Podcasts
The Transphobic Legacy of ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ [Horror Queers Podcast]
A Problematic Fave.
Chucky got lucky when we covered Ronny Yu’s Bride of Chucky and then the children got possessed (maybe?) when we discussed Jack Clayton’s The Innocents. Now it’s time to dive into one of the most well-known and controversial films ever made: Jonathan Demme‘s The Silence of the Lambs!
In the film, Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn) wants Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster), a top student at the FBI’s training academy, to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a violent psychopath, serving life behind bars for various acts of murder and cannibalism. Crawford believes that Lecter may have insight into the case of the serial killer Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine) and that Starling may be just the bait to draw him out.
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Episode 121 – The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
The lambs have stopped screaming so we’re going all-in on Jonathan Demme’s critically-acclaimed and Oscar-winning film The Silence of the Lambs. Joining us is Reyna Cervantes, the co-host of the Horror In Session podcast!
In what is an admittedly unorthodox episode for us, we eschew a traditional plot summary in favor of a more analytical episode, looking back at the film’s development while tackling the transphobic elements of Buffalo Bill and the impact it has had on the trans community in the 30 years since the film’s release.
Plus, feminist horror, intent vs. impact, and what would a 4th season of Hannibal look like with Clarice Starling?
Cross out The Silence of the Lambs!
Coming up on Wednesday: We return to the world of video games and butch, queer-coded cops in the foggy town of Silent Hill!
– Joe & Trace
P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for tons of additional content! In April we’re doing a video game theme month with episodes on Paul W.S. Anderson’s Monster Hunter and his 1995 Mortal Kombat film, plus an episode on the new 2021 Mortal Kombat as well!
It’s always a cruel summer, but 2026 is about to get crueler.
To blow off steam, the Losers hit the road to visit all the towns in Stephen King’s Dominion. Derry, Castle Rock, Ludlow, Boulder, the list goes on. They’ve got miles to drive and so many (scary) sights to see. At the end of the day, though, they have to ask themselves: Which one’s the best? And, more importantly, what does “best” mean in this context?
Stream the episode below. PayDays and Nozz-a-La, optional. For further adventures, join the Club over long days and pleasant nights via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, RadioPublic, Acast, Google Podcasts, and RSS. You can also unlock hundreds of hours of content in The Barrens (Patreon).