Supercontext: an autopsy of media

This 2007 concept album by The World/Inferno Friendship Society, inspired by screen actor Peter Lorre, is just one piece of the larger performative project that was the life of Jack Terricloth. We talk about the band, the album, the lifestyle, and the limits of the World/Inferno Friendship Society's punk cabaret spectacle. Sources https://coilhouse.net/2009/12/jack-terricloth-is-alive-and-at-large-in-gotham/ https://www.theaquarian.com/2012/12/03/the-worldinferno-friendship-societys-hallowmas-warsaw/ https://www.punknews.org/article/38826/interviews-jack-terricloth-world-inferno-friendship-society https://www.treblezine.com/worldinferno-friendship-society-addicted-to-bad-ideas/ Jordan, Chris. "Jack Terricloth, from Jersey Suburbs to World/Inferno Friendship Society, has Died." TCA Regional News, 14 May 2021, ProQuest. Web. 26 Mar. 2026 . https://www.popmatters.com/the-world-inferno-friendship-society-addicted-to-bad-ideaspeter-lorres-20th-2496212229.html https://imposemagazine.com/reviews/addicted-to-bad-ideas-world-in Sisario, Ben. "Jack Terricloth, 50, Smarmy Vocalist And Key to Punk Cabaret Movement." New York Times, 18 May 2021, p. A21(L). Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A662078840/AONE?u=mlin_b_umass&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=7aa0e86b. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026. Sisario, Ben. "Addicted to Peter Lorre (that voice, those eyes)." New York Times, 8 Jan. 2009, p. C1(L). Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A191744194/AONE?u=mlin_b_umass&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=8ae3a733. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026. https://www.punknews.org/review/6660/world-inferno-friendship-society-addicted-to-bad-ideas https://thephoenix.com/boston/music/120801-world-inferno-friendship-society-lead-a-punk-c/ https://www.threepennyreview.com/burning-up/ https://www.vice.com/en/article/rank-your-records-the-world-inferno-friendship-society-jack-terricloth/ https://youtu.be/iADNLE7H5qE?si=JiGng9YlENpMFX-d  

This 1969 anarchic film comedy was based on a Terry Southern novel and championed by Peter Sellers, but it seemed to mark the start of a decline for both their fortunes. We take on Chris's favorite movie, and try to get to the bottom of why he likes it, Charlie doesn't, and everybody agrees with both of us. Sources: https://www.thespinningimage.co.uk/cultfilms/displaycultfilm.asp?reviewid=145 https://web.archive.org/web/20080115004058/http://www.filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/ddb5490109a79f598625623d0015f1e4/0c63a2560495532008256cbb00826ca3?OpenDocument http://www.visual-memory.co.uk/amk/doc/0081.html https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/01/06/17/specials/southern-magicfilm.html https://lecinemadreams.blogspot.com/2022/07/the-magic-christian-1969.html https://www.genxculture.com/the-magic-christian-the-most-60s-film-ever-made/20/04/2020/ Flanagan, K. The Road to Excess Leads to THE MAGIC CHRISTIAN: Comedy, Excess, and the Limits of the Body. Dassanowsky-Harris, R. (1992). The Southern Journey: "Candy" and "The Magic" Christian as Cinematic Picaresques. Studies in Popular Culture, 15(1), 95–111.  

This horror comic has achieved surprising success despite its gore and all the dead kids. We talk about the comic's creation and promotion, and we ask "Is this all about trauma? Why aren't people talking about that?"  Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Something is Killing the Children Sources https://youtu.be/-CpVx-BDBK0?si=by5gNx6RpKVKB4cF https://thecreativeindependent.com/people/comic-book-artist-james-tynion-iv-on-leaning-into-inspiration/ https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/something-is-killing-the-children-movie-blumhouse-1236409897/ https://www.horrordna.com/features/james-tynion-iv-talks-something-is-killing-the-children-2 https://aiptcomics.com/2019/10/10/nycc-james-tynion-iv-boom-studios-something-is-killing-the-children-interview/ http://www.multiversitycomics.com/interviews/tynion-iv-harburn-something-is-killing-the-children/#google_vignette https://www.cbr.com/james-tynion-iv-on-the-horrors-of-something-is-killing-the-children/ https://www.cbr.com/something-is-killing-the-children-horror-halloween-reading/ https://sktchd.com/interview/sktchdxtinyonion-part-two-how-to-build-a-comic/ https://bleedingcool.com/comics/james-tynion-iv-teases-a-something-is-killing-the-children-spin-off/ https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/boom-studios-penguin-random-house-1235945405/ https://waywordsstudio.com/general/reviews/something-is-killing-the-children-v-1-3-by-james-tynion-iv/ https://www.pages-and-panels.com/articles-and-interviews/werther-dell-edera https://www.businessinsider.com/comic-artist-drawing-process-something-is-killing-the-children-creator-2022-11?op=1 https://www.howtolovecomics.com/2023/07/05/something-is-killing-the-children/ Panel X Panel #32  

This sketch show mixes surreal humor, cringe comedy, and an everyman lead performer to craft an exploration of anxiety, status, and societal fear that still manages to make its audience laugh with joy. We talk about how and why the show was created, and whether it quiets or riles up our own anxieties.  Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Find it here on Netflix: I Think You Should Leave Sources: https://www.cracked.com/article_40892_is-i-think-you-should-leave-the-best-representation-of-anxiety-on-tv.html "Is Tim Robinson the funniest man alive?" Independent [Online], 21 Oct. 2025.  "'I try to be repulsive': comedian Patti Harrison on why she likes to bait liberal audiences; The Ohio-raised star of movies and TV shows such as Shrill and I Think You Should Leave says comedy is a refuge from the impacts of being trans and that, right now, she's happy to be in the UK." Guardian [London, England], 16 Sept. 2022. Anderson, Sam. "The Virtuoso of Cringe." The New York Times Magazine, 11 June 2023, p. 20(L). Gale General OneFile, https://www.wired.com/story/i-think-you-should-leave-was-right/ https://www.vulture.com/2019/12/i-think-you-should-leave-focus-group-oral-history.html https://collider.com/i-think-you-should-leave-tim-robinson-netflix-reddit-obsession/  

