GTGC - #195 - Shadow of the Vampire

It's the best time of year dear listener! It is officially Shocktober! This month, we will have all of the movies to spook, scare, shock and send shivers down your spine. And we start with the genre mish-mash Shadow of the Vampire. We've got Willem Defoe, John Malkovich, Nosferatu, and a meta-narrative. It is definitely a movie that's in our wheelhouse. 

The host lineup this week is a first as Dustin, Arthur, and Alex find themselves running the ship. The conversation begins this with as we talk about "What If Scenarios" we'd like to see played out in film. Arthur, Dustin, and Alex pull out some fascinating ideas that would probably bring in some box office bucks. Then, we throw back the casket lid and stake out the analysis of Shadow of the Vampire. Alex kicks it off this week and offers up ideas and critiques of method acting and overbearing directors. She cites Kubrick and Hitchcock as prime examples of directors who would often take things too far. Jared Leto and his recent methodical turn as the Joker are also talking points for her analysis. Arthur picks up from here to discuss the fading of the celebrity star. He looks at Shadow of the Vampire as an analogy for celebrities who are seeking one last shot at glory and redemption. And, he cites Sunset Boulevard as another example of this in a more realistic setting. Dustin takes over from this moment to talk about the "eternality of the cinematic object". He speaks to the idea of the images on screen being the ghosts of those men and women who we see on screen. He wraps this up to talk about the dialogue with time that the cinema allows. 

And now, the sun is coming up. So, we must return to our homes before the day breaks. But you should stick around, please. Listen to this episode, remember though, we can come into your house any time that we like once you've subscribed. 

Shadow of the Vampire Timestamps

00:37 - Welcome and Intros

03:27 - Synopsis and Reviews

10:44 - The Game - What if Scenario Movies

18:41 - Social Media

20:01 - Analysis

39:56 - Shelf or Trash/Else or Instead

43:38 - Wrap Up