In this episode, host Garret Castleberry is joined by special guest Dr. Tim Craig, Chair of the Communication Arts Department at Warner University. Tim's educational background in journalism and professional experience in radio and audio production includes serving as academic advisor to Warner's digital radio station. Dr. Craig's research familiarity with cult film history presents a unique opportunity to bridge our Season 7 shift from the Unit 2 focus on "Cold War Creatures" to the Unit 3 emphasis on "Astrophobia". With this interest in mind, Garret and Tim embark on an intellectual odyssey to unearth hidden meanings behind director Nicholas Webster's low-budget 1964 cult film, Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.

The hosts' calamitous close reading first examines the movie's imitation versus innovation of film form as an admixture of science fiction, children's comedy, but also the genre DNA of the holiday movie and the Christmas TV special (15:00). The pair then consider cultural themes embedded within SCCTM and how the filmmakers use presence versus absence to make these meanings overt in key instances while covert in other places (26:30). Winding down conversation, Garret speculates how a science fiction camp comedy like Santa Claus Conquers the Martians *might* communicate fears through its film form (50:47). In closing, Tim discusses his current Call for Submissions for an upcoming issue of the music media publication Vinylthon: The Zine, Issue 5.  Interested parties are invited to contact Tim via email for more information.  


Host: Garret Castleberry

Guest: Tim Craig

Producers: Garret Castleberry, Will McMurry (Audio Engineer), Alli Garner (Cover Art), Austin Foster (Music)

Recommended readings paired with Season Seven "Communicating Fears in Film":
Nicholas Webster. (Director). Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. New York, USA: Embassy Pictures, 1964.

Allan Havis. Cult Films: Taboo and Transgression. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 2008.

Ernest Mathijs and Jamie Sexton. Cult Cinema: An Introduction. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2011.

J. P. Telotte. (Editor). The Cult Film Experience: Beyond All Reason. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 1991.

Ways to Connect with us online:
Follow and engage with Special Topics in Media on Twitter at @podcast_topics.

"Like" to follow our Special Topics in Media Page on Facebook (search Special Topics in Media).

Join the Special Topics in Media Facebook Group and share your reviews of the film or this episode.

Subscribe to Dr. Castleberry's academic YouTube Channel.

Garret's academic website is available at https://garretcastleberry.academi