Collective Nightmares

Revenge (2017) SPOILERS IN THIS EPISODE!  Revenge (2017) I Spit On Your Grave (1978) Martyrs (2008) Very Bad Things (1998) NOTE on Content A note from Marshall about this and the episodes of Collective Nightmares focusing on rape-revenge films. The representation of particular real life horrors has long been an interest of mine. Monsters, ghosts, … Continue reading "Revenge (2017)"

I Spit on Your Grave (1978) SPOILERS IN THIS EPISODE A note from Marshall about the next few planned episodes of Collective Nightmares: The representation of particular real life horrors has long been an interest of mine. Monsters, ghosts, haunted houses, and the other fantastical elements of scary films are clearly interesting to me and … Continue reading "I Spit On Your Grave (1978)"

I Spit on Your Grave (1978)

SPOILERS IN THIS EPISODE

A note from Marshall about the next few planned episodes of Collective Nightmares:

The representation of particular real life horrors has long been an interest of mine. Monsters, ghosts, haunted houses, and the other fantastical elements of scary films are clearly interesting to me and Laura. My entry point to the conversation of the politics and problematics of representing real horror began with representations the Holocaust. That conversation in turn was started for me by Lynne Dahlgren who taught us Maus in my 20th century novel class at CU Boulder. She was an incredible teacher. More recently, and by that I mean several years ago, I became fascinated with the Sonderkommando after being forwarded this article by a different friend regarding the film Son of Saul (2015). More on that later.

For this coversation, the Holocaust and sexual assault share similarity in that they are not fantastical. So much discussion of horror films is for me intellectually interesting, sociologically intriguing, or just downright entertaining. Representation of real horror, of historic genocide that is (unbelievably) still doubted, of sexual assault that is an enduring threat and experience of an unfathomable and unacceptable number of people on this planet, these are things that matter.

Of all the horror films I watch and re-watch precisely because they are horrify me, depictions of sexual assault are difficult for me to process on a fundamentally different level. Sexual assault in films, whether as plot device, threat, or assault, is by far the most upsetting content for me to endure. My PhD focused on gender and sexuality. I have taught rape and sexual assault in sociology classes in colleges and universities for many years. The rate of sexual assault in the U.S. and globally, and the lack of will and action to address it, is offensive, infuriating, and sad beyond words. That these rates of assault have remained remarkably stable in so many places for so many years is an utter failure of humanity and modern civilization. These are very personal and serious topics for me.

There are justifiable reasons for including sexual assault in media. But this must be done with respect for victims, survivors, advocates, allies, and everyone impacted by the experience and threat of sexual assault. It must be done with thought, care, intention, and concern for how any representation of sexual assault will be distributed and interpreted out in the world.

With all that in mind, we approach the sub-genre of rape-revenge films. We begin with arguably the first and most infamous, I Spit On Your Grave from 1978. Should our discussion cause you concern of any kind please let us know your thoughts.

– Marshall

Resources:

National Sexual Assault Hotline 1-800-656-4673

https://www.rainn.org

This episode in particular was inspired by this article from Vice written by Sarah Fensom . I sent it to Laura when it came out and she just recently turned it around and agreed that the film was something we should address. So now here we are, leaning in to sexual assault in horror for better or for worse.

Please keep in mind during our discussion that this is a second viewing of the film for Marshall and the first for Laura.

As always, thanks for listening (if anyone actually is listening). Please let us know if you are!

I Spit on Your Grave (1978) SPOILERS IN THIS EPISODE A note from Marshall about the next few planned episodes of Collective Nightmares: The representation of particular real life horrors has long been an interest of mine. Monsters, ghosts, haunted houses, and the other fantastical elements of scary films are clearly interesting to me and … Continue reading "I Spit On Your Grave (1978)"

SPOILERS IN THIS EPISODE FOR NIGHT OF THE DEMONS (1988) This week we changed it up considerably because we attended a screening of Night of the Demons with Scream Queen Linnea Quigley attending in person! Whaaat?! How awesome is that? She was kind, genuine, friendly, and super generous with her time and energy. (She autographed … Continue reading "Night of the Demons (1988)"

SPOILERS IN THIS EPISODE FOR NIGHT OF THE DEMONS (1988)

This week we changed it up considerably because we attended a screening of Night of the Demons with Scream Queen Linnea Quigley attending in person! Whaaat?! How awesome is that?

She was kind, genuine, friendly, and super generous with her time and energy. (She autographed and did a receiving line for an entire theater full of people including signing two of my Japanese original Return of the Living Dead (1985) posters)!!!

