Monstrous Feminine Podcasty

Our final theme of Szn 3 is femcel horror and we’re kicking off with the 1997 anime ‘Perfect Blue’, directed by Satoshi Kon. 🎤🎀👁In this episode we explain the history and origin of the term ‘femcel’, discuss the dangers of internet stan culture and delve into the exploitative nature of the music and television industries.You can find us on most pla…

The final movie for our hagsploitation theme is the 2022 horror drama ‘Barbarian’, directed by Zach Cregger. 🚪🍼We dissect the evolution of the hag in horror into something monstrous, discuss women's necessary hyper-vigilance around supposed “nice guys” and debate whether the use of the hag figure in horror is inherently misogynistic. You can find u…

The next movie for our hagsploitation theme is the 2022 slasher ‘X’, directed by Ti West. 🎥🪓In this episode, we interrogate ageist attitudes towards sex, and discuss how ‘the hag’ character suggests a de-feminisation of postmenopausal women. We then debate whether this film perpetuates ageist stereotypes even as it attempts to bring awareness to th…

Our new theme for the month is hagsploitation horror, and the first film we are going to tackle is the iconic 1962 psychological horror ‘Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?’, directed by Robert Aldrich. 🎀🎤We provide an overview of hasploitation, and discuss how Crawford and Davis serve in this film. We also delve into the relationship between sexism an…

Our last episode featuring horrible men in horror is the 2023 psychological horror ‘Clock’, directed by Alexis Jacknow. 🕰️👶🧸We discuss how this film accurately captures the valid psychological and physical fears of pregnancy as well as the overwhelming familial, cultural and societal pressures to bear children - grounded by the main character's Jew…

Perhaps the most on-brand film for our ‘horrible men in horror’ theme is the 2022 British folk horror film ‘Men’ directed by Alex Garland.🌲🍎We think this film deserves more attention. In this episode, we dissect how biblical imagery is used, discuss the horrific birthing body horror and debate whether it works as a feminist film.You can find us on …

We’re back and better than ever! Our theme this month is horrible men in horror, and of course we couldn’t do this film without talking about the 2000 classic ‘American Psycho’, directed by Mary Harron. 👔🪓In this episode, we talk about how different demographics have interpreted this film over the years: incels and finance bros have idolised Batema…

HAPPY PRIDE QUEERS! 🏳️‍🌈For this Pride Special, we revisit a film we covered in our very first episode: the 2009 cult classic ‘Jennifer’s Body’, directed by Karyn Kusama. 💅💋 💄In this episode we debate the differences between desire and envy in young female friendships, investigate the queer subtext and female gaze of the film, and uncover its true …

For our last mermaid episode of the month, we’re talking about the 2022 American psychological thriller ‘Nanny’, directed by Nikyatu Jusu. 🕷️🧜‍♀️We discuss African deities as agents of chaos, the sense-making function of legends, and how the Mami Wata informs this film's gender, race and class commentary.You can find us on most platforms @themonstr…

Continuing with our mermaid theme, we’re talking about the 2017 Swiss fantasy drama ‘Blue My Mind’, directed by Lisa Brühlmann. 🐟🧜‍♀️🌊We discuss how this film effectively uses body horror and fantasy to portray adolescence, and is particularly anxiety-inducing because of the seemingly unavoidable sexualisation and predation that all young teen girl…

This month we’re talking about mermaids! 🧜‍♀️🧜‍♀️ Our first ep is the 2015 Polish musical horror film, ‘The Lure’, directed by Agnieszka Smoczynska. 🌊🎤👯‍♀️We delve into its camp musical elements, discuss how the exploration of womanhood lends itself to trans-coded readings, and debate Barbara Creed’s queer reading of this film.You can find us on mo…

Our last eco-horror ep of the month is the 2012 American mockumentary horror ‘The Bay’, directed by Barry Levinson. ⚠️🐓We talk about how this film hits different post-pandemic, the risk of exploitation in documentaries and governmental mismanagement of water systems.You can find us on most platforms @themonstrousfemininepodcast, and on Twitter, @th…

Continuing our eco-horror theme, we’re talking about the 2006 monster film, ‘The Host’, directed by Bong Joon-ho. ⚠️🐟In this episode we discuss the influence of American neo-liberal economic policies on Korea, unpack Bong's tactical focus on the nuclear family, and delve into how oppressive systems breed nihilistic compliance.You can find us on mos…

