Such a Nightmare: Conversations about Horror Such a Nightmare

In this episode of the Such a Nightmare podcast, hosts Katherine Troyer and Toni Tresca put a coin in the pinball machine to discuss 2021's Willy's Wonderland.
Episode Highlights: We talk about how Nicholas Cage is the reason for the season and, hands down, the best part of this film. We explore the film's brilliant practical effects with the puppets/animatronics. Katherine shares how the film builds on the carnivalesque aspects of the suspension of normality, the carnival king, the ambivalent nature of fire and laughter, and dualism of images. We discuss the lovely performances of the adult actors, but lament the teenage characters and how their scenes--which take us out of Willy's Wonderland--pull down the narrative. Ultimately, as Toni puts it, while the film might not have hit all the notes...we'd love to grab a beer with the fascinating and clever filmmakers.  
A Dose of Scholarship: For more on the carnivalesque, check out Mikhail Bakhtin's "Carnival and the Carnivalesque" in John Storey's 1998 Cultural Theory and Popular Culture. And be sure to check out the essay Toni referenced: Clark Collis's "'Nic Cage is into reptiles...': The insane, behind-the-scenes story of Willy's Wonderland."  
This podcast episode first aired on April 5, 2024.
Shout-out to Jackson O'Brien; thank you for editing this episode!
ALL LINKS  Twitter/Instagram: @NightmarePod1; YouTube: Such a Nightmare;  Email: suchanightmare.pod@gmail.com; Website: suchanightmare.com

In this episode of the Such a Nightmare podcast, hosts Katherine Troyer and Toni Tresca return--for a final time (at least for now!)--to Camp Crystal Lake as they discuss the 2009 horror slasher film Friday the 13th.
Episode Highlights: We examine the film's (potentially) strange juxtaposition between a wholesome family reunion narrative and shots of lots (and lots) of boobs; Katherine shares how all the boobery made for a personally very awkward family viewing. We talk about how this film, as both another entry in the franchise and a remake, offers a déjà vu/dream-like experience that manages to offer a nice blend of the expected and the refreshing. We share some of our favorite kills in this film and Katherine talks about her re-watching of Freddy vs. Jason having now seen all Friday the 13th and all Nightmare on Elm Street films.
A Dose of Scholarship: Please check out our guide to this franchise: Wickham Clayton's 2020 book SEE! HEAR! CUT! KILL! Experiencing Friday the 13th.
This podcast episode first aired on March 1, 2024.
Jackson O'Brien: thank you for your editing magic!
ALL LINKS  Twitter/Instagram: @NightmarePod1; YouTube: Such a Nightmare;  Email: suchanightmare.pod@gmail.com; Website: suchanightmare.com

In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Toni Tresca work the graveyard shift as they discuss the 2023 horror film Five Nights at Freddy's. 
Episode Highlights: Toni shares what it was like playing the game on band trips as a kid and how this shaped their anticipation and hopes for this film. We talk about the challenges this film faced and--in our opinions--did not overcome as the movie tries to appeal to both current kids and adults who remembered the game from their own childhoods. We look at the film's establishment of a world beyond Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria and how this worldbuilding aspect of the film, along with the backstory it built about the murdered children, affected the horror of this story. And we explore what we think this film could have been in its best incarnation. 
A Dose of Scholarship: While there isn't any scholarship on the film, there is some interesting scholarship on the Five Nights at Freddy's games. We encourage you to check out Betsy Brey's chapter "Five Nights at Fan Games: Feminism, Fan Labor, and Five Nights at Freddy's" in the 2020 book Indie Games in the Digital Age. Another essay worth looking at is Yujie Ji and Yixuan Zhao's 2022 "Follow the Purple Bunny: A Brief Analysis of Five Nights at Freddy's Narrative." And there are a couple of pieces written about the film that proved helpful in our discussion: Michael Cripe's "Five Nights at Freddy's Surpasses Split to Break a Record for Horror Studio Blumhouse" and Jesse Hassenger's "The Five Nights at Freddy's Movie is a Dizzying Mashup of Decades of Culture."
This podcast episode first aired on February 16, 2024.
Deepest of appreciation to Jackson O'Brien...thank you for editing this podcast!
ALL LINKS  Twitter/Instagram: @NightmarePod1; YouTube: Such a Nightmare;  Email: suchanightmare.pod@gmail.com; Website: suchanightmare.com

In this spooktacular Eerie Extra, Such a Nightmare co-host Katherine Troyer speaks with horror author and editor David-Jack Fletcher.
 
