In this episode, Paige Sechrest (PhD) joins me to discuss the unsung hero of Jordan Peele’s filmography, Us (2019). We are pretty interested in talking about the intersection of race and class in Us, especiallyin relation to the phenomena of Get Out. But also, we share our favorite Twilight Zone episodes, the art of playing with audience expectations, and monstrosity in Black horror. Do we understand the logistics of the tethered? No, and we don’t care! Paige is incredibly smart, a wonderful person and a great friend— I hope you all enjoy!
00:00-11:00- Intro / Why Paige Loves Horror / How We First Saw Us
11:00-27:00- Brief Synopsis / Us in relation to Get Out & The Twilight Zone
27:00-50:00- Performances / Music / Dance / Themes of Race and Class in America
50:00-01:08:00 Favorite Characters / Scary Moments / Double Feature Ideas / Outro
Please note: timestamps are estimates.
References:
The All American Nightmares of Jordan Peele- by Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, January 29, 2019
Behind the Scenes: Jordan Peele Gives Us a Glimpse Behind the Curtain
Jordan Peele on ‘Us’- The Big Picture Podcast, March 19, 2019
Books Mentioned:
The Black Guy Dies First: Black Horror Cinema From Fodder to Oscar by Dr. Robin R. Means Coleman and Mark H. Harris (mentioned by Chloe)
“Many Thousands Gone,” an excerpt Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin (mentioned by Paige)
The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl by Issa Rae (mentioned by Paige)
Follow Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.
The music featured in this episode is the “I Got 5 On It” and the “Tethered Mix” from Us (originally by Luniz), as well as a short clip of the trailer for Us (2019) used for educational purposes.
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