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Weird Studies

By: Phil Ford and J. F. Martel
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  • Summary

  • Professor Phil Ford and writer J. F. Martel host a series of conversations on art and philosophy, dwelling on ideas that are hard to think and art that opens up rifts in what we are pleased to call "reality."
    © 2024 Phil Ford and J.F. Martel
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Episodes
  • Episode 168: Visions of the Wasteland: On George Miller's 'Mad Max' Films

    Episode 168: Visions of the Wasteland: On George Miller's 'Mad Max' Films
    May 1 2024
    There are artists who express the vision of a place, person, or thing so vividly and originally that it sets the bar for all future imaginings. With his four Mad Max films, this is what George Miller did with the image of the Wasteland. No one has been able to capture the stark, raw energy and chaotic beauty of a post-apocalyptic desert quite like Miller. His portrayal not only defines the aesthetic of a cinematic world but also prompts us to think about the meaning of civilization, technology, humanity, and how they intertwine. In this episode, Phil and JF discuss how Mad Max challenges our perception of civilization, and our conception of the human. Support us on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/weirdstudies). Buy the Weird Studies soundtrack, volumes 1 (https://pierre-yvesmartel.bandcamp.com/album/weird-studies-music-from-the-podcast-vol-1) and 2 (https://pierre-yvesmartel.bandcamp.com/album/weird-studies-music-from-the-podcast-vol-2), on Pierre-Yves Martel's Bandcamp (https://pierre-yvesmartel.bandcamp.com) page. Listen to Meredith Michael and Gabriel Lubell's podcast, Cosmophonia (https://cosmophonia.podbean.com/). Visit the Weird Studies Bookshop (https://bookshop.org/shop/weirdstudies) Find us on Discord (https://discord.com/invite/Jw22CHfGwp) Get the T-shirt design from Cotton Bureau (https://cottonbureau.com/products/can-o-content#/13435958/tee-men-standard-tee-vintage-black-tri-blend-s)! REFERENCES George Miller (dir.), Mad Max (https://imdb.com/title/tt0079501/) George Miller (dir.), Mad Max: The Road Warrior (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082694//) George Miller (dir.), Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdrome (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089530/) George Miller (dir.), Mad Max: Fury Road (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1392190/) Jaroslav Hašek, The Good Soldier Švejk (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9780062835444) Stanley Kubrick (dir.), A Clockwork Orange (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066921) Sam Raimi (dir), The Quick and the Dead (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114214/) Joe Bob Briggs (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/AnyoneCanDie/Film), movie critic Phil Ford, “The Wanderer” (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01411896.2023.2287422) Felix Guattari and Gilles Deleuze, Nomadology (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9780936756097) Our Known Friend, Meditations on the Tarot (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9781585421619)
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    1 hr and 21 mins
  • Episode 167: The Hand of Ithell, with Amy Hale

    Episode 167: The Hand of Ithell, with Amy Hale
    Apr 17 2024
    Ithell Colquhoun (1906-1988) was a British painter, poet, and occultist, long identified as a pioneer of the Surrealist movement in the UK. While her work is increasingly recognized for its mystical themes and innovative use of automatic techniques, deeply influenced by her esoteric studies, it also inspired extensive research on its broader cultural and spiritual contexts. Amy Hale, an anthropologist, folklorist, and author, has dedicated much of her career to exploring Cornwall, the fabled region of southwest England that became Colquhoun’s spiritual home. Hale’s book, Ithell Colquhoun: Genius of the Fern-Loved Gully, published by Strange Attractor Press, offers a profound biographical study of Colquhoun, examining the historical and spiritual forces that influenced her work. In this episode, she joins JF and Phil to discuss Colquhoun, Cornwall, and the transformative power of research and writing. REFERENCES Amy Hale, Ithell Colquhoun: Genius of the Fern-Loved Gully (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9781907222863) Agnes Callard, I Teach the Humanities, and I Still Don’t Know What Their Value Is (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9781907222863) Steven Feld, Jazz Cosmopolitanism in Accra (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9780822351627) Albert Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9780525564454) Lionel Snell, My Years of Magical Thinking (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9780904311242) Special Guest: Amy Hale.
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    1 hr and 29 mins
  • Episode 166: Make Believe: On the Power of Pretentiousness

    Episode 166: Make Believe: On the Power of Pretentiousness
    Apr 3 2024
    In culture and the arts, labeling something you don't like (or don't understand) "pretentious" is the easy way out. It's a conversation killer, implying that any dialogue is pointless, and those who disagree are merely duped by what you've cleverly discerned as a charade. It's akin to cynically revealing that a magic show is all smoke and mirrors—as if creative vision doesn't necessitate a leap of faith. In this episode, Phil and JF explore the nuances of pretentiousness, distinguishing between its fruitful and hollow forms. They argue that the real gamble, and inherent value, of daring to pretend lies in recognizing that imagination is an active contributor to, rather than a detractor from, reality. Pierre-Yves Martel's EPHEMERA (https://pierre-yvesmartel.bandcamp.com/album/ephemera) project It isn't too late to join JF's upcoming course (https://mutations.blog/kubrick)on the films of Stanley Kubrick, which goes until the end of April, 2024. Support us on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/weirdstudies). Buy the Weird Studies soundtrack, volumes 1 (https://pierre-yvesmartel.bandcamp.com/album/weird-studies-music-from-the-podcast-vol-1) and 2 (https://pierre-yvesmartel.bandcamp.com/album/weird-studies-music-from-the-podcast-vol-2), on Pierre-Yves Martel's Bandcamp (https://pierre-yvesmartel.bandcamp.com) page. Listen to Meredith Michael and Gabriel Lubell's podcast, Cosmophonia (https://cosmophonia.podbean.com/). Visit the Weird Studies Bookshop (https://bookshop.org/shop/weirdstudies) Find us on Discord (https://discord.com/invite/Jw22CHfGwp) Get the T-shirt design from Cotton Bureau (https://cottonbureau.com/products/can-o-content#/13435958/tee-men-standard-tee-vintage-black-tri-blend-s)! REFERENCES Brian Eno, A Year with Swollen Appendices (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9780571374625) Dan Fox, Pretentiousness: Why it Matters (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9781566894289) Ramsay Dukes, How to See Fairies (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9781904658375) Johan Huizinga, Homo Ludens (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9781621389996) Gilles Deleuze, Difference and Repetition (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9780231081597) Weird Studies, Episode 49 on Nietzsche’s idea of “untimely” (https://www.weirdstudies.com/49) Sokal Affair (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sokal_affair), scholarly hoax Weird Studies, Episode 75 on ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ (https://www.weirdstudies.com/75) Stanley Kubrick, “Notes on Film” (http://www.visual-memory.co.uk/amk/doc/0076.html#:~:text=A%20truly%20original%20person%20with,plot%20is%20no%20apparent%20plot.) Friedrich Nietzsche, On the Uses and Abuses of History (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9781596054660) Vladimir Nabokov, Think, Write, Speak (https://bookshop.org/a/18799/9781101873700) Mary Shelley, “Introduction to Frankenstein” (https://www.frankenbook.org/pub/ai6okwlz/release/1) Matt Cardin, A Course in Demonic Creativity (https://mattcardin.com/a-course-in-demonic-creativity/) Playboy interview with Stanley Kubrick (https://scrapsfromtheloft.com/movies/playboy-interview-stanley-kubrick/)
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    1 hr and 13 mins
Art Philosophy Social Sciences
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