Podcast Promotion

Hey guys, I’m kicking off the episode review portion of this blog with our podcast of the week of Nov 26-Nov 1, Netflix and Kill. Each episode review will be dependent on the kind of podcast, but since Netflix and Kill is based on watching horror films and discussing them, I figure the best way to do this is to do the same, and see if I agree with their commentary or if I want to refute anything they said in the podcast. I’ll start with a pre-film speculation, and then after I’ve watched the film, I’ll give some commentary of my own and compare what I got from the film to what my friends on the N&K team got from it.

Pre-Film Speculations: This will be my first time watching Hellraiser, so this should be interesting! I was really intrigued by the podcast’s description of the plot and characters, as well as the high praise for the film’s production value, so I’m really looking forward to watching the film.

Post-Film Commentary: Wow. Yeah. I think the hosts of Netflix and Kill were pretty accurate in their description of this film. The gore and prosthetics/makeup were amazing, and the plot was pretty easy to follow. Definitely not my first 1980′s horror film escapade (I started with Nightmare on Elm Street, personally), but definitely one of the most unique, interesting endeavors into sexual horror I’ve seen in a while, especially because while the cenobites are basically beings of sadomasochistic sexual knowledge and experience, we see so little of that, and what we do see is pretty tame compared to what they could have shown. I don’t think this film is for the weak of heart, but if you love horror, and don’t mind gratuitous religious symbolism or jumpscares involving Jesus, then this is a pretty solid film, and I think the podcast was pretty spot-on in their analysis of the film as a whole. The only thing I think the podcast missed is pointing out the sheer amount of religious symbolism in addition to the sexual symbolism, and what that means for the deeper meaning of the things going on in the protagonist’s uncle’s house. Also, yeah. 10/10 would agree that Steve is kind of useless. I didn’t really care if he lived or died.

Next Up: Guys We F***ed: The Anti-Slut Shaming Podcast; Krystyna Hutchinson and Corinne Fisher.

Basic Synopsis: Available on Spotify, ITunes/Apple Music, Soundcloud, Stitcher.com, and acast.com, Guys We F***ed is a podcast run by NYC based comedians Krystyna Hutchinson (@krystynahutch) and Corinne Fisher (@philanthropygal) which deals with subject matter concerning sex (and occasionally, politics and relationship issues outside of sex). The podcast started out nearly 5 years ago, as a way for the hosts to interview their exes about their relationships and sex lives, and what went right and wrong in their relationships, and has since become one of the most interesting places to find stories on comedy, sex, and relationships, with weekly guests (many of whom are comedians themselves) and a fanmail portion in which the hosts respond to an issue one or two of their fans are having with their relationship and/or sex life, from understanding their or their lovers’ kinks, to menstrual concerns, discussing abortion politics, to nearly any other topic imaginable.

Will I Like This Podcast?: If you enjoy sex, equality/equity, and common sense feminist/humanist values, all wrapped up in a box of hilariously fucked up, dark  comedy and storytelling.

If you appreciate honesty and integrity in your comedy and in your sex talks, and if you want to learn more about sex and politics and social issues from a moderate and (more often than not) progressive liberal perspective that I honestly feel that most people (regardless of their political position) will enjoy this podcast, if they can overlook some well-meaning mistakes early on. The hosts genuinely care about social issues and frequently bring on people of different backgrounds in order to learn from people who are different from them.  

My Personal Experience:  I firmly believe that the podcast’s hosts try their best to be inclusive and welcome everyone from all walks of life, but they do not compromise on their beliefs, and when challenged in fan-mail on an issue they feel warrants further discussion, they will come back in the next episode and express to the fans if there was a miscommunication or if there is a dialogue that could be happening on a particular issue, and they will try to open up that dialogue to their fans: The most notable of these episodes being when they discussed abortion and their pro-choice stances and got a pro-lifer’s response, to which they responded civilly and explained their pro-choice stances more in-depth and acknowledged and addressed that listener’s concerns while standing their ground on their own beliefs.

Next Up: WatcherCast: An Unofficial Buffy Podcast; Hannah Boyens, Lillian Kraack.

Basic Synopsis: Available on Stitcher.com and Soundcloud, WatcherCast is an unofficail Buffy the Vampire Slayer podcast in which Buffy veteran Hannah Boyens and newbie Lillian Kraack discuss each individual episode of BTVS (including the original film). Much of their analysis is based around explaining the plot and episodes, as well as explaining their reactions to each episode. Similarly to Boyens’ other podcast, Netflix and Kill, the analysis drifts between technical aspects and more personal, comedic commentary about each episode of the show. 

