January proved to be a busy, varied month on Horror Queers. We kicked off 2025 with a look at Sophia Takal’s examination of toxic friendships in Into the Dark: “New Year, New You” (listen), tackled Quentin Tarantino’s half of the Grindhouse double feature with Death Proof (listen), revisited George Waggner’s 1941 classic The Wolf Man (listen), then begged for Aylmer’s juice in Frank Henenlotter’s Brain Damage (listen).

To wrap up January, we’re taking Carrie White to prom in Brian De Palma‘s adaptation of Stephen King‘s debut novel, Carrie. The classic film about telekinesis follows timid, bullied Carrie (Sissy Spacek) struggling to fit in at high school and get out from under the thumb of her overbearing religious mother (Piper Laurie).

Unexpected kindness arrives courtesy of popular girl Sue Snell (Amy Irving), who volunteers her boyfriend Tommy (William Katt) to take Carrie to prom. But the magical night goes horribly awry when Carrie is attacked by nasty mean girl Chris (Nancy Allen) and her boyfriend Billy (John Travolta), setting in motion a series of devastating events that consume nearly everyone involved.

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 319 – Carrie (1976)

Tabitha! We’re taking Carrie White to the prom with a look at Stephen King’s first feature film adaptation: Brian De Palma’s 1976 classic, Carrie.

Up for discussion: the debate over Carrie as Monster, a satire of religion, our love of Miss Collins, Pino Donaggio’s score, and why Trace implores everyone to watch Chris’ death scene in the 2013 remake.

Cross out Carrie!

Coming up on Wednesday: We’re doubling up on red heads with a look at fashion designer Tom Ford‘s sophomore directorial effort, Nocturnal Animals (2016).

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 365 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on Hannibal Season 2 episodes 1 & 2, Companion, Heart Eyes, The Monkey, and a brand new audio commentary on the first entry of Vin Diesel’s sci-fi franchise Pitch Black (2000) for its 25th anniversary!

The post Taking Poor ‘Carrie’ To Prom in De Palma’s 1976 Classic [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

We closed out August with a look at the horror elements in the non-horror film Shiva Baby, the trans empowerment of Sleepaway Camp 2: Unhappy Campers, and Park Chan-wook’s English-language debut Stoker. Now, our first episode of September kicks off a month themed after one of Joe’s favorite sub-genres: the erotic thriller!

First up is Brian De Palma‘s controversial masterpiece Dressed to Kill.

Dressed to Kill sees high-priced sex worker Liz Blake (Nancy Allen) witness a mysterious woman brutally slay homemaker Kate Miller (Angie Dickinson). The police think Liz is the murderer and the real killer wants to silence the crime’s only witness, putting Liz in a tough situation. Only Kate’s inventor son, Peter (Keith Gordon), believes Liz. Peter and Liz team up to find the real culprit, who has an unexpected means of hiding her identity and an even more surprising motivation to kill.

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 246: Dressed to Kill (1980)

Grab your blonde wig, sunglasses and straight razor because we’re kicking off a month of erotic thrillers with the grandaddy of them all: Brian De Palma’s 1980 masterpiece Dressed to Kill! Joining us for the conversation is Austin-based queer film historian Elizabeth Purchell!

Join us as we trace the film’s journey from the mind of De Palma to a protested and picketed controversy among feminists and members of the queer community. It’s a film that’s all style and some substance, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t tackle the film’s more divisive aspects.

Plus: “beaver shots,” plenty of gay porn discussions, racist stereotypes, and the film’s connections to Cruising.

Cross out Dressed to Kill!

Coming up on Wednesday: We’re continuing or month of erotic thrillers with a more recent (and slightly off-kilter) pick in Paul Feig’s incest-laden suburban noir A Simple Favor.

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for nearly 260 hours of additional content! This month we’re discussing A Haunting in Venice, The Nun 2, and we will also have two audio commentaries: one on Underworld and one on Saw II. Oh, and we’ll also have an extra special episode on 2021’s The Voyeurs to coincide with this month’s main feed theme of erotic thrillers.

The post The Controversial Masterpiece That Is Brian De Palma’s ‘Dressed to Kill’ [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

From the makers of Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story (now streaming on SCREAMBOX), RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop takes an in-depth look into the creation of the groundbreaking franchise and features new interviews with cast and crew, including Hollywood icons such as Peter Weller, Diane Robin, Ronny Cox, Nancy Allen, Ray Wise, director Paul Verhoeven & more.

