Screaming Queenz

Ep 94 - Haute Tension/Switchblade Romance

Aided by vodka and XO Cafe Patron Tequila we take on our first French Extreme Horror, Haute Tension – aka Switchblade Romance. Alexandre Aja’s throwback to 70s exploitation horror, this blood-soaked stalk’n’slash epic has been accused of homophobia. Do we agree? Do we find it ‘problematic’? You might be surprised. You won’t be surprised by the usual filthy humour which is cranked up after doing shots – but we make sense! I promise! Unlike some of the movie...

Episode 93 - Houses of Wax

In our latest podcast, Screaming Queenz ask a question that has been on the lips of every queer horror fan since the dawn of time. Vincent Price or Paris Hilton? Who is the bigger icon? I think we all the know the answer to this but just in case you’re unsure you better listen to our bumper Houses of Wax special! Looking at the 1953 3D masterpiece, which sees Price skulk in the foggy Victorian shadows and Morticia Addams herself Carolyn Jones camp it up in a ridiculously tight corset, we revel in the lavish 3D thrills and marvel at that guy who can fit 3 balls in his mouth at once. Then we jump forward to the trashy 2005 incarnation which brings sex tape superstar Paris Hilton into the hillbilly horror subgenre and results in the usual filthy humour from your favourite queer horror podcasters! Who do you think comes out on top? Listen and find out – but beware spoilers and the possibility of lapses into Ms Hilton’s pop career...

Midsommar Review

Screaming Queenz Queer Horror Podcast reviews Ari Aster’s 2^nd feature film, Midsommar. Spoiler free for first 15 minutes so if you haven’t seen the movie don’t fret – listen to the start and tune out when you hear the very loud warning! It’s even louder and more obvious than ALL of the warnings the characters ignore in the movie! Taking on folk horror, relationship drama and existential dread, Midsommar has been hailed as both a masterpiece and a self-indulgent mess. Which side of the fence do we land on? You’ll have to listen and find out!

Episode 92 - Knife+Heart

Joe Le Taxi! Anyone else remember the pop hits of Vanessa Paradis? Well we do. And now the iconic French singer takes the lead in a stylish homage to giallo set in the world of Parisian 70s gay porn! I mean, could anything be MORE up Screaming Queenz back alley? Hear our take on the film that set Cannes alight with its mix of neon, black humour, kitsch twinky sex and lesbian sexual psycho-drama. Did it make the blood rush south for us? Or is it all dildo and no cock? Only one way to find out.

Beware, spoilers ahead, not to mention our usual lack of any taste whatsoever! We wouldn’t want to disappoint!

Ep 91 - Possum

The Queenz are in need of some therapy and a good hot shower after watching Possum, the 2018 British horror from director Matthew Holness. Starring Sean Harris as Philip, a disgraced children's puppeteer, Possum takes us to MR James country amidst the desolate marshes of Norfolk but this ain't no Christmas ghost story. Possum paints a blackened portrait of post-Jimmy Savile Britain. An oppressive story of the trauma of abuse, it is horror in its rawest, nastiest form. So how did the Screaming Queenz react to a group viewing?

This is heavy stuff so be warned - but obvs even in the darkest of corners we find something to cackle about so it's not all doom and gloom! Prepare to be spoiled - and soiled (sorry).

Ep 90 - Strip Nude For Your Killer

Screaming Queenz are talkin’ Italian yet again with another giallo classic! This time we’re going full on trashy with ‘Strip Nude For Your Killer’. As the title would suggest this film includes lots of stripping and lots of killing. But what’s with the surprisingly homoerotic posing from leading machismo machine Nino Castelnuovo? And why am I so obsessed with iconic Edwige Fenech’s Bialetti? We decide whether this film deserves its reputation as a piece of misogynistic trash… or whether it is a misunderstood classic. There’s filthy humour and language throughout with a healthy dose of retro giallo soundtracks to keep your toes tapping too. So strip nude, run yourself a bath and wait for us to come crashing through your back door with our big shiny helmets. It’s time for a queer take on Andrea Bianchi’s sleazy giallo classic!

Ep 89 - Zombi 2/Zombie Flesh Eaters

Lucio Fulci. Misogynist hack or under-rated genius? The Screaming Queenz are diving into his varied career with Zombi 2/Zombie Flesh Eaters, Fulci’s first foray into full blooded horror that some call the essential zombie movie. Hear a different take on this cult classic as three queers and an equally camp-loving heterosexual grapple with the Isle of Ma’tool – and boy do we milk Ma’tool… Tisa Farrow’s acting comes in for some severe shade but there’s a ton of love for Al Cliver despite our worry about his pasty ginger skin in that Caribbean sunshine. Find out which Bob Hope zombie movie from the 40s scared Jon Larkin as a kid despite never getting the credit it deserves, what gave Stephen Moore the giggles before the movie even started, why Martin Fenerty wants to bathe in Stephen’s blood, and hear how Jonathan Butler finds a connection between this movie… and Godzilla??

 

Twists, turns, puerile humour and lots of spoilers await you on the Isle of Ma’tool…

Jordan Peele's US (Review)

Following on from the success of 'Get Out', Jordan Peele returns with 'Us', another mashup of horror and sci fi with a healthy dose of social commentary. But does this film live up to the hype? Should Peele be described as the next Spielberg or the first Jordan Peele? And was that a Lost Boys reference in the opening 5 minutes? But most importantly, just what is going on with Winston Duke's next level manspread?! The Screaming Queenz take a look at Us with the usual mix of humour and deep-diving into the film's themes, pulling no punches as to why some of us think it's fabulous whilst others think it's kinda over-rated... 

First 15 mins are spoiler free but then the scissors are out. So get Alexa to play some NWA, pour yourself a tumbler of rosé and get tethered to the Queenz!

Ep 87 - Night of the Hunter

Jon Butler presents one of his favourite ever films, 'Night of the Hunter'. Described as a "nightmarish sort of Mother Goose tale", Charles Laughton's film is now considered a classic - but wasn't at the time... why? We give the film a queer reading and talk about what would attract an LGBTQ audience to its themes. And we're also giving away a copy of this great movie on DVD! But you have to listen to find out how to get your grubby mitts on it. And no. The DVD is not hidden in a doll...

Ep 86 - Dial Help ft. Rachael Nisbet

When Ruggero Deodato was done causing mayhem with cannibals and rape revenge flicks he put out some rather odd little numbers... and Dial Help could be the strangest of them all. I'm joined by Rachael Nisbet, who whilst being my favourite giallo expert, also happens to be the leading authority on this movie! Bursting with late 80s fashion and style, a soundtrack from Claudio Simonetti and a very snazzy Armani telephone, Dial Help is an under-rated gem. Utterly bonkers but full of likeable characters and a very well-paced story, this movie deserves a wider audience. So hang up that call, feed your fish and sit back and enjoy as we head to Rome for an off-the-hook holiday you won't forget in a hurry...

(Warning - there are more bad phone puns in this episode, and spoilers)