Podcasts
WWI Horrors in ‘Amnesia: The Bunker’ [Safe Room Podcast]
Frictional Games might be the most impressive modern horror developer out there. I am continually impressed by their ability to evolve their games narratively and mechanically while crafting equally enthralling worlds around them. From the dog days of Penumbra to the more refined Amnesia series and SOMA, Frictional has shown they aren’t a one-trick pony. And I’d consider Amnesia: The Bunker their most impressive feat yet.
In this week’s episode, Neil and I unpack how Frictional applies an immersive sim focus to their unique brand of horror, share a few anecdotes, and discuss what makes Amnesia: The Bunker’s environment such a standout.
Meanwhile, in our Horror Bytes episode this week, we cover two short indie horror games set in 1997. Eerie Enigma channels the cheesy charms of the original Resident Evil whilst Incident at Grove Lake drags us into the world of alien abduction.
Safe Room is a weekly horror video game discussion podcast with new episodes every Monday on
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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.
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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.