STRANGER THINGS & SQUID GAME in NY, Troma memories, INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN, SEVERANCE & The Backrooms, SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED True Story

From papercraft caveman clubs to shrinking men and viral mysteries unraveled…

Adam shares memories of working with Troma Films in 1980s NYC, reflects on The Incredible Shrinking Man, and solves two internet mysteries: the real origin of a famous time-travel ad and the eerie photo that launched the Backrooms phenomenon.

In this eclectic episode of Magical Mystery Media, Adam mixes memory and media in a grab bag of strange tales, cinematic curiosities, and urban legends exposed.

Inside this episode:

A nostalgic return to New York – and to Adam’s teenage “internship” with cult film company Troma, painting caveman props for Stuck on You on a Hell’s Kitchen rooftop.
LaserDisc thoughts on The Incredible Shrinking Man and its surprising subtext: emasculation, masculinity, and 1950s gender anxieties.
The charming true story behind the viral “Safety Not Guaranteed” time travel ad and how it inspired the indie film.
The haunting mythos of the Backrooms – and why the show Severance owes a huge debt to a furniture store in Oshkosh.

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Adam Charles

Adam Charles has written for Walt Disney Television, Amblin Entertainment, and more. Over the years he has crossed paths with so many media personalities, he’s come to think of himself as the Forrest Gump of the film industry.