“You guys made me ink!” In honour of Earth Day, we’re talking about eco-horror! 🌎 Our first episode of the month is on the 1977 Italian-American sci-fi film ‘Tentacles’, directed by Ovidio G. Assonitis. 🐙In this episode, we describe the referential nature of low-budget 70s Italian horror, lament the blatant giant squid erasure in this film, and, de…

She's serving, your honour. 🕶️ This is our last doll horror episode of the month, and we’re talking about the sassy, c*nty sci-fi ‘M3GAN’, directed by Gerard Johnstone. 💅🔩In this episode, we talk about the difficult balance between professional success and motherhood, debate the camp and serious elements of this film, and attempt to pinpoint exactl…

Hello, Good Guys™️! This is our second doll horror episode, and we’re talking about the iconic 1988 film ‘Child’s Play’, directed by Tom Holland. 🧑🏻‍🦰🚫🔋🩸We discuss how this film toys with childhood innocence and perspective, its rather weak reliance on a serial killer origin story, and hail Chucky as a non-binary icon (you’ll have to listen in full…

“My name is Talky Tina and I love you!” 💟 This is the first episode of our doll horror theme, and we’re talking about 'Living Doll' (1963) from the American television anthology series ‘The Twilight Zone’, directed by Richard C. Sarafian. 🎀🏠👨‍👩‍👧We delve into the uncanny valley in relation to dolls, discuss the lost art of quality horror storytelli…

For our last romantic horror episode we are talking about the 2013 zom-rom-com ‘Warm Bodies’, directed by Jonathan Levine. 🧟‍♂️💘First we read out your own dating horror stories. Then we discuss whether love can survive a zombie apocalypse, how apocalyptic conditions might drastically change our standards for a romantic partner, and how, much like S…

CASTING CALL: one horror fan 🥵! We’re continuing our Valentine’s theme and talking about the 1999 thriller ‘Audition’, directed by Takashi Miike. 💉👁️💉In this episode, we delve into the objectification of women, discuss the delicate performance of gender, analyse the chasm between men and women’s emotional experiences and how, in this film, the phen…

Hi love birds! 🕊️This is the first episode of our Valentine’s Specials, and we’re talking about the 1999 adventure film ‘The Mummy’, directed by Stephen Sommers. 🛕🐫🏺🦂We start by examining why exactly this is known as the Official Bisexual Awakening Movie™️ (hint: it’s the sexy cast). We then delve into how Imhotep sets the bar for side pieces every…

Our final episode on claustrophobic horror is the 2019 survival film ‘47 Meters Down: Uncaged’, directed by Neil Marshall. 🤿🏊‍♀️🦈We discuss the nepo-baby casting, debate the biological accuracy of blind great whites that, for whatever reason, choose to live in confined cave systems voluntarily, and the central sisterly strife that was so severe, on…

Bonjour! 👩‍🎨 We’re continuing our claustrophobia theme with the 2014 American horror film ‘As Above, So Below’, directed by John Erick Dowdle. 💀💀💀Join us as we enter the nine circles of hell and discuss wonderful things such as death, sin, satan, cavernous wombs, vlogging, eternal judgement and the sanctity of artefacts. <3You can find us on most p…

Time to descend...this month we’re covering claustrophobia in horror! Our first film is the 2005 British adventure horror film ‘The Descent’, directed by Neil Marshall. 🕳🩸☠️We discuss female friendships versus female competition, monstrous motherhood and the maddening effects of grief. You can find us on most platforms @themonstrousfemininepodcast,…

For our last cannibalism horror episode, we’re talking about the coming-of-age road movie ‘Bones and All’ (2022), directed by Luca Guadagnino. 🦴😋We discuss this film as a realistic depiction of the rural Midwest. We also explain how cannibalism can act as a metaphor for both queerness and addiction. Finally, we divulge our various reactions to and …

Good evening, Clarice. This month we’re continuing our cannibalism horror theme with the 1991 masterpiece ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ directed by Jonathan Demme. 🍽️🦋🐑We talk about Hannibal as a delicious, sassy and possibly asexual villain. We also discuss the famous tucking scene and go into depth about the transphobic elements of this film as well…

