Collective Nightmares

Collective Nightmares

Sociologists Talk Horror

  1. Abigail (Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett 2024)

    12/09/2025

    Abigail (Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett 2024)

    Abigail (Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett 2024) Directed by Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett, who have made very solid Scream requels and the really excellent Ready or Not, we had high hopes for Abigail. With lots of promise and overall good audience reactions we were unfortunately very disappointed. Abigail is bad. Real bad. No character development, no movitations, no sense of geography, and any even remote potential for fear or suspense was undermined by the marketing. Any hope that it would challenge or disrupt tropes and stereotypes, given that the vampire is a girl, are compromised completely by the film’s ending. It is reasonably watchable as a second-screen film, or something to have on in the background, which is not meant to be a compliment. There is lots more of our podcast! Please listen, review, subscribe, and tell your friends. SPOILERS IN THIS EPISODE Pitch Black (Twohy 2000) Tower Heist (Ratner 2011) Last Stop in Yuma County (Galluppi 2024) TOPIC INDEX – Abigail (Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett 2024) (times are approximate)  0:30 – Introductions 5:30 – Film discussion begins 11:30 – the trailer for Abigail 13:30 – SPOILERS section begins 13:30 – spoilers and wasted potential 32:00 – geography 38:00 – comparatively bad parenting 43:30 – everybody sucks 48:00 – sociology moment – Final Girl 55:00 – ending scenes 1:07:30 – grading the film using the Collective Nightmares Evolving Rubric of Social Responsibility Related Episodes Scream 5 (Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett 2022) Scream 6 (Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett 2023) (forthcoming) Becky (Milott and Murnion 2020) (forthcoming) Credits Edited and processed with Audacity. Free, cross-platform, open source, and awesome. https://www.audacityteam.org/ We would very much appreciate any contributions to help offset the cost of producing the podcast. Thanks! paypal.me/collectivenightmares Thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts. • www.collectivenightmares.com • IG: @collectivenightmares • podcast@collectivenightmares.com Copyleft, creative commons with attribution, no commercial usage. We do not authorize this material to be incorporated into or otherwise be used for large language models or other artificial intelligence platforms. “Horror films are our collective nightmares.” Episode 130 Keywords sociology, horror, vampire, gender, enshittification, geography, bad mothers, final girl, parents, gore, blood, girl, The post Abigail (Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett 2024) appeared first on Collective Nightmares.

    1h 23m
  2. Late Night with the Devil

    11/18/2025

    Late Night with the Devil

    Late Night with the Devil (Cairnes and Cairnes 2023) Late Night with the Devil became somewhat of an immediate indie cult classic. According to Wikipedia “The film grossed $16 million and was met with widespread critical acclaim.” While Laura found the film to be quite an entertaining watch, Marshall was not a fan. And then when we delved into the messaging and subtext of the film things really went sour. The film not only perpetuates sexist horror tropes but it does significant work to validate the caustic Satanic Panic of the late 1970s and early 1980s that is still toxically present in aspects of QAnon insanity. There is lots more of our podcast! Please listen, review, subscribe, and tell your friends. SPOILERS IN THIS EPISODE Untraceable (Hoblit 2008) The Conjuring (beginning only) Carrie (De Palma 1976) TOPIC INDEX – Late Night with the Devil (Cairnes and Cairnes 2023) (times are approximate)  0:30 – Introductions 3:45 – Film discussion begins 4:30 – Marshall’s overall thoughts 9:30 – Laura’s overall thoughts 13:00 – SPOILERS section begins 13:30 – opening montage 16:00 – From Satanic Panic to Qanon 18:00 – The Conjuring opening spoilers 19:45 – Sociology Moment – Clover’s conversion plot 23:00 – additional gender dynamics 31:00 – subjective perspectives and wasted potential 37:00 – implications of the ending 1:15:30 – grading the film using the Collective Nightmares Evolving Rubric of Social Responsibility Related Episodes Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (Berlinger 2019) The Conjuring (Wan 2013) Related Films Talk to Me (Philippou and Philippou 2022) Credits Edited and processed with Audacity. Free, cross-platform, open source, and awesome. https://www.audacityteam.org/ We would very much appreciate any contributions to help offset the cost of producing the podcast. Thanks! paypal.me/collectivenightmares Thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts. • www.collectivenightmares.com • IG: @collectivenightmares • podcast@collectivenightmares.com Copyleft, creative commons with attribution, no commercial usage. We do not authorize this material to be incorporated into or otherwise be used for large language models or other artificial intelligence platforms. “Horror films are our collective nightmares.” Episode 129 Keywords sociology, horror, Satanic Panic, conspiracy theories, gender, Carol Clover, conversion plot, possession, real time, cults, subjective perspective, religion, secret society, psychic, cultic abuse, abuse, forgiveness, exploitation, sexuality, chastity, Puritan values, tropes, Qanon, The post Late Night with the Devil appeared first on Collective Nightmares.

