It's Del Toro Time - A Guillermo del Toro-adjacent Podcast
217 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 days ago - ★★★★★ - 17 ratingsThis is a podcast where a dad (Phil) and his adult child (Willow) talk about films and books and sometimes Guillermo del Toro.
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Episodes
The Dark Descent – “A Little Something for Us Tempunauts” by Philip K. Dick
April 16, 2024 21:42 - 65.3 MBAaaaaaaand, we’re done! It’s “A Little Something For Us Tempunauts” by Philip K. Dick and “The Dark Descent” is over! PARTY HORN NOISE!
The Dark Descent – “The Hospice” by Robert Aickman
April 09, 2024 21:46 - 70.8 MBWE’RE SO CLOSE TO THE END! It’s the penultimate “Dark Descent” story and it’s a whopper! “The Hospice” is quintessential Robert Aickman: it’s creepy, offbeat, weird, strange, chilling and inexplicable. We really loved it and now… only one story to go!
The Dark Descent – “The Asian Shore” by Thomas M. Disch
March 30, 2024 08:39 - 66 MBWhat a mystery this story is! Willow isn’t sure if she likes it, or if it even qualifies as horror. I’m enamored of it, but can’t really decide what it’s about! PERFECT! It’s “The Asian Shore” by Thomas M. Disch!
The Dark Descent – “The Willows” by Algernon Blackwood
March 23, 2024 09:25 - 101 MBThis week, it’s one of the most terrifying and terribly intimate stories we’ve yet covered. The cosmic horror of “The Willows” by Algernon Blackwood!
The Dark Descent – “Afterward” by Edith Wharton
March 16, 2024 18:57 - 51.4 MBThis week, Willow and I take a look at the creepy effects of UNFETTERED CAPITALISM with Edith Wharton’s “Afterward!”
The Dark Descent – “The Damned Thing” by Ambrose Bierce
February 19, 2024 00:30 - 72.1 MBWhaddaya get when you take a dead guy, an invisible monster and a heaping dose of post-Civil War Traumatic Stress Disorder? “The Damned Thing” by Ambrose Bierce! The missingest author in the history of Weird Fiction!
The Dark Descent – “The Beautiful Stranger” by Shirley Jackson
January 28, 2024 01:12 - 54.8 MBThis week, Willow and Phil take a quick look at a quick story: “The Beautiful Stranger” by Shirley Jackson. We throw out a lot of theories as to the actual nature of this story, but the one thing we can agree on? That stranger is beautiful.
The Dark Descent – “What Was It?” by Fitz-James O’Brien
January 06, 2024 07:18 - 91.3 MBSometimes, you don’t even need to ask. “What Was It?” by Fitz-James O’Brien!
The Dark Descent – “The Beckoning Fair One” by Oliver Onions
December 30, 2023 04:34 - 101 MBBoy oh boy are we ever getting tired of sad men dying for their ghosts. It’s “The Beckoning Fair One” by Oliver Onions! A good story, but jeez, guys. See a therapist or something.
The Dark Descent – “The Repairer of Reputations” by Robert W. Chambers
December 16, 2023 19:45 - 155 MBWe’ve got a big one this week! It’s “The Repairer of Reputations” by Robert W. Chambers and Willow goes OFF. If you’re looking for her sources, here they are! de Oliveira, Hugo Mendes. “An Empire of Delusion: The Process of Alienation as Expressed by Robert W. Chambers’ ‘The Repairer of Reputations.’” Thesis, Proquest Dissertations Publishing, … Continue reading "The Dark Descent – “The Repairer of Reputations” by Robert W. Chambers"
The Dark Descent – “Clara Militch” by Ivan Turgenev
December 09, 2023 08:47 - 83.5 MBThis week, we’re heading off to jolly ol’ Russia for a bit of nineteenth century whimsey titled “Clara Militch” or “Klara Milich” or any number of permutations. It’s by Ivan Turgenev and it’s a real cracker! By which I mean, we were utterly confused by it.
The Dark Descent – “Seaton’s Aunt” by Walter de la Mare
November 26, 2023 03:39 - 76 MBIt’s another headscratcher! “Seaton’s Aunt” by Walter de la Mare might not be the scariest story we’ve ever read, but it sure does make me feel sad!
The Dark Descent – “Night-Side” by Joyce Carol Oates
November 18, 2023 09:05 - 80.8 MBYes, I sing Hall and Oates at one point. It’s “Night-Side” by Joyce Carol Oates!
The Dark Descent – “Crouch End” by Stephen King
November 11, 2023 08:17 - 73.9 MBWe’re back in Lovecraft Country, this week! It’s Stephen King’s “Crouch End” and it’s a modern CLASSIC!
The Dark Descent – “The Signal-Man” by Charles Dickens
November 04, 2023 07:53 - 83.7 MBWhen is a ghost not a ghost? When it’s a SIGNAL-MAN! It’s “The Signal-Man” by Charles Discken and Willow has NOTES on the story! NOTES!
The Dark Descent – “Seven American Nights” by Gene Wolfe
October 29, 2023 00:58 - 88.8 MB“Seven American Nights” is phenomenal and Gene Wolfe is brilliant. That’s all.
