Flanagan's Wake | A Mike Flanagan Podcast

This week our discussion of Stephen King's Doctor Sleep continues as we discuss chapters 13-17 of the novel. The confrotation between Team Abra and the True Knot ramps up as Dan's plan successfully foils the True's plan to get Abra... at least at first. We chat about the great moments of the confrontation and the surprisingly inconsequential mistakes Abra makes. Also, Scott has some...issues with...

This week, our coverage of Doctor Sleep continues with chapters 10-12. We chat about the incredible moments of dealing with death and aging in this book, and also wrestle with Dan's journey to pick up baseball boy's glove and whether it works for us.  Discussion Question: What is your favorite "Measles" moment Next week: Doctor Sleep continues with chapters 13-17 This show will be posting our podc...

This week we continue to explore Stephen King's Doctor Sleep as we read and discuss chapters 7-9 of the novel. We chat about the ways in which King is drawing comparisons between David Stone and Jack Torrence and what that could mean. Also Abra and Dan finally team up and an old friend returns! Discussion Question: What is your favorite filmed depiction of a trippy mental power? Next week: Doctor...

Our time with Doctor Sleep continues as we discuss chapters 4-6 of Stephen King's novel. We finally discover why Dan is called Doctor Sleep as the timeline pushes forwards almost 10 years. We chat about the power of King's writing in that sequence and the True Knot's brutality.  Discussion Question: What is your favorite/the best depiction of a character's struggle with sobriety? Next week: Doctor...

It's new book week as we jump into Stephen King's Doctor Sleep ! We'll be breaking the book into 7 sections in preparation for a deep dive into Mike Flanagan's film adaptation. This week, the prologue through chapter 3 of the novel. We introduce the book and discuss the powerful opening.  Discussion Question: What is your favorite magician? Next week: Doctor Sleep continues with chapters 4-6. This...

This week, after taking a whole week to digest all 10 episodes of Hill House, we're back one last time to finish off the discussion. We chat again about the ending and what Scott learned after he rewatched the entire series (again) Discussion Question: None this week! Next week: We shift gears and begin our coverage of Stephen King's Doctor Sleep in preparation for Flanagan's adaptation.  This sho...

This week the door to the red room opens as we discuss the final episode of Mike Flanagan's The Haunting of Hill House : "Silence Lay Steadily." We chat about each Crain Child's Red Room vision, the mixed reception to the ending and why we thought it worked perfectly. Also we're not crying, there's just a lot of dust in the podcast studio.  Discussion Question: None this week! Next week: We take o...

This week, we reach the penultimate episode of Mike Flanagan's The Haunting of Hill House: "Screaming Meemies." The episode focuses on Olivia Crain as we watch the house and Liv's fears work at her pushing her towards a horrific eventuality.  Discussion Question: What is your favorite isntance of someone thinking they're dreaming when they're not? Or...vice versa! Next week: We reach the finale of...

This week we continue to move through Mike Flanagan's The Haunting of Hill House with episode 8: "Witness Marks." It's a tale of two car conversations as Steve and Hugh have it out and Theo desperately pleads for Shirley's forgiveness. We chat about these two excellent sequences, Steve's nearly unforgivable choice, and Theo's incredible monologue.  Discussion Question: What is your favorite instan...

This week, The Haunting of Hill House begins to move towards it's endgame as we zoom in on Hugh Crain with episode 7: "Eulogy." We chat about the complications of Hugh as he tries to navigate his relationships with his kids as Liv still looms over his shoulder. Also, Hill House has a black mold problem! Discussion Question: What is your favorite eulogy in a book? Next week: Episode 8: "Witness Mar...

This week on the show, Mike Flanagan decides to challenge himself with episode 6 of Hill House : "Two Storms." It's a series of 4 long-takes that make our jaws drop. Oh also, the writing is pretty good too.  Discussion Question: What is your favorite oner? Next week: Episode 7: "Eulogy" This show will be posting our podcast to YouTube in video format, so subscribe if you want to see our beautiful...

This week on the show, we reach the halfway point of Mike Flanagan's Hill House as well as the last Crain child. This is Nellie's episode and we learn all about her struggles with sleep paralysis and the ever-present bent-neck lady, her tragic loss, and the events that led to her suicide. This is a sad one, folks. It's also absolutely brilliant.  Discussion Question: How do you deal with not being...

