Episode 36. Mommy Dearest: The Babadook (2014) and Goodnight Mommy (2014)

Everyone’s got mother issues, right? This episode examines the perceived and manifested strains on maternal instinct once malevolent forces enter the picture. Alex and Andrea investigate where these forces come from and what they truly want. REQUIRED READING The Babadook. Dir Jennifer Kent, 2014. Goodnight Mommy. Dirs Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz, 2014. EXTRA CREDIT Monster. Jennifer Kent’s short film on which The Babadook was based. The Mommy Trap: Four recent horror movies by women explore the most troubling aspects of motherhood. The Monstrous Feminine: Film, Feminism, Psychoanalysis by Barbara Creed.   Talking to the Directors of the Horror Film ‘Goodnight Mommy‘. Vice talks to the directors about the origins of the film. COURSE NOTES  Intro song: Nail Ballet from Nightmare Picture Theatre, courtesy of James Zirco Fisher. LISTEN Right click or option-click here and choose “Save Target As…” to download the mp3.