The novels VALIS, The Divine Invasion, and The Transmigration of Timothy Archer by legendary science-fiction author Philip K. Dick comprise the unofficial VALIS trilogy. Published between 1978 and 1982, these books use psychedelic imagery, religious history, and psychological inquiry to create a portrait of American culture in the late 70s and early 80s. We try to unpack them against the backdrop of our contemporary situation to gain a little clarity on our middle age and growing paranoia. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: The VALIS Trilogy Sources: https://philipdick.com/literary-criticism/interviews/horselover-fat-and-the-new-messiah/ https://muse.jhu.edu/article/237538 https://web.archive.org/web/20130528112644/http://www.philipkdick.com/media_twilightzone.html https://www.salon.com/2022/07/23/8-facts-about-philip-k-dick_partner/ https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/just-because-you-re-paranoid-philip-k-dick-s-troubled-life-1.3243976 Masculinity in the Novels of Philip K. Dick. Endopsychic Allegories John Boonstra: "Horselover Fat and The New Messiah" (Hartford Advocate April 22, 1981, p. 24 THE PSYCHEDELIC REINTERPRETATION OF CORPUS CHRISTI BY PHILIP K. DICK, Bogdan Trocha Dr. hab., Professor, University of Zielona Góra, Poland, Zielona Góra  

This 1979 instrumental record is considered the beginning of ambient music by many of its listeners. We unpack Eno's intentions behind the function of such music, while considering his goal of provoking his listeners to contemplate their own death. We also do our best to define Ambient Music for ourselves and resist the pull of academic dissection of artistic experimentation. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Ambient 1: Music For Airports Sources:  https://reverbmachine.com/blog/deconstructing-brian-eno-music-for-airports/ https://www.3ammagazine.com/litarchives/oct2001/interview_judy_nylon.html https://inmotionmagazine.com/eno1.html https://www.loudersound.com/features/mad-as-tits-but-successful-a-brief-history-of-eg-records http://music.hyperreal.org/artists/brian_eno/interviews/unk-78b.html http://music.hyperreal.org/artists/brian_eno/MFA-txt.html https://pitchfork.com/features/podcast/brian-eno-music-for-airports-review/ http://music.hyperreal.org/artists/brian_eno/interviews/musn79.html Lysaker, J. T. (2018). Brian Eno's Ambient 1: Music for airports. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190497293.001.0001 Cox C., Warner D., . (2004). Audio culture. New York: Continuum. Albiez, S., & Pattie, D. (Eds.). (2016). Brian Eno: Oblique Music. Bloomsbury Academic. Sheppard, David. On Some Faraway Beach : The Life and Times of Brian Eno, Chicago Review Press, Incorporated, 2009.

This 1981 horror/comedy film has achieved cult status within the film buff community, built the mold for horror comedies, and completely traumatized Charlie in his youth. Despite the controversies around its creator, it has become ripe for personal interpretations. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: An American Werewolf in London Sources https://davidmvining.wordpress.com/2024/07/24/an-american-werewolf-in-london/ https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-film-preservation-board/documents/Interview_John-Landis.pdf https://itcamefromblog.com/2018/01/17/famous-monsters-aliens-a-chat-with-rick-baker-monster-maker/ https://www.sfsite.com/10a/dn233.htm https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/an-american-werewolf-in-london-is-still-the-best-horror-reimagining/?pubDate=20250804 https://kevingoetz360.com/george-folsey-jr-film-editing-art-of-the-fix/ https://www.northernsoul.me.uk/griffin-dunne/ https://jennyagutter.net/ https://www.avid.wiki/PolyGram_Pictures https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/aug/21/an-american-werewolf-in-london-1981-john-landis https://jewishhorrorreview.com/tag/john-landis/ https://reellifemonsters.wordpress.com/2024/10/23/american-werewolf-in-london-queer-or-camp/ Elder, R. K. (2011). The film that changed my life : 30 directors on their epiphanies in the dark /. Chicago Review Press. Dietz, F., Bennett, J., Woodward, F. H., Weitz, S., & Maynard, R. (2021). Damn Dirty Geeks Talk Among Us!: Reflections on the classic films that make us geek out. Independently published. Curran, A. (2003). Aristotelian Reflections on Horror and Tragedy in An American Werewolf in London and The Sixth Sense. Dark Thoughts. Philosophic Reflections on Cinematic Horror. Lanham, Maryland & Oxford: The Scarecrow Press inc, 47-64. 'AMERICAN WEREWOLF,' HORROR PLUS LAUGHS Aug. 21, 1981 The New York Times Archives "A Meditation on 'An American Werewolf in London' The Old Horror Film from John Landis: A Queer Look," Walter Holland, April 5, 2023 "An American Werewolf in London at 40: John Landis's crafty creative peak," The Guardian, Guy Lodge. 

After being serialized in Heavy Metal magazine, this dystopian bio-punk comic was published as a beautiful book in 2010... and hardly anyone is talking about it now. We discuss the creators' intentions and hopes for the story, along with Heavy Metal's history, and Christian's youthful memories of Singapore. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Track it down from here: Fluorescent Black Sources https://www.zonanegativa.com/fluorescent-black-an-interview-with-m-f-wilson-and-nathan-fox/ https://variety.com/2007/film/news/imagi-plotting-fluorescent-black-1117975671/?jwsource=cl https://comicattack.net/ddwddnf/ https://livefromthedmz-blog.tumblr.com/post/18558447254/nathan-fox-interview https://vimeo.com/mfwilson https://www.comicbox.com/index.php/news-english/fluorescent-black-the-graphic-novel/ (review with full Heavy Metal press release text) https://readrant.wordpress.com/2010/09/27/review-fluorescent-black/ "A Challenge to Gene Theory, a Tougher Look at Biotech," New York Times, July 1, 2007 Waldby, C. (2009). Singapore Biopolis: Bare Life in the City-State. East Asian Science, Technology and Society: An International Journal, 3(2–3), 367–383. https://doi.org/10.1215/s12280-009-9089-2 https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/a-history-of-cyberpunk-comics/ Transhumanism - Francis Fukuyama