Bon Appétit. This month we’re covering cannibalism in horror and kicking it off with ‘The Hills Have Eyes’, directed by Wes Craven. 🌕👶🏻🐺We discuss the divide between metropolitan/rural populations and how this interacts with classism, sexism and racism. We also go into why this film fails in its intention to construct a sympathetic view of the rura…

Hello, my lunar lovelies. This is our last film of the month covering werewolves and we’re talking about the dark fantasy horror ‘Good Manners’, directed by Juliana Rojas and Marco Dutra. 🌕👶🏻🐺In this episode we discuss the class and race dynamics within the central queer relationship, the body horror of pregnancy and motherhood as sacrifice. You ca…

Spooky month is continuing with werewolves, and we’re covering one of our favourite films: the angsty teen flick, ‘Ginger Snaps’ (2000), directed by John Fawcett. 🩸🐺💉In this episode we discuss how this film defies the stereotypically masculine lore of the werewolf, the body horror of puberty and the complexities of sisterly bonds.You can find us on…

Happy October - this month we’re talking about werewolves. To kick it all off, we cover the 1981 comedy ‘An American Werewolf in London’, directed by John Landis.We discuss werewolf lore, lament the loss of cool prosthetics and gory special effects to CGI, and wonder at the film's British/American cultural chasms.You can find us on most platforms @…

Hey hot girls! 💋 For our last episode of the month on horror games, we’re talking about Halina Reijn’s dark comedy ‘Bodies Bodies Bodies’. 🌧 🗡📱🩸😵We read this film as a comedic satire of GenZ and performative ‘woke’ culture, discuss misogynistic left-leaning men and delve into the gay drama between Amandla Stenberg and Lena Wilson after that NY Time…

Continuing with our horror games theme, we are covering the 2021 drama `We're All Going to the World's Fair’, directed by Jane Schoenbrun. 💻🧸🔫We talk about the disturbing loneliness and predation within early internet cultures, the various trans-coded readings of this film and why this movie acts as a good warning to GenZ.You can find us on most pl…

I WANT TO PLAY A GAME. This month is all about horror games, and we’re kicking it off with the iconic 2004 film ‘Saw’ directed by James Wan. 🌀📼🦶🏻We discuss games of choice, analyse how the Saw franchise spawned an era of gratuitous violence in horror, talk about the uneven distribution of punishment throughout the franchise and debate whether Saw h…

HOWDY! Our last horror western of the month is Jordan Peele’s genre-bending 2022 film, ‘NOPE’. 🏇🏿🎐We discuss space as the new frontier for the western, the importance of documentation for Black Americans and how capitalism turns life experiences into commodified spectacles. Also Keke Palmer playing an eccentric lesbian >>>You can find us on most pl…

RIDE 'EM COWBOY. Our second horror western of the month is the 2019 film ‘Bacurau’, directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles 🚰🔫🩸We discuss the global western, racial and class politics in Brazil and the importance of community within this film. You can find us on most platforms @themonstrousfemininepodcast, and on Twitter, @themonfem…

YEEHAW. We’re doing horror westerns this month and kicking off season 3 with the 2018 femme-centric Western ‘The Wind’, directed by Emma Tammi 🌬️🤰🏻⚰️We summarise key themes of the genre, explore madness and sexism in relation to the Wild West, and pinpoint the truest horror of them all: being alone with a man in the middle of fucking nowhere.You ca…

Here it is: an extra main episode for Pride month! We watched the new Netflix vampire show 'First Kill', created by Victoria Schwab. 💉❤️We chat about nostalgia for teen vampire media and the place for lesbian romance in YA fiction. You can find us on most platforms @themonstrousfemininepodcast, and on Twitter, @themonfempod. Subscribe to our YouTub…

Our next (queer) vampire film of Pride month is the 2008 Swedish romance-horror 'Let the Right One In', directed by Tomas Alfredson. 🩸🚪🧛‍♂️We discuss the differences between the book and film, gender in relation to the supernatural and question the disturbing ambiguities of age in this film. You can find us on most platforms @themonstrousfemininepo…

We’re continuing our (queer) vampire theme with the 2002 rocker-horror 'Queen of the Damned', directed by Michael Rymer. 🩸🎸🎤🩸In this episode we talk about vampirism as a metaphor for closeted queerness, Anne Rice as the mutha-fuckin BLUEPRINT for emo vampires and the vampire Queen Akasha as a mon-fem mother figure.You can find us on most platforms …

