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Published by Monstrous Flesh
A podcast dedicated to exploring the origins of horror tropes, the folklore behind it, and the representation of women and non binary folks within it! In each series we deep dive a particular theme or trope, and we dissect it to an inch of its life! Hosted by Dr Megan Kenny and Clelia McElroy, and edited by Adam Hynes.
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In this final episode we discuss LAKE PLACID, a film which subverts the traditional "vengeful nature" trope by exposing humanity’s absurd, possessive, and contradictory relationship with the wild. Instead of treating the giant 30-foot crocodile as an evil abomination that must be eradicated, the film turns the creature into a focal point for a clash between modern science, archaic local symbiosis, and bureaucratic cluelessness. **** Synopsis: When a diver is eaten alive by an unknown creature in a remote lake in Maine, the local game warden and sheriff team up with a paleontologist and an eccentric philanthropist to find the crocodile before it kills anyone else. **** Editing and theme music by Adam Hynes @adamnarrows Follow the hosts of Monstrous Flesh on social media @monstrous_flesh and @monstrousmeg **** Show Notes The Crocodile in Ancient Nile and Aboriginal Creation Myths CROCODILE SPECIALIST GROUP NEWSLETTER 141A Crocodile - Wikipedia
Before “toxic waste” became one of genre cinema’s favourite clichés, C.H.U.D. made it feel genuinely unsettling. There’s no glowing green sludge here, magically transforming unsuspecting victims into mutants. Instead, the film taps into something much more insidious: the fear that something dangerous is festering right beneath the city we think we know. Like The Incredible Melting Man , Alligator , and The Stuff , C.H.U.D. channels growing anxieties around pollution, contamination, and the hidden consequences of human negligence. But what makes it particularly effective is the way it turns those anxieties into an urban nightmare. The threat isn’t some distant, abstract environmental catastrophe — it’s literally underneath our feet. **** Synopsis: Photographer George Cooper is documenting the lives of subterranean homeless people in New York City. After receiving information from a reporter regarding a conspiracy theory about cannibalistic monsters lurking in the sewers. George teams up with a policeman and a priest to fight two battles: one against the ‘cannibalistic humanoid underground dwellers’ and the other against a corrupt government official, who may be lying about what the acronym C.H.U.D stands for? **** Editing and theme music by Adam Hynes @adamnarrows Follow the hosts of Monstrous Flesh on social media @monstrous_flesh and @monstrousmeg **** Show Notes Cast John Heard as George Cooper Daniel Stern as A.J. "The Reverend" Shepherd Christopher Curry as Captain Bosch Kim Greist as Lauren Daniels J.C. Quinn as Murphy Michael O'Hare as Officer Fuller Peter Michael Goetz as Gramps Sam McMurray as Officer Crespi Frankie R. Faison as Sergeant Parker Graham Beckel as Val Jon Polito as Newscaster George Martin as Wilson John Bedford Lloyd as "Shadow" Laure Mattos as Flora Bosch Cordis Heard as Cop Patricia Richardson as Ad Woman Eddie Jones as Chief O'Brien John Goodman and Jay Thomas as Diner Cops Hallie Foote as Waitress Sandford Clark, Lou Leccese, James Dudley and Carey Eidel as C.H.U.D. suit performers Research bibliography Alligators-in-the-Sewers: A Journalistic Origin. Loren Coleman The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 92, No. 365 (Jul. - Sep., 1979), pp. 335-338 (4 pages) https://doi.org/10.2307/539420 . https://www.jstor.org/stable/539420 . Sewer alligator - Wikipedia Londoners Once Wondered If Feral Hogs Roamed Victorian-Era Sewers The Monstrous & Terrifying Wild Pigs of Hampstead's Sewers - David Castleton Blog - The Serpent's Pen