This television show, created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi, ran from 2021 to 2023, taking on themes like grief and indigenous identity with humor, inventive storytelling, and touching reminders of coming of age within a compassionate community. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Track it down from here: Reservation Dogs Sources: https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/reservation-dogs-the-real-story-of-okern-oklahoma/ https://deadline.com/2024/08/reservation-dogs-dpharaoh-woon-a-tai-interview-emmys-1236033993/ https://variety.com/2024/tv/awards/reservation-dogs-producer-migizi-pensoneau-indigenous-storytelling-1236044429/ https://screenrant.com/reservation-dogs-original-5-season-plan-details/ https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/reservation-dogs-sterlin-harjo-series-finale-interview-1235607021/ https://www.huffpost.com/entry/reservation-dogs-authentic-native-moments_n_64c5771fe4b03ad2b898c325 https://www.npr.org/2023/08/02/1191671833/the-unassumingly-brilliant-reservation-dogs-is-back-for-its-third-and-final-seas https://variety.com/2023/tv/features/reservation-dogs-creator-sterlin-harjo-why-ending-season-3-1235686188/ https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/reservation-dogs-season-3-tv-review-fx-hulu-1235547845/ https://www.npr.org/2022/08/08/1115613218/reservation-dogs-indian-native-american-hulu https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/sep/01/why-reservation-dogs-is-the-funniest-and-most-groundbreaking-new-tv-show https://www.salon.com/2021/08/09/reservation-dogs-fx-hulu-taika-waititi-sterlin-harjo/ https://www.cbr.com/reservation-dogs-hot-chip-metaphor/ https://www.indiewire.com/features/interviews/reservation-dogs-finale-sterlin-harjo-interview-1234910461/ https://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episode-1489-taika-waititi

This 2020 novel by Native American author Stephen Graham Jones mixes literary explorations of indigenous peoples' identity with slasher-film tropes, making it his first novel with mainstream success. Did Jones change something about his writing to get there, or did the literary world catch up to him? We discuss how history, symbols, and context fit into his project while asking, "Why did the literary establishment like this so much?" Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: The Only Good Indians Sources: https://blackfeetnation.com/ https://blog.nativehope.org/native-american-animals-the-elk-a-protector-and-relative https://academic.oup.com/isle/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/isle/isad056/7255951?redirectedFrom=fulltext https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/stephen-graham-jones-the-only-good-indians-interview/ https://ew.com/books/2019/08/08/only-good-indians-preview/ https://www.npr.org/2020/07/29/896840079/in-his-new-book-stephen-graham-jones-explores-the-idea-of-good-indians https://www.npr.org/2020/07/16/891433693/grief-and-guilt-spawn-horrors-in-the-only-good-indians https://www.jstor.org/stable/541345 https://journals.kent.ac.uk/index.php/transmotion/article/view/266/900 https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/books/story/2020-07-15/the-only-good-indians-by-stephen-graham-jones-review https://blog.nativehope.org/native-american-animals-the-elk-a-protector-and-relative https://filmobsessive.com/film/film-news/film-interviews/interview-stephen-graham-jones-a-discussion-on-lost-highway-and-mapping-the-interior/ ERIC GARY ANDERSON, et al. "Demon Theory for Beginners, or The Intertextual Badlands of Stephen Graham Jones." Postindian Aesthetics, University of Arizona Press, 2022, pp. 165-, https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv2c3k193.24. Washuta, Elissa and Warburton, Theresa. Shapes of Native Nonfiction: Collected Essays by Contemporary Writers, Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press, 2019. Schaak, Hogan D. "Bleeding All over the Shelves and Tracking It Out into the World: Theorizing Horror in the Indigenous North American Novels The Only Good Indians and Empire of Wild." Studies in the Fantastic, vol. 15, 2023, p. 94-126.

Fugazi, the legendary post-punk band, released Repeater, their first full-length record in 1990, and it still feels relevant today. We talk about the DIY ethic of the band and its label, and how they recorded a thematically unified collection of songs that is still interpreted in deeply personal ways by listeners who weren't alive when it came out. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store [if you're not getting it direct from Dischord or your local record store]: Repeater Sources: https://www.allmusic.com/album/repeater-mw0000086712 https://thequietus.com/opinion-and-essays/anniversary/fugazi-repeater-review/ https://consequence.net/2020/04/fugazi-repeater-album-anniversary/ https://pitchfork.com/features/interview/5840-fugazi/ https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/421596/nothing-but-a-number-a-live-history-of-fugazis-song-repeater/ https://alchetron.com/Guy-Picciotto Azerrad, M. (2001). Our band could be your life : scenes from the American indie underground, 1981-1991. Little, Brown and Company. Brace, E. (1993, Aug 01). PUNK LIVES!: WASHINGTON'S FUGAZI CLAIMS IT'S JUST A BAND. SO WHY DO SO MANY KIDS THINK IT'S GOD? The Washington Post (1974-) Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/punk-lives/docview/140829838/se-2 https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/27/fugazi-sang-an-anti-rape-message-to-their-male-audience-30-years-ago-whats-changed https://www.reddit.com/r/Fugazi/comments/1hcsv2o/is_fugazi_problematic_in_any_way_possible/?sort=new https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/end-on-end/id1500702253?i=1000544525911  

Christian and Charlie have a couple things to say.

This podcast ran independently from 2016 to 2020. We reflect on our goals in creating it and how successful those were while trying to be transparent about the ins and outs of podcast production, marketing, and monetization.

This graphic novel by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell came out between 1989 and 1998, 100 years after the Jack the Ripper murders it's based on. We look at the meticulous research they put into this to try to understand how this story manages to be about true crime while indulging in deep themes like English identity, psychogeography, and the nature of time. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: From Hell Additional Resources: A Look Back at 'From Hell' by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell Delivering the Twentieth Century, Part 1: Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell's From Hell Delivering the 20th Century, Part 2: Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell's From Hell The Great Alan Moore Reread: From Hell, Part 1 The Great Alan Moore Reread: From Hell, Part 2 Eddie Campbell explains why he's coloring From Hell for the first time Michael J. Prince (2017) The magic of patriarchal oppression in Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell's From Hell, Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics, 8:3, 252-263 Vollmar, R. (2017). Northampton Calling. World Literature Today, 91(1), 28–34. The House That Jack Built – An Interview with Alan Moore (2002) From Hell And Back: The Eddie Campbell Interview Superhuman Cognitions, Fourth Dimension and Speculative Comics Narrative: Panel Repetition in Watchmen and From Hell Postimperial Landscapes "Psychogeography" and Englishness in Alan Moore's Graphic Novel"From Hell: A Melodrama in Sixteen Parts" Author(s): Elizabeth Ho Source: Cultural Critique, No. 63 (Spring, 2006), pp. 99-121 Published by: University of Minnesota Press

