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SOURCES/INFORMATION Eugene Thacker, In the Dust of This Planet: Horror of Philosophy Vol. 1 (Zero Books, 2011) Thomas Ligotti, The Conspiracy Against the Human Race: A Contrivance of Horror (Hippocampus Press, 2010) H.P. Lovecraft, "Supernatural Horror in Literature" (1927) — his clearest nonfiction statement on cosmicism H.P. Lovecraft, "The Colour Out of Space" (1927) — source material for the Richard Stanley adaptation discussed Jeff VanderMeer, Annihilation (Southern Reach Trilogy, Book 1) (2014) — source novel for the Garland film Immanuel Kant, Critique of Pure Reason (1781) — for the world-in-itself / phenomenon-noumenon distinction Thacker builds from Chapters (00:00:00) - Cosmic Horror(00:03:17) - Eugene Thacker: The Horror of Philosophy(00:10:39) - Cosmic Horror: The Difference Between Lovecraft's Cosmicism and L(00:24:36) - World Without Us: The Horror(00:28:42) - Colored Out of Space Review(00:32:59) - The Void: Ambient Cosmic Proposism(00:35:16) - 7 of Melancholia (2013)(00:40:06) - The Best Horror Films of All Time(00:49:56) - Final Girl on 6th Avenue

Lars von Trier has been called a visionary, a sadist, and a self‑mythologizing provocateur—sometimes all in the same breath. In this episode, we unpack how an anxious kid from Copenhagen became one of the most controversial figures in world cinema, and why his work looms so large over modern horror and “extreme” art‑film. Focusing on Antichrist, Melancholia, Nymphomaniac, and The House That Jack Built, we explore von Trier’s “Depression Trilogy,” his use of grief, sex, and violence, and the ongoing debates about misogyny, ethics, and audience complicity. Along the way, we bring in film scholarship, critical essays, and production histories to ask a simple but uncomfortable question: when von Trier pushes horror this far, is he revealing something profound about suffering—or just building a house out of pain? SOURCES/INFORMATION Biographical and career overviews “Lars von Trier.” Wikipedia.wikipedia “Lars von Trier – Simple English Wikipedia.” Simple Wikipedia.wikipedia “Lars von Trier.” Encyclopaedia Britannica (biography, awards, filmography).britannica “Lars von Trier filmography.” Wikipedia.wikipedia “Lars von Trier – IMDb.” IMDb.imdb “List of awards and nominations received by Lars von Trier.” Wikipedia.wikipedia Context and Danish film culture “Lars von Trier and Cultural Liberalism.” Danish Film Institute.dfi Excerpt from Regional and Global Dimensions of Danish Film Culture and Film Policy (on Dogme 95 and Danish film branding).catalogimages.wiley Critical profiles and interviews “Lars von Trier: Behind the Curtain.” The New Yorker (profile on von Trier’s persona and controversies).mubi+1 “Lars von Trier: A Problematic Sort of Ladies’ Man?” NPR radio piece and transcript (Pat Dowel... Chapters (00:00:00) - Lars von Trier: Unboxing The Film(00:03:45) - Lars Von Trier: The Making of Dark Money(00:10:39) - Lars von Trier: The Danish Film Critic's Take(00:12:17) - Lars Von Trier: The Final Girls in Horror(00:21:36) - Vin Diesel's 'Depression Trilogy'(00:22:58) - Antichrist: The Film Review(00:25:27) - Antichrist: The Film About Grief(00:30:24) - Antichrist: Is It A MISogyny Film?(00:35:28) - Melancholia: A Cosmic Depression Film(00:39:04) - Lithium Von Trier: Nymphomaniac(00:43:26) - Lars Von Trier's The House That Jack Built(00:46:05) - House of Horrors(00:48:17) - Review: The House That Jack Built(00:52:51) - Lars von Trier: Controversy and Ethics(01:00:30) - Lars von Trier: Advice For Horror Fans(01:04:36) - Lars von Trier vs Michael Henneke

