The Pod and the Pendulum

The episode brings a riveting discussion about the final installment of the Paranormal Activity series, its backstory, the impact of COVID-19 on its production, and Ariel's passion for the "found footage" format. The hosts also share intriguing behind-the-scenes insights, including the studio's unique priority list for permissible movie content. After six movies and diminishing returns, it was time for a change of scenery, and that's what Next of Kin delivers, as the action shifts to Amish country, leaving Toby, Katie, and Kristie behind. We talk the new location, the new mystery, the odd choice to dump this straight to streaming, and whether you can really call this a "found footage movie"-did they try something different or just fail at sticking to the format?

Get ready to enter the frightening world of the Paranormal Activity series with your favorite horror hosts. In this episode, we dissect the supposed final movie, 'The Ghost Dimension,' along with an analysis of the film's corporate maneuverings, & 3D technology use. We provide a brutally honest review of the film's reception, plot twists, and the unusual combination of high-end 3D technology within a found footage movie. We discuss shifting trends in the film industry, with a focus on the transition of the cinematic experience from traditional theaters to various on-demand video services. The episode delves into the complexities of this transition, questioning whether subscription models devalue movies. We evaluate the intricacies of found footage sequences and explore strategic watching orders, the significance of key characters, and parallels in the series. From the dynamics of seemingly ordinary families to thrilling confrontations with demons, we leave no stone unturned. The impact of potential timeline re-evaluations, role of witches, and transformations of central characters are all scrutinized.

This week we talk about the time the Paranormal Activity series took a deliberate turn away from focusing on wealthy, white, upper middle class families and turned toward the Latino communities of Los Angeles. Writer / director Christopher Landon called The Marked Ones more of a “cousin” of the previous four films rather than a true sequel, and perhaps making that diversion allowed or something looser and unbound by the formula that had gotten stale by the previous entry. The Marked Ones shifts the focus directly onto witchcraft and possession horror while being far less about a haunted house where things that go bump in the night. It also gives us much more of a communal feel, introduces more comedic undertones and offers up three of the better protagonists in Jesse, Hector, and Marisol. It’s too bad they couldn’t stick the landing and introduced some really silly things like time travel. Goddammit. All this, plus Mike and Devaughn talk about the dumbest stunts we’ve ever pulled, Cousin Oliver and the Brady Bunch, going all “Mercked Ones” for a few glorious moments, and Mike’s wife sleep-singing when she has nightmares. If you like what you’re listening to make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcast feeds. Please take a moment to rate and review us on the Apple Podcast app, or rate us on the Spotify app. Reviews and five star ratings help new listeners find us every day, and we greatly appreciate the feedback and support. Check out our website for easy access to our full catalog of shows, with hundreds of hours of free content. You can search the catalog, leave a review and even leave us feedback all from the site. Go to www.podandthependulum.com to check it out. If you have the means, consider becoming a patron today and support the show. Patreon members get exclusive full length episodes, audio fan commentaries, exclusive mini-sodes and more. Join today at patreon.com/podandthependulum.

This week it feels like we’re covering familiar territory. It feels like we’re playing the greatest hits. It feels like the activity is less paranormal and more all too familiar with its fourth entry in the series Paranormal Activity gives us a true sequel for the first time, but instead of forging ahead, the series feels stuck in neutral for the first time. Despite an excellent early performance from Kathyrn Newton, it relies on the same tropes and scares of the first three movies while rehashing and recycling plot lines like a day-old meatloaf. Did fans still want to get this served up to them? We discuss all the above, plus so much more this week. If you like what you’re listening to make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcast feeds. Please take a moment to rate and review us on the Apple Podcast app, or rate us on the Spotify app. Reviews and five star ratings help new listeners find us every day, and we greatly appreciate the feedback and support. Check out our website for easy access to our full catalog of shows, with hundreds of hours of free content. You can search the catalog, leave a review and even leave us feedback all from the site. Go to www.podandthependulum.com to check it out. If you have the means, consider becoming a patron today and support the show. Patreon members get exclusive full length episodes, audio fan commentaries, exclusive mini-sodes and more. Join today at patreon.com/podandthependulum.

