Drawn to Darkness

33 - Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2509776/fan_mail/new] In this episode of Drawn to Darkness, we ask the important questions: Is Jurassic Park actually horror? And would not having a favourite dinosaur be a dealbreaker? We dive into Steven Spielberg’s iconic dinosaur summer blockbuster, from trembling cups of water and bloody goat legs to whatever chaos theory is, Chekov’s electric fences, and Jeff Goldblum’s unbuttoned shirt. Along the way, we unpack the film’s blend of adventure, horror, and sci-fi, discuss whether the dinosaurs were scientifically accurate (spoiler alert: no), and debate the ethics of cloning extinct creatures, billionaire hubris, and scientists “playing God.” We also talk about childhood dinosaur obsessions, the trauma of The Land Before Time, why the T-Rex attack sequence and velociraptor attack qualify as horror, and how Spielberg balances awe, suspense, humour, and terror. Expect deep dives into practical effects vs CGI, the terrifying implications of AI and unchecked technology, casual ’90s sexism, theme park capitalism, and how “clever girl” has become a part of our family vocabularies. Content & Spoiler Warning: Dinosaur attacks, jump scares, graphic injuries, severed limbs, electrocution, animal deaths (including a goat and a cow), children in peril, broken glasses, and people being eaten by dinosaurs (obviously). We also discuss sexism, commenting on appearance  in professional settings, scientific ethics, AI anxiety, and of course we spoil Jurassic Park. Palate Cleanser: After all that dinosaur-fuelled chaos and billionaire recklessness: * Watching TikTok collectively lose its mind over a businessman being served enormous glasses of wine at a Courtyard Marriott in Westbury, New York.  * Big Mistakes on Netflix - dark crime comedy featuring Daniel Levy and Laurie Metcalf.  Spielbergian Recommendations: * Spielberg’s E.T, The Goonies, Hook (justice for Hook), and of course Jaws. Creature Features & Survival Horror * Deep Blue Sea for Samuel L. Jackson * Rogue for another creature feature that will make you pull your feet up. * The Birds – because they descended from dinosaurs. Science, Ethics & Playing God: * Gattaca  * M3GAN  * King Kong  * Westworld (especially Season 1)  * Never Let Me Go  * Klara and the Sun  * Frankenstein  * Project Hail Mary  Dinosaurs & Paleontology: * See Jurassic Right podcast (for truly dedicated Jurassic Park fans)  * Jurassic Park Minute podcast  * The Shortest History of Dinosaurs by Riley Black  * Dinosaur Train and Night at the Museum for the kids * Toy Story for short T-Rex arms * Friends — because Ross Geller was a palaeontologist.  * Go to Universal Studios Jurassic Park attractions and The La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles  Actor Appreciation Corner: * The Big Chill and Ragnarok for more Jeff Goldblum * Law & Order: SVU for BD Wong fans  * Big Little Lies for Laura Dern fans  Homework: Read The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. We’re heading into the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and an exploration of murder, ambition, architecture, and historical chaos.. And remember: Don’t underestimate wild animals. Special thanks to Nancy Azano for our cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and Harry Kidd for our music (Instagram: @harryjkidd, Spotify).

