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Greetings, and welcome back to Horror Business. We have one awesome episode in store for you guys because we’re talking 2011’s Kill List and 2021’s In The Earth, two folk horror-y entries from English filmmaker Ben Wheatley.
First and as always thank you to our Patreon subscribers. Your support means the world to us and we are eternally thankful. If you would like to become a Patron, head to patreon.com/cinepunx. Thanks in advance! Also, a huge thank you to the fine folks over at Lehigh Valley Apparel Creations, the premiere screen-printing company of the Lehigh Valley. Chris Reject and his merry band of miscreants are ready to work with you to bring to life your vision of a t-shirt for your business, band, project, or whatever else it is you need represented by a shirt, sweater, pin, or coozy. Head on over to www.xlvacx.com to check them out. Thank you also to Essex Coffee Roasters, purveyors of freshly roasted coffee and doers away with of coffee elitism! Head to www.essexcoffeeroasters.com to check out their fine assortment of coffee and enter CINEPUNX in the promo code for ten percent off your order! Also thank you to Paul Sharkey for his MANY technical contributions to this show and others on the Cinepunx network. Head www.mechanicalsharkmedia.com for all your miscellaneous production (and mechanized shark!) needs!
We start by talking about what we’ve done involving horror recently. We talk about the new Demian Rugna film When Evil Lurks, Liam’s rewatch of The Haunting Of Hill House and It Follows, and Justin’s recent spooky trip out west including visiting Santa Cruz and a few filming locations of The Lost Boys, as well as the Winchester Mystery House and a night at Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights. Justin talks about the films Astral Woods, Suitable Flesh, Dear David, and Where The Devil Roams. We briefly touch upon the series finale of the anime series Attack On Titan.
Up first is Kill List. We talk about how the film is extremely effective at gradually switching up tone and genre almost, in that it starts out as one kind of film and transforms into something else entirely that is still welcome.
We talk about the film’s effective but subtle use of classic folk horror imagery, including a connection to a “blood soaked past”, rituals of power to maintain power, and an emphasis on the “common folk” while also including a connection to the aristocracy.
We discuss the film’s “distractions” from the central theme of fatalism and how effective they are at keeping the film’s main goal under wraps until the finale.
We expand on the film’s examination of fate, and the film’s concept of sacrifices within sacrifices for a larger ritual.
Up next is In The Earth. We discuss the role of the COVID-19 pandemic in the film. Justin talks about how his expectations of how the film was going to be scary were kind used in a way to disguise the true horror of the film.
We discuss the theme of ecology as an interpretation of the mystical, and how the folklore of something is merely an explanation for a biological phenomenon. We talk about the concept of scientists seeking to understand something gradually becoming devotees of said something, and how scary such an idea is.
We talk about the film’s theme on the arrogance of science, and the idea that whatever thing is responsible for the phenomenon in this movie might not be an actual thing but instead a collection of reactions on behalf of the scientists that is being called intelligent by said scientists who are unwilling to admit it could simply be biological reactions.
We talk about how the source of horror for the film is the human reaction to the phenomenon and not the phenomenon itself.
We discuss the film’s production amid the COVID 19 pandemic and how the result is a very claustrophobic film despite taking place entirely outside.
As always thank you for listening and to everyone and anyone who donated on Patreon, checked this episode out, or shared a tweet/shared a post on FB/gave us love by recommending us to someone. We love you forever for listening and donating. Any questions, comments, suggestions for movies and guests, or if you yourself want to join us for a movie viewing or even an episode, can be sent to [email protected]. We would love to hear from you! Thanks always to Justin Miller, Jacob Roberts, Paul Sharkey, and Doug Tilley for their technical contributions and fliers, Mike Smaczylo for the shirts and fliers (you can check more of his work out at here), and also thanks to Josh Alvarez for the theme song, Chris, Brad, and LVAC for the support and buttons (check them out at www.xlvacx.com and on Twitter), Essex Coffee Roasters (www.essexcoffeeroasters.com) and a HUGE thank you to anyone who retweeted us or shared something on Facebook that we posted. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @thehorrorbiz666, like us on Facebook at facebook.com/thehorrorbiz66, check out our Spotify account at Cinepunx, and remember to rate, review, and subscribe to us on ITunes. In fact, if you write us a review, email us with your mailing address and we’ll send you some free pins and stickers! Check out www.cinepunx.com for more info on some of our other podcasts, some ultra stylish Cinepunx related merchandise, and how you can donate to our Patreon! Until next time…thanks!
