Faculty of Horror

By Andrea Subissati and Alexandra West

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Typical duration
54 min
per episode

Based on Podcast App listening data

Faculty of Horror episodes

April 27, 2021 Episode 95. Faith and Chance: Possession (1981)
In this episode, we delve into the murky waters of intimate relationships, nuclear families, and revolutionary theatre practices with Andrej Zulawski’s Possession. From the film’s almost instant cult-status to its rocky release, we look at what has made Possession one of the great filmic break-ups and breakthroughs of the late 20th century.

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REQUIRED READING
Possession. Dir Andrej Zulawski, 1981.
EXTRA CREDIT
House of Psychotic Women. Kier-La Janisse’s examination from horror from her perspective. A ground-breaking and personal look at the genre.

Once Upon a Text: Hysteria from Hippocrates. Helen King’s chapter on the patriarchal uses of the term “hysteria.”

Five of the best… Sarah Kane Plays. The National Theatre’s overview of Kane’s writing with links, if you’d like to learn more about her.

Possession: A Marriage of the Natural and Supernatural. David West’s look at the film and Anna’s cryptic monologue.

The Coronavirus Crisis Shows It’s Time to Abolish the Family – an article on why emancipation from capitalism might mean the abolition of one of our most sacred institutions.

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1 hr 8 min
April 25, 2021 Fack Flash! Mortal Kombat (2021) – PREVIEW
CHOOSE YOUR DESTINY! Andrea and Alex got unreasonably excited about the new Mortal Kombat movie, so we recorded our pre-and post-movie impressions in an all-new Fack Flash.

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8 min
March 21, 2021 Episode 94. Bad Romance: Twilight (2008)
Get out the glitter and baseball bats because we’re diving into the complex world of Twilight. From fandom to first love to coming of age and problematic depictions, we’re going deep with this one. Hold on tight, spider monkey!

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REQUIRED READING
Twilight. Dir. Catherine Hardwicke, 2008.
EXTRA CREDIT
How Twilight Changed Fan Culture Forever. A look at Twilight‘s intersection of fandom and the rise of social media.

“I Can’t Believe We Read This Whole Book!” How Reading for Their Own Purposes Affected Struggling Teens. Examining the power of reading from a teaching perspective.

Mormon Vampires in the Garden of Eden. How Stephanie Meyer’s Mormonism presents in her text.

Reviving Ophelia. An iconic text that looks at the intersection of teenage girls and media.

The Twilight Saga’s Issue with Indigenous Culture. A breakdown of how the Twilight Saga‘s representation of Indigeneity is problematic.

Catherine Hardwicke Broke Records With ‘Twilight.’ Then Hollywood Labeled Her ‘Difficult.’ Hardwicke’s 2018 interview that details her struggles with getting the film made and her fight for a more diverse cast.

Twilight’s Heteronormative Reversal of the Monstrous: Utopia and the Gothic Design. Is Twilight an inversion of the Gothic?

Teams, Tears, and Testimonials. A cultural analysis of the fan-populated Twilight Time Capsule.

Twilight: the franchise that ate feminism. An overview of the popular criticisms leveled at the series.

Twilight reviewed by Mark Kermode. The veteran film critic goes to bat for Twilight.

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2 hr 1 min
February 25, 2021 Episode 93. Candid Camera: Perfect Blue (1997) and Cam (2018)
From pop idols to cam girls, the line between reality and perception is dangerously blurred. In this episode, Andrea and Alex delve into the world of personas, obsession and perfection with two films, released decades apart, that grapple with modern anxieties.

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REQUIRED READING
Perfect Blue. Dir. Satoshi Kon, 1997.
Cam. Dir. Daniel Goldhaber, 2018.
EXTRA CREDIT
Ways of Seeing. John Berger’s BBC series on gaze and perception.

Why We’re Obsessed with Celebrities. Psychology Today‘s take our desire for fame equating goodness.

Camgirl. Isa Mazzei’s memoir of camming.

Algorithms have already taken over human decision making. The impact of algorithms on our day-to-day lives.

#Horror – Is It Worth the Fight? A discussion of censorship and the hashtag #horror.

