Such a Nightmare: Conversations about Horror

In this Eerie Extra, Such a Nightmare co-hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca review the 2021 film A Quiet Place II. We share our vastly different responses to this film, discuss how this movie fits in with its cinematic predecessor, and explore why A Quiet Place II might not be a horror film after all. This podcast episode first aired on May 29, 2021. Twitter/Instagram: @NightmarePod1; YouTu...

In this Eerie Extra, Such a Nightmare co-hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca review the 2021 horror film Army of the Dead. We discuss our love for this film's heist-y moves, talk about the splendidly over-the-top beginning (both of them!), and explore the potential downsides of having the zombies essentially be part of the movie's C-plot. This podcast episode first aired on May 22, 2021. Twi...

In this Eerie Extra, Such a Nightmare co-hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca review the 2021 horror film Spiral. We discuss our experiences being back in the movie theater for the first time post-COVID-19, talk about why we thought this film was just fine, and consider what the film could have done differently. This podcast episode first aired on May 21, 2021. Twitter/Instagram: @NightmarePo...

In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca discuss the 2017 horror-comedy film One Cut of the Dead.  Episode Highlights: We explain how, as theater kids, this film utterly charmed us. Using the concept of the metanarrative as our framework, we explore whether this is actually a zombie film (or whether that label even matters!), talk about the film's love of horror, and think about...

In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca discuss the 1987 horror-comedy film A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.  Episode Highlights: We argue that this film presents an ultimately disaffirmative narrative by showing us that it isn't those outside the system that are the problem; it's the (medical/patriarchal) system that is broken and in need of being fixed. Exploring a...

In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca discuss the 2020 horror-comedy film Freaky.  Episode Highlights: We argue that while the film offers a clever and fun premise, Freaky is unfortunately--at best--a paint-by-numbers horror comedy that fails to maintain the self-awareness of Christopher Landon's other films. Looking at the ways that the film attempts to be transgressive but u...

In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca discuss the 1985 film A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge.  Episode Highlights: Using queer theory as a framework, we explore whether this film should be considered transgressive or homophobic (the short answer: "it's complicated"), look at how issues in the third act muddy the film's themes, and talk about the difference between...

In this spooktacular episode "A Tale of Two Shinings", hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca discuss two different versions of The Shining: Stephen King's 1977 novel and Stanley Kubrick's 1980 film.  Episode Highlights: Using the lens of adaptation theory to help us move past the ultimately unhelpful (but oh so satisfying!) debate of "which version is better," we explore how these works presen...

In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca discuss the 1984 film A Nightmare on Elm Street.  Episode Highlights: We argue that it is possible to read this film both as an affirmative film (ultimately supporting the status quo) and a disaffirmative film (ultimately saying that "we" are the real monsters). Exploring the film's ambiguous treatment of the patriarchal figure, its confla...

In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca discuss the 2013 film Evil Dead. (Apologies for weird background noises!) Episode Highlights: We argue that, while the blood rain scene is admittedly rather amazing, this newest edition to the franchise lacks the essence of what makes the original Evil Dead films so magical. Looking at some key moments where the film seems rather disjointe...

In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca discuss the 2020 novel The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix. Episode Highlights: We talk about the significance of the author's introduction in setting up the ordinary housewife against the immortal monster, explore the ways that the book asks us to question who--in a world of maintaining the status quo--is t...

In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca discuss the  2020 film Antebellum. Sorry for the silence at the beginning! The intro music didn't get added correctly! Episode Highlights: We explore what we see as the film's biggest issue: structural problems that created not only a disconnect between the film's three acts but also prevented the film from being able to clearly articulate...

In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca discuss the 1993 (or '92 if you'd rather) film Army of Darkness. Episode Highlights: Our Evil Dead extravaganza continues as we discuss why this will never be Anthony's favorite film of the franchise (too much medieval fantasy) and why this film snuck into the number two spot for Katherine (splendid special effects and terrific directing)....

In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca discuss the 2019 film Black Christmas. Episode Highlights: In our spooktacular Christmas episode, we finish our discussion of the Black Christmas franchise by talking about how the 2019 film, while breaking free of the formulaic problems of the 2006 film, nevertheless still fails to capture the magical spirit of the 1974 film...in large pa...

In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca discuss the 2006 film Black Christmas. Episode Highlights: We talk about the reasons we felt that the 2006 film--despite having a great opening sequence--felt like its teeth had been removed when compared to the 1974 version. In particular we suggest that the 2006 film adheres much too tightly to the slasher formula for its own good. And,...

In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca discuss the 1974 film Black Christmas. Episode Highlights: We talk about why this film delighted and surprised us, particularly in its characterization of Jess. Using the lens of Carol J. Clover's work on gender in the slasher film, we analyze the way that the film uses the violation of the home's borders as a metaphor for the violation of...

In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca discuss the 1987 film Evil Dead II. Episode Highlights: We celebrate the virtues of this campy classic by examining it through...but of course!..the lens of Susan Sontag's 1964 "On Camp." Looking at how the film--almost despite its own best efforts--manages to be rather great, we talk about Bruce Campbell as a performer, explore how the fi...

In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca discuss the 1992 film Candyman. Episode Highlights: We discuss the reasons that we like this film almost despite itself and how the film rises above (and fails to rise above) being a product of its times. Looking at the character of Helen as proof of Robin Means Coleman's claim that this is a film celebrating white womanhood, we talk about...

In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca continue their Halloween tradition by discussing another film in the Halloween franchise: the 2018 film Halloween.  Episode Highlights: We enter the ring to once again duke it out: Anthony in one corner (against all things Halloween franchise) and Katherine in the other corner (pro-Halloween all the way). We talk about how best to categori...

In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca discuss the 1981 film Evil Dead. Episode Highlights: We extol the wonders of this film as a perfect and perfectly campy horror-in-the-woods text. We talk about the significance of Ash and how, through this surprisingly complicated character, the film (and franchise) explores issues of toxic masculinity. And we set up up our exploration of...

In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca discuss the 2000 film American Psycho. Episode Highlights: We explore how the film wrangles with the theme of consumption through its unique ability to create an alienating experience through its visual and narrative elements. Comparing this film with the 1999 film Fight Club, we also talk about American Psycho's construction of the human...

In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca discuss the 2017 film Get Out. Episode Highlights: We talk about the film's use of place--particularly the home--as a mechanism for exploring (horrific) bodied experiences of African Americans, the significance of having the character of Rose be truly evil, and how the film's alternate endings would have changed...well, everything!  A Dose...

In our first episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca discuss the possible interplay between Paul Tremblay's 2018 novel The Cabin at the End of the World and Darren Aronofsky's 2017 film mother! Episode Highlights: We explore the ways that both of these texts complicate their respective end-of-the-world narratives by situating their stories within a most familiar place: the home. As we d...

In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca discuss the film The Babysitter: Killer Queen (2020). Episode Highlights: In this special episode, we discuss our initial impressions of this film that, at the time of podcast recording, has been out for approximately 24-hours. We talk about the benefits and challenges that this sequel faced by bringing back so many of the same major playe...

In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca discuss the 2015 novel A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay. Episode Highlights: We discuss how the novel turns the familiar exorcism story on its head as it explores the interplay between memory, trauma, and horror. We also talk about the novel's intentional ambiguity and the ways that it works (mostly) for us in setting up a rather chi...