Continuing the themes we began exploring with last week's Videodrome, we dive more directly into considerations of political turmoil, election interference, and manipulation of our collective perspective. In 1962, John Frankenheimer's haunting film THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE painted a bleak picture of the ways people in power would take drastic measures to ensure they maintained that control. Starring Frank Sinatra, it told a tale of soldiers who were kidnapped and "conditioned" into becoming cold-blooded assassins in order to eradicate political opponents. It was remade by director Jonathn Demme in 2004, starring Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, Liev Shreiber, and a host of other recognizable faces.

We're joined by pastor and pop-culture maven Sonya Brown this week to examine both of these films and to reflect upon the terrifying ways their stories comment on our present moment. It's a thoughtful and remarkably hopeful conversation this week that we really hope you enjoy.

3:50 - Two Questions with Sonya Brown

Patron Only Segment: Whatcha Watchin' / Readin' / Listenin' To

18:06 - THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962 & 2004)

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we examine the dangerously transformative power of media intake by tackling David Cronenberg's VIDEODROME. Operating on a studio's budget for the first time in his career, the visionary filmmaker known for boundary-pushing body horror unleashed a wildly intuitive vision of a sinister broadcast -- known as Videodrome -- which causes intense hallucinations and compulsions in anyone who views it. The film used uncomfortable visualizations and psychosexually violent scenarios to create a nightmarish portrait of media manipulation and control. What's perhaps most frightening about the film is how eerily similar it is to our current state of technological codependency.

To unpack this film's fascinating details, we're joined by Josh Willenbrink of Restoration Games who last joined us to discuss and promote their upcoming releases and Justin Donnahoo, a youth pastor, Batman enthusiast, and co-host of the Moviga podcast. Together, we dive into the striking ways this film forecasted where we might one day find ourselves and we discuss the vital necessity of preserving our humanity amidst an ocean of algorithms.

It's a hearty and thought-provoking episode this week that we really hope you enjoy.

3:42 - Two Questions with Justin Donnahoo

15:34 - Catching Up on Games with Josh Willenbrink

Patron Only Segment: WHATCHA

25:47 - VIDEODROME

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We hope you're having a great summer! We're here with a quick bonus episode ahead of your holiday weekend to update you on the progress of our friendly competition between Nathan and Reed guessing the Metacritc score and opening weekend box office for this summer's slate of movies.

Gorey Gamer Matt Murray hosts a brief chat about our biggest surprises, our disappointments, and how the points are playing out for this halfway mark. It's brief, it's fun, and we hope you enjoy it!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on the Fear of God we fill in a long overdue blind spot, not only for coverage on the show but also for Reed's specific viewing catalogue. For years, it has been a running gag on the show that Reed had never watched the 1999 action-adventure take on the classic Mummy tale starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, directed by Stephen Sommers.

Well, that long-standing error has been corrected this week as we bring together a host of regular FoGgers including Vera Goudie, Jocee Worley, and Matt Murray to discuss this film's longstanding appeal and why it still remains so resonant among fans today.

It's a brisk and fun episode this week but still stuffed with thoughtful observations and nostalgic personal anecdotes. We hope you have as much fun as we did discussing it!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we revisit a franchise that has seen not only a fresh pair of installments, but a refreshed resonance to cultural themes. Filmed directly after 28 Years Later, THE BONE TEMPLE picks up where the previous film left off with Spike (Alfie Williams) now having been integrated into the cultish and terrifying group led by "Sir" Jimmy Crystal (in a haunting performance by Jack O'Connell). They make their way across the landscape, slaughtering the infected and offering a hideous "charity" to any passersby they encounter.

But when the group intersects with the benevolent Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes), a confrontation is staged that will position belief, purpose, and the very essence of humanity at odds with malice, deceit, and cruelty. The film points a grim eye towards our darkest nature and unearths a disarming capacity for redemption. Nathan is joined again by Kate Micham (who guested with him discussing 28 Years Later) for an exploration of the film's rich themes and the ways it informs the too-little discussed discipline of discernment.

Also featuring a Patron-only chat about the Apple TV hit series WIDOW'S BAY, this is a brisk and thoughtful conversation that we really hope you enjoy.

Patron Only Segment: WIDOW'S BAY

3:25 - 28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As we've been making our way through our third volume of focus on international language films (#speakingintongues), we've also been taking our patrons through each episode of the third and final season of the popular German series, DARK. To conclude both Speaking in Tongues Vol 3 and that examination of Dark's final episodes, we invited a host of fans both new and old to discuss the finale and their feelings about the show on the whole.

Joining us are Vera Goudie, Matt Murray, Steve Barnes, Lindsey Dunn, and Josh Raugh for a conversation not only about the concluding episodes of Dark, but about the ways that time and purpose intersect in our lives in various ways. It's a hopeful and thoughtful conversation that we really hope you enjoy.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ahead of our summary discussion of the TV show Dark, Season 3, we wanted to provide a collection of our previous conversations about this excellent and fascinating show.

Recorded over a period of 4 weeks towards the end of 2019, we covered every episode of Dark's second season, culminating in an exploration of its themes and predictions for what was to come, although we wouldn't revisit the show again for another seven years! Also featuring an early podcast appearance by Ghoul Scout troop leader Vera Goudie, this is a fun throwback to the early days of the show. We hope you'll enjoy this stroll through the past as we prepare to bring our coverage of Dark to a close.

0:59 - Episodes 1 & 2

26:39 - Episodes 3 & 4

1:05:51 - Episodes 5 & 6

1:48:26 - Episodes 7 & 8 and the show's broader themes

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As we close down volume 3 of #speakingintongues and head towards our concluding coverage of Season 3 of Netflix's series, DARK, we wanted to remind our listeners of our previous conversations about this excellent and fascinating show.

Recorded over a period of 5 weeks in the autumn of 2019, we covered every episode of Dark's first season, culminating in an exploration of its themes and predictions for what was to come. Also featuring an early podcast appearance by Ghoul Scout troop leader Vera Goudie, this is a fun throwback to the early days of the show. We hope you'll enjoy this stroll through the past as we prepare to bring our coverage of Dark to a close.

0:58 - Episodes 1 & 2

14:32 - Episodes 3 & 4

43:05 - Episodes 5 & 6

1:09:00 - Episodes 7 & 8

1:38:22 - Episodes 9 & 10

2:38:36 - Themes of Dark, Season 1

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.