The Disquieting Guest — Calvaire and the Tyrannies of Desire
There is no denying that extreme horror, at its worst, fulfils pretty much every outside observer’s worst surmises about quote-unquote torture porn. But at its best, it has a merciless rigour that pushes viewers into places they may not wish to go but are important for them to confront. Fabrice Du Welz’s Calvaire (2004) is a case in point. Calvaire is a Belgian film and not, strictly speaking, part of the New French Extreme trend in horror films (Inside, High Tension, Martyrs, etc.). But if we reconsider the term slightly as the New French-Language Extreme, then it fits in very nicely with its dark cousins (and Martyrs, a France-Canada co-production, becomes a better fit as well). While not as gory as some, its unblinking willingness to explore the heart of darkness marks it, for me, as part of that loosely defined movement.*
223. Robert Jackson Bennett (a.k.a. Stairmaster) — City of Stairs (An Interview)
http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFEpisode223InterviewWRobertJacksonBennett/SandF%20–%20Episode%20223%20–%20Interview%20w%20Robert%20Jackson%20Bennett.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSFallen gods, city steps, and one-eyed warriors, oh my! The award-winning author Robert Jackson Bennett joins Shaun, Paul, and Rachael to discuss his newest novel, City of Stairs. We tackled the development of Bulikov, the city at the center of City of Stairs, gender, empire, religion, and more! We hope you enjoy the episode! Note: If you have iTunes and like this show, please give us a review on our iTunes page, or feel free to email us with your thoughts about the show! Here’s the episode (show notes are below): Episode 223 — Download (MP3) Show Notes: Robert’s Website Robert’s Twitter City of Stairs Explore the city of Bulikov! Paul’s review of City of Stairs Our new intro music is “Time Flux” by Revolution Void (CC BY 3.0). That’s all, folks! Thanks for listening. See you next week.
