Anna Bogutskaya

The Final Girls: A Horror Film Podcast

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A weekly podcast dedicated to exploring horror film and TV history through a female lens. Each series we dissect a trope to death through deep dive conversations hosted by film critic and author Anna Bogutskaya.

Author

Anna Bogutskaya

Episodes

HERE BE WITCHES 14 • Practical Magic (1998) with Rhianna Dhillon 14.02.2020 1:04:26

It’s Valentine’s Day, and we couldn’t resist talking about one of my own childhood favourites, Practical Magic . It’s a mix of romcom, horror, fantasy, drama and it’s weird as hell and very much peak nineties. The story centers on Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian Owens (Nicole Kidman), the latest in a long line of witches who bear a particular curse: any man who dares to fall in love with an Owe...

HERE BE WITCHES 13 • Suspiria (1977) & Inferno (1980) with Clarisse Loughrey 07.02.2020 1:02:49

In this episode, we go deep on two witch horror classics: Suspiria (1977) and Inferno (1980), both directed by Dario Argento. Suspiria was the film that shot Argento to international fame, after it became an unexpected box office hit. It follows an an American ballet student, Susie (played by Jessica Harper) who transfers to a prestigious dance academy in Germany but realizes, after a series of br...

HERE BE WITCHES 12 • Drag Me To Hell (2009) with Mary Wild 31.01.2020 50:37

In this episode, we’re going to be discussing Sam Raimi’s comedy horror Drag Me To Hell in depth. Our protagonist is the young loan officer Christine (played by Alison Lohman), who, in order to prove to her boss that she can make the "hard decisions", chooses not to extend an elderly woman's mortgage. In retaliation, the woman, who turns to be a witch by the name of Mrs. Ganush, places a curse on...

HERE BE WITCHES 11 • Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2020) with Millicent Thomas 24.01.2020 1:20:30

"Hell is under new management" In this episode, we discuss in depth the new series of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina , available now on Netflix. Though she defeated her father Lucifer in the previous series, the Dark Lord remains trapped within the human prison of her boyfriend, Nick Scratch. Sabrina can't live with herself, knowing that Nick is burning in Hell. So with an assist from her mortal f...

HERE BE WITCHES 10 • Hocus Pocus (1993) with Tara Judah and Thea Berry 17.01.2020 48:40

We're diving into a childhood favourite and campy classic Hocus Pocus, from 1993. The devious Sanderson Sisters (a trio of witches, played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimi) return from the grave to continue their quest for immortality. The Sandersons were burnt at the stake in the 17th century because of their penchant for, ahem, sucking the lifeforce of children to remain f...

HERE BE WITCHES 09 • The Blair Witch Project (1999) with Nat Luurtsema 10.01.2020 54:14

In this episode, we’ll be taking on the 1999 found footage horror, The Blair Witch Project . The Blair Witch Project is the original found footage horror that follows three film students, Heather, Michael and Joshua, as they go into the Maryland backwoods to cover the mystery behind the Blair Witch incidents, which legend says are the product of an exiled witch taken her revenge on the town that w...

HERE BE WITCHES 08 • Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) with Becky Darke 03.01.2020 1:36:56

In our first episode of 2020, we dive in our first TV show AND a Very Important One at that: Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The beloved cult TV series, created by Joss Whedon, ran for seven seasons from 1997 til its finale in 2003. The series’ protagonist is the titular Buffy, a teenage girl trying to make sense of high school whilst also grappling with being the Slayer, the latest in a long line of y...

HERE BE WITCHES 07 • The Witch (2015) with Chloë Wicks 20.12.2019 47:26

In this episode of our witch series, we take on Robert Eggers' The Witch (aka The VVitch: A New England Folk Tale ). Set in 1630s New England, English settler William and his family—wife Katherine, daughter Thomasin, son Caleb, and twins Mercy and Jonas—are banished from a Puritan Colony over a religious dispute. William and Katherine try to lead a devout Christian life on an isolated and borderli...

HERE BE WITCHES 06 • The Witches (1966) with Marion Gibson 13.12.2019 54:36

In this episode, we discuss the lesser-known Hammer horror film The Witches (aka The Devil's Own ), starring Joan Fontaine as an uptight English teacher who comes into the small town of Heddaby to teach at a private children's school run by local siblings Stephanie Bax (Kay Walsh), a well-known journalist, and Alan (Alec McCowen), a wannabe vicar. Very soon, Gwen starts getting inklings that thing...

HERE BE WITCHES 05 • The Witches of Eastwick (1987) with Isaura Barbé-Brown 06.12.2019 51:56

In this episode, we discuss the comedy horror The Witches of Eastwick (1987), featuring a star-studded cast including Susan Sarandon, Michelle Pfeiffer, Cher and Jack Nicholson. Three single women in a village have their wishes granted when a mysterious and flamboyant man arrives in their lives. The film is full of raunchy comedy, big hairdos and presents witchcraft as an aspirational, empowering...

BONUS • The Nightingale (2019) + Interview with Aisling Franciosi 29.11.2019 50:23

Today, we take a little detour from our series dedicated to exploring witches onscreen to bring you a bonus episode about the new film by director Jennifer Kent, The Nightingale , released in UK cinemas today. The first part of the episode features special guest Tara Judah, Watershed's Cinema Producer, to discuss the film and how it portrays the pain, anger and injustice of Australian history. Wa...

HERE BE WITCHES 04 • The Skeleton Key (2005) with Kelli Weston 22.11.2019 1:02:42

In this episode, we discuss the hoodoo horror The Skeleton Key (2005), starring Kate Hudson, Gena Rowlands, John Hurt, Peter Sarsgaard and Joy Bryant. Anna is joined by film critic Kelli Weston to discuss the (questionable) merits of the film, its attempts at tacking history, race and ideas of passing and double-speak, as well as the genius of Gena Rowlands, how hoodoo and voodoo are often conflat...

HERE BE WITCHES 03 • Bell, Book and Candle (1958) with Becky Darke 15.11.2019 36:40

The Final Girls are a UK-based film collective exploring the intersections of horror film and feminism. In this episode, we discuss the Classic Hollywood romantic comedy Bell, Book and Candle, which stars legends Kim Novak, James Stewart and Jack Lemmon. Anna is joined by podcaster Becky Darke to discuss the the dark undertones of a seemingly fluffy romcom, the aspirational 'cool witch', the felin...

HERE BE WITCHES 02 • Maleficent (2014) with Rhianna Dhillon 08.11.2019 49:55

The Final Girls are a UK-based film collective exploring the intersections of horror film and feminism. In this episode, we dive into the different versions of Sleeping Beauty's main antagonist, Maleficent and her evolution from the Disney animated feature to the live-action spin off that gives the villainess a profound backstory. Anna is joined by film critic and broadcaster Rhianna Dhillon to di...

HERE BE WITCHES 01 • The Craft (1996) with Ione Gamble 31.10.2019 42:42

The Final Girls are a UK-based film collective exploring the intersections of horror film and feminism. Our first episode dives into the themes, teen goth aesthetic and legacy of The Craft (1996), starring Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell, Rachel True and Robin Tunney. Anna is joined by Ione Gamble, editor-in-chief of Polyester Magazine, to talk about the group dynamics of the coven, the problematics o...

Introducing... Here Be Witches 29.10.2019 2:41

The Final Girls are a UK-based film collective exploring the intersections of horror film and feminism. To coincide with our season of films and events, Here Be Witches, we will be focusing this first series on exploring all things witchcraft on film. Each episode, we will dive deep into films and TV shows that we can’t necessarily screen. Each episode, we’ll be joined with special guests to diss...