Pinky Up

With surgical precision, Adam and Zands dissect Georges Franju's 1960 horror/noir classic, Eyes Without a Face. In this film, a brilliant but disturbed surgeon and his assistant kidnap young women and surgically remove their faces to serve as transplants for his daughter who was disfigured in a car accident. They discuss the film's influences (German expressionism, film noir) and the artists it influenced (Del Toro, Burton), as well as its dark fairy tale storyline, its feminist themes and its anti-fascist/anti-authoritarian messaging. CW for surgery, animal attacks, some ore, medical abuses of women's bodies, suicide and human trafficking Zands' Rating: 5/5 Adam's Rating: 5/5 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/adam-venrick/support

The bear... did cocaine. A BEAR DID COCAINE! CW for ultra-violence and drug usage. Zands' Rating: 3.5/5 Adam's Rating: 3.5/5 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/adam-venrick/support

A single parent hanging on by a thread. A frustrated household staff. And a girl whose life changes for ever when a strange visitor invades their happy home. CW in episode. Just listen. Zands' Rating: 3.5/5 Adam's Rating: 3/5 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/adam-venrick/support

Adam and Zands welcome guest Zeenat Tabaku to the show to discuss Rita Mae Brown and Amy Holden Jones' feminist reimagining of the slasher film, The Slumber Party Massacre, which survived copious amounts of studio interference to become a cult classic. In this film, a group of young women gather for a slumber party, stalked by the prying eyes of neighborhood boys and by the menacing drill of an escaped lunatic. Discussed are the film's themes of the monstrous feminine, voyeurism, feminism in its many different forms, the different dangers men can pose to women and the motifs and clichés of the slashes genre. CW for nudity and sexualized violence Zeenat's Rating: 4/5 Zands' Rating: 4/5 Adam's Rating: 4/5 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/adam-venrick/support

This week, Adam and Zands are locked in with Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza's 2007, found-footage/zombie horror thriller, REC. In this film, a television crew and a group of firefighters are pulled into a terrifying fight for survival after a distress call at a Barcelona apartment building turns out to be more than they bargained for. Trapped inside with a killer virus, mutating residents and the military waiting outside to eliminate anyone who tries to leave, they must navigate the tensions in the building and growing network of zombies to have a hope of survival. Adam and Zands discuss the film's themes of repression, religion, distrust, xenophobia and the systemic destruction of women's bodies. CW for child (un)death and gruesomeness. Zands' Rating: 5/5 Adam's Rating: 5/5 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/adam-venrick/support

Adam and Zands review Prano Bailey-Bond's 2021 psychological horror film Censor. Set in Britain, in the height of the video-nasty era, Censor follows Enid, a repressed and tightly wound film censor who finds her ordered life disrupted when one of the films she reviews seems to offer evidence that her long-missing sister may still be alive. Discussed are the film's themes of reality, societal repression, misogyny, the role of media in society and violence. CW for attempted sexual assault, graphic discussions of sex and violence, on-screen child death, gaslighting and body horror. Zands' Rating: 3.5/5 Adam's Rating: 4/5 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/adam-venrick/support

This week, Adam and Zands take a journey across the pond with John Landis' 1981 horror comedy An American Werewolf in London. This film follows the lycanthropic descent of a young American after he is attacked by a wolf on the English moors. Discussed this week are the film's themes of alienation, gender, identity and its meta-relation to the werewolf films of yesteryear. CW for suicide, gaslighting (including medical gaslighting), gratuitous nudity, sex, home invasion and gore. Zands' Rating: 3.5/5 Adam's Rating: 3.5/5 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/adam-venrick/support

Adam and Zands discuss Jordan Peele's second directorial effort (anything but a sophomore slump), Us. In this film, a family fights for survival when their tranquil home life is invaded by a family of sinister doppelgängers. They discuss the film's themes of class, family, race, identity and American inequality, as well as the film's many homages to 80s pop culture and the horror genre in general. CW for child abduction and self-harm. Zands' Rating: 4/5 Adam's Rating: 4.5/5 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/adam-venrick/support

In this episode, Adam and Zands plunge into Peter Weir's 1975 gothic mystery film, Picnic at Hanging Rock, based on the novel by Joan Lindsay. In this film, a boarding school field trip into the Australian brush turns into horror when a group of students and one teacher mysteriously disappear. In their absence, questions are raised, secrets are revealed and the school's headmistress begins a tragic downward spiral. Discussed are the film's themes of humans vs. nature, traditionalism vs. modernity, repression, sexual awakening and many of the film's possible interpretations, plus the enigmatic final chapter excised from the source novel. CW for references to sexual assault, suicide and insects. Zands' Rating: 3/5 Adam's Rating: 4.5/5 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/adam-venrick/support

