Episode 148 - Vampire's Kiss: LIVE!

[bonjourjamie 61]

 

Nah man, it's a great bad movie, there are so many times I laughed out loud, from his roach-eating (reminding me of when our cats catch and eat a bug), to his Nosferatu-like parade with plastic vampire teeth. That's amazing, and my roommate and I are weighing in on adding it permanently to our bad movie collection.

 

That said, the stuff with Alva still hits a bit close to home, especially being in a living situation similar to hers, and I think that's the difference for me personally. Yeah, I can separate that it's fiction, so I'm not going to be all "omg how dare you like it!" I enjoyed it too. I don't think anyone is saying that one can't enjoy it, but sexual assault is a touchy and sometimes personal subject, so I understand why people are bothered even if the movie vilifies it.

 

Also agree 100%. It's a subject that strikes an unpleasant chord with me, too, along with many other viewers - more so than, say, the topic of space vampires or rollerskating Greek muses or sports marketing - and to be confronted with it while in the middle of some good ol' Cage wackiness was... well, it just felt kinda gross.

 

Actually, had they discussed the rape issue more in the episode, I think I'd have come away from it and the movie feeling less unsettled. Some of my favorite HDTGM moments are debates centered on uncomfortable topics. Abortion in Junior, animal abuse in Monkey Shines, molestation in Gooby ("I could listen to you say that all day") are some examples that come to mind, and I love Paul, June, and Jason all the more for addressing serious issues in this comedic podcast. It would ring as false if the show tried to avoid elements of the movies at hand that bring unpleasant issues to light.

 

I don't think it's coincidence that the three examples I mentioned are shows taped in-studio. The performance aspect of the live shows and the fact that the hosts and guests are interacting with an audience understandably change the dynamic of the live episodes, and it's my sense at least that the studio episodes are often more in-depth and introspective. I'd guess that had Vampire's Kiss not been a live episode, there would have been more discussion of the movie's many thematic problems and especially its treatment of women, particularly from our resident expert, June.

[Juggermax 75]

Did anyone else feel that David Hyde Pierce's cameo this movie was a tie in to the movie Wolf with Jack Nicholson? Was Vampire's kiss and Wolf in the same universe?

[taylor anne photo 11311]

 

Also agree 100%. It's a subject that strikes an unpleasant chord with me, too, along with many other viewers - more so than, say, the topic of space vampires or rollerskating Greek muses or sports marketing - and to be confronted with it while in the middle of some good ol' Cage wackiness was... well, it just felt kinda gross.

 

Actually, had they discussed the rape issue more in the episode, I think I'd have come away from it and the movie feeling less unsettled. Some of my favorite HDTGM moments are debates centered on uncomfortable topics. Abortion in Junior, animal abuse in Monkey Shines, molestation in Gooby ("I could listen to you say that all day") are some examples that come to mind, and I love Paul, June, and Jason all the more for addressing serious issues in this comedic podcast. It would ring as false if the show tried to avoid elements of the movies at hand that bring unpleasant issues to light.

 

I don't think it's coincidence that the three examples I mentioned are shows taped in-studio. The performance aspect of the live shows and the fact that the hosts and guests are interacting with an audience understandably change the dynamic of the live episodes, and it's my sense at least that the studio episodes are often more in-depth and introspective. I'd guess that had Vampire's Kiss not been a live episode, there would have been more discussion of the movie's many thematic problems and especially its treatment of women, particularly from our resident expert, June.

I completely agree with all of this!

 

I had no idea that this was even in the movie and then hearing Hayes say that the director didn't even consider that rape made me go full Jason and say, "Oh fuuuuuuck youuuuuuu." So I'm happy that they had even mentioned it.

 

And I liked that they all were in 100% agreement that it was without a doubt rape, because there's been way too many people in this country as of late trying to convince women otherwise.

[RyanHorn 31]

Did anyone else feel that David Hyde Pierce's cameo this movie was a tie in to the movie Wolf with Jack Nicholson? Was Vampire's kiss and Wolf in the same universe?

 

Cage mentions that Wolf is similar to this movie in the commentary track, but then the director changes the subject and they never revisit it.

[JwHoaglan 3]

So this is a speculation/correction of a second opinion. Cage's character does not suffer from narcissism he suffers from borderline personality disorder.

 

Here are some of the most common signs, according to the National institute of health.

 

-Constant efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment:

 

-A lifetime pattern of intense and unstable relationships, often swinging between extreme closeness to intense hatred

 

-Impulsive behaviors such as extreme spending, unsafe sex, substance abuse, and binge eating

 

-Recurring suicidal behaviors or self-harming behaviors

 

-Trouble controlling anger, characterized by extreme periods of rage, depression, or anxiety that may last between a few hours to an entire day

 

- Severe dissociative symptoms, such as feeling cut off from oneself, observing oneself from outside the body, or losing touch with reality

 

I actually suffer from BPD and have experienced a level of psychosis similar to his character. Mine was triggered by severe alcoholism as I imagine was his, or mescaline use. Thankfully I'm sober now and in treatment for my mental health issues. Hdtgm actually got me through some of the dark times so thanks for all the laughs.