Monday, June 28, 2010

Episode Two: No New Tale to Tell



Hey ghastlies and ghoulies!

In this episode we tackle the cyclical nature of movie plots and conventions. We don't dwell on cliches, as such, but instead concentrate on commonly used movie plots and tropes. Topics include basic plot structure, the various types of stories used in films and books, and the effect they have had on cinema.

In This Week In Strange We sniff out the worst fragrances known to man, and yet made commercially available.

In the Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (WTF) segment, I discuss Rob Pattinson's dubious lineage (I pray he is not really related to the Lord of All Vamps). I also make a call to arms to put the fangs back in horror!

Join us this week for some more conversational goodness in this recent series of meta-lectures. My co-pilot this week is the venerable Mr. Dillon. I thank him for his expertise in this subject.

Feedback is appreciated for this episode, all episodes. You can message me through this blog, or at flypapermemory@gmail.com

You can download us from archive.org
http://www.archive.org/details/TheFlyPaperDungeonEpisodeOne--whatMakesGoodHorror
Just click this week's episode title to be taken directly to the episode.

Or, you can listen to the auditory debauchery here!


(Despite the first episode title, this will give you access to all posted episodes)

Loss of Reason



Greetings readers, listeners, and children of the night.

A recent episode of the pod cast has got me thinking. How often does fear take hold, and then replace rational thought? We consider ourselves to be smarter, healthier, and more sane than the previous generation. We are taught from an early age that monsters don’t exit. A bump in the night is merely the house settling, or the nocturnal ramblings of a cat. There are still a great number of people who believe in ghosts, but how rational is such a belief? Belief by its vary nature undermines rational thought. It exists outside the sphere of things that can be measured and quantified (the realm of science). We know, perhaps on a sensory level, that there is nothing lurking in the dark. However, on an emotional level, our five senses abandon us in favor of what is felt, not seen or heard.
We have to ask ourselves, “If the monster under my bed isn’t real, then why does the belief persist?” It seems that every child goes through a scaredy-cat phase. I used to cover my head with my sheets, out of fear that something was in the bedroom closet. I didn’t know what that something was, but it must have been pretty damned awful. It must also have been very gullible, since covering my head with a blanket kept it at bay. Again, we have fear of the unknown working overtime.
We can translate this easily into adulthood. If we take a single adult, and then place them in an unfamiliar setting, what will they make of it? Perhaps they are in a strange city they have never been to before. Even in daylight they will become disoriented, and will have to rely on their sense of reason to find their way out. One could say that the person in that situation has become a lab rat in a maze. If we put that person in the same environment, but then drop the sun below the horizon, they experience fear, rather than mere confusion. We could even place them in a familiar environment, but remove the sunshine as well, and their comfort level is significantly altered. It’s that invasion of personal comfort that makes for real-life modern horror (such as the urban legend).
To quote Paul of Chinstroker Vs. Punter, “A bloke in a hockey mask isn’t scary.” He’s right--a stunt man covered in karo syrup and food coloring is almost comical. A guy in a suit, with a smile that masks his true intent, that is scary (paging Patrick Bateman). A child that looks sweet and innocent, but harbors feelings of anger and resentment for its own existence, that too is disturbing. The mundane can be the most frightening thing in the world…when it conceals claws, fangs, and no conscience. Perhaps the real fear lies in the mask of normality that it wears, rather than its true intent? We don’t know who to fear, and who to trust, until we’ve taken that chance on the unknown.

Johnny Zombie. 2010. (Creative Commons, Attribution)

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Links of DOOM!



Hey everybody!

In my excitement to get the first episode posted, and start this blog, I neglected to post up some links that were mentioned in the previous episode.

Here they are for your perusal, perversion, and general edification.

http://www.dagonbytes.com (You can read Lovecraft and other ghoulishness here)
http://www.tvtropes.org (Find out the secret meaning of Alien Wing Wong!)
http://www.horroretc.com (The guys who inspire my work! Hey Tony, Ted, and sometimes Doug!)
http://chinstrokervspunter.blogspot.com (Britain's lords of cinema...and chain smoking)
http://www.ocremix.org (for modernized versions of classic NES game music)

The music in this episode was taken from http://www.podsafemusic.com. The song is 'B' is for Brutis by The Volume.

I had fun recording the first episode, and I know Dillon did too. The next podcast episode will be up next week. Till then, I shall post a written blog or two, or three, or four.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Episode One: What Scares Us?



Good evening, and welcome to the Fly Paper Dungeon!





I am your host, Johnny Zombie. With me tonight is my trusty co-pilot, Dillon. In this episode we present to you a tale to tease, taunt, and tantilize you!

Actually, you get to hear a 30-something horror movie geek, and his American samurai buddy discuss horror film and literature related topics. We converse about such diverse subjects as ghosts, aliens, werewolves, vampires, zombies, and other staples of the horror genre. We asked ourselves, "What scares us the most?" The answers to that question, and more, are contained in this episode.

We also discussed real-life body horror--which was inspired by a recent viewing of the film TEETH (starring Jess Weixler). We also offered our opinions on the new A-Team movie, and much more.


So, strap yourself (or someone else) down. Check the buckles on that straitjacket...the dungeon is in session!




Click the link to hear this week's episode, hosted at Archive.org
http://www.archive.org/details/TheFlyPaperDungeonEpisodeOne--whatMakesGoodHorror

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