3 thoughts on “Considering the Cinema Ep. 001: The Sympathetic Antagonist”

1. I’ll tell you what Jay, my man. I’ve been listening to you for just about 3 years and I can’t really think of a time that I reached out and said hello! Kinda funny, considering just how dang much I enjoy all the podcasts you’ve hosted and how many hours I’ve put into them. I’m on my 2nd go through of the entirety of HMP (including WHMP and Horror Metropolis)!

   I was extremely sad to see you leave HMP, but I’ve been listening to HMW and just tuned in for my first episode here. Great content man. I don’t always agree with some of those crazy horror takes of yours, but you have a voice that makes you sound like a real nice guy (but c’mon, we all know that’s a trap haha).

   I think you’re onto something here. The top story that comes to my mind when considering the sympathetic antagonist is The Count of Monte Cristo. The Count is nearly merciless, but all of those he seeks revenge on have done such despicable things that it’s hard not to sympathize with his plight. I’ve yet to see a film adaptation of this story I like, but there was an anime based on it that I rather enjoyed.

   I think at the end of the day it’s the protagonist(s) that matter the most. For instance, it’s pretty rare for Stephen King novels and films to have a sympathetic antagonist, but many of his books are revered and some of his movies are true classics of horror cinema!

   Anyhow, I could go on all day, but suffice it to say that I’m glad to have more content of yours to listen to after your departure from HMP, and I look forward to getting all caught up with Considering the Cinema and you crazy cats over at HMW!

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2. Wow! Thanks for your comment, Shenanigan! I really appreciate you following me over here to Considering the Cinema (and Horror Movie Weekly) to try out my new shows!

   I’m so flattered and humbled that you’re listening through TWHMP, HM and HMP again! Thank you. Here’s a special little assignment for you, if you’re willing to take it: I know I’ve floated several ideas / unfulfilled promises on those podcasts over the years (as in, episodes I’d like to record, movies I’d like to review, etc.), so if you encounter any unfulfilled ideas of that nature that you as a three-year listener would be interested in having me fulfill, then let me know. I can’t make any promises, but I will sincerely try… (My problem is I’m a mood-watcher, so I have to be in the mood to watch certain films.)

   I was sad to step down from HMP, as well, but I knew it was right for me. I do miss it, and I miss the listeners. It’s an incredible show with incredible co-hosts. Gillman Joel is doing a fantastic job over there in my stead.

   Yes, you’re right! I can tell you’ve been listening awhile because I do have some crazy Horror takes! But Shenanigan Flanigan, you must admit … now you agree that Pig-Headed Horror is a sub-genre movement and “The Terminator” (1984) is indeed a Slasher Horror movie! ha ha Oh, and “No Escape” is Horror, too, right? — Damn right! ha ha : ) And yes, my wife will tell you that the nice guy act is indeed a trap… ; )

   You’ve really got me intrigued on that anime version of “The Count of Monte Cristo.” I would like to track it down. Is this the one you’re referring to? Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo.

   Just curious… did you major in Literature, or are you just well read? I’m getting the sense that you might be a big reader. If so, I have a random question for ya: Have you read any of S. Craig Zahler’s novels? And if so, are they worth it? I’m not a huge reader, sadly, but I love his films, so I’m very tempted. Oh, and good point about Stephen King not having very many sympathetic antagonists. I thought of a couple that might qualify (such as Andre Linoge in “Storm of the Century”), though they don’t garner very much sympathy, even though we can appreciate their motivations.

   Anyway, I sincerely want to thank you, Shenanigan, for listening and commenting. At present, this podcast has 028 episodes (and counting)! And Horror Movie Weekly has 040 episodes, so I hope you’ll enjoy these two new shows, as well. I’m very proud of them. Thanks again!

