Podcasts
Adapting the AIDS Mary Urban Legend in ‘Def By Temptation’ [Horror Queers Podcast]
Sinister Succubus.
After three weeks of films with objectionable content (real-life kangaroo murder in Wake in Fright, an injured actress and problematic killer in Incident in a Ghostland and “consensual rape” in Perdita Durango), we did what might be our hardest pivot yet with last week’s episode on the 2002 live-action adaptation Scooby-Doo. Now it’s time to get a bit more serious with writer/director James Bond III‘s Troma classic Def By Temptation!
In the film, quiet divinity student Joel (James Bond III) starts to question his faith. So he leaves his hometown in North Carolina and heads to New York to visit his friend K (Kadeem Hardison), a struggling actor, who takes him out bar-hopping. They meet a gorgeous seductress (Cynthia Bond) who turns out to be a succubus, a demon spirit luring black lotharios to their deaths. When she sets her eyes on Joel, K turns to the help of Dougie (Bill Nunn), a drunken cop who specializes in supernatural investigations.
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Episode 182: Def By Temptation (1990)
Warm up Fistina and Palmette because we’re heading to NYC circa 1990 to discuss the sinister succubus at the center of James Bond III’s Troma classic Def By Temptation! Joining us for the conversation is DBT superfan (and Bloody Disgusting Podcast co-host) Zena Dixon!
Join us as we give a bit of a Troma primer (it’s our first Troma film!) before jumping into the film’s treatment of its queer character, as well as a discussion of the dreaded AIDS Mary urban legend. Oh, and all the praise for Kadeem Hardison’s K.
Plus, debating Joel’s effectiveness as a protagonist, Samuel L. Jackson(!), stockings vs. tights and the ultimate question: would you jump in them drawers?
Cross out Def By Temptation!
Coming up on Wednesday: We’re unlocking the Patreon vault and releasing our episode on 2020’s long-delayed comic book movie The New Mutants!
P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for more than 180 hours of additional content! This month, we’re discussing our favorite horror movie posters, Jurassic World: Dominion, The Black Phone and releasing an audio commentary on Gremlins 2: The New Batch!
After winding down June with discussions of our vey first William Castle film Homicidal (listen) and queer director Roland Emmerich’s summer tentpole Independence Day (listen), we’re heading back to 1981 to check out Joe Dante‘s seminal werewolf film The Howling.
The Howling sees television journalist Karen White (Dee Wallace) attend a psychiatric retreat with her husband Bill (Christopher Stone) after being attacked and traumatized by local serial killer Eddie Quist (Robert Picardo). It isn’t long before Karen realizes that the retreat is actually a secret cult of werewolves, and they’ve already got their sights set on Bill.
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 394: The Howling (1981)
Make note of that smiley face sticker and snag that conveniently-placed jar of acid because we’re talking Joe Dante’s stealth werewolf classic The Howling (1981)!
Join us as we discuss the film’s deviations from its source material before doing a deep dive into this very tongue-in-cheek, self-aware horror film. It honestly feels like a precursor to Scream, in many ways!
Plus: Roger Corman (again!) those incredible special effects, differentiating “color movies” from “movies in color,” and why queer icon Elisabeth Brooks has us going “Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!”
Cross out The Howling!
Coming Up Next: We’re tackling our very first Ken Russell film with a look at his controversial 1984 erotic thriller Crimes of Passion!
P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 508 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 Howling II: Your Sister is a Werewolf (aka Howling II: Stirba – Werewolf Bitch), and the conclusion of our coverage of AMC’s The Vampire Lestat on the Requel Tier.