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Aug 20 2009

Is the Necronomicon real?

30 min 12 movies discussed
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H.P. Lovecraft's strange, elaborate stories and mythologies have inspired a devoted following. Join Josh and Chuck -- and a special guest -- as they discuss Lovecraft's most famous creation, the "Necronomicon," in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

AI Summary

In this special episode of Stuff You Should Know, hosts Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant team up with guest expert Jonathan Strickland to dive into H.P. Lovecraft's famous fictional grimoire, the Necronomicon. They explore the mythology surrounding this legendary "evil book" written by the fictional "Mad Arab" Abdul Al-Hazred, discussing how it connects to Lovecraft's cosmic horror universe featuring creatures like Cthulhu and the Great Old Ones. The conversation covers everything from the book's fictional history and translations to its surprising influence on modern pop culture, including appearances in movies like Evil Dead and TV shows like The Simpsons.


Movies Discussed

Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Aqua Teen Hunger Force
2000
★ 7.5
"Strickland: Also in Aquitaine Hunger Force, which we love. — Strickland mentions the Necronomicon appearing in the Adult Swim animated series."
Army of Darkness
Army of Darkness
1992 1h 21m
★ 7.3
"Strickland: Army of Darkness, actually, was my favorite scene with the Necronomicon because he has to approach it on the hill — Strickland discusses his favorite scene involving the Necronomicon in Army of Darkness."
Cloverfield
Cloverfield
2008 1h 25m
★ 6.7
"wasn't there a rumor early on that the Cloverfield movie was the monster was the Cthulhu? — Josh mentions early rumors about the monster in Cloverfield possibly being Cthulhu from Lovecraft's mythology." — Josh
Evil Dead II
Evil Dead II
1987 1h 24m
★ 7.5
"Strickland: It's in Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness. — Strickland lists the Evil Dead films where the Necronomicon appears."
Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan
Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan
1989 1h 40m
★ 4.9
"Strickland: I think my favorite is when it makes a very, very brief appearance in Friday the 13th, Part 9, Jason goes to hell. — Strickland discusses the Necronomicon's brief cameo appearance in Friday the 13th Part IX."
Metalocalypse
Metalocalypse
2006
★ 7.6
"Strickland: And Metalock. I don't even know. Thank you. You don't know Metalock. — Strickland mentions the Adult Swim animated series about a death metal band."
Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings
Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings
1995 1h 28m
★ 5.6
"Strickland: Also in Pumpkin Head 2. — Strickland lists another horror movie where the Necronomicon appears."
The Day the Earth Stood Still
The Day the Earth Stood Still
1951 1h 32m
★ 7.5
"Isn't that from the day the Earth stood still? — Josh recognizes the phrase 'Klaatu Varata' as being from The Day the Earth Stood Still." — Josh
The Evil Dead
The Evil Dead
1981 1h 25m
★ 7.3
"There's some pretty noteworthy cameos that the Necronomicon has made, most notably in the Evil Dead series. — Josh discusses how the Necronomicon appears in the Evil Dead horror film series." — Josh
The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy
The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy
2001
★ 8.1
"Strickland: The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy. — Strickland mentions this Cartoon Network show as featuring the Necronomicon."
The Real Ghostbusters
The Real Ghostbusters
1986
★ 7.7
"Strickland: And the real Ghostbusters. — Strickland lists The Real Ghostbusters as another show where the Necronomicon appears."
The Simpsons
The Simpsons
1989
★ 8.0
"So my favorite reference, and you actually pointed out in the article, Strick, is the appearance of the Necronomicon in The Simpsons. — Josh mentions the Necronomicon's appearance in The Simpsons animated series." — Josh

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