Horror Queers

Latest Episodes:

The Fan (1981) feat. Michael Varrati May 20, 2026

Show notes

Stay out of the pool and work on your singing because we're talking Edward Bianchi's The Fan (1981) starring Grand Dame Lauren Bacall and a twinky Michael Biehn.

Joining us for the discussion is returning guest Michael Varrati, who dubs the film "parasocial peril" and praises Bacall's emotionally vulnerable performance as aging starlet Sally Ross.

Look for adaptation questions about Bob Randall's pulpy source material; critiquing James Garner's autobiography; and highlighting the subway stalking and pool slicing sequences.

Plus: the queer coding of Douglas Breen; the film's uneasy place in (horror) history; and trying to figure out the plot of in-movie musical Never Say Never.

>Support Michael's queer horror comic, 'Four Seasons of Fear: A Year of Queer Horror' on Kickstarter here

>Our Bloody Disgusting editorial: “Stanning” Goes Too Far in ‘The Fan’

Questions? Comments? Snark? Connect with the boys on BlueSky, Instagram, Youtube, Letterboxd, or join the Horror Queers Discord to get in touch with other listeners.

> Trace: @tracedthurman (BlueSky)/ @tracedthurman (Instagram)

> Joe: @joelipsett (BlueSky) / @bstolemyremote (Instagram)

> Michael: @michaelvarrati (BlueSky) / @michaelvarrati (Instagram) / Midnight Mass Podcast (website)

Be sure to support the boys on Patreon!

Show Art: Travis Falligant / Theme Music: Alexander Nakarada

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mortal Kombat II (Patreon Klip) May 19, 2026

Show notes

Here's a sneak peek at our all new Patreon minisode on Simon McQuoid's sequel/franchise kourse korrection Mortal Kombat II (2026).

Like what you hear? Head on over to www.patreon.com/horrorqueers and become a Patron for more exclusive bonus content today!

Show Art: Travis Falligant / Theme Music: Alexander Nakarada

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Poseidon Adventure (1972) feat. Stacie Ponder May 13, 2026

Show notes

Climb that metallic Christmas tree and follow that renegade reverend because we're going to Hell (upside down!) in Irwin Allen's production of Ronald Neame's The Poseidon Adventure (1972)! Tagging in for the conversation is horror blogger and Final Girl After Dark podcast host Stacie Ponder.

Join us as we tackle a movie filled with Academy Award winners both in front of and behind the camera. We laud its era-defining (and Oscar-winning) special effects, while sobbing over all things Shelley Winters. No one phones it in in this disasterpiece from Master of Disaster Irwin Allen.

Plus: "My Linda!", the shocking adaptation change made to Paul Gallico's 1969 source novel, a semi-positive portrayal of sex work in a '70s film and emphasizing the importance of grieving dead characters in a disaster movie.

Questions? Comments? Snark? Connect with the boys on BlueSky, Instagram, Youtube, Letterboxd, or join the Horror Queers Discord to get in touch with other listeners.

> Trace: @tracedthurman (BlueSky)/ @tracedthurman (Instagram)

> Joe: @joelipsett (BlueSky) / @bstolemyremote (Instagram)

> Stacie: Final Girl (Blog) / Final Girl After Dark (Podcast)

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Hokum (Patreon Clip) May 08, 2026

Show notes

Here's a sneak peek at our all new Patreon minisode on Damian McCarthy's third feature, Hokum (2026).

Like what you hear? Head on over to www.patreon.com/horrorqueers and become a Patron for more exclusive bonus content today!

Show Art: Travis Falligant / Theme Music: Alexander Nakarada

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Like Minds (2006) May 06, 2026

Show notes

Pack your taxidermy kit and catch the night train because we are discussing writer/director Gregory J. Read's Like Minds (2006).

The film explores the Gestalt relationship that develops between two boys, Nigel and Alex (Tom Sturridge and Eddie Redmayne - in his feature debut) at a boarding school, as well as a series of murders that forensic psychologist Toni Collette (and her bangs) is investigating in the present.

It's a wild ride, filled with way more bizarre shit than expected. Expect plenty of debate about what exactly is going on here! Big thanks to listener Rachel for bringing this odd little Aussie/UK co-production to our attention!

Reference: Tony McMahon. "Knights Templar – were they secret Cathars?" The Templar Knight

Questions? Comments? Snark? Connect with the boys on BlueSky, Instagram, Youtube, Letterboxd, or join the Horror Queers Discord to get in touch with other listeners.

> Trace: @tracedthurman (BlueSky)/ @tracedthurman (Instagram)

> Joe: @joelipsett (BlueSky) / @bstolemyremote (Instagram)

Be sure to support the boys on Patreon!

