Queen is Dead - A Film, TV and Culture Podcast

Rounding out our Spooktober celebration, Dhruv, Cris, Arijit, and (joining us actually for the second time, it's complicated) Devika discuss two major horror titles of 2026—Curry Barker's "Obsession," and Kane Paronson's "Backrooms"— diving deep into their formal and cultural relevance, and possible reasons for their astronomical box office successes. They also do a quick round-up of the horror films of the year, available theatrically and on VOD, focusing on "Hokum," "Hope," and "The Bride!" amongst others. Honourable and dishonorable mentions galore (along with more -ists and -isms allegations). Listen to the full episode to hear more about the flavour of horror this year, where the genre could possibly be headed, what's new and exciting vs what's stale and redundant about it, and more! Spoilers for basically everything we talk about. TIME CODES Intro - [00:00 - 04:01] "Obsession" - [04:01 - 53:32] "Backrooms" - [53:32 - 01:37:30] "2026 Horror Catch-Up" - [01:37:30 - 02:38:00] Outro - [02:38:00 - 02:40:13] Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people! Follow our Instagram page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can follow us on Instagram at: ARIJIT : https://www.instagram.com/_tentinquarantino_/. CRIS : https://www.instagram.com/criscritiques/. DHRUV : https://www.instagram.com/terminalcinema/. DEVIKA : https://www.instagram.com/devika.la/. You can also follow us on Letterboxd at - ARIJIT : https://letterboxd.com/nostradamus/. CRIS : https://letterboxd.com/crislim/. DHRUV : https://letterboxd.com/aterminalcinema/.

Final stop on Lynch Lane—until we convene sometime next year to cover "Twin Peaks" in its entirety! Dhruv and Cris are joined by up-and-coming experimental filmmaker Rushnan Jaleel (last heard in our "Lost Highway" episode!) to discuss "Inland Empire" -- Lynch's most "difficult" film that the director describes simply as a film about "a woman in trouble." Listen to the full episode to hear how differently Rushnan and Dhruv see the film across their repeated viewings, and why -- on his first viewing -- Cris is the "gurl who doesn't get it." Spoilers, of course, for "Inland Empire." TIME CODES Introduction : [00:00 - 02:11] "Inland Empire" : [02:11 - 01:01:21] Experimental Cinema Reccs. : [01:01:21 - 01:06:25] Final Thoughts on David Lynch : [01:06:25 - 1:15:37] TEXT REFERENCED REPEATEDLY HERE "Room to Dream" (David Lynch & Kristine McKenna). RUSHNAN'S WORK ⁠ You can watch Rushnan's 17-minute experimental short film, "The Angel of Forms" (2023), on Vimeo for free. Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people! Follow our Instagram page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can also follow us on Instagram at: RUSHNAN: https://www.instagram.com/rushnanjaleel/. CRIS: https://www.instagram.com/prdscris/. DHRUV: https://www.instagram.com/terminalcinema/. You can also follow us on Letterboxd at - RUSHNAN: https://letterboxd.com/sculptingin0001/. CRIS : https://letterboxd.com/crislim/. DHRUV : https://letterboxd.com/aterminalcinema/.

Cris, Dhruv, and Ashwin (officially this time) kick off Spooktober by exploring Jane Schoenbrun's take on queer horror in light of the release of their latest offering, 'Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma'. As is tradition, they discuss not only what their filmography brings to the current horror landscape, but also how their films (re)define the genre narratively and aesthetically. Broad agreement is reached on their first two features, 'We're All Going to the World's Fair' and 'I Saw the TV Glow', before disagreements emerge over 'Camp Miasma'. Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu's 'Digger' is also (unfortunately) mentioned. Listen to the full episode for a mix of (TMI warning) embarrassingly personal admissions, lots of (hopefully understandable) academic references, and some (possibly unfounded) shots at other horror films and filmmakers. Spoilers for all three, of course. TIME CODES Intro - [00:00 - 25:09] "We're All Going to the World's Fair" - [25:09 - 01:03:56] "I Saw the TV Glow" - [01:03:56 - 01:37:07] "Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma" - [01:37:07 - 02:29:45] Outro - [02:29:45 - 02:35:43] Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people! Follow our Instagram page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can follow us on Letterboxd at - CRIS : https://letterboxd.com/crislim/. ASHWIN : https://letterboxd.com/ashwindev/. DHRUV: https://letterboxd.com/aterminalcinema/.

Cris, Varun & Ashwin wanted to talk about "Digger" & "Verity" during Dhruv's beloved Spooktober. But two of them bailed out for NO VALID REASON WHATSOEVER, so Dhruv had to subject himself to the horrifically unfunny catastrophe that is Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu & Tom Cruise's "Digger." Arijit joins Dhruv and Cris on this episode to push back against their uncompromising hatred towards "Digger" and its brand of -- in their words -- "unfunny, anti-intellectual postmodernism." Unsurprisingly, the internet discourse surrounding "Digger" is also widely discussed, with Dhruv and Cris doing their level best to convince Arijit why most of the film's (re)appraisals don't hold up. All in all, an extended discussion about (& around) the film -- which, I suppose, is considered a win for the film's intentions, regardless of its actual (cinematic) qualities. Conversely, Cris then -- briefly -- trashes Michael Showalter's "Verity" for not being very trashy. Listen to the full episode to hear a lot of (hopefully) informed bitching and (hopefully) productive discourse. You are most welcome to tell us if it wasn't informed or productive -- we will not quote it back to you and say that you're wrong for thinking so because we intended it to be otherwise! Major spoilers for "Digger" & "Verity" ! TIMECODES Introduction: [00:00 - 04:39] The "Digger" Takedown - [04:39 - 24:27] The "Digger" Defense - [24:27 - 32:30] The "Digger" Debate(s) - [32:30 - 01:15:19] The "Verity" Rant (ft. Cris) - [01:15:19 - 01:36:49] Outro - [01:36:49 - 01:39:19] Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people! Follow our Instagram page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can follow us on Instagram at: ARIJIT : https://www.instagram.com/_tentinquarantino_/. CRIS : https://www.instagram.com/criscritiques/. DHRUV : https://www.instagram.com/terminalcinema/. You can also follow us on Letterboxd at - ARIJIT : https://letterboxd.com/nostradamus/. CRIS : https://letterboxd.com/crislim/. DHRUV : https://letterboxd.com/aterminalcinema/.

You know how this looks, right? To navigate the tricky minefield that is Lance Oppenheim's narrative feature film debut "Primetime," Hemant and Cris take the help of David Osit's documentary "Predators" (2025) and introspect on the culture that produced Chris Hansen's "To Catch a Predator" and the consequences (or lack thereof) that came of it. What follows is a careful investigation of the relationship between morality and law, reality and fiction, documentary and narrative filmmaking. Osit and Oppenheim's intentions, methods, and worldviews are contrasted to make sense of how one approaches sensitive topics and critiques or indulges in society's worst impulses. For spoiler-free thoughts, check the time stamps below and trigger warnings for discussion of CSA. Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people! Follow our Instagram page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TIME CODES Introduction - [00:00 - 15:45] "Predators" - [15:45 - 01:06:48] " Primetime" (Spoiler-Free) - [01:06:48 - 01:27:02] " Primetime" (Spoiler-Filled) - [01:27:02 - 02:16:30] Outro - [02:16:30 - 02:24:10] You can also follow us on Letterboxd at - HEMANT: ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://letterboxd.com/ganti117/⁠⁠ ⁠. CRIS : https://letterboxd.com/crislim/ .

"Resident Evil" has been rebooted maybe a few too many times; Cris, Amartya, and Ashwin discuss if Zach Cregger's run with the iconic gaming franchise will finally make it stick. Debate ensues on the merits (or lack thereof) of Cregger's earlier work and the 'elevated horror' genre as such—including major disagreements over "Weapons"—which is followed by surprising consensus on his ability to handle a much less complicated take on the survival horror genre. Attempts are also made to settle the age-old video game adaptation discourse. For spoiler-free thoughts, check the time stamps below but listen to the full episode for our take on the film's Themes™ and our predictions on the future of cross-genre storytelling. Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people! Follow our Instagram page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TIME CODES Introduction - [00:00 - 03:56] Zach Cregger and Spoiler-Free Thoughts - [03:56 - 41:28] Spoiler-Filled Thoughts on Resident Evil - [41:28 - 01:11:40] Outro (& Other Game Adaptation) - [01:11:40 - 01:26:11] You can also follow us on Letterboxd at - ASHWIN : https://letterboxd.com/ashwindev/. AMARTYA : https://letterboxd.com/amartya/. CRIS : https://letterboxd.com/crislim/.

