Frankenstein's Podcast: Recent Episodes
Joe Praska and Kalid Hussein
Kalid and Joe discuss creature-features, monsters, supernatural beasts, aliens and the like from all corners of pop. culture.
Frankenstein's Podcast presents: KAIJUBILEE! - a celebration of cinema's favorite giant monster, Godzilla, Just in time for the King of Monsters' 70th birthday!
This episode we’re joined by Nicole Praska to discuss the 1964 franchise entry, Mothra vs. Godzilla, directed by Ishirō Honda. Note, we are fully aware of how iconic the music from this movie became to the Godzilla franchise and regret not bringing it up in the episode! It will be discussed down the road!
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Leitbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
*Shoutout to our Patreon Producer(s), Luke Johnson!
Support us on Patreon!
Featured Guest:
Wife of the podcast and real-life scientist, Nicole Praska, is our recurring ‘ghost host’ who always brings a new perspective to our topics. She currently co-hosts the semi-regular Star Trek podcast, Deep Space Love!
References:
Mothra vs. Godzilla (wikipedia)
Mothra (wikipedia)
Black and Whites by Big Hit, Hit-boy and The Alchemist
Sundiver by David Brin
Doctor Who
Frankenstein's Podcast presents: KAIJUBILEE! - a celebration of cinema's favorite giant monster, Godzilla, Just in time for the King of Monsters' 70th birthday!
This episode is dedicated to the one that started it all back in 1954, Godzilla, directed by Ishirō Honda. Joining us is Dr. Bill Tsutsui, one of the foremost experts on the Godzilla franchise!
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Featured Guest:
Bill Tsutsui is an award-winning historian and teacher, frequent public speaker and media commentator, and current president of Ottawa University. He is the author of numerous academic papers and books. He’s frequently consulted by the media as an expert on Godzilla and Japanese pop culture. He’s been featured on the History Channel, CNN, NBC nightly news, NPR, the BBC, and has been quoted in countless publications from the New York Times to Vanity Fair.
References:
How 'Professor Godzilla' Learned To Roar - NPR
Godzilla on My Mind: Fifty Years of the King of Monsters
In Godzilla's Footsteps: Japanese Pop Culture Icons on the Global Stage
Japanese Popular Culture and Globalization
Looking Back at the Original Godzilla - The Credits
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Deep Cover
In celebration of its 25th anniversary, Kalid and Joe get wrapped up in the Stephen Sommers' 1999 adaptation of The Mummy!
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Leitbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Support us on Patreon!
References:
The Mummy: Did Oded Fehr's Medjai Really Exist? - ScreenRant
An Egyptological Review of ‘The Mummy’ (1999) - Nile Scribes
Drake & Kendrick Lamar’s Rocky Relationship Explained - Billboard
The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy(Prime)
Kalid and Joe are joined by longtime supporter and friend, Jake Kohl, to dig into Bong Joon-ho's 2017 film, Okja.
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Leitbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Support us on Patreon!
Featured Guest:
Jake Kohl is a longtime supporter of the podcast and friend of the hosts. He's a fellow geek and avid gamer whose current passion is running.
References:
Okja: Big Love by Karen Han (Criterion)
FYC: The Visual Effects Behind Okja with Erik de Boer and Method Studios - Awards Daily
Hozier (album)
Star Trek: Discovery (Paramount+)
Slow Productivity by Cal Newport
Good Inside by Dr. Becky Kennedy
Kalid and Joe discuss the vastly different films that happen to fall under the same brand: the 2000 film, Dungeons & Dragons, and the 2023 update, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Joined by two friends and Dungeon Masters, Andy Groth and Grant Leitbrouck, the crew compare and contrast the two films and chat about how well each one captures the spirit of the game.
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Leitbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Support us on Patreon!
Featured Guests:
Grant Leitbrouck is a fellow geek and graphic designer who has been a longtime friend of the podcast and friend to both of us.
Andy Groth is another longtime friend, creative artist, and Dungeonmaster who loves video games and D&D.
References:
15 Things You Didn’t Know About The Disastrous Dungeons & Dragons Movie - Screenrant
The Practical Effects Wizardry of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves - Stan Winston School
“Dungeon & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” VFX Team on the Owlbear, Talking Corpses & More - Motion Picture Association
The Fantastical, Faithful, Fun VFX of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves - VFX Voice
Behind the Scenes with the Director and Cast of Dungeons & Dragons - IGN
Dimension 20: Fantasy High
Critical Role
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor among Thieves Rolls a Natural 20 - Twin Cities Geek
The Legend of Vox Machina
Sitcom D&D
Ghosts (CBS)
The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz
Shogun (FX/Hulu)
D&D Module: The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
We're off this week so we're sharing one of our Patreon episodes in which we rank our favorite tropes in genre fiction! If you like this episode, please Support us on Patreon for more Frankenbits like this!
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Kalid and Joe are joined by one of the original Friendensteins, Ryan Mintz, to talk about the ultimate showdown between Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Devil set against the backdrop of Y2K. That’s right, we’re chatting about the 1999 Peter Hyams film, End of Days!
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Leitbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Support us on Patreon!
Featured Guest:
Ryan Mintz is a fellow geek, massive Baseball fan, and one of the original friends of the podcast who coined the now beloved term, ‘Friendenstein!’
References:
VIFX will do effects for ‘End of Days’ - Variety
Spawning the Satan beast for End of Days at Stan Winston Studio
Harbinger of the End - Monster Legacy
The Zone of Interest
Dragon Ball (manga) by Akira Toriyama
Music League (app)
Kalid and Joe take a trip back into the realm of Empire Pictures! This time, the crew is joined by friend of the podcast (and real-life friend), Amber Amundson to chat about the 1986 horror/fantasy flick,Troll, from director John Carl Buechler.
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Leitbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Support us on Patreon!
Featured Guest:
Amber Amundson is a fellow school teacher and friend of the podcast. She’s a longtime horror fan who brings a formative knowledge to the genre and how it can foster connection.
References:
Troll (1886) Trivia - IMDB
Filmmakers Claim ‘Harry Potter' Lifted Ideas From Their 1986 Film
Troll - Horror Wiki
Blue Lips - Schoolboy Q
Home Goods
Drive Away Dolls
Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World by Naomi Klein
Heaven and Earth Grocery Store James McBride
Kalid and Joe break from (fictional) monsters for a conversation with writer and editor, Basma Ghalayani, about how genre fiction and speculative fiction can be seen as a tool to reflect on the traumas of the past and present as well as explore the hopes for the future. Specifically, we discuss the short-story collection, Palestine + 100: Stories from a Century after the Nakba, which Ghalayani edited.
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Leitbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Featured Guest:
Basma Ghalayini is an editor, writer and Arabic translator and interpreter currently working with Comma Press - a publishing house out of Manchester, UK. She edited the book Palestine+100 which asks twelve Palestinian writers: what might your country look like in the year 2048 - a century after the tragedies and trauma of what has come to be called the Nakba? She has written for the New York Times (check out her essay," A Gazan’s View on Hamas: It’s Not Complicated") and was born and grew up in the Gaza Strip.
References:
Ma Wara' al-Tabi'a (novels) from Ahmed Khaled Towfik
Motaz Azaiza
Bisan
Lama Jamous
Mansour Shouman
Angie Marie
Lisa Frankenstein (Joes review for Twin Cities Geek)
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Kalid and Joe are joined by the immensely cool and talented Nyla Innuksuk to discuss her recent sci-fi/horror film, Slash/Back!
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Leitbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Featured Guests:
Nyla Innuksuk is a director, writer, producer, and creator in the realm of VR and mixed media through her company, Mixtape VR. She co-created the Inuk superhero, Snowgard, for Marvel Comics, and her recent film, Slash/Back is currently available to buy or stream on Hulu.
References:
Slash/Back official website
Citations Needed (podcast)
Hazbin Hotel (Prime)
True Detective: Night Country (Max)
This week, Kalid and Joe dig into the many themes and big ideas from the 2021 South Korean series, Hellbound, currently streaming on Netflix!
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Leitbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Support us on Patreon!
References:
Hellbound Monsters Explained - Den of Geek
Hellbound: VFX Breakdown by mofac - Art of VFX
Hellbound - Cyclo
Kid Cudi - Insano
Mythical Beast Investigator by Koichiro Hoshino
Kalid and Joe interview horror writer, Shane Hawk, about writing dark Indigenous fiction! The crew get into his short story work and the state of Indigenous horror and genre fiction in pop. culture.
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Leitbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Featured Guests:
Shane Hawk is a history teacher and horror writer based out of San Diego. His short fiction has appeared in numerous anthologies and his debut short story collection, Anoka, is currently available. He recently co-edited the Indigenous dark fiction anthology, Never Whistle at Night.
References:
Stephen Graham Jones - Mapping the Interior
Shane’s short story, “Behind Collin’s Eyes” on Tor.com
Blood Quantum
Mohawk
Slash/Back
Stephen Graham Jones - Mongrels
Tiffany Morris’ short story “'Night in the Chrysalis” on Gizmodo
Bryce O’Connor - Child of Daystar
Holding Absence - The Greatest Mistake of my Life
This week, Kalid & Joe layer on the cheese and dig into two gems from Charles Band’s Empire Pictures heyday of the 1980s! We chat about the 1984 fantasy anthology, The Dungeonmaster (aka “Ragewar”) and the 1989 sci-fi/sports drama, Arena.
