That's Pretty Dark: An '80s & '90s Nostalgia Podcast

Historical hijinks, mischievous miniatures, and the birth of the PG-13 rating… Oh lawd, it's about to get pretty dark! Join these ‘90s kids as they learn how society’s need for a scapegoat evolved from imps and elves, took to the sky to vex the Royal Air Force in wartime, and eventually inspired a slapstick horror comedy… with some sticky parental guidance suggestions. Between Steven Spielberg and Chris Columbus, its production story is a who’s who of ‘80s cinema blending behind the scenes serendipity and on-screen mayhem… To understand, one only has to listen.Email us at thatsprettydarkpodcast@gmail.comGive to our Patreon for extra content: patreon.com/tpdpodcastFollow us on Instagram and Facebook @thatsprettydarkpodcastMentioned in this episode:MANSCAPED — THE CHAIRMAN PRO PACKAGE & THE PERFORMANCE PACKAGE 5.0 ULTRAGet 20% off + free shipping with the code "PRETTYDARK" at https://www.manscaped.comBetterHelp Online TherapyLet our sponsor BetterHelp connect you to a therapist who can support you - all from the comfort of your own home. Visit https://betterhelp.com/prettydark and enjoy a special discount on your first month. If you have any questions about the brand relating to how the therapists are licensed, their privacy policy, or therapist compensation model, check out this FAQ: https://www.betterhelp.com/your-questions-answered/MANSCAPED — THE CHAIRMAN PRO PACKAGE & THE PERFORMANCE PACKAGE 5.0 ULTRAGet 20% off + free shipping with the code "PRETTYDARK" at https://www.manscaped.com

Undead appendages, backwoods suspense, and... Little Red Riding Hood?! Oh lawd, it's about to get pretty dark! Join these ‘90s kids as they get back to their roots with this southern gothic folktale turned childhood bookshelf staple. Trace with them the daunting heritage of a vengeful fictional critter and the strangely familiar motifs that accompany it, including but not limited to expressions of guilt, grief, grave robbing, swamp witches, and cannibalism. Luckily, we learn that these stories CAN empower folks, inevitable as the endings may be, and provide an avenue both to cope with our fears and mercilessly jump scare one another.Email us at thatsprettydarkpodcast@gmail.comGive to our Patreon for extra content: patreon.com/tpdpodcastFollow us on Instagram and Facebook @thatsprettydarkpodcastMentioned in this episode:MANSCAPED — THE CHAIRMAN PRO PACKAGE & THE PERFORMANCE PACKAGE 5.0 ULTRAGet 20% off + free shipping with the code "PRETTYDARK" at https://www.manscaped.comBetterHelp Online TherapyLet our sponsor BetterHelp connect you to a therapist who can support you - all from the comfort of your own home. Visit https://betterhelp.com/prettydark and enjoy a special discount on your first month. If you have any questions about the brand relating to how the therapists are licensed, their privacy policy, or therapist compensation model, check out this FAQ: https://www.betterhelp.com/your-questions-answered/MANSCAPED — THE CHAIRMAN PRO PACKAGE & THE PERFORMANCE PACKAGE 5.0 ULTRAGet 20% off + free shipping with the code "PRETTYDARK" at https://www.manscaped.com

Glowing typewriters, bathroom snacks, and gaping wide graves… Oh lawd, it's about to get pretty dark! Join these ‘90s kids as they gather ‘round the SNICK campfire to honor words, the most basic of elements bringing metaphors, musings, and stories to life. It’s no secret that these magical shapes and sounds have immense power. Power to bring us that much closer to ourselves, and one another, or power to split us apart. Whether dreaming of your crush or envisioning something more nightmarish… take a moment to ask yourself, if your words could project your ideas into the minds of others… or even reality… what kind of reality would you be creating? Oh, wait… they CAN! Email us at thatsprettydarkpodcast@gmail.comGive to our Patreon for extra content: patreon.com/tpdpodcastFollow us on Instagram and Facebook @thatsprettydarkpodcastMentioned in this episode:BetterHelp Online TherapyLet our sponsor BetterHelp connect you to a therapist who can support you - all from the comfort of your own home. Visit https://betterhelp.com/prettydark and enjoy a special discount on your first month. If you have any questions about the brand relating to how the therapists are licensed, their privacy policy, or therapist compensation model, check out this FAQ: https://www.betterhelp.com/your-questions-answered/MANSCAPED — THE CHAIRMAN PRO PACKAGE & THE PERFORMANCE PACKAGE 5.0 ULTRAGet 20% off + free shipping with the code "PRETTYDARK" at https://www.manscaped.com

