Hosts Katherine Troyer and Toni Tresca celebrate a podcast and friendship while discussing the 2024 Horror Movie: A Novel by Paul Tremblay. 

Episode Highlights: We appreciated the opportunity--for our 100th episode--to return to a favorite writer: Paul Tremblay! We frame our conversation through the lens that we are Tremblay fans; he's written some of our favorite horror novels. We examine the places where we felt the novel shined, particularly in the ways that Tremblay--once again--plays with the relationship between content and form. Yet, while we wanted to love this book, we examine why we ultimately struggled with Horror Movie. In particular, we share why this book, strangely, did not feel like a horror novel to us and how the unreliable narrator and the final moments of the story proved challenging. 

A Special Thank You: We are so grateful to you, our listeners. Whether you are a new to our podcast or have been listening since the beginning...thank you for listening to our nightmares! (And have a spooktacular day!)

This podcast episode first aired on October 25, 2024.

Thank you Jackson O'Brien for editing our podcasts, and for always sharing when you especially enjoy one of our episodes! 

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

Episode Highlights: We frame our discussion of the film by considering how it serves as the third installment in the franchise. We appreciate how the film provides some wacky fun and weird kills that complements the first two Leprechaun films. And, of course, we are always here for Warwick Davis! On the other hand, we also talk about areas where we felt the film fell short. In particular, we thought the liminal and uncanny space that is Las Vegas was under-utilized. It's a perfect location for a Leprechaun film; however, we had hoped for more over-the-top-ness, not to mention more magic...of the staged and leprechaun variety. 

A Dose of Scholarship: There really isn't much in the way of scholarship on the Leprechaun franchise....so if this franchise is your jam, start writing!

This podcast episode first aired on October 2, 2024.

Thank you Jackson O'Brien--you rock!

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

Episode Highlights: We begin by addressing the monster in the room: the film's use of AI and the subsequent backlash this film faced as a result. Ultimately though, we argue that it is unfair that most folks only want to talk about the AI issue, because this film deserves to be discussed on its own merits...for both its accomplishments and its misses. We explore what we see as the the film's successes in terms of concept, cinematography, and acting. We also examine how, in our opinion, the film's final act falls flat and what we would have rather seen in those last minutes. 

A Dose of Scholarship: While there isn't too much written about Late Night with the Devil (at least that doesn't near-exclusively focus on the AI use), we do reference some interesting articles in this episode. For a nuanced examination of AI, check out this Harvard Business Review piece on AI augmenting, rather than replacing human intelligence. Sarah Hughes' 2017 article in Journal of American Studies "American Monsters: Tabloid Media and the Satanic Panic, 1970-2000" offers a great examination of how media shapes our cultural anxieties and fears.

This podcast episode first aired on September 13, 2024.

As always--a big shout out to Jackson O'Brien--editor extraordinaire!

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

Episode Highlights: We explore how the sequel compares with the original 1993 film and argue that, particularly in terms of cinematography, Leprechaun 2 feels richer and more vibrant. As evidence, we turn to the cold opening scene and its use of cinematography to help communicate not just what is happening in the film, but how we are supposed to feel. It's hard to not talk about some of the wonderful (and horrible) death scenes in this film, so we mention some of our favorites. And we examine how this film presents as an ultimately affirmative horror film, which seems fitting considering that Leprechaun 2--much more than the original film--reads as a fairy tale complete with extensive backstory and lore.

A Dose of Scholarship: There really isn't much in the way of scholarship on the Leprechaun franchise....so if this franchise is your jam, start writing!

This podcast episode first aired on August 30, 2024.

Jackson O'Brien--your edits make us better podcasters...thank you!

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

Episode Highlights: We explore the internal/interior nature of King's book (with so much happening in Paul's head) and how well we feel this translates (or not) onto the screen/stage. Toni shares how the production they saw in Colorado Springs in 2023 played with the spaces of and characters in Misery. Katherine shares her sadness at losing her beloved novel-within-a-novel framework in the film. We discuss how these different texts play with important themes of Misery, including addiction and pain. And, as we praise the masterful Kathy Bates, we also look at how these three texts portray and construct the idea of female monstrosity.  

A Dose of Scholarship: We referenced Harriet Stilley's article "Operation Hobble: Masculine Fear Versus Female Monstrosity in Misery" from Horror Homeroom. 

This podcast episode first aired on July 26, 2024.

Jackson O'Brien...a hero amongst editors! 

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

We explore the horrific power and potential of immersive storytelling (which is a really awesome way of presenting and engaging with the horror genre). Steve and Renee discuss how their work The Babysitter plays with different sources of horror through its multiple possible pathways and how the horror of their story shapes, and is shaped by, the ways that audiences interact with the narrative. Renee and Steve also share how they got into interactive horror and offer advice for folks interested in knowing more about creating branching narratives and producing multimodal stories. 

This interview occurred on June 26, 2024; the episode first aired on July 12, 2024.

An optioned screenwriter with a Bachelor's degree from Metro State College, Renee Miller has been enthralled by the dark twists and chilling narratives of horror since discovering Dean Koontz in eighth grade. With a penchant for crafting stories that delve into the deepest fears and darkest corners of the human psyche, Renee now brings her expertise to the thrilling world of choose-your-own-adventure audio storytelling. Tune in as she explores the eerie possibilities where each decision can lead to spine-tingling suspense or terrifying consequences.

Steve DeWinter is a #1 bestselling Amazon author of action-adventure sci-fi novels, with over 100,000 books sold worldwide. He's topped the Amazon Children's Action & Adventure Sci-Fi Bestseller list, Steampunk Bestseller list, and achieved multiple Top 20 rankings simultaneously. Notably, he co-authored two fantasy novels with the legendary Charles Dickens. Yes! That Charles Dickens. Now, Steve is pioneering a new frontier: Illustrated Interactive Audiobooks. These immersive, audio-first experiences combine interactive storytelling with augmented reality (AR) technology. You're not just the reader – you're the main character, making choices that shape the narrative while exploring real-world locations. Explore Steve's traditional books on Amazon and experience his innovative Illustrated Interactive Audiobooks (including The Babysitter, a thrilling interactive horror story written by Renee) at https://hiddenworld.icu/

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

Episode Highlights: We talk about the awesomeness that is Warwick Davis and how his performance encourages us to laugh with him rather than at him. We explore whether the film can be read as a traditional affirmative horror movie where greed and foreigners are the threat, or whether this film might be read as a dissaffirmative examination of how we fabricate American nostalgia. We think about the ramifications--if any--on the film's potential source of horror after learning that several scenes of Leprechaun were filmed at the same location as where Little House on the Prairie and The Waltons were shot. And Toni provides some important background information on how and why this film was made and how certain production decisions impacted the finished movie we watched. 

A Dose of Scholarship: There really isn't much in the way of scholarship on Leprechaun; however, there are some interesting analyses of this film out there including Stephanie Archer's 2021 piece "Horrific Inquiry: Leprechaun (1993)" in Film Inquiry. 

This podcast episode first aired on Jun 7, 2024.

Thank you Jackson O'Brien for being our awesome editor!

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

Episode Highlights: We talk about how Nicholas Cage is the reason for the season and, hands down, the best part of this film. We explore the film's brilliant practical effects with the puppets/animatronics. Katherine shares how the film builds on the carnivalesque aspects of the suspension of normality, the carnival king, the ambivalent nature of fire and laughter, and dualism of images. We discuss the lovely performances of the adult actors, but lament the teenage characters and how their scenes--which take us out of Willy's Wonderland--pull down the narrative. Ultimately, as Toni puts it, while the film might not have hit all the notes...we'd love to grab a beer with the fascinating and clever filmmakers.  