This week on the pod, Adam and Zands dig into their most "that's not how any of this works" film yet, with the 2011 psychological thriller, The Roommate. In this film, small town college Freshman, Sara moves to L.A. to study fashion and design, only to find herself the target of her roommate Rebecca's obsessive tendencies. The two discuss the film's treatment (or mistreatment) of mental illness, its script and its place in American film history as a relic from the darkest depths of early 21st Century American filmmaking. CW for self-harm, teacher-student sexual misconduct and cruelty to animals. Zands' Rating: 1.5/5 Adam's Rating: 1.5/5 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/adam-venrick/support

This week, Adam is joined by film journalist and critic Devin Meenan to discuss James Whale's seminal 1935 classic Bride of Frankenstein. In this film, as Dr. Frankenstein attempts to put his monster-filled past behind him and settle in with his fiancée Elizabeth, he is pulled once again into the realms of the dark by an old mentor, who has found Frankenstein's monster and is obsessed with making it a mate.  Adam and Devin discuss the film's themes of feminism and LGBT subtext, as well as its relationship to Shelley's original novel. CW for child death Adam's Rating: 4.5/5 Devin's Rating: 4.5/5 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/adam-venrick/support

Adam and guest-host Acey Nickel retreat to the dark corners of internet lore to discuss Don't Hug Me I'm Scared, a six episode virtual mini-series, which has gone on to spawn a cult following, a full-length Channel 4 series and a copious amounts of Reddit content. In this series, three odd characters (known only as Red Guy, Green Guy and Yellow Guy) live inside of what appears to be a children's TV series, where every week, they are taught lessons about subjects like Creativity, Love and Food. But each lesson comes with a dark, warped and twisted look at the world. Adam and Acey discuss the show's legacy, its commentary on children's media and consumer culture, its parallels to the neurodivergent experience in education. CW for torture, cannibalism, gore, loud noises and extreme discomfort. Acey's Rating: 4.5/5 Adam's Rating: 5/5 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/adam-venrick/support

This week, try not to get paranoid as Adam and Zands serve up a terrifying trio of tales from Italian horror maestro Maria Bava in this 1963 cult classic that served as a namesake for one of rock's most legendary bands. In this film, hosted by the legendary Boris Karloff, you will encounter three stories, each based on a classic tale of terror: The Telephone: which sees a call girl stalked by her former pimp whom she helped send to prison. The Wurdulak: which sees a family unravel when their patriarch is turned into a vampire. and The Drop of Water: In which a hospice nurse steals a ring from a dead patient, only to find its owner has come back to collect it. Zands and Adam dig into the film's place in the horror canon, its motif of doubling, its themes of evil, unknowability and the destruction of the safety of the home. CW for child death and gaslighting. Zands' Rating: 3/5 Adam's Rating: 3.5/5 Recipe for the "Boris Karloff Sandwich" * Rye Bread (marbled is best) * Turkey * Bacon * Muenster Cheese * Arugula * Dijon Mustard * Cranberry Sauce Toasted and served with a pickle spear, coleslaw and fries. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/adam-venrick/support

Adam and Zands brave the curse of Hideo Nakata's 1998 horror mystery film Ringu (Ring), the story of a reporter and her psychic ex-husband on a race against time to save themselves and their son from a death curse, brought on by a haunted video tape. The inspiration for the 2002 American remake starring Naomi Watts and Martin Henderson, this film takes a frightening look at the anxieties of motherhood, fatherhood, genetics, misogyny, and urban legends. CW for the onscreen violent death of a child and implied sexual coercion. Zands' Rating: 4.5/5 Adam's Rating: 5/5 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/adam-venrick/support

Enjoy a supplemental course as Adam and Zands' feast on Mark Mylod's 2022 dark-comedy/thriller The Menu. In this film, a group of wealthy diners find themselves trapped in a luxurious, island restaurant, at the mercy of its eccentric chef (Ralph Fiennes) who has a secret and sinister agenda. They discuss the film's themes of class, its depiction of 21st century religion, artist burnout, sexual politics and customer-service revenge fantasy. Note, this film is still in theaters and, while the full plot is not spoiled, the ending and many of the more memorable moments are, so if you wish to avoid spoilers, consider watching the film first. CW for suicide, unpleasant noises including sudden loud sounds and the sounds of people eating, mutilation and implied incest. Zands' Rating: 4.5/5 Adam's Rating: 4.5/5 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/support

