Oct 28 2022
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Episodes, Uncategorized

Episode 111. Homegrown: 28 Days Later (2002)

Andrea and Alex cross the pond to revisit Danny Boyle’s post-apocalyptic film that brought the zombie genre back to (un)life. From virology to bodily autonomy to Brexit, there’s a lot to chew on. 
 
 
Class of 2022 Merch is here! Get our limited edition design with art by Laura Hokstad on whatever TeePublic can print it on.
 
Toronto Live Show! Come see us at The Garrison in Toronto on December 7 to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. Tickets are PWYC with all proceeds going to Sistering.

REQUIRED READING

28 Days Later. Dir. Danny Boyle, 2002. 
 

EXTRA CREDIT

Varieties of Zombieism: Approaching Comparative Political Economy through “28 Days Later” and “Wild Zero”. Derek Hall’s examination of the metaphorical allusions in relation to the economy. 
 
Britain: Rough month or road to ruin? This episode of CBC’s daily podcast Front Burner covers the on-going strife in the UK from Brexit to now. 
 
Fast Zombie/Slow Zombie: Food Writing, Horror Movies, and Agribusiness Apocalypse by Michael Newbury. How the food economy is reflected in the modern zombie’s increased appetite.
 
Preparedness 101: Zombie Pandemic. The CDC’s decidedly playful attempt to teach the importance of emergency preparedness through a zombie narrative.

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Sep 26 2022
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Episodes, Uncategorized

Episode 110. Fight or Flight: Final Destination (2000)

Andrea and Alex evoke the spectre of Death in their analysis of James Wong’s turn of the century ode to vibes. From risk society to the abject, Final Destination has a plan for everyone. 
 
 
Class of 2022 Merch is here! Get our limited edition design with art by Laura Hokstad on whatever TeePublic can print it on.
 
Toronto Live Show! Come see us at The Garrison in Toronto on December 7 to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. Tickets are PWYC with all proceeds going to Sistering.

REQUIRED READING

Final Destination. Dir. James Wong, 2000. 
 

EXTRA CREDIT

An Experiment with Time. J.W. Dunne’s exploration of pre-cognitivism and serialism as it relates to our experience of time. 
 
The Society of the Spectacle. Guy Debord’s Marxist analysis of how representation of events has become a unifying human experience to our detriment. 
 
Santa Muerte. An article on the controversial Mexican saint of the disenfranchised.
 
Risk Society. A summary of Anthony Giddens’ fourth chapter of Modernity and Self Identity (1991).
 

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Jul 30 2022
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Episodes, Uncategorized

Episode 109. Class Act: Society (1989)

The elite are literally a different breed in Brian Yuzna’s cult classic film about the perils of popularity and privilege. In this episode, Andrea and Alex dive into the mystique that surrounds the wealthy and explore why they need the rest of us to survive. 
 
 

REQUIRED READING

Society. Dir. Brian Yuzna, 1989. 
 

EXTRA CREDIT

Generation Multiplex. Timothy Shary’s fascinating book about the language of film and its influence on teen culture. 
 
Fran Lebowitz on Race and Racism. The iconic writer on inherited privilege. 
 
Baby Scoop Era. The period before abortion was legalized which saw a rise in adoptions.  
 
Orgies: A Brief History of Hanky-Panky. A look back at group sex through the centuries. 
 
Sociology of the elite. A faddish field, but experiencing a revival now due to growing social inequality.
 

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Jun 29 2022
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Episodes, Uncategorized

Episode 108. Souped Up: Blade (1998) and Constantine (2005)

 
Using two popular examples, Andrea and Alex look at the collision between the horror and superhero genres. From conservative leanings to taboo-breaking stories, we explore two films that deviate from the norm (and occasionally, their own source material) to embark in two very different directions. 
 
 

REQUIRED READING

Blade. Dir. Stephen Norrington, 1998. 
Constantine. Dir. Francis Lawrence, 2005. 
 

EXTRA CREDIT

How Blade created the Marvel Cinematic Universe. How Blade saved Marvel and set it up for cinematic takeover.
 
Super Black: American Pop Culture and Black Superheroes. Adilifu Nama’s cultural history of the Black superhero genre. 
 
Horror Noire: Blacks in American Horror Films from the 1890s to Present. Robin R Means Coleman’s groundbreaking book examining Black characters and creators in the horror genre. 
 
Blade and the Power of Liminal Privilege. A retrospective look at how the film’s themes endure in the BLM era.

The Black Hero: A Cultural Impossibility. Kathryn Feeney’s breakdown of the Black superhero mirage. 
 
The Devil You Know. Ken Chen’s piece for the The New Inquiry on Hellblazer and John Constantine’s true origins. 
 
How 9/11 Changed Cinema. A look at how a tragic event upended the politics of popular films. 
 
Flying While Black: Two Creators on Inventing (and Reinventing) Black Superheroes. Eve L. Ewing and Evan Narcisse weigh in on the importance of representation in the superhero genre.
 

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