The Literary License Podcast

Season 7: Episode 348 - ANTHOLOGY: Sin City (2005)/Southbound (2015)

Join us on this thrilling episode of 'Literary License Podcast' as we delve deep into the mystique and intriguing world of anthologies. Our delightful chat navigates through the classic and contemporary representations of anthologies, focusing on the acclaimed 2005 neo-noir crime anthology film, Sin City and the 2015 horror anthology, Southbound.
Packed with humor, insightful discussions, and profound observations, we dissect the narrative of 'Sin City' with its raw emotion, dramatization, and unique color processing, applauding performances by Jessica Alba, Mickey Rourke, and Bruce Willis. We also dissect its comic book origins and reflect upon the professional journeys of these Hollywood veterans.
The conversation takes a chilling turn as we transition to Southbound, an otherworldly anthology film that leaves a haunting impression. We unfold the impeccable blend of horror tropes and creative narrative twists, and take a deep dive into its intriguing concept of karmic retribution. From discussing monstrous creations to memorable moments that induce a purgatory-like ambience, Southbound is enthusiastically appreciated on this podcast episode.
Whether you're a film enthusiast or a casual listener, join us as we travel down this captivating path of anthologies, deconstructing one alluring story at a time. Tune in to our deep discussions on 'Sin City' and 'Southbound', and stay glued for the upcoming episodes exploring the timeless classics and contemporary thrills in the world of horror and drama.

Iron Giant, Monster House & A Tribute to David J. Skal

Join a riveting journey with the hosts of the Literary License Podcast, as Season 7 takes a thrilling dive into the darker aspects of family films in the 'Dark Families Week' episode. In this episode, hosts Keith Chawgo, Joe Randazzo, and Vicky Ray analyze popular family favorites such as "Iron Giant" and "Monster House", while weaving in personal anecdotes and experiences.
Journey through Joe Randazzo's rollercoaster winter travel experience to celebrate his nephew's birthday, reminding us of the value of family ties. Vicky Ray shares her home renovation plans and discusses Nefarious, a captivating thriller. Keith pays tribute to David J. Skal, a significant figure in horror genre research, praising his contributions to the genre.
The episode then transitions to dissecting the film "The Iron Giant", providing fascinating insights into its development, storyline, themes, animation style and even the impact of the film on its audience. Then, it switches gears to the eerie tale of "Monster House", discussing the charming storyline, animation style, and the relatable characters of the movie.
In this engaging conversation, our hosts not only review these classic animations, but also discuss different elements from the film industry and touch upon their relevance in today's cinema history. From contemplating the future of animation to in-depth film rating sessions, this episode offers unique perspectives that every animation and horror film enthusiast will appreciate.

Season 7: Episode 346 - BATMAN: The Worry Men/Sideshow/A Bullet for Bullock/The Trial

The Worry Men
 
Wealthy socialite Veronica Vreeland returns from Central America bringing tiny handmade dolls for all her friends.  According to native legend, once placed under a pillow the dolls do the sleeper’s worrying for them.  Unknown to Veronica or her guests, each of the dolls contains a tiny microchip which plants hypnotic suggestions inside the sleeper’s brains, even Bruce’s. 
 
Sideshow
 
Enroute to an upstate prison, Killer Croc escapes and leads Batman on a dangerous chase through the wilderness.  After throwing Batman temporarily off his trail, the reptile-man takes refuge with a group0 of retired circus freaks and convinces them to help him.  When Batman arrives, Croc and the freaks band together to capture him. 
 
A Bullet For Bullock
 
Someone has put a hit out on Gotham’s toughest cop, Harvey Bullock.  After surviving several near misses, Bullock realises he has no choice but to reluctantly ask Batman to help him discover who is behind the murder attempts.  During their investigation Bullock learns that his gruff and mean-spirited manner has created enemies in the unlikeliest of people. 
 
Trial
 
Gotham’s deadliest criminals, The Joker, Two-Faced, Mad Hatter, The Ventriloquist, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy among many others, kidnap Batman and put him on trial in Arkham Asylum.  The Dark Knight’s only hope rests with District Attorney Janet Van Dorn who, despite her anti-Batman stance, is forced to defend the Caped Crusader’s life as well as her own. 
 
Opening Credits; Introduction (.56); Episode One:  The Worry Men (49.50); Episode Two:  Sideshow (59.22); Episode Three:  A Bullet For Bollocks (1:08.26); Episode Four:  The Trial (1:15.15); Favourite Episode (1:20.40); End Credits (1:33.20); Closing Credits (1:34.03)
 
Opening Credits– Epidemic Sound – Copyright . All rights reserved
 
Closing Credits:  Let It Go by Luba.  From the album 9 ½ Weeks Motion Picture Soundtrack.  Copyright 1986 Capitol Records
​
Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast. 
 
All rights reserved.  Used by Kind Permission.
 
All songs available through Amazon Music.

Season 7: Episode 345 - ONCE UPON A TIME: Watership Down (R Adams)/(Film: 1978)

Watership Down is an adventure novel by English author Richard Adams, published by Rex Collings Ltd of London in 1972. Set in Hampshire in southern England, the story features a small group of rabbits. Although they live in their natural wild environment, with burrows, they are anthropomorphised, possessing their own culture, language, proverbs, poetry, and mythology. Evoking epic themes, the novel follows the rabbits as they escape the destruction of their warren and seek a place to establish a new home (the hill of Watership Down), encountering perils and temptations along the way.
 