In Episode 1, “Destination Delta City,” take a deep dive into the making of the sci-fi masterpiece RoboCop. Hear the origins of how Orion Pictures assembled a magnificent cast & crew, who unbeknownst to them, have signed up for a turbulent and career-defining ride.’

In today’s Episode 2, “Verhoeven’s Mantra,” with the production in full swing, a notoriously demanding, volatile and mad-genius of a director in Paul Verhoeven is pushing the envelope and many people’s buttons. The shoot is heating up, the tensions are rising and with the unprecedented filming conditions, the cast & crew are pushed to their limits.’

Dead or alive, you’re watching this series…

STREAM EPISODES 1 + 2 EXCLUSIVELY ON SCREAMBOX NOW!

Part man. Part machine. All cop. RoboCop burst onto the scene in the late 1980s as the cinematic landscape began to shift. Robots and artificial intelligence were making their way into the public consciousness and their stories captured the world’s imagination. This popularity helped the franchise gross over $100 million at the box office while inspiring a pair of sequels as well as an animated television series and merchandise.

Hailed as “one of the best action movies of the 1980s” by Collider, RoboCop pushed boundaries as a thriller with shots of brutality and torture in the opening scene. The dystopian satire came to life by Ed Neumeier while working on the set of Blade Runner with Rob Bottin (The Fog, The Thing) handling the special effects which included practical effects, the violent gore and the infamous RoboCop costume.

Produced by Gary Smart, an award-winning filmmaker known for the Dark Ditties series and You’re So Cool, Brewster! The Story of Fright, the doc is directed by Chris Griffiths and Eastwood Allen who previously collaborated with Smart on Pennywise: The Story of IT. The docu-series looks back at the groundbreaking sci-fi franchise through the eyes of those who created it. RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop shows the franchise’s impact on the action and science fiction genres, blazing a trail alongside The Terminator, into the technologically driven cinema scape we see today. That impact is still being felt, as the 2014 remake of RoboCop grossed over $240 million at the box office.

The series was written by Allen, Griffiths and Smart and produced by Smart, Michael Perez & Hank Starrs, with John Cashin, Gary Collins, Ben KB Ng, Fuad Omar, Aleksandar Smiljanic, Sean Tiedeman and Laurence Gornall acting as Executive Producers. RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop was composed by Sean Schafer Hennessy who previously worked on the horror documentary Pennywise: The Story of IT & Scream: The Inside Story.  

RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop – 4-part docuseries

• Ep 1 – Destination Delta City – August 29

Synopsis: ‘Who is he? What is he? Where does he come from?’ Take a deep dive into the making of the sci-fi masterpiece ‘RoboCop’. Hear the origins of how Orion Pictures assembled a magnificent cast & crew, who unbeknownst to them, have signed up for a turbulent and career-defining ride.

• Ep 2 – Verhoeven’s Mantra – September 5

Synopsis: With the production in full swing, a notoriously demanding, volatile and mad-genius of a director in Paul Verhoeven is pushing the envelope and many people’s buttons. The shoot is heating up, the tensions are rising and with the unprecedented filming conditions, the cast & crew are pushed to their limits.

• Ep 3 – Blood, Sweat & Steel – September 12

Synopsis: Hear the untold first-hand accounts from the resilient cast & crew, as they relive the golden era of hands on, practical filmmaking in the 1980s.

• Ep 4 – Murphy & The Machine – September 19

Synopsis: A movie icon is unleashed to the world, creating an unforgettable legacy with lasting memories for the people who lived through its production.

Start screaming now with SCREAMBOX on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Prime Video, Roku, YouTube TV, Samsung, Comcast, Cox, Philo, and Screambox.com.

If you’re a new subscriber, don’t forget to check out previous SCREAMBOX Original and Exclusives We Might Hurt Each Other, Project Wolf Hunting, Terrifier 2, The Barn Part II, New Religion, Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story, Shifted, Living With Chucky, Pennywise: The Story of IT, Family Dinner, Holy Shit!, The Outwaters, CreepyPasta, Cube, Jethica, Welcome to Hell, and much, much more! Subscribe now!

The post ‘RoboDoc’ – Episode 2 of Comprehensive ‘RoboCop’ Docuseries Now Streaming on SCREAMBOX! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

From the makers of Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story (now streaming on SCREAMBOX), RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop takes an in-depth look into the creation of the groundbreaking franchise and features new interviews with cast and crew, including Hollywood icons such as Peter Weller, Diane Robin, Ronny Cox, Nancy Allen, Ray Wise, director Paul Verhoeven & more.

