Dark Discussions Podcast thread

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Episode 021 - The State of Vampires Part 1



Though vampires have been part of the fabric of myths and folklore throughout the centuries of both cultures and countries, it wasn’t until a fifty year old Irish immigrant and theater manager out of England named Abraham Stoker published a pulp novel entitled Dracula that the creatures of the night developed into arguably the most important monster in horror and genre fiction ever. Bram Stoker’s creation brought about a sociopathic being of a sexual predatory nature that entered the nightmares of any who happened to read this very successful tale of the supernatural.

Beginning with Universal Pictures 1931 film Dracula starring acting legend Bela Lugosi, this iconic character lead the way for such other movie monster franchises as Frankenstein, the Wolfman, and our more modern nightmares of Freddy Krueger, Leatherface, and Michael Myers. Other production companies followed with their take. Hammer Studios beginning in the late 1950's brought Christopher Lee to the role and a run of both Dracula and vampire films filled with gothic, exploitation, and horror essentials made for an entertaining and chilling success of a film.

Yet with the cultural revolution of the motion picture, where such shocking cinema as Bonnie and Clyde, Midnight Cowboy, and the grindhouse films of New York’s 42nd Street came to fruition, the vampire, too, had an upheaval that brought the vampire into the modern world. Your hosts, Mike and Philip, discuss the beginnings of this monster, its turn from the gentleman fiend that Bela Lugosi portrayed to its various roles in such films as Near Dark, Martin, and ‘Salem’s Lot. Lock your doors, listeners, as Dark Discussions gives its view during this first part of a very blood letting dialogue between our hosts on the lurid nightmare known to many as simply nosferatu.

On a final note, you can download listener David's Sounds of Horror free download. Over 2 hours of horror sound effects for Halloween. Check it out!

[francoamerican]

http://www.darkdiscussions.com

darkdiscussions@aol.com
Twitter: DarkDiscussion1
itunes: Dark Discussions Podcast

Episode 022 - The Omen



Throughout millennia the devil has caused more fear in the hearts of humanity than any other being. The incarnate of evil and the ruler of hell, Satan has tempted the fate of man from the very beginning. When St. John the Divine wrote the Book of Revelations in which the end of the world was to come, he described that prior to the closing stages of the present, a man would come that would lead an apocalypse. And that man would be the antichrist, the son of Satan.

In the late 1960’s, specifically in the United States of America, a fear of demonic and satanic cults swept the nation. Churches and communities became paranoid with the changes to society and at points were taken with the belief that all was related to the devil himself and his power over humanity. Following the wave of hysteria, culture followed where authors and movie producers took note and began producing suspenseful horror fiction that went straight to the top of best seller lists and box office gross.

In the mid 1970’s 20th Century Fox released the Richard Donner directed film, The Omen, a story about a little boy from a wealthy political family that may be much more than what he actually seems to be. With Jerry Goldsmith’s Academy Award winning score, with Gregory Peck starring, surrounded by a great supporting cast, the movie was critically well received, triumphed at the box office, and has become a classic in the same breath with such films as The Godfather, Star Wars, and On the Water Front.

Dark Discussions’ hosts, Eric and Philip, converse about the film in detail and how it has resonated with both film historians as well as horror fans alike. With its fantastic screenplay, great acting, and fabulous score, every fan of film, never mind horror stories, should partake in the viewing of this spectacular movie.

On a final note, you can download listener David's Sounds of Horror free download. Over 2 hours of horror sound effects for Halloween. Check it out!

[francoamerican]

http://www.darkdiscussions.com

darkdiscussions@aol.com
twitter: DarkDiscussion1
itunes: Dark Discussions Podcast

Episode 023 - The State of Vampires Part 2



As the 1990’s begin, the tale of nosferatu, the vampire, follows many different approaches that quite differ from the historical monster known to be the spawn of hell and an enemy of Christianity and the Roman Catholic Church. With Anne Rice’s 1973 novel Interview With the Vampire produced for the big screen, vampires, though still quite violent and horrific, start to take on a new face. Romantic themes permeate the back story as death and loss follow every move of the creatures of the night. Vampires as central characters become the focus of such films.

As protagonists and antiheroes, the vampire becomes an individual that film audiences are more able to feel for but as a result the horror element begins to fade from the mythos. Stories such as Underworld and Blade make the monster almost appear as if they are superheroes. Action and stylized violence brings a rebirth to a tired genre but also makes fans of the traditional monster wish for the bygone days.

While such series as the Twilight Saga bring in a new audience of fans, those searching for the vampire as a monster are offered such films as 30 Days of Night, Stakeland and Let the Right One In bringing hope to the devotee of traditional vampires. Other takes include a scientific approach such as Daybreakers, a gothic return to the Hammer days with Lesbian Vampire Killers, the Korean film Thirst filled with Catholicism essentials, and a coming of age horror tale The Hamiltons.

Dark Discussions continues with their second part of their vampire retrospective. Philip and Mike talk about how the vampire has changed these past few years and what it means to cinema and the history of the monster. From Dusk Till Dawn to 2011’s Fright Night, though the vampire may have changed, their taste for human blood has not. Come listen, faithful listeners, as we all wait for the sun to rise.