Watership Down was Richard Adams' debut novel. It was rejected by several publishers before Collings accepted the manuscript; the published book then won the annual Carnegie Medal (UK), annual Guardian Prize (UK), and other book awards. The novel was adapted into an animated feature film in 1978 and, from 1999 to 2001, an animated children's television series. In 2018, a drama of the story was made, which both aired in the UK and was made available on Netflix.
 
Adams completed a sequel almost 25 years later, in 1996, Tales from Watership Down, constructed as a collection of 19 short stories about El-ahrairah and the rabbits of the Watership Down warren.
 
 
Watership Down is a 1978 British animated adventure-drama film, written, produced and directed by Martin Rosen and based on the 1972 novel by Richard Adams.  It was financed by a consortium of British financial institutions and was distributed by Cinema International Corporation in the United Kingdom. Released on 19 October 1978, the film was an immediate success and it became the sixth-most popular film of 1979 at the UK box office.
 
It features the voices of John Hurt, Richard Briers, Harry Andrews, Simon Cadell, Nigel Hawthorne and Roy Kinnear, among others, and was the last film work of Zero Mostel, as the voice of Kehaar the gull. The musical score was by Angela Morley and Malcolm Williamson. Art Garfunkel's hit song "Bright Eyes" was written by songwriter Mike Batt. It has garnered a cult following.
 
 
Opening Credits; Introduction (1.21); Background History (20.15); Watership Down Plot Synopsis (21.57); Book Thoughts (29.16); Let's Rate (50.29); Introducing a Film (52.51); Watership Down Film Trailer (1978) (56.13); Lights, Camera, Action (59.36); How Many Stars (1:40.44); End Credits (1:44.27); Closing Credits (1:45.25)
 
Opening Credits– Epidemic Sound – Copyright . All rights reserved
 
Closing Credits:  Bright Eyes from Watership Down by Art Garfunkel.  Taken from the album Fate for Breakfast.  Copyright 1978 Columbia Records. 
 
Incidental Music:  Music from Watership Down by Angela Morley.  Available on the Watership Down 1978 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.  Copyright 1978 Vocation Records.
​
Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast. 
 
All rights reserved.  Used by Kind Permission.
 
All songs available through Amazon Music.

Season 7: Episode 344 - Make/REMAKE: The Lion King (1994)/The Lion King (2019)

The Lion King is a 1994 American animated musical drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 32nd Disney animated feature film and the fifth produced during the Disney Renaissance, it is inspired by William Shakespeare's Hamlet with elements from the Biblical stories of Joseph and Moses and Disney's 1942 film Bambi. The film was directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff (in their feature directorial debuts) and produced by Don Hahn, from a screenplay written by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton. The film features an ensemble voice cast that includes Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Rowan Atkinson, and Robert Guillaume. Its original songs were written by composer Elton John and lyricist Tim Rice, with a score by Hans Zimmer.
 
The film has led to many derived works, such as a Broadway adaptation in 1997; two direct-to-video follow-ups—the sequel, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998), and the prequel/parallel, The Lion King 1½ (2004); two television series, Timon and Pumbaa and The Lion Guard; and a photorealistic remake in 2019, which also became the highest-grossing animated film at the time of its release. In 2016, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".  The Lion King is the first Disney film to have been dubbed in Zulu, the only African language aside from Arabic to have been used for a feature-length Disney dub.
 
 
The Lion King is a 2019 American musical drama film directed and co-produced by Jon Favreau, written by Jeff Nathanson, and produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Fairview Entertainment. It is a photorealistic computer-animated remake of Disney's traditionally animated 1994 film of the same name. The film stars the voices of Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Alfre Woodard, Billy Eichner, John Kani, John Oliver, Florence Kasumba, Eric André, Keegan-Michael Key, JD McCrary, Shahadi Wright Joseph, with Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, and James Earl Jones reprising his role from the original film.
 
Plans for a remake of 1994's The Lion King were confirmed in September 2016 with Favreau attached to directed following box office successes for Disney remakes such as The Jungle Book (2016), which was also directed by Favreau. Disney hired Nathanson to write the screenplay in October 2016. Favreau was inspired by certain roles of characters in the Broadway adaptation and developed upon elements of the original film's story. Much of the main cast signed in early 2017, and principal photography began in mid-2017 on a blue screen stage in Los Angeles. The "virtual-reality tools" utilized in The Jungle Book's cinematography were used to a greater degree during filming of The Lion King. Composers Hans Zimmer, Elton John, and lyricist Tim Rice, all of whom worked on the original's soundtrack, returned to compose the score alongside Knowles-Carter, who assisted John in the reworking of the soundtrack and wrote a new song for the film, titled "Spirit", which she also performed. The film serves as the final credit for editor Mark Livolsi, and it is dedicated to his memory. With an estimated budget of around $260 million, The Lion King is one of the most expensive films ever made.
 
Opening Credits; Introduction (.37); Background History (1:02.08); The Lion King (19940 Trailer (1;05.30); The Original (1:06.41); Let's Rate (1:51.58); INTERMISSON:  (1:56.58) Introducing a Film (2:07.01); The Lion King (2019) Film Trailer (2:04.06); Lights, Camera, Action (2:05.51); How Many Stars (2:43.21); End Credits (2:58.34); Closing Credits (2:59.34)
 
Opening Credits– Epidemic Sound – Copyright . All rights reserved.
 