This week we chat about episode 4 of Mike Flanagan's The Haunting of Hill House: "The Twin Thing." This episode focuses on Luke Crain, who leaves rehab to chase a friend and finds himself chased by a bowler-hatted ghost.  Discussion Question: What is your favorite awkward dinner conversation? Next week: Episode 5: "The Bent-Neck Lady" This show will be posting our podcast to YouTube in video forma...

This week our journey through Mike Flanagan's The Haunting of Hill House continues with episode 3 of the series: "Touch." We zoom in on Theo as both child and adult struggles with her sensitive gift. We chat about Theo's role as the middle child of the family, her relationship with Olivia and Luke, and how the show continues to advance all plot lines while focusing in on one character at a time. D...

This week we continue our journey through Mike Flanagan's The Haunting of Hill House. Today is the 2nd episode of the show: "Open Casket." This one focuses in on the eldest girl of the Crain family who deals with death by trying to "fix" it. We chat about Shirley's fixation with fixing things by covering over the bad, how we feel about embalming and open caskets, and Flanagan's brilliant transitio...

This week, our coverage of Mike Flanagan's The Haunting of Hill House begins as we cover episode 1: "Steven Sees a Ghost." It's a delightful first entry into this 10 part series that manages to do all the things a pilot must while being engaging, thought-provoking, and scary. These 10 weeks are gonna be wonderful! Discussion Question: What is your favorite pair of child actor and adult actor playi...

This week, after completing Shirley Jackson's novel, we take one final look at Hill House from atop the hills. We investigate our final conclusions on this fascinating book and what things might look like from other characters' perspectives. Next week, we begin our 10-week coverage of Mike Flanagan's adaptation with Episode 1: "Steven Sees a Ghost" Discussion Question: Which character from Shirley...

This week we reach the end of Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill H ouse as we cover chapters 7-9 of the novel. Things ramp up considerably as the line between what is real and what isn't all but disappears (along with our understanding of the book. We still loved it, though! Next week we wrap up our Hill House coverage with our overview episode! Discussion Question: Is Hill House actually haun...

This week our coverage of Shirley Jackson's Hill Hous e continues with chapters 4-6! We discuss the increasing insanity of Hill House and its characters and how difficult it becomes to track what we can and can't believe.  Next week Hill House concludes with chapters 7-9! Discussion Question: What is in your opinion, the best depiction of insanity? This show will be posting our podcast to YouTube...

This week we begin our segment on The Haunting of Hill House by checking out Shirley Jackson's novel. Over the next 4 weeks, we'll read and chat about the book before heading into Flanagan's 10-episode adaptation. This week, we read chapters 1-3 of Hill House. We talk about the book's impact on horror, Shirley Jackson's incredibly evocative language, and the uncertainty that we feel about the hous...

This week, after a month and a half chatting about King's novel it's finally time to discuss Flanagan's adaptation of Gerald's Game . We chat about the challenges to adapt the novel, Flanagan's choices, and the incredible work of all the performers.  Next week, we begin our coverage of The Haunting of Hill House and chat about the first three chapters of Shirley Jackson's novel. This show will be...

This week on the show, we take one final look at Stephen King's Gerald's Game . We are joined by Kim C. of the Year of Underrated Stephen King podcast to talk all about this book and the complicated feelings it made us feel.  We chat about Kim's first time through the novel, offer some perspective on why King thought he could tell this story and briefly touch on the difficulties of adapting it.  T...

This week, we reach the end of Gerald's Game as we chat about chapters 34 through the end. Jessie confronts the moonlight man, writes a letter to an old friend, and gets a decent night's sleep for the first time in a long time. We talk about how Jessie's escape from the cuffs and the moonlight man is only the beginning of her tribulations, the introduction of the "only good man" Brandon, and the u...

This week our discussion of Gerald's Game continues with chapters 25-33! Jessie is able to, thanks to one part of her memory of Dark Score Lake, devise a plan to escape from the cuffs. You really gotta give her a hand for her inventiveness. We talk about how King uses the events of the Eclipse to fulfill both thematic and narrative purpose (and if it works), the mystery of the Space Cowboy, and Ki...

This week our discussion of Gerald's Game continues with chapters 14-24. Jessie's struggles continue as she finally confronts the events on Dark Score Lake in 1963. We talk about King's choice to "go there" and not hold back, how the text communicates Tom's intentions despite Jessie's ignorance, and our absolute disgust with everything. Look, folks, this is a tough one. It's probably some of the m...