Horror Nerds at Church

Emily (they/them) and Pace (they/them) are joined by guest Rev. Justin Thornburgh (he/they) to discuss Hotel Transylvania ! We discuss Justin’s work as a death doula before diving into themes of masculinities, child rearing, and safe spaces. Also, what do vampires turning into bats have in common with some youth pastors? Find out all of this and more in our latest episode of Horror Nerds at Church...

We’ve finally made it, spider-monkeys. Emily and Pace cover The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 . We take a deep dive into purity culture, truth, and some of the ongoing racism of the series. Also, how many tries does it take to master a new skill? Find out all of this and more on this episode of Horror Nerds at Church . CW: purity culture, racism, and anti-choice propaganda Media mentioned: B...

Emily (they/them) and Pace (they/them) are joined by special guest, author, scholar, activist, artist, podcast co-host of Blackberry Jams , and pastor Rev. Lenny Duncan (they/them) to talk about the first cool Marvel movie, Blade . We nerd out about the comics before taking a deep dive into the state of the church, racism, and the rise of fascism. This conversation gets deep y’all, and this episod...

Emily (they/them) and Pace (they/them) are joined by past guest Suzannah Porter (she/her) to talk about Breaking Dawn Part 1 . We talk movie weddings, anti-choice and anti-abortion rhetoric, bears, and even give some advice from your queer elders. Also, did you remember to take your meds? Find out all of this and more on this episode of Horror Nerds at Church ! CW: abortion and anti-chocie rhetori...

Vampires were never sexier (or gayer) than the 1994 film Interview with the Vampire. Emily (they/them) and Pace (they/them) are joined by Rev. Alex Raabe (he/him) to talk frilly clothes, longing stares, and the brooding existential wanderings of Louis. Also, how reliable of a narrator is Louis, anyway? Find out all of this and more on this episode of Horror Nerds at Church! CW: queerphobia in the...

Vampires and werewolves and transfigurations, oh my! Pace (they/them) and Emily (they/them) continue their watch through of the Twilight franchise with The Twilight Saga: Eclipse . They take a deep dive into sex education, purity culture, and finding belonging. Also, does Esme have any vampire powers? Find out all of this and more in this episode of Horror Nerds at Church ! CW: discussions of puri...

It’s Holy Week so Pace (they/them) and Emily (they/them) tackle one of the most horrific films about Jesus ever made, The Passion of the Christ . We talk about the gore, the anti-Semitism, and whether this movie should truly be classified as a horror film. Also, why is Jesus so white? Find out all of this and more in this episode of Horror Nerds at Church ! CW: discussions of anti-Semitism and que...

Pace (they/them) and Emily (they/them) are joined by super-fan Rev. Kelsey Brown (she/her) to talk Twilight New Moon ! We discuss agency, the problematic portrayal of Native Americans in the franchise, and continue our look at vampire mythos. Also, are we team Edward or team Jacob? Find out all of this and more in this episode of Horror Nerds at Church! CW: racism mentioned in real life horror sto...

Pace (they/them) and Emily (they/them) are joined by Bp. Brenda Bos (she/her) the first openly lesbian bishop in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) to talk about Daughters of Darkness . We talk about the importance of foreplay, try to discern the nonsensical plot, and share our love for the wardrobe. We then take a deep dive into types of grief, darkness as beautiful, and sapphic va...

Pace (they/them) and Emily (they/them) talk polyamory. We talk about polyamory, relationship anarchy, God’s abundant love, and a brief history of polyamory. We end with a real life church polyamory story submitted by anonymous. Content warnings: We talk about human sexuality and complexity of relationships in this episode. Resources mentioned in this episode: -Nerds at Church’s episode on Relation...

Pace (they/them) and Emily (they/them) are joined by horror author T.J. Tranchell (he/him) to talk about Twilight . We talk about sparkly vampires, relationship red flags, and take a deep dive into the Mornon theological subtext of the film.  Also, does this episode include our scariest real-life church horror story? Find out all of this and more in this episode of Horror Nerds at Church! Con...

Pace (they/them) is joined by returning guest co-host Rev. Abel Arroyo Traverso (he/they) along with guests Rev. Jennie Chrien (she/her) and Rev. Steven Simpson (he/him) to talk about the anime OVA Vampire Hunter D (1985). Stay tuned for BooTube 6: Part 2 on the anime follow-up Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2000), dropping April 1st exclusively on Patreon . CW: Brief discussion of stomach illness,...

