Out There in the Dark

Basement Inc.
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Hosts Azed Majeed and Tom Alexander discuss philosophy, psychology, politics and culture through film.

  1. APR 11

    028: HOTEL MOVIES

    Once again it is confirmed that a large hotel is a world unto itself and that this world is like the rest of the large world. The guests here roam about in their light-hearted, careless summer existence without suspecting anything of the strange mysteries circulating among them."   — Siegfried Kracauer, The Hotel Lobby On this special episode of Out There in the Dark, Azed and Tom check in to Hotel Confidential. This week, we’re shifting our focus to a unique collaboration. Hotel Confidential is a new three-day contemporary art exhibition that brings together 16 local and international artists to reimagine The Royal Hotel’s Annex in Picton, Prince Edward County. Curated by Christina Zeidler and Stacey Sproule, the exhibition transforms the hotel into a site for radical artistic experimentation and unexpected encounters. The curators reached out to us to explore the cinematic DNA of the hotel, and we’re checking in for a deep dive. From the sterile isolation of high-end suites to the decaying hallways of the mind, we discuss six films that define the "hotel movie": Grand Hotel (1932, Edmund Goulding) Hotel Monterey (1972, Chantal Akerman) Mystery Train (1989, Jim Jarmusch) Barton Fink (1991, Joel & Ethan Coen) Lost in Translation (2003, Sofia Coppola) The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014, Wes Anderson) Films set primarily in hotels possess a peculiar, uncanny quality. Regardless of genre, the hotel is never just a backdrop; it is a structural machine. By offering both extreme privacy (the "Do Not Disturb" sign) and exposed public arenas (the lobby, the bar), hotels reflect both a rigid socio-political hierarchy and a Freudian dreamscape. Whether they are exposing the machinery of capitalism or the hidden selves we keep behind closed doors, hotel movies invite us to see ourselves in a new light—as long as it isn't a UV light.

    1h 33m

  2. MAR 31

    027: Oscar's Wrap Up

    The Acadamy Awards is known for being a self-congratulating, elitist, popularity contest soaked in cringe inducing segments and usually that is an accurate description. The 2026 show thankfully seemed to focus a little bit more on the actual quality of the films nominated. Yes, there were the usual awkward, phony-baloney things going on, but with a spate of excellent features, docs and technical achievements the Oscar's are actually becoming relevant again.  Azed & Tom do a quick and dirty wrap up of the actual Oscar's ceremony, the good, the bad and the ugly (The Bum Drum?). Also, a surprise announcement revealing our participation in an upcoming cool project!

    28 min

  3. MAR 12

    026: Oscars Bitch-Fest 2026

    The spate of films being considered for this year’s Oscars is among the best we’ve seen in a long time. With titles like The Secret Agent, Train Dreams, and One Battle After Another, it seems the Academy is finally catching up to the audience's desire for challenging, experimental, and—dare we say it—non-English fare. Perhaps this year, amidst the global anxiety, fear, and unpredictability, we are finally realizing art’s role in informing, enlightening, and fighting back against the darkness threatening to envelop the planet. What we see in this year’s nominations is a true recognition of cinema's power to throw light into that void. Whether it’s a film about Brazil in 1977 like The Secret Agent, or one that infiltrates resistance groups like the fictional French 75 in One Battle After Another, these stories center on rebellion, resistance, and heavy ethical considerations. Join Tom and Azed as they dissect this year’s Oscars and select their favored picks to win. Plus, Tom makes an impassioned plea for his personal favorite movie of the year: Melania.

    1 hr

  4. FEB 16

    025: MAVERICK JOHN CARPENTER

    Arguably most famous for spawning the self-evolving Halloween franchise, John Carpenter is a true cinema maverick. Crossing genre boundaries usually adhered to strictly by competent craftspeople, Carpenter may represent a bygone figure in cinema; a true auteur. Carpenter's films bear an umistakable signature style. Carpenter was as at ease with sci-fi,  The Thing and Escape From New York,  as he was in mind benders like In The Mouth of Madness or even in romantic comedy, Starman. From his distinctive scores, which he often pens and performs, to his use of unglamorous stars, his clearly leftist anti-capitalist politics, and his ability to create cult classics like The Live! (a favourite of leftist academics). Azed and Tom dive deep into the Carpenter's oeuvre. And we also touch on the greatest moment in cinema history! Of course we speak of the premiere of Melania.

