Afleveringen
-
Our last episode for horror parody is the 2022 film ‘The Blackening’, directed by Tim Story. βπ½βπΎβπΏ
We discuss the realistic friendship dynamics of the central group, describe our amusement at the playful use of Black stereotypes and explain how this film rejects Blackness as a monolith.
The Coven: Louisa, Tyia and Zeba
Theme and ‘Witch of the Week’ Music by: Sebastian Pizzaro
*CONTENT WARNING*
Violence, death, murder, discussions of racism, racial violence and racist stereotypes -
Welcome to Camp Bloodbath! π²πͺπ§ Continuing with our horror parody theme, we're covering the 2015 comedy ‘The Final Girls’, directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson.
In this episode, we identify the recurring use of grief in horror, analyse the final girl trope and this film’s regrettable lack of engagement with Carol Clover’s original text, and debate to what extent the trope effectively challenges gender norms/binaries.
Petition for someone to actually make Camp Bloodbath?
The Coven: Louisa, Mila, Tyia and Zeba
Theme and ‘Witch of the Week’ Music by: Sebastian Pizzaro
*CONTENT WARNING*
Discussions of violence against women, the death of a parent, grief and a brief mention of rape -
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
-
“No, please don’t kill me Mr. Ghostface – I wanna be in the sequel!” It’s time for horror parodies and so we’re taking on the 1996 classic ‘Scream’, directed by Wes Craven. π±πͺπ©Έ
We compare the poignancy of the original to its many sequels, explore the difficulties of effective satire in the age of media oversaturation, and describe the surprisingly accurate portrayal of misogyny and masculinity in the first movie.
FYI: If the next ghostface is revealed to be a True Crime podcast host, just know this was OUR idea.
The Coven: Louisa, Mila, Tyia and Zeba
Theme and ‘Witch of the Week’ Music by: Sebastian Pizzaro
*CONTENT WARNING*
Discussions of rape, sexual coercion, femicide, violence against women and domestic abuse -
For our last serial killer episode, we're covering the 2023 crime thriller ‘Red Rooms’, directed by Pascal Plante. π₯π»
This episode is extra special because it includes snippets from an interview with the director himself. We discuss the fascinating shift in focus from murderers to their admirers, and attempt to unpick the psychology of female serial killer groupies and their parasocial relationships. We also express appreciation for this film’s impactful use of sound and responsibly restrained depiction of violence against girls.
The Coven: Louisa, Mila, Tyia and Zeba
Theme and ‘Witch of the Week’ Music by: Sebastian Pizzaro
*CONTENT WARNING*
Violence, death, murder, discussions of paedophilia and grooming, the dark web, violence against women and girls, sexual violence and exploitative internet sub cultures -
Continuing our serial killer theme, we're covering the 2010 action thriller ‘I Saw the Devil’, directed by Kim Jee-woon. πππΉ
In this episode, we discuss the thriller’s relentless violence and its thematic purpose, debate whether the main character's driving motivation is narcissism or grief, and talk about Western exoticism of so-called "Asia Extreme" films.
The Coven: Louisa, Mila, Tyia and Zeba
Theme and ‘Witch of the Week’ Music by: Sebastian Pizzaro
*CONTENT WARNING*
Violence, death, murder, brief mention of child murder and decapitation, discussions of sexual assault -
Ciao a tutti βΛβ½ we're back with szn 5! Our first theme is serial killers, starting off with the 1982 Italian horror mystery, 'Tenebrae', directed by Dario Argento. π‘π
We summarise the origins of "giallo" in Italian cinema, unravel the many layers of Argento's meta-commentary through the film's eroticised violence, voyeurism and plot twists, and identify some potential crises of sexuality and gender.
The Coven: Louisa, Mila, Tyia and Zeba
Theme and ‘Witch of the Week’ Music by: Sebastian Pizzaro
*CONTENT WARNING*
Violence, death, murder and discussions of symbolic rape in a psychoanalytic context -
Hi gay! π³οΈπ For this extra long Pride special, we're covering the gory gay thriller ‘Love Lies Bleeding’, directed by Rose Glass. ποΈβοΈππͺπ³ππ₯π«π¬
We discuss love and addiction, giantess kinks and bodybuilding as a form of drag. We also praise this film’s refreshing disregard for queer respectability politics with its messy central couple. Get pumped!
This episode is π¦Ήextraπ¦Ή special because we are joined by our first ever guest, Reem @pacificreem :) Based in Paris, their work focuses on the long history of what might be called moral-panic entertainment, from exploitation films to video games. They are also one half of Gross Encounters - a workshop, festival and film screening club that engages with the politics of monstrosity and alienhood by honouring low-brow, low-budget and low-resolution horror and sci-fi productions, their fandoms and their scholars. Check it out here: @_gross_encounters_ or www.grossencounters.com.
