Podcasts
The Bland, Uninspired Antics of ‘The Roommate’ [Horror Queers Podcast]
Fedora fashion.
After kicking off 2024 with discussions on the better-than-it-has-any-right-to-be sequel Hellbound: Hellraiser II (listen), the surprisingly progressive Killer Condom (listen) and the very gay (and very terrible) The Covenant, we’re wrapping up January with a conversation about Christian E. Christiansen‘s pseudo-remake of Single White Female: The Roommate.
The Roommate sees Sara (Minka Kelly), a young design student from Iowa, arrive for college in Los Angeles. Her wealthy roommate, Rebecca (Leighton Meester), is more than eager to take Sara under her wing and show her the ropes. The two become close, but when Sara begins to branch out and make more friends on campus, Rebecca becomes resentful. This brings out her more psychotic tendencies as she embarks on a mission to prove that Sara only needs one best friend: her.
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, Google Podcasts, and RSS.
Episode 266: The Roommate (2011)
Put on your best fedora and pull that cat out of the dryer because we’re discussing Christian E. Christiansen’s teeny-bopper ripoff of Single White Female, The Roommate (2011)! Tagging in for the conversation is one of the film’s superfans: Ali Chappell.
Join us as we try (TRY) to figure out who thought this movie was a good idea, because nearly nothing in this shameless ripoff works. From it’s incredibly stupid lead character to its complete lack of tension, it’s a real misfire. God bless Leighton Meester, though, who at least tries to do something with a nothing role.
Ultimately, The Roommate feels more like a business decision than an artistic one, which is a bummer given the cast that its working with. But hey, we’ve still got a semi-decent shower scene and a semi-thrilling climactic battle so….there’s that?
Cross out The Roommate!
Coming up on Wednesday: We’re covering our very first Stuart Gordon film in 1985’s gory classic Re-Animator!
P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for nearly 285 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Hannibal S01E01, Mimic (1997), Founders Day and Night Swim, plus an audio commentary celebrating the 10th anniversary of The Babadook (2014).
Game Loop.
Trace and I inadvertently bookended our April discussions of John Landis’ An American Werewolf in London (listen) and Ciarán Foy’s Eli (listen) with Jude Law films. At the start of the month, we tackled Matt Damon’s Italian grifter in The Talented Mr. Ripley (listen) and now we’re closing out April with David Cronenberg‘s eXistenZ (1999).
The unofficial sequel to Videodrome (listen) and precursor to Crimes of the Future, eXistenZ takes place in the world of virtual reality and simulation. Game goddess Allegra Gellar (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is forced to go on the run with PR nerd Ted Pikul (Jude Law) through the Canadian backwoods when ‘Realist’ terrorists declare open season on her life.
Featuring no shortage of strange encounters and oddball characters, including Willem Dafoe‘s queer-coded Gas and Canadian film royalty like Don McKellar and Sarah Polley, Allegra and Ted must travel between the real world and the game world, all the while keeping track of who is friendly…and who is foe.
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, Google Podcasts, and RSS.
Episode 279: eXistenZ (1999) feat Vannah Taylor
Lube up your industry standard bio-port because we’re playing David Cronenberg’s eXistenZ (1999) with someone friendly: Vannah Taylor!
David Cronenberg’s meditation on the dangers of gaming and simulation is the middle entry of an unofficial trilogy. It’s also a film that gets real confusing, real fast, so good luck figuring out if we’re still in the game!
Plus: criticisms of a “bland” game world, praise for Jennifer Jason Leigh, Canadian royalty, comparisons to Serenity, disgusting gristle guns, and Pikul getting his back blown out (several times!)
Cross out eXistenZ!
Coming up on Wednesday: We’re continuing our celebration of 1999 films with a look at Stephen Sommers’ bisexual awakening, action adventure film, The Mummy (1999).
P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 306 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Hannibal S01E04, Late Night with the Devil, The First Omen, Femme, Abigail and a brand new audio commentary on the original The Omen (1976).
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