Temples Made With Hands: Recent Episodes
Rae Bell
A simple concept herein contained: pitting a story I loved against one I hated, and stacking the deck so the one I love wins. Said stories come from page and screen in an eclectic selection of my preferred genres – anything except 'content creation', because this house is a place of honour, dammit. 100% subjectivity guaranteed. All opinions entirely the product of my over-heated brain; there is, sadly, no one else to blame. Oh, and there won't be any tips on how to DIY a church. Sorry. Email: tmwh.podcast@gmail.com
In this episode I compare the book Black Narcissus, by podcast fave Rumer Godden, and its two screen adaptations from 1947 and 2020. Their chronological order correlates exactly with the order of my esteem, which is pretty handy. Throughout, I prove the point of both Terry Pratchett and William James when they suspected that the indignation of an atheist can be as strong a brand of belief as the faith of a religious adherent. In other words, there's more to nuns than sexual repression; here's a whole hour of explaining why.
Timestamps:
00:50 Introduction; or, Look At These Nuns, Aren’t They Neat
09:15 Black Narcissus 1939; or, How Do You Solve A Problem Like A Crisis Of Faith
27:25 Black Narcissus 1947; or, These Ponies Are The Reincarnation of Balaam’s Ass
36:35 Black Narcissus 2020; or, How To Totally Misread Your Source Text In Three Hours Or Less
52:30 Conclusion; or, Is Tranquillity The True Logos? An Atheist Weighs In
Email: tmwh.podcast@gmail.com
Twitter: @tmwhpodcast
Instagram: @templesmadewithhands_podcast
Podcast transcript with references: https://templesmadewithhands.wordpress.com/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/templesmadewithhands?fan_landing=true
Music credits: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3338-achaidh-cheide
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/templesmadewithhands?fan_landing=true)
In this episode I compare the books Station Eleven, by Emily St John Mandel, and Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury. I deplore Bradbury's grimdark death of hope and laud St John Mandel's paradoxically inspiring hope after death (of people and civilisation). In terms of guidebooks for surviving the tech apocalypse, only one need apply.
Timestamps:
00:50 Introduction; or, Dude, Where's My Brain?
13:30 Station Eleven; or, Hope Punk Among The Ruins
25:15 Fahrenheit 451; or, Reading Doesn't Mean What You Think It Means
44:50 Conclusion; or, Libraries Save Lives
Twitter: @tmwhpodcast
Instagram: @templesmadewithhands_podcast
Podcast transcript with references: https://templesmadewithhands.wordpress.com/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/templesmadewithhands?fan_landing=true
Email: tmwh.podcast@gmail.com
Music credits: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3338-achaidh-cheide
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/templesmadewithhands?fan_landing=true)
In this episode I compare the fairytale retellings of Cinderella in 1998’s Ever After and the imaginatively-named Cinderella of 2015. I ponder how a film as rife with historical inaccuracy as Ever After still gets crowned my all-time queen of the Aschenputtels. I ponder, more pointedly, how a film as rife with potential as Cinderella still turned out so unremittingly banal.
Timestamps:
00:50 Introduction; or, Enter The Enchanted Forest Of My Childhood Fairytale Faves
14:45 Ever After; or, Correcting A Misreading Of Thomas More With Another Misreading Of Thomas More
32:00 Cinderella; or, No Seriously, Why Does This Chick Talk To Mice?
46:20 Conclusion; or, Erecting A Lightning Rod In The Middle Of A House Of Mouse Storm
Podcast transcript with references: https://templesmadewithhands.wordpress.com/
Twitter: @tmwhpodcast
Instagram: @templesmadewithhands_podcast
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/templesmadewithhands?fan_landing=true
Email: tmwh.podcast@gmail.com
Music credits: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3338-achaidh-cheide
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/templesmadewithhands?fan_landing=true)
In this episode I compare the college romances of the dreamy Circle of Friends, by Maeve Binchy, and the nihilistic nightmare Normal People, by Sally Rooney. What proves to be most galling is not, as I thought, that Rooney is heaped with laurels for ripping off romance tropes wholesale, but that Normal People is actually a lot better than I remembered. Beautiful World Where Are You is genuinely great! And there goes my formula. Still, nothing can replace Circle of Friends in my heart, and I maintain that Binchy is Ireland’s most overlooked genius.
Timestamps:
00:50 Introduction; or, The Spectre Haunting Irish Universities Is Brutalism
07:30 Circle of Friends; or, Cool Nuns, We Love To See It
29:25 Normal People; or, Drink If You’re Conflicted About The Puritan Subtext
53:40 Conclusion; or, Why I’ll Die Mad About ‘Wild Mountain Thyme’
Podcast transcript with references: https://templesmadewithhands.wordpress.com/
Twitter: @tmwhpodcast
Instagram: @templesmadewithhands_podcast
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/templesmadewithhands?fan_landing=true
Email: tmwh.podcast@gmail.com
Music credits: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3338-achaidh-cheide
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/templesmadewithhands?fan_landing=true)
In this episode I compare the historical satires The Death of Stalin, which is one of my favourite films, and Jojo Rabbit, which isn’t even my favourite film by Taika Waititi. I indulge in several digressions to show off the background reading I had to do to understand my own opinions on these films; I’m sure Jonathan Swift would have something suitably blighting to say about that.