For New Year's Eve, Adam and Zands dip into the murky depths of the 80's slasher bin. Is this 1980 Jamie Lee Curtis vehicle (get it?) really just "Halloween on a train?" or is there something more? In this slow-burning slasher, a group of med students, responsible for a sadistic prank, board a New Year's Eve masquerade train only stalked by a costume-changing killer, all under the veneer of bright lights and a magic show by David Copperfield. Adam and Zands discuss the film's depiction of frat culture, toxic masculinity, hazing, sexuality, illusion and its gender-bending twist. CW for dated and problematic depictions of drag, sex-based fraternity hazing and necrophilia. Zands' Rating: 3.5/5 Adam's Rating: 3/5 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/support

Adam and Zands look back at the first year of the podcast's existence. Their favorite (and least favorite) film moments and the moments that scared them the most. Plus, Adam's guide on 2022 in horror film. What to skip and what you should be dying to see. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/support

Adam pitches Zands Ingmar Bergman's underrated 1968 addition to the horror canon, Hour of the Wolf. The film, which moves in a sort of dream logic, follows the disintegration of the marriage of Johan and Alma Borg (Max von Sydow and Liv Ullman) at the hands of a sinister social club of aristocrats on a remote Swedish island. Adam and Zands discuss the film's oddly structured plot, it's themes of sexuality, repression, violence, pregnancy, parenthood, art and artist, regret and the connection between partners, as well as its metafictional mirroring of the relationship between Bergman and star Liv Ullman. CW for violent, onscreen child death, attempted spousal homicide and some nudity. Adam's Rating: 4.5/5 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/support

Adam, Zands and special guest Acey Nickel review Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett's 2019 action/horror/comedy Ready or Not, the story of a young bride forced to fight for her life on her wedding night, against her new husband's wealthy and eccentric family. They discuss the film's tongue in cheek humor, its campiness, its gore and its well-meaning if flawed eat-the-rich message. Also discussed are Junji Ito, Neil Gaiman, Beetlejuice, Candyman and Adam's best Uber-driver story. CW for gore (nails specifically), child death, gaslighting and strong drug use. Zands' Rating: 4/5 Adam's Rating: 4/5 Acey's Rating: 4/5 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/support

Adam and Zands explore Bob Clark's seminal 70s sorority slasher. Adam's "all-time-scariest-film." They explore the films feminist themes, its unapologetically pro-choice message, its stacked cast (including Olivia Hussey, Keir Dullea, Margot Kidder, Andrea Martin and Art Hindle) the way it blends burgeoning slasher horror with psychological drama and surreal sounds/colors to create a fully chilling experience. Remember: If this movie doesn't make your skin crawl... it's on too tight. CW for frank discussion of pregnancy, abortion and sexual assault as well as the off-screen murder of a minor. Zands' Rating: 4.5/5 Adam's Rating: 5/5 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/support

Adam and Zands dive into Herk Harvey's soul feature effort, an existential black and white ghost train about a church organist, haunted by a near-death experience, obsessed by a lonely, derelict carnival pavilion. They discuss the film's themes of loneliness, isolation, trauma and conformity, as well as its ambiguous ending and possible neurodivergent interpretations. Plus, Adam shares an odd tale from his own voyages through the American West.  CW for gaslighting. Zands' Rating: 5/5 Adam's Rating: 5/5 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/support

Adam and Zands discuss Eli Craig's Canadian-American backwoods black comedy Tucker and Dale vs Evil, from its sharp satire of classism and education to its less than successful depictions of sexual politics and gender to its relationship to genre classics like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. CW for implied sexual assault. Zands' Rating: 3/5 Adam's Rating: 3/5 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/support

Adam and Zands are dying to show you a good time on this week's episode of Blood and Celluloid as they review Ti West's 2022 sex-filled slasher X (with slight discussion of its sister film Pearl). They discuss its homages to genre classics like Psycho and Texas Chain Saw Massacre, its fantastic writing, its sex-positivity and treatment of pornography and its phenomenal performances. CW for heavy amounts of sex, nudity and unwanted sexual touching. This episode also makes reference to a scene of animal cruelty in the film Pink Flamingos. Zands' Rating: 4.5/5 Adam's Rating: 5/5 NOTE: Partway through the episode there was unexpected noise pollution which could not be cut around. Apologies for that. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/support

