After kicking off June with discussions of our very first Vincent Price film in Theater of Blood (listen) and revisiting the world of Anne Rice (kinda) in Queen of the Damned (listen), we’re stepping out of our usual area of coverage to discuss Ben Stiller‘s genre-adjacent black comedy The Cable Guy (1996).

In The Cable Guy, newly single Steven Kovacs (Matthew Broderick) gets more than he bargained for after he bribes his eccentric cable installer, Ernie “Chip” Douglas (Jim Carrey), for free movie channels. While attempting to woo back his ex Robin (Leslie Mann), Steven must contend with Chip’s desperate need for companionship. Chip’s relationship-building tactics quickly escalate into obsessive stalking, making for a darkly comedic take on thrillers like Fatal Attraction and Single White Female.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 390: The Cable Guy (1996)

Get ready to tell us where you like it as we head to Medieval Times because we’re discussing Ben Stiller’s Jim Carrey-starring black comedy The Cable Guy (1996) for its 30th anniversary! Tagging in for the conversation are Patrick Hamilton and Gena Radcliffe of the Kill By Kill Podcast.

Join us as we go all in on the oddly prescient (and highly media literate) film made famous by Jim Carrey’s $20 million paycheck. From Carrey’s incredibly creepy performance to a nightmare sequence straight out of A Nightmare on Elm Street, there are a lot more horror (and homoerotic) undertones to this film than you might expect!

Plus, that iconic karaoke sequence, sexy Jack Black and comparisons to Single White Female, So I Married an Axe Murderer and Scream.

Cross out The Cable Guy!

Coming Up Next: We’re licking the drain as we check in with the Catton family in Emerald Fennel’s not-remake of The Talented Mr. Ripley in her 2023 sophomore feature Saltburn!

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 498 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Hannibal Season 3 Episodes 5 & 6, Backrooms, Passenger, Leviticus, an audio commentary on the original Scary Movie (2000), and the return of our Requel Tier as we begin our episode coverage of AMC’s The Vampire Lestat.

The post A Comedic Take on the Stalker Thriller in ‘The Cable Guy’ [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

After concluding May with discussions of the disaster “slasher” The Poseidon Adventure (listen) and Michael Biehn’s demon twink in the messy-but-watchable The Fan (listen), we’re heading back to the ’70s to discuss our very first Vincent Price film in Douglas Hickox‘s horror comedy Theater of Blood (1973).

In Theater of Blood, Vincent Price stars as Edward Lionheart, a disgraced Shakespearean actor who begins targeting the critics who shamed him. The gimmick? He’s taking inspiration from the death scenes in William Shakespeare’s plays! Aiding him is his daughter Edwina (Diana Rigg), who acts as the honeypot for her father’s macabre scheme.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 388: Theater of Blood (1973)

Brush up on your Shakespeare and protect those poodles because we’re covering our very first Vincent Price film in Douglas Hickox’s horror comedy Theater of Blood (1973), a personal favorite of both Price and Diana Rigg.

Join us as we go all in on this somewhat episodic (but also educational!) proto-slasher, wondering if we’re supposed to know that’s Diana Rigg in hippie drag, and cackling at some of these murder set pieces.

Plus, “Handsy Dickman,” narcissistic gravestones, antisemitic stage makeup, and the ultimate debate: is it theatER or theatRE?

C/W: Attempted suicide, off-screen dog murder.

Cross out Theater of Blood!

Coming Up Next: We’re celebrating the premiere of AMC’s The Vampire Lestat with a look at the much-maligned 2002 adaptation Queen of the Damned!

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 492 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Hannibal Season 3 Episodes 5 & 6, Backrooms, Passenger, Leviticus, an audio commentary on the original Scary Movie (2000), and the return of our Requel Tier as we begin our episode coverage of AMC’s The Vampire Lestat.

The post Shakespearean Education in the Vincent Price-Starring ‘Theater of Blood’ [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

After kicking off May with the Robin Williams-starring character study One Hour Photo (listen) and the forgotten Leopold and Loeb-style thriller Like Minds (listen), we’re heading overseas to check in with the survivors of Irwin Allen‘s production of Ronald Neame‘s seminal disaster movie The Poseidon Adventure (1972)! Or, a slasher movie where the slasher is mother nature, as Trace puts it.

In The Poseidon Adventure, a mountainous tidal wave strikes the SS Poseidon on her last voyage to the shipbreakers in Athens, capsizing it in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea on New Year’s Eve. A group of ten survivors, led by the renegade reverend Frank Scott (Gene Hackman), attempt to climb their way up to the bottom (now top) of the ship in the hopes of being rescued. Who will survive this “adventure” that promotional materials referred to as “hell, upside down?”

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 386: The Poseidon Adventure (1972) feat. Stacie Ponder

Climb that metallic Christmas tree and follow that renegade reverend because we’re going to Hell (upside down!) in Irwin Allen’s production of Ronald Neame’s The Poseidon Adventure (1972)! Tagging in for the conversation is horror blogger and Final Girl After Dark podcast host Stacie Ponder.

Join us as we tackle a movie filled with Academy Award winners both in front of and behind the camera. We laud its era-defining (and Oscar-winning) special effects, while sobbing over all things Shelley Winters. No one phones it in in this disasterpiece from Master of Disaster Irwin Allen.

Plus: “My Linda!”, the shocking adaptation change made to Paul Gallico’s 1969 source novel, a semi-positive portrayal of sex work in a ’70s film and emphasizing the importance of grieving dead characters in a disaster movie.

Cross out The Poseidon Adventure!

Coming Up Next: We’re headed to 1980s New York to check in with twink Michael Biehn and diva Lauren Bacall in Edward Bianchi’s cult thriller The Fan (1981).

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 488 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on shark movies Thrash and Dark Water, Hokum, Mortal Kombat II, Obsession and an audio commentary on Wolfgang Petersen’s Poseidon.

The post Marveling at the Spectacle in Disaster “Slasher” ‘The Poseidon Adventure’ [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

After kicking off April at the local Deer Cheer festival in James Gunn’s horror comedy Slither (listen) and checking in with Boris Karloff in The Mummy (listen), we’re headed to the weird and wacky world of M. Night Shyamalan to discuss his much-maligned B-movie The Happening.

In The Happening, a science teacher (Mark Wahlberg), his wife (Zooey Deschanel), and a young girl (Ashlyn Sanchez) struggle to survive a plague that causes those infected to die by suicide.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 383: The Happening (2008) feat. Lindsay Traves

Prepare for a colossal culling and try to stay ahead of the wind because we’re discussing M. Night Shyamalan’s much-maligned film The Happening (2008) in celebration of Earth Day! Tagging in for the conversation is Pajiba senior critic Lindsay Traves.

Join us as we offer up not a defense of the film, but rather a desire to see a paradigm shift in the way people view it (meaning: we want you to dislike it for the “right” reasons). This is Shyamalan’s self-proclaimed “best B-movie you’ve ever seen” and, as uneven as it is, the comedy is all intentional! Or most of it is, anyway…

Plus: math vs. statistics, declaring Shyamalan the king of the nonsense newscast, so many comparisons to Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds and debating whether or not Zooey Deschanel’s character is stealthily trying to kill that little girl for the whole movie.

Cross out The Happening!

Coming Up Next: We’re headed to the local SavMart to check in on Sy the Photo Guy (Robin Williams) in Mark Romanek’s 2002 chiller One Hour Photo.

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 483 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Hanibal S03 E03-04, Faces of Death (2026), They Will Kill You, Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, an audio commentary on the 2017 Tom Cruise-starring The Mummy and the conclusion of our episodic coverage of Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Hill House on the Requel Tier.

The post Delighting in the Deadpan of Shyamalan’s ‘The Happening’ [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

After concluding March discussing of the classic folk horror film The Wicker Man (listen) and observing the Easter holiday in Critters 2: The Main Course (listen), we’re gonna shine up our boots at the local Deer Cheer festival in James Gunn‘s 2006 horror comedy (and notorious box office bomb) Slither for its 20th anniversary!

In Slither, the quiet lives of the residents of Wheelsy, South Carolina are disrupted when an asteroid containing an alien parasite crashes in the local forest. Patient zero is Grant Grant (Michael Rooker), who begins an ooey, gooey takeover of the town using parasitic slugs. It’s up to Grant’s wife Starla (Elizabeth Banks) and sheriff Bill Pardy (Nathan Fillion) to stop the invasion before it’s too late.

Slither will celebrate its 20th Anniversary with a limited UK and Ireland theatrical release and a 4K Digital release from 1st May, and 4K UHD + Blu-ray Steelbook combo from 18th May which can be pre-ordered through HMV, ZAVVI & Amazon.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 381: Slither (2006)

Pack your box lunch and hand us a piece of that possum over there because we’re talking James Gunn’s hilariously goopy directorial debut Slither (2006) for its 20th(!!!) anniversary!

Join us as we lament the box office bomb status of this clever little creature feature (you better believe we were both in the theater back in 2006, though!) and laud the impressive practical effects on display.

Plus: marveling at the Brenda blob, gagging (literally) at the Society-esque Grant Grant blob, laughing at squid stickers and learning all about cooters.

Cross out Slither!

Coming Up Next: To celebrate the release of Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, we’re going back in time to check out the original appearance of the Universal monster in 1932’s The Mummy!

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 479 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Hanibal S03 E03-04, Faces of Death (2026), They Will Kill You, Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, an audio commentary on the 2017 Tom Cruise-starring The Mummy and the conclusion of our episodic coverage of Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Hill House on the Requel Tier.

The post Gettin’ Goopy with James Gunn’s ‘Slither’ [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

After celebrating March’s Friday the 13th with a look at Steve Miner’s Friday the 13th Part III (listen) and revisiting Radio Silence’s Ready or Not (listen), we’re going back in time to cover Robin Hardy‘s seminal folk horror classic The Wicker Man (1973)!

In The Wicker Man, devoutly Christian police officer Sergeant Neil Howie (Edward Woodward) travels to to the island of Summerisle in search of a missing girl named Rowan. Upon his arrival, Howie takes note of the strange behavior of the islanders and is appalled to find that they have abandoned Christianity in favor of a form of Celtic paganism championed by the island’s leader Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee). No one on the island seems to have ever heard of Rowan, but Howie is determined to find the girl before the community’s annual Harvest Festival, which is when Howie thinks the islanders might sacrifice the girl for the good of their crops.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 379: The Wicker Man (1973) feat. Sean Abley

Remove your clothes, jump through that fire and dance around the maypole because we’re finally discussing Robin Hardy’s 1973 folk horror classic The Wicker Man! Tagging in for the conversation is writer/director/producer Sean Abley, co-author of the recent book Queer Horror: A Film Guide!

Join us as we go all in on the three different versions of this stealth musical(!!!) and find ourselves in deep philosophical waters as we parse through its heady themes.

Plus: phallic symbols galore, jars of foreskin, a cross-dressing Christopher Lee (who has rarely been better), and debating the intent vs. impact when it comes to sacrificing a man for the good of the crops (it’s always for the crops, isn’t it?).

Cross out The Wicker Man!

Coming Up Next: We’re celebrating Easter with a look at the fan favorite franchise entry Critters 2: The Main Course (listen to our episode on the original Critters here).

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 475 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Psycho Killer, The Bride!, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, Scream 7, a new audio commentary on Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon and our continuing coverage of Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Hill House (2018) on the Requel tier.

The post Keeping Our Long Overdue Appointment With ‘The Wicker Man’ [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

After kicking off March with a look at Radio Silence’s Scream VI (listen) and Alejandro Amenábar’s debut feature Thesis (listen), we’re celebrating March’s Friday the 13th with a look at Steve Miner‘s Friday the 13th Part III, aka the one in 3D!

Picking up right where Friday the 13th Part 2 left off, Friday the 13th Part III sees Jason discover his iconic hockey mask while stalking a new group of kids. Leading the group is Chris (Dana Kimmell), who has a shared history with Jason that led to her current PTSD. Everyone else is…there.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 377: Friday the 13th Part III (1982)

Blast that Hot Ice, flip that switch on your van’s reserve gas tank and put on your 3D glasses because we’re talking Steve Miner’s Friday the 13th Part III, the only entry in the franchise with the audacity to kill a pregnant character!

Join us as we discuss the many, many problems the 3D filming caused for the production before defending maligned characters like Shelly and Chris, the latter of which proves herself to be a very capable final girl in the film’s extended climactic chase scene.

Plus: a random Kill Bill connection, an absolute banger of a disco theme, and discussing the differences between “theme park 3D” and “cinematic 3D.”

Cross out Friday the 13th Part III!

Coming Up Next: We’re revisiting Radio Silence’s Ready or Not in anticipation of the release of Ready or Not 2: Here I Come.

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 473 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Psycho Killer, The Bride!, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, Scream 7, a new audio commentary on Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon and our continuing coverage of Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Hill House (2018) on the Requel tier.

The post 3D PTSD in ‘Friday the 13th Part III’ [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

She soon appeared, a child of grace, ‘til evil struck with his dark embrace.

The girl now hides, behind a mask. To raise her own, long at last.