In this episode, we explore why we willingly scare ourselves — unpacking the neuroscience of fear, the psychology of personality and anxiety, and the surprising ways horror can function as emotional regulation and rehearsal for real-life uncertainty. From classic films like Psycho to modern social horror like Get Out, we examine how fear reflects culture, mirrors identity, and reveals what our nervous systems may be practicing when the lights go down. SOURCES/INFORMATION LeDoux, J. (1996). The Emotional Brain: The Mysterious Underpinnings of Emotional Life. New York: Simon & Schuster. Craske, M. G., Treanor, M., Conway, C. C., Zbozinek, T., & Vervliet, B. (2014). “Maximizing exposure therapy: An inhibitory learning approach.” Behaviour Research and Therapy, 58, 10–23. Reiss, S., & McNally, R. J. (1985). “The expectancy model of fear.” Nagoski, E., & Nagoski, A. (2019). Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle. Tamborini, R., & Prentice, D. A. (1990). “Emotion and moral judgment in response to horror.” Communication Research. Zillmann, D. (1996). “The psychology of suspense in dramatic exposition.” Zillmann, D. (1988). Mood Management Through Communication Choices. Zuckerman, M. (1979). Sensation Seeking: Beyond the Optimal Level of Arousal. Scrivner, C., Johnson, J. A., Kjeldgaard-Christiansen, J., & Clasen, M. (2021). “Pandemic practice: Horror fans and morbidly curious individuals are more psychologically resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic.” Personality and Individual Differences, 168. Hirsh, Jacob B., Mar, Raymond A., & Peterson, Jordan B. (2012/2016). Research on intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety. Goldstein, P. (2012). The Sounds of Fear: Music in Horror Films. Hatfield, E., Cacioppo, J. T., & Rapson, R. L. (1993). Emotional Contagion. Durkheim, E. (1912). The Elementary Forms of Religious Life. Hills, M. (2002). Fan Cultures. Jenkins, H. (1992). Textual Poachers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture. van der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score. Solomon, S., Greenberg, J., & Pyszczynski, T. (1991). “A terror management theory of social behavior.” Chapters (00:00:00) - The Scariest Movies You Can Watch(00:09:55) - The Science of Scare(00:20:39) - Is There a Neurotic Side to Horror?(00:25:14) - It Follows(00:27:22) - How Fear Can Be Regulating(00:37:11) - Does Personality Play a Role in Horror Attention?(00:40:33) - Why People Seek Horror Films After Trauma(00:46:52) - How Horror Music Affects Our Brain(00:55:09) - Why Horror Fans Are So Fearful(00:58:06) - Why Horror Is So Terrifying(01:01:22) - Why Uncertainty Affects Horror(01:09:23) - What Is Horror Made for?(01:13:44) - Final Girl on 6th Avenue

The Final Girl looks a little different for 2026... in the best way! Join in for the first episode of 2026 where we uncover what it really means to be in the horror genre, where the term "elevated horror" came from, and what I believe it means to have so many different types of fear depicted on screen. SOURCES/INFORMATION Laing, R.D. The Divided Self. Kristeva, Julia. Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection. Freud, Sigmund. Beyond the Pleasure Principle. Luckhurst, Roger. The Trauma Question. Haneke, Michael. Interviews collected in Film Comment and Cahiers du Cinéma. Carroll, Noël. The Philosophy of Horror. Jancovich, Mark. Rational Fears: American Horror in the 1950s. Jancovich, Mark et al. Defining Cult Movies. Sobchack, Vivian. The Address of the Eye: A Phenomenology of Film Experience.  Chapters (00:00:00) - Final Girl on 6th Avenue: Reviewing Films(00:01:34) - What Is Elevated Horror?(00:05:02) - What Is Elevated Horror?(00:10:19) - Funny Games(00:13:45) - Ethical Horror(00:17:08) - The Piano Teacher: A Horror Film Without Violence(00:26:36) - The Piano Teacher: Rape Scene(00:31:18) - Hereditary: The Trauma of Repetition(00:39:53) - Hereditary: The Trauma Narrative(00:44:50) - Possession in the Elevator(00:55:25) - Under The Skin(01:04:55) - Under the Skin: Slow Cinema Explained(01:08:26) - Is Elevated Horror Bad For Audiences?(01:13:02) - The Importance of Elevated Horror(01:20:03) - Final Girl on 6th Avenue

Don't you find the paradox that loneliness is common but isolating interesting? Yeah, me too. Listen in as I discuss 5 of my favorite examples of the human condition, including Requiem for a Dream (2000), The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (2005), and Happiness (1998).

Based on Andrew Neiderman's novel by the same name, Pin (1988) is a dark and emotional journey of a family as they navigate Leon's growing relationship with an anatomy dummy.  SOURCES/INFORMATION IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095871/  Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pin_(film)  Starburst Article: https://www.starburstmagazine.com/reviews/dvd-review-pin-1988/#:~:text=Pin%2C%20however%2C%20is%20a%20different,Pin%20is%20talking%20to%20him.

