Podcasts
[Horror Queers Podcast] The Horrors of Sex and Sex Work in ‘Showgirls’
Rapey Michael Bolton.
September has proven to be an odd month at Horror Queers. Trace and I kicked things off with Argento’s classic Tenebrae, then we veered into nearly unwatchable drama territory with The Quiet before revisiting (underrated?) franchise entry Urban Legends: Final Cut last week.
In lieu of what *would* have been a Candyman tie-in episode (before the new film began hopping all over the calendar), we – along with Attack of the Queerwolf‘s Nay Bever – opted to celebrate a different kind of horror film this week: Joe Eszterhas and Paul Verhoeven‘s 1995 classic, Showgirls. And yes, we recognize that this is most definitely not a horror film, though as Scream 2‘s Randy says, it is “absolutely horrifying.”
In the film, mysterious traveler Nomi Malone (Elizabeth Berkley) sets her sights on the lead role of the Vegas floor show Goddess, determined to make her mark despite obstacles posed by the hotel’s predatory employee Zack Carey (Kyle MacLachlan) and the show’s bisexual star, Cristal Connors (Gina Gershon).
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Episode 92 – Showgirls (1995) feat. Nay Bever
This week on the pod, we’re celebrating the 25th anniversary of (decidedly NOT a horror film) Showgirls. Along for the road trip to Vegas is Attack of the Queerwolf co-host Nay Bever, who delivers both laughs and insightful commentary.
This probably isn’t the episode you’re expecting: sure we poke fun at the film’s ridiculous elements, but we spend most of our time discussing the film’s many terrible men, analyze the success of the film’s satire, question who the film’s intended audience is and deconstruct the implications of the controversial rape scene.
It’s not all serious though. Expect talk of titties, diva worship of both Gershon and Berkley and a laugh or two about the stage production of Goddess.
Cross out Showgirls!
Coming up on Wednesday: We wrap up September with return to lesbian vampires and the 50th anniversary of The Vampire Lovers.
– Joe & Trace
P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for tons of additional content! We have new episodes on Spiral and Antebellum, as well as a minisode on HBO’s adaptation of Lovecraft Country.
Coming Soon & Now Showing is a monthly series on Halloweenies that catches up on the latest horror headlines and round robins capsule reviews of new and old horrors.
This month, Michael Roffman and Justin Gerber discuss the blockbuster weekend involving Backrooms and Obsession. They also brush on some franchise news and dust off oldies for the first time: 1987’s Dead of Winter and 1977’s False Face.
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.