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Leitbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Support us on Patreon!
References:
Kalid and Joe are joined by another round-table of guests to dissect David Cronenberg’s 1979 divorce drama/therapy thriller, The Brood!
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Leitbrouk for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Support us on Patreon!
Featured Guests:
Joe Mischo is a Los Angeles-based filmmaker who enjoys trail running, subversive cinema, and day trips with his 1975 Honda motorbike “Jade.”
Corrin Evans is a filmmaker exploring shadow integration, eroticism, death and the supernatural.
Wife of the podcast and real-life scientist, Nicole Praska, is our recurring ‘ghost host’ who always brings a new perspective to our topics. She currently co-hosts the semi-regular Star Trek podcast, Deep Space Love!
References:
Why I Love…The Brood - BFI
Birthing from Within: On Teaching Monstrous Birth in Cronenberg’s The Brood - Films for the Feminist Classroom
The Brood: Separation Trials - The Criterion Collection
Broodlings - Monster Movie wiki
The Making of David Cronenberg’s The Brood
We Only Talk About Real Shit When We’re Fucked Up by Bas
The Long Kiss Goodnight
Hannibal (series)
Your local library!
Richard Ramirez Died Today of Natural Causes by Sun Kil Moon
Saltburn
Kalid and Joe welcome the team behind the new song celebrating the classic Universal Monsters, “Children of the Night.” to the show! Jason Ginsburg, Eduardo García Rascón and Brette Alana, pop on to chat about their new song as well as the 2004 Universal Monster mash-up film starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale, Van Helsing, from writer/director Stephen Sommers!
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Support us on Patreon!
Featured Guests:
Jason Ginsburg is a former Universal Studios tour guide, creator of the Fake Theme Park twitter account, and lifelong fan of classic monsters. He recently wrote the film Age of Stone and Sky: The Sorcerer Beast.
Eduardo García Rascón is a musician and composer for video games and television shows. Check out his site, 8-bit Studio.
Brette Alana is an international award winning vocalist and musician. Check out her recent endeavor into creating personalized holiday music at Musical Charms.
References:
It takes computer effects to make movie monsters -- but elbow grease helps - SFGate
Van Helsing creatures - Below the Line
New Blue Sun - André 3000
Victories Greater Than Death by Charlie Jane Anders
Quiz Lady on Hulu
Fortune and Glory a Treasure Hunter’s Playbook by David A. McIntee
Dungeons & Dragons
Electric Christmas Playlist on Spotify
This week Kalid & Joe discuss the 1985 sci-fi film, Enemy Mine, from director Wolfgang Peterson!
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Support us on Patreon!
References:
Drac - alien species Wiki
Revisiting Cinefex (25): Enemy Mine, Der Trickfilm, Fright Night - Graham Edwards
Invincible season 2 on Prime
The Curse on Paramount+/Showtime
SurrealEstate on Syfy
Kalid and Joe discuss the 2023 home-invasion/alien thriller flick, No One Will Save You, from writer/director, Brian Duffield!
Note: It was incorrectly stated that this was Brian Duffield's directorial debut - Duffield DID direct and write the 2020 film,* Spontaneous*. Apologies for the mixup!
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Support us on Patreon!
References:
‘No One Will Save You’ – Brian Duffield Talks Elaborate Alien Mythology and Avoiding Familiar Tropes - Bloody Disgusting
The Spoiler Interview: Brian Duffield On NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU - Fangoria
No One Will Save Your project page - Mikkel Frandsen
Killers of the Flower Moon
The Worm and his Kings by Hailey Piper
Star Trek: Lower Decksseason 4 on Paramount+
This spooky season, Kalid & Joe decide to watch the scariest movie according to science: Scott Derrickson's Sinister! Joined by wife of the podcast, Nicole Praska, we dig into the movie's mythology, themes, and of course, scares.
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Featured Guests:
Nicole Praska is a regular Frankenstein's Podcast guest and she's also a scientist - you can also listen to her discus fingerprint science in a segment on the Brains On! Podcast (Body Bonanza: Yawns, hiccups, goosebumps and more!), an episode of the Double Loop Podcast (2019 IAI Conference – Episode 204), and on the true-crime podcast, Crime Therapy (Episode 27: Koala Fingerprints aka Our First Special Guest). Nicole and Joe also co-host the new Star Trek podcast, Deep Space Love!
References:
Interview with Nicholas King Bughuul from Sinister and Sinister 2 - Love Horror
How Internet Art Inspired the Monster in Ethan Hawke's Sinister - Gizmodo
Bagul wiki page
Marvel's Spider-man 2 (game)
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation² (comic)
Kalid and Joe take a trip on the Dracula Boat! This episode we’re diving into the 2023 film, The Last Voyage of the Demeter, from director, André Øvredal.
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Support us on Patreon!
References:
The Last Voyage of the Demeter's Biggest Changes From the Dracula Book - CBR
Writer talks ‘Last Voyage of the Demeter’ - Bloody Flicks
The Last Voyage of the Demeter is Basically Alien, Just Set in the 1800s on a Ship - SYFY
‘The Last Voyage of the Demeter’ – How Production Designer Edward Thomas Built the Biggest Ship of His Career - Bloody Disgusting
Exclusive Interview: “Last Voyage of the Demeter” Makeup Master Göran Lundström - Rue Morgue
Why Dracula Looks So Good in 'The Last Voyage of the Demeter' - Collider
Gen V on Amazon Prime
The Baked Potato (Los Angeles restaurant and lounge)
Starplex by Robert J Sawyer
Wheel of Time on Amazon Prime
Kalid and Joe interview creature modeler/designer Mikkel Frandsen about the art of modeling monsters! We chat about Mikkel's work in the industry on creatures like the Kikimora from Netflix's The Witcher, the Hunter Predator from Shane Black's The Predator, and Valentine the Zombie Tiger from Zach Snyder's Army of the Dead. Be sure to check out Mikkel's work on his Instagram and on his website!
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Featured Guests:
Mikkel Frandsen is a professional Creature Designer/Modeller with over 10 years of experience. He’s worked with multiple VFX companies. You can see some of his creature work in Zach Snyder’s ‘Army of the Dead,’ ‘The Predator,’ and ‘The Witcher.’
References:
Malcolm in the Middle
Schitt's Creek
Twisted Metal on Peacock
Quake II
This week, Kalid & Joe welcome Marshall Julius & Howard Berger on the pod to lend their expertise to a discussion on the classic 1954 film, 'Creature from the Black Lagoon!' We also talk about Marshall & Howard's new book, Masters of Make-Up Effects: A Century of Practical Magic, and take several, enlightening conversational detours down many different monster movie rabbit holes.
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Featured Guests:
Marshall Julius is a writer, broadcaster, quizmaster and professional Geek who wrote the Vintage Geek ultimate quiz book for geeks!
Howard Berger is a special make-up effects creator & co-founder of KNB EFX. He has worked on over 400 film and television projects. He won an Academy Award for best makeup for his work on the Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and an Emmy for his work on The Walking Dead.
Marshall and Howard's new collaborative book, Masters of Make-Up Effects: A Century of Practical Magic, is available now!
References:
24x36: A Movie About Movie Posters
Ben Chapman Interview - Chaos Control
The Lady from the Black Lagoon by Mallory O'Meara
Bottoms
Claymore by Norihiro Yagi
Meg 2: The Trench
Cinema Speculation By Quentin Tarantino
The Wild Bunch
Frankenstein's Podcast presents: XENOMANIA! - a series in which we take a deep dive into each entry into the Alien universe, one film at a time with special guests along the way.
Kalid and Joe wrap up the XENOMANIA series with a bang! In this episode, we double-feature the two AvP films - the first, Alien vs. Predator, from 2004 directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, and its follow-up, Alien vs. Predator: Requiem, from 2007 directed by the Strause brothers.
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
References:
The Hunt Begins: The Early Days of Peter Briggs’ Alien vs. Predator - AvP Galaxy
Aliens versus Predator versus The Terminator comic
Aliens vs Predator: Requiem's "Predalien" by Amalgamated Dynamics, Inc.- Stan Winston School
StarBeast — Aliens Vs. Predator: Requiem, the Predalien - Monster Legacy
Frankenstein's Podcast presents: XENOMANIA! - a series in which we take a deep dive into each entry into the Alien universe, one film at a time with special guests along the way.
This episode we’re moving away from the films and digging into the Alien extended universe! The franchise is incredibly expansive at this point, and we touch on quite a bit, but our focus is on the most recent novels as we have a very special conversation with the voice of many of these books, audiobook narrator & voice actor, Shiromi Arserio!
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Featured Guest:
Shiromi Arserio is an award-winning audiobook narrator & voice actor. At this point, she has narrated close to 250 audiobooks! She is particularly known as an 'accent chameleon' in her work. She is also an avid Alien fan and board game geek. Follow Shiromi on Instagram @Shiromi.arserio and be sure to visit her website to stay up to date on all her works!
