Horror Homeroom Conversations

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 in a dryer so stay tuned!

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 importance of a killer costume in this episode, so stay tuned!

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 explicitly on the #MeToo era. But is it effective? We’re talking political horror, Joe Bob Briggs and the importance of audience spectatorship on this episode, so stay tuned!

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 franchise’s legacy and why the films still make our hearts go flopsy when we contemplate your sweet autopsy. So stay tuned!

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 spectatorship? We’re a divided Horror Homeroom crew on this episode, so stay tuned!

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.

In part two of our School's Out series for June, we're looking at how queerness has been represented in horror films and discussing why these depictions matter. We're also giving our list of top 10 non-horror LGBTQ+ films.

In part one of our School's Out series for June, we're pairing one horror film with one non-horror film in order to show the fluidity of the genre. In this episode, we're celebrating Pride 2019 by breaking down all the components that make But I'm a Cheerleader (1999) and Psycho Beach Party (2000) so darn irresistible.

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. In doing so, each film reveals a surprising depth that challenges horror film conventions.

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!