Podcasts
Body Horror Meets the Zombie Apocalypse in David Cronenberg’s ‘Rabid’ [The Lady Killers Podcast]
“I wouldn’t mind just one bite.”
When we think of zombie movies, we imagine deceased loved ones rising from hillside cemeteries, decaying walkers roaming the streets, or contagious victims decimating a city – and that’s not to mention the whole Infected vs. Undead debate. We don’t expect a zombie-like plague to emerge from a phallic armpit appendage that craves human blood. But when it’s David Cronenberg we’re talking about, anything goes. The body horror specialist puts his own spin on the zombie subgenre with Rabid, a strangely horrifying tale that turns a stunning human body into a weapon of mass destruction.
Rose (Marilyn Chambers) has just survived a horrific motorcycle accident when she’s rushed to the nearby Keloid Institute of Plastic Surgery. Dr. Dan Keloid (Howard Ryshpan) of Institute fame, performs an experimental skin graft that seems to correct her debilitating burns. Rose wakes up from a month-long coma with an unblemished torso and a new zest for life. She also seems to have grown a phallic appendage that emerges from her armpit with an unquenchable thirst. Contact with this phallic weapon causes zombie-like symptoms and eventual death. With her concealed friend in tow, the naive Rose goes on a bloody rampage throughout Montreal, spreading murderous zombies wherever she goes.
The Lady Killers continue Hot Girl Summer with a trip to Canada and a risky procedure. Co-hosts Jenn Adams, Rocco Thompson, and Mae Shults are joined by special guest Kayte Terry to chat about bodily autonomy, onscreen nudity, government responses, and a very special little arm dick. Why is Marilyn Chambers perfect for this role? What responsibility does she have to help find a cure? Why did they have to shoot Santa down and has Christmas been officially canceled? They’ll chat about villains and skin grafts while ogling Smooth Eddy (he always looks good) and honoring the complicated love story of Ketchup Man and Potato Man in Cronenberg’s fascinating sophomore film.
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It’s always a cruel summer, but 2026 is about to get crueler.
To blow off steam, the Losers hit the road to visit all the towns in Stephen King’s Dominion. Derry, Castle Rock, Ludlow, Boulder, the list goes on. They’ve got miles to drive and so many (scary) sights to see. At the end of the day, though, they have to ask themselves: Which one’s the best? And, more importantly, what does “best” mean in this context?
Stream the episode below. PayDays and Nozz-a-La, optional. For further adventures, join the Club over long days and pleasant nights via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, RadioPublic, Acast, Google Podcasts, and RSS. You can also unlock hundreds of hours of content in The Barrens (Patreon).