The Hip Pocket #303 - Katie Rife

KATIE RIFE is a freelance writer and critic from Chicago who is best known for her deep focus on genre and exploitation fare. She was the news editor for The AV Club from 2014 to 2019, and then Senior Editor from 2019 to 2022. She is currently writing for outlets like RogerEbert.com, Rolling Stone, Indiwire, and Vulture. You can get a taste of what she’s like from her round-up of the best of last year’s horror films. The minute Katie sent her list over, I knew we were in for a wild ride. Her first pick is the scuzztastic vigilante picture, A Gun For Jennifer. Somehow, that almost feels tame compared to her second pick, the international grindhouse classic, Female Prisoner Scorpion - Jailhouse 41. Even if you don’t know that movie, you probably know the theme song. Finally, she picked a straight-up exploitation masterpiece, the movie that put Russ Meyer on the map. That’s right… we’re talking about Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! Our response film was chosen by Aundria, who took the “violent women” theme and went a different direction with it. It was a delight to dig into Rob Reiner’s Misery with Katie as a result. Finally, my pick for this week’s Hip Pocket Hall of Fame entry is a film that was a major jump forward for a filmmaker who got his start making women-in-prison films for Roger Corman. I dearly love the 1986 film Something Wild, and hope I’ve done it justice with this piece. This is a great indication of what kind of guests and conversations we’re having this season. I am delighted by the way the show continues to evolve, and by the way our guests come in ready to play. Our thanks to Katie for taking the time. Support The Hip Pocket over at Patreon, where we’re gearing up for a full season of bonus episodes! Support The Hip Pocket on BlueSky! The Hip Pocket is hosted by Drew McWeeny and Aundria Parker. Craig Ceravolo is the show’s bandleader and producer. It is a Formerly Dangerous Production. You can find us at drewmcweeny.com and on your favorite podcasting apps!