The Latecomers

Episode Notes This film is based on the very first mass market E-book sold and kicks off a discussion about e-reading vs. paper and the history of books from two people who used to sell them for a living. Then we dissect this scant film – Lemuel apologizes to Mick Garris and Amity apologizes to Jonathan Jackson while being mean to David Arquette. It’s a haunted ride, and we enjoy it. Recommendatio...

Episode Notes We are going on a spoiler frenzy this week as we discuss 2004’s Secret Window starring Johnny Depp and Maria Bello. There’s a twist – so watch before you listen – or just dive in if you don’t care, we spoil things on the reg. Lemuel watches primarily for Maria Bello, though both of us are pretty thirsty this week. We talk bad accents, surprise death and why corn is a terrible medium...

Episode Notes Problematic issues ahoy! This alien body horror psychic conglomeration is brought to us by Stephen King’s accident and attendant oxy usage. Lemuel is extra bougie this week while Amity tries to give it the benefit of the doubt, thought when it comes to Duddits, those benefits run out. Listen for our take on Donnie Walberg’s second most wild role and the miscasting of Morgan Freeman....

Episode Notes This week we take in the backdoor (failed) pilot, television film Carrie from 2002, starring the deeply creepy Angela Bettis and the barely there Patricia Clarkson. We wanted this to be Hannibal level good as it was penned by Bryan Fuller, but alas, it falls pretty flat. We debate whether this was the best edit, and we compare and contrast to the 1976 version. This isn’t the last tim...

Episode Notes We make it through our Rose Red visit in record time. The end of this miniseries is abrupt and full of Emery making himself a villain. We learn of the misdeeds of the ladies of the house, but wonder if there is a bit too much demonizing of pretty understandable reactions to misogyny. Or is that just Amity trying to downplay all the murder? We root for our team, but many of our faves...

Episode Notes The house is awake and the death commences as we get into Part 2 of the Rose Red miniseries. We puzzle as to the grossness of Emery’s character, the fluidity of multiple Pams, the Ahab of our lead investigator, and the various pulls this house has on each of the characters we see. Who is sleeping with whom? And when did that statue see Face Off? Recommendations: Onward (On Demand unt...

Episode Notes Rose Red, named not for a fairy tale character but for a big house, is the focus of this and the next two weeks. As we shelter in place, we dive into the tale of a house we are very grateful we aren’t in. Part one is introductions and exposition dumps – but, like, good? We are introduced to our cast and their capabilities and our house and its capabilities and we love almost all of i...

Episode Notes We watched the nostalgic gem Hearts in Atlantis this week and feel the loss of Anton Yelchin keenly. His work opposite Sir Anthony Hopkins make this watch ultra enjoyable, even through the tears and around an objectively bad mom. We talk about female retribution, the omnipresent Stephen King bully and David Morse’s facial hair. Recommendations: The Lodge (In Theaters) Next up: Rose R...

Episode Notes Finally we get to the bottom of what Andre Linoge wants – and we were pretty much right all along. We debate why only a single man stands against evil and when we would have been taken out if we were living on Little Tall. Amity rails a bit against the weakness of the character of Molly and Lemuel opines good cuts. Recommendations: Locke and Key (Netflix) and Next in Fashion (Netflix...

Episode Notes Entering into part two of Storm of the Century and what we know is Mr. Linoge wants something. But what he wants remains elusive this entire segment – which is not infuriating at all. We discuss the inability or unwillingness to learn from past mistakes, the wisdom of watching something in a white out, the meaning behind why Billy is a coward but Kat isn’t and wonder – still – what t...

Episode Notes We find ourselves in a white out on Little Tall Island this week as we start in on Storm of the Century, a 1999 television miniseries starring Tim Daly and The Green Mile’s Officer Terwilliger – Jeffrey DeMunn. We have a murdering menace in a small town as we are heading into a snowstorm that could be – dare we say it? – the storm of the century. This guy has unknown power and wants...

Episode Notes We watch Frank Darabont’s second Stephen King prison film this week with The Green Mile. Praise all around for the spectacular cast. Tom Hanks continues his peeing in film streak while this film continues our unfortunate streak of premature deaths of lead actors in our films. Can you hear when Amity almost cries in the synopsis? Let us know if you do. We take a long slow swim in this...

Episode Notes This week we watch the third in our series of novellas from Different Seasons – Apt Pupil. The young wunderkind Brad Renfro stars alongside Ian McKellan in a powerful film. We begin our discussion there. We then compare the film to the book and then we take a detour to the deeply problematic history of the film and the filmmaker and discuss when an artist and their art can be disting...

