Dec 22 2025
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Episodes, Uncategorized

Episode 146. Slayride: Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)

Andrea and Alex interrogate the pearl clutching that went on during Silent Night, Deadly Night‘s initial theatrical run, what it means to cultivate festive cheer, and the importance of being nice and never naughty. 

Class of 2025 Merch is now available! Thanks to Caleb Milatovic and Rachelle Walker for the incredible design! 
 
Join us over on Patreon for more content!
 

REQUIRED READING

Silent Night, Deadly Night. Dir. Charles Sellier Jr, 1984.
 

EXTRA CREDIT

At the Movies: Silent Night, Deadly Night. Siskel and Ebert’s review. 
 
A Once Controversial Release, “Silent Night, Deadly Night” Gains Another Chance to Terrorize. Film at Lincoln Center’s piece on the history and importance of Silent Night, Deadly Night. 
 
Santa Claus: The Myth in America. A look at St. Nick’s bizarre (and frankly, kind of hilarious) origin story as a folk hero and a religious icon

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Nov 26 2025
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Episodes, Uncategorized

Episode 145. In Memoriam: The Others (2001)

Mind the fog and join Andrea and Alex as they explore the dark hallways of Alejandro Amenábar’s The Others. From geopolitics to religion and the weight of motherhood, not everything in the film is as it appears. 

Class of 2025 Merch is now available! Thanks to Caleb Milatovic and Rachelle Walker for the incredible design! 
 

REQUIRED READING

The Others. Dir. Alejandro Amenábar, 2001.
 

EXTRA CREDIT

“Nicole Kidman made a horror movie about Tom Cruise and Scientology.” A video exploration of Kidman’s performance under the watchful eye of Scientology.

Taken from Life: The Unsettling Art of Death Photography. The history and science of capturing images of the dearly departed.

The Birth of Purgatory by Jacques Le Goff. How Catholicism decided it needed a third state between heaven and hell.

 

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Oct 27 2025
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Episodes, Uncategorized

Episode 144. Made for TV: Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

It’s almost time kids, the clock is ticking! Andrea and Alex explore the strange world of Halloween III: Season of the Witch, uncovering tricks and treats in the history of holiday, Celtic rituals, and our evolving relationship with our TVs. 

Class of 2025 Merch is now available! Thanks to Caleb Milatovic and Rachelle Walker for the incredible design! 
 

REQUIRED READING

Halloween III: Season of the Witch. Dir. Tommy Lee Wallace, 1982.
 

EXTRA CREDIT

Halloween III: Season Of The Witch – The Inside Story Of A Cult Classic. Director Tommy Lee Wallace on ditching Michael Myers to make Halloween’s best sequel, 40 years on.
 
The Commercialization of the Calendar: American Holidays and the Culture of Consumption, 1870-1930, by Leigh Eric Schmidt.
 
Irish San Francisco. An article detailing the Irish population metrics in California.
 
Tricks of Festival: Children, Enculturation, and American Halloween by Cindy Dell Clark.
 
Halloween’s Mutation: From Humble Holiday to Retail Monstrosity. NYT article on the rise and popularity of the holiday. 
 
Video, Science Fiction, and the Cinema of Surveillance. Thomas Doherty’s article exploring the place of television in film. 
 

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Sep 27 2025
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Episodes, Uncategorized

Episode 143. Rage: Apt Pupil (1998) and We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)

In this episode Andrea and Alex delve into the dark side of masculinity with the film adaptations of Apt Pupil and We Need to Talk About Kevin to explore the manosphere, motherhood, and the complexities of anger.

Please note: this episode was recorded September 5, 2025.

Class of 2025 Merch is now available. Thanks to Caleb Milatovic and Rachelle Walker for the incredible design! 
 

REQUIRED READING

Apt Pupil. Dir. Bryan Singer, 1998.
We Need to Talk About Kevin. Dir. Lynne Ramsay, 2011.
 

EXTRA CREDIT

Guns by Stephen King. King’s essay on gun culture and mass shooting in America.

How American Racism Influenced Hitler. Alex Ross’ New Yorker piece on America’s dark relationship with the Nazis.

The Cultural Contradictions of Motherhood. Sharon Hays’ treatise on the profession and expectations of mothers.
 

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