‘The Substance’ with Alex Barr
Episode 27
You can’t tell the story of a movie year without the indie shockwave. In 2024, that breakout hit was “The Substance”—the body horror firehose that drowned audiences in gooey viscera and provocations about “chasing the dragon of youth.” That’s how my guest Alex Barr puts it. She’s here to talk makeup effects, Demi Moore, and the eerie feeling that no one can accurately remember their younger selves. For my part, this rewatch of “The Substance” unlocked new ways of viewing the movie’s absurdly disjointed backdrop.
You can listen to Alex’s prior appearance on The Kick here.
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Movie Reviews & Reappraisals
Be Reel was a movie reviewing & reappraising podcast hosted by Chance Solem-Pfeifer and Noah Ballard.
We cherished our 8-year run, talking to filmmakers like Gus Van Sant, insulting each other’s taste, and laughing to high heaven.
Chance’s new movie podcast, The Kick, continues to explore curated sub-genres and movie geekery. Noah is a frequent and beloved guest.