A Dose of Scholarship: For more on the carnivalesque, check out Mikhail Bakhtin's "Carnival and the Carnivalesque" in John Storey's 1998 Cultural Theory and Popular Culture. And be sure to check out the essay Toni referenced: Clark Collis's "'Nic Cage is into reptiles...': The insane, behind-the-scenes story of Willy's Wonderland."  

This podcast episode first aired on April 5, 2024.

Shout-out to Jackson O'Brien; thank you for editing this episode!

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

Episode Highlights: We examine the film's (potentially) strange juxtaposition between a wholesome family reunion narrative and shots of lots (and lots) of boobs; Katherine shares how all the boobery made for a personally very awkward family viewing. We talk about how this film, as both another entry in the franchise and a remake, offers a déjà vu/dream-like experience that manages to offer a nice blend of the expected and the refreshing. We share some of our favorite kills in this film and Katherine talks about her re-watching of Freddy vs. Jason having now seen all Friday the 13th and all Nightmare on Elm Street films.

A Dose of Scholarship: Please check out our guide to this franchise: Wickham Clayton's 2020 book SEE! HEAR! CUT! KILL! Experiencing Friday the 13th.

This podcast episode first aired on March 1, 2024.

Jackson O'Brien: thank you for your editing magic!

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

Episode Highlights: Toni shares what it was like playing the game on band trips as a kid and how this shaped their anticipation and hopes for this film. We talk about the challenges this film faced and--in our opinions--did not overcome as the movie tries to appeal to both current kids and adults who remembered the game from their own childhoods. We look at the film's establishment of a world beyond Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria and how this worldbuilding aspect of the film, along with the backstory it built about the murdered children, affected the horror of this story. And we explore what we think this film could have been in its best incarnation. 

A Dose of Scholarship: While there isn't any scholarship on the film, there is some interesting scholarship on the Five Nights at Freddy's games. We encourage you to check out Betsy Brey's chapter "Five Nights at Fan Games: Feminism, Fan Labor, and Five Nights at Freddy's" in the 2020 book Indie Games in the Digital Age. Another essay worth looking at is Yujie Ji and Yixuan Zhao's 2022 "Follow the Purple Bunny: A Brief Analysis of Five Nights at Freddy's Narrative." And there are a couple of pieces written about the film that proved helpful in our discussion: Michael Cripe's "Five Nights at Freddy's Surpasses Split to Break a Record for Horror Studio Blumhouse" and Jesse Hassenger's "The Five Nights at Freddy's Movie is a Dizzying Mashup of Decades of Culture."

This podcast episode first aired on February 16, 2024.

Deepest of appreciation to Jackson O'Brien...thank you for editing this podcast!

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

We discuss the significance of normalizing LGBTQIA+ identities within the horror genre. This leads to an even bigger discussion of how queer horror can both offer a space for connection and push us beyond our comfort zones. David-Jack shares the vision behind Slashic Horror, his indie horror press that he co-founded with Lee Cross James. And we talk about the magic of crossing genres and the ways his work, including his novella The Haunting of Harry Peck, present the familiar in unfamiliar ways (or perhaps the other way around) through his genre-blending writing.

This interview occurred on January 4, 2024; the episode first aired on January 30, 2024.

David-Jack Fletcher is a writer and scholar hailing from Australia. With a PhD from Macquarie University in Cultural Studies, he wrote for over a decade in an academic setting before—in his words—jumping out of academia to pursue his dream of becoming a horror author and editor. To that end, he has a Post-Graduate Certificate in Editing and Publishing from the University of Southern Queensland, and he completed an internship with Sydney-based Spineless Wonders. Additionally, he was awarded a mentorship with the Australasian Horror Writers Association (AHWA) in 2022, undertaken with award-winning author Paul Mannering. David-Jack has published short stories in several horror anthologies across the UK, the US and Canada, and has appeared in international podcasts and interviews. Furthermore, his debut gay horror-comedy, The Haunting of Harry Peck, was published by Rack & Rune Publishing in February 2022 and became an international Amazon bestseller. And his latest award-winning novel, Raven’s Creek is now available through all major retailers, published through his own imprint, Slashic Horror. For more information, visit his LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/djfletcher 

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

Episode Highlights: We talk about how this film is part of a slew of films in the late 90s/early 00s that sought to shock their respective franchises back to life with a journey to space. We think about how this film, despite (or perhaps because of) it's different setting, fits within the larger Friday the 13th franchise. We look at Jason X's portrayal of Jason, exploration of final girls, and presentation of slasher tropes. And, while we are clearly in a minority far from many fans and most critics, we have to admit: space was surprisingly fun!

A Dose of Scholarship: For scholarship on the Friday the 13th franchise, we (continue to) encourage to you to turn to 1) Horror Homeroom's special issue on Friday the 13th. and 2) Wickham Clayton's 2020 book SEE! HEAR! CUT! KILL! Experiencing Friday the 13th.

This podcast episode first aired on January 19, 2024.

Wielding his own machete...an editing machete that is...Jackson O'Brien once again made this episode better...thank you!

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

Episode Highlights: We talk about the word "monstrous" and what it means to us. We express how called out--and seen--we felt at various points in this book, particularly as fellow aca-fans wrestling with our own feelings of certain monstrous creators (like Whedon). We celebrate the memoir approach to this topic and how brave Dederer was for having such honesty. And we express our frustrations that the author's only real discussion of monstrous creative women were those who abandon children or are angry/extreme; we had hoped this would be a place to analyze further women creators like Rowling. 

A Dose of Scholarship: If you haven't read Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma, we promise you that this read will offer a lot of food for thought! In this episode, Toni references the Today, Explained podcast episode Hannah Gadsby and "Pablo-matic" Picasso. You might also check out this 2023 Vox interview with Dederer.

This podcast episode first aired on December 15, 2023.

We appreciate you Jackson O'Brien! Thanks for editing!

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

Episode Highlights: If we thought it took a while for Jason to make it to Manhattan, we were shocked by how long it took for him to actually go to hell! Katherine maintains that this is perhaps one of the best uses of a cold opening, and we talk about the film's quirky and odd characters. We explore the consequences--on us as viewers--of removing Jason from his own body for so much of the film. And, of course, Toni gives us the scoop on some of the background--and drama--behind the film's production. 

A Dose of Scholarship: For scholarship on the Friday the 13th franchise, we (continue to) encourage to you to turn to 1) Horror Homeroom's special issue on Friday the 13th. and 2) Wickham Clayton's 2020 book SEE! HEAR! CUT! KILL! Experiencing Friday the 13th.

This podcast episode first aired on November 20, 2023.

Jackson O'Brien: you are a hero amongst editors...thank you!

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

This interview occurred on May 25, 2023; the episode first aired on October 16, 2023.

Jolie Toomajan (she/her) is a PhD candidate, writer, editor, and all-around ghoul. Her dissertation in progress is focused on the women who wrote for Weird Tales and her work has appeared in Upon a Thrice Time, Death in the Mouth, and Black Static (among other places). She is editor of the upcoming Aseptic and Faintly Sadistic: An Anthology of Hysteria Fiction, which benefits the Chicago Abortion Fund. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram @JolieToomajan

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

We highly recommend you read the book before listening to this episode!

Episode Highlights: We explore how this novel serves as a love story to LA, and the ways that Leede manages to both rip off our rose-tinted glasses about the City of Angels even as she encourages us to find beauty in the asphalt landscape. Referencing Grady Hendrix's blurb that this novel is "an apocalyptic Anaheim Psycho," we talk about what it means to juxtapose this novel with Bret Easton Ellis' American Psycho and how much we appreciated Leede's crafting of her female lead character. And, of course, we examine how this novel plays with the Happiest Place on Earth, and the one scene involving a mouse that we will never forget. 

