Best Lit Crit Podcasts (2024)

1
A Special Interruption for NecronomiCon 1:05

7h ago1:05

1:05

You have received the enclosed special interruption. Please make a note of it. Also, we have a TikTok now, and hope to throw some video there somewhat routinely. We also, somehow, maintain the NecronomiCon Mastodon account, at https://mastodon.boston/@NecronomiconPVD . Give it a follow! Finally, feel free to write in about Episode 55, "The Fungi fr…

1
55: The Fungi From Yuggoth 30:24

6d ago30:24

30:24

A reading of "The Fungi From Yuggoth," by H.P. Lovecraft, first published in its entirety in _Beyond the Wall of Sleep_ by Arkham House in 1943, though published individually and sporadically in _Weird Tales_ and other magazines after they were completed on January 4th, 1930. It was first read by Tod on July 21, 2024. As this is a horror podcast, t…

1
54: The Thing In the Moonlight (Discussion) 31:37

10d ago31:37

31:37

Send your Lovecraftian legal questions to Claire at hideous@podsothoth.club (not dot-com, dot-club)! Have you been driven insane by glimpsing the ineffable chaos of Azathoth during a seance? Has a loved one been lost to the dark guiles of Nyarlathotep? You may be entitled to compensation! In this episode, Claire and Tod discuss "The Thing In the Mo…

1
Ne Me Quitte Pas 11:30

13d ago11:30

11:30

Cintia asks Matthew to read Ne Me Quitte Pas ('Don't Leave Me'), a song by Belgian singer-songwriter Jacques Brel, written in 1959.By Read it to me

1
53: The Thing in the Moonlight 6:04

23d ago6:04

6:04

A reading of "The Thing In the Moonlight," by H.P. Lovecraft and J. Chapman Miske. This story was first published in the January, 1941 issue of Bizzare, and is based on a letter from Lovecraft to Donald Wandrei in November of 1927. It was first read by Tod on July 21, 2024. As this is a horror podcast, this episode might not be for everyone. This s…

1
52: The Picture in the House (Discussion) 46:55

29d ago46:55

46:55

In which Tod and Claire discuss HP Lovecraft's "The Picture in the House," first published in the July, 1919 issue of The National Amateur. You can read the complete text at hplovecraft.com. As this is a horror podcast, this episode might not be for everyone. Specifically, this story focuses quite a bit on cannibalism, as practiced in the unexplore…

1
If 8:33

1M ago8:33

8:33

Matthew asks Cintia to read If, a poem by Rudyard Kipling, written in 1895 and published in 1910.By Read it to me

1
England v Slovakia 8:56

1M ago8:56

8:56

Cintia asks Matthew to read the BBC website match report of the Euro 2024 Round of 16 game between England and Slovakia.By Read it to me

1
51: The Picture in the House 20:57

1M ago20:57

20:57

In which Tod reads HP Lovecraft's "The Picture in the House," first published in the July, 1919 issue of The National Amateur, and first read by Tod on June 29, 2024. You can read the complete text at hplovecraft.com. Note that a couple words have been changed in this reading. You can guess which ones. As this is a horror podcast, this episode migh…

1
50: Polaris (Discussion) 34:04

2M ago34:04

34:04

In which Claire and Tod talk about HP Lovecraft's "Polaris," first published by HP Lovecraft in the December, 1920 issue of The Philosopher , and available at hplovecraft.com. As this is a horror podcast, please know that this episode may not be for everyone. The discussed story includes descriptions of siderophobia (the fear of stars), a swampy ce…

1
The Communist Manifesto 16:45

2M ago16:45

16:45

Matthew asks Cintia to read passages from The Communist Manifesto, by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, published in 1848.By Read it to me

1
The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock 19:28

2M ago19:28

19:28

Cintia asks Matthew to read The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, a poem by T.S. Eliot, published in 1915. X @readittomepodBy Read it to me

1
49: Polaris 10:36

3M ago10:36

10:36

In which Tod reads HP Lovecraft's Polaris, first published by HP Lovecraft in the December, 1920 issue of The Philosopher and first read by Tod on May 12, 2024. Please be forewarned that this is a horror podcast, and so it might not be for everyone. As a warning, this short story includes descriptions of siderophobia, (the fear of stars), a swampy …

