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EPISODE 148: VODOU & HOODOO … ARE THEY TERRIFYING? 🪄
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From the haunted plantations of Louisiana to the spiritual resistance of Haiti, Vodou and Hoodoo have long been misunderstood—and often sensationalized. But what’s the truth behind the magic?
👻 HORROR IN REAL LIFE: Matty explores how Vodou offers queer Haitians a lifeline in a hostile society, while Andrew digs into the real origins of Voodoo and Hoodoo—and why they’re not the same thing.
🎬 HORROR IN THE MOVIES: We dive into THE SKELETON KEY (2005) and JESSABELLE (2014), two Southern Gothic tales where secrets, spirits, and spells collide.
🍿 WHATCHA BEEN WATCHIN’, BITCH?!
Andrew: Twisted Metal (S2), Megan 2.0
Matty: ALIEN: EARTH, HURRICANE KATRINA: RACE AGAINST TIME
🔮 Plus—our closing game: Queer Eye for the Horror Guy!
–
A proud, independent podcast
Support FRIGAY THE 13TH: www.frigay13.com/support
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Transcript
Comedic Voodoo-Themed Introduction
00:00:00
Speaker
Fri-Gay the 13th Horror Podcast is a proud independent podcast. To learn more about the show, visit Fri-Gay13.com. Andrew, what on earth are you doing and what is that smell?
00:00:13
Speaker
I'm conjuring something. Oh, no, not this spell stuff again. Andrew, you are not a witch. Silence! I must have total concentration.
00:00:23
Speaker
ah What do you need? Okay, hand me the water of a chicken and the bouquet of ancient herbs. Oh, so that's what that smell is. Now pass down the Holy Trinity.
00:00:36
Speaker
Is this a religious spell? Now light the fire. but Some sort of elemental spell? Now we combine everything together and I add this special ingredient to conjure what I need.
00:00:51
Speaker
What's that? Zatarans! Zatarans! Is that some sort of magic word? Who said anything about magic? what did What did you think I was into? Some hoodoo type stuff?
00:01:03
Speaker
Then what are you conjuring? It's my recipe for dirty rice. I was just hungry.
Voodoo and Hoodoo: Cultural Significance and Misconceptions
00:01:09
Speaker
It's episode 148, Voodoo and Hoodoo. Is it terrifying?
00:01:14
Speaker
i am the writing on the wall, the whisper in the classroom. I'm Marjorie Greene and I approve this message to save America, stop socialism and stop China.
00:01:29
Speaker
State of mind we ought to be from life to death to rise. Horror in real life. Doubters, the doomsters, the gloomsters, they are going to get it wrong.
00:01:41
Speaker
Horror in movies. Where are you going to go? Where are going to run? Where are you going to hide?
00:01:55
Speaker
da When do we want Let's go! What are you waiting for, huh? What are you waiting for? I want you to know that the movement we started is only just beginning. Sometimes, that is better.
00:02:14
Speaker
One of the biggest misconceptions is that voodoo is evil, that we worship the devil. There's no devil Or evil in voodoo. Voodoo just is.
00:02:27
Speaker
Welcome back to another
Voodoo as a Refuge for LGBTQ Haitians
00:02:28
Speaker
episode of Fry Gay the 13th Horror Podcast. My name is Matty. And I'm Andrew. And if this is your first time with us on Fry Gay the 13th Horror Podcast, welcome to the podcast that talks all about horror. Horror in real life and in the movies from an LGBT perspective.
00:02:47
Speaker
This is episode 148 of the best podcast that you've ever heard in your entire life. um And we're back with another episode, um this time all about voodoo and hoodoo.
00:02:58
Speaker
um Now listen, vod do voodoo and hoodoo are are a really interesting yeah ah ah topics to discuss because they're so misunderstood. And, ah what you know, like we're not we're not going to you know bring some sociological study to, you know, bring you all the information that you need.
00:03:15
Speaker
But I would say that Andrew and I are hoping that maybe you walk away with a new perspective on this or that you at least walk away with maybe a newfound respect for these things. It isn't just about like voodoo dolls.
00:03:26
Speaker
You know what mean? Yeah. So and and also some really great films, the skeleton key and Jessabelle skeleton key is one of our old favorites. There's just so there's just something about that movie that's that's it just gets me every time.
00:03:39
Speaker
ah The funny thing about this episode is that we've had it on our schedule since the beginning. but And we've just that is that is eight years ago. i just want to point that out. Yeah.
00:03:49
Speaker
And we just have never like, I don't know if we didn't trust ourselves or if we didn't like, I don't know how we didn't do this
Haiti's History and Voodoo's Role in Cultural Identity
00:03:57
Speaker
earlier. But this has definitely been a topic that has been on our minds for a long time. I think we honestly just kept like, i think we just kept so shoving it to the side. it just It just happened. And finally, finally we got to it. So we're happy to do it today.
00:04:13
Speaker
um And folks, look, um just happy to have you back with us. You know, it's the summer. um We know you're, y'all are driving around on little road trips going here and there, or you're flying to ah a destination for a little holiday or whatever. Or you're on one of those weird scooters that I don't trust myself on. Exactly. Or maybe you're on a jet to holiday. Who knows?
00:04:33
Speaker
But the the the fact that you are choosing to listen to us really does mean a lot. So thank you again for being with us on our little independent podcast. Now, Andrew, what I did, I thought about hoodoo and voodoo, and I thought, huh, on our gay little podcast,
00:04:51
Speaker
Are there gay people that are like into voodoo and hoodoo? I'm sure. I'm sure there are. Yes, Andrew, there is a Santa Claus and there are. um Look, it's true.
00:05:01
Speaker
And and this this with this was a very simple Google search to find to find this article. um And and that there there's actually there's actually quite a few articles about this. But the one that that I chose to use for my my part of the episode here was from The Advocate. And this is from a while ago. It's from 2016.
00:05:18
Speaker
um But the the title of of the article was Queer Haitians Find a Refuge in Voodoo. And, you know, it's interesting to think about this ah that that this particular title and the content here, because since 2016, this article was released.
Inclusivity in Voodoo: Queer Symbolism and Expression
00:05:34
Speaker
Haiti has been through a lot, like a lot, a lot. um And it's just God that that the country has been through its entire history is one of just tumult and strife, but also one of revolution and power.
00:05:48
Speaker
um when when When the Haitians rose up against their their French slaveholders and kicked their asses out of their country. um You know, I i was ah last year in October, I was in Dominican Republic, which shares, you know, the same island mass with with with Haiti.
00:06:02
Speaker
And I really did. think about that when I was there. Like, you know, you're when you're in Dominican, everyone like makes you very afraid of Haiti um and like has dark stories about it.
00:06:15
Speaker
And like, you know if you cross the border, you're going to you'll get killed or whatever. So never go close to Haiti. And it's it's I just that's so bizarre um because i I know that even though there are so many problems there, there are also really wonderful people there trying to make a country and trying to make something really special. But look, I digress.
00:06:33
Speaker
um Look, I'm not gonna read the whole article to you. I'm trying not to do that anymore because I want you to go find the articles and read them for yourselves. Yeah, for sure. But this one, um it's it's an easy Google, but here are some of the key points.
00:06:44
Speaker
So, I mean, first of all, like I said, it's just a very hostile climate in Haiti right now. It's it's um probably one of the most socially conservative nations in the Caribbean. um Evangelical churches are in big time control of that part of the island.
00:07:00
Speaker
um But of course, also just like traditional Catholicism. And they both have immense influence. And both institutions, go figure, are strongly opposed to LGBTQ people.
00:07:11
Speaker
Big surprise. now Big surprise. Exactly. So as a result, as you might imagine here, gay and transgender Haitians frequently face harassment, public humiliation, physical violence, and even rejection from their own families.
00:07:23
Speaker
Now, that's not all that different from a lot of other places in the world. But here we are talking about a connection to voodoo, which is coming up very soon. So what laws there in Haiti do not explicitly protect LGBT people um and mainstream religious structures are often the source of persecution, of course, rather than the comfort, which is a real shame.
00:07:43
Speaker
um You know, I think people who listened to this podcast for a long time, and Andrew, you certainly know this about me. i actually am a person of faith and I'm involved in faith communities. And one of the things that I really love to prove out is that, look,
00:07:55
Speaker
not all faith communities are like this. you You know, there are places where you can find and not only refuge as an LGBT person, but also comfort, um acceptance, and and and the the sense of being valued in addition to like making a difference where you are accepted, you know, a whole hog.
00:08:13
Speaker
I've always maintained the assertion that religion is both the best thing you can have and the worst thing you can have. like It depends on how you use it. Exactly.
00:08:24
Speaker
So voodoo has, well, has always, i was I was going to say has become, but it always has been a bit of a refuge. So much like unlike Christianity, and voodoo does not condemn homosexuality or gender variance.
00:08:40
Speaker
It is a syncretic, homegrown faith blending West African spiritual systems with elements of Catholicism, and it places emphasis on context, community, and personal relationships with spirits.
00:08:54
Speaker
Yeah, it's more about protection than anything else. Well, sure. And queer people are not only welcomed into voodoo ceremonies, they're often leaders. so Some serve as hungens. I think I'm pronouncing that correctly, but I could be wrong. And those are those are priests.
00:09:08
Speaker
Or mambos, which are priestesses, ah guiding communities
Voodoo vs Hoodoo: Clarifying Differences
00:09:12
Speaker
in rituals and spiritual practice. So this makes voodoo one of the few organized spiritual paths in Haiti where LGBT people can participate fully without having to hide who they are.
00:09:24
Speaker
So when we think about voodoo, I just said this earlier, it's really all about spirits. And so there is a bit of like queer spirit and queer symbolism within within voodoo as well.
00:09:34
Speaker
So many spirits or Eva, ah or i once again, I think I'm pronouncing that correctly, but it could be wrong, could be Iwa for all I know. um But they embody qualities of gender fluidity and queerness.
