Sitting in the Dark

By: TruStory FM
  • Summary

  • A podcast exploring horror in film across classics and subgenres with Kyle Olson, Tommy Metz, Ray DeLancey, Pete Wright, and more.
    © TruStory FM
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Episodes
  • Sexy, Sexy Monsters
    Jan 31 2025
    Welcome to Sitting in the Dark, the podcast that illuminates the shadowy corners of horror cinema. This month, your host, Kynan Dias, and a coven of his most insightful monster aficionados – Pete Wright, Kyle Olson, and Tommy Metz III – go under the sheets into a chillingly erotic realm: the intersection of horror and sex.Now, we're not talking about the gratuitous, the exploitative. No, this is a deeper dive, a plunge into the murky waters where fear and desire intertwine. Think of it as the uncanny valley of emotion – that unsettling space where repulsion and attraction collide.Our cinematic subjects? A trio of films that span decades and genres, each offering a unique perspective on this monstrous ménage à trois. First, we confront the hallucinatory, emotionally raw world of Andrzej Żuławski's Possession. Isabelle Adjani's Cannes-winning performance anchors this psychosexual nightmare, a film that pushes the boundaries of body horror and marital breakdown. Prepare for tentacles. Prepare for existential dread. Prepare to question everything you thought you knew about love and divorce.Next, we shapeshift into Mike Nichols' Wolf, a film that explores the beast within. Jack Nicholson's transformation from corporate drone to lycanthrope becomes a metaphor for unleashed primal instincts.Finally, we sink our teeth into Karen Kusama's Jennifer's Body. This darkly comedic horror-satire tackles the complexities of female desire and monstrous appetites. Megan Fox, as the titular Jennifer, embodies the seductive power of the demonic feminine, a force that both allures and devours.Film SundriesPossession: Apple • Amazon • JustWatchWolf: Apple • Amazon • JustWatchJennifer’s Body: Apple • Amazon • JustWatch (00:00) - Welcome to Sitting in the Dark(03:10) - Sexy, Sexy Monsters(07:10) - Possession(25:52) - Wolf(47:47) - Jennifer's Body(01:11:42) - Coming Attractions: Last Woman Standing Learn how to support our show and The Next Reel’s family of film podcasts by becoming a member. It's just $5 monthly or $55 annually. Learn more here.Follow the other podcasts in The Next Reel’s family of film podcasts:Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and MovementsThe Film BoardMovies We LikeThe Next Reel Film PodcastJoin the conversation with movie lovers from around the world in our Discord community!Here’s where you can find us around the internet:The WebLetterboxdPeteKyleTommyKynanWhat are some other ways you can support us and show your love? Glad you asked!You can buy our movie-related apparel, stickers, mugs and more from our MERCH PAGE.Or buy or rent movies we’ve discussed on the show from our WATCH PAGE.Or buy books, plays, etc. that was the source for movies we’ve discussed on the show from our ORIGINALS PAGE.Or renew or sign up for a Letterboxd Pro or Patron account with our LETTERBOXD MEMBERSHIP DISCOUNT.Or sign up for AUDIBLE.
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    1 hr and 19 mins
  • First Frights
    Dec 27 2024

    What makes a single movie become a phenomenon? What is it about certain films—films that arrive in theaters, scare the daylights out of us, and then stay with us—that transforms them into franchises spanning decades? Why does one horror film birth sequels, spin-offs, reboots, and even TV shows, while others fade quietly into obscurity?

    Picture this: a young boy receives a doll for his birthday, only to discover it’s inhabited by the spirit of a serial killer. Elsewhere, a teenager falls asleep, only to find herself hunted by a burned man in a striped sweater who kills through dreams. And, in another corner of horror lore, a puzzle box opens the doors to a realm of sadistic creatures who blur the line between pleasure and pain. These, taken on their own, sound mostly ridiculous.

    Child’s Play, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Hellraiser. These three films became more than just singular stories—they evolved into worlds. Worlds filled with iconic characters like Chucky, Freddy Krueger, and Pinhead, names that transcend the genre to become part of pop culture itself. But how?

    Why do some horror films captivate us so deeply that we want to revisit their worlds, again and again? Why do we keep coming back to the dolls, the dream-demons, and the interdimensional sadists? Unforgettable villains? Unique and terrifying concepts? Marketing? Or is it something deeper—something they reflect about us, about our society, about our fears?

