Podcasts
‘Alien: Romulus’ Works Best When It’s Not Being Nostalgic [Halloweenies Podcast]
Alien: Romulus is out and conquering the box office. For months now, the Halloweenies have been anticipating this moment, covering every entry in the Alien franchise — from Ridley Scott’s 1979 original to his 2017 sequel Alien: Covenant. As promised, the gang has seen Fede Álvarez’s new film, and they’ve returned with their review.
Spanning nearly four hours, the much-anticipated episode discusses the road to Romulus, Álvarez’s beautiful and practical direction, the new crew, and all those great graphics. They also discuss the navel gazing nostalgia, the callbacks, and the resurrection of a very familiar face. Warning: This episode is a nest of spoilers, so proceed with caution.
Stream the episode below and stay tuned for our franchise rankings next month. You can also subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, Acast, Google Podcasts, and RSS. Want more? Catch up by revisiting their essential episodes on past franchises Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Scream, The Evil Dead, and Chucky.
You can also become a member of their Patreon, The Rewind, for even more hilariously irreverent commentaries (e.g. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Darkman) and one-off deep dives on your favorite rentals (e.g. Poltergeist, Manhunter, Phantasm). Each month promises something new and unexpected from the wildest corners of the genre.
Podcasts
The Sexual Politics of Ken Russell’s Controversial ‘Crimes of Passion’ [Horror Queers Podcast]
After kicking off July with discussions of queer director Roland Emmerich’s summer tentpole Independence Day (listen) and Joe Dante’s seminal werewolf film The Howling (listen), we’re tackling our very first Ken Russell film in his controversial 1984 erotic thriller Crimes of Passion!
Crimes of Passion sees successful fashion designer Joanna Crane (Kathleen Turner, Serial Mom) moonlight as a sex worker named China Blue. Complications arise when she is targeted by two men: one a lonely, married electronics store owner (John Laughlin) who falls in love with her while spying on her, and the other a psychotic, predatory preacher (Anthony Perkins, Psycho) who seeks to “save” her using a bladed vibrator name “Superman.”
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 395: Crimes of Passion (1984)
Huff those poppers and wield that bladed stake vibrator thing you stupid douchebag, because we’re talking our very first Ken Russell film in his messy-but-fascinating erotic thriller Crimes of Passion (1984)!
Join us as we do a deep dive into what Joe describes as a John Waters fever dream. It’s a film that boasts fantastic performances from Kathleen Turner and Anthony Perkins (in a role we would deem “brave” for the actor), who electrify the screen when its not focused on the torturous mundane existence that is heterosexual marriage.
Plus, X-rated MPAA woes, that “magic” trick, silhouette sex, debating the mixed messaging of the ending, and genuinely wondering when the hell Joanna sleeps!
Cross out Crimes of Passion
Coming Up Next: We’re tackling one of Stephen King’s worst adaptations in Lawence Kasdan’s baffling 2003 misfire Dreamcatcher.
P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 512 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.