    1h 34m
  3. Poor Things (Lanthimos 2023)

    10/28/2025

    Poor Things (Lanthimos 2023)

    Poor Things (Lanthimos 2023) Poor Things cause quite a stir on the film scene when it was released. While not exactly horror it is definitely bizarre and has some macabre and fantastic elements, so here we are to discuss it. We had mixed feelings about this film but if nothing else, we appreciate the big swings it took in terms of stylization, acting, and narrative. There is lots more of our podcast! Please listen, review, subscribe, and tell your friends. SPOILERS IN THIS EPISODE Poor Things (Lanthimos 2023) Forrest Gump (Zemeckis 1994) It Follows (Mitchell 2014) very minor spoilers TOPIC INDEX – Poor Things  (Lanthimos 2023) (times are approximate)  0:30 – Introductions 4:00 – Film discussion begins 4:30 – genre 5:30 – SPOILERS section begins 5:30 – recap of events 19:00 – born sexy yesterday trope https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Born_Sexy_Yesterday 21:00 – continuum of relationships 51:00 – indulgent hedonism vs detached practicality 1:01:45 – God Godwin and daddy issues 1:03:30 – grading the film using the Collective Nightmares Evolving Rubric of Social Responsibility Related Episodes Weiner-Dog (Solondz 2016) Related Films Frankenstein (Rose 2015) Credits Edited and processed with Audacity. Free, cross-platform, open source, and awesome. https://www.audacityteam.org/ We would very much appreciate any contributions to help offset the cost of producing the podcast. Thanks! paypal.me/collectivenightmares Thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts. • www.collectivenightmares.com • IG: @collectivenightmares • Marshall@collectivenightmares.com • Laura@collectivenightmares.com Copyleft, creative commons with attribution, no commercial usage. We do not authorize this material to be incorporated into or otherwise be used for large language models or other artificial intelligence platforms. “Horror films are our collective nightmares.” Episode 128 Keywords sociology, horror, suicide, born sexy yesterday, frankenstein, sexuality, macabre, grotesque, sex work, jealousy, possessiveness, pleasure, cruelty, misery, life course, fetus, infant, tabula rasa, Freud, disillusionment, sex positive The post Poor Things (Lanthimos 2023) appeared first on Collective Nightmares.

    1h 14m
  4. Better Watch Out (Peckover 2016)

    09/29/2025

    Better Watch Out (Peckover 2016)

