Deep Thoughts Shallow Plots

This month, Katy and Erika discuss John Carpenter's cult classic The Thing. They dive deep into Cold War paranoia, the evolution of story, and what happens when you bring too much Jock Energy to a survival scenario. “What ‘The Thing’ Loses By Adding Women,” Noah Berlatsky: https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/10/what-the-thing-loses-by-adding-women/246648/ “Fecund Horror,” Noah B...

It's a real St. Patty's Day miracle: Katy and Erika are discussing Irish folk-horror the Hallow. They dive deep into Irish identity, why the dog dies, and how to spot a changeling baby using this one weird trick. The Brehon Academy: https://brehonacademy.org/ "Folklore and Mythology Electronic Texts," D. L. Ashliman: https://sites.pitt.edu/~dash/folktexts.html

Katy and Erika are back with an episode about "Jeepers Creepers." They dive deep into sibling relationships and the curse of clairvoyance, all while trying desperately to bring a sense of coherence to the Creepers lore and abilities. Content warning for brief discussion of child sexual assault in the first ten minutes of the episode. "The Convicted Hollywood Pedophile Who Won't Go Away," Kate Aurt...

It's Christmas time, so Katy and Erika are here to discuss the Canadian proto-slasher Black Christmas. They dive deep into second wave feminism, the dark roots of Christmas, and how maybe the real psycho killer was every single man we met along the way. "HIstorical Abortion Law Timeline: 1850 to Today": https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/issues/abortion/abortion-central-history-reproductive-h...

A real gift to the world this month as leading Purge experts, Katy and Erika, take a deep dive into the first movie of the franchise. They get absolutely frantic about Purge law, Christian nationalism, and whether or not they'd want to get chatted up by a highly educated white man. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purge

For spooky month, Erika and Katy talk about Ju-On: The Grudge. They dive deep into the domestic sphere, the purpose of ghosts, and the Edo version of a grindhouse double feature.

Katy and Erika close out their summer series with "I Know What You Did Last Summer." They dive deep into psycho killers, the YA thriller genre, and why you don't cast Johnny Galecki to play the school bully.

It's hot Drac summer this episode as Katy and Erika discuss Universal Picture's Dracula. They dive deep into the evolution of vampire lore and Bela Lugosi's influence, all while Katy (at the time of this recording) gets way too hype for a movie that will leave Katy (at the time of this posting) ultimately disappointed. "Universal Pictures: A Panoramic History in Words, Pictures, and Filmographies,...

Katy and Erika keep the summer vibes going by discussing Ari Aster's Midsommar. They dive deep into white supremacist cults, the origin of the word "bear", and how joining a cult seems great until winter comes. "The Source of Horror: An Anthropological Perspective on 'Midsommar' and 'The Witch'," Eleri Denham: https://www.drunkmonkeys.us/2017-posts/08/17/film/the-source-of-horror-an-anthropologica...

This week, Katy and Erika keep the summer vibes going with their discussion of Sleepaway Camp. They dive deep into twist endings, crossdressing killers, and how camp games could drive anyone to commit murder. "The Transgender Defense of Angela Baker and Sleepaway Camp," Harmony Colangelo: https://harmonycolangelo.medium.com/the-transgender-defense-of-angela-baker-and-sleepaway-camp-82dd54ddf9cd “W...

Join Katy and Erika for the second half of their grindhouse double feature with a discussion of Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof. They dive deep into American car culture, acts of voyeurism, and the struggles of buying weed. "Death Proof: Recontextualizing the Slasher Genre," Douglas Rasmussen: https://www.horrorhomeroom.com/death-proof-recontextualizing-the-slasher-genre/ "A History Of Women In Qu...

Join Erika and Katy for a discussion of Planet Terror, the first half of a grindhouse double feature. They dive deep into exploitation films, the malleability of borders, and reaching up to one's lesbian future.

Join Katy and Erika for a discussion of the RKO classic "Cat People." They dive deep into Siberian history, the symbolism of panthers, and why this film is basically the X-Men of the Hays Code era. "Cat People (1942): Coding Lesbianism via Otherness," Elizabeth Erwin: https://www.horrorhomeroom.com/cat-people-1942-coding-lesbianism-via-otherness/ "Monsters & Mommis: Cat People and the Seventh...

Join Erika and Katy as they discuss Ready or Not. They dive deep into Samara Weaving's guttural screams, the inherent evil of being rich, and why Tchaikovsky’s 1812 overture doesn't mean what the butler thinks it means."Ready or Not justifies its twist ending by exposing a major red flag," Emily Heller: https://www.polygon.com/2019/8/24/20828364/ready-or-not-ending-explained

Join Katy and Erika as they discuss Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead. They dive deep into gender in horror films, zombies vs. demons, and why they are so many cabins in all these woods. CW: This episode includes a brief discussion of sexual assault. If you would rather not hear that part, you can skip from 00:21:00 to 00:36:33. "How To Read Evil Dead and Why," Seth Mlawski: https://www.overthinkingit.com...

Join Erika and Katy as they discuss Eli Roth's Cabin Fever. They dive deep into dog symbolism, plague narratives, and if Eli Roth has ever met a human woman."The Formula of Plague Narratives," Jørgen Riber Christensen: https://vbn.aau.dk/en/publications/the-formula-of-plague-narratives

Join Erika and Katy as they discuss 1996's Scream. They dive deep into queer subtext, the history of the slasher, and why Katy can't stop grooving to "Red Right Hand.""A Historical Approach to the Slasher Film," Sotiris Petridis: https://lgbtqinsidehorror.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/thisseemsgood.pdf

This week, join Erika and Katy as they discuss Robert Eggers' the VVitch . They dive deep into cinematography, antisemitism, and the inherent queerness of owning a tarot deck. "The Antisemitic History of Witches," Emma Shachat: https://www.heyalma.com/the-antisemitic-history-of-witches/ "Alewives: The Women Who Crafted Beer and Split Hell Wide Open," Heather Hogan: https://www.autostraddle.com/ale...

In the premier episode of Deep Thoughts Shallow Plots, Erika and Katy discuss the movie that started their obsession with horror (over) analysis: Cabin In the Woods. Join them as they dive deep into character archetypes, horror acting, and turn of the century comic strips.