Morally Offensive

In Part 1 of a two-part episode on Carrie (1976), Morally Offensive examines the Catholic Legion of Decency’s condemned reviews of Brian De Palma’s adaptation of Stephen King’s debut novel, along with the film’s script, pre-production, and casting. Hosts Bill and Jess are joined by guest Cisco Scartozzi for a conversation about Stephen King, Catholic guilt, and growing up during the Satanic Panic, when horror movies and the occult could make for some very uncomfortable family discussions. Cisco’s parents wouldn’t let him watch horror movies, but they were perfectly happy to see him reading Stephen King (at least the kid WAS reading). Jess evidently made it through years of Catholic catechism without ever cracking open a Bible, while Bill grew up in a household where demons were considered a genuine threat and Stephen King was definitely off the table. Instead, he buried himself in the classics, from Ukrainian folk horror to Edgar Allan Poe. The episode also looks at Mike Flanagan’s new Carrie series and revisits King’s original novel to compare it with De Palma’s vision of religious extremism, teenage bullying, and telekinetic revenge.  Support the show: Merch Store! Merch: https://morallyoffensive.bigcartel.com/ SUPPORT THE SHOW JUST BECAUSE Buy Us a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/morallyoffensive Website and Contact info: https://www.morallyoffensive.com Follow and watch: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MorallyOffensivepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@morallyoffensivepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morallyoffensivepod Threads: https://www.threads.net/@morallyoffensivepod

In Part 2 of our two-part episode on Bride of Frankenstein (1935), Morally Offensive finally gets into the movie itself. Bill, Kevin, and Robert L. Kelly of the Record All Monsters podcast (and former Exorcist's assistant) walk through the plot of James Whale’s Universal horror classic, digging into the making of the film, behind-the-scenes stories, and the creative decisions that helped make it one of the most celebrated monster movies of all time. We also get into the legacy of Mary Shelley, Boris Karloff’s defining performance as Frankenstein’s Monster, and the meaning behind a story that has become so much bigger than its original novel. What does Frankenstein’s Monster represent, and why does he continue to haunt popular culture nearly 200 years after Shelley first brought him to life? From classic Hollywood horror and the Universal Monsters to questions of creation, humanity, and what it means to be an outsider, we try to figure out why this story refuses to stay dead. TW for Suicide Record All Monsters: https://recordallmonsterspod.wordpress.com/ Support the show: Merch Store! Merch: https://morallyoffensive.bigcartel.com/ SUPPORT THE SHOW JUST BECAUSE Buy Us a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/morallyoffensive Website and Contact info: https://www.morallyoffensive.com Follow and watch: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MorallyOffensivepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@morallyoffensivepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morallyoffensivepod Threads: https://www.threads.net/@morallyoffensivepod    

In Part 1 of our two-part episode on Bride of Frankenstein (1935), Morally Offensive takes a look at the Catholic Legion of Decency’s censorship records (courtesy of the Academy Film Archive) and the crew discover that James Whale’s classic Universal monster movie had some very specific problems for Joseph Breen and company. The objections include exposed breasts, a priest getting injured by Frankenstein’s Monster, a baby wetting its diaper, and the Monster attempting to pull Jesus off the cross. Apparently, even a family classic like the Bride of Frankenstein wasn’t safe from a little Catholic pearl clutching. We also get into the film’s pre-production, the development of its screenplay, and the career of director James Whale, whose success in 1930s Hollywood came alongside a degree of openness about his homosexuality that was unusual for the era. Joining Bill and Kevin for this deep dive into classic horror, Hollywood censorship, and the Catholic Church’s crusade against supposedly offensive movies is Robert L. Kelly of the Record All Monsters podcast and book. Naturally, we also take the opportunity to grill him about his time as an Exorcist's assistant, because that seems like a perfectly normal thing to bring up while discussing Frankenstein. Record All Monsters: https://recordallmonsterspod.wordpress.com/ Support the show: Merch Store! Merch: https://morallyoffensive.bigcartel.com/ SUPPORT THE SHOW JUST BECAUSE Buy Us a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/morallyoffensive Website and Contact info: https://www.morallyoffensive.com Follow and watch: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MorallyOffensivepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@morallyoffensivepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morallyoffensivepod Threads: https://www.threads.net/@morallyoffensivepod