00:09:45
Speaker
Azulifreda, the Eva of love, passion and beauty is closely associated with gay men. She is elegant, sensual and often portrayed as favoring male devotees.
00:09:57
Speaker
Erzuli Dantor, a darker and more ah more protective aspect of Erzuli, is often viewed as the patron saint of lesbians. Fearsome maternal, she represents female power and resilience.
00:10:10
Speaker
Other Eva, such as Baron Semedi, are known for sexually transgressive behavior, cross-dressing, and body humor, further showing voodoo's embrace of nonconformity.
00:10:22
Speaker
so the spiritual framework gives LGBTQ Haitians the validation that their identities are not only acceptable, but also sacred. So then it gets into the ceremony, right? So voodoo rituals often involve drumming and dancing and singing and possession by spirits, which are all things that Andrew goes through every Friday night.
00:10:41
Speaker
And within these spaces, queer people, they can find that freedom to cross-dress or to wear makeup or to, you know, sort of sort of like show up in like a feminine or a masculine sort of way outside of what society, you know, wants them to do.
00:10:56
Speaker
And they can explore those identities that they really, they they they can't safely show public. So for many, the voodoo temple or the own foe, my pronunciation on these words, usually I'm pretty good. I don't know what the hell I'm doing with these. These are harder. Like there's definitely some in here that i I am going to struggle with too. So don't worry about it. Exactly. It's just like, you know, like sometimes you can, you can like kind of get, I can sense the system of pronunciation and this one I really can't. So to any voodoo practitioners out there,
00:11:23
Speaker
I'm sorry. But the Voodoo Temple- We're still trying to highlight your religion. Yay. Exactly. The Voodoo Temple is the only place where they can really be their authentic selves without fear of ridicule or violence. So think about that. That's really interesting. That's crazy. In a very, I'm just going to, I'm putting this in big air quotes, okay?
00:11:42
Speaker
In a very Western context, it's the exact opposite, right? But then in this in this Haitian voodoo context, it completely flips. I think it's so interesting.
00:11:53
Speaker
So queer practitioners in this article, they describe voodoo as a faith, keep that word in mind, as a faith that saves lives. so One gay Haitian man explained that in ceremonies, he can wear lipstick and jewelry without fear.
00:12:07
Speaker
And instead of condemnation, he receives respect. Another described how being mounted by a spirit, and this is a central voodoo experience where an Eva takes control of the body. So it's
Religion: Source of Comfort and Oppression
00:12:18
Speaker
like possession basically, allowed him to embrace sides of his identity that his family and society had forced him to suppress.
00:12:25
Speaker
So out you know outsiders, they this is not a surprise, we all know this, they usually demonize voodoo, calling it witchcraft or sorcery or things like that. But in reality, voodoo is a central part of Haitian cultural identity and survival.
00:12:39
Speaker
And it was deeply tied to the nation's independent struggle against slavery and colonialism. For queer Haitians, turning to voodoo is also an act of cultural reclamation. It allows them to connect with their ancestry while finding acceptance in the present. So why does all of this matter?
00:12:56
Speaker
In a country where being openly queer is dangerous, voodoo functions as both a spiritual lifeline and a community of resistance. It offers a vision of a world where queer identity is not a curse, but a gift, a sign of divine favor and spiritual connection.
00:13:11
Speaker
And in this article, it frames voodoo as a model of resilience, proving that within Haiti's most stigmatized religion lies one of the most affirming sanctuaries for LGBTQ people.
00:13:23
Speaker
So really interesting stuff. I highly encourage you to go. That's really cool. Yeah, I love that. Take a look at this article. But like I said, there's a lot of others that you could read, too. um But it just really is so interesting, once again, how that dynamic really flips when it comes to Haiti and voodoo. and You know, I'm not sure in in other countries where, you know, voodoo or voodoo type things or practice or hoodoo for that matter.
00:13:46
Speaker
I'm not sure if that remains the same, but I thought that this was a really interesting example. Well, yeah, that's like that's another thing that we have to take into account with like what we're talking about is that we are talking mostly about either Haitian or Southern voodoo slash voodoo.
00:14:05
Speaker
ah We can't really speak to all other their practices in different parts of the world. like We only can talk to like what we what we are investigating, essentially. Yeah. um But I wanted to talk a little bit about like voodoo and hoodoo.
00:14:20
Speaker
Because I don't think and, you know, one of our movies today gives a little bit of an explanation on this. And, you know, we'll talk about it when we get to the movie. But i don't think a lot of people really understand the difference between voodoo and hoodoo.
00:14:35
Speaker
Yeah. Tell us. um So voodoo is really ah religion. I mean, you've you've talked a lot about some of the main aspects of it. And I should say, like, I loved when you talked about the person that was putting on lipstick. And because, like, can I be honest here right now on this podcast?
00:14:55
Speaker
I've been fooling around with makeup. I've been. That's lovely. Buying some concealer because I don't like my red face. Well, i mean, listen, I do i do this. i i um I wear translucent powder because my my especially because I use really good moisturizers. Right. And so my skin never looks dry, but it can also look really shiny when especially if I know that photos are going to be taken of me.
00:15:17
Speaker
So like, yeah, I have a little compact and I carry it around with me. I'm going to give a flying fuck. I want to tell all the women in my life and all the women that listen to this podcast. Why did you not tell me about how good concealer can be?
00:15:29
Speaker
Yeah, exactly. Come on. But anyway, back to voodoo and hoodoo. So voodoo beliefs are really an omnipotent and unknowable supreme creator.
00:15:40
Speaker
ah They call them the Bondi. And his name comes from the French term of Bondi. literally meaning good God. god And that's like that's like one of the the main things about religion that has always like bugged me the most of like, if God really like wanted you to exist and wanted you to be a good person, he wouldn't punish you by like rules.
00:16:07
Speaker
Like, you know what i mean? Like, it's like, stop it. We need to stop being so fucking scared of everybody else and just exist in the world. it's it That's what God wants. He wants you to be happy. He doesn't want you to...
00:16:20
Speaker
to To think that you're going to hell every single day. It's so stupid. Well, yeah. Anyway, i'm I'm sorry. I'm having a bad week with religion. But um generally, ah Haitian voodoo service will be conducted in Creole, a Haitian French dialect. Like I said, we're talking a lot about Haiti, a lot about African. Louisiana. Yeah, the voodoo we're talking about today.
00:16:44
Speaker
um Per voodoo belief, Bandai does not directly intercede in the lives of human beings. Consequently, voodoo priests and priestesses call upon loa, spirits who work for Bandai.
00:16:57
Speaker
Different loa are responsible for various aspects of human life. Three of voodoo's most important families are spirits of those belonging to Radha, Petro, and Gedei.
00:17:09
Speaker
Radha spirits are benevolent, Petro spirits are angry, violent, or evil, and Gede spirits are those who deal with death and dead people. Many Gede spirits are zombies.
00:17:21
Speaker
Now, when we talk about zombies, we think about them in the George A. Romero zombie. Yeah, sure. These are not those. ah the The original sense of the word, ah ah they don't eat brains. They're not living. ah They don't attack people. In voodoo, zombie is a victim, not a monster.
00:17:39
Speaker
He or she is a walking dead person who must give obedience to the person who raised him or her from the dead. Does that make sense to you? Yeah, kind of. Yeah, sure. It's kind of like a, I don't want to say slave because that's not what I'm trying to say, but they are risen from the dead to the dead. It's a zombie. Yeah. um Now, on the other hand, hoodoo is actually just Kind of like, if I had to get a comparison, and I only say this because I literally watched The Craft last night, it's more like witchcraft. It's more um it's more a belief system than ah religion.
00:18:18
Speaker
it feels ah It feels more like sorcery. Yeah, it's more it's folk magic, apparently. And it practices magic just like they you would think.
00:18:28
Speaker
And i don't want to put I guess I kind of like want to walk back my statement on that with witchcraft because I do think Wiccan is a real religion, well whereas witchcraft is kind of the magic behind it. Does that make sense? Well, it does. because i mean like And look, there are... there are um you know, like Christianity is a religion, but there are also like mystic Christians. and no yeah and there's And there's a solid, there's a solid history. There's always been mystic Christians, you know, since they're called Baptists.
00:18:56
Speaker
Well, no, no, no, no. no i I really mean it. Like the Baptists are their own branch of of Christianity um that, that, that, that come from the Anabaptists. But like the, the, the mystic Christians, there's plenty of mystic Christians throughout history who have believed in like a Christian based sort of like magic for, for lack of a better word, where yeah they can they could make quotations around magic through, yeah through this certain, through, you know, this certain sequence of prayers or this certain way of doing things.
00:19:23
Speaker
And it's, you know, it's, it's well documented. So I think it makes sense. I think, I think with, I would say and somebody who likes to dabble in religion, there's, there is a mystical version of nearly every religion, whether it's, whether it's Judaism, um, whether it is Islam,
00:19:39
Speaker
um whether it is Zoroastrian. I mean, i go on and on and on, right? Like there's there's always going to be that other side of it too. Yeah. Yeah. It's like the, I think we even had an episode just called like magical thinking is terrifying. And that's kind of like that. That's the side of it that, that hoodoo plays within voodoo.
00:19:59
Speaker
And although it's not a formal religion, hoodoo does blend faith beliefs from different religions into into its traditions. Right. And i think that that's I think that that's like the big thing there is like belief versus tradition versus religion.
00:20:12
Speaker
You know what i mean? Like that's like the holy triangle, if you will. um Practitioners often call upon Roman Catholic saints. um Biblical characters such as Moses or even Native American spirits tend to aid them in their casting of spells.