References:
Aliens: Defiance (comic)
Alien: Isolation (game)
Nemesis
Lifeform
Alien: Fate of the Nostromo
Aliens: Another Glorious Day in the Corps
Aliens: Bug Hunt
Alien: The Cold Forge by Alex White
Alien: Into Charybdis by Alex White
Alien: Colony War by David Barnett
Alien: Enemy of my Enemy by Mary SanGiovanni
Loki's Ring by Stina Leicht
Project Greenlight: A New Generation
Vengeance (Prime)
Ghosts (UK version)
Frankenstein's Podcast presents: XENOMANIA! - a series in which we take a deep dive into each entry into the Alien universe, one film at a time with special guests along the way.
This episode we’re making our way to the end (so far...!) of Ridely Scott's Alien prequel era Alien film series with his 2017 entry, Alien: Covenant.
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Featured Guest:
Sarah Welch-Larson is a film critic, writer, and host of the Seeing & Believing podcast. She regularly writers for Bright Wall/Dark Room and has also written for RogerEbert.com and Tor.com. Her book (which we dig into) Becoming Alien: The Beginning and End of Evil in Science Fiction’s Most Idiosyncratic Franchise is available from Cascade Books now!
Be sure to check out Sarah's latest piece for Bright Wall/Dark Room: No Way Out: The Elusive Borders of Jafar Panahi’s No Bears
References:
Here’s what would’ve happened had Shaw been in Alien: Covenant - JoBlo
‘Alien: Covenant’: How the Xenomorph Continues to Horrify Audiences Decades Later - The Hollywood Reporter
ALIEN – COVENANT: Charley Henley – Production VFX Supervisor – MPC - Art of VFX
The Neomorphs – Alien: Covenant’s New Aliens! - AvP Galaxy
Ridley Scott: Inspiration for Alien: Covenant's Neomorph - IGN (YouTube)
Alien: Covenant’ VFX Team Hatches New Neomorph, Xenomorphs - The Hollywood Reporter
Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets - Prime Video
AvP Galaxy
Perfect Organism Podcast
Trigun Stampede - Hulu/Crunchyroll
Frankenstein's Podcast presents: XENOMANIA! - a series in which we take a deep dive into each entry into the Alien universe, one film at a time with special guests along the way.
This episode we’re jumping into Ridely Scott's Alien prequel era film series with the 2012’s Prometheus. Plus, we have a bonus interview (starting at 1:17:50) with the fantastic creature actor and Last Engineer himself, Ian Whyte, in which we talk about his many film roles, his participation in several iconic franchises, and his specific relationship with the Alien universe and this film.
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
If you like what you hear, consider supporting us on Patreon!
References:
Xenopedia
Before StarBeast — Prometheus - Monster Legacy
Dan O’Bannon’s comic, The Long Tomorrow
Ridley Scott’s ‘Prometheus’ and the “idiot plot” - a. a. Birdsall
What The Original Alien Prequel Script Reveals About Prometheus & Covenant - ScreenRant
Ian Whyte website
Frankenstein's Podcast presents: XENOMANIA! - a series in which we take a deep dive into each entry into the Alien universe, one film at a time with special guests along the way.
This episode we’re digging into the fourth entry in the franchise, Jean-Pierre Jeunet & Joss Whedon’s tonally divergent threequel, Alien: Resurrection!
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Featured Guest:
Grant Hasbrouck is a fellow geek and graphic designer who has been a longtime friend of the podcast and friend to both of us.
References:
Jean-Pierre Jeunet on Alien Resurrection, 25 years on: ‘I think it’s kind of sexy and weird’ - The Independent
Alien: Resurrection Trivia - AvP Galaxy
Cloned Queen - Xenopedia
Newborn - Xenopedia
I’m a Virgo (Prime Video)
The Bear season 2 (Hulu)
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 (Paramount+)
Cyberpunk Edgerunners (Netflix)
Blades in the Dark TTRPG
Frankenstein's Podcast presents: XENOMANIA! - a series in which we take a deep dive into each entry into the Alien universe, one film at a time with special guests along the way.
This episode we’re digging into the third entry in the franchise, David Fincher’s divisive directorial debut, Alien 3 (aka Alien cubed)!
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Featured Guests:
Joel H Brewster is an avid science-fiction and horror fanatic and host of the No Stranger to Horror podcast. He's put his passions to practice in screenwriting a number of short films and promoting weird, obscure and fun horror-themed content through his Facebook page Instagram and Twitter. You can find Joel's writings and links to all of his work at his website, Westcoast Strange.
Jim Tandberg is a local Twin Cities artist and a geek at heart. He counts himself as a member of countless fandoms, but often gravitates towards comics, manga, anime, model building and Dungeons & Dragons. You can see his latest art pieces here. Follow Jim on Instagram @Jimstagram2 and on Twitter @TequilaGundam29.
References:
The Alien 3 Story Ideas That Didn’t Make it to the Screen - Den of Geek
Alien 3: The 10 Biggest Differences Between The Theatrical And Assembly Cuts - ScreenRant
Faith and Fury: ALIEN³ at 30 - Fangoria
Becoming Alien: The Beginning and End of Evil in Science Fiction's Most Idiosyncratic Film Franchise - Sarah Welch-Larson
Runner - Xenopedia
Primo on Freevee
Between two fires by Christopher Buehlman
Sanctuary on Netflix
Influencer
Metroid Prime Remastered for the Nintendo Switch
Frankenstein's Podcast presents: XENOMANIA! - a series in which we take a deep dive into each entry into the Alien universe, one film at a time with special guests along the way.
This episode we're talking about the sequel that went big, the one where James Cameron's takes on the Xenomorphs: Aliens from 1986! For this discussion, we're joined by a couple of Friendenstien all-stars, Erik Kollasch & Nicole Praska.
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Featured Guests:
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Nicole Praska is a regular Frankenstein's Podcast guest and she's also a scientist - you can also listen to her discus fingerprint science in a segment on the Brains On! Podcast (Body Bonanza: Yawns, hiccups, goosebumps and more!), an episode of the Double Loop Podcast (2019 IAI Conference – Episode 204), and on the true-crime podcast, Crime Therapy (Episode 27: Koala Fingerprints aka Our First Special Guest). Nicole and Joe also co-host the new Star Trek podcast, Deep Space Love!
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Erik Kollasch is an editor and cinephile based out of Los Angeles, CA. He's previously worked with Kalid on the Welcome to Atlanta podcast. You can follow him on Twitter @erikkollasch and on Instagram @ekollasch.
References:
ALIENS Movie - The Making of a Xenomorph Drone - Stan Winston School for Character Arts
ALIENS - Chestburster Behind-the-Scenes with Film Director and FX Designer Stephen Norrington - Stan Winston School for Character Arts
'Aliens' Turns 30: 8 Secrets From the Set Revealed - ABC
Aliens (film) - Wikipedia
Season 3 of The Great on Hulu
Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3
Arena (1989) on Tubi
The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred - Chanda Prescod-Weinstein
Sitcom D&D podcast
Micky7 - Edward Ashton
Evil Dead Rise
Frankenstein's Podcast presents: XENOMANIA! - a series in which we take a deep dive into each entry into the Alien universe, one film at a time with special guests along the way.
This episode is dedicated to the one that started it all back in 1979, Alien, directed by Ridely Scott and written by Dan O'Bannon. Joining us is Philippa Ballantine, writer and author of the recent, licensed franchise novel, Alien: Inferno's Fall.
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Featured Guest:
Philippa (Pip) Ballantine is an award-winning speculative fiction author. Aside from her work set in the Alien universe, She’s known for the Books of the Order series, the The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences novels, The Shifted World series and more.
References:
Beautiful Monsters: The Unofficial and Unauthorized Guide to the Alien and Predator Movies by David McIntree
The Beast Within: The Making of 'Alien'
Alien- Wikipedia
Mrs. Davis (streaming on Peacock)
History of the World Part II (streaming on Hulu)
The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
The Sandman (streaming on Netflix)
The Power (streaming on Prime)
Joined by horror-movie aficionado and writer, Mark H. Harris, Kalid and Joe dive into the 2019 creature-feature, Sweetheart, from director J.D. Dillard and starring Kiersey Clemons!
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Featured Guest:
Mark H. Harris is a journalist, horror buff, and creator of the website blackhorrormovies.com (a great go-to site for chronicling the history of black history in horror). His writings have appeared in New York Magazine, Vulture, Rotten Tomatoes, and many more. His most recent book, The Black Guy Dies First, co-written with Dr. Robin Means Coleman, is a deep dive into the history and impact of black actors and creatives in the horror genre. Follow Mark on Twitter @blacula.
References:
Mark's book, co-authored with Dr. Robin Means Coleman: The Black Guy Dies First - Black Horror Cinema from Fodder to Oscar
Black Garnet Books in Saint Paul, MN
JD Dillard On Practical Creatures, Performance And Metaphors In SWEETHEART - Fangoria
How to Build a Sea Monster: Inside 2019’s Sleekest Creature Feature - Vulture
Jury Duty on Freevee
Star Trek: Picard the final season on Paramount+
Swarm on Prime Video
This episode, Kalid & Joe are joined by filmmaker and cinephile, Ricky Rosario, to chat about the practical effects-laden, classic, 90s camp-fest, From Dusk Till Dawn!
