Episodes
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Parliament after Dark: Hooting about Slumber Party Massacre
Grab your daiquiris and power drills! the Owls are back for a night of synth-soaked screams and feminist subtext. Stephen and McKenzie turn their gaze (and talons) toward Amy Holden Jones’s The Slumber Party Massacre, the Roger Corman–produced cult classic that manages to be both sleazy and...
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"That Is Mahogany!": The Hunger Games
The odds are in our favor this week as Reel Lit enters the arena with Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games (2008) and its 2012 film adaptation. Stephen and McKenzie welcome very special guest Dr. Sidney Blaylock (UNA Department of English) for a conversation about tributes, the Reaping, and the...
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"Aim Careful & Look the Devil in the Eye": Sin City
Fans and followers rejoice! We're back! To kick off Season 2, Stephen and McKenzie descend into the inky shadows of Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez’s Sin City, a graphic novel adaptation so faithful it required Rodriguez to quit the DGA just to give Miller co-director credit. From the…
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Shot Callers: The Reel Lit Bracket Episode
In this special bonus edition of Reel Lit, Stephen and McKenzie hang up their close-reading glasses and lace up their high-tops for a bracket showdown of literary proportions. Eight films. Six categories. Zero chill. From Rhys-level prose to homicidal sharks and hook-handed slashers, they debate,...
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Goober Says 'Hey" ... to Indie Films: A Lindsey Film Fest Recap
This special crossover episode of Reel Lit and Shelf Criticism takes you inside the George Lindsey UNA Film Festival, where indie gems shine, filmmakers spill the behind-the-scenes tea, and yes—we spend an alarming amount of time trying to track down Mickey O’Sullivan. Join Stephen, McKenzie, and...
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"Sad Destinies": Wide Sargasso Sea
Before she was the infamous "madwoman in the attic," she was Antoinette Cosway—a woman caught between cultures, identities, and the suffocating control of the man she married. This month on Reel Lit, we’re diving into Jean Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea and its two film adaptations (1993 & 2006) to...
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Shelf Indulgence: 2024 - The Year in Review
As we close out 2024, we’re bringing you a special bonus episode of Reel Lit! Together with Shelf Criticism, we’re celebrating the best—and worst—cinema of the year. Here’s what to expect: 🎥 The Shelfies Awards, honoring the year’s best performances, direction, and screenplays 📚 A quick look…
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"Welcome to the Party, Pal": Nothing Lasts Forever/Die Hard
Yippee-ki-yay, podcast listeners! In this special holiday episode of Reel Lit, Stephen and McKenzie take on the ultimate Christmas controversy: Die Hard. Is it a Christmas movie, or is it just an action flick with tinsel on the side? While McKenzie grapples with the gritty prose and cynical tone…
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"All the Matches Inside": Like Water for Chocolate
In this delectable episode of Reel Lit, Stephen and McKenzie stir up some conversation about the lush world of Like Water for Chocolate, Laura Esquivel’s sensual tale of love, family, and food. Join them as they explore the novel and its faithful film adaptation, examining themes of magical...
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Parliament after Dark: Hooting about Zyzzyx Road
Drive down the cinematic enigma of Zyzzyx Road with Parliament After Dark! This inaugural episode of our Reel Lit/Shelf Criticism special takes a closer look at the lowest-grossing domestic film of all time, a bizarre thriller starring Katherine Heigl, Tom Sizemore, and Leo Grillo. Was it a...
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"Chasing Shadows": The Woman in Black
In this Halloween special of Reel Lit, Stephen and McKenzie dive into Susan Hill's chilling novel The Woman in Black and its eerie 2012 film adaptation. They explore the haunting isolation of Eel Marsh House, examine the atmospheric use of silence, and discuss how mirrors and doubling underscore...
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"What Do Stars Do Best?": Stardust
In this episode of Reel Lit, we're literally shooting for the stars! Join us as we dive into Neil Gaiman's 1999 novel Stardust and its whimsical 2007 film adaptation. We explore the contrasting tones of the book's darker, more mature themes with the film's lighter, comedic adventure. From costume...
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"More Literary Than Cinematic": Wonder Boys
After being robbed of an Oscar with L.A. Confidential, director Curtis Hanson bounced back with the 2000 film Wonder Boys, based on Pulitzer-Prize winner Michael Chabon's 1995 novel. Join us on Reel Lit as McKenzie and Stephen take a look at the novel and the film, examining both the concept of…
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"They're Not Fussy Chickens": The Birds (featuring Dr. Brenna)
In this thrilling episode of Reel Lit, join Stephen and McKenzie as they swoop into the world of Daphne du Maurier’s chilling novella (1952) and Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic film adaptation (1963), The Birds. This week, we’re excited to welcome our special guest, Dr. Brenna Wardell, a distinguished...
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"I'm Out of Clichés": Rhinoceros/Zombie Strippers
From the absurdist stages of Eugene Ionesco's 'Rhinoceros' to the outrageous antics of 'Zombie Strippers,' we explore the surreal collision of existential dread and undead exotic dancers. Join us as we unpack the transformation of humans into beasts and strippers into zombies, probing the depths…
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"Kill the Commentary": I Know What You Did Last Summer
From Lois Duncan's 1973 novel that captivated Gen X'ers to the 1997 film filled with the hottest young stars that captivated Millennials, we delve into urban legends, hook hands, and those foolish teenage years.
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"On Land or Sea or Foam": Jaws
In the inaugural episode, we're talking Peter Benchley's 1974 best-seller and the 1975 film that began the summer movie tradition. We take a deep dive and sink our teeth into Jaws, seeing what insights we can reel in.