This 1995 film by Michael Mann is considered a quintessential cops-and-robbers epic. We look at Mann's attention to detail and his attempt at authenticity in light of the movie's influence on audiences, filmmakers, and real-life criminals. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Heat Additional Resources: Interview w/ Eliot Goldenthanl Michael Mann Launches Book Imprint; 'Heat' Prequel Novel A Priority Life imitates art in Colombia robbery The long warm-up to Heat Heat Crime in the emptiness of Los Angeles Why Is Heat So Great? Let's Ask Michael Mann. What Michael Mann Changed, and What He Didn't, for the Anniversary Edition of Heat Michael Mann's 'Heat': A Complex, Stylistically Supreme Candidate for One of the Most Impressive Films of the Nineties The Loneliness Of Los Angeles In Michael Mann's 'Heat' 10 Intense Behind-The-Scenes Facts About Heat Michael Mann eyes 'Heat 2' film as book nears completion Decades Later, Viewers Still Feel The 'Heat' For Michael Mann's 1995 LA Crime Saga REVISITING THE L.A. OF 'HEAT' 24 YEARS LATER WITH THE ICONIC CRIME DRAMA'S LOCATION MANAGER La Story: The Making of Michael Mann's "Heat" – by Tom Ambrose [Empire] Michael Mann on 'Heat,' 22 Years Later: What We've Learned from His Recent Interviews

This 1985 concept album by Kate Bush is split into pop songs and a suite of music about someone drowning. We look at Bush's career arc leading up to this record and how the support she received from those around her allowed to experiment and create this wholly unique music. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Hounds of Love Additional Resources: Kate Bush Kate Bush rules, OK? Hounds of Love Landmark Productions: Kate Bush – Hounds of Love Classic Album: Hounds Of Love – Kate Bush Cowley, J. (2005). The Wow factor. New Statesman, 134(4726), 38–39. Sinclair, D. (1994). Dear diary: The secret world of Kate Bush. Rolling Stone, 676, 13. Moy, R. (2007). Kate Bush and Hounds of Love. Ashgate.

Dan Simmon's 1989 science-fiction novel is acclaimed for its unique structure, references, and style. We take a closer look at how it interrogates our expectations of genre to explore a complex host of themes. Thank you to Chris Marlton for coproducing this episode. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Hyperion Additional Resources: Throwback Thursday: The Mind-Altering Scope of Dan Simmons' Hyperion Cantos Better to travel hopefully: Dan Simmons's Hyperion Dan Simmons World-class maker of worlds Dan Simmons. By: Shindler, Dorman T., Writer (Kalmbach Publishing Co.), 00439517, Feb2001, Vol. 114, Issue 2 THRALL, J. H. (2014). Authoring the Sacred: Humanism and Invented Scripture in Octavia Butler, Kurt Vonnegut and Dan Simmons. Implicit Religion, 17(4), 509. Shea, B. (2015). Evolution and Neuroethics in the Hyperion Cantos. Journal of Cognition & Neuroethics, 3(3), 139. The one huge problem with Dan Simmons' sci-fi mystery Hyperion Eschatology and Pain in Dan Simmons' Hyperion Senior, W. (2012). Dan Simmons's Hyperion Cantos: The Fantasy Within. Hungarian Journal of English and American Studies (HJEAS), 18(1/2), 213-226.

This 1987 film is celebrated as a cult classic for its depiction of self-destructive young Englishmen at the end of the 1960s. We discuss how creator Bruce Robinson got it made, and whether it congratulates its characters for their alcoholism or criticizes their generation and the end of that era of British culture. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Withnail & I Additional Resources: How "Withnail & I" Became a Cult Withnail and I BRUCE ROBINSON Interviewed by Peter Murphy The World According To Grant 13 Loaded Facts About Withnail and I Withnail & I Comes Of Age This Year - If Only The Fans Would Too Withnail and I Facts and Trivia The Cult of Richard E. Grant's Withnail and I Is Finally Having Its Moment We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful: "Withnail & I" Withnail and Brexit: Why the cult classic is the perfect movie for our troubled times https://www.grough.co.uk/magazine/2020/03/09/withnail-and-i-fans-prepare-for-lakeland-alfresco-screening-of-cult-film

This 1962 novel is being reappraised by critics and fans as a creeping meditation on 1950s housewives, agoraphobia, and good old-fashioned New England persecution. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: We Have Always Lived in the Castle Additional Resources: We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson – a house of ordinary horror The Witchcraft of Shirley Jackson Flavorwire Author Club: Shirley Jackson's Haunting Final Novel, 'We Have Always Lived in the Castle' SILVER, M. (2013). Is It Real? On Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Southern Review, 49(4), 665–667. Savoy, E. (2017). Between as if and is : On Shirley Jackson. Women's Studies, 46(8), 827. BOYD TONKIN. (2015, July 29). Her dark materials: how Shirley Jackson became the 'sorceress at the sink.' Independent (UK). Shirley Jackson. (2020). Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition, 1. We Have Always Lived in the Castle: A Prelude to a Myth How 'We Have Always Lived In The Castle' By Shirley Jackson Novel Made Me Love Horror — Even Though I Hate Being Scared The Haunted Mind of Shirley Jackson

This 1945 children's book by Tove Jansson began a publishing empire in Finland that is worth millions of dollars. We look at Jansson's beloved allegory about a world where a family survives turmoil and everyone is accepted for who they are. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: The Moomins and the Great Flood Additional Resources: Tove Jansson: Love, war and the Moomins Brown, Ulla (November 2004). "A Quest for What Lies Hidden" (PDF). Outwrite. 7: 8–12. 'It is a religion': how the world went mad for Moomins THE HANDS THAT MADE THE MOOMINS How Tove Jansson's Moomins conquered readers' hearts My search for the real Moominland How Tove Jansson and the Moomins continue to inspire The Evocative Powers of Tove Jansson – Moomin Museum – Tampere Finland – Jude Cowan Montague The dark side of the Moomins

This 2001 record is praised as being metal for the thinking man. We peel back the lyrics and the time signatures to understand why this band inspires an almost-religious devotion in its fans. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Lateralus Additional Resources: 10 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT TOOL'S 'LATERALUS' Lateralus Publication: Modern Drummer Date: June, 2001 Fibonacci in Tool's Lateralus Spiral Out: Practical Wisdom in Tool's Lateralus Looking Back at Tool's "Lateralus" THE OUTWARD SPIRAL: HOW LATERALUS GALVANISED TOOL'S CUTTING EDGE 'Hammer of the Gods'

