Of Garbage reviewSUBSCRIBE HERE ►► http://goo.gl/pQ39jNHelp support the show and get early episodes ► https://bigsandwich.co/Patreon ► https://patreon.com/mrsundaymoviesJames' Twitter ► http://twitter.com/mrsundaymoviesMaso's Twitter ► http://twitter.com/wikipediabrownPatreon ► https://patreon.com/mrsundaymoviesT-Shirts/Merch ► https://www.teepublic.com/stores/mr-sunday-movies The Weekly Planet iTunes ► https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-weekly-planet/id718158767?mt=2&ign-mpt=uo%3D4 The Weekly Planet Direct Download ► https://play.acast.com/s/theweeklyplanetAmazon Affiliate Link ► https://amzn.to/2nc12P4 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Emergency blood transfusion for Lucy! Dr. Seward and Dr. Van Helsing seek to uncover the cause of Lucy's condition, but simultaneously make her a delicious snack for future vampire visits with the blood they've selected for the transfusion!0:00 - intro3:29 - Dramatic Reading of Dracula Ch. 10 Pt. 125:56 - A (not so) brief discussionDracula by Bram Stoker (1897)https://gutenberg.org/cache/epub/345/pg345-images.htmlThis eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org(Just going to leave this here for another few episodes) Vampiric process for sucking blood: https://voltor.narod.ru/vr/vr01_08.htm#:~:text=Vampires%20prefer%20to%20drink%20blood,the%20surface%20in%20the%20throat.Credit to https://www.FesliyanStudios.com for the background music.Credit to https://www.soundjay.com/ for the sound effectsPodcast Photo P/C: https://www.pexels.com/@luan-oosthuizen-823430/collections/
Send us a textThe better than Van Helsing boys have spent their lives under the strict rule of their producer. Unaware of his dark past, they struggle to understand his increasingly erratic behavior. But when they begin to uncover the violent truths behind his mixing board, their world unravels, forcing them to confront having to produce the show without him. On Episode 683 of Trick or Treat Radio we discuss the film Abraham's Boys: A Dracula Story based on the short story from Joe Hill and directed by Natasha Kermani! We also talk about the upcoming Deathstalker film, isolationism and gaslighting from those you trust, and plenty of Dracula lore. So grab your monster hunting handbook, subvert any and all expectations, and strap on for the world's most dangerous podcast!Stuff we talk about: Steven Kostanski, The Void, Psycho Goreman, Frankie Freako, Deathstalker, Astron-6, practical FX, violence, sword and sorcery films, Jerry “The King” Lawler, f*ck WWE, The Incubus, Needful Things, the 13th Warrior, Eaters of the Dead, House of 1000 Corpses, Hunt for the Blood Orchid, Suspect Zero, Lets Scare Jessica to Death, The Last Exorcism, The Candyman, Watchmen, this day in horror history, Alexa Vega, bloody birthdays, The Tomorrow People, Machete Kills, Mothers Day, Psycho III, Zodiac, John Kassir, Rock and Shock, The Three Stooges, Benny and Joon, Will and Grace, Caveman, Todd Browning's Freaks, Rocket Ship XM, Invaders from Mars, Slash, Tim Seeley, Red Sonja, Rose McGowan, Deathwatch, The Dreadites, boomsword, Lucio Fulci, Conquest, covering the lens in vaseline, Sabrina Siana, Planet of the Gapes, Joe Hill, Abraham's Boys, Natasha Kermani, Titus Welliver, Jocelin Donahue, Frailty, Bill Paxton, PCU, Dogtooth, Yorgos Lanthimos, “the severed heads looked really good”, no style nor substance, Vanhelsing, movie of the week, “It's Better than Vanhelsing”, Batman, Monster: The Ed Gein Story, Wisconsin represents, Menendez Brothers, Brute 1976, Joe Knetter, Marcel Walz, Frute Brute, Countess Caramella, Brute 1976, Brut By Faberge, Mammoth, Robert Rodriguez, Greg Nicotero, Michael Jackson, Wolfgang Van Halen, Peter's Polar Bear Paradox, The Serial Killer Lookbook, Conquest and Divide, and The Ballad of Oswalt Patton.Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/trickortreatradioJoin our Discord Community: discord.trickortreatradio.comSend Email/Voicemail: mailto:podcast@trickortreatradio.comVisit our website: http://trickortreatradio.comStart your own podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=386Use our Amazon link: http://amzn.to/2CTdZzKFB Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/trickortreatradioTwitter: http://twitter.com/TrickTreatRadioFacebook: http://facebook.com/TrickOrTreatRadioYouTube: http://youtube.com/TrickOrTreatRadioInstagram: http://instagram.com/TrickorTreatRadioSupport the show
