Podcasts
[Horror Queers Podcast] Celebrating Christmas with a Killer Santa and Aversion Therapy in “American Horror Story: Asylum”
Knocking On Arden’s Back Chute.
For the second week in a row, Trace and I are celebrating the holidays. After stumbling into a jaundiced sorority massacre with Glen Morgan’s 2006 remake of Black Christmas last week, we’re ready to wrap up Horror Queers’ first year with a check up at the asylum…Ryan Murphy‘s to be exact.
Seven years after it first aired, we are revisiting Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear’s American Horror Story: Asylum, the second iteration of FX network’s anthology series. This 13 episode season follows Sarah Paulson‘s Lana Winters and Evan Peters‘ Kit as they try to survive the insanity of Sister Jude (Jessica Lange) and Dr. Arden (Emmy winner James Cromwell)’s Briarcliff Manor, in addition to a whole host of other bizarre circumstances and characters that we’ve come to expect from AHS.
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Episode 53 – American Horror Story: Asylum (2012)
Just in time for the last episode of the year before the holidays, the boys hit the time machine and travel back to Briarcliff Manor circa 1964 to party with the oppressed queers of American Horror Story: Asylum. Joining us for the fun is Vox’s Emily VanDerWerff, who actually recapped the series back in 2012!
The second season of the FX anthology series is basically a Stefon skit: it has EVERYTHING! Aliens, Nazis, serial killers, lesbians, and even sexy, possessed nuns. Plus, in the three episodes we’re watching, Anne Frank (episodes 4-5) and a killer Santa (episode 8).
We’re digging into the Ryan Murphy-ness of it all with a debate about the quality of AHS, whether Murphy is a true queer ally, as well as how Emily came to love Sarah Paulson and why that terrible aversion therapy scene is so difficult to watch.
Also: is this show suggesting that Ian McShane’s Leigh Emerson became a killer Santa because he was gang-raped by five men?!
Cross out American Horror Story: Asylum!
The Podcast is taking a week off, but we will be back January 1st for a second round of Speed Dating. Thanks to everyone who gave us a listen in 2019!
– Joe & Trace
P.S. Be sure to check out all of our online articles right here.
P.P.S. If you need fresh content, subscribe to our Patreon for minisodes on the ‘Best Horror of 2010s’ & “Best Horror of 2019”, as well as full-length episodes on Sophia Takal’s new remake of Black Christmas and the super queer instalment of Hulu’s Into The Dark, Midnight Kiss (dropping Friday, Dec 27).
Podcasts
Shakespearean Education in the Vincent Price-Starring ‘Theater of Blood’ [Horror Queers Podcast]
Butch knows best…
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.