In 2004, Los Angeles playwright Jacqueline Wright debuted Eat Me, a two-person play that strides confidently into concepts of suicide, rape, and incest. Even within the avant-garde theater community, the play generated controversy; one contemporary review of Eat Me by the LA Weekly highlights in great detail the number of times people walked out of Wright's play during it's various workshop productions and limited runs. And if anything, Wright's 2018 film adaptation of her play only doubles down on the most difficult elements of the story.
In this week's episode of the Certified Forgotten podcast, Matthew Monagle and Matthew Donato are joined by film critic Jenn Adams Jenn explains why she has always approached horror through the lens of mental health, and in this episode, she makes a compelling argument as to why a film as outrageous and borderline offensive as Eat Me can still find moments of true catharsis.
04:07 – Jenn shares her earliest experiences as a horror fan.
11:02 – Jenn and Donato discuss the importance of '90s slashers.
17:08 – Jenn and Monagle discuss their favorite Stephen King books.
25:33– Jenn and Monagle discuss their favorite King adaptations.
28:27 – Jenn explains the origins of the Psychoanalysis podcast.
34:18 – Intermission and Patreon reads.
40:47 – Eat Me introduction and synopsis.
45:54 – Jenn on the difference between exploitation and catharsis in horror.
56:14 – Jenn on the unique power of Eat Me as a stage adaptation.
65:09 – Donato on the importance of evaluating a piece of art as a whole.
69:03 – Jenn and Donato on the future audience of Eat Me.
Want to see more of Jenn's work? Follow her on Twitter at @jennferatu or check out her independent criticism at Strong Female Antagonist. You can also see her writing - including film festival coverage and interviews - at the Rue Morgue website. Finally, you can find Jenn on the Psychoanalysis: A Horror Therapy Podcast on Apple Podcasts, where she and her cohosts explore the intersection of mental health and horror (with a few detours for guest spots and comfort films along the way).
Over the course of one torturous night, a suicidal woman and the violent home intruder that saved her life test the limits of human endurance and the boundaries of forgiveness.
Fandango
Eat Me was directed by Adrian Cruz and adapted by Jacqueline Wright from her own screenplay. The film stars Wright alongside supporting cast Michael Shamus Wiles and Brad Carter. The film is now available to stream on TubiTV.