In this episode, we discuss ‘the best Jaws rip-off’ - Joe Dante’s original sci-fi horror Piranha stands out from the countless array of nature-bites-back flicks thanks to its in-your-face and unapologetic ode to genre filmmaking. Synopsis: When two hapless teens disappear after trekking past an abandoned military compound, skip tracer Maggie McKeown is sent to find them, unenthusiastically aided by local drunkard Paul Grogan. Whilst investigating the military compound, Maggie and Paul unwittingly release a swarm of blood thirsty, genetically modified piranhas into the river. Realising their mistake, they race against the clock, and the current, to save the town from a school of very hungry fish! Editing and theme music by Adam Hynes @adamnarrows Follow the hosts of Monstrous Flesh on social media @monstrous_flesh and @monstrousmeg **** Show Notes Cast Bradford Dillman as Paul Grogan Heather Menzies as Maggie McKeown Kevin McCarthy as Dr. Robert Hoak Keenan Wynn as Jack Dick Miller as Buck Gardner Barbara Steele as Dr. Mengers Belinda Balaski as Betsy Melody Thomas Scott as Laura Dickinson Shannon Collins as Suzie Grogan Bruce Gordon as Colonel Waxman Barry Brown as Trooper Paul Bartel as Dumont Shawn Nelson as Whitney Richard Deacon as Earl Lyon John Sayles as Sentry Piranha! | Plantasia Tropical Zoo How a President Propagated a Piranha Myth – Greater Cleveland Aquarium The Myth of the Sacred Piranha: The Fearsome Fish - Babylonian Mythology The Myth and Mayhem of Piranhas: Debunking the "Deadly" Reputation Piranha director Joe Dante on B-movies, Spielberg and ripping off Jaws - SciFiNow
Welcome to our summer series- Heatwave Horror. As the world quite literally burns around us, we will be exploring the use of the environment in horror cinema. In this first episode, we discuss the creature feature that started it all: Jack Arnold’s 1954 masterpiece Creature from the Black Lagoon. Synopsis: Deep in the Brazilian Amazon, an archaeological expedition uncovers the fossilized claw of a mysterious prehistoric creature, prompting a team of scientists to investigate its origins. Their search leads them to a remote lagoon, where they discover that the creature is far from extinct. Hidden beneath the water is the Gill-Man – an ancient amphibious humanoid that fiercely defends its territory while becoming captivated by the expedition's lone female scientist, Kay Lawrence. As the creature stalks the team, killing those who threaten it and repeatedly attempting to abduct Kay, the scientists become divided over whether it should be studied or destroyed. Trapped in the isolated lagoon, the expedition is forced into a deadly confrontation with the last survivor of a forgotten prehistoric world. **** Editing and theme music by Adam Hynes @adamnarrows Follow the hosts of Monstrous Flesh on social media @monstrous_flesh and @monstrousmeg **** Show Notes: Creature from the Black Lagoon (Jack Arnold, 1954) Cast Richard Carlson as Dr. David Reed Julia Adams as Kay Lawrence Ginger Stanley as Kay Lawrence (underwater; uncredited) Richard Denning as Dr. Mark Williams Antonio Moreno as Dr. Carl Maia Nestor Paiva as Captain Lucas Whit Bissell as Dr. Edwin Thompson Bernie Gozier as Zee Henry Escalante as Chico Rodd Redwing as Luis Perry Lopez as Tomas Sydney Mason as Dr. Matos Ricou Browning as the Gill-man (underwater; uncredited) Ben Chapman as the Gill-man (on land; uncredited) Video links: “Back to the Black Lagoon” an Original Documentary on "Creature from the Black Lagoon" (1954) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tmiy6R9sT5Y Research bibliography I Spit on Your Celluloid, (Heidi Honeycutt - 2024) The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick, (Mallory O’Meara - 2019) Monster Theory: Reading Culture (Jeffrey Jerome Cohen, 1996)
In this last episode of the year we discuss our cinematic highs and lows of 2025, as well as looking back at our achievements this year and a preview of what we have in mind for 2026... Wishing you all a healthy and prosperous new year!
Did you know that before the tinsel and the Coca-Cola truck, Christmas in Britain was a time for... terror? In the penultimate episode of the year (wink wink), Meg and Clelia gathered around the fire to discuss the great British tradition of Ghost Stories for Christmas. Long before the Victorian era, the winter solstice was seen as a thin place—where the veil between the living and the dead was at its most fragile. But it was Charles Dickens who truly cemented the 'Christmas Ghost' into our DNA with his 1843 masterpiece, A Christmas Carol. From the chilling 1951 Alastair Sim version to the high-budget Hollywood spectacles, we’ve seen Scrooge redeemed a thousand times. But... there is one version that stands above them all. A version that captures the heart, the thrills, and the humour of the original text perfectly. Talking, of course, about the 1992 cinematic force majeure: The Muppet Christmas Carol! We’re diving deep into why Michael Caine’s straight-faced performance and a cast of felt characters created, in our very biased minds, the most authentic Dickensian adaptation. Join us as we explore the folklore behind the ghost stories tradition, discuss our favourite tales from the beyond, the fear… and the fuzzy felt!
