Dennis Wheatley Podcasts

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ericmocata
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Post by ericmocata »

Wow, Cibator, you sound like you have a great interest in linguistics. It is rather amazing how words and their meanings change over the years. I think a lot of comes from people who don't really know what a word means using it anyway and eventually, people accept the word's misuse as a regular use. I believe that is currently happening with words such as "literally" which seems to often mean the complete opposite of "literally" these days.

As for American accents, there are a good few, but I think many of them are very subtle, so with the exception of a few very heavy regional accents, such as Cajun, we largely sound pretty similar, I think. Although people in New York sound funny sometimes, but I am not naming names. . . .

This is a bit off the subject, but related to accents, so I thought I would mention it. I don't know how many of you have seen the movie Fargo, but it is pretty popular here and it sounded pretty good to me. However, I tried watching it, but probably 15 minutes or so in, I had to stop it because the accents were driving me insane. This happen to anybody else?
shanedwyer
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Post by shanedwyer »

I gave up on Fargo after about 15 minutes too Eric. But not because of the accents (I suppose to my Old World ears they merely sounded ‘generic American’)- I just thought the film was boring.
I really, really don’t ‘get’ the Coen brothers.
Cibator
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Post by Cibator »

Never seen Fargo. Not really our kind of movie, for one thing. Plus I've never forgiven Frances McDormand for beating Brenda Blethyn to the 1996 Oscar :x .

That said, I can't totally dismiss the Coen brothers - Raising Arizona was a real hoot (my wife still says "turn to raaaght!" when navigating for me in the car), and The Hudsucker Proxy was highly enjoyable despite its absurd premise. But they are, shall we say, extremely variable.
Fas est et ab hoste doceri
Darren
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Post by Darren »

There is a great blog running called Pretty Sinister Books that is currently discussing DW.

You can find it at
http://prettysinister.blogspot.co.uk/20 ... atley.html

Once you have read the DW thread it's worth clicking the home button and checking out the older posts, there are some entertaining and insightful blogs and discussions that I think will appeal to DW readers in general. The blogger - John - is a writer and bookseller who sells out-of-print & vintage crime, supernatural, adventure and other genre fiction.
Regards,

Darren.
ken68
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Post by ken68 »

hello all,
if I could just chip in on the accents. as a scot who deals with English people every day I find it really strange that they struggle to understand me yet they think I should understand all English accents. I mean do scousers, geordies and brummie really speak like bbc news readers!
because here in the uk we are exposed to the English regional variations more it is easier to follow on tv or radio, but try listening in on a conversation of a group from one region when they aren't making allowances for "outsiders". not so easy.

strangely most people love the Glasgow accent but can't understand a word we say, a bit like Shakespeare I suppose!

ken
Darren
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Post by Darren »

Another podcast with a generous dose of DW is the Geek Syndicate: Dissecting Worlds Series 8. The first episode discusses The Devil – in particular Satanism “in both it’s real and in fictitious formsâ€￾. By "real" I think they mean the religion of Satanism (i.e. Anton LaVey’s Church of Satan).

http://geeksyndicate.co.uk/podcasts/dis ... the-devil/

The podcast devotes a good 9 minutes on DW – you won’t learn anything particularly new about DW but if you like Satan in culture (books, films, etc) then it’s worth listening to, and the presenters discuss DW’s influence far wider – his influence on Dr Who for example.

It’s also interesting to note that much later in the podcast when they have moved on from DW they use the term “Wheatleyesqueâ€￾ so naturally as though listeners would know what they mean. They also mention DW’s book covers and how you wouldn’t want to be seen reading one of his books on the tube – I wondered why there are always empty seats next to me.
Regards,

Darren.
Darren
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Post by Darren »

Hi folks,

Here is another podcast that is worth a listen to. It is the latest show from a very long running US series called Necronomipod: The Lair of the Bookish Worm. I've listened to a few of these podcasts in the past as they have discussed a few other of my favourite books. They read a (normally horror-related) book and then discuss it on their show.

