Collective Nightmares

Collective Nightmares

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Collective Nightmares episodes

  • Midsommar (2019)

    The Collective Nightmares podcast, sociologists talk horror. Marshall Smith, PhD and Laura Patterson PhD, discuss the 2019 film Ma directed by Tate Taylor and starring Octavia Spencer.

    The post Midsommar (2019) appeared first on Collective Nightmares.

    1 hr 22 min
  • Cannibal Holocaust (1980)
    Cannibal Holocaust (Deodata 1980)

    This episode we found a copy of the uncensored, undedited version of the classic Cannibal Holocaust. With a reputation for gore and publicity, this film sparked an intensely intellectual discussion of representation, ethics, realism, and meta-commentary in films.

    SPOILERS IN THIS EPISODE

    TOPIC INDEX – Cannibal Holocaust (Deodato 1980) (times are approximate) 

    0:00 – Introductions

    2:30 – Related episodes for context:

    I Spit on Your Grave (Zarchi 1978)

    I Spit on Your Grave (Monroe 2010)
    The Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence (Six 2011)

    3:27 – Spoilers

    4:20 – Film discussion begins
    8:16 – Laura’s meta-meta critique of a meta film
    11:26 – Comparison to Midsommar (Aster 2019)
    How can you address and represent an exploitative or explore a problematic topic
    How can you comment on what you are representing when you are representing it?
    18:46 – Justifying killing animals on screen
    22:24 – Could a film be made that would accomplish this?
    23:48 – Depictions of sexual assault
    33:44 – Comparisons to The Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence (Six 2011)
    35:20 – The Collective Nightmares ratio
    36:05 – Meta-film commentary on itself
    42:51 – Comparison to Midsommar
    50:23 – Laura grades the film
    56:26 – Marshall argues for additional points
    56:37 – Sociology moment – film structure and ethnocentrism
    1:02:12 – Animals, actors, and ethics, oh my!
    1:08:31 – Killing geese in Denver City Park
    1:09:00 – The ethics of film production

    Related Episodes

    This was another film that involved rape-revenge. We have done a series of episodes about this sub-genre. Other episodes include:

    Midsommar (Aster 2019) (Coming soon!)

    I Spit on Your Grave (Zarchi 1978)
    I Spit on Your Grave (Monroe 2010)
    The Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence (Six 2011)

    Edited and processed with Audacity. Free, cross-platform, open source, and awesome.

    https://www.audacityteam.org/

    We would very much appreciate any contributions to help offset the cost of producing the podcast. Thanks!

    As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts.

    • www.collectivenightmares.com

    • IG: @collectivenightmares
    • T: @collectnight

    “Horror films are our collective nightmares.”

    Episode 45

    The post Cannibal Holocaust (1980) appeared first on Collective Nightmares.

    1 hr 35 min
  • The Perfection (2018)
    The Perfection (Shepard 2018)

     

    This episode was a wild card pick after Amazon Prime subtitles for Cannibal Holocaust failed us. Look for a future episode on that film. We went in cold and ended up being super impressed with the film. Using Laura’s strategy of looking for divisive films we dove in and are glad we did.

    Prominent themes in our discussion this episode include cycles of abuse, what is justified in the pursuit of perfection, and the portrayal and representation of reclaiming one’s self.

    www.rainn.org – resources for those who have experienced sexual violence

    SPOILERS IN THIS EPISODE

    TOPIC INDEX – The Perfection (Shepard 2018) (times are approximate) 

    0:00 – Introductions

    2:22 – SPOILERS
    4:51 – The bus ride (Detour)
    12:05 – Gender
    17:30 – Another rape revenge film
    18:52 – The point of the film?
    26:21 – Ideological questions regarding perfection and sexual assault
    33:41 – How to improve the film
    41:15 – What if we cut just the sexual assault from the existing film?
    45:52 – The duet
    53:05 – Back to religion
    55:06 – Technical aspects and really cool parts
    1:02:36 – Representation and cycle of abuse
    1:18:08 – Recommendations for other films

    Related Episodes

    This was another film that involved rape-revenge. We have done a series of episodes about this sub-genre. Other episodes include:

    I Spit on Your Grave (Zarchi 1978)

    I Spit on Your Grave (Monroe 2010)
    I Spit on Your Grave: Deja Vu (2019)
    Revenge (Fargeat 2017)

    Edited and processed with Audacity. Free, cross-platform, open source, and awesome.

    https://www.audacityteam.org/

    We would very much appreciate any contributions to help offset the cost of producing the podcast. Thanks!

    As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts.

    • www.collectivenightmares.com

    • IG: @collectivenightmares
    • T: @collectnight

    “Horror films are our collective nightmares.”

    Episode 44

    The post The Perfection (2018) appeared first on Collective Nightmares.

