Podcasts
[Horror Queers Podcast] An Unexpectedly Positive Queer Reading of ‘Martyrs’
Spoiler Warning: The Movie
February has been a bit all over the place when it comes to our film programming, hasn’t it? First we celebrated Joe’s birthday with an in-depth discussion on the troubled production of Hellraiser: Bloodline (aka Pinhead goes to space!) and then joined in on the Valentine’s Day festivities with the ladies from Double A Horror Highway to discuss the love at the center of Single White Female. Now we’re taking another look at female friendship with Pascal Laugier‘s 2008 film Martyrs. Yay?
In the film, two young women (Mylène Jampanoï and Morjana Alaoui), who were both victims of abuse as children, embark on a bloody quest for revenge only to find themselves plunged into a living hell of depravity.
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, Libsyn, Google Play, and RSS.
Episode 61 – Martyrs (2008)
You asked for it (well, at least one of you did), and so we are finally covering the listeners’ choice that was selected from our 2019 Listener Survey! That’s right, we’re discussing Pascal Laugier’s controversial 2008 film Martyrs (or the most anti-spoiler film ever made)! Big thanks to listener Brian Conmy for helping us pull the trigger on covering this masterful and deeply upsetting film.
Major trigger warnings for anyone who has never seen Martyrs, because this film is one of the most disturbing films ever made. That’s not hyperbole!
Join us as we discuss what might be the most extreme example of white privilege ever put on screen (seriously, these people are so rich that they seemingly have all the time in the world to torture young women just so they can find out what happens after we die) and assign a few different readings to the film, including a very positive queer reading that might turn a few people around on the film.
We’ll also try to answer questions that have followed the film since its 2008 release, including but not limited to: Is its torture porn? Is it misogynistic? Does it have a purpose? Why would someone make this endurance test of a film?
Oh! And as an added bonus, both of us secretly watched the 2015 American remake without telling the other one, so we spend a little bit of time comparing the two films (hint: the original is better).
Cross out Martyrs!
Coming up on Wednesday: We’re celebrating my birthday next week by letting me finally make Joe watch Jordan Rubin’s 2014 classic creature feature Zombeavers!
– Joe & Trace
P.S. Be sure to check out all of our online articles right here and read our latest on 1971’s Doctor Jekyll and Sister Hyde.
P.P.S. As an added bonus, if you subscribe to our Patreon you can listen our audio commentary on 2001’s Valentine, as well as a full-length episode on Blumhouse’s latest disaster Fantasy Island.
Here at Halloweenies, we love practical effects—there’s a reason why one of our categories is called “Great Graphics.” Well, consider this a full-length “Great Graphics” episode, where we talk to the effects team behind the titular puppet of Pinocchio Unstrung, in theaters this Friday. As the latest installment in the Twisted Childhood Universe, Pinocchio ups the franchise’s game by featuring a villain that’s entirely practical, created with a stunning mix of animatronics and, of course, puppetry.
So, take a seat at the workbench for a spirited interview between Halloweenie co-host Dan Caffrey and MASTERS FX President and Founder (and special effects legend in his own right) Todd Masters, Pinnochio Lead artist and Designer Kiana Larson, and Lead Animatronics Joshua Raymond. Learn how they pulled off such a dazzling and terrifying puppet, where they think the effects industry is headed, the movies that made them want to be FX artists, a few tidbits of Nightmare On Elm Street history, and more.
Pinocchio himself might even pop by for an appearance.
Stream the episode below and get tickets now for Pinocchio Unstrung. New to the Halloweenies? Catch up with the gang by revisiting their essential episodes on past franchises such as Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Scream, The Evil Dead, Chucky, Alien, and Universal Monsters. This year? Hellraiser AND The Omen.
You can also become a member of their Patreon, The Rewind, for hilariously irreverent commentaries (e.g. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Gremlins, Child’s Play) and one-off deep dives on your favorite rentals (e.g. Saw, 28 Days Later, Manhunter, Near Dark). Each month promises something new and unexpected from the wildest corners of the genre.
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Patreon | Store
You must be logged in to post a comment.