Faculty of Horror | Podcasting from the Horrored Halls of Academia

May 25 2021

Episode 96. Missing Links: Trollhunter (2010) and Willow Creek (2013)

If you go down in the woods today
You’re sure of a big surprise

Andrea and Alex leave the comforts of modernity and go back to nature to discover what humanity has left behind through our obsessions with cryptids and conspiracy theories. From our fascination with humanity’s evolution to our need to colonize, we have a lot of explaining to do.

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REQUIRED READING

Trollhunter. Dir. André Øvredal, 2010.

Willow Creek. Dir. Bobcat Goldthwait, 2013.

EXTRA CREDIT

Grizzly Man. Dir Werner Herzog, 2005.

The Unidentified: Mythical Monsters, Alien Encounters and Our Obsession with the Unexplained. Colin Dickey’s in-depth examination of the myths that keep us up at night.

CBC Ideas Podcast: Conspiracy Theories. A fascinating look at the rise of fringe theories invading the mainstream.

“Survivorman Bigfoot” takes on the provincial government of British Columbia.

“Cryptozoology in the Medieval and Modern Worlds” by Peter Dendle. Bigfoot myths not only bridge the gap between humanity and beasts but science and faith.

ERRATA: Andrea referred to American primatologist Dian Fossey as having been murdered by the gorillas she was studying – she was actually murdered via machete, a crime which remains unsolved.

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Tagged Andre Ovredal, Bobcat Goldthwait, Trollhunter, Willow Creek

Apr 26 2021

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Episodes

Episode 95. Faith and Chance: Possession (1981)

In this episode, we delve into the murky waters of intimate relationships, nuclear families, and revolutionary theatre practices with Andrej Zulawski’s Possession. From the film’s almost instant cult-status to its rocky release, we look at what has made Possession one of the great filmic break-ups and breakthroughs of the late 20th century.

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REQUIRED READING

Possession. Dir Andrej Zulawski, 1981.

EXTRA CREDIT

House of Psychotic Women. Kier-La Janisse’s examination from horror from her perspective. A ground-breaking and personal look at the genre.

Once Upon a Text: Hysteria from Hippocrates. Helen King’s chapter on the patriarchal uses of the term “hysteria.”

Five of the best… Sarah Kane Plays. The National Theatre’s overview of Kane’s writing with links, if you’d like to learn more about her.

Possession: A Marriage of the Natural and Supernatural. David West’s look at the film and Anna’s cryptic monologue.

The Coronavirus Crisis Shows It’s Time to Abolish the Family – an article on why emancipation from capitalism might mean the abolition of one of our most sacred institutions.

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Tagged Andrej Zulawski, Possession

Apr 25 2021

Fack Flash! Mortal Kombat (2021) – PREVIEW

CHOOSE YOUR DESTINY! Andrea and Alex got unreasonably excited about the new Mortal Kombat movie, so we recorded our pre-and post-movie impressions in an all-new Fack Flash.

The full episode is available to all tiers of our Patreon! Join now and gain access to the full episode, plus even more perks and extras.

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Mar 21 2021

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Episodes

Episode 94. Bad Romance: Twilight (2008)

Get out the glitter and baseball bats because we’re diving into the complex world of Twilight. From fandom to first love to coming of age and problematic depictions, we’re going deep with this one. Hold on tight, spider monkey!

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REQUIRED READING

Twilight. Dir. Catherine Hardwicke, 2008.

EXTRA CREDIT

How Twilight Changed Fan Culture Forever. A look at Twilight‘s intersection of fandom and the rise of social media.

“I Can’t Believe We Read This Whole Book!” How Reading for Their Own Purposes Affected Struggling Teens. Examining the power of reading from a teaching perspective.

Mormon Vampires in the Garden of Eden. How Stephanie Meyer’s Mormonism presents in her text.

Reviving Ophelia. An iconic text that looks at the intersection of teenage girls and media.

The Twilight Saga’s Issue with Indigenous Culture. A breakdown of how the Twilight Saga‘s representation of Indigeneity is problematic.

Catherine Hardwicke Broke Records With ‘Twilight.’ Then Hollywood Labeled Her ‘Difficult.’ Hardwicke’s 2018 interview that details her struggles with getting the film made and her fight for a more diverse cast.

Twilight’s Heteronormative Reversal of the Monstrous: Utopia and the Gothic Design. Is Twilight an inversion of the Gothic?

Teams, Tears, and Testimonials. A cultural analysis of the fan-populated Twilight Time Capsule.

Twilight: the franchise that ate feminism. An overview of the popular criticisms leveled at the series.

Twilight reviewed by Mark Kermode. The veteran film critic goes to bat for Twilight.

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Tagged Catherine Hardwicke, Twilight