That’s about as much backstory as you’ll get about Dolly, the main antagonist in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre-inspired and aptly-titled… Dolly. The rhyme that opens the film sets the stage for a gritty folk horror tale that doesn’t skimp on the nastiness, but a slight script prevents this grueling little throwback from being anything more than a “fun” time at the movies for genre enthusiasts.

Dolly sees Chase (Seann William Scott, The Righteous Gemstones, Goon) take his girlfriend Macy (Fabianne Therese, Southbound) to the woods for an afternoon marriage proposal at a gorgeous scenic overlook. Despite the rather ominous sight of hundreds of antique dolls pinned to the trees along the path, they press on. Before Chase can pop the question, the couple hears the jingle of a music box playing in the distance. Deciding that they just have to go investigate this strange noise, the couple finds Dolly (NWA wrestler Max the Impaler), a deranged, monster-like figure who kidnaps Macy with the intent of raising her as her “child.”

Director Rod Blackhurst expands upon his 2022 short BABYGIRL with Dolly, but not by much. Clocking in at a scant 76 minutes sans end credits, there isn’t much fat on this thing, but there isn’t much meat on it either. Not helping matters is that Blackhurst arbitrarily divides his film into seven(!!!) chapters. The intent is to frame Dolly as a dark fairy tale, but it’s a gimmick that is as unnecessary as it is distracting.

The influences of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, as well as films from the New French Extremity movement, are evident. Shot entirely on 16mm, Dolly certainly looks great, with the grain adding appropriate levels of grime to the proceedings, but homages to TCM can be egregious. Be it Macy diving head first out of a second-story window, the foyer being a near replica of that famed TCM house or the haunting final moments, Dolly loves to remind you about that classic film, but it’s not always to its benefit.

Where Dolly falls short in the script or originality departments it more than makes up for in the technical department, especially in the sound design and the practical gore effects. Every fleshy squelch and bone crack is not only heard, but felt, making the violence hit when it needs to. It’s impressive foley work, but Blackhurst doesn’t achieve this with wall-to-wall kills (there aren’t enough characters). Rather, he relishes in body horror.

Once Macy enters the Haus of Dolly, she is subjected to a number of horrendous acts, be it getting her soiled “diaper” changed or being force-fed Dolly’s breast for an afternoon feeding. The rest of the film alternates between sequences like these and Macy’s failed escape attempts, with little room for character development or lore-building. Blackhurst is clearly aiming for shock here, and he mostly succeeds. Macy spends much of the runtime being debased by Dolly, but Blackhurst shoots these sequences in such a way that it doesn’t feel too exploitative, letting your imagination do most of the work. Thankfully, Therese makes for a charismatic lead that carries you through these hard-to-watch moments.

Scott, meanwhile, imbues Chase with a significant amount of pathos in his limited screen time. He is separated from Macy for most of the film, and the few times we cut back to check in on him are brutal and, unexpectedly, a little humorous. To say anything more would delve into spoiler territory, but suffice it to say that the American Pie actor’s role will likely be the main talking point for most viewers.

The Dolly character is a bit of a mixed bag. She is an intimidating figure, courtesy of Max the Impaler’s imposing physique. The nonbinary and transmasculine actor channels a few different versions of Leatherface (it’s impossible not to think of the controversial depiction of the character in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation), but because the actor is hidden behind a The Hills Run Red-style porcelain doll mask for most of their screen time, it prevents their performance from making much of an impression. You can see bit of Art the Clown’s influence in some of Dolly’s goofy physicality (adding to the aforementioned comedic beats), but those moments are few and far between. There’s just not much there to distinguish Dolly from the many other masked serial killers that have graced the silver screen over the decades.

The press notes for the film state that a sequel/prequel delving into Dolly’s origins has already been written and slated for production (why those origins weren’t included in this film is anybody’s guess), so we’ll have to wait until then to find out more about the titular baddie. The question is: do you want to? Dolly musters just enough good will to make the answer to that question a “yes,” but one hopes Blackhurst delivers a more layered, original script than the one for Dolly.

Dolly made its world premiere at Fantastic Fest and releases in theaters on March 6, 2026.

Editor’s Note: This FF review was originally published on September 22, 2025.

The post ‘Dolly’ Review – Gritty Folk Horror Tale Revels in Bad Taste appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

After kicking off February with a look at one of the lesser-loved Michael Crichton film adaptations in Sphere (listen) and being introduced to the batshit insanity that is the Drew Barrymore-starring Doppelganger (listen), we’re continuing our February coverage with a look at Robert Eggers‘ debut film The Witch (2015).

Set in early 1600s New England, The Witch sees a Puritan Separatist family being preyed upon by an evil witch that lives in the nearby woods. When she takes the family’s baby, the blame falls on eldest daughter Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy), who must convince her mother (Kate Dickie) and father (Ralph Ineson) that she is not the feared witch of the woods.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 374: The Witch (2015) feat. Becky Darke

Bring your baby-sized mortar and pestle and cherished silver cup to the party because we’re discussing Robert Eggers’ feature directorial debut: the audacious folk horror film The Witch (2015)! Joining us for the conversation is Hammer Time podcast co-host Becky Darke!

Join us as we marvel at all of the research Eggers did to ensure maximum authenticity, crafting a period film thats as scary as it is stomach-churning. That it all ends in a (somewhat debatable) “good for her” ending is just the icing on the cake.

Plus: big witchy tits, inky darkness courtesy of all the natural lighting, being “allergic to exposition,” and a ringing endorsement from the Satanic Temple.

Cross out The Witch!

Coming Up Next: We’re unlocking the Patreon vault to revisit our thoughts on Scream VI (2023) in advance of the release of Scream 7 (2026).

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 456 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Hannibal Season 3 Episodes 1 & 2, Whistle, The Strangers: Chapter 3, Saim Raimi’s Send Help, a new audio commentary on 10 Cloverfield Lane and our continuing coverage of Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Hill House (2018) on the Requel tier.

The post Allergic to Exposition in Robert Eggers’ ‘The Witch’ [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

After wrapping up January with a revisit of M. Night Shyamalan’s career resuscitator Split (listen) and getting locked in a movie theater with the cast of Popcorn (listen), we’re kicking off February with a look at one of the lesser-loved Michael Crichton film adaptations in Barry Levinson‘s dull mess Sphere (1998) 

In Sphere, psychologist Norman Goodman (Dustin Hoffman) is contacted by the U.S. government following the discovery of a spacecraft of seemingly alien origin that has been sitting at the bottom of the ocean for 300 years. Using a report that Norman half-assed during the Bush administration, the government brings in marine biologist Beth Halperin (Sharon Stone), mathematician Harry Adams (Samuel L. Jackson) and astrophysicist Ted Fielding (Liev Schreiber) to join Norman’s team.

Upon entering the ship, they discover a giant, golden sphere that causes unexplainable things to happen on the ocean floor, leading the crew on a fight for survival as more and more of them begin to die.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 372: Sphere (1998)

Watch out for those jellyfish and be nice to Jerry the alien, because we’re talking Barry Levinson’s misguided 1998 adaptation of Michael Crichton’s novel Sphere!

Join us as we try to figure out just what went wrong with this thing. From the lackluster direction to the hectic editing to the uneven performances (Sharon Stone innocent), it’s hard to find one single reason for Sphere‘s badness. Hell, we can’t even determine when we turn on the film, as the first chunk of it is pretty damn engaging!

Plus: criticisms of the film’s overuse of title cards (seriously, why?!), comparisons to Annihilation, and wondering why we never see the giant squid.

Cross out Sphere!

Coming Up Next: We’re going a bit further back in the ’90s to look at the little-seen straight-to-VHS Drew Barrymore chiller Doppelganger (1993)!

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 456 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Hannibal Season 3 Episodes 1 & 2, Whistle, The Strangers: Chapter 3, Saim Raimi’s Send Help, a new audio commentary on 10 Cloverfield Lane and our continuing coverage of Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Hill House (2018) on the Requel tier.

The post What the Hell Happened to ‘Sphere’? [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

After kicking off the new year with a deep dive into Alex  Garland’s directorial debut Ex Machina (listen) and revisiting our Patreon discussion of 28 Weeks Later (listen), we’re wrapping up January with a discussion of M. Night Shyamalan‘s 2016 box office juggernaut Split.

In Split, a man (James McAvoy) with 23 distinct personalities due to his dissociative identity disorder kidnaps three teenage girls (Anya Taylor-Joy, Haley Lu Richardson, Jessica Sula) to sacrifice to his as yet unseen 24th personality: The Beast. While the girls attempt to escape, the man’s therapist (Betty Buckley) begins to suspect that he is lying to her during his sessions, sending her on an investigation deep into the mind of her troubled patient. 

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 370: Split (2016)

Look out the “window” and invite all the alters to the party because we’re discussing M. Night Shyamalan’s hugely successful but somewhat controversial 2016 thriller Split!

Join us as we parse through the film’s questionable handling of dissociative identity disorder and sexual assault, while lauding Shyamalan’s creative return to form and James McAvoy’s stellar performance.

Plus: Wheel of Fortune tactics, debating whether or not Dr. Fletcher (Betty Buckley) is a good therapist and discussing the Unbreakable (and Glass) of it all.

Cross out Split!

Coming Up Next: We’re spending Saturday night at the movies with the underrated early ’90s slasher Popcorn!

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 448 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Return to Silent Hill, The Creep Tapes Season 2, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, Primate and a brand new audio commentary on the 1995 adaptation of Michael Crichton’s Congo.

The post The Problematic Nature of Shyamalan’s Otherwise Solid ‘Split’ [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Night Patrol gets off to a tense start, seeing Crip gang member Wazi (RJ Cyler, Scream: The Series) meet up with his girlfriend, a sister to one of Wazi’s rival gang members (Freddie Gibbs). Expectations that this will turn into a Romeo & Juliet-type story are quickly shattered by the arrival of Night Patrol, a nocturnal task force of police officers who are determined to clean the city’s streets. The leader (CM Punk) quickly instructs rookie inductee Hawkins (Justin Long) to shoot Wazi’s girlfriend in the head. He does so, but Wazi is able to escape.

The next day, we are reintroduced to Hawkins as he goes on patrol with his partner Carr (Jermaine Fowler, The Blackening), who just so happens to be Wazi’s brother. Jealousy sets in for Carr, who has wanted to join Night Patrol for a while now, but he doesn’t let it affect his and Hawkins’ friendship. Meanwhile, an on-the-run Wazi returns home to his mother (Nicki Micheaux, Lowlife), who uses her Zulu ancestor’s mystical practices to protect the local community from Night Patrol as a war looms in the distance. 

Night Patrol holds the vampiric nature of its titular task force close to his chest for most of the film’s runtime, with the official confirmation taking place well into the second act. This makes it all the more puzzling that the marketing is leaning so heavily into the vampirism of it all, with a poster showcasing a fanged skull and an admittedly clever tagline in “Defang the police.” Those expecting a full blown vampire movie may walk away disappointed, though, as Night Patrol is a cop movie first and a vampire movie second. Comparisons to this year’s Sinners will be inevitable, though that film merged its disparate genres a bit more effectively.

The script is credited to four screenwriters (Prows, Tim Cairo, Jake Gibson, and Shaye Ogbonna), a fact that becomes more evident as the film goes on. There are so many characters that pacing starts to drag as the film postpones the brewing war for as long as it possibly can. Narrative threads unravel, especially in the third act, with some of Prows & Co.’s themes becoming muddled as war breaks out on the streets. Symbolism is often heavy-handed, such as a large tank filled with the community’s blood serving as the life source for Night Patrol (cops feed on the deaths of poverty stricken communities, etc.), giving Night Patrol a pointed message, but not much else to say. It’s more of a twisted depiction than an actual interrogation of ethnic cleansing tactics.

Night Patrol serves as a showcase for Justin Long’s dramatic chops. A longtime comedic actor, his Hawkins quickly becomes the soul of the piece as he must grapple with his friendship with Carr and the increasingly brutal physical transformation that comes with being a member of Night Patrol. Gibbs excels in the film’s few moments of comic relief, (comedy that thankfully never threatens to sabotage the established stakes), with the rest of the ensemble all delivering strong performances.

Prows doesn’t hesitate when it comes to depicting violence, either. Night Patrol is brutal, rightfully so, with the main cast third act bloodbath taking characters out left and right. Jaw trauma was a recurring trend in films at this year’s Fantastic Fest, a trend that continued with Night Patrol.

Night Patrol may not fully flesh out its themes by the time the credits roll, but a committed cast and a few standout performances, not to mention the technical prowess on display from Prows, allow the film to rise above its flaws.

Night Patrol made its world premiere at Fantastic Fest and releases in theaters on January 16, 2026.

Editor’s Note: This Fantastic Fest review was originally published on September 24, 2025.

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After celebrating the holidays with a look at one of my favorite gateway horror films Jumanji (listen) and the underseen holiday thriller P2 (listen), we’re wrapping up 2025 with a look at Ken Hughes‘ (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) forgotten 1981 slasher Night School.

