It's quiet in here—a little TOO quiet—as The Unenthusiastic Critic continues her 2019 Horror Movie Marathon with A Quiet Place (2018), starring John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, and Noah Jupe.
First, we're using a handy flowchart to talk about horror's various genres and sub-genres, and to accidentally invent a new Myers-Briggs-type personality test based on whether you're the type of person who prefers giant monster movies to redneck slasher films. (We also discover—over the course of a meandering discussion—that Nakea has very definite ideas about which terrifying creatures are and are not bangable.)
Then, we're sitting down for John Krasinski's recent horror hit, for a lively discussion about silent survival techniques, the hubris of having a baby during the apocalypse, and whether—like many of the best horror movies—A Quiet Place is unintentionally expressing a lot of white anxieties about societal changes.
So put your headphones in, crank up the volume, and touch the sound of silence with the Unenthusiastic Critic.
Program
0:00: Intro
0:38: Preliminary Conversation: Horror Genres
12:50: Interlude: Emily Blunt on A Quiet Place
13:49: Cultural Osmosis: Pre-Viewing Discussion
20:31: Interlude: Original Trailer and Shameful Plea
21:43: The Verdict 1: Post-Viewing Discussion
1:03:18: Outro and Next Week's Movie
1:04:17: Outtake
Notes and Links
—Movie Reviewed: A Quiet Place (dir. John Krasinksi, Paramount, 2018).
—Interlude from "A Quiet Place (2018) – Emily Blunt Interview," Paramount Pictures, YouTube.
—References and Resources: "Horror genres and sub-genres, arranged in convenient flow chart form," Joe Blevins, avclub.com; video on sound; "We Watch Whiteness," Wesley Morris and Jenna Wortham, Still Processing Podcast; "The Silently Regressive Politics of A Quiet Place," Richard Brody, The New Yorker; "DIY Whiteness in the Age of Apocalypse," Katherine Fusco, Avidly; "Interview: Scott Beck and Bryan Woods," Scott Myers, Go Into The Story; Twitter thread by @barbaerella; "How the Sound Effects in A Quiet Place Were Made," Movies Insider, YouTube.
—Find additional episodes, leave a comment, or make a donation to support the podcast at unaffiliatedcritic.com.
—Email us, or follow us on Twitter and Facebook. (Suggestions of movies to watch for future episodes are very welcome.)
—Saint-Saens' "Danse Macabre" by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under CC BY 3.0.
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