Podcasts
[Horror Queers Podcast] Gateway Horror and Lesbian Cat Creatures in ‘Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island’
Hiding in a Bush on an Island of Pussy…..cats
Is May over yet? After looking at child molester Freddy Krueger in the 2010 remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street and celebrating Mother’s Day with Paul Solet’s criminally under-seen 2009 film Grace, we’re going back to child horror (after discussing ParaNorman last year) with our very first double feature! Since Scoob! came out this past weekend, we thought it would be the perfect time to discuss the 1998 animated classic Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island and its 2019 meta-heavy sequel Scooby-Doo! Return to Zombie Island.
In Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, Shaggy (Billy West), Scooby (Scott Innes), Fred (Frank Welker), Velma (B.J. Ward), and Daphne (Mary Kay Bergman) reunite after a year-long hiatus from Mystery, Inc. to investigate a bayou island in New Orleans said to be haunted by the ghost of the pirate Morgan Moonscar. While on the island, they meet Simone Lenoir (Adrienne Barbeau), who lets the gang stay at her pepper plantation home while they investigate the mystery.
In Return to Zombie Island, Elvira (Cassandra Peterson) rewards Shaggy (Matthew Lillard), Scooby (Frank Welker), Fred (Welker), Velma (Kate Micucci), and Daphne (Grey Griffin) with an all-inclusive holiday and they embark on a trip of a lifetime to a tropical paradise. Their destination, however, turns out to be Zombie Island and the gang soon learns that their trip to paradise comes at a price.
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Episode 73 – Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998) feat. Haleigh Foutch
Ruh roh! In anticipation of Scoob! being released this weekend, we’re having our first Horror Queers double feature with 1998’s classic animated film Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island and its, like, totally meta 2019 sequel Scooby Doo! Return to Zombie Island. Joining us for this venture is Collider’s Haleigh Foutch, who joins Trace in being a fellow Scooby-head (as opposed to Joe, who is decidedly not).
Join us as we discuss all things Scooby-Doo, from its status as a form of gateway horror for a certain generation of horror fans to the various forms of media it’s influenced in its 50-year(!) run (see: Buffy the Vampire Slayer).
We’ll trace the franchise from its the low period in the early ’90s to its resurgence on Cartoon Network to its re-validation with the release of Zombie Island (and yes, we’ll make plenty of comparisons to the Scream franchise).
Plus: questionable French accents (sorry, Adrienne Barbeau), lesbian cat creatures, Velma porn and a Joe Bob vs. Elvira debate. Finally, why does Fred want to have sex with the Mystery Machine? Your guess is as good as ours!
Cross out Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island(s)!
Coming up on Wednesday: While proms may not be happening this year (thanks, COVID-19!), we’re gonna have a little dance-off of our own when we discuss the supremely underrated 1987 sequel Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II!
– Joe & Trace
P.S. Check out this month’s article on 1986’s extremely upsetting In a Glass Cage. You can find all of the old articles here.
P.P.S. As an added bonus, if you subscribe to our Patreon you can listen to bonus episodes! Since every new horror release has been delayed, we decided to go with a possession theme this month, so you can listen to full-length episodes on The Taking of Deborah Logan and Insidious, as well as an audio commentary on the unrated cut of 2013’s Evil Dead remake!
The Halloweenies take a break from the cenobites and dig up the deadites again to review Evil Dead Burn. It’s a full house for this installment and the feelings are all over the place with some divisive takes amongst the five of them. Lucky for you, there’s a seat at the table… join them and enjoy your mashed potatoes.
If you recall, the gang tackled the entire franchise — including Ash Vs. Evil Dead and unofficial entries like Drag Me to Hell and even Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness— in anticipation of 2023’s Evil Dead Rise. Be sure to revisit the entire season, starting with their two-part episode on Sam Raimi’s original DIY classic.
Stream the episode below. Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, and RSS. 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 the Universal Monsters.This year? Hellraiser!
You can also become a member of their Patreon, The Rewind, for hilariously irreverent commentaries (e.g. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Re-Animator, Darkman), one-off deep dives on your favorite rentals (e.g. Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Manhunter, ), and even spinoffs like their recent run Fortune & Glory: An Indiana Jones Podcast.