Scaredy Cat and Horror Hound

Content warnings: discussions of sexual violence, sexual assault, and familial abuse; descriptions of BDSM dynamics and kink culture; descriptions of body horrorThe pod; you opened it, we came. Explore the far reaches of experience with us and the Cenobites as we discuss Clive Barker’s dark kinky classic, Hellraiser! Horror Hound Carson actually did some homework this time and read Barker’s original short story The Hellbound Heart which the Hellraiser franchise stems from, adding new context to the discussion contrasting book vs movie, why we think Barker changed some elements when adapting his own work, and creating a richer world of gender, sexuality, and BDSM culture to unpack. Additional topics include: handling of various female character archetypes, how gender and gendered acts are played with and subverted, the unmatched hotness levels of Clare Higgins, and what these stories try to teach us about consent, pleasure, and power dynamics. Get to work on solving the puzzle box, don your best leather garb, and come join us in Hell!

Content warnings: descriptions of gore, discussions of sexual assault, discussions of gendered violenceWe’re getting groovy, baby! For our first dual-film episode, we dig up the first two installments of the classic Evil Dead franchise, comparing and contrasting the two ret-conned origins of Sam Raimi’s campy gorefest extravaganza. Topics include: ogling final boy Bruce Campbell, when “bad” practical effects are actually the best and creepiest, when laughter can be a fitting response to shock-factor content, how the franchise creates and plays with hyper-masculinity, and why suspending your disbelief to enjoy a fun movie is good, actually! Dust off your tape player, rev up your chainsaw, and raise hell with us, Ash, and the Book of the Dead!

Content warnings: discussions of transphobia and transphobic violence, discussions of real life serial killersFrom books, to movies, to the greatest television series of all time, the Hannibal franchise has a little something for everyone- especially if you’re wearing your queer-horror-comedy glasses like us! We have a lot to say about all these different types of media that bring the iconic Dr. Hannibal Lecter to life, though we do our best to focus in on the 1991 film adaptation of Thomas Harris’ Silence of the Lambs. Listen in for discussions about The Trans Representation Question, the inherent camp and queerness of Hannibal’s villain archetype, how gore cinematography can create the most beautiful visuals, and of course general fanning over this franchise’s cast of characters and talent. Pull out your Rolodex and cookbooks, lay back on the therapy couch, and fly fly away with us to escape that awful silence of the lambs…

Slay-bells riiing, are you listening…in the laaane, blood is glistening…Happy holidays from Scaredy Cat and Horror Hound! Continuing our on again-off again seasonal episodes, we are kicking off Season 2 of the pod with our first holiday-themed horror film, Black Christmas (1974). Join us for further discussion on the slasher subgenre, how comedy and horror are excellent bedfellows, actually, and what constitutes “feminist filmmaking” given the time period and subject matter of the film. Including a live reaction from everyone’s favorite Scaredy Cat rewatching the final scene to get that juicy jumpscare!

It's been one whole year of horror with Laney and Carson! In this episode we look back on past movies we've reviewed, play a few "would you rather" games, and chat about what's in store for the pod in the future. Happy one year anniver-scary!

Content warnings: discussions of stigmatization of the mentally ill, discussions of home invasion violence, genre-typical violence.Take a field trip with Laney and Carson back to Haddonfield circa 1978, with the slasher classic that has defined the genre rules, and how to break them, for decades– John Carpenter’s Halloween! We come full circle analyzing the blueprint for the slasher genre, the final girl archetype, and the horror movie icon set down by Carpenter that led to Randy’s Rules that we discussed in our very first episode for Scream (1996). Topics include: when characters’ actions are frustrating vs funny; what makes something scary; the issues of fictionalized true crime media; the categories of horror villains; parodies, remakes, and sequels, oh my!Tune in next time for our Season 1 Finale! Happy Halloween!

