Its our Halloween SPOOKTACULAR folks! We've read Shirley Jackson and Henry James, but the most terrifying author we could find for this occasion is the one and only R. L. Stine. Listen to our deep dive into Goosebumps lore and the inimitable Canadiana of it's TV adaptation.

The most exhaustive dinner party conversation these days certainly seems to be "Aren't there too many Marvel movies". Well we will not be addressing that. Instead we're just here to gush about Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan.

Back on the Kurosawa hype train, this episode we examine his 1950 masterpiece, Rashomon, and its source material, In A Grove. This is a headscratcher for sure, and we're still not entirely sure we understand all of it.

The 1998 film Smoke Signals left an indelible mark on modern native/aboriginal culture. On this episode we examine it's origins in Sherman Alexie's short stories, and the phenomenon of inside jokes and shared cultural experience that would follow.

We managed to do an episode on Russian Literature without spending half a year reading! We discuss Leo Tolstoy's novella and it's influence on Japanese direcctor Akira Kurosawa.

A masterpiece of cyberpunk science fiction and a touchstone of 90's anime, we discuss Ghost in the Shell. And against all odds, we unfortunately touch on that 2017 movie.

This episode we discuss the romance set against the backdrop of racial injustice that is James Baldwin's incredible novel, If Beale Street Could Talk. We also gush about Barry Jenkins, and the gorgeous cinematography of James Laxton.

CONTENT WARNING: RAPE, SEXUAL ASSAULT.

In 1969, Harlan Ellison created a shocking vision of post-apocalyptic America that would go on to influence multiple works that were all much better than his. Also how in the world are we suppose to believe Don Johnson is playing a "boy"?