Reel Lit Podcast

Grab your daiquiris and power drills! the Owls are back for a night of synth-soaked screams and feminist subtext. Stephen and McKenzie turn their gaze (and talons) toward Amy Holden Jones’s The Slumber Party Massacre , the Roger Corman–produced cult classic that manages to be both sleazy and strangely self-aware. They dissect the world’s least convincing basketball scene, two hapless Peeping Toms...

The odds are in our favor this week as Reel Lit enters the arena with Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games (2008) and its 2012 film adaptation. Stephen and McKenzie welcome very special guest Dr. Sidney Blaylock (UNA Department of English) for a conversation about tributes, the Reaping, and the blurred line between performance and survival. We cover it all: Katniss’s missing inner monologue, Jennife...

Fans and followers rejoice! We're back! To kick off Season 2, Stephen and McKenzie descend into the inky shadows of Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez’s Sin City , a graphic novel adaptation so faithful it required Rodriguez to quit the DGA just to give Miller co-director credit. From the cherry-red pop of Dwight’s Converse to the monochrome moralities of Marv, Hartigan, and Gail’s army of dominatr...

In this special bonus edition of Reel Lit , Stephen and McKenzie hang up their close-reading glasses and lace up their high-tops for a bracket showdown of literary proportions. Eight films. Six categories. Zero chill. From Rhys-level prose to homicidal sharks and hook-handed slashers, they debate, deliberate, and occasionally duel over: Best Book (critical acclaim vs. personal canon) Best Film (bo...

This special crossover episode of Reel Lit and Shelf Criticism takes you inside the George Lindsey UNA Film Festival, where indie gems shine, filmmakers spill the behind-the-scenes tea, and yes—we spend an alarming amount of time trying to track down Mickey O’Sullivan. Join Stephen, McKenzie, and Mordecai as they: 🍿 Break down all the films that screened—dramas, docs, comedies, and everything in...

Before she was the infamous "madwoman in the attic," she was Antoinette Cosway—a woman caught between cultures, identities, and the suffocating control of the man she married. This month on Reel Lit , we’re diving into Jean Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea and its two film adaptations (1993 & 2006) to examine how this novel reclaims the silenced story of Jane Eyre’s Bertha Mason. McKenzie offers an ec...

As we close out 2024, we’re bringing you a special bonus episode of Reel Lit ! Together with Shelf Criticism , we’re celebrating the best—and worst—cinema of the year. Here’s what to expect: 🎥 The Shelfies Awards , honoring the year’s best performances, direction, and screenplays 📚 A quick look back at some standout book-to-film adaptations we covered this year 🏆 Stephen’s Top 5 Films of 2024...

Yippee-ki-yay, podcast listeners! In this special holiday episode of Reel Lit , Stephen and McKenzie take on the ultimate Christmas controversy: Die Hard . Is it a Christmas movie, or is it just an action flick with tinsel on the side? While McKenzie grapples with the gritty prose and cynical tone of Roderick Thorp’s Nothing Lasts Forever , Stephen unpacks the Reagan-era geopolitics, cowboy archet...

In this delectable episode of Reel Lit , Stephen and McKenzie stir up some conversation about the lush world of Like Water for Chocolate , Laura Esquivel’s sensual tale of love, family, and food. Join them as they explore the novel and its faithful film adaptation, examining themes of magical realism, rebellion against tradition, and the powerful connection between food and emotion. From Tita’s tr...

Drive down the cinematic enigma of Zyzzyx Road with Parliament After Dark ! This inaugural episode of our Reel Lit/Shelf Criticism special takes a closer look at the lowest-grossing domestic film of all time, a bizarre thriller starring Katherine Heigl, Tom Sizemore, and Leo Grillo. Was it a misunderstood masterpiece, a marketing disaster, or just a mess best left buried in the Nevada desert? Join...

In this Halloween special of Reel Lit , Stephen and McKenzie dive into Susan Hill's chilling novel The Woman in Black and its eerie 2012 film adaptation. They explore the haunting isolation of Eel Marsh House, examine the atmospheric use of silence, and discuss how mirrors and doubling underscore the lingering impact of grief and trauma. With their unique blend of wit and analysis, they uncover th...

In this episode of Reel Lit , we're literally shooting for the stars! Join us as we dive into Neil Gaiman's 1999 novel Stardust and its whimsical 2007 film adaptation. We explore the contrasting tones of the book's darker, more mature themes with the film's lighter, comedic adventure. From costume symbolism and the significance of the characters' names to a rogues' gallery of familiar faces (Henry...

After being robbed of an Oscar with L.A. Confidential , director Curtis Hanson bounced back with the 2000 film Wonder Boys , based on Pulitzer-Prize winner Michael Chabon's 1995 novel. Join us on Reel Lit as McKenzie and Stephen take a look at the novel and the film, examining both the concept of the doppelgänger in the novel and analyzing Grady Tripp's spells ("You make it sound like we're in a T...

In this thrilling episode of Reel Lit, join Stephen and McKenzie as they swoop into the world of Daphne du Maurier’s chilling novella (1952) and Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic film adaptation (1963), The Birds . This week, we’re excited to welcome our special guest, Dr. Brenna Wardell, a distinguished expert in film studies and Hitchcockian suspense.

From the absurdist stages of Eugene Ionesco's 'Rhinoceros' to the outrageous antics of 'Zombie Strippers,' we explore the surreal collision of existential dread and undead exotic dancers. Join us as we unpack the transformation of humans into beasts and strippers into zombies, probing the depths of societal conformity and cinematic excess.

From Lois Duncan's 1973 novel that captivated Gen X'ers to the 1997 film filled with the hottest young stars that captivated Millennials, we delve into urban legends, hook hands, and those foolish teenage years.

In the inaugural episode, we're talking Peter Benchley's 1974 best-seller and the 1975 film that began the summer movie tradition. We take a deep dive and sink our teeth into Jaws , seeing what insights we can reel in.