In Night School, a motorcycle helmet-clad serial killer is decapitating a bunch of women enrolled at Wendell College and leaving their severed heads in water.  Assigned to the case is Lieutenant Judd Austin (Leonard Mann), who begins suspecting womanizing professor Vincent Millett (Drew Snyder) as the possible culprit. Meanwhile, Millett’s teaching assistant and secret paramour Eleanor (Rachel Ward) is newly pregnant and struggles to break the news to him.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 367: Night School (1981)

Pull that severed head out of the aquarium and grab a pomegranate to take with you into the shower (seriously) because we’re discussing Ken Hughes’ Boston-set slasher Night School (1981)!

Join us as we go all in on this forgotten film, from its original title of Terror Eyes (get it?) to its notorious status as a video nasty. And on top of everything, it’s got a predatory lesbian character to boot!

Plus: lauding that “is the head in the pot?” diner sequence, wondering why no one gets killed at the titular school, and debating whether or not the killer’s M.O. counts as cultural appropriation (spoiler alert: it does).

Cross out Night School!

Coming Up Next: We’re kicking off the new year with a look at Alex Garland’s directorial debut Ex Machina (2014)!

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 446 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Return to Silent Hill, The Creep Tapes Season 2, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, Primate and – to coincide with Johannes Roberts’ killer chimp movie – we’ve got a brand new audio commentary on the 1995 adaptation of Michael Crichton’s Congo.

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After kicking off December with an oft-requested but underseen listener pick in the religious chiller The Sentinel (listen) and the found footage superhero thriller Chronicle (listen), we’re heading back to the ’90s for one of Trace’s favorite gateway horror films: Joe Johnston‘s 1995 creature feature Jumanji!

In Jumanji, Judy (Kirsten Dunst) and Peter (Bradley Pierce) Shepherd discover a magical, jungle-themed board game in the attic of their new house. After rolling the dice, dangerous creatures escape from the game and wreak havoc on the town. Their only hope is Alan Parrish (Robin Williams), a man who has been trapped in the game for the past 26 years, released by a fortunate roll of the dice. Also joining in for the excitement is Sarah (Bonnie Hunt), the person who watched Alan get sucked into the game all those years ago. Together, they must all finish the game to stop the chaos, lest the jungle spread beyond the reaches of their town.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 365: Jumanji (1995)

Grab those dice, Sonny Jim! Roll with the punches and and pray they read 5 or 8 because we’re talking Joe Johnston’s original gateway horror creature feature Jumanji (1995) for its 30th anniversary, or as it could also be called: ‘Daddy Issues: The Movie’.

Join us as we go all in on the film that made Trace a fan of creature features to begin with. From its dark tone (especially when compared to the newer Jumanji films) to its scary imagery (will anything be more terrifying that watching little Alan Parrish get sucked into the game?), they just don’t make kids’ movies like this anymore!

Plus, animatronics vs. CGI, the “cruel torture” subjected to actor Bradley Pierce during the production, our many, many issues with the ending, and why the film needs more Bebe Neuwirth.

Cross out Jumanji!

Coming Up Next: We’re celebrating the holidays with a look at Franck Khalfoun’s underseen holiday thriller P2 (2007).

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 445 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Hannibal Season 2, Episodes 11-13, Paul Feig’s The Housemaid, sequels Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 and Wake Up Dead Man and, to tie in with that last one, an audio commentary on the original Knives Out. And as a special holiday treat, we’re also dropping our audio commentary from this year’s Soho Horror fest on Scream 3.

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After wrapping up November with a look at one of the most controversial films ever made in Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (listen) and delving back into the world of Stephen King with Misery (listen), we’re kicking off December with an oft-requested pick from our listeners: Michael Winner‘s 1977 religious chiller The Sentinel!

In the star-studded The Sentinel, young model Alison Parker (Christina Raines) moves into a historic Brooklyn brownstone that has been sectioned into apartments, much to the chagrin of her lawyer boyfriend Michael (Chris Sarandon). After moving in, Alison meets her eccentric neighbors (Burgess Meredith and Beverly D’Angelo) and begins experiencing strange occurrences in the building. Little does she know that the building is owned by the Catholic diocese and serves as the gateway to Hell.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 363: The Sentinel (1977)

Get ready for a bunch of all-star cameos (Christopher Walken! Jeff Goldblum! Beverly D’Angelo! John Carradine! Ava Gardner!) and one truly bonkers climax because we’re discussing Michael Winner’s 1977 chiller The Sentinel!

Join us as we go all in on this messy little film, albeit one with a lot of great ideas. It’s one of the rare times you’ll hear us say that a movie is too short, because it seems like there are full scenes missing from this thing. Still, it’s got some great effects (that nose slice!), courtesy of industry vet Dick Smith (The Exorcist).

Plus: defining “tasteful” masturbation, trying to figure out the logistics behind the Catholic church’s grand master plan and the bizarre lack of consent it entails, and Trace not only learning what a sentinel is, but majorly flubbing Joe’s game.

Cross out The Sentinel!

Coming Up Next: We’re revisiting Josh Trank’s directorial debut: the 2012 found footage superhero thriller Chronicle!

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 445 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Hannibal Season 2, Episodes 11-13, Paul Feig’s The Housemaid, sequels Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 and Wake Up Dead Man and, to tie in with that last one, an audio commentary on the original Knives Out. And as a special holiday treat, we’re also dropping our audio commentary from this year’s Soho Horror fest on Scream 3.

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After kicking off November with a look at James Whale’s Frankenstein (listen) and the Kate Hudson-starring The Skeleton Key (listen), we’re finally(?) tackling one of the most controversial films ever made for its 50th anniversary: Pier Paolo Pasolini‘s Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975).

In Salò, four wealthy, corrupt libertines (a Duke, a Magistrate, a Bishop, and a President) kidnap 18 teenagers during the time of the fascist Republic of Salò. Whisking them away to a private villa miles away from civilization, the libertines instill a set of “laws” for the teens to follow, all the while subjecting them to 120 days of extreme violence, sadism, psychological torture, rape, and coprophagia, among other horrific, abhorrent things. During all of this, the Bishop is keeping a list of anyone who breaks their laws, with plans to unleash the most unspeakable of horrors on them as the 120th day approaches.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 361: Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975) feat. Zoë Rose Smith

Wipe that shit-eating grin off your face and heed all of the content warnings (seriously), because we’re discussing Pier Paolo Pasolini’s notorious anti-fascist 1975 film Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom. Tagging in for the conversation is Zoë Rose Smith, the co-host of the Tainted Love podcast!

Join us as we do a very deep dive into this controversial film, beginning with a Pasolini primer before parsing through the film’s graphic depictions of sexual assault, torture, sadomasochism and coprophilia. This is an extremely challenging film, but dare we say we admire it?

Plus: debating the queer representation in the film (can it be both positive and negative?), comparisons to our current political climate and discussing whether or not the film qualifies as porn (it doesn’t).

Cross out Salò!

Coming Up Next: We’re celebrating the 35th anniversary of Stephen King’s Misery!

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 436 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Tina Romero’s Queens of the Dead, Hulu’s remake of The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, new Oz Perkins joint Keeper, Predator: Badlands and, to celebrate American Thanksgiving, an audio commentary on the 1987 cult classic Blood Rage!

The post Courting Controversy on the 50th Anniversary of ‘Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom’ [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

After wrapping up October with a look at the queer-leaning throuple in Killer Klowns From Outer Space (listen), the shifting genres of J.A. Bayona’s The Orphanage (listen), and the feminist(ish) antics of George Miller’s The Witches of Eastwick (listen), we’re kicking off November with a celebration of the Netflix release of Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein (review) with a discussion of James Whale‘s Frankenstein (1931)!

Frankenstein follows obsessed scientist Dr. Victor Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) as he attempts to create life, with the help of his assistant Fritz (Dwight Frye) by assembling a creature from body parts of the deceased. Frankenstein succeeds in animating his monster (Boris Karloff), but it escapes into the countryside and begins to wreak havoc on the nearby village. When word gets to his fiancée Elizabeth (Mae Clarke), Frankenstein must find his creation and face him down before he causes any more damage (or death!).

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 359: Frankenstein (1931)

Toss that girl in the pond and break out the good champagne because we’re discussing James Whale’s seminal horror film Frankenstein (1931) to celebrate the release of Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein (2025)!

Join us as we discuss how Frankenstein‘s success (along with that same year’s Dracula), helped kickstart a series of Universal monster films. We also discuss what made this film so terrifying for audiences in 1931, despite the fact that the creature itself is one of the most sympathetic characters in horror history.

Plus: another lesson in German Expressionism, lamenting the uselessness of Elizabeth (Mae Clarke), heaping all the praise on that dummy shot, and recounting a funny anecdote about….hard-boiled eggs???

Cross out Frankenstein!

Coming Up Next: We’re headed to the bayous of Louisiana with an oft-requested film from our listeners: the Kate Hudson-starring The Skeleton Key (2005).

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 435 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Tina Romero’s Queens of the Dead, Hulu’s remake of The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, new Oz Perkins joint Keeper, Predator: Badlands and, to celebrate American Thanksgiving, an audio commentary on the 1987 cult classic Blood Rage!

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After wrapping up October with a look at the queer-leaning throuple in Killer Klowns From Outer Space (listen) and the shifting genres of J.A. Bayona’s The Orphanage (listen), we’re celebrating Halloween with a deep dive into George Miller‘s (yes, that one) 1987 adaptation of John Updike’s novel The Witches of Eastwick!

In The Witches of Eastwick, longtime friends Alexandra (Cher), Jane (Susan Sarandon) and Sukie (Michelle Pfeiffer), each having lost the man in their lives, are feeling unfulfilled until they inadvertently conjure eccentric stranger, Daryl Van Horne (Jack Nicholson) to their small town of Eastwick. Upon his arrival, Daryl begins courting each of them, but as the three friends spend more time at his mansion, enjoying themselves and learning about their powers, they begin to worry about Daryl’s devilish intentions.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 358: The Witches of Eastwick (1987)

Spit out that cherry pit and get ready to meet a horny little devil because we’re discussing George Miller’s 1987 adaptation of John Updike’s satirical feminist(?) novel The Witches of Eastwick!

Join us as we go all in on the production troubles this film had. From the studio putting the pressure on Miller to some casting snafus with Susan Sarandon and Cher, it’s a wonder this thing turned out as well as it did!

Plus: Jack Nicholson’s scene-stealing performance, gagging over cherry pit-laden vomit, debating sequel ideas, and wondering why Michelle Pfeiffer has nothing to do in this movie?

Cross out The Witches of Eastwick!

Coming Up Next: To celebrate the release of Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, we’re heading back to the ’30s to take a look at James Whale’s original adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic novel in Frankenstein (1931).

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 433 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Hannibal Season 2, Episodes 11 and 12, Bone Lake, The Strangers: Chapter 2, Black Phone 2  and, to prepare for next month’s Predator: Badlands, a brand new audio commentary on Predator: Killer of Killers (2025).

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After wrapping up September with a look at the fowl queerness of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds (listen) and debating the perils of reviewing 1/3 of a movie in The Strangers: Chapter 1 (listen), we’re kicking off October with a celebration of the 30th anniversary of Gus Van Sant‘s biting satire To Die For (1995).

In To Die For, psychopathic weather reporter Suzanne Stone (Nicole Kidman) dreams of being a big-time news anchor, but hits a roadblock when her middle-class husband Larry (Matt Dillon) wants her to give up her dream and join his family’s business. Seeing no other options, she decides to seduces the teenage Jimmy (Joaquin Phoenix), and coerces him into murdering Larry.

The plan quickly unravels as Jimmy’s infatuation with Suzanne causes many townsfolk to start asking questions about the circumstances surrounding Larry’s death. Most curious are Larry’s family, who may or may not have connections to the Italian mafia.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 354: To Die For (1995)

Strap on your ice skates and check your makeup because we’re talking Gus Van Sant’s whip-smart satire To Die For for its 30th anniversary! After all, you’re not anybody in America unless you’re on TV, right?

Join us as we heap all the praise on Nicole Kidman’s Golden Globe-winning (but not Oscar-nominated) performance as narcissistic sociopath Suzanne Stone before going all in on the film’s troubled road to release (so many test screenings!).

Plus: Danny Elfman’s jarring score, baby Joaquin Phoenix (in one of his best roles), assassin David Cronenberg and why there’s no point in doing anything if nobody’s watching.

Cross out To Die For!

Coming Up Next: Since David Cronenberg makes a fun cameo in To Die For, we’re going to check out his feature debut next week: the sex slug movie Shivers (1975)!

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 426 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Hannibal Season 2, Episodes 11 and 12, Bone Lake, The Strangers: Chapter 2, Black Phone 2  and, to prepare for next month’s Predator: Badlands, a brand new audio commentary on Predator: Killer of Killers (2025).

