The Losers' Club: A Stephen King Podcast

Author and critic Gretchen Felker-Martin joins Randall Colburn and Mel Kassell to discuss the one-of-a-kind cinematic experience that is Ken Russell's The Devils, which remains a hotbed of controversy 50 years after its release. This interview is part of this week's episode of Randall and Mel's Month of Halloween Hell, which you can find by joining our Patreon.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Danse Macabre is a recurring feature of The Losers' Club that journeys through all the books that influenced Stephen King. (You know, as he listed in 1981's Danse Macabre. Ahem, hence the name of this series.) In the past, this feature has flipped through the pages of Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House and William Golding's Lord of the Flies. Today, however, the Losers find themselves in Green Town, Illinois revisiting Ray Bradbury's 1962 dark fantasy novel, Something Wicked This Way Comes. Join Dan Caffrey, Rachel Reeves, Mel Kassel, and Michael Roffman as they praise Bradbury's autumnal prose, lose themselves to bizarre Gene Kelly tangents, connect the dots to King's Dominion, and wrestle with the endurance of imagination.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here's a preview of the latest episode of Randall and Mel's Month of Halloween Hell. Want to hear the full discussion? Become a member of The Barrens (Patreon) by visiting www.patreon.com/thebarrens. You'll unlock over a hundred hours of exclusive, bonus content that includes other hilarious Ka-mmentary tracks, our King archival series, weekly mini-sodes requested by members, dozens upon dozens of locked episodes, and monthly Zoom hangouts.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here's a preview of our chat on Stephen King's 1998 episode of The X-Files titled, "Chinga". Want to hear the full discussion? Become a member of The Barrens (Patreon) by visiting www.patreon.com/thebarrens. You'll unlock over a hundred hours of exclusive, bonus content that includes other hilarious Ka-mmentary tracks, our King archival series, weekly mini-sodes requested by members, dozens upon dozens of locked episodes, and monthly Zoom hangouts.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Losers celebrate the festival of Samhain by naming 10 Stephen King titles everyone should pull off their bookshelves every October. They also dream up some ideas for a Halloween-set story by King, mull over a Pennywise vs. Freddy Krueger duel, and share your picks for spooky season, too. The real treat is when things take a surprisingly emotional turn toward the end of the night. Joining the Losers for this essential Halloween special is actress, writer, filmmaker, and podcast host Julia Marchese. Note: This episode was recorded in October 2020 and has since been unlocked from our Patreon's Derry Private Library archives. Join today for over 100 hours of exclusive content! Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon | StoreHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mel and Randall kick off their month of Halloween Hell with incisive discussions of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, The Fog, Raw, Gonjiam Haunted Asylum, You're Next, The Strangers, and more. Musings on alienation, repression, and post-9/11 fatalism arise in between digressions about found footage horror, self-hating freaks, and Venom: Let There Be Carnage. The first episode of this limited series is free to all listeners, but the next four will be available only via The Losers' Club's Patreon. Just $5 bucks gives you access. This is a spoiler-heavy discussion so note the timestamps:(1:00) Intros(3:15) Horror talk(15:35) Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer(40:30) The Fog(47:00) Carnival of Souls(57:30) Raw(01:04:13) Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum(01:17:00) You’re Next(01:23:34) The Strangers(01:36:23) The Empty Man(01:45:00) Hostel III(02:03:50) Themes(02:09:30) Lightning roundFollow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here's a preview of our all-new Patreon exclusive series The Stephen King Archives in which the Losers sort through unpublished short stories, long-forgotten interviews, dusty manuscripts, and alternate versions of your favorite tales. The latest installment takes a closer look at Stephen King's college column, King's Garbage Truck, specifically the editorials he published in Spring of 1969. Rest assured, this is the beginning of a long journey through this series. Want more? Head on over to www.patreon.com/thebarrens and become a Librarian for more exclusive bonus content.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here's a preview of our chat on Mike Flanagan's Midnight Mass in which we discuss its themes, charatcers, and connections to King's Dominion. Want to hear the full discussion? Become a member of The Barrens (Patreon) by visiting www.patreon.com/thebarrens. You'll unlock over a hundred hours of exclusive, bonus content that includes other hilarious Ka-mmentary tracks, our King archival series, weekly mini-sodes requested by members, dozens upon dozens of locked episodes, and monthly Zoom hangouts.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chat Sematary host Deanna Chapman joins the Losers at the Mellow Tiger to answer questions from a big ol' Bag of Bones. Questions like "Which Stephen King protagonist do you think has the most wasted potential?"; "What Stephen King film or adaptation would you love to hear John Williams score?"; "Which King work would like to see adapted for the stage?"; and many more. Want to watch the whole conversation on video or even join the Losers next time they record? Become a Maturin patron at www.patreon.com/thebarrens.