James Wan’s blockbuster horror offering The Conjuring thrilled audiences and created a cinematic universe but for Andrea and Alex it left an icky feeling that has nothing to do with demonic possession. By investigating the politics, means and ideology behind the film, they’ll uncover the true villains behind this narrative. 

Check out our Class of 2024 merch! Artwork by the incredible Candice Purwin.  

REQUIRED READING

The Conjuring. Dir. James Wan, 2013.   

EXTRA CREDIT

War Over ‘The Conjuring’: The Disturbing Claims Behind a Billion-Dollar Franchise. Hollywood Reporter’s Investigation into the claims made about the real-life Warrens.   Scared Sacred: Idolatry, Religion and Worship in the Horror Film. The essay collection featuring Alex’s chapter on The Conjuring and The Conjuring 2.    Screenwriters Chad and Carey Hayes, interviewed by The Christian Broadcasting Network.   

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For this very special back-to-school episode, Andrea and Alex are joined by the one and only Stacie Ponder to dig into the depths of Luca Guadagnino’s remake of Dario Argento’s classic. From the dance of politics to the dance of sexuality, there’s more under the floorboards of the Markos Dance Academy than meets the eye.

For more Stacie, check out her blog Final Girl, her column Devil’s in the Details in Rue Morgue, and her Twin Peaks recap podcast series with Mike Muncer, The Detective and the Log Lady.   Check out our Class of 2024 merch! Artwork by the incredible Candice Purwin.

 

REQUIRED READING

Suspiria. Dir. Luca Guadagnino, 2018.   

EXTRA CREDIT

40 Years of German Autumn. An overview of the left-wing terrorist attacks that rocked the nation.

Gaylords of Darkness podcast – ep 82

Hannah Arendt’s challenge to Adolf Eichmann. The banality of evil, in context.  

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Pack your bags and leave your conception of the social fabric that binds us behind because we’re going to two private islands in this episode! From the darkness of Dr. Moreau’s experiments to John Hammond’s capitalist enterprise, these journeys into the human desire for control rarely end well for anyone involved. 

 

REQUIRED READING

Island of Lost Souls. Dir. Erle C. Kenton, 1932. Jurassic Park. Dir Steven Spielberg, 1993.   

EXTRA CREDIT

The Man Who Hated Moms: Looking Back on Philip Wylie’s “Generation of Vipers” – Island of Lost Souls‘ co-writer has some serious mommy issues.   Dinosaurs as a Cultural Phenomenon – Why have dinosaurs gained such a hold on the public’s imagination?   Of Fossils and Androids: (Re)Producing Sexual Identity in “Jurassic Park” and “Blade Runner” – An essay on how sexual identity anxiety is explored in sci-fi.    The Devil in Our DNA:  A Brief History of Eugenics  in Science Fiction Films. David A. Kirby’s deep dive into how one of the darkest chapters in modern science was utilized on the big screen.    Kathleen Burke Wins Nationwide Contest! The Road to Panther Woman in Island of Lost Souls. An overview of promotional materials for the Panther Woman contest.   Marx for Cats. The history of cats big and small as viewed through a Marxist lens.   The story of amusement parks is the story of America. A look at how the history of amusement/theme parks reflects America.    Dead Blondes and Bad Mothers. Jude Doyle’s excellent book about female power and monstrosity.   

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Pack your bags and your partner because this episode leaves the comforts of civilized society far behind. In this episode we unpack the need for serenity, the heritage of toxic masculinity, and why a bear might actually make a great boyfriend. 

REQUIRED READING

Eden Lake. Dir. James Watkins, 2008.  Backcountry. Dir. Adam MacDonald, 2014.   

EXTRA CREDIT

Overall Crime Down 44% Since 1995. The Guardian article that pushes back against conservative narratives.    Gangs and Children. A study on the impetus for youth to join gangs and why.   The Gated Community Mentality. Rich Benjamin’s piece on the groupthink that emerges from the gated community lifestyle.   Imagining Nature and Erasing Class and Race – Carleton Watkins, John Muir, and the Construction of Wilderness. Even nature is a socially constructed concept!   David Mech’s website – the author of incel bible The Wolf: Ecology and Behavior of an Endangered Species addresses the widespread misuse of the term “Alpha.”   From the “Cosmo Quiz” to Quizilla to Buzzfeed… what’s next?. The Smithsonian Magazine looks back at the history of quizzes.   

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Whether you’re ascending or descending, spiritual journeys through the afterlife are never easy. In this episode, Andrea and Alex tackle two films that share some overlapping tendencies but deviate in unexpected ways.   

REQUIRED READING

Angel Heart. Dir. Alan Parker, 1987. Jacob’s Ladder. Dir Adrian Lyne, 1990.   

EXTRA CREDIT

Satanic Feminism: Per Faxneld’s book about the evolution of Lucifer as liberator.   The Book of Lilith. An investigation into the persecution and villainization of Adam’s first wife.    Temptresses. An overview of some of the most iconic evil women and why they are feared.    Falling Angel by William Hjortsberg – borrow it for free!   The Milgram Obedience Experiment.  