   Sincerely,
   Jay of the Dead

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3. I can’t thank you enough for the in-depth (and speedy) reply! I have a hard time getting into the community, because I’m not all that assertive so I tend to give up on things a tad too quickly. For instance, I chimed in with some pics of horror merch I purchased and question for Joe Bob during one of their livestreams, and didn’t get acknowledged at all! Granted, they have a ton of stuff going through their Twitter feed so I get it, but man I’ll tell ya what: I keep on viewing their show, but I was so disheartened that I haven’t reached out to them since. Anyhow, still love those folks and I don’t have any hard feelings towards ’em, but I’m just pleased as punch to get a reply from Jay of the Dead himself! (How’s that for inflating your ego?)

   Here’s what I’ll do Jay. I already made my way through TWHMP, but I’m on episode 2 of HM and episode 25 of HMP so I’ll keep an ear to the ground (or should I say the headphone?) and see if there’s any hollow promises I can bring back to haunt you. I’m a mood watcher too! (For a quick aside, I’m watching the last half of [Evil Ed] here soon. Don’t recall if you’ve reviewed that one, but the way they portray the “Splatter & Gore” department as a glamorous place full of T&A, and no I don’t mean Tone & Assignment, really cracks me up).

   Doc might just be the closest to my personal taste of films, if only I could learn to appreciate the 60s and earlier, and I think Josh has a really cool perspective on a lot of the things in the industry, but my favorite episodes are always when you’re on there battling for some far-flung idea like [The Terminator] being a slasher! Not going to lie, I enjoyed [Frozen (2010)] a decent amount. Maybe not as much as yourself haha, but I sure wouldn’t want to be in that situation. I’m not as tough as the fearless Wolfman, so I might break a leg if I tried to jump like he did in his real life situation! No dice when it comes to [No Escape] though, sorry pal 😉 I haven’t seen a ton of this Jay of the Dead sensation called Pig-headed Horror, but I love Motel Hell so I’ll meet you halfway. There’s a pretty cool manga involving a mutated killer chasing around some Japanese teens with a chainsaw after they crash land on a deserted island, and you better believe he’s wearing a pig head so you just might be onto something.

   Gankutsuou is the anime in question, yep! It takes some anime inspired liberties (the whole thing takes place in “Neo Paris” somewhere out there in space), but it gets the story across in a more digestible manner than the lengthy tome it was originally written as. Of course, if you have the time to read it then I’d recommend the book, but the anime is swell as long as you keep in mind that there was no “Neo Paris” or future tech in the original!

   Nah, I didn’t major in literature but I’m an aspiring novelist. It’s one of those dreams I’ve had since I was a wee lad reading Stephen King at the ripe old age of 8-9 years old. I bounce back and forth between wanting to write horror, horror fantasy, or fantasy with a slightly modern twist. So thanks for the huge compliment, I’m glad I can at least SOUND like I know what I’m talking about… I’d consider myself “well read” when it comes to horror novels at least, so if you want to talk horror writers from the 70s-80s I’m more than prepared 🙂 Richard Laymon, Bentley Little, and the more modern Carlton Mellick III are currently my horror novel obsessions, but I was bred on King novels and after years of trying , my mom has brought me around to Dean Koontz. (I personally recommend “Phantoms” by Dean Koontz, if you decide to read any horror fiction that is. It’s not a huge tome of a book, so it wouldn’t be too daunting, I think…? Hopefully you haven’t seen the sub-par film adaptation from the 90s, because that book is the only one I’ve read that made me actually terrified. granted, I was probably 15 when I first read it but the mystery and creepy atmosphere gave me the willies).

   As for Zahler, I haven’t read anything by him but I’ve had my eye on “Wraiths of the Broken Land”. It sounds like it has some horror themes, and I’ve recently come around to horror westerns thanks to your Beastly Freaks segment on [The Burrowers] way back in the excellent Feral Vamps special on Episode 11 of HMP.

   King has a few sympathetic antagonists, but by and large he seems to believe in a more black and white sense of good and evil, with only a few shades of grey here and there.

   Thanks again for the reply, I’ve been a bit starved for some good film and horror conversation if you couldn’t tell by my Madman Marz style rantings and ravings!

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