32 - Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2509776/fan_mail/new] In this episode of Drawn to Darkness, we dive into Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas, the “glorious,” “classic” mob epic that somehow feels both iconic and unsettling. From razor-blade-sliced garlic in prison to cocaine-fuelled paranoia and helicopter chases, we unpack the rise and fall of Henry Hill, a kid who always wanted to be a gangster, and ended up a broke, bored “schnuck” in witness protection. We explore the film’s unforgettable characters (Jimmy the Gent, Tommy the loose cannon, and Karen, our MVP), iconic scenes (Funny how?), and the uneasy tension between glamour and brutality. Expect deep dives into the insular world of the mafia, the real Lufthansa heist, cult dynamics, toxic masculinity, and why this isn’t actually the bro movie some people think it is. We also what our mafia nicknames would be and discuss all the cameos and familiar faces. Content & Spoiler Warning This episode contains discussion of graphic violence (shootings, beatings, strangulation), drug abuse (especially cocaine), emotional and domestic abuse, and gaslighting. It also includes full spoilers for Goodfellas and references to other crime and horror media.  Palate Cleanser After all that coke-fuelled chaos and mob violence: * Company Retreat (Jury Duty Season 2) - a mockumentary where (almost) everyone is in on the joke. “Delightful,” absurd, and a much-needed reset.  * Saying “Hey—oh!” like you’re in The Sopranos (very quotable).  Recommendations Mafia & Crime: * The Godfather, The Sopranos, A Bronx Tale  * The Prince of Providence  by Mike Stanton for corruption in Providence. * Mob Wives (for chaotic reality TV energy)  * Crime Town podcast - organised crime beyond the usual cities (and dedicated to Annie’s uncle) * Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi (the book about Henry Hill’s life that inspired Goodfellas)  True Crime & Culture: * Adolescence and Inside the Manosphere (Louis Theroux) for confronting toxic masculinity  * Sweet Bobby – both Goodfellas and this have witness protection (or do they?)   Films & TV: * The Night Of for addiction when incarcerated * Stir of Echoes - underrated Kevin Bacon thriller featuring Illeana Douglas, Tommy’s girlfriend in Goodfellas * Stand By Me for kids that find a body * The Studio for a Scorsese cameo  Unexpected Connections: * Mean Girls - because Tommy is basically Regina George with a gun  * Parks and Recreation - questionable interior design parallels  * Sing - for a very different “My Way” experience  * When Harry met Sally for another movie with the director's mom. Homework:  Watch Jurassic Park – is it horror? Maybe.  We’re continuing with a ‘90s classic that helped shape our love of film (and Ryan Coogler’s), with a surprising connections to Goodfellas (hi Samuel L. Jackson). And after that: Devil in the White City by Erik Larson  Keep your temper. Trust your gut. Don’t do coke. Don’t piss off psychopaths. And don’t marry into the mafia.  We’ll see you next time on Drawn to Darkness. Special thanks to Nancy Azano for our cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and Harry Kidd for our music (Instagram: @harryjkidd, Spotify).

31 - Ryan Coogler's Sinners with guest Makeda Pennycooke

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2509776/fan_mail/new] In this episode of Drawn to Darkness, we dive into Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, a genre-bending vampire period drama set in 1930s Jim Crow Mississippi. Joined by special guest Makeda Pennycooke, life and anti-racism coach, we unpack a film that is as gorgeous as it is unsettling, layering horror, history, and music. We break down vampire lore, our favorite characters, standout performances (Michael B. Jordan playing twins), the transcendent musical moments, and the symbolism woven throughout, from religion and ancestral knowledge to systems of white supremacy, power, and assimilation. Content & Spoiler Warning This episode contains full spoilers for Sinners and our discussion includes reference to violence, gore, and body horror (it’s a vampire movie). Some of the deeper horrors include racism, white supremacy, the Ku Klux Klan, lynching, and child loss. There’s also a snake that gets killed and drool. Really really gross drool.   Palate Cleanser After all that intensity, Caroline and Makeda’s cure? TikTok’s National Parks content (also dubbed “Only Parks”) Passages with Amanda Jacobson from Wine & Crime (Twilight season recap)  Recommendations Films & TV: * Eight Mile for more from Omar Miller (Cornbread).  * Friday Night Lights and The Wire for early Michael B. Jordan and Raising Dion - lighter Michael B. Jordan content for the kids. * What We Do in the Shadows  - always WWDITS * Blade, Interview with the Vampire, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), Let the Right One In, Abigail, Dracula, Midnight Mass  for more vampire picks  * The Haunting of Hill House, Fall of the House of Usher for layered horror storytelling with a director who likes actors and sticks with them. * Get Out for themes of appropriation and identity. * Lovecraft Country for horror grounded in racial history.  * Across the Spider-Verse for Hailee Steinfeld fans  Books & Reading: * The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James H. Cone  * A History of White People by Nell Irvin Painter  * Passing by Nella Larsen  * The Reformatory by Tananarive Due  * Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark  * The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett * A Discovery of Witches (book series) by Deborah Harkness  * Ted Chiang’s Story of your Life and Others for the melding of time. Podcasts & Other: * Reel Conversations with Britt and Bree for black women’s perspectives on Sinners  * The Next Best Picture Podcast Sinners episode for lots of background info. * Horror Joy podcast episode on Sinners and The Reformatory * Time Bandits for questioning who writes history  Documentary/True Crime: * Lost Women of Alaska - produced by Octavia Spencer  Homework: Goodfellas - a lighter pick with a Chicago Mafia connection  And Start reading The Devil in the White City - another Chicago-based story blending crime and history  And remember, if someone asks to be invited in, say no!  We’ll see you next time—only on Drawn to Darkness. Special thanks to Nancy Azano for our cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and Harry Kidd for our music (Instagram: @harryjkidd, Spotify).

