The Agency

Special agent Payton McCarthy-Simas joins Candy to discuss David Cronenberg’s new movie THE SHROUDS. Payton McCarty-Simas is a an author, programmer, and film critic based in New York City. They hold a Masters in film and media studies from Columbia University, where she focused her research on horror film, psychedelia, and the occult in particular. Payton’s writing has been featured in The Brooklyn Rail, Metrograph’s Journal, Rue Morgue, Film Daze, and others, and she is the author of two books, One Step Short of Crazy: National Treasure and the Landscape of American Conspiracy Culture, and the forthcoming All of Them Witches: Fear, Feminism, and the American Witch Film (July 2025). Payton is also a member of the Online Association of Female Film Critics and GALECA, the Society for LGBTQ Film Critics. She lives with her partner and their cat, Shirley Jackson. In the wonderfully complicated new Cronenberg movie there is a motif of dogs. This motif occurs between three characters and possibly one AI avatar/assistant. We talk about several dog scenes within the movie. Something extra to consider is gods and dogs. The protagonist's wife is wearing a collar for cancer treatment that helps monitor her procedures and needs and presumably the progress or slowing of cancer. Her twin sister is a dog groomer. A future date is blind and has a seeing eye dog. Some scenes occur in a. dog park. There are a few goddesses associated with dogs, Hecate, a goddess of magic, and witchcraft portrayed with dogs and sometimes as being part dog herself.(the wife?) Kali is a Hindu goddess whose portrayal with a dog symbolizes her loyalty. (The sister-in law?) And there is Artemis a goddess of the hunt portrayed with dogs hunting. (The new lover?) Iamma, goddess associated with fertility, love, war also associated with a dog. Gula was a deity associated with dogs and healing. So was Ianna.So...it seems like there could be further exploration in The Shrouds about the dogs.

Special Agent Sarah and I saw Black Bag recently. A fantastic movie by Stephen Soderberg about a company of spies. We also both listened to the podcast series "Behind The Bastards" Oprah 6 part edition. Thanks for listening...forgive our initial sound challenges but it smoothes out after a couple of minutes. Find us on social media for extra content and email us at: theagency.podcast@gmail.com

Raconteur, herpetologist, and Cormac McCarthy scholar Rick Wallach joins Special Agent Sarah and Candy to discuss his forthcoming book IN SEARCH OF GODZILLA: MYTH, STAGECRAFT AND POLITICS IN ISHIRO HONDA'S MASTERPIECE. Everything monster in this episode folks. Did you know the connections between Kurosawa and Honda? Did you know women were liberated to equality in Japan before the USA...by the USA? What was the migration feeding path of Godzilla? Thank you for listening! Write us at: the agency.podcast@gmail.com Find supplementary content on our social media pages too.

Travis returns to talk about the new Bob Dylan biopic A COMPLETE UNKNOWN. Thank you for listening and please let us know what you think about the movie or the episode...or anything. Email to: qheagency.podcast@gmail.com

A full episode on the reality game show THE TRAITORS! Welcoming back Food blogger Foodigenous and Michelle (One of Candy's roomies) to discuss their mutual passion of the murderous series hosted by Alan Cummings. Why is the series an international hit with franchises in at least five countries? How does the game theory play out? Who is going to win Season 3 USA? And can we convince Foodigeous to watch the UK versions? Thank you for listening and we would love to know who you think will win and who your favourite players are....please email us at : the agency.podcast@gmail.com or comment on our social media pages. Check out Foodigenous here: https://www.foodigenous.com or on his Facebook page.

Special Agent Sarah fills us in on the non-fiction book "CHAOS: Charles Manson and the Secret History of the Sixties" by Tom O'Neill. (with Dan Piepenburg) Sarah posted she was reading this book on social media a while ago and it's been an item floating about podcast worthy. Why do we still care about Charles Manson? Thank you for listening and if you feel like emailing us, correct our information or add to it...please email us at: the agency.podcast@gmail.com

Eugene and Stagg check in from Hanoi...where they talk about the food, the mountains and the caves they have been visiting. Thank you for listening. Check our social media pages for tons of photos. Email us at the agency.podcast@gmail.com

The agents are excited to welcome Travis McDonald to talk about Weird Bob...everything Bob for our long overdue episode on Bob Dylan. Travis McDonald is a writer and teacher from Massachusetts. His fiction, essays, and reviews have appeared in Puerto del Sol, the Atticus Review, Areo Review, Rock Music Studies, and elsewhere. He is currently an English professor in the School of Writing & Literature at Front Range Community College in Colorado.

