Episode 120--Ahh! Scary Suburbia

Welcome ladies, germs, and people of all genders! Join Taylor & Curtis as we discuss films set in the most haunting location of all....the suburbs! We discuss what makes the suburbs such a perfect setting for a horror movie (the term "liminal spaces" is used) before diving into to two very interesting examples of suburban horror!! We could have chosen literally a hundred movies (seriously there are so many horror films set in the suburbs!!) but we chose two oddly similar, sweaty movies!! Why are the suburbs so scary, specifically to Americans? What themes are common in suburban horror films? What would you do if you found a human ear lying in a field? Would it be scary if someone had their boobs and butt on the same side of their body? Listen and find out!


Check out the resources we reference in this episode!
"American Suburbs Are a Horror Movie and We're the Protagonists" by Shina Shayesteh: https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2022/1/13/american-suburbs-are-a-horror-movie-and-were-the-protagonists

"The Horror of Suburbia: What is “Universal” Horror?" by Shannon Lewis: https://slowburnhorror.com/2021/05/13/the-horror-of-suburbia/


And if you want to learn more about urbanization and the suburbs, Taylor recommends: "The Death and  Life of Great American Cities" by Jane Jacobs, "Black Picket Fences" by Mary Pattillo, "The Big Roads" by Earl Swift and "Suburban Nation" by Andres Duany, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, and Jeff Speck. Support affordable housing and public transit policies in your local communities!!! YIMBY!!!!

Please connect with us on Twitter: @ahhreelfilms or Instagram: @ahhrealfilms, or drop us a line to let us know how we're doing, or to suggest a future topic or film to discuss: ahhrealfilms@gmail.com. We’d love any recommendations for this series or a future listener submitted episode! And please remember to rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite podcast app!

 

You can also find us both on Letterboxd! Follow us on our horror journey and occasional forays into romcoms (because let's be real).  

Taylor: @happydeathtay

 

Curtis: @let5groove2nit3

 

Movies Covered: Blue Velvet (1986), Society (1989), Evil Dead Rise (2023), Influencer (2023)