We delve into the darkness this week, contemplating the unknowable nature of Lovecraftian narrative, plumbing the depths of our psyches, and contemplating a horrific world in which you got either Tony OR William, but not both. Also, strange cries from beyond! But that’s mostly just The Producer yelling from the other room. Enjoy!
QUESTIONS:
If you did an episode where only one of you could speak, which of you should it be and why? — Anon
Do you consider yourselves introverts or extroverts? And what do you think the other is? — Mark McKibben
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Come to think of it… the original *The Call of Cthulhu* was pretty-much the kind of thing I was talking about. That is, Cthulhu, in the normal course of his existence, was coming back to Earth’s neighborhood and this was having a particular impact on people. He wasn’t summoned or anything. His arrival was “calling” certain humans and making them act crazy. The crazies weren’t “calling” him. Or, at least that’s what I got from the film I saw. 🙂 Maybe the short story is different.
I didn’t know there was a movie. If I remember, in the original, Cthulu has never left Earth so it does sound different. I highly recommend Neil Gaiman’s “Shuggoth’s Old Peculiar” to anyone who hasn’t read it.
Sorry… that’s right, he’s never left Earth. But the main point was, he wasn’t being woken up by anyone. That was just happening at its appointed time, and people were losing their sanity as a result.
I don’t want to give too much away, but I wouldn’t say that in the written version that it’s just happening at an appointed time. But I might be misremembering.
Well, it is a *short* story. I could just go ahead and read it. 🙂
Luckily, all of Lovecraft’s writings are all pre-copyright, so they’ll all available online for free. 🙂
http://hplovecraft.com/writings/fiction/cc.aspx
And so I read it.
It was more racist than I expected.
It also seemed to be a bit of both things we talked about. Indeed, Cthulhu’s return was a kind of “happening in the fullness of time” kind of thing, but the madness among humans that preceded his return wasn’t just a residual effect. It served a purpose.
Not Guilty? Not bloody likely.
Gamicon: Bummer.
Cthulhu: Meh. I’ve never quite understood why people find Cthulhu so fascinating.
John Dies at the End: That’s a fun, but very strange; and no, you didn’t talk about it last episode.
The Producer: Surprise, I could actually hear you clearly for once. Wait a minute, if you’re the insane cultists; what does that make those of us who write in to the Magical Talking Hat?
Straight Man Powers? Heh, phrasing.
House of Cards: The more I hear about this series, the more likely I am to start watching. My need to watch it just hasn’t hit critical mass yet.
The Producer can always yell stuff from another room.
Mark’s Rating System: That’s not true, I’d likely rate my favorite thing 4 out of 5 stars.
Hero Worship: Did the Producer laugh this idea off in a derisive manner? If not what was that sound in the background?
I think the Producer sneezed. But that was pretty well timed. 🙂
I would say, if you’re going to do the thing where only one of you talks… It should be either…
1. One episode split in half with one speaking for the first half and the other talks the second half.
2. Both of you record alone and then somebody edits the two fed together and try to make a conversation… But that sounds like work.
Tony is right though. What makes you guys “oddly compelling” is the dynamic between the two of you.
Comedy moment of the episode…
“You didn’t know that?”
“How would I???”