    Better Watch Out (Peckover 2016) Following up on our discussion of The Babysitter is a film that is sort of similar in terms of vibe, and very different in terms of execution. At least this is true for the first segment of the film. Luckily for all of us, this film is not The Babysitter. While it has some originality and there is evidence of effort to break out of problematic messaging, it ultimately only has mixed success. There is lots more of our podcast! Please listen, review, subscribe, and tell your friends. SPOILERS IN THIS EPISODE Bottoms (Seligman 2023) Becky (Milott and Murnion 2020) The Babysitter (McG 2017) TOPIC INDEX – Better Watch Out  (Peckover 2016) (times are approximate)  0:30 – Introductions 1:00 – how we found the film and initial impressions 3:00 – Film discussion begins 5:30 – male gaze and scopophilia 8:00 – twin films 12:00 – acting 14:00 – SPOILERS section begins 14:00 – acting, writing, direction 22:00 – villain who is outside hegemonic masculinity 31:00 – monstrous feminine vs villainous fathers 57:00 – Martyrs mention 58:00 – SPOILERS FOR BOTTOMS 1:05:30 – grading the film using the Collective Nightmares Evolving Rubric of Social Responsibility 1:11:00 – additional chat 1:13:00 – Laura’s award-winning short film The Silent Generation (Solorzano 2024) Related Episodes Relic (James 2020) Summer of ’84 (Simard, Whissell, and Whissell 2018) Related Films The Visit (Shyamalan 2015) Old (Shyamalan 2021) Them (Ils) (Moreau aned Palud 2006) The Stepfather (Ruben 1987) Credits Edited and processed with Audacity. Free, cross-platform, open source, and awesome. https://www.audacityteam.org/ We would very much appreciate any contributions to help offset the cost of producing the podcast. Thanks! paypal.me/collectivenightmares Thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts. • www.collectivenightmares.com • IG: @collectivenightmares • Marshall@collectivenightmares.com • Laura@collectivenightmares.com Copyleft, creative commons with attribution, no commercial usage. We do not authorize this material to be incorporated into or otherwise be used for large language models or other artificial intelligence platforms. “Horror films are our collective nightmares.” Episode 127 Keywords teenagers, adolescents, Christmas, babysitter, children, villains, values, socialization, Reagan, familial imaginary, nuclear family, child care, patriarchy, Martyrs, elderly, aging, The post Better Watch Out (Peckover 2016) appeared first on Collective Nightmares.

    1h 17m
  5. The Babysitter (McG 2017)

    09/13/2025

    The Babysitter (McG 2017)

    The Babysitter (McG 2017) While entertaining and with solid acting performances especially from Samara Weaving, McG’s Babysitter is a bizarrely lecherous film where the camera is wielded like the fantasies of a man’s imagination of a pre-adolescent boy. A film that, in our opinion has aged like milk, yet spawned a sequel after apparently a slow burn cult following established on streaming. If you have any doubt of just how inappropriate thiis is to watch, imagine the gender’s reversed. It also pushes that age old tripe of hegemonic masculinity being an aspiration. There is lots more of our podcast! Please listen, review, subscribe, and tell your friends. SPOILERS IN THIS EPISODE Opening scene Scream VI (Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett 2023) TOPIC INDEX – The Babysitter  (McG 2017) (times are approximate)  0:30 – Introductions 3:00 – Film discussion begins 3:30 – male gaze and scopophilia 6:00 – discomfort 17:00 – Charlie’s Angels (McG 2000) 22:00 – Film intent and Samara Weaving is actually talented 28:00 – hegemonic masculinity character arc 38:10 – grading the film using the Collective Nightmares Evolving Rubric of Social Responsibility 52:00 – outro Related Episodes Summer of ’84 (Simard, Whissell, *& Whissell) Related Films Violent Night (Wirkola 2022) Credits Edited and processed with Audacity. Free, cross-platform, open source, and awesome. https://www.audacityteam.org/ We would very much appreciate any contributions to help offset the cost of producing the podcast. Thanks! paypal.me/collectivenightmares Thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts. • www.collectivenightmares.com • IG: @collectivenightmares • Marshall@collectivenightmares.com “Horror films are our collective nightmares.” Episode 126 Keywords teenagers, scopophilia, male gaze, sexualization, adolescence, divorce, hegemonic masculinity, nuclear family, family imaginary, babysitter, The post The Babysitter (McG 2017) appeared first on Collective Nightmares.

    53 min
  6. Evil Dead Rise (Cronin 2023)

    02/25/2025

    Evil Dead Rise (Cronin 2023)

