In the landscape of modern horror, few needle drops have felt as jarringly perfect as the one found in Jane Schoenbrun’s latest film, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma. The movie, a meta-commentary on the slasher genre and the lasting impact of pop culture on our adult psyches, features a deliriously gory mass murder scene set to the 1996 Counting Crows classic, “A Long December.”
The Creative Choice Behind the Needle Drop
For Schoenbrun, the decision to use the song was deeply personal. Having grown up with the band—thanks in part to a second cousin who worked as their guitar tech—Schoenbrun describes the group as a “gateway band.” The emotional resonance of the song, which captures a specific kind of “hard-won, resilient triumph,” felt essential to the film’s tone. “It’s been a long year and it’s kind of sucked, but next year is going to be a little bit better,” Schoenbrun notes. “Without that feeling, the scene is meaningless. You’re just watching someone kill people.”
From R.E.M. to Counting Crows
Interestingly, the scene was originally scripted to feature R.E.M.’s “Nightswimming.” Schoenbrun admits it was a difficult choice, even consulting with musician Lindsey Jordan of Snail Mail to weigh the options. Ultimately, the repetition of the word “Hollywood” in the Counting Crows track provided a rhythmic structure that felt tailor-made for the film’s slasher aesthetic. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, Little Death can chop someone’s head off every time Adam Duritz says Hollywood,'” the director explains.
The Legacy of a Pop Rock Standard
While some viewers might interpret the scene as purely ironic, Schoenbrun maintains a sincere reverence for the song. They view it as a “perfect” piece of pop-rock history that has stood the test of time. As for whether the frontman of Counting Crows, Adam Duritz, has seen the film, the director remains hopeful. The two have been in contact, and Duritz expressed excitement about the song’s inclusion in the sequence. “I can’t wait for him to see it,” Schoenbrun says. “I hope he loves it. I think he’ll like it.”