In Episode 1 “Destination Delta City”, ‘Who is he? What is he? Where does he come from?’ Take a deep dive into the making of the sci-fi masterpiece RoboCop. Hear the origins of how Orion Pictures assembled a magnificent cast & crew, who unbeknownst to them, have signed up for a turbulent and career-defining ride.

Dead or alive, you’re watching this series…

STREAM EPISODE 1 EXCLUSIVELY ON SCREAMBOX TOMORROW!

Part man. Part machine. All cop. RoboCop burst onto the scene in the late 1980s as the cinematic landscape began to shift. Robots and artificial intelligence were making their way into the public consciousness and their stories captured the world’s imagination. This popularity helped the franchise gross over $100 million at the box office while inspiring a pair of sequels as well as an animated television series and merchandise.

Hailed as “one of the best action movies of the 1980s” by Collider, RoboCop pushed boundaries as a thriller with shots of brutality and torture in the opening scene. The dystopian satire came to life by Ed Neumeier while working on the set of Blade Runner with Rob Bottin (The Fog, The Thing) handling the special effects which included practical effects, the violent gore and the infamous RoboCop costume.

Produced by Gary Smart, an award-winning filmmaker known for the Dark Ditties series and You’re So Cool, Brewster! The Story of Fright, the doc is directed by Chris Griffiths and Eastwood Allen who previously collaborated with Smart on Pennywise: The Story of IT. The docu-series looks back at the groundbreaking sci-fi franchise through the eyes of those who created it. RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop shows the franchise’s impact on the action and science fiction genres, blazing a trail alongside The Terminator, into the technologically driven cinema scape we see today. That impact is still being felt, as the 2014 remake of RoboCop grossed over $240 million at the box office.

The series was written by Allen, Griffiths and Smart and produced by Smart, Michael Perez & Hank Starrs, with John Cashin, Gary Collins, Ben KB Ng, Fuad Omar, Aleksandar Smiljanic, Sean Tiedeman and Laurence Gornall acting as Executive Producers. RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop was composed by Sean Schafer Hennessy who previously worked on the horror documentary Pennywise: The Story of IT & Scream: The Inside Story.  

RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop – 4-part docuseries

• Ep 1 – Destination Delta City – August 29

Synopsis: ‘Who is he? What is he? Where does he come from?’ Take a deep dive into the making of the sci-fi masterpiece ‘RoboCop’. Hear the origins of how Orion Pictures assembled a magnificent cast & crew, who unbeknownst to them, have signed up for a turbulent and career-defining ride.

• Ep 2 – Verhoeven’s Mantra – September 5

Synopsis: With the production in full swing, a notoriously demanding, volatile and mad-genius of a director in Paul Verhoeven is pushing the envelope and many people’s buttons. The shoot is heating up, the tensions are rising and with the unprecedented filming conditions, the cast & crew are pushed to their limits.

• Ep 3 – Blood, Sweat & Steel – September 12

Synopsis: Hear the untold first-hand accounts from the resilient cast & crew, as they relive the golden era of hands on, practical filmmaking in the 1980s.

• Ep 4 – Murphy & The Machine – September 19

Synopsis: A movie icon is unleashed to the world, creating an unforgettable legacy with lasting memories for the people who lived through its production.

Start screaming now with SCREAMBOX on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Prime Video, Roku, YouTube TV, Samsung, Comcast, Cox, Philo, and Screambox.com.

From now to August 11, new users can sign up for 99 cents/month for the first three months at screambox.com/offers/scream99.

Oh, and if you’re a new subscriber, don’t forget to check out previous SCREAMBOX Original and Exclusives We Might Hurt Each Other, Project Wolf Hunting, Terrifier 2, The Barn Part II, New Religion, Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story, Shifted, Living With Chucky, Pennywise: The Story of IT, Family Dinner, Holy Shit!, The Outwaters, CreepyPasta, Cube, Jethica, Welcome to Hell, and much, much more! Subscribe now!

The post ‘RoboDoc’ Episode 1 – SCREAMBOX Boots Up Comprehensive ‘RoboCop’ Docuseries Tomorrow! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The Poltergeist series is one of diminishing returns, at least in terms of narrative. By the third entry, the premise is that poor Carol Anne’s parents could no longer stomach the paranormal trouble that came with raising her and sent her off to live with Diane’s sister Pat (Nancy Allen) and her husband Bruce (Tom Skerritt). Or at least that’s what Pat surmises, though they have no awareness of the events of the previous films. While the backdrop has shifted dramatically from California suburbs to Chicago high-rises, Reverend Kane, now played by Nathan Davis, has no trouble acclimating in his continued pursuit of Carol Anne (Heather O’Rourke). While the overarching story might have waned, the series never wavers in its dedication to special effects. Poltergeist III impressively achieves a lot on a reduced budget.