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Featured Guest:
Ricky Rosario is a filmmaker and cinephile originally out of New Jersey and now out of Los Angeles. His short film, Abuela's Luck, has been named one of the 10 Best Short Films by US Latino Directors in 2018 as well as the best movie seen at the 2018 HBO’s New York Latino Film Festival. You can follow Ricky on Twitter @yoyoorick and on Instagram @yoyoorick.
References:
When Worlds (and Genres) Collide: ‘From Dusk Till Dawn’ at 25 - Bloody Disgusting
How'd They Do That (From Dusk Til Dawn, Behind The Scenes)
Robert Kurtzman Shares Original Concept Art for ‘From Dusk Till Dawn’ Creatures - Bloody Disgusting
The series, Swarm, on Amazon Prime
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Scream VI
Kalid and Joe are joined by writer, Anghus Houvouras, to chat about the new Norwegian Netflix Kaiju film, Troll (2022), from director, Roar Uthaug. The crew dig into the film's many influencers and the mythology behind Scandinavian Troll legends! Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!Featured Guest:Anghus Houvouras is a North Carolina based author who has penned the screenplays for the feature films 20 Funerals, Dead Heist & A Civilized World (currently streaming on Tubi) and the novels The Cocaine-Zoo & the Frankenstein inspired war horror, The Dead of Winter. You can follow Anghus on Twitter @AnghusH.References:Do Kaiju movies need human characters? - Flickering MythCase Studies: Troll - Ghost VFXThe Last of Us (video game franchise)No Thank You - Little SimzParty Down season 3 (Showtime)Harrower - Justin Jordan, Brahm Revel & Pat Brosseau (Boom! Comics)
It's time to slam now! Welcome to the jam! We're getting just a bit animated in this episode as we dig into the Monstars from the 1996 basketball classic, Space Jam!
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
References:
10 Things You Didn't Know About The Original Space Jam - CBR
Space Jam: Twenty Years on we revisit our work on the classic animation-live action hybrid - Cinesite
The miniatures of the original ‘Space Jam’ - Befores and Afters
Space Jam wiki
Cocaine Bear
People of Earth
The Runelords by David Farland
Kalid and Joe tackle the lesser-loved cousin to the classic film, Big Trouble in Little China - yep, that's right, it'sThe Golden Child! Eddie Murphy's regrets are our joys this week as we dig into the film's stop-motion VFX, the warring tones, and of course the creatures.Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!References:14 Illuminating Facts About The Golden Child - Mental FlossThe History of VFX: How the Morphing Effect Evolved - RebelwayStop and Go - HuluMexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Joined by artist and regular friend of the podcast (aka Friendenstien), Jim Tandberg, the monster crew chat about the new, hit anime series on Hulu, Chainsaw Man. Chainsaw Man, adapted from the manga of the same name by Tatsuki Fujimoto, tells the story of Denji, a human/devil hybrid, working for a special government division that hunts and kills devils that pose a threat to humanity.Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!Featured Guest:Jim Tandberg is a local Twin Cities artist and a geek at heart. He counts himself as a member of countless fandoms, but often gravitates towards comics, manga, anime, model building and Dungeons & Dragons. You can see his latest art pieces here. Follow Jim on Instagram @Jimstagram2 and on Twitter @TequilaGundam29.References:Chainsaw Man wikiLeon Bridges: Gold-Diggers SoundThe Legend of Vox Machina - Amazon PrimeDoctor Who - BBC/HBO MaxBrigador: Up-Armored Edition (Steam)
Joined by the awesome dog-walking cinephile, Zach Grooten, the Kalid & Joe discuss Jordan Peele's 2022 film, Nope, and its mysterious and beautiful creature, Jean Jacket!
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Featured Guest:
Zach Grooten is a Brooklynite who walks dogs for a living. He's a lover of movies, books, comics, and music. Zach is also one of the mods for the popular movie-discussion facebook group, The Dissolve!
References:
Inside How 'Nope' Invented its Killer Creature & Literally Built a VFX Night Sky for the Big Bad - Syfy Wire
Nope's Science Consultant Reveals the Name and Inspiration for the Movie's Alien - Nerdist
Glow from Phoebe Alice Lou
The artist, Stromae
Gene Rodenberry's Andromeda (currently on Freevee)
Blood on the Tracks by Shūzō Oshimi
Ripley series by Patricia Highsmith
Joined by actor & writer, Dominic Burgess, the monster crew takes on the 1984 classic, Gremlins! In our chat, we sink our teeth into all the wonderful practical VFX, the wild mashup of monster movie & Christmas film, and why this film remains a classic today.
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Featured Guest:
Dominic Burgess is an actor, writer, cat-lover and fan of all kinds of awesome geeky things. He's been featured in numerous projects such as SyFy's The Magicians, Star Trek: Picard, The Good Place, Feud: Bette & Joan, Dr. Death, Our Flag Means Death, and Netflix's Monster. He'll also be appearing in the upcoming Apple+ series, Mrs. American Pie. You can follow Dominic on Twitter @dominicburgess and on Instagram @domincburgess1.
References:
Confess, Fletch
Star Trek: Prodigy on Paramount+
I'm Glad my Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
The White Lotus on HBO
Welcoming back wife-of-the-podcast, Nicole Praska, the monster crew chats about Zach Cregger's new film, Barbarian, and all the inherent wtf-ness that comes along with it.
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Featured Guest:
Nicole Praska is a regular Frankenstein's Podcast guest and she's also a scientist - you can also listen to her discus fingerprint science in a segment on the Brains On! Podcast (Body Bonanza: Yawns, hiccups, goosebumps and more!), an episode of the Double Loop Podcast (2019 IAI Conference – Episode 204), and on the true-crime podcast, Crime Therapy (Episode 27: Koala Fingerprints aka Our First Special Guest). Nicole and Joe also co-host the new Star Trek podcast, Deep Space Love!
References:
Why ‘Barbarian’ Actor Matthew Patrick Davis Went ‘Ass Out’ to Transform Into Horror Film’s Creature - Variety
How A Self-Help Book Inspired The Horror Film “Barbarian” - As the Bunny Hops
Barbarian Director Reveals Biggest Influences For Surprise Horror Hit - ScreenRant
'Barbarian' Actor Matthew Patrick Davis Tells NFS How to Become a Movie Monster - No Film School
Weird: the Al Yankovic Story on Roku
The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins
The Dawnhounds by Sascha Stronach
Kalid and Joe sink their teeth into the Marvel's new 'special presentation,' Werewolf By Night, from composer-turned-director, Michael Giacchino. The crew discuss the special's place and significance in the MCU, its homages to classic horror, and of course the creatures featured throughout!
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork! Werewolf By Night's Practical Effects Offer A Very Different Visual Style To Inspire Marvel's Future
References:
Werewolf By Night's Practical Effects Offer A Very Different Visual Style To Inspire Marvel's Future - SlashFilm
Werewolf by Night Director Shares How Man-Thing Used Practical Effects - comicbook.com
How ‘Werewolf by Night’ Honors Universal Monsters and Brings Gnarly Kills to the MCU - IndieWire
Howard Berger's behind the scenes Instagram post
Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon
The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher
Kalid and Joe tackle Dan Trachtenberg's entry into the long-running Predator franchise, Prey, from 2022 staring the incomparable Amber Midthunder, and discuss a new (...old?) breed of Yautja: the Feral Predator!
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
References:
Nappy Gilmore Youtube chanel
Prey Cinematographer Jeff Cutter On The Challenges Of Filming A Predator Movie - Slash Film
Why sci-fi movie Prey moves the needle for Indigenous American visibility - National Geographic
How ‘Prey’ Forged a New Look for an Iconic Sci-Fi Creature - Animation World Network
The new album, Prism, from Say She She
The Clocktaur War duology by T. Kingfisher
Abbot Elementary
Kalid & Joe get animated! In getting a chance to gush about The Simpsons, the monster crew dig into the very best perpetually drooling, tentacled, one-eyed alien monsters: Kang & Kodos! We focus in on a few Treehouse of Horror episodes, specifically the original, Treehouse of Horror VII, Treehouse of Horror XVIII, and Treehouse of Horror XXX. We also breifly mention the Simpsons/Futurama crossover, "Simpsorama."
** Special shout out to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
References:
The Simpsons: Kodos and Kang Got Their Names From One of Sci-Fi's Most Important Series - CBR
Mo (Netflix)
Industry (HBO)
On The Count of Three (Hulu & Amazon Prime)
Mercy Point (Crackle)
Kalid & Joe are joined by the multi-talented and awesome Sadè Sellers of the Afro Horror Podcast to chat about Neil Marshall's 2006 subterranean monster flick, The Descent!
** Special shout out to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
Featured Guest:
Sadè Sellers is a screenwriter, producer, director, actor, the founder of the voter education and literacy organization, The Social Ripple Effect, and host of the awesome Afro Horror podcast. She has worked on numerous projects int he film and television industry (all of which can be found on her website). Follow Sadè on Twitter @IAMSadeSellers and on Instagram @sadesellers.