Cris is joined by Dhruv, Hemant, and returning guest Devarsi on a tour of LA as they talk all things Hollywood through David Lynch's most well-known and celebrated text—Mulholland Drive. Listen to the full episode to hear them try to find new ways to approach a film that has been talked about endlessly. Discussions on queerness, naive optimism, and film theory ensue, meaning the usual fare. Spoilers, of course, for "Mulholland Drive." TIME CODES Introduction : [00:00 - 04:00] "Mulholland Drive" : [04:00 - 1:19:35] Outro : [1:19:35 - 1:28:17] TEXT REFERENCED REPEATEDLY HERE "Room to Dream" (David Lynch & Kristine McKenna). Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people! Follow our Instagram page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can also follow us on Instagram at: CRIS: https://www.instagram.com/criscritiques/. DHRUV: https://www.instagram.com/terminalcinema/. DEVARSI: https://www.instagram.com/devarsighosh/. You can also follow us on Letterboxd at - CRIS : https://letterboxd.com/crislim/. DHRUV : https://letterboxd.com/aterminalcinema/. HEMANT: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://letterboxd.com/ganti117/⁠⁠. DEVARSI: https://letterboxd.com/d2dag/.

Cris and Varun sit down to thrash out the remaining life from the new ‘sexy-but-sex-negative’ rom-com “One Night Only”, directed by “Easy A” helmer Will Gluck and starring Monica Barbaro (“A Complete Unknown”, “Top Gun: Maverick”) and Callum Turner (aka Mr Dua Lipa of “Masters of the Air” and “Rose of Nevada” fame). After they are done belting the new release for its many crimes, the duo turn affectionate as they talk up a favorite romcom each, Ali Abbas Zafar’s “Mere Brother Ki Dulhan” (Cris) and Peyton Reed’s “Down with Love” (Varun). TIMECODES Initial Prattle - [00:00 - 09:53] “One Night Only” - [09:53 - 01:31:17] “Mere Brother Ki Dulhan” - [01:31:17 - 01:41:14] “Down with Love” - [01:41:14 - 01:57:43] Closing Thoughts and Khatam - [01:57:43 - 02:06:09] Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people! Follow our Instagram page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can follow us on Letterboxd at - CRIS: https://letterboxd.com/crislim/. VARUN: https://letterboxd.com/varunoakbhakay/.

It's never nice to talk about a director whom you thought you loved but -- upon rewatching their films -- you realize you maybe don't... This is the (unfortunate) framework for QID's first episode (of 3) on director Denis Villeneuve before he became THE Denis Villeneuve responsible for helming the Dune franchise (culminating with "Dune Part Three" in December), and thereafter, directing the latest iteration of 007. Dhruv and Cris (for whom most of these films are first watches) are less than enamored by Villeneuve's French Canadian films -- especially "Polytechnique" and "Incendies" -- that catapulted him to becoming one of the most celebrated filmmakers working in Hollywood today. So they contemplate the value (or lack thereof) of his refined style -- and why Cris, at least, prefers shabbiness of his earlier work ("August 32nd on Earth" & "Maelström") heavily inspired by the French New Wave. Listen to the full episode to hear Dhruv rant about "Maelström" and the French New Wave, though. And then Cris talk extensively about how much Denis Villeneuve actually improves on the source material "Incendies" is adapted from. MAJOR SPOILERS FOR ALL 4 FILMS DISCUSSED! TIME CODES Introduction - [00:00 - 22:52] "August 32nd on Earth" - [22:52 - 41:56] "Maelström" - [41:56 - 59:16] "Polytechnique" - [59:16 - 01:43:54] "Incendies" - [01:43:54 - 02:29:30] Outro - [02:29:30 - 02:39:54] Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people! Follow our Instagram page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can also follow us on Instagram at: CRIS: https://www.instagram.com/prdscris/. DHRUV: https://www.instagram.com/terminalcinema/. You can also follow us on Letterboxd at - CRIS : https://letterboxd.com/crislim/. DHRUV : https://letterboxd.com/aterminalcinema/.