00:20:27
Speaker
And I should say where I got my sources. This is from the, ah shoot, mike ah the the hold on one second. Let grab my paper. vamp vamp vamp he's grabbing a paper he's looking for his sources he's grabbing a paper i wonder where he got this from Folks, I don't know where he got it from, but if where works out we're about to find out.
00:20:50
Speaker
This is from the Universal Life Church, so where everyone goes to get their priesthood to marry people. um So some who do practitioners consider themselves Catholics who also believe in Catholic saints and African gods? Yeah, makes sense. um in the united states whooo sessions are connected in english and who do ah practitioners spell their magic magic with a c k at the end ah the practitioner will use such materials as roots
00:21:21
Speaker
herbs crystals animal parts for ritual purposes In some cases, they will even utilize body fluid, such as tears, saliva, urine. We've all seen this. This is this is like the movie version of yeah how we depict these things. is like um ah Those leading hoodoo rituals may also reference religious texts, so like the Bible. This is the part of hoodoo that I didn't really know about, um and even voodoo for that matter, is I didn't know that it was still kind of... um
00:21:55
Speaker
isolated within Catholicism i and the Bible and everything. I thought that it was something totally different. And so like, this is my, my own like misunderstanding yeah of all of this.
00:22:07
Speaker
You know what i mean? Yeah, sure. And, and, and so like, why is this, why is this important? Why are voodoo and hoodoo differences? Why, why do we care? I think it's because it's dangerous not to care because we have to understand and try to reflect on other people's religion, but also understand that there are the other part.
00:22:29
Speaker
And i don't i don't know the best way to like describe this, but like I've had to do a lot of this in my life because I grew up very isolated, very... white being honest. Yeah. But just like I have to and to learn media literacy and to understand how we ah fantasize about like different religions and how we do that. Well, well i I think it's really important because I mean, like I would say, I mean, look, what we as friends, i i but I don't want to speak for you, but I would say you probably learned a lot about religion from me.
00:23:04
Speaker
Right. Of course. yeah Yeah. And, you know, like, you know, once again, i i consider myself a religious person. And like, it's something that that I tell people all the time, like, I don't it's not based in fact, and I don't have to explain it that way to you. But there's a certain way that it makes me feel. And also, it gives me a certain way of of living and and believing.
00:23:23
Speaker
And ah but like I just said earlier and in in when in our discussion, like for me, it is important to show people that like, look, religion can be something very different than what you know.
00:23:33
Speaker
And so many people have such a bad experience with, with I mean, not and not just with Christianity, but with a but with many different religions. yeah And so like, you know, me as somebody who's had a really good experience in reclaiming religion,
00:23:47
Speaker
And, and also in like being perfectly happy, like not living in some sort of orthodox way of thinking about it. Like, yeah, you know, I'm, I'm a, I consider myself sort of like a round Christian if I had to put myself into a category, but like, I don't believe in a bunch of, of the dogma that other Christians might believe in.
00:24:05
Speaker
You know, I, I have, I'm, I'm very free with how I practice it and how I think about it. And I, I really like that. And I like, I like to kind of show people that, hey, you can, there's a, you've got a lot of power here. You can do it whatever you want and not like be afraid or something, but also like, you know, under helping people understand that there's a different way to do things. And in doing that on my own, like it helps me understand other people's religions and what they believe and why they believe in why it's important to them.
00:24:33
Speaker
you know I think of of all the religions in the world that is among the most misunderstood is Islam, for example. yeah And and if in look, it's not a surprise because, you know look, I took a class in Islam at at it ah in college, and it was a very difficult class. its it was a lot of work i've i worked harder in that class than I think any other class in those four years.
Movie Discussions: Recent Watches and Recommendations
00:24:56
Speaker
You had to read a lot. You had to write a lot. And you had to come to a deep understanding of something that seemed very foreign to a bunch of kids from Indiana, quite frankly.
00:25:07
Speaker
But like by the by the time that class came to an end, i knew a lot about Islam. I knew why women wear scarves on their heads. And it's not because the the way that everyone would normally believe, well, that's just because they subjugate women. Actually, it's not. There's ah a whole belief system around that. and And if you take the time to learn about that, and maybe you can actually respect people.
00:25:31
Speaker
You can actually respect people and what they believe too. And maybe, just maybe, they'll respect you back. And who knows, maybe we can create a better world of understanding, quite frankly. Because at the end of the day...
00:25:42
Speaker
yeah you're At the end of the day, you're not going to you're not going to get people to stop believing what they believe. That's not going to happen. So we all have to find a way to live together. And I'm sorry to go on so long about this. No, it's direct to what you're saying. I think it's a good point that you're making. So please make it.
00:25:57
Speaker
Yeah. So I mean, like, I just i just think like, what what I really wish in an ideal world. That kids, when they are in elementary school, they would go through a world religions class, right? So a history of religions of the world. And and might maybe not elementary school, might be too young for that, but like in middle school and high school, right?
00:26:17
Speaker
And it's a required course and you have to learn about religions of the world, not just the one that you are in. And and you do it from ah an objective standpoint so that you know the person teaching isn't coming from a religious standpoint at all.
00:26:30
Speaker
And like like I just said there, like with the class that I had in college, you learn about it, you write papers about it, you watch films about it, you discuss it, and you learn about it. And then at the same time, those same children should be should should be required to have a class in empathy. Right.
00:26:45
Speaker
And in learning how to be empathetic people and how to how to handle emotional intelligence and understand the way that you're feeling and understand the way that other people are feeling too and how you can connect together.
00:26:56
Speaker
And I really do believe if that happened all across the world, We would have a better world. i don't know what he else to say. We just would. so you know ah ah And look, I get all my my queer brothers and sisters out there who are like, religion sucks. Get rid of it. but but but Look, I understand your pain. I get it because I went through it.
00:27:14
Speaker
But here's the deal. you're That's never going to happen. It won't ever happen. as long as And I really mean this. As long as humans have been around, there has been religion. It's never going to go away.
00:27:26
Speaker
So we have to find a way to work with it and to deal with it and to like be around each other, even if you have no religion, which I think is sort of a ah religion in itself, to be honest. Yeah, like is an atheist is is is a thing. yeah but So listen, and I won't squawk on any further, but that's sort of like my take on that particular point.
00:27:45
Speaker
No, i i totally I totally get and understand ah your your your path forward, and I wish we could do it. Because I think we all had a little bit more understanding of the world instead of just watching TikTok for 90 seconds, we would have a far better world.
00:28:02
Speaker
I agree with you. um One other thing I wanted to leave you with, because i randomly found this in my in my research, is that you can actually... become a hoodoo and conjure practitioner. Oh, wow.
00:28:16
Speaker
For $16.99 on Udemy.com. Udemy. Oh, is it Udemy? Udemy, yeah. word we we We used to... and Udemy is like a... It's an online learning platform. And so they have classes on literally...
00:28:30
Speaker
Anything you can think of. And actually at at work, we used to have this as a benefit for people, but but we ended up getting rid of it. um So this does not surprise me, but it's pretty funny. That's hilarious. You could have gotten to be a hoodoo practitioner.
00:28:43
Speaker
But you know what? Listen, you know what? It is probably interesting. You know, it's probably little interesting thing. Let me read you the description of this course. Tell me. This is a beginner course in Hoodoo and Conjure, whose cultural roots in the southern United States— that's actually not correct, but that's fine— are born of the African slave trade.
00:29:05
Speaker
The crossover from various African tradition religions, slash ATR, which we're supposed to know is an acronym, is obvious and admittedly respected.
00:29:17
Speaker
Okay. However, there are huge differences in practices and dogma from the ATR. We will touch upon these similarities and wear appropriate caste distinctions.
00:29:28
Speaker
One distinction from the ATRs is like Santeria, Voodoo, Voodoon, and Palo Mayombe, etc. They put etc. in here.
00:29:40
Speaker
Is that hoodoo and conjure do not require initiation into priesthood of tradition? It's for the layperson to use. What we'll be covering? Candle magic, magical herbs, and petitions.
00:29:55
Speaker
and Honestly, i kind of want to do this. i don't know why, but I kind of do. Well, maybe you should. Maybe you should. I don't Andrew. ah you could The thing about this is like, is the thing about any religion is that like, make sure that you're following or learning from someone that actually comes from a place of knowledge in history and is not just your next fucking weirdo that You know what i mean? like Well, I would venture to say that Udemy is probably not the place to do it. I'm just going to
00:30:26
Speaker
It was just really funny when we started doing research for this episode. That was like the first thing that came up on the search. Wow. My goodness. Well, listen, Andrew, i think this is a good place for us to stop right here and move on to our next segment, which What You Been Watching, Bitch?
00:30:46
Speaker
Let's all go to the lobby. Let's all go to the lobby. Let's all go the lobby to get ourselves a treat.
00:30:57
Speaker
And we're back with what you been watching, bitch. What you been watching, you little spell casting bitch. This is your first time with us. This is the section, segment, whatever it's called, where we talk about what we've been watching. So, Andrew, tell me, what have you been watching, voodoo bitch?
00:31:17
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. And we should say this time around, we're only doing two What You've Been Watchings. Listen, it's summer. We're doing things we don't have a lot of time to watch. So this is what we're watching. yeah And my first one is Twisted Metal Season 2. I think we are on Episode 7 as of this recording 10. Nice.
00:31:40
Speaker
And if you remember correct, I reported back on this in season one. But season one was really about like a lot of world building. Like it yeah a lot of about like trying to figure out who the characters are, how they fit in this world. What is this world we live in for people that didn't play the video game?
00:31:55
Speaker
Like sure I played the video game many times with my cousin, Anthony. Hey, Anthony. But um this is season two. And we're actually finally in like the. ah the game like we're in the the the twisted metal universe and we're we're and now we're you know we're killing off characters and we're we're we're playing the game and i listen i think that this cast is really stacked uh it it's led by um captain america not chris evans but the new captain america anthony mackie right is that his name i think so um
00:32:31
Speaker
And it's all about them trying to win the contest. And whoever wins the contest at the end of the day, they get one wish and that that that wish will come true.