References:
Subterranean sick blues: Ingenious touches help turn Neil Marshall's The Descent into a powerful piece of genre film-making - Irish Times
Blood Baths, Crawlers, and the Dual Meaning Behind ‘The Descent’ - Bloody Disgusting
Interview: Shauna Macdonald/Natalie Mendoza - Icon Cinema
Sprung on Freevee
Dark Air with Terry Carnation
Renaissance - Beyonce
Best Movie Ever: An Oral History of Kaplan and Elfont's "Josie and the Pussycats"
Sade's short film, Decisions
We somehow made it to 50 episodes and this week we're taking a victory lap to celebrate! Joining the monster crew is Nicole Praska (who is stepping in the hot seat as a guest host), and Joel H Brewster who joins the conversation to generally geek out about monsters.
Inspired by the Films to be Buried With podcast, Nicole interviews Kalid, Joe & Joel about the monster films and properties that have had the most influence on them as fans and creators in the genre!
** Special shout out to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
Featured Guests:
Nicole Praska is a regular Frankenstein's Podcast guest and she's also a scientist - you can also listen to her discus fingerprint science in a segment on the Brains On! Podcast (Body Bonanza: Yawns, hiccups, goosebumps and more!), an episode of the Double Loop Podcast (2019 IAI Conference – Episode 204), and on the true-crime podcast, Crime Therapy (Episode 27: Koala Fingerprints aka Our First Special Guest). Nicole and Joe also co-host the new Star Trek podcast, Deep Space Love!
Joel H Brewster is an avid science-fiction and horror fanatic and host of the No Stranger to Horror podcast. He's put his passions to practice in screenwriting a number of short films and promoting weird, obscure and fun horror-themed content through his Facebook page Instagram and Twitter. Recently, Joel won an award from the Vancouver Badass Film Fest for a screenplay he'd for a feature film! Look for his upcoming audio short, Baneful, which is set for a release close to Halloween. You can find Joel's writings and links to all of his work at his website, Westcoast Strange.
References:
[A more comprehensive list of all the movies and properties mentioned will be coming soon!]
Bertie Bassett licorice allsorts Classic Vintage British Tv Ad - YouTube
Corrective Measures on Tubi
Better Call Saul
Nepenthes (2018) - Award Winning Short Horror Film - YouTube
Severance on Apple TV+
Kalid & Joe find themselves back in the John Carpenter sandbox! This time, the crew unpacks the 1995 conclusion to the unofficial 'Apocalypse Trilogy,' In The Mouth of Madness.
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
References:
‘In the Mouth of Madness’: John Carpenter’s Love Letter to H.P. Lovecraft and the Subgenre of Cosmic Horror - Koraljka Suton, Cinephilia and Beyond
[Retrospective] John Carpenter's Overlooked Cosmic Apocalypse Picture, 'In the Mouth of Madness' Turns 25 - Bloody Disgusting
Wall of Monsters - Villains Wiki
Paper Girls on Amazon Prime
The Resort on Peacock
Reservation Dogs season 2 on FX/Hulu
Wellington Paranormal - HBO Max
Kalid & Joe dig into popular culture's collective childhoods and chat about the 80's Spielberg classic, E.T. Along for the ride is Los Angeles comedian and film enthusiast, Steve Hernandez!
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Featured Guest:
Steve Hernandez is a Los Angeles-based comic, film enthusiast and frequent podcaster. He served several years as one of the hosts of the Views from the Vista podcast and has just recently wrapped up his Read the Bible With Me podcast. He currently runs Chatterbox Comedy Night in Covina, California. Follow Steve on Twitter @Bighern and on Instagram @hernia.
References:
If you were scarred by E.T. as a kid, just be thankful this sequel never got made - AV Club
Creating the character of E.T. for Spielberg’s hit movie required $1.5 million, a young actor born without legs, and a two-pack-a-day smoker - The Vintage News
Rick Baker’s Scary Alien Designs That Became the Lovable E.T. - Bloody Disgusting
Gatlopp (2022)
Killing It on Peacock
The Old Man on FX
This episode, the monster crew discuss the 2017 rom-com/dramedy/monster flick, 'Colossal,' from director Nacho Vigalondo! Joining us is L.A. filmmaker & director of the short film, Look, Mira, Kate McCarthy to chat about the metaphors and monsters we see in the movie as well as some of the work she's been doing as a young director in the L.A. film world.
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Featured Guest:
Kate McCarthy is a new filmmaker in Los Angeles. Her debut film “Look, Mira” has screened at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth and the Oscar qualifying LA Shorts International Festival, and is available online on NoBudge and Directors Notes. In the fall she’ll be attending AFI for directing. Follow Kate on Instagram @slimeman666.
References:
How Monsters & Rom-Coms Come Together For Colossal - ScreenRant
Review of 'Colossal' - rogerebert.com
Players on Paramount+
Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark
The Larry Sanders Show
The music of Italian composer, Piero Piccioni
Kalid & Joe dig into the 2014 supernatural-horror film, The Babadook, from director, Jennifer Kent. Along the way, we discuss the metaphors at play, the differences between the supernatural and magic, and whether or not the Babadook might be a pokémon.
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
References:
Jennifer Kent on What it Took to Make the Psych-Horror Babadook - StudioDaily
I Love That For You (Showtime)
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+)
The Orville: New Horizons (Hulu)
Back from a short break, Kalid and Joe venture into the Marvel Cinematic Universe! While sharing some thoughts on the MCU as a whole, the crew specifically dig into the recent limted series on Disney Plus, Moon Knight, starring Oscar Isaac, Ethan Hawke, and May Calamawy. We dig into the mythology behind the show, how it depicts mental health, and of course the creature design of the Egyptian Gods.
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
References:
Look, Mira(the short film Kalid worked on)
Why Khonshu Looks Unlike Other Gods | Marvel Studios' Moon Knight
Moon Knight: Psychologists Rate Season 1's Depiction of Dissociative Identity Disorder - IGN
An Anonymous TV Writer Offers An Inside Look At Why Special Effects Seem So Bad Right Now - Defector
RRR
Hammers on Bone by Cassandra Khaw
The Judds
Kalid and Joe take on the gnarly creatures (the Hypnotist, the Echo and the Brute) from Peacock's recent Crypt TV adaptation, Girl in the Woods! Joining the discussion is Felicia Ho who worked as a writer on the show and has also contributed to several other film and television projects from Amazon Studios, HBO Max and Netflix!
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Featured Guest:
Aside from her work with Girl in the Woods, Felicia has served as a writer for HBO Max's animated Gremlins series, Secrets of the Mogwai, Netflix's Kung Fu Panda series, and has a few upcoming projects with Amazon Studios. You can find and follow her on Twitter @feliciasho.
References:
How the Creatures of Crypt TV’s The Girl in the Woods Were Designed - Comingsoon.net
Big Bud Press
Abbot Elementary
Mubi
In honor of Bruce Willis' recent announcement that he's retiring from acting, Kalid & Joe decided to pay some respect to the storied actor by looking at one of his forays into genre films with weird creatures. The Fifth Element! Wait, we're not talking about The Fifth Element? Oh. Oh. Nah. I guess we're talking about the 2020 Bruce Willis space-horror flick, Breach. Why? Well we don't really have a great answer for you, but fun conversations are had nonetheless!
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
References:
Breach's Shocking Ending, Explained - CBR.com
Jerrod Carmichael: Rothaniel
Clockwork Boys by T. Kingfisher
Kalid and Joe take a trip back to a show that was instrumental in making them the genre fans they are today: Angel! Specifically, we look at the second episode of the show's first season, "Lonely Heart," and its peculiar sexually-transmitted demon (or, STDemon) known as Telamour.
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
References:
Interview with Loni Peristere, Special FX Supervisor on Angel
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Chad (on HBO Max)
Trese (on Netflix)
No Stranger to Horror Podcast Episode 12: Trese is Better than Batman
Kalid & Joe are joined by actor, producer and horror enthusiast, MadelineKarita Fleming to chat about the 90's cult classic, Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight! The crew also spends some time chatting with MadelineKarita about her work in the horror genre as well as a few of her upcoming short films, including Ouroboruswhich is coming soon!
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
Featured Guest:
MadelineKarita Fleming aka QueenKongKi aka Mistress Thickness is an actor, producer, writer, model, journalist and all-around horror junkie. She's loved the genre since she can remember and has become a prominent voice online horror communities especially with regards to promoting black women in horror. You can find her on Instagram and other social media sites using the handle @queenkongki, and look for her short horror film, Ouroborus, coming soon!
References:
[We Love ’90s Horror] ‘Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight’ is an Undeniable Genre Classic (Bloody Disgusting)
Interview: FX Legend Todd Masters on 25 Years of DEMON KNIGHT and the Evolution of the Visual Effects Society (Daily Dead)
We're back!
Coming off a bit of a hiatus, Kalid and Joe bite back hard by taking a deep dive into the one and only Predator - also known as the Yautja.
*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
*Thank you to Jim Tandberg/Grant Hasbrouck for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!