Night of the Demons is a classic B horror movie of the 1980s for all of the best reasons.

Extra special thank you to Linnea Quigley! And thank you Alamo Drafthouse Littleton for continuing to do these awesome special events!

As always, thanks for listening (if anyone actually is listening). Please let us know if you are!

www.collectivenightmares.com

IG: @collectivenightmares

paypal.me/collectivenightmares


“Horror films are our collective nightmares.” Robin Wood.

Films mentioned this episode:

Kill, Baby … Kill – NO spoilers

Vertigo (1958) – NO spoilers

Halloween (1978) – NO spoilers

Videodrome (1983) – MINOR SPOILERS

SPOILERS BELOW

TOPIC INDEX – Night of the Demons (1988)

2:23 – Laura’s first take

2:54 – Marshall’s first take

3:22 – Why is this good?

5:14 – A larger message and representations of race and gender

7:17 – Sex means death trope

8:10 – Taking the male gaze

8:40 – The lipstick and Cronenberg’s Videdrome (1983) – Minor spoilers

9:49 – Walter “Walking IMDb” Chaw hosted the film

9:50 – A feminist film?

11:23 – More on Walter’s discussion

13:05 – More on the feminism of Linnea Quigley

14:18 – Ending of the film

14:55 – Distracting the clerks

16:06 – Back to why is it so good?

16:52 – Exemplary shots

17:31 – Kill, Baby … Killl!

18:16 – Embrace being a B movie

21:23 – Waxing nostalgic for 80s horror

21:56 – Lewis Carroll’s Alice

22:21 – Laura recommends the film

24:23 – The nudity of 80s horror, especially lower budget 80s horror

25:40 – So it is empowering? Laura asks the money question

26:47 – 80s horror for profit

27:36 – Nudity was different in the 80s?

31:00 – Compared to Atlanta strip club culture articles vs Laura’s personal experience (for research).

SPOILERS IN THIS EPISODE FOR NIGHT OF THE DEMONS (1988) This week we changed it up considerably because we attended a screening of Night of the Demons with Scream Queen Linnea Quigley attending in person! Whaaat?! How awesome is that? She was kind, genuine, friendly, and super generous with her time and energy. (She autographed … Continue reading "Night of the Demons (1988)"

This week we expected to discuss Ghostland by Pascal Laugier to continue April-Laugier month. However, we couldn’t find a single screening of the film in the Denver area. So instead we discuss A Quiet Place. This film has proven to be very popular for both audiences and critics. We went in curious and cautious. We … Continue reading "A Quiet Place"

This week we expected to discuss Ghostland by Pascal Laugier to continue April-Laugier month. However, we couldn’t find a single screening of the film in the Denver area. So instead we discuss A Quiet Place. This film has proven to be very popular for both audiences and critics. We went in curious and cautious.

We will return with discussion of more of Laugier’s films as soon as we can.

SPOILERS IN THIS EPISODE FOR

A Quiet Place

It Comes At Night

The Corpse of Anna Fritz

It

These are marked below so you can skip that segment. 

As always, thanks for listening (if anyone actually is listening). Please let us know if you are!

* www.collectivenightmares.com

* IG: collectivenightmares 

* paypal.me/collectivenightmares

“Horror films are our collective nightmares.” Robin Wood.

Topic Index

5:11 – Marshall’s overall take 

8:00 – Marshall starts in on the baby

8:08 – Laura’s overall take

14:03 – More on not trusting the audience enough

15:47 – Laura on the social aspects

15:57 – Laura on the baby

16:35 – 16:50 Compare to It – Spoilers

17:12 – Post-apocalypse parenting

19:44 – Compare to It Comes At Night

27:06 – Laura on creature films

27:46 to 28:37- The Corpse of Anna Fritz – Spoilers 

29:10 to 30:03 – Compare to The Thing and Alien – no spoilers

31:54 – How would we improve the film? Or missed opportunities, missed opportunities everywhere.

40:16 – Marshall still being that person about “instincts”

41:42 to 42:30 – More comparison to It Comes At Night – Spoilers

45:29 – Back to the baby

48:00 – The heterosexual imaginary by Ingraham

49:05 – Marshall still being a jerk about babies. Yup, babies.

53:39 – Comparing the opening sequence to the opening sequence from It

This week we expected to discuss Ghostland by Pascal Laugier to continue April-Laugier month. However, we couldn’t find a single screening of the film in the Denver area. So instead we discuss A Quiet Place. This film has proven to be very popular for both audiences and critics. We went in curious and cautious. We … Continue reading "A Quiet Place"