Soul bargains, Samhain sensationalism, and the language of the gargoyles… Oh lawd, it's about to get pretty dark! Join these ‘90s kids as they explore even more cultural celebrations and institutions found in Ray Bradbury’s expressive pages including witchy wonders, creepy cathedrals, and deep, dark Mexican catacombs. Some of the show’s darkest revelations yet, like, y’know, children making deals with Death to maintain their friend’s very existence, accompany this spooky swirl of historic proportions.Email us at thatsprettydarkpodcast@gmail.comGive to our Patreon for extra content: patreon.com/tpdpodcastFollow us on Instagram and Facebook @thatsprettydarkpodcastMentioned in this episode:MANSCAPED — THE CHAIRMAN PRO PACKAGE & THE PERFORMANCE PACKAGE 5.0 ULTRAGet 20% off + free shipping with the code "PRETTYDARK" at https://www.manscaped.comBetterHelp Online TherapyLet our sponsor BetterHelp connect you to a therapist who can support you - all from the comfort of your own home. Visit https://betterhelp.com/prettydark and enjoy a special discount on your first month. If you have any questions about the brand relating to how the therapists are licensed, their privacy policy, or therapist compensation model, check out this FAQ: https://www.betterhelp.com/your-questions-answered/

Poetic peril, classic costumes, and the crisp air of autumn… Oh lawd, it's about to get pretty dark! Join these ‘90s kids for their journey into the Undiscovered Country and parse out the wistful nostalgia found among the twirly, twisty branches of Halloween’s history. Buckle in as Ray Bradbury’s aching, heavy-handed prose guides us all on a dream-like quest to capture the essence of humanity’s biggest questions… and the customs that help us answer them.Email us at thatsprettydarkpodcast@gmail.comGive to our Patreon for extra content: patreon.com/tpdpodcastFollow us on Instagram and Facebook @thatsprettydarkpodcastMentioned in this episode:BetterHelp Online TherapyLet our sponsor BetterHelp connect you to a therapist who can support you - all from the comfort of your own home. Visit https://betterhelp.com/prettydark and enjoy a special discount on your first month. If you have any questions about the brand relating to how the therapists are licensed, their privacy policy, or therapist compensation model, check out this FAQ: https://www.betterhelp.com/your-questions-answered/MANSCAPED — THE CHAIRMAN PRO PACKAGE & THE PERFORMANCE PACKAGE 5.0 ULTRAGet 20% off + free shipping with the code "PRETTYDARK" at https://www.manscaped.com

Horrific house parties, sensual feasting, and Boris Karloff… Oh lawd, it's about to get pretty dark! Join these ‘90s kids for a bloodcurdling bash as they recount the fascinating and frightful origins of everyone’s favorite Halloween novelty track, spooking its way into society amidst an upswing of mid-century dance fads and crazes. Get down as your Ghost Hosts get scientific with memetic theory and follow these crypt-kicking tunes (including new imaginings and parodies) all the way through a life cycle that may have overstayed its welcome…Email us at thatsprettydarkpodcast@gmail.comGive to our Patreon for extra content: patreon.com/tpdpodcastFollow us on Instagram and Facebook @thatsprettydarkpodcastMentioned in this episode:MANSCAPED — THE CHAIRMAN PRO PACKAGE & THE PERFORMANCE PACKAGE 5.0 ULTRAGet 20% off + free shipping with the code "PRETTYDARK" at https://www.manscaped.comBetterHelp Online TherapyLet our sponsor BetterHelp connect you to a therapist who can support you - all from the comfort of your own home. Visit https://betterhelp.com/prettydark and enjoy a special discount on your first month. If you have any questions about the brand relating to how the therapists are licensed, their privacy policy, or therapist compensation model, check out this FAQ: https://www.betterhelp.com/your-questions-answered/