Pace (they/them) is joined by co-host Rev. Emily E. Ewing (of Nerds at Church and Queerying.org fame) all season long to talk about vampires, starting with the one and only Dracula. We discuss vampire lore, science vs. superstition vs. religion, connections between vampires and the Eucharist (communion), and ponder on whether Dracula is actually a tragic hero? Also, is Dracula really queer, or is...

A sneak peek at Season 3: Twilight and Vampires! The first episode of season 3 drops Thursday, March 17, 2022. Support us on Patreon ! Buy some merch ! Follow us on Instagram , Facebook , and Twitter for all the latest updates about upcoming films, news, and other announcements. And don’t forget to comment, rate, and subscribe to us on your favorite podcast provider!

Finally, finally, the Friday the 13th Retrospective. Pace is joined by their husband and the podcast editor, Matt Warfield-May to talk all things Jason. We talk about hell, the hero’s journey, and rank the franchise. And! Listen to the end for the complete list of season 3 episodes! Books Mentioned: -The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell -Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash by James Kuhoric and i...

Pace (they/them) is joined by special guest co-host River Cook Needham (she/her), frequent contributor to Queerying.org , to talk about Blumhouse Studios Into the Dark: Midnight Kiss . We talk New Years’ Eve celebrations, chosen families, queer culture, and more. Also, what does healthy and ethical non-mongamy look like? Find out all of this and more on this episode of Horror Nerds at Church ! Con...

Merry Christmas! Pace (they/them) is joined by guest co-host Emily E. Ewing (they/them) and special guest JR Lux (she/they) to talk about the 1980s classic Gremlins. We talk ontological shifts, alignment charts, sci-fi references, and Christmas chaos. Check out JR’s instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/popculture_and_monsters. Access a transcript of this episode here. Content warnings: queerp...

Pace (they/them) and Page (they/them) talk about Batman Returns and take a deep dive into capitalism, the queer allegories of this film, and themes of suffering and redemption, not to mention the behind the scenes info about why many parents did not like this movie. Holy sexual tension, Batman! Also, could this be the greatest Batman movie of all time? Find out all of this and more on this episode...

Pace (they/them) is joined by special guest co-host JM Longworth (they/them) to talk about one of the most controversial Christmas horror films of all time, Silent Night, Deadly Night ! We talk purity culture, religious trauma, and global Santa traditions! Also, is the main character, Billy, queer? Maybe so! Find out all of this and more on this episode of Horror Nerds at Church ! Content warnings...

Pace (they/them) is joined by special guest Olivia LaFlamme Washington (they/them) to discuss the 2009 remake of Friday the 13th. We take a deep dive into whether or not the final girl can be considered feminist and what is so alluring about slasher films, anyway? Also, what is with the gritty remakes of the late 2000s? Find out all of this and more on this episode of Horror Nerds at Church ! Cont...

Pace (they/them) is joined by special guest Suzannah Porter (she/her) to bring you Horror Nerds at Church’s Queer Holiday Survival Guide! This episode features some tips on how to make it through the holidays for members of our queer community who have to navigate an often unsafe or at very least frustrating or stressful holiday season. We give tips on how to spend time with your chosen family, ho...

Freddy vs. Jason , or, as we dub the film, Twink vs. Muscle Bear: The Movie . After long last, the two titans of horror clash finger blades and machete to work out some… unresolved queer erotic tension? Or something? Anyway, Pace (they/them) is joined by guest co-host Abel Arroyo Traverso (he/they), to talk about this wild film. Content warnings: mention of sexual assault, racism, and the f-slur,...

They’re creepy and they’re kooky, mysterious and spooky, they’re… the Addams Family! Pace and guest co-host Emily E. Ewing are joined by special guest, Elle Dowd to talk about the film Addams Family Values . We begin by talking about Elle’s book, Baptized in Tear Gas , before taking a deep dive into the queer readings of this film, Wednesday’s Thanksgiving play, and much more! Also, are the Addams...

Join host Pace and guest co-host Emily E. Ewing as they read YOUR real life church horror stories. In today’s episode, they read two intense stories. Check out this minisode of Horror Nerds at Church ! Content warnings: suicide, sex offender, and child pornography If you are contemplating suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

Michelle Pfeiffer and Harrison Ford are an affluent WASPy couple experiencing empty nest syndrome and… a haunting? Join Pace and special guest co-host Allyson Waldon as we talk about the 2000 film What Lies Beneath as we take a deep dive into memory and revenge beyond the grave. Also, what’s with all the beige clothing? Find out all of this and more in this episode of Horror Nerds at Church ! Cont...