A Dose of Scholarship: This is a new novel, so there is not yet any scholarship written on Maeve Fly...but there are several great interviews with C.J. Leede, including Crime Reads interview "Arianna Reiche and C.J. Leede on Weird Lit, Angry Girls, and Amusement Parks" and Paul Semel's interview with C.J. Leede.  

This podcast episode first aired on October 9, 2023.

To our editor Jackson O'Brien: thank you and we hope this one didn't scar you too bad. :-)

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

Episode Highlights: This was our first time seeing the film, so we talk about our surprise at how long it takes Jason to make it to Manhattan and how this decision impacts not only our expectations as viewers but the larger narrative and themes of this film. We also explore about how this film's portrayal of New York City--as a wasteland of death and drugs--compares to and contrasts with a more recent horror film's depiction of the big apple: namely 2023's Scream VI. 

A Dose of Scholarship: For scholarship on the Friday the 13th franchise, we (continue to) encourage to you to turn to 1) Horror Homeroom's special issue on Friday the 13th. and 2) Wickham Clayton's 2020 book SEE! HEAR! CUT! KILL! Experiencing Friday the 13th.

This podcast episode first aired on September 19, 2023.

Thank you Jackson O'Brien for being the best editor a podcast could ask for!

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

We discuss our thoughts on the latest film (to date) in the franchise and how we think that the sixth installment fits into, contributes to, and occasionally takes away from the larger Scream narrative. We talk about the awesomeness of having scream queen Samara Weaving in the cold opening, and what it was like for Katherine to watch a scene about a horror film professor having a run-in with Ghostface. We talk about "The Core Four" and how this film--much more than Scream (2022)--establishes these characters as the primary characters (rather than the newcomers) of this world. And we talk about how this film--as do all Scream films--continues to ask us to think about the slipperiness of the past, the challenges of media, and the trauma of having a family.

This episode first aired on July 28, 2023. (It was actually recorded in May 2023, but then we went on vacation.) 

Thank you to the stupendous Jackson O'Brien, whose editing always ensures we sound smarter for our listeners then we do in real life. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 (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

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

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

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

Episode Highlights: We talk about how this film works to set itself apart from the other entries in the franchise, even as it continues the franchise's MO of punishing teens for...well, being teens. Much of our examination of this episode centers on the relationship between Trish and Tommy Jarvis and the ways that they serve, respectively, as the film's final girl and final boy. Our scholarship for this episode encouraged us to explore further this idea of the final boy and if (and how) the concept of the final boy might differ from our understandings of the final guy à la Ash Williams. 

A Dose of Scholarship: We return, again, to Horror Homeroom's first special issue "Friday the 13th at 40" and we specifically reference Ethan Robles' article "'Die! Die! Die!': The Birth of the Final Boy in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter."

This podcast episode first aired on November 18, 2022.

What would we do without our editor-extraordinaire Jackson O'Brien? Probably lay down and cry. Thanks Jackson! 

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

Episode Highlights: We talk about how this particular entry in the franchise was disappointing as it was the exact same formula from the first two films...but somehow also worse than the first two films. We discuss the annoying Shelly (who reminded Katherine a lot of Franklin from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre). We think about the consequences of how this film seems less connected to the original story than the first two films. And we discuss the importance, culturally and narratively, of the character Debbie being pregnant and how that affects (or not) the ways we perceive the violence in this film. 

A Dose of Scholarship: We return, again, to Horror Homeroom's first special issue "Friday the 13th at 40" and we specifically reference Wickham Clayton's article "Killing the Sad Fat Guy and the Pregnant Lady: Uncomfortable Death in Friday the 13th Part III - 3D."

This podcast episode first aired on September 19, 2022.

We appreciate you Jackson O'Brien! Thanks for another great edit!

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

Episode Highlights: We look at the ways that this film attempts to explore the nature/nurture dichotomy of evil before ultimately arriving at the same largely affirmative conclusion upheld by much of the franchise. We unpack the Michael Myers/Corey bromance plotline and discuss why exactly this story development both weighed down the narrative and felt out of sync from the 2018 and 2021 films. And we talk about the missed opportunity make more of the film about Jamie Lee Curtis, err...Laurie Strode...and Michael Myers. 

A Dose of Scholarship: The film is too new to have any critical reception written about it yet, but we encourage you to explore existing scholarship on slasher films in general and the Halloween franchise more specifically. 

This podcast episode first aired on October 31, 2022. Happy Halloween!

We recorded this episode in-person and it is (for better or worse) unedited! 

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

This interview occurred on June 15, 2022; the episode first aired on October 20, 2022.

JAYSEN BUTERIN is the writer/director of award-winning indie film fare such as the Tarantino-meets-Twilight Zone trilogy, “The Gospel According to Booze, Bullets & Hot Pink Jesus,” the on-the-road thriller, “Between Hell and a Hard Place,” and the sinister stay-at-home horror hits “Don’t Let the Light In” and “The Corner.” He’s currently awaiting the Hollywood studio release of his very first feature-length film, the coulrophobia-courting/clown-killing thrilling goodness of KILL GIGGLES, while also prepping a series of screenplays to go into production once the Apocalypse finally goes away!!! His website is madonesfilms.com and you can learn more about his films at killgiggles.com and youtube.com/madonesfilms. Follow him on Facebook: facebook.com/madonesfilms Twitter:  twitter.com/madonesfilms Instagram: instagram/com/themadonesfilms and on the CB Radio: Clown Killer 666

KEVIN KANGAS is is the writer/director of seven feature films, including the cult-classic Hunting Humans, the Lionsgate features Fear of Clowns 1&2, and the hit anthologies Terrortory 1&2. He's also published a novella about vampires called "With Teeth" and a book that's more a love-letter to Halloween called Halloween: The Greatest Holiday of All. His website is http://www.kangaskahnfilms.com and you can check out his IMDb page at https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1292971/. Want to see his films? Check them out at https://bit.ly/kkftubi

RON RIEKKI is an author, poet, editor, actor, and more. His books include My Ancestors are Reindeer Herders and I Am Melting in Extinction (Apprentice House Press), Posttraumatic (Hoot ‘n’ Waddle), and U.P. (Ghost Road Press).  Riekki co-edited The Many Lives of The Evil Dead and The Many Lives of The Twilight Zone (McFarland) and Undocumented (Michigan State University Press), and edited The Many Lives of Scary Clowns and The Many Lives of It (McFarland), Here and And Here (MSU Press, Independent Publisher Book Award), and The Way North (Wayne State University Press, Michigan Notable Book).  His story “America,” published in decomp, was turned into a film by mc² film in Romania, winning awards at the Red Rock Film Festival and Tres Court International Film Festival and was distributed throughout Greece.  His story “Teeths,” Pushcart nominated and published in Santa Barbara Literary Journal was turned into a film by the same production company, winning awards at the Dracula Film Festival, Rockport Film Festival, and Tres Court International Film Festival and screened at over one hundred theaters in France.  Riekki played the title role in the horror film Flesher (directed by John Johnson), receiving a Crimson Screen Horror Film Fest nomination for Best Actor in a Feature Film.  He also acted in the movie Short Straw (directed by Steve Balderson), starring Joe Pantoliano and Sarah Clarke. You can follow him on Twitter @RiekkiRon

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

Episode Highlights: We agreed to disagree about many of our conclusions on this film, even as we both decided that the other person was making some truly excellent points. We explore the narrative as we turn to pacing, the film's bigger themes, character development, and the horse-named chapters. And we also work through the film's form, as we talk about acting, cinematography, sound design, and alien special effects. Thinking about the film's individual components allows us to ultimately frame our discussion of this film through the lens of gestalt theory (where the whole is different from the sum of its parts). 

A Dose of Scholarship: The film is too new to have any critical reception written about it yet, but we encourage you to explore existing scholarship on a range of related topics including black horror, genre theory, Jordan Peele, and gestalt theory. 

