Horror Homeroom Conversations

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 hel...

In this episode, horror and pornography become not so strange bedfellows in Ti West’s "X". A love letter to 1970s low budget filmmaking, the movie blends humor, heart and lots of boobs to create a shockingly effective meditation on the complexities of aging. We’re going to spoil the hell out of this film today so stay tuned. Join us at Horror Homeroom for more in-depth horror analysis! Follow us o...

On today’s episode it’s creepy kids meets arthouse violence with 1976’s Alice, Sweet Alice . Arguably more Giallo than classic slasher, this film merges religious iconography with straight up taboo to reflect a specifically 1970s horror sensibility. But despite a rabid cult fanbase, this movie never quite ascended to the heights of other well known slashers of the era but why? We’re breaking it al...

In this episode, we are heading back to 1987 with Joseph Ruben's The Stepfather . Inspired by the horrific murders committed by John List, this movie doesn't just deconstruct the myth of the nuclear family, it detonates it...and sets it to a slamming 80s soundtrack. We're talking conservative values run amuck on this episode, so stay tuned!

How much do we love Adam Cesare's CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD (2020)? So much that we braved Zoom just to bring you this episode! From its in the moment politics to its creative deployment of slasher tropes, Dawn and Liz are explaining why this novel deserves its buzz on this episode so stay tuned! SPOILERS ABOUND IN THIS EPISODE SO TAKE HEED .

Killer kids take center stage in this episode in which we break down The Prodigy and Eli. Both dropping in 2019, these films center children and evil in ways that both reflect and challenge conventional depictions of childhood monstrosity. So stay tuned!

On today's episode love hurt as we look at the Canadian slasher My Bloody Valentine (1981), as well as its 2009 3D American remake. Quintessential slashers, these films demonstrate that although the tropes remain the same, there is a generational divide in how they are deployed. We're celebrating Valentine's Day the way it was intended on this episode with blood, gore, and a perfectly placed body...

One of the standout horror films of 2019, READY OR NOT was an unexpected hit with both fans and critics. Directed by the duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, this foray into generational lore and unrestrained privilege offers up an intriguing blend of campy gore and pointed black humor that feels particularly relevant in Trump's America. We’re talking satire, devil iconography and the impo...

What happens when feminists dislike a feminist anthem horror film? We're finding out today in our discussion on Black Christmas, the latest adaptation of the 1974 slasher that has grown to be a cult favorite. Directed by Sophia Takal, whose impassioned defense of the film’s PG-13 rating on Twitter launched debate over whether a horror film needs to be rated R to be enjoyable, the film draws explic...

On today’s episode we’re handling with scare two film festival darlings: Kurtis David Harder’s Spiral and J.D. Dillard’s Sweetheart. Genre hybrids with political messages very much in the cultural zeitgeist, both films are currently garnering buzz on social media. But do they deserve the accolades? We’re talking movie monsters, Republicans and representation in this episode, so stay tuned!

In this special episode of Horror Homeroom Conversations, we're talking about what movies have scared the hell out of us over the years. From irascible aliens to malevolent ghosts to religious zealots, we're breaking down our biggest fears and talking about why it is that we are so drawn to horror.

Greetings thrill shriekers! In this episode of Horror Homeroom Conversations, we're adding some shlock to our shock by reconsidering the Creepshow franchise. Beloved and reviled in equal measure for its decidedly campy love letter to EC horror comics of the 1950s, Creepshow is arguably still the standard for cinematic anthology horror. But does it deserve its accolades? We’re debating the franchis...

On today's episode we're talking The Curse of La Llorona (2019), Michael Chaves' ode to the popular Mexican folk story in which a ghostly woman in white stalks and kills young children. Does this horror film introduce some much needed LatinX representation into American horror film or does its potential go unmet? And how does the film's positioning of a white woman as the heroine impact audience s...

In today's episode, we’re wading into Alexandre Aja’s Crawl. Now, we all know that Jaws made a generation afraid to go into the ocean, but does this film’s ode to bloodthirsty alligators offer up a similar heart-pounding experience? And why are we so afraid of what lurks within the water? We’re giving some gator love on this episode, so stay tuned!

In this episode, we're talking about Tod Browning's 1932 landmark film, Freaks, and it's still controversial today depictions of disability.

Given its traditional focus on extreme violence and gratuitous sexuality, exploitation horror isn't for everyone. Our lists run the gamut from soul-crushing nihilism to campy silliness and to everything in between!

Think Jaws is the scariest reason to stay out of the water? Well, think again! In today’s episode, we’re deep diving into the Piranha franchise. A glorious mixture of exploitation and, at times, shockingly relevant social critique, Piranha is often dismissed as an uninspired parody but does it deserve that label? We’re breaking it all down on today’s episode so stay tuned!

Spinsters, witches, and hags, oh my! In many films, aging is a transgressive state but what does it mean to be "old" in horror and why are these characters more often than not female? In today's bonus episode, we're celebrating May being Older Americans Month by counting down our top ten favorite elderly characters in horror!

It's a totally bitchin' two for one on this episode of Horror Homeroom Conversations in which we head back to the 1980s with Todd Strauss-Schulson’s The Final Girls (2015) and François Simard, Anouk Whissell and Yoann-Karl Whissell’s Summer of 84 (2018). Criminally underrated, both films deploy depictions of nostalgia in order to reflect and then disrupt audience expectation of Reagan's America. I...

In honor of Earth Day, Gwen and Liz are counting down their top 10 picks for the best of the best in eco-horror. We're covering B-movie creature features, low budget "trash" films, harrowing contagion movies, and so much more!

The Horror Homeroom crew rarely agrees completely on a film but in this case, we're unanimous in our criticism of the latest adaptation of Stephen King's 'Pet Sematary.' From its privileging of male grief via the systematic erasure of adult female characters to its deeply misguided use of the Wendigo, this film had us wondering if perhaps dead is better when it comes to horror remakes.

1970s horror was a wild ride of gritty realism, nudity, questionable production quality, and original storytelling. It was also the era in which former A list stars popped up with alarming frequency. In this bonus episode, we're ranking our top 10 favorite films from the decade.

Jordan Peele’s Us has inspired a multitude of think pieces dissecting everything from its ridiculously good soundtrack to its striking visuals to its very open to interpretation plot. While few would argue its status as an interesting film, does that make it a good horror movie? We’re a divided crew on this episode of Horror Homeroom Conversations!

On this bonus episode of Horror Homeroom Conversations, we’re journeying back to the time of Bill Clinton, grunge and Barney the dinosaur. An admittedly divisive era in American horror film, the 1990s gave us a number of unforgettable films whose cultural impact is still being felt. Whether you consider the decade the boring counterpart to the 1980s or whether you dig the referential humor that ma...

In this episode of Horror Homeroom Conversations, we’re delving into the connective tissue that links Wes Craven’s 1991 The People Under the Stairs with Fede Álvarez’s 2016 Don’t Breathe. While both films feature protagonists breaking into homes only to discover unexpected horrors, do they send similar messages? And how do the urban environments depicted in the films factor into that messaging? We...