Need a helping hand to guide you through the haunted house that is the horror genre? Welcome to Scaredy Cat and Horror Hound! Join Carson (the horror hound) as he leads Laney (the scaredy cat) through an introduction to all things horror, as they explore the genre in its many highs and lows. By introducing each other to the different sides of horror media, they will share in ...
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We accept her, we accept her! In this episode, Laney brings the cult classic Freaks to chat about with Carson. Topics include marginalized bodies, disability in horror, and a little bit of the history of film and censorship. Trapeze through this movie about able bodies taking advantage of disabilities, the difference between exploitation and opportunity, and representation in film over the span of nearly a century. Gooble gobble, gooble gobble! Mentions: Alok Vaid-Menon, Cherry 2000, the bargain bin of Blockbuster, and lost media
Content warning: discussions of child sexual abuse, violence towards minors, alcoholism, child neglect One, two, don’t let your nightmares come true! Returning to classic 80’s slashers, Laney and Carson discuss the infamous Freddy Krueger and the introduction of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. While going back to Wes Craven and his Scream rules, we critique the classic teen slasher genre and its focus on the horrors of teen sexuality, and question how slight variations in narrative change the way an audience reacts to a villain. Carson brings insights from his favorite queer horror essay anthology (It Came From The Closet, essay “The Trail of His Flames” by Tucker Lieberman), and Laney asks some important question about the film’s hole-riddled plot. So pull out your hidden second coffee pot and set all your alarm clocks, and conquer the nightmare with us, or never never sleep again!
Content warning: brief discussions of child abuse and sexual violence Now you know what we are, now you know what YOU are! Laney and Carson travel to the Murder Capital of the World for this episode on Lost Boys! In this episode, we discuss queer vampires, the Satanic Panic, and a pure Freudian slip about one of Laney’s favorite K-pop groups. We dissect film through the queer lens, theory of disidentification (José Esteban Muñoz 1999), and the many versions of vampire metaphors used in media. Join us, drink some of this, be one of us!
Content warning: religious trauma, abuse Carson and Laney go back to the 1600’s for this episode about The VVitch. Robert Eggers takes us on a whirlwind of religious zealotry, scary jackrabbits and goats, and the kind of witchcraft that makes you go “eugh.” We chat about Robert Eggers like we know him personally and how that relates to auteur theory. Join us as we sign our names in the big spooky book and discuss the VVitch.
Content warning: there are discussion of bullying, menstruation, religious trauma, and sexual assault in this episode. Discussion of sexual assault starts at 1:03:43 and ends at 1:06:20. Listen with care. They’re all going to laugh at you! Laney and Carson are going back to high school to talk about Carrie. An adaptation of Stephen King’s first novel turned into a classic horror movie, Brian De Palma sure did a great job of showing us what grown men think it feels like being a bullied high school girl. As we get ready for prom, we discuss things like the male gaze in film, the representation of bullying in media, and blood, blood, and more blood! Get your dirty pillows ready and go up in flames with us!