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podcast

A woman stands outside of a door pausing before entering a room. Inside, a man is sitting on a bed and he is smiling.
Posted on April 6, 2023

A Return to Nihilism: Talking Smile (2022)

Podcast

In today’s episode, we’re diving into Smile (2022), a film that has almost single-handedly reinvigorated debate over the importance of trigger warnings.  Written and directed by Parker Finns, the film follows Rose (Sosie Bacon), a doctor who cares for patients at a psychiatric facility while navigating her own mental health journey. Following the death by suicide of a patient in her care, Rose begins to suspect that she is the new target of a demonic entity who won’t be happy until she’s dead. With its nod to the uncanny and gruesome death scenes, Smile is a horror movie explicitly about trauma but is it also about something more? We’re breaking it all down today, so stay tuned. 

Please be aware that this episode contains spoilers and references to suicide.

Two young women stare into the distance. They both look very concerned.
Posted on February 17, 2023

A Divisive Slasher: Talking Sick (2022)

Podcast

John Hyam’s SICK (2022) is a wildly divisive film that had us debating both its merits and its place within slasher film canon. Situated in the early days of the pandemic, the film follows friends Parker (Gideon Adlon) and Miri (Beth Million) as they quarantine at a remote lake house owned by Parker’s parents. They are joined unexpectedly by DJ (Dylan Sprayberry), Parker’s friend with benefits, who is eager to make their relationship exclusive. But their idyllic reprieve is soon interrupted when an unexpected threat starts stalking them. 

On this episode, we debate the wisdom of setting a slasher within a real life collective trauma while also considering the importance of generational spectatorship in film reception. In the end, the only thing we agree on about this film is that Erasure’s “A Little Respect” still bangs. Listen to the full, spoiler-filled episode below! 

 

Book cover versions of Bernard Taylor's The Reaping. One cover shows a baby carriage with waves emitting from it. The second cover shows a fetus in utero with devil horns. The third cover shows a group of nuns walking to a house.
Posted on January 16, 2023

Prophetic Dread in Bernard Taylor’s THE REAPING (1980)

Podcast

With its languid storytelling and inversion of Gothic tropes, Bernard Taylor’s THE REAPING is an exercise in patience with a supremely satisfying payoff. In this episode, we discuss folk horror, the rejection of the maternal, and the importance of a good book cover. On this podcast we talk blood, guts, and spoilers so listener discretion is advised.

You can order Taylor’s novel from Valancourt’s Paperbacks from Hell site.

Listen Here:

book cover showing a doll with a missing nose
Posted on November 18, 2022

The Bloodcurdling Book Club: Talking Elizabeth Engstrom’s WHEN DARKNESS LOVES US

Podcast

Elizabeth Engstrom’s WHEN DARKNESS LOVES US has been called everything from dark and soul crushing to a “paperback from hell” but we call it one of the finest literary explorations of trauma in recent memory. In this episode, we discuss what makes a monster, how trauma gets replicated, and what it means when monstrosity cloaks itself as maternal indifference. On this podcast we talk blood, guts, and spoilers so listener discretion is advised.

You can order Engstrom’s novel from Valancourt’s Paperbacks from Hell site.

Listen now!

a group of young people stand in defiance of people trying to oppress them
Posted on August 12, 2022

Rewriting the Slasher: Talking They/Them (2022)

Podcast

In this episode, we’re deep diving into John Logan’s highly polarizing They/Them (2022). A slasher film that takes place at a conversion camp, the film drew early criticism on social media with many wondering if there aren’t some topics that should be off limits. But what does that mean for a genre like horror that is predicated on exploring taboo and violating social norms? We’re spoiling the hell out of this movie, so stay tuned!

Look for this episode on your favorite podcast platform or listen via the link below.

Links to references in this podcast:

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