Dr Janice Deitner

@janiceflux

Scholar of Shirley Jackson and periodical culture, funded by Research Ireland. Research interests include periodicals, Horror, the Gothic, Science Fiction, popular culture in general, zombie bites in narrative and popular discourse. Opinions my own.

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Dr Janice Deitner@janiceflux· 15d

Ok! Well! Part of the IGA Dublin contingent is stuck at the Leeds Bradford Airport for the forseeable. Apparently our plane turned back on its way here. @murphgothic.bsky.social was a hero and got on the phone and got us some info. We're apparently getting home tonight. Fingers crossed.

Dr Janice Deitner@janiceflux· Jul 16

So excited for the upcoming International Gothic Association Conference. Can't wait to talk about Shirley Jackson's unsettling TV Sets. #IGAHull

A slide showing the title of my paper for the IGA conference. In the background is a still from The Outer Limits opening that shows a flickering test pattern. The title of the paper is "The Shadows on the Television Screens: Post-war Paranoia and Shirley Jackson's Gothic TV Sets"

Dr Janice Deitner@janiceflux· Jun 15

OMG, From season 4 continues to not disappoint. I love this fucking show. #FromSeason4 Labelled as graphic to avoid showing spoilers to the timeline (at least spoilers of which characters make it to season 4)

A screenshot of a character from the show From saying "Boyd, are you seriously OK with him taking magic mushrooms..."

The next screenshot from From shows Boyd as the character talking to him finishes her line "that he found in a haunted forest?"

Dr Janice Deitner@janiceflux· Jun 1

Just welcome to Ireland I guess.

Dr Janice Deitner@janiceflux· May 30

Yes! Finally have time for more bell clanging. #FromSeason4

A still from the show From which shows a detail of a bell swinging by a walking leg. The subtitle says "(BELL CLANGS) Boyd: Previously on From"

Dr Janice Deitner@janiceflux· Apr 28

Without downloading anything new, where are you mentally.

An image from a Richard Scarry book shows an anthropomorphic cat in the window of a burning building. Text next to her says "beautiful screaming lady"

Dr Janice Deitner@janiceflux· Apr 27

I am absolutely delighted to have finally received my contributor copy of this exciting collection, edited by @middleagewitch.bsky.social. It looks fantastic! I can't wait to read the other chapters. #Satanism #Feminism #PopularCulture #ShirleyJackson

The cover of the edited collection Satanism and Feminism in Popular Culture: Not Today Satan. The image shows two of the kids from the film The Witch

The title page and abstract of my chapter in the aforementioned book. My chapter is on static figures in Shirley Jackson

Dr Janice Deitner@janiceflux· Mar 6

Two days into jetlag. I'm sleeping, but in weird chunks and partly during the day, unfortunately. Trying to work and very partially succeeding. Thousand yard stares are nearly constant. Current status: Ash from the middle to the end of the first Evil Dead movie.

A man from the shoulders up taken from slightly above him. Not much is visible behind him. He is wearing a blue button-up shirt that is soiled. He is sweaty and dirty. He is starting with wide eyes at something off-camera to the bottom left of the frame.

Dr Janice Deitner@janiceflux· Jan 5

Back to work today!

Dr Janice Deitner@janiceflux· Jan 1

Seems about right

A screenshot of the Merriam-Webster "Your 2026 Word" that shows the word "brain rot"

Dr Janice Deitner@janiceflux· Dec 30

The use of the telltale New Yorker diaeresis in "coördinate" absolutely floored me.

Quite from an ao3 item mimicking Isaac Chotiner's style: "Here’s the thing, you’ve asked me all these questions. You’re painting an extremely one-dimensional picture of our town, which is a wonderful place to live despite everything you’re insinuating. Ask me about all the other things I do for Buell, O.K? I coördinate an incredible Halloween costume parade every year. We have a club for teen-agers, keeps them out of trouble, off drugs. Who do you think founded that? I’m a very civic-minded man, and I help out with the lottery because I care about my neighbors and I want us all to prosper. They can pass whatever the heck kind of law they want down in Washington. I don’t really care about all that."

Dr Janice Deitner@janiceflux· Dec 7

Got to see this beautiful short film by Charlie Kaufman and Eva H.D. at @irishfilminstitute.bsky.social today, with both filmmakers in attendance for a Q and A. Just a lovely experience overall

A picture of screen 1 at IFI with a still from the film How to Shoot a Ghost. The picture is taken near the back and you can see all of the seats.