Thank you for listening! As usual the agents discuss a few topics. Eugene lets us know about the new sports scandal in chess. Candy presented a paper in Knoxville. Eugene and Candy talk about suppressed design in artifacts and poetry. Eugene has been exploring all kinds of Youtube videos and Candy saw Francis Ford Coppola's epic new film Megalopolis. (not Megatropolis!) Please email us your comments or thoughts to: the agency.podcast@gmail.com Or visit our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2424010074538150

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!!! The agents are back from hiatus. Eugene shares about his trip to fiddle camp in Pembroke Ontario. He saw two compelling documentaries "Searching For Sugarcane" and "Cowboy Cartel." Candy also recommends a documentary about 5 magicians and a murder mystery on a deck of playing cards. Please email questions, comments, complaints, hopes and dreams to: the agency.podcast@gmail.com

Special guest for today's episode is Anthony Stagg, the artist known as Stagg. This was recorded at Agency World Headquarters in Toronto Canada. This episode: Stagg in Kensington Market Busking Toronto: change and traffic Flaming Hot The Bike Riders (and other biker stories) Drive Away Dolls

In this episode, Candy and Eugene welcome Special Agent Sarah back to the podcast. On September 8, 1985, Ana Mendieta, a 36 year old artist well-known for her feminist-focused work, died after plunging from a 34th story window in New York. Her husband, Carl Andre, also a well-known artist, was present at the time, and was subsequently charged with her murder. In 1988, he was acquitted of wrong-doing in her death. The story of Mendieta's death has lingered, especially since the 2022 Death of an Artist podcast. The Agents discuss the case at length in today's episode. Thank you for listening to The Agency Podcast. If you enjoy this broadcast you might also enjoy Agent Eugene's new YouTube channel, Rediscovering my Toronto.

In this episode The Agents hold a rambling discussion ranging from affordable housing, universal basic income, YouTubing, the heyday of blogging, Facebook memes, to the Bata girls, Edmonton in winter, and the Lake Shore West Garden Tour. Also in this episode, Agent Candy sees a friend of the podcast perform and Agent Eugene cannot remember the name of the town of Prescott, Ontario. Apologies to Prescott. Additionally... The Great Escaper (bring Kleenex) Furiosa - the 5th Mad Max film Bob Carlin's My Memories of John Hartford.

The Agents are back after a short hiatus and talking about...Civil War, recent chess championship, chess scandal, Ripley and a favourite topic heists! Thank you for listening!!! Please send email to theagency.podcast@gmail.com And find extra content on Facebook and Instagram.

This episode: Mr. DIY Listener Mail The Southwest Popular/American Culture Conference The Monster of Wall Street American Nightmare The Regime Eugene reads Candy's paper Thank you for listening. Special thanks to our supporters on Patreon for helping with the bills. We'd love to hear from you: theagency.podcast@gmail.com

This episode: Travels with Candy Women of the Louvre Tours Slow Horses - great concept, and it has Gary Oldman, but... Why is the new True Detective so lame? Listener mail fail Opening theme is a traditional tune called Wild Hog in the Woods. Closing theme is another traditional tune called Lady on the Green. Both are played on solo banjo by Agent Eugene.

This episode: Travels with Candy The Wurlitzers Saltburn The Iron Claw True Detective goes to Alaska Thanks for listening - we love you! Special thanks to our Patrons, who help pay the bills. Email the Agents anytime and give us a piece of your mind: theagency.podcast@gmail.com

A chance meeting between Agent Candy Minx and food blogger Adam Horvath over grilled oysters in New Orleans led to today's foodie-friendly episode, as we welcome Adam to The Agency. Please check out Adam's blog, called Foodigenous. You can find it here: https://www.foodigenous.com/ The Agents love to hear from you. Email: theagency.podcast@gmail.com

This episode, we welcome Sarah Elliott back to The Agency to discuss the 2006 documentary Scott Walker: 30 Century Man. Scott Walker's early musical success was with the pop band The Walker Brothers. They weren't brothers, nor was their name Walker. They performed pop music like their familiar hit, The Sun Ain't Goin' to Shine Anymore. 30 Century Man chronicles Scott Walker's transition toward an experimental music which included percussion generated by punching a slab of meat. Were you into Scott Walker's music? Join us to hear about his unique history as told in 30 Century Man.

The Agents are back after a hiatus. Thank you for joining us and thank you for listening. What are we reading? What are we watching? But more importantly..what are you reading and watching? Please email us and let us know...anything! Email to theagency.podcast@gmail.com