Puny Mortal Podcast

The Horror Genre & Death

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Intro

In this episode of the Puny Mortal podcast, we discuss our relationship with horror films and how it connects to

our experiences and emotions around death and mortality.


Summary

We explore the influence of our dead dad on our interest (particularly LV's) in horror, our childhood memories of watching horror films, and the impact of horror on our perception of death and dying.

We also discuss the different ways in which we currently engage with horror films, with KV being unable to watch them nowadays due to an extreme reaction to a zombie film in the early 2000s, and LV continuing to enjoy them as a form of escapism and thrill.

SPOILER ALERTS IN THE NOTES & CHAPTERS BELOW.

Listen out for LV's audio zombie impression at 15:40.

We also discuss the connection between horror and neurodivergence, particularly in terms of disability and neurodivergent characters being portrayed as monsters or villains. We also briefly touch on the idea of creating new narratives and stories that challenge these stereotypes.

By the way, KV drops a swear word at 17:56 and LV trumps this by uttering a worse swear word at 34:46. FFS.

As always, we move on to discuss our own funeral plans, in the hope that it might inspire you to think about your own. Today we discuss our thoughts on 'funeral readings' and our choices for 'coffin toppers' and/or farewell flowers. You can buy your funeral planning zine from our webshop. Choose from a downloadable PDF you can print at home OR a riso printed kit on recycled coloured paper stock that we post to your house.

Links and points of clarification

  • LV and Dad bonded over their love of horror action films like the Aliens franchise, Starship Troopers, Total Recall, Silence of the Lambs, Jaws and more.
  • They would often converse in everyday life via horror film quotes alone.
  • Jaws was rated PG when we watched it in the 80s.
  • LV says Jaws is in her top 10 horror films. We must find out the other 9.
  • Troll was the first horror film we watched (1986). We were 9 and 7. Troll is rated 15. We borrowed it by ourselves on VHS videotape from a local corner shop in Wolverhampton.
  • Look In magazine of the 1980s was where we got ALL our pre-teen knowledge of pop music and film stars.
  • SPOILER ALERTS for the film 28 Days Later (see chapter timestamp below if you want to skip it). KV mentions this upsetting scene involving a crow.
  • KV didn't watch another horror film between 2002 and 2017 when she attempted to watch The Conjuring on Netflix. That didn't go well.
  • LV mentions Jenan Matari when talking about some of the underlying problematic politics of the horror genre. Watch the video here.
  • LV hates the 'torture porn' sub-genre (not actual porn)
  • She loves supernatural films. "What I'm after is make believe. I love spooky. Give me scary fairies. A grown-up version of Labyrinth."
  • We briefly mention the children's book Bottersnikes and Gumbles, which has a great chapter on the fake death and funeral of the King of the Bottersnikes.
  • When LV drops the F bomb at 34:46, she does so in relation to a Philip Larkin poem.
  • LV mentions the Farewell Flowers Directory - a network of UK eco flower farmers & florists.

    • Chapters

    01:00-01:45 Introduction to Episode 4

    01:46-03:10 LV & our dad bonding over horror action

    03:11-04:30 LV's gateway horror film on VHS

    04:31-07:00 Childhood fear of Freddie Kruger

    07:01-08:15 How horror films made us feel about death

    08:16-09:15 Key horror films from our childhood

    09:16-10:30 Why did we watch horror as children?

    10:31-13:51 Pet Sematary & Stephen King

    13:52-14:20 Our current relationships with horror films

    14:21-19:04 28 Days Later & KV saying byeeeee to horror

    19:05-20:50 Becoming a parent & horror films

    20:51-24:30 From escapism to critiquing the genre

    24:31-26:04 Films even LV can't watch

    26:05-27:20 LV favourite horror genre

    27:21-27:53 Horror as a form of memento mori?

    27:54-32:25 Horror, neurodivergence & disability

    32:26-37:24 KV & LV's 'get mortal' funeral plans

    ...more
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