An Introduction

Hello everyone! Good to hear from you all again! Introduction time!

My name is Matt Daley, I am a senior at Lawrence University (Econ major, Film minor), and I am currently typing this out from my room in Madison, Wisconsin. I'm an all-around film/media geek and small-time science fiction/fantasy author who will gladly elaborate on why the two settings are very distinct from each other (hint: it all comes down to worldbuilding). 

Quarantine has been a mixed bag for me, with pleasant as well as unpleasant aspects. Much of my time has been spent playing various video games (Starcraft II, Smash Ultimate, and Risk of Rain 2. Contact me if you want to play), trying to catch up on a few TV shows (The Expanse, Clone Wars 2008, and Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. I don't mind spoilers at this point), reading old sci-fi novels (Ring by Stephen Baxter is my current project, and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes the genre), taking long walks through my eerily silent hometown, and attempting to find a sustainable sleep schedule. The hard thing to get used to is the lack of privacy in my own home compared to a dorm room, and I predict that the thin walls of my house may start to grate on me even more as things continue.

Horror films are a genre which I'm not intimately familiar with, but one that I think is filled with meaning, cultural weight, and artistic flair. All three of these elements fascinate me, and their interplay within this genre is a compelling subject for a film class. What's more, several of the films and writings explored in this class have been explored in prior classes that I enjoyed a great deal (Film Theory & Criticism as well as Queering Sci-Fi), so I'm eager to resolve some lingering questions which I've had ever since I took those courses. On top of all of this, I've had horror on the brain ever since one of my friends released his book on the writing of slasher fiction (if you want the link: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/304154/Hatchet-Men-Slashers-in-Heroic-Horror). The publication of this book has gotten me thinking more and more about the construction of fear and the role that it plays in different stories, settings, and cultures, raising a number of questions which I would love to explore with a wider variety of people.

I am looking forward to this class because I feel it explores a blind spot in my filmic knowledge: the domain of fear and discomfort which people engage in for pleasure and relief. This paradoxical structure is rife with possibilities, so I revel in the prospect of diving into it all.