    1 hr 25 min
  • I Spit On Your Grave Deja Vu 2019
    I Spit On Your Grave: Deja Vu (Zarchi 2019)

     

    This episode is part of our series on the rape-revenge sub-genre of horror. These can be especially challenging films and topics. We encourage you to prioritize self care if you are confronting these with us.

    www.rainn.org – resources for those who have experienced sexual violence

    SPOILERS IN THIS EPISODE

    I Spit on Your Grave (Zarchi 1978)
    I Spit on Your Grave (Monroe 2010)

    Related Episodes

    Revenge (Fargeat 2017)

    TOPIC INDEX – I Spit On Your Grave Deja Vu (Zarchi 2019) (times are approximate) 

    0:00 – Introductions

    2:00 – Our series on rape revenge films
    4:27 – Uniquely bad films we’ve watched for the podcast

      • A Quiet Place (Krasinski 2018)
      • Mandy (Cosmatos 2018)
      • Kill Baby, Kill! (Bava 1968)
      • Greta (Jordan 2018)

        • 6:13 – A message for Jamie Bernadette

        7:32 – Discussion of this film begins
        10:03 – More uniquely bad films – Human Centipede 3 – Full Sequence (Six 2015), The Love Witch (Biller 2016)
        10:55 – Acting and how did this get made?
        15:17 – The very few redeeming components
        15:31- Back to how bad it was starting with characters
        19:04 – Compared to Septicman (Cook 2013)
        20:11 – Compared to a film of literal paint drying and the documentary about the MPAA, This Film is Not Yet Rated (Dick 2006)
        20:55 – Morally offensive from the opening scene forward
        25:00 – This film as embodiment of the banality of evil (Arendt 1963)
        27:50 – Comparisons to the original I Spit On Your Grave (1978 Zarchi)
        31:20 – Improving the film
        33:00 – Six times is apparently the charm
        35:25 – The inverse of compelling
        38:15 – A bad collage
        41:55 – Religion
        45:45 – Editing
        47:20 – How disconnecting the sexual assault from the vengeance contributes to this film as a tragedy of offensive misogyny
        54:04 – Religion and sexual abuse
        Sorry, Not Sorry (Milano 2019) podcast episode we reference about catholic sexual abuse
        58:50 – How easily the film could have been drastically improved
        1:01:15 – The film as an entirely new level of bad

         

        Edited and processed with Audacity. Free, cross-platform, open source, and awesome.

        https://www.audacityteam.org/

        We would very much appreciate any contributions to help offset the cost of producing the podcast. Thanks!

        As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts.

        • www.collectivenightmares.com

        • IG: @collectivenightmares
        • T: @collectnight

        “Horror films are our collective nightmares.”

        Episode 43

        The post I Spit On Your Grave Deja Vu 2019 appeared first on Collective Nightmares.

        1 hr 10 min
      • I Spit On Your Grave 2010
        I Spit On Your Grave (Monroe 2010)

         

        SPOILERS IN THIS EPISODE

        Avenged aka Savaged (Ojeda 2013)
        I Spit on Your Grave (Zarchi 1978)
        Revenge (Fargeat 2017)

        TOPIC INDEX – I Spit On Your Grave (Monroe 2010) (times are approximate) 

        0:00 – Introductions

        4:50 – Revenge as a topic
        7:35 – I Spit On Your Grave, cultography book by David Maguire
        11:15 – Movies specific discussion begins
        16:29 – Off-puttingly pretty
        18:10 – Comparisons between 2010 and 1978 versions
        19:55 – Marshall’s overall take
        23:10 – Using the video camera to film the assault in 2010 version versus the mirror scene in 1978 version
        28:48 – Naked vs nude Berger’s Ways of Seeing
        36:43 – Perspective and identification with characters
        38:46 – Plot and technical issues
        40:56 – Comparing the violence
        42:10 – Issues depicting assault generally and in this film specifically
        52:55 – Summary
        54:25 – Daniel Franzese plays Stanley and is also Damien from Mean Girls (Waters 2004)!
        56:14 – Character continuum

        Edited and processed with Audacity. Free, cross-platform, open source, and awesome.

        https://www.audacityteam.org/

        We would very much appreciate any contributions to help offset the cost of producing the podcast. Thanks!

        As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts.

        • www.collectivenightmares.com

        • IG: @collectivenightmares
        • T: @collectnight

        “Horror films are our collective nightmares.”

        Episode 42

        The post I Spit On Your Grave 2010 appeared first on Collective Nightmares.

