Explore every episode of the podcast Quiet Little Horrors
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode 05.18: Hellbender | 27 Oct 2024 | 00:44:20 | |
To follow up our discussion with Toby Poser and John Adams, we take a closer look at their recent feature, also starring daughter Zelda Adams, Hellbender, and talk about folktales, monstrous mother-daughter relationships, and coming to terms with who you are. | |||
| Episode 05.17: Toby Poser and John Adams | 13 Oct 2024 | 00:55:12 | |
A little something different this time: we sit down with filmmakers Toby Poser and John Adams to discuss their homegrown horror films and what it's like working on a film as a family. Enjoy! | |||
| Episode 05.08: Vertigo | 05 Jun 2024 | 00:45:07 | |
Quick note: Our apologies for the delay with this episode—Jen was moving and has been even more scattered than usual. We're working our way through a series of episodes about films featuring doppelgangers and doubles, and for this one we reach back to classic Hollywood: Hitchcock's Vertigo. We discuss the meta machinery of making the "perfect" woman, how women end up participating in the same machinery themselves, and how much we love Midge. | |||
| Episode 05.07: Black Swan | 12 May 2024 | 00:41:31 | |
And we're back! We took a brief break and have returned with a long stretch of movies on a favorite theme: doppelgangers. We begin with 2010's Black Swan and discuss how it holds up over a decade after its release—especially these days, when the psychological horror film landscape is crowded with more unhinged women than you can shake a stick at, if that's your sort of thing. | |||
| Episode 05.06: The Strings | 31 Mar 2024 | 00:38:31 | |
You know what's really scary? Songwriter's block. And also maybe ghosts. But also maybe not? The Strings is one of the quietest and most subtle films we've covered, almost entirely about interiority, isolation, and the prices people pay for creation. But also maybe ghosts? Who can say. | |||
| Episode 05.05: Berberian Sound Studio | 17 Mar 2024 | 00:40:17 | |
This month we're delving into sound and music and all of their meta cinematic potential, beginning with the extremely meta Berberian Sound Studio. We discuss the practical art of sound effects, the tremendous performance of Toby Jones, and how one of our favorite movie endings is the dissolution of reality (we're very normal, that's why we have this podcast). | |||
| Episode 05.04: Crone Wood | 25 Feb 2024 | 00:39:04 | |
We go deep into the Irish wilderness for a found footage folk horror romp full of cults, secrets, and annoying young people with 2016's Crone Wood. | |||
| Episode 05.03: Robin Redbreast | 11 Feb 2024 | 00:32:37 | |
We go back to our roots with this overlooked gem of classic British folk horror, Robin Redbreast. Contains some progressive perspectives current society seems to have retreated from and enduring the life lesson that you should never sleep with boring men, however pretty they are. | |||
| Episode 05.02: Enys Men | 28 Jan 2024 | 00:40:50 | |
We get experimental with one of our favorites from the past year, Enys Men, and discuss the wide range of folk horror, the deadening repetition of women's lives, and being unstuck in time and space. You know, a nice, normal start to 2024. | |||
| Episode 05.01: 2023 Review | 14 Jan 2024 | 00:45:48 | |
Happy New Year! With 2023 in the books, we take a look back at our favorite films from the past year, new and old, and what we're looking forward to in 2024. | |||
| Episode 04.22: Black Christmases | 31 Dec 2023 | 00:38:03 | |
Now that we've discussed the original Black Christmas, there's nothing else to do this year but take a look at the two remakes: one from 2006 and one from 2019. They both have a hard time living up to the first, they each have a charming weirdness worth watching. | |||
| Episode 04.21: Black Christmas (1974) | 17 Dec 2023 | 00:45:21 | |
Merry Christmas! Don't answer your phone! Or trust your weirdly controlling boyfriend! But do drink and insult people à la Margo Kidder as Barb. Let's talk about the original Black Christmas. | |||
| Episode 05.16: The Strangler | 29 Sep 2024 | 00:53:32 | |