Show Art: Travis Falligant / Theme Music: Alexander Nakarada

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Thrash/Deep Water Double Feature (Patreon Clip) May 05, 2026

Show notes

Here's a sneak peek at our all new Patreon minisodes (that's plural!) on recent shark disaster movies Thrash (dir. Tommy Wirkola) and Deep Water (dir. Renny Harlin). Which one comes out on top? Or are they both equally sharktastic? Listen and find out!

Like what you hear? Head on over to www.patreon.com/horrorqueers and become a Patron for more exclusive bonus content today!

Show Art: Travis Falligant / Theme Music: Alexander Nakarada

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

One Hour Photo (2002) Apr 29, 2026

Show notes

Prep your photo wall and cancel the room service because we're talking Mark Romanek's One Hour Photo (2002). C/W: Childhood sexual abuse

Starring Robin Williams, this combination character study/thriller finds the comedian playing against type as an awkward photo technician who fantasizes about the perfect life of one particular family.

Plus: Detective Photographer; 2000s hairdos; early influencer horror; and plenty of debate about when and how the "twist" is used (with comparisons to other texts like Psycho and Mysterious Skin)

CORRECTION: We mistakenly state that Nine Inch Nails covered Johnny Cash's "Hurt", when it's very much the other way around. Oops!

Questions? Comments? Snark? Connect with the boys on BlueSky, Instagram, Youtube, Letterboxd, or join the Horror Queers Discord to get in touch with other listeners.

> Trace: @tracedthurman (BlueSky)/ @tracedthurman (Instagram)

> Joe: @joelipsett (BlueSky) / @bstolemyremote (Instagram)

Be sure to support the boys on Patreon!

Show Art: Travis Falligant / Theme Music: Alexander Nakarada

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Lee Cronin's The Mummy (Patreon Clip) Apr 28, 2026

Show notes

Here's a sneak peek at our all new full-length Patreon episode on Lee Cronin's The Mummy (2026), otherwise known as Evil Dead Rise: The Egyptian Redux.

Like what you hear? Head on over to www.patreon.com/horrorqueers and become a Patron for more exclusive bonus content today!

Show Art: Travis Falligant / Theme Music: Alexander Nakarada

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Happening (2008) feat. Lindsay Traves Apr 22, 2026

Show notes

Prepare for a colossal culling and try to stay ahead of the wind because we're discussing M. Night Shyamalan's much-maligned film The Happening (2008) in celebration of Earth Day! Tagging in for the conversation is Pajiba senior critic Lindsay Traves.

Join us as we offer up not a defense of the film, but rather a desire to see a paradigm shift in the way people view it (meaning: we want you to dislike it for the "right" reasons). This is Shyamalan's self-proclaimed "best B-movie you’ve ever seen" and, as uneven as it is, the comedy is all intentional! Or most of it is, anyway...

Plus: math vs. statistics, declaring Shyamalan the king of the nonsense newscast, so many comparisons to Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds and debating whether or not Zooey Deschanel's character is stealthily trying to kill that little girl for the whole movie.

Questions? Comments? Snark? Connect with the boys on BlueSky, Instagram, Youtube, Letterboxd, or join the Horror Queers Discord to get in touch with other listeners.

> Trace: @tracedthurman (BlueSky)/ @tracedthurman (Instagram)

> Joe: @joelipsett (BlueSky) / @bstolemyremote (Instagram)

> Lindsay: Author Page (Pajiba) / @smashtraves (Instagram)

Be sure to support the boys on Patreon!

Show Art: Travis Falligant / Theme Music: Alexander Nakarada

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Mummy (1932) Apr 15, 2026

Show notes

Don't open that sarcophagus and prepare the fainting couch because we're discussing Karl Freund's The Mummy (1932).

Continuing the tradition of Universal Monster films, this Boris Karloff chiller is short and sweet, but we think it has one of the best female characters in Zita Johann's Helen/Princess Anck-es-en-Amon.

Plus: hating on David Manners' Frank; comparisons to Stephen Sommers and Tom Cruise's remakes; Karloff's painful (but great) make-up effects; and a queer reading about hiding who you are to pass in society.

Reference: Jonathon Greenall. "Coming Out of the Casket: Queer Themes in The Mummy (1932)." Nighttide Magazine.

Questions? Comments? Snark? Connect with the boys on BlueSky, Instagram, Youtube, Letterboxd, or join the Horror Queers Discord to get in touch with other listeners.

> Trace: @tracedthurman (BlueSky)/ @tracedthurman (Instagram)

> Joe: @joelipsett (BlueSky) / @bstolemyremote (Instagram)

Be sure to support the boys on Patreon!

Show Art: Travis Falligant / Theme Music: Alexander Nakarada

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.