This week we're going back in time with what Mike calls the "Dream Warriors" of the Paranormal Franchise with its third installment. Rather than continue the cliffhanger ending of its sneak prequel, directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman travel back to the 80s to show audiences just how Katie and Kristi got mixed up with Tobi the demon to begin with (spoiler alert: it's those damned witches). The end result might be the most entertaining entry of the series, with scares coming from start to finish, and great additions like an oscillating fan ratcheting up the tension even further. Plus, we get Dennis, the first positive male role model in the franchise to date, as he does his best to get to the bottom of the mystery and protect his two step children. This week we're joined once again by Mary Beth McAndrews to talk about a movie she says "had to walk so Hereditary could run" If you like what you’re listening to make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcast feeds. Please take a moment to rate and review us on the Apple Podcast app, or rate us on the Spotify app. Reviews and five star ratings help new listeners find us every day, and we greatly appreciate the feedback and support. Check out our website for easy access to our full catalog of shows, with hundreds of hours of free content. You can search the catalog, leave a review and even leave us feedback all from the site. Go to www.podandthependulum.com to check it out. If you have the means, consider becoming a patron today and support the show. Patreon members get exclusive full length episodes, audio fan commentaries, exclusive mini-sodes and more. Join today at patreon.com/podandthependulum.

This week we're back with more found footage, more spooky cameras, more demonology, and more things that go bump in the night with 2010's Paranormal Activity 2. Even better we double down on the toxic masculinity and toss in some casual racism towards are poor, amazing housekeeper to boot! (Daniel, you're the worst). This sequel does manage to build on the framework of the first film not only in how it captures footage, but also in building out the mythology and world that will follow over the course of the series. We're joined by photographer Rachel Schwebach(@indiesmutpeddler) for another spirited discussion

This week we begin a new franchise. We are talking about Paranormal Activity which is arguably the most successful series of the 2000 tens. From its humble beginnings as a tiny independent movie meant to be shown small audiences to a global phenomenon that raked in hundreds of millions of dollars this is the series that launched so many other found footage titles over the next decade for better or worse. Along with special guest Mary Beth McAndrews (Dread Central, Scarred For Life) your cohosts discuss how creator Oren Peli self-taught himself the basics of filmmaking and with a minimal cast and crew, made this supernatural chiller in his own home. We also dive into the themes present throughout the movie such as the toxic relationship between Katie & Micah that only makes the haunting worse, the way the film predicts our growing acceptance of constant surveillance, and the demonic as a microcosm of rampant consumerism and an economic system on the edge of collapse. All this, plus a debate over just what separates a classic found footage movie from hand held garbage.

We have a special treat for you this week this episode was originally recorded for the GHOULS MAGAZINE podcast with hosts Rebecca McCallum (Talking Hitchcock) and our own Ariel Hellraiser. While ghouls is on a temporary hiatus Ari was kind enough to offer this conversation between two of the brightest minds in horror on the 1st two Human Centipede films. They dive deep into the body horror of it all along with the gender dynamics in the history of the mad scientist archetype. It's a really fun conversation and we'll hopefully tide listeners over while we get ready for our next franchise. We hope you enjoy this bonus show and we'll be back next week.

This week we wrap our Frankenstein coverage with the movie that gave birth to the horror comedy. In just over a decade and a half, we're far from the serious, often somber tones of the original Frankenstein, and the most famous trio of Universal Monsters become punchlines to the madcap antics of the famous comedy duo. Still, this movie treats the Monsters with reverence, and contains a lot of laughs to this day. Mike, Brian, & Stephen talk about the careers of Bud Abbott & Lou Costello, how this one came together, why it works as a blend of spooky scares and farcical comedy, and ponder why this seemingly light little movie features a character that's a Nazi war criminal who serves as the love interest for Lou Costello. Oh yes, we also deal with Lou Costello, heart throb, and marvel at Bud Abbott's skill at playing it straight.

This week we get another horror mashup as Dracula opens up his home to the Wolf Man, Frankenstein's Monster and a riff on Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. While it plays like a retread of the previous installment, there's a lot of fun to be had in this campy creature feature that gives us the bare minimum of Frankenstein on screen. We dive deep into the history of this one, say goodbye to some long standing featured characters and creative types, and talk about how the sands were shifting at Universal and horror in general by the time this came out in 1946. Mike and Brian are joined again by guest Andrew Fabry of the Dead Letter Movie pod.

This week we're back with a true monster mashup as Frankenstein's Monster meets up with the Wolf Man and Dracula, along with a mad scientist and hunchback for good measure. By 1944 it was clear to Universal they had squeezed all thw juice out of their horror lineup as they could in solo adventures. What to do then but have them combine forces in some decidedly not-scary, but highly campy adventures? Mike, Brian, and Devaughn break down what should feel like an epic monster smash up, but plays out more like an anthology where each creature gets a moment to shine.