Bill and Stephanie are joined once again by the winner of the Milwaukee Film Silent Auction, Bill's Sister-In-Law, Shannon, for episode two on Basic Instinct (1992), as part of the American Giallo series. They really try hard to make it through the plot of the movie, but when a movie is built around intense, often ludicrous, sex and violence, it’s hard to get very far without asking some uncomfortable questions about the people who made it. Doubly so, if your podcast is about Catholic moralizing and pearl-clutching. Sharon Stone’s infamous interrogation scene becomes a sticking point as the trio get into the ethics of filmmaking, the treatment of its leading actress, and the thin blue line between pushing boundaries and exploiting actors. Bill, Stephanie, and Shannon get into a HEATED debate about the merits of the movie and its makers, in an incredibly intense, but respectful conversation about several delicate topics. Support the show: Merch Store! Merch: https://morallyoffensive.bigcartel.com/ SUPPORT THE SHOW JUST BECAUSE Buy Us a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/morallyoffensive Website and Contact info: https://www.morallyoffensive.com Follow and watch: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MorallyOffensivepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@morallyoffensivepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morallyoffensivepod Threads: https://www.threads.net/@morallyoffensivepod

For the next installment in their American Giallo series, Bill and Stephanie are joined by Shannon, Bill’s sister-in-law and the winner of the Milwaukee Film Silent Auction prize to guest on the show, to discuss Paul Verhoeven’s Basic Instinct (1992). Starring Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone, this erotic thriller inspired protests from the religious right, feminists, and the LGBTQ community, all for very different reasons. The question is: Was there overlap with the Catholic review from the Catholic Film Office? Why did THEY condemn the movie? The crew get into the movie’s reputation, its depiction of bisexuality, and the long-running debate over whether showing sexualized violence on screen is the same as normalizing it. Those questions haven't gone away, particularly in a culture that still has deep-seated problems with misogyny, SA, and not holding men accountable for their actions. This was recorded in the wake of the Cornell 7 case and right before the airing of Shane Gillis’s misogynist and controversial SNL monologue, which makes revisiting Basic Instinct at this moment far more prescient than the podcast had ever intended.  Finally, Bill just HAD to talk about Joe Eszterhas and Mel Gibson's wacky adventures trying to make a movie about the Maccabees. Support the show: Merch Store! Merch: https://morallyoffensive.bigcartel.com/ SUPPORT THE SHOW JUST BECAUSE Buy Us a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/morallyoffensive Website and Contact info: https://www.morallyoffensive.com Follow and watch: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MorallyOffensivepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@morallyoffensivepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morallyoffensivepod Threads: https://www.threads.net/@morallyoffensivepod

When we initially released this episode, in the early days of the podcast, Cisco had temporarily returned to the Movie Buffs podcast, and film curator and writer Stephanie Sack stepped in to the fill the void. We had no idea if we would keep going, we had no clue that our Devils episode would help us reach an entirely new audience, and we certainly did not anticipate Warner Brothers FINALLY re-releasing an uncut, restored version of Ken Russell's vision. We were joined by film and TV producer/writer/ghost hunter/sex expert Ken Melvoin-Berg (Sex with Sunny Megatron on Showtime) to talk about one of the MOST Morally Offensive films of all of the films Condemned by the Catholic Church (NCOMP, really, but we all know that doesn't make for good hook copy). Not only was Russell's film especially naughty, still garnering an NC-17 in it's re-release, but it directly called out religious hypocrisy and the evils that can occur when the church and state are one. Based on the Aldous Huxley novel, this is a film that is incredibly prescient and relevant, at a time when billionaires preach about the anti-christ, and wave upside-down bibles in the air, while defending and covering for perpetrators of the most vile acts of human depravity imaginable. This film is, in many ways, a spiritual companion piece to our podcast, and it is incredibly moving to see this masterpiece finally get its due. So, if you are new to the film, new to the podcast, or a subscriber and may have missed it, here is our detailed, epic episode on Ken Russell's The Devils. We hope you enjoy and choose to subscribe to our podcast about morality, religious trauma, hypocrisy and dirty movies. Support the show: Merch Store! Merch: https://morallyoffensive.bigcartel.com/ SUPPORT THE SHOW JUST BECAUSE Buy Us a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/morallyoffensive Website and Contact info: https://www.morallyoffensive.com Follow and watch: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MorallyOffensivepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@morallyoffensivepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morallyoffensivepod Threads: https://www.threads.net/@morallyoffensivepod

