CinemaHounds - A Lorehounds Podcast

Project Hail Mary (2026) – Hope for humanity

John, Elysia, and Marilyn follow Ryan Gosling to the far reaches of space to save humankind from destruction. They discuss the impressive puppetry and visuals, the hopepunk core of the film, and the parallels to other sci-fi worlds. Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates: linktr.ee/thelorehounds [http://linktr.ee/thelorehounds] Send your questions and feedback to lorehounds@thelorehounds.com [lorehounds@thelorehounds.com]. Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Deconstructing the Meaning of "Into the West" w/Marilyn R. Pukkila - Into the West

David, Lisa, and Bryan are joined by Tolkien scholar Marilyn R. Pukkila for a special episode exploring the meaning behind the podcast's name and the deep cultural associations between the West and human mortality. The conversation traces how civilizations from the ancient Egyptians and Greeks to the Maori, the Celts, and the indigenous Wabanaki have connected the setting sun with death, transition, and what lies beyond. Marilyn draws on John Garth's research into how the phrase "going West" entered the English lexicon through Celtic-speaking soldiers in the trenches of World War I and became a foundational element in Tolkien's myth-making, while the hosts reflect on how art, storytelling, and community create spaces for renewal, shared grief, and the celebration of lives well lived. Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: intothewest@thelorehounds.com [intothewest@thelorehounds.com] Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds [https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds] Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Going Jurassic - Jurassic Franchise Deep Dive w/ Tansy Gardam and Asher Elbein

David is joined by Tansy Gardam, host of the acclaimed Going Rogue podcast, and Asher Elbein, journalist and co-creator of the newsletter and website Heat Death, for a deep dive into the Jurassic film franchise — all seven films across 32 years. The conversation spans the paleontological promise of the original Park trilogy, the stagnation and franchise anxiety of the Jurassic World era, and the ways mega-franchise pipeline thinking has constrained the series' creative evolution. Asher brings his background as a science journalist to examine how Hollywood arrested popular dinosaur science in amber while the real field moved on, and Tansy unpacks the franchise mechanics that kept the series reaching back to the first film rather than forward into new territory — including the quietly radical queerness encoded in the very biology of the dinosaurs themselves. Check Out Our Guests Tansy Gardam - Going Rogue Podcast * https://patreon.com/goingroguepodcast [https://patreon.com/goingroguepodcast] * https://bsky.app/profile/tansyg.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/tansyg.bsky.social] Asher Elbein - Heat Death * https://heat-death.ghost.io [https://heat-death.ghost.io/] * https://bsky.app/profile/asherelbein.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/asherelbein.bsky.social] Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: lorehounds@thelorehounds.com [lorehounds@thelorehounds.com] Or, send us a voicemail! You can use the voicemail tool on our website, thelorehounds.com/contact OR record a note on your smartphone and email it to us at the same address. Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds [https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds] Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

The Drama (2026) – the wildest wedding of the year

Elysia is joined by Lisa to spill all the tea on everything that went down in Kristoffer Borgli's The Drama (2026). After giving their spoiler-free takes and general thoughts on the power of dark humor to unlock uncomfortable discussions, they talk about the film's opening sequence (00:21:14) without spoiling the twist, and then finally launch into a full-spoiler discussion of the rest of the film (00:37:40). Warning: This film (and thus this podcast episode) will not be for everyone. Heed the (spoiler-free, and then later spoiler-filled) content warnings within. Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates: linktr.ee/thelorehounds [http://linktr.ee/thelorehounds] Send your questions and feedback to lorehounds@thelorehounds.com [https://mail.google.com/mail/?fs=1&tf=1&to=lorehounds%40thelorehounds.com&view=cm]. Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Hamlet (2025) – the Asian prince of London

David and Elysia dive into Shakespeare's Hamlet, opening with a discussion of the play itself and some of the most classic film and stage adaptations, not to mention the whole sub-genre of films loosely adapting and referencing the Bard's longest work. With that foundation laid, they turn their attention to the new adaptation starring Riz Ahmed, directed by Aneil Karia, that debuted at Telluride last year and is opening in theaters across North America today, April 10. How faithful is this new incarnation of the story, set in London's Asian community in the modern day? And what does and doesn't work when breaking down the source material to create what they call "the boldest adaptation to date"? Links discussed: * "The Name of Action" short doc [https://prodco.xyz/wetransfer-the-name-of-action/] * This American Life: "Act V" [https://www.thisamericanlife.org/218/act-v] * Bait TV series: trailer [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpAhwL91HyA] Hamlet adaptations discussed: * Hamlet (1948) – Directed by Laurence Olivier, starring Laurence Olivier * Hamlet (1990) – Directed by Franco Zeffirelli, starring Mel Gibson * Hamlet (1996) – Directed by Kenneth Branagh, starring Kenneth Branagh * Hamlet (2009) – Directed by Gregory Doran, starring David Tennant * Hamlet (2018) – Directed by Rhodri Huw and Robert Icke, starring Andrew Scott * Hamlet (2024) – Directed by Sean Mathias, starring Ian McKellen * Hamlet (2025) – Directed by Aneil Karia, starring Riz Ahmed * Hamlet: National Theatre Live (2026) – Directed by Robert Hastie, starring Hiran Abeysekera Other films discussed: * Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (1990) – Directed by Tom Stoppard * The Lion King (1994) – Directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff * In the Bleak Midwinter (1995) – Directed by Kenneth Branagh * Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead (2009) – Directed by Jordan Galland * Ophelia (2018) – Directed by Claire McCarthy * The Northman (2022) – Directed by Robert Eggers * Grand Theft Hamlet (2024) – Directed by Sam Crane and Pinny Grylls * King Hamlet (2025) – Directed by Elvira Lind * Scarlet (2026) – Directed by Mamoru Hosoda Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates: linktr.ee/thelorehounds [http://linktr.ee/thelorehounds] Send your questions and feedback to lorehounds@thelorehounds.com [https://mail.google.com/mail/?fs=1&tf=1&to=lorehounds%40thelorehounds.com&view=cm]. Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities