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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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