Tales from Beyond the Pale – The Podcast

There cannot be a discussion on independent genre films without acknowledging Larry Fessenden and his company, Glass Eye Pix. Created in the 1980s so Fessenden could copyright his own work, Glass Eye shifted their focus on new directors by the mid-2000s to produce lean budgeted, auteur-driven works: Wendigo, I Sell the Dead, The House of the Devil, Stake Land, The Comedy, and Late Phases are a few titles to come from Glass Eye Pix or as Fessenden describes it, “Larry Fessenden’s School of Cinematic Arts.” However, over the last few years Glass Eye has ventured into another medium, one considered archaic only several years ago, a radio drama titled, Tales from Beyond the Pale.

Created in 2010 by Fessenden and Glenn McQuaid, Beyond the Pale came about from their love of classic 1930s radio dramas and as a response to the current state of the indie film world. It used to be an independent company could make some profit from the limited theatrical run, DVD sales, and selling to a network. Now with streaming services the movie will reach more viewers but will be bought for one lump sum that won’t (in some cases) provide residuals, leaving many just breaking even. * This is an amateur explanation of how the business works. * With that in mind, Fessenden and McQuaid asked their filmmaker friends if they had any unused scripts that could be cut to around 30 minutes and minimized for an audio format.

You may be asking why I’d discuss something that debuted in 2010. Originally the only way to listen to the episodes would be if you were in the live audience, heard it through other outlets, or if you purchased an episode. Starting this month Tales from Beyond the Pale – The Podcast has released a past episode each week for Shocktober, that can be downloaded/streamed for free on Android or IOS.  Let’s begin:
 
Anthologies have a stigma about them that the segments within the piece will be “hit or miss,” but how they’re received isn’t known until an audience views them. However, by releasing past episodes that proved successful, Beyond the Pale has beat the odds in a way that only a “live” show could do.

Like many of the most famous anthologies, Beyond the Pale has Fessenden bookending the stories. Nostalgically closer to the Cryptkeeper than Rod Serling, Fessenden’s charismatic showmanship offers an entertaining approach to the host role that the live audience appears to relish.

Let’s get this out of the way: Yes, the episodes you’re listening to are the same ones recorded for a live audience, which comes with its own baggage (for better or worse). For me, this knowledge primarily makes me want to see their show live. Knowing that the actors, music, foley (sound effects), are all done on the spot in front of an audience, showcases a well-rehearsed machine of immense talent. I understand there must be some postproduction done to improve the quality but having it so smooth is incredibly outstanding. It works better than the majority of audio horror that is made specifically for the podcast medium. However, on the other end, this can create a separation between the viewer and the source material. No matter how great it is to view/listen to the recording of a live theatrical play, concert, comedy special, or even sports event, it creates a “you had to have been there” mentality. This being “maybe the joke would have landed better” or “I wish I was able to see that goal in person,” a live event has a communal effect whose power diminishes through transferring to another medium. The audience also has the potential to take you out of the story even when you hear them laugh at an intended joke to lighten the mood. So, I can understand why someone would feel that if it’s for a podcast then why not rerecord or make new content specifically to enhance the medium.

As an anthology we have to check out each segment to see how the piece works as a whole.
 
Ep. 1: Reappraisal – Written and Directed by Glenn McQuaid – 31 minutes – Performed live April 29th, 2017

A man trying to sell his home and uproot his family is visited by a mysterious buyer.

Even though it’s one of the more recent, Reappraisal has grown to become a series’ fan-favorite. Traditionally audio drama is known for using a character as a narrator to add exposition or describe scenes that are too difficult to convey through the audio format. Reappraisal doesn’t use that. Instead it flows like a one-act stage play between two characters. McQuaid provides possibly the most suspenseful of the four, thanks to his tension-building, rapid-fire dialogue and musical accompaniment.

Though it could be considered the most generic of the four, with a well-known “devil’s contract” plot, but that doesn’t mean it lacks an artistic voice. McQuaid gives us an interesting perspective from an Irish immigrant’s POV who wishes to return home due to the current state of the US. No matter how extreme these anxieties may be, we can empathize with the character… just maybe not how he goes about achieving his goal.

As I explained before with the understanding that a majority of these were originally unused scripts condensed and minimized for an audio format, this works the best as a complete story. I’ll get into it more below but the others (though great in their own way) have elements that feel like it should’ve been longer.
 
Ep. 2: In the Wind – Written and Directed by Larry Fessenden – 24 minutes

Winged creatures descend from the sky to terrorize a snow-bound mountain resort.