Intermission Music:  He Lives In You (Reprise) – Ensemble – The Lion King, Jason Raize and Tsidii Le Loka.  Taken from the album The Lion King, The Original Broadway Cast Album.  Copyright 1997 Walt Disney Records.  .
 
Closing Credits:  Shadowlands by Shadowland · Heather Headley · Tsidii Le Loka · Ensemble - The Lion King.  Taken from The Lion King, The Original Broadway Cast Album.  Copyright 1997 Walt Disney Records. 
​
Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast. 
 
Interval Music:  The Lion King Original Broadway Cast.  Copyright 1997 Walt Disney Records.
 
All rights reserved.  Used by Kind Permission.
 
All songs available through Amazon Music.

Season 7: Episode 343 - ANTHOLOGY: A Christmas Horror Story (2015)/Tales From The Crypt (1972)

A Christmas Horror Story is a 2015 Canadian anthology horror film directed by Grant Harvey, Steven Hoban, and Brett Sullivan.  It premiered on July 20, 2015, at the Fantasia International Film Festival and had a limited theatrical release on October 2, 2015, along with a VOD release.  The film is a series of interwoven stories tied together by a framework story featuring William Shatner as a radio DJ.
 
 
Tales from the Crypt is a 1972 British horror film directed by Freddie Francis. It is an anthology film consisting of five separate segments, based on stories from EC Comics. It was produced by Amicus Productions and filmed at Shepperton Studios.
 
In the film, five strangers (Joan Collins, Ian Hendry, Robin Phillips, Richard Greene and Nigel Patrick) in a crypt encounter the mysterious Crypt Keeper (Ralph Richardson), who makes each person in turn foresee the possible manner of their death. It is one of several Amicus horror anthologies produced during the 1970s.
 
 
Opening Credits; Introduction (2.41); Background History (54.21); A Christmas Horror Story (2015) Trailer (55.24); Take One (57.13); Let's Rate (1:38.51); Introducing a Film (1:43.14); Tales From the Crypt (1972)  Film Trailer (1:45.07); Lights, Camera, Action (1:47.00); How Many Stars (3:04.06); End Credits (3:08.34); Closing Credits (3:09.45)
 
 
Opening Credits– Alex Kashadian – Copyright 2015. All rights reserved
 
Closing Credits:  Elf’s Lament by Barenaked Ladies (featuring Michael Buble).  Taken from the album Barenaked For The Holidays.  Copyright 2004 Desperation Records
​
Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast. 
 
All rights reserved.  Used by Kind Permission.
 
All songs available through Amazon Music.

Season 7: Episode 342 - DOCTOR WHO: Christmas Edition: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a British children's television drama first broadcast by the BBC in 1988.   It was the first series of The Chronicles of Narnia that ran from 1988 to 1990.​
 
Narnia is the home of the great lion Aslan. During his long absence, his arch-enemy, the evil White Witch places Narnia in an eternal winter. However, with the return of Aslan and the arrival of the four Pevensie children, the Narnians are given a hope to end the tyranny of the Witch.
 
Opening Credits; Introduction (1.22); The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe 1988 BBC Trailer (2.24); Lights, Camera, Action (3.02); How Many Stars (16.18); End Credits (18.09); Closing Credits (19.02)
 
Opening Credits– Epidemic Sound – Copyright . All rights reserved
 
Closing Credits:  A Merry Christmas at Grandmother’s by Danny Kaye and The Andrew Sisters.  Taken from the Album Christmas Cheer.  Copyright 1950 Decca Records.
Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast. 
 
All rights reserved.  Used by Kind Permission.
 
All songs available through Amazon Music.
 

Season 7: Episode 341 - DOCTOR WHO: Mission into the Unknown/The Myth Makers

Mission To The Unknown  9 October 1965   The only standalone regular episode of the show's original run, it serves as an introduction to the 12-part story The Daleks' Master Plan. It is notable for the complete absence of the regular cast and the TARDIS; it is the only serial in the show's history not to feature the Doctor at all, although William Hartnell was still credited on-screen. The story focuses on Space Security Agent Marc Cory (Edward de Souza) and his attempts to warn Earth of the Daleks' plan to take over the Solar System.  The Myth Makers  16 October -  6 November 1965     Based on Homer's Iliad, the First Doctor (William Hartnell) and his travelling companions Vicki (Maureen O'Brien) and Steven (Peter Purves) land in Troy during the Trojan War. The Doctor is captured by the Greeks and forced to formulate a plan for taking the city, while Steven and Vicki are captured by the Trojans and forced to devise a means of banishing the Greeks; the latter duo meet Katarina (Adrienne Hill), who becomes a companion by the serial's end.  
 
Opening Credits; Introduction (.37); Introduction of Mission To The Unknown (6.28); Mission to the Unknown Synopsis (7.21); Story Thoughts (9.24); Let's Rate (21.30); The Myth Makers Plot Synopsis  (23.49); Lights, Camera, Action (27.15); How Many Stars (34.05); End Credits (36.17); Closing Credits (37.15)  
 
Opening Credits– Epidemic Sound – Copyright . All rights reserved  
 
Closing Credits:  Snoopy’s Christmas vs The Red Baron by The Royal Guardsmen.  Taken from the Album Snoopy and His Friends.  Copyright 1967 Laurie Records.
 
Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast.  
 
All rights reserved.  Used by Kind Permission.  
 
All songs available through Amazon Music.

Season 7: Episode 340 - 2 For One: The Music Man (1962)/Island of Love (1963)

The Music Man is a 1962 American musical film directed and produced by Morton DaCosta, based on Meredith Willson's 1957 Broadway musical of the same name, which DaCosta also directed. Robert Preston reprises the title role from the stage version, starring alongside Shirley Jones, Buddy Hackett, Hermione Gingold, Ronny Howard, and Paul Ford.
 
Released by Warner Bros. on June 19, 1962, the film was one of the biggest hits of the year and was widely acclaimed by critics. It was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, with composer Ray Heindorf winning Best Music, Scoring of Music, Adaptation or Treatment. The film also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, and Preston and Jones were both nominated in their respective acting categories. In 2005, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
 
Island of Love is a 1963 American comedy film directed by Morton DaCosta and written by David R. Schwartz. The film stars Robert Preston, Tony Randall, Giorgia Moll, Walter Matthau, Betty Bruce and Vassili Lambrinos. The film was released by Warner Bros. on June 12, 1963.
 
Opening Credits; Introduction (1.22); Background History (37.48); The Music Man (1962) Film Trailer (38.58); Our Feature Presentation (39.47); Let's Rate (1:07.13); Introducing Our Next Feature (1:11.47); Island of Love (1963) Background Footage (1:12.40; Lights, Camera, Action (1:14.05); How Many Stars (2:23.54); End Credits (2:33.51); Closing Credits (2:35.10)
 
Opening Credits– Epidemic Sound – Copyright . All rights reserved
 
Closing Credits:  Once Upon A Christmas Song by Peter Kay introducing Geraldine McQueen.  Copyright 2008 Peter Kay and Gary Barlow
​
Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast. 
 
All rights reserved.  Used by Kind Permission.
 
All songs available through Amazon Music.

Season 7: Episode 339 - BATMAN: Demon’s Quest Part 1 & 2/Fire On Olympus/Read My Lips

The Demon’s Quest Part 1
 
When Robin is mysteriously abducted from his college campus, Batman begins a fruitless search…until he is astounded by the sudden appearance in the Batcave of Ra’s Al Ghul.  Ra’s quickly reveals that his daughter, Talia, has been abducted under circumstances similar to Robin’s, suggesting that the same persons are responsible.  So begins an uneasy truce between the Batman and ‘The Demon’.
 
The Demon’s Quest Part 2
 
After learning the secret of Ra’s al Ghul’s immortality, Batman and Robin escape from a death trap and follow the only clue they have to stop Ra’s plans – the world ‘Orpheus’.  After discovering the ‘Orpheus’ is Ra’s private satellite that will orbit over the Sahara, the duo travel to Demon’s desert stronghold.  There, Batman learns that the satellite is actually a weapon which will explosively destroy all the Lazarus Pits simultaneously, throughout the world, changing the eco-system and returning Earth to is original natural state.
 
​
Fire From Olympus
 
Believing himself to be the reincarnation of the Greek God Zeus, mad shipping magnate Maxie Zeus hijacks an experimental electron cannon.  Mounting the weapon atop his penthouse, Maxie plans to rain ‘lightning bolts’ down on the wicked mortals of Gotham City.
 
Read My Lips
 
Gotham Police are baffled by a series of crimes executed with clockwork-like precision.  Batman investigates and discovers that the crimes are planned by a mob boss known as Scarface.  He traces Scarface to his lair – a deserted mannequin warehouse – and discovers, to his astonishment, that the crime czar is a wooden dummy, manipulated by a mild-mannered man called the Ventriloquist mortals of Gotham City.
 
Opening Credits; Introduction (2.49); Episode One:  Demon’s Quest Part 1 & 2 (24.06); Episode Two:  Fire From Olympus (50.47); Episode Three:  Read My Lips (1:01.32); Favourite Episode (1:18.07); I End Credits (1:30.32); Closing Credits (1:32.16)
 
Opening Credits– Donde Esta Santa Clause by Augie Roos.  Taken from the album Maybe This Christmas Too.  Copyright 1958 Ragtime Music
 
Closing Credits:  Do You Hear What I Hear/You Really Got Me by Bobby Lloyd and the Skeltons.  Taken from the album A Christmas Party at Eddie G.  Copyright 1996. Strikin’ It Rich Records. 
​
Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast. 
 
All rights reserved.  Used by Kind Permission.
 
All songs available through Amazon Music.

Season 7: Episode 338 - ONCE UPON A TIME: Auntie Mame (P Dennis)/(Film: 1958)

Auntie Mame: An Irreverent Escapade is a 1955 novel by American author Patrick Dennis chronicling the madcap adventures of a boy, Patrick, growing up as the ward of his Aunt Mame Dennis, the sister of his dead father.
 
The book is often described as having been inspired by Dennis' real-life eccentric aunt, Marion Tanner, whose life and outlook mirrored those of Mame, but Dennis denied the connection. The novel was a runaway bestseller, setting records on the New York Times bestseller list, with more than 2 million copies in print during its initial publication. It became the basis of a stage play, a film, a stage musical, and a film musical.
 