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Supposedly happy couple Diego (Marco Pigossi) and Sage (Maddie Hasson) splurge on a luxurious AirBnb to spend some quality time together. Neither wants to admit that they’ve entered a bit of a rut, with mediocre writer Diego quitting his teaching job to work on an erotic novel, leaving Sage solely responsible for the finances.  Their sex life suffers as a result, with Sage faking orgasms every time they have sex. Upon arriving at the residence, they are shocked to find that it has been mistakenly double-booked when the sexually liberated Will (Alex Roe) and Cin (Andra Nechita) walk in the front door. Rather than seek other accommodations, the couples decide to share the house. As they spend more and more time together, Diego and Sage start to suspect that Will and Cin (short for Cinnamon, by the way) aren’t as forthcoming as they’ve let on as they start planting seeds of doubt in Diego and Sage’s relationship.

Credit: Bleecker Street and LD Entertainment

Morgan establishes the tone right away, opening the film with a tableau of two nude corpses before cutting to an elongating title card, cheekily evoking the image of a slowly hardening penis, as The Exploited’s “Sex and Violence” blares on the soundtrack. It’s this sly sense of humor that makes the film work as well as it does. Some of it can be a bit on the nose (the irony Cin’s name being a homophone of “sin” isn’t lost on this writer), but Friedlander’s whip-smart script works overtime to prove that there’s more bubbling under the surface than you’d expect. Call it campy if you must, but Bone Lake rises above most of its genre conventions, twisting them on their heads in an deviously playful way to the point where the more obvious gags prove to be a boon rather than a hindrance.

This humor carries over to the visuals as well, with Morgan and Saw X cinematographer Nick Matthews reveling in extreme closeups of nude chess pieces or smash cuts to someone devouring a bratwurst following an awkwardly nude confrontation. Bone Lake isn’t a particularly showy film, but it’s peppered with some nifty camerawork in a few scenes making the most of its single location setting.

Credit: Bleecker Street and LD Entertainment

Bone Lake‘s ultimate goal is to interrogate the communication barriers surrounding Diego and Sage, and while the message is clear (communicate with your partner!), there’s an authenticity to their relationship that makes it all click, especially in the more frustrating earlier scenes where they aren’t communicating. Their interactions with Will and Cin are broadly satirical, calling to mind Speak No Evil in its handling of social conventions and politeness. It should be noted, however, that it has more in common with the recent American remake than the Danish original, opting for a raucous, crowd-pleaser of a film rather than a mean-spirited one.

All four of the leads do excellent work here, with Roe and Nechita reveling in Will and Cin’s duplicitous nature. They nail the hilarity and horror of the characters to maximum effect, and while Pigossi and Hasson are given the inherently less exciting roles, they will be characters that you root for. Hasson, who made such a big impression with limited screen time in James Wan’s Malignant, is especially good here.

Credit: Bleecker Street and LD Entertainment

The twists and turns inevitably come, but Friedlander wisely staggers the reveals throughout the back half, keeping the film moving along at a brisk pace as tensions rise and the true intentions of Will and Cin come to light. This all leads to Bone Lake‘s piece de resistance: a blood-soaked finale that is truly one for the books. Violence erupts in the protracted third act that builds and builds all the way up to the phenomenal final shot. More conventional horror elements come into play here, but the film is having so much fun that it’s hard (pun intended) to hold it against it.

What’s easier to hold against it is its categorization as an erotic thriller. Bone Lake is being sold as a throwback to the heyday of erotic thrillers, though it is hesitant to lean into the qualities that made those films such lurid trash. Bone Lake is far from lurid trash and, while there are a few sex scenes, the dialogue is more salacious than anything shown on screen. Nudity is scant as well, with the main players’ naughty bits strategically hidden behind objects. This occasionally works, such as one early scene in which the open maw of a bear skin rug’s head obscures Diego and Sage’s pelvic regions; but it, like the film itself, is more titillating than it is erotic.

That aside, Bone Lake emerges as one of the biggest surprises of Fantastic Fest, operating as an incredibly entertaining thriller that doesn’t skimp on the gore or the laughs. It’s a goddamn blast from start to finish.

Bone Lake releases in theaters on October 3, 2025.

Editor’s Note: This Fantastic Fest review was originally published on September 23, 2024.

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Fresh out of prison, “T” (Karlous Miller) rounds up his three longtime friends to stay the night at an AirBnb in the hopes of stealing a ceremonial dagger worth $20 million. There’s Shari (Tiffany Haddish, The Haunted Mansion), a wannabe influencer forced to buy followers and peddle products like Bunion Butter to make ends meet. Then there’s Ellis (Andrew Bachelor, The Babysitter), who harbors a not-so-secret love for Shari and has recently been ousted from the mortgage company he co-founded to impress her. And then there’s Ron (Howery), who is still reeling after separating from his wife Joanna (LaKeysha Edwards). Little do they know that the house they’re staying at is haunted, filled with the racist ghosts of a demonic cult.

Haunted Heist takes a good long while to get going, with the bulk of the first act divided between extended introductions to each of the main players. When we finally do enter the haunted mansion (no, not that one), it takes even longer for ghostly shenanigans to occur as the foursome spend a significant amount of time arguing over each other. And arguing. And arguing. Bits like this go on forever, long after they’ve worn out their welcome. It’s a cliché phrase, but the whole movie feels like a sketch that’s been stretched out to 90 minutes.

The cast does what they can with what little they have to work with. Screenwriter Carl Reid, co-writer of last year’s dreadful Mr. Crocket (review), must have assumed that the talented roster of comedians would improvise, and thus improve upon, anything he came up with. But even they, as skilled as they all are, can only do so much. In the words of RuPaul Charles: where are the jokes? To add insult to injury, Haunted Heist aims for schmaltz in its final 20 minutes, schmaltz that it absolutely doesn’t earn, making the last act of the movie drag as it tries to meet that feature-length runtime.

Howery’s direction is serviceable, if unremarkable. He has a bit of fun using the camera to emphasize what comedy there is, often incorporating rapid pans to give the film some much-needed energy. A few stylish lighting choices, including one during a seance that leads to one of the film’s funnier moments involving a ghostly ménage à trois, feel particularly inspired.

To partially requote Ebert: what else can usefully said about Haunted Heist, other than the essential information that I didn’t laugh? Not much, but don’t let this review stop you from checking it out. Everybody’s humor is different, so what didn’t work for me may very well work for you. Good luck.

Haunted Heist made its world premiere at Fantastic Fest. No release date has been set.

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Piano prodigy Boyd Grayson (Chris Colfer, TV’s Glee) delights in bringing men home to his sprawling family estate for sex, much to the chagrin of his uptight, legacy-obsessed mother Jacqueline (Alice Krige, Gretel & Hansel, Silent Hill). Taunted with the idea that he’ll never deliver her an heir, Jacqueline seizes the opportunity to make one herself when a poppers-related freak accident leaves Boyd handless and helpless. She hires cutting-edge technology doctor Jeffrey Tannock (Daniel Adegboyega) to give Boyd experimental prosthetics wired directly to his subconscious. Despite the assistance of nurse Lee (Declan Reynolds) and physical therapist Claudia (Gabriela Garcia Vargas), Boyd’s new appendages take on a life of their own, spelling doom for all who enter Grayson Manor.

The plot calls to mind a number of other media. Boyd’s bedridden hostage status evokes shades of Stephen King’s Misery, while the darkly comedic story of two adversaries living under the same roof echoes Danny DeVito’s The War of the Roses. Throw in a dash of Clive Barker’s “The Body Politic” (from his Books of Blood) and a smidge of James Whale’s The Old Dark House and you’ve got a pretty good idea of what you’re in for with The Restoration at Grayson Manor. It’s a lot of ingredients to cram into a 90-minute runtime, and the film often threatens to buckle under the pressure of the very foundation it sits on. It never does, thankfully, but the cracks are visible nonetheless.

Director Glen McQuaid (I Sell the Dead), who is gay himself and working from a script he co-wrote with Clay McLeod Chapman, attempts to add depth to the material with its themes of queer repression. Those attempts are often at odds with the more cynical aspects of the plot. It’s jarring to a fault, giving the film a hollow emotional core as the snark overshadows the heart. This isn’t something particularly new for queer horror, but that McQuaid isn’t able to strike a perfect balance between the two is disappointing.

Chris Colfer in The Restoration at Grayson Manor

That being said, Restoration has moments of brilliance that clue you into the film that could have been. In its cold open, Boyd’s hands are sliced off in Grand Guignol geysers of blood that call to mind the Hammer Horror films of the ’60s and ’70s, and there’s plenty of dry humor as he trades barbs with Jacqueline to communicate the tone of the piece. It’s a fantastic hook, albeit one that doesn’t fully line up with the rest of the film because it never matches the energy that’s on display in this opening scene.

That lack of energy (a faux pas for a melodrama) feels particularly egregious when the plot is this chaotic. Working in the film’s favor, however, are the hands themselves. Played by the film’s composer Rueben Harvey, the appendages are brought to life with a mixture of practical and digital effects, courtesy of VFX supervisor Florian Grünberger. They stand on their own as characters (even if they are extensions of Boyd’s psyche), which is a testament to the stellar effects work. It’s a shame they don’t get more to do throughout the film, but when they take center stage in the third act, they bring several gnarly sequences with them as they work their way through the residents of Grayson Manor.

Restoration is most successful in its smaller moments, specifically those that see Colfer go toe-to-toe with Krige. McQuaid and Chapman’s twisted insults inject a much-needed energy into the proceedings and it’s a delight to watch Colfer and Krige revel in their awfulness. Colfer’s employs a gruff affectation to his performance that can be a bit one-note, but it’s refreshing to see the actor play against-type. That he manages to hold his own against a force such as Krige is all the more impressive. The other players have significantly less to work work with, with poor Vargas being the most underserved as Claudia, a character that the film never quite gets a handle on.

The Restoration at Grayson Manor has all the ingredients for a great film, but it doesn’t know how to execute them for maximum effect. One can’t help but wonder if this would have worked better as a two-actor piece with just Krige and Colfer, as their scenes together are when the film truly sings, but there’s just enough here to merit a slight recommendation for those who are curious.

The Restoration at Grayson Manor made its world premiere at Fantastic Fest. The film does not currently have a release date.

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Appofeniacs is an ensemble piece told through a series of interwoven vignettes, but the character at the center of it all is Duke (Aaron Holiday), a troubled, paranoid young man who goes on a frenzy of deepfake creations, using them to turn people against anyone who even slightly pisses him off. Other times, he just wants to be an agent of chaos and watch the world burn, which means that anyone and everyone is a target. 

From the very first scene, Piliero establishes a sense of unpredictability as we witness, out of context, James (Chad Addison) murder his girlfriend Ali (Scarlet DeMeo) because he suspects infidelity. From there, we’re introduced to cosplayer Poppy (Simran Jehani), who takes an Uber with driver Tim (Will Brandt) to a secluded cabin where her friends Chase (Amogh Kapoor) and Stoletto (Massi Pregoni) are marveling over a new shield replica they purchased from famed cosplay costume designer Clinto Binto (Sean Gunn), known for making authentic replicas of anime weapons. On the periphery of all this is Cedrick (Jermaine Fowler, The Blackening), who is grappling with the ethics of deepfake technology, and Lazzy (Paige Searcy), who has an unfortunate confrontation with Duke over the necessity of tipping baristas (he’s a petty fucker, that one). 

Best known for his music videos for pop stars like Britney Spears, Ariana Grande and Kesha, Piliero delivers a remarkably confident feature debut that never threatens to buckle under the pressure of all the plates it’s spinning. Appofeniacs is a delightful puzzle of a film, shifting gears several times as character connections are slowly revealed over the course of its 90-minute runtime (think Pulp Fiction for the digital age), with Piliero keeping viewers on their toes as he ratchets up the tension with each new revelation.

Simran Jehani as Poppy in Appofeniacs

The film’s structure means that most characters don’t have enough time to be fully fleshed out before they exit the film in one way or another, but Searcy makes the strongest impression, imbuing Lazzy with a down-to-earth relatability that endears. Holiday intentionally irks as the tweaky Duke, and Gunn is also having a blast in his smaller role as the eccentric Clinto Binto. The character actor fits right in with some of the films more heightened elements.

Thematically, Appofeniacs doesn’t have much to say other than “deepfakes bad” and “people dumb.” It isn’t necessarily aiming to be a profound commentary, satisfied with acting as a cautionary “what if” tale whose stakes keep escalating with each passing scene. Real-world politics are non-existent here, with Piliero focusing on more general concepts to get his point across. Even if Appofeniacs’ commentary isn’t as deep as one would like, Piliero’s script is at least able to capture the real-life anxieties surrounding race relations, toxic masculinity and fragile male egos to great effect.

Piliero builds suspense not with chase sequences or kill scenes (though there are plenty of those), but simply with our daily interactions with strangers. Director of photography Adam Leene relies mostly on the slow zoom to create a sense of unease, especially in one of the more gripping sequences that sees Lazzy hesitate a Black man’s presence in the parking lot of her workplace after a deepfake video of her spouting racial slurs is posted on Reddit. Appofeniacs flips the script on the question of how well you really know the person standing next to you. Rather, what do they think they know about you? Piliero gets a lot of mileage out of sequences like this, turning Appofeniacs into a simmering kettle of distrust that eventually boils over in an orgy of blood so satisfying that it needs to be seen with a crowd.