Our first team up! This week finds two Universal icons getting together for one motion picture in the first of what will be a troubling trend for the back half of the Frankenstein movies as the creature takes a back seat in this Wolf Man sequel. Still, it's a fun affair as our two monsters play pretty nice together for a while before brawling as the castle blows up and floods around them. Brian, Mike and Steven team up to talk about what works in cinemas first attempt at a shared universe. Please read Brian's Frankenstein’s columns including Faces of Frankenstein / The Universal Years on Manor Vellum If you like what you’re listening to make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcast feeds. Please take a moment to rate and review us on the Apple Podcast app, or rate us on the Spotify app. Reviews and five star ratings help new listeners find us every day, and we greatly appreciate the feedback and support. Check out our website for easy access to our full catalog of shows, with hundreds of hours of free content. You can search the catalog, leave a review and even leave us feedback all from the site. Go to www.podandthependulum.com to check it out. If you have the means, consider becoming a patron today and support the show. Patreon members get exclusive full length episodes, audio fan commentaries, exclusive mini-sodes and more. Join today at patreon.com/podandthependulum

We’re back to finish our discussion on THEGHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN. Joining us this week is Andrew Fabry of the Dead Letters movie podcast. Universal once again pairs two of its iconic performers in one film. This time a returning Bela Lugosi as Ygor is joined by Lon Chaney Jr as the Monster. Would the man better known for turning into a wolf be able to fill Karloff’s boots? We have a fun discussion of what, to be honest, might be the nadir of the Frankenstein series. Please read Brian's Frankenstein’s columns including Faces of Frankenstein / The Universal Years on Manor Vellum If you like what you’re listening to make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcast feeds. Please take a moment to rate and review us on the Apple Podcast app, or rate us on the Spotify app. Reviews and five star ratings help new listeners find us every day, and we greatly appreciate the feedback and support. Check out our website for easy access to our full catalog of shows, with hundreds of hours of free content. You can search the catalog, leave a review and even leave us feedback all from the site. Go to www.podandthependulum.com to check it out. If you have the means, consider becoming a patron today and support the show. Patreon members get exclusive full length episodes, audio fan commentaries, exclusive mini-sodes and more. Join today at patreon.com/podandthependulum.

This week we're back for the last of Karloff's turns as the Monster in the Universal Frankenstein movies. Mike, Brian and Jessica are joined by returning guest Nat Brehmar (author of PUPPET MASTER COMPLETE: A FRANCHISE HISTORY) for a candid talk about this often overlooked gem. Karloff himself would be overshadowed by Bela Lugosi playing Ygor, the hunchback friend that gave the Hungarian superstar his first juicy role in years after falling on difficult times. We talk about the Monster's self-rejection, the difficulty of living up to the family legacy, the gorgeous visuals of Son, and of course, its lasting imprint and influence on Young Frankenstein decades later. We also talk character actor Lionel Atwill, who turns up for the first of five roles in the series, and his, let's say, colorful off screen life. Please check out Brian's writing on Frankenstein over on Manor Vellum including "Faces of Frankenstein: The Universal Years." If you like what you’re listening to make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcast feeds. Please take a moment to rate and review us on the Apple Podcast app, or rate us on the Spotify app. Reviews and five star ratings help new listeners find us every day, and we greatly appreciate the feedback and support. Check out our website for easy access to our full catalog of shows, with hundreds of hours of free content. You can search the catalog, leave a review and even leave us feedback all from the site. Go to www.podandthependulum.com to check it out. If you have the means, consider becoming a patron today and support the show. Patreon members get exclusive full length episodes, audio fan commentaries, exclusive mini-sodes and more. Join today at patreon.com/podandthependulum.

We’re back to finish our discussion on THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN. We had a lot to talk about this week, including the abundance of religious iconography present in this film, along with the myriad of ways the Hays Code took a hatchet to this movie but a ton of cheeky humor and themes still slipped through. We discuss the first true villain, the absolutely delicious Doctor Pretorious (Doctor Pretorius?) and how he offers the gateway to the many queer themes and suggestions that are front and center here. We talk the lovely Elsa Lanchester and how she makes a meal out of her five minutes of screentime as the Bride remains one of the most iconic fixtures in horror history. It’s the second part of massive episode so make sure you go back and listen to part one. Mike is joined by cohosts Brian and Stephen along with special guest Ygraine from the What a Scream podcast, Ghouls Magazine, and the Moving Pictures Film club. Please read Brian's Frankenstein’s columns including Faces of Frankenstein / The Universal Years on Manor Vellum If you like what you’re listening to make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcast feeds. Please take a moment to rate and review us on the Apple Podcast app, or rate us on the Spotify app. Reviews and five star ratings help new listeners find us every day, and we greatly appreciate the feedback and support. Check out our website for easy access to our full catalog of shows, with hundreds of hours of free content. You can search the catalog, leave a review and even leave us feedback all from the site. Go to www.podandthependulum.com to check it out. If you have the means, consider becoming a patron today and support the show. Patreon members get exclusive full length episodes, audio fan commentaries, exclusive mini-sodes and more. Join today at patreon.com/podandthependulum.