Adam and Zands are joined by author and actor Ethan McAtee to discuss Alfred Hitchcock's 1962 avian-thriller The Birds. In this green-screen heavy, garbage dump seagull filled classic, residents of a small NorCal village are attacked by a hostile flock of birds intent on... fowl play. CW for some moderate graphic violence and body horror and some Oedipal themes. NOTE: This episode was recorded during a three-person Zoom call. There is some audio distortion and unexpected noise at various points. Ethan's Rating: 4/5 Zands' Rating: 4.5/5 Adam's Rating: 4/5 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/support

Adam and Zands dig into the black-sheep of the Halloween franchise, featuring factory towns, killer Halloween masks, Stonehenge and absolutely NO MICHAEL MYERS (or is there?) This film, which was maligned on its release has enjoyed a critical and commercial re-appraisal in the last few years. Is it truly one of the series' weak-links or is it secretly a masterpiece? Or something else entirely? CW for on-screen child death and sexual harassment. Zands' Rating: 3.5/5 Adam's Rating: 3.5/5 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/support

Adam & Zands discuss David Robert Mitchell's 2014 psychological horror thriller It Follows, a fiendish "what would you do" film about a college student pursued by an entity which is passed from person to person via sexual encounters. They discuss the film's surreal mis-en-scene, its homage and criticism of 70s slasher films and its scariest scenes. CW for sexual assault, implied domestic violence and implied familial sexual violence. Zands' Rating: 4.5/5 Adam's Rating: 4/5 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/support

Adam and Zands discuss Kaneto Shindo's 1968 ghost story, Kuroneko. The story of two women brutalized and murdered by samurai who are resurrected as cat-ghosts to take bloody revenge. They discuss the movie's gender politics, its art-house feeling, its critique of toxic masculinity, the fraternity culture of the military and rape/revenge films in general. CW: for graphic sexual assault. Viewer/listener discretion is advised on this one. Zands' Rating: 4.5/5 Adam's Rating: 4/5 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/support

In this episode, Adam and Zands discuss the first part of Netflix's Fear Street trilogy, based on the books of R.L. Stein. From the acting to the killer soundtrack to the "oh, Britta's in this" of it all. CW for drug use, drug dealing, overdose, suicide and graphic violence. Zands' Rating: 4/5 Adam's Rating: 3.5/5 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/support

Adam and Zands delve deep into space (where you may or may not hear them scream) to discuss Ridley Scott's 1979 sci-fi/horror masterpiece Alien, the ultimate reminder of why you really don't like that one creepy scowling guy at your work. They discuss its legacy, its incredible effects and creature design, its gender and sexual politics and its place as a satire of late-stage capitalism and the modern workplace. CW for a frank discussion of sexual assault and sexual imagery. Zands' Rating: 5/5 Adam's Rating: 5/5 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/support

Adam and Zands discuss Robin Hardy's 1973 masterwork The Wicker Man (and it's troublesome Nic Cage led American cousin). The story of faith, fanaticism and temptation, The Wickerman sees Sgt. Howie (Edward Woodward) investigating a missing child on a remote island populated by cultists and led by the charismatic leader Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee). Adam and Zands discuss the film's legacy, it's influences and it's status as an art horror film. CW for gaslighting and graphic nudity/sexual situations. Zands' Rating: 5/5 Adam's Rating: 5/5 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/support

Adam & Zands discuss Dario Argento's 1977 witch-horror/giallo masterpiece Suspiria. From its beautiful set design to its ominous, omnipresent score to its towering performances by Alida Valli, Joan Bennett and Jessica Harper. CW for brutal violence and gore and gaslighting. Zands' Rating: 5/5 Adam's Rating: 5/5 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/support

Adam and Zands discuss James Wan's 2021 body-horror, giallo, dark comedy masterpiece(?) Malignant. Alongside a spoiler-filled plot summary, they discuss its themes of bodily autonomy and family, as well as its polarized reception among fans and critics alike. CW for domestic violence, miscarriage and graphic violence. Adam's Rating: 4.5/5 Stars Zands' Rating: 5/5 Stars --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/support

Adam and Zands discuss Tobe Hooper's influential 1974 masterwork, The Texas Chain Saw (two words) Massacre. In addition to a detailed plot synopsis, they discuss its legacy, its rather sketchy distribution company and its socio-cultural interpretations.  CW for self-harm, domestic violence and general grotesqueries. Adam's Rating: 5/5 stars Zands' Rating: 4.5/5 stars --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/support

Adam Frost-Venrick and Zands Lavric tease a new glimpse into horror, every Monday starting September 5, 2022. Each week features a discussion of a horror film (classics, modern films, foreign films and cult hits), as well as content warnings and thematic discussion all in spoiler-filled detail. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/support

--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/adam-venrick/support