The Losers' Club: A Stephen King Podcast

The Losers' Club's Randall Colburn is joined by one of his favorite songwriters, Zac Pennington (Popular Music/Parenthetical Girls), to unpack the parodic pleasures of U.K. cult hit Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, a loony hospital horror soap that's maybe-sorta-definitely taking the piss out of Stephen King (in the most loving way possible, of course). The pair discuss low-rent '80s horror, hearing Matt Berry's voice for the first time, and how genuinely strange it is that Darkplace came out just months before King's own Kingdom Hospital, his short-lived ABC hospital horror soap. Popular Music's lush and haunting new album, Minor Works, is available now. Order it here and stream it wherever you stream music. Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Here's a clip from our latest Patreon-exclusive installment of The Soul's Midnight, a Patreon exclusive series that allows the Losers to put down Stephen King for a moment and talk about some real-life spooky tales. Since we’ve just read Full Dark, No Stars --a collection of novellas all about murder – we figured we’d combine the two and talk about some crazed killers who have influenced, or may have been influenced by one of our all time favorite things: horror movies.Want to hear the full track? Become a member of The Barrens (Patreon) by visiting www.patreon.com/thebarrens. You'll unlock hundreds hours of exclusive content that includes even more episodes of The Stephen King Archives, our Dark Tower Detour series, dozens of Ka-mmentary tracks for your favorite King flicks, all of our Lobstrosities episodes clawing through those silly King sequels, in addition to spinoffs like Randall and Mel's Halloween Hell, Talkin' Hawkins, and CrichtonCast. Not to mention, dozens upon dozens of locked episodes and one-offs, including a 24-7 Discord community featuring Constant Listeners just like you!Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What a long dark night it’s been on this trip through Stephen King’s 2011 collection Full Dark, No Stars. After traveling back to 1922 and taking a detour through Big Driver, Losers Justin Gerber, Rachel Reeves, and Jenn Adams make a pit stop in Derry for a nasty little tale of schadenfreude and revenge, “Fair Extension.” Then it’s full speed ahead through the collection’s final novella A Good Marriage. Inspired by the horrific crimes of BTK, King’s story follows a happily married woman who finds a life-altering secret buried in her garage. Topics range from the ethics of True Crime storytelling, the fine line between art and exploitation, and the lies we tell ourselves to get through the day. Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today marks the 25th anniversary of Apt Pupil, the 1998 Stephen King adaptation that stars the late Brad Renfro and Sir Ian McKellen. Admittedly, it's a very controversial film to discuss, but to their credit, our friends Joe Lipsett and Trace Thurman of the Horror Queers braved the unnerving themes and backstories within the production. They also invited our co-host Jenn Adams along to help 'em out. So, we thought: Why not shed a light on the film -- consider it a Long Watch -- and give our network pals the spotlight, too. Win-win. If you dig this episode, do not hesitate to subscribe to the Horror Queers wherever you get podcasts. They're brilliant.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon | Store Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We all know Stephen King loves to write horror fiction, but he also loves to read it. And when the Master of Horror is looking for his next literary fright he turns to our special guest for this episode: Sadie “Mother Horror” Hartmann! Losers Jenn Adams and Dan Caffrey join the Bookstagram star and fellow Constant Reader to discuss her incredible new book 101 Horror Books to Read Before You’re Murdered. Together, they chat about all things horror fiction including their favorite subgenres, creepy kids, the importance of modern horror, and what makes a book Stephen King(ish). And, of course, Sadie recommends a few novels perfect for spooky season! We guarantee you’ll come away from this episode with a much longer To Read list! Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon | Store Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Happy Friday the 13th, Constant Listeners! We have a special treat for you: Another series from the LC family. It's called The Lady Killers: a Feminine Rage Podcast, and it's hosted by fellow Losers Jenn Adams and Sammie Kuykendall, in addition to Halloweenies editor Mae Shults and Rue Morgue editor Rocco Thompson. So what's the gist? Each episode will feature Jenn, Sammie, Mae, and Rocco discussing a female-identifying killer in the horror genre—and sometimes the wider world of cinema—from Julia and Jennifer to Carrie and Christine. They’ll tell the story from her point of view, decide if it’s “Good For Her” Horror, and answer the most important question of all: would we die for her? New episodes every Thursday; subscribe now. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Because it's spooky season, the Losers are dusting off an old Crate episode on 1999's The Blair Witch Project, a film that even Stephen King asked to turn off for being "too freaky." Where do you stand? Where do the Losers stand? Hopefully, not in the corner.Note: This was recorded in January 2021 and is being unlocked today for the main feed. For more exclusive episodes like this that we haven't unlocked,please join us at www.patreon.com/thebarrens. You can even get our latest book episode on Holly. Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon | Store Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Losers continue their coverage of Pet Sematary: Bloodlines by speaking with writer-director Lindsey Anderson Beer.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Losers return to Ludlow, Maine to review Pet Sematary: Bloodlines. Stay tuned for their interview with writer-director Lindsey Anderson Beer.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Our Full Dark, No Stars coverage continues! In the second of three episodes dedicated to the 2010 collection, Losers Justin Gerber, Randall Colburn, and Jenn Adams discuss one of Stephen King's most uncomfortable stories to read due to the subject material. The less written here, the better. What's next? Well, next week we're reviewing Pet Sematary: Bloodlines. We'll conclude our Full Dark coverage on October 20th with a double hitter centered on Fair Extension and A Good Marriage.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.