In this episode, May and special guest Kayley DeLong, an expert in disability studies and dark tourism, break down the use of real-life penitentiaries in horror through the films Eloise and The Lost Episode.

In this episode, May sits down with Ariel Baska, founder of the film festival Access:Horror and accomplished horror filmmaker. Ariel and May explores the topic of medical gaslighting in horror through Ariel's own film, Our First Priority, as well as The Entity and A Cure for Wellness. There is also more information on Access:Horror in the episode, …

Horrorspiria is once again organizing film screenings in conjunction with Suns Cinema DC. The theme this summer is TROPIGOTH -- a collection of underseen films from Latin America. Clinton and May preview each film -- no spoilers! The series includes Diablo Rojo (PTY), Bacurau, and Santa Sangre. First screening is on June 28th!…

Happy Easter! Jesus may have died for our sins, but did he do it wearing a Juicy Couture tracksuit? I don’t THINK SO. For Episode 24 I’m joined by CASS CLARKE, editor at /Film, film critic, co-host of the Horror Hangover podcast and author of the upcoming novella THE CARETAKER which is due from our friends over at Hear Us Scream Press. Join Cass an…

Get in loser, we’re getting depressed as hell! For Episode 23 I’m joined by writer CHRISTINA BRENNAN, who is currently in the editing process for her Devil’s Advocate book on the film we’re discussing today. Kubrick called this film the most terrifying he had ever seen, yet there’s some debate as to whether it’s a horror - or just horrifying. Join …

💘 HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY! 💘 We all know this day is a scam made up by card companies and capitalist overlords, but it’s also a day to celebrate love, lust and our most lavicious of horror crushes. I asked members of the horror and film community to call in to my Valentine’s Day hotline and confess their crushes: with the caveat that I wanted them cr…

Episode 22 takes us to small-town surburbia where I'm joined by DEVAUGHN TAYLOR, co-host of the Specter Cinema Club, filmmaker and disco daddy. DeVaughn’s FFO of provocative, luscious and sticky is maybe my favourite to date (I know, I know, I say it all the time), and led us to the perfect culmination of teenage angst and bloodlust in a 2010’s cul…

When discussing the 'the scariest found-footage movie of all time', I knew I needed an expert in the genre. So there was nobody better to ask than the KING of found footage horror art and illustration, Trevor Henderson. Trevor has long been inducing nightmares in the best of us, with his iconic works such as Siren Head and Mr Bag taking on lives an…

2022 aka twelve months of HITS AND BANGERS. What a year, eh? This was a hard episode to record I'll tell you that, but I finally did it. A huge bunch of honorable mentions, and the ten films I classed as my ultimate favourites of the year. Let me know what how our choices align; Would you have drank from Mother's hairy milk bottle? Or scrumped an a…

In this episode, May and Clinton detail all the horror (and some non-horrors) of 2022 and rank some of their favorites, least favorites, tired tropes, and hopeful wishes. For a list of what films are discussed, please review the Horrorspiria Masterlist on Letterboxd.

Apologies for the hiatus gang - but I’m back and today I’m joined by Blayne Waterloo, editor at FANGORIA and Hear Us Scream Vol. 2 and host of the Ladies and Ligaments podcast. Blayne is a superstar, sweetheart and goddamn sex symbol - so there was only one choice for her FFO of bawdy, feminist and gore. That’s right, it’s time to get down and dirt…

Today I’m joined by Vannah Taylor, MA student at San Diego State University with a lifelong love of horror working towards writing a thesis on gender in horror films. Vannah is also a horror writer for various outlets, she’s a dancer, and she’s an all-round icon. This is the very first episode of HBF that was actually recorded IN PERSON back during…

In this episode, May sits down with Dr. Valeria Villegas Lindvall, Senior Lecturer in the Aesthetics Unit at the University of Gothenburg. Valeria's dissertation, Wicked Women and Witches: Subversive Readings of the Female Monster in Mexican and Argentinian Horror Film, explores gendered monstrosity in Mexican and Argentinian visual culture: La Llo…