Appofeniacs is a pleasant surprise and a strong debut for Piliero, even if it does fall into the occasional style-over-substance trapping. It nails the thrills, though, and weaves the narrative threads together with enough confidence to make Piliero a creator to look out for.

Appofeniacs made its North American premiere at Fantastic Fest. No release date has been set.

The post ‘Appofeniacs’ Review – Deepfake Cautionary Tale Thrills as Much as It Horrifies [Fantastic Fest] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Coyotes sees the Stewart family – comic book artist Scott (Justin Long), his wife Liv (Kate Bosworth) and their outspoken daughter Chloe (Mila Harris) — trapped in their Hollywood Hills home when a Santa Ana windstorm takes out the power and knocks a tree on top of their only car. Stranded and without any means of communication, the Stewarts must fend for themselves when a vicious pack of coyotes set their sights on their house. With their only hope of rescue coming from their drug-addicted neighbor Trip (Tony award-winning Norbert Leo Butz) and his “lady of the night” Julie (Brittany Allen), the Stewarts must band together to survive the night, lest they become dinner for this pack of wild animals.

On a certain level, it’s refreshing just how simple Coyotes is. There’s no hidden metaphor to grasp from this man vs. nature tale. Social commentary is out the window. You won’t find any interrogations of grief here. Coyotes is, blessedly, simply about a family trying to survive together against a pack of feral creatures. The problem is: there’s just not enough here to sustain the film’s 90-minute runtime. Screenwriters Tad Daggerhart (The Expendables 4) and Nick Simon (The Pyramid) shoehorn in some minor conflicts (Scott is a workaholic who ignores his family, Chloe is asserting her independence, Liv….exists) to round out the plot, but the stakes just aren’t there.

It doesn’t help that everything plays out so predictably, with nary a surprise in sight. Oh, did Chloe find an old pair of pink walkie talkies that she used to play with when she was younger? You better believe those will play a crucial role in the climax. And that gas leak that’s mentioned early on in Act 1? It’s probably a safe bet that that will come back into play by the time the credits roll. Does Scott faint at the sight of blood? Well, he’s likely to overcome that during the third act shenanigans.

Mila Harris as Chloe in Coyotes (2025)

It would be easy to overlook this if Coyotes were firing on all cylinders when it came to the comedy, but it isn’t. Most jokes land, not with a thud, but with a shrug (though a recurring gag about what to call Julie’s profession fails to land each and every time — can these Hollywood parents really not say the term “sex worker” to their teenage daughter?). Homages to other, better films don’t help matters either (we get a full Jurassic Park-style “they can open doors” line of dialogue), but some of them inspire a few chuckles. It could be worse; but it also could also be a lot better.

Minihan, who pulls double duty as the film’s editor, does what he can with the pedestrian script. He incorporates comic book-style character introduction cards (unnecessary, but amusing) and has a lot of fun adding comedic beats through his editing, but he doesn’t always succeed when it comes to suspense. Granted, Coyotes isn’t a movie that’s aiming for suspense, but it would have been nice to feel some of that during the climactic showdowns with the titular beasties. He clearly delights in the carnage, though. Coyotes isn’t an overtly gory film, but the violence hits when it needs to. The coyotes themselves also look great, thanks to special effects coordinator Felix Andrés Villada.

Thankfully, the performers give it their all. Long settles nicely into the role of the oblivious father, spouting out dad joke after dad joke. Butz delights in his brief screen time as the drug-addled Trip, but it’s Allen (Minihan’s wife, also the film’s composer) who steals the show. Her coke-fueled Julie is always operating at an 11 (on a 10-point scale), making a nice foil for every other cast member. When the film’s energy dips, Julie is there to save the day. Similarly effective is quirky exterminator Devon (Keir O’Donnell), an amalgamation of O’Donnell’s Wedding Crashers character and Christopher Walken’s exterminator in Mouse Hunt. Poor Kate Bosworth, though. The actress (and Long’s real-life wife) is given absolutely nothing to do. It’s a real shame.

Ultimately, Coyotes is a big shrug of a movie. There are worse ways to spend your Saturday night, but there are far better creature features out there that are a lot more fun to watch. Woof.

Coyotes made its world premiere at Fantastic Fest. The film will open in theaters across the U.S. on October 3.

The post ‘Coyotes’ Review – Justin Long Horror Comedy Isn’t Funny or Scary [Fantastic Fest] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

There’s only one episode left in Alien: Earth‘s first(?) season, and we hate to say that the penultimate episode might be our least favorite yet. It’s not bad by any means, but its abbreviated runtime (45 minutes compared to the full hours of previous episodes) and extensive setup for next week’s finale make “Emergence” feel incomplete. “Finale Part 1”, if you will. Might this have worked better as a super-sized double feature with next week’s finale? Time will tell!

Written by Maria Melnik (Escape Room) and series creator Noah Hawley and directed by Dana Gonzales (this season’s second and third episodes), the aptly titled “Emergence” sees many parts of the whole reveal themselves as Slightly (Adarsh Gourav) and Smee (Jonathan Ajayi) try to move Arthur’s (David Rysdahl) Facehuggered body to the beach to disastrous results, Wendy (Sydney Chandler), Hermit (Alex Lawther) and Nibs (Lily Newmark) try to escape the island to even worse results, and Boy Kavalier (Samuel Blenkin) grows closer to show MVP The Eye.

Some talking points:

• It would appear that Tootles/Isaac (Kit Young) is definitely dead following his encounter last week with the fly. No redownloading this guy! RIP, we hardly knew ye.
• Wendy takes a page out of the Jurassic World playbook and has seemingly tamed the Xenomorph. It makes for a nice pet, though!
• The Eye shows advance intelligence and some rather humorous, shit-related communication skills when Boy Kavalier asks it about Pi (much to Boy’s twisted delight).
• Nibs is seemingly taken out by Hermit after she brutally rips the jaw off of one of Boy’s guards. Is this the end of Nibs? We hope not!
• This is the most Earth we’ve gotten all season, and might be the first good look we’ve gotten of the Xenomorph in broad daylight.

This is an episode that ultimately serves to move things into place for next week’s finale. This is all well and good, but we couldn’t help but feel some metaphorical blue balls by the time the credits roll. Admittedly, we were really hoping the creatures would have been loosed following the events of last week’s episode, so perhaps our disappointment is on us.

And we must ask again (hopefully for the last time): will we find out what that plant pod creature does in next week’s finale? We better!

Listen to Joe and me discuss the episode in full below on the Horror Queers Patreon:

Coming Up Next: Next week we’re discussing the finale, episode 1.08, “The Real Monsters” (wonder who they could be?).

Want to listen? Subscribe to our Patreon for over 421 hours of content including this month’s other new episodes on Cry Wolf, The Long Walk, Him, The Conjuring: Last Rites and, to tie in with that last one: a brand new audio commentary on The Conjuring 2!

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After kicking off September with a look at Troma’s original trashterpiece The Toxic Avenger (listen) and celebrating our 350th episode at the Titty Twister in From Dusk Till Dawn (listen), were making our second foray into the world of anime (following our discussion of Perfect Blue) in Katsuhiro Otomo‘s seminal and incredibly influential film Akira (1988), an adaptation of his manga of the same name.

In Akira, Japan is reeling from a nuclear blast that destroyed Tokyo in 1988, leading to World War III. In 2019, Neo-Tokyo is now a cesspool of government corruption, gang violence and terrorism. The film focuses on biker gang leader Kaneda (Mitsuo Iwata) and his lover best friend Tetsuo (Nozomu Sasaki).

When the latter acquires telekinetic abilities after nearly running over a childlike “esper,” he is abducted by the morally suspect Colonel Shikishima (Tarō Ishida). Kaneda teams up with resistance movement activist Kei (Mami Koyama) to find his lover friend before he loses control of his powers and starts another World War.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 351: Akira (1988)

Hop on your motorcycle, avoid that “child” in the road and slide to a stop because we’re discussing Katsuhiro Otomo‘s seminal anime Akira (1988)!

Join us as we offer a primer on all things Akira, as well as its influences on, uh, everything. We then work our way through its very, very dense plot, which somehow condenses hundreds of manga pages into a 2-hour runtime. This includes a queer read for Kaneda and Tetsuo, as well as debating whether or not the film has a “woman problem.”

Plus: raisin-faced “children,” singularities, and one horrifying sequence involving malevolent stuffed animals (and a lot of “milk”).

Cross out Akira!

Coming Up Next: We’re heading to Bodega Bay to check in with Alfred Hitchcock and some pesky avian antagonists in The Birds (1963).

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 418 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Cry Wolf, The Long Walk, Him, The Conjuring: Last Rites and, to tie in with that last one, a brand new audio commentary on The Conjuring 2!

The post Best “Friend” Body Horror in the Influential ‘Akira’ [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

We have officially passed the halfway point of Alien: Earth‘s first season, and after spending some down time observing things and laying lots of groundwork in last week’s episode, the series takes a narrative detour to show what really happened to the crew of the USCSS Maginot before it crashed on Earth in its pilot episode. Viewers clamoring for more Xenomorph action will no doubt find plenty to enjoy in the aptly-titled “In Space, No One.”

Written and directed by series creator Noah Hawley, the season’s fifth episode puts (most of) the characters and stories we’ve been building up for the past four episodes on the back burner, giving the director a chance to flex his horror muscles with an exciting, contained creature feature of an episode. We’re not entirely sure this story needed to be inserted at this point in the season, but as to where it should have been inserted, we’re also not entirely sure.

Some talking points:

• Learning the new(ish) cast of characters, which includes Captain Dinsdale (Tanapol Chuksrida), Science Officers Bronski (Max Rinehart) and Chibuzo (Fargo’s Karen Aldridge), Chief Engineer Shmuel (Kill List’s Michael Smiley) and his apprentice Malachite (Jamie Bisping), Executive Officer Zaveri (Fargo’s Richa Moorjani), Medical Officer Rahim (Amir Boutrous), and the mysterious Teng (Andy Yu).
• Morrow’s (Babou Ceesay) hunt for the ship’s saboteur.
• Tense set pieces involving the Xenomorph, the Tick(s) and the Eye, the latter of which is quickly becoming the series’ MVP.
• How much suspense mileage the episode gets out of that damn water bottle.
• The revelation that Boy Kavalier (Samuel Blenkin) was the mastermind behind the ship’s sabotage.

This is an episode that really worked for me, but Joe had a few qualms with its placement in the season. It’s understandable, given the fact that we don’t really learn anything here that we didn’t already know, outside of Boy Kavalier’s involvement with the crash, but one thing we do agree on is that Hawley directs the hell out of this thing.

And we must ask again: are we ever going to find out what that plant pod creature does? The show keeps teasing it!

Listen to Joe and me discuss the episode in full below on the Horror Queers Patreon:

Coming Up Next: Next week we’re discussing episode 1.06, “The Fly.”

Want to listen? Subscribe to our Patreon for over 419 hours of content including this month’s other new episodes on Cry Wolf, The Long Walk, Him, The Conjuring: Last Rites and, to tie in with that last one: a brand new audio commentary on The Conjuring 2!

The post ‘Alien: Earth’ Delivers a Horror Show in This Week’s “In Space, No One…” [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

After wrapping up August with journeys into the weird and wonderful world of Australian myths in Picnic at Hanging Rock (listen) and John Waters’ version of suburbia in Serial Mom (listen), we’re kicking off September by celebrating the release of Macon Blair’s reboot of The Toxic Avenger with a look at the original Troma trashterpiece!

The Toxic Avenger sees nerdy gym janitor Melvin Ferd (Mark Torgl) fall prey to a cruel prank that sends him head-first into a barrel full of toxic waste. Said toxic waste transforms Melvin into a super-powered monster (Mitch Cohen) who uses his powers to destroy evil in his hometown of Tromaville. Lovingly named “The Toxic Avenger” by Tromavillians, he embarks on a journey to stop the corrupt Mayor Belgoody (Pat Ryan Jr.) while falling in love with the blind Sara (Andree Miranda) at the same time.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 349: The Toxic Avenger (1984)

Get the kid and the bike because we’re heading to The Mexican Place to check out Troma Entertainment’s crown jewel: The Toxic Avenger (1984). Just in time to celebrate the release of Macon Blair’s remake, too!

Join us as we offer a primer on all things Toxie before diving into this ridiculously silly (and charming!) little film. The Toxic Avenger feels like a live-action cartoon that’s been dumped in a vat of extremely transgressive toxic waste, and it all (mostly) works!

Plus: an unexpected gang of queers, masturbating to photos of dead children, “Body Talk,” and swapping out human heads for cantaloupes.

CW: Dog death, child death, attempted sexual assault and the use of many, many slurs.

Cross out The Toxic Avenger!

Coming Up Next: We’re celebrating our 350th episode with a look at Robert Rodriguez’s crime thriller/vampire film hybrid From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)!

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 414 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Cry Wolf, The Long Walk, Him, The Conjuring: Last Rites and, to tie in with that last one, a brand new audio commentary on The Conjuring 2!

