The Losers' Club: A Stephen King Podcast

Author and essayist Bev Vincent joins the Losers to discuss his new must-have tome Stephen King: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences. Chock full of archival photos and materials dusted straight from King's own personal collection, this chronological deep dive into King's life and work is a delight to read -- one of those giant books you keep by your bed for years and years. Today, Vincent discusses how he put the damn thing together, while also weighing in on the many myths, oft-forgotten chapters, and detours within King's Dominion.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been five years since It hit theaters and conquered the box office, becoming the highest grossing horror film of all time and tipping off a new Stephen King renaissance across Hollywood. Today? The scene is dire: Blumhouse's Firestarter failed to ignite, while 'Salem's Lot has completely been vanquished from Warner Bros' schedule. So, what the hell happened? The Losers dial back the clock to that eventful September in 2017 and chart the highs and lows over the last half decade.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In anticipation of our Stephen King film festival this weekend in Chicago, The Creepshow, we're unlocking one of our older Patreon exclusive episodes from the Derry Private Library. It’s a volume of the Stephen King Archives, which sees Randall, Mike, and Jenn discussing King's unpublished short stories, long-forgotten interviews, dusty manuscripts, and alternate versions of your favorite tales. This particular chapter is dedicated to the uncollected stories from the Creepshow franchise. Specifically, 1976's "Weeds" that inspired "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill"; 1979's "The Crate" that inspired, well, "The Crate"; and the unused "Pinfall" segment that should have been in Creepshow 2. Want more episodes like this? Join The Barrens at www.patreon.com/thebarrens. Next week, we'll see you with a brand new episode charting the last five years of The New Stephen King Renaissance.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In celebration of the 30th anniversary of Pet Sematary 2, we’re unlocking one of our older Patreon exclusive episodes from the Derry Private Library. It’s a Lobstrosities installment that dates back to October 2020 and features a star-studded assembly of guests, specifically Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting and Brett Arnold of The New Flesh Podcast. Our fellow Loser Rachel Reeves even makes one of her earlier appearances on the show, too. Together, they discuss the '90s appeal of Edward Furlong, the leading man qualities (?) of Anthony Edwards, and why Clancy Brown is the MVP of Mary Lambert's underrated sequel. Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's something about Western Pennsylvania that gets Stephen King thinking about killer cars. Like Christine, his 2002 novel From a Buick takes place outside Pittsburgh, only this car doesn't vroom, vroom. This one is more boom, boom. Join the Losers as they team up with Troop D and head to Shed B to unpack this four-cylinder supernatural horror story. Together they muse over muscle cars, try to avoid one of the more harrowing deaths to ever grace our sematary section, and debate whether or not this is the saddest and most nihilistic book in King's canon.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The heat is on across King's Dominion. So, once again, the Losers are putting on their shades, revving up their Plymouth Fury convertible, and heading to Hollywood King. This month, they're weighing in on news surrounding The Regulators, 'Salem's Lot, The Simpsons, and all the previously announced Stephen King adaptations that are now toiling away in development hell Before all that, though, they share some Needful Tweets. It's an old fashioned episode.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here's a preview of our latest installment of our Patreon-exclusive series, the Dark Tower Detour. This episode sees the Dans tackle all the bloodsucking freaks -- ahem, vampires -- within King's Dominion in the wake of "The Little Sisters of Eluria". 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, our Lobstrosities, weekly mini-sodes requested by members, dozens upon dozens of locked episodes, and more.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the latest installment of their On Writers series, the Losers talk to Bram Stoker Award-winning author Gemma Files, whose latest collection unfolds over email threads, podcast transcripts, and other hyper-modern chains of communication. Randall and Mel talk to Files about bridging the cosmic and mundane, “found footage fiction,” and the haunted nature of “temporary spaces.” She also discusses her enduring love for all things Clive Barker. Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we near the end of our coverage surrounding Everything's Eventual, the Losers look toward TNT's oft-forgotten anthology series Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King. Join Losers Randall Colburn, Michael Roffman, and Jenn Adams as they take a wormhole back to 2006 to discuss more recently covered stories like "The Road Virus Heads North" and "Autopsy Room Four", in addition to stories from the titular collection. Elsewhere, the three also discuss the series' godawful CGI, the surprising physical turn of the late William Hurt, the enduring underdog appeal of Ron Livingston, and so much more. It should be noted this episode was originally recorded in June 2020 -- right around the time we covered Nightmares & Dreamscapes -- and has since been unlocked from The Barrens (Patreon). Enjoy!Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In celebration of Pennywise: The Story of IT hitting Screambox, we're re-running our 30th anniversary reunion roundtable with the original cast of kids from Fall 2020. Hosted by yours truly and filmmaker John Campopiano, the conversation finds the cast sharing stories from the set, discussing the legacy of the miniseries, and reminiscing on how they all grew up with Stephen King. Guests include Marlon Taylor (Mike Hanlon); Brandon Crane (Ben Hanscom); Ben Heller (Stanley Uris); Adam Faraizl (Eddie Kasprak); and Emily Perkins (Beverly Marsh). Want to see the panel in video? Click here! Want to see Pennywise: The Story of IT? Get Screambox now!Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Finally! Something to for me to write about! A ghost that offers turn down service!” The Losers are still locked away in 1408 deep within The Dolphin Hotel, only this time they're joined by John Cusack. Not a bad fate. Join co-hosts Randall Colburn, Michael Roffman, Jenn Adams, and special guest Josh Zagoren as they discuss and review Mikael Håfström's 2007 blockbuster 1408. Together, they discuss the state of horror at the time, particularly for Stephen King adaptations, the ways in which the story mutates from page to screen, the genius casting of Samuel L. Jackson, and the brilliant performance by Mr. Cusack.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here's a preview of our Patreon exclusive series Talkin’ Hawkins, our limited spinoff podcast that flips King’s Dominion Upside Down to discuss all things Stranger Things. Since April, we've been dedicating one episode per month to each season of the series -- hell, we even unlocked the first episode in the main feed, as you've heard by now -- but this is the big enchilada, brochacos. It's what we've been building towards all along: The Stranger Things 4 episode. Clocking in at around 3.5 hours, this whopper of an episode dissects both volumes of the blockbuster fourth season, covering the kids, the adults, the '80s references, their favorite needle drops, and, naturally, all the connections to Stephen King. There are bits, there are uncouth jokes, but ... there is a whole lotta heart.Get it now by becoming a member of our Patreon, The Barrens (Patreon), by visiting www.patreon.com/thebarrens. You'll also unlock hundreds of hours of bonus content that includes our Stephen King archival series, our Dark Tower