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here's a preview of our new series Dark Tower Detour, which studies the minutiae of Roland's quest towards the Tower. The debut episode centers around “The Battle of Jericho Hill” and features Matt and Scott of the popular Dark Tower podcast Kingslingers. Want to hear the full track? Become a member of The Barrens (Patreon) by visiting www.patreon.com/thebarrens. You'll unlock over a hundred hours of exclusive, bonus content that includes other hilarious Ka-mmentary tracks, our King archival series, weekly mini-sodes requested by members, dozens upon dozens of locked episodes, and monthly Zoom hangouts.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some birds aren't meant to be caged. In the latest installment of The Long Watch, the Losers get busy living and get busy talking about Frank Darabont's The Shawshank Redemption. Joining them on the prison yard is Old 97's singer-songwriter and author Rhett Miller. Together, they leave no black, volcanic rock unturned as they wrestle with the universal truths behind the 1994 classic.Want to see Rhett live? Catch one of his online shows via StageIt.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Writer and producer Lee Metzger joins the Losers to discuss Strawberry Spring, his new, star-studded audio drama adaptation of Stephen King’s chilling Night Shift short story. In this jovial chat, Lee elaborates on how he stretched King's prose into an eight-episode podcast and managed to put together its incredible cast: Garrett Hedlund, Milo Ventimiglia, Sydney Sweeney, Ken Marino, to name a few. Check out the spoiler-free interview and then dive into the audio drama shortly after. Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here's a preview of our new Stephen King Ka-mmentary track for the classic Arnold Schwarzenegger rental: 1987's The Running Man. Want to hear the full track? Become a member of The Barrens (Patreon) by visiting www.patreon.com/thebarrens. You'll unlock over a hundred hours of exclusive, bonus content that includes other hilarious Ka-mmentary tracks, our King archival series, weekly mini-sodes requested by members, dozens upon dozens of locked episodes, and monthly Zoom hangouts.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Perhaps it was penance that brought Pierce Brosnan back to Stephen King’s Dominion. After leading 1992’s The Lawnmower Man, an “adaptation” whose producers King sued in a bid to get his name removed, the actor signed onto director Mick Garris’ 2011 miniseries Bag of Bones. Join Losers Randall Colburn, Mel Kassel, and Dan Pfleegor as they spend a good chunk of their dissection trying to figure out if the miniseries is so bad that it’s good or just, you know, good. Elsewhere, they touch on the scares, the script, and what happens when you excise (most of) the sex from what is easily King’s horniest book.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our coverage of Stephen King's 1998 novel Bag Of Bones continues. In the second part, the Losers move beyond the History and the Hook to meet the heroes and villains, share what made them feel miserable, visit the Sematary, chown down on some gooey poundcake, stroll through King's Dominion, and, yes, give their final thoughts.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bag Of Bones is many things: Gothic ghost story, queasy romance, legal thriller, meditation on grief, and a ghastly reminder that the sins of the father are to be laid upon the children. It’s also horny. Really horny. Join the Losers as they shack up in Sara Laughs for a sprawling, two-part discussion of the novel’s tumultuous publication history, its potent scares, and its protagonist, Mike Noonan, who King describes as “probably as close as you could get to me.” Throughout it all, one question perseveres: "Was this King’s mid-life crisis book?" Stream the first of two episodes now.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here's a preview of our new Collecting King episode -- our first in nearly three years -- featuring Tony Petro of Tony’s Horror Corner. Want to hear the full interview? Head on over to www.patreon.com/thebarrens and become a Librarian for more exclusive bonus content.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Busy times in King's Dominion. Seems as if we're finally over the rumor mill on a number of Stephen King-related projects, which means it's time for the Losers to put on their shades, rev up their Plymouth Fury convertible, and head to Hollywood King. This month, they're discussing headlines surrounding Gary Dauberman's 'Salem's Lot, Lindsey Beer's Pet Sematary prequel, and Scott Derrickson's adaptation of Joe Hill's "The Black Phone". Needless to say, things take some wild and crazy turns along the way.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here's a preview of our all-new Patreon exclusive series The Stephen King Archives in which the Losers sort through unpublished short stories, long-forgotten interviews, dusty manuscripts, and alternate versions of your favorite tales. The latest installment continues our ensuing 35th anniversary celebration of Rob Reiner's Stand By Me by taking a closer look at the Gordie LaChance stories, specifically 1969's "Stud City" and 1975's "The Revenge of Lard Ass Hogan". Want more? Head on over to www.patreon.com/thebarrens and become a Librarian for more exclusive bonus content.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Filmmaker and Horror Movie Survival Guide co-host Julia Marchese joins the Losers at the Mellow Tiger to answer questions from a big ol' Bag of Bones. Questions like "What monsters might appear in a sequel novel to It?" "Do we want to see a proper ending for Alan Pangborn?" "Who might we hire Billy Summers to take out in King's Dominion?" What's more, Julia also previews her upcoming Dollar Baby short, I Know What You Need, which just wrapped production in Bangor, Maine. Want to watch the whole conversation on video or even join the Losers next time they record? Become a Maturin patron at www.patreon.com/thebarrensFollow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.