RICH MAN'S TRICK Interview: Francis Richard Conolly on JFK, 9/11, Illuminati, Sequel |1.79|
FILM ON THE FRINGE: Magic Myth & Movies
Release Date: 08/03/2017
FILM ON THE FRINGE: Magic Myth & Movies
What if a dream could kill you? We revisit Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) and the real-life sleep phenomena that inspired it. We explore how Freddy Krueger emerged from Craven’s own childhood fears and reports of mysterious deaths among Hmong refugees. We also get into the strange science of sleep paralysis, the folklore of the “Old Hag,” the phenomenon of the Hat Man, and the viral mystery of This Man, a face reported in dreams around the world.
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Blade Runner is more than a sci-fi classic — it’s a meditation on memory, identity, and empathy. We explore Philip K. Dick’s 2-3-74 mystical VALIS experience, the meaning of the Voight-Kampff test, and why the film still resonates today as a cinematic awakening.
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From vodou to viral spores, zombies have always evolved with us. In this week’s episode of Film on the Fringe, we uncover the real roots of the undead—myth, science, and metaphor. 🧟 Highlights & References: The Last of Us and the real-world science of Cordyceps fungus White Zombie (1932) and the colonial legacy of the Haitian undead Vodou, slavery, and the soul in Haitian cosmology Clairvius Narcisse, Wade Davis, and The Serpent and the Rainbow Romero’s undead allegories: race, consumerism, class warfare 28 Days Later, Shaun of the Dead, Warm Bodies, Kingdom,...
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Dr. Atom takes you behind the scenes of JURASSIC PARK—literally. After a personal story of working alongside the filmmakers, we explore the science of cloning dinosaurs, the truth behind amber-trapped DNA, and modern de-extinction efforts using CRISPR and AI. Then we dig into the 19th-century Bone Wars, Victorian dinosaur mania, and Arthur Conan Doyle’s THE LOST WORLD. Along the way, we follow a strange fossil trail into the world of young Earth creationism, Cambodian stegosaurus carvings, and fire-breathing beasts from the Book of Job. It’s science, history, and myth—all tangled up in...
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Gremlins on the wing, goblins in the woods, and strange little beings at your window. From WWII aviation lore to Spielberg’s unmade alien siege story, this episode traces the evolution of mischievous trickster creatures through folklore, pop culture, and real-life encounters—including the night something came calling in Kentucky. Featured Films: Shadow in the Cloud (2020) Gremlins (1984) Poltergeist (1982) E.T. (1982) The Twilight Zone (Nightmare at 20,000 Feet) Amazing Stories (“The Mission”)
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Venture into the murky space between psychological manipulation and the supernatural. Today, we’re talking about The Quiet Ones (2014), a Hammer Films horror throwback inspired by one of the strangest real-world experiments ever attempted: the Philip Experiment. We’ll unpack how a group of researchers in 1970s Canada set out to create a ghost, explore Derren Brown’s Seance as a modern reinterpretation, and finally, discuss whether collective belief can actually influence physical reality. Coming up: 4/3/2025 – GREMLINS: From WWII Folklore to Spielberg to Shadow in the Cloud 4/10/2025...
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Let's explore The War of the Worlds — the iconic novel by H.G. Wells and the countless interpretations, adaptations, and conspiracy theories it inspired. We discuss: The 2005 Spielberg movie and the 1953 George Pal version The long-forgotten SEQUEL published only a year after the original The 1938 Orson Welles "panic broadcast" Wernher von Braun’s alleged warning of a staged alien invasion Project Blue Beam And finally, we ask: What would a real alien invasion look like? The War of the Worlds continues to fascinate because it reminds us of the fragility of our...
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Let's dissect The Conjuring 2 and the real-life case that inspired it—the infamous Enfield Poltergeist. Was it a genuine supernatural event or an elaborate hoax that spiraled out of control? Join me as I explore how this case became one of the most documented hauntings in history. Ed and Lorraine Warren: Paranormal Pioneers or Masters of Mythmaking? Before discussing the Enfield case, I take a brief detour to talk about the legendary (and controversial) ghost-hunting duo, Ed and Lorraine Warren—from their involvement in the Amityville Horror to a bizarre court case where they...
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Enter the eerie world of artificial intelligence—from the sleek and unsettling Ex Machina to real-life AI developments that feel ripped straight from science fiction. We’ll explore the rapid evolution of AI, the ethical dilemmas that come with it, and some unsettling cases of chatbots behaving… strangely. Are we on the verge of creating a sentient machine? And if we were, how would we know?
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Explore the wild world of werewolves, from the cult classic Ginger Snaps to real-life sightings of “dog men.” We’ll discover the folklore behind our moon-dappled friends, look at how pop culture molded them into the creatures we recognize today, and figure out what exactly makes a man-wolf tick.
info_outlineWe interview writer and historian Francis Richard Conolly, the filmmaker behind the explosive documentary and viral sensation, JFK to 9/11: Everything Is a Rich Man's Trick. Released in 2014, it has garnered rave reviews since its release and, probably more than a little consternation from the, "powers that be", as it explains and synthesizes a tremendous amount of information that the elite don't want you to be aware of, let alone understand. Clocking in at 3 1/2 hours, Everything Is a Rich Man's Trick, takes you on a journey from WWI up the present day, explaining the, "who, how & why of the JFK assassination", and the likelihood that many of the same players (or at least the same playbook) were behind 9/11. It's not only deeply informative, but riveting as well, and we couldn't recommend it any higher for those interested in how the "real world" works.
In fact, in one of our first podcasts, we reviewed the film, which you can listen to here.
https://youtu.be/U1Qt6a-vaNM
The assassination of President John F. Kennedy lingers as one of the most traumatic events of the twentieth century. The open and shut nature of the investigation which ensued left many global citizens unsettled and dissatisfied, and nagging questions concerning the truth behind the events of that fateful day remain to this day. Evidence of this can be found in the endless volumes of conspiracy-based materials which have attempted to unravel and capitalize on the greatest murder mystery in American history.
Now, a hugely ambitious documentary titled Everything is a Rich Man's Trick adds fuel to those embers of uncertainty, and points to many potential culprits whose possible involvement in the assassination has long been obscured by official historical record.
In this, our first exclusive interview for Magical Mystery Radio, we talk to Mr. Conolly about his plans for a Part 2, and the difficulty he's having is raising funds for the film. Are the intelligence agencies colluding with tech companies to hamper his fundraising efforts? What is it that they don't want you to know?
As Conolly stated in a recent Reddit AMA, "The Oligarchs believe that the public, when push comes to shove, are a contemptuous rabble who are only interested in easy pleasures like drinking and gambling and fornicating and are, in the final analysis, every bit as selfish as the Psychopaths who rule over them. As I write this they will be laughing inside their Stately homes and private island retreats, quietly confident that the public will not help Francis Richard Conolly make another Film because they are not creatures of principal. This is what the rich will be thinking right at this moment. Are they right? All adults know that a price has to be paid for everything. Is your freedom, and your children's future, worth the price of a good Hamburger?" F.R.C. May 2017
So, what will it be? A future where true freedom reigns with an informed and active citizenry or, as George Orwell put it, "... imagine a boot stamping on a human face - forever."
You decide.