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Where the horrifically nerdy meets the terrifyingly academic. Hosts: Katherine A. Troyer, PhD and Anthony Tresca. Twitter/Instagram: @NightmarePod1 Email: suchanightmare.pod@gmail.com
Episodes
Saturday Dec 19, 2020
Saturday Dec 19, 2020
In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca discuss the 1974 film Black Christmas.
Episode Highlights: We talk about why this film delighted and surprised us, particularly in its characterization of Jess. Using the lens of Carol J. Clover's work on gender in the slasher film, we analyze the way that the film uses the violation of the home's borders as a metaphor for the violation of Jess's body and we explore the ways that the film both fits and transcends Clover's generic criteria. And we theorize about why this film, despite being the earliest, is not always considered the first slasher film.
A Dose of Scholarship: For all three Black Christmas episodes, we will be turning to Carol J. Clover's chapter "Her Body, Himself: Gender in the Slasher Film," available as a chapter in her book Men, Women and Chain Saws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film.
This podcast episode first aired on December 19, 2020
Twitter/Instagram: @NightmarePod1; YouTube: Such a Nightmare channel; Email: suchanightmare.pod@gmail.com; ALL LINKS
Monday Nov 23, 2020
Monday Nov 23, 2020
In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca discuss the 1987 film Evil Dead II.
Episode Highlights: We celebrate the virtues of this campy classic by examining it through...but of course!..the lens of Susan Sontag's 1964 "On Camp." Looking at how the film--almost despite its own best efforts--manages to be rather great, we talk about Bruce Campbell as a performer, explore how the film deconstructs borders and boundaries, and think about ways to read this film alongside its cinematic predecessor.
A Dose of Scholarship: Reading Susan Sontag's 1964 "On Camp" is a great way to better understand this liminal category (what's camp? you know it when you see it!). We also recommend the essay by Marcia England entitled "Breached Bodies and Home Invasions," which we discuss in this episode.
This podcast episode first aired on November 23, 2020
Twitter/Instagram: @NightmarePod1; YouTube: Such a Nightmare channel; Email: suchanightmare.pod@gmail.com; ALL LINKS
Monday Nov 09, 2020
Monday Nov 09, 2020
In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca discuss the 1992 film Candyman.
Episode Highlights: We discuss the reasons that we like this film almost despite itself and how the film rises above (and fails to rise above) being a product of its times. Looking at the character of Helen as proof of Robin Means Coleman's claim that this is a film celebrating white womanhood, we talk about Helen as an entirely unlikeable but fascinating character. And we explore the ways that this film uses boundaries to articulate ideas about intersectionality, race, and socio-economic status.
A Dose of Scholarship: We cannot recommend highly enough Robin Means Coleman's excellent book Horror Noire: Blacks in American Horror Films from the 1890s to Present. In this episode, we also discuss the intriguing essay by Adam Ochonicky, which looks at adaptive issues between "The Forbidden" and Candyman.
This podcast episode first aired on November 9, 2020
Twitter/Instagram: @NightmarePod1; YouTube: Such a Nightmare channel; Email: suchanightmare.pod@gmail.com; ALL LINKS
Saturday Oct 31, 2020
Saturday Oct 31, 2020
In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca continue their Halloween tradition by discussing another film in the Halloween franchise: the 2018 film Halloween.
Episode Highlights: We enter the ring to once again duke it out: Anthony in one corner (against all things Halloween franchise) and Katherine in the other corner (pro-Halloween all the way). We talk about how best to categorize this film: is it an homage to the original? a cut-and-paste slasher film? or a gateway film for a new vision of the franchise? And, despite our philosophical differences on this film, we both praise the final act as exactly what we (and Laurie) needed.
Happy Halloween! Bwhahahahaha!!
This podcast episode first aired on October 31, 2020
Twitter/Instagram: @NightmarePod1; YouTube: Such a Nightmare channel; Email: suchanightmare.pod@gmail.com; ALL LINKS
Monday Oct 26, 2020
Monday Oct 26, 2020
In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca discuss the 1981 film Evil Dead.
Episode Highlights: We extol the wonders of this film as a perfect and perfectly campy horror-in-the-woods text. We talk about the significance of Ash and how, through this surprisingly complicated character, the film (and franchise) explores issues of toxic masculinity. And we set up up our exploration of the entire Evil Dead franchise (so be excited for future podcast episodes!).