        1 hr 8 min
      • Black Mirror s5e03 Ashley Too (2019)
        Black Mirror s5e03 Rachel, Jack, and Ashley Too (Brooker 2019)

         

        SPOILERS IN THIS EPISODE

        Black Mirror s1e01 The National Anthem (Bathurst 2011)
        Black Mirror s3e04 San Junipero (Harris 2016)
        Black Mirror s4e02 Arkangel (Foster 2017)
        Cam (Goldhaber 2018)
        The Twilight Zone s1e01 The Comedian (Harris 2019)

        Minor Spoilers

        Escape Room (Robitel 2019)

        TOPIC INDEX – Rachel, Jack, and Ashley Too (times are approximate) 

        0:00 – Introductions

        3:31 – Spoilers this episode
        5:07 – Discussion begins
        6:57 – Black Mirror generally
        10:25 – This specific episode discussion begins
        12:24 – Smaller big questions
        19:00 – The National Episode SPOILERS
        20:29 – The importance of choice
        21:48 – How could we do these themes better?
        24:29 – Anyone can do anything?
        25:31 – Taylor Swift and virtual performances
        31:45 – Recommendations for other media to watch
        33:08 – This episode compared to CAM, moreso
        34:45 – Ashley Too and The Talent Show
        38:30 – Dad and the better mouse trap?
        39:23 – Mouse trap scene
        42:55 – Compared to The Twilight Zone s1e01 “The Comedian”

        Edited and processed with Audacity. Free, cross-platform, open source, and awesome.

        https://www.audacityteam.org/

        We would very much appreciate any contributions to our Patreon to help offset the cost of producing the podcast. Thanks!

        https://www.patreon.com/collectivenightmares

        You can also support our podcast via paypal.me/collectivenightmares

        As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts.

        • www.collectivenightmares.com

        • IG: @collectivenightmares
        • T: @collectnight

        “Horror films are our collective nightmares.”

        Episode 41

        The post Black Mirror s5e03 Ashley Too (2019) appeared first on Collective Nightmares.

        1 hr 4 min
      • Ma (2019)
        Ma (Taylor 2019)

        SPOILERS IN THIS EPISODE

        TOPIC INDEX – Ma (times are approximate) 

        0:00 – Introductions

        3:54 – Discussion begins
        6:05 – Ma as “Mammie” caricature
        13:25 – The legacy of racism and slavery
        15:15 – Texas Board of Education rewrites slavery history  
        Trailer for The Revisionaries, a documentary about the fight over curriculum and textbooks in Texas.
        16:00 – Whose side are we supposed to be on?
        17:42 – The attack on Ma
        23:48 – Genie, Ma’s daughter, and the generational impacts of racism
        29:00 – More on the sociological significance of the Mammie caricature
        37:30 – Martyrs (Laugier 2008) spoilers begin and discussion of whose side are we on
        43:00 – How could the mammy caricature actually be challenged rather than reinscribed?
        46:20 – Violence and racism in the film
        46:54 – Made by the same person who made The Help (Taylor 2011)
        47:43 – Ma being sexually assaulted
        48:30 – Comparison to Carrie (de Palma 1976)
        50:58 – Top line production demographics
        53:47 – Intentionality
        55:38 – Representation and Marshall’s obliviousness
        56:48 – The Summer of ’84 effect (Simmard, Whissell, & Whissell 2018)
        1:01:45 – Empathy for Ma vs Ben and others
        1:05:25 – Painting Darrell white and gender
        1:07:02 – Intentionality of racial problematics
        1:11:22 – Why was this film so entertaining while also being intensely racially problematic?
        1:19:56 – Comparison to critiques of The Help (Taylor 2019)

        “Dangerous White Stereotypes” by Turner (2011). Opinion column in the New York Times. And replies to the editor regarding her column.

        1:25:50 – Our final thoughts

        1:29:24 – Privilege also works against those who have it

        Edited and processed with Audacity. Free, cross-platform, open source, and awesome.

        https://www.audacityteam.org/

        We would very much appreciate any contributions to our Patreon to help offset the cost of producing the podcast. Thanks!

        https://www.patreon.com/collectivenightmares

        You can also support our podcast via paypal.me/collectivenightmares

        As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts.

        • www.collectivenightmares.com

        • IG: @collectivenightmares
        • T: @collectnight

        “Horror films are our collective nightmares.”

        Episode 40

        The post Ma (2019) appeared first on Collective Nightmares.

        1 hr 38 min
      • Velvet Buzzsaw (2019)
        Velvet Buzzsaw (Gilroy 2019)

        SPOILERS IN THIS EPISODE

        TOPIC INDEX – Velvet Buzzsaw (times are approximate) 

        0:00 – Introductions

        4:37 – Character continuum
        10:33 – Marshall’s take
        13:05 – Morf’s death and the sphere art piece
        15:33 – Laura’s take
        21:37 – Exploring Morf’s character arc
        30:45 – Velvet Buzzsaw
        37:47 – Redora and tattoos
        41:06 – Objective vs subjective
        45:40 – Why does Dees’ art come from death?
        57:40 – Closed versus open movies
        1:02:17 – Making a film about art
        1:04:07 – Laura digresses
        1:07:55 – Sociology moment – Stuart Hall on Encoding/Decoding

        Edited and processed with Audacity. Free, cross-platform, open source, and awesome.

        https://www.audacityteam.org/

        We would very much appreciate any contributions to our Patreon to help offset the cost of producing the podcast. Thanks!

        https://www.patreon.com/collectivenightmares

        You can also support our podcast via paypal.me/collectivenightmares

        As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts.

