Filmmaker, Letterboxd Horrorville HQ Editor, and Co-Founder of Hyperreal Film Club (a microcinema on Austin TX's Eastside), Jenni Kaye, joins Steph Grossman and Bianca PĂŠrez in the basement to talk about SCREAM (1996). SHOW NOTES Jenni Kaye's Insta! | â instagram.com/jenni.videoâ Hyperreal Film Club | hyperrealfilm.club Horrorville HQ on Letterboxed | letterboxd.com/horrorville ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES â â â â â Gemini Gospelâ â â â â â | Bianca PĂŠrez's debut poetry chapbook, published by Host Publications â â ...
Jul 28, 2025â˘1 hr 18 min
"The devil says the darndest things." Author and illustrator C.S. Fritz joins Steph Grossman and Bianca PĂŠrez in the basement to talk about the horror classic that kinda started it all: THE EXORCIST (1973). Additionally, they discuss the original EXORCIST novel (1971) by William Peter Blatty, Satan's charms, hot priests, and Fritz's own devilish novel, A FIG FOR ALL THE DEVILS. SHOW NOTES A FIG FOR ALL THE DEVILS by C.S. Fritz | https://www.amazon.com/Fig-All-Devils-C-S-Fritz/dp/B09HSX6M4H ADDIT...
May 31, 2025â˘1 hr 13 min
Plot twist: it wasn't the final Friday. Bianca is joined by poet & teaching artist, Christian J. Collier, to talk about the 1993 horror/fantasy classic JASON GOES TO HELL: THE FINAL FRIDAY . Additionally, they discuss so-bad-it's-good horror slashers, how to keep horror fresh, Black horror motifs in film, monsters, and of course Christian's poetry collection, THE GLEAMING OF THE BLADE . Basement Girlie, Steph, was busy being pregnant but Bianca kept the basement fort down. SHOW NOTES Christi...
Mar 18, 2025â˘57 min
Steph had a baby in August. Bianca currently has, like, 5 jobs. BUT we're excited to return to the basement in 2025, with the goal of releasing an episode every 2-3 months. In the meantimeâand with the 2024 Christmas season upon usâenjoy this Holiday re-post of one of our favorite episodes ever. Be merry, ho ho ho's! *** "Never put on a dead man's clothes." Author and culture critic Peter Counter joins Steph Grossman and Bianca PĂŠrez in the basement to discuss how THE SANTA CLAUSE (1994), starri...
Dec 18, 2024â˘1 hr 6 min
"Sometimes the Death card means transformationâand sometimes it just means death." Cecily Sailer, founder of Typewriter Tarot and host of YOUR CREATIVE AND MAGICAL LIFE podcast , joins Steph Grossman and Bianca PĂŠrez in the basement to discuss the new horror film TAROT (2024), directed by Spenser Cohen and Anna Halberg, and (loosely) based on the 1992 YA horror novel Horrorscope by Nicholas Adams. SHOW NOTES Cecily Sailer | typewritertarot.com YOUR CREATIVE AND MAGICAL LIFE Podcast | yourcreativ...
Jun 06, 2024â˘1 hr 4 minâ˘Ep. 14
Never put on a dead man's clothes! Author and culture critic Peter Counter joins Steph Grossman and Bianca PĂŠrez in the basement to discuss how THE SANTA CLAUSE (1994), starring Tim Allen, is actually a movie about body horror, possession, and the sublime. It's basically a yuletide HEREDITARY (in fact, we're pretty sure Santa Claus knows Paiman...). SHOW NOTES Peter Counter | â peterbcounter.com Be Scared of Everything by Peter Counter | â https://bookshop.org/a/4492/9781988784564 How to Restore a...
Jan 06, 2024â˘1 hr 6 minâ˘Ep. 13
With Bianca PĂŠrez out for her Hallowedding (!), WIRED 's Geek's Guide to the Galaxy podcast host David Barr Kirtley joins Steph Grossman in the basement to discuss the '90s animated Halloween classic, The Halloween Tree (1993), as well as Ray Bradburyâs 1972 novella of the same name that inspired it. SHOW NOTES Geek's Guide to the Galaxy Podcast | geeksguideshow.com & wired.com/author/geeks-guide-to-the-galaxy David Barr Kirtley | davidbarrkirtley.com Save Me Plz and Other Stories by David B...
Oct 31, 2023â˘1 hr 4 minâ˘Ep. 12
It ain't fall 'til September 23rd y'all. Hold onto sweet, scary summer for one more day by joining your resident basement girls in their discussion about the summer camp horror film that started it all: the original Friday the 13th . Topics include a brief history of summer camp, the "whodunnit" aspect of the film, cozy horror, feminist subtext, final girls, motherhood, and how the famous "ch ch ch ah ah ah" sound is actually a remix of "kill kill kill ma ma ma" (really! That's what it says!). P...