In Part Two of our discussion of The Eyes of Laura Mars (1978), Bill and Kevin are joined by Ben Schneider from Reel Beans Podcast, and finally get into the movie itself. As part of the continuing American Giallo series, they walk through the plot, dig into the production and behind-the-scenes history, and see whether the Catholic reviews from Part One actually hold any weight. The crew goes over Faye Dunaway’s performance, Tommy Lee Jones' moralizing detective, the film’s strange blend of murder mystery and 1970s thriller, and the Helmut Newton fashion photography at the center of it all. The crew digs into what the movie might be saying about advertising, voyeurism, Capitalism, and the exploitation of women’s bodies. Is The Eyes of Laura Mars really just sleazy sexploitation ala Helmut Newton and Studio 54, or is there a more interesting argument buried underneath the pile of bodies and haute couture? Were the Catholic reviewers onto something in their critiques, or were they totally off base? Did some of the reviewers get it, or at LEAST seem to grasp part of its meaning? Tune in (are we still saying that in the streaming era?) to find out! Theme song by Bill "Netherlands" Holland Follow our guest: Reel Beans podcast: https://reelbeans.com/ Support the show: Merch Store! Merch: https://morallyoffensive.bigcartel.com/ SUPPORT THE SHOW JUST BECAUSE Buy Us a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/morallyoffensive Website and Contact info: https://www.morallyoffensive.com Follow and watch: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MorallyOffensivepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@morallyoffensivepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morallyoffensivepod Threads: https://www.threads.net/@morallyoffensivepod

Bill and Kevin are back with another installment in the American Giallo series, and this time we’re staring directly into The Eyes of Laura Mars (1978) with Ben Schneider from Reel Beans Podcast. In Part One, the guys dig through the Catholic reviews and internal memoranda on Irvin Kershner’s Faye Dunaway thriller, and apparently the “Catholics” had some thoughts. One reviewer dismissed the movie as “twaddle,” another wrote it off as grocery store schlock, and then there’s the surprisingly thoughtful review from one B.F. Dick. Yes...that's actually his name. We also get into the bizarre screenwriting history behind The Eyes of Laura Mars, including the long-running rumors about Italian screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi’s involvement, and talk about Faye Dunaway’s absolutely killer run of movies leading up to this one. Along the way, we look at the film as a piece of American Giallo, the Catholic obsession with sex and violence on screen, and the strange path this very strange movie took from hands of John Carpenter, to the Eyes of Laura Mars. Check out episode one, and definitely come back for a deep dive into the movie and behind the scenes tidits in episode two. Theme song by Bill "Netherlands" Holland Follow our guest: Reel Beans podcast: https://reelbeans.com/ Support the show: Merch Store! Merch: https://morallyoffensive.bigcartel.com/ SUPPORT THE SHOW JUST BECAUSE Buy Us a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/morallyoffensive Website and Contact info: https://www.morallyoffensive.com Follow and watch: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MorallyOffensivepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@morallyoffensivepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morallyoffensivepod Threads: https://www.threads.net/@morallyoffensivepod

Bill and Jess continue their American Giallo series with Cisco Scartozzi for the second half of Brian De Palma’s Body Double (1984). Once again, Cisco is playing defense for De Palma, and Jess is dissecting some of the less savory subtexts within his films. This time, we dig into the behind-the-scenes stories surrounding the film’s second half, including the casting of Melanie Griffith, De Palma’s obsession with the Hitchcock blonde, and the unexpected Frankie Goes to Hollywood music video that splits the movie in half. We also get into the movie’s wildly uneven tone, its mix of erotic thriller, horror, satire, and whether all those competing ideas ultimately work. Despite its shortcomings, there’s plenty to unpack in Body Double, from its elaborate set pieces and technical filmmaking to the strange collection of ideas that make it such a memorable entry in the American Giallo series. *The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the hosts and guests. They do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast, its management, or any affiliated organizations. Information provided by guests is their own and does not constitute an endorsement by the show. Theme song by Bill "Netherlands" Holland Support the show: Merch Store! Merch: https://morallyoffensive.bigcartel.com/ SUPPORT THE SHOW JUST BECAUSE Buy Us a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/morallyoffensive Website and Contact info: https://www.morallyoffensive.com Follow and watch: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MorallyOffensivepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@morallyoffensivepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morallyoffensivepod Threads: https://www.threads.net/@morallyoffensivepod  

Do you like dirty movies? Did you grow up Catholic? Did you not grow up Catholic, but dislike censorship? Are you passionate about the history of film? Do you enjoy discussing film in the context of the past as well as modern social issues? Do you enjoy hearing weird personal anecdotes about DIY Exorcisms, being condemned by your own parents, or having your entire high school banned from a cathedral? Are you looking for a film podcast made by a bunch of native midwesterners who unironically use the word "Ope"? Then, this podcast MAY be for you!