Co-fathers of “Queen is Dead,” Sanjeet and Hemant, join Varun for an episode on the collaborations between Rajkumar Santoshi and Sunny Deol. Beginning with the newest – “Batwara 1947” – this trio discusses the mechanism of filmmaking adopted by a pure 90s filmmaker thirty-six years after his debut feature, and how his direction of Sunny Deol has changed over time. Joining the Partition drama on the menu are the revenge drama “Ghayal”, the social melodrama “Damini”, and the social actioner “Ghatak”. TIME CODES Introduction - [00:00 - 24:00] “Batwara 1947” - [24:00 - 01:24:46] Sanjeet’s Bigger Question - [01:24:46 - 01:48:27] Closing on “Batwara 1947” - [01:48:27 - 01:58:00] “Ghayal” - [01:58:00 - 02:18:29] “Damini” - [02:18:29 - 02:35:58] “Ghatak” - [02:35:58 - 02:49:20] Outro - [02:49:20 - 02:51:06] Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people! Follow our Instagram page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can follow us on Letterboxd at - SANJEET: ⁠ https://letterboxd.com/sanjeet_singh/. VARUN: ⁠https://letterboxd.com/varunoakbhakay/.⁠ HEMANT: ⁠⁠ ⁠https://letterboxd.com/ganti117/⁠ ⁠.

Dhruv and Cris convene ten months late (oops) to unusually calmly discuss Lynch's most "experimental" film (which was his only film to be distributed by the Walt Disney Company and get a G rating): "The Straight Story." Listen to the full episode to hear us be normal for once(?) as we talk about the slow pleasures of America's (rotting) rolling pastures and questions of mortality that hit a little too close to home. Spoilers, of course, for "The Straight Story." TIME CODES Introduction : [00:00 - 03:00] "The Straight Story" : [03:00 - 50:20] Outro : [50:20 - 55:37] TEXT REFERENCED REPEATEDLY HERE "Room to Dream" (David Lynch & Kristine McKenna). Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people! Follow our Instagram page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can also follow us on Instagram at: CRIS: https://www.instagram.com/prdscris/. DHRUV: https://www.instagram.com/terminalcinema/. You can also follow us on Letterboxd at - CRIS : https://letterboxd.com/crislim/. DHRUV : https://letterboxd.com/aterminalcinema/.

Spider-Man is back! Again! Web-slinging his way to box-office history, as the editor of this episode is writing this description. Two Spidey "paglus" (crazies) -- Amartya & Adithiyan -- try to convince QID's designated Debbie Downer of this year -- Cris -- about the merits of the latest Spider-Man film beyond its effective emotionality -- courtesy of director Destin Daniel Cretton -- & Tom Holland's performance as both Spider-Man & Peter Parker. Does the MCU go too far in its universe-building for what could have just been a great standalone Spider-Man film? Should [REDACTED] have been in the film? Should [REDACTED] have forgiven [REDACTED] in the film? Spoiler-free description and introductory section (see time codes). But listen to the full episode after watching the film (you probably have already watched it!) to hear a spoiler-filled discussion about the past, present, and future of the MCU, Spider-Man & [REDACTED]. Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people! Follow our Instagram page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TIME CODES Introduction : [00:00 - 03:47] Director Destin Daniel Cretton & the MCU: [03:47 - 06:27] Spoiler-Free Review: [06:27 - 21:37] Spoiler-Filled Review: [21:37 - 01:21:22] Spoiler-Filled "Future of MCU" Discussion - [01:21:22 - 01:39:20] You can also follow the Spidey lovers and the Debbie Downer on Letterboxd at - ADITHIYAN: https://letterboxd.com/curioseradi/. AMARTYA : https://letterboxd.com/amartya/. CRIS : https://letterboxd.com/crislim/.