There are 11 short stories and 3 novellas within Stephen King's Everything's Eventual -- and some of them are King's finest to date. In the second of two episodes dedicated to the 2002 book, Losers Michael Roffman, Randall Colburn, Jenn Adams, and special guest Ashley Casseday of Keep It Weird check into the Dolphin Hotel and share their 7 favorite tales in King's eclectic collection. What's their top pick? Will it be "1408"? "Riding the Bullet"? You'll have to listen and find out!Follow on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are 11 short stories and 3 novellas within Stephen King's Everything's Eventual -- and not all of them are 10 out of 10s. In the first of two episodes dedicated to the 2002 book, Losers Michael Roffman, Randall Colburn, Jenn Adams, and special guest Ashley Casseday of Keep It Weird gather for lunch at the Gotham Cafe and smoke through their least favorite stories in the collection. It's the beginning of a long conversation that will conclude next week with a celebration of the very best of the bunch.Follow on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Losers get sweaty as they head to The Barrens and name the 10 Stephen King titles everyone should read come summertime. So, put on your swimming trunks and get in the water with Losers Justin Gerber, Jenn Adams, Michael Roffman, and special guest Janelle Janson.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon | StoreHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Stranger Things 4 coming to an end tomorrow, the Losers thought we'd unlock the first episode of our spinoff series Talkin' Hawkins. Here's some context: For the last few months, we've been running a limited series in The Barrens (Patreon) that flips King’s Dominion Upside Down to discuss all things Stranger Things. In total, there will be four episodes dedicated to each season with each installment featuring Michael Roffman, Randall Colburn, Samantha Kuykendall, and a special guest discussing the kids, the adults, the '80s references, their favorite needle drops, and all the connections to Stephen King.This episode covers the first season of Stranger Things and was recorded back in April. Fellow Loser Jenn Adams tags along to weigh in on the roots of the show, the ways it initially permeated through pop culture, and how the show was surprisingly instrumental to the creation of this show. So, if you enjoy what you're hearing, we have episodes on Stranger Things 2 and Stranger Things 3 waiting for you rig

Here's a preview of our recurring 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 sees the Losers dust off their VHS copy of Stephen King's World of Horror. 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 our Dark Tower Detour series, our Lobstrosities, our Soul's Midnights, our Stranger Things spinoff series, our commentary tracks, dozens upon dozens of locked episodes, and more.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blockbuster Month comes to a fiery end! To close things out, the Losers are celebrating the 40th anniversary of John Carpenter's 1982 sci-fi horror spectacle The Thing. Join the Losers at Outpost 31 as they discuss the history behind the production, weigh in on the timeless practical effects, quote the movie nonstop, and debate whether this is Carpenter's greatest film in his catalogue. It should be noted this episode was originally recorded in July 2020 as part of our Crate series in The Barrens (Patreon). Join today at www.patreon.com/thebarrens for even more deep dives like this one!Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Losers talk with Will Menaker of the Chapo Trap House podcast about Stephen King as a cultural figure, the best adaptations of his work, the state of modern horror movies, and his long, pandemic-inspired trek through The Stand. Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's Blockbuster Month at the Losers' Club! To kick things off, the Losers are revisiting Steven Spielberg's 1993 blockbuster horror classic Jurassic Park. Join Losers Michael Roffman, Dan Caffrey, McKenzie Gerber, and Mel Kassel as they head to Isla Nublar, where they digress on dinosaurs, chart Spielberg's Dominion, sing praises over its highly intellectual cast, compare and contrast Michael Crichton to Stephen King, and quote the entire movie (mostly). It should be noted this episode was originally recorded in June 2021 as part of our Crate series in The Barrens (Patreon). Join today at www.patreon.com/thebarrens for even more deep dives like this one!Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.