In 1958, Dennis wrote a sequel titled Around the World with Auntie Mame.
 
Auntie Mame is a 1958 American Technirama Technicolor comedy film based on the 1955 novel of the same name by Edward Everett Tanner III (under the pseudonym Patrick Dennis) and its 1956 theatrical adaptation by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee. This film version stars Rosalind Russell and was directed by Morton DaCosta. It is not to be confused with a musical version of the same story that appeared on Broadway in 1966 and was later made into a 1974 film, Mame, starring Lucille Ball as the title character.
 
Opening Credits; Introduction (2.21); Background History (15.30); Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis Plot Synopsis (17.01); Book Thoughts (21.56); Let's Rate (39.06); Introducing a Film (41.18); Auntie Mame (1958) Film Trailer (42.25); Lights, Camera, Action (45.31); How Many Stars (1:13.28); End Credits (1.18.01); Closing Credits (1:20.07)
 
Opening Credits– Jingle Bells by Ella Fitzgerald.  Taken from the album Ella’s Swinging Christmas.  Copyright 1960 Verve Records.  All rights reserved.
 
Incidental Music:  Auntie Mame Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.  Music by Ray Heindorf and His Orchestra.  Copyright 1958 Master Classics Records.
 
Closing Credits:  We Need A Little Christmas by Angela Lansbury, Frankie Michals, Sab Saminino- Original Broadway Cast.  From the album Mame Original Broadway Recording.  Copyright 1966 Columbia Master Works Records. 
​
Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast. 
 
All rights reserved.  Used by Kind Permission.
 
All songs available through Amazon Music.

Season 7: Episode 337 - ANTHOLOGY: The Uncanny (1977)/Stephen King’s Cat’s Eye (1985)

The Uncanny is a 1977 British-Canadian anthology horror film directed by Denis Héroux, written by Michel Parry, and starring Peter Cushing, Donald Pleasence, Ray Milland, Joan Greenwood, Donald Pilon, Samantha Eggar, and John Vernon.
 
Although it is similar to the horror anthologies released by Amicus Productions and could be mistaken as one, it was actually distributed by The Rank Organisation. However, the co-producer was Milton Subotsky of Amicus.
 
Cat's Eye (also known as Stephen King's Cat's Eye) is a 1985 American anthology horror thriller film directed by Lewis Teague and written by Stephen King. It comprises three stories, "Quitters, Inc.", "The Ledge", and "General". The first two are adaptations of short stories in King's 1978 Night Shift collection, and the third is unique to the film. The three stories are connected only by the presence of a traveling cat, which plays an incidental role in the first two and is a major character of the third.
 
Its cast includes Drew Barrymore, James Woods, Alan King, Robert Hays and Candy Clark.
 
Opening Credits; Introduction (1.00); Background History (41.36); The Uncanny (1977) Trailer (42.08); Feature Presentation (44.37); Let's Rate (1:21.14); Introducing the Second Feature (1:35.49); Cat’s Eye (1989) Trailer (1:37.12); Lights, Camera, Action (1:38.34); How Many Stars (2:08.26); End Credits (2:26.00); Closing Credits (2:27.28)
 
Opening Credits– Epidemic Sound – Copyright . All rights reserved
 
Closing Credits:  Like A Cat by Cyndi Lauper.  From the album A Night To Remember. Copyright 1989 Epic Records
 
Incidental Music:  Cat’s Eye Soundtrack by Alan Silvestri.  From the album Stephen King’s Cat Eyes Motion Picture Soundtrack.  Copyright 1985 Varese Sarabande.
​
Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast. 
 
All rights reserved.  Used by Kind Permission.
 
All songs available through Amazon Music.

Season 7: Episode 336 - DOCTOR WHO: The Time Meddler/Galaxy 4

The Time Meddler
​
3 – 24 July 1965
 
Set in Northumbria in 1066, before the Battle of Stamford Bridge, the serial features the time traveller the First Doctor (William Hartnell) and his companions Vicki (Maureen O'Brien) and Steven Taylor (Peter Purves) as they attempt to outwit the time traveller the Monk (Peter Butterworth), who is plotting to change the course of European history by wiping out King Harald Hardrada's Viking invasion fleet, leaving Harold Godwinson and the Saxon soldiers fresh to defeat William of Normandy and the Norman soldiers at the Battle of Hastings.
​
Galaxy 4
 
11 September – 2 October 1965
 
The First Doctor (William Hartnell) and his travelling companions Vicki (Maureen O'Brien) and Steven (Peter Purves) arrive on an arid planet, where they encounter the beautiful but dangerous Drahvins and the hideous but friendly Rills, two crash-landed species in conflict with one another. Both species wish to escape as the planet is set to explode in two dawns, but the Drahvin leader Maaga (Stephanie Bidmead) only wants her people to make it out alive.
 
 
Opening Credits; Introduction (.44); Background History (7.15); The Time Meddler Synopsis (8.15); Discussing the Story (12.16); Let's Rate (24.36); Introducing Our Next Story 25.11); Galaxy 4 Synopsis (25.52); Lights, Camera, Action (28.46); How Many Stars (39.07); End Credits (39.51); Closing Credits (41.05)
 
Opening Credits– Epidemic Sound – Copyright . All rights reserved
 
Closing Credits:  Female of the Species by SPACE  Taken from the album Spiders.  Copyright 1996 GUT Records
​
Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast. 
 
