I cannot recommend Serbian Film to anyone. It is a movie that hard-core horror fans will be daring each other to endure for years to come. On an intellectual level, I think I can see and appreciate what it’s trying to do. But if I could unsee it, I would.

I have so much I could say; I was thinking about my little girl (she’s 4) and this picture she just drew for me. It’s me, and her and her little sister-to-be (my wife is due in about 2 months). In the picture, we’re all smiling and it’s just a cute little thing, you know? Typical thing a little kid would draw. She draws little cats and bunnies and fairies, etc. I’ve had this thought often: I love that this is what’s in her little head. Her mind is full of good things. Of course, you can’t shelter a kid forever; she’ll learn that sometimes some people are cruel and sometimes bad things happen and all that jazz. But mostly, it’s just bunnies and fairies right now. And that’s wonderful.

Now we, as adults, have a lot of control over what we put into our heads. I’m not saying horror movies are going to influence your behavior, like you’ll head over to the nearest summer camp and start chasing teens with a machete – I don’t really buy that at all. I am saying, though, that it just can’t be very good for your heart, mind or soul to watch some certain things. I mean, how can it be a net positive, in any way, to elect to put this into your head?

I’m not swearing off horror, of course not. However, I may spend the next few weeks reviewing my daughter’s Hello Kitty DVDs on the Splattercast, instead of whatever genre stuff we had on the docket.

I know it’s pretty lame to quote song lyrics on the internet, but the Bad Religion song, Marked, came to my mind:

if I’m a monster,
I am a willing one,
this roller coaster ride is an enticing one,
on the tip of a continuum flowing wavelike
through disorder carry me like a vessel to water

everything you see leaves a mark on your soul,
everything you feel leaves a mark on your soul,
everything you touch leaves a mark on your soul,
everything you make leaves a mark on your soul

if I can touch it,
I can destroy it,
if it’s imaginable to some degree,
I can become it,
like a hungry turning vortex that just flickers to existence,
consuming bits and pieces until I’m finally extinguished

everyone you see leaves a mark on your soul,
everyone you bare leaves a mark on your soul,
everyone you touch leaves a mark on your soul,
everyone you love leaves a mark on your soul

everything you take leaves a mark on your soul,
everything you give leaves a mark on your soul,
and all the fear and loneliness that’s impossible to control,
and every tear you cry leaves a mark on your soul

Splattercast #187 is up.

We have high praise for Inception, and then take on what is quite possibly the single most transgressive and challenging genre film ever made.

(NOTE: hey folks, here’s Mat’s companion piece commentary about A Serbian Film)

Many thanks to Julie from http://19nocturneboulevard.net and KC from http://zombiepodcast.com for taking the time to tell us a bit about the world of “audio dramas.” They’re sort of like podcasts for talented, creative people – instead of a bunch of cranky doofs telling you which movies they hate each week.

Splattercast #185 is up.

We check out the new Predators film, and make asses of ourselves as we use Bloodsucking Freaks as a springboard into a discussion on misogyny in horror.

Splattercast #184 is up.

We field some good questions from the formspring inbox, and then discuss the atmospheric Japanese film, Onibaba.

Splattercast #183 is up.

We compare and contrast a pair of thematically-similar films from 1960: Psycho and Peeping Tom.

Splattercast #181 is up.

Guest host Lauren helps us look at Dario Argento’s Three Mothers trilogy.

Splattercast #180 is up.

We compare and contrast the Spanish film REC vs its American remake, Quarantine.

Splattercast 179

A Deejay special this week as he selects Triangle for us to watch. Splattercast listener and new Explodey Files host Lauren also joins us this week.