Cinema Junkie Podcast 205: Halloween Double Dare

Halloween Double Dare Radio Dramas

This episode of Cinema Junkie serves up a Halloween Double Dare, playwright Michael Mizerany and I dare you to listen to a pair of his one-act horror plays. So turn out the lights, put on some headphones and enjoy an audio treat while sheltering at home this Halloween. Please note the plays contain explicit language and mature content. "Johnny and Babs Versus the Apocalypse" by Michael Mizerany Babs: Sydney Joyner Johnny: Marc Caro Stage Directions: David Janisch Inspired by the film "Night Of The Living Dead," "Johnny and Babs Versus the Apocalypse" chronicles a terror-filled evening replete with COVID chaos, civil unrest, flesh eating zombies. and sibling bickering. "Die Already!" by Michael Mizerany Branigan: Tyler Lloyd Chase: Quincy Bazen Jordan: Kevin Phan Gary: SeeJay Lewis Stage Directions: David Janisch A spoof of every horror film ever made where the killer just won’t stay dead, "Die Already!" tells the bloody tale of a one-night stand gone horribly, horribly wrong. Music for both plays was composed by Phil Nenna, who also created the Cinema Junkie theme music.

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Michael Mizerany is best known as a choreographer but after taking a writing workshop at the Old Globe Theatre he decided to try his hand at writing plays. His first foray won him a writing award from San Diego International Fringe Festival.

"Bedrooms and Boyfriends" was an anthology of one-act mostly comedy plays he worked on with two other San Diego playwrights.

But it was only a matter of time before he turned his attention to writing something with a horror spin and some blood. He's been working on a variety of pieces including one inspired by the Leopold-Loeb case, a real-life murder tale. But for Halloween, he decided to write something about the pandemic and the current political climate using zombies as the backdrop. Plus he had a shortened version of a horror "Thrillogy" (I helped him land on that title for his trilogy) involving a one-night stand and murder.

So for this Halloween Mizerany and I offer you a Halloween Double Dare -- a pair of one-act horror plays that we dare you to listen to alone in the dark. But truth be told, they are actually a lot of fun especially if you are a horror fan because they reference genre films like "Night of the Living Dead" and have fun with horror tropes.

So we double-dog dare you to listen to "Johnny and Babs Versus the Apocalypse" and "Die Already."

Thanks to the wonderful cast members who volunteered their time to create this through Zoom and learning how to use new mics and figure out Zoom settings while trying to keep dogs and roommates quiet. Also thanks to KPBS's Phil Nenna who does graphics during the day but creates music in his spare time. I used a few of his music cuts for the plays but you should already know his work since he created the theme music for Cinema Junkie.

So Halloween can't be what we have had in the past because COVID is not making it safe for home haunts and Halloween parties but I hope you will snuggle up and take a listen to how Halloween Double Dare podcast.

WARNING: These plays contain explicit language and are intended for mature audiences.

Cast of "Johnny and Babs Versus the Apocalypse"

Babs: Sydney Joyner

Johnny: Marc Caro

Cast of "Die Already"

Branigan: Tyler Lloyd

Chase: Quincy Bazen

Jordan: Kevin Phan

Gary: SeeJay Lewis

Stage Directions for both read by David Janisch

Both plays written by Michael Mizerany

Thanks to Soundsnap and Fernando Jay Huerto for sound effects as well as to my zombie roommates.