00:32:44
Speaker
And if you remember from the video game, that wish can kind of have a twisted claw or a monkey's paw type twist about it. So I'm wondering if they're going to take that into account into the show.
00:32:59
Speaker
um but I'm really enjoying it. I think it's, ah it's, it's like watching a comic book, if that makes sense. Yeah. sure And I really like it. I think it's a ton of fun. So if you have Peacock, which I know not everybody has access to, i don't, do you have access to Peacock over there? No.
00:33:15
Speaker
So maybe it'll come to one of your weird streaming services. um But I really I'm really enjoying it. it's It's hitting a nostalgic twist, but also being a pretty good show. So ah if you have Peacock, give Twisted Metal season two a watch.
00:33:30
Speaker
Very cool. The first one for me is Alien Earth, which I am watching on. I'm watching this on Disney Plus, which I assume you can, too. But know it's on I think it's on Hulu, too, for you guys and FX or whatever.
00:33:41
Speaker
um so alien earth is good this is this is a tv series there's only as of as of this recording there's only two episodes out i really enjoyed them both um you know there's there's a ah lot of alien movies so where does this one take place um from a little article online this will explain it to you so while romulus was set in the year 2142 right smack in between the events of alien which takes place in 21 22 And the 1986 James Cameron directed sequel, Aliens, set in 2179, Earth serves as a prequel series that takes place in 2120, two years before the events of the original movie. So that will help you understand.
00:34:26
Speaker
and And I'll just, I'll keep going with this article really quick here. it just says the show unfolds in a not so distant future where five rival corporations, prodigy, Weyland-Yutani, Lynch, dynamic and threshold effectively govern the earth, which is not a reality that we're far from.
00:34:42
Speaker
As we learned from an opening transmission in episode one, it's a moment in time when the race for immortality has evolved to take three different forms. There are cyborgs, biological humans enhanced with artificial parts, synths, which are humanoid robots robots robs humanno robots infused with near human consciousness like the late Ian Holmes iconic android Ash from Alien, and hybrids, synthetic beings downloaded with actual human consciousness. So this is really cool. um it's ah it's It's a it's it's I don't know. It's for me. It sort of feels a bit like and I i don't really know how to explain it, but like it just sort of feels like Stranger Things meets Aliens.
00:35:33
Speaker
Kind of. Okay. And like, I don't know, maybe you'll feel the same way and you might get, I don't want to give away too much, but like you might get why I'm saying that. But i have so like I said, it's only two episodes, but I am, I'm enjoying it a lot so far. I'm looking forward to watching this whole thing and then watching it again once all of them are are all out in in in sequence.
00:35:50
Speaker
But yeah, I've had a great time watching it and that's Alien Earth. So if you haven't watched it yet and if you're an Alien fan, i think you're probably going to like it. Cool. Yeah, I have the first two episodes recorded and ready to watch, but I just haven't had the time to watch. yeah. I'm excited.
00:36:04
Speaker
ah Listen, anything kind of alien or predator adjacent, I'm going to at least tune in. Oh, my God. Yeah, i i've I've been a fan of Alien from the beginning, and I i just I love it so much.
00:36:17
Speaker
Yeah. All right. My next one is Megan 2.0. Have you seen this yet? Not yet. Can't wait to, though. Okay, so Megan 2.0. Here's what I'll say about it. I think that it's a lot of fun.
00:36:30
Speaker
Sure. Do I think that it captured like the horror and the, um, I don't know. How do put this? The, like, I think that, that Megan, the first one, it just, it got us at the right time with the right kind of humor And I think that Megan 2.0, they went a bit too hard. Oh, no.
00:36:52
Speaker
Like, they tried a lot. That's a shame. And, like, listen, did I still have fun with it? Yeah. Listen, it's it's Megan 2.0. It's... it's I don't know if you remember this, but from the first movie, and this isn't giving anything away because it's literally in a trailer, but like the guy from the, from the first movie, do you remember when he was trying to upload Megan and sell like the, like the transfer of the information from his computer? Yeah. Yeah. So yeah this is the outcome of that.
00:37:22
Speaker
Okay. Basically there's a new Megan who has been militarized and is now assassinating anybody that has, ah done anything with megan original and so it's kind of like a uh we got to get to her before she gets to us type situation interesting and and they have to bring the original megan back to fight off new megan um it's it's it's a fun movie i don't want to give anybody any slight to like not go watch it but it does not capture like the horror and like the that's a shame uh
00:37:55
Speaker
just like the magic of that first movie. Um, but I still had fun with it. So I'm not, I'm not trying to downplay it, but it's just one of those things where you're like, man, they, they really are trying here. And it's just, you can just kind of feel it.
00:38:11
Speaker
And I'm not trying to compare this to girls, but because, ah of Alison, I have to like, I have to, it it feels like when they were trying really hard at the end of girls, like, you know what i mean? Like it's like, you're, you're too into that universe and you can't get out of it.
00:38:27
Speaker
And I just feel like it missed the mark just a little bit, but I still had fun with it. It's just not, it's not a horror movie. It's more of like ah action comedy movie. but Yeah, I'd say it it's it's and and ah capturing what they did with met with with Megan.
00:38:44
Speaker
It's hard. It's just nearly impossible. So, I mean, you know good ah good good on them for trying, but that that's a that that's a pretty big ah pretty big task. What I'll say is wait for it to go to streaming somewhere where you can watch it for free.
00:38:58
Speaker
ah My next one is Hurricane Katrina, Race Against Time. God. It is, a well, I mean, it's it's important. I mean, look at that. No, I know. i just heard Hurricane Katrina was 20 years ago, if if i mean that which is just crazy to think about. I remember watching it on TV.
00:39:14
Speaker
um And, you know, it's it's interesting because back then – I don't know. It's it's almost like if hurri if Hurricane Katrina happened now, it wouldn't even be that big of a news story, um which I know sounds weird, but it just kind of feels that way to me.
00:39:28
Speaker
And like back then, it was the biggest thing that had ever happened. like it was yeah It was crazy to watch. Like none of us had ever seen anything like that before. And um so many people died. And the way the ways that people were were talking about people that were quote unquote looting, which i I refuse to say because they weren't. They were just literally trying to get food to stay alive. That's what they were doing.
00:39:53
Speaker
Or trying to get baby formula for their fucking babies. um it's It's just awful. um So this is a documentary series from National Geographic. It's on Disney+. disney plus um And it's directed by Tracy Curry. I don't know much about the director, but um look, it's good. um it will It will take you back to those days and to to examining the the ah the utter failure of of the American government and of the local governments to to help the people that really really needed help.
00:40:25
Speaker
And like, look, I remember being one of those people that that was like, well, why didn't you just leave? And, um you know, look, I was very young then and I'm i'm not anymore. And now I understand why people can't do things that they can't afford ah yeah they and that they don't have access to.
00:40:41
Speaker
And like, imagine right now if somebody told you you had to leave, where are you going to go? Right. Where are you going to go on on the street somewhere or like like you don't have money for a magical hotel.
00:40:52
Speaker
so like you can't go anywhere, especially if you you know that if you leave all your things, all everything you've ever had is going to be gone. So, I mean, just the utter failures from start to finish with with this kind of thing. The levies should have never broken in the first place.
00:41:07
Speaker
and um And this, I don't know, it's it's a harrowing tale. So I i do think 20 years on, i think um I think Americans especially owe it to the memory of of the victims, of the people that died.
00:41:19
Speaker
um to to to open our hearts again to reexamine it and to and to ask ourselves if we're doing enough to to make sure that it never happens again. i dare say with the administration in place, that answer is no.
00:41:34
Speaker
I was about to say, spoiler alert, we're not. Exactly. Yeah. is just where we're we're we're more worried about um welcoming Vladimir ah Putin, a war criminal who has ah arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court.
00:41:47
Speaker
we're we're We're more interested in welcoming him with a red carpet on American soil than we are about protecting our own people, which is so gross. Absolutely amazing to me. Oh, I love human beings. Just gross.
00:42:01
Speaker
Very, very gross. America needs to get a fucking clue. Seriously. Well, I mean, the world needs to get a fucking clue, but the United States is leading the charge. So anyway, listen, folks, that was what you've been watching, bitch. Andrew brought us Twisted Metal Season 2 on Peacock and Megan 2.0, which you can watch on demand.
00:42:20
Speaker
And Maddie brought us Alien Earth and Hurricane Katrina, Race Against Time, which you can both find on Hulu or ah ah Disney Plus here in the United States of America. So, folks, that does it for what you've been watching,
In-Depth Review of 'The Skeleton Key'
00:42:35
Speaker
bitch. Take a quick break here. be right back with our first film of the episode, The Skeleton Key.
00:42:43
Speaker
In Terrebonne Parish and the surrounding bayous of Louisiana... um There are those who practice little-known rituals of magic and witchcraft, conjure, and sacrifice.
00:42:58
Speaker
Some do not believe in their power, but strange, frightening, and unexplained incidents happen there to this day.
00:43:13
Speaker
Terrible parish. That's the swamps. For a thousand a week, I'll survive. 25 years old. What's wrong a little change? Hello? Take good care of my husband.
00:43:24
Speaker
Stroke pretty much paralyzed him. I admire you, what you do. Hi, Ben. I'll be taking care of you for a while.
00:43:32
Speaker
Ben, Ben, you're hurting me. There you are. Time for his remedies.
00:43:40
Speaker
That brick does, how's it work? Nobody that means you harm can cross it. You lay a line down. It's how you tell who the enemies are. um
00:43:53
Speaker
That attic is filled with stuff. Recipes, spells. You don't know what you've seen. But it can't hurt you if you don't believe. I suggest you leave that house before you do.