After Poltergeist II, MGM approached Gary Sherman (Dead & Buried, Raw Meat) to tackle the sequel. There was no story in place, and the only criteria was that it centered around Carol Anne in an entirely new environment. Sherman brought in Brian Taggert (Visiting Hours, Of Unknown Origin) to co-write the script. From the writing stage, Sherman planned out the visuals and effects. All of the special effects were handled during production; there were nearly no VFX done during post-production, a first in this series. Handling the effects live like this made the production extremely complicated.

That doesn’t even touch upon the troubled production this franchise had developed a reputation for, dubbed the “Poltergeist curse,” that began with the death of actress Dominique Dunne after the release of the first film. As for Poltergeist III, the arduous shoot proved extra tricky due to a fire that broke out in the parking garage, Zelda Rubinstein suffered a death in her family, and Sherman had to navigate his duties from the confines of a wheelchair after breaking his foot. Then there’s the tragic passing of lead star Heather O’Rourke, who died not even a month after her twelfth birthday.

Her death came a few months into post-production, after Sherman and the studio had decided to reshoot the ending with a different special effects sequence. The news made Sherman extremely reluctant to continue, though studio pressures overruled his hesitance. For the new conclusion, they used a stand-in for O’Rourke, and special makeup effects designers John Caglione Jr. (C.H.U.D., Dick Tracy) and Doug Drexler (C.H.U.D., Battlestar Galactica) had only twelve days to prep. That gave them just under two weeks to create two desiccated corpses and a plan to handle the on-screen mummification of Kane’s head after Pat knocks it off his shoulders with a shovel. Sherman was adamant that it be handled live without any stop-motion.

For the effect, the special makeup effects team layered thin wax over actor Davis’s (fake) face, which in turn was layered upon a corpse-like articulated face that had been sculpted by legendary effects artist Dick Smith. Once the cameras were rolling, the layers were melted away under severe heat blasts. A re-edited cut of the film with the new ending was submitted to the MPAA, who bumped the film from a PG to a PG-13 rating.

In the end, Poltergeist III proved to be a box office and critical failure. Whether you’re a fan of the direction the sequel took or not, it’s hard not to marvel at its ambition. Sherman’s dedication to handling the effects live and all of the hurdles that came with that is nothing short of impressive.

The post The Mummification of Kane and the Curses of ‘Poltergeist III’ [It Came From the ‘80s] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Dressed to Kill (Cancer) will feature a special screening of Brian De Palma’s Dressed to Kill, and it’s taking place at The Theatre at The ACE Hotel in LA on Saturday, October 19.

The special VIP reception kicks off at 6:30pm, with the Dressed to Kill screening taking place at 8pm. It’s followed by a Q&A featuring Allen and moderated by Fuller.

The party also includes performances by Jackie Beat & Love, Connie, Costume Contest and After Party with DJ. Tickets start at $30, with special VIP packages also available:

• “Autotron” – Exclusive Bobbi & Liz Action Figures 2-pack, VIP Reception with Photo Op with Cast, VIP Seating, DTK Blu-Ray, Commemorative Poster – $500.00
• “I Borrowed Your Razor” – Exclusive Bobbi Action Figure, VIP Reception with Photo Op with Cast, VIP Seating, DTK Blu-Ray, Commemorative Poster – $300.00
• “Our Afternoon” – VIP Reception with Photo Op with Cast, VIP Seating, DTK Blu-Ray, Commemorative Poster – $100.00

Fuller tells us that there will also be “photo opportunities in the lobby and VIP lounge for guests.” He teases, “There’s a SHOWER scene, a MUSEUM scene, and of course an ELEVATOR scene that are all Instagramable moments.”

Dressed to Kill revolves around the brutal murder of a woman in Manhattan. While the killer remains at large, her psychiatrist, teenage son, and the high-priced call girl who witnessed the crime all try to piece together what happened. Recognized for it’s masterfully executed scenes of horror, voluptuous camera work and passionate score, Dressed to Kill is a veritable symphony of terror; enhanced by vivid performances from Michael Caine, Angie Dickinson, Nancy Allen and Keith Gordon.

All proceeds benefit weSPARK Cancer Support Center. Grab your tickets today!

The post Hang Out With Bryan Fuller and Nancy Allen at the ‘Dressed to Kill…Cancer’ Event in LA on October 19! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.