Never Whistle at Night
In this episode of ‘Horror Joy,’ hosts Brian and Jeff delve into the 2023 anthology Never Whistle at Night, edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. This collection, featuring indigenous dark fiction, navigates the intersections of horror, colonization, and representation. We discuss: · The impact of these stories both in the classroom and […]
Black/Southern Gothic – Sinners and The Reformatory
Right now in the US, it feels like we’re living in a haunted house of historical racial horrors, with “DEI” being demonized and books banned. Southern and Black Gothic literature, however, bravely uncover these past atrocities and their ongoing impact. On this Horror Joy episode, we welcome author Briana N. Cox to explore Black/Southern Horror. […]
Cop Horror – Se7en and Memories of a Murder
In this episode of Horror Joy, Brian and Jeff explore the themes of justice, truth, and morality through the examination of two iconic cop horror films: David Fincher’s ‘Seven’ (1995) and Bong Joon-ho’s ‘Memories of Murder’ (2003). We discuss: · The portrayal of police ineptitude and brutality · Sin as a model for understanding moral judgements · The […]
90s Teen Slashers – Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer
In this episode of Horror Joy, hosts Brian and Jeff revisit the iconic nineties teen slasher films Scream (1996) and I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997). They explore how Scream redefined the slasher genre with its meta-horror elements and adherence to and subversion of classic horror rules. They contrast this with I Know […]
Buffalo, Confession, Vampire – An Interview with Stephen Graham Jones
This week on Horror Joy, Brian and Jeff welcome New York Times best-selling author Stephen Graham Jones to the show. We’ll be discussing his incredible new novel, “The Buffalo Hunter, Hunter,” and delving into the intricate themes it explores: Community, Inherited Guilt, Justice, and the Construction of Truth: We examine how these complex societal issues […]
Cult Horror – Hereditary and Midsommar
In this episode of Horror Joy, Jeff and Brian delve into cult representations in Ari Aster’s popular horror films ‘Hereditary’ (2018) and ‘Midsommar’ (2019). They emphasize the intricate storytelling and thematic parallels between the two films, providing in-depth analysis on toxic masculinity, folklore, and community care as portrayed in Aster’s works. They discuss: · The nature […]
Faith Horror – Heretic and Universal Harvester
On this episode of Horror Joy, Brian Onishi and Jeff Stoyanoff unpack the discomforting narratives of John Darnielle’s Universal Harvester and A24’s Heretic, examining how faith fuels both profound peace and unsettling horror. We’ll trace the emotional arcs of these characters, exploring the role of belief in their lives and in our own. We’ll discuss: […]
The Devil Made Me Do It – The Silence of the Lambs and Longlegs
This week on Horror Joy, Jeff and Brian wrestle with the dualities of fear in Jonathan Demme’s The Silence of the Lambs and Osgood Perkins’ Longlegs. They dissect the psychological and gender horrors lurking within The Silence of the Lambs, contrasting it with the mythological and satanic elements of Longlegs. They examine the tangled webs […]
Body Horror in The Substance and Olga Tokarczuk’s The Empusium
This week on Horror Joy, Jeff and Brian delve into the unsettling world of body horror, examining how it reflects societal pressures and personal anxieties. They dissect Coralie Fargeat’s 2024 film, The Substance, starring Demi Moore, a biting critique of female beauty standards and the male gaze. They also explore Nobel Prize winner Olga Tokarczuk’s […]
Severance, Liminality, and Analog Horror (Mandela Catalog/The Backrooms)
This week on Horror Joy, Brian and Jeff traverse the eerie corridors of liminality in horror. They kick off with a deep dive into the Apple TV series Severance, exploring how its portrayal of work-life separation raises existential and psychological questions. Is it a thriller, or horror? Moving forward, they venture into the unsettling realm […]