Episode 42. French Kiss: Calvaire (2004) and Martyrs (2008)

Diving into the depths of France and Belgium, Alex and Andrea examine the politics and borders of New French Extremity. Confronting the complex historical narrative that France has created for itself, all is not as it appears as these films bring the repressed to light. REQUIRED READING Calvaire. Dir Fabrice Du Welz, 2004. Martyrs. Dir Pascal Laugier, 2008. EXTRA CREDIT Films of the New French Extremity: Visceral Horror and National Identity – Alex’s book on things French, filmic and extreme.   Saint Joan of Arc’s Trials – a fascinating morbid legal procedural.   Flash sale – Get your limited edition Faculty of Horror “Class of 2016” t-shirts! Available for pre-order until September 30th, 2016. 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.