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PODCAST

The Midnight Myth Podcast

Derek Jones and Laurel Hostak

Derek & Laurel dish on myths, history, pop culture and more as they explore universal themes in storytelling. From Game of Thrones and Harry Potter to the Marvel Universe and Star Wars, we"ve been making pop culture sound smart since 2017.

tv & film film history

All Episodes

01:18:32

Episode 210: Heads Will Roll | Sleepy Hollow feat....

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2023/03/27

There’s a little town upstate, a close-knit community - mainly Dutch - called Sleepy Hollow. The village is haunted by a terrible specter: the Headless Horseman. Only Ichabod Crane, a squeamish, yet sensible officer of the law can crack the mystery that plagues Sleepy Hollow - if he can avoid losing his head. Tim Burton’s Gothic melodrama Sleepy Hollow is a lush adaptation of the Washington Irving short story, ripe for exploration of its inspiration and deeper meaning - if there is a deeper meaning,

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00:57:57

(BONUS) The Wheel of Ka | 11/22/63 Part 1

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2023/02/18

Fellow travelers on the path of the Beam, Derek and Steve are back discussing the first four parts of Stephen King’s time traveling epic, 11/22/63. If you could change the past, would you? If you tried, would you actually change the events or would you cause a new reality to spring into existence? If you live long enough pretending to be someone else, do you become the fictitious person? All this plus predictions on where this book is heading and as always, how it connects to The Dark Tower, say

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00:53:37

Midnight Myth Meditation: Mythology vs Folklore in...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2023/02/05

It’s a Midnight Myth Meditation disguised as a two-parter, carrying on from last week’s conversation around Big Fish. What is the difference between folklore and myth - if, like 18 and 28, there’s any difference at all? Are Edward Bloom’s stories myths or folktales? Does it matter? We’ll debate and discuss in this week’s bonus episode. — Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, Sleep & Sorcery and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign

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01:09:22

Episode 209: Drying Out | Big Fish (2003), Mythology...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2023/01/29

Here to separate fact from fiction, the man from the myth, we’re back with a long overdue discussion of Big Fish, Tim Burton’s 2003 ode to fathers and sons. We peel back the layers of this Southern Gothic fairy tale to uncover truths - objective and symbolic - mythic antecedents, and even more questions. Some Irish mythology, some Homeric epic… plus, the door is open to a second discussion, diving deep into the distinctions between myth and folklore. — Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth,

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01:22:07

(Bonus) The Wheel of Ka: The Shining | Trauma,...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2023/01/12

Fellow travelers on the path of the Beam, Wheel of Ka is back! On this episode Derek and Steve go to Colorado to the Overlook Hotel with Jack, Wendy and of course, little Danny Torrence. Yes my friends, this is the Wheel of Ka episode on Stephen King’s The Shining. One of his first books, it helped put King on the map as one of America’s greatest novelists. But what is this book about? How does it relate to King’s masterpiece, The Dark Tower? Is the Shining and the Touch the same? Listen as we break

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01:20:13

2022 In Review | Andor, White Lotus, Everything...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2023/01/01

2022! What a year. Join the Midnight Myth for a special year-in-review, in which we discuss what we watched, what we loved, and what we learned. Some spoilers for Our Flag Means Death, White Lotus, and Andor. — Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, Sleep & Sorcery and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com Check out Sleep & Sorcery, Laurel’s podcast for fantasy and folklore-inspired

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00:59:10

A Christmas Bonus

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2022/12/25

What makes a Christmas movie a Christmas movie? We'll try to answer that question through a lighthearted discussion of some of our favorite seasonal flicks. Exploring the sub-genres of Christmas comedies, Christmas horror, and feel-good family films, we'll pull out the connecting threads and notice unexpected similarities. Films discussed: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation Elf Gremlins Krampus It's a Wonderful Life Muppet Christmas Carol — Want more in-depth discussions of these movies? Listen

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00:55:32

Episode 208: Cookies Are for Closers | Elf (2003),...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2022/12/18

Welcome to the annual Midnight Myth Holiday Special! This year, we have singing Christmas-grams, narwhals, a throne of lies, and representatives from the four food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup! That’s right, we’re discussing ELF (2003), the instant Christmas classic starring Will Ferrell as the lovable Buddy. We’ll talk about the movie’s value nearly 20 years later, the history of elves and how they became associated with Santa Claus, and the notion of Christmas spirit. Plus, a

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00:43:27

(BONUS) Meditations: Canonical Shift

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2022/12/04

What is canon, and why does it have such a hold on the hearts of fandoms? In this brief Midnight Myth conversation, we’ll meditate on the role of canonical judgment in our beloved pop culture franchises. With a particular eye toward The Rings of Power and Obi-Wan Kenobi, we’ll explore where the term “canon” comes from, and how we can liberate ourselves from its strictures in storytelling. — Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, Sleep & Sorcery and Wheel of Ka tees and

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01:01:00

Episode 207: A Dance of Dragons | House of the...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2022/11/13

CW: discussion of pregnancy and infant loss, traumatic birth, suicide In this week’s episode, we’re revisiting Westeros and the seeds of a Targaryen civil war. HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon brings an overlooked era of medieval history and politics to the screen - and adds dragons! We’ll discuss our impressions of the series, its attitudes toward women in power, and its sometimes ill-advised attempts to subvert fantasy expectations. Plus, a crash course in “The Anarchy,” the