This comic book series by Brian K. Vaughan and artist Cliff Chiang started in 2015 as a story about four preteen girls coming of age in the 80s. We look into how the creators produced the comic while examining their skepticism of nostalgia in a post-Stranger-Things world. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Paper Girls Additional Resources: Brian K. Vaughan Talks Saga, Paper Girls, and Why We'll Never Get That Lying Cat Series Meet Brian K. Vaughan: The Comic Book Visionary Behind 'Y: The Last Man' You all should be reading Brian K. Vaughan's 'Paper Girls' comic series now Paper Girls Is the Perfect Comic for Your '80s Nostalgia Trip 'Paper Girls' Graphic Novel Adaptation From Legendary TV & Plan B Gets Amazon Series Commitment The Paper Girls and the Alien Invaders Asian American Creatives Behind 3 Top-Selling Graphic Novels Of 2018 Kids On Bikes: The Sci-Fi Nostalgia Of 'Stranger Things', 'Paper Girls' & 'Super 8' Paper Girls' Vaughan & Chiang On the Series' Past, Present and Future "It's Not A Slam-Bang-Action-So-Quiet": An Interview with Cliff Chiang and Brian K. Vaughan NYCC '19: PAPER GIRLS creators take victory lap, discuss series

This 2019 series of Gizmodo articles and videos by Kashmir Hill look into how difficult it actually is to stop using The Stacks: Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft. We place Hill's research within our larger understanding of Big Tech and media literacy while listening to arguments for tech regulation or simply scaling back. I Cut The Big Five Tech Giants From My Life: It Was Hell Additional Resources: https://muckrack.com/kashhill I Cut the Big Five Tech Giants From My Life. It Was Hell. I Tried to Block Amazon From My Life. It Was Impossible. I Cut Facebook Out of My Life. Surprisingly, I Missed It I Cut Google Out of My Life. It Screwed Up Everything. I Cut Microsoft Out of My Life –– Or So I Thought I Cut Apple Out of My Life. It Was Devastating. Unplugging From Big Tech is Harder Than You Think It's almost impossible to function without the big five tech giants How to block Big Tech with Kashmir Hill: podcast and transcript https://www.nytimes.com/by/kashmir-hill

This epic 1970s manga series is celebrated for its influence on other stories. We look at the conditions that produced it and how the comic represents Japanese history, revenge, gender, and the irredeemable hero on the road to Hell. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Lone Wolf and Cub: Volume 1, The Assassin's Road Additional Resources: 'Lone Wolf and Cub': Japan's greatest samurai manga? The untold truth of Lone Wolf and Cub Read More Lone Wolf and Cub Part 1: History and Influences Lone Wolf and Cub Part 2: Revenge in the Epic Narrative Tradition Lone Wolf and Cub Part 3: Artwork and Swordplay Lone Wolf and Cub Part 4: Ogami Itto and the Rejection of Bushido Lone Wolf and Cub Part 6: Cloud Dragon, Wind Tiger If You Are Patient Like a Samurai, Kazuo Koike's 'Lone Wolf and Cub' Will Reward You Transcultural Reinterpretation of the 'Lone Wolf and Cub' Narrative Kazuo Koike, 1936-2019 An Expanded Look at Lone Wolf and Cub: The First arc – Meifumado

This 1975 rock album began to define Rush's identity after the late Neil Peart joined the band on drums and lyrics. We look at how they treated their band as a business to try to understand the particular blend of instrument solos and libertarian ideology that later defined them. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Fly By Night Additional Resources: Rush Dedicates Newest Album To Rod Serling Rush: The Complete Album-by-Album Guide The History Of Rush by Geddy Lee & Alex Lifeson: The Early Years Men At Work By Paul Elliott Rush-BTO's Heavy Metal Challengers Success Under Pressure https://rush.fandom.com/wiki/Fly_by_Night_(Album) Rush: 'You have no freedom. You do what you're told to do. By the socialists' Flohil, R. (1975.) Rush: living the rock 'n' roll lifestyle. The Canadian Composer (97).  

This 2013 novel generated a cantankerous debate in the world of literary criticism over the quality of fiction and how we define it. We look at Tartt's writing process and themes to try to understand whether this book deserved the praise and awards it received. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: The Goldfinch Additional Resources: It's Tartt—But Is It Art? The Goldfinch is a bad movie because it is based on a deeply flawed book Donna Tartt on The Goldfinch, Inspiration, and the Perils of Literary Fame Why the backlash against Donna Tartt's 'The Goldfinch' was so extreme (2014 Year in Review) I HEART DONNA TARTT: 10 FACTS ABOUT MYSTERIOUS AUTHOR OF 'THE GOLDFINCH' Pulitzer Prize–Winner Donna Tartt on Writing The Goldfinch Donna Tartt shares The Goldfinch's secret history Donna Tartt's multicultural fantasy: How "The Goldfinch" got away with its disgraceful racial politics https://newrepublic.com/article/156282/not-write-book-review

This 1969 double-album has been described as both "unlistenable" and "one of the greatest albums of all time." We discuss its volatile production while trying to understand its composition and how it influenced another fifty years of weird music. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Trout Mask Replica Additional Resources: Some notes came from secondary sources listing Mike Barnes' 'Captain Beefheart' and Bill Harkleroad's 'Lunar Notes: Zoot Horn Rollo's Captain Beefheart Experience'  Burundo Drumbi! - John French's Series of Q&As, 2000/1 Captain Beefheart, a.k.a. Don Van Vliet, dies at 69 AllMusic Review by Steve Huey The Case for Why Captain Beefheart's Awful Sounding Album, Trout Mask Replica, Is a True Masterpiece Why this awful-sounding album is a masterpiece The Dust Blows Forward: 'Trout Mask Replica' at 50 Why Captain Beefheart's 'Trout Mask Replica' Still Sounds Like Tomorrow Frownland by Captain Beefheart & his Magic Band: Analysis

This 1999 cannibal-horror-comedy film went through three directors in a troubled production. We discussed how it successfully critiques American consumption and Manifest Destiny despite its financial failure. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Ravenous Additional Resources: ''Creative differences'' shake up Hollywood Film: They all but ate me alive! FANGO Flashback: "RAVENOUS" Robert Carlyle Interview ANTONIA BIRD'S RAVENOUS IS A DARK CANNIBAL TALE - BUT WITH JOKES! To Serve Man: Why 'Ravenous' Is the Greatest Cannibal Western Ever Women in Film: The Tonal Balancing Act of Antonia Bird's RAVENOUS Why You Should Chew On 'Ravenous' (1999) Forgotten Flick Ravenous Is the Best-Ever Manifest Destiny Cannibal Comedy Ravenous - 20th Anniversary DiMarco, D. (2011). Going Wendigo: The Emergence of the Iconic Monster in Margaret Atwood's "Oryx and Crake" and Antonia Bird's "Ravenous." College Literature, 38(4), 134–155.

