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We wrap our “Odyssey” series on an endless SoHo night. It turns out Martin Scorsese’s “After Hours” works wonderfully as an unofficial "Odyssey" adaptation, and we have precisely the guest to speak to New York City’s sense of cosmic justice. Noah Ballard is back to talk Scorsese’s ‘80s comeback, this film’s cavalcade of hilarious characters, and times his parking garage has flooded. We made it home, friends. I have a long beard now. See you in the fall!

Two short years ago, another adaptation of “The Odyssey” hit movie theaters. This one cast a jacked Ralph Fiennes and mysterious Juliette Binoche as Odysseus and Penelope, chronicling only the “back on Ithaca” conclusion of the epic poem. My lifelong friend Tim Lundy is here to review “The Return.” He’s an educator and book editor, who came ready to discuss the canonical buffness of Odysseus, how silence is an underrated storytelling quality, and translator Emily Wilson’s beef with Nolan’s "Odyssey," plus play some demented Wishbone trivia.

In true "Odyssey" fashion, we're adding a few more stops to this Homeric kick. Today, it's the Coen Brothers' 2000 adaptation of "The Odyssey" — a banjo-picking romp full of scoundrels, sirens, and Depression-era commentary on the battle between newness and nostalgia. My sister Grace is here to discuss why "O Brother Where Art Thou?" was one of our childhood touchstones, flex some translation knowledge, and play a disturbing album sales game.

They said I’d never make it back, but they were wrong. Chance ends an extended paternity leave to explore the biggest movie in the world — Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey.” We’ve got Ben Campbell Ferguson (Fools Who Dream) with us to answer some pressing questions. Is this Nolan’s “Spielberg in 1982” moment? How does the movie’s anti-twist work? Is it rushed? Does it matter? Back next week for another Odyssey-adjacent episode!

Our “Vampires of America” kick has one last burning question—what if vampires were teen fashion icons? "The Lost Boys" (1987) gives us a vampire corruption tale that mixes post-hippie paranoia with a dash of "The Goonies," Peter Pan, music video sheen, and the costume-conscious filmmaker who later bravely put nipples on the Batman suit. Noah Ballard (Verve) is here to close out this series in style. We cover best performances, dangly earrings, and the life story of Sexy Sax Guy. Let's get to it.

I’ll put it this way — “Sinners” has everything you could want as the centerpiece of a “Vampires of America” podcast series. Tommy guns, blues guitars, two Michael B. Jordans, vampires as jig-dancing cult leaders, and visually entrancing commentary on folk art and oppression. Bennett Campbell Ferguson (Fools Who Dream) is back for a deep dive into Ryan Coogler’s strikingly original horror musical.

Brimming with vicious bloodletting, neon beer signs, and Bill Paxton hootin’ and hollerin’, “Near Dark” might be the high watermark for vampire Westerns. I’m elated to have film critic and author Sarah Welch-Larson (Bright Wall/Dark Room) on the pod this week. She’s a “Near Dark” turbofan, with as many deep thoughts on what the film suggests about Manifest Destiny as she has musings on whether these Oklahoma vampires have ever tried roadkill. Let’s ride! Read Sarah’s “Near Dark” essay here: https://www.brightwalldarkroom.com/2022/08/03/youre-gonna-give-me-back-my-spur/ Keep up with all her writing here: https://www.dodgyboffin.com/

Forget the vampire tropes this week; let’s hallucinate and appreciate. Horror scholar Lea Anderson (Fangoria, Shudder) is here to look deep into 1973’s "Ganja & Hess" (and honestly, help me understand it). This beguiling Black vampire story stars Marlene Clark and Duane Jones as a pair of cursed, blood-craving immortals reckoning with the beauty and horror of forever togetherness. We break down ‘70s movie blood, this film's complex take on theology, and why Marlene Clark’s performance “is everything” to Lea.

Today, this “Vampires of America” kick lifts the coffin lid on the Blaxploitation era and 1972’s "Blacula." I’m thrilled to be joined by Odie Henderson, author of “Black Caesars and Foxy Cleopatras” and film critic for The Boston Globe. We analyze William Marshall’s Shakespearean performance as Blacula, speculate on why the backhand is his weapon of choice, and explore the key film history around “Dracula’s soul brother.” I strongly recommend both Odie’s book and his criticism: https://store.abramsbooks.com/products/black-caesars-and-foxy-cleopatras “Ganja & Hess” (1973) next week!

I'm not breaking news by saying that seduction often factors into vampire movies. But has it ever been done better than by Chris Sarandon in "Fright Night" (1985)? This horror-comedy toys with suburban paranoia by casting the vampire as the debonair stranger next door and drinking in his charisma "from toe to tip," as returning champion Susan Tomorrow puts it. So happy to have Susan, a programmer at Portland's Clinton Street Theater, back on the show to talk Roddy McDowall, how "Fright Night" effectively references older vampire films, and, oh yeah, Chris Sarandon's neckline. Follow Susan at @kingvidiot on Instagram and pick your next night out at Clinton Street here: https://cstpdx.com/

Awaken, my friends. We’re on a stateside vampirism kick—no Transylvanian castles allowed. This run begins south of the border with “From Dusk Till Dawn” (1996) a horror-action romp that begs the question, what if pistol-toting outlaws stumbled into a biker bar run by the undead? Matthew Jackson (host of “The Scares That Shaped Us” podcast) kicks off this series. He’s here to talk about George Clooney’s first starring role, anoint the hottest on-screen vampire of all time, and reflect on just how seismic it was when Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez joined forces in 1996. Listen to Matthew’s podcast here: https://thescaresthatshapedus.com/

We close out Year 1 of this podcast with my favorite movie of 2024. Luckily, Ian Berry (artist, programmer, trivia host, and all-around Astoria film hero) is even more into "Furiosa" than I am. We talk about what it means to have Chris Hemsworth's villain almost steal the show, why the Mad Max movies are like the Gospels, and break down the difference between George Miller's myth-making and Hollywood's usual world-building. I also spend a few minutes at the beginning sharing my Top 10 films of 2024. Thank you all very kindly for spending any amount of time with The Kick. See you in 2025!

You can't tell the story of a movie year without the indie shockwave. In 2024, that breakout hit was "The Substance"—the body horror firehose that drowned audiences in gooey viscera and provocations about "chasing the dragon of youth." That's how my guest Alex Barr puts it. She's here to talk makeup effects, Demi Moore, and the eerie feeling that no one can accurately remember their younger selves. For my part, this rewatch of "The Substance" unlocked new ways of viewing the movie's absurdly disjointed backdrop. You can listen to Alex's prior appearance on The Kick here: https://thekickcast.com/episodes/challengers-with-alex-barr

Today's episode proved the point of this whole "2024 Passion Projects" exercise. Ray Gill Jr. (Portland Mercury, Willamette Week) nominated a movie I was maybe going get to? And it ended up a favorite of the year. In "My Old Ass," Maisy Stella and Aubrey Plaza play the same character at different ages, connected in time by a mushroom trip. Ray and I dig into how director Megan Park plays with our allegiances, champions youth, and turns a possibly sappy premise into a deeply affecting call for self-reflection.

A strong contender for the year’s best action movie, "Rebel Ridge" is currently Noah Ballard’s favorite of 2024—bar none. On this episode of our year-end series, we dive into Aaron Pierre’s otherworldly calm, Don Johnson’s shit-eating grin, Jeremy Saulnier’s penchant for stomach-dropping bursts of violence, and a movie that Noah calls a mix between Rambo and The Pelican Brief.