We are joined by a very special guest: Payton McCarthy-Simas , author of That Very Witch: Fear, Feminism, and the American Witch Film, to dive deep into Rob Zombie’s The Lords of Salem (2012) — a hypnotic, polarising, and deeply uncanny entry in modern witch cinema. Payton brings their expertise on American witch narratives to unpack the film’s hallucinatory imagery, its lineage in Puritan panic, and its portrayal of witchcraft as both a site of feminist resistance and profound horror. We trace the film’s depiction of addiction, grief, and bodily vulnerability, and explore how Zombie reimagines the witch’s coven as a force that is at once communal, grotesque, and defiantly powerful. Join us as we interrogate whether The Lords of Salem offers liberation or damnation; how the film echoes real histories of persecution; and what it means to place a woman at the centre of a cosmic ritual she cannot escape. Expect discussions of trauma, ritual spectacle, psychedelic horror, and the complicated politics of representing female and non-binary bodies within witchcraft narratives. Tune in for an episode that’s part cultural excavation, part fever dream. ****Payton is an author, programmer, film critic, and video artist with a focus on horror and genre film. Their writing has been featured in The Hollywood Reporter, Film Daze, and The Brooklyn Rail among others, as well as spotlighted in The New York Times , CNN , and RogerEbert.com . Her short films and screenplays have been featured in several film festivals as well as shown at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. She is also the author of two books of nonfiction and film criticism, One Step Short of Crazy: National Treasure and the Landscape of American Conspiracy Culture (2024) and That Very Witch: Fear, Feminism, and the American Witch Film (2025). Payton holds a Masters in Film and Media Studies from Columbia University and is a member of the Online Association of Female Film Critics and GALECA. *** Editing and theme music by Adam Hynes @adamnarrows Follow the hosts of Monstrous Flesh on social media @monstrous_flesh and @monstrousmeg
In this last episode of the Revenge season, we discuss two cult classics bound by grief, love, and the intoxicating lure of vengeance. Join us as we explore how The Crow ( Proyas, 1994) and Mandy (Cosmatos, 2018) blur the line between mourning and madness, tenderness and brutality. *** Editing and theme music by Adam Hynes @adamnarrows Follow the hosts of Monstrous Flesh on social media @monstrous_flesh and @monstrousmeg
In our penultimate episode, we are discussing The Brood (1979) and Pyewacket (2017), two films that explore the dark, terrifying side of the mother-daughter relationship and how emotional trauma can literally manifest in monstrous ways. We'll be delving into the concept of psychosomatic horror, where unresolved anger and deep-seated familial resentment give birth to something truly terrifying, whether it's homicidal children or a demonic entity summoned from the woods. These films show that sometimes, the greatest source of terror and the deepest motivation for revenge comes from the people closest to us. *** Editing and theme music by Adam Hynes @adamnarrows Follow the hosts of Monstrous Flesh on social media @monstrous_flesh and @monstrousmeg
In this episode, we are discussing Carrie (1976) and Sissy (2022), two films that examine the terrifying intersection of bullying , social isolation , and the ultimate, explosive backlash from a teen pushed to her limits. We're exploring how both films tap into the profound fear of the outcast, showing the devastating consequences of relentless torment and how a desire for acceptance can curdle into a magnificent, destructive rage. So, get ready to feel the heat, because hell hath no fury like a teenage girl!
In this episode, we are discussing Ms. 45 (Ferrara, 1981) and Revenge (Fargeat, 2017), two films that take the "rape-revenge" subgenre and turn it on its head. We're looking at how these films transform a victim into a vigilante, reclaiming their agency and power through brutal, unapologetic acts of violence. We explore the catharsis and controversy of this trope, and question what it reveals about the deep-seated societal anger surrounding sexual violence. So, prepare for a bloody and brutal journey, because these women aren't just getting even—they're starting a war.
