Episode 36: They're Dead, They're All Messed Up: Zombies and Ghouls

The dead. We all have a fear of death, corpses, decay...and the strange border between life and death. What of those creatures that walk that border, the undead? In this episode, the Planet 8 crew looks at zombies and ghouls. What are they? And what is the difference between the two?

We'll do a semi-chronological journey through film starting with the Bela Lugosi classic, White Zombie, and cast our eyes first on the traditional voodoo zombie. How did this type of undead rise to popularity?

Then we'll transition into the more commonly accepted type of zombie, the one that grew popular from George Romero's films, which began with Night of the Living Dead. But were the creatures in these films zombies, or ghouls? Add your two cents to our debate!

In the decades that followed Romero's classic, scores, if not hundreds, of zombie films, have been made. We'll share some of our favorites, including zombie comedies. And of course, we can't ignore the enormously popular Walking Dead.  

So if shambling undead are your thing, give this episode a listen! We've got you covered.

For this week's Sensor Sweep, Chief Engineer Bob reviews a book called Screaming for Pleasure:  How Horror Makes You Happy and Healthy, by S.A. Bradley. This tome looks at how horror films impact and influence our lives. Bradley examines numerous films and interviews well-known directors for their thoughts. It's a highly enjoyable work for anyone who has an interest in the genre, and you can find it in stores or at Amazon. Bradley also has a podcast, called Hellbent for Horror (https://hellbentforhorror.com/), so be sure to check it out.

That's all we've got time for today. Make sure your doors are locked, and should you take refuge upstairs, or go down to the basement? Hmm....

We'd love to hear your thoughts about the zombie vs. ghoul debate, or any of the films we discussed (or missed). You can leave comments here, or through our other communication channels:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8Cast
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8Podcast

Thanks for listening!

Episode 16: The Pros and Cons of Conventions

One of the great joys of being a fan is attending conventions. Whether you're a fan of comics, Star Trek, Star Wars, horror movies, anime, or all of the above, there's nothing quite like the thrill of going to a con and seeing your favorite writers, artists, actors, and other creators and celebrities. Or maybe you enjoy spending hours hunting down treasures in the dealers room! Sometimes just hanging out with like-minded people can make your day. Cons can provide a wealth of experiences...and while most of them make for great memories, there are also those times you'd just as soon forget!

Larry, Bob, and Karen  discuss the pros -and cons -of cons. Consider this our unvarnished look at something we generally love, but have no illusions about either. We'll go down Memory Lane and discuss conventions both old and recent, from small, grass-roots cons, to large mega-cons too. There are always those experiences you plan, and then there are those ones that just seem to happen - and sometimes, those are the most rewarding. 

For our Sensor Sweep, we look at some Star Trek goodies from a company called Quantum Mechanix (QMX). They make some beautiful metallic insignia badges that are also magnetic, so when you wear them, you won't have to put a hole in your shirt or costume. You can get ones for all the branches (Command, Sciences, Engineering, etc.). They range from about $5-15 and you can get them at their website (https://qmxonline.com/) or look on Amazon.

Let us know about your favorite convention experiences...or your worst! You know where to find us:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8Cast
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8Podcast

Thanks for Listening!