The Coven: Louisa, Mila, Tyia and Zeba
Special Guest: Reem
Theme and ‘Witch of the Week’ Music by: Sebastian Pizzaro
*CONTENT WARNING*
Violence, death, murder, addiction (specifically, steroid misuse), mentions of symbolic sexual violence and domestic abuse -
Our final dreams in horror pick is the 2021 crime mystery ‘Malignant’, directed by James Wan.
πΉ
π§₯
This film is nothing like what you’d expect. We delight at the action-movie sequences and marvel at the camp of it all. We also debate this movie’s bonkers biology and manage to identify every single monstrous-feminine trope in all the seemingly shallow tomfoolery.
The Coven: Louisa, Mila, Tyia and Zeba
Theme and ‘Witch of the Week’ Music by: Sebastian Pizzaro
*CONTENT WARNING*
Violence, death, murder, mentions of birth defects and rape -
Continuing our dreams in horror theme with the 2021 horror mystery ‘Last Night in Soho’, directed by Edgar Wright. π©π€ππ§₯πͺπ΅π₯
In this episode, we express how we had some trouble pinning down the message of the film. We (shockingly) didn’t quite take to the female revenge storyline. We also unpick the uneven characterisation and uneasy racial dynamics in this film.
The Coven: Louisa, Mila, Tyia and Zeba
Theme and ‘Witch of the Week’ Music by: Sebastian Pizzaro
*CONTENT WARNING*
Violence, death, murder, discussions of forced sex work and sexual exploitation, mental illness and suicide -
This month, we’re tackling dreams in horror. Our first film is the seminal 1984 film ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’, directed by Wes Craven. π€ποΈπ©Έπ΅ππ
In this episode, we discuss how this film set the bar for the dream horror canon. We also debate the Freudian and monstrous feminine readings of this film, pondering how modern audiences might receive this film differently. Finally, we talk about how iconic slasher killers have become folkloric figures in popular culture.
The Coven: Louisa, Mila, Tyia and Zeba
Theme and ‘Witch of the Week’ Music by: Sebastian Pizzaro
*CONTENT WARNING*
Violence, death, murder, discussions of sexual assault, paedophilia, child abuse and castration -
Our last children in horror episode is the 2001 horror mystery ‘The Devil's Backbone’, directed by Guillermo del Toro. πΉππ¦΄
We talk about how the characters function as allegories for the many different political allegiances within the Spanish Civil War. We also delve into horror as a political tool and how ghosts frequently symbolise the repressed trauma of a collective. Finally, we discuss how this film problematises how we view innocence, showing how men are denied empathy during war.
The Coven: Louisa, Tyia and Zeba
Theme and ‘Witch of the Week’ Music by: Sebastian Pizzaro
*CONTENT WARNING*
Violence, murder, discussions of death (specifically, death of a child), war (specifically, the Spanish Civil War) and fascism -
Continuing our children in horror theme, we’re tackling the 1999 psychological thriller ‘The Sixth Sense’, directed by M. Night Shyamalan. ππ πβπ6οΈβ£
We debate the varying depictions of motherhood and fatherhood, address why this film works so well as a ghost story and discuss how it makes a poignant commentary on familial communication and grief.
The Coven: Louisa, Tyia and Zeba
Theme and ‘Witch of the Week’ Music by: Sebastian Pizzaro
*CONTENT WARNING*
Violence, murder, discussions of death (specifically, the death of children), self harm, domestic abuse, gun violence and fabricated induced illness -
This month's theme is children in horror, and we’re starting with the 1984 ‘Children of the Corn’ directed by Fritz Kiersch. π¦π»π½βοΈπ§πΌπ½βοΈ
In this episode, we talk about how the presence of children affects the genre and what they symbolise in horror. We also identify the folk horror elements of this film, discussing how it operates as a commentary on religious fanaticism in America.
The Coven: Louisa, Tyia and Zeba
Theme and ‘Witch of the Week’ Music by: Sebastian Pizzaro
*CONTENT WARNING*
Violence, murder, discussions of death (specifically, the death of children) and a brief description of domestic abuse -
Our last folk horror film of the month is the 2022 psychodrama ‘Enys Men’, directed by Mark Jenkin. πΏβοΈπ€π»π¦π
For us, this film raises the central question: what do you want from horror? Do you like style (vibes) or substance (plot)? Is style without substance monotonous? We debate this film’s effectiveness and then go into the potential political and socioeconomic readings of the film. We also discuss how it may be using nature and folk horror traditions to comment on industrialism and trade unionism in Thatcherite Britain.
