Such a Nightmare: Conversations about Horror

Mark N. Drake | Interview (2023) | Eerie Extras

In this delightfully terrifying Eerie Extra,  Such a Nightmare co-host Katherine Troyer speaks with cosmic horror writer Mark N. Drake. We discuss Mark's Darkisle series and how he created this particular world, what it takes to build a memorable and unique horror setting, and the power--and challenge--of blending genres such as cosmic horror, noir, and gumshoe detective. While we discuss Mark's 2020 novel The Gathering of Shadows, this interview is relatively spoiler free.

 

This interview occurred on March 15, 2023; the episode first aired on June 2, 2023.

 

Mark N Drake is a British author of Lovecraftian fiction (though he has been known to write for other genres as well). Most of his works feature his fictional creation Darkisle, a British island of dark secrets and whispered terrors. His first novel, ‘The Gathering of Shadows’, was published in 2020. It was the first in a series of Cthulhu Mythos-inspired novels centred upon the cases of private detective Jack Glennison. Based in the Northern England of the 1920s, the stories follow Glennison as he explores Darkisle and gradually learns of the ancient horrors that stalk that island... and beyond. The follow up novel, ‘Those Under The Hill’, was published in 2021, with ‘What Festers Within’ following in 2022. More in the series are planned. In 2023, ‘Shards of Shattered Darkness’ – a collection of eighteen of his horror short stories – was released. Despite a misspent youth spent seeking out Panther horror paperbacks in second-hand bookshops, Mark graduated in Applied Physics and became a defence research scientist. Later, he went on to work in Higher Education management and return to education, obtaining an MBA. Now semi-retired, he divides his time between rural County Durham and Carcassonne in southern France.

 

Twitter/Instagram: @NightmarePod1; YouTube: Such a Nightmare channel; Email: suchanightmare.pod@gmail.com; ALL LINKS

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006) | Episode#86

In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Toni Tresca talk the post-modern and incredibly "meta" 2006 horror-comedy film Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon. 

Episode Highlights: We discuss the film's commentary on the slasher genre and, in particular, how this movie's final girl character (Taylor Gentry) becomes a stand-in for the sometimes uncomfortable position of being a fan and scholar of horror. We examine the mockumentary style of the cinematography and when (and when not) it works for us. And we think about what this film asks us to think about when it comes to our continued fascination and love for a genre that kills us.

A Dose of Scholarship: We explore Savanna Teague's excellent analysis of the film in her 2017 article "Ahabs, Turtles, and Survivor Girls: Postmodernism in Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon" from Studies in Popular Culture. And we reference, again, Isabel Pinedo's seminal piece "Recreational Terror: Postmodern Elements of the Contemporary Horror Film." 

This podcast episode first aired on May 1, 2023.

Jackson O'Brien...you are an extraordinary editor; thank you!

ALL LINKS  Twitter/Instagram: @NightmarePod1; YouTube: Such a Nightmare;  Email: suchanightmare.pod@gmail.com; Website: suchanightmare.com

Carson Winter | Interview (2023) | Eerie Extras

In this very haunting Eerie Extra, co-host Katherine Troyer talks with horror writer Carson Winter. We discuss Carson's 2023 novella "Soft Targets" (through Tenebrous Press), the power and potential of weird horror, and what we would want to taste if we could taste any intangible thing. This interview is relatively spoiler free, so you should be able to enjoy it before or after reading "Soft Targets"!

 

Check out the novella at the Tenebrous Press site.

 

This interview occurred on February 27, 2023; the episode first aired on April 26, 2023.

 

CARSON WINTER is a minimalist weirdo, a conversational absurdist, and a vehemently bleak-minded artist making his home in the Pacific Northwest. His fiction has appeared in Vastarien, Apex, and Dread Stone Press’ Split Scream series. You can find him on Twitter @CarsonWinter3 or at carsonwinter.com.

 

Twitter/Instagram: @NightmarePod1; YouTube: Such a Nightmare channel; Email: suchanightmare.pod@gmail.com; ALL LINKS

Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988) | Episode #85

In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Toni Tresca grab their camping gear and head to the woods (metaphorically of course...Katherine is very allergic to nature) as they discuss the 1988 horror slasher film Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood.

Episode Highlights: We celebrate the arrival of Kane Hodder as Jason even as we question why the film is called "THE New Blood." We explore the film's premise of Jason vs. Carrie and the ways that this storyline creates an interesting final girl for a franchise lacking its own Laurie or Nancy. And we talk about the weirdness of the film's conclusion, particularly as the ghost of the once abusive father becomes the hero to save Tina, and how this narrative twist situates the film firmly in the affirmative camp. 