The post Getting Sleazy With Troma’s Original Trashterpiece ‘The Toxic Avenger’ [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

When Joe and I discussed the two-episode premiere of Noah Hawley‘s Alien: Earth last week, we wondered if the season’s timeline was going to be relatively short, potentially spanning mere hours or days. We also questioned if we were going to spend most of the season on board the crashed USCSS Maginot or, you know, actually get into the “Earth” of it all.

Well, consider those questions answered in Alien: Earth‘s third episode, “Metamorphosis,” an exciting entry into the season that lays to rest any fears that the series would put the Xenomorph on the back-burner for the bulk of its eight episodes.

Written by series creator Noah Hawley and Fargo producer/writer Robert De Laurentiis and directed by Dana Gonzales (returning after helming “Mr. October”), “Metamorphosis” is divided into two halves, with the first half picking up right where “Mr. October” left off, seeing Hermit (Alex Lawther) captured by the Xenomorph as it attempts to lure Wendy (Sydney Chandler) into a trap. This leads to one of the episode’s most action-heavy (if slightly silly) sequences in which Sydney gets into a tug-of-war with the Xenomorph’s tongue, culminating in the partial decapitation of the creature. Meanwhile, Smee (Jonathan Ajayi) and Slightly (Adarsh Gourav) have a tense run-in with Morrow (Babou Ceesay), continuing the series’ philosophical interrogation of what it means to be human and concluding the first half of the episode.

The second half of the episode switches gears as everyone returns to Prodigy’s headquarters to reap the benefits of their bounty. No longer bound by the haunting walls of the Maginot, Alien: Earth gives more screen time to characters who were underserved in the premiere, notably Curly (Erana James), who fights for Boy Kavalier’s (Samuel Blenkin) attention, and Arthur (Fargo‘s David Rysdahl), who shares his reservations about Boy Kavalier’s methods with his wife Dame Sylvia (The Babadook‘s Essie Davis).

We also get another appearance of Yutani (Sandra Yi Sencindiver) in this episode, as Morrow checks in with her to update her on the status of her precious cargo. That she doesn’t seem disappointed or angry with Morrow and the current situation of the mission (she seems totally fine, actually) was unexpected, and we can’t wait to see more of her.

Samuel Blenkin as Boy Kavalier

Alien: Earth is juggling a lot of characters, but it does so with such confidence that it’s hard to resent the fact that about half of the Lost “Boys” are currently glorified background characters (looking at you, Tootles). It’s only the third episode, but considering we’ll be at the halfway point of the season after next week’s episode, we hope that they’re given more to do in the coming weeks.

Refreshingly, Hawley & Co. show more restraint when it comes to franchise callbacks than they did in the premiere, with Slightly’s discovery of the Xenomorph’s skin harkening back to a similarly shot sequence with Harry Dean Stanton in the original film. They do seem to be sticking with inserting Disney-owned Fox IP into the proceedings, though. Following the Ice Age: Continental Drift of it all last week, “Metamorphosis” includes footage from Fox’s apparently not-forgotten 2013 animated film Epic, much to Joe’s chagrin.

Lest you thought we had seen the end of the Xenomorph after Wendy dispatched it, the episode concludes with the extraction of a Xeno-sperm (Xeno-zygote?) out of a Facehugger, which is promptly injected into a solitary lung. This is but a brief expansion of series lore that we find incredibly exciting. It raises more questions, like whether or not that lung will birth a Xenomorph as we know it, or birth some altered version of it, but we’re still waiting for an answer for the most important question of the series: will we ever find out what that plant-like pod creature does?

Listen to our full conversation on the episode below:

Cross out “Metamorphosis”!

Coming Up Next: Next week we’re discussing episode 1.04, “Observation.”

Want to listen? Subscribe to our Patreon for over 410 hours of content including this month’s other new episodes on Hannibal Season 2 Episodes 7 and 8, Lurker, Together, Weapons and a brand new audio commentary on Wes Craven’s Red Eye for its 20th anniversary!

The post ‘Alien: Earth’ Comes Together in Its Third Episode [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

After kicking off August with our first foray into the world of beach party films with Robert Lee King’s camp classic Psycho Beach Party (listen), we’re shifting gears into the weird and wonderful world of Australian myths in Peter Weir‘s 1975 adaptation of Joan Lindsay‘s acclaimed novel Picnic at Hanging Rock.

Picnic at Hanging Rock sees a selection of students of the all-female Appleyard College attend a picnic at a local geological formation known as Hanging Rock. While there, three students and one teacher vanish without a trace, leaving the local community perplexed and anxious. As the search for the missing girls continues to no avail, the effects of the event on the school’s strict headmistress (Rachel Roberts) and the rest of the community come to a head.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 347: Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)

Check your watch you little ignoramus because we’re talking Peter Weir‘s seminal Australian mystery Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975).

Join us as we dive into this mythic piece of “true” crime from the bush, with an unsolved mystery that still perplexes people to this very day. Add in some repressed lesbianism and some hauntingly ethereal vibes for good measure, of course.

Plus: pan flutes galore, gorgeous crimson cloaks, and why book author Joan Lindsay is a massive troll.

Cross out Picnic at Hanging Rock!

Coming Up Next: We’re so scared of wearing white after Labor Day that we just had to revisit John Waters’ cult classic Serial Mom (1994)!

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 407 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Hannibal Season 2 Episodes 7 and 8, Lurker, Together, Weapons and a brand new audio commentary on Wes Craven’s Red Eye for its 20th anniversary!

The post On Repressed Sexuality in ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’ [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

After kicking things off in July with the girls of Stanford High School in The Slumber Party Massacre (listen) and a psychic Jennifer Connelly in Dario Argento’s Phenomena (listen), we’re checking in with a man and his octopus in Park Chan-wook‘s 2003 masterpiece Oldboy.

Oldboy sees a drunken Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik) get kidnapped on the day of his daughter’s fourth birthday. Held in captivity for 15 years and living on a diet of dumplings. Dae-su is suddenly released without explanation. His captor (Yoo Ji-tae) gives him 5 days to figure out why he did this to him, but if he is unable to figure it out, then his captor will murder Mi-do (Kang Hye-jung) a young sushi chef that Dae-su has quickly fallen for.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 345: Oldboy (2003)

Swallow that octopus and run away from those ants because we’re discussing Park Chan-wook‘s 2003 masterpiece Oldboy!

Join us as we discuss the origins of Oldboy, from its manga source material to the changes Park applied to this adaptation, before going all in on this spider’s web of a revenge plot. It’s a film known for its big twist, but there’s so much more to appreciate here!

Plus: that hallway fight scene, Manic Pixie Sushi Dream Girls, questionable CGI, death by CD-ROM, hypnosis as a plot convenience (but who cares?) and debating whether or not this is a “film bro” movie.

Cross out Oldboy!

Coming Up Next: We’re venturing into the world of 1960s beach party movies with a look at the camp classic Psycho Beach Party (2000)!

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 400 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Hannibal Season 2 Episodes 7 and 8, Lurker, Together, Weapons and a brand new audio commentary on Wes Craven’s Red Eye for its 20th anniversary!

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After shifting gears into full-on summer blockbuster territory with a look at Steven Spielberg’s juggernaut of a creature feature in Jaws (listen) and being introduced to our first Jean Rollin joint in the lesbian “vampire” movie Fascination (listen), we’re checking in with the girls of Stanford High School in Amy Jones‘ The Slumber Party Massacre (1982).

The Slumber Party Massacre sees high school senior Trish Devereaux (Michelle Michaels) host a slumber party for her friends Kim (Debra Deliso), Jackie (Andree Honore) and Diane (Gina Mari) the same weekend that escaped serial killer Russ Thorn (Michael Villella) makes his way into her neighborhood. Wielding an incredibly long power drill, Russ sets his sights on Trish’s house, putting her and all of her friends in grave danger.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 343: The Slumber Party Massacre (1982)

Check the temperature of that pizza and close the damn refrigerator because we’re finally (finally!) discussing the female-written and female-directed 1982 slashic The Slumber Party Massacre. Tagging in for the conversation is News is Out‘s managing editor Dana Picccoli!

Join us as we go all in on this Frankenstein’s monster of a slasher film that showcases some feminist themes, while courting to Roger Corman‘s demands of boobs, butts and blood. That it all began with a parody script from noted queer feminist Rita Mae Brown makes it all the more interesting!

Plus: P.E. representation (huh?), comedic match cuts, gratuitous shower scenes, debating Courtney’s intended age, and #JusticeForCoachJana.

Cross out The Slumber Party Massacre!

Coming Up Next: We’re heading back into the world of Dario Argento with a look at his bonkers 1985 film Phenomena!

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 398 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Squid Game Season 3, Dangerous Animals, M3GAN 2.0, I Know What You Did Last Summer and a brand new audio commentary on Species for its 30th anniversary!

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After concluding Pride month with discussions of Danny Boyle’s modern classic 28 Days Later (listen) and the Freddy-Krueger-for-kids villain in Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: The Movie (listen), we’re shifting gears into full-on summer blockbuster territory with a look at Steven Spielberg‘s juggernaut of a creature feature in Jaws (1975).

In case you’ve lived under a rock your entire life: Jaws tells the tale of a monstrous Great White Shark that has staked its claim over the beaches of Amity Island. In charge of stopping its rampage is police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider), against the wishes of the island’s capitalistic mayor (Murray Hamilton). When the shark slaughters one too many people, Brody teams up with marine biologist Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and crazed shark hunter Quint (Robert Shaw) to track it down and kill it for good.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 341: Jaws (1975)

Karate chop those picket fences and watch out for that severed head because we’re discussing Steven Spielberg‘s Academy Award®-winning blockbuster Jaws (1975) for its 50th anniversary! Tagging in for the conversation is Joe’s Murder Made Fiction co-host Jenn Adams, making this a super-sized podcast crossover event!

Join us as we go all in on this gem of aquatic horror history, from the source novel’s origins (including a review from Fidel Castro???) to the infamously troubled film production and the real-life stories that inspired the story.

Plus: a queer reading of our three male leads, discussing the importance of John Williams’ score, sympathy for Mr. Mayor (huh?), and the ultimate question: can sharks commit murder?

Cross out Jaws!

Coming Up Next: We’re heading into the world of low-budget lesbian “vampires” in Jean Rollins’ 1979 film Fascination!

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 398 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Squid Game Season 3, Dangerous Animals, M3GAN 2.0, I Know What You Did Last Summer and a brand new audio commentary on Species for its 30th anniversary!

The post Commemorating a Classic in Steven Spielberg’s ‘Jaws’ [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

After kicking off Pride month with discussions of John Boorman’s (in)famous adaptation of James Dickey’s novel Deliverance (listen) and revisiting the world of Batman in Joel Schumacher’s camptastic Batman Forever (listen), we’re celebrating the release of 28 Years Later with a look at Danny Boyle‘s modern classic 28 Days Later (2002).

28 Days Later sees the deadly Rage virus spread throughout the United Kingdom after a group of animal activists free an infected chimp from a research lab. 28 days later, bike courier Jim (Cillian Murphy) awakes from a coma to find London completely deserted, save for the very fast-moving and Rage-infected citizens.

When he crosses paths with chemist Selena (Naomie Harris), cab driver Frank (Brendan Gleeson), and Frank’s daughter Hannah (Megan Burns), the group embarks on a perilous journey to a military blockade that will supposedly provide safety for all of them.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 339: 28 Days Later (2002)

Stash that Terry’s Chocolate Orange and cover your damn eyes because we’re discussing Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later just in time for its 23-years-later sequel!

Join us as we laud the film that popularized fast-moving zombies (yes, yes, we know they’re “the infected”) and kickstarted the sub-genre’s resurgence in the aughts.

Plus: discussions of the film’s aesthetic, Alex Garland’s self-proclaimed “derivative script,” male full frontal nudity, apocalyptic red flags, and *that* freeze frame.

Cross out 28 Days Later!

Coming Up Next: We’re taking a look at Ivan Ooze, aka “Freddy Krueger for kids,” in Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: The Movie (1995).

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 397 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Hannibal S02 Episodes 5-6, Fear Street: Prom Queen, Bring Her Back, 28 Years Later, and a brand new audio commentary on Final Destination 2.

The post How ’28 Days Later’ Changed the Zombie Sub-Genre Forever [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

After concluding May discussing the controversial production of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (listen) and reveling in Frank Henenlotter’s hilarious Frankenhooker (listen), we’re kicking off June with a long overdue look at John Boorman‘s adaptation of James Dickey‘s novel Deliverance!

Deliverance sees four friends and businessmen (Burt Reynolds, Jon Voight, Ned Beatty and Ronny Cox) venture out into rural Georgia to canoe the fictional Cahulawassee River before it is dammed. Upon arriving at their destination, they learn that the locals don’t take too kindly to city folk, often completely disregarding them. When a pair of mountain men brutally attack the four friends in the woods, their bonding vacation turns into a vicious fight for survival as they must contend with the whitewater rapids while being seemingly hunted by the locals.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 337: Deliverance (1972)

Prep your canoes and don’t anger the locals because we’re discussing John Boorman‘s (in)famous 1972 thriller Deliverance and all the baggage that comes with it.