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Coming to you live from Salem Horror Fest, Andrea and Alex prowl the darkest corners of RKO’s cult classic Cat People. From the themes of immigration and assimilation to the parallels of sex and power, we uncover how Jacques Tourneur and Val Lewton’s dark vision of 1940s America remains a prescient warning.   

REQUIRED READING

Cat People. Dir. Jacques Tourneur, 1942.   

EXTRA CREDIT

What history tells us about assimilation of immigrants. The paper published by Stanford University that explains the trends that followed immigration booms in the US in the first half of the 20th century.    On Female Rage: Does the Wallpaper Look Yellow to Anyone Else? The Harvard Crimson’s examination of a new age of feminine anger that is forever grappling with the past.    When God Was a Woman. Merlin Stone’s 1976 exploration of pre-Christian religions where women led.    The uproar over the New Yorker short story “Cat Person,” explained. Male hysteria at women writing fiction about their feelings.   Gore-Geous: Personal Essays on Beauty and Horror. Alex’s new book includes more thoughts on Cat People.  

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In this episode, Andrea and Alex investigate how multiple characters are perceived and perceive Michael Mann’s entry into the Hannibal Lec(k)tor cinematic universe. From cops to killers and the humanity in between, these cuts go deep.   

REQUIRED READING

Manhunter. Dir. Michael Mann, 1986.   

EXTRA CREDIT

How Thomas Harris defined a genre and created fiction’s most likeable villain. An overview of the Hannibal Lecter saga and what made it unique.    The Tabloid that Launched America’s Obsession with True Crime. Joe Pompeo’s look back at the lasting impact of the Daily News.    Eating Blake, or an Essay on Taste: The Case of Thomas Harris’s “Red Dragon”. An examination of the use of high art in a mass market paperback.    Hollywood, Home Movies, and Common Sense: Amateur Film as Aesthetic Dissemination and Social Control, 1950-1962. How technology shaped suburban America’s leisure time.    How 70 years of cop shows taught us to valorize the police by Constance Grady. A history of depictions of law enforcement, from bumbling buffoons to modern day menace.  

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We’re packing our bags to hop onto our broomsticks for our annual trip to SALEM HORROR FEST 2024 – and you’re invited!
Listen in for important info, dates, and highlights!   Buy your tickets here!

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  From the depths of Warner Bros archives, Ken Russell’s infamous film The Devils has been resurrected (ish) once more! Andrea and Alex take this opportunity to dive into the politics, contractions, and naughtiness present within one of the most controversial cult films ever made.   

REQUIRED READING

The Devils. Dir. Ken Russell, 1971.   

EXTRA CREDIT

Ars Erotica. Excerpt from Mario Vargas Llosa book on the influence of spectacle on the West.    Society of the Spectacle. Guy Debord’s treatise on performance and coercion.    Sex Education in the 1970s. A rundown of the controversial sex education film Growing Up.   

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  It’s time to look back before we scream forward! Join Andrea and Alex for horror and non-horror faves and a game that will decide their fate for 2024.    Alex’s Horror/Horror Adjacent Faves   1. Red Rooms (dir. Pascal Plante) 2. Godzilla Minus One (dir. Takashi Yamazaki) 3. Talk to Me (dir. Danny and Michael Phillippou) 4. The Curse (TV, created by Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie) 5. Poor Things (dir. Yorgos Lanthimos) 6. Fall of the House of Usher (TV, created by Mike Flanagan) 7. Beau is Afraid (dir. Ari Aster)    Andrea’s Horror/Horror Adjacent Faves   1. Talk to Me (dir. Danny and Michael Phillippou)
2. Poor Things (dir. Yorgos Lanthimos)
3. Huesera: The Bone Woman (dir. Michelle Garza Cervera)
4. Godzilla Minus One (dir. Takashi Yamazaki)
5. The Blackening (dir. Tim Story)
6. The Last of Us (TV, created by Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin)
7. Red Rooms (dir. Pascal Plante)
8. Fall of the House of Usher (TV, created by Mike Flanagan)     Alex’s Non-Horror Faves   Stories I Might Regret Telling You by Martha Wainwright Monster: A Fan’s Dilemma by Claire Dederer The Cure live in June  May/December (dir. Todd Haynes) Past Lives (dir. Celine Song)   Andrea’s Non-Horror Faves   Inscryption (PC) Slay the Spire (PC) Vanderpump Rules (TV) Tetris (dir. Jon S. Baird) If Books Could Kill podcast  

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  Andrea and Alex delve into the murky depths of Nicolas Roeg’s classic to uncover the film’s themes of mysticism, misogyny and the ethics of mourning.    Class of 2023 merch Artwork by @thelastjohnyontheleft   

REQUIRED READING

Don’t Look Now. Dir. Nicolas Roeg, 1973.  

EXTRA CREDIT

Daphne du Maurier’s short story.
The Year of Magical Thinking. Joan Didion’s memoir of the year following her husband’s death.
Mysticism as a Female Path. Mary Sharratt’s look and the intertwining history of mysticism and women.
Take Some Pills for Your Hysteria, Lady. A history of men putting women on pills.   Devil’s Advocates: Don’t Look Now by Jessica Gildersleeve – accessible thru JStor via your local library perhaps?   The Social Regulation of Grief by Martha R. Fowlkes. Some emotional attachments are socially undervalued.  

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