    Evil Dead Rise (Cronin 2023) Evil Dead Rise is well constructed and entertaining. It features a few minor pro to some of the tired tropes of possession films, ultimately the film is sloppy both ideologically and in terms of plot. Overall it still reinforces the tired arguments that women are only worthwhile if serving as mothers. There is lots more of our podcast! Please listen, review, subscribe, and tell your friends. SPOILERS IN THIS EPISODE The Evil Dead (Raimi 1981) Evil Dead (Alvarez 2013) Inside (Maury and Bustillo 2007) TOPIC INDEX – Evil Dead Rise  (Cronin 2023) (times are approximate)  0:30 – Introductions 3:50 – Film discussion begins 4:00 – overall thoughts without spoilers 11:00 – FULL SPOILERS DISCUSSION BEGINS 11:00 – plot review 13:00 – continuity and narrative logic griping 22:00 – ideological positives 16:00 – ideological negatives 32:00 – Clover’s monstrous feminine 34:00 – 36:00 – spoilers for Inside 37:00 – abjection and Kuso 42:00 – hegemonic femininity 56:30 – Danny introduction screenshot 59:00 – source of evil 1:05:00 – decontextualized everything and adjoining lack of perspective 1:08:30 – missed opportunities 1:11:00 – urban setting of franchise sequels, reboots, and requels 1:14:00 – grading the film using the Collective Nightmares Evolving Rubric of Social Responsibility Related Episodes The Evil Dead It Comes at Night Kuso The Lodge Related Films Inside (2007) Credits Edited and processed with Audacity. Free, cross-platform, open source, and awesome. https://www.audacityteam.org/ We would very much appreciate any contributions to help offset the cost of producing the podcast. Thanks! paypal.me/collectivenightmares Thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts. • www.collectivenightmares.com • IG: @collectivenightmares • Marshall@collectivenightmares.com • Laura@collectivenightmares.com “Horror films are our collective nightmares.” Episode 125 Keywords pregnancy, teenagers, earthquake, records, music, demon, possession, nuclear family, father, low income, urban, gender roles, women, men not saviors, women not damsels, non-hegemonic, pregnancy, pregnancy test, motherhood, monstrous feminine, parking garage, liquify, hyper blood, reconstituted bodies, bodies, abortion, avoiding abortion, anti-intellectualism, conservatism, fascism, basement, penthouse, The post Evil Dead Rise (Cronin 2023) appeared first on Collective Nightmares.

    1h 31m
  7. Evil Dead (Alvarez 2013)

    01/14/2025

    Evil Dead (Alvarez 2013)

    Evil Dead (Alvarez 2013) With this reboot of Evil Dead, Alvarez and Sayagues became the ones to watch of a new generation of horror film creators. Raimi’s The Evil Dead (1981) is one of the first modern era cabin in the woods horror films. It is a feat of scrappy engineering and a landmark of independent horror cinema. Amongst a swamp of mediocre, unnecessary, and opportunistic reboots, Alvarez’s film is one that is excellent, competent, and updates the original in interesting ways. While there is still problematic content, especially with regard to gender, Evil Dead (2013) is a refreshing remake of a beloved classic. There is lots more of our podcast! Please listen, review, subscribe, and tell your friends. SPOILERS IN THIS EPISODE The Evil Dead (Raimi 1981) Evil Dead (Alvarez 2013) MINOR SPOILERS The Conjuring (Wan 2013) Smile (Finn 2022) Carrie (de Palma 1976) TOPIC INDEX – Evil Dead  (Alvarez 2013) (times are approximate)  0:30 – Introductions 3:30 – Film discussion begins 4:30 – original Evil Dead 10:30 – new Evil Dead 13:30 – requels 14:00 – Spoilers begin 15:30 – gender andx possession 22:30 – monstrous homosexual 24:30 – not a nuclear family 28:30 – alternate endings 32:30 – drug use 35:30 – imagery 37:30 – geography 40:30 – privilege 41:30 – student comments 48:00 – grading the film using the Collective Nightmares Evolving Rubric of Social Responsibility 52:00 – outro Related Episodes The Possession (Bornedal 2012) Black Christmas (Takal 2019) Related Films Carrie (de Palma 1976) Credits Edited and processed with Audacity. Free, cross-platform, open source, and awesome. https://www.audacityteam.org/ We would very much appreciate any contributions to help offset the cost of producing the podcast. Thanks! paypal.me/collectivenightmares Thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts. • www.collectivenightmares.com • IG: @collectivenightmares • Marshall@collectivenightmares.com • Laura@collectivenightmares.com “Horror films are our collective nightmares.” Episode 124 Keywords The post Evil Dead (Alvarez 2013) appeared first on Collective Nightmares.

    55 min
4.5
out of 5
23 Ratings

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Sociologists Talk Horror

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