Author Archives: Andrea

Jun 21 2016
12 Comments
Episodes

Episode 39. Alienation, Part 2: Alien 3 (1992) and Alien: Resurrection (1997)

Alien ep 2

The ’90s are alive in space with the sequels which have been derided and praised in equal measure. Drawing from the complex production histories of both movies, Andrea and Alex seek to understand the competing visions of the filmmakers and themes that underpin them.

REQUIRED READING

Alien 3. Dir David Fincher, 1992.
Alien: Resurrection. Dir Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 1997.

EXTRA CREDIT

Intertextuality: Hollywood’s New Currency – A video examination of Hollywood’s use of nostalgia as a tool of manipulation.

The Origins of Farce – A history of the farce theatrical movement and France’s particular take on it.

Image of the original newborn alien (NSFW).

COURSE NOTES

 Intro song: Nail Ballet from Nightmare Picture Theatre, courtesy of James Zirco Fisher.

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May 10 2016
23 Comments
Episodes, Uncategorized

Episode 38. Alienation, Part 1: Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986)

Alien ep 1

Catch Jonesie the cat and keep the work loader handy because Alex and Andrea are on an express elevator to LV-426 discussing feminism, mothering, special effects and the enduring influence of classic science fiction in the Alien franchise. Stay tuned for Part 2 in June!

REQUIRED READING

Alien. Dir Ridley Scott, 1979.
Aliens. Dir James Cameron, 1986.

EXTRA CREDIT

Strange Shapes – a blog dedicated to everything Alien.

Reel Terror: The Scary, Bloody, Gory, Hundred-Year History of Classic Horror Films by David Konow.

H.R. Giger – Giger’s Necronomicon and the making of Alien – A documentary on HR Giger, the artist behind some of the arresting imagery in the movies.

Alien Behind the Scenes – The extensive making-of doc taking a look at all that went into Alien.

The Making of Aliens – The equally-extensive featurette about the second film, featuring interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.

Get That Life: How I Co-Founded Bitch Media – A history of the evolution and influence of Bitch Magazine.

COURSE NOTES

 Intro song: Nail Ballet from Nightmare Picture Theatre, courtesy of James Zirco Fisher.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Apr 13 2016
10 Comments
Episodes

Episode 37. Drawn Together: The Crow (1994) and 30 Days of Night (2007)

The Crow
Hollywood is currently enamored with the comic book superheroes who have dominated the film landscape for the last several years. In this episode, Andrea and Alex go back to the earlier origins of graphic novel adaptations examining the cult followings earned by horror films based on beloved source materials (as selected by you, our listeners).

REQUIRED READING

The Crow. Dir Alex Proyas, 1994.
30 Days of Night. Dir David Slade, 2007.

EXTRA CREDIT

The Crow, written and illustrated by James O’Barr.

 

30 Days of Night – written by Steve Niles, illustrated by Ben Templesmith.

 

Super Heroes: A Modern Mythology. Richard Reynolds’ academic study traces the superhero’s trajectory in popular consciousness since the late 1930’s.

 

 

You Must Remember This: The Short Lives of Bruce and Brandon Lee – Karina Longworth’s excellent examination of the shadows casts by the influential father and son.

 

Rewatchability: The Batman Superman Movie – Alex was a guest on Rewatchability to discuss why or if two superheroes fighting matters.

 

The People’s History of Film – Check out the new podcast by our friends at Good Trash Media. Alex and Andrea were both guests on recent episodes discussing their love of all things film.

 

COURSE NOTES

 Intro song: Nail Ballet from Nightmare Picture Theatre, courtesy of James Zirco Fisher.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Mar 16 2016
21 Comments
Episodes, Uncategorized

Episode 36. Mommy Dearest: The Babadook (2014) and Goodnight Mommy (2014)

MommyDearestEveryone’s got mother issues, right? This episode examines the perceived and manifested strains on maternal instinct once malevolent forces enter the picture. Alex and Andrea investigate where these forces come from and what they truly want.

REQUIRED READING

The Babadook. Dir Jennifer Kent, 2014.
Goodnight Mommy. Dirs Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz, 2014.

EXTRA CREDIT

Monster. Jennifer Kent’s short film on which The Babadook was based.

The Mommy Trap: Four recent horror movies by women explore the most troubling aspects of motherhood.

 

Talking to the Directors of the Horror Film ‘Goodnight Mommy‘. Vice talks to the directors about the origins of the film.

COURSE NOTES

 Intro song: Nail Ballet from Nightmare Picture Theatre, courtesy of James Zirco Fisher.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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