References:
Cinematographer Says There’s a “Van Damme Suit” Easter Egg Hidden Somewhere in ‘The Predator’ - Bloody Disgusting
Why ‘Predator’ Is A Subversive Masterpiece – ScreenHub Entertainment
It's the last episode before a bit of a hiatus and Kalid and Joe are joined by writer, filmmaker, horror expert, loyal Friendenstein and host of the No Stranger to Horror podcast, Joel H Brewster of Westcoast Strange! The crew get into the Halloween spirit by chatting about the 1988 creature-feature, 'Pumpkinhead,' directed by the legendary Stan Winston!
** Special shout out to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
Featured Guest:
Joel H Brewster is an avid science-fiction and horror fanatic and host of the No Stranger to Horror podcast. He's put his passions to practice in screenwriting a number of short films and promoting weird, obscure and fun horror-themed content through his Facebook page Instagram and Twitter. Most recently, Joel won an award from the Vancouver Badass Film Fest for a screenplay he'd for a feature film! You can find Joel's writings and links to all of his work at his website, Westcoast Strange.
References:
Pumpkinhead - The Making of Stan Winston's Demon of Vengeance (Stan Winston School for Character Arts)
[It Came from the 80's] Beware of 'Pumpkinhead' this Halloween (Bloody Disgusting)
Friend of the podcast & artist, Jim Tandberg, pops back in to chat with Joe & Kalid about the 1987 Verhoeven classic, Robocop. Along the way the crew dig into the satire the film is presenting, discuss how Robocop mirrors Frankenstein, and (aggressively) unpack the mechanics of the four bears test.
** Special shout out to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
Featured Guest:
Jim Tandberg is a local Twin Cities artist and a geek at heart. He counts himself as a member of countless fandoms, but often gravitates towards comics, manga, anime, model building and Dungeons & Dragons. You can see his latest art pieces here. Follow Jim on Instagram @Jimstagram2 and on Twitter @TequilaGundam29.
Kalid and Joe are joined by horror expert and host of the No Stranger to Horror podcast, Joel Brewster of Westcoast Strange, to chat about the various Candymen! We dig into the 1992 Candyman film starring Tony Todd, discuss the recent sequel from Nia DaCosta, and compare the two films while looking at the world they've built together.
** Special shout out to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
Featured Guest:
Joel H Brewster is frequent Frankenstein's Podcast guest, an avid science-fiction and horror fanatic and host of the No Stranger to Horror podcast. He's put his passions to practice in screenwriting a number of short films and promoting weird, obscure and fun horror-themed content through his Facebook page Instagram and Twitter. Most recently, Joel won an award from the Vancouver Badass Film Fest for a screenplay he'd for a feature film! You can find Joel's writings and links to all of his work at his website, Westcoast Strange.
Happy 55th Birthday, Star Trek! In honor of what's being called #StarTrekDay, Kalid & Joe take a trip back to 1966 and into the final frontier. Joined by frequent guest-host, Nicole Praska, the crew talk about the first Star Trek episode to premiere on television and its featured creature, the salt vampire!
** Special shout out to Jim Hall for the new music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
Featured Guest:
Nicole Praska is a regular Frankenstein's Podcast guest and she's also a scientist - you can also listen to her discus fingerprint science in a segment on the Brains On! Podcast (Body Bonanza: Yawns, hiccups, goosebumps and more!), an episode of the Double Loop Podcast (2019 IAI Conference – Episode 204), and on the true-crime podcast, Crime Therapy (Episode 27: Koala Fingerprints aka Our First Special Guest). Nicole and Joe also co-host the new Star Trek podcast, Deep Space Love!
Kalid takes an episode off and Joe interviews the wonderfully talented monster artist, Emily Hare! Emily is artist, author and painter out of the U.K. who specializes in the whimsical, weird and monstrous. Specializing in watercolor, Emily has fleshed out and designed her own fantasy world in Strangehollow, and it's follow-up, Secrets of Strangehollow, and she continues to create unique creatures and build worlds that fit with her particular art style. Check out her website here for a look at all of her current work as for any updates on future projects, and also be sure to pick up her latest book, Mini Book of Monsters!
Shout out to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his stuff here!
Kalid and Joe get fresh and tackle the new dark Arthurian fantasy, 'The Green Knight' from director David Lowery and starring Dev Patel. We dig into comparisons between the film and the 14th-century poem on which it's based, chat about the cinematography and use of color, and - of course - student loans.
Shout out to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his stuff here!
References and Citations:
Director David Lowery on The Green Knight's Eerie Influences (Vanity Fair)
The Green Knight's Ending, Explained (Vanity Fair)
Kalid and Joe are joined by editor, movie-buff, and friend of the podcast, Erik Kollasch, to discuss not one, but two creature-features from the year 1998. The crew dig into the cult classic, teen body-snatcher flick, 'The Faculty,' and pair it with some conversation over the not-so-cult-classic, 'Phantoms,' for a one of a kind double feature!
** Special shout out to Jim Hall for the new music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
Featured Guest:
Erik Kollasch is an editor and cinephile based out of Los Angeles, CA. He's previously worked with Kalid on the Welcome to Atlanta podcast. Erik is currently working on the upcoming series, 'The Sherry Vine Show.' You can follow him on Twitter @erikkollasch and on Instagram @ekollasch.
Kalid & Joe try to determine once and for all whether the truth is or is not out there. Along the way they chat about "The Host," the season 2 episode of 'The X-Files' featuring the half-man/half-worm monster, The Flukeman!
Shout out to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his stuff here!
References and Citations:
Flukeman - X Files Wiki
Kalid & Joe make a return to the wild world of John Carpenter! This episode, the crew sat down and watched the 1986 action/fantasy/comedy/creature-feature, Big Trouble in Little China & had a conversation about how the film subverts traditional action tropes, expertly plays up its comedic elements, and serves as an all around great, creative and weird monster flick despite such a limited budget.
Shout out to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his stuff here!
References and Citations:
[It Came From the ‘80s] Lo Pan and His Horde of Mystical Monsters in ‘Big Trouble in Little China’ - Bloody Disgusting
John Wayne Without a Clue: Subverting Traditional American Heroism in Big Trouble in Little China - Carey Edwards
Big Trouble in Little China [Limited Edition Steelbook] - Shout! Factory
Kalid and Joe are joined by regular guest, Nicole Praska, as well as actress, Kristen MacCulloch, to chat about the 2021 horror-comedy Psycho Goreman from writer/director Steven Kostanski! Kristen - who plays Pandora in the film - brings some awesome behind-the-scenes knowledge to the discussion as the crew discuss the movie and its myriad of monsters and wonderful creature effects!
Shout out to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his stuff here!
Featured Guest(s):
Kristen MacCulloch is an actress and assistant director. Aside from starring in Pyscho Goreman, she's also in the 2018 sci-fi web-series, The Vault (along with several other film and TV roles), and she'll be starring in the upcoming horror flick, Motherly, and the film, Scarborough. You can follow her on Twitter @K_MacCulloch.
Nicole Praska is a regular Frankenstein's Podcast guest and she's also a scientist - you can also listen to her discus fingerprint science in a segment on the Brains On! Podcast (Body Bonanza: Yawns, hiccups, goosebumps and more!), an episode of the Double Loop Podcast (2019 IAI Conference – Episode 204), and on the true-crime podcast, Crime Therapy (Episode 27: Koala Fingerprints aka Our First Special Guest). Nicole and Joe also co-host the new Star Trek podcast, Deep Space Love!
Tackling a whole new corner of pop. culture, Kalid and Joe chat with actor, improviser, and content creator, Aliza Pearl, about her new digital improv show from Ripley Improv, 'Slay,' currently airing on Twitch! We chat about the show itself, the art of improv, role-playing games, and a whole bunch of other fun geeky topics.
Be sure to catch 'Slay,' live on Twitch every Friday through June 25th - or, if you miss the live show, check out the episodes on the Ripley Improv Youtube channel the following Tuesdays!
Shout out to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his stuff here!
Featured Guest:
Aliza Pearl is an actor, content creator, game master, improviser, and an all around positive force in the geek community. Aside from her work with on 'Slay' with Ripley Improv, she co-created the Star Trek improv show, 'The Improvised Generation,' and has also appeared in television and movies. She's written for and hosted shows on The Nerdist and Geek & Sundry, and she is a regular game master for a variety of RPGs. Follow Aliza on Twitter @AlizaPearl, on Instagram @AlizaPearl, and check out her Twitch channel here.
It's been a year since we began chatting about monsters on Frankenstein's Podcast - to celebrate we take a look at one of our gold standards for creature-features: the original 'Men In Black' from 1997! This movie has it all - CGI, animatronics, practical effects, prosthetics, makeup, etc. With a whole bunch of cool aliens, great humor, profound moments 'Men in Black' is the pinnacle of a great sci-fi, action/comedy blockbuster. Cheers to one year of monsters!
Shout out to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his stuff here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
References and Citations:
Edgar the Bug - Men in Black Wiki
Scum of the Universe - Men in Black, the Bug - Monster Legacy
Joe's article mentioned in the 'What the Fandom' segment: Teaching in Trek: A Look at the Education Systems of the Futureon Startrek.com
May the Fourth be with you 2021 edition! It's a Frankenstein's Podcast STAR WARS DAY special! Joined by friend of the podcast & Star Wars expert, Luke Johnson, Kalid & Joe chat about one of the franchise's most iconic monsters, the Rancor.
