horror – What's in the Basket

18. The Omen (1976): Baby-on-Baby Crime

It’s another shot of Gregory Peck this week as we wrap up our Halloween cursed film series with Richard Donner’s demon-child classic The Omen (1976). We explore what the movie has to say about motherhood and post-Watergate political anxiety, pay tribute to the unsung women who have been bringing films to life behind the scenes for over a century, and sing the praises of our newfound favourite sequel Damien: Omen II (1978), in which friend of the pod Lew Ayres endures the single greatest death scene ever committed to celluloid.

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

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.

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

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.

16. The Exorcist (1973): Sometimes the Vibes Is Right

We’re back! After losing an episode to our very own MP3-devouring curse, we emerge from the shadows to kick off the Halloween season with a look at William Friedkin’s similarly cursed horror classic The Exorcist (1973). We trace writer William Peter Blatty’s journey from Georgetown to…well…Georgetown, attempt to address at least a few of the approximately one billion things that went wrong during the film’s production, and mourn the omission of Father Dyer’s sick Snoopy sweatshirt. Fair warning: this episode is centered around a movie that’s full of disturbing subject matter and includes a brief discussion of a real-life homicide.

Bonus 16. Basket Case 2 (1990): First Anniversary Episode Brought to You By Jolt Cola

https://www.spreaker.com/user/11560790/bonus-16-basket-case-2-1990-first-annive

This week all the crickets in the state of California join us to celebrate the show’s one-year anniversary with a look at Basket Case 2 (1990), belated and beloved sequel to the first movie we ever covered. Topics include the Belial Babies, our own tragic Hollywood endings, and—somehow—Tony Randall. Thanks for sticking with us this year, and here’s to the next one!

Bonus 06. Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) and Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987): Old People Orphanage

On this week’s bonus episode of What’s in the Basket, we’re revisiting our slasher movie origins with a research-free look at the Christmas horrors of Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) and its sequel Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987). We discuss the series’ unexpected connections to Evangelicalism and The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, question the reasoning behind its elaborate soundtrack, and seriously consider launching an investigative podcast into a particularly compelling hot-dog related business venture of the 1980s.

06. The Old Dark House (1932): There Once Was a Young Fellow from Sparta

On this week’s episode of What’s in the Basket, have a potato and join us for our discussion of The Old Dark House (1932). We delve into director James Whale’s reign as Universal’s king of horror, explore the film’s role as progenitor to the genre that took its name, trace the origins of Melvyn Douglas’s mustache, and bask in the poetry of renowned artistic phenom Charles Laughton.

03. The Thing (1982): Is This the Most Hated Movie of All Time? (NOT CLICKBAIT)

https://www.spreaker.com/user/11560790/03-the-thing-1982-is-this-the-most-hated

Show Notes

On this week’s episode of What’s in the Basket, we’re zipping up our parkas for our discussion of The Thing (1982). We marvel over Kurt Russell’s luscious locks, tackle the film’s lack of women and its approach to gender, struggle to comprehend the negative critical response that it received upon release, and learn way, way too much about Candice’s love of puppets.

01. Basket Case (1982): Do You Think Belial Had the Dick?

https://www.spreaker.com/user/11560790/01-basket-case-1982-do-you-think-belial-

On the debut episode of What’s in the Basket, we take a trip to 42nd Street for our discussion of Basket Case (1982). Tiff learns why God invented pop filters, Amelia chows down on some hot dogs, and Candice wants to see Belial shake that nasty thing.