30 - Amy Berg's West of Memphis with Gillian Pensavalle

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2509776/fan_mail/new] Welcome back to Drawn to Darkness. This week, we are joined by special guest Gillian Pensavalle from True Crime Obsessed to discuss West of Memphis (2012), Amy Berg’s documentary that revisits the case of the West Memphis Three. In 1993, Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers were murdered and with little evidence and rising panic about satanic rituals, police quickly focused on three local teenagers: Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jesse Misskelley. Despite inconsistent confessions, lack of physical evidence, and alibis, all three were convicted, and Echols was sentenced to death. West of Memphis follows the nearly 20-year fight to free and exonerate them. Meanwhile, the real perpetrator remains unidentified.  We unpack wrongful convictions, moral panic, police misconduct, what Damien is like in real life, and the long, exhausting fight for justice. We explore how three teenagers were targeted as “weird kids,” how fear of satanism shaped a narrative with no evidence, and why decades later they may be free from prison, but still aren’t exonerated.  Spoiler + Content Warning This episode and the documentary include discussion and imagery of the murder of children, child abuse, castration, false confessions, prison abuse, solitary confinement, systemic injustice, wrongful convictions, and satanic panic. We also spoil the documentary. Palate Cleanser * True Crime Obsessed – if you like a laugh along with your true crime.  * Spending time with family (as simple as ice cream or Del’s Lemonade) Recommendations * Bob Ruff’s Truth & Justice podcast (Season 5)  * Mara Leveritt’s Devil’s Knot (deep dive into courtroom details)  * Wrongful Conviction podcast (featuring interviews with Damien Echols and Jason Baldwin)  * Satan Wants You (documentary about Satanic Panic)  * Sarah Marshall’s podcast You’re Wrong About + The Devil You Know  * Stranger Things (Eddie Munson inspired by Damien Echols)  * Mindhunter (John Douglas appears in the case)  * The Crucible (mass hysteria and scapegoating)  * Stand By Me, The Goonies, It (kids, innocence, and loss)  * The Body Farm by Patricia Cornwell for a Medical Examiner who knows what she’s doing. * The Hurricane with Denzel Washington for more wrongful convictions * The Craft and The Perks of Being a Wallflower - for the “weird” kids * Lord of the Rings  and listen to Pearl Jam  (support the celebrities who championed the West Memphis 3)  * Damien Echols’ books, podcast, and Patreon  Homework Next episode, we’ll discuss Sinners before shifting gears slightly with: *  Goodfellas  *  The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson (it’s a book, so start now!)  And remember, always insist on a lawyer! Special thanks to Nancy Azano for our cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and Harry Kidd for our music (Instagram: @harryjkidd, Spotify).

Chatroom: Bedguard with Josiah Furcinitti

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2509776/fan_mail/new] In this bonus “Chatroom” episode of Drawn To Darkness, I (Annie) chat with horror author Josiah Furcinitti to discuss his chilling short story Bedguard, featured in the anthology Lies Beyond, a horror anthology exploring death, fear, and the unknown. In Bedguard, Anna is at first only worried about the growing distance between herself and her husband David. But when he starts suffering from terrifying nightmares, seeing mysterious scratches on his body, and falling violently out of bed, Anna realises too late that something unspeakable is targeting them.   Listen to me read Bedguard, then stick around for our conversation on horror tropes (something under the bed, creatures that feed on fear, creepy kids, dolls), our horror origin stories, deeper fears, and our some of our favourite books and movies.   We also discuss the ambiguity of storytelling and what happens to a story when it’s released into the world, and the relationship between anxiety and horror consumption.  Meanwhile, we gush over the media that scared and shaped us, including Revival, It, The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon, Pet Semetary and Carrie by Stephen King, as well as The X-Files, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Midsommar, Sinners, Candyman, and Peter Jackson’s King Kong. But it’s not all horror. Josiah also loves Parks and Rec.  Where you can find Lies Beyond: You can find Lies Beyond on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and IngramSpark. Follow Josiah on Instagram on @authorjosiahfurcinitti. Homework for Next Episode Watch: West of Memphis Our next episode will feature Gillian Pensavalle from True Crime Obsessed and The Hamilcast to discuss the West Memphis Three, and the ongoing fight for their full exoneration. Then, back to horror with Sinners, featuring Choctaw vampire hunters and 16 Academy Award nominations! Special thanks to Nancy Azano for our cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and Harry Kidd for our music (Instagram: @harryjkidd, Spotify).