In 2020’s final episode of Horror House, George and his special guest discuss the perfect film for a time of wintery isolation: Stephen King’s “Misery”.
A fascinating character study in psychosis and one of the most acclaimed and beloved Stephen King adaptations, it’s not hard to understand why our guest calls 1990’s Misery the “Best Horror Movie Ever Made”.
ABOUT THIS WEEK’S EPISODE:
Episode 65: “Misery” with Kelly McAndee
After a week off for Thanksgiving, we’re back with the final episode of 2020!
This week on the Best Little Horror House in Philly we’re joined by Kelly McAndee to dive even further into isolation with her pick for the best horror movie ever made, the 1990 adaptation by Rob Reiner of Stephen King’s 1987 best-seller, Misery!
Before we get into the movie, we talk about her history with horror and preferred sub genre. We then delve into her history with Stephen King, and the place he occupies in the lives of so many horror fans. This leads us to the history of Richard Bachman, his reveal, and his “death” — before analyzing the sheer volume of Stephen King adaptations.
We begin our discussion of this film by exploring the movie’s production, including the questioning of Reiner as director, how he convinced people he was right for the prooject, and the changes he made in adapting it with William Goldman. Next, we get into the casting process and how many people were considered before they landed on James Caan, including our pick for the alternate timeline version of this movie with another star!
This leads into a discussion of the incredible performance of Kathy Bates and how much of this movie’s focus is borne by just two people, amplifying their acting and putting the weight of the movie’s success squarely on them.
We get into the plot itself and discuss the surprising action sequences and great cinematography that help elevate this from any other thriller. We also talk about the characterization of each force at play in the movie, from Annie Wilkes fitting the borderline personality disorder criteria, to the addictions of Paul Sheldon and how he deals with disappointment and captivity. We even begin to suspect that Paul may actually be the role James Caan is playing in Elf as well, making it a tone-bending sequel.
We end by talking about the great effects and finally sum up what makes this best horror movie ever made!
Before diving into the episode, be sure to watch Misery (1990), available to stream now on HBO Max or available for rent or purchase on several VOD platforms.
Thanks to everyone for their support in 2020. BLHHiP is taking a holiday break for the rest of December, but will still be putting out new bonus episodes on the patreon at Patreon.com/Littlehorrorphl! See ya in 2021!
ABOUT THE SHOW:
BEST LITTLE HORROR HOUSE IN PHILLY IS a weekly cast where host George Heftler and his special guest discuss the best horror movie ever made…according to his guest, at least! It’s a safe place for horror fans to talk about the movies they’re passionate about — a place to talk about venerated entries already in the canon, modern-day classics, and everything in between.
Be sure to tune in to Morbidly Beautiful every Thursday to catch a new episode of the show, beginning again in January 2021.
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