Shout out to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his stuff here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here! Also, special thanks to Alex Wozniak for help with editing this episode.
Featured Guest:
Luke Johnson is a longtime friend of the podcast and digital marketing wiz in the nonprofit sector. He also doubles as a Literature nerd and genre geek as well as our resident Star Wars expert.
References and Citations:
Creature Feature: 6 Things You May Not Know About Rancors - Starwars.com
Interview: Dennis Muren on Return of the Jedi - Starwars.com
Rancor - Wookiepedia
Star Wars: The Darth Bane Trilogy (Legends Novels) by Drew Karpyshyn
Star Wars: The Courtship of Princess Leia (Legend Novel) by Drew Struzan
We're back with another BOOK CLUB! episode! Kalid & Joe are joined by artist, anime/manga aficionado, and longtime friend, Jim Tandberg, to discuss Junji Ito's pioneering horror manga, 'Uzumaki,' about a town haunted by spirals.
Shout out to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his stuff here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
Featured Guest:
Jim Tandberg is a local Twin Cities artist and a geek at heart. He counts himself as a member of countless fandoms, but often gravitates towards comics, manga, anime, model building and Dungeons & Dragons. You can see his latest art pieces here. Follow Jim on Instagram @Jimstagram2 and on Twitter @TequilaGundam29.
References and Citations:
Into the Spiral: A Conversation with Japanese Horror Maestro Junji Ito - 78 Magazine
Kalid & Joe sit down with writer/director, Travis Milloy (Pandorum, Infinity Chamber), and writer/VFX professional, Coleman Taylor, to chat about the 2009 sci-fi/horror creature-feature Pandorum, writing and creating monsters, the evolution of creature effects, and more!
Shout out to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his stuff here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
Featured Guest(s):
Travis Milloy wrote the 2009 sci-fi/horror creature-feature Pandorum (which we discuss in the episode) and wrote/directed the 2016 indie sci-fi/thriller Infinity Chamber. He's been writing for a number of years and continues to do so working on a short, post-apocalyptic sci-fi film currently in pre-production!
Joe's previous interview with Travis in Twin Cities Geek* can be found here.
Coleman Taylor has worked for a number of years as a VFX coordinator with Legacy Effects and currently continues his work with the company in a creative development role. Cole has specifically worked on several major films including many in the MCU, Pacific Rim, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Jurassic World, and Terminator Genisys among many more.
Kalid and Joe have a chat with actor & writer Dominic Burgess. Dominic has made a name for himself as a recognizable character actor in a number of projects and has built an impressive resume of genre roles, including The Flash, The Magicians, and Star Trek: Picard. We talk about our geeky interests, prosthetics/makeup, the VFX processes, and what it's like to play a such a varied myriad of wacky characters!
Shout out to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his stuff here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
Featured Guest:
Dominic Burgess is an actor, writer, cat-lover and fan of all kinds of awesome geeky things. He's been featured in numerous projects such as The Flash on the CW, SyFy's The Magicians, Star Trek: Picard, The Good Place, Feud: Bette & Joan, and he'll be in the upcoming TV series, Dr. Death. You can follow Dominic on Twitter @dominicburgess and on Instagram @domincburgess1.
Kalid & Joe are joined by certified life coach, movie junkie, TV fanatic and co-host of the GBB Podcast, Emelyne Museaux, for a double feature! We chat about two, deep-sea creature features: Jon Turteltaub's The Meg from 2018 and William Eubank's Underwater from 2020.
Shout out to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his stuff here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
Featured Guest:
Aside from being a movie junkie & TV fanatic, Emelyne works as a certified life coach through Restorative Clarity Life Coaching, an editor and sensitivity/diversity reader. With that, she also co-hosts the podcast, The Good. The Bad. The Basic. Follow Em on Instagram @plsleaveamsg and on Twitter @plsleaveamsg.
References and Citations:
‘Underwater’ Director Shares Creature Concept Art and Talks About How He Got THAT Monster in the Movie - Bloody Disgusting
Megalodon: Facts about the long-gone, giant shark - Live Science
Could Underwater's Monsters Actually Exist Deep in the Mariana Trench? - SYFY Wire
Kalid and Joe are joined by editor, movie-buff, and friend of the podcast, Erik Kollasch, to discuss John Carpenter's classic creature-feature, 'The Thing,' from 1982 and its titular monster.
** Special shout out to Jim Hall for the new music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
Featured Guest:
Erik Kollasch is an editor and cinephile based out of Los Angeles, CA. He's previously worked with Kalid on the Welcome to Atlanta podcast. Erik is currently working on the upcoming series, 'The Sherry Vine Show.' You can follow him on Twitter @erikkollasch and on Instagram @ekollasch.
References and Citations:
How John Carpenter’s The Thing became a horror/sci-fi classic - Little White Lies
Mindhole Blowers: 20 Facts About The Thing That Might Leave You Suspiciously Eyeing Your Dog - Pajiba
[It Came From the ’80s] ‘The Thing’: A Pinnacle of Practical Effects - Bloody Disgusting
Joined by Nicole Praska, the crew discuss the 2020 creature-feature, Love & Monsters from director Micheal Matthews. We chat about the specifics of this monster-filled apocalypse scenario, the creatures our heroes encounter, and of course the meaning of love.
** Special shout out to Jim Hall for the new music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here!
Featured Guest:
Nicole is a regular Frankenstein's Podcast guest and she's also a scientist - you can also listen to her discus fingerprint science in a segment on the Brains On! Podcast (Body Bonanza: Yawns, hiccups, goosebumps and more!), an episode of the Double Loop Podcast (2019 IAI Conference – Episode 204), and on the true-crime podcast, Crime Therapy (Episode 27: Koala Fingerprints aka Our First Special Guest). Nicole and Joe also co-host the new Star Trek podcast, Deep Space Love!
References and Citations:
LOVE AND MONSTERS Exclusive Interview With Director Michael Matthews About His Monsterpocalypse Movie - comicbookmovie.com
LOVE AND MONSTERS Exclusive Interview With Head Of Creature Effects Steven Boyle - comicbookmovie.com
In this special book club episode of Frankenstein's Podcast, Kalid and Joe discuss the first volume of the Hugo & Eisner Award-winning comic series, Monstress, by Marjoire Liu with art from Sana Takeda from Image Comics. Volume 1 - titled, Awakening - brings together the first 6 issues of the series in trade paperback format.
References and Citations:
Marjorie Liu Raises Dark Questions on War and Slavery for New Image Series Monstress - Paste Magazine
Marjorie Liu on the Road to Making Monstress - The Atlantic
Kalid & Joe take a 'legendary journey' into the world of Xena: Warrior Princess! Specifically discussed is the 3rd episode of season 4, "A Family Affair," and it's featured creature, The Destroyer. But along the way, we chat about the series as a whole, the charm 90s fantasy TV, and how Lucy Lawless is not just a badass on screen, but in real life as well.
References and Citations:
Interview with Lucy Lawless - Lesbian News Magazine
Enchantails (VFX creative Mark Viniello's Mermaid Tail sleeping bag website)
Frankenstein's Podcast breaks format! While there isn't a specific creature to talk about this episode, actor Noah Averbach-Katz (Star Trek: Discovery) joins Kalid and Joe to chat and just generally geek out out about Trek, creature effects, Doug Jones, Dungeons & Dragons and more!
Featured Guest:
Noah Averbach-Katz is a Julliard-trained actor who has taken part in a number of theater productions as well as some film and television roles. He's currently portraying the newest Andorian character, Ryn, in the newest season of Star Trek: Discovery alongside his wife, Mary Wiseman, who plays Sylvia Tilly. Apart from Trek, he's an avid Dungeons & Dragons player and works to support programs such as T1International (to support his fundraiser, click here) achieve their goals of providing access to insulin for all who need it. You can follow Noah on Twitter @N_A_K and be sure to watch Star Trek: Discovery on CBS All Access!
Kalid & Joe get festive! Joined by writer and genre-buff, Joel H. Brewster, the crew chat about the 2015 Christmas-themed horror movie, Krampus, directed by Mike Dougherty & starring Adam Scott and Toni Collette. Krampus is a horror-comedy that places the titular Christmas beast in a modern day setting, unleashing a holiday-inspired rampage upon an unsuspecting family after a tumultuous holiday get-together.
Featured Guest:
Joel H Brewster is frequent Frankenstein's Podcast guest, an avid science-fiction and horror fanatic and host of the No Stranger to Horror podcast. He's put his passions to practice in screenwriting a number of short films and promoting weird, obscure and fun horror-themed content through his Facebook page Instagram and Twitter. Most recently, Joel won an award from the Vancouver Badass Film Fest for a screenplay he'd for a feature film! You can find Joel's writings and links to all of his work at his website, Westcoast Strange.
References & Citations:
Talking Practical Monsters of Krampus with Director Mike Dougherty - Film School Rejects
Who is Krampus? Explaining the horrific Christmas beast - National Geographic
This episode, Kalid and Joe are joined by longtime friend & fellow podcaster, Chris Kazachkova! The crew revisit John Krasinski's 2018 creature-feature, A Quiet Place. A discussion is had, logic is examined, comparisons are made, and a shared love of monsters is enjoyed!