This podcast episode first aired on October 10, 2022.

Thank you Jackson O'Brien for being an amazing editor! 

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

Episode Highlights: We celebrate the awesomeness that is three seasons of watching Ash Williams fight off Deadites. We talk about each season of the show and what we felt were the seasons' respective strengths and weaknesses. We also examine the show's larger narrative arc and think about the exciting ways that the show expanded in terms of its mythos and worldbuilding. And while we, of course, discuss at great length Bruce Campbell and his fantastic performance as Ash, we also focus on one of the show's best aspects: its incredible supporting cast who bring to life interesting and diverse characters that manage to hold their own against Bruce Campbell/Ash Williams.

A Dose of Scholarship: In this episode we return to some of the scholarship we referenced in our episodes on other works in the Evil Dead franchise. (So go back and listen to those episodes!) In particular, 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. 

This podcast episode first aired on August 30, 2022.

Thank you so much Jackson O'Brien for being a rockstar editor (and for saying you particularly liked this episode)!

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

Episode Highlights: We talk about the tone-setting (albeit odd) cold opening of the mummies and how, even if--as Toni proves--it is meaningful, Katherine kind of hated it. We explore the ways the film pays homage to as well as deviates from the 1922 film (and the original Dracula narrative), and how Herzog created a film that serves as both a powerful remake and a unique film in its own right. We look at the film's examination of the chaos of a plague/pandemic, the beautiful and haunting shots of rats and empty streets, and the characterization of Lucy. And Katherine suggests that this might be one of the gayest films ever...

A Dose of Scholarship: In this episode we referenced Lloyd Michael's essay "Nosferatu, or the Phantom of the Cinema" in the 1998 book Play It Again, Sam: Retakes on Remakes. We also mention S.S. Prawer's examination on Nosferatu published as part of the book series on BFI Modern Classics.

This podcast episode first aired on July 1, 2022.

Awesomeness, thy name is Jackson O'Brien--thank you Jackson for being our podcast editor!

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

Episode Highlights: We talk about how much we enjoyed this film's cold opening (perhaps the first cold opening we've liked!) and how this opening scene allowed us to further examine the idea of the Final Girl as a trauma survivor, particularly in light of Adrienne King's real-life stalker. We explore the ridiculousness that is the idea of camp (who gives children bows-and-arrows?) and how this film explores the ideas of camp in interesting ways by setting the narrative at a camp for camp counselors. And we discuss how we would have liked to have seen more of Muffin...perhaps as Jason's furry, evil sidekick. 

A Dose of Scholarship: Although we did not discuss any specific scholarship in this episode, we highly encourage you to check out Horror Homeroom's first special issue "Friday the 13th at 40"  if you are interested in digging deeper into this franchise.

This podcast episode first aired on June 14, 2022.

Greatest of thanks to our editor Jackson O'Brien!

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

Episode Highlights: We explore the magic of this film as we look at everything from the realism of the set to the fantastic make-up to the practical special effects. We examine the character of Orlock as a supporter of technology and discuss the differing views on whether he serves as an anti-Semitic metaphor. We look at some of the film's reception at the time of its release, including opinions that this film would deteriorate the intelligence of "the common man." And finally, we look at how this film offers us a foundation for all future vampire films.  

A Dose of Scholarship: In this episode we referenced the following books: Jörg Waltje's Blood Obsession: Vampires, Serial Murder, and the Popular Imagination; David J. Skal's 2004 Hollywood Gothic: The Tangled Web of Dracula from Novel to Stage to Screen; and Stacey Abbott's 2009 Celluloid Vampires: After Death in the Modern World.

This podcast episode first aired on May 31, 2022.

Greatest of thanks to our podcast editor Jackson O'Brien!

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

Mark is the vocalist of the band Kardashev and works as a metal voice coach. His YouTube channel for Kardavox Academy features reaction/analysis videos and interviews. 

Check out more about Mark, Kardashev, and the Kardavox Academy:

https://kardashev.bandcamp.com/album/liminal-rite https://kardashevband.com/ https://www.metalblade.com/kardashev/

linktr.ee/kardavoxacademy

This episode was recorded on May 25, 2022; the episode aired on June 4, 2022.

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

Episode Highlights: We talk about the great use of practical effects and the terrific music of this film. We examine how this film explores issues of gender--from its depiction of Alice as a final girl, to its surprising lack of gendered violence, to the consequence of having a slasher film where the final showdown is between two women. Looking at the film's location, we look at how Friday the 13th establishes itself within an existing conversation in American culture about the fear of the wilderness and what looks there. And we discuss whether or not this film should be classified as affirmative or disaffirmative. 

A Dose of Scholarship: We highly encourage you to check out Horror Homeroom's first special issue: "Friday the 13th at 40," which we reference in this episode. We also discussed James B. Weaver III's 1990 article "Are 'Slasher' Films Sexually Violent? A Content Analysis;" Hayley McCullough's 2019 article "Evaluating the Integrative Complexity of Main Characters in Horror Films;" and the 2015 article "Embodying the Moral Code? Thirty Years of Final Girls in Slasher Films" by Angela Weaver, Dana Menard, Christine Cabrera, and Angela Taylor.  

This podcast episode first aired on May 13, 2022.

Who is amazing? Jackson O'Brien: the editor of this podcast episode!

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

Merry Barrett vs. Angela Vidal (Final Girls Bracket)

Ash Williams vs. Needy Lesnicki (Final Girls Bracket)

Brady Hartsfield vs. Jack Torrance (Stephen King Bracket)

Happy Toyz Truck vs. Henry Bowers (Stephen King Bracket)

the ghosts vs. the strangers (Monster Crews Bracket)

Firefly family vs. Jupiter clan (Monster Crews Bracket)

piranhas vs. Judas' Breed cockroaches (Creatures of the Deep Bracket)

spiders vs. Gill-Man (Creatures of the Deep Bracket)

You can read these battle play-by-plays (and find links to all references resources) at bit.ly/3P53CP4.

You can also find more information about the resources mentioned at bit.ly/3ytO5m8. 

You can follow along in the official game bracket at bit.ly/3PaoOmD.

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

Monster MAYhem is a public humanities project created and directed by Katherine A. Troyer, PhD. An incredible team of Trinity students, staff, and faculty; artists, horror creators and lovers, web designers, and social media gurus made this project possible. This work was supported by The Humanities Collective, The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the Comparative Literature program, and the Communication department at Trinity University (in San Antonio, TX).

Credits for the music: BlueJay Studio — "Haunted House-No Ghost Version" — Provided by Jamendo 

Pamela Vorhees vs. Laurie Strode (Final Girls Bracket)

Erin Harson vs. Sally Hardesty (Final Girls Bracket)

Pennywise vs. Billy Nolan (Stephen King Bracket)

Annie Wilkes vs. Mrs. Carmody (Stephen King Bracket)

the Armitage family vs. the Podowoski clan (Monster Crews Bracket)

Alaskan vampires vs. Sawyer family (Monster Crews Bracket)

merpeople vs. MaryBeth Louise Hutchinson (Creatures of the Deep Bracket)

parasytes vs. crawlers (Creatures of the Deep Bracket)

You can read these battle play-by-plays (and find links to all references resources) at bit.ly/3P53CP4.

You can also find more information about the resources mentioned at bit.ly/3ytO5m8. 

You can follow along in the official game bracket at bit.ly/3PaoOmD.

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

Monster MAYhem is a public humanities project created and directed by Katherine A. Troyer, PhD. An incredible team of Trinity students, staff, and faculty; artists, horror creators and lovers, web designers, and social media gurus made this project possible. This work was supported by The Humanities Collective, The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the Comparative Literature program, and the Communication department at Trinity University (in San Antonio, TX).

