The Monkey Movie Review

Of all the advice Stephen King offers in his memoir On Writing, “write what you know” may be the best. It’s certainly advice he follows as his vast catalog is nearly bursting with writer protagonists and the occasional villainous scribe. With King’s last literary outing with his own protagonist, Richard Bachman, behind us, we’re rounding up all of King’s fictional writers to duke it out in a March Madness style tournament until only one remains. Join Jenn Adams as she cues up the arena rock and tips off a series of head-to-head battles in which an expert panel including Michael Roffman, Dan Caffrey, and Julia Marchese slowly narrow down the field to an epic final showdown. Nail-biters and buzzer-beaters abound in our quest to identify King’s ultimate writer.Note: This was recorded last month and is being unlocked in lieu of scheduling issues. For more exclusive episodes like this that we haven't unlocked -- not to mention, over hundreds of hours of content --please join us at www.patreon.com/thebarrens. Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon | Store

12 Maj 20232h 7min

Losers' Club co-host Randall Colburn speaks to writer Meg Elison about her Fantasy Magazine article, All the King's Women: The Fats. It's a breezy and lighthearted chat that should prove enlightening to Constant Readers everywhere. It should be noted that this was originally recorded in January 2022 and is being unlocked from The Barrens. For more exclusive interviews like this that we haven't unlocked -- not to mention, over hundreds of hours of content --please join us at www.patreon.com/thebarrens. Otherwise, enjoy this conversation. Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon | StoreHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

5 Maj 202332min

With Blaze back on the shelf, the Losers have finished their Richard Bachman run -- at least until now. To cap it all off, they do what any self-respecting Constant Reader would do: gather around, argue, and rank all seven of his novels: from 1977's Rage to 2007's Blaze.Want to know more about Bachman? Seek out our exhaustive primer episode on ‘ol Dicky that offers an A-to-Z account of Stephen King's fictional (and deceased) author. You can get it now in the Barrens -- patreon.com/thebarrens -- where you’ll also find hundreds of hours of bonus content.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

28 Apr 20232h 1min

Forgive the creaking hinges and fluttering moths, Constant Listeners. The Losers just cracked open Stephen King’s fabled TRUNK, the one where he keeps all the inked-up pages he’s not yet ready to unleash upon the world. It’s here where the final (?) Richard Bachman's Blaze moldered for decades. Join Losers Randall Colburn, Jenn Adams, Dan Caffrey, and Dan Pfleegor as they chat about this curio in the King oeuvre. Together, they debate the peculiarities of its history, its place in the King crime canon, and what it tells us about King as a young, struggling artist. Fear not, there are several references to season 2 of Burning Love.Want to know more about Bachman? Well, we’ve got an exhaustive primer episode on ‘ol Dicky that offers an A-to-Z account of the fictional (and deceased) author. Next week, we’ll be releasing a ranking of all seven of Bachman’s books that culminates with the question of what the hell a Bachman book even is. You can only get it in the Barrens -- patreon.com/thebarrens -- where you’ll also find hundreds upon hundreds of hours of bonus content.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

21 Apr 20233h 12min

This month marks the 30th anniversary of George A. Romero's The Dark Half. To celebrate, the Losers are unlocking their Ka-mmentary track for the Stephen King staple that features Dan Caffrey, Dan Pfleegor, and Justin Gerber returning to Castle Rock to talk all things Romero and all things Rooker. For more Ka-mmentaries like this -- we have one for almost every King movie to date -- please join us in The Barrens: www.patreon.com/thebarrens. Otherwise, enjoy the show! Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon | Store Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

14 Apr 20232h 20min

Spring is here, but the Summer heat is on across King's Dominion. So, once again, The Losers' Club is putting on their shades, revving up their Plymouth Fury, and feeling the breeze in Hollywood King. Along the way, they sort through plenty of Needful Tweets. Topics include Welcome to Derry, Stephen King 4K releases, Mike Flanagan's latest ideas for The Dark Tower, favorite soul songs, The Last of Us, Yellowjackets, and The Wire.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

7 Apr 20232h 1min

Here's a preview of our latest installment of the CrichtonCast, our Michael Crichton spinoff podcast exclusive to The Barrens. Last year, the series debuted by discussing The Andromeda Strain. This installment sees Randall and Justin engaging in a sweeping conversation about 1987's Sphere, a sci-fi page-turner that not only came out the same year as Stephen King's The Tommyknockers, but shares a shockingly similar premise. Want to hear the full track? Become a member of The Barrens (Patreon) by visiting www.patreon.com/thebarrens. You'll unlock over a hundred hours of exclusive, bonus content that includes other hilarious Ka-mmentary tracks, our King archival series, our Dark Tower Detour series, Jenn's King Character Corner, our spooky Soul's Midnights, dozens upon dozens of locked episodes from yesteryear, and more.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3 Apr 202310min

The Losers reach Boo'ya Moon, where they discover Stephen King's 2006 novel, Lisey's Story. Join Losers Jenn Adams, Michael Roffman, Ana Marie Cox, and special guest Johann Trotter as they meditate on how King's personal story of love and trauma brings us closer than ever to the Master of Horror. Note: This episode was originally recorded and released in June 2021 ahead of the Apple TV+ series. It's being re-run as part of our Stephen King chronological journey.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

31 Mars 20233h 23min