We discuss the significance of normalizing LGBTQIA+ identities within the horror genre. This leads to an even bigger discussion of how queer horror can both offer a space for connection and push us beyond our comfort zones. David-Jack shares the vision behind Slashic Horror, his indie horror press that he co-founded with Lee Cross James. And we talk about the magic of crossing genres and the ways his work, including his novella The Haunting of Harry Peck, present the familiar in unfamiliar ways (or perhaps the other way around) through his genre-blending writing.
 
This interview occurred on January 4, 2024; the episode first aired on January 30, 2024.
 
David-Jack Fletcher is a writer and scholar hailing from Australia. With a PhD from Macquarie University in Cultural Studies, he wrote for over a decade in an academic setting before—in his words—jumping out of academia to pursue his dream of becoming a horror author and editor. To that end, he has a Post-Graduate Certificate in Editing and Publishing from the University of Southern Queensland, and he completed an internship with Sydney-based Spineless Wonders. Additionally, he was awarded a mentorship with the Australasian Horror Writers Association (AHWA) in 2022, undertaken with award-winning author Paul Mannering. David-Jack has published short stories in several horror anthologies across the UK, the US and Canada, and has appeared in international podcasts and interviews. Furthermore, his debut gay horror-comedy, The Haunting of Harry Peck, was published by Rack & Rune Publishing in February 2022 and became an international Amazon bestseller. And his latest award-winning novel, Raven’s Creek is now available through all major retailers, published through his own imprint, Slashic Horror. For more information, visit his LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/djfletcher 
 
ALL LINKS  Twitter/Instagram: @NightmarePod1; YouTube: Such a Nightmare;  Email: suchanightmare.pod@gmail.com; Website: suchanightmare.com

In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Toni Tresca hop a rocket to outer space...where, of course, Jason is waiting...as they discuss the 2001 horror slasher film Jason X.
Episode Highlights: We talk about how this film is part of a slew of films in the late 90s/early 00s that sought to shock their respective franchises back to life with a journey to space. We think about how this film, despite (or perhaps because of) it's different setting, fits within the larger Friday the 13th franchise. We look at Jason X's portrayal of Jason, exploration of final girls, and presentation of slasher tropes. And, while we are clearly in a minority far from many fans and most critics, we have to admit: space was surprisingly fun!
A Dose of Scholarship: For scholarship on the Friday the 13th franchise, we (continue to) encourage to you to turn to 1) Horror Homeroom's special issue on Friday the 13th. and 2) Wickham Clayton's 2020 book SEE! HEAR! CUT! KILL! Experiencing Friday the 13th.
This podcast episode first aired on January 19, 2024.
Wielding his own machete...an editing machete that is...Jackson O'Brien once again made this episode better...thank you!
ALL LINKS  Twitter/Instagram: @NightmarePod1; YouTube: Such a Nightmare;  Email: suchanightmare.pod@gmail.com; Website: suchanightmare.com

In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Toni Tresca venture into their first non-fiction book as they discuss the 2023 collection of essays Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma by Claire Dederer.
Episode Highlights: We talk about the word "monstrous" and what it means to us. We express how called out--and seen--we felt at various points in this book, particularly as fellow aca-fans wrestling with our own feelings of certain monstrous creators (like Whedon). We celebrate the memoir approach to this topic and how brave Dederer was for having such honesty. And we express our frustrations that the author's only real discussion of monstrous creative women were those who abandon children or are angry/extreme; we had hoped this would be a place to analyze further women creators like Rowling. 
A Dose of Scholarship: If you haven't read Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma, we promise you that this read will offer a lot of food for thought! In this episode, Toni references the Today, Explained podcast episode Hannah Gadsby and "Pablo-matic" Picasso. You might also check out this 2023 Vox interview with Dederer.
This podcast episode first aired on December 15, 2023.
We appreciate you Jackson O'Brien! Thanks for editing!
ALL LINKS  Twitter/Instagram: @NightmarePod1; YouTube: Such a Nightmare;  Email: suchanightmare.pod@gmail.com; Website: suchanightmare.com