00:44:05
Speaker
You see him in the mirrors. Who? okay
00:44:13
Speaker
What happened to you? Who are you afraid of? Tell me who you're afraid of.
00:44:18
Speaker
The ghosts are here. now am I don't believe. I don't. No! I don't believe.
00:44:54
Speaker
I've got a key, but is it a skeleton key? Maddie, tell us all about the skeleton key. Fearing is believing. a hospice nurse working at a spooky New Orleans plantation home finds herself entangled in a mystery involving the house's dark past.
00:45:13
Speaker
The Skeleton Key is directed by Ian Softley, written by Aaron Kruger, produced by Shadowcatcher Entertainment and Double Feature Films, distributed by Universal Pictures. Caroline Ellis is played by Kate Hudson.
00:45:27
Speaker
Violet Devereaux, played by Gina Rollins. Benjamin Ben Devereaux, played by John Hurt. Luke Marshall, played by Peter Sarsgaard. And Jill Dupay, played by Joy Bryant.
00:45:39
Speaker
The film is rated PG-13, which I was surprised at. 104 minutes made in the USA in Felicity Plantation on the Mississippi River in St. James Parish, Louisiana.
00:45:51
Speaker
ah Released on August 12, 2005 with a budget of $43 million and it grossed $94 million. Pretty big budget for 2005, would have to say, too.
00:46:02
Speaker
And honestly, for this type of movie where yeah it's kind of like a pocket movie. But i I imagine that there was a lot of CGI that they had to use that that probably cost a lot in 2005. Who knows? I don't know.
00:46:14
Speaker
um I mean, also, we're just talking about, um what do you call it, about Hurricane Katrina. This would have been released right before then. Yeah. Because it happened in late in late August 2005, which is kind of weird. ah But, you know, here we are.
00:46:28
Speaker
So listen, this is definitely, as we said earlier, this is not a first-time watch for either of us. Andrew, on this watch, how did you feel about it? ah Listen, like after doing a lot of research around voodoo and hoodoo, I was actually pleasantly kind of surprised by how this movie ah played out this time around, because there is kind of a little bit of an explanation of like what's going on here. You know, it's it's mostly provided by her roommate, ah kind of like giving her like the backstory and like giving her to the hoodoo store and all that stuff. But like,
00:47:04
Speaker
Honestly, like, I don't know. This one, this is a weird one because this has always been like on my list of like downer endings. But like, is it? I don't know.
00:47:15
Speaker
Like, it it's a it's a weird one because you're you're you're left to understand that one person gets things good, but at the expense of someone that didn't really do anything bad. So like...
00:47:29
Speaker
It's kind of like, oh, what do you what do you do with that kind of ending? And we'll we'll talk about it as we go on. But like I fun with The Skeleton Key. And I think it's like one of those 2000s movie that kind of gets like lost in the shuffle, if you will. yeah And I think it deserves more appreciation than it gets. Do I think it's a little bit long for what they're trying to do?
00:47:52
Speaker
Yeah. I think there's a little little too many sequences of her like going through the house and... like turning on lights and turning off lights and flashlights and all that stuff. but it But that's like besides the point, because I still ah had a lot of fun with it.
00:48:06
Speaker
Sure. And like, honestly, i think Kate Hudson, and she deserves a lot of credit for this movie because her and Gina Rollins kind of carry the movie. I mean, there's other there's other people in the movie, but like they're the they're the mains. Yeah. And I think they do a great job. And I think that Kate Hudson kind of gets lopped into kind of like the, you know, the romantic comedy genre because of How to Lose Guy in 10 Days and and and those such movies.
00:48:33
Speaker
And I don't think she gets kind of the credit that she deserves for movies like The Skeleton Key. What about you? ah Yeah, I had a great time watching this again. um it is ah it's it's it's a good little movie. I think Hudson is is really quite good in this.
00:48:49
Speaker
um I think she's very endearing in it. She is. I think and I think the same is true for really the rest of the cast. You know, John Hurt, who is, you know, a legend of an actor. um plays a difficult role as somebody who can't speak.
00:49:02
Speaker
um ah Gina Rowlands herself plays Violet Devereaux in a big old Southern kind of role. and Peter Sarsgaard plays a very believable sort of smarmy lawyer. um And you know Joy Bryant plays a really um affable and and and lovely roommate and friend in Jill.
00:49:21
Speaker
So I think it's um it's a great cast put together. I think that the script is really well done um there. You know, there's there's some conjecture that, like, you know, i was I was reading this in some reviews on and on Letterboxd that like, hmm, did Jordan Peele watch this and sort of steal the the plot for Get Out a little bit with it?
00:49:40
Speaker
Maybe just a tiny bit. um And, you know, and some other some other ways of of of of thinking about the film. I didn't even think about that. Neither did I until someone said it. And I was like, oh that's actually really interesting.
00:49:51
Speaker
um But I i think it's um it's a brilliant little ah a brilliant little movie. ah ah I've watched it before, of course. I forgot the um i forgot the twist at the end.
00:50:03
Speaker
I knew that was really, and but I forgot exactly how it happened. um And I was like oh, that's right. That's what happens. And so, you know, you were saying earlier, like it's, you know, something good for somebody, but at the expense of somebody else.
00:50:17
Speaker
I mean, it just goes to show you that like not every, you know, look, we we can respect other religions and, you know, respect what what what we're what we're learning about and looking at, but it doesn't mean that everyone is good.
00:50:28
Speaker
It doesn't mean that everyone is using it for good. And in this, what happens is completely unadulterated evil. And, yeah you know, ah ah imagine, kind imagine if that happened to you and truly being ah locked into somebody else's body for the rest of your life. um Just insane to think about.
00:50:51
Speaker
Insane to think about. And, you know, really just so, what's the word I'm looking for? So slimely done at the end. You know, when shes when she sees Jill and you know what she's thinking, she's thinking, hmm, how can I get into her next Because remember what said. what I thought, too. Oh, for sure. Okay. All right. Okay. Because, you you know, she tells Peter Sarsgaard, who is her her husband, but, you know, the the spirit of her husband in Peter Sarsgaard, I told you I wanted a black one this time.
00:51:19
Speaker
um And, you know, now she's probably going to get it. And so it's just, ah, like how evil is that? Just so evil. Papa Justify and Mama Cecile. Yes. So, so crazy.
00:51:30
Speaker
i loved how Southern it felt too. You know, it it felt like authentically Southern. Yeah, I like that they actually like filmed it like on a plantation.
00:51:41
Speaker
Yeah, or like, or even for that matter in Louisiana. You know what I mean? So, I mean, like it's just, i there's there's so much about the film that feels authentic. I think especially for 2005.
00:51:51
Speaker
um we one One thing I did think about as somebody who lives in a, in a, In a city that is similar to New Orleans in in the sense that, like, there's a very particular vibe but that people are looking for when they come to Dublin.
00:52:05
Speaker
You know what I mean? yeah They're coming looking for diddly-idly-doodly-dee. And like, potatoes. Where's my leprechaun? And where's some traditional music? and but but Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And give me a pint of Guinness. And i they don't realize, like, actually, this is just a city where we all go to work, man. Right. could Give it a break.
00:52:19
Speaker
And with the the the scenes when when she is in like like in town in New Orleans, I don't know if she's... i actually haven't been New Orleans yet, which is ridiculous. I really want to go. I've never been to Louisiana.
00:52:30
Speaker
i don't I don't know if she's like in the French Quarter when she's in that one bar with Jill. I don't know, but maybe she is. Anyways. i think i ah Can I just say something about that those scenes really quick? Yeah. yeah and I think it's really funny that they're drinking Coronas.
00:52:43
Speaker
You know, actually, that it kind of makes sense to me because it's like a good like hot weather beer. you know It's just so weird. like that that Those collision of cultures between like Mexican beer and Louisiana is just crazy. Not to draw back to Dublin again, but you know who loves a good Corona?
00:53:01
Speaker
People in fucking Dublin, that beer is all over the place here. Anyway, anyway I didn't mean to. No, no, no, no, you're you're you're you're you're you're totally fine. But when when they're in the bar talking and they're playing Zydeco behind her yeah or and like and like big band music, I was like, oh my God, it's just like here. If I had to listen to that music all the fucking time, any bar I went into, I'd go crazy. i would jump off a bridge like immediately.
00:53:25
Speaker
um you know but But those parts of it made did make it feel so authentic. And i and i i really i really appreciated that. i I appreciate films that give good attention to detail because it feels it feels so thoughtful to me.
00:53:39
Speaker
and And you know this about me. I really cannot stand a thoughtless movie where they're not thinking about the choices that they're making and how they're making them because it feels like an insult to me as the audience member that's paid to see this or has rented it or has bought it or you know whatever the case might be.
00:53:55
Speaker
Well, now, especially as we, you know, do this podcast and that we, we have to do research ourselves. It's like one of those things where you're like, details are important. Big time. And like, and that's that's just it. I just think, you know, look, the horror community is such a, a good, ah good community for film artists. Like we support you. We, we will, we'll see your movies. We'll do all the things. We'll go to the horror conventions. We'll buy all the shit.
00:54:23
Speaker
But like, that means you have to treat us right. And that means being thoughtful when you create. Anyways, back to the movie. um Yeah, loved it. that And like I said, the end of it really got me again. i just was like, holy shit, that's crazy. I forgot that actually happened.
00:54:37
Speaker
There it is. one One thing that like struck me this time, and i don't know I don't know if you even noticed it, but like ah the brick dust. So that's a big part of the movie. Yeah.
00:54:48
Speaker
I don't know if you noticed this, but very, very early on when she first goes to the interview, there is brick dust around the gate at the front. And I don't know what that means. Like, are is there someone that they're like warding off outside of, you know, just Papa Justify and Lama's a steal?