Join us as we take a look at a film whose reputation precedes it, from its male rape scene to its portrayal of rural mountain folk. There’s plenty to unpack here!

Plus: Burt Reynolds‘ lamb bone, squealing pigs, raping landscapes, and the poignancy of watching a grown man weep.

Cross out Deliverance!

Coming Up Next: We’re taking a brief sojourn away from the horror genre to look at Joel Schumacher’s first camptastic Batman entry: Batman Forever (1995).

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 394 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Hannibal S02 Episodes 5-6, Fear Street: Prom Queen, Bring Her Back, 28 Years Later, and a brand new audio commentary on Final Destination 2.

The post It’s Man vs. Nature in John Boorman’s ‘Deliverance’ [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

After spending May discussing Ridley Scott’s controversial sequel Hannibal (listen) and Ana Lily Amirpour’s haunting A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (listen), we’re concluding the month by covering a juggernaut of a film in Stanley Kubrick‘s The Shining (1980)!

The Shining sees struggling writer and recovering alcoholic Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) accept a position as the off-season caretaker of the historic Overlook Hotel. His wife Wendy (Shelley DuVall) and son Danny (Danny Lloyd) accompany him, but young Danny possesses “the shining,” a clairvoyant ability that allows him to see the true horrors that lurk in the hotel’s halls. When a winter storm snows the family in, Jack’s sanity slowly crumbles as the isolation and malevolent entities begin to influence his mind.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 335: The Shining (1980)

Close the elevator and ash that cigarette because we’re discussing Stanley Kubrick‘s adaptation of Stephen King‘s The Shining for its 45th anniversary!

Join us as we go all in on this classic of horror cinema; from Kubrick’s controversial methods to Shelly DuVall‘s behind-the-scenes treatment, there’s no stone left unturned!

Plus: an unexpected queer reading involving bears (the animal kind), debating the best carpet in the Overlook (it’s Room 237’s carpet) and how Doctor Sleep retroactively affects rewatches of The Shining.

Cross out The Shining!

Coming Up Next: We’re taking a look at our second Frank Henenlotter film of the year in 1990’s Frankenhooker!

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 392 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on The Ugly Stepsister, Clown in a Cornfield, Until Dawn, Final Destination: Bloodlines, The Last of Us Season 2 and an audio commentary on the brand new Anna Kendrick/Blake Lively sequel, Another Simple Favor.

The post Bear With Us On this Queer Reading of ‘The Shining’ [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

After concluding April defending the much-maligned fourth Alien franchise entry Alien Resurrection (listen) and celebrating Earth Day with a look at Lee Haven Jones’ The Feast (listen), we’re kicking off May by revisiting the wonderful world of Thomas Harris in Ridley Scott‘s 2001 adaptation Hannibal.

Hannibal sees the world-famous cannibal Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) still at large following his escape at the end of The Silence of the Lambs. The disfigured Mason Verger (Gary Oldman), Hannibal’s only surviving victim, is dead set on revenge and begins working with the corrupt and misogynistic Justice Department official Paul Krendler (Ray Liotta) to capture him.

You can’t catch something without bait, though, and Verger has the perfect person in mind to fill that role: Special Agent Clarice Starling (Julianne Moore).

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 333: Hannibal (2001)

Bowels in or bowels out? That’s the question we hope to answer as we discuss Ridley Scott‘s controversial sequel to The Silence of the Lambs in 2001’s Hannibal!

Join us as we discuss the Clarice of it all before heading to Italy to check in with everyone’s favorite cannibal. There’s no denying it: this is just a weird movie. Be it Gary Oldman‘s prosthetics or Ray Liotta‘s brain sac, there’s a lot here that mainstream audiences weren’t ready for 20+ years ago!

Cross out Hannibal!

Coming up on Wednesday: We’re taking a look at Ana Lily Amirpour’s Iranian vampire Western A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014).

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 386 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on The Ugly Stepsister, Clown in a Cornfield, Until Dawn, Final Destination: Bloodlines, The Last of Us Season 2 and an audio commentary on the brand new Anna Kendrick/Blake Lively sequel, Another Simple Favor.

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After spending the last few weeks looking at teen horror films in David Nutter’s Disturbing Behavior (listen) and John Carpenter’s adaptation of Stephen King’s Christine (listen), we celebrated Alien Day with a look at the much-maligned fourth entry in the franchise: Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Alien Resurrection (1997).

In the film, the military resurrects Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) via the cloning process 200 years after her death in Alien 3. During the process, however, her DNA is fused with the Queen Alien, making her motives questionable at best. Once the inevitable happens and the aliens escape, “Ripley” must team up with a group of mercenaries and decide where her allegiances lie.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 331: Alien Resurrection (1997)

Caress your Newborn and take a deep breath because we’re discussing Jean-Pierre Jeunet‘s divisive franchise entry Alien Resurrection (1997).

Join us as we attempt to offer a reappraisal of this weird little film, which certainly has its flaws but also has so much going for it. Be it Sigourney Weaver‘s magnetic performance as Ripley 8 (you’ll hear no “not my Ripley” cries from us) or the ooey gooey practical effects, we still like this one!

Plus: Xenomorph nail polish, breathalyzer door locks, that underwater sequence, a monologuing Brad Dourif and the hazards of regularly eating lemon slices.

Cross out Alien Resurrection!

Coming up on Wednesday: We’re celebrating Earth Day a little late with a look at Lee Haven Jones’ eco-horror film The Feast!

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 380 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Hannibal Season 2, Episodes 3-4, The White Lotus Season 3, Drop, Sinners, The Last of Us Season 2 and a brand new audio commentary on The Amityville Horror remake for its 20th anniversary.

The post Defending the Maligned ‘Alien Resurrection’ [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

It seems like just yesterday that we were doing a themed month on Doppelgängers and deception (it was actually last month), and while we concluded March with discussions of classics like Invasion of the Body Snatchers (listen) and The Stepford Wives (listen), we took a break for a week to look at David Fincher’s Panic Room (listen). Now, we’re heading back into the world of doppelgängers with a look at David Nutter‘s teenybopper version of The Stepford Wives in 1998’s Disturbing Behavior.

In the film, Steve (James Marsden) has just moved to the small town of Cradle Bay with his parents and sister (Katharine Isabelle), quickly realizing that there’s something off with his peers. The preppy clique known as the Blue Ribbons are the eerie embodiment of academic excellence and clean living but, like the rest of the town, they’re a little too perfect.

When Steve’s misfit friend Gavin (Nick Stahl) mysteriously joins their ranks, Steve teams up with fellow misfit Rachel (Katie Holmes) to get to the bottom of the mystery and save the town’s youths before it’s too late.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 329: Disturbing Behavior (1998)

Self-mutilate this, fluid boy, because we’re talking Blue Ribbons and hack jobs in David Nutter‘s teenybopper version of The Stepford Wives in 1998’s Disturbing Behavior!

Join us as we go all in on this film’s extremely troubled production (seriously, it’s bad!) before diving into the plot of this extended episode of The X-Files.

Plus, mathematics vs. moments, peckerheads, some well-earned praise for Nick Stahl and test screening after test screening after test screening (after test screening).

Cross out Disturbing Behavior!

Coming up on Wednesday: We’re checking out John Carpenter’s foray into the world of Stephen King with a look at 1983’s Christine!

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 376 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Hannibal Season 2, Episodes 3-4, The White Lotus Season 3, Drop, Sinners, The Last of Us Season 2 and a brand new audio commentary on The Amityville Horror remake for its 20th anniversary.

The post The Horrors of Conformity in ‘Disturbing Behavior’ [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

After delving into the world of sex work with a discussion of Cam (listen) and getting paranoid with the 1978 version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers (listen), we are concluding our themed Doppelgängers and Deception month with Bryan Forbes‘ controversial and oh-so-timely adaptation of Ira Levin‘s The Stepford Wives.

In the film, Joanna Eberhart (Katharine Ross) moves to the quiet town of Stepford with her husband (Peter Masterson) and children. Shortly after moving, Joanna starts to realize that there’s something not quite right with the suburb’s women: they’re vapid, unfathomably devoted to housework and completely subservient to their husbands. After teaming up with Bobbie (Paula Prentiss) another recent Stepford transplant, Joanna begins to investigate the mystery of Stepford’s wives and makes a horrific discovery.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 327: The Stepford Wives (1975)

We’ll just die if we don’t get this recipe, which means we’re discussing Bryan Forbes‘ divisive 1975 chiller The Stepford Wives, itself an adaptation of Ira Levin‘s 1972 novel(la) of the same name!

Join us as we go all in on the male-directed and male-written film that satirizes, well, men. From the Playboy Bunny origins of the Stepford wives to conflicting thoughts on Walter, there’s a lot to discuss!

Plus: praise for Bobbie (Paula Prentiss), a lesson in female fashion and Raymond Chandler for Trace, thinking about Stepford dogs, and wondering if Easy-On Spray Starch really does save you half an hour a day (at least!).

Cross out The Stepford Wives!

Coming up on Wednesday: We’re heading back into the world of David Fincher with one of his more mainstream efforts (albeit one starring two queer queens): Panic Room.

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 374 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Hannibal Season 2, Episodes 3-4, The White Lotus Season 3, Drop, Sinners and a brand new audio commentary on The Amityville Horror remake for its 20th anniversary.

The post The Depressing Relevance of ‘The Stepford Wives’ [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

After kicking off our themed Doppelgängers and Deception month of March with a look at Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan, we’re now heading into the world of sex work with a discussion of Daniel Goldhaber‘s 2018 film Cam, which was written by former cam girl Isa Mazzei.

In the film, cam girl Alice (Madeline Brewer, The Handmaid’s Tale) is working her way up to the Top 50 of her camming website. When she does finally move up the ranks, her account is stolen by another girl who looks just like her. Locked out of her account and on a desperate quest to reclaim her agency, Alice sets out to unmask the mysterious woman and get her identity back.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 325: Cam (2018)

Finish that whole steak on your fork and keep an eye on that Top 50 list because we’re continuing our theme month of doubles and doppelgängers in Daniel Goldhaber‘s 2018 gem Cam! Tagging in for the conversation is horror author Ariel Powers-Schaub.

Join us as we praise Madeline Brewer‘s fearless lead performance, as well as the exceptionally authentic screenplay written by Isa Mazzei, who drew upon her own experiences as a sex worker when writing the film.

Plus: clit-destroying Vibatrons, emphasizing the “work” part of sex work and a very insightful lesson on tulpas from our guest.

Cross out Cam!

Coming up on Wednesday: We’re continuing our themed month of Doppelgängers & Doubles with a look at the 1978 remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 372 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Borderline, Oddity, Opus, Death of a Unicorn and a brand new audio commentary on Sin City for its 20th anniversary.

The post ‘Cam’ Puts the “Work” in “Sex Work” [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

After closing out February with discussions of Mitchell Lichtenstein’s vagina dentata-centered horror comedy Teeth (listen) and one of the “good” Amityville franchise entries in Amityville 1992: It’s About Time (listen), we’re taking a look at the oldest film we’ve ever covered in Robert Weine‘s classic silent film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)!

In the film, Franzis (Friedrich Feher) and his friend Alan (Hans Heinrich von Twardowski) encounter the crazed Dr. Caligari (Werner Krauss), who has just opened up a sideshow featuring his somnambulist Cesare (Conrad Veidt), a hypnotized man who the doctor claims can see into the future. At the performance, Cesare predicts Alan’s death, and by morning his chilling prophecy has come true — making Cesare the prime suspect. Unfortunately for Franzis, Caligari has set his sights on his fiancé Jane (Lil Dagover) next, and it’s only a matter of time before Caligari sends Cesare after her.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 323: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

Stay away from that sideshow attraction and watch out for murderous sleepwalkers because we’re discussing Robert Weine‘s classic 1920 silent film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, believed by many to be the first true horror film ever made!

Join us as we go on a tour of pre-WWII German history and learn about German Expressionism to see how Caligari came to be. But more importantly: to acknowledge the importance of this seminal film that has influenced countless film directors in the 105 years(!!!) since its initial release.

Cross out The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari!

Coming up on Wednesday: We’re kicking off a themed month of Doppelgängers & Doubles with a look at Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan.

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 370 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Borderline, Oddity, Opus, Death of a Unicorn and a brand new audio commentary on Sin City for its 20th anniversary.

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After closing out January with a trip to the prom in Carrie (listen) and kicking off February with a look at Tom Ford’s Academy Award-nominated thriller Nocturnal Animals (listen), we’re feeling festive for Valentine’s Day as we check out Mitchell Lichtenstein‘s vagina dentata-centered horror comedy Teeth!

In Teeth, high school student Dawn (Jess Weixler) is an active member of her high-school chastity club, but when she meets Tobey (Hale Appleman), she finds it more and more difficult to resist her sexual urges. When a date goes horribly awry, Dawn suddenly learns that she is a living example of the vagina dentata myth and must learn to control her naughty gnashers before they can claim another classmate’s penis.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 320: Nocturnal Animals (2016)

Put on your abstinence ring and head over to the local swimming hole because we’re discussing Mitchell Lichtenstein‘s 2007 horror comedy Teeth!

