Paris, 1482: Now with Extra Judgment Artwork

The Introverted Obelisk

The Introverted Obelisk is a sardonic stroll through the graveyard of classic horror cinema, where monsters are rubber, dialogue is stilted, and logic is optional. Join us as we unravel the plots (and seams) of horror films from the 1930s to the 1960s — the golden age of fog machines, mad scientists, and questionable acting choices. Each episode serves up a dry-witted recap, thematic commentary, and trivia morsels about the strange, charming, and sometimes laughably earnest world of vintage horror. It’s film history with a smirk — perfect for fans of cult classics, spooky nostalgia, and undead absurdity.

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The Introverted Obelisk

Paris, 1482: Now with Extra Judgment

December 05, 2025 • Obie Knox • Episode 30

0:00 | 22:01

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This week on The Introverted Obelisk, we scale the heights of tragedy and stone with The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923)—the film that gave Lon Chaney the keys to cinematic immortality and taught audiences that monsters aren’t always born, sometimes they’re sculpted by cruelty. Beneath the shadow of Notre Dame’s great cathedral, Quasimodo rings his bells, worships from afar, and discovers that love and loneliness echo just as loudly from the belfry.

We’ll explore how Chaney’s self-inflicted makeup turned empathy into horror, how Universal’s massive Paris set nearly bankrupted them before Frankenstein and Dracula could finish the job, and how this silent epic gave voice to every outsider history tried to hide. Expect cathedrals, torches, and heartbreak—with just enough Obe-brand sarcasm to remind you that the Middle Ages were not known for their HR policies.

It’s been a hundred years since Quasimodo first cried “Sanctuary!” from those stone towers—and the bells still ring.

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