Episode Notes We travel Route 666 with Christopher Lloyd in his finest cenobite cosplay this week with the 1997 television movie Quicksilver Highway. This is half Stephen King, half Clive Barker and all Mick Garris. What wants to be the first in a series somewhat sadly stands alone. One of the goriest and least bloody outings we have had so far with adaptations of “Chattery Teeth” and “The Body Po...

Episode Notes Trucks (1997) King on Screen: All trucks great and small Come with us to Lunar, Nevada, the smallest town that ever incorporated as we watch as it’s trucks are taken over by, well, it’s unclear. This week we watched Trucks, the second adaptation of the short story, “Trucks” which is powered by less cocaine and more exposition. But the exposition of what is currently happening is non-...

Episode Notes This week sees our first second adaptation with the ABC miniseries of The Shining. We will watch other second-attempts but we’ll never forget our first. The three-episode arc allows for us to get settled in the Stanley hotel, I mean the Overlook, and we get glimpses of real people before the hotel gets mean. We do some comparisons, but try to look at this as its own thing, down to th...

Episode Notes Up this week is The Night Flier, or Stephen King’s Night Flier to avoid any confusion starring the inimitable Miguel Ferrer and the vaguely familiar Julie Entwisle. It could have been the first of a series, but distribution woes dashed those hopes. We try to make sense of the plot and revel in the performances and the makeup, both of which were better than necessary. We wish you coul...

Episode Notes Ringing in the new year with a movie that has it all – racism, sexism, fatphobia, and slut shaming. It’s a bonanza and we get into it all. We discuss the dangers of road head, the issues around traveler culture, the mystery of the Lenzes and whether we want to watch movies with no one in them to root for. Fat Tony makes an appearance and we try to determine if you can make a movie wi...

Episode Notes A good story told bad, we discuss 1995’s miniseries The Langoliers. Plagued by bad CGI, pacing problems and some award worthy overacting, The Langoliers is 2/3 of a good story. Amity goes deep into the how, while Lemuel shows us the where. Recommendations: Twilight Zone “The Odyssey of Flight 33” (S2;E18) and “And When the Sky Was Opened” (S1;E11) Next up: Thinner (1996) Email us at...

Episode Notes Kathy Bates is back and as good as ever in Dolores Claiborne, where she gets the to be the eponymous character. Jennifer Jason Leigh channels all of us with traumatic pasts – drinking and popping pills to forget. But a mother never forgets. We discuss what makes a murder and whether 85 for 86 is a realistic homicide close rate. John C. Reilly makes an appearance as person Fozzie Bear...

Episode Notes We went in with high hopes: Robert Englund, good. Tobe Hooper, good. Stephen King, good. Ted Levine – that’s just icing on the cake. But this cake didn’t deserve icing. This cake was a horrid gross mess of overacting and bananas makeup against a script that seemed to come out of google translate 20 years before that was even a thing. We tried to find some good, but it was tough going...

Episode Notes We make our stand this week as we discuss the final entry in The Stand miniseries. We are told explicitly that Flagg is failing, he knows it, his bride knows it, the dead witch knows it, but what is it they all know? It’s unclear. But Trashcan man swoops in to save the day and keeps Ralph and Larry from being executed… sort of. Listen as we do a wrap-up of the series and voice hopes...

Episode Notes Come to Boulder, we have everything! Power? Check. Bar-B-Que? Check. Churches full of corpses? Check. A Can-Do Attitude? Check. Dive in and make yourself useful. Come to Las Vegas, we have job security for those who will do what they are told and not drink, gamble or do drugs. But step out of line, and we will crucify you. We make our choice, discuss the history of the walking man, t...

Episode Notes The plague is over and the survivors are on the move. We watched Part 2 of The Stand – The Dreams. We fall in love with Nick and Tom and hope a safe falls on Julie. Ruby Dee shines and Larry drops some dead weight. Kojak is a good good boy and Harold continues to be a problematic creep. What’s next? Why, it’s a betrayal… Recommendations: Dr. Sleep Next up: The Stand (1994) Part 3 Ema...

Episode Notes This week we dive into part one of the 1994 ABC miniseries of The Stand. We lament Frannie, lust after Nick, commend Stu, but not his feet, question Larry, curtsey and bow to Mother Abagail, look for our fat representation in Harold (and miss it) and we ask you – Baby, can you dig your man? No? Us either. Now give us more cowbell- because we’ve got a fever and there’s only one cure....