Join us as we go all in on this seemingly forgotten relic of the aughts, praising its handling of some admittedly difficult subject matter while masterfully balancing the tone without sacrificing sincerity.

Plus: digging into Teeth‘s mishandled release, its 2024 off-Broadway musical adaptation and wondering why lead actress Jess Weixler never became the Parker Posey of her generation.

C/W: Sexual assault

Cross out Teeth!

Coming up on Wednesday: We’re headed to the ’90s to discuss all things time in the underrated sixth entry in the Amityville franchise: Tony Randel’s (Hellbound: Hellraiser II) better-than-you’d-expect Amityville 1992: It’s About Time.

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 365 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Hannibal Season 2, Episodes 1 and 2, Companion, Heart Eyes, The Monkey and a brand new audio commentary on Pitch Black for its 25th anniversary.

The post The Female Empowerment of ‘Teeth’ [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

After concluding January with with our first foray into the world of Frank Henenlotter in Brain Damage (listen) and revisiting Brian De Palma’s adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie (listen), we’re entering February with a look at Tom Ford‘s Academy Award-nominated thriller Nocturnal Animals (2016).

In Nocturnal Animals, art gallery owner Susan (Amy Adams) receives a manuscript for a new novel written by her first husband Edward (Jake Gyllenhaal). As she reads it, she begins to see the similarities between it and their former relationship, unaware that the book serves as Edward’s ultimate revenge against Susan for the unforgivable, marriage-ruining act that she committed all those years ago.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 320: Nocturnal Animals (2016)

Apply the darkest shade of red lipstick you own because we’re discussing Tom Ford‘s sophomore feature Nocturnal Animals (2016)! Tagging in for the conversation is Trace’s better half: fellow Bloody Disgusting columnist Ari Drew!

Join us as we discuss the revenge of it all in this somewhat polarizing film. From Amy Adams‘ unlikable protagonist who often stares off into space to Aaron Taylor-Johnson‘s poo-on-the-porch sequence, there’s a lot to unpack here!

Plus: sassy elevator operators, Laura Linney‘s bouffant, one incredibly effective jump scare and a controversial opening sequence involving nude, fat dancers.

Cross out Nocturnal Animals!

Coming up on Wednesday: We’re celebrating Valentine’s Day with a discussion of one of horror’s greatest superhero origin stories in Mitchell Lichtenstein’s Teeth (2007)!

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 363 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Hannibal Season 2, Episodes 1 and 2, Companion, Heart Eyes, The Monkey and a brand new audio commentary on Pitch Black for its 25th anniversary.

The post The Ultimate Revenge Scheme in Tom Ford’s ‘Nocturnal Animals’ [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

After concluding 2024 with a look at toxic friendships in Into the Dark: “New Year, New You” (listen) and kicking off 2025 by concluding the Grindhouse double feature that we started last summer with a look at Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof (listen) we’re heading back to the world of Universal Monsters in George Waggner‘s 1941 classic The Wolf Man.

In The Wolf Man, Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.) returns to Wales to reconcile with his father (Claude Rains) after his brother’s death. While there, he puts the moves on Gwen (Evelyn Ankers), the shopkeeper of a nearby antique shop. The night after he purchases a silver walking cane from Gwen, Larry is attacked and bitten by a vicious wolf, which he then kills. Larry eventually learns that the wolf he killed was, in fact, a man (Bela Lugosi), and that Larry has now inherited a curse that will turn him into a werewolf.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 317: The Wolf Man (1941)

Grab your walking stick (or is it a cane?), make sure your heart is pure and say your prayers by night because we’re talking George Waggner‘s 1941 classic The Wolf Man!

Join us as we discuss all things Larry Talbot, from his creep factor (by 2025 standards) to his tragic end. Plus: Jack Pierce’s outstanding make-up effects, marshes vs. moors, and lots and lots of fog.

Cross out The Wolf Man!

Coming up on Wednesday: We’re covering our very first Frank Henenlotter film in 1988’s Brain Damage!

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 359 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Bloody Axe Wound, The Creep Tapes S01, Squid Game S01 & S02, Wolf Man, and a brand new audio commentary on sci-fi bomb Supernova (2000) for its 25th anniversary!

The post Foggy Nights and Daddy Issues in ‘The Wolf Man’ [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

After closing out December with a look at Damien Leone’s Terrifier 3 (listen) and Sophia Takal’s Into the Dark entry “New Year, New You” (listen), we’re kicking off 2025 with a bang by concluding the Grindhouse double feature that we started last summer with Planet Terror (listen) and finally making our way to Quentin Tarantino‘s Death Proof (2007)!

In Death Proof, two separate groups of women (Vanessa Ferlito, Jordan Ladd, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Zoë Bell, Rosario Dawson, Tracie Thoms and Mary Elizabeth Winstead) are stalked by a vicious serial killer named Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell), who uses his “death proof” car to execute his murderous plans.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 316: Death Proof (2007)

Grab your belts and hop on the roof of that car because we’re discussing our very first Quentin Tarantino film in 2007’s pseudo-slasher/exploitation film Death Proof. Join us as we conclude the Grindhouse double feature that we started last year with Planet Terror.

From the debates about the film’s feminist messaging to Tarantino’s own disillusionment with the film, we have a lot to say! Plus: dialogue, dialogue and more dialogue, discussing the rest of the fake trailers, why Arlene/Butterfly (Vanessa Ferlito) is Joe’s favorite character and one Hell of a final shot.

Cross out Death Proof!

Coming up on Wednesday: We’re heading to prom a few months early to discuss Brian De Palma’s adaptation of Stephen King’s first novel Carrie!

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 358 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Bloody Axe Wound, The Creep Tapes S01, Squid Game S01 & S02, Wolf Man, and a brand new audio commentary on sci-fi bomb Supernova (2000) for its 25th anniversary!

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After kicking off December with a look at the vastly underseen 2019 gem I See You (listen), we’re heading to Paris to check in with a very, very angry Phantom in Joel Schumacher‘s 2004 adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s musical The Phantom of the Opera.

In The Phantom of the Opera, young soprano Christine Daaé (Emmy Rossum) becomes the obsession of a brooding and disfigured Phantom (Gerard Butler) who lives under the Paris Opera House. When Christine falls for her old friend Raoul (Patrick Wilson), the Phantom hatches a plan to ensure that Christine will never leave his side, ready to murder anyone who gets in his way.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 312: The Phantom of the Opera (2004)

Prepare yourself for bloat and bombast because we’re discussing Joel Schumacher‘s 2004 adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s The Phantom of the Opera for its 20th anniversary! Tagging in for the conversation is queer musician Bartees Strange, who provides some much needed musical insight on the film.

Join us as we try to figure out why this movie doesn’t sing (sorry) the way it should. It’s a constant war of style vs. substance, with a lot of visuals that look great….but mean nothing. Adding insult to injury is the perplexing decision to cast non-singer Gerard Butler as the Phantom, who makes some questionable decisions regarding the villain’s characterization.

Plus: Emmy Rossum’s breakout role, Patrick Wilson’s Lord Farquad haircut, reprise after reprise after reprise, golden arm candelabra holders and a runaway chandelier.

Cross out The Phantom of the Opera!

Coming up on Wednesday: We’re heading back to the world of hagsploitation and psycho biddies in Robert Aldrich’s Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964), starring Bette Davis!

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 355 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Hannibal Season 1 Episodes 11 and 12, Cuckoo, I Saw the TV Glow, The Substance, Nosferatu, and a brand new audio commentary on Scream VI!

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After closing out November with a visit to the pre-Code era in Albert Ray’s 1932 murder mystery comedy The Thirteenth Guest (listen) and a stay at “Aaron’s” cabin in Creep 2 (listen), we’re checking into the local salon to discuss the scalp-obssessed hairdresser at the center of Jill Gevargizian‘s 2020 film The Stylist.

In The Stylist, a lonely and socially awkward hair stylist named Claire (Najarra Townsend) struggles through her day-to-day life as she obsesses over her clients to the point where she scalps them and wears their hair in an attempt to experience just a glimpse of their seemingly perfect lives. When Olivia (Brea Grant), one of Claire’s regulars, reaches out in need of a last-minute wedding style, Claire’s world begins to unravel as she tries to resist her desire for Olivia’s gorgeous head of hair.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 310: The Stylist (2020)

Wield your clippers and marvel at your Scalp Shrine because we’re discussing Jill Gevargizian‘s feature directorial debut The Stylist (2020)! Tagging in for the conversation is returning guest (and resident wig expert) Lindsay Traves!

Join us as we dive into the mind of protagonist Claire, played wonderfully by Najarra Townsend while lauding Gevargizian’s stylish (heh heh) filmmaking techniques. Plus: a discussion on salon etiquette, some supremely squelchy foley work and the world’s cheapest wedding hairstyle ($65?! Really?!).

Cross out The Stylist!

Coming up on Wednesday: We’re looking at a very recent, yet underseen, Helen Hunt vehicle in the 2019 thriller I See You.

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The post A Sympathetic Killer in ‘The Stylist’ [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

After wrapping up October with Robert Zemeckis’ hilarious dark comedy Death Becomes Her (listen), we kicked off November with a look back at Wes Craven’s classic slasher A Nightmare on Elm Street (listen). Now, we’re traveling all the way back to the ’30s to discuss Albert Ray‘s 1932 murder mystery comedy The Thirteenth Guest!

In The Thirteenth Guest, Marie Morgan (Ginger Rogers) has just turned 21 and can now accept the inheritance that her father left her when he died at a dinner party 13 years prior. That dinner party was supposed to have 13 guests in attendance, but only 12 showed up.

While Marie tries to figure out the identity of the mysteriously absent thirteenth guest, a psychopath has started killing off the other attendees of that fated dinner party, with the dead bodies being left at the table in the same seats they had originally occupied all those years ago.

As the bodies start piling up, private investigator Phil Winston (Lyle Talbot) is called in to solve the mystery, but can he find the killer before it’s too late?

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 308: The Thirteenth Guest (1932)

Prepare to get “potted” because we’re discussing not just any murder, but a good murder in Albert Ray‘s confusing as all get-out 1932 murder mystery comedy The Thirteenth Guest! Tagging in for the conversation is Amanda Jane Stern, the co-writer/star of the new psychosexual thriller Perfectly Good Moment.

Join us as we try to figure out just what the hell is going on in this convoluted little film, which features an early Ginger Rogers performance (in a dual role, no less!). From electrified telephones to mysterious rooms without trap doors, there’s just too much crammed into this film’s extremely brief 69-minute runtime for it to make any kind of sense.

Plus: an absolutely horrifying colorized version of the film, a brother and his “roommate,” and souls that look like the inside of vinegar bottles. Oh, and who in the hell is the titular thirteenth guest???

Cross out The Thirteenth Guest!

Coming up on Wednesday: To celebrate the premiere of The Creep Tapes on Shudder (review), we’re taking a look at the better-than-the-original sequel Creep 2!

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 345 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Hannibal Season 1 Episode 11, Time Cut, Heretic, Smile 2 and a brand new audio commentary on Silent Night, Deadly Night for its 40th anniversary. 

The post Best Friend “Roommates” in Albert Ray’s ‘The Thirteenth Guest’ [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

After wrapping up October with discussions of horror classics like Tobe Hooper’s original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (listen), Bob Clark’s Black Christmas (listen) and Kevin S. Tenney’s Night of the Demons (listen), we’re checking in with two of cinema’s fiercest divas in Robert Zemeckis‘ Death Becomes Her (1992).

In Death Becomes Her, novelist Helen Sharp (Goldie Hawn) loses her fiancé Ernest (Bruce Willis) to movie star and former friend Madeline Ashton (Meryl Streep), she winds up in a psychiatric hospital. Years later, she returns to confront the now-married couple, looking radiant. Madeline, desperate to one-up her former rival, is offered a mysterious potion that allows her to look young and beautiful forever, but she soon discovers that immortality has a price…

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 306: Death Becomes Her (1992)

Spoon that icing out of the can and get ready for a lot of time jumps because “it” is awake in Robert Zemeckis‘ Death Becomes Her (1992). It’s a smorgasbord of bitchery and high fashion in this delectable black comedy.

Join us as we marvel at the Oscar-winning special effects that are anything but “cheap” in this hilarious film starring two of Hollywood’s greatest actresses (Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn) and a scene-stealing Bruce Willis.

Plus: fat suits, rock-like tits, floating nuns, beekeeper couture, and sex. Sex. Sex. En garde, bitches!

Cross out Death Becomes Her!

Coming up on Wednesday: We’re heading to Springwood to look at horror’s ultimate diva Wes Craven’s original A Nightmare on Elm Street: Freddy Krueger!

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 340 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Hannibal Season 1 Episode 10, Freeway II: Confessions of a Trickbaby, It’s What’s Inside, Apartment 7A, Salem’s Lot (2024) and, finally, our brand new audio commentary on Wes Craven’s New Nightmare for its 30th anniversary.

The post The Devious Divas at the Center of ‘Death Becomes Her’ [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.