Girls, Guts, and Giallo

I'm trying out a new venture where I review new movies with guests. I promise that the fact that I've hated everyone so far is a complete coincidence! Caleb Luna joins me to discuss Darren Aronofsky's lauded new film, The Whale. We cover fat archetypes in film, Brendan Fraser's comeback, and the tyranny of the fat suit. 

Sign up for more me at patreon.com/girlsgutsgiallo 

Bibliography: 

Gay, Roxane. "The Cruel Spectacle of ‘The Whale’." The New York Times, December 10, 2023. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/10/opinion/the-whale-film.html

The first part in a special series about gay pornography in the 1970s-1980s. Brother in filth and host of the podcast Pure Garbage, Kamikaze Jones, joins me for a four part deep dive into the work of four different gay porn film directors. We begin our journey with an anal-ysis of two Peter de Rome films. 

Sign up for my patreon and join my discord community at patreon.com/girlsgutsgiallo

The prolific Kat Ellinger joins me for a thorough discussion on a sub category within the giallo genre: GOTHIC GIALLI (also called giallo fantastico and chamber gialli). We discuss a suite of films, why we love them and the psycho-sexual perverse themes they explore. We even foray into Italian film industry history and rant about ape sex. 

You should follow Kat and all the brilliant work she does on her patreon: patreon.com/confessionsofacineslut

And subscribe to my patreon at patreon.com/girlsgutsigallo

SPOILER HEAVY! Film critic Angelica Jade Bastién joins me to discuss the new Hellraiser reboot! We didn't love it, to say the least. 

Check out Angelica's writing here! 

I'm not sure what possessed me. I blame COVID madness. Apologies in advance for my singing voice. If I made you laugh, sign up at patreon.com/girlsgutsgiallo

I'm back with a new season of Girls, Guts, & Giallo! Did you miss me? Let me know by signing up for my Patreon. To celebrate Daddy Cronenberg's new film Crimes of the Future, Mistrexx Mars joins me to discuss the film that introduced many of the concepts we associate with the director: Videodrome! 

For this special episode, film and video art professor Sid Branca joins me for a nearly 2 and a half hour rigorous discussion on the concept of the "Male Gaze." We use Laura Mulvey's famous essay "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" and take it to task. The first part is available for free, but you'll need to sign up for my Patreon for the rest: patreon.com/girlsgutsgiallo. 

Queer NOLA Witch Lizxnn Cobalt Chrome joins me in celebration of SINISTER SISTERS month to discuss this legendary horror film. This was a juicy 2 hour episode. I’m offering the first hour free for your enjoyment, but if you want the whole discussion, you’ll have to sign up for my Patreon at Patreon.com/girlsgutsgiallo or through Spotify subscriptions. Remember on my Patreon I offer a whole host of bonus content, including bonus episodes, a newsletter with my recommendations of the month in reading, music, film, and kink, and live film screenings hosted by yours truly. And I now have a Discord and a Book Club! We have our own little community there. I hope you’ll join us. That’s patren.com/girlsgutsgiallo. Enjoy the show!

Queer artist, hole enthusiast, and instigator Nayland Blake joins me for a gooey discussion on the first four Alien films. We use Barbara Creed's seminal text "The Monstrous Feminine" as a framework for our analyses. Holes are wrecked, primal scenes are witnessed, and it's all very slimy. 

Lucé and I return with the rest of our discussion about Rosemary's Baby. Content note for discussions of rape and abuse. 

Subscribe to my Patreon at Patreon.com/girlsgutsgiallo

I'm back after a much needed break from main podcast episodes! For this new episode, I talked to music journalist Suzy Exposito about Harmony Korine's film, "Spring Breakers." We discuss themes related to whiteness and cultural tourism, culture at the beginning of the 2010s, and what Britney Spears represents to millennials. If you're missing more podcast episodes from me, be sure to subscribe to my Patreon at patreon.com/girlsgutsgiallo for bonus episodes and screenings. 

Horror writer Gretchen Felker-Martin joins me to discuss her favorite film, Ken Russell's extremely controversial nasty, "The Devils." We talk about the ethics of the film's production, horny nuns, and why we love this outrageous movie so much. 

Artist and writer Drusilla Adeline joins me for a discussion on Dario Argento's most famous film. This episode was originally a bonus episode on my Patreon that I've decided to release in honor of the late Daria Nicolodi. If you love giallo history and lots of gender analysis, give it a listen. 

Tina Horn returns to dissect Terry Gilliam's cult classic about failed, dystopian bureaucracy. It's a long one, folks! Buckle up. 

Maria De Paula Vázquez, one of the programmers and volunteers at London Deptford Cinema, joins me to discuss the blaxploitation horror film Sugar Hill. We discuss hybrid horror/blaxploitation, the difference between voodoo zombies and contagion zombies, and revenge film cycles. 