1
Geronimo! Riding the Very Terrible 1914 Tour of Italy 13:46

3M ago13:46

13:46

Matthew asks Cintia to read a passage from Geronimo! - Riding the Very Terrible Tour of Italy, by Tim Moore, published in 2014.By Read it to me

1
48: The Music of Erich Zann (Discussion) 40:44

3M ago40:44

40:44

In which Claire and Tod talk about HP Lovecraft's "The Music of Erich Zann," first published in the March, 1922 issue of The National Amateur, and available at hplovecraft.com. As this is a horror podcast, please know that this episode may not be for everyone. This story, in particular, features some poorly pronounced French, a number of awkward so…

1
Batch 7: For the Love of the Game 43:05

4M ago43:05

43:05

Biggs and Aaron look back at the batch For the Love of the Game. We look at Wimbledon, Jerry Maguire, and The Cutting Edge to explore marginalized women, aggrieved men, and the tropes and structures of rom coms. Watch that toe pick! Support the show through⁠ ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠ Send an⁠⁠ ⁠email⁠⁠⁠ to the show⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find short movie reviews on Letterboxd by …

1
Coração Selvagem 11:05

4M ago11:05

11:05

Cintia asks Matthew to read Coração Selvagem, a song by Belchior, released in 1977. X @readittomepodBy Read it to me

1
The Cutting Edge (1992) 53:12

4M ago53:12

53:12

Biggs and Aaron lace up the skates and head back to the 90’s to watch The Cutting Edge. We continue talking about sidelining women champions, love / hate romance, and daddy issues. If only Moira Kelly could be in charge! Support the show through⁠ ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠ Send an⁠⁠ ⁠email⁠⁠⁠ to the show⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find short movie reviews on Letterboxd by Biggs and Aa…

1
Wimbledon (2004) 50:15

4M ago50:15

50:15

Biggs and Aaron continue their batch on For the Love of the Game exploring internal monologue, sidelining women champions, and gender / genre trouble in sports films. If you want a movie with high stakes - this isn’t your film. If you want a quotable movie - this isn’t your film either. But it IS a movie about tennis, and tennis is cool! Support th…

1
47: The Music of Erich Zann 20:54

4M ago20:54

20:54

In which Tod reads HP Lovecraft's The Music of Erich Zann, first published in the March, 1922 issue of The National Amateur, and first read by Tod on April 13, 2024. As this is a horror podcast, please know that this episode may not be for everyone. This story, in particular, features some poorly pronounced French, a number of awkward social encoun…

1
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency 10:55

4M ago10:55

10:55

Matthew asks Cintia to read a passage from Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, a novel by Douglas Adams, published in 1987. X @readittomepodBy Read it to me

1
Jerry Maguire (1996) 53:27

4M ago53:27

53:27

Biggs and Aaron kick off Batch 7 with one of the most quoted movies in cinema: Jerry Maguire. “Show me the money.” “You had me at hello.” and “The human head weighs eight pounds.” It’s a train wreck of male exceptionalism and yet another example to talk about chronic traumatic encephalopathy apologetic. If that’s not enough, there is a TON of produ…

1
Extra Innings: Nyad (2023) 52:17

4M ago52:17

52:17

The first episode of Extra Innings explores 2024 Oscar nominated Nyad. Biggs torches boomers taking too many last hurrahs, Aaron adores basic sound politics, and Diana Nyad blows EVERYONE’s mind. Support the show through⁠ ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠ Send an⁠⁠ ⁠email⁠⁠⁠ to the show⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find short movie reviews on Letterboxd by Biggs and Aaron…

1
The Picture of Dorian Gray 9:15

5M ago9:15

9:15

After hunting around in the loft, Cintia asks Matthew to read passages from The Picture of Dorian Gray, a novel by Oscar Wilde, first published in 1890. X @readittomepodBy Read it to me

1
Batch 6: Hustlin’ 34:28

5M ago34:28

34:28

Biggs and Aaron cap the batch on Hustin’ with a look back at The Hustler (1961), Over the Top (1987), and Rounders (1998). We explore the persona of the rogue, Sly Stallone’s alternative as rule follower, and the stakes of hustling which include not only your cash but also any hope you may have for love. You either spot the sucker or you are the su…