Grizzly reapers, manic moral commentary, and sneaky snozzberries… Oh lawd, it's about to get pretty dark! Join these ‘90s kids for their THREE YEAR anniversary extravaganza as they theorize and fantasize their way through the darkest corners of Wonka’s (okay, mostly Roald Dahl’s) potentially not-so-pure imagination - complete with haunting real world racial implications. Oompa Loompa doompity DO come with us and you’ll be in a world of simultaneous whimsical escape, satirical, societal criticism, and as always, some good old fashioned existentialism to taste. At least we still have one another…Email us at thatsprettydarkpodcast@gmail.comGive to our Patreon for extra content: patreon.com/tpdpodcastFollow us on Instagram and Facebook @thatsprettydarkpodcastMentioned in this episode:BetterHelp Online TherapyLet our sponsor BetterHelp connect you to a therapist who can support you - all from the comfort of your own home. Visit https://betterhelp.com/prettydark and enjoy a special discount on your first month. If you have any questions about the brand relating to how the therapists are licensed, their privacy policy, or therapist compensation model, check out this FAQ: https://www.betterhelp.com/your-questions-answered/MANSCAPED — THE CHAIRMAN PRO PACKAGE & THE PERFORMANCE PACKAGE 5.0 ULTRAGet 20% off + free shipping with the code "PRETTYDARK" at https://www.manscaped.com

Everlasting literary quips, Bavarian asteroids, and Pure Imagination… Oh lawd, it's about to get pretty dark! Join these ‘90s kids as they take you on your very own Golden Ticket tour behind the scenes of one of the pillars of the “Pretty Dark” genre and learn a little more about two of its founding fathers: Roald Dahl and Gene Wilder. Get a taste of everything you’ve ever wondered about the film’s storied history, fantastical sets, and legendary performances, plus unwrap the details on the brand deals and production rumors that left generations of mouths watering.Email us at thatsprettydarkpodcast@gmail.comGive to our Patreon for extra content: patreon.com/tpdpodcastFollow us on Instagram and Facebook @thatsprettydarkpodcastMentioned in this episode:MANSCAPED — THE CHAIRMAN PRO PACKAGE & THE PERFORMANCE PACKAGE 5.0 ULTRAGet 20% off + free shipping with the code "PRETTYDARK" at https://www.manscaped.comBetterHelp Online TherapyLet our sponsor BetterHelp connect you to a therapist who can support you - all from the comfort of your own home. Visit https://betterhelp.com/prettydark and enjoy a special discount on your first month. If you have any questions about the brand relating to how the therapists are licensed, their privacy policy, or therapist compensation model, check out this FAQ: https://www.betterhelp.com/your-questions-answered/

Recurring cosmic phenomena, terrible toy testing, and triskaidekaphobia… Oh lawd, it's about to get pretty dark! Join these ‘90s kids as they settle into Are You Afraid of the Dark?’s second season by discussing society’s denial of the proverbial and literal “thirteenth floor,” the potential for intergalactic adoptive trauma, and the coming-of-age drama behind morphing into your “final form.” If you’ve ever thought your sibling might be from another planet… or maybe felt more like a faceless misfit, yourself… this episode proves once and for all, that even still, you’re never really alone.Email us at thatsprettydarkpodcast@gmail.comGive to our Patreon for extra content: patreon.com/tpdpodcastFollow us on Instagram and Facebook @thatsprettydarkpodcastMentioned in this episode:BetterHelp Online TherapyLet our sponsor BetterHelp connect you to a therapist who can support you - all from the comfort of your own home. Visit https://betterhelp.com/prettydark and enjoy a special discount on your first month. If you have any questions about the brand relating to how the therapists are licensed, their privacy policy, or therapist compensation model, check out this FAQ: https://www.betterhelp.com/your-questions-answered/MANSCAPED — THE CHAIRMAN PRO PACKAGE & THE PERFORMANCE PACKAGE 5.0 ULTRAGet 20% off + free shipping with the code "PRETTYDARK" at https://www.manscaped.com

Birthday curses, chem lab terror, and rejection sensitive dysphoria… Oh lawd, it's about to get pretty dark! Join these ‘90s kids for another round of Midnight Society mayhem as they get groovy with ‘60s slang, walk the graffitied hallways of their childhood, and even uncover some reported high school hauntings from this side of the TV screen. This episode will have you spiraling into the 30 year pop culture cycle, seeing not only its stamp on the present and our (increasingly obsolete) place within it, but also its implications for the future…Email us at thatsprettydarkpodcast@gmail.comGive to our Patreon for extra content: patreon.com/tpdpodcastFollow us on Instagram and Facebook @thatsprettydarkpodcastMentioned in this episode:MANSCAPED — THE CHAIRMAN PRO PACKAGE & THE PERFORMANCE PACKAGE 5.0 ULTRAGet 20% off + free shipping with the code "PRETTYDARK" at https://www.manscaped.com

