Robert Eggers, acclaimed writer and director famed for his chilling films like The Witch and The Lighthouse, shares insights into his latest project, Nosferatu. He discusses the balance of historical accuracy with personal storytelling, the challenges of adapting vampire lore, and the art of crafting night scenes in film. Listeners hear about Eggers' journey from theater to screen, overcoming imposter syndrome, and the importance of emotional support in creative pursuits. Plus, a nostalgic nod to cafeteria pizza from the 80s and 90s adds a fun twist!
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question_answer ANECDOTE
High School Nosferatu
Robert Eggers directed a high school stage production of Nosferatu.
It was a silent film on stage, using title cards, music, and black-and-white makeup and sets.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Transition to Cinema
After directing off-off-Broadway, Eggers realized cinema was his preferred medium.
His first short film, Hansel and Gretel, motivated him to create higher quality work, leading to his Telltale Heart adaptation.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Telltale Heart Production
Eggers' Telltale Heart short was filmed in an abandoned house and featured a puppet designed by a Jim Henson Creature Shop artist.
The unique aesthetic choices enhanced the film's atmosphere and attracted collaborators.
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The novel tells the story of Count Dracula, a vampire who moves from Transylvania to England to spread terror and create more vampires. The story begins with Jonathan Harker, an English solicitor, who travels to Transylvania to finalize the sale of a property to Count Dracula. Upon discovering Dracula's true nature, Harker barely escapes with his life. Dracula then travels to England, where he targets Harker's fiancée, Mina, and her friend Lucy. A group of characters, including Professor Van Helsing, Dr. John Seward, and Quincey Morris, band together to hunt down and destroy Dracula. The novel explores themes of good vs. evil, modernity vs. tradition, and the fears and anxieties of the Victorian era, including immigration, sexual desire, and the role of women in society.
The Fall of the House of Usher
Edgar Allan Poe
The story begins with the narrator visiting Roderick Usher, who has been suffering from an unspecified illness. Roderick's sister, Madeline, is also ill and falls into deathlike trances. As the narrative unfolds, the narrator becomes increasingly entangled in the eerie and supernatural events surrounding the Usher family and their mansion. Roderick believes the house is alive and connected to the family's fate. The story culminates in the terrifying revelation that Madeline may have been buried alive, leading to the simultaneous deaths of the twins and the collapse of the House of Usher itself.
Wuthering Heights
Emily Brontë
Published in 1847, 'Wuthering Heights' is a novel that tells the story of the tumultuous relationship between Catherine Earnshaw and the foundling Heathcliff, whom her father brings home to Wuthering Heights. The narrative, framed by the visitor Lockwood and the housekeeper Nelly Dean, explores themes of love, revenge, and the cyclical nature of life. Heathcliff's bitter vengeance against those who wronged him drives the plot, which spans generations and delves into the dark, passionate, and often destructive aspects of human nature. The novel is renowned for its dramatic and poetic presentation, its unique structure, and its vivid depiction of the Yorkshire moors as a reflection of the characters' inner lives.
Hearken well! John sitteth in discourse with the learned Robert Eggers, weaver of dreadsome visions (The Witch, The Lighthouse), whose latest labour bringeth forth Nosferatu from the mistes of antiquity. Together, they dost unravel the craft of breathing newe life into the ghastly count of olde, how Robert didst hone his vision through toil and cunning in his firste labours, and the summoning of terror moste unholy upon the silver’d screen.
We do also taketh to hand the queries of our faithful listeners on the perils of o’ermuch detail in one’s scribings, on what may be done when one doth feel oneself a dullard, and whether those who spin tales be ill-fitted for matters of courtship and love.
In our boon segment for those of premium patronage, Robert doth speak of his fervent love for the wheeled steed and pursuits beyond the shaping of moving pictures.
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