Video artist and filmmaker Danica Uskert joins me to discuss the controversial masterpiece directed by Nagisa ōshima. I give a brief history on erotic Japanese cinema, Danica enlightens us on the details of the real Abe Sada case, and we dive deep into the plot and symbolism of one of our favorite films. 

Recorded pre-quarantine, I join film critic Sarah Fonseca in her luxurious Brooklyn bedroom to dish about this film noir classic. We talk femme fatales and the specific way gay men objectify women as "muses." This episode pairs nicely with the June Patreon bonus episode Sarah and I recorded on the work of director Shirley Clarke. Sign up at patreon.com/girlsgutsgiallo to hear it! 

Happy Pride! What a delight. I'm joined by fellow lesbian vampire Miss Malice! Double your trouble, double your fun. We talk bout one of my favorite lesbian vampire films, a gothic Hammer production starring sex symbol Ingrid Pitt. Listen to us gush over this sexy cinema treat. 

Associate editor of Diabolique Magazine and film writer Samm Deighan joins me for a wonderful deep dive into this giallo-esque horror film. We talk Alice in Wonderland tropes, trauma, and misogyny in what I've dubbed as "the Italian horror response to Rosemary's Baby." 

Subscribe to my Patreon for bonus content and live screenings/discussions at patreon.com/girlsgutsgiallo

In order to preserve the quality of the free episodes while dedicating more time to my growing Patreon, I'm shifting to a release schedule of every other Friday! The podcast returns next week. If you miss me, sign up for my Patreon at Patreon.com/girlsgutsgiallo 

Autostraddle writer Dani Janae joins me to discuss the queer themes in this classic horror flick. A great watch for going crazy in your house during quarantine! 

I had a proper 2 hour catharsis with my friend and colleague Michael Carroll about this outrageously homophobic Kevin Smith film. The second hour of this episode is available exclusively on my Patreon at patreon.com/girlsgutsgiallo! 

Perhaps the episode where I laugh the most because Liz Zito joins me to discuss this Cronenberg classic. We amble through this fleshy plot and birth some inspired discourse along the way. Delicious. 

Kelly Gredner of the Spinsters of Horror joins me to discuss Russ Meyer's iconic cult film. Listen to us dissect this classic (also I talk about boobs a lot). 

Subscribe to my Patreon for bonus content! 

I'll be waiting for you...

Thank you for a great first season! I'll be back in 2020. Please listen to this episode for details, shoutouts, "Eyes Wide Shut" trivia, and a re-assessment of my goals for the show. 

My friend Jory Shareff joins me to talk about masculinity, ghost stories, and homoeroticism in Robert Egger's new film. This episode is available exclusively on my Patreon. 

Illustrator and scholar JB Brager joins me to discuss one of the most controversial films of all time, Pier Paolo Pasolini's "Salò." Based on a book by the Marquis de Sade, this explores themes of capitalism, fascism, sadism, and the abject. We had a few internet issues while recording this so please ignore the slight technical issues. 

As always, please subscribe to my Patreon for bonus content. 

This month's bonus episode is a bit different. I've recorded an audio version for you all of my lecture on fat women in American Film and Television. Fat women in American film and television are historically invisible. When they are present, they appear as villains, funny sidekicks that act as a foil to a pretty main character, or as objects of pity (often played by thin actresses in fat suits). Only recently have self-actualized representations of fatness graced our screens. Even still, they are few and far between. This lecture uses existing fat studies scholarship to categorize representations of fatness in American film and television and examines their sexist and racist messaging.

The full audio of this lecture is available only on my Patreon!

Sarah Patterson joins me again for this month's Patreon bonus episode to talk about the genre blending Netflix thriller, "The Perfection." We discuss depictions of rape and what morality means in an immoral, patriarchal world. The full episode is available exclusively on my Patreon! 

Happy Halloween! I decided to do something a bit different to celebrate the podcast's first Halloween episode. My best femme Sarah Patterson and I talk about our kinky gay horror root films. We discuss BDSM favorites like Hellraiser and Bram Stoker's Dracula. You'll also get to hear the beautiful voice messages I received from fellow leather dyke listeners about their leather root! I feel honored to have edited them together, thank you for...submitting. 

Support this podcast by subscribing to my Patreon!

CORRECTION: Dee Snider's political views are unclear at this time. 

I'm so pleased to have Renée Bever from ATTACK OF THE QUEER WOLF back on the show to talk about "Candyman." This is a film rich in history in symbolism so this is an extra long episode. We talk about the heavy themes that this movie explores in depth. 

Find me on Instagram and Twitter @girlsgutsgiallo and subscribe to my Patreon for bonus content!

Fetish photographer Lanee Bird and I discuss the movie that's embedded in our goth DNA: Tony Scott's "The Hunger." We  gush over this lush, lesbian vampire classic starring Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie, and Susan Sarandon. 

