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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

01:02:29

Episode 186: One Day More | Les Miserables, French...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2021/05/02

One more dawn… One more day… ONE DAY MORE! In this episode, we continue an exploration of the blockbuster works of French author Victor Hugo and their most popular adaptations. This week, the most famous French novel finds immortality in the musical Les Miserables. We discuss the 2012 Tom Hooper film adaptation from the lens of French history and Enlightenment philosophy. Why do the French come back to rebellion time and again? How do we create a just government? How do we transcend suffering? All

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00:53:08

Episode 185: Feast of Fools | The Hunchback of Notre...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2021/04/22

Morning in Paris, the city awakes to the bells of Notre Dame! Join us among the clouds, in the bell tower of one of the world’s great cathedrals, where lives the mysterious bellringer. This is the story of a man and a monster—but which is which? We’re discussing the 1996 Disney adaptation of Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame! One of the darkest entries in Disney’s animated canon, it explores themes of racism, infanticide, sexual obsession, deformity, and religion. We explore the development

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00:53:06

Episode 184: Trojan Horse | Troy, The Iliad, & The...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2021/04/04

This week’s Midnight Myth feels a little archaic, why? Because we are heading into Archaic Greece discussing the 2004 movie Troy and its conversation with Homer’s epic poem, The Iliad. Who were the Archaic Greeks and why did they love this poem? How did The Iliad shape and transform Western Civilization and why was it transformed into the major Hollywood blockbuster Troy? From the movie’s deconstruction of masculinity, to its critiques on a warrior class, the sun god Himself could’t be happier with

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01:00:56

Episode 183: Please Stand By | WandaVision,...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2021/03/14

This week on the Midnight Myth, we’re pulling every evil string of WandaVision! Walk with us through every era of sitcom glory and their synthesis with the wildly popular Marvel Cinematic Universe. We’ll explore how WandaVision interrogates grief, trauma, and psychoanalysis through the medium of classic television. Plus, a brief detour into Tibetan Buddhism and a meditation on the famous Ship of Theseus thought experiment. Marvel’s magical new series left quite the impression on us, and we’re

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00:58:34

Episode 182: I Know Kung Fu | The Matrix, Plato's The...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2021/02/28

Do not try to bend the spoon…first realize the truth…there is no spoon…then you will see it is not the spoon that bends, but merely yourself. Derek and Laurel are back discussing the 1999 Sci-fi masterpiece smash hit, The Matrix. How does the movie hold up and what new themes can be learned as we dissect Neo tumbling down the rabbit hole and landing in the desert of the real? If it's the question that drives us, what questions should we be asking of this movie? What is real anyhow? We dissect the

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01:27:22

(Bonus) The Wheel of Ka: It part 2

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2021/02/21

Fellow Travelers On the Path of The Beam, before you jump into the next Wheel of Ka, a quick warning; the second half of It gets dark, really dark. Steve and I have a no holds barred discussion. Please keep this trigger warning in mind, we talk about sexual assault, violence towards children, and infant loss. Derek and Steve are back at it again, this time discussing the second half of Stephen King’s horror masterpiece, It. As the past and present collide, the Losers must confront the evil force

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00:43:07

Episode 181: Ocean Master | Aquaman (2018), the Myth...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2021/02/14

Watch out for Hurricane Arthur! This week, we’re finally taking on the action-packed spectacle that is James Wan’s take on Aquaman (2018). It’s not just a bonkers comic book movie filled with laser sharks, krakens, and crab people—it’s also chock-full of references to classical mythology, the Roman Empire, and the Arthurian Legend. In other words, a true Midnight Myth. DIVE IN with us as we discuss how Aquaman unites these histories and mythologies into one kingdom. — Support us at

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00:49:59

Episode: 180: Shine On | Doctor Sleep, Folklore & the...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2021/01/31

Welcome back to the Midnight Myth for a discussion of the 2019 film adaptation of the Stephen King’s novel, Doctor Sleep, the sequel to the The Shining. What has Danny Torrence been up to since escaping the perils of the Overlook Hotel? Listen to our discussion of Danny, Abra, and the True Knot as they embrace the cycles of fate while escaping the cycles of abuse. Also, what’s up with cat? Can cats really sense when someone will die? Lastly, will discuss the steam as a breath-like representation of

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01:23:01

(Bonus) The Wheel of Ka: It part 1

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2021/01/26

Fellow Traveler’s on the Path of the Beam, Derek and Steve are back at it again with another Wheel of Ka bonus episode. This week, Derek and Steve talk about the mega-hit best selling novel Stephen King’s It. This is the first of a two parter on the book, where only the first half of the book discussed. From the nature of Derry’s most fear and hated clown, to how King expertly constructs the characters, this is a no holds barred discussion. And of course, everything is related back to the Dark

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00:45:26

Episode 179: 2020: Let's Not Do That Again

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2021/01/24

We’re back with a more casual conversation as we prepare a more traditional episode in the coming weeks. Today, we’re rounding up what we watched, what we loved, what we were “meh” on in 2020. Special focus on Birds of Prey, Wonder Woman 1984, Queen’s Gambit, and The Mandalorian Season 2. We’ll keep chatting as long as the baby keeps napping! — Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view

