Shelf Criticism

About Shelf Criticism

Dive into 'Shelf Criticism' with Stephen, your cinematic archaeologist by night and a scholar by day. Each week, he explores one eclectic DVD from his vast collection, ranging from arthouse treasures to trashy delights. Join him as he dissects everything from blockbuster hits to forgotten flops—films that get the playful yet insightful critique they hardly deserve but will absolutely enjoy. Grab your popcorn and discover the gems hidden on five shelves in a living room curio cabinet. It’s time for some serious movie fun!

Publisher

Stephen

Category

arts · tv & film

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

9 Jul 2024

Latest episode

31 Oct 2025

Latest episodes

33 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   31 Oct 2025

   Parliament After Dark: Hooting about Slumber Party Massacre

   Grab your daiquiris and power drills! the Owls are back for a night of synth-soaked screams and feminist subtext. Stephen and McKenzie turn their gaze (and talons) toward Amy Holden Jones’s The Slumber Party Massacre, the Roger Corman–produced cult classic that manages to be both sleazy and strangely self-aware. They dissect the world’s least convincing basketball scene, two hapless Peeping Toms who get exactly what they deserve, and a killer who wields his drill like a Freudian thesis statement. McKenzie highlights how the film’s female characters, from Trish and Valerie to Coach Jana, emerge surprisingly competent, kind, and capable in a genre that usually punishes them for existing. Come for the feminist analysis, stay for the snail-smashing neighbor, and the longest shower scene this side of Psycho.. Theme music: “City of Neon Lights” by Turtle Beats Produced by: Mordecai Myles for Owls of Pallas Productions

2. 

   5 Apr 2025

   Shot Callers: The Reel Lit Bracket Episode

   In this special bonus edition of Reel Lit, Stephen and McKenzie hang up their close-reading glasses and lace up their high-tops for a bracket showdown of literary proportions. Eight films. Six categories. Zero chill. From Rhys-level prose to homicidal sharks and hook-handed slashers, they debate, deliberate, and occasionally duel over: Best Book (critical acclaim vs. personal canon) Best Film (box office vs. brilliance) Best Adaptation (judged by that not-so-patented metric of excellence, The Owl’s Perch) Most Hated Character (because literature is personal, and vengeance is delicious) And just for fun (and chaos), two more categories get thrown into the ring: Outstanding Performance and Best Supporting, where scene-stealers finally get their due. Whether you’re Team Wonder Boys, rooting for Like Water for Chocolate, or just here for the madness, this is March Madness, Reel Lit-style. Brackets will be busted. Trash talk will be literary. And someone’s leaving the court with the ultimate buzzer-beater.

3. 

   2 Feb 2025

   "Science, Yes, Fiction, No": Grizzly

   This week on Shelf Criticism, we’re trekking deep into the wilderness to examine Grizzly (1976), a film that asks, “What if Jaws, but with a bear?” and answers with a bazooka. Yes, this unabashed Jaws ripoff swaps the ocean for a national park, a great white for a 2,000-pound prehistoric grizzly, and Quint’s boat for a helicopter that a bear literally swats out of the sky. And somehow, Grizzly still tries to play it straight. Join Stephen as he breaks down the many, many, many similarities between Spielberg’s classic and this landlocked imitation, marvels at the campy absurdity, and shares some truly ridiculous behind-the-scenes trivia—including how our terrifying monster, Teddy the bear, was really just hoping for a marshmallow. Plus, in Shelfless Endeavors, Stephen finally made it back to the theater to check out Wolf Man, a film with solid acting, fantastic sound design, and a whole lot of underlighting (because apparently, seeing what’s happening in a horror movie is out of fashion). So, grab your bear spray—or maybe a bazooka—and join us1 for another episode of Shelf Criticism!

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 45 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

77

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.