I was delighted to find that their latest show that came out last Friday is devoted to TDRO. It is discussed from the point of view of two Americans who didn't know anything about DW but have read a lot of horror/suspense novels over the years. Don't let the first five minutes put you off, their attempts at humour failed with me, but once they get started on the book they discuss it with passion.

http://necronomipod-podcast.blogspot.co.uk/ and scroll down to Friday, April 25, 2014 Episode 92: Dennis Wheatley's The Devil Rides Out

They come up with a few surpising observations, they make the usual connection with Dracula (a group of people, including the token Yank, that take on an evil entity, a female victim who needs protecting/rescuing and the final cross-continent chase), but they then also discuss the timing of TDRO's release in relation to the early Universal Horror Films and whether DW may have been influenced by them (they conclude that he must have been).

It's all good promotion for DW across the pond. I might log onto their blogpage and leave a comment.

Cheers.
Last edited by Darren on Wed 23 Jul, 2014 22:16:38, edited 1 time in total.
Regards,

Darren.
shanedwyer
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Post by shanedwyer »

I've listed to the 'geeksyndicate' podcast- and can highly recommend it. The contributors are articulate and know their cultural history. Listening to them was a pleasantly intellectual experience.

I'll tune in to Necronom lot later in the week.

Again, thanks Darren for all your sleuthing.
Darren
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Post by Darren »

Here is a podcast that I highly recommend. The podcast is from Canada and is about gaming, but don’t let the subject matter put you off. I’m not into gaming and I listened to this expecting it to be about DW’s early influence on the gaming culture. But it’s not.

Ken and Rob Talk About Stuff. Episode 30: Ring-Tailed and Fructivorous

Ken and Rob are both game designers and spend the first 24 minutes discussing in detail the politics and intricacies of modern gaming. I didn’t understand any of it and they do talk about their subject with an assumption that the listener has some knowledge of modern gaming. However, it is worth listening to this first 24 minutes because it arouses your curiosity about what interest would these two intelligent modern Canadians have in Dennis Wheatley. As I listened my interest (and also some scepticism) grew.

What a pleasant surprise I had. After 24 minutes they start talking about DW – but not about his games (that doesn’t come until 14 minutes later) but about his life and fiction with an amazing passion. They enthuse over his fiction, his films, his career as deception planner, his love of wine – one of them admits to wanting to live life like DW. And it is an intelligent passion. They describe his fiction as “brutalâ€￾ but with such positiveness. They discuss his attitudes to women in his fiction and the racial stereotyping – but in an intelligent “he was a man of his timesâ€￾ approach, and explain with some relief why DW isn’t anti-semitic.

They both talk about DW non-stop for 16 enjoyable minutes and it is a total contrast to the first 24 minutes and also makes a refreshing change to hear such positive energy. :smt041

If you want to sell DW to a modern audience then this 16 minute discussion is a great advert. :smt038

http://www.kenandrobintalkaboutstuff.co ... ctivorous/

or type in ring-tailed and fructivorous into the iTunes search function and it comes up straight away.
Regards,

Darren.
Charles
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Post by Charles »

Thanks, Darren !

I hadn't seen that podcast; I just had a listen, and enjoyed it very much.

As you say, highly recommended !

Best wishes to all,
Charles
Darren
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Post by Darren »

A new UK podcast series has started called A Very British Horror.

It is similar in scope to Professor Cushing's Crypt of the Macabre (which is my favourite podcast series - very funny) in that they only discuss British Horror films.

You can access it via http://averybritishhorror.blogspot.co.u ... 1673b9871e

Episode 7 (23 May 2014) discusses the film The Devil Rides Out. They mention DW in passing. I didn't really learn anything new from the podcast, although one of the hosts talks about the chickens used in the film.

The black cock is actually female - it is a brown hen, and the white hen used in the film "is definitely a Sussex white". When the presenter has finished discussing the chickens his colleague comes out with a comment that made me laugh out loud. It's worth a listen just for the joke.