Content warnings: emetophobia, discussions of violence done to children, discussions of violence done to kids with special needs,Happy spooky month, listeners! Just like we did for Pride Month(s), Carson and Laney are doing a two-part episode series covering movies that celebrate and embody the best holiday of the year: Halloween! For a more lighthearted start to this series, we review Trick R Treat, the 2009 campy graphic novel-esque anthology film that introduced one of Halloween’s iconic characters, Sam the Spirit of Halloween. Learn about the traditions and unique experiences that Carson and Laney have had on Halloween throughout the years, fawn over Anna Paquin and her queer girl gang of werewolves, and cheer on the demise of the real villains of Halloween: mean school children. Also their school principals.

content warnings: trypanophobia, emetaphobia, body dysmorphia, discussions of disordered eating and grotesque food, graphic descriptions of gore and body horror.Ready for a gross one? Join Laney and Carson (aka MonstroCarsoLaney) in their first explicitly body horror film discussion for the critically acclaimed and beautifully grotesque 2024’s The Substance! Topics include: why all that good so disgusting; needles and teeth and fingernails, oh my!; self perpetuating cycles of harm all for the benefit of the male gaze; storytelling and visual narratives through setting and color; women can be old and beautiful! Order now for a free carton of Totally Normal eggs and have your name entered for a chance to win tickets to the New Years Eve extravaganza, hosted by the most…uh, unique, actress of our time!(this is a joke, we are not actually giving anything away, sorry lol)

Content warnings: explicit discussions of sex and sexuality, monsterf*cking, mentions of emetaphobia content, brief mentions of necrophiliaIt’s finally time for bouncing on it crrrrazy stylllle! From the recent prolific memes, online discourse, and even award show notoriety, most of us have some preconceived notions about the 2024 Nosferatu remake by Robert Eggers of the 1922 silent film. Does the film live up to the hype it’s been given? Does over-hyping a movie lead to disappointed audiences? Should there have been more or less horniness? Join Carson and Laney as they debate the various themes and motifs of Eggers’ most recent work, in between various fun tangent conversations including but not limited to: Buffy the Vampire Slayer rewatches, the newer romantasy genre, the appeal of the monstrous, and how rewatching media can change our perceptions of it. So go make enough popcorn for yourself and the several thousand little rat actors (who all deserve Oscars, btw), and decide for yourself- Nosferatu or Yesferatu?

There is still time…for celebrating and honoring Pride 2025! In Part 2 of our Pride episodes, Carson and Laney take a step back from the usual goofs and gags for a more serious in depth look at gender dysphoria and the reality of growing up trans in the incredibly moving I Saw the TV Glow. Join your hosts as they get vulnerable about growing up in and out of various closets, the internal struggles queer and trans folks face as they come into who they are, and the ways in which we protect ourselves even at the cost of our own truths. Additional topics include: fandom and chosen family, trans stories told by trans creators, the difficult choices between safety and authenticity, and just how beautiful (and heartbreaking) this movie is. Come meet us on the psychic plain.

Content warning: homophobia, mild discussions of sexual assault, emetophobiaHappy Pride, Scaredy Cats and Horror Hounds! In Part 1 of our two part Pride 2025 episodes, Carson and Laney take a trip down memory lane to their own high school years (cringe) while discussing the queer cult classic Jennifer’s Body. Themes include: comphet, being in love with your best friend, experiencing high school as a queer girl in and out of the closet, and, of course, vampirism and monstrosity as metaphors for queer love and sexuality. Is sandbox love really forever? Do we all owe major apologies to Meghan Fox (yes)? And why are there so many 9/11 references in this gay vampire movie? Join us to find out, or you’ll be lime green jell-o jealous!