Hello Hello Hello, It's that time of the year when QID does its mid-yearly Bollywood round-up (aka the time when Dhruv and Cris are at their bitchiest). Rather than following our regular format, we've split our episode into 2 parts: the first one, featuring first-time guest & regular writer for The Indian Express, Anas Arif, is (hopefully) the civil one. We discuss two of the more prominent titles of this year—Anubhav Sinha's controversial Assi and Imtiaz Ali's much-revered Main Vaapas Aaunga— extensively to try and understand their appeal (or lack thereof) for a broader audience. The second part of the episode, featuring only Cris and Dhruv, is chaos as usual because we revert to our format of picking notable honorable (or in this case, mostly dishonorable) mentions of the year (so far). We go through these categories by category - discussing performances, direction, writing, music & editing that missed (or, in the rare case, hit) the mark. MAJOR SPOILERS FOR ASSI & MAIN VAAPAS AAUNGA MINOR SPOILERS FOR COCKTAIL 2 & O'ROMEO TIMECODES PART 1 (w/ ANAS) - [00:00 - 01:39:01] Introduction - [00:00 - 03:42] Assi - [03:42 - 51:19] Main Vaapas Aaunga - [51:19 - 01:39:01] PART 2 (w/o ANAS) - [01:39:01 - 02:37:13] Introduction - [01:39:01 - 01:41:26] Honorable/Dishonorable Mentions Performance - [01:41:26 - 01:47:46] Direction - [01:47:46 - 01:54:28] Writing - [01:54:28 - 02:00:51] Scene - [02:00:51 - 02:07:13] Cinematography - [02:07:13 - 02:14:52] Editing - [02:14:52 - 02:22:16] Music - [02:22:16 - 02:28:39] Film - [02:28:39 - 02:37:13] OUTRO - [02:37:13 - 02:39:07] Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people! YOU CAN (AND SHOULD!) FOLLOW ANAS ON HIS SOCIALS. TWITTER INSTAGRAM ANAS' CRITICAL PIECE ON ASSI & MAIN VAAPAS AAUNGA 1. " MVA chronicles a country in danger of forgetting itself." 2. "The devastatingly affective tragedy of MVA 's climax." 3. " Assi vs. Mardaani 3 : The grammar of rage in the era of hypermasculine cinema. Follow us on Instagram at: Dhruv : ⁠https://www.instagram.com/terminalcinema/⁠ Cris : ⁠https://www.instagram.com/prdscris/⁠ Follow us on Letterboxd at: Dhruv - ⁠https://letterboxd.com/aterminalcinema/⁠ Cris : ⁠https://letterboxd.com/crislim/⁠

Hello Hello Hello! QID's manel (crew?) made up of Dhruv, Amartya, Varun, Cris, Arjun, and Hemant embark on an odyssey through Christopher Nolan's filmography, docking on the shores of his latest release: "The Odyssey". The adaptation question is tackled, with notes on translations, interpretations, and their relationship with the very act of storytelling. A diverse set of opinions from disappointment to cautious optimism to reverence are shared, mapping the ups and downs of Nolan's auteurist blockbuster filmmaking. His relationship with writing women, the eroticism (or lack thereof) in his work, and his (over?)use of music are also delved into. This spoiler-filled discussion features plenty of "hot takes", references to Dhoom 3, and generally mandated chaos. P.S. Happy Birthday, Dhruv! SPOILERS FOR "THE ODYSSEY". TIME CODES Intro - [00:00 - 08:45] The Nolan Tier List - [08:45 - 54:03] Contextualising Homer's Odyssey - [54:03 - 01:10:39] "The Odyssey" - [01:10:39 - 02:10:31] Outro - [02:10:39 - 02:23:18] Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people! Follow our Instagram page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can follow us on Letterboxd at - CRIS: https://letterboxd.com/crislim/. VARUN: https://letterboxd.com/varunoakbhakay/. AMARTYA: https://letterboxd.com/amartya/. ARJUN: https://letterboxd.com/arjun_skumar1/ . HEMANT: ⁠⁠ https://letterboxd.com/ganti117/ ⁠. DHRUV : ⁠⁠⁠https://letterboxd.com/aterminalcinema/⁠⁠.