1
46: The Descendant (Discussion) 54:12

5M ago54:12

54:12

In which Tod and Claire discuss The Descendant, by HP Lovecraft, first published in the winter 1938 issue of Leaves. We also talk about Charles Fort and the Fortean Times, kind of a lot. Links to things mentioned in the show include Angela Collier's "physics crackpots: a theory" and https://hplovecraft.com. We also talked about NecronomiCON Provide…

1
Rounders (1998) 54:09

5M ago54:09

54:09

This week Biggs and Aaron stack up their chips and settle down with America’s REAL past time - POKER. We watch 1998’s Rounders and talk Casino Capitalism, the Poker Mindset and how those ideals differ from those found in games like whist. Hold ‘em or fold ‘em, either way you are ALL IN. Support the show through⁠ ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠ Send an⁠⁠ ⁠email⁠⁠⁠ to …

1
Ship of Fools 6:33

5M ago6:33

6:33

Matthew asks Cintia to read Ship of Fools, a song by World Party, released in 1986.By Read it to me

1
Over the Top (1987) 56:46

5M ago56:46

56:46

This week we abandon our boy, jump in a truck, arm wrestle across the United States, reconnect with the boy, drive through the gate of our father in law, and compete with Sly in the Cannon Pictures classic(?) Over the Top! Support the show through⁠ ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠ Send an⁠⁠ ⁠email⁠⁠⁠ to the show⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find short movie reviews on Letterboxd by Biggs and …

1
The Hustler (1961) 54:03

5M ago54:03

54:03

Biggs and Aaron start the second batch of season two following “Fast Eddie” Felson in The Hustler. There’s a little bit about what makes noir, a little bit about what makes a hustler, and a lot of dough up for grabs. The only thing cooler than the saxophone is Paul Newman (two words: SMOKE SHOW), so stop what you are doing and get in on the action.…

1
One Day 17:56

6M ago17:56

17:56

In a change to the usual format, Matthew and Cintia read passages from Chapter 5 (the Greece holiday) of One Day, the novel by David Nicholls, published in 2009.By Read it to me

1
Sideline Report: Viridiana Lieberman 1:17:58

6M ago1:17:58

1:17:58

Biggs and Aaron sit down with Veridiana Lieberman, director of Born To Play, as well as editor for 30 for 30 and Emmy award winning I Am Evidence for the first ever installment of the Sideline Report. We talk about diegetic and non-diegetic sound, the history of the male gaze in women’s sports film, and a lot more. Don’t miss this episode. Support …

1
45: The Descendant 9:53

6M ago9:53

9:53

In which Tod reads HP Lovecraft's The Descendant, first published in the winter 1938 issue of "Leaves," and first read by Tod on February 25, 2024. Please be aware, this is a horror podcast, so it might not be for everyone. Notably, this story fragment touches on the troubling topics of the ravages of age and dementia, the Roman empire and medieval…

1
Batch Five: Child Labor 34:25

6M ago34:25

34:25

Biggs and Aaron sit down to talk about the batch for child labor. We talk about the connections between National Velvet, The Black Stallion, and The Mighty Ducks. We got an iconic horse girl, a gentle horse boy, and a guy working off his DUI. Hear the whole episode for free, or support the show, on⁠ ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠ Send an⁠⁠ ⁠email⁠⁠⁠ to the show⁠⁠⁠⁠ …

1
The Mighty Ducks (1992) 54:25

6M ago54:25

54:25

Biggs and Aaron continue the first batch of season two with the kid’s movie that launched an NHL hockey team that would go on to win the Stanley Cup: it’s The Mighty Ducks! We talk about the behemoth that is Disney synergy, the sexism in “misfit teams”, and about children’s movies that are not actually about children. Get your quack on, let’s GOOOO…

1
Matthew's PhD thesis! 11:48

6M ago11:48

11:48

Matthew asks Cintia to read the abstract from his PhD thesis - 'Expertise and Legitimacy in the Policy-Making Process' - published in 1999.By Read it to me

1
The Black Stallion (1979) 53:47

6M ago53:47

53:47

Biggs and Aaron wash up on shore with a kid named Alex, and a mystery horse, continuing the batch on child labor with the much beloved 1979 kid’s classic: The Black Stallion. We talk about showing instead of telling, the sounds of horses, and the gentlest male power fantasy you will ever see. Support the show through⁠ ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠ Send an⁠⁠ ⁠email⁠…