All rights reserved.  Used by Kind Permission.
 
All songs available through Amazon Music.

Season 7: Episode 335 - DARK FAMILIES: The Breadwinner (2017)/The House With The Clock In Its Walls (2018)

The Breadwinner is a 2017 animated drama film from Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon directed by Nora Twomey. Based on the best-selling novel by Deborah Ellis, the film was an international co-production between Canada, the Republic of Ireland and Luxembourg, and received a limited release on 17 November 2017.
 
The film had its world premiere at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival in September. The Breadwinner received a nomination for Best Animated Feature at the 90th Academy Awards but lost to Coco.
 
The House with a Clock in Its Walls is a 2018 American fantasy comedy film directed by Eli Roth, based on the 1973 novel of the same name by John Bellairs. It stars Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, Owen Vaccaro, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Sunny Suljic, and Kyle MacLachlan. The film follows a young boy, Lewis, who is sent to live with his uncle, Jonathan, in a creaky, old house. He soon learns it was previously inhabited by a villainous warlock. Universal Pictures released the film in the United States on September 21, 2018. It was a box office success, grossing over $131 million worldwide and received mostly positive reviews from critics who largely praised the cast, but said the film did not fully live up to its potential.
 
 
Opening Credits; Introduction (1.22; Background History (37.50); The Breadwinner (2017) Trailer (38.37); Discussing Our Opening Feature (40.16); Let's Rate (1:44.34); Introducing Our Second Presentation (1:45.53); The House With The Clock In Its Walls (2018) Trailer (1:47.00); Lights, Camera, Action (1:49.06); How Many Stars (2:26.56); End Credits (2:36.02); Closing Credits (2:37.57)
 
Opening Credits– Epidemic Sound – Copyright . All rights reserved
 
Closing Credits:  I Still Believe Me by Deborah Allen and Erica Gimble.  From the album Kids From Fame.  Copyright 1982 RCA Records
​
Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast. 
 
All rights reserved.  Used by Kind Permission.
 
All songs available through Amazon Music.
 

Season 7: Episode 334 - BATMAN: Shadow of the Bat Pt 1&2/Blind As A Bat/His Silicon Soul

Shadow of the Bat Part 1
 
When Commissioner Gordon is framed for taking bribes from Rupert Thorne, his daughter Barbara pleads with Batman to show up at a rally being put on in the commissioner’s behalf.  But when Batman disappears after finding the person behind the frame-up.  Barbara takes matters into her own hands as Batgirl.
 
Shadow of the Bat Part 2
 
Batman has been captured by Two-Face and his gang, leaving Robin to do the investigating behind Commissioner Gordan’s framing.  However, Robin will find an unusual partner in Batgirl, who is also on the path to clear her father’s name and the information she has uncovered about acting commissioner Gil Mason will help them on their quest. 
 
Blind As A Bat
 
In the course of stealing a high-tech military aircraft called the Raven, the Penguin injures Bruce Wayne, causing temporary blindness.  But Batman refuses to sit back while Penguin holds the city hostage, and dons and experimental headset that will allow him to “see” while the battery holds out.
 
In an intense sky battle that ends with a crash landing, Batman manages to foil the Penquin’s scheme – but his faltering gear leaves him blind once more, attempting to hear his way through a violent confrontation with a muscle-bound good and ultimately the fowl fiend himself.
 
His Silcone Soul
 
When a Batman impersonator appears in Gotham City, the real Batman deduces that Karl Rossum is somehow involved and confronts the inventor.  The other Batman, a duplicate, then shows up and a battle between the two takes place.  After the duplicate Batman escapes, it begins its campaign to recreate H.A.R.D.A.C’s goals of a robotic society.
 
 
Opening Credits; Introduction (.56); Shadow of the Bat Part 1 & 2 (41.51); Blind As A Bat (55.54); His Silicon Soul (1:14.49); Favourite Episode (1:31.05); End Credits (1:33.14); Closing Credits (1:35.11)
 
Opening Credits– Epidemic Sound – Copyright . All rights reserved
 
Closing Credits:  She’s A Lady by Tom Jones.  Taken from the album Tom Jones Sings She’s A Lady.  Copyright 1971 Decca Records/Parrot Records
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Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast. 
 
All rights reserved.  Used by Kind Permission.
 
All songs available through Amazon Music.
 

Season 7: Episode 333 - ONCE UPON A TIME: Mrs Frisby & The Rats of NIMH/Secret of NIMH (1982)

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH is a 1971 children's science fiction/fantasy book by Robert C. O'Brien, with illustrations by Zena Bernstein. The novel was published by the New York City publishing house Atheneum Books.
 
This book was the winner of numerous awards including the 1972 Newbery Medal.   Ten years following its publication, the story was adapted for film as The Secret of NIMH (1982).
 
The novel centres around a colony of escaped lab rats–the rats of NIMH–who live in a technologically sophisticated and literate society mimicking that of humans. They come to the aid of Mrs. Frisby, a widowed field mouse who seeks to protect her children and home from destruction by a farmer’s plow.
 
The rats of NIMH were inspired by the research of John B. Calhoun on mouse and rat population dynamics at the National Institute of Mental Health from the 1940s to the 1960s.
 
After O’Brien’s death in 1973, his daughter Jane Leslie Conly wrote two sequels to Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH.
 