00:55:10
Speaker
I mean, maybe it's just sort of like a general conjure. Like, I mean, they're they're just saying, okay, anyone that means us harm can't come through here. But like, obviously she could come through because she didn't even know who they were. right and she was not a believer at that time either well so and that too so i mean like i mean it's kind of a smart idea like maybe i'll do that for my apartment building bos okay so now you're telling me have to do a salt ring and a brick ring jesus i mean look ah if it doesn't hurt to double up you know seriously uh against the vampires and the hoodoo practitioners let's let's fucking go
00:55:43
Speaker
um No, just some things that I noticed this time around. um I did like at the end how they do that. It's not the major twist. It's kind of the minor twist of where she kind of puts herself in her own salt ring.
00:55:59
Speaker
and It's not salt. but Oh, yeah. Like where basically Gina Rowland says, like, you know, protection. It's detection to keep you in the circle. Well, it's to protect you, but you can't leave. Yep, exactly. and that's right What I did think was funny, though. I love i love it just one more thing on that. I love how Gina Rowland says it. She's like, and who gave you that spell?
00:56:22
Speaker
Mm-hmm. That was really well done. The one thing I don't like about that scene, though, is that she pushes the mirror towards her like it has wheels because like you know she has to collide with the mirror. I don't really understand the spell aspect of it. Andrew, it has spirit wheels. Just deal with it.
00:56:38
Speaker
Because there are no wheels on it. There are your spirit wheels on it. Leave it alone. It's fucking spirit wheels. I don't you noticed that or not, but. Spirit wheels. Yeah. Believe. Believe.
00:56:51
Speaker
um But no, um I think that the skeleton key is a pretty fun little romp of a movie. And. I don't know what a like ah what a sequel would look like. like i would You know what? We don't need one.
00:57:06
Speaker
um I'm sorry. like like i I think it's sort of like like Megan 2.0 that you were just saying. yeah they Obviously, they're very, very different movies. I get that. But like some things just let the story be done.
00:57:19
Speaker
And this one, like I mean, that the fact that this one ends in such a dark way. such dark way. It's such a dark ending. and Like sometimes you just have to let it end dark.
00:57:30
Speaker
And like, you know, like somebody in in one of the reviews on, on Letterboxd calls it, you know, Southern Gothic horror. That's what this is. And that, that, that very dark ending that is Gothic, let it stay that way.
00:57:44
Speaker
You know, like and anything more I think could be too much. And I also kind of liked the fact that like me and you were thinking like, Oh, she's going to get Jill next, you know? Yeah. Yeah. um Can I tell you where i like where I diverge from the movie? Go ahead. is like When she runs up to the attic at the end and she sees like that circle of candles and like it's obviously like set up for a ritual.
00:58:07
Speaker
Girl, do you not think I'm just burning that whole fucking house down at that point? there i don't hear like If I'm going out, I'm going out burning with all of you. Going in down in a place of glory. Serious.
00:58:20
Speaker
um yeah and so i'm glad that you picked up on that same thing with ah jill because i didn't i didn't remember thinking that until i re-watched it this time but there's something there's something about the way she looks jill up and down at the end and you're just like oh shit she just wants to transfer over there now but and also jill is also a believer like she takes her to the hoodoo store like she knows like so it's probably pretty easy to to get the jill body that she actually wants um which is interesting i'm gonna read you a review from letterbox that is very interesting i want to see hear about this this is this is a bizarre take but here we are
00:59:06
Speaker
A truly transgressive horror film that has an unhappy ending. Unhappy for those of privilege, for white audiences. ah when When antagonists prevail in these kinds of horror movies, it's not an evil.
00:59:22
Speaker
It's an unbalancing of power. white audiences are challenged to get comfortable with that unbalancing. Jordan Peele said of Get Out that he originally had an unhappy ending where Chris goes to jail.
00:59:35
Speaker
And while that may have spoken more truth to our backwards culture, Peele wanted to give black audiences a happy ending. Completely different circumstances for a targeted audience made up of the oppressed, rightfully so.
00:59:47
Speaker
And there's another reason I'm comparing the skeleton key to Get Out. And rather than camera flashes, it's mirrors that expose the conceit. Happy endings are about returning to the status quo.
00:59:57
Speaker
These days, I hope, us white people are getting more comfortable with not returning there. It's our discomfort with transgression and the ambience of white supremacy that desperately hangs on to life that sustains that status quo.
01:00:11
Speaker
This movie and that ending is so much more than it appears. Appearances are deceiving. A reactionary would run to get out. This is from Joss 4.0 on Letterboxd who watched this in February of 2024. Look, well, actually, i I'll reserve my comment. What do you think about that? um I mean, I see some validity in what they're saying, but also –
01:00:39
Speaker
the way things play out in the movie is there isn't... It's not it's not villain versus hero. they're like Because they're there's there's layers.
01:00:50
Speaker
And so like I don't know if you can really make that argument correctly. Whereas when in Get Out, there are clearly like there are clearly villains and clearly heroes. Does that make sense?
01:01:04
Speaker
Well, yeah. I just think like... Look, i I get what I get what you're trying to go for here. My yeah my friend, but like, once again, Kate Hudson didn't do anything.
01:01:16
Speaker
That's what I'm trying to say. She's actually trying to help. Right. So like, yes, I get that. She's white, but like, come on, this is i like, look, this this is, this is the sort of take where I'm like, look, I'm as I'm, I'm a lefty. I'm, I'm in on, you know, up up ending the the power balances that have, that have brought us to this terrible time in history.
01:01:36
Speaker
But it's this kind of take where I'm like, that is so woke, just shut up. Like, if I'm being honest, like, I think, I think you're trying too hard. yeah and and And I am, I am an awakened person. I just want to point that out.
01:01:47
Speaker
Um, which somebody, somebody's probably going to roll their eyes and laugh at me saying that, but I don't really care. Like, it's, it's the truth. Like, like sometimes we can, we can, the people around our, our segment of the space of humanity, sometimes we can take it a little too far.
01:02:02
Speaker
Absolutely. We're our own worst enemies. yeah Right. That's a take that takes it too far. Like, come on. The fact that Kate Hudson gets that her body is being used by another spirit and that she has to go live in the body of some old white lady who just tried to kill threw down the stairs. Exactly. Like, I i don't think that's exactly exactly the kind of justice that you want to see in the world, number one.
01:02:25
Speaker
And so if that was the case, like, come on, dude. So yeah, I think that's ah a bit of a stretch, my friend. It's ah it's a bit of ah a too far of a take, if you will. Exactly.
Analysis of 'Jessabelle' and its Themes
01:02:34
Speaker
and andrew One other thing i wanted to talk about with this movie is I wanted to talk about the Peter Sarsgaard of it all.
01:02:40
Speaker
Go ahead. ah Because we understand by the end of the movie that that is Papa Justify from the beginning. Yes. um So I'm just interested in Your take on was he supposed to be a romantic?
01:02:58
Speaker
Like, did did you ever get the feeling that they were supposed to be romantically entangled? um Honestly, no, i didn't either. i thought it was very brother sister.
01:03:11
Speaker
Yeah, I think that there was definitely like the capacity for that to happen. And like you almost expect that that might happen. um But there was never a point where I was like, oh it's going to happen. Yeah, no, I agree with you. I, and it was honestly on this watch, you know, knowing, knowing kind of the, the twist, if you will, yeah um, that I really paid attention to how they treated that relationship sure because there is one moment where, uh, or, where the, the, ah what's her, what's Violet, where she kind of has like a moment of jealousy towards them. Yeah, sure. And then you realize, oh shit, that's because that's her husband. Yeah, and exactly. it's ah It's a weird thing to think about because you're in the mindset of like, ooh, these two young people might get together. but then you realize by the end, you're like, no, like he literally was just, he's the training wheels to get her to the bike ride.
01:04:05
Speaker
You know mean? Yeah, makes sense. So, Interesting. Well, Andrew, tell me this. What do you rate this little film called The Skeleton Key? So here at Friday the 13th, we judge on the scale of the grand old gay rainbow, and that's a seven stripe scale. So a 3.5 is an average movie.
01:04:22
Speaker
I give The Skeleton Key a five. And I said, this is a fun little movie with a great twist of an ending. Probably one of my favorite Kate Hudson movies, to be honest.
01:04:34
Speaker
I also gave it a five and I said, great film and watching it years later, I had forgotten the twist, but how fun to rediscover it. I'm so happy that you forgot the twist. Me too. I knew that I knew something crazy happened with voodoo kind of stuff, but I just, I honestly forgot that like they went into her body.
01:04:53
Speaker
Totally. and i it I do love that. They were like, Ooh, we had to get you to believe, which is pretty fucking cool. So folks, that does it for The Skeleton Key. Stay tuned. We'll be right back with our next film, Jessabelle.
01:05:18
Speaker
Thanks for bringing me up. It's really good to see you. Sorry about your boyfriend.
01:05:28
Speaker
This was your mother's room. You will have to stay in here. The bedroom's
01:05:50
Speaker
If you're watching this, it means I'm gone. wanted to give you a rating with my cards. It says here that you're not alone. There's a presence in the house with you.
01:06:03
Speaker
Jess.
01:06:07
Speaker
I see a very horrible death. If I don't talk to somebody, I'm gonna go crazy. Tell me what's going on. I think somebody's out there.
01:06:19
Speaker
Oh my God, that's my birthday.
01:06:23
Speaker
You think there's something under that stone? How is something real spooky like this? They call the spirits to take someone.
01:06:37
Speaker
out of your mind. I told her not to do this. But dad, it's mom. That thing on these tapes is not your mother. um
01:06:51
Speaker
boy
01:06:53
Speaker
Who are you? What do you want from
01:07:00
Speaker
are
01:07:12
Speaker
me? I have been watching over you.
01:07:30
Speaker
This is not the Jezebel from the hit 1992 10,000 Maniacs album. This is, and this is not Jezebel from the Bible. This is Jess-a-bell.
