On the In Contrast podcast, Alan & Nisha talk about movies and the books they are based on. Nisha reads the books and Alan watches the screen adaptations, and through discussion of comparison and contrast, they attempt to answer the age-old question: Is the book better than the movie?
In episode 18, Alan and Nisha ring in spooky season with one of the classics... The Exorcist.
The 1973 film, based on a 1971 novel by William Peter Blatty, has become the stuff of legends. Directed by the great William Friedkin with a screenplay adapted by Blatty himself, the film helped bring horror to the mainstream and revolutionized the genre for years to come.
When it released, it quickly became a cultural phenomenon. Theaters...
In episode 17, join Alan & Nisha as they discuss The Wild Robot, first a book published by Peter Brown in 2016. The rights for a film adaptation were bought almost immediately by Dreamworks Animation, and the film was released in 2024 to critical acclaim.
Brown's novel explores some familiar themes, but does so in creative ways that do not shy away from the realities of nature. How does an even more visual medium manage to r...
In episode 16 of In Contrast, Alan & Nisha do the one single thing you're not supposed to do.. talk about Fight Club.
Fight Club was the debut novel of author Chuck Palahniuk, originally published in 1996 and adapted to film by David Fincher in 1999. Both the book and film have remained a solid piece of the cultural zeitgeist ever since.
Why has this story remained so popular since its release? What about it draws so many peo...
In episode 15, Alan & Nisha have their first foray into the timeless mysteries of Agatha Christie with 1934's Murder on the Orient Express. Among Christie's most well-known novels, this story finds longstanding detective Hercule Poirot wrapped up in a bizarre murder mystery aboard a stranded train.
This and other Christie stories have been adapted in numerous forms over the years, but we stick with the major film adaptat...
In Episode 14, Alan & Nisha discuss the much-acclaimed psychological thriller Shutter Island ! They talk about the 2003 novel by Dennis Lehane, and the 2010 film adaptation directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
At the time of publishing this book, Lehane was already well-known for his crime mysteries, but how did he inject a new psychological twist into his typical work. The story relies on misdirection...
World Dracula Day is this month!
To celebrate, Nisha put together a special bonus episode where she talks about 10 of the weirdest people characters Dracula has appeared with across the years.
Welcome to Episode 13, which means we are kicking off our second year of In Contrast!
For this episode, Alan & Nisha discuss Nisha's birthday pick: Water for Elephants! They discuss the 2006 novel by Sara Gruen and its 2011 film adaptation by the same name.
Join us as we delve into this period piece romance and discuss how Gruen's own character are evident in her writing.
In episode 12, Alan & Nisha discuss another classic of gothic horror: Edgar Allan Poe's The Masque of the Red Death! They marvel at how well this story holds up even 180 years later, and even still has some notable parallels to our modern world.
For the film adaptations, they focus on the most well-known version put to film: the 1964 film of the same name, as well as the early 1919 silent film The Plague in Florence. The first ...
In episode 11, Alan & Nisha once again visit with pod favorite H.P. Lovecraft to discuss his 1927 short story, The Colour Out of Space. Often cited as perhaps the favorite work of Lovecraft himself, this story has been adapted numerous times over the years and inspired countless more.
For the discussion, they also focus on two films: The 2019 film The Color Out of Space starring Nicholas Cage, and the lesser-known 2010 film Die...
In episode 10, Alan & Nisha tackle the well-known crime thriller The Talented Mr. Ripley. Written by Patricia Highsmith and released in 1955, this novel kicked off a series of five books that would be published over the next few decades.
This first book has 3 major adaptations, all of which are discussed in this episode. Purple Noon is a French adaptation starring Alain Delon as Tom, released in 1960. The Talented Mr. Ripley, p...
Happy 2025 from In Contrast!