Identity crises, lactose intolerance, and the Hare Krishna… Oh lawd, it's about to get pretty dark! Join these ‘90s kids in the back-to-school spirit for a good old fashioned mingling of history lesson and book report where they’ll investigate a well-meaning, if dark phenomenon that swept the country in the ‘80s – milk carton kids – via a controversial young adult novel born from it by Caroline B. Cooney. They’ll bust some myths, pay homage to the devastating realities, and get to the haunting core of the novel… what if the face staring back at you from the breakfast table was your own?Email us at thatsprettydarkpodcast@gmail.comGive to our Patreon for extra content: patreon.com/tpdpodcastFollow us on Instagram and Facebook @thatsprettydarkpodcastMentioned in this episode:MANSCAPED — THE CHAIRMAN PRO PACKAGE & THE PERFORMANCE PACKAGE 5.0 ULTRAGet 20% off + free shipping with the code "PRETTYDARK" at https://www.manscaped.com

Sploosh, supernatural serendipity, and the “Troubled Teen" Industry… Oh lawd, it's about to get pretty dark! Join these ‘90s kids to celebrate and unpack what is, arguably, one of the best book-to-film adaptions ever created. This time, they’ll revel in magical, mystical romance, wax poetic about generational curses and cycles, plus build character while exploring deeper themes of abuse in teen “rehabilitation” programs, and America’s dark history with segregation and racial prejudice. This is a heavy one, Darklings, but it’s important, and your Ghost Hosts hope you enjoy it with all the same curiosity you’d bring to the Scholastic Book Fair.Email us at thatsprettydarkpodcast@gmail.comGive to our Patreon for extra content: patreon.com/tpdpodcastFollow us on Instagram and Facebook @thatsprettydarkpodcastMentioned in this episode:MANSCAPED — THE CHAIRMAN PRO PACKAGE & THE PERFORMANCE PACKAGE 5.0 ULTRAGet 20% off + free shipping with the code "PRETTYDARK" at https://www.manscaped.com

Holey euphemisms, storyboard solidarity, and... Donnie Darko?!? Oh lawd, it's about to get pretty dark! Join these ‘90s kids in the dusty desert of Camp Green Lake (21 years later!) where they dig up all kinds of exposition including production stories you’ve always wondered about, details on the cast and crew, and the importance of empowering children’s literature… Email us at thatsprettydarkpodcast@gmail.comGive to our Patreon for extra content: patreon.com/tpdpodcastFollow us on Instagram and Facebook @thatsprettydarkpodcastMentioned in this episode:MANSCAPED — THE CHAIRMAN PRO PACKAGE & THE PERFORMANCE PACKAGE 5.0 ULTRAGet 20% off + free shipping with the code "PRETTYDARK" at https://www.manscaped.com

Flashlight flasks, Bram Stoker’s widow, and Dr. Nosferatu… Oh lawd, it's about to get pretty dark! Join these ‘90s kids in another Midnight Society flashback where they reminisce on theatrical magic and “Fright Nights” gone by, revel in the glory (and grief) of early Germanic horror, and uncover every disturbing detail available about the legend of the Pied Piper. Sometimes, movie monsters are so terrifying they seem like they might just step out of the screen and into our very lives…but what if one actually did?Email us at thatsprettydarkpodcast@gmail.comGive to our Patreon for extra content: patreon.com/tpdpodcastFollow us on Instagram and Facebook @thatsprettydarkpodcastMentioned in this episode:MANSCAPED — THE CHAIRMAN PRO PACKAGE & THE PERFORMANCE PACKAGE 5.0 ULTRAGet 20% off + free shipping with the code "PRETTYDARK" at https://www.manscaped.com

Eye boogers, bedside weapons, and iron nests on the moon… Oh lawd, it's about to get pretty dark! Join these ‘90s kids as they gather ‘round the Midnight Society campfire to laud and applaud some of the darkest forgotten Grimm tales, get cozy with Jekyll and Hyde’s originator, and learn the eye-popping lore behind everyone’s favorite nighttime visitor…The Sandman. Growing up is hard to do, and despite enormous pressure to give up our whimsy, it’s nice to know imagination is, was, and will always be our saving grace in the face of…dun dun dun…reality.Email us at thatsprettydarkpodcast@gmail.comGive to our Patreon for extra content: patreon.com/tpdpodcastFollow us on Instagram and Facebook @thatsprettydarkpodcastMentioned in this episode:MANSCAPED — THE CHAIRMAN PRO PACKAGE & THE PERFORMANCE PACKAGE 5.0 ULTRAGet 20% off + free shipping with the code "PRETTYDARK" at https://www.manscaped.com

