Podcasts

Episode 16: Al Lowe Drives Down ‘Munger Road’

May 27th, 2020 | By Matthew Monagle

Every community has its own urban legend. Sometimes, it’s a ghost that haunts a nearby building. Other times, it is a local outcast who is rumored to dabble in the black arts. These stories are circulated around campfires and bunk beds for years; passing them from generation to generation becomes an important rite of passage.

And sometimes, these urban legends find their way onto the big screen.

In 2011, Nicholas Smith released Munger Road, a horror film about a group of teenagers who decide to capture their own local legend on film. Smith, a native of Illinois, drew on the local legend of Munger Road for the film, which suggests that the ghost of a young girl will push cars off a stretch of railroad tracks to avoid her terrible fate.

And who better to guide us through this legend than someone who grew up there? On this week’s episode, Al Lowe of the Loose Canon podcast joins to share his own memories of growing up in Illinois and testing the Munger Road legend.

In this episode, Al opens up to The Matts about the unique experience of watching a horror film set in your own backyard. Before long, the group is also pulled into a knock-down discussion about Munger Road‘s unique ending. Does Smith earn his one-of-a-kind cliffhanger? Tune in and find out!

Munger Road is currently available to stream on the public library app Hoopla.