Episode 3. Into the Wardrobe with Hocus Pocus (1993; Dir Kenny Ortega): Complications with 90s Narratives
https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/Episode3IntoTheWardrobeHocusPocus1993/Episode3-IntoTheWardrobe-HocusPocus1993.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSIn this third episode of Into the Wardrobe (though the first to most of our listeners), Shaun and Jen discuss the 1993 Disney film, Hocus Pocus, directed by Kenny Ortega. They discuss the film’s pros and cons, from its treatment of people of color and anti-feminist portrayals of witches to how it deals with toxic masculinity and bullying and more. The deeper they dig into the film, the more apparent it becomes that what should be a simple Halloween romp is perhaps a bit more complicated than they originally expected. Finally, the show ends in characteristic ItW fashion: with a conversation about whether Hocus Pocus will connect with young audiences today. Enjoy!
At the Movies #71 – Daughters of the Dust (1991)
https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFAtTheMovies71DaughersOfTheDust/Sandf-AtTheMovies71-DaughtersOfTheDust.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSColorism, root work, and history you should already know, oh my! Join Jen and Teri with special guest, Eden Royce, as they discuss the 1991 Julie Dash independent film, Daughters of the Dust. This is an incredibly intense and languid film about a Gullah family from Saint Helena Island and their preparations to migrate to the mainland and north in 1902. The team discusses the interweaving, non-linear storytelling, the significance of root work, the focus on hands, and the trauma, hopes, and roots of generations of a Black family in diaspora. We hope you enjoy the episode!
Torture Cinema #83: Atlantis: The Lost Continent (1961)
https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFTortureCinema83AtlantisTheLostContinent/Sandf-TortureCinema83-AtlantisTheLostContinent.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS Crystal lasers, pig people, and recycled costumes, oh my! In today’s episode of Torture Cinema, Paul, Alex, Daniel, and the prodigal son, Shaun, gather together to make absolutely sure that the destroyed civilization of Atlantis stays destroyed as they review the disastrous George Pal 1961 disaster movie, Atlantis: The Lost Continent. The team discusses everything from the shoddy world-building, the shaky special effects, the lazy misogyny, and the fact that this movie fails the Bechdel-Wallace test SO BAD that it technically couldn’t even hope to pass it. This movie is apparently so awful that even the director hated it, but Paul is such a clever salesperson that you might actually want to see it by the end of this podcast. Just don’t listen to Shaun. It’s not THAT bad. Really, we swear. (Don’t listen to the narrator of these posts. The movie is totally awful. –Shaun) We hope you enjoy the episode!
At the Movies #70 — The Meg (2018)
https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFAtTheMovies70TheMeg/Sandf-AtTheMovies70-TheMeg.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSHamster balls, giant squid, and Jason Statham’s biceps, oh my! Join Jen, Alex, and David as they discuss the summer blockbuster hit and totally Jason Statham-y film, The Meg! While some people might hate fun, we certainly don’t. With our happy hats on, we explore The Meg‘s fulfilled promises, its subversion of popcorn action film expectations, the way it references Jaws, and so much more! Bring your swimsuits and your shark cage for this dive into the giant jaws of The Meg! We hope you enjoy the episode!
Torture Cinema #82: Gallowwalkers (2012)
https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFTortureCinema82Gallowwalkers/Sandf-TortureCinema82-Gallowwalkers.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS Lizard tails, Hellraiser, and bad Spanish, oh my! In today’s episode of Torture Cinema, Jen, Paul, and Alex are joined by the wonderful Tonia Thompson, founder of Nightlight Podcast, to talk about a film that should probably be thrown into the nearest hellmouth (except it’s SO PRETTY)! The group covers everything from the terrible script to the terrible plotting to the terrible use of some Western tropes to the… everything is terrible, honestly. If I tell you all of it, this would be a really long post when really you should just get to the episode! And at least some folks got paid for making this movie, so it’s not ALL bad. We hope you enjoy the episode!
Torture Cinema #81: Frogs (1972)
https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFTortureCinema81Frogs/Sandf-TortureCinema81-Frogs.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS Toads, Sam Elliot’s missing mustache, and weaponized Spanish moss, oh my! In today’s hoptastic episode, Alex, Paul, David, and special guest Michael J. Martinez try to drain the swamp of the southern patriarchy as they discuss the 1972 “killer” amphibian classic, Frogs. From leapless pacing, stagnant antagonists, and horribbitless story (all the terror of fluffy bunnies… less, really, at least fluffy bunnies have teeth), this is one worth throwing back to the lilypads. Come for the man pelts, stay for the fantastic lesson on early killer wildlife horror films (David has a ton of suggestions for further/better viewing)! We hope you enjoy the episode!