Being TDRO fans you will know more about the film than the presenters (though possibly not about the chickens) and some of their views annoyed me a little. However I gave the follow up show a listen (about Night of the Demon) and I enjoyed that show a lot more - maybe because I had got used to the presenters.

If you like British Horror films - and these two lads clearly love them - then you might enjoy this series.
Regards,

Darren.
Darren
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Post by Darren »

I know from speaking with other DW fans that I am in a minority regarding the film, To The Devil A Daughter.

I think it’s a great film. I have done since I first saw it in my teens.

I first saw the film before reading the book and in a strange reverse of what most experience in the DW community, I was disappointed in the book when I finally discovered DW and read it.

Obviously it is now one of my favourite books and also believe it be one of DW’s most skilfully written thrillers.

But, back to the film. The soundtrack is outstanding – Paul Glass excelled and wrote some amazing music. And there are great performances from a reputable cast. Chris Lee is on top form, as is the star Richard Widmark, with great support from Natassja Kinski, Anthony Valentine, Denholm Elliot, and Honor Backman.

I think the set-up of the plot works so well - I remember the thrill when I first saw it and understanding the seriousness of the situation for Verney (Widmark) and the innocence of Katherine's (Kinski) vulnerability.

And I have found a podcast that agrees with me. There are two hosts that talk enthusiastically of the film. They rate it as the 8th greatest British Horror film of all time – which is about close to how I would rate it. It is only the ending that lets it down. And that was because the original ending wasn’t acceptable to the producers – I would love to see the film with the original ending.

Details of the podcast can be found at episode 9 of:
http://podcastunderthestairs.wordpress.com/

I had problems getting the podcast from the above link but if you have iTunes you can find it easily enough by searching for podcast under the stairs and download episode 9.

TTDAD starts at 55 minutes.

Enjoy......
Regards,

Darren.
Charles
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Post by Charles »

Well, Darren ... I suppose there is a slim chance you'll overturn my prejudices ...

If nothing else, I will listen closely to the soundtrack after your expert comments at the last Convention ...

You are certainly right to challenge our prejudices ... if you manage to convert me, I'll happily buy you a drink (or two !) at the next Convention

:)

All best to all !
Charles
Darren
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Post by Darren »

And another US podcast series discusses the film of TDRO. It is a very popular film amongst horror enthusiasts. The host (called One Sick Puppy) of the Dead As Hell podcast series rates TDRO as one of the best 5 Hammer films, and speaks positively of DW's success and popularity.

http://www.deadashellhp.com/ and scroll down to the 28th July 2014 episode, or type in Dead as hell the devil rides out into the iTunes store search engine and it is the only result.

One Sick Puppy starts talking about TDRO 34 minutes into the show and describes the plot of the first hour of the film in minute detail, scene by scene, and then stops - informing the listener to watch the film to find out what happens. Again nothing new to learn but it's all good promotion of DW in the modern era.
Regards,

Darren.
Darren
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Post by Darren »

The following link takes you to part 2 of a 3-part series discussing the work of Richard Matheson. This episode covers the 60s up to his screenplay of the film TDRO.

The host is a DW fan and had read the book "a few times" before seeing the film for the first time. Being also a Richard Matheson fan he examines both film and book in very positive terms. He rates TDRO as Matheson's best film work. His discussion of TDRO starts at 27:30 and continues until 44:00 - ending with a performance of the song TDRO by Icarus (played at last year's DW convention) that was released the same time as the film in 1968.

The host's delivery is a bit strange but there is a deep, sinister soundtrack in the background as he talks that I like.

There is also a funny Not The 9 O Clock News comedy sketch after the song about modern satanism that mentions DW.

http://www.geekplanetonline.com/hosting ... Hypnobobs)

Or put "Hypnobobs 121" into your iTunes search engine.
Regards,

Darren.
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