Credits for the music: BlueJay Studio — "Haunted House-No Ghost Version" — Provided by Jamendo 

Episode Highlights: We examine how the film constructs the power of the Girl and turns the concept of monstrosity on its head by having the Girl embody many traditionally passive, feminine behaviors. We explore the ways that the film engages in spaces and identities that are liminal, hybrid, and at the margins. We talk about the background of and interviews with the director/writer Ana Lily Amirpour and how this film fits into a larger narrative about Iranian Diaspora. And we look at how the film uses the chader as both mask and cape, to create a narrative about women, hunger, and power.

A Dose of Scholarship: We look at the 2015 Electric Sheep interview with Ana Lily Amirpour; Jude Ellison S. Doyle's 2017 Medium piece on "Hunger: Female Directors and the Rise of Girl-Cannibal Horror;" Emily Edwards' article "Searching for a Room of One's Own: Rethinking the Iranian Diaspora in 'Persepolis,' 'Shahs of Sunset,' and "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night';" Zahra Khosroshahi's "Vampires, Jinn and the Magical in Iranian Horror Films" in Frames Cinema Journal; and Shadee Abdi and Bernadette Marie Calafell "Queer Utopias and a (Feminist) Iranian Vampire: A Critical Analysis of Resistive Monstrosity in A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night."  

This podcast episode first aired on May 9, 2022.

This episode was edited by the one, the only Jackson O'Brien!

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

Episode Highlights: We examine the explicitness of this novel and argue that, while admittedly intense and overwhelming, the vivid and gory descriptions are critical to the novel's source of horror: how easily the characters of the book accept this world. In particular, we talk about how the novel uses its gruesome scenes to center cannibalism in a way that speaks to real-world issues of animal cruelty and the meat industry. We look at several key scenes of the book, including Marcos' trips to the zoo, and how Bazterrica uses these quiet moments as effectively as the bloodiest moments. And we discuss the character of Marcos, particularly in those final moments of the book. 

A Dose of Scholarship: We draw much of our framework from Kevin J. Wetmore Jr.'s Bram Stoker nominated 2021 book Eaters of the Dead: Myths and Realities of Cannibal Monsters. 

This podcast episode first aired on April 25, 2022.

This episode was edited by the delightful Jackson O'Brien!

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

What is Monster MAYhem you ask? Listen to Katherine explain more about this interactive bracket-style tournament that will run throughout the month of May 2022. (But good news--you can start getting ready NOW!)

Ready to start playing? Want to know more? Go to: suchanightmare.com/monster-mayhem/

This episode released April 21, 2022.

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

Monster MAYhem is a public humanities project created and directed by Katherine A. Troyer, PhD. An incredible team of Trinity students, staff, and faculty; artists, horror creators and lovers, web designers, and social media gurus made this project possible. This work was supported by The Humanities Collective, The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the Comparative Literature program, and the Communication department at Trinity University (in San Antonio, TX).

Credits for the music: BlueJay Studio — "Haunted House-No Ghost Version" — Provided by Jamendo

Episode Highlights: We examine how this film speaks to a new decade's fears and concerns as it situates the familiar Scream saga into a post-9/11, social media-saturated, technology-driven world. Surprisingly for once, we are fully on-board for the cold openings and we talk about how they contribute meaningful to the bigger themes of the film. We celebrate Sidney's command that we don't mess with the original and the ways that this message resonates with the larger remake culture that preys on our nostalgia for the original text even as it asks us to prefer the new text. And finally we ask whether or not someone can be a final girl if they fabricate their own trauma.   

A Dose of Scholarship: We reference Alexandra West's book The 1990s Teen Horror Cycle as well as Taylor Cole's essay "Technology, Media, and the Slasher Formula in Scream 4," which can be found in the "The Neo-Slasher" special of Horror Homeroom, available here.

This podcast episode first aired on April 10, 2022.

This episode was edited by the terrific Jackson O'Brien!

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

Episode Highlights: We talk about the ways that this film exemplifies the concept of liminality, from its depictions of places between places (like the basement rave spot) to its moments between moments (like how much of the film happens at dawn or dusk). We also look how setting the film during a period of bizutage (French for 'hazing') allows Ducournau to explore the fine lines between acceptable and taboo, normative and trangressive. And we think about how this film crafts a complicated and beautifully horrific relationship between sisters.

A Dose of Scholarship: In this episode we discuss Ursula de Leeuw's essay "‘A kiss is the beginning of cannibalism’: Julia Ducournau’s Raw and Bataillean Horror." We also discuss Martine Beugnet and Emmanuelle Delanoë-Brun's article "Raw Becomings: Bodies, Discipline and Control in Julia Ducornau’s Grave."

This podcast episode first aired on March 25, 2022.

We totally forgot to say it in the episode, but once again credit for editing goes to the illustrious Jackson O'Brien!

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

DANI BETHEA (she/they/them) is the former Editor-in-Chief of We Are Horror Magazine. Find them across an expanse of panels, podcasts, Medium publications  cinéSPEAK, Gayly Dreadful, Uppercut Crit, and more. They will be a featured cast member in Mental Health and Horror: A Documentary (2022).  Find them on Twitter Wherethe HorrorResides@thedanibethea

This interview occurred on March 6, 2022; the episode first aired on March 19, 2022.

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

Episode Highlights: We explore how the film's decision to move to Hollywood complicates the film greatly. One the one hand, it gives us an awesome scene (when Sidney is being chased by Ghost Face in the film set version of the house) and allows us to consider what is 'real'; on the other hand, it makes it harder for the audience to connect/relate to this strange and foreign world of Tinsel Town. And of course by moving the story to Hollywood, Craven can return to one of his favorite monsters: the industry itself. We talk about our feelings about Scream 3's Ghost Face Killer and share what we enjoyed from this film and what we would have liked to have seen. 

A Dose of Scholarship: While there is not a lot of scholarship specifically on Scream 3, we encourage you to go back and look at the scholarship we discussed in our episode of the original Scream film. 

This podcast episode first aired on March 18, 2022.

This episode was once again edited by Jackson O'Brien (huzzah!!).

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

We discuss the magic (and horror) that this book offers by assembling together these disparate, albeit interconnected stories. Starting with the introduction by Solomon Forse, we break down the book and examine (relatively spoiler-free!) each story individually: Christopher O'Halloran's "Our Migraine;" Antony Frost's "Nos Da, Tad;" Carson Winter's "I Am Not To Be Replaced;" and Alex Wolfgang's "The Heads of Leviathan."  Please support indie horror writers! Buy what you can, read as much as possible, and recommend/review everything. :-)  And we encourage you to listen to our interview with the authors!

This episode first aired on March 10, 2022.

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

CHRISTOPHER O‘HALLORAN is a milk-slinging, Canadian actor-turned-author with work published or forthcoming from HellBound Books, Tales to Terrify, and The Dread Machine. Fans of stories about vein-removal and Phoenix-women against the patriarchy can visit COauthor.ca for stories, reviews, and updates on his upcoming novel, Pushing Daisy. Twitter: @burgleinfernal

ANTONY FROST is a factory worker, podcaster, and writer from Cambridgeshire, England. He lives with his wife and innumerable spiders. When not writing or reading, he can be found hosting Terrify Me!, a podcast about scary things in fact, fiction, and folklore, or—failing that—he’ll be out in the fens, poking things with sticks. His website is antonyfrost.com and you can follow him on Twitter and Instagram @antonyrfrost or @terrifymepod for his podcast.

