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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May 26 2022
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Episodes, Uncategorized

Episode 107. Ultraviolence: A Clockwork Orange (1971)

 
Time to take a break from the ol’ Ludwig Van and join us at the Korova Milkbar for a trip into the near dystopian future of A Clockwork Orange. From our Pavlovian responses, to patient care and British Literature, we’ll slooshy what Kubrick’s film has to offer. 
 
 

REQUIRED READING

A Clockwork Orange. Dir. Stanley Kubrick, 1971.
 

EXTRA CREDIT

The Angry Young Men Movement. An overview of the literary movement that shocked a nation in the late 1950s. 
 
Commedia Dell’Arte: An Actor’s Handbook. An in-depth look at the Italian theatre practice and all the characters within it, including the Alex reminiscent Il Capitano. 
 
Stanley Strangelove. The seminal pearl-clutcher by Pauline Kael for the New Yorker in 1972.
 

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Apr 21 2022
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Episodes, Uncategorized

Episode 106. Home Sweet Home: The Haunting (1963)

 
Time to walk the halls of the terrifying Hill House with Andrea and Alex as they explore what it means to be haunted, gender dynamics in times of duress and why it’s hard to remake a classic. 
 
 

REQUIRED READING

The Haunting. Dir. Robert Wise, 1963. 
 

EXTRA CREDIT

Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life. Ruth Franklin’s wonderful biography that explores Jackson’s life through her work. 
 
Rue Morgue #170 – September 2016. Featuring a cover story and roundtable interview on Shirley Jackson’s life and influence.
 
The Haunting and the Power of Suggestion. An article by Pam Keesey in Monsterzine #6.
 
Haunting Experiences: Ghosts in Contemporary Folklore. An in-depth look at why our past continues to return to us through ghosts and the supernatural.
 
American Nightmares: The Haunted House Formula in American Popular Fiction. Dale Bailey’s examination of how the haunted house narrative has served and subverted the American Dream. 

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