A Very Broad History of Werewolves and Other Things

Blood is one of the most fundamental aspects of being a living human person— so why not take a quick look at some of the ways blood has been perceived and sometimes misunderstood through history?

Long in production and much anticipated by Disney as their “next Sleeping Beauty,” 1985’s The Black Cauldron instead was received as a dismal flop. By some it is remembered as the movie that almost tanked Disney, or at least the Disney animation studio. But some of us remember it as yet a treasured piece of 80s nostalgia that was probably too damn scary for us to be watching at the time but it’s too late, it already has its impact.

There is a rich history that surrounds the classic American Christmas movie It’s A Wonderful Life. From the making of, to the lives of the filmmakers, to the cultural impact of the film, there is much to explore on the subject of Frank Capra’s masterpiece. We scratch the surface on this holiday episode of A Very Broad History of Werewolves and Other Things. Also fair warning that I dropped extra f-bombs this episode. I have no idea why.

At the tail end of the 18th century, Benjamin Franklin was asked by King Louis XVI of France to investigate the practices of Franz Mesmer, who claimed that “animal magnetism” could heal just about anything. Here’s the story of this weird little snippet of world history.

Musical genius, humanitarian, and inspiration, Stevie Wonder is a national treasure to be celebrated. In this episode we take a look at the personal history of one of America’s living legends.