    1h 27m

  5. 2025-12-09

    024: FRANKENSTEIN

    Few works of art have ascended to the level of universal archetype, even fewer by 19 year old women in 1818, but Mary Shelly's Frankenstein has achieved this place of distinction in the world of letters. The story of the writing of the novel (Lord Byron and the Shelly's stuck indoors during a stormy few days, deciding to write ghost stories as a way of passing time) is as mythic as the book. With the  invention of cinema our long and varied relationship with the whole Frankenstein mythos began. Starting in the silent era Frankenstein has been a consistent cautionary tale of hubris and ambitious overreaching and marks the start of the "body horror" genre.  In this episode Azed and Tom discuss Guillermo del Torro's latest version of Frankenstein and take the opportunity to discuss the history of cinematic renderings of the Frankenstein story and it's influence on film as a whole. From James Whales' original masterpiece the themes of giving birth to something (or somone) who eventually destroys you, has been a mainstay of artistic re-imaginings from Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein, Yorgos Lanthimos' Poor Things onto del Torro's latest. Tune in and find out which Frankenstein themed films make our favourites list.

    53 min

  6. 2025-10-25

    023: ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

    On this episode of Out There in the dark, we take a deep dive into PT Anderson‘s latest epic, weird, and thrilling One Battle After Another. At a time when our world is being rocked by corrupt and dark forces, Anderson explores with subtlety and humour, the issues that plague us on the daily. We also go through Anderson’s oeuvre from his first film, Hard 8 (1996) to OBAA. And we say a fond farewell to cinema’s greatest actors, Diane Keaton.

    1h 11m

  7. 2025-10-03

    022: NOTES FROM THE TORONTO FILM FESTIVAL 2025

    Toronto hosts one of the world's most prestigious film festivals and this year Tom and Azed managed to move off their respective couches and see a few films.  The festival has always been a defining characteristic of Toronto's love affair with movies, which draws huge audiences to see some of the world's least seen artwork. Of course, over the years, TIFF has embraced a more mainstream, commercial approach which has largely obscured the work of independent filmmakers but there is still a strong element of curating films from underserved and underrepresented artists. Join Azed & Tom as they discuss the history of the festival, what they saw this year, and the death of film icon, Robert Redford, who created the world renowned Sundance Film Festival.  A festival of festivals, if you will.

    1h 3m

  8. 2025-09-12

    021: EDDINGTON

    Ari Aster’s latest film, EDDINGTON, has polarized critical intelligentsia. While a few have hailed it as a “masterpiece” many others have decried it as at best an ambitious flop. As with Aster’s last “flop” Beau is Afraid, critics and audiences alike seem confused and disappointed by Aster’s non-horror films.  Without the surface excitement of supernaturally tinged serial killings or sadistic torture, Aster’s non-horror films seem to lean more art house than grindhouse. With Eddington, Aster has made his most accomplished and politically potent film to date. Set during the 2020 lockdowns, Eddington scales the mass paranoia and detachment from reality which proliferated at that time-and continues to grow- way down to a tiny western town. Embedding huge political and moral concerns in the fabric of everyday small town western American life is what gives Eddington its power and clarity. What happens in microcosm also happens in macro. That the petty bickering and fully formed silo’s of disinfo serve to mask the data processing center being negotiated to be housed outside Eddington, perfectly encapsulates the way our behaviors and ideas often are manipulated and exploited for corporate and fascist interests. Join Azed and Tom as they discuss one of the most controversial films of the year so far, a film they both believe is one of the best of the year.

    40 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Hosts Azed Majeed and Tom Alexander discuss philosophy, psychology, politics and culture through film.

Information

  • Creator
    Basement Inc.
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2019 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Out There in the Dark

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