The Dark Descent – “Smoke Ghost” by Fritz Leiber
October 21, 2023 07:12 - 80.8 MB“Sssssssssmokin’!” Oh, somebody stop me. This week, we begin a new chunk of “The Dark Descent” as we wend our way into “A Fabulous Formless Darkness” by way of the game-changing short story “Smoke Ghost” by Fritz Leiber. Does it live up to the hype? Yes. Yes, it does.
The Dark Descent – “The Jolly Corner” by Henry James
October 14, 2023 08:42 - 82.4 MBOh, Henry James. Why must you be so obtuse? This week, it’s a return to the creeps and the spooks as we take a step inside “The Jolly Corner!” Any good? Well, Willow had no idea what was going on!
Special Horror Roundup – video
October 07, 2023 17:07Just me this week, so let’s talk about what I’m reading and what I’m watching.
The Dark Descent – “Mackintosh Willy” by Ramsey Campbell
September 30, 2023 09:43 - 82.7 MBThis week, it’s a story that really left a wild impression on us. Is it supernatural? Natural? A little bit of both? Who knows! It’s “Mackintosh Willy” by Ramsey Campbell!
The Dark Descent – “Good Country People” by Flannery O’Connor
September 23, 2023 09:03 - 114 MBThis week, it’s a story that is remarkably similar in many ways to last weeks. So, we both loved it, of course! Right? RIGHT?! *sigh* It’s “Good Country People” by Flannery O’Connor.
The Dark Descent – “Three Days” by Tanith Lee
September 16, 2023 09:33 - 88 MBThis week, it’s our first Tanith Lee story and, maybe not coincidentally, one of our favorites. Is it horror? Who cares? It’s awesome! It’s “Three Days” here on The Dark Descent!
The Dark Descent – “The Rocking Horse Winner” by D. H. Lawrence
September 09, 2023 09:21 - 78.7 MBD. H. Lawrence’s “The Rocking Horse Winner” is no liar. It’s got a rocking horse. It’s got a winner. It’s all there on the tin!
The Dark Descent – “You Can Go Now” by Dennis Etchison
September 02, 2023 09:23 - 69.6 MBAre you ready for some heady noir? This week’s “You Can Go Now” by Dennis Etchison is weird and trippy and short and delightful! It’s a real headscratcher, I tells ya!
The Dark Descent – “My Dear Emily” by Joanna Russ
August 26, 2023 05:30 - 104 MBWillow and I are back with more Dark Descent. This week, it’s “My Dear Emily” by Joanna Russ. It’s a vampire story, with a twist! The twist? Um… it’s good?
The Dark Descent – “Born of Man and Woman” by Richard Matheson
June 17, 2023 09:24 - 74.6 MBIf there’s one person we love talking about at The Dark Descent, it’s Dick Math! Dickie the Math Man! Richard “Richie Rich” Matheson! Yes, this week we take a look at Dickie’s first ever published story “Born of Man and Woman!” And, it’s an icky one!
The Dark Descent – “How Love Came To Professor Guildea” by Robert Hichens
June 10, 2023 21:47 - 88.9 MBWhen is a ghost not a ghost? When it’s your repressed homosexuality! It’s Robert Hichens’s “How Love Came To Professor Guildea” on The Dark Descent!
The Dark Descent – “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
June 01, 2023 00:40 - 85.7 MBIn William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” Emily doesn’t get a rose. How about that? It’s The Dark Descent and we’re back!
The Dark Descent – “The Yellow Wall-Paper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
March 09, 2023 22:51 - 53.9 MBA woman really hates that wallpaper in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wall-paper!” It’s yellow, alright!
The Dark Descent – “Schalken the Painter” by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
February 19, 2023 17:15 - 26.9 MBThis week, Willow and Phil schalk the schalk with J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s “Schalken the Painter!” It’s based on a real guy, but it’s not! It’s pretty sexy but also gross! It’s a rip roaring good time and also about the societal helplessness of women in the face of suffocating patriarchy. “Schalken the Painter!”
The Dark Descent – “The Rats in the Walls” by H. P. Lovecraft
February 11, 2023 15:39 - 32.2 MBThis week, THE CAT HAS A RACIST NAME. And, YES, we discuss it! Also, Lovecraft’s impossibly wild interpretation of Roman mythology and, look, it’s actually a pretty good story about a grieving father. It’s “The Rats In The Walls!”
The Dark Descent – “Within the Walls of Tyre” by Michael Bishop
February 02, 2023 18:14 - 48.8 MBThis week, it’s all about Christmastime, Mega-Malls and Stone Babies, baby! It’s “Within the Walls of Tyre” by Michael Bishop and it’s MESSED UP.
The Dark Descent – “The Monkey” by Stephen King
January 26, 2023 19:56 - 64.9 MBYou better watch out! Baby who’s that? It’s Phil and Willow back with “The Monkey” by Stephen King! And, all we really need to say is that this is the best King character and he needs to come back, please. Thanks.