CARSON WINTER is an author, punker, and raw nerve. His work has appeared in Apex, Vastarien, and the No Sleep Podcast. He lives in the Pacific Northwest. Twitter: @CarsonWinter3 ALEX WOLFGANG is a horror writer from Oklahoma. His debut short story collection, Splinter and Other Stories, is available now. You can also find his work in Cosmic Horror Monthly, Nocturnal Transmissions Podcast, and the anthology Howls From Hell. When not reading and writing horror, you can find him hiking and camping, playing tennis, and watching movies. You can follow him on twitter @alexwolfgang92 or visit his website: www.alexwolfgang.com.

This interview occurred on February 27, 2022; the episode first aired on February 28, 2022.

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

Episode Highlights: We talk about how this film provides the origins for many different horror tropes and elements (such as the highway horror sub-genre), even if we are reluctant to call Psycho itself a horror film. We explore how, despite being literally black-and-white, the film is filled with all shades of gray...as we are reminded--through the film's exploration of themes such as voyeurism and progress--that life rarely fits into neat little boxes. And, of course, we have to spend a few minutes talking about the infamous shower scene!

A Dose of Scholarship: We discuss Bernice M. Murphy's excellent analysis of Psycho in her book The Highway Horror Film. We also touch on the theory of non-place by Marc Augé. 

This podcast episode first aired on February 25, 2022.

This episode was edited by the talented Jackson O'Brien (you rock!).

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

Episode Highlights: We talk about the ways that this film cleverly asks us to consider "What happens next?" after a slasher film ends. In particular, we look at how the film develops the character of Cotton Weary and the importance of Sidney building a community after her tragedy. We also think about the ways that this film encourages us to think about those left behind in the wake of the deaths caused not just by the killers but also by the Final Girls. And Toni shares some juicy details about Craven and the ratings board. 

A Dose of Scholarship: While there is not a lot of scholarship specifically on Scream 2, we encourage you to go back and look at the scholarship we discussed in our episode of the original Scream film. 

This podcast episode first aired on February 14, 2022.

This episode was edited by Jackson O'Brien (thank you Jackson!!).

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

Episode Highlights: We talk about the character of Jade as the broken and beautiful Final Girl that we do not deserve, but that we so desperately need. Toni praises the use of the extra-credit essays between chapters, and Katherine admits that they were brilliant additions but reminded her a bit too much of grading. And we explore the ways that this novel forces us to confront both the power and limitations of this genre we so desperately love. 

A Dose of Scholarship: If you enjoy Jones' investigation into the Final Girl, we encourage you to read Carol J. Clover's discussion of this pivotal character in her 1992 work Men, Women, and Chain Saws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film. In the episode we also reference the 2021 article "Pandemic Practice: Horror Fans and Morbidly Curious Individuals are More Psychologically Resilient During the COVID-19 Pandemic" by Coltan Scrivner, John A. Johnson, Jens Kjeldgaard-Christiansen, and Mathias Clasen.

This podcast episode first aired on February 13, 2022.

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

We discuss the ways that this film seeks to bridge the gap between the spirit of the original 1996 film and the shift horror has taken in the last decade (or so). We gush about what we enjoyed, talk through what we had hoped to see, and explore our feelings about this film's ghostface killers.

This episode first aired on February 4, 2022.

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

Episode Highlights: Essentially, we talk about the perfection of this film (Katherine gives it a 150 out of 100). We explore how Scream exists as a great horror film in its own right even as it offers important commentary and perspective on the genre. We look at the film's use of comedy; we examine how the film asks us to consider issues of privilege and consumption, and--of course--we spend some time thinking about final girls.  

A Dose of Scholarship: We discuss Valerie Wee's article "The Scream Trilogy, 'Hyperpostmodernism,' and the Late Nineties Teen Slasher Film" and Fran Pheasant-Kelly's essay “Reframing Parody and Intertextuality in Scream” in the edited collection Style and Form in the Hollywood Slasher.

This podcast episode first aired on February 4, 2022.

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

Episode Highlights: We explore the ways that this film contrasts, and even actively pushes against, the original 1984 film. Looking at the 2010 film's take on a more realistic horror, a more serious Freddy, and a less feminist perspective, we argue that this remake loses the ambiguity and complexity present in the original film. And, of course, we mourn the loss of Robert Englund as Freddy. 

A Dose of Scholarship: We discuss Adam Lowenstein's "Alone on Elm Street" and Kyle Christensen's "'Look What You Did to Me!': (Anti)Feminism and Extratextuality in the Remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010). 

This podcast episode first aired on December 31, 2021.

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

Episode Highlights: We explore the beauty that is this film as well as work through the problematic, even racist elements of the movie. We talk about how much Foucault would have loved the panopticon promise of a jolly figure that sees you when you are sleeping and knows when you are awake...and they call him Sandy Claws. Anthony reveals some strange viewing habits, and we delight in the strangely conservative but utterly carnivalesque pageantry that are the holidays. 

A Dose of Scholarship: We discuss Beatrix Hesse's essay "Conservative and Countercultural Elements in Tim Burton's The Nightmare before Christmas." 

This podcast episode first aired on December 24, 2021.

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

Episode Highlights: We talk about how Hendrix complicates (in all the best ways) the concept of the final girl as the novel explores what it means to experience and survive trauma. Examining not only the book's narrative but also key elements of form (such as the ephemera between chapters), we ask--and seek to answer--the question: What does it mean for a final girl to be a final woman? And finally we discuss what we see as problematic tension between the novel's resolution of the final girl narrative and its larger disaffirmative themes. 

A Dose of Scholarship: Of course we had to turn to none other than Carol J. Clover for her formative discussion of the final girl in her 1992 work Men, Women, and Chain Saws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film.

This podcast episode first aired on December 6, 2021

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

Episode Highlights: We talk about how this film tried--sometimes succeeding and sometimes failing--to meet the needs of two very disparate fan bases. We explored the ways that the film depicted Freddy and Jason as well as how the film navigated its various plot lines. And, unsurprisingly, Katherine and Anthony had slightly different opinions about whether this film was delightfully terrible or just plain old terrible.

A Dose of Scholarship: In this episode, we look at an entire dissertation dedicated solely to this film! If you are interested in thinking further about this film, we highly recommend that you check out Jason M. Rapelje's "Fabricating Freddy vs. Jason: Understanding a Motion Picture as a Social Encounter between Fans and Filmmakers," which he wrote for his PhD at Western Michigan University.

This podcast episode first aired on November 8, 2021.

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

Episode Highlights: Once again the co-hosts find themselves on opposite sides: Katherine continuing to root for the Halloween films and Anthony growing increasingly sad by the franchise. We explore the film's intriguing narrative focus on the dangerous consequences of the mob mentality. We also talk about our shared frustration over the film's inconsistent tonal shifts, and we speculate where the franchise will go next.

This podcast episode first aired on October 31, 2021.

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

Episode Highlights: We talk about the fact that while Anthony will have seen some version of Rocky (staged, shadow cast, film, or other adaptation) at least nine times just in 2021, this was Katherine's first time watching the film. We explore the transgressive nature of the Rocky viewing experience (and in our own transgressive act--Anthony takes the lead on the scholarship!). We also look at all of the different ways scholars have analyzed Rocky, and we discuss the ways that the film situates itself amongst other fairy tale narratives. 

A Dose of Scholarship: In this episode, we discuss John Lynskey's essay "Queer Cult Performance: Recreating Rocky Horror in the Twenty-First Century" found in the book New Queer Horror Film and Television as well as Jeffrey Andrew Weinstock's 2008 edited collection Reading Rocky Horror: The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Popular Culture.  

This podcast episode first aired on October 29, 2021.

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

Episode Highlights: We talk about the fact that while this is a masterful film, it is a film we really do not enjoy watching and may very well never watch again. We explore the uncomfortably intimate moments between mother and son, look at the concept of being a voyeur (get it...look at voyeuring?), and consider the role that the book within the film plays as both metaphor and microscope. Ultimately, although the film is painful for us to watch, we cannot help but admire what the film does for the genre at large and Australian horror more specifically.