Happy Pride, homos! This month we’re covering the gayest horror film of them all: vampires! And we’re kicking it off with the 1971 erotic horror ‘Daughters of Darkness’, directed by Harry Kümel. 🩸💄👄In this episode we discuss the graphic violence against women in this film, talk about the relationship between vampirism and female sexuality, and try …

This week we’re finishing off our voodoo theme with season 3 of the 2013 show 'American Horror Story', 'Coven'. 💀🧙‍♀️In this episode we discuss Angela Bassett in all her glory, debate whether witchcraft borrows from Voodooism, and scrutinise the representation and treatment of Black characters in this series.You can find us on most platforms @themo…

This week we’re continuing our voodoo theme with the 1997 drama ‘Eve’s Bayou’, directed by Kasi Lemmons. 🩺🥼💔😵In this episode we discuss indie filmmaking, loss of innocence and intergenerational trauma in relation to slavery.You can find us on most platforms @themonstrousfemininepodcast, and on Twitter, @themonfempod. Subscribe to our YouTube Channe…

This month is all about voodoo! We’re starting with the 1988 film ‘The Serpent and the Rainbow’, directed by Wes Craven. 🐍🌈In this episode we discuss the weirdly kinky torture scene, the colonial male gaze and the exoticism of voodoo/Haiti.You can find us on most platforms @themonstrousfemininepodcast, and on Twitter, @themonfempod. Subscribe to ou…

Wrapping up our horror ha-ha theme, we’re talking about the 2011 horror comedy film ‘Attack the Block’, directed by Joe Cornish. 🐺🔫🎒🇬🇧We admire John Boyega, discuss the intersection between class and race politics in Britain, and debate the use of aliens as a metaphor for police violence. Enjoy!You can find us on most platforms @themonstrousfeminin…

Continuing with our horror ha-ha theme this month, we’re moving on to the 2011 meta-horror comedy ‘Cabin in the Woods’, directed by Drew Goddard. 🌲🏚️🧟🥼We discuss horror as an expression of society’s repressed desires, debate whether or not modern horror films still use stereotypical tropes of the genre, and talk about the place of the male gaze in …

For this month’s theme we’re talking about what puts the ha-ha in horror. The first film we’re covering is Edgar Wright’s popular British zombie comedy from 2004, ‘Shaun of the Dead'. 🧟‍♂️🍺We go over the film's potential class commentary, potential Freudian interpretations and potential queerness. Basically, 'Shaun of the Dead' is RIFE with deeper …

Hola - our final creature feature of the month is Guillermo del Toro’s 2006 masterpiece, ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’.👞🍇🖐️👀🖐️🧚🩸In this episode, we discuss what makes a good monster, the role of imagination and escapism, the sacrificial demands of motherhood and the subconscious presence of various mythologies in horror films.You can find us on most platforms …

Hello jello! Our second creature feature film of the month is the 1988 sci-fi horror film ‘The Blob’, directed by Chuck Russell. 🌠🧫🧯👨🏿‍🚀🧊In this episode, we discuss the differences between the original and the remake, debate the physics of the blob and its vulvic appearance, and admire older horrors’ ruthless ability to kill off main characters lik…

Hi there, monsters. This month we will be talking about creature features, starting with the classic Japanese sci-fi horror film, 'Godzilla' (1954).🔥 🦖In this episode, we discuss how the Western remakes dilute the original film’s poignant political message, and how the 1954 'Godzilla' navigates the ethics of warfare and the implementation of scient…

Happy Valentine's Day, lovers!💋 To celebrate we’re talking about the 2016 cult horror-comedy, ‘The Love Witch’, directed by Anna Biller. 💟🗡️🩸We muse over just how DOWN BAD Elaine is, discuss the film’s portrayal of compulsory heterosexuality, and debate the limits of self-objectification as a means for empowerment.You can find us on most platforms …

For our last Bollywood horror episode of the month, we’re tackling the 2020 Hindi-language horror 2018 film ‘Bulbbul’, directed by Anvita Dutt Guptan. 🌕🔴🦶🏽First we discuss the folklore surrounding the churail – a Southeast Asian witch – and Anita Dutt’s tragic/feminist twist on the legend. We then go into the potential aestheticisation of violence …