In this episode, we are discussing Hard Candy and Gone Girl , two films that show how the quiet, intellectual girl-next-door can become the most terrifying avenging angel. We'll be looking at how female intelligence and cunning can be weaponised in a hyper-masculine world to expose and ultimately destroy the men who seek to exploit them. We'll also explore how these films flip the script on who is the victim and who is the perpetrator, leaving the audience to question their own moral compass. Revenge is a dish best served cold, and these women are masters of the slow burn...
In this episode, we are discussing Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) and Morgiana (1972), two films that show how the poisonous brew of sibling rivalry, jealousy, and psychological manipulation can turn a house into a cage and a family into a battlefield. We'll be looking at how revenge is not always an external force but can fester from within, leading to a slow, methodical unraveling of the mind and the ultimate destruction of a family. So, lock your doors, and check on your loved ones, because the call is coming from inside the house. *** Editing and theme music by Adam Hynes @adamnarrows Follow the hosts of Monstrous Flesh on social media @monstrous_flesh and @monstrousmeg
In this episode, we are discussing Lady Vengeance (2005) and Ballerina (2023), two films that show the immense power of female rage and the methodical, brutal lengths our heroines go to in order to seek retribution. We'll be looking at the difference between the collective and personal nature of revenge, how trauma fuels the desire for justice, and how these films challenge the traditional portrayal of women as passive victims. *** Editing and theme music by Adam Hynes @adamnarrows Follow the hosts of Monstrous Flesh on social media @monstrous_flesh and @monstrousmeg
Welcome to Season 3, "Revenge”, exploring the many and varied motivations for Women to seek revenge in horror. This season, we’ll be looking at how revenge manifests, the different forms it takes, and importantly, we’ll be questioning why there’s been a tendency to gender this concept. In this episode, we are discussing Play Misty for Me (1971) and Fatal Attraction (1987), two films that helped define the "erotic thriller" subgenre and sparked a moral panic around female rage. We'll be delving into the tropes of the spurned lover and the "bunny boiler" to understand what these films reveal about societal anxieties surrounding female independence, desire, and retribution. So, grab your headphones and maybe lock your doors, because things are about to get unhinged! *** Editing and theme music by Adam Hynes @adamnarrows Follow the hosts of Monstrous Flesh on social media @monstrous_flesh and @monstrousmeg
" The killer is a maniac . But his mind works in a semi-logical pattern. which has a reasonable meaning for him." We're joined by Matt Rogerson, author of 'The Vatican Versus Horror Movies' (McFarland, 2024), and the upcoming Fulci’s Inferno (2025), to discuss their unique insights into the intersections of the world of horror cinema and faith. We discuss Matt's work and influences, and dissect Lucio Fulci's 1972 Gialli masterpiece 'Don't Torture a Duckling'. Hold on to your ears for this one ***WARNING: Spoilers, explicit language*** Matt Rogerson works in Health & Social Care Research Regulation. His film analysis specialises in the intersections between Horror and Roman Catholicism. His books, The Vatican versus Horror Movies (2024) and Fulci’s Inferno: Faith in the Films of a Giallo and Horror Auteur (2025), are published by McFarland & Co. He also features in House of Leaves Publishing’s Filtered Reality: The Progenitors and Evolution of Found Footage Horror and Palgrave MacMillan’s forthcoming The Handbook of the Zombie, and Arrow Video releases Exorcist 2: The Heretic and Zombie Flesh Eaters. He is the Managing Editor and owner of 1428 Publishing Ltd, whose first book Darkest Margins: Essays on Liminality & Liminal Spaces in the Horror Genre will be published later this year. Pre-order 'Fulci's Inferno' Matt's exploration of Faith in the Films of Lucio Fulci