The Secret of NIMH is a 1982 American animated fantasy adventure film directed by Don Bluth in his directorial debut and based on Robert C. O'Brien's 1971 children's novel, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. The film features the voices of Elizabeth Hartman, Peter Strauss, Arthur Malet, Dom DeLuise, John Carradine, Derek Jacobi, Hermione Baddeley, and Paul Shenar. It was produced by Bluth's production company Don Bluth Productions in association with Aurora Productions.
 
The Secret of NIMH was released in the United States on July 2, 1982, by MGM/UA Entertainment Co. under the United Artists label. It was praised by critics for its elegant and painstakingly detailed animation, compelling characters, and deep and mature plot, and won a Saturn Award for Best Animated Film of 1982. Though only a moderate success at the box office, it turned a solid profit through home video and overseas releases. It was followed in 1998 by a direct-to-video sequel, The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue, which was made without Bluth's involvement or input and met with poor reception. In 2015, a live-action/computer-animated remake was reported to be in the works. A television series adaptation is also in development by the Fox Corporation.
 
 
Opening Credits; Introduction (1.21); Background History (4.50); Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH Plot Synopsis (6.15); Book Thoughts (11.37); Let's Rate (42.18); Introducing a Film (44.01); Secret of NIMH (1982) Film Trailer (46.00); Lights, Camera, Action (48.33); How Many Stars (1:33.30); End Credits (1.35.41); Closing Credits (1:37.18)
 
Opening Credits– Epidemic Sound – Copyright . All rights reserved
 
Closing Credits:  Flying Dreams (from The Secret of NIMH) by Kenny Loggins featuring Olivia Newton-John.  Taken from the album More Songs from Pooh’s Corner.  Copyright 2000 Sony Records. 
​
Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast. 
 
All rights reserved.  Used by Kind Permission.
 
All songs available through Amazon Music.
 

Season 7: Episode 332 - ANTHOLOGIES: Trick ’R Treat (2009)/Tales of Halloween (2015)

Trick 'r Treat is a 2007 American anthology horror comedy film written and directed by Michael Dougherty and produced by Bryan Singer. The film stars Dylan Baker, Rochelle Aytes, Anna Paquin and Brian Cox. It relates four Halloween horror stories with a common element in them: Sam, a trick-or-treating demon wearing orange footie pajamas with a burlap sack over his head. The character makes an appearance in each of the stories whenever one of the other characters breaks a Halloween tradition.
 
Despite being delayed for two years and having only a limited number of screenings at film festivals, the film received much critical acclaim and has since garnered a strong cult following.
 
Tales of Halloween is a 2015 American comedy horror anthology film consisting of ten interlocking segments, each revolving around the titular holiday. Segments were directed by Neil Marshall, Darren Lynn Bousman, Axelle Carolyn, Lucky McKee, Andrew Kasch, Paul Solet, John Skipp, Adam Gierasch, Jace Anderson, Mike Mendez, Ryan Schifrin, Dave Parker and, in his film debut, Jack Dylan Grazer.
 
The film premiered on July 24, 2015, at the Fantasia International Film Festival, before receiving a limited theatrical release and through video on demand on October 16, 2015, by Epic Pictures.
 
Opening Credits; Introduction (1.00); Background History (43.50); Trick ‘R Treat (2009) Film Trailer (45.33); Featuring the Presentation (48.07); Let's Rate (1:19.42); Introducing a Film (1:26.34); Tales of Halloween (2015) Film Trailer (1:26.57); Lights, Camera, Action (1:29.02); How Many Stars (2:08.17); End Credits (2:18.01); Closing Credits (2:20.35)
 
Opening Credits– Epidemic Sound – Copyright . All rights reserved
 
Closing Credits:  Everyday Is Halloween by LVCRFT, From the album V. Copyright 2023 Spooky Never Sleeps
 
Buy the Track or Album Here:  Everyday Is Halloween | LVCRFT (bandcamp.com)
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Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast. 
 
All rights reserved.  Used by Kind Permission.
 
All songs available through Amazon Music.

Season 7: Episode 331 - DOCTOR WHO: The Space Museum/The Chase

The Space Museum
​
24 April – 15 May 1965
 
 
The First Doctor (William Hartnell) and his travelling companions Ian Chesterton (William Russell), Barbara Wright (Jacqueline Hill), and Vicki (Maureen O'Brien) arrive in a Space Museum on the planet Xeros, where they seek to change their fate after seeing themselves turned into museum exhibits in the future. They also become entangled in a conflict between the militaristic Moroks who run the museum, and the servile indigenous Xerons who work for them.
​
The Chase
 
22 May – 26 June 1965
 
 
The First Doctor (William Hartnell) and his companions Ian Chesterton (William Russell), Barbara Wright (Jacqueline Hill), and Vicki (Maureen O'Brien)—to kill them and seize the TARDIS for themselves. The Doctor and companions encounter several characters, including monsters Dracula (Malcolm Rogers) and Frankenstein's monster (John Maxim), human astronaut Steven Taylor (Peter Purves), and an android replica of the Doctor (Edmund Warwick).
 
