Episode 233 - PRACTICAL MAGIC

The blood moon is rising, the witching hour is upon us, and the time is right to brush up on our Practical Magic. Blythe Rudloff completes our coven as we quaff from a cauldron of doomed romance, witchy intuition, and sisterly bonds. So mix those midnight margaritas and get out your brooms because listeners, it's time to clean house!

Practical Magic (1998)
Directed by Griffin Dunne
Written by Robin Swicord, Akiva Goldsman, and Adam Brooks
Based on the novel by Alice Hoffman
Starring Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Dianne Wiest, Stockard Channing, Evan Rachel Wood, Alexandra Artrip, Goran Visnjic, and Aidan Quinn

Episode 69 - HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE

School is most assuredly in session during Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, a film tasked with translating a massive publishing phenomenon to the screen while conveying the franchise's emphasis on fantastical world-building and staunchly humanist themes. It's a whirlwind of new information that only scratches the surface of what's to come.

Professed Potter-head Kristal Bailey joins us to describe the thrill of seeing Hogwarts for the first time, and helps us determine if repeat viewings of this exposition-heavy introduction feel more like remedial education.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
Directed by Chris Columbus
Produced by David Heyman
Written by Steve Kloves
Based on the novel by J.K. Rowling
Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Ian Hart, and Richard Harris

Episode 64 - THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT

A shrewd blend of the old and the new made The Blair Witch Project a polarizing phenomenon and a runaway box office hit in the summer of 1999. It was a nearly ancient story--naive young people get lost in the spooky woods--dressed up in a fresh (at the time) found footage approach, implying through its first-person perspective and savvy marketing that this time, the horror was real.

But are the gimmicks that turned Blair Witch into one of the most successful independent films of all time still as effective after so many imitators made its innovations seem trite and commonplace? We gird ourselves to experience the worst student film shoot ever and search for meaning in this infamous cinematic experiment.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez
Produced by Robin Cowie and Gregg Hale
Written by Jacob Cruse and Eduardo Sanchez
Starring Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard

Episode 8 - THE WITCHES

What better way to celebrate the Halloween season than with the work of Roald Dahl, whose eccentric tales have been amusing and scarring children for generations?  The Witches contains plenty of prime nightmare fuel for the elementary school set - a crummy vacation at a crumbling old hotel, poisoned candy, and scores of bewigged British biddies.  With a dash of Henson Creature Shop magic and director Nicolas Roeg’s insistence on shooting like he’s making a low-budget ‘70s horror film, The Witches is a movie that appears to be at cross-purposes but endures with its unique combination of dark intensity and kid-friendly kookiness.

The Witches (1990)
Directed by Nicholas Roeg
Produced by Jim Henson, Mark Shivas, and Dusty Symonds
Written by Allan Scott
Based on the novel by Roald Dahl
Starring Anjelica Huston, Jasen Fisher, Mai Zetterling, and Rowan Atkinson