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01:04:52

Episode 177: Piertotem Locomotor | Harry Potter & the...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2021/01/17

Oh my gosh, we recorded an episode! The conclusion of our series on the Harry Potter films is here, and we’re revisiting all your favorite places: Hogwarts Castle, Gringotts Bank, Hogsmeade, and Platform 9 3/4. We’ll discuss the history and development of castles—from military fortresses to royal residences and projections of wealth—plus how that fits in to the transition of Hogwarts from school to battleground. We’ll question the bittersweet end to a mysterious character in Severus Snape, and

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01:03:26

Episode 176: A Free Elf | Harry Potter & the Deathly...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2020/12/20

Grab your Deluminator because things are about to get a lot darker before the dawn. In Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows pt 1 (2010), we break the usual format—a year at Hogwarts, a final battle with the villain—for an unlikely road movie with all kinds of 2020 corollaries. As Harry and friends hunt down Horcruxes, battle with heretofore unspoken tensions within their relationships, and face doubts in each other and themselves, we’ll explore how the series so far has interrogated the

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01:09:59

Episode 175: The Slug Club | Harry Potter & the Half...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2020/12/13

It’s Year Six at Hogwarts, and while things may look somewhat back to normal at the School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, the Wizarding World is in chaos and turmoil. Join us as we take a dive into the Pensieve with Harry & Dumbledore, exploring the implications of the prophecy and the early life of Tom Riddle. We’ll discuss the concept of the Horcrux and its antecedents in Russian fairy tales and folklore from around the world. Then we’ll dig even deeper into ancient ideas that define “the

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01:07:16

Episode 174: Dumbledore's Army | Harry Potter & the...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2020/12/06

We’re sliding down the back half of the Harry Potter series with Year Five at Hogwarts: Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix. Things get considerably darker for Harry and his wizard pals with the introduction of a sinister new villain in Dolores Umbridge and the interference of the Ministry of Magic at Hogwarts School. In this episode, we discuss how free societies can descend into Fascism, and how we see that process mirrored through Umbridge’s changes at Hogwarts. But rarely does this

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01:00:18

Episode 173: The Four Champions | Harry Potter & the...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2020/11/29

Year Four at Hogwarts brings us a tournament of epic proportions, another intricate mystery, and the return of the most powerful dark wizard of all time. In our discussion of Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire, we examine how this installment, right at the halfway point of the series, marks a pivotal turning point in Harry’s journey. It’s the moment when Harry—and the series—really leaves childhood behind. We explore coming-of-age through ritual, sport, sacrifice, and symbolic death, comparing

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01:03:45

Episode 172: Expecto Patronum | Harry Potter & the...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2020/11/22

It’s Year Three at Hogwarts, and things are taking a dark turn. Alfonso Cuaron takes over the director’s chair for Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban, infusing the series with new life and cinematic splendor in what many consider the strongest installment of the film franchise. We’re treated to a deep exploration of animal magic, from the culturally ubiquitous werewolf to the British folklore-infused Black Dog and the more abstract Patronus charm. Our first Divination class introduces us to

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01:03:23

Episode 171: The Heir of Slytherin | Harry Potter &...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2020/11/15

We’ve survived Year One at Hogwarts, but Year Two brings bigger monsters, darker secrets, and lots more mystery. Join us as we continue our journey through the eight Harry Potter films and flush ourselves down to the Chamber of Secrets. It’s our first introduction to notions of blood purity within the Wizarding World, and it solidifies the eerie magical connection between our hero, Harry, and his nemesis Lord Voldemort. We’ll discuss the mythological foundations of the basilisk and ancestral

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00:54:59

Episode 170: The Boy Who Lived | Harry Potter & the...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2020/11/08

Take the first steps with us into a world of magic. Over the next eight weeks, we’ll be going one-by-one through all eight films in the Harry Potter series, following the Boy Who Lived through his years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry and his battle against the forces of evil. This week, we discuss Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001). Okay, maybe this isn’t the strongest movie in the series, but dang if it isn’t chock-full of history, mythology, and philosophy! We’ll learn

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01:06:26

Episode 169: Sparkle Motion | Donnie Darko,...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2020/11/01

28 days. 6 hours. 42 minutes. 12 seconds. That is when the world will end… according to Frank, the giant bunny rabbit. Closing out a run of spooky Halloween-themed episodes is the 2001 indie classic Donnie Darko. Is this film a muddled mess or an of-the-moment masterpiece? What can we make of the three seemingly conflicting threads that run through the movie—the science fiction, the vaguely religious, and the meditation on upper middle class suburban alienation? Do these thematic strings clash

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00:59:44

Episode 168: Absolute Pleasure | The Rocky Horror...

The Midnight Myth Podcast ·

2020/10/25

It’s astounding. Time is fleeting. MADNESS takes its toll… But listen closely to this week’s podcast—a bonkers analysis of the Queen of Midnight Movies, the ultimate cult classic, The Rocky Horror Picture Show! We discuss the legacy of both the stage production and cinematic adaptation, how it spawned a true cult of devoted followers and a universal tradition of audience participation—going back through theatre history to understand why Rocky Horror provokes such an audience response. Plus, we’ll

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