We're baaa-aaack. After an unplanned hiatus to deal with some real life stuff, Juliet and Theresa are back to talk about a legendary horror team up, The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires, which combined the talents of Hammer and the Shaw Brothers studios. Join them to talk about the triumphs and failures of this team up, the film's fashion, the science of boiling blood, and Skyline Chili...trust us on that one.CW/TW: none for this episodeBuy us a coffee!Become a Patron!Theme music: "Book of Shadows" by Houseghost (Rad Girlfriend Records) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What does Planet of the Apes and a Van Helsing analog traveling to Transylvania have in common with titanium orgy werewolves and bad mod music? Apparently, it's Sybil Danning getting topless only once, and yet also somehow 18 times. That doesn't make sense, and yet you'll understand exactly what that means when you tune in to this episode of Loathsome Things: A Horror Movie Podcast that continues to compare nipples to pizza toppings out of solidarity with the ladies.
Another release of a previously for Patreons only episode - a commentary for Hammer's The Satanic Rites of Dracula, which sees the final battle between Van Helsing and the Count! Starring Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Freddie Jones and Joanna Lumley!
Natasha Kermani is a director whose work includes Imitation Girl, Lucky, and V/H/S/85. Her latest feature, Abraham's Boys, is an atmospheric, emotionally grounded take on Dracula and Van Helsing, adapted from Joe Hill's short story.The film explores the lives of Van Helsing's sons, reframing familiar gothic mythologies through a new lens and examining the cost of obsession, legacy, and belief systems passed from parent to child. Abraham's Boys blends Western aesthetics, intimate drama, and horror mythology to create something quietly powerful — and wholly its own. Available to rent on VOD and coming soon to Shudder.In this episode, Natasha dives deep into the making of the film — from crafting a new visual language with her longtime DP Julia Swain, to working with horses and period locations, to adapting well-known material without undermining its origins. She also discusses the unpredictable nature of building a directing career, the importance of collaboration, and what it means to make films that ask questions instead of offering easy answers.On today's episode of The Nick Taylor Horror Show, here — without further ado — is Natasha Kermani.Key TakeawaysLA is the New LA.While many productions chase tax incentives out of state or overseas, Natasha shot Abraham's Boys in California—and reaped the benefits. An experienced LA crew made traditionally tricky elements—horses, children, and stunts—run smoothly. Her stunt coordinator even lived nearby on a ranch, with a horse-wrangler wife ready to step in. Local crews weren't learning on the job; they brought deep expertise, period-accurate resources, and an efficient workflow that protected high-risk days. In a time when LA has been nearly abandoned for cheaper pastures, the city's seasoned talent pool has become a niche advantage for those who stay.Test, Test, Test — Early and with Your Actual Actors. Natasha didn't just test lenses in a vacuum—she brought one of her lead actresses in costume for full camera tests. Seeing the lead actor's face under various lighting setups, with period wardrobe and the chosen LUTs, gave a true preview of the film's look. The process revealed not just what worked, but what didn't, allowing for informed, confident decisions before day one of shooting. Testing with real elements—actors, costumes, lighting—ensures you're dialing in the visuals of your movie, not a theoretical version of it.Prioritize Mental Health and Self-Kindness. Natasha reminds filmmakers that this industry is uniquely high-stakes, unpredictable, and expensive—and that sustaining creativity under those conditions is exhausting. Her advice: extend the same grace to yourself that you show others. Hustle culture can make rest feel like indulgence, but in a business this volatile, breaks and self-care aren't luxuries—they're survival tools. Replenishing your energy isn't stepping back from your career; it's what allows you to keep pushing it forward.Show NotesMovies DiscussedAbraham's BoysImitation GirlLuckyV/H/S/85Dracula (1931)Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)Annabelle: CreationDeadwoodBoschBooks & Stories20th Century Ghosts by Joe HillDracula by Bram StokerPeople & ResourcesJoe Hill (author)Julia Swain (DP)Jessie Rowland (AD)Dalton Simmons (stunt coordinator)Tim Wu (producer)Travis Tips (DP of Imitation Girl)LocationsBig Sky Movie Ranch (Simi...
