Are you interested in angels, demons, ghosts, spirits, and monsters? Are you curious about their origins, influence, and how to protect against the unknown? If so, then welcome to Southern Demonology, the podcast that explores all of this and more. Ever since I ran across the line, Mickey Louis, Mickey Low Mouth, Cthulhu, Reliet, Ladgo, Batman. Or in his house at Relie, Dead Cthulhu Wade's Dreaming in Lovecraft stories. I was hooked on cosmic horror. And it's not just the linguistics nerd in me. We as humanity shape our worldview.
And early philosophy believed that logic could pierce the veil into the metaphysical and describe reality itself. But what if true reality was something dark, cold, and different, and so much greater than us that even brushing up against it could lead to madness or even forced transformation. At its best, cosmic horror blends body horror, warped realities, and an otherness so great that our significance is eclipsed. At its worst, it produces movies with Nicolas Cade and butchers one of the greatest Lovecraft stories. Like, I don't know, The Color from Outer Space.
Anyway, before the rage takes over, let's get to the business at hand. Welcome back to Bite, the many episodes of the Southern Demonology podcast dedicated to exploring horror. As always, I am your host and friendly ancient demonologist JJ. Rather than focusing on the bad, I have four movies in this genre that exemplify some of the best of cosmic horror. And let's start with Resolution. Made in 2012, it starts off with one guy who is hopelessly in the throes of addiction and is living in a shack when his childhood friend comes by for the first time in forever to see him.
The visitor then proceeds to restrain him all in hopes of turning his life around. Yet, in the midst of this human drama, weirdness begins to erupt, and the restraints may not be the only thing, keeping not one, but both of them in that shack. Then you have 2019's The Endless, made by the same directors, which explores the lives of two brothers who escaped from a cult but are struggling to make it in the modern world. I highly recommend watching these two in order, as The Endless actually makes a callback to Resolution, which is simply amazing.
The third movie I thought was made by the same two directors, but I was horribly wrong, even though it too had two directors, is an indie-produced movie and has the same vibe. And that, my friends, is 2016's The Void. Let's just say that the night shift at a small remote hospital along with local law enforcement is about to have the worst night of their lives when strange things begin to happen, followed by the appearance of people in white robes with triangles on their hood.
But no conversation about cosmic horror can be complete without talking about the one that takes mind-mendiness to a whole new level, while also mixing in body horror, overtaken will, and a dash of the apocalyptic. And that, my friends, is John Carpenter's In the Mouth of Madness. First of all, the main character is played by Sam Neal, and you know you're in it for a good time with him. You know, because he's the anti-Nick Cage. Sorry, I couldn't resist one more dick.
An insurance investigator, highly skilled at finding fraud, is tasked to find a publisher's star author who has yet to deliver the manuscript to his latest work, which has had his rabid fans rioting in bookstores. Cosmic horror is one of the hardest genres to do well. But in the the mouth of madness comes closest to showing what existential dread looks like, and it will forever have a place in my heart for that. I know there's at least one person out there who is currently screaming, but what about Reanimator? Don't worry, we'll get there, but at another time.
Thank you for listening as always. And if you wouldn't mind, give me a follow and a like on whatever platform you're on. Stay safe out there. Thank you for listening to Southern Demonology. Find us online at Southern Demonology.com, which offers links to all of our social media and episodes. Southern Demonology is solely owned, produced, and edited by myself, and the intro and outro music are composed by me as well. If you have a moment, please rate, like, and share this podcast, as it is the best way to help support my work.
As always, I am JJ, and it has been a pleasure to speak to you today.