We go on an existential romp through loneliness, isolation, and serial killings, with a dash of bizarre sailor-themed nightclub musical. 1970's The Strangler is a French giallo of deep weirdness and opportunity for discussion—which is what we do around here, so this one is a good one. | |||
| Episode 04.20: Shadow of the Vampire | 27 Nov 2023 | 00:48:48 | |
We extend our discussion about silent horror films with one of the most interesting cinematic takes on the topic: 2000's Shadow of the Vampire. Come for Willem Dafoe as the somewhat comical undead, stay for the subtext about what horrific sacrifices humans should make for the sake of art. | |||
| Episode 04.19: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari | 12 Nov 2023 | 00:40:34 | |
This month we're getting classy and discussing a topic we haven't ventured into yet: silent horror film. We talk about the ones we love and the ones on our watchlists, and dig into the details of what silent horror film has to offer with The Cabin | |||
| 04.18: The 'Burbs | 29 Oct 2023 | 00:42:28 | |
The October theme is suburban horror, so what could we cover next but Tom Hanks's journey through the wilds of having very weird and somewhat suspicious neighbors: 1989's The 'Burbs. Let us appreciate Joe Dante, Carrie Fisher and Dick Miller. | |||
| Episode 04.17: Poltergeist | 15 Oct 2023 | 00:50:44 | |
It's October and so we're exploring the spookiest place of all ... the suburbs. This month we cover surburban horror, starting off with the classic of the genre: Poltergeist. | |||
| Episode 04.16: House | 01 Oct 2023 | 00:38:48 | |
For our second entry in our haunted house theme, it's time to get weird. We discuss one of the most gloriously bizarre horror movies there is: 1977's House (otherwise known as Hausu). Ghosts, cats, and watermelons, oh my. | |||
| Episode 04.15: Skinamarink | 17 Sep 2023 | 00:48:14 | |
We get experimental and existential with the minimalist horror of Skinamarink, the best low-budget way to relive your latchkey kid childhood trauma. Since this month's episodes are tied to haunted houses, we also discuss the short internet art film My house walk-through, another very fun and chill exploration of how simple things can scare the hell out of us on film.
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| Episode 04.14: The Other Carries | 27 Aug 2023 | 00:59:04 | |
Now that we've discussed the original Carrie, we decided to look at both remakes and, just for good measure, the sequel. So in this episode we're talking about Carrie from 2002, Carrie from 2013, and The Rage: Carrie 2 from 1999, and, more importantly, what it is about this story that leads us back to it again and again. | |||
| Episode 04.13: Carrie (1976) | 13 Aug 2023 | 00:43:17 | |
We usually play in the deeper, more obscure end of horror film, so this is probably the most well-known film we've covered so far—but there is plenty to talk about, psychologially speaking, in the original Carrie: the ultimate in slow-burn horror, buried female rage, and the explosive danger of being a teenage girl. | |||
| Episode 04.12: Jennifer's Body | 30 Jul 2023 | 00:45:19 | |
We join the march to give Jennifer's Body its long overdue flowers. Demonic possession, the intense and complicated friendships between teenage girls, and how the filmmakers got done dirty by the media. Turn it up. | |||
| Episode 04.11: Possession | 16 Jul 2023 | 01:04:01 | |
We could not in good conscience call ourselves a psychological horror podcast if we did not, at some point, discuss Possession, and now it's time. Infidelity, esponiage, losing one's mind in a subway, sex with eldritch horrors. There's a lot to discuss. Gird your loins. | |||
| Episode 05.15: Indentikit | 17 Sep 2024 | 00:52:15 | |
We hate the title, but we love the movie. And we love Liz Taylor, who gives a striking performance as an odd, difficult woman hell-bent on self-destruction in 1974's Indentikit. Also Andy Warhol shows up for a bit, because why not. | |||
| Episode 04.10: Picnic at Hanging Rock | 02 Jul 2023 | 00:48:36 | |
It's summer for us at Quiet Little Horrors, so it's the perfect season to picnic, loll dreamily on the lawn, and disappear into an ancient, mysterious rock formation, never to be seen by humans again. We get metaphorical with our coming-of-age theme while discussing 1975's Picnic at Hanging Rock. | |||
| Episode 04.09: Hatching | 18 Jun 2023 | 00:38:48 | |