1
National Velvet (1944) 46:22

7M ago46:22

46:22

The first batch episode of season two jumps out of the gates with National Velvet, the story of a twelve year old girl who loves horses and prays for horses that nobody else wants and rides him to Grand National glory. There is a time and a place for everything, and apparently for women and girls sports it’s that ONE time and that ONE place? This m…

1
Sapiens: a brief history of humankind 15:14

7M ago15:14

15:14

Cintia asks Matthew to read extracts from Sapiens: a brief history of humankind, a book written by Yuval Noah Harari, first published in 2011.By Read it to me

1
The Champ (1915) Watch Along 54:39

7M ago54:39

54:39

Biggs and Aaron go back to 1915 to watch an icon of cinema: Charlie Chaplin. He’s a boxer so down on luck that even his pooch won’t eat his hotdog. Cinema will never be the same again. We do commentary for this short film that can be found on YouTube, but doesn’t need to be watched to follow the episode. Support the show through⁠ ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠ Send …

1
44: The Rats in the Walls (Discussion) 1:02:51

7M ago1:02:51

1:02:51

In which Claire and Tod discuss the Rats in the Walls. Note we spend the first quarter talking about racism in literature sooooooooo there's that. Here's the Javascript to change the cats name, do with it what thou wilt: https://gist.github.com/todb/35aa059ef2a94cb86a2db63e5121ddeb And here's Jason Buck's Linktree, if you get a chance to see him, h…

1
To the Sea 12:55

7M ago12:55

12:55

Matthew asks Cintia to read To the Sea, a poem by Philip Larkin, written in 1969 and published in the collection High Windows in 1974.By Read It To Me

1
Season two draft 52:08

7M ago52:08

52:08

Biggs and Aaron sit down to select the stars of the future in the season two Fields of Glory draft. So many great prospects, so many great movies, so many dubious batches. Check it out. Support the show through⁠ ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠ Send an⁠⁠ ⁠email⁠⁠⁠ to the show⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find short movie reviews on Letterboxd by Biggs and Aaron…

1
43: The Rats in the Walls 47:23

7M ago47:23

47:23

In which Tod reads for you The Rats in the Walls by HP Lovecraft, first published in the March 1924 issue of Weird Tales. Please note, this is a horror podcast, so this episode might not be for everyone. This story contains depictions of cult worship, mispronunciations of various Anatolian and Roman deities, the American Civil War and the Great War…

1
Moneyball (2011) 2:03:51

7M ago2:03:51

2:03:51

This week we’re presenting you with the episode that truly started Fields of Glory. We discussed Moneyball, the hegemonic three step, where sports movies are going, Brad Pitt’s persona, and so much more. Support the show through⁠ ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠ Send an⁠⁠ ⁠email⁠⁠⁠ to the show⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find short movie reviews on Letterboxd by Biggs and Aaron…

1
The Fogies 52:15

8M ago52:15

52:15

Season two opens with Aaron and Biggs sitting down to discuss the most astounding achievements from season one. We figure out the best location, best talisman, best picture, and most fired coach. All the stars are here: Slow Motion, Cocaine, Madonna, and the Fireball That Inspired Rudy to Follow His Dream! Support the show through⁠ ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠ Sen…

1
Hino Nacional Brasileiro 12:18

8M ago12:18

12:18

Cintia asks Matthew to read the second part of the Hino Nacional Brasileiro - the Brazilian National Anthem - the lyrics for which were agreed in 1922.By Read It To Me

1
Homecoming 8:57

8M ago8:57

8:57

Matthew asks Cintia to read Homecoming, a poem by Simon Armitage, published in 1993.By Read It To Me

1
42: The Horror At Martin's Beach / The Invisible Monster (Discussion) 30:21

8M ago30:21

30:21

In which Tod and Claire discuss "The Horror At Martin's Beach," by Sonia H Greene and HP Lovecraft, originally published as "The Invisible Monster" in the November, 1923 issue of Weird Tales. More about Sonia Greene: https://www.gothamcenter.org/blog/marriage-failure-and-exile-hp-lovecraft-in-new-york More about Captain Orne's possible connection t…