A Dose of Scholarship: We return to Horror Homeroom's special issue on Friday the 13th. In particular, we discuss Todd K. Platts' article "'It's Worth Recognizing Only as an Artefact of Our Culture:' Critics and the Friday the 13th Franchise (1980-2001)." And we continue to rely on Wickham Clayton's invaluable scholarly contribution to this franchise with his 202 book SEE! HEAR! CUT! KILL! Experiencing Friday the 13th.

This podcast episode first aired on March 30, 2023.

Our outstanding editor Jackson O'Brien is amazing...thank you Jackson!

ALL LINKS  Twitter/Instagram: @NightmarePod1; YouTube: Such a Nightmare;  Email: suchanightmare.pod@gmail.com; Website: suchanightmare.com

Barbarian (2022) | Episode #84

In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Toni Tresca discuss writer and director Zach Cregger's unexpected (and unexpectedly funny) 2022 horror film Barbarian. 

Episode Highlights: We talk about some of the behind-the-scenes decisions that had a profound impact on the final version of the film (including the original casting choice for Justin Long's character). Drawing deep from that one art appreciation class she took years ago, Katie describes the film as a triptych, with each of its three acts serving as distinct yet connected components. Toni shares some fascinating tidbits about the inspiration for this film's cinematography and how it impacts (consciously or subconsciously) the ways we see the "above" and "below" of this film. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, we revel in the film's ability to blend together--in unexpected but delightful ways--horror and comedy. 

A Dose of Scholarship: Since this is a new film, there isn't much scholarship (yet!) on this film, but we explore some of the existing thought pieces on Barbarian...including Sam Adam's Slate piece "Barbarian Is the Smartest, Funniest Horror Movie in Ages."  

This podcast episode first aired on March 10, 2023.

Thank you to our editor Jackson O'Brien who ensures that we sound better...literally and figuratively. 

ALL LINKS  Twitter/Instagram: @NightmarePod1; YouTube: Such a Nightmare;  Email: suchanightmare.pod@gmail.com; Website: suchanightmare.com

Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986) | Episode #83

In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Toni Tresca return to Crystal Lake yet again as they discuss the 1986 horror slasher film Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives.

Episode Highlights: We talk about this film's unexpected (but rather delightful) comedy and the ways that the humor is used not only to make bit characters more memorable but as a way for the film to situate itself as a meta-horror/post-modern gothic text. We examine the film as a work of eco-horror and what Jason's supernatural status contributes to the film's exploration of the natural forces that can so easily destroy us. We also talk about the "restraint" of this film compared to some of the other entries in the franchise and how Jason Lives situates itself within the broader Friday the 13th universe. 

A Dose of Scholarship: We return to Horror Homeroom's special issue on Friday the 13th. In particular, we discuss Matthew Jones' article "Reanimating Collective Ecological Nightmares in Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives" and Brian Fanelli's article "No Clowning Around: The Gothic and Comedic Elements of Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives." 

This podcast episode first aired on February 27, 2023.

We remain eternally grateful to our amazing editor Jackson O'Brien.

ALL LINKS  Twitter/Instagram: @NightmarePod1; YouTube: Such a Nightmare;  Email: suchanightmare.pod@gmail.com; Website: suchanightmare.com

Heather Kelley | Interview (2023) | Eerie Extras

In this delightful Eerie Extra, co-hosts Katherine Troyer and Toni Tresca talk with actor, educator, and theatre administrator Heather Kelley. We had the opportunity to speak with Heather about her current (and super cool) research on the narratives of ghosts--and ghostly encounters--at three real-world theatres here in the United States: the Alley Theatre in Houston, Texas; Le Petit Theatre in New Orleans, Louisiana; and the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center in Waterford, Connecticut. Heather talks to us about the ways that ghosts give or deny voices to certain identities, how ghosts serve as manifestations of trauma, and how theatrical ghosts acknowledge the ephemeral nature of theatre. 