This month we're looking at some bloody coming of age tales, beginning with the 2022 Finnish film Hatching, which is half weirdly adorable creature feature and half what damage girls have do to deal with their inherited demons. | |||
| Episode 04.08: The Mafu Cage | 28 May 2023 | 00:44:27 | |
We continue our discussion of twisted sisters with this overlooked gem of 1970s psychological horror: The Mafu Cage, featuring Carol Kane and Lee Grant as a pair of codependent siblings who drag each other past the point of repair. Content warning for implied animal harm (nothing graphic) and incest. | |||
| Episode 04.07: Sisters | 14 May 2023 | 00:38:49 | |
This month we're taking on a couple of films about the relationships between twisted sisters, starting, appropriately enough, with Sisters, from Brian De Palma in 1972. We discuss women who cause trouble, women who aren't believed, and women who might not be what they seem. | |||
| Episode 04.06: You Are Not My Mother | 30 Apr 2023 | 00:42:39 | |
And we're back! Apologies for the interruption in regular podcast programming. But we return with the second half of our discussion of modern Irish horror and a look at Kate Dolan's 2021's film You Are Not My Mother, which twists expectations of metaphorical folklore in fascinating ways. | |||
| Episode 04.05: Irish Horror | 12 Mar 2023 | 00:35:59 | |
Our first episode of March is a springboard into the quietly blossoming world of contemporary Irish horror film. We discuss the emerging genre, its deep roots in folklore, and two representative recent films: 2015's The Hallow and 2022's Mandrake. | |||
| Episode 04.04: The Brood | 26 Feb 2023 | 00:35:25 | |
We continue our Cronenberg discussion with one of his thorniest films, psychologically speaking: 1979's The Brood. Thesis statement: emotions are real and powerful and if you don't process them properly, murderous rage babies will result. | |||
| Episode 04.03: The Fly | 12 Feb 2023 | 00:34:45 | |
It's David Cronenberg season here at QLH. We kick off a pair of episodes on his extensive, intensive, and twisted body of work (see what we did there) with 1986's The Fly. We discuss the film's connections to the original, disease metaphors, and the unbearable oddness of being Jeff Goldblum. | |||
| Episode 04.02: Lamb | 29 Jan 2023 | 00:37:30 | |
We continue this month's parenthood theme with the 2021 horrific fairy tale Lamb, which turns out to be more than just a weirdly cute A24 marketing campaign. We discuss the dark side of wanting a child, the traditional martyrdom of mothers, and, once again, how fairy tales are actually kind of messed up. | |||
| Episode 04.01: Eraserhead | 15 Jan 2023 | 00:26:03 | |
Happy New Year! This month we're discussing films that deal with the topic of parenthood, so the first film we're taking on is, of course, David Lynch's 1977 Eraserhead. What a way to start the year. Hold on to your hair. | |||
| Episode 05.14: Longlegs | 25 Aug 2024 | 00:53:13 | |
While we don't often cover new releases so close to their release dates, we anticipated that Longlegs was a good opportunity for an exception. This episode, we bookend our earlier episode on director Oz Perkins's debut feature with a discussion on his latest. Covered topics include the legacy of Anthony Perkins, the mythic potential of horror film, creeping dread, existential terror, unsettling silence. You know. The usual. | |||
| Episode 03.11: Butterfly Kisses | 25 Dec 2022 | 00:43:58 | |
It's several complicated layers of found footage horror in our discussion of 2018's Butterfly Kisses. We talk some more about the genre's advantages and limitations, some more of our favorite found footage horror films, and a couple of our least favorite found footage horror films. | |||
| Episode 03.11M: We're All Going to the World's Fair | 11 Dec 2022 | 00:31:50 | |
This month we're tackling "found footage" horror films and shaking it up right out of the gate by first discussing this year's We're All Going to the World's Fair, directed by Jane Schoenbrun. We cover the evolution of found footage, internet storytelling culture and how the kind of low-key horror in this form opens up exploration. | |||
| Episode 03.10: Near Dark | 27 Nov 2022 | 00:41:55 | |
