Episode 11. The People Under the Stairs (1991; dir. Wes Craven): Craven’s Legacy and an Unusual Mythic Terror
http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/TotallyPretentious011ThePeopleUnderTheStairs/TotallyPretentious011–ThePeopleUnderTheStairs.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSThe People Under the Stairs: Wes Craven’s Legacy and an Unusual Mythic Terror David and Shaun return after an unnecessarily long hiatus to discuss Wes Craven’s work, with special attention to The People Under the Stairs. We cover the film’s history, its mythical themes and imagery, and just what it says about Craven as a director and creator of the horrific and strange. Enjoy!
Episode 6. The Wicker Man (1973) — On Christopher Lee’s Legacy and the Trials of Religion
http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/TotallyPretentiousEpisode006ChristopherLeesLegacyAndTheWickerMan/TotallyPretentiousEpisode006–ChristopherLeesLegacyAndTheWickerMan.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSOn Christopher Lee’s Legacy and the Trials of Religion! In this special episode, we talk about the late Christopher Lee and his legacy, from Hammer Horror films to Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. We also take some time to discuss The Wicker Man, one of Lee’s most compelling horror productions, with particular attention to the film’s treatment of religion. Enjoy!
Around the World: The Driller Killer (1979; dir. Abel Ferrara)
As Abel Ferrara’s first non-porn feature film, The Driller Killer serves as a signpost of the director’s vision of New York City and its social ills. Ferrara would hone this vision into a more coherent film three years later (in Ms. 45), but in The Driller Killer, he was, I think, in his rawest form: vulgar, uncompromising, and noisy. It’s not surprising, then, that the film was banned in the UK in 1983 given that its UK distribution included a still shot of one of the more gruesome scenes in the entire movie: a man having a drill bit shoved into his skull. What is surprising is that, as Mike Bor of the British Board of Film Classification notes, Ferrara’s film was “almost single-handedly responsible for the Video Recordings Act of 1984,” a reactionary piece of legislation that required creative works to be classified to be legally sold; unclassified works, as such, would be banned.