This comic book series by Neal Adams is a strange combination of talent and narcissism, along with the realization that its lead character and its creator aren't as in control as they want to be. We discuss gun violence, Expanding Earth theory, and generational conflict to try to make sense of this one-of-a-kind experience. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Batman Odyssey Additional Resources: Deconstructing the Complete and Utter Insanity of 'Batman: Odyssey'  Batman Odyssey Ten Questions To Answer About Batman: Odyssey by Neal Adams INTERVIEW: NEAL ADAMS ON BATMAN: ODYSSEY WC10: Neal Adams Talks "Batman: Odyssey" Neal Adams ('Batman: Odyssey') NEAL ADAMS INTERVIEWS: Adams Defends 'Batman: Odyssey' Petit, Z. (2014). Stubborn. Aggressive. Positive. Print, 68(5), 18–21. Breaking down the complete and utter madness of Batman vs. Ra's Al Ghul Neal Adams: Ultraviolence Did Artist Neal Adams Make an Ass Out of Wonder Woman—and Himself?

This 1996 film is a purported biopic about a famous painter by another famous painter, Julian Schnabel. We ask whether the narrative this movie presents is an inaccurate portrayal of its subject because it exploits him or because the director is commenting on his own place within the world of fine art. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Basquiat Additional Resources: Jim Jarmusch Explains Why He Refuses To Watch Julian Schanbel's 'Basquiat' Basquiat: Julian Schnabel's Radiant Child Julian Schnabel Asks Why White Filmmakers Shouldn't Tell a Story About a Person of Color "Basquiat" and the Art of the Biopic Basquiat SCHNABEL AND HIS DOUBLES by Charlie Finch "Basquiat' trivializes talented painter's life http://alienatedinvancouver.blogspot.com/2009/07/on-filmwork-of-john-lurie-interview.html "Time to Develop"

This is a repost of a 2016 episode. In our 2016 holiday episode, we looked at the forgotten Christmas Eve tradition of telling ghost stories. M.R. James' work from over a hundred years ago best represents this Victorian trend, so in his honor we brought horror to academia and safe spaces. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Ghost Stories of an Antiquary Additional Resources: How Did Antiquarians Become Action Story Heroes? Ghost stories: why the Victorians were so spookily good at them Christmas Ghost Stories: The Ghost of Christmas Past Goes Further Back Than You Might Realize M. R. James' Ghost Stories Work Eerily Well in This Graphic Fiction Form Telling ghost stories is a lost tradition on Christmas Eve  

This 2013 novel is a sequel to The Shining. With guest Emily Lewis, we consider how King continues his own redemption arc through these stories about alcoholism and parenting. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Doctor Sleep Additional Resources: Stephen King in Person The author speaks, receives Mason Award at Fall for the Book. Stephen King, "The Shining" and the crapper Stephen King Q&A: The author explores the origins of The Shining and its sequel Doctor Sleep Kathryn Schulz on Doctor Sleep, Stephen King's The Shining Sequel What Stephen King Isn't Shine On

This 2018 comic series by Mark Russell and Mike Feehan reimagines the cartoon character as a gay playwright at odds with 1950s American politics. We examine Russell's writing goals while considering a critical debate about the book: is it formulaic award-bait or character-driven commentary on our present circumstances? Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Exit, Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles Additional Resources: 'The Snagglepuss Chronicles' is the best thing you'll read all year. Seriously. EXIT STAGE LEFT: THE SNAGGLEPUSS CHRONICLES Takes Home 2019 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book Snagglepuss: Exit Stage Left Is a Brilliant Exploration of McCarthyism and the Lavender Scare The Snagglepuss Chronicles is the first great comic book of 2018 DC Reviving Hanna-Barbera's 'Snagglepuss' as Gay Playwright Snagglepuss, LGBT hero: Legendary Hanna-Barbera character reborn in new comic series Review in progress: Exit Stage Left — The Snagglepuss Chronicles Mark Morales Demystifies the Art of Inking Comics "Exit, Stage Left" | Books of 2019, #4 Queer Visibility: What SNAGGLEPUSS Could Teach Us About Resistance in 2018

Thank you to our Co-producer patron Kevin Wetter for selecting this week's topic! This 1994 indie rock album means a lot to its fans as proof positive that you can survive a romantic breakup. We look at the small business that drove its creation and try to put ourselves in the shoes of the listeners who cherish it. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Foolish Additional Resources: Superchunk release acoustic version of 'Foolish' w/ Allison Crutchfield, Owen Pallett, more  Brian Paulson Studio aesthetics Rank Your Records: Laura Ballance Ruthlessly Rates Superchunk's Ten Albums Dusting 'Em Off: Superchunk – Foolish CHUNKY STYLE The Guide to Getting into Superchunk

This animated series was an MTV oddity, televised between 1991 and 1994 in a blur of non-linear, ambiguous chunks. We talk about how creator Peter Chung got this made while inserting symbolic references to the limits of 1990's storytelling. We also wonder why we're so nostalgic for a simpler time when our entertainment was more nebulous and weird. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Aeon Flux Additional Resources: Aeon Flux: All You've Ever Needed From Sci-Fi SOUND Interview with Peter Chung The Peter Chung Interview!!!! Aeon Flux: An animated future from the past We Don't Need Another Live-Action Aeon Flux Peter Chung On Aeon Flux Marin, R., & Gegax, T. T. (1995). Holy Akira! It's Aeon Flux. Newsweek, 126(7), 68. http://scf.usc.edu/~huntleym/itp104/assignment6/mainpage.html CRAIG MATHIESON. (2006, June 23). Will the real Aeon Flux please stand up. Age, The (Melbourne), p. 9. Atkinson, M. (1996). Inside aeon. Film Comment, 32(1), 20.

