How far have we come, and how far will we go? In the latest Midnight Myth, Derek and Laurel take a voyage through the history of the Disney Princess, tracing the way to Moana. We explore the myths that make up her environment, the exciting new portrayal of powerful women on the big screen, and some of the academic discourse and critique of the world of the movie. In Moana, we see an exhilarating step forward, but now that we’re past that reef, there’s much more to learn about finding our way.
Episode 36: House Full of Mustard and no Hot Dogs
I am Jack’s toxic masculinity. Few movies attempt to address a crisis of masculinity with as much style or swagger as David Fincher’s adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s anarchist classic, Fight Club. But what happens when the charm and wit of your villain takes over the steering wheel? Perhaps there’s a one in a million chance the whole car blows up. So grab your fists, and remember that even the Mona Lisa won’t last forever, as Derek and Laurel dive deep into the symbolism, intentions, interpretations, and legacy of Fight Club. I am not a space monkey, I am a unique snowflake.
Episode 34: Mockingbirds and Jabberjays
On this week’s episode, we step into the strange dystopian world of the Hunger Games Trilogy. By tracking the evolution of the films themselves and their thematic intentions, Derek & Laurel draw real-world conclusions about the horror of war, the collective amnesia of humanity, and why revolutions fail. Spoilers within for the Hunger Games films, Rogue One, and V for Vendetta!
Episode 33: What Form is This?
What is real? Am I real? Are you? Is this podcast real? Is my experience dictated by my perspective, by the materials i interact with, or by some higher essence? When questions like these start to mess with our heads, we filter them through the lens of the quintessence indie mind f*ck, Being John Malkovich. Derek and Laurel take look at Plato’s timeless allegory of the cave, the theory of the forms, and themes of universe justice (and also puppets).
Episode 32: Vice and Virtue
What is a stoic character? Grim, emotionally immovable, and cold in the face of great human pain? Listen this week as Derek and Laurel delve into the archetypal stoic character and unpack Stoic philosophy along the way. The current stoic character construct bares some superficial resemblance to the philosophy started in Ancient Athens in 350 BCE, but do the tropes really do justice to the philosophical doctrine? By examining characters from the Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Gladiator, and more, we will try to discover the truth beneath the unshakeable facades.
Episode 31: Itself
It has come. With It released, Derek and Laurel peek under the belly of all the ghouls, goblins, and ghosts going bump in the night. This week on the Midnight Myth, the subject is horror; where horror stories come from and why they scare us. In particular, the podcast focuses on the scary clown and how Stephen King turns the childhood favorite into a monster that keeps you up at night. With a few “boomerangs” to keep you on your toes, this week gets to the bottom of horror and how it stands the test of time as part of the perfect story.
Read moreEpisode 29: Going Native
Our histories and our stories are intertwined, and often visual media, such as film, becomes the conduit by which we contextualize our past. This week, we examine the film Gangs of New York from director (legend) Martin Scorsese and how it brings nativists philosophy to the forefront fighting for control over the grimy slums of 1860s New York City, right as the Civil War ravages the south. Part of a multi-parter exploring this particular moment in our nation’s past from a multitude of perspectives— and learning to understand the real-world implications of historical fiction.
Episode 21: Ulysses
Ever been in a tight spot? A real tight spot? Oh man, a tight spot? Well get your dapper dan hair pomade to slick back your style, and gear up for an epic edition of the Midnight Myth. Listen as Derek and Laurel examine the universal story of the Odyssey, written by the immortal Homer and re-contextualized by the masters of film, The Coen Brothers. That’s right folks, we’re mass communicating our analysis of O’ Brother Where Art Thou? and its epic greek origins. Watch out for the sirens, for their enticing song may turn you into a toad, as we journey through a great movie inspired a true midnight myth.