A Dose of Scholarship: We highly recommend checking out the edited collection of essays The Many Lives of The Evil Dead: Essays on the Cult Film Franchise, edited by Ron Riekki. In particular, this episode referenced Dale Bailey's essay "Final Girl, Final Boy: Ash's Imperiled Masculinity," which can be found in this collection.
This podcast episode first aired on October 26, 2020
Twitter/Instagram: @NightmarePod1; YouTube: Such a Nightmare channel; Email: suchanightmare.pod@gmail.com; ALL LINKS
Monday Oct 12, 2020
Monday Oct 12, 2020
In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca discuss the 2000 film American Psycho.
Episode Highlights: We explore how the film wrangles with the theme of consumption through its unique ability to create an alienating experience through its visual and narrative elements. Comparing this film with the 1999 film Fight Club, we also talk about American Psycho's construction of the human monster and what is (or is not) morally good.
A Dose of Scholarship: Check out Christina Lee's article about American Psycho in the edited collection Murders and Acquisitions: Representations of the Serial Killer in Popular Culture, Naomi Mandel's Novels of the Contemporary Extreme, and Deborah Knight and George McKnight's article on American Psycho in the edited collection Dark Thoughts: Philosophic Reflections on Cinematic Horror.
This podcast episode first aired on October 12, 2020
Twitter/Instagram: @NightmarePod1; YouTube: Such a Nightmare channel; Email: suchanightmare.pod@gmail.com; ALL LINKS
Monday Sep 28, 2020
Monday Sep 28, 2020
In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca discuss the 2017 film Get Out.
Episode Highlights: We talk about the film's use of place--particularly the home--as a mechanism for exploring (horrific) bodied experiences of African Americans, the significance of having the character of Rose be truly evil, and how the film's alternate endings would have changed...well, everything!
A Dose of Scholarship: Check out W. Scott Poole's excellent Monsters in America, which explores American history and culture through the monsters we fear and the monsters we create (the final pages explore Get Out specifically). For a more in-depth look at Get Out, we recommend Cammie M. Sublette's essay exploring the film through the legacy of plantation slavery, available in the edited collection Horror Comes Home.
This podcast episode first aired on September 28, 2020
Twitter/Instagram: @NightmarePod1; YouTube: Such a Nightmare channel; Email: suchanightmare.pod@gmail.com; ALL LINKS
Tuesday Sep 15, 2020
Tuesday Sep 15, 2020
In our first episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca discuss the possible interplay between Paul Tremblay's 2018 novel The Cabin at the End of the World and Darren Aronofsky's 2017 film mother!
Episode Highlights: We explore the ways that both of these texts complicate their respective end-of-the-world narratives by situating their stories within a most familiar place: the home. As we discuss the challenges of allegorical horror, we argue that there is something rather beautiful...and interesting...that emerges in juxtaposing these two text together.
This podcast episode first aired on September 15, 2020
Twitter/Instagram: @NightmarePod1; YouTube: Such a Nightmare channel; Email: suchanightmare.pod@gmail.com; ALL LINKS
Friday Sep 11, 2020
Friday Sep 11, 2020
In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca discuss the film The Babysitter: Killer Queen (2020).
Episode Highlights: In this special episode, we discuss our initial impressions of this film that, at the time of podcast recording, has been out for approximately 24-hours. We talk about the benefits and challenges that this sequel faced by bringing back so many of the same major players (cast and crew) from the first film. Ultimately, we argue that despite some of the the 2020 film's strengths, real issues in tone and the ways the narrative reinforces gender conformity prevent the film from achieving its full potential.
This podcast episode first aired on September 11, 2020
Twitter/Instagram: @NightmarePod1; YouTube: Such a Nightmare channel; Email: suchanightmare.pod@gmail.com; ALL LINKS
Tuesday Sep 01, 2020
Tuesday Sep 01, 2020
In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca discuss the 2015 novel A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay.
Episode Highlights: We discuss how the novel turns the familiar exorcism story on its head as it explores the interplay between memory, trauma, and horror. We also talk about the novel's intentional ambiguity and the ways that it works (mostly) for us in setting up a rather chilling narrative. Random Spoiler Alert: We discuss the ending of the TV show How I Met Your Mother.
A Dose of Scholarship: Not much has been written (yet!) about this novel, but an interesting take on this book can be found in Lyle Enright's "Horror After Theory" article, which can be found in the edited collection The Palgrave Handbook to Horror Literature.
This podcast episode first aired on September 1, 2020
Twitter/Instagram: @NightmarePod1; YouTube: Such a Nightmare channel; Email: suchanightmare.pod@gmail.com; ALL LINKS