Alan & Nisha are ringing in the new year by discussing a seminal work in modern young adult fantasy and a personal favorite of Nisha's: The Golden Compass. This book (also known as The Northern Lights) was written by Phillip Pullman and released in 1995. It is the first entry in the His Dark Materials trilogy, but this conversation specifically focuses on the first book and its adaptations.
The book...
In Episode 8, Alan & Nisha discuss one of the major classics of American literature: To Kill a Mockingbird.
They talk about the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1960 novel by Harper Lee, and compare it with the film adaptation released just two years later in 1962. This remains the only major adaptation of this book. How does the film deal with the large and sometimes scattershot story of its source material? How does the social commenta...
Spooky season is upon us! On Episode 7, Alan & Nisha discuss the 1983 gothic horror novel The Woman in Black, as well as its two film adaptations: The 1989 made-for-TV film and the 2012 film starring Daniel Radcliffe.
The novel is considered a hallmark of gothic horror, even being taught as part of standard curriculum in the UK. How do these two film versions stand up? Join us to find out!
Alan and Nisha are back in Episode 6 to talk about another classic: The Island of Dr. Moreau. This story was originally published as a novel by legendary science fiction writer H.G. Wells in 1896. It tells of a far away island and the mysterious doctor who lives there conducting strange experiments.
This novel had been adapted many times over the years, so Alan watched a total of four...yes, FOUR film adaptations to prepare for t...
In Episode 5, Alan and Nisha discuss No Country for Old Men, looking at both the 2005 novel by legendary author Cormac McCarthy, as well as the film directed by the Coen Brothers just 2 years later in 2007.
The film is not only widely considered a great adaptation, but one of the Coens' best films in their critically lauded career. Does the source material hold the same place in McCarthy's similarly celebrated bibliography? What we...
In Episode 4, Alan & Nisha delve into The Phantom of the Opera. Originating as a 1910 novel by Gaston Leroux, this story has been adapted numerous times in different mediums, including one of the longest running stage productions of all time.
They discuss this cultural impact and focus on 3 versions put to film: The 1925 silent film featuring Lon Chaney, the wildly different 1943 film by Arthur Lubin, and the 2004 film based on...
In Episode 3, Alan & Nisha discuss the highly influential story by H.P. Lovecraft The Call of Cthulhu. Despite this work's strong footing in culture since its publication in 1928, it has only been directly adapted to film once.
How does this 2005 adaptation by the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society stack up to its source material? Is this story truly unfilmable as it was once thought to be? Join us and find out!
Alan and Nisha are back for Episode 2!
This time they discuss the 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick, as well as its 1982 film adaptation Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford. There is also some discussion of how the 2017 legacy sequel Blade Runner 2049 expands on these works.
Both the novel and the film were highly influential in their times to science fiction and can even...
Welcome to our very first episode!
In episode 1, Alan and Nisha discuss the 1977 novel The Shining by Stephen King, as well as its 1980 film adaptation directed by Stanley Kubrick.
Both King and Kubrick are among the most lauded in their respected fields, so which one was able to capture this haunting story best?
Welcome to In Contrast! On this show, Alan & Nisha talk about movies and the books they are based on. Nisha reads the books and Alan watches the screen adaptations, and through discussion of comparison and contrast, they attempt to answer the age-old question: Is the book better than the movie?
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The heart was always off-limits to surgeons. Cutting into it spelled instant death for the patient. That is, until a ragtag group of doctors scattered across the Midwest and Texas decided to throw out the rule book. Working in makeshift laboratories and home garages, using medical devices made from scavenged machine parts and beer tubes, these men and women invented the field of open heart surgery. Odds are, someone you know is alive because of them. So why has history left them behind? Presented by Chris Pine, CARDIAC COWBOYS tells the gripping true story behind the birth of heart surgery, and the young, Greatest Generation doctors who made it happen. For years, they competed and feuded, racing to be the first, the best, and the most prolific. Some appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, operated on kings and advised presidents. Others ended up disgraced, penniless, and convicted of felonies. Together, they ignited a revolution in medicine, and changed the world.
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.