 
Opening Credits; Introduction (.44); Introducing The Space Museum  (4.35); The Space Museum  Plot Synopsis (5.09); Discussing the Episode (7.43); Favourite Moments (12.26); Let's Rate (14.20); Introducing The Chase (16.25); The Chase Plot Synopsis (17.01); Lights, Camera, Action (20.11); How Many Stars (29.19); End Credits (30.37); Closing Credits (32.41)
 
Opening Credits– Epidemic Sound – Copyright . All rights reserved
 
Closing Credits:  Say Goodbye by S Club 7.  From the album Best:  The Greatest Hits of S Club 7. Copyright 2003 Polydor – 19
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Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast. 
 
All rights reserved.  Used by Kind Permission.
 
All songs available through Amazon Music.

Season 7: Episode 330 - DARK FAMILIES: Kuntilanak (2018)/The Hole (2009)

Kuntilanak is a 2018 Indonesian horror film directed by Rizal Mantovani and written by Alim Sudio.  The plot revolves around five children who find a mirror in their orphanage. The mirror contains a ghost that kidnaps children and imprisons them inside it.
 
The Hole is a 2009 American 3D dark fantasy horror film directed by Joe Dante and starring Chris Massoglia, Haley Bennett, Nathan Gamble, Bruce Dern, and Teri Polo. The film follows Dane and Lucas Thompson, two brothers who move into their new house in Bensenville with their single mother, Susan. While settling in their new home, Dane and Lucas, along with their new neighbor, Julie Campbell, discover a trap door in the basement, leading to a bottomless pit and, upon opening it, accidentally unleash a supernatural force that manifests itself into any fear of the person who looks into the hole.
 
 
Opening Credits; Introduction (1.22); Background History (35.05); Kuntilanak (2018) Film Trailer (35.55); Now We Present (37.06); Let's Rate (1:02.15); Introducing a Film (1:14.57); The Hole (2009) Film Trailer (1: 16.00); Lights, Camera, Action (1:17.36); How Many Stars (1:43.22); End Credits (1:50.51); Closing Credits (1:52.42)
 
Opening Credits– Epidemic Sound – Copyright . All rights reserved
 
Closing Credits:  Don’t Let The Lights Go Out by Panic At The Disco.  Taken from the album Viva La Vengeance.  Copyright 2022 Fuelled by Ramen and DCD2 Records.
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Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast. 
 
All rights reserved.  Used by Kind Permission.
 
All songs available through Amazon Music.

Season 7: Episode 329 - BATMAN: Paging the Crime Doctor/Zatana/The Mechanic/Harley and Ivy

Paging The Crime Doctor
 
Dr Matthew Thorne, a formerly respectable surgeon who lost his license after sheltering his brother Rupert Thorne from the police and once a friend of Dr Thomas Wayne and Leslie Thompkins, is reduced to acting as a mob doctor.  When Rupert is critically injured, his brother coerces Leslie to assist with the surgery.  But the recovering mob boss wants no witnesses, and Mathew is forced to decide where his real loyalties lie. 
 
Zatanna
 
Zatanna was the daughter of Zatara, an excellent magician who taught Bruce Wayne, under the name of “John Smith”, everything he knows about escape artistry and “magic”.  Zatara was a world renowned magician and was considered quite possibly the best in his field.  He also passed on his teachings to his only child, a daughter named Zatanna.  Zatanna gained her talent from her father and became an excellent magician herself.
 
She also had a romantic relationship with Bruce, despite never knowing his real name.  Zatanna always had close ties with Bruce Wayne, although Bruce was cautious of this relationship by never giving her his real name.
 
Years later in a show in Gotham City, she made the contents of the Gotham Mint disappear to show up magic debunker Montaque Kane.  Unfortunately for her, Kane had not only seen through her trick, but was a thief, and stole the money while framing her for the crime.  She was freed from custody and assisted Batman in bringing Kane to justice.
 
After their collaboration with Batman, she eventually recognised him as her old friend from long ago.  she then told Batman that Zatara, who had passed away by this stage would have been proud of him, putting his arts to use in fighting crime.
 
 
The Mechanic
 
Thanks to a freak accident during a high-speed chase, the Batmobile is virtually demolished.  After Batman takes the car to his personal mechanic, Earl Cooper, the Penguin makes his move and tampers with the Batmobile, putting it under his control. 
 
 
Harley and Ivy
 
After a failed heist, a frustrated Joker boots Harley Quinn from his gang and to prove her worth to the Clown Prince of Crime, Harley goes solo on her own crimes.  This path eventually leads her to form a partnership with fellow criminal Poison Ivy.  The success of Harley and Ivy as the new “Queens of Crime” doesn’t go unnoticed by The Joker, or Batman, both of whom set out to stop the amazing duo for their own personal reasons, Little do they know, no man can stop Harley and Ivy.
 
 
Opening Credits; Introduction (.56); Episode One:  Paging the Crime Doctor (36.20); Episode Two:  Zatana (45.50); Episode Three:  The Mechanic (1:04.50); Episode Four:  Harley and Ivy (1:13.52); Favourite Episode:  (1:52.53); End Credits (1:55.30); Closing Credits (1:56.46)
 
Opening Credits– Epidemic Sound – Copyright . All rights reserved
 
Closing Credits:  Sisters Are Doin’ It For Themselves by Aretha Franklin and The Eurythmics.  Taken from the album Be Yourself Tonight by The Eurythmics.  Copyright 1985 RCA Records.
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Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast. 
 
All rights reserved.  Used by Kind Permission.
 
All songs available through Amazon Music.