Podcasts
Uncrossing the Controversy Surrounding ‘Basic Instinct’ [Halloweenies Podcast]
It’s the ’90s. Hollywood stars are hotter than ever, particularly Michael Douglas. The Oscar-winning producer and actor is in search of his next chapter after owning the latter half of the ’80s. He’s found it in a new erotic thriller from scribe Joe Eszterhas (Flashdance, Jagged Edge) and filmmaker Paul Verhoeven (RoboCop, Total Recall). Together, they grab a chair in a low-lit sweat box of male testosterone with sex on the mind and money to make.
The film? Basic Instinct. The twist? Sharon Stone runs away with it.
For the latest installment of this season’s Randy’s Recs, which finds the Halloweenies dissecting a film that inspired the Scream franchise, the gang heads to San Francisco to try and solve a string of murderers. Make no mistake, these are grisly crimes, sure, but they’re also familiar, especially for readers of crime novelist Catherine Tramell. It would appear the blood beyond the yellow tape matches what anyone can find in any one of her books.
Sound familiar? If Scream 3 comes to mind, you’re not alone. Join the Halloweenies as they discuss the smutty film’s curious parallels to Wes Craven’s meta franchise, the myriad controversies that surrounded the 1992 thriller, the behind-the-scenes chaos that would go on to fuel the film, the sexual fluidity (or lack thereof) of Douglas, and the blockbuster sex appeal of Sharon Stone. Special guest includes Bloody Disgusting‘s own Meagan Navarro!
So, light up a cigarette, hide your icepick, and join the gang now via iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, Acast, Google Podcasts, 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, and Friday the 13th. You can also become a member of their Patreon for hilarious commentaries and one-off episodes.
On the DL.
After spending June on explicitly queer texts like Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn (listen) and William Castle’s Homicidal (listen), it’s only appropriate that Horror Queers celebrate the American holiday with a blockbuster film with a not-so-secret gay connection.
In Independence Day, an unlikely group of people come together when the human race faces extinction from a threatening alien race. After spaceships destroy every major city, pilot Steven Hiller (Will Smith) must team up with secret tech genius David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum), as well as the US President (Bill Pullman), to execute a daring plan to save the planet from annihilation.
Along for the ride are the two saviors’ romantic partners – WH Communications Director Constance (Margaret Colin) and stripper Jasmine (Vivica A. Fox) – plus eccentric scientist Dr. Okun (Brent Spiner), who is at the center of the film’s most horrific set piece.
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 393: Independence Day (1996)
Today, we celebrate our Independence Day…courtesy of gay German director Roland Emmerich.
As the summer blockbuster celebrates its 30th anniversary, we’re looking back on an alien disaster film that scared young Trace (thanks to that alien autopsy scene) and turned Will Smith into a star.
Plus: the death that upsets the most; bemoaning Vivica A. Fox’s career; pondering what could have been with the casting; why Smith’s bravado and the film’s patriotism doesn’t always work for Joe; and plenty of riffing on the atrocious sequel.
Cross out Independence Day!
Coming Up Next: We’re retreating to the country for some questionable therapy courtesy of Joe Dante’s 1981 classic, The Howling!
P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 503 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Forbidden Fruits, Saccharine, Evil Dead Burn, an audio commentary on the utterly ridiculous sequel Howling II: Your Sister Is A Werewolf (1985), and the conclusion of our Requel Tier coverage of AMC’s The Vampire Lestat.