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1 hr 57 min
February 13, 2021 Fack Flash! Best Couples in Horror – PREVIEW
Roses are red,
Violets are blue
The best couples in horror!
From us, to you <3
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5 min
February 06, 2021 Episode 92. 2020 Year In Review: Dawn of the Fack
A year in review of a year like no other. The world may have been disrupted in a myriad of ways but we still watched a lot of great content so enjoy our favourite films of last year, a Q&A with questions from you, a very special crossover with Gaylords of Darkness and bloopers. Always bloopers.

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EXTRA CREDIT
Alex’s picks:

Movies
9. The Invisible Man
8. Vivarium
7. Possessor
6. Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist
5. Host
4. Swallow
3. She Dies Tomorrow
2. La Llorona
1. His House

Books
Ghostland by Colin Dickey
Art of the Occult by S. Elizabeth
The Witches are Coming by Lindy West
Shit, Actually by Lindy West
The Home by Mats Strandberg

Andrea’s picks:

5. The Invisible Man
4. The Hunt
3. His House
2. Possessor
1. La Llorona

Books
A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay
Circe by Madeline Miller
Devolution by Max Brooks
The Witches are Coming by Lindy West
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3 hr 9 min
December 22, 2020 Episode 91. Reality Bites: Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
In our final episode of 2020, Andrea and Alex venture back in time to Franco’s Spain to face down nightmares, bravery and politics – both real and imagined – as they break down Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth.

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REQUIRED READING
Pan’s Labyrinth. Dir. Guillermo del Toro, 2006.
EXTRA CREDIT
Stuff You Missed in History Class: A look at Franco’s rise to power and his destructive decades long grip on Spain.

Spain Tackles Franco’s Ghost (again): Politico’s analysis of how Spain continues to deal with Franco’s lasting impact.

Insights into Self-Deception: The New York Times piece invoking the “Vital Lie.”

Speaking the Truth with Folk and Fairy Tales: Jack Zipes’ essay about the ongoing power of the stories we tell.

“With a smile and a song …”: Walt Disney and the Birth of the American Fairy Tale. What Mickey Mouse, fairy tales and the American Dream have in common.

Vice International: Inside Spain’s Fascism Fandom.
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1 hr 31 min
November 24, 2020 Episode 90. Dream Within a Dream: Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)
In this episode, Alex and Andrea we venture into the knowns and many unknowns of Peter Weir’s seminal Australian film. From missing white women to colonialism and purity and propriety, we tackle the many mysteries of Hanging Rock.

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REQUIRED READING
Picnic at Hanging Rock. Dir. Peter Weir, 1975.
EXTRA CREDIT
Gaylords of Darkness’ Episode 71: Their fantastic episode on Picnic at Hanging Rock.

The Secret of Hanging Rock: A PDF of the excised final chapter and accompanying essays.

Miranda Must Go: A campaign to overhaul the tourism surrounding Hanging Rock.

The Uses of Fear: Spatial Politics in the Australian Whiter-vanishing Trope: Elspeth Tilley’s article examining Australian fascination with missing white women.

The Apology and the Battle over Australia’s Founding Myth – Lindy Edward’s piece on reparations in Australia.
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1 hr 5 min
November 19, 2020 Fack Flash! The Craft: Legacy – PREVIEW
The much-anticipated (if less embraced) The Craft: Legacy is out and we had… feelings… accompanied by a strange and sudden desire for an adult beverage. Blessed be?
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6 min
November 03, 2020 Episode 89. Die Partisan: The Dead Zone (1983)
SURPRISE! We’re back with a bonus episode to help you get through Election Day and the ensuing aftermath by talking about David Cronenberg’s The Dead Zone. In this episode, we delve into notions of fate, time travel paradoxes, cults of personality, the responsibility of the individual, and the importance of a good wool coat.

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REQUIRED READING
The Dead Zone. Dir. David Cronenberg, 1983.
EXTRA CREDIT
The Witches Are Coming. Lindy West’s essay collection written in response to the rise of Trump.

David Cronenberg, Debra Hill and Martin Sheen interviews. Interviews from the release of the film complete with great fashion and chain smoking.

The Philosophical Problem of Killing Baby Hitler, Explained. Vox’s explanation of the grandfather/Hitler paradox.

A Cult of Personality Can Derail Democracy. Why it’s important to recognize the danger of the track we’re on.
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1 hr 30 min