A Dose of Scholarship: In this episode, we discuss Jessica Balanzategui's article "The Babadook and the Haunted Space Between High and Low Genres in the Australian Horror Tradition" and Shelley Buerger's article "The Beak That Grips: Maternal Indifference, Ambivalence and the Abject in The Babadook." Both articles can be found in the journal Studies in Australasian Cinema.

This podcast episode first aired on October 28, 2021.

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

1) Dani Bethea's "Candyman is Sweet (and Sour for Black Women)"

2) DarkSkyLady's "How Gentrification Expands Candyman's Urban Legend" 

Recorded September 22, 2021 and published October 20, 2021. Twitter/Instagram: @NightmarePod1; YouTube: Such a Nightmare channel; Email: suchanightmare.pod@gmail.com; ALL LINKS

Episode Highlights: We talk about how this film explores the idea that perhaps the most terrifying nightmares of all are those found in the real world (particularly in that surreal landscape that is Hollywood). We argue that this film, as a meta-horror narrative, remains a revolutionary text within the horror genre as it lays the groundwork for many of our current examinations of how we shape not only horror but also craft the final girls we demand survive our nightmares.

A Dose of Scholarship: In this episode, we look at meta-narratives with guidance from Frank Pilipp's article "Creative Incest: Cross- and Self-Referencing in Recent Hollywood Cinema" and Guillermo Rodríguez-Romaguera's article "The Quixotic in Horror: Self-Generating Narrative and Its Self-Critical Sequel in Wes Craven's Self-Reflexive Cinema."  

This podcast episode first aired on October 12, 2021.

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

MIKE THORN is a prolific and thoughtful horror writer. His June 2021 Darkest Hours: Expanded Edition powerfully combines short stories with horror analysis. Thorn is also the author of the February 2021 novel Shelter for the Damned. Whether you are looking for body horror or psychological terror (or something else altogether!), Mike Thorn's intimate knowledge of the genre as both a writer and scholar insures that you will be reading thoughtful and terrifying horror!  Connect with Mike Thorn on Twitter (@MikeThornWrites) and visit his website: mikethornwrites.com.

The interview with Mike Thorn occurred on August 7, 2021; this podcast episode first aired on October 6, 2021.

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

Paul Tremblay is the author of several fantastic books, including one of Katherine’s favorite books (period!) A Head Full of Ghosts, one of Anthony’s favorite horror novels The Cabin at the End of the World, and the newly released Survivor Song, a book guaranteed to make you wonder if Tremblay can predict the future. We cannot recommend his books highly enough—if you want horror that will haunt you and make you have the “feels,” Paul Tremblay is the author for you!

This interview occurred on October 5, 2020; the episode first aired on October 6, 2020.

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

Episode Highlights: Starting with a look at how this film is now a cult classic (and the ways that it has been claimed by the LGBTQIA+ community), we explore how criticism on this film and its filmmakers focuses nearly exclusively on whether it is good/bad, feminist/not feminist. But we argue that there is so much more interesting about this film than just these limited debates, so we turn to our own analysis of the film through the lens of camp and the ways that this film manages to offer us complicated and messy constructions of (female) identity. 

A Dose of Scholarship: In this episode, we reference Ben Kooyman's 2012 article "Whose Body? Auteurism, Feminism and Horror in Hostel Part II and Jennifer's Body" (in the Australasian Journal of Popular Culture) and Aidatul Chusna and Shofi Mahmudah's 2018 article "Female Monsters: Figuring Female Transgression in Jennifer's Body (2009) and The Witch (2013)" (in Humaniora). We also talked (once again) about camp, which you can learn more about in Susan Sontag's 1964 "Notes on 'Camp'. "

This podcast episode first aired on September 27, 2021.

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

Episode Highlights: While we still maintain that a bad Nightmare film is still better than a lot of horror out there, we also think that this film misses out on a lot of opportunities and fails to deliver in key ways. We argue that one of the primary issues with this film is that it introduces us to a literal John Doe character, which makes it difficult for audiences to feel fully invested in the life-and-death stakes of this narrative. We also talk about the challenges this film faces as the sixth in a franchise in terms of audience expectations, originality of concepts, and continuation of the Freddy Krueger world.

This podcast episode first aired on September 14, 2021.

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

Episode Highlights: We explore our appreciation of this film as an example of what Robin Wood calls "hideous domesticity." In particular, we look at the ways that the film casts the Sawyer family as monsters while also creating a narrative ambivalence towards this family paying the price for capitalism. And finally we examine whether or not this film (which is really all about meat) can also be read as a home invasion narrative.

A Dose of Scholarship: We cannot recommend enough Robin Wood's examination of this film, which can be found in the 2018 edited collection of his essays: Robin Wood on the Horror Film: Collected Essays and Review.

This podcast episode first aired on August 30, 2021.

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

Episode Highlights: We argue that while this is our least favorite Nightmare film to date, a "bad" Nightmare is still leagues above a lot of other horror. We deconstruct the death scenes of Greta and Mark and share where we wished the film had gone a step further; we also explore the franchise's continued motif of parental disinterest and the ways that this film, in particular, drops (to its detriment) the franchise's larger institutional critique.

A Dose of Scholarship: We reference Gary Heba's 1995 article "Everyday Nightmares: The Rhetoric of Social Horror in the Nightmare on Elm Street Series."

This podcast episode first aired on July 19, 2021.

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

Episode Highlights: We think about how these two films explore the themes of consumerism and consumption. And, looking at the wider Horror Shop 'verse, we discuss how these two movies (as well as the many staged productions) portray issues of race and class through their casting, production elements, music, and various endings.

A Dose of Scholarship: We discuss Marc Jensen's 2008 article in Cinema Journal "'Feed Me!': Power Struggles and the Portrayal of Race in Little Shop of Horrors."  (If you go to his LinkedIn page and scroll down to "publications," you can access the article!)

This podcast episode first aired on June 28, 2021.

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

Episode Highlights: We explore how this film uses the ridiculousness of high school for both comedic and horrific effect. We also talk about how the film uses both form and content to subvert traditions and break away from conformity, ensuring that "the only Heather-shaped box is a coffin."

A Dose of Scholarship: We discuss Jessica Gildersleeve's 2020 article "'A friend who stabs you': Abjection, Violence and the Female Clique in Film" in The Australasian Journal of Popular Culture. Gildersleeve offers an intriguing way of contextualizing Heathers as she juxtaposes it alongside other films in this subgenre such as The Craft (1996), Jawbreaker (1999), and Mean Girls (2004). 

This podcast episode first aired on June 14, 2021.

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

We discuss how this film compares to the 2013 and 2016 installments in the franchise and the ways that this newest film reinforces the affirmative stance of the Conjure-verse while also attempting to introduce new elements into the series.

This podcast episode first aired on June 4, 2021. 

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

Episode Highlights: We explore how this film fits into the larger narrative of the franchise, and we argue that although Nightmare 4 continues the narrative of the previous movie, it doesn't carryover the disaffirmative nature of the prior films. We also talk about the consequences of the film's breaking of the monster/final girl binary as Alice begins to become the dream master. 

A Dose of Scholarship: We bring back a favorite piece of scholarship in this episode--Jeffrey Jerome Cohen's "Monster Theses," which offer a systematic and intriguing framework for considering the role monsters (and monster texts) play in our culture.

This podcast episode first aired on June 1, 2021

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

We share our vastly different responses to this film, discuss how this movie fits in with its cinematic predecessor, and explore why A Quiet Place II might not be a horror film after all.

This podcast episode first aired on May 29, 2021.

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

We discuss our love for this film's heist-y moves, talk about the splendidly over-the-top beginning (both of them!), and explore the potential downsides of having the zombies essentially be part of the movie's C-plot.