The Coven: Louisa, Mila, Tyia and Zeba
Theme and ‘Witch of the Week’ Music by: Sebastian Pizzaro
*CONTENT WARNING*
Death and climate anxiety -
Continuing with our folk horror theme with the 2019 film ‘Impetigore’, directed by Joko Anwar. ππ€°π½ββπ²πΊ
In this episode, we discuss the film's many thrilling slasher tropes, talk about how ‘Impetigore’ plays with conventions of the folk horror subgenre, and locate its true source of horror: the wrath of "boy moms".
The Coven: Louisa, Mila, Tyia and Zeba
Theme and ‘Witch of the Week’ Music by: Sebastian Pizzaro
*CONTENT WARNING*
Violence, death, murder, intergenerational trauma, rape, femicide and infanticide -
This month, we’re exploring the "happenings" of folk horror - kicking off this theme with the 1973 horror musical ‘The Wicker Man’, directed by Robin Hardy. πΎπ°πππ
In this episode, we give an overview of the global folk horror canon and discuss its tropes. We then focus on British folk horror films, and ask ourselves in what ways do its classist, religious and colonialist undertones work as a nation-making form of media. We debate the central question: who is the butt of the joke in folk horror: is it the insular pagan community or the ignorant and judgemental outsider? Finally, we give an honourable mention to the bizarre 2006 remake with Nicolas Cage (“NOT THE BEEZ!” π).
The Coven: Louisa, Mila, Tyia and Zeba
Theme and ‘Witch of the Week’ Music by: Sebastian Pizzaro
*CONTENT WARNING*
Violence, death, murder, mentions of colonial violence and human sacrifice -
WELCOME TO SZN 4. To show our love, we’re kicking off the year with a one-off Valentine’s Special, and our patreon pledges have selected the 2016 thriller ‘The Handmaiden’, directed by Park Chan-wook. ππππ
In this episode, we discuss the cinematic gaze as a tool to explore queerness, subvert patriarchal and colonial violence, and break down the thin boundary between voyeurism and exploitation. On the other hand, we also go into the issues behind categorising cinematic depictions of desire as quintessentially "female" or "male", and also discuss the limitations of the camera as a mostly male invention.
The Coven: Louisa, Mila, Tyia and Zeba
Theme and ‘Witch of the Week’ Music by: Sebastian Pizzaro
*CONTENT WARNING*
Violence, death, murder, discussions of colonial violence, sexual abuse and castration -
Our final femcel case study to discuss is the 2019 film ‘Ma’, directed by Tate Taylor. π»π€πΏππ
The general takeaway from this movie is: don’t think too hard about it. Are there plot holes? Yes. Are there bizarre character and plot inconsistencies? Absolutely. Does race add a strange dimension to the film? Definitely. However: do you have a good time watching? Without a doubt. We recommend ‘Ma’ if only for the memes.
The Coven: Louisa, Tyia and Zeba
Theme and ‘Witch of the Week’ Music by: Sebastian Pizzaro
*CONTENT WARNING*
Violence, death, murder, fabricated induced illness, under-age drinking, discussions of sexual assault and sexual predation of minors -
Continuing our exploration of femcels movies, we’re tackling one of Tyia’s favourites, ‘Gone Girl’, directed by David Fincher. ππ πβοΈπ
Cool Girl ~gender neutral~
/ku:l/ /Ι‘ΙΛl/
noun
1. The unrealistically chill persona you adopt during the early days of a relationship in order to seem more desirable to your new partner.
‘In my youth, I definitely played the cool girl.’
verb
1. To suppress your emotional needs and compromise your integrity for the sake of remaining attractive to your new partner.
‘I will no longer cool girl in my relationships.’
In this episode, we unpick this iconic term and what it means for love and relationships.
The Coven: Louisa, Tyia and Zeba
Theme and ‘Witch of the Week’ Music by: Sebastian Pizzaro
*CONTENT WARNING*
Violence, death, murder, femicide, domestic abuse, discussions of misogyny, rape and false rape accusations -
Our final theme of this season is femcel horror and we’re kicking off with the 1997 anime ‘Perfect Blue’, directed by Satoshi Kon. π€ππ
In this episode, we explain the history and origin of the term "femcel", discuss the dangers of internet stan culture and delve into the exploitative nature of the music and television industries.
The Coven: Louisa, Tyia and Zeba
Theme and ‘Witch of the Week’ Music by: Sebastian Pizzaro
*CONTENT WARNING*
Violence, death, murder, discussions of stalking, misogyny, rape, sexual exploitation and mental illness - Laat meer zien
