Podcasts
The Demon Twink Lives On in ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’ [Horror Queers Podcast]
Boring!
After concluding March with a discussion of Velma’s queer erasure in Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (listen) and a revisit to the world of James Whale in The Invisible Man (listen), we’re heading to the ’50s to analyze Anthony Minghella‘s 1999 adaptation of Patricia Highsmith‘s novel The Talented Mr. Ripley.
The 1950s-set film sees Tom Ripley (Matt Damon), a con artist who is sent from New York City to Italy to convince Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law), a rich and spoiled playboy who is vacationing with his girlfriend Marge (Gwyneth Paltrow), to return home. Tom becomes infatuated with Dickie after getting a taste of his extravagant lifestyle, leading to a sinister turn of events.
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Episode 276: The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Scratch out that passport photo and don’t be boring because we’re discussing Anthony Minghella‘s 1999 adaptation, The Talented Mr. Ripley! Tagging in for the conversation is Jordan Gustafson, the co-host of the Queer Quadrant Podcast!
Join us as we go all in on this adaptation of Patricia Highsmith‘s classic novel, from Matt Damon‘s stellar performance as evil twink Tom Ripley to Jude Law‘s massive cakes. The film also puts a heavier emphasis on Tom’s queerness, so you know we’ll have a lot to say about that!
Plus: homoerotic bathtub chess matches, a lengthy tangent on the Oscars, and a compulsive need for more Cate Blanchett.
Cross out The Talented Mr. Ripley!
Coming up on Wednesday: We’re headed to the North York Moors to see someone about a werewolf in John Landis’ 1981 classic An American Werewolf in London.
P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 300 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Hannibal S01, Episode 03, Imaginary, Immaculate, Love Lies Bleeding and our audio commentary for the month will be on Renny Harlin’s dumb-but-fun murder mystery Mindhunters.
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.