The filmmakers and moderator having a Q & A after the film

Dr Janice Deitner@janiceflux· Nov 28

Got back from the annual @popmec.bsky.social conference yesterday. Recovering today. Such an inspiring experience, and I had many exciting conversations. Thank you Anna, Laura, and the whole conference team! I also wholeheartedly recommend this organization to any Americanists out there.

The program for the "Frontiers and Un/Belongings in US American Culture" Conference. The cover is gray with many cracks like in glass or ice moving out from the center

Dr Janice Deitner@janiceflux· Nov 4

Film #31! Another rewatch, this time to inflict it on Phil. What can I say, the church is scary. Perfect ending. #spookyfilmfest25

Dr Janice Deitner@janiceflux· Nov 4

Film #30! Just hook every new Yorgos Lanthimos film directly into my veins. More darkly funny and tautly tense than spooky, though as it goes on the dread builds. I loved it. #spookyfilmfest25

The poster for Bugonia (2025). It shows Emma Stone from the shoulders up tilting into the image at an angle from the left. Her shaved head is tilted up and she appears to be looking at something out of the top of the frame. There are layers of orange and red goo over her face, like it is oozing down from the top of the frame

Dr Janice Deitner@janiceflux· Nov 4

Film #29! I very much liked this. Follows a supernatural slasher's p.o.v. I particularly like how there are moments where you forget you're watching a horror movie, until that hook goes into someone's head. There is one particular kill here that is unlike anything I've seen. #spookyfilmfest25

The poster for In a Violent Nature (2024) shows a person from the shoulders up. They are wearing a strange mask with large round eye fixtures. I know from watching the film that it is an old-fashioned firefighter mask - it is made of leather and completely covers the head and neck. The figure is holding a hook attached to a chain over its head, like it has just swung it upwards or is about to swing it down. It's looking out of frame to the bottom left, where the hook will presumably land. The title is at the top.

Dr Janice Deitner@janiceflux· Nov 4

Film #28! Oops! I forgot to finish posting the movies I watched for Halloween. Technology is scary! Kind of like Ringu but with updated tech. I particularly liked the element of predatory media trying to exploit a scared girl and getting more than they bargained for. #spookyfilmfest25

a poster for the original Japanese version of One Missed Call (2003). An old flip phone is in the center of a dark frame, on its side, partially open. It is bloody. There is a face somewhat visible on the screen. Some bloody fingers are just visible above the phone, like they are about to grab it. In front of the phone is a round red candy, which is also bloody. The words "ring...ring...ring" are visible below the phone. The whole thing is lit by the light from the phone screen, so it is very dark around the phone and the light is greenish. The title is at the bottom, with "A Takashi Miike Film"

Dr Janice Deitner@janiceflux· Nov 1

Film #27! As Phil said while we were watching this, "they tried to make the wild ones and they accidentally made Lisztomnia." That's the vibes, (but with less sex than Lisztomania tbh). Bonkers good. #spookyfilmfest25

The poster for psychomania shows a highly stylized motorcycle helmet on a skull. The title is at the top and the tagline at the bottom is "They gave new meaning to 'hell on wheels'"

Dr Janice Deitner@janiceflux· Nov 1

Film #26! Very intense cat-and-mouse horror thriller with some unflinching performances and many nods to David Lynch. I liked it,but not for everyone. #spookyfilmfest25

Dr Janice Deitner@janiceflux· Nov 1

Film #25! I LIKED THIS SO MUCH. Tbh when this came out I was lukewarm on Drive and I hadn't yet seen NWR's earlier stuff,so I skipped it. Maybe that was for the best, as I'm not sure I would have liked this as much then. Damn Jena Malone what. Also don't mess with Abbey Lee. #spookyfilmfest25

The Neon Demon poster shows three beautiful young models all in deep pink lighting separated from each other by the sides of a neon triangle. They are all three white and staring at the camera and there is a general feeling of glitter.

Dr Janice Deitner@janiceflux· Oct 31

Film #24! Jump scare the movie? This didn't really work for me and I had to keep turning it off and watching other things because I was bored and sometimes annoyed. There were some nice elements, but overall I felt like I was watching a video game or a music video. #spookyfilmfest25

The poster for the film Ash which shows a woman on the left side and a man on the right side. They are in spacesuit helmets. Parts of their faces in the middle of the image are missing and there are tendrils connecting them. The name of the film is vertical in the middle over the tendrils. Everything around them is amorphous and red and swirly.