Fessenden has become the unofficial spokesperson for environmentalist horror and the Wendigo (a mythological man-eating creature originating from the Algonquian tribes). He’s created many projects across different mediums that utilize the creature in some incarnation. So, it comes as no surprise that the first tale of his to enter the podcast version of Beyond the Pale is one that has a creature comparable to the Wendigo and has themes of mother nature striking back against humanity’s greed.

This is the highest concept of the four and requires a lot of narration from the main character to really get some of the scenes and imagery across. It’s also the one that feels the most like a it was meant to be a screenplay or even adapted to prose, because of how visual it is. And none of this means it isn’t a fun listen nor done with the same technical quality as the others. I found it reminiscent of when I was read to as a child.

If you couldn’t tell from the previous paragraphs, Fessenden is in his element with this segment, an intimate character-piece that’s also a snow-drenched monster story. Right up my alley.
 
Ep. 3: The Crush – Written and Directed by Glenn McQuaid – 37 minutes – Performed live October 16th, 2012

Loretta will stop at nothing to own a successful vineyard, but when the wine finally flows, it comes at a price.

A greedy person/narrator who gets their comeuppance, elements of dark comedy, affairs, over-the-top southern characters, this is Beyond the Pale’s EC Comics-inspired segment. For those that don’t know, EC Comics have inspired or adapted into many anthologies over the decades, with some of the more well-known ones being Tales from the Crypt or Creepshow. Plenty of the stories revolved around an individual who kills their spouse and then is punished by some (possibly) supernatural element.

The thing with EC Comics that works in this podcasts favor is they are best when they’re short. It’s difficult to sustain an evil character doing evil things and trying to get away with it after a certain point. Achievable? Yes. But difficult to keep audiences invested still. As the longest of the four, Crush comes tauntingly close to that point. The first 20 minutes are slow and not in a building of tension way, but slow in a setting up the scene and exposition way. Again, like Reappraisal, McQuaid can take a standard plot and make it unique. To not spoil anything, I will only say that once they discover delicious grapes for making a wine that alters whoever drinks it, is when the story picks up. I wish that portion of the tale was larger, but I realize inevitably you need that set up in order for the rest to play out as beautifully as it does. It falls into that weird length where it is too long to just tell a simple, in-and-out tale but too short to provide the much-needed character arcs. 

In the end you’ll be satisfied but, haunted in knowing it could have been so much more.
 
Ep. 4: Caper – Written and Directed by Larry Fessenden – 32 minutes – Performed live October 23rd, 2012

Four burglars are trapped in a fantasmagoric nightmare when they discover the abandoned mansion, they break into is shapeshifting.

The last segment for Shocktober is also the one I’d consider the “odd one out” in terms of this collection. It feels like it should have been in the middle, allowing In the Wind or even Reappraisal to close out the month. It’s also a change in style for Fessenden, whose strength lies in his intimacy and sympathy of the monsters. I hate to call Caper safe (because it isn’t) but it is the most mainstream or marketable (which isn’t a bad thing) segment for this month’s collection. As described in my praise of McQuaid’s segments, he was able to take a plot we’ve seen many times before and make it entirely his own. Though entertaining and great in its own right, I didn’t feel that for Caper.

Like The Crush, Caper spends a lot of time setting up the scene/relationships, which is necessary but when the crew finally gets into the mansion it seems to go by in a blur, leaving you wanting more.

I say all this as a fan of his work. Hopefully others listen to the episode and are more than happy, because it’s a good story with a superb sound design that builds to a heart-pounding climax. 
 
Final Thoughts
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Any issues I may have brought up didn’t deter me from finding each episode incredibly enjoyable. As I stated above, like any anthology, there’s going to be the segments that you’re drawn to more than others based on your personal tastes and they provide a wide range of stories so hopefully at least one grabs your attention. At the end of the day you should remember that this is an anthology series and podcast so there are storytelling barriers, but that doesn’t seem to stop them from putting their all into each segment. The major draw and what sets this apart from other audio dramas is the undeniable talent across the board utilized to make this show happen. It’s a project that leaves me not only wanting to experience it live but also be a part of it, which is possibly the best compliment I can give. Maybe my recommendation is influenced more by their creative process, making the stories that much better. Whatever it is I am here recommending Tales from Beyond the Pale, so it must’ve worked.
 
*The 5th episode titled; H.P. Lovecraft’s The Hound will be available by the time this is posted. *
 
4 ½ OUT OF 5
 

At the time of publication a brand new episode has just gone live, check it out here