This 1975 children's book by Roald Dahl is about class conflict and an idealized relationship between a child and their parent. We talk about Dahl's notoriously disagreeable personality while trying to reconcile it with this genuinely joyful story. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Danny, The Champion of the World Additional Resources: Roald Dahl. By: Kelleghan, Fiona, Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia, 2018 Danny the Champion of the World Summary & Study Guide The Ambiguities of Growing Up: Danny the Champion of the World https://www.roalddahl.com/roald-dahl/stories/a-e/danny-the-champion-of-the-world Words & pictures. Creative Review, 02621037, Mar2012, Vol. 32, Issue 3 THE CANDY MAN. By: Talbot, Margaret, New Yorker, 0028792X, 7/11/2005, Vol. 81, Issue 20 Roald Dahl. By: Lee, Stephan, Entertainment Weekly, 10490434, 10/10/2014, Issue 1332 Worlds of WONDER. By: DORN, JENNIFER, British Heritage, 01952633, May2014, Vol. 35, Issue 2 The first Roald Dahl approved BFG illustration is whizzpopping

This 2017 graphic novel is a memoir about growing up, figure skating, and coming out of the closet. We talk about how Walden approached the project with guidance from her editor while we look at the comics industry as a whole and the tensions between the book market and the direct market. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Spinning Additional Resources: Tillie Walden on the Queer Characters and Emotional Turmoil of Her New Comic, I Love This Part "Everything I Had to Say about My Life Is in That Book": An Interview with Tillie Walden How LGBT Ice Skating Graphic Novel 'Spinning' Defies Definition Tillie Walden: That In-Between State Spinning's Tillie Walden on the Power of Pursuing and Ending Childhood Dreams Women make history, and receive overdue recognition, at 2018 Eisner Awards 'Spinning' is a heartfelt graphic novel about figure skating and teen life Surprising New Data Shows Comic Readers Are Leaving Superheroes Behind All-Ages Week: The Direct Market vs. The Book Market

This 2018 concept album is about reckoning, celebrating, and reclaiming what it means to be American. We discuss how Monáe uses her platform to advocate for queer and black women while working with big record labels to also produce commercial success. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Dirty Computer Additional Resources: Janelle Monáe Bends More Than Gender In Two New Videos From 'Dirty Computer' Why Janelle Monae's 'Dirty Computer' Film Is a Timely New Sci-Fi Masterpiece Why Janelle Monáe Put Her Music on Hold to Take Hollywood by Storm Prince apparently wrote the synth line on Janelle Monáe's new single How Janelle Monáe Found Her Voice Janelle Monáe On Her Dirty, World-Dominating Year Unpacking the meaning of 'Dirty Computer,' in which Janelle Monáe finally gets to be herself Janelle Monáe on the meaning of "Dirty Computer" and what she promised her grandmother

  This is a special repost of the first episode of our Patreon-only series, SuperKINGcontext. Stephen King's first novel was adapted into this 1976 cautionary movie about adolescence, bullying, and female representation by a team of middle-aged men. How does the male gaze impact this story that is so often referred to as "feminist"? Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Carrie Additional Resources: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/04/carrie-stephen-king-horror https://web.archive.org/web/20000510093031/http://www.briandepalma.net/carrie/carrint.htm http://www.vulture.com/2013/10/pj-soles-reminisces-about-the-original-carrie.html https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/nov/03/carrie-stephen-king-brian-de-palma-horror-films-feminism https://cinephiliabeyond.org/four-decades-later-brian-de-palmas-carrie-stands-one-capably-crafted-horror-films-time/ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/10474858/Carrie-the-growing-pains-of-a-horror-classic.html https://sites.google.com/site/cultoddities/home/carrie/carrie-1976/press/sissy-spacek-interviews https://birthmoviesdeath.com/2016/11/03/carries-prom-scene-an-oral-history-part-one https://birthmoviesdeath.com/2016/11/04/carries-prom-scene-an-oral-history-part-two  

This political comedy podcast makes over a million dollars a year from its Patreon subscribers alone. We try to unpack how it gets made while learning more about the personal values associated with the "dirtbag left." Chapo Trap House podcast on Soundcloud Additional Resources: Meet Chapo Trap House: The Funniest and Most F**ked Up New Podcast About Media and Politics THE RADICAL CHEEK OF 'CHAPO TRAP HOUSE' Chapo Trap House are the Vulgar, Brilliant Demigods of the New Progressive Left Explaining the 'Chapo Trap House' Podcast to the Uninitiated Liberals are making bank on a site called Patreon. The right calls it "hipster welfare." What Will Become of the Dirtbag Left? Is This the Stupidest Book Ever Written About Socialism? Chapo Trap House subreddit quarantined for allegedly encouraging violence SOCIALISM IS BACK, AND THE KIDS ARE LOVING IT. Reason. Aug/Sep2019, Vol. 51 Issue 4, p55-52. 4p. 2 'The Voice of the Dirtbag Left': socialist US comics Chapo Trap House Chapo Trap House: Socialism for the Extremely Online

This 2015 comic mixes folklore and magic with science and technology. We discuss how each creator brings their own experimentation to the project, and how it's been received by the comic book industry and its more philosophical readers. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Injection Additional Resources: Warren Ellis' Freaky Scifi Comic Series Injection Gets Optioned for TV Exclusive Interview with Injection's Warren Ellis INTERVIEW: Warren Ellis talks about 'Injection' without crying AN INJECTION OF WARREN ELLIS IN THIS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Matt Chats: Declan Shalvey on Wolverine, Injection, Learning from Scripting Comics, and Why He Brings up ArtCred Less What's at Stake with Warren Ellis's 'Injection' INJECTION #1 TALK WITH WARREN ELLIS, DECLAN SHALVEY & JORDIE BELLAIRE Take Control Of Your World: Revisiting 'Injection' By Ellis, Shalvey & Bellaire [Sci-Fi Week] Read More: Take Control Of Your World: Revisiting 'Injection' [Review]  https://injectioncomic.tumblr.com/ BELLAIRE & SHALVEY: ART & COLOR, WORKING IN CONCERT [GALLERY] INJECTION #2: LETHAL DECOMPRESSION [CLOSE READ] Haug H. The Alchemical Singularity: Magic and Technology in Warren Ellis's Injection. Foundation: The International Review of Science Fiction. 2019;48(132):22

This collection of non-fiction essays attempts to define two modes of storytelling by providing examples of each from popular culture. We talk about how Fisher's argument fits into our larger discussions of horror stories and how his definitions may be useful for considering the end of capitalism. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: The Weird and the Eerie Additional Resources: The Revolution Will Be Weird and Eerie Eugene Thacker – Weird, Eerie, and Monstrous: A Review of "The Weird and the Eerie" by Mark Fisher Making Sense of "The Weird and the Eerie" In Memoriam: Mark Fisher why we quit: tariq goddard on leaving zero books Toward a Theory of the New Weird  

