The Gargyle Podcast - 60 Days of Halloween: Non-Descript Week

What is it that scares you?  What is the thing that gets under your skin about horror movies?  What is the stuff of your nightmares?  The fear of the unknown is quite often worse than any monster...and in this episode of The Gargyle Podcast, I examine exactly that concept for Non-Descript Week!!

Recorded at the Cleveland Geekster, I discuss It (2017), The Thing (1982), The Stuff (1985), It's Alive (1974), and It Follows (2014) with J.R. Mounts (creator of Scairy Tales and Fried Pickle Noir - scairytalesnoir.com) and E.B. Tolbert (artist and illustrator - www.ebtolbert.com), and a few other friends who stop by for a chat.

My week of non-descript movies also included Them (2006), but it completely slipped my mind when I was discussing movies with J.R. and E.B.  Since I didn't include it in the podcast, here are a few of my thoughts... Great job building suspense!  The use of the dark and not being able to see too much of what is going on...the minimalistic music and sound effects...the close shots, preventing the audience from being able to see around corners...not seeing who/what the invaders are until the last few minutes of the movie...all of this helps to give the movie pretty consistent tension that, I think, really works!  With most movies, once the tension is broken by actual violence, the overall tone of the movie shifts and it doesn't quite regain the same initial suspense.  But, with Them, there is a good back and forth between action and suspense.  Once there is a reveal of who/what the invaders are, the movie is no longer scary.  But, in a way, once you start thinking about it, it instantly becomes terrifying.  I don't want to give away who/what they actually are...but this is definitely the kind of movie that could spark a lot of discussion!  There are certainly some flaws (a few too many "shaky cam" scenes, not quite as much character development as I would have liked to have seen, etc.), but overall I think that Them is a well-done movie with some very genuine fears.

If you enjoy this episode, check back soon for more Halloween movie coverage in my 60 Days of Halloween.  Up next will be Medical Horror Week.



If you enjoy movies, conventions, comics, games, cartoons, Star Wars, horror, or just about anything geeky...be sure to keep coming back for all things geekery!!  In the meantime, follow me here, on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and be sure to subscribe to my podcast on iTunes and/or Google Play for more geek coverage!

music for The Gargyle Podcast by Bensound