These films don't just challenge you, they change you. Join me in questioning reality and sanity.    SOURCES/INFORMATION Inland Empire: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460829/ Salo: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073650/ The Holy Mountain: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071615/  Dancer in the Dark: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0168629/  Mirror: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072443/

Beneath the peeling wallpaper and flickering lights lurks something sinister—an evil force tied to their past and the choices they made to survive. Unpack Remi Weekes’s haunting directorial debut, His House—a psychological horror film that blends supernatural terror with the real-life trauma of displacement with me.   SOURCES/INFORMATION IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8508734/  The Anglo-Egpytian Conquest: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Egyptian_conquest_of_Sudan#:~:text=The%20Anglo%2DEgyptian%20conquest%20of,Sudan%20became%20independent%20in%201956 Survivor Guilt: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor_guilt

In this electrifying episode, we dissect Danny Boyle’s post-apocalyptic masterwork—from its hauntingly deserted London to its jarring moral dilemmas. Rage never rests.   SOURCES/INFORMATION IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0289043/ Rage: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rage_(emotion)  Mad Cow Disease: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bovine_spongiform_encephalopathy#Spread_to_humans  Mad Cow Disease Symptoms: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/creutzfeldt-jakob-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20371226  Ebola: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebola  Rabies: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabies Production Notes: https://cinema.com/articles/1465/28-days-later-production-notes.phtml#google_vignette  Deep Focus Review: https://www.deepfocusreview.com/definitives/28-days-later/

RIP to your comfort zones, people. Some stories are so harrowing, they blur the line between reality and nightmare. In this gripping episode, we dive into ten of the most unsettling documentaries ever made—films that shook audiences, sparked outrage, and left psychological scars that linger long after the credits roll.   SOURCES/INFORMATION Voyeur: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7588790/ Who Took Johnny: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2704816/?ref_=tturv_ov_bk Capturing The Friedmans: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0342172/  Abducted in Plain Sight: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3444312/ Tell Them You Love Me: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29142525/  Caniba: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7225942/  Paradise Lost: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117293/ The Act of Killing: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2375605/  Tickled: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5278506/  The Contestant: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13940818/  Finders Keepers: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3462002/

Lately, we cannot even watch the news or go to a work conference without talking about AI. AI is being utilized everywhere, all the time, whether you know it or not. Alex Garland's 2014 film Ex Machina warns us of the evolution of AI, what it is capable of, and being careful what you wish for. ** this podcast episode was generated using an AI cloned version of my voice using ElevenLabs ** SOURCES/INFORMATION IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0470752/  Mary in a Black and White Room: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_argument The Turing Test: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turing_test  What Is It Like to Be a Bat?: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_Is_It_Like_to_Be_a_Bat%3F  Hubris: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hubris

Directed by Thomas Vinterberg and shot in raw Dogme 95 style, The Celebration is a blistering critique of family, trauma, and denial—where truth is the most explosive guest. Raise your glasses, folks, and brace for impact, because this film changed what indie films look like forever.   SOURCES/INFORMATION IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0154420/ Dogme 95: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogme_95 Incest: https://patient.info/doctor/incest Child Sexual Abuse Attributions: Are They Different Depending on Mothers' vs Fathers' Reactions?: https://journals.copmadrid.org/apj/art/apj2025a5 Cinematic Depictions of Boyhood Sexual Victimization: https://www.richardgartner.com/fcinematicZ.html Why Do People Sexually Abuse Children?: https://www.ceopeducation.co.uk/parents/articles/why-do-people-sexually-abuse-children/

Curtis is a hardworking family man haunted by apocalyptic visions—ominous clouds, deafening thunder, and a sense that something terrible is coming. Is it a supernatural warning or the onset of mental illness? As he builds a shelter in his backyard, tension mounts within his family and his community.   SOURCES/INFORMATION IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1675192/ Paranoid Schizophrenia: https://www.webmd.com/schizophrenia/schizophrenia-paranoia Catatonic Schizophrenia: http://webmd.com/schizophrenia/mental-catatonic-schizophrenia-overview Disorganized Schizophrenia: https://www.webmd.com/schizophrenia/hebephrenic-schizophrenia Director Interview Quotes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Take_Shelter

Michael Haneke's The Seventh Continent (1989) is a harrowing look into a seemingly normal family. Haneke's first feature film will leave you shocked, appalled, and change your perspective on life in a way that you never could have imagined. SOURCES/INFORMATION IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098327/  The Criterion Collection: https://www.criterion.com/boxsets/6323-michael-haneke-trilogy?srsltid=AfmBOoq9I-ccwFaO273qPO8Bz_K03xFcU7YsDenM1UJ6E3yg005Ep3S5  Nihilism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nihilism

In 1992, Benny's Video would have absolutely rocked my world. I can tell you that today, it still does. This timeless and gut-wrenching film highlights what it means to be a person in the world today of continuous and increasingly violent media. If nothing else, watch this film to learn about yourself.   SOURCES/INFORMATION IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103793/  Narcissus: https://www.worldhistory.org/Narcissus/  Time-Image Discussion: https://www.reddit.com/r/askphilosophy/comments/r1z7u0/deleuze_time_image/ Supermodernity, Capital, and Narcissus: The French Connection to Michael Haneke’s Benny’s Video by Mattias Frey: https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=cb14102e47fbec4eafe9a94d2ceb5cc710d74e89  Airplane Game: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airplane_game