Sep 22, 2023â˘1 hr 2 minâ˘Ep. 11
Screenlife = Screamlife. In this second installment of their found footage series, Steph Grossman and Bianca PĂŠrez discuss how recent innovations in the genre tap into our internet addictions and round-the-clock "screenlife" to create uniquely contemporary horror stories. Scream life found footage films discussed include: Megan is Missing (2011), Unfriended (2015), Unfriended: Dark Web (2018), Searching (2018), Host (2020), and *sigh* Dashcam (2022). Also discussed: modern found footage in the f...
Jul 30, 2023â˘2 hr 8 minâ˘Ep. 10
Is she eating the g*dd*mn pearls?! Author and film critic Adam D. Jameson joins Steph Grossman and Bianca PĂŠrez to discuss the horror and gothic elements of Pablo LarraĂn's princess Diana movie SPENCER (2021), written by Steven Knight, and starring Kristen Stewart, Timothy Spall, Sean Harris, and Sally Hawkins. Show Notes: Adam D. Jameson's website: https://adjameson.wordpress.com/ Buy I Find Your Lack of Faith Disturbing: Star Wars and the Triumph of Geek Culture by Adam D. Jameson: https://bit...
Dec 30, 2022â˘1 hr 31 minâ˘Ep. 9
My cam shake brings all the fans to the yard. Steph Grossman and Bianca PĂŠrez present the history of found footage, a beloved sub-genre of horror, starting with its literary origins, and then discussing the earliest and most iconic FF horror films: David Holzmanâs Diary (1967), Cannibal Holocaust (1980), The McPherson Tape (1989), The Blair Witch Project (1999), The Last Broadcast (1998), and Paranormal Activity (2007).
Jun 21, 2022â˘1 hr 36 minâ˘Ep. 8
Dance until you die/get pretzeled. Literature scholar Bryce Jeter joins Steph Grossman and Bianca Perez to discuss the similarities and differences between Dario Argentoâs original Suspiria (1977), and Luca Guadagninoâs remake of it (2018), written by David Kajganich, and starring Dakota Johnson and Tilda Swinton (who goes above and beyondâas alwaysâplaying not one but two witches, and also an 82-year-old man).
Feb 07, 2022â˘1 hr 30 minâ˘Ep. 7
Alex Amick, editor of the feature film The Wind , joins us to discuss breaking into the movie industry via film editing, what it was like on the set of The Wind (hint: it involved creepy night horsesâŚ), and her favorite horror, The Witch . The Wind (which we reviewed in Episode 1) is a western horror film set on the American frontier, where a woman is left to deal with the darkness of the prairieâand her own mind. Show Notes: Watch The Wind on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/watch/81034728 Alex...
Aug 05, 2021â˘1 hr 35 minâ˘Ep. 6
We really, really need to talk about Kevin. Steph Grossman and Bianca Perez discuss the differences between Lionel Shriverâs 2003 novel WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN and the 2011 film adaptation of it directed by Lynne Ramsay, and starring Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller, and kids who look exactly like Ezra Miller. SHOW NOTES: Check out the Basement Girls Soundtrack playlist on Spotify , which features songs from WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN , and other deep, dark music: https://open.spo...
May 19, 2021â˘1 hr 32 minâ˘Ep. 5
Being punishers for Punisher. In this first-ever Whatnot Minisode (45 mins instead of the usual 90 mins, lol) Steph Grossman and Bianca Perez take a break from discussing horror films and instead âfangirlâ over Grammy-nominated musician, Phoebe Bridgers, and her haunting horror/true crime inspired music. Show Notes Check out the Basement Girls Soundtrack playlist on Spotify , which features a bunch of Phoebe Bridgers songs and other deep, dark music: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1OrzgiZQR2V...
Dec 31, 2020â˘42 minâ˘Ep. 4
Learning to skateboard in Bad City (if youâre a vampire). Steph Grossman and Bianca Perez discuss genre-bending Iranian vampire film A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT (2014), written and directed by Ana Lily Amirpour, and starring Sheila Vand and Arash Marandi. Show Notes Check out the Basement Girls Soundtrack playlist on Spotify , which features songs from A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night , and other deep, dark music: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1OrzgiZQR2VrVXt0Ljfl5S...
Oct 26, 2020â˘1 hr 37 minâ˘Ep. 3
Facing our Chucky fears. Biancaâs big brother, Hector Perez (the creator of our snazzy intro music) joins us to discuss the original CHILD'S PLAY film (1988), directed by Tom Holland, written by Don Mancini, and starring the mom from 7th Heaven .
Jul 31, 2020â˘1 hr 29 minâ˘Ep. 2
There's something about prairie. Steph Grossman and Bianca Perez discuss the movie THE WIND (2018), a horror western directed by Emma Tammi, written by Teresa Sutherland, and starring Caitlin Gerard.
Jul 29, 2020â˘1 hr 26 minâ˘Ep. 1
In this "first" episode, meet your resident Basement Girls, writers Bianca Perez and Steph Grossman, as they talk about why they love horror films, dark literature, basements, and hot Cheetos.
Jul 28, 2020â˘51 min
