I continue to enjoy putting together the posts and content that becomes the exploration of the fantastic in pop culture that is TheoFantastique. With this post I let readers know about “coming attractions,” beyond my own commentary the topics and individuals I will be talking with and about on this fantastic journey. In no particular order:

Joseph Laycock is an independent scholar who I have interviewed previously on his book Vampires Today. He has submitted an article to the Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion titled “The Folk Piety of William Peter Blatty: The Exorcist in the Context of Secularization.” This article presents the thesis that “ The Exorcist represents a cultural moment in which the perceived decline of supernaturalism inspired a resurgence of folk piety.” It is always interesting to explore a significant facet of this influential horror film and I look forward to discussing this with Joe.

Speaking of the demonic and Satanic, W. Scott Poole, who recently wrote an article for religion dispatches that contrasted the depiction of the feminine in Jennifer’s Body with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, is the author of Satan in America: The Devil You Know (Rowman & Littlefield, 2009). In this volume he explores America’s relationship with the figure of Satan, but thus far interviews on his book have not discussed his treatmetn of horror films on this issue. Scott will be here to address this neglect.

I recently “met” Corvis Nocturnum, a vampire who contacted me after reading the interview with Joseph Laycock to express his appreciation for the volume and the spirit of the interview. Nocturnum is the author of Allure of the Vampire: Our Sexual Attraction to the Undead (CreateSpace, 2009). Amazon describes this work as follows:

The mere mention of vampires used to be enough to make people think of a nocturnal predator. But over the centuries the vampire has changed from monstrous villain to sexual object, for both men and women alike. Allure of the Vampire examines our intimate attraction to these beings in a detailed manner. Now, join occult author Corvis Nocturnum as he reveals the fascinating evolution of this icon as it has lured and enticed us in folklore, film and books from the days of ancient civilization to the living breathing inhabitants of our modern subculture, the vampire community.

In the near future Nocturnum will appear here for an interview on this volume.

Finally, as a teen I loved many of the made-for-television horror films of the 1970s. Many of these appeared on the ABC TV Movie of the Week. These included offerings like Duel, Trilogy of Terror, and The Night Stalker. Michael Karol has written a volume that discusses these and other films in The ABC TV Movie of the Week Companion: A Loving Tribute to the Classic Series (iUniverse, 2008). Karol will be here to discuss these interesting pieces of pop culture that still hold up years later for horror fans.