🩸 WELCOME TO SEASON 2🩸 Today I’m joined by Zoë Rose Smith; creator and EIC of Ghouls Magazine, ZoboWithAShotgun, co-host of OurBloodyObsession podcast and creative producer over at Hellmouth Pictures. Since I planned Season 2, there was only one name on my list for the first episode. Zoë did not disappoint by throwing me a delicious FFO of disturbi…

Horrorspiria is finally organizing our first film screenings in conjunction with Suns Cinema DC. This first showcase focuses on “queer fears” through the lens of The Lost Boys, Alucarda, and The Bloodettes. Clinton and May preview and expand on each film and their relationship to queerness. Come out on October 5, 19, and 26 to Suns Cinema in DC!…

In this episode, May talks with film critic and author, Josephine Maria, about dance and horror films. They discuss ballet as a site of body horror through both versions of Suspiria (1977 & 2018) and The Red Shoes (1941) as well as more possibilities for horror and dance to fuse. The episode is currently streaming on Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Google …

On today’s episode I’m joined by horror model and host of Horror and More with Anya Gorre - the one and only, gorgeous Anya Gorre! Anya’s modelling is intensely scary and sexy all at once - she’s dedicated to capturing the perfect spooky shot, even if it means heading into abandoned buildings and (unknowingly) possibly active crime scenes. Her styl…

In this Spotlight episode, May sits down with Final Girls Film Festival Berlin founders, Sara and Eli, to learn more about the groundbreaking festival. Final Girls Film Festival showcases horror cinema that’s directed, written, or produced by women and non-binary filmmakers. The festival and its team is committed to creating space for female (trans…

On today’s episode I’m joined by Dr Alison Peirse; associate professor of film at the University of Leeds, writer, playwright, filmmaker and creator of the greatest newsletter around - seriously, there’s nothing Alison can’t do. Alison threw me a real challenge by choosing trickiest FFO I’ve ever had: knitting, the ocean, cats. I’m sorry to say tha…

On today’s episode I’m joined by my first guest from down under, Cat Benstead. If you don’t know and love Cat’s work, are you even a member of the horror community? Not only is she the host of TGIF Podcast, the co-host of the fangtastic Club Dead podcast, she’s also the founder of Hear Us Scream, an inclusive online outlet for writers in horror AND…

On today’s episode I’m joined by Ariel Hansen, filmmaker, actor and co-founder of Bad Cookie Pictures. Ariel is one of the many guests who has left me floored with her creativity - from her directing and acting talents to her clothes and costume-making skills. Her short film Nepenthes is a gooey, gory delight and just one of her many fantastic work…

In this episode, May sits down with Amber, creator of the HornBloodFire podcast and a horror critic from the UK. Amber and May discuss one of their favorite foreign horror movements -- the J-Horror wave. In this episode, some films discussed are Onibaba, Hausu, Tetsuo: The Iron Man, Ringu, Ju-On: The Grudge, Battle Royale, and more. The episode is …

In this episode, May and Clinton watch critically-acclaimed horrors around the world that they missed in 2021 — “critical leftovers.” May and Clinton discuss Gaia, The Boy Behind the Door, Malignant, Coming Home in the Dark, and Lamb. The episode is currently streaming on Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, PocketCasts, and R…

On today’s episode I’m joined by Rebecca McCallum, film journalist, assistant editor for Ghouls Mag and author of Mums + Sons zine. Rebecca is one of the most hard-working women in horror, having had her writing featured in Rue Morgue, Dread Central and Grim Magazine, as well as her series with Moving Pictures film club about the Women of Hitchcock…

In the first crossover episode for Horrorspiria, May interviews Jonny & Aileen, creators and hosts of ¡UY QUE HORROR!, a Latinx horror movie podcast. In this episode, Jonny & Aileen discuss the inspiration behind the podcast, their backgrounds spanning Brazil, Nicaragua, Bolivia, and Honduras, and as a group, Jonny, Aileen, & May discuss the joys, …