Monster hunter Van Helsing takes on Dracula and his army of evil creatures to save the world! Hugh Jackman stars in this action horror film from director Stephen Sommers. We also look back at the lives of Hulk Hogan and Ozzy Osbourne, discuss some things we watched this past week, and a preview of our next film, Hard Boiled. Visit us for all episodes & more at the www.therebelradiopodcast.com Please leave us a 5-Star review on iTunes! You can also find us on Spotify iHeartRadio Follow us on Facebook
DISCLAIMER: Apologies for some audio issues coming from one of our hosts microphone. It unfortunatly afffected a large portion of the episode but theres still plenty to hear! Enjoy! Look up! We discuss James Gunn's Superman this week. We pretty much loved it and we bask in the fun of it as we discuss the kick off to the new DCU theatrical universe! We also discuss some things we watched such as Sinners, new trailers for Tron: Ares and Mortal Kombat II and we preview next week's film, Van Helsing! Visit us for all episodes & more at the www.therebelradiopodcast.com Please leave us a 5-Star review on iTunes! You can also find us on Spotify iHeartRadio Follow us on Facebook
In Episode LXXIII Mandi and Suzanne discuss Ginkopolis, Moonrakers, Night Cage, and Dracula vs Van Helsing. The Game Pie of the show is "Games We Love at 3 Players" Pie. (Video games mentioned: Bloom Town, Wandering Village, Patapon, Islanders New Shores, and Dominion.) Thank you for listening! Please take a moment to rate us on your podcast listening platform. BGG Guild: https://boardgamegeek.com/guild/4131 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/saltandsass.bsky.social YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SaltandSassGames Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/saltandsassgames Email: SaltAndSassGames@gmail.com
If you would have told me in 2004 that one day I'd be listening to someone praise this movie, I would have dismissed you as a lunatic! But time makes fools of us all, I suppose. Thankfully I have the great author / writer / comedian Owen Egerton aboard, and he really loves this crazy flick. Listen in for why! Thanks for listening to Overhated! There are 100+ more episodes at patreon.com/scottEweinberg. Subscribe to hear them all now! Check out the list of episodes here: bit.ly/3WZiLFk. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc. Overhated is now proudly sponsored by those Effin' Birds.com, the award-winning comic strip by Aaron Reynolds.
MUSICCassie Ventura testified yesterday in the Sean "Diddy" Combs' federal sex-trafficking trial alleging years of abuse during their 11-year relationship.· Kim Kardashian testified in a Paris court yesterday, while wearing $7 million dollars in diamonds, about the 2016 armed robbery where masked gunmen stole millions of dollars worth of jewelry from her hotel suite. During her three-hour testimony, she faced her alleged attackers for the first time.· Foo Fighters announce their first performance of 2025Foo Fighters will be playing October 4th'at Singapore F1 Grand Prix, along with the likes of Elton John, The Smashing Pumpkins and BABYMETAL.· Morgan Wallen finally spoke about his abrupt exit from "Saturday Night Live" last month. As we all know -- the cast members, the host, and the musical guest all love on each other after the show while the credits were rolling . . . but NOT Morgan. He left right away and then caused a bit of a stir when he posted "Get me to God's country" from the tarmac. But now, we finally know what went down. Morgan recently did a funny interview with Caleb Pressley, where he talked about what happened that night. In the 1990s, at a dinner party hosted by Elton John, actors Sylvester Stallone and Richard Gere nearly got into a physical altercation over Princess Diana. According to Elton John's autobiography "Me," Diana and Gere were engrossed in conversation, which reportedly irritated Stallone, who had attended the party with hopes of courting Diana. The situation escalated to the point where Elton John's husband, David Furnish, found Stallone and Gere confronting each other, seemingly on the verge of a fistfight· TVSarah Sherman is breaking her silence on that controversial "White Lotus" sketch on SNLAmazon Prime has announced a reboot of 'American Gladiators', which featured muscle-bound 'gladiators" trying to prevent contestants from finishing physically demanding obstacles. MOVING ON INTO MOVIE NEWS:Cynthia Erivo will star in a one-woman version of Dracula in London's West End next year, playing all 23 characters herself including Count Dracula, Van Helsing, Mina, and Renfield.! Morris the alligator in "Happy Gilmore" passed away recently -- he was estimated to be at least 80, and may have been as old as 100.