May 22 2018
2 Comments
Episodes, Uncategorized

Episode 62. Surveilled: Peeping Tom (1960) and Psycho (1960)

 
In this episode, Alex and Andrea look through an illicit peephole into the world of the mad and macabre.  Both Peeping Tom and Psycho caused sensations when they were released in the same year, causing Western audiences to question the nature of evil, our proximity to one another and how many women we can watch die on screen.

REQUIRED READING

Peeping Tom. Dir. Michael Powell, 1960.
Psycho. Dir. Alfred Hitchcock, 1960.

EXTRA CREDIT

Class of 2018 T-shirts – Get ’em while their hot!

 

Salem Horror Fest – We’ll be back October 12-14! Get your tickets now.

 

Visual Pleasure in Narrative Cinema. Laura Mulvey’s groundbreaking essay on the cinematic gaze

 

Men, Women and Chainsaws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film. Carol Clover’s genre-defining book from 1992.

“Have You Ever Seen the inside of One of Those Places?”: Psycho, Foucault, and the Postwar Context of Madness. Cynthia Erb’s essay on institutionalization and Psycho.

Michael Powell’s ‘Peeping Tom’: the film that killed a career. An overview of the release and reaction to Peeping Tom.

The Misogyny of the Modern Slasher Film. Anna Biller’s blog post about the slasher sub-genre.

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Apr 26 2018
3 Comments
Episodes, Uncategorized

Episode 61. Stardust: Event Horizon (1997) and Sunshine (2007)

Andrea and Alex reach for the heavens and find the furthest reaches of hell with two films about space exploration and the darkness therein. Event Horizon and Sunshine explore the different reasons humankind would dare try to conquer space and the horrors that might await us there.

REQUIRED READING

Event Horizon. Dir Paul W.S. Anderson, 1997.
Sunshine. Dir Danny Boyle, 2007.

EXTRA CREDIT

Class of 2018 t-shirts! Available until September 2018 – get ’em at Twisted Ts!

Death Count: All of the Deaths in the Friday the 13th Film Series, Illustrated by Stacie Ponder.

The Making of Event Horizon. Check out all the behind the scenes stories and detailed production history.

Event Horizon‘s shooting draft of the script.

The Myth of Oedipus. The Greek myth and the importance of sight.

Mad, Bad and Dangerous? The Scientist and the Cinema by Christopher Frayling. A book that specifically looks at the personalities of on-screen scientists.

 

Reasons Behind Cult Suicide. A look at the reasons and psychology behind mass suicide and why most of the “suicide cults” also involve a fair amount of homicide. 

 

Kermode Uncut Film Club: Sunshine. British critic Mark Kermode talks about appreciating Danny Boyle’s Sunshine.

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Mar 25 2018
25 Comments
Episodes

Episode 60. Season of the Witch: Witches in Film Part 3, The Witch (2015) and The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)

The past few years have seen the figure of the witch become a cultural touchstone for progressives and conservatives alike. From the resurgence of astrology, tarot, and natural healing methods to feminist rallying cry, the witch has never been more inclusive or divisive. Through analysis of two recent films, Andrea and Alex examine the witch’s new meaning in contemporary Western society, and why she remains a symbol of subversive feminism.

REQUIRED READING

The VVitch: A New England Folktale. Dir. Robert Eggers, 2015.
The Autopsy of Jane Doe. Dir.  André Øvredal, 2016.

EXTRA CREDIT

Yes, This Is a Witch Hunt. I’m a Witch and I’m Hunting You. Lindy West’s New York Times Op-Ed on the misappropriation of the term witch-hunt during the rise of the #MeToo movement.

Why the Witch Is the Pop-Culture Heroine We Need Right Now – A look at why the figure of the witch has become so deservedly popular.

Satanic Feminism by Per Faxneld. Faxneld’s book on the Devil as liberator of women in the nineteenth century.

The Book of English Magic – An overview of the real and perceived magic used across the British Isles, with a chapter dedicated to witches and witchcraft.

The Autopsy of Jane Doe post-screening Q & A – Following a showing at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, stars Emile Hirsh, Brian Cox and director André Øvredal talk about the making of The Autopsy of Jane Doe.

 

 

The Satanic Temple – Activism and critical film appreciation, apparently.

 

W.I.T.C.H. PDX – The figure of the witch adopted for anonymous activism in Portland. Start a local coven near you!

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Feb 25 2018
3 Comments
Episodes, Uncategorized

Episode 59. In Plain Sight: The Thing (1982)

John Carpenter’s terrifying cult classic stands the test of time in many regards – from the practical effects, to the performances to the storytelling, there’s little about the film that doesn’t work. Andrea and Alex tackle the film and its stances on leadership, paranoia, the notion of discovery, and more over a bottle of Jim Beam.

REQUIRED READING

The Thing. Dir. John Carpenter, 1982.

EXTRA CREDIT

Horror Noire: Blacks in American Horror Films from the 1890s to Present by Robin R. Means Coleman. An in-depth look at Black culture and representation through the lens of horror films.

Aids as Monster in Science Fiction by Edward Guerrero.

Filmnoia, or How Fear Permeated Cinema. George Wead’s history of perception and paranoia in North American films.

You Must Remember This podcast – the Blacklist series.

The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31 board game. Can you survive the infection?

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