Hello Hello Hello! Overcoming the righteous elitism that plagues the day-to-day operations of Queen is Dead, Amartya, Cris, and Varun convene to discuss the evolution/regression of one of Bombay’s most significant production houses: Yash Raj Films. More precisely, the decline in YRF’s output is examined through their two major franchises – the Dhoom series and the Spy Universe . A broad discussion segues into observations about music and themes and filmmaking and dissing QID’s in-house YRF-esque dramatic hero Dhruv Krishna Goyal before arriving at Production #7 of the Spy Universe – Alpha , helmed by Shiv Rawail and starring Alia Bhatt and Sharvari, with support from Anil Kapoor and the re-ascendant Vijay Singh aka Bobby Deol. Spoilers for two franchises that no one cares about (as per Dhruv). TIME CODES Intro - [00:00 - 05:31] Bottom of the Barrel ("War 2") - [05:31 - 16:30] The Appeal of the Spyverse (up until "Pathaan") - [16:30 - 24:04] The Appeal of the "Dhoom" Franchise (Minus "Dhoom 3") - [24:04 - 45:30] What Happened to the Music?! - [45:30 - 53:46] The Demise of the Spyverse (post-"Pathaan") - [53:46 - 01:37:00] The Lethal Ladies (and the Three Bored Audience Members) of "Alpha" - [01:37:00 - 02:29:28] Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people! Follow our Instagram page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can follow us on Letterboxd at - CRIS: https://letterboxd.com/crislim/. VARUN: https://letterboxd.com/varunoakbhakay/. AMARTYA: https://letterboxd.com/amartya/.

In our final episode of this year's Pride series, Cris, Dhruv & Ashwin talk about English-language queer films as outsider "trash" art (John Waters' "Pink Flamingos"), genre-subversive art (The Wachowski Sisters' "Bound") & poetic melodramas (Terence Davies' "Benediction"). Much like the previous two eps, this final episode is another attempt to explore the varied aesthetics of queer expression, with form being intrinsically tied to content in shaping what a filmmaker wants to say about queerness in (and through) their film. Listen to the full episode to hear us discuss John Waters & Divine's infamous "politics of filth" in "Pink Flamingoes," the Wachowskis' play on noir's femme fatale in "Bound," and Terence Davies' personalization (and poeticism) of the otherwise rote historical biopic in "Benediction." Spoilers, if they count. TIME CODES Intro - [00:00 - 03:04] "Pink Flamingos" (1972) - [03:04 - 36:28] "Bound" (1996) - [36:28 - 1:02:07] "Benediction" (2021) - [01:02:07 - 01:46:53] Outro - [01:46:53 - 01:53:57] Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people! Follow our Instagram page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can follow us on Letterboxd at - CRIS : https://letterboxd.com/crislim/. ASHWIN : https://letterboxd.com/ashwindev/. DHRUV: https://letterboxd.com/aterminalcinema/.

In this second episode (of three) of this year's Pride special series, Cris, Dhruv, Ashwin, and returning guest Prakhar engage with European Queer Cinema through Chantal Akerman's 'The Meetings of Anna', Rainer Werner Fassbinder's 'Querelle', and Alain Guiraudie's 'Stranger by the Lake' and how they navigate asceticism and excess in the landscape of queer misery. Listen to the full episode for a lot of innuendo (we're blaming Fassbinder for this), academic references (we're blaming Cris for this), and inevitable Bollywood comparisons (we're surprisingly blaming Prakhar for this). Spoilers, if they count. TIME CODES Intro - [00:00 - 03:04] "The Meetings of Anna" (1978) - [03:04 - 37:45] "Querelle" (1982) - [37:45 - 1:18:09] "Stranger by the Lake" (2013) - [01:18:09 - 01:59:13] Outro - [01:59:13 - 02:05:39] Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people! Follow our Instagram page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Leo Bersani's "Is the Rectum a Grave?" (1987): https://web.english.upenn.edu/~cavitch/pdf-library/Bersani_Rectum.pdf You can (and should!) follow Prakhar at - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/she_isatthemovies⁠ . You can follow us on Letterboxd at - CRIS : https://letterboxd.com/crislim/. ASHWIN : https://letterboxd.com/ashwindev/. DHRUV: https://letterboxd.com/aterminalcinema/.