    Today, we’re going to explore this question by diving into these three legendary horror films as we take on First Frights this month on Sitting in the Dark with Pete Wright, Kynan Dias, Kyle Olson, and Tommy Metz III.

    • (00:00) - Welcome to Sitting in the Dark
    • (04:51) - First Frights
    • (08:16) - A Nightmare on Elm Street
    • (26:32) - Hellraiser
    • (47:10) - Child's Play
    • (01:06:39) - Coming Attractions: Sexy, Sexy Monsters!

    Learn how to support our show and The Next Reel’s family of film podcasts by becoming a member. It's just $5 monthly or $55 annually. Learn more here.

    Follow the other podcasts in The Next Reel’s family of film podcasts:

    • Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and Movements
    • The Film Board
    • Movies We Like
    • The Next Reel Film Podcast

    Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world in our Discord community!

    Here’s where you can find us around the internet:

    • The Web
    • Letterboxd
    • Pete
    • Kyle
    • Tommy
    • Kynan

    What are some other ways you can support us and show your love? Glad you asked!

    • You can buy our movie-related apparel, stickers, mugs and more from our MERCH PAGE.
    • Or buy or rent movies we’ve discussed on the show from our WATCH PAGE.
    • Or buy books, plays, etc. that was the source for movies we’ve discussed on the show from our ORIGINALS PAGE.
    • Or renew or sign up for a Letterboxd Pro or Patron account with our LETTERBOXD MEMBERSHIP DISCOUNT.
    • Or sign up for AUDIBLE.
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    1 hr and 14 mins
  • Okay, BOOOOmer
    Nov 29 2024
    Tommy, our intrepid host, plunges into the abyss of existential dread this week, dragging Kyle, Kynan, and Pete along for the harrowing ride. They grapple with three films that explore the unnerving realities behind the horrors of being an adult.First up, Vivarium. Imagine, if you will, the quintessential suburban nightmare. Cookie-cutter houses stretching into an unsettling infinity, a chirping, unsettling child not your own, and the slow, creeping realization that escape is an illusion. Is it a commentary on the soul-crushing monotony of modern life? A chilling parable of alien brood parasitism? Or perhaps, a darkly comedic reflection of parenthood itself?Next, they venture into the corporate jungle with The Belko Experiment. Eighty employees trapped in a high-rise, forced to participate in a gruesome game of kill-or-be-killed. The veneer of civility shatters, revealing the primal instincts simmering beneath the surface of workplace decorum. Is it social commentary disguised as a splatterfest? A Darwinian exploration of capitalism's dark underbelly? Or simply a guilty pleasure wallowing in ultraviolence?Finally, they confront the horrors of aging and mental decline in The Father. Anthony Hopkins delivers a masterful performance as a man losing his grip on reality, the film's disorienting structure mirroring his fragmented consciousness. This isn't your typical jump-scare horror; it's a slow burn of psychological terror, a visceral exploration of a fear that resonates with us all.Film SundriesWatch the movies discussed:Vivarium: Apple • Amazon • JustWatchThe Belko Experiment: Apple • Amazon • JustWatchThe Father: Apple • Amazon • JustWatch (00:00) - Welcome to Sitting in the Dark(05:04) - Vivarium(36:52) - The Belko Experiment(54:58) - The Father(01:04:38) - Father 1(01:04:47) - Father 2(01:05:10) - Father 4(01:05:30) - Father 7(01:05:44) - Father 8(01:06:00) - The Father(01:18:14) - There is no bow(01:19:56) - Coming Attractions Learn how to support our show and The Next Reel’s family of film podcasts by becoming a member. It's just $5 monthly or $55 annually. Learn more here.Follow the other podcasts in The Next Reel’s family of film podcasts:Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and MovementsThe Film BoardMovies We LikeThe Next Reel Film PodcastJoin the conversation with movie lovers from around the world in our Discord community!Here’s where you can find us around the internet:The WebLetterboxdPeteKyleTommyKynanWhat are some other ways you can support us and show your love? Glad you asked!You can buy our movie-related apparel, stickers, mugs and more from our MERCH PAGE.Or buy or rent movies we’ve discussed on the show from our WATCH PAGE.Or buy books, plays, etc. that was the source for movies we’ve discussed on the show from our ORIGINALS PAGE.Or renew or sign up for a Letterboxd Pro or Patron account with our LETTERBOXD MEMBERSHIP DISCOUNT.Or sign up for AUDIBLE.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 33 mins

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