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The Queer Quadrant

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Four-quadrant films are movies designed to appeal to the biggest, widest audience possible. In the process, they can often leave out a lot of LGBTQ+ representation – but end up loaded with subtext. In The Queer Quadrant, hosts Brooke Solomon and Jordan Gustafson examine cinema in all its cultural contexts, and explore why your favorite four-quadrant blockbuster is maybe…not as straight as you think it is. 
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Episodes

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy with Emma Logsdon

Jordan and Brooke are joined by editor Emma Logsdon for 2011's tense, understated, elegant spy drama that may or may not be a big hit with the Inception (2010) fandom?! We talk if we would be bad at spycraft (talkative, cries too much) or very good at spycraft (gay), the actual intelligence team this was based on, the intimacy of killing, our main squeeze Tom Hardy, and why this movie made the CIA so angry (not clickbait!). Follow us on Twitter and IG! (And Jordan's Letterboxd / Brooke's Letterb...

Dec 06, 20241 hr 30 min

The Wizard of Oz

Jordan and Brooke go over the rainbow for this 1939 classic that changed filmmaking forever, and may or may not have inspired the modern day pride flag! We rank every main character by canonical queerness (shoutout high femme lesbian Glinda truthers), discuss the very inclusive Oz books, ignore all other movie spin-offs (Wicked, you're on thin ice...), and get a bit emotional about how much this move means both to us and to the gay community. Follow us on Twitter and IG! (And Jordan's Letterboxd...

Nov 22, 20241 hr 50 min

Mrs. Doubtfire with BJ & Harmony Colangelo

HELLOOOO! Brooke and Jordan are rejoined by BJ and Harmony Colangelo (This Ends at Prom) to talk this Chris Columbus 1993 blockbuster which has aged...pretty well, actually!? There's outwardly gay supporting characters, there's a charming message about how family can look like anything, there's a nearly $500M box office take, and – oh, no, there are definitely still a few transphobic jokes. But we tackle that, 90s culture, 2020s culture, movies set in San Francisco, the loss of the family comedy...

Nov 08, 20241 hr 38 min

Venom: The Last Dance

On the weekend of its release, Jordan and Brooke bid farewell to the Venom franchise with symbiote rankings, praise for Venom's #1 fan Tom Hardy, a Symbrock A03 update, and this year's Halloween costumes. Follow us on Twitter and IG! (And Jordan's Letterboxd / Brooke's Letterboxd ) This episode is sponsored by Super Yaki! Use code: SUPERQQ for 10% off...

Oct 25, 20241 hr 19 min

My Favorite Wife with Abby Monteil

Jordan and Brooke are joined by writer Abby Monteil for this 1940 screwball about your wife coming back from the dead on the same day you marry someone new. Super relatable! We dive (once again) into David Canfield's VF article on the co-stars of this picture Cary Grant and Randolph Scott, the film's unique blend of comedy and melancholy, getting hot and bothered over your romantic rival (very heterosexual), and Cary Grant in another fabulous dressing gown. Follow us on Twitter and IG! (And Jord...

Oct 11, 20241 hr 24 min

Birds of Prey with Carly Usdin

Jordan and Brooke are rejoined by filmmaker Carly Usdin for another trip to our favorite queer space – Gotham City! Despite its rep as a film that got kneecapped by the pandemic and some good ol' studio sexism, this Cathy Yan bop kinda has it all! We gush over Margot's committed performance, the canon of "kickass ladies" cinema (the highs and the very, very lows), how there really isn't a single straight person in this story, and how badly we want live-action Harlivy (watch the animated series –...

Sep 27, 20241 hr 41 min

Showgirls with Louis Peitzman

Jordan and Brooke hitch a ride to Vegas with writer Louis Peitzman for another wonderful entry in the Paul Verhoeven canon of horny queer cinema! We thrust it to the beat of a deeply misunderstood lead performance, the legitimacy of of "cult classic" status, commodifying the male gaze for your own sapphic tendencies, and how there is not one normal conversation in this whole movie (complimentary). Follow us on Twitter and IG! (And Jordan's Letterboxd / Brooke's Letterboxd ) Follow Louis on Twitt...

Sep 13, 20241 hr 45 min

Bridesmaids with Caroline Framke

Jordan and Brooke are joined by TV critic Caroline Framke to talk Paul Feig's seminal 2011 comedy, including masterful levels of improv, the "shocker genre" of female-led raunchy comedies, the wedding industrial complex, and how Annie and Helen should really just run off together. Follow us on Twitter and IG! (And Jordan's Letterboxd / Brooke's Letterboxd ) Follow Caroline on Twitter!...