here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fulcis-Inferno-Horror-Giallo-Auteur/dp/1476696772/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1V5FXPW0FH713&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.AdMTgYz0rabdsZ6wCtUyaINsCAKtqjc_rq05qKYMZ8Jv39KnNqe12AEc32XVl_WYwLYF-Xvx7qy2sYuQP0FprqREOEPKir4PYLPXCrSqSOGkuKx14HBIX6D15-yccXmuMwZAodQA2KfX3hVvFegck6LLgYTI4YcvOmyBpHFWjPs.pu_9IL2nAiLVl_cmDvBQeDBnQpjacGNyMdcJrKvj_SI&dib_tag=se&keywords=fulci%27s+inferno&qid=1749559919&sprefix=fulci%27s+inferno%2Caps%2C85&sr=8-1 Order Arrow Films' 4K release of Fulci's Zombie Flesh Eaters, featuring new writing by Matt here: https://www.arrowfilms.com/zombie-flesh-eaters-limited-edition-4k-uhd/16553796.html *** Find out more about Monstrous Flesh and upcoming events www.monstrousflesh.co.ukFollow Clelia (@monstrous_flesh) and Meg (@monstrous_meg) on Instagram, Threads and X. Sound design, editing and theme music by Adam Hynes (@adamnarrows).***Cover art by Sobi Graphie
The Daylight Horror series comes to a chilling conclusion! 😱 In our final episode, we dive into the twisted depths of Funny Games and Eden Lake . Prepare for psychological torture, teenage terror, and a whole lot of uncomfortable truths about classism and violence. ☀️🔪 #podcast #horror #daylighthorror #funnygames #edenlake #podcastlife #horrorpodcast" *** Find out more about Monstrous Flesh, our reading list for episodes and upcoming events via our website monstrousflesh.co.uk Follow Clelia (@monstrous_flesh) and Meg (@monstrous_meg) on Instagram, Threads and X. Sound design, editing and theme music by Adam Hynes (@adamnarrows). *** Sources: "Hybrid Hoodie Horrors Genre Localisation and Britain’s Moral Panic" (Lindsey Decker, 2021) "HEARTLESS HOODIES - Contemporary British Horror Cinema: Industry, Genre and Society" (Johnny Walker, 2024)
We're breaking down the chilling double bill of The Wicker Man (both the 1973 AND 2006 version!) and Midsommar . Get ready for pagan rituals, twisted cults, and a whole lot of uncomfortable sunshine. ☀️💀 *** Find out more about Monstrous Flesh, our reading list for episodes and upcoming events via our website monstrousflesh.co.uk Follow Clelia (@monstrous_flesh) and Meg (@monstrous_meg) on Instagram, Threads and X. Sound design, editing and theme music by Adam Hynes (@adamnarrows). ***
This week, we discuss the iconic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre - a blood-soaked odyssey into the maddening heat of rural Texas. We dissect the film's enduring legacy, from its groundbreaking violence to its exploration of family, fate, and the American psyche. We then turn our attention to Carlota Pereda's groundbreaking debut Piggy, delving into themes of bullying, body image, and the monstrous within us all. Get ready to sweat, scream, and question your sanity. *** Find out more about Monstrous Flesh, our reading list for episodes and upcoming events via our website monstrousflesh.co.uk Follow Clelia (@monstrous_flesh) and Meg (@monstrous_meg) on Instagram, Threads and X. Sound design, editing and theme music by Adam Hynes (@adamnarrows). ***
Welcome to this Monstrous Flesh podcast mini-series, where we turn our attention to a fascinating subgenre - Daylight Horror. This week we're talking about Steven Spielberg's 1975 cult classic Jaws and Jordan Peele's UFO extravaganza Nope, from 2022. Why do these two films make a great double bill, you ask? ... Let's talk! *** Find out more about Monstrous Flesh, our reading list for episodes and upcoming events via our website monstrousflesh.co.uk Follow Clelia (@monstrous_flesh) and Meg (@monstrous_meg) on Instagram, Threads and X. Sound design, editing and theme music by Adam Hynes (@adamnarrows). *** Research for this episode: JAWS: VOIR - Ep 1 - The Summer of the Shark (Netflix) Visual essay written by American Film Blogger Sasha Stone, about her experience as a 10 year old girl who discovered a love of cinema in the summer of 1975 when she first watched Jaws. https://crimereads.com/on-the-endless-symbolism-of-jaws-which-owes-its-dark-soul-to-moby-dick/ https://brightlightsfilm.com/scars-and-their-stories-exploring-a-scene-from-jaws/ https://www.americamagazine.org/arts-culture/2023/06/30/jaws-sex-abuse-crisis-245597 https://seanpatrickhughes.substack.com/p/jaws-a-social-commentary https://time.com/6199449/nope-explained-meaning-jordan-peele/ https://fdiv.net/2015/01/02/who-were-jockeys-muybridges-photographs https://overland.org.au/2022/08/barbaric-struts-and-cosmic-indigestion-in-jordan-peeles-nope/
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