01:07:43
Speaker
Not a Z, but two S's. Andrew, tell us about Jess-a-bell. The dead are back for life. I don't really know what that means. A young woman recuperating at her father's rundown home after a tragic accident soon encounters a terrifying presence with a connection to her long-deceased mother.
01:08:05
Speaker
Directed by Kevin Gruttert, written by Robert Ben-Gurant, and production and distribution were handled by Blumhouse and Lionsgate. Jesse Laurent is ah played by Sarah Snook.
01:08:18
Speaker
Preston is played by Mark Webber. Leon Laurent is played by David Andrews. Kate Laurent is played by Joelle Carter. And Jessabelle, the ghost, is played by Amber Stevens. This is rated PG-13. It comes in at 90 minutes. It was released on November 7th of 2014.
01:08:36
Speaker
Locations included Wilmington, North Carolina. The budget for this was $4 million, and the gross actually was $23.5 million, which is higher than I thought. Yeah, same. But yes, Jessabelle.
01:08:48
Speaker
Maddie, is this your first time seeing Jessabelle, and what are your first understandings of it? Yeah, you know, yeah. if First time seeing it. um You know, look, I i think i I didn't really know about this film.
01:09:02
Speaker
um And so as somebody who does know Succession very well, it is really just bizarre to see Sarah Snook doing literally anything else besides Siobhan or Siobhan is really how you say it.
01:09:17
Speaker
Shiv. So, ah yeah, I mean, like you you have to kind of bend your brain around that. But You know, I actually really kind of enjoyed watching her do something pre succession. Like she's she's been in a couple of things since succession.
01:09:31
Speaker
There was one movie ah like rabbits in the title. I can't remember the name of it right now, but it's I think it's on Apple TV plus, but could be wrong. um And I actually started watching it, but like I i couldn't finish it because all all I can think of is her in succession. I i can't I can't get that out of my brain.
01:09:47
Speaker
So this one, for whatever reason, pre-succession um from 2014, I could watch it. And um yeah, you know, look, it's a it's a it's not bad. i don't think it's great. I think, you know, this one um just simply sort of walks where the skeleton key really runs.
01:10:06
Speaker
And I think that... This is a very similar to the Skeleton Key and in many ways. ah But, you know, i i had a I had a good time watching it. did I didn't hate it.
01:10:19
Speaker
I thought that, you know, it it was an interesting twist. And, you know, it gets darker and darker as you go. um it's It's interesting to learn about the the family history as as you sort of sink through this.
01:10:30
Speaker
um with it's It does kind of kick off with a bang when, you know, they're leaving... Like her apartment or whatever she was in. And they're, they're, they're moving in. She's moving in with the boyfriend that dies.
01:10:42
Speaker
Yeah. and And he dies like in the first three minutes of the movie. I know. He's so cute. He was ah very cute. My God. um He had great back of the neck thing. I, you know, I'm really into that.
01:10:54
Speaker
um He, he did. I love a good back of a guy's neck at the nape. um And i yeah, that sort of kicks it off. Just like, damn. Yeah.
01:11:04
Speaker
And then you're kind of like, God, she can't get a break, can she? Seriously. And I mean, the only thing that this that this film has trouble with, I think, is that at big moments, um the plateaus can feel a little bizarre.
01:11:18
Speaker
Like when he is so OK, she finds the tape underneath the bed and she goes to watch the tape and the dad comes home and and he's mad about it and he sees it and he breaks the tape or whatever he does. And then he like takes her wheelchair.
01:11:33
Speaker
And like runs it out on the dock and shoves it into the, the, the river. Like as she's watching it, yeah i didn't believe her.
01:11:44
Speaker
i didn't really believe her. Like that is her one way of getting around. If that were me, I would be freaking the fuck out. Like you're taking, it's like, you're taking away my feet right now, for God's sake.
01:11:56
Speaker
So like she was barely doing anything, if I'm being honest. And then the next morning, you know He's made breakfast and she you know she wakes up. She's had a ghostly experience in the bed. And then she wakes up and there's a new wheelchair there.
01:12:08
Speaker
um And she gets in the wheelchair and she goes into the kitchen and he's like, you i'm sorry, I was drunk last night. And she's like, it's okay. And I was like, okay. I was like, all right. like of crew This is a family dynamic. I get it.
01:12:20
Speaker
But also that was just a little unbelievable if I'm being honest. Yeah, I agree with you. Some of those dynamics, some of those plateaus, some of those scenes, they just didn't feel right to me. they they They just didn't. And I don't know if that's a failure of storytelling, if it's a failure of dialogue, if it's a failure of direction, or or even if it's a failure of acting or some kind of combination. i I don't really know where to put my finger on that. But I don't know. Some of that stuff didn't feel right to me.
01:12:47
Speaker
But in general, I like the story. um And I, you know, as I've said probably a thousand times already, I i liked watching. I didn't dislike it. and How about you? was this Was this your first time watching it?
01:12:59
Speaker
So I saw this when it first came out, not in the theater, but streaming somewhere. I don't really remember, but I remembered, I remembered like liking it with like a soft, like, you know what I mean? And then, but I always, but I also kind of clocked it as kind of a voodoo hoodoo movie. So I was like, you know, well, we'll re revisit this at one point. um This time around, i don't, I don't know if it's directing or acting.
01:13:26
Speaker
ah It's the human moments that I just don't believe. um there's There's a lot of the scary moments that i are are actually really well done. ah you know the In the bed moments through the curtain, that was really creepy.
01:13:40
Speaker
ah In the bathtub, that was really creepy. The part where he actually takes her out to the car, but it's not her. It's her like double or whatever. Sure. that's really creepy. So I think the scares work really well. I think what I'm harping on is kind of what you were alluding to is like the real human moments don't make so much sense to me.
01:14:01
Speaker
Sure. um Like, and and I'll just say this about our two leads, you know, like, She she carries the movie, obviously, but like we have like her high school boyfriend that comes into the picture later on. And then there's this whole subplot of like his wife and but being jealous. And I just don't believe any of it. Yeah, I just think that there is.
01:14:24
Speaker
And I don't know if this is like a like a. a chemistry thing or what but like i didn't get that they were involved with each other at all like they didn't they didn't read as chemistry to me and that's just i don't know it's it's a weird thing but like they were just duds as a romantic leads like let's leave it to the scares and leave the romantic comedy to the to the to the other guys i'd agree with you know what mean yeah yeah um There was a couple of things that I thought were just a little bit just it was just overdone.
01:14:56
Speaker
And like, you know, we'll talk about the twist, you know, the the the quote unquote twist at the end. But like, it's such like a fucking weird twist because they're like, oh, yeah, we killed the black baby, but we automatically adopted a white baby. Like, yeah.
01:15:13
Speaker
Where does the white baby come from? i don't understand. Like, it's not like you can just go find a baby on the side of the road. That's it's it's a really important plot point. Like it is like ah adopting a baby is not easy.
01:15:25
Speaker
So did they did they steal the baby? did And I feel like maybe like where did I feel like that's where did it come from? That's one part of the plot that they just thought, oh, audiences are going to be so caught up in the twist of it all that they're not going care. Sure. But like, I really did care. Like, sorry, but like, as someone that can't just have a baby, I have actively looked into what it would take to adopt or...
01:15:51
Speaker
create life and it's a fucking ton of money and you can't just do that. And I don't, I, and that part of the plot really fucking drove me insane that they just, I get it. Oh, and then another baby showed up.
01:16:04
Speaker
like you Like, I mean, it's, you know, though once again, you know, those are the things that, that seem small. And I, I think a lot of times that those types of details get wiped away with, ah, it's just a fun movie.
01:16:18
Speaker
And like, for me, I'm like, actually, no, like if everything was just a fun movie, then nothing would ever matter. And so, like and then like, frankly, why are we doing a fucking podcast? So like, I, and but that's, that's the kind of excuse where I'm like, no, you actually do need to have something behind it.
01:16:34
Speaker
And like, it's, it's especially important in this movie because there is law enforcement in this movie. Right. So it's not like they just exist in a world where there are no consequences. Like, right okay, they kill a, it but not they, the dad kills a baby.
01:16:47
Speaker
He has to go find a new baby to take its place. So it's a bit of a changeling kind of, kind of thing going on here. So where does the changeling come from? and right And honestly, like, it's just like with, like think about the actual, well, there's many changeling stories, but think about the changeling.
01:17:02
Speaker
in the, in the changeling, we find out where, where, um, I forget Joseph, uh, Kennedy or whatever his name is comes from. We, we learn that part of the story. This movie, this movie could have been enhanced if we had learned that we don't know where, where Jessabelle comes from.
01:17:19
Speaker
We, we don't, we don't know. We don't we don't, or not Jessabelle. What's her name? Um, well, her name is Jessabelle, but she's the second. Yeah. Right. Right. We, we don't know like what is her origin that this, this could have been enhanced and and made better if they had actually told us.
01:17:32
Speaker
Like, why not not to make it darker, but why not make the wife a victim of sexual misconduct on like on behalf of killing the other baby? Like what happens then?
01:17:45
Speaker
Like, oh, I see. So he's mad. He kills the baby and then he rapes her and then they have another baby. Why is that not like, and I don't mean to make that. That makes it a much darker movie. I'll be honest with you. But well I mean, look, it's a, it's a horror movie, like a darker, darker kind of works. Doesn't it?
01:18:02
Speaker
Well, it's just, it's one of those things that like, I don't think that they think about like what the audience is going to interpret because at the end of the day, we have no idea where Jessabelle, you know, quote unquote, the real Jessabelle came from.
01:18:15
Speaker
Exactly. We have no idea who she is. So why should we care? And so like that, it just leaves me a little bit blank at the end of the movie where I'm like, okay, well, I guess we entered an empty vessel because we don't know who Jezebel is. Absolutely. Makes sense.