Featured Guest:
Aside from being a fellow monster and creature-feature lover, Chris is a real life social-worker, true-crime fanatic, and co-host of the Crime Therapy podcast in which she discusses a wide array of true-crime cases, features guests, hosts trivia, and more! You can find her on Instagram @masinmouse and you can follow her podcast on Instagram as well @crime.therapy.
References & Citations:
John Krasinski Reveals the Origins of the ‘Quiet Place’ Monsters - Collider
Kalid and Joe do Zombies! We chat about Edgar Wright's 2004 comedy/horror classic, Shaun of the Dead. In the process, we stumble and meander our way through the history of zombies, references to other zombie movies, and bite into some of our thoughts on the undead creatures themselves.
References and Citations:
Zoinks! Tracing The History Of 'Zombie' From Haiti To The CDC - NPR
The Tragic, Forgotten History of Zombies - The Atlantic
Comedian and podcaster, Mike Lester, joins Kalid & Joe to unpack all that is the 1984 hidden gem, C.H.U.D., from director Douglas Cheek. The film - which according to Mike, inspired Home Alone - tells the story of a race of cannibalistic sewer mutants who may just be victims of a dastardly government cover-up! As always, the Frankenstein's Podcast crew dives deep into the movie's messages, meanings, and of course, its monsters - with more than a few laughs along the way.
Featured Guest:
Named one of City Pages' Artists of the Year for 2016, Mike Lester is a prominent Twin Cities stand-up comedian. He's been featured in a variety of comedy specials, webseires and shows on a number of streaming services (all of which can be found on his website), and most recently has appeared on the debut season of The Brownsstarring Drag Queen superstar Tammie Brown, which can be seen on the OUT tv network as well as Amazon Prime. Mike is also the co-host of the I Love You, Mana podcast about Magic: The Gathering and you can follow him on Twitter @JustMikeLester.
Joined by fellow podcaster, comedian and radio & TV host, Miss Shannan Paul, Kalid & Joe take on the creatures of Netflix's new Halloween flick, A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting. This kid-friendly creature-feature involves a host of wacky monsters, a secret underground society of babysitters, and Tom Felton as an evil rock-star/demon/sandman-analogue. It's based on the book of the same name by Joe Ballarini and directed by Rachel Talalay.
Featured Guest:
Voted City Pages' Best Stand-Up Comedian for 2020, Miss Shannan Paul also is a regular on the MyTalk 107.1 radio station in the Twin Cities as well as the co-host of the Be Our Geek podcast. You can check out her new variety show, Comedy Through the Chaos, on YouTube and find all of her other events and accomplishments on her website. Follow Shannan on Twitter @MissShannan.
This episode, Kalid & Joe are joined by Micheal (AKA The Treklad) to talk about the mushroom-loving tardigrade-esque creature lovingly referred to as 'Ripper,' from 'Star Trek: Discovery.' We focus on episodes 3-5 of season 1 that make up what we call, 'the tardigrade arc.'
Episode notes can be found here.
This episode, Kalid & Joe get their groove on to a monster musical! Joined by comedic writer, director and actor, Heather Shapiro, the crew discuss the 1986 Frank Oz film, Little Shop of Horrors, and its carnivorous, monstrous, musically-inclined plant monster, Audrey II.
Featured Guest:
Heather Shapiro has her undergrad degree from UC Berkley and professional clown degree from Second City’s Harold Ramis Film School. She's got a new digital series, “El Kimerley Proyect,” which will be released this fall on UN3 Argentina. You can check out all her work on her website and follow her on Instagram @therealheathershapiro.
Beware the moon!
Kalid & Joe are joined by movie fan, podcaster and pop culture fanatic, Collin Brehmer to chat about the 1981 John Landis horror/comedy classic, An American Werewolf in London, a film that tells the story of an unfortunate American who happens to become a werewolf while vacationing in London.
Featured Guest:
Collin Brehmer is the co-host of the Thirst for the Worst podcast, a show that takes an in-depth look at bad movies - specifically, why we're drawn to them and just what exactly makes them so bad. Collin is a big movie and pop. culture fan and lifelong geek for comic books, Dungeons and Dragons, and witty banter.
When you listen to this episode, just know that you are about to enter...The Twilight Zone.
Kalid & Joe discuss the classic episode, "Nightmare at 20,000 feet" as well as its infamous, mischievous Gremlin monster that terrorized a young, despondent William Shatner for 25 minutes. We talk about the episode's handling of mental health, the inherent tension of the script, and how this stout, teddy-bear of a creature kept a young Joe up at night as a child.
Kalid and Joe are joined by comedy writer and movie connoisseur, Zed Cutsinger, to talk about David Cronenberg's 1986 remake of The Fly! We discuss the themes of the film, the inherent gross-ness of Jeff Goldblum's infamous Brudlefly (and...really...everything about this movie), and of course we gush over how awesome Geena Davis is!
Featured Guest:
Zed is the co-host of the Views from the Vista and Male Gaze podcasts. He's an avid Letterboxd-er and general film-lover. Zed also dabbles in the world of comedy - you can check out some of his stuff at UCB or simply by doing a Google search of his name and of course, you can follow him on Twitter @zedcutsinger.
Exploring another corner of pop. culture, Kalid & Joe discuss the Eisner Award winning comic series from Image Comics, Bitter Root (written by Chuck Brown and David F Walker and illustrated by Sanford Greene), and its various array of monsters - specifically, the rage and hate-fueled Jinoo.
Kalid & Joe are joined by Rod Faulkner, creator of the 7th Matrix and host of the Eye on Sci-Fi Podcast, to discuss another 'corner' of pop. culture: short films! We discuss 5 independently produced short films that feature monsters that we think fans of this podcast would enjoy.
In order, we discuss:
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The Birch
-
Blackwood
-
The Fisherman
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Dark Wake
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Dispel
Featured Guest:
Rod is a self-proclaimed 'Blerd' and is the creator of the 7th Matrix and host of the Eye on Sci-Fi Podcast. He's a staunch advocate for indie sci-fi, fantasy, and horror, and particularly strives to help uplift voices of BIPOC communities within these genres. You can also find some of Rod's writings on his personal Medium site and you can follow him on Twitter @rodtfaulkner & @the7thmatrix.
On this episode, Kalid and Joe are joined by a very special guest: Nicole Praska (who also happens to be Joe's wife)! Nicole is a scientist, geek and feminist who brings a unique perspective to this episode's discussion which centers around the 2009 Karyn Kusama/Diablo Cody film, Jennifer's Body, and the titular Jennifer who - through unfortunate circumstances - becomes a succubus who upends and disrupts the goings on in her small, northern-Minnesota hometown.
Featured Guest:
Nicole is a regular Frankenstein's Podcast guest and she's also a scientist - you can also listen to her discus fingerprint science in a segment on the Brains On! Podcast (Body Bonanza: Yawns, hiccups, goosebumps and more!), an episode of the Double Loop Podcast (2019 IAI Conference – Episode 204), and on the true-crime podcast, Crime Therapy (Episode 27: Koala Fingerprints aka Our First Special Guest). Nicole and Joe also co-host the new Star Trek podcast, Deep Space Love!
In this episode, Kalid and Joe shift gears to the small screen! The monsters in question here are the eerily creepy and unnervingly polite Gentlemen from the renowned Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode, "Hush," which sees the residents of Sunnydale lose their abilities to make sounds or speak upon the arrival of a quartet of silent, smiling demons in need of human hearts.
Citations:
Screaming to be Heard: Reminders and Insights on Community and Communication in “Hush”
This episode, Kalid and Joe unpack David Robert Mitchell's 2014 horror flick, It Follows, then discuss the mysterious, amorphous, relentless...thing...that follows the characters known as The Entity!
✊🏻✊🏾 Social Justice Organizations mentioned:
National Bail Fund Network
Reclaim the Block
American Civil Liberties Union
Citations:
‘It Follows’ is Not About STDs. It’s About Life As a Sexual Assault Survivor.
Kalid and Joe marvel at the unique world of Don Coscarelli's 'The Beastmaster,' while discussing one of its oddest features: the eerie, humanoid, bird-like creatures known as the Winged Devourers!
Citations:
Monster of the Week: Winged Devourers (Beastmaster)
Kalid and Joe bite into Joe Cornish's 2011 alien creature-feature, Attack the Block starring John Boyega and Jodie Whittaker. Do these aliens pass the 'four bears' test? Will Kalid fight with or flirt with them? Tune in to find out!
Citations:
Practical-ly Perfect: Celebrating the Creature Effects of ATTACK THE BLOCK with Spectral Motion’s Mike Elizalde
'The Host' is a 2006 South Korean monster flick directed by Bong Joon-ho about a mutated river creature that kidnaps a man's daughter the subsequent search for the missing girl by the man and his family.
Listen to Kalid & Joe stammer, fumble and awkwardly pause their way through their...let's say 'pilot' episode of this podcast while hints of an intelligent conversation sometimes poke through about this movie and it's monster.