Content warning: deep dive into toxic masculinity and incel mindsets, discussions of AIDS crisis, gendered violenceNeed to return some videotapes? Well switch on your Walkman and tune into the latest episode of Scaredy Cat and Horror Hound on your way! We're back from the hazy post-graduation hiatus and ready to share our tastefully thick business cards with you.In this extra special extra long episode, Carson and Laney welcome their first guest, Carson’s partner and friend of the pod Maddie, to peel back the person-suit exterior of one Patrick Bateman and see what’s underneath. Explore the queer undertones of the Pierce & Pierce squad’s nightlife, examine the inherent replaceability and loneliness of the bros participating in the yuppie culture of the 80s, and decide for yourself if Patrick’s rapid slide into murderous madness is his actual reality, or if, like the man himself, it is simply not there.

We accept her, we accept her! In this episode, Laney brings the cult classic Freaks to chat about with Carson. Topics include marginalized bodies, disability in horror, and a little bit of the history of film and censorship. Trapeze through this movie about able bodies taking advantage of disabilities, the difference between exploitation and opportunity, and representation in film over the span of nearly a century. Gooble gobble, gooble gobble!Mentions: Alok Vaid-Menon, Cherry 2000, the bargain bin of Blockbuster, and lost media

Content warning: discussions of child sexual abuse, violence towards minors, alcoholism, child neglectOne, two, don’t let your nightmares come true! Returning to classic 80’s slashers, Laney and Carson discuss the infamous Freddy Krueger and the introduction of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. While going back to Wes Craven and his Scream rules, we critique the classic teen slasher genre and its focus on the horrors of teen sexuality, and question how slight variations in narrative change the way an audience reacts to a villain. Carson brings insights from his favorite queer horror essay anthology (It Came From The Closet, essay “The Trail of His Flames” by Tucker Lieberman), and Laney asks some important question about the film’s hole-riddled plot. So pull out your hidden second coffee pot and set all your alarm clocks, and conquer the nightmare with us, or never never sleep again!

Content warning: brief discussions of child abuse and sexual violenceNow you know what we are, now you know what YOU are! Laney and Carson travel to the Murder Capital of the World for this episode on Lost Boys! In this episode, we discuss queer vampires, the Satanic Panic, and a pure Freudian slip about one of Laney’s favorite K-pop groups. We dissect film through the queer lens, theory of disidentification (José Esteban Muñoz 1999), and the many versions of vampire metaphors used in media. Join us, drink some of this, be one of us!

Content warning: religious trauma, abuseCarson and Laney go back to the 1600’s for this episode about The VVitch. Robert Eggers takes us on a whirlwind of religious zealotry, scary jackrabbits and goats, and the kind of witchcraft that makes you go “eugh.” We chat about Robert Eggers like we know him personally and how that relates to auteur theory. Join us as we sign our names in the big spooky book and discuss the VVitch.

Content warning: there are discussion of bullying, menstruation, religious trauma, and sexual assault in this episode. Discussion of sexual assault starts at 1:03:43 and ends at 1:06:20. Listen with care. They’re all going to laugh at you! Laney and Carson are going back to high school to talk about Carrie. An adaptation of Stephen King’s first novel turned into a classic horror movie, Brian De Palma sure did a great job of showing us what grown men think it feels like being a bullied high school girl. As we get ready for prom, we discuss things like the male gaze in film, the representation of bullying in media, and blood, blood, and more blood! Get your dirty pillows ready and go up in flames with us!

What’s your favorite scary movie? This week, Carson and Laney talk about Scream, the 1996 classic slasher film with the spooky masked murderer Ghostface terrorizing the quaint little town of Woodsboro, California. Topics of discussion include the horror of being a wealthy white American teen in the 90s, queercoding of villains trying to destroy the nuclear family ideal, and why sex is a killer in teen horror movies. It’s the millennium! Motives are incidental! Also, RIP Stu Macher, you would have loved he/they pronouns.

In this pilot of Scaredy Cat and Horror Hound, Laney and Carson introduce themselves and why we’re talk about about horror films in the first place. We touch on the first horror movies we ever watched, what we think makes horror good or bad, and why Carson has to hold Laney’s hand through the process of talking about scary movies. We hope you enjoy the journey as much as we do!