01:18:30
Speaker
um I will say it's very interesting that this movie opens on a quote and the quote never really... It doesn't really come into the movie. Do you want me to read the quote really quick? Please.
01:18:41
Speaker
We will cast a shadow over you that cannot be distinguished from fate. That doesn't make any like, okay. And it's from the book Legends of Haiti, which I get that they're trying to set like a voodoo hoodoo, like, ooh.
01:18:57
Speaker
o Like, yeah, we're going to be spooky. But like, it doesn't ever really play out. Another thing that doesn't ever really play out is there is a um a ah grave that they eventually dig up. But it's like it's played for spooky. Like it's played for like, you know, we see flashes across the lake and we see like things and that that that that.
01:19:20
Speaker
And they go over there and they're like, oh my God, they're like reacting like Blair Witch fucking project. And I'm over here like, ooh, is this just like some artist? Like, this lead these are really cute. yeah And then like, they dig up the grave.
01:19:36
Speaker
Like, what are you doing, dude? Like, who just digs up a grave? That's so crazy to me. Yeah, it's it's it's a little bit wild. And, and, and then there's like, so sorry, i'm I'm getting too far in the weeds in this one, but just give me a break for a second. So there's a part of the movie where Jessabelle at night sees people with torches over on that part of the, the lake.
01:20:00
Speaker
We never really truly understand what that means because there's not like we like we understand that like the people of the church are still watching over the church, but that's not where the church is. That's where the grave is.
01:20:15
Speaker
So like, what are they doing? Are they conjuring something? are Like, do you you know what I mean? Yeah, I don't know what they're doing. There's just like there's blank spaces in this movie where i i think that there's a great movie in here.
01:20:31
Speaker
I don't know if what we watched was the great version of it. If that makes any sense. Yeah. Yeah. I think there's a great idea. i just think that it's not... fully well received. Well, I mean like yeah like, like, like I said, I think that this one just sort of walks where the skeleton key really, really knows how to run. Yeah. But this one comes after the skeleton keys. I know, but, i but, it it but, you know, like, look, it's sometimes you you don't need to do a remake on something that's, that's already been done pretty well.
01:21:00
Speaker
And, you know, once again, this, this, I mean, look, I know that they have a bit of a different plot line. I, I understand that, but they're, they're, and they're in the same family here, I would say. So, ah you know, I don't know.
01:21:11
Speaker
I will say I did like kind of the little bit of a twist of the ah tarot card readings. Yeah, that was interesting. Being about the original Jezebel and not about Jezebel that we're watching. I thought that that was kind of an an an interesting twist because, you know, like...
01:21:30
Speaker
I like all that mysticism stuff. And I thought that that was fun. I don't know. And and it's, and it is is, you know, sort of a really interesting plot point that she's sitting there thinking it's about her and it's not at all. So she's waiting for these things to happen. And she's like, Oh my God, Nope. Completely about somebody else. Yeah. in different Which is, which is crazy.
01:21:49
Speaker
Am I happy that her dad died halfway through the movie? Thank fucking God. Because that guy was the worst. What an asshole. Truly. How can you do that? How can you literally, you have not seen your daughter for, ah we don't know the amount of years, but for years, and then you take her in and then you throw away her only mode of transportation one day into you guys being together. That's it. fuck but I mean, look, like like I said earlier, it didn't really seem to bother her all that much. Yeah.
01:22:18
Speaker
Well, she got her mom's but wheelchair after that. you what I mean? It's like, a but you know, once again, someone takes away my, if I, if I was wheelchair. But it's not even her mom. You know, so exactly. Someone takes that away from me. I'm going to freak the fuck out that you are doing that. Like, my God, come on.
01:22:34
Speaker
Yeah, I think that this I think that at the end of the day, i think that this is a good movie sandwiched in a bad script. I don't know.
01:22:45
Speaker
ah So I think that this is just one of those weird ones that like if you watch it on surface level, it's going to be fun. But if you try to dive too far into it, you're going to get lost in the sauce.
01:22:56
Speaker
You know what? Andrew, tell me, what do you rate this movie? I'm going give it a four. I think it's still enjoyable. And honestly, like a lot of the jump scares still did get me. I i have to give it credit where credit's due. I said overall, it's a decent enough little jump scare of a movie. But if you go too deep, it doesn't always work.
01:23:15
Speaker
Yeah, I'm the same on this. I also give it a four. And I think, you know, it's a sort of right above average. It's it's not the worst. But also, you know, as I've said multiple times now, I just I would prefer to watch Skeleton Key.
01:23:25
Speaker
um And I said also, look, I enjoyed seeing Sarah Snook pre-succession. Yeah. So folks, that does it for Jessabelle and that does it for our
Making Movies More Inclusive with LGBTQ+ Elements
01:23:35
Speaker
episode. But before we leave you, we'll be right back with a game.
01:24:16
Speaker
Well, folks, that was episode 148 of Friday, the 13th horror podcast. Before we go, we have a little game for you. And this one is one we haven't played in a long time. It's called Queer Eye for the Horror Guy.
01:24:28
Speaker
And this is where we just make a little change in one of these films to make it a bit more gay. So tell me how you would gay up one of these films.
Podcast Funding and Listener Engagement
01:24:38
Speaker
So I'm going to take Jezebel and I am going to make the romantic lead, if you want to call him that.
01:24:46
Speaker
um I'm going to make him her gay best friend from high school. Because then we can kind of take out the illusion of romanticism, but we can also still have the protection of wanting to help your you know best friend from high school.
01:25:00
Speaker
And then it kind of gives a little bit more clues into when they talk about going to prom together. it could kind of like be more of like a beard situation where he like took her to prom as like a fun thing.
01:25:12
Speaker
And then we don't have to have the whole wife subplot that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. And I think just making him like a gay best friend from high school makes so much more sense in the grand scheme of the movie. So love it I'm going to make Jessabelle a little more gay by making her romantic lead A gay guy And for me, in the skeleton key, what I will do is I'm going to make Jill gay, actually.
01:25:34
Speaker
and This is exactly what I was going to do. And so with Jill being, you know, clearly the the the best friend of um of Kate Hudson's character, I can't forget her name right now. um But with them being best friends, there's oh there there there could be a bit of just like a natural sexual tension there, just just a little bit of it.
01:25:52
Speaker
And we maybe see it here and there and kind of joke around. But, you know, we we maybe we kind of know that like Jill is has always pined for her one way or another. So at the end, when um when what is her fucking character's name? Violet. when Violet. Thank you.
01:26:08
Speaker
When. um no No, no, no. Caroline. when when When Caroline is um is is possessed by the you know by the spirit and you know we know that that she wants to get into a black woman, that that's what where she really wants to be.
01:26:22
Speaker
At the end, we see her hit on her. And that's and that's like where the movie ends. And she's like, instead of telling her, like oh yeah, follow them to the hospital. Like she does something to her. She gives her a nod or something else that, you know, we know she's going to be using that to play on, to get close to her, to make all this happen.
01:26:42
Speaker
It makes sense to me. Yeah. And it also, and it also increases the, um, the protection that jill would have over caroline yeah so well fun little game there andrew now listen folks before we let you go a little bit of housekeeping listen um you've just listened to a podcast for about an hour and a half about two hours however long this was um i don't know because we haven't we haven't edited yet but listen Um, here's the deal. Andrew and I do this on our own. We don't have a network behind us. We don't have anyone paying us to do it.
01:27:13
Speaker
And, um, you know, look, any podcast, it takes a little money to keep it going. And so we rely on our patrons to help us just break even. That's what the most important thing to us. So um there's a lot of ways that you can support us. Here's a couple of ways.
01:27:27
Speaker
ah First off, you can just go to our website, which is www.frygay13.com slash support. Once you're there, you're able to buy merchandise from us and you can also become a patron on Patreon.
01:27:40
Speaker
Now, listen, there are different levels on our Patreon. We really encourage you just choose the one dollar. If you want to give more, totally up to you. But just choosing the one dollar really helps us out.
01:27:52
Speaker
um It makes you a part of our inner circle. You're able to interact with us on the Patreon app, which is really cool. um But also, like you know look, it's just $1 a month. So for $12 a year, you're supporting one of your favorite independent podcasts and helping us to keep going. And that is really, really helpful to us. So to those of you that have already become a patron, thank you so much.
01:28:13
Speaker
To those of you that are thinking about it, why not do it today? It's $1 a month. It's really, really cheap. Very, very cheap for the amount of content that you get, which is twice month. an episode. Exactly. So we would really appreciate that. It looks like, Andrew, we have a new patron named j Tell us about JB. Yeah, j b thank you so much for becoming a patron. um We have already chatted on the Patreon you know chat a little bit, and he sent us a really lovely message that I shared to the the WhatsApp group but between all of us.
01:28:44
Speaker
And it's just... Every time somebody either becomes a patron or even like sends us a message or anything, I'm like reinvigorated. Yeah. Like, but like, oh, we are actually not just talking into the ether of nobody listening. Like we're actually hitting people where they live, how they live.
01:29:02
Speaker
And it just it makes me really happy. So, like, you don't have to become a patron to, like, communicate with us. Obviously, there's social media. There's our email. bla But like when you actually invest in the show and by invest, I mean, twelve dollars a year. Right. um it it It really does mean a lot to us because it shows that you care enough to hear our voices over and over again.
01:29:25
Speaker
Every month. And folks too, listen, if you can't become a patron, totally understand. But listen, one way that you can help us is if you haven't left a review yet, you can leave a review. So go on to, you know, wherever you listen to podcasts, but it's mostly helpful for us if you do it on Apple or on Spotify. So if you have not yet left a review after all these years, what are you doing? Maybe, maybe now's the time to finally do it.
01:29:48
Speaker
And listen, more than anything else, what Andrew and I want you to do is to go out there to... Get slayed.