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[Horror Queers Podcast] Gentrification, Incest and Leather in ‘The People Under the Stairs’

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The Horror Queers are closing in on the end of our eight-week camp marathon! Jason Goes To Hell: The Final FridayCursedThe Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation, I Know Who Killed Me and The Perfection are all in the rearview mirror, which leaves only three titles to discuss.

Who better for Trace and I – along with queer director Carter Smith (The Ruins) – to revisit than prolific horror icon Wes Craven? That’s right, for the second time in six weeks, we’re checking out a Craven property as we journey back to 1991 to spend time with Mommy and Daddy and The People Under the Stairs.

Unlike Cursed, The People Under The Stairs is an unabashedly good film…that also happens to feature a pair of deliciously campy performances from veteran Twin Peaks actors, Everett McGill and Wendy Robie.

The pair play corrupt landlords who are gentrifying the LA ghetto at the expense of its at-risk, vulnerable black population. When young Fool (Brandon Adams) breaks into their home as part of a failed heist, he stumbles into a twisted, sordid situation that he never could have predicted, including (potentially) incest, child abduction and a leather gimp suit that provides no shortage of talking points.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple PodcastsStitcherSpotifyiHeartRadioSoundCloudTuneInLibsynGoogle Play, and RSS.


Episode 43 – The People Under The Stairs (1991)

As the Camp marathon barrels on, Trace and Joe are joined by director Carter Smith to tackle our SECOND Wes Craven film in six weeks. The vibe is a little more reverent this time as the trio discusses the origin story of Craven’s twisted idea, why the gentrification storyline feels more relevant now than ever and how adept the late director is at balancing the film’s mix of tones.

It’s not all serious, though! Trace goes gaga for Wendy Robie’s Mommy, Carter and Joe talk leather looks and the trio disagrees on whether or not the relationship between the couple (brother/sister) is sexual. Plus: Where does People rank in Craven’s oeuvre?

In this week’s game: Update the tagline, poster or trailer for a 2019 audience.


Cross out The People Under The Stairs!

Coming up Wednesday: We return to our favorite year – 1999 – for the origin of Dark Castle and another pair of deliciously campy lead performances with a look at House on Haunted Hill!

– Joe & Trace

P.S. Be sure to check out all of our online articles right here, including September’s article on The Fan (1981) and October’s article on Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction.

P.P.S. As an added bonus, if you subscribe to our Patreon you can listen to our a minisode wrap up of our fave films from TIFF and Fantastic Fest 2019, full-length bonus episodes on In The Tall Grass and, arriving tomorrow, Zombieland 2: Double Tap.

Joe is a TV addict with a background in Film Studies. He co-created TV/Film Fest blog QueerHorrorMovies and writes for Bloody Disgusting, Anatomy of a Scream, That Shelf, The Spool and Grim Magazine. He enjoys graphic novels, dark beer and plays multiple sports (adequately, never exceptionally). While he loves all horror, if given a choice, Joe always opts for slashers and creature features.

Podcasts

‘Alice, Sweet Alice’ Is a Cut-Throat World of Original Sin [The Lady Killers Podcast]

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“God took her from me on the day of her first communion, don’t you see? He waited until then to teach me that children pay for the sins of their parents.”

Is there anything quite so devastating as the concept of original sin? The idea that we’re damned at conception before we’ve had a chance to take our first breath? What will it take to find salvation and how much will we have to pay for the actions of those who came before us? It’s a particularly painful topic for women. With Eve’s first bite of the apple weighing heavily against us and men holding all the levers of power, the path to righteousness can feel like a minefield. Some women will kill to escape these oppressive gender-based norms while others double down and kill to make sure they stay in place. The Lady Killers conclude a month of hidden horrors by unmasking the feminine terror of original sin in the 1976 Catholic horror film Alice, Sweet Alice.

Despite director Alfred Sole’s angelic title, Alice Spages (Paula E. Sheppard) may not be as sweet as she seems. Not only is she jealous of the attention heaped on her younger sister Karen (Brooke Shields), she has an antagonistic relationship with her handsy landlord Mr. Alphonso (Alphonso DeNoble), and spends her days wandering construction sites in her yellow school slicker and creepy, clear mask. When Karen dies moments before taking her first communion, Alice shoots to the top of the suspect list. Her recently divorced parents reunite to defend her honor, but it may not be enough to protect this not-so-sweet girl from leering police, aggressive aunts, and a tiny killer still on the loose.

Co-hosts Jenn AdamsMae Shults, and Sammie Kuykendall make their way to the podcasting altar for a blessed conversation on this unholy hit. They’ll chat about masked attackers, sassy sisters, communion-craving whores, and a plethora of priests. What does it mean to receive the host? Is there a parallel between menstruation and communion? Why is Aunt Alice always yelling, and will someone please wash Mr. Alohonso’s pants? They’ll wander through construction sites and rectories as they tackle these questions and more with Alfred Sole’s iconic film.

Stream below and subscribe now via Apple Podcasts and Spotify for future episodes that drop every Thursday.

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