Will I Like This Podcast?: If you enjoy BTVS analysis, comedy, and a bit of discourse, then this podcast is for you. Honestly, I think just about any Buffy fan will enjoy this podcast, especially if you’re a first-time watcher who chooses to listen to each episode after watching the episode to compare your thoughts with the podcast hosts’ thoughts. 

Boyens and Kraack are both very good at keeping a knowledgeable and educational discussion going without sounding like pretentious know-it-alls, which I think is a fine line for podcasts that analyze television shows, especially those that are so thoroughly gone through online as BTVS is. So if you want to listen to an analysis that sounds more like an everyday conversation than a lecture, this is probably the podcast for you.

If you’re a diehard fan who picks up on all of the details, this podcast may become pedantic to you, but that may depend on the person. I’m a huge fan of BTVS, and I’m very detail oriented, but I’ve found myself enjoying this podcast because it’s a fresher take on all of the content of the show, as well as the behind-the-scenes details that make the show special.

My Personal Experience: I’m a hardcore BTVS fan, and have watched it many times over at this point, but I really enjoy this podcast, which could  easily be seen as targeted at newer BTVS fans to an extent, because it’s easy to listen to and follow while doing other things, and at the same time, it has fun facts about behind-the-scenes information that some people (myself included) may not have known, which I think is a nice additional touch to the analysis of show content.

First Up: Netflix and Kill; Kyla Bruegel, Hannah Boyens, Marty Gibson.

Basic Synopsis: Produced by Lunar Light Studios, available for listening on Spotify, ITunes/Apple Podcasts, and Soundcloud, and run by an Oklahoma-based team consisting of film majors Kyla Bruegel and Marty Gibson and music/film major Hannah Boyens, Netflix and Kill features interesting, entertaining reviews of Netflix’s collection of horror films (the good, the bad, and the unbearable), which feature a balance of comedic commentary and film history/film production knowledge that feels unique to the podcast’s hosts and their guests (many of whom are also film majors and/or horror buffs themselves), because the review is not purely technical, but also adds in the entertainment value and historical value and impact of the films to the discussion as well.

Will I Like This Podcast?: If you enjoy horror film commentary (ie insider production knowledge, comedic reviews of the films), making fun of bad horror movies, discussion of a wide variety of horror film tropes, and listening to people rant and rave enthusiastically about how good or bad a particular film is (and backing up their opinions with logical reasoning), are confused by a horror movie and want some more clarification about what the hell was going on, or just want to know if a particular horror film is worth the watch or not, you will want to check out this podcast and give it a try. I listened to episode one because I saw my friends had made and were promoting this podcast, and I’ve never seen the film Hellraiser (featured in episode 1) and wanted to know if it was worth the watch, and I found a podcast I really enjoy as a result, as well as another movie to add to my watch list.

On the other hand, if you aren’t a fan of a lot of joking around mixed in with your film analysis, or aren’t a fan of film analysis with your joking around, you may not like this podcast. If you are squicked by discussion of blood, gore, violence, sexual horror, body horror, etc., then you will probably not like this podcast (I also guess that if that’s the case, horror films may just not be your thing, in which case, this podcast is almost definitely not for you in the first place).

My Personal Experience: As a horror film analysis nerd, I will 100% vouch for this podcast. It had me laughing at the commentary, really had me pondering the director’s motives at times, and clarified things about certain films that I definitely didn’t catch on the first watch. I’ve started watching the films before I listen to each episode, so I can compare my own opinions with the podcast team’s. The podcast features a mix of people from a wide variety of backgrounds, some of whom have seen the film more than once and some of whom have only seen the film once recently before recording the podcast episode, so we see a mix of interesting perspectives on the film they’re discussing each week. Even at only 3 weeks into the podcast as of late November, this podcast has inspired me to be even more adventurous with which horror films I select on Netflix, and at the same time helps me determine which ones aren’t even worth my time, whether for personal triggers, a horrendous plot, or other factors that tend to turn me off of various horror films.

This is Podcast Promotion, a blog created to critique and promote various podcasts. I’m Callie, and I’m pretty much here because there are a ton of podcasts I love that are either long-running podcasts with tight-knit followings that I would like to see expanded to new fans, or newer podcasts that are only a few episodes in that I know and love, and would love to see develop a following online.

If you’re interested in finding new podcasts, or want to ask me to critique and/or promote a podcast (whether my impression of the podcast as a whole or of a specific episode of said podcast), I would love for this blog to be the resource you choose to use to spread the word.