Monsters in the Static

Imaginary Worlds

Eric Molinsky

Arts, Science Fiction, Fiction, Society & Culture

4.8 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 8 December 2022

⏱️ 37 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In the subgenre of analog horror, there’s something sinister or supernatural lurking in the horizontal lines and vertical holds in those old VHS tapes. Filmmaker Chris LaMartina explains why he wanted his movies WNUF Halloween Special and Out There Halloween Mega Tape to seem like live broadcasts taped off local TV news in the ‘80s and ‘90s. I talk with podcasters Perry Carpenter and Mason Amadeus from the show Digital Folklore about how The Internet became our new campfire to tell spooky stories. Plus, we hear from Alex Hera, director of the documentary The History of Analog Horror, and folk horror lecturer Diane A. Rodgers of Sheffield University about why people born in the digital age want to tell horror stories set in the distant yet familiar era of VCRs. In this episode we also discuss The Mandela Catalog, Local 58, and The Backrooms. This episode is sponsored by Birds of Empire, and Brilliant. Our ad partner is Multitude. If you’re interested in advertising on Imaginary Worlds, you can contact them here. Visit brilliant.org/imaginaryworlds to get 20% off Brilliant's annual premium subscription. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Connections can take your business anywhere, so meet Meta and make new connections.
0:08.0	Meet engaged audiences and make lasting relationships.
0:12.0	Meet some of the world's best creators and delight your customers with Reels ads.
0:18.0	Meet powerful ways to sell to help you grow your business.
0:23.0	Meet opportunity, meet Meta at eme.metaMarketingSummit.com
0:30.0	You're listening to Imaginary Worlds.
0:32.0	I show about how we create them and why we suspend or disbelieve.
0:35.0	I'm Eric Mollinsky.
0:38.0	Have you ever been to a thrift store and noticed that there's a little section of VHS tapes?
0:43.0	You think to yourself, do I even have a VCR machine?
0:47.0	Yeah, I think it's in the closet.
0:49.0	You go over to check out the tapes, you know, just for nostalgia sake.
0:52.0	It's kind of fun seeing those old boxes for Nightmare on Elm Street or Terminator 2.
0:57.0	And then you come across what looks like a generic tape.
1:00.0	You know, the kind that people used to use to record stuff off TV.
1:03.0	And there's a white label on it.
1:05.0	And somebody wrote WNUF Halloween Special 1987.
1:11.0	This looks like a personal tape.
1:13.0	It's not supposed to be here, right?
1:15.0	You asked the salesperson, is this a mistake?
1:17.0	They say, no, that's for sale.
1:19.0	Now you're really curious.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Eric Molinsky, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Eric Molinsky and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.