The Dark Descent – “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe
January 17, 2023 10:34 - 31.9 MBWillow and I return to the world of Poe with “The Fall of the House of Usher!” It’s nice to be back on firm ground with a classic story and talk all about Poe and his 13 year old bride. No, really, it’s fun.
The Dark Descent – “Dread” by Clive Barker
January 12, 2023 03:39 - 44.9 MBWillow thinks I’m nuts for ever having liked this mess. It’s “Dread” by Clive Barker!
The Dark Descent – “Bright Segment” by Theodore Sturgeon
January 05, 2023 20:51 - 39.7 MBIf you like non-verbal developmentally disabled men with borderline personality disorder performing inprov surgery on unconscious women, have we got a story for you! It’s “Bright Segment” by Theodore Sturgeon and it’s ICKY!
The Dark Descent – “The Roaches” by Thomas M. Disch
January 03, 2023 20:10 - 49.6 MBAre you scared of roaches? Hope not! Because we’re talking about Thomas M. Disch’s “The Roaches” from “The Dark Descent” and it’s got ROACHES!
The Dark Descent – “The Swords” by Robert Aickman
December 30, 2022 14:31 - 77.6 MBWe’re diving back into “The Dark Descent” because watching movies has PROVED DIFFICULT! And, what a story to dive into! It’s Robert Aickman’s “The Swords” and it’s about… sex? Stabbing? Thrusting? It’s fairly explicit and fairly grimy and we talk about it for a WHILE. Enjoy!
120 – Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022)
November 26, 2022 22:02 - 86.4 MBWhat do you get when Guillermo del Toro decides to make “Pinocchio?” “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio!” It’s an aggressively Guillermo del Toro movie and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
119 – Cabinet of Curiosities: The Murmuring
November 24, 2022 21:53 - 44.8 MBYou like birds? You like murmuring? You like GRIEF? Well, we do! We close out Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities with the phenomenal “The Murmuring” by the incredible Jennifer Kent! Then, we rank the eps! It’s fun!
118 – Cabinet of Curiosities: The Viewing
November 22, 2022 21:03 - 49.9 MBWhen the director of “Mandy” throws a bunch of comic actors and Robocop in a room together and makes them do Space Cocaine, the result is “The Viewing!” Also, Gremlin Water Hatchers; they grow!
There Might Not Be An Episode This Week
November 14, 2022 18:20 - 1.7 MBhttps://ia804706.us.archive.org/16/items/del-toro-sick_202211/DelToro-Sick.mp3
117 – Cabinet of Curiosities: Dreams In The Witch House
November 10, 2022 20:23 - 31.7 MBWe were having such a great run of episodes, it was inevitable we’d hit a dud. “Dreams in the Witch House” takes Lovecraft’s original story, removes the plot, keeps a few names, a rat with a face and calls it a day. It wouldn’t be bad if it wasn’t so… bad. Sorry. https://ia904702.us.archive.org/14/items/20221110_20221110_2010/DelToro-Cabinet06.mp3
116 : Cabinet of Curiosities – Pickman’s Model
November 08, 2022 21:42 - 65.9 MBWhaddaya get when you take one of H. P. Lovecraft’s most famous short stories and streeeeeetch it out? You get the Cabinet of Curiosities adaptation of “Pickman’s Model!” Is it very much like the story? Errrr… Is it entertaining? Heck yes!
115 – Cabinet of Curiosities: The Outside
November 03, 2022 21:34 - 44.3 MBIn “The Outside,” director Ana Lily Amirpour takes a webcomic by Emily Carroll and turns it into something else. Something full of body horror, comedy, self-loathing, and axe murder! It’s “The Outside!”
114 – Cabinet of Curiosities: The Autopsy
November 01, 2022 20:08 - 40.3 MBWay back in our “The Dark Descent” days, we covered Michael Shea’s phenomenal short story “The Autopsy.” Now, we’re getting to revisit it with the “Cabinet of Curiosities” adaptation by David S Goyer and David Prior! And, you know what? It’s really great!
113 – Cabinet of Curiosities: Graveyard Rats
October 27, 2022 19:53 - 29.8 MBEpisode 2 of “Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities” is a lively adaptation of Henry Kuttner’s “Graveyard Rats” a favorite of mine. We’ve got goopy corpses, rat monsters, boney bois. It’s a whole thing and we enjoyed it! Take a listen!
112 – Cabinet of Curiosities: Lot 36
October 26, 2022 00:17 - 41.8 MBWelcome to the beginning of our coverage of “Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities.” We start off with a fairly straightforward, but creepy, little tale of greed and payback with “Lot 36.”
111 – Goodfellas (1990)
October 07, 2022 17:34 - 117 MBWhen Martin Scorsese made “Goodfellas” did he know it was going to change filmmaking forever? Probably. It’s “Goodfellas!”
110 – Darkman (1990)
September 11, 2022 02:05 - 80.4 MBHe’s dark! He’s a man! He’s Darkman! In 1990, Sam Raimi took a chance on creating an original superhero(?) monster(??) thing(???) for the modern age, and he totally succeeded! It’s “Darkman!” Also, I’m very sick, so I sound like garbage! “Darkman!”