        • www.collectivenightmares.com

        • IG: @collectivenightmares
        • T: @collectnight

        “Horror films are our collective nightmares.”

        Episode 39

        The post Velvet Buzzsaw (2019) appeared first on Collective Nightmares.

        1 hr 20 min
      • The Twilight Zone 2019 The Comedian
        The Twilight Zone “The Comedian” (Harris 2019)

        Spoilers Below

        SPOILERS IN THIS EPISODE

        Dave Chapelle The Bird Revelation (Lathan 2017)
        Pet Sematary (Kolsch & Widmyer 2019)
        The Butterfly Effect (Bress & Gruber 2004)

        TOPIC INDEX – The Twilight Zone s1e1 “The Comedian” (times are approximate) 

        0:00 – Introductions!

        5:08 – Discussion begins
        8:15 – Twilight Zone compared to horror genre
        9:50 – Metaphor for creative process
        18:25 – Comedy that relies on othering and other dehumanizing techniques (Punching down)
        29:25 – Horror as a genre is better?
        35:55 – Laura’s arguments applied to depictions of violence
        37:02 – Connection to horror comedy discussion with Caitlin Durante
        44:27 – Avoid the unpleasant
        46:49 – Importance of language for sociology
        53:42 – Depth vs breadth of potential for horror vs comedy
        55:33 – Compared to The Butterfly Effect (Bress & Gruber 2004)
        58:20 – How would we improve the episode?
        1:04:00 – Ending issues
        1:03:34 – The utility of horror

        Edited and processed with Audacity. Free, cross-platform, open source, and awesome.

        https://www.audacityteam.org/

        We would very much appreciate any contributions to our Patreon to help offset the cost of producing the podcast. Thanks!

        https://www.patreon.com/collectivenightmares

        You can also support our podcast via paypal.me/collectivenightmares

        As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts.

        • www.collectivenightmares.com

        • IG: @collectivenightmares
        • T: @collectnight

        “Horror films are our collective nightmares.”

        Episode 38

        The post The Twilight Zone 2019 The Comedian appeared first on Collective Nightmares.

        1 hr 14 min
      • Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010)
        Tucker and Dale vs Evil (Craig 2010)

        With special guest Caitlin Durante of The Bechdel Cast!

        SPOILERS IN THIS EPISODE

        Life of the Party (Falcone 2018)

        TOPIC INDEX – Tucker and Dale vs Evil  (times are approximate) 

        TOPIC INDEX (times are approximate)

        0:00 – Introductions and our guest
        4:11 – Movie discussion begins
        5:54 – Laura and comparison to Summer of 84
        9:43 – Gender and good and evil
        10:55 – Class
        12:42 – Critique of hegemonic (toxic) masculinity
        13:44 – Encouraging communication and empathy (the sociological imagination)
        16:58 – Progressive transgression (deconstruction) vs conservative (reinscribing) transgression
        18:29 – Discussion of the possibility of hegemonic masculinity critique
        21:30 – Women characters especially Allison
        23:22 – Rural poor white evildoers slasher sub-genre and an intersectional feminist critique
        24:40 – Homophobia in the film
        27:37 – Concerns with comedy in the film and generally
        29:12 – Positive aspects of the comedy
        34:22 – Evil and morality in horror
        35:42 – Homoeroticism as humor
        38:20 – “Half-hillbilly” and final scenes
        41:55 – Sociology Moment – The romantic story and the heterosexual imaginary
        49:20 – “Nice guys” / red pill  / incel movement
        52:45 – Gender privilege and men’s behavior expectations in films
        54:03 – How would we improve the film?
        58:58 – Sociology shout out in the film
        1:00:45 – Ethical depictions of violence in films

        Edited and processed with Audacity. Free, cross-platform, open source, and awesome.

        https://www.audacityteam.org/

        We would very much appreciate any contributions to our Patreon to help offset the cost of producing the podcast. Thanks!

        https://www.patreon.com/collectivenightmares

        You can also support our podcast via paypal.me/collectivenightmares

        As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts.

        • www.collectivenightmares.com

        • IG: @collectivenightmares
        • T: @collectnight

        “Horror films are our collective nightmares.”

        Episode 37

        The post Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010) appeared first on Collective Nightmares.

        1 hr 24 min

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