This podcast episode first aired on May 22, 2021.

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

We discuss our experiences being back in the movie theater for the first time post-COVID-19, talk about why we thought this film was just fine, and consider what the film could have done differently.

This podcast episode first aired on May 21, 2021.

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

Episode Highlights: We explain how, as theater kids, this film utterly charmed us. Using the concept of the metanarrative as our framework, we explore whether this is actually a zombie film (or whether that label even matters!), talk about the film's love of horror, and think about how this film constructs meaning through its multiple layers of reality. 

A Dose of Scholarship: We dive into the concept of metanarratives for this episode. Most good introductions to postmodernism will explore this concept in more detail, and you can also look to the works of Jean-François Lyotard for more. 

This podcast episode first aired on May 19, 2021

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

Episode Highlights: We argue that this film presents an ultimately disaffirmative narrative by showing us that it isn't those outside the system that are the problem; it's the (medical/patriarchal) system that is broken and in need of being fixed. Exploring a film that delights us from start to finish, we look at Nightmare 3's examination of faith vs. science/reason, the slightly "icky" figure of Neil in Nancy's final girl narrative, and the idea of Freddy as a Christlike figure. (And Katherine apologies for calling the character Nancy by the name of the actress Heather!)

A Dose of Scholarship: We talk a lot about trauma in this episode; for a great resource on trauma studies, we recommend turning to Cathy Caruth's Unclaimed Experience: Trauma, Narrative, and History.

This podcast episode first aired on April 6, 2021

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

Episode Highlights: We argue that while the film offers a clever and fun premise, Freaky is unfortunately--at best--a paint-by-numbers horror comedy that fails to maintain the self-awareness of Christopher Landon's other films. Looking at the ways that the film attempts to be transgressive but ultimately gets stuck in presenting rather familiar (and problematic) depictions of the monstrous Other, we talk about why perhaps the worst fate a horror film can face is to be just "ok."  

A Dose of Scholarship: For a deeper look into how the horror genre links issues of monstrous Otherness with gender and sexual identities, we suggest turning to Jack Halberstam's Skin Shows: Gothic Horror and the Technology of Monsters. 

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

Episode Highlights: Using queer theory as a framework, we explore whether this film should be considered transgressive or homophobic (the short answer: "it's complicated"), look at how issues in the third act muddy the film's themes, and talk about the difference between reading this film as a text and reading it as a cultural artifact.

A Dose of Scholarship: Many scholars (including Adam Scales and Connor Kaminski) have worked to situate this particular film within a queer theory framework; however, for a more general introduction to queer theory in film, we recommend Outtakes: Essays on Queer Theory and Film, edited by Ellis Hanson. 

This podcast episode first aired on April 5, 2021

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

Episode Highlights: Using the lens of adaptation theory to help us move past the ultimately unhelpful (but oh so satisfying!) debate of "which version is better," we explore how these works present different sources of horror and, in the process, become richly different texts.  We argue that whereas the source of horror in King's novel centers on how the past literally and figuratively haunts us, the source of horror in Kubrick's film is alienation and placelessness. With this claim in mind, we spend the rest of the episode digging more deeply into these two works.

A Dose of Scholarship: There is a lot of great scholarship on adaptation theory; however, we recommend checking out Linda Hutcheon's A Theory of Adaptation for an accessible and useful framework for thinking through questions of adaptation.

This podcast episode first aired on March 23, 2021

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

Episode Highlights: We argue that it is possible to read this film both as an affirmative film (ultimately supporting the status quo) and a disaffirmative film (ultimately saying that "we" are the real monsters). Exploring the film's ambiguous treatment of the patriarchal figure, its conflation of the house in the suburbs with the boiler room of Freddy, and the ways it treats death, we explore how this film manages to offer us multiple, sometimes contradictory perspectives. Also, Anthony tells his horror origin story.

A Dose of Scholarship: We discuss David Kingsley's 2013 article in Journal of Popular Film and Television, which looks at how this film draws heavily on  the Gothic tradition and Jonathan Markovitz's 2000 article in Quarterly Review of Film and Video on female paranoia as a survival skill.

This podcast episode first aired on March 08, 2021

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

Episode Highlights: We argue that, while the blood rain scene is admittedly rather amazing, this newest edition to the franchise lacks the essence of what makes the original Evil Dead films so magical. Looking at some key moments where the film seems rather disjointed as well as moments where the film offers real potential, we talk about how the film feels strangely sanitized and hollow...especially compared to the rough charm of the original.

A Dose of Scholarship: Elaine Scarry, in addition to having the perfect horror name, has written a phenomenal book called Body in Pain that explores the powerful relationship between pain and how we understand ourselves and the world around us. 

This podcast episode first aired on February 23, 2021

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

Episode Highlights: We talk about the significance of the author's introduction in setting up the ordinary housewife against the immortal monster, explore the ways that the book asks us to question who--in a world of maintaining the status quo--is the real monster, and argue that perhaps the novel could have gained one more wrinkle (in a very textured story) if it had offered one character who had to face giving up a loving relationship for what was right.

A Dose of Scholarship: Not much has been written (yet!) about this novel, but we encourage you to pick up all of Hendrix's books if you are hankering for something new to read.

This podcast episode first aired on February 1, 2021

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

Episode Highlights: We explore what we see as the film's biggest issue: structural problems that created not only a disconnect between the film's three acts but also prevented the film from being able to clearly articulate its true source of horror. Looking at the film's attempt to be a social horror piece à la Jordan Peele, we argue that Antebellum ultimately played it too safe and simple and, in the process, failed to fully speak to the systematic and systemic evils of racism, inequality, and injustice at its core.

A Dose of Scholarship: We have said it before, but we'll say it again...check out Robin Means Coleman's excellent book Horror Noire: Blacks in American Horror Films from the 1890s to Present!

This podcast episode first aired on January 18, 2021

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

Episode Highlights: Our Evil Dead extravaganza continues as we discuss why this will never be Anthony's favorite film of the franchise (too much medieval fantasy) and why this film snuck into the number two spot for Katherine (splendid special effects and terrific directing). Looking deeper, we talk about the film's portrayal of gender and how--as part of a larger narrative spanning all three films--Army of Darkness complicates and problematizes our understandings of masculinity. 

A Dose of Scholarship: In this episode we discussed Tison Pugh's essay on Ash's queer masculinity in Race, Class, and Gender in “Medieval” Cinema and Betina Entzminger's essay on fin de siècle anxieties in Mark Twain and Sam Raimi's respective works.

This podcast episode first aired on January 4, 2021

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

Episode Highlights: In our spooktacular Christmas episode, we finish our discussion of the Black Christmas franchise by talking about how the 2019 film, while breaking free of the formulaic problems of the 2006 film, nevertheless still fails to capture the magical spirit of the 1974 film...in large part because of its inclusion of magic. We argue that the film's inclusion of the magical element creates a problematic conflation of supernatural horrors with real-world horrors like toxic masculinity and rape culture. Once more using the lens of Carol J. Clover's work on gender in the slasher film, we explore the ways that this film attempts, succeeds, and--we think--ultimately fails to present the fully feminist take on this slasher story that the film seems to be striving toward. 

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 25, 2020

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

Episode Highlights: We talk about the reasons we felt that the 2006 film--despite having a great opening sequence--felt like its teeth had been removed when compared to the 1974 version. In particular we suggest that the 2006 film adheres much too tightly to the slasher formula for its own good. And, using the lens of Carol J. Clover's work on gender in the slasher film, we explore the consequences of the 2006 film's creation of Billy's backstory and argue that this development transforms the Terrible Place into an isolated broken family/home rather than allowing the film to explore the ideas of a larger broken society. 

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 21, 2020

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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