The Pod and The Pendulum is a new horror movie podcast covering every movie in every franchise. From heavy hitters like Friday the 13th, to the direct-to-video titles like Subspecies, we’ve got you covered. We feature guests on every show in order to discuss their love of movies like The Blair Witch Project, Scream, Alien, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Jaws, Halloween, The Conjuring, and many more. Support the show and become a patron today at www.patreon.com/podandthependulum and get access to exclusive bonus content. Tweet us at @podandpendulum Email us at podandthependulum@gmail.com Become a patron and receive bonus shows for as little as $2 a month at https://www.patreon.com/podandthependulum
Episodes
Wednesday Jan 10, 2024
FRANKENSTEIN (1931) Part Two
Wednesday Jan 10, 2024
Wednesday Jan 10, 2024
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.
Sunday Jan 07, 2024
FRANKENSTEIN (1931) Part One
Sunday Jan 07, 2024
Sunday Jan 07, 2024
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.
Monday Jan 01, 2024
2023’S TOP HORROR MOVIES
Monday Jan 01, 2024
Monday Jan 01, 2024
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.
Sunday Dec 24, 2023
THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL
Sunday Dec 24, 2023
Sunday Dec 24, 2023
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.
Sunday Dec 17, 2023
CHRISTMAS EVIL
Sunday Dec 17, 2023
Sunday Dec 17, 2023
You better watch out...he's made his list and he knows who is naughty and who is nice.
This week we wrap up our holiday horror series with a classic killer Santa movie: CHRISTMAS EVIL. No less a luminary than John Waters calls this his favorite Christmas movie and its easy to understand why. With a gritty, 70s feel that recalls Taxi Driver, black humor, and truly remarkable performance that alternates between humanistic and unhinged rom Brandon Maggert as a man who only wants to be Santa. This one hits at the loneliness of the holiday, how the magic of Xmas can get snatched away, and why Santa can be a terrifying figure. Mike, Nichole and Brian had a blast talking about this one.
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.
Monday Dec 11, 2023
*Corrected* KRAMPUS (2023 Holiday Horror Series)
Monday Dec 11, 2023
Monday Dec 11, 2023
NOTE: Mike uploaded the incorrect file yesterday so all apologies. We'll leave the 2020 patron episode up as a thanks, but here our actual episode for the week)
He's making a list. He's checking it twice. He's going to find out who's naughty and should be stuffed in a sack then beaten with a switch before being fed to murderous elves. It's Krampus! From Mike Dougherty (Trick 'r Treat) comes another contemporary holiday horror classic. Rachel and Stephen break this one down. They talk about how Dougherty uses the folklore and myth behind the creature. They also chat about how the holidays can bring out the worst in everybody: from being short-tempered to feeling overwhelmingly lonely. There's talk of the gorgeous creature designs and how there's still plenty of holiday cheer and dark humor to go along with some truly horrific moments (kids getting swallowed whole, headfirst for instance. It's a fun chat, sure to keep you warm as you stoke the fire to keep those naughty elves out of your house.
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.
Sunday Dec 10, 2023
KRAMPUS (2020 Patreon Vault Episode)
Sunday Dec 10, 2023
Sunday Dec 10, 2023
Quick note: Mike uploaded the wrong file and this is the Patreon episode we recorded way back in 2020. For giggles, let's leave it up.
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.
Sunday Dec 03, 2023
SILENT NIGHT (2021) Holiday Horror Series
Sunday Dec 03, 2023
Sunday Dec 03, 2023
It's the end of the world as we know it, and we feel fine. This week we're talking the Christmas-set 2021 British horror comedy Silent Night. When the Earth spits up a toxic gas that promises to wipe out humanity, a posh family and their closest friends and loved one gather at the family manor for one last holiday party before taking their suicide pills. Hijinks are sure to ensue, right? We were mixed on whether the comedy landed, but had a spirited discussion on the themes of class, privilege, and trust in institutions and institutional expertise that director Camille Griffin raises. Filmed just before the pandemic lockdowns went into effect, and released just as the world started to emerge into a weary "new normal" it's impossible to not view this one through the lens of COVID, and that comes up here as well.
Sunday Nov 26, 2023
BETTER WATCH OUT (Holiday Horror Series)
Sunday Nov 26, 2023
Sunday Nov 26, 2023
Seasons Greetings everyone! We're taking a month off franchises and raising our glasses to toast some of our favorite one off holiday and Christmas inspired horror movies. Up first we have the black comedy "home invasion" thriller from Chris Peckover, Better Watch Out. This is one of the more divisive titles we covered as fans either love how it subverts the viewers expectations when it pulls the rug out from them at the end of the first act, or they can't stand Luke, the smiling, slimy central antagonist that oozes privilege, sociopathy and toxic masculinity. All this wrapped in a package that subverts those warm and fuzzy memories of the John Hughes teen comedy and family friendly movies of the 80s and 90s. It's a fun discussion with Mike, Devaughn, Nichole and special guest Jason LeBlanc of the Boston Horror Society.
Thursday Nov 23, 2023
Interview with Steven Cognetti (writer / director HELL HOUSE LLC series)
Thursday Nov 23, 2023
Thursday Nov 23, 2023
Happy Thanksgiving listeners. As a holiday bonus, we have a little treat. Mike sat down with Stephen Cognetti, writer and director of all the Hell House LLC films to talk about how the latest (Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor) came to be. We talk what it was like to step back into this world again after a few years off, the direction future installments might go, how it felt to leave the Abaddon hotel behind for an equally creepy location and just why those clowns are so damn scary. Plus, how does Taylor Swift tie into the latest Hell House movie? Take a listen and find out.