Timestamps:
00:50 Introduction; or, How Satire Makes Good Comfort Food
12:15 The Death of Stalin; or, A Successful Picaresque Satire
29:40 Jojo Rabbit; or, This Should Have Been A Fable
50:54 Conclusion; or, No One Can Stop Me Crowbarring Tolkien Into This
Podcast transcript with references: https://templesmadewithhands.wordpress.com/
Twitter: @tmwhpodcast
Instagram: @templesmadewithhands_podcast
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/templesmadewithhands?fan_landing=true
Email: tmwh.podcast@gmail.com
Music credits: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3338-achaidh-cheide
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/templesmadewithhands?fan_landing=true)
In this episode I compare the Regency romances The Grand Sophy, by pink of the Ton Georgette Heyer, and The Duke and I, by barque of frailty Julia Quinn. I pull caps by suggesting that Quinn is too smoky by half, and indeed makes a cake of herself in her attempt to render the sexual mores of the Regency period. Meanwhile Heyer remains a Top-of-the-Trees in her splendid evocation of a bygone era, backed up with extensive research, which render her a regular out and outer. By the end you’ll find Quinn and her fustian nonsense is quite rolled up – even, I daresay, brought to Point Non Plus. Which is exactly where Heyer would expect to find someone so completely beneath her touch.
**Timestamps:
00:50 Introduction; or, If Georgette Heyer Were Alive, She’d Be Cancelled
14:30 The Grand Sophy; or, In This House We Stan A Practical Queen
27:40 The Duke and I; or, Save Yourself, Just Watch The Show
51:25** Conclusion; or, In Defence Of Romance (And Souffles)
Podcast transcript with references: https://templesmadewithhands.wordpress.com/
Twitter: @tmwhpodcast
Instagram: @templesmadewithhands_podcast
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/templesmadewithhands?fan_landing=true
Email: tmwh.podcast@gmail.com
Music credits: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3338-achaidh-cheide
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/templesmadewithhands?fan_landing=true)
In this episode I compare the teachers of two movies, Mona Lisa Smile’s firebrand Catherine Watson and Dead Poets Society’s damp squib John Keating. I treat the listener to my half-baked opinions on the philosophy of education, as well as throwing scorn on the discrepancy between the stakes of both movies.
Timestamps:
00:50 Introduction; or, Let Me Tell You My Thoughts On Modern Art (And Education)
11: 24 Mona Lisa Smile; or, A Trojan Horse Book Report On The Feminine Mystique
21:42 Dead Poets Society; or, Will This Be On The Exam?
41:47 Conclusion; or, A Shout-Out To An Inspirational Teacher Who Probably Just Wanted Me To Shut Up
Podcast transcript with references: https://templesmadewithhands.wordpress.com/
Twitter: @tmwhpodcast
Instagram: @templesmadewithhands_podcast
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/templesmadewithhands?fan_landing=true
Email: tmwh.podcast@gmail.com
Music credits: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3338-achaidh-cheide
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/templesmadewithhands?fan_landing=true)
In this episode I compare the books Assassin’s Apprentice, by Robin Hobb, and Raymond E Fiest’s The Magician. After pointing out that they’re basically the same story, I proceed to explain how they’re completely different, by ripping The Magician to shreds and using the confetti to throw a parade for Assassin’s Apprentice.
Timestamps:
00:50 Introduction; or, This Segue About George Eliot Has A Point, I Swear
11:29 Assassin’s Apprentice; or, If The Divine Right Of Kings Focused On The Divinity
27:50 The Magician; or, No Wait, Back To The ‘Right’ Part (Also, Racism)
44:29 Conclusion; or, Fantasy Is Better If You Think First, Then Write
Podcast transcript with references: https://templesmadewithhands.wordpress.com/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/templesmadewithhands?fan_landing=true
Email: tmwh.podcast@gmail.com
Music credits: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3338-achaidh-cheide
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/templesmadewithhands?fan_landing=true)
In this episode I compare the 1998 films Shakespeare in Love and Saving Private Ryan. I wax lyrical about the minor character of Philip Henslowe, and Queen Elizabeth’s ahistorical ruff situation. I then cast serious doubt on the moral core of Saving Private Ryan, which I suspect to be red, white, and imperialist blue, under all that distracting khaki.
Timestamps:
00:50 Introduction; or, A Lukewarm Goop Appreciation Post
03:25 Shakespeare in Love; or, I Out Myself As A Baffleck Stan
16:20 Saving Private Ryan; or, Let’s Focus On This One Side Character
28:20 Conclusion: or, I Dislike WWII Historical Fiction, Actually
Podcast transcript with references: https://templesmadewithhands.wordpress.com/
Twitter: @tmwhpodcast
Instagram: @templesmadewithhands_podcast
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/templesmadewithhands?fan_landing=true
Email: tmwh.podcast@gmail.com
Music credits: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3338-achaidh-cheide
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/templesmadewithhands?fan_landing=true)
This short introductory episode lays out my stall for the grand plan of the podcast. I explain the concept: pitting a story I loved against one I hated, and stacking the deck so the one I love wins. I outline the personal biases and preferences that colour all my opinions, so that listeners have an understanding of why I think the mad things that I do.
Timestamps:
00:50 Compare and Contrast
02:25 Artists and Audiences
06:29 My Bias, My Stance On Spoilers, and What The Heck Is That Title
09:41 Apologia
Podcast transcript with references: https://templesmadewithhands.wordpress.com/
Twitter: @tmwhpodcast
Instagram: @templesmadewithhands_podcast
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/templesmadewithhands?fan_landing=true
Email: tmwh.podcast@gmail.com
Music credits: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3338-achaidh-cheide
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/templesmadewithhands?fan_landing=true)