On today’s episode I’m joined by Joe Chen, drummer and vocalist for UK death metal band Vacuous, and writer/review for Grinding Horror Zine. Joe’s music taste might be on the blacker side, but his FFO of uncanny, heartless and colour was a welcome challenge; after all, an iconic colour palette is integral to the mood of any good horror. Alex Garlan…

In this episode, May sits down with Amy Harris, PhD researcher and teacher from De Montfort University in Leicester, UK. Amy specializes in women-made British horror, a topic she has written about in the new anthology, Bloody Women: Women Directors of Horror, and what she studies as part of her dissertation. In this episode, Amy discusses the shift…

On today’s episode I’m joined by Jolene-Marie Richardson, costume designer for The Last Drive In and many other amazing projects, fashion historian and co-host of @todyefor - a podcast on horror, history and costuming. Jolene’s eye for style is evident in her FFO of retro, camp and grit - and frankly there was no other film I’d rather discuss than …

In this episode, May talks with actor and aspiring filmmaker, Jazz Echevarría, about werewolves and werewolf films. Inspired by Craig Ian Mann's 2020 book, Phases of the Moon: A Cultural History of the Werewolf Film, May and Jazz try to grow an appreciation for the werewolf and their depiction in cinema since the 1940s. They discuss The Wolf Man, I…

In this episode, May sits down with Tuğçe Kutlu, PhD candidate, writer, and researcher from Ankara University. Tuğçe specializes in studying grief in horror, particularly Anglophone films, which is what she wrote her dissertation about. In this episode, Tuğçe explains her dissertation in depth, which looks at Midsommar, Hereditary, The Woman in Bla…

On today’s episode I’m joined by Ariel and Candace, hosts of the Not Your Final Girl podcast Ariel and Candace delivered a mega FFO of queer, slow burn, woods, body horror and folk horror. With such amazing words we were spoiled for choice, but eventually settled on Lukas Fiegelfeld’s 2017 impossibly bleak, effortless gorgeous Hagazussa. I was suff…

In an episode from the 2021 vault, May and Clinton discuss horror-comedies as they relate to spoofs, parodies, and satires. To explain the concept, May and Clinton review Phantom of the Paradise, One Cut of the Dead, and What We Do in the Shadows (series). The episode is currently streaming on Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Break…

On today’s episode I’m joined by alt-pop singer-songwriter and horror fan Maryze. Maryze’s FFO was: campy, feminist and psychological twist. While the ‘psychological’ aspect of this movie might be up for debate, it’s full of twists and turns, games and japes and a family tradition to die for. That’s right, it’s time for hide and seek with 2019’s RE…

On today’s episode I’m joined by Ariel Powers-Schaub, Administrative Assistant, senior contributor and fellow writer for GhoulsMag.com. Ariel’s FFO was campy, stunts and blood - so how could we not go for something so utterly batshit crazy and fun? Join Ariel and I as we slip and slide around the bloodbaths of dystopian Tokyo in Yoshihiro Nishimura…

On today’s episode I’m joined by James Hillmer, a researcher and PHD student in Korean history and host of the stand up comedy based podcast Don’t Sit in the Front. James and I have common ground, having both lived in South Korea and even ran in the same social circles there, so I knew I had to use his expertise and tackle a Korean horror - we chos…

On today’s episode I’m joined by Jessie, a fellow horror reviewer and curator of gorgeous, colour coordinated screenshots over on Instagram @softxdeath. Jessie and I knew that today we didn’t even need an FFO - our topic was pretty much decided for us via a mutual obsession for Konami’s 2001 psychological survival horror game, Silent Hill 2. Join J…

Today’s episode is a little Christmas bonus episode: my personal favourites of 2021. Let me know what you think: do you agree? Do you disagree? What would you do if you woke up as a camera? Was any protagonist as lovably useless as Gawain this year? Do you hail Raatma?Merry Christmas, happy holidays and see you in 2022!HBF Cover art: @tbombadilMusi…