Thank you to our Co-producer patron Kevin Wetter for selecting this week's topic! This 2009 TV show, helmed by Joss Whedon, was meant to be a thematic exploration of identity and sexuality but many have argued about its problematic story. Was that because of corporate interference or Whedon's own issues with feminist representation? Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Dollhouse, Season 1 Additional Resources: Adams, Pippa. Women in Science Fiction: Opportunities and Constraints of Representations in Postfeminist Worlds Joss Whedon on Comic Books, Abusing Language and the Joys of Genre JOSS WHEDON TALKS FIREFLY, DOLLHOUSE AND LEAVING TELEVISION The Mind-Transplant Script Whedon Wrote Before Dollhouse Anderson, D. (2016). Echoes of Frankenstein: Shelley's Masterpiece in Joss Whedon's Dollhouse and Our Relationship with Technology. Slayage, 43, 1 Kitchens, J. (2016). Object Entanglements: From Postmodern Subjectivity to Posthuman Thingness in Joss Whedon's Dollhouse. Studies in Popular Culture, 38(2), 1. Rogers, S. (2011). Joss Whedon's Dollhouse and Joss Whedon's Dollhouse. Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts, 22(2), 153. Avni, S. (2008). Inside the Dollhouse. Mother Jones, 33(6), 88–89. Jensen, J. (2008). Welcome to the "Dollhouse" Fan Frenzy. Entertainment Weekly, (997), 14. The Expired Feminism of Joss Whedon In defence of Joss Whedon's Dollhouse Joss Whedon's Dollhouse: Confounding Purpose, Confusing Identity, edited by Sherry Ginn, Alyson R. Buckman, Heather M. Porter "Fantasy Is His Business, but It Is Not His Purpose" by Alyson R. Buckman The Fascinating No-Consent Fantasia of Dollhouse and Mad Men POSTMORTEM: WHY WE HATED DOLLHOUSE. AND WHY WE LOVED IT.

THIS IS A REPOST OF A 2016 EPISODE. As the release of the film JOKER looms, we revisit our discussion about Batman, the Joker, and ambiguity. Looking back on the Batman film "The Dark Knight," does it stand for anything? Or does it simply soak up whatever morals we bring to it? Christopher Nolan's intentions remain mysterious, but we do our best to figure them out.   Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: The Dark Knight Additional Resources: JOHNSON, V. (2014). 'It's What You Do that Defines You:' Christopher Nolan's Batman as Moral Philosopher. Journal Of Popular Culture, 47(5), 952. doi:10.1111/jpcu.12181 The Dark Knight of the American Empire Hunting The Dark Knight : Twenty-First Century Batman. London: I.B.Tauris Dive Deep Into the Making of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy With This Documentary

Thank you to our Co-producer patron Miriam Meaney for selecting this week's topic! This 1985 Peter Greenaway film approaches storytelling with the perspective that there is no meaning to reality despite our organized attempts to create it. We talk about how Greenaway uses the traditions of Dutch paintings and anatomical animal studies to get this message across or frustrate us by trying. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: A Zed and Two Noughts Additional Resources: Symmetry and Structure in Greenaway's A Zed and Two Noughts Organizing the ZOO: Peter Greenaway's A Zed & Two Noughts Distant Voices, Still Lives and A Zed and Two Noughts: watch the double bill Alemany-Galway, M., & Willoquet-Maricondi, P. (2008). Peter Greenaway's Postmodern / Poststructuralist Cinema (Vol. Rev. ed). Lanham, Md: Scarecrow Press. De Beauregard, R. C. (2010). Green Apples and Red Prawns: The Colour of Time in Peter Greenaway's A Zed & Two Noughts ( Z.0.0.). Journal of British Cinema & Television, 7(1), 82.  

Thank you to our Co-producer patron Chris Marlton for selecting this week's topic! This 2002 Japanese art film is slow, meticulously shot, and has wonderful, ornate costumes. We discuss how it was influenced by a form of traditional puppetry but should be approached more like a meditative painting.   Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Dolls Additional Resources: Finding Love in Loss and Tragedy Dolls Dolls by Takeshi Kitano (Review) The cult Japanese movies outfitted by Yohji Yamamoto Inviolable Attachments: Takeshi Kitano's Dolls Dolls (2002) Redmond, S. (2013). The Cinema of Takeshi Kitano : Flowering Blood. London: WallFlower Press. Sherman Hollar. (2012). Kitano Takeshi. Britannica Biographies, 1.

In this 1978 non-fiction book, Gardner argues that art and writing should be moral and that his peers in the literary community are immoral for failing to uphold this tradition. We discuss Gardner's tragic life story while trying to process this debate and whether he was right, wrong or just an asshole. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: On Moral Fiction Additional Resources: John Gardner, Pugilist at Rest Moral Fiction John Gardner raided the castle of American fiction, a bit like Grendel. By David Stanton Getting the Elephant off the Baby: A Look Back at John Gardner's On Moral Fiction John Gardner's Tricksy Death and Tangled Legacy On Moral Fiction, By John Gardner, Analysis by Christian Author Lorilyn Roberts John Gardner: A Tiny Eulogy What Do You Mean, 'Moral' Fiction? An Interview with John Gardner John Gardner  

This podcast started in 2012 as a fictional update from a strange, supernatural town. With guest Dave Moore, we discuss how this successful production is made while unpacking the utopian ideal it creates with a kind of drab mundanity. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Find out more at their website and tell them we sent you. Welcome to Nightvale Additional Resources: Welcome To 'Night Vale' — Watch Out For The Tarantulas Welcome to Night Vale: Eerie, witty podcast has Texas ties Celebrating Their Corpse-Strewn Future: Welcome to Night Vale 10 Reasons to Listen to Welcome to Night Vale Welcome to Oakland, 'Welcome to Night Vale' Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor on Welcome To Night Vale Why Welcome to Night Vale is Important Oh, My Pop Culture Religion: Religious Colonialism in Welcome to Night Vale America's Most Popular Podcast: What The Internet Did To "Welcome to Night Vale" Fan-created transcripts make it even easier to get into "Night Vale FX To Develop 'Welcome To Night Vale' Podcast For TV; Harper Perennial Orders Two New Books  

This 2005 video game tried to capture the atmosphere and experience of H. P. Lovecraft's mythos. It is now called a commercial failure and a cult classic. We discuss its unique, immersive gameplay, and its Lovecraftian approach to knowledge as a thing to fear. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Call of Cthulhu (RPG) Additional resources:   Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth Interview 2 Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth Q&A The making of Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth Owen, D. (2017). Player and Avatar : The Affective Potential of Videogames. Jefferson, UNITED STATES: McFarland. Horror is Knowledge: The Presentation of Fear in 'Call of Cthulhu