In today's episode, it is early horror with an unexpected feminist twist in 1946’s The Spiral Staircase, directed by Robert Siodmak. Set in 1906, the film follows Helen (Dorothy McGuire), a woman with traumatic mutism, who cares for Mrs. Warren (Ethel Barrymore), the difficult and bedridden lady of the manor. When a serial killer begins killing off women with so-called afflictions, Helen is warned that she may be next. Adapted from Ethel Lina White’s novel Some Must Watch (1933), the film takes up themes such as disability and masculinity while simultaneously challenging the notion that the modern slasher film began with Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960). We’re breaking it all down today with spoilers, so stay tuned.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/horror-homeroom/supportThe Other Bad Seed: Talking Alice, Sweet Alice (1976)
Suburban Nightmare: Talking The Stepfather (1987)
Meet Frendo: Talking CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD (2020)
The Kids Are Not Alright: Talking The Prodigy and Eli
Love Hurts: Talking My Bloody Valentine (1981 and 2009)
Wedding Woes: Talking Ready or Not (2019)
Polarizing Politics: Talking Black Christmas (2019)
Indie Darlings: Talking Sweetheart (2019) and Spiral (2019)
Scaredy Cats: Talking What Terrifies Us
Schlock & Shock: Talking the Creepshow Franchise
Weaponized Women: Talking The Curse of La Llorona (2019)
Jaw Crushing Horror: Talking Crawl (2019)
Unapologetic Disability: Talking Freaks (1932)
School's Out Summer Special: Queer Horror & Our Top 10 LGBTQ+ films
School's Out Summer Special: But I'm a Cheerleader (1999) and Psycho Beach Party (2000)
Sex, Guns, Gore & cameos: Our Top 10 Favorite Exploitation Horror Films (Bonus Episode)
Eat 'Em All: Talking the Piranha Franchise
Senior Scares: Our Top 10 Favorite "Old" Characters in Horror (Bonus Episode)
Retro Dread: Talking The Final Girls (2015) and Summer of 84 (2018)
Eco-Horror: Our Top 10 Movies (Bonus Episode)
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