Podcasts
25 Years Later, ‘Bride of Chucky’ Remains a High Bar for the Horror Comedy [Halloweenies Podcast]
In October of 1998, it wasn’t only Chucky who got lucky, it was Universal. Thanks to foresight of writer Don Mancini and producer David Kirschner, the studio capitalized on the still-thriving post-Scream wave by resurrecting their Child’s Play franchise. At the time, the series had been gathering dust for most of the decade after the less-than returns of 1991’s Child’s Play 3.
Enter Bride of Chucky.
Directed by Ronny Yu, the stylish horror comedy doubled down on the dolls, pairing Brad Dourif‘s foul-mouthed friend ’til the end with Jennifer Tilly, who would become the Chuckster’s bride Tiffany. What’s more, Mancini opted to sideline the humans, giving not only fans what they wanted, but what the franchise ultimately needed in that moment.
Now, nearly 25 years later, the Halloweenies hit the road and head towards Hackensack, New Jersey, where they’ll spend two episodes revisiting the 1998 blockbuster. Together, Justin Gerber, Michael Roffman, Dan Caffrey, and new Halloweenie Rachel Reeves chart the history of the film, the influence of Scream, Ronny Yu’s direction, and much, much more.
Stream both episodes below or subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, Acast, Google Podcasts, and RSS. New to the Halloweenies? Catch up with the gang by revisiting their essential episodes on past franchises such as Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Scream, and The Evil Dead.
You can also become a member of their Patreon, The Rewind, for hilariously irreverent commentaries (e.g. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Gremlins, The Blob), one-off deep dives on your favorite rentals (e.g. Saw, The Conjuring, The Changeling), and even topical spinoffs like their ensuing Fortune & Glory: An Indiana Jones Podcast.
Heart-wrenching horror.
After kicking off May with discussions of Stephen Sommers’ perfect action-adventure-horror-romantic-comedy The Mummy (listen) and the iconic jump scare in the Audrey Hepburn-starring Wait Until Dark (listen), we’re delving into the real-life horrors of child sexual abuse in Gregg Araki‘s 2004 adaptation of Scott Heim‘s novel Mysterious Skin.
Mysterious Skin tells the story of how child sexual abuse affects the lives of two pre-adolescent boys in different ways. Neil (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) becomes a reckless, sexually adventurous sex worker, while Brian (Brady Corbet) retreats into a reclusive fantasy of alien abduction. The film is told in parallel narratives before culminating in a heart-breaking reunion that will change each boy’s life forever.
Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, and RSS.
Episode 282: Mysterious Skin (2004)
Look out for UFOs and stay away from Froot Loops because we’re discussing Gregg Araki‘s tender-yet-traumatizing adaptation Mysterious Skin (2004). Tagging in for the conversation is RogerEbert.com Assistant Editor and The Spool founder & EIC Clint Worthington.
Join us as we have many difficult conversations about a film filled to the brim with controversial subject matter. From Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Brady Corbet‘s heartbreaking performances to the accurate depiction of the long-term effects of child sex abuse, there’s no shortage of things to talk about.
Plus: a defense of the single working mother, praise for Michelle Trachtenberg, MPAA woes (again) and the journey of Scott Heim‘s source novel from page to screen.
Cross out Mysterious Skin!
Coming up on Wednesday: We’re tackling another juggernaut filled (and some more male rape) in Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic Alien!
P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 310 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Hannibal Season 1 Episode 5, a double feature of Sting and Infested, Tarot and The Strangers: Chapter One. And our audio commentary for the month will be on Sam Raimi’s Drag Me to Hell, just in time for its 15th anniversary!
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