We wrap up our discussion of 80s horror by going deep into one of the decade's most idiosyncratic offerings: Kathryn Bigelow's solo directorial debut from 1987, Near Dark. Let's talk incredible vibes, the ongoing evolution of the vampire, and Bill f-ing Paxton. | |||
| Episode 03.10M: 80s Horror | 13 Nov 2022 | 00:32:06 | |
This month is all about horror films from the 80s. We each talk about a film we find interesting from the era: Jen brings The Hunger and Jessi discusses Inferno—both of which, coincidentally, are part of the current 80s Horror collection streaming on the Criterion Channel. | |||
| Episode 03.09: Favorite Horror | 30 Oct 2022 | 00:47:25 | |
Happy Halloween! This month we each brought a film that was influential in our love of horror film. Since our picks were secrets to the other one before recording, we'll keep the bit going and let you discover what films we chose to discuss for yourself. | |||
| Episode 03.09M: The Tingler | 16 Oct 2022 | 00:19:32 | |
Happy October! This month we're doing something slightly different and discussing some of our favorite horror movies that we've never talked about on the podcast before. To get warmed up, we chat about the Vincent Price classic The Tingler and what we all get out of watching scary movies in the first place. | |||
| Episode 03.08: What's the Matter with Helen? | 02 Oct 2022 | 00:33:55 | |
We continue our discussion of the Hag Horror genre with one of its underappreciated gems: What's the Matter with Helen? Come for Debbie Reynolds dancing, stay for Shelley Winters losing her mind. | |||
| Episode 03.08M: Strait-Jacket | 02 Oct 2022 | 00:26:05 | |
It's time for Hagsploitation. We discuss why we unironically love this genre of psychological horror featuring grand dame actresses, starting with Joan Crawford in Strait-Jacket. Find the right axe to match your pearls and join in. | |||
| Episode 03.07: The Innocents | 31 Jul 2022 | 00:35:19 | |
A classic of psychological horror, 1961's The Innocents is a delicious mix of all the things we love to talk about: ghosts, sexual deviancy, women losing their minds, etc. We also cover the roots of the story from Henry James's The Turn of the Screw as well as how everyone loved to get all Freudian in the 50s. | |||
| Episode 03.07M: Eye of the Cat | 17 Jul 2022 | 00:19:49 | |
Who wouldn't like to chat about elaborate murder plots, sexual deviancy and cats? We gear up for our discussion of this month's full-length episode on The Innocents with a mini episode on 1969's Eye of the Cat. | |||
| Episode 05.13: The Blackcoat's Daughter | 18 Aug 2024 | 00:58:40 | |
It's Oz Perkins season here at the podcast. In anticipation of Longlegs, we went back to his debut The Blackcoat's Daughter—a film we've mentioned before, because it's about 200% our thing, but this is the first time we've discussed it in depth. Devils, psychosis, and another installment in our favorite ongoing thematic series, "teenage girls are terrifying." | |||
| Episode 03.06: A Dark Song | 26 Jun 2022 | 00:30:54 | |
This month we're covering films with the theme of a loss of a child, and A Dark Song ratchets this theme to a whole new level of transformation. We discuss its complex characterizations, evolving emotions and transcendent turns. | |||
| Episode 03.06M: The Changeling | 12 Jun 2022 | 00:13:45 | |
This month we're talking about movies that deal with the loss of a child, beginning with 1980s The Changeling. It's a good start, but this one falls short of what we were hoping for. We discuss the psychological underpinnings we were expecting to see emerge more and how expectations for that sort of thing in horror films have evolved. | |||
| Episode 03.05: Gretel & Hansel | 29 May 2022 | 00:32:00 | |
We continue our discussion of horror and fairy tales with 2020's Gretel & Hansel, a slow-burn, coming-of-age tale from director Oz Perkins, and dive deeper into our thoughts about how horror mirrors the journey of a girl moving through a challenging world. | |||
| Episode 03.05M: The Company of Wolves | 15 May 2022 | 00:17:10 | |
The story of Red Riding Hood gets meta and bloody as we kick off a month of fairy tale horror with 1984's The Company of Wolves. We discuss the legacy of fairy tales, the influence of writer Angela Carter and why horror is such a perfect vehicle for female coming-of-age stories. | |||