Dr Janice Deitner@janiceflux· Oct 31

Film #23! This was such bonkers fun. The less I say about it the better, so if you haven't seen it and you like 80s schlock (Italian variety) I can't recommend it enough and it's best to go in blind. All I'll say is Marilyn Monroe saxophone. #spookyfilmfest25

A poster for the 1987 film stage fright which shows a man in all black with a big owl mask over his head and neck. He is holding a bloody chainsaw.

Dr Janice Deitner@janiceflux· Oct 31

Film #22! Another rewatch, kinda, as I was surprised to see that the last 20-30 minutes seemed completely new to me. Had I never seen this all the way through? Who knows! A triumph of weirdness, with Jeffrey Combs's intensity and of course Barbara Crampton in bondage gear. #spookyfilmfest25

The poster for Stuart Gordon's 1986 movie From Beyond. It shows a man's face, sort of smiling, sort of grimacing. The left edge of his face is sort of smeared and elongated towards the bottom left. The tagline at the top says "Humans are such easy prey"

Dr Janice Deitner@janiceflux· Oct 30

Film #21! There's lots of care home horror these days. I was eager for some bonkers John Lithgow (hoping for Ricochet/Raising Cain level bonkers). This didn't quite get there but was still somewhat fun, but also a bit sad. Felt about ten minutes too long. Still, very creepy puppet. #spoopyfilmfest25

The poster for the Rule of Jenny Pen which shows a closeup of a spooky doll head with seemingly glowing eyes.Above and slightly behind it an older man (John Lithgow) is staring at the viewer. They are both in dim lighting and look menacing

Dr Janice Deitner@janiceflux· Oct 28

Film #20! Got to see this last night as part of @irishfilminstitute.bsky.social's Horrorthon. A dark fairy tale that's more "Pushing Daisies" than "Hannibal," with a fantastic child actor. I recommend avoiding the trailer. Mikkelson always fantastic, Weaver is weird fun. #spoopyfilmfest25.

The poster for Bryan Fuller's new filim Dust Bunny shows a green background with gold swirly designs on it, with the letters of the title spelled out in what looks like brownish hair. There is something pointy poking out of the lower loop of the "B".

Dr Janice Deitner@janiceflux· Oct 27

Film #19! After the last intense watch, I needed something dumb. There are traces of a much better movie in here, but instead we get a scene where they play chess and then they play drums, as if the leads are reminding us of better things they've been in. Also Ent zombies? #spoopyfilmfest25

Dr Janice Deitner@janiceflux· Oct 26

Film #18! Emotionally devastating, but kind of in a good way? Starring the most expressive dog in the world, who is definitely a very good boy. Deeply scary at times,which may be due to the cute dog in the middle of it all. Recommended. #spoopyfilmfest25

The poster for the film Good Boy shows an adorable dog looking slightly left of the viewer with a concerned look on its face while a creepy hand is poised over its head like it's about to grab it. The title is at the top with the tagline "Trust his instincts"

Dr Janice Deitner@janiceflux· Oct 24

Film #17! I love both Fright Night (1985) and its remake (2011) with a deep, abiding love that knows no bounds. I was sure I had seen this before and I was wrong. A sequel done right, building from the first but fun and weird in its own right, and with a stellar cast. #spoopyfilmfest25

The poster for the 1988 film Fright Night Part 2. It shows a lot of weirdly stylized houses and buildings with trees and lampposts in front of them. i guess it's supposed to look like the college campus in the film. In the middle is a taller apartment building. In the sky above the building the clouds have formed a vampire face with a wide smile and too many teeth, similar to the poster in the first movie. There are lots of smaller monster vampire faces in the clouds around the big face and to the side of the building. The title is at the top

Dr Janice Deitner@janiceflux· Oct 23

Film #16! Another rewatch. I LOVE THIS MOVIE SO MUCH. I actually don't have words to describe it, and attempting to do so would be a disservice to everyone. 1970s Japanese weirdness (positive) is all I'll say. If you haven't seen this, it's on internet archive. #spoopyfilmfest25

The poster for the 1977 Japanese film Hausu, which is entitled House in English. It shows a close up painting of a white cat that looks angry or like it's yelling. It has a very big red human looking mouth with lots of pointed white teeth. The title is in squiggly light green bubble letters over the lower lip of the cat's mouth and obscuring a red rose right under the cat's mouth.

Dr Janice Deitner@janiceflux· Oct 19

Film #15! OMG. I very much enjoyed this. Going in, I only knew it was about a couple having bad times, and that the actors are married in real life. The film is more than the sum of those parts. A stunning exploration of commitment. #scaryfilmfest25