Amartya, Varun, Cris, and Arjun conclude the Spielberg Sci-Fi series with the release of "Disclosure Day". This final (spoiler-filled) episode looks at how the film exists in conversation with his filmography, whether expectations were met, and how honest the message at its heart is. Divergent opinions are shared, along with equal parts of admiration and frustration. One of them (sorry, Arjun) is left to fend for themselves, necessary comparisons are made to Francis Ford Coppola's "Megalopolis", and a genuine discussion on the existence of the 'third kind' is had. MAJOR SPOILERS FOR "DISCLOSURE DAY". TIME CODES Intro (& Alien Talk) - [00:00 - 13:34] Initial Thoughts - [13:34 - 29:23] "Disclosure Day" - [29:23 - 01:26:34] Outro - [01:26:34 - 01:28:29] Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people! Follow our Instagram page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can follow us on Letterboxd at - CRIS: https://letterboxd.com/crislim/. VARUN: https://letterboxd.com/varunoakbhakay/. AMARTYA: https://letterboxd.com/amartya/. ARJUN: https://letterboxd.com/arjun_skumar1/.

Amartya, Varun, and Cris (re)convene in a divergent manel to tackle Steven Spielberg's association with science fiction. This second in a series of three episodes looks at "Minority Report", "War of the Worlds", and "Ready Player One", and how Spielberg (paired here with cinematographer Janusz Kamiński) uses them to tackle real-world politics. References to Bollywood are a must, so Tom Cruise gets compared to John Abraham at some point, do not ask why. The final part will cover "Disclosure Day" and how it exists in conversation (or not) with these texts. Bonus discussion on our recent (terrible and not so much) excursions to the theatre had to be shared, so do enjoy that as well. MAJOR SPOILERS FOR ALL 3 MOVIES TIME CODES Intro (& Recent Theatrical Experiences) - [00:00 - 11:37] "Minority Report" - [11:37 - 41:18] "War of the Worlds" - [41:18 - 01:05:04] "Ready Player One" - [01:05:04 - 01:35:55] Outro - [01:35:55 - 01:37:05] Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people! Follow our Instagram page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can follow us on Letterboxd at - CRIS: https://letterboxd.com/crislim/. VARUN: https://letterboxd.com/varunoakbhakay/. AMARTYA: https://letterboxd.com/amartya/.

In our second ever Pride special series, Cris is joined by fellow Queer Cinema enthusiasts Dhruv and Ashwin to discuss how different filmmakers from different backgrounds and in different eras render queerness on screen. They explore what makes a film "queer" in the first place and how formally, narratively, and stylistically diverse they can be. This first episode (of three) engages with Asian Queer Cinema through Wong Kar Wai's 'Happy Together', Tsai Ming-liang's 'The River', and Apichatpong Weerasethakul's 'Tropical Malady', and how they contemplate (queer) alienation, misery, and repression. Listen to the full episode for some heart-attack-inducing Bollywood comparisons (as usual), unexpected shade towards one of these films, and heartfelt affection and admiration for the other two. Spoilers, if they count. TIME CODES (Pride Special) Intro - [00:00 - 08:08] "Happy Together" (1997) - [08:08 - 38:07] "The River" (1997) - [38:07 - 1:04:31] "Tropical Malady" (2004) - [01:04:31 - 01:33:13] Outro (& Upcoming Episodes) - [1:33:13 - 1:41:46] Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people! Follow our Instagram page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can follow us on Letterboxd at - CRIS : https://letterboxd.com/crislim/. ASHWIN : https://letterboxd.com/ashwindev/. DHRUV: https://letterboxd.com/aterminalcinema/.