Lanee is one of my favorite photographers and you should absolutely follow her on Instagram. You can find me on Instagram and twitter @girlsgutsgiallo and subscribe to my Patreon!

This full episode is available exclusively on my Patreon. In the Vampire Lover tier, patrons are able to choose films for me to talk about. For the first episode available to my Vampire Lover tier,  patron James-Michael has chosen the film "Pieces." Enjoy and see you next month with another patron selected bonus episode! 

Queer video artist and all around media master Mason Buck joins me this week to talk about the notorious Penthouse production, "Caligula." Mason is a veritable  cinema historian and we revel in this trashy celluloid artifact. We talk about the controversial history behind the production of the film and dissect it scene by scene.

Find me on Instagram and Twitter as @girlsgutsgiallo and subscribe to my Patreon for bonus content!

Correction: In this episode I say that this is the first episode I've done on a film about a real person. That honor actually belongs to episode 2 on "Pretty Baby."

Queer horror filmmaker Sam Wineman joins me for a deep dive into Jennifer Lynch's much maligned  "Boxing Helena." There is a lot to unbox here so it's a long one. We pick this film clean. We discuss the film's controversial background and the emasculated male's misogynist imagination. 

You can watch Sam's short horror film "The Quiet Room" on Shudder! As always, follow me on Instagram and Twitter @girlsgutsgiallo and consider subscribing to my Patreon for 

Can you believe Mercedes Lake saw this movie three times? We talk about codependency, shitty men, and whiteness in Ari Aster's new film. 

The full hour long episode on "Midsommar" is available exclusively on my Patreon!

Burlesque performer Seraphina Wilder joins me to discuss cult feminist classic "Jennifer's Body." We talk about Megan Fox's fall from grace, rape revenge metaphors, and women's relationship to primalism and nature. 

Follow me on Instagram and Twitter as @girlsgutsgiallo and subscribe to my Patreon for bonus content. 

Lost Boys historian Julia Levine joins me this week to talk about her all time favorite film. I eat an edible and babble on about how gay this movie is while Julia drops knowledge on me. Also, Julia starts randomly bleeding from a puncture wound in her thigh mid episode, which feels like a sign. 

As always, follow me on Instagram and Twitter @girlsgutsgiallo and subscribe to my Patreon for bonus content. 

BJ Colangelo  hopped on a phone call with me to talk about the new Quentin Tarantino film. I started the conversation thinking we had very different opinions, and ended it realizing we actually shared a lot of the same concerns and enjoyed similar aspects of the film. I really love this episode and I'm excited to share it with you. For the full episode, head on over to my Patreon and become a subscriber to receive bonus content! And as always you can find me on Twitter and Instagram @girlsgutsgiallo. 

Renée Bever of Attack of the Queerwolf joins me this week to talk about "Pink Flamingos," the subversive classic directed and written by trash connoisseur John Waters. We talk about fatness as abject and celebratory, being filth mongers, and queer mourning before and after Stonewall. 

Become a patron of the podcast and receive bonus episodes and writings! Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @girlsgutsgiallo or send me an email at [email protected] 

Laura Marie Marciano, professor and founder of gemstone readings, joins me for this week's episode on "She-Devil" directed by Susan Seidelman and starring Roseanne Barr and Meryl Streep. This is the first comedy AND the first film directed by a woman to be discussed on this podcast. We talk about fatness, beauty privilege, and Roseanne's legacy. Because of situational factors, this episode was recorded outside so please excuse the sounds of birds chirping and Laura banging her acrylics on a glass table every so often. 

Become a Patron of the podcast and receive bonus episodes and writings! Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @girlsgutsgiallo or send me an email at [email protected] 

Sarah is back to discuss Paul Verhoeven's infamous "Showgirls," a film that has been beloved, maligned, and relegated to cult film status. We talk about our relationship to the film as femmes and former sex workers. Please consider being part of the "Girls, Guts & Giallo" Patreon. You can find me on Instagram and twitter @girlsgutsgiallo or send me an email at [email protected]. Find Sarah on Instagram @jerseytrashfemme! 

This week I've decided to release a teaser preview of the bonus content available exclusively on my Patreon. For $10 a month, you'll receive bonus episodes where I discuss new releases and provide companion readings. Each tier has it's own benefits, starting at only $1 a month. So please consider supporting independent queer creatives and become a patron! 

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @girlsgutsgiallo 

It's officially Pride weekend and I'm joined by June (@anarcho_slut) for an in depth examination of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." We gush about how this film helped us discover our queer freak selves and why we believe it is still an important and relevant piece of art. 

Please consider donating to my Patreon. Give me a follow on Instagram and Twitter as @girlsgutsgiallo you can also send me an email at [email protected]