· MISC:A Polish company called Volonaut has unveiled the Airbike, a flying machine that looks like a lot like the speeder bikes featured in the movie Return of the Jedi. The 2025 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover models has been revealed! Airbnb Founder and CEO Brian Chesky announced that they're adding new services like massages and personal training, plus experiences tailored to specific locations . . . like a pastry-making class in Paris or a gallery tour in New York City. AND FINALLYThat's an expensive song … We all know concerts are expensive, but a new report breaks down the costs by song for some of the biggest tours of the summer.AND THAT IS YOUR CRAP ON CELEBRITIES!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Durante varios siglos han perdurado leyendas de criaturas nocturnas que se alimentan de sangre humana. El mito del vampiro mezcla lo humano y lo monstruoso, lo terrorífico y lo seductor, lo macabro y lo religioso.En este episodio haremos un recuento de los vampiros más famosos, pero además indagaremos en sus orígenes, escudriñaremos el misterio que los envuelve para encontrar sus debilidades... solo en caso que debamos enfrentar uno.
Sorry! Tom forgot to upload this episode of the podcast because he was on a plane. A plane! In the sky! How do you expect us to podcast under these conditions?!On this dromedary episode of the Shut Up & Sit Down Podcast, Tom and Matt natter about a collection of - YOU GUESSED IT - boardgames.Refasa! It's a game about camels and irrigation and cards and POINTS! PlayProp! It's a game of trying to get corks into a cup and screaming! Elfenroads! It's a game about gently meandering down winding fantasy paths until an errant ‘cart orc' ruins your day, or week, or possibly year.Finally, the dynamic duo chat about another characterful couplet; Dracula vs Van Helsing - a two-player duelling game we reviewed juts MOMENTS ago!Thanks for listening everyone! Have a great week!Timestamps:01:41 - Refasa12:41 - Elfenroads20:30 - PlayProp25:56 - Dracula vs Van Helsing
Over 150 government database servers are dangerously exposed to the internet. Threat actors are exploiting a vulnerability in CheckPoint's ZoneAlarm antivirus software. Albabat ransomware goes cross-platform. ESET reports on the Chinese Operation FishMedley campaign. VanHelsing ransomware targets Windows systems in the U.S. and France. CISA issues five ICS advisories warning of high-severity vulnerabilities across critical infrastructure systems. A former NFL coach is indicted for allegedly hacking into the accounts of thousands of college athletes. Brandon Karpf joins us with a look at cyberspace in space. A fraud detection firm gets shut down for fraud. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our daily intelligence roundup, Daily Briefing, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow CyberWire Daily on LinkedIn. CyberWire Guest Brandon Karpf, friend of N2K CyberWire, joins T-Minus Space Daily host Maria Varmazis for the Space and Cyber March segment. Selected Reading Over 150 US Government Database Servers Vulnerable to Internet Exposure (GB Hackers) White House Shifting Cyber Risk to State and Local Agencies (Data Breach Today) Cybercriminals Exploit CheckPoint Driver Flaws in Malicious Campaign (Infosecurity Magazine) Albabat Ransomware Attacking Windows, Linux & macOS by Leveraging GitHub (Cyber Security News) Chinese I-Soon Hackers Hit 7 Organizations in Operation FishMedley (SecurityWeek) VanHelsing Ransomware Attacking Windows Systems With New Evasion Technique & File Extension (Cyber Security News) CISA Releases Five Industrial Control Systems Advisories Covering Vulnerabilities & Exploits (Cyber Security News) Former NFL, Michigan Assistant Coach Matt Weiss Charged With Hacking for Athletes' Intimate Photos (SecurityWeek) AdTech CEO whose products detected ad fraud jailed for fraud (The Register) Share your feedback. We want to ensure that you are getting the most out of the podcast. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey as we continually work to improve the show. Want to hear your company in the show? You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here's our media kit. Contact us at cyberwire@n2k.com to request more info. The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices