In this episode of Cult Film School, hosts Adrian and Dion reminisce on their relationships with film critic Robin Wood, and talk about his work on the horror film, culminating in the influential The American Nightmare film program (and book) in 1979. On its 45th anniversary, they discuss Robin Wood's contributions to the critical study of horror through two films he championed: Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960) and Wes Craven's The Last House on the Left (1972). They discuss personal memories as well as themes and reactions to the films, and the critical perspectives Robin Wood brought to bear on the horror film genre.
Chapters:
0:00:12 - Welcome to Cult Film School
0:02:09 - Robin Wood Stories
0:09:28 - The American Nightmare (1979)
0:11:22 - Thanks for the Film Recommendation, Daniel!
0:12:36 - Psycho (1960): IMDb Plot Summary
0:13:34 - Robin Wood's "Psychoanalysis of Psycho" (1960)
0:15:15 - Psycho as Exploitation Horror Film Experiment
0:17:30 - Film Marketing and Hitchcock as Showman
0:19:36 - Psycho as Transitional (and Seminal) Film
0:25:35 - Families in Psycho
0:29:18 - Psycho (1960): Tagline
0:32:47 - The Last House on the Left (1972): IMDb Plot Summary
0:34:26 - Robin Wood's "Neglected Nightmares" (1980)
0:38:39 - Tonal Shifts in The Last House on the Left
0:43:19 - Empathy in The Last House on the Left
0:49:15 - Off-putting Imagery in The Last House on the Left
0:54:00 - The Last House on the Left (1972): Tagline
0:55:05 - Taking the Horror Film Seriously
0:58:30 - Curious to Read Robin Wood?
1:02:33 - Happy Halloween!
1:03:23 - Next Episode Preview
Robin Wood on the Horror Film: Collected Essays and Reviews (2018) is available via Amazon:
Amazon.ca, Amazon.com, or Amazon.co.uk.
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