 

HEATHER KELLEY (she/her) is an award-winning actor, educator, and theatre administrator. She holds a BFA in Acting from the University of the Arts and an MFA in Acting from Florida State University/Asolo Conservatory; at the time of this episode's publication, she is a PhD candidate in the Theatre & Performance program at the University of Colorado Boulder. Heather's current research focuses on dark tourism, ghosts as manifestations of trauma, haunted attractions, mediumship as performance, and depictions of the supernatural on stage and on screen. If you are a theatre patron and/or practitioner that has experienced unexplained and/or paranormal phenomena in a theatre or theatre-related structure, Heather invites you to contribute to her research by submitting your story here (you are very welcome to do so anonymously).

 

This interview occurred on January 13, 2023; the episode first aired on February 14, 2023.

 

Twitter/Instagram: @NightmarePod1; YouTube: Such a Nightmare channel; Email: suchanightmare.pod@gmail.com; ALL LINKS

The Thing (2011) | Episode #82

In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Toni Tresca continue things with their discussion of the 2011 horror film--and franchise prequel--The Thing. (Get it...continue things...with The Thing. Come for the bad puns, stay for more bad puns.)

Episode Highlights: We talk about our appreciation of the character Kate (and not only because she has an awesome name), and the ways that this character--as a female scientist--both offers something missing from the 1982 film and pays homage to the 1951 film's character of Nikki. We explore this film as a post-9/11 prequel and the ways that this film addresses a cultural need in the early 2000s for explicit answers rather than more ambiguous possibilities. And we question the purpose of the film's third act as we discuss how the film's focus on certain narrative elements shaped, for better and worse, the film's conclusion. 

A Dose of Scholarship: We invite you to check out the scholarship we discussed in this episode: James Kendrick's essay "The Terrible, Horrible Desire to Know: Post-9/11 Horror Remakes, Reboots, Sequels and Prequels" available in the 2017 edited collection American Cinema in the Shadow of 9/11 (edited by Terence McSweeney). 

This podcast episode first aired on February 7, 2023.

A big shout out of appreciation for our fantastic editor: Jackson O'Brien.

 

ALL LINKS  Twitter/Instagram: @NightmarePod1; YouTube: Such a Nightmare;  Email: suchanightmare.pod@gmail.com; Website: suchanightmare.com

Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985) | Episode #81

In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Toni Tresca grab their machetes for their discussion of the 1985 horror slasher film Friday the 13th: A New Beginning.

Episode Highlights: We talk about the film's attempt to pivot the franchise and the consequences--both in terms of fan reception and in terms of the film's narrative--of a Jason-less Friday the 13th film. Toni shares the (admittedly decades-old) gossip about all the behind-the-scenes drama of the film production. And we explore the elements that we liked about this film and the ways that this very gory film fits into the bigger franchise.

A Dose of Scholarship: We discuss Wickham Clayton's 2020 book SEE! HEAR! CUT! KILL! Experiencing Friday the 13th.

This podcast episode first aired on Friday the 13th...January 13, 2023.

Thank you Jackson O'Brien for being a fantastic editor!

ALL LINKS  Twitter/Instagram: @NightmarePod1; YouTube: Such a Nightmare;  Email: suchanightmare.pod@gmail.com; Website: suchanightmare.com

The Things (1951+ 1982 Films) | Episode #80

In this spooktacular episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca discuss not one but two (well, kind of three) THINGS:  the 1951 film The Thing from Another World, John Carpenter's beloved 1982 film The Thing, and the novella that started it all...John W. Campbell's 1938 "Who Goes There?"

Episode Highlights: We explore how the thing manages, time and again, to change its form in order to provide the most culturally relevant moments of horror. Looking particularly at the two films, we talk about the ways that the 1951 film presents a more affirmative "we can do it team!" mentality that stands in sharp contrast with the 1982 film's disaffirmative sense of paranoia and "everyone is the threat" mentality. We think about how each text depicts our alien invader and we consider what it is about this story that continues to haunt us in subsequent adaptations and remakes. 

A Dose of Scholarship: We discuss a number of pieces of scholarship: Stephen Price's essay "Dread, Taboo, and The Thing: Toward a Social Theory of the Horror Film" in the 2004 book The Horror Film, Ronald Allan Lopez Cruz's 2012 essay "Mutations and Metamorphoses: Body Horror is Biological Horror," and Eric White's 1993 article "The Erotics of Becoming: Xenogensis and 'The Thing.'"

 

This podcast episode first aired on December 19, 2022. Thank you Jackson O'Brien for being the best editor a horror podcast could ask for!

Twitter/Instagram: @NightmarePod1; YouTube: Such a Nightmare channel; Email: suchanightmare.pod@gmail.com; ALL LINKS