This week we're back to discuss what some have called the greatest horror movie of all time, and what might be the birth of queer cinema: THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN. In the years following Frankenstein's success, James Whale would go on to put his campy, humorous touch on horror classics The Old Dark House and The Invisible Man before returning to create his masterpiece. Meanwhile Boris Karloff elevated from a struggling bit player to receiving top-of-the-bill status in a string of successes. Of course, no discussion would be complete without discussing the immeasurable impact Elsa Lanchester made with mere minutes of screen time as the titular Bride. With her lightning bolt updo, and a hiss inspired by protective swans, Lanchester delivered one of the most memorable monsters i Universal cannon. The sequel adds humor to the gothic horror, and goes bigger in every way: there's a larger body count, a larger cast, more elaborate sets, and even more fantastical special effects. We're joined by guest Ygraine (What a Scream Podcast) for the first half of our two-parter on Bride. Please read Brian's "Faces of Frankenstein: The Innovation and Influence of James Whale's Frankenstein" or more information on this seminal film. If you like what you’re listening to make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcast feeds. Please take a moment to rate and review us on the Apple Podcast app, or rate us on the Spotify app. Reviews and five star ratings help new listeners find us every day, and we greatly appreciate the feedback and support. Check out our website for easy access to our full catalog of shows, with hundreds of hours of free content. You can search the catalog, leave a review and even leave us feedback all from the site. Go to www.podandthependulum.com to check it out. If you have the means, consider becoming a patron today and support the show. Patreon members get exclusive full length episodes, audio fan commentaries, exclusive mini-sodes and more. Join today at patreon.com/podandthependulum.

The Monster is loose! We’re back with the second half of Universal’s FRANKENSTEIN. This week we talk about the masterful innovations director James Whale brought to the screen. We discuss how Frankenstein is an example of a horror movie with no true villain, and how Boris Karlof gives one of the most sympathetic performances in genre history. We talk about the tropes this movie started ( the hunchback side kick in Dwight Frye’s Fritz, the rampaging villagers armed with torches and pitchforks) and movies core themes such as parental abandonment, and the dangers of progress without accepting responsibility can have dangerous outcomes. We touch on the queer and darkly humorous aspects of the movie and talk about the shocking aspects such as the murder of young kids. It’s one of our best discussions to date, and if you haven’t already, make sure you go back to listen to the first half of our episode with Mike, Brian, Devaughn and guest Garrett McDowell. Please read Brian's "Faces of Frankenstein: The Innovation and Influence of James Whale's Frankenstein" or more information on this seminal film. If you like what you’re listening to make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcast feeds. Please take a moment to rate and review us on the Apple Podcast app, or rate us on the Spotify app. Reviews and five star ratings help new listeners find us every day, and we greatly appreciate the feedback and support. Check out our website for easy access to our full catalog of shows, with hundreds of hours of free content. You can search the catalog, leave a review and even leave us feedback all from the site. Go to www.podandthependulum.com to check it out. If you have the means, consider becoming a patron today and support the show. Patreon members get exclusive full length episodes, audio fan commentaries, exclusive mini-sodes and more. Join today at patreon.com/podandthependulum.