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00:43:47

(BONUS) Meditations: my·thol·o·gy

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2022/11/06

Oh my god, we’re back again. It’s been a minute - huge life changes and all. But we’re determined to get behind the mics more in the coming months. This week, a new bonus series begins: Midnight Myth Meditations. These shorter, looser episodes will begin with a question. Something we want to meditate on with relation to our core subjects: history, mythology, philosophy, and pop culture. We’ll look at the question from all angles, with kindness and curiosity. This week, we’re meditating on the use of

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01:27:34

(Bonus) The Wheel of Ka: The Stand Pt 2 | My Life For...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2022/08/25

Fellow travelers on the path of the Beam, Derek and Steve are back after a very very very long break having finally finished the Stephen King masterpiece, The Stand. As one of the King's books closest to The Dark Tower, say thank ya, The Stand offers a wealth of references, intertextual links to other King works, and a treasure trove of thoughts, reflections, and analysis. Derek and Steve pick up after part one, Rome Falls, and talk about the book after the super flu all but wipes out the human

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01:06:29

Episode 206: Absentee Landlord | Devil's Advocate...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2022/08/07

#SatanicSummer sends you out as sheep among the wolves, to the heart of Babylon! This week, we’re discussing the sinful delight that is 1997’s Devil’s Advocate. We’ll talk about the religious origin of Satan and theological efforts to explain free will (it’s a bitch!) Then, we’ll dive deep into Devil’s Advocate’s greatest literary origins: Faust and Paradise Lost. At once a legal thriller, a gothic horror, and a domestic epic, Devil’s Advocate plays in murky moral waters that are a treasure trove of

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01:07:39

Episode 205: The Most Metal Ever | Stranger Things 4,...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2022/07/10

#SatanicSummer continues with our roundup and discussion of Stranger Things Season 4. In this season, Netflix’s runaway hit introduced a monstrous new villain and lovable new side characters, and found interesting ways to reshape their formula. Meanwhile, it takes inspiration from the very real, very disturbing moral panic, known as the Satanic Panic, of 1980s America. We discuss the complexities of American social and political change that led to mass persecution of outsiders, as well as the

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01:08:55

Episode 204: Live Deliciously | The Witch (2015),...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2022/06/26

Wouldst thou like to live deliciously? Join us – and special guest Jeff Lippman of Garden of Doom – for a special episode on Robert Eggers’ feature-length directorial debut, The Witch: A New England Folk Tale (2015). It’s the story of a 17th century Puritan family cast to the edges of the wilderness, where they’re met with misery and ordeals at the hands of an evil presence in the wood. Turning against their eldest daughter Thomasin, the family succumbs to doubt, pride, and envy as their worst

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01:25:52

Episode 203: Mummy Dearest (feat. Verbal Diorama!) |...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2022/06/12

Death is only the beginning… Dear listeners, we have a treat for you today! An epic centuries in the making - we’re thrilled to join forces once again with an adventurer, scholar, podcaster extraordinaire: Em from Verbal Diorama! Even better, we’re teaming up to cover the 1999 action adventure blockbuster The Mummy. One part ancient love story, one part classic monster flick, one part Indiana Jones-style adventure, The Mummy walks genre lines with elegance and humor to create one-of-a-kind cinematic

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01:04:10

Episode 202: Waffle Party | Severance, Lockean...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2022/05/22

We bring you this episode for the glory of our beloved company, in deference to Kier. We’re back! With a breakdown of one of the year’s most puzzling, thrilling, and mind-boggling new shows, Severance. This show has everything: Kafkaesque bureaucratic nightmare; Humorist drama inspired by Hippocratic medicine; late capitalism; academic buffoonery; wellness horror; and ritualistic workplace waffle parties. As we try to unravel the mysteries of Lumon, the controversial Severance procedure, and the

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01:03:36

Episode 201 : Rosebud | Citizen Kane, American...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2022/04/24

From the Godfather to the grandfather of modern cinema… This week, we’re taking on another epic American classic, considering one of—if not the finest film ever made: Citizen Kane. From the technical cinematic innovations of young director Orson Welles to the timeless tale of a media magnate turned political hopeful, Citizen Kane proves painfully resonant with the world of today. We explore the twists and turns of this slanted biography, one haunted by the figure of Kane, who, himself, remains

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01:09:42

Episode 200: Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli | The...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2022/03/27

The Midnight Myth is proud to present our 200th episode spectacular - covering Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 classic The Godfather. In its 50th anniversary year, the underworld epic still burns with outstanding technical achievement and searing tragedy. With arguably career-best performances from its leading cast, rich cinematography, and a gripping story of the American Dream won and lost, The Godfather is considered one of the greatest movies ever made. We discuss the delicate strings and long-set

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00:59:05

(BONUS) Listener Q&A

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2022/03/13

Welcome to Episode two hund— just kidding! We’re kicking off the lead-up to our big Episode 200 Spectacular with a reading of listener-submitted questions. You sent us your questions, we pondered, and we're ready to share how the sausage is made here at the Midnight Myth. Come along for our thoughts on Egyptian mythology, American Pie(?), Stephen King, working parenthood, and other out-there topics. Thank you to everyone who submitted a question. Your listenership and engagement with us is so

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