Documentary
Funny How the World Ends
In 2016, a video of an alleged human sacrifice went viral. The video is fake, but whoever created it wants you to think it’s real. A human sacrifice is shocking enough, but the fact that it took place at CERN, and that the ritual was apparently performed by CERN employees, made the incident fodder for conspiracy theorists. This documentary is an odyssey through the strange world of science, black magic, and End Times prophecy.
The Devil and Cheese Pizza
What is Pizzagate? Pizzagate is a long-debunked conspiracy theory, popular among some Trump supporters, that claims Hillary Clinton and many other wealthy and powerful elites are traffickers, abusers, and murderers of children. First gaining steam on 4chan and Reddit, Pizzagate is fake news, but this isn’t a debunking video — there are plenty of those online. This is an examination of Pizzagate as American folklore. The Pizzagate conspiracy theory has all the elements of a great horror story.
Politics
A Karl Marx Christmas Spectacular | The Last Christmas
This is the untold story of the revolution that led to the end of Christmas, and may well lead to the end of capitalism. The execution of Santa and his family was only the beginning — after the old regime received its just deserts, a new order was established: one by the workers and for the workers, where employment and help flowed freely, from each according to his ability, to each according to his need.
“Politics and the English Language” by George Orwell
An analysis of George Orwell’s essay, “Politics and the English Language.” This analysis is not meant to favor any political viewpoint — it’s about imprecision in language and the relationship of imprecise language to tyranny This video attempts to discuss Orwell’s piece in the context of contemporary American political speech. It examines soundbites from Sarah Palin, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump.
“On the Concept of History” by Walter Benjamin
Walter Benjamin (1892-1940) was a philosopher and cultural critic associated with the Frankfurt School of Critical Theory. “On the Concept of History,” sometimes translated as “Theses on the Philosophy of History,” is a strange and poetic piece. Composed shortly before his suicide — Benjamin killed himself to avoid near-certain death in a Nazi concentration camp — it invokes messianism and the messianic in its contemplation of history. History, for Benjamin, can’t merely be made of up “homogeneous, empty time.” Instead, “[t]he past carries with it a temporal index by which it is referred to redemption.”
Literature
Vathek, Part One | Summary and Analysis
The first of two videos about William Beckford’s Vathek, a disturbing and singular work by a disturbing and singular man. I’m beginning this series with a summary of the book, along with a brief analysis of some major themes.
Vathek, Part Two | Hell is Both the Punishment and the Temptation
At nine years old, William Beckford became one of the wealthiest men in England. This is the story of his extraordinary wealth, and of the immense — and diabolical — property he used it to build. The second of two videos about William Beckford’s Vathek.
The Bathroom Man
Weird Man Does a Weird Thing in an Elevator
Always check behind you when you ride.
One-Room Schoolhouse
The Bathroom Man takes up teaching.
The Dr. Phil Letters, a Tragedy
From a Loving Mother
Jesi’s son, chance, seems like the perfect son. At least he used to seem that way — recently, Jesi has begun to suspect that chance is suffering from mental illness. But now, every week, he plays a terrible prank on Jesi. She can barely function at work, and is suffering from insomnia. She’s all out of options. The only person who can help her is Dr. Phil, daytime television’s premier mental health professional.
From a Good Neighbor
Alan, Chance and Jesi’s neighbor, writes to Dr. Phil to tell a terrifying story of murder and mental illness. The dreadful event that Alan witnesses is worse than any horror movie. It happened to his neighbors. It ruined his pleasant, small-town life. His whole world has been shaken and corroded by this tragedy. Alan’s voice and name, like Jesi’s and Chance’s, have been disguised to protect his identity. He is a pillar of his community, and was once greeted with deference and warmth by his neighbors. Now they can’t bear to look at him. It’s not that he’s guilty – not exactly – it’s that he reminds them of what happened to Jesi and Chance.
From a Cheating Wife
Gladys seemed to have the perfect life. She was financially stable, happily married, and generally content. But the horrific murder/suicide of her neighbors, Jesi and Chance, sent her into an emotional tailspin. Now filled with depression, anxiety, and dread, she seeks Dr. Phil’s help to put her world back in order.
From a Suicidal Teen
A letter from Chance, Jesi’s son — a teen whose recent behavior has caused his mother great distress, and whose fatal decision will rock a small town to its core.
Misc.
Momma Told Me | Animated Horror Story
What happens to all the hitchhikers who disappear? Maybe it’s worse than you think. Connie gets a ride with a man who seems perfectly nice, but then she notices three bodies beneath a tarp in his truck bed. It starts with a hitchhiker in trouble, and ends as a cosmic nightmare…