This week we embark on a new cinematic journey and for the first time we travel back to one of the foundations of horror as we begin our exploration of the Frankenstein franchise. Adapted from the classic novel by Mary Shelley, James Whale created one of the true masterpieces of early horror cinema. Alongside Dracula, Frankenstein demonstrated that genre films could not only be artistic masterpieces but proved such box office successes that they could keep studios afloat. For the first of our two episodes on the original Frankenstein movie Mike is joined by Brian Keiper and Devaughn Taylor in the co-host chairs along with special guest Garrett McDowell who is Devaughn’s cohost on the Spector Cinema pod. On this episode we talk about our personal histories with the Universal Monsters and relationship with Frankenstein and why Frankenstein called to us during our formative journeys as budding horror fans. After that Brian and Mike discuss the long and laborious road Frankenstein took to the silver screen. From a twenty-one-year-old nepo-baby, Carl Laemmelle Jr, getting handed the keys to Universal and making monster movies when no one else believed in them to an unknown journeyman named Boris becoming one of the first icons of horror, it’s a fascinating trip to the screen. Join us for part two in a few days as DeVaughn and Garrett return to discuss their thoughts on the film as a whole. Please read Brian's "Faces of Frankenstein: The Innovation and Influence of James Whale's Frankenstein" or more information on this seminal film. If you like what you’re listening to make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcast feeds. Please take a moment to rate and review us on the Apple Podcast app, or rate us on the Spotify app. Reviews and five star ratings help new listeners find us every day, and we greatly appreciate the feedback and support. Check out our website for easy access to our full catalog of shows, with hundreds of hours of free content. You can search the catalog, leave a review and even leave us feedback all from the site. Go to www.podandthependulum.com to check it out. If you have the means, consider becoming a patron today and support the show. Patreon members get exclusive full length episodes, audio fan commentaries, exclusive mini-sodes and more. Join today at patreon.com/podandthependulum.

Before we get dragged kicking and screaming into 2024, Mike, Brian, Nichole and Rachel take a look back at what has been a solid year yet again or horror. From the creation of "meme horror" we loved in M3GAN and Talk To Me, to a continuation of "Fuck 'dem Kids" nastiness in Where Evil Lurks, Evil Dead Rise and others to classic monsters getting reimagined and reborn in Godzilla Minus One it was a strong year all around. We each give our top ten picks, and want to hear from you-what did you love about horror in 2023 and what are you looking forward to in the coming year? If you like what you’re listening to make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcast feeds. Please take a moment to rate and review us on the Apple Podcast app, or rate us on the Spotify app. Reviews and five star ratings help new listeners find us every day, and we greatly appreciate the feedback and support. Check out our website for easy access to our full catalog of shows, with hundreds of hours of free content. You can search the catalog, leave a review and even leave us feedback all from the site. Go to www.podandthependulum.com to check it out. If you have the means, consider becoming a patron today and support the show. Patreon members get exclusive full length episodes, audio fan commentaries, exclusive mini-sodes and more. Join today at patreon.com/podandthependulum.

Happy holidays everyone. For our second annual non-horror Christmas movie deep dive, we're covering the greatest adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic. What do you get when you cross a miserly, penny hoarding, vindictive Scrooge with the loveable Muppets? You get the absolute holiday classic The Muppet Christmas Carol. Featuring Michael Caine in the starring role, it was the first Muppet motion picture after the tragic passing of Jim Henson in 1990. By playing Dickens' material mostly straight, Brian Henson manages to capture the ghostly, and often downright scary elements of the story, and hammering home the timeless message of charity, goodwill and community. Featuring a secret weapon in the form of music from a rejuvenated Paul Williams, the picture bangs out incredible songs such as "It Feels Like Christmas" "Marley and Marley" and "Thankful Heart." The Muppets themselves, from Kermit as the put upon Bob Cratchit, Fozzie Bear as Fozziwig, and Gonzo the Great as our author and narrator Charles Dickens are perfectly utilized as well. Mike and Stephen are joined by first time guest Rachel Schwebach (@indysmutpeddler) to discuss the above, our own love for Henson's creations, the sadness Christmas can sometimes bring, whether or not Michael Caine was tripping balls the whole time he was filming and interacting with the Muppets like they were real and as a special bonus you can hear about Mike's real life beefs with Kerry Von Erich and Fugazi's Ian Macaye. Hey, if you enjoyed Rachel on this episode, you should check out her shibari and BDSM photography by becoming a patron of hers here: https://www.patreon.com/rachelschwebach If you like what you’re listening to make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcast feeds. Please take a moment to rate and review us on the Apple Podcast app, or rate us on the Spotify app. Reviews and five star ratings help new listeners find us every day, and we greatly appreciate the feedback and support. Check out our website for easy access to our full catalog of shows, with hundreds of hours of free content. You can search the catalog, leave a review and even leave us feedback all from the site. Go to www.podandthependulum.com to check it out. If you have the means, consider becoming a patron today and support the show. Patreon members get exclusive full length episodes, audio fan commentaries, exclusive mini-sodes and more. Join today at patreon.com/podandthependulum.