Haunted islands, dreadful pennies, and idiotic scheming… Oh lawd, it's about to get pretty dark! Join these ‘90s kids for a Saturday back in Hey Arnold!’s Hillwood as they break down one of Gerald’s true-blue urban legends involving a phlegm-hacking murderous figure and counterfeit buried treasure. Kalyn and Christian join Arnold and the gang, flashlights and jellybeans in tow, to make some Goonies and Scooby Doo connections and unravel a few real-world examples of spooky islands along the way.Email us at thatsprettydarkpodcast@gmail.comGive to our Patreon for extra content: patreon.com/tpdpodcastFollow us on Instagram and Facebook @thatsprettydarkpodcastMentioned in this episode:MANSCAPED — THE CHAIRMAN PRO PACKAGE & THE PERFORMANCE PACKAGE 5.0 ULTRAGet 20% off + free shipping with the code "PRETTYDARK" at https://www.manscaped.com

A Big and Loud villain, misremembered footprints, and the horrors of the Hayes Code… Oh lawd, it's about to get pretty dark! Join these ‘90s kids to unravel some of Hollywood’s best and brightest landmarks…and its darker chapters of censorship, racial tension, and child-star trauma. Laughing their way through one of the wittiest scripts they’ve discussed yet, they’ll explore how its allegories and core themes all point back to the importance of inspiration, humanity’s shared  artistic experiences, and the collective power, strength, and unity that comes from creating art for art’s sake.Email us at thatsprettydarkpodcast@gmail.comGive to our Patreon for extra content: patreon.com/tpdpodcastFollow us on Instagram and Facebook @thatsprettydarkpodcastMentioned in this episode:MANSCAPED — THE CHAIRMAN PRO PACKAGE & THE PERFORMANCE PACKAGE 5.0 ULTRAGet 20% off + free shipping with the code "PRETTYDARK" at https://www.manscaped.com

Backlot kitties, Gene Kelly, and studio-executive dysfunction… Oh lawd, it's about to get pretty dark! Join these ‘90s kids as they swing into the 1930s (by way of 1997) to understand the storied studio history and production lore that brought this musical mainstay into existence. Learn with them how, while times at Turner Feature Animation were tough, a 28-year-old director pulled off the impossible with the help of a talented team of animators-turned-storytellers, a cast list for the ages, and Randy Newman.Email us at thatsprettydarkpodcast@gmail.comGive to our Patreon for extra content: patreon.com/tpdpodcastFollow us on Instagram and Facebook @thatsprettydarkpodcastMentioned in this episode:MANSCAPED — THE CHAIRMAN PRO PACKAGE & THE PERFORMANCE PACKAGE 5.0 ULTRAGet 20% off + free shipping with the code "PRETTYDARK" at https://www.manscaped.com

Dreamland predators, great expectations, and the rise and fall of the Nightmare King… Oh lawd, it's about to get pretty dark! Join these punch-drunk ‘90s kids as they wrap up their journey into Slumberland/Nightmareland and the revolving door of creatives involved in its production throughout the 1980s – including the famed Sherman Brothers. From the earliest inklings of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata’s most beloved titles, to coming-of-age uncertainty, to Freudian nightmare analysis, this episode has something for every Darkling. Email us at thatsprettydarkpodcast@gmail.comGive to our Patreon for extra content: patreon.com/tpdpodcastFollow us on Instagram and Facebook @thatsprettydarkpodcastMentioned in this episode:MANSCAPED — THE CHAIRMAN PRO PACKAGE & THE PERFORMANCE PACKAGE 5.0 ULTRAGet 20% off + free shipping with the code "PRETTYDARK" at https://www.manscaped.com

Quiet On Set, flashy circus ads, and the dark side of animation history… Oh lawd, it's about to get pretty dark! Join these ‘90s kids as they confront some harsh realities and trace the origins of one of their most requested Movie Nights back through the late 19th and early 20th centuries via its creator – the dream-obsessed (and problematic) Winsor McKay – and his plight as one of the founding fathers of modern animation. Follow along as they plot the path of Nemo as a character through his print and theatrical lifetime, all the way to the mid ‘70s when the first inkling of this pretty dark title was “awakened.” Email us at thatsprettydarkpodcast@gmail.comGive to our Patreon for extra content: patreon.com/tpdpodcastFollow us on Instagram and Facebook @thatsprettydarkpodcastMentioned in this episode:MANSCAPED — THE CHAIRMAN PRO PACKAGE & THE PERFORMANCE PACKAGE 5.0 ULTRAGet 20% off + free shipping with the code "PRETTYDARK" at https://www.manscaped.com