October 2020 – What's in the Basket

This week we’re taking a quick detour from our cursed film series to tackle a different kind of horror movie: J. Lee Thompsons’s neo-noir thriller Cape Fear (1962), and Martin Scorsese’s 1991 remake of the same name. We discuss the stark differences in how each film handles its sensitive subject matter, admire Robert Mitchum’s sick Del Boca Vista wardrobe, and partake in some recreation at the bowling center with noted human Gregory Peck. A content warning: both of today’s films are about sexual assault, and our conversation reflects that. Another content warning: we really hate the remake, and our conversation reflects that, too.

Our Halloween theme continues this week with another notoriously “cursed” horror movie: Tobe Hooper and Steven Spielberg’s haunted house classic Poltergeist (1982). We tackle the question of just who actually directed the film, explore its iconic special effects, and confront the moral implications of the popular “curse” narrative. Please note that this podcast has not been and will never be censored by Pizza Hut. Finally, another content warning—today’s episode addresses the deaths of two of Poltergeist‘s young stars, Dominique Dunne and Heather O’Rourke, and in doing so includes some discussion of real-life violence against women.

Month: October 2020

Bonus 17. Cape Fear (1962) and Cape Fear (1991): Twice the Cape, Twice the Fear

17. Poltergeist (1982): You Obviously Don’t Know How Much a Skeleton Costs