On today’s episode I’m joined by Tori Potenza, co-host of Killer B’s podcast and staff writer at Movie Jawn zine.Tori’s FFO was: revenge, paranormal, neon - and while Panos Cosmatos’ Mandy seemed like an obvious choice, we decided to treat ourselves to a first watch of his 2010 debut, Beyond the Black Rainbow. Join Tori and I as we navigate the pul…

On today’s episode I’m joined by Alice Taylor-Matthews, Evil Dead 2 enthusiast and stand up comedian. Alice and I both have experience with weird cultish rituals from our respective hometowns in the UK, and as her FFO was Twin Peaks, shiny, outdoors - what other choice could there be except Robin Hardy’s 1973 folk horror The Wicker Man? Join us as …

For Episode 3 I’m joined by Joel H. Brewster, a fellow horror writer, filmmaker and podcaster over at No Stranger to Horror and writer at westcoaststrange. Joel’s FFO was bleak, gory and twisted, and so we decided to chat about Can Evernol’s 2015 sordid cesspit Baskin. Join Joel and I as we discuss all manner of hellish topics including trypophobia…

For the very first episode of the HBF podcast I’m joined by Clare Wright otherwise known as @sundayyscaries, horror style fashionista and curator of the Sunday Scaries film club. Claire’s FFO was beauty, surreal and paranoia, so naturally it had to be Lynch; specifically his 2001 magnum opus Mulholland Drive. Join Clare and I as we ascend through t…

Welcome to the HornBloodFire podcast, an exploration into the world of horror - sometimes gory, sometimes bleak, sometimes chaotic but always enjoyable. Each week a guest and I will discuss a movie that aligns with three of their chosen keywords.

Gabi comes on the podcast again to discuss mothers in horror. Intersections range from the monstrous feminine to queer appropriation in horror in our analysis and discussion of mother!, La Llorona, and The Babadook.

In an episode from the 2020 vault, May and Clinton go through 3 Netflix series from India, South Korea, and Colombia. We discuss the themes and metaphors present in each of these historical-horror-themed series. We look at The Green Frontier, Kingdom, and Betaal. The episode is currently streaming on Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify…

In this episode, May sits down with Horrorspiria's first international guest, PhD candidate from University of Liverpool: Rhys Jones. Rhys specializes in studying the abject in horror, which has led him to many intersections of queer theory, psychoanalysis, and horror. In this episode, May and Rhys look at The Lighthouse, Raw, The Dragula Brothers,…

Black horror is Black history. In this episode, May gives a brief rundown of that history before sitting down with Black genre filmmaker and professor, Nikyatu Jusu. They talk about Nikyatu's upcoming work on her feature film, her Sundance-nominated vampire short, Suicide By Sunlight, but most of all, Nikyatu provides a unique perspective of active…

On this episode of Horrorspiria, Lisa comes back on the pod for an in-depth look at the film business. Also an academic at George Mason, Lisa is an independent film producer with a background ranging from anti-piracy law for major studios to microbudget productions, which is the majority of her work now. We discuss the nooks and crannies of all tho…

In our first episode of 2021, May sits down with Horrorspiria favorite and one of Maryland's pride and joys: Eric Allen Hatch. Known for his past as programmer at the Maryland Film Festival, his essays in various publications, and his cinema memes which have caught the retweets of the powerful and obscure, Eric goes into detail about how his "baby"…

May and Clinton return to their (and America's) roots by looking at America's first wave of horror films: the Pre-Code era. This is where the monster movies started, this is where horror as a genre in American film history started; all while William Hays was feverishly trying to shut down avenues of filmmaking centered around these salacious topics…

Getting back in the analytical grind of things, May and Clinton discuss three international genre films with the theme of hunter vs hunted. The very essence of this theme is the foundation of slasher films, but what sets these three films apart is how the prey subverts the expectation of the predator. We look at three films made across the globe - …