Aug 30, 20241 hr 41 min

Shrek with Caitlin Durante

Jordan and Brooke are rejoined by Caitlin Durante (The Bechdel Cast) for a simple Shrek-tastic visit to Duloc. Along with a healthy dose of memes, we break down the "edgy" anti-Disney sentiment, marginalized fairytale creatures, Lord Farquaad's casual ethnic cleansing, how inescapable to the culture this was, and if this film is actually quite queer! Follow us on Twitter and IG! (And Jordan's Letterboxd / Brooke's Letterboxd ) Follow The Bechdel Cast on Twitter and IG ! This episode is sponsored...

Aug 16, 20241 hr 48 min

Little Shop of Horrors with Kenny Neibart

Jordan and Brooke are rejoined by writer/producer Kenny Neibart for another movie musical – this one very near and dear to our hearts. For Frank Oz's 1986 film, we discuss gender performance, stage to screen changes, advanced puppetry, Howard Ashman's incredible pen, and – you knew it was coming – the Muppets. Follow us on Twitter and IG! (And Jordan's Letterboxd / Brooke's Letterboxd ) This episode is sponsored by Super Yaki! Use code: SUPERQQ for 10% off...

Aug 02, 20241 hr 42 min

Thelma & Louise

Jordan and Brooke rev up their T-Bird and hit the road for an anniversary episode (crime spree not included). Topics include: feminism! Lesbianism! Dream cars! Thelma & Louise getting more butch as the movie goes on! The Criterion edition's double commentary! WOMEN!!! WOO!!!! Follow us on Twitter and IG! (And Jordan's Letterboxd / Brooke's Letterboxd )...

Jul 19, 20241 hr 47 min

Hustlers with Roxana Hadadi

Jordan and Brooke are rejoined by Roxana Hadadi (Vulture) for Lorene Scafaria's 2019 masterpiece – yes, masterpiece! There is directorial style! There are great needle drops! There is JLo in an incredible fur coat! We discuss why this movie wasn't given the awards season treatment, the very legitimate Ramona x Destiny ship, recent "Netflix-ifciation" of A-list actors, ethics of scamming Wall Street finance bros, and some Juicy Couture archive pulls. Follow us on Twitter and IG! (And Jordan's Let...

Jul 05, 20241 hr 50 min

Challengers with Ben from Canada

Jordan and Brooke are rejoined by filmmaker, video essayist and actor Ben Chinapen for our fave fim of the year (so far). Luca Guadagnino goes god mode with under the court shots, intense homoeroticism as always, and a real, actual, proper love triangle. We talk the club-ready Reznor & Ross score, how sex is tennis and tennis is sex, films shot but not set in Boston, messy bisexual longing, and a whole lot of phallic shaped foods. Follow us on Twitter and IG! (And Jordan's Letterboxd / Brook...

Jun 21, 20242 hr 9 min

Johnny Guitar with Mitchell Beaupre

Jordan and Brooke are joined by Letterboxd senior editor Mitchell Beaupre (The Letterboxd Show) for Nicholas Ray's unconventional 1954 Western. We get to talk about icon/legend/notorious hater Joan Crawford, Nicholas Ray's frankly crazy life, an epic Southwest witch hunt, women in PANTS, and how this is definitely a film for the enbys. Follow us on Twitter and IG! (And Jordan's Letterboxd / Brooke's Letterboxd ) Follow Mitchell on Twitter and Letterboxd! In celebration of Pride Month, support De...

Jun 07, 20241 hr 30 min

High Tension with Jose Cañas

Jordan and Brooke are joined by friend and producer Jose Cañas for 2003's midnight slasher. They inevitably get mired in this movie's insurmountable twist, praise director Alexandre Aja for the sheer craft on display, and debate what we should actually take away from the gory kills and final jump scare here. Plus, that weird string of mid-2000s horror remakes! Follow us on Twitter and IG! (And Jordan's Letterboxd / Brooke's Letterboxd ) Follow Jose on Twitter !...

May 24, 20241 hr 45 min

TÁR with Phil Iscove

Jordan and Brooke are rejoined by Phil Iscove (Podcast Like It's 1992) for 2022's absolute masterclass in filmmaking (and, surprisingly, memes?). We dig into Lydia's gender presentation in a male-dominated industry (is she actually...a girlboss?), the thrills and humor Todd Field manages to layer here, pretend pretension and why basically everyone can enjoy this movie, and Cate Blanchett's amazing U-Haul lesbian wardrobe! Follow us on Twitter and IG! (And Jordan's Letterboxd / Brooke's Letterbox...

May 10, 20242 hr 11 min

Tombstone with Phil Tice

Jordan and Brooke are joined by author & writer Phil Tice for 1993's sincere take on the Western epics. Phil goes deep and analyzes Doc and Wyatt's incredibly intimate conversations, Brooke laments the terribly underwritten women of this film, and Jordan marvels at the fact that two podcasters could get this excited about gunslinging. Follow us on Twitter and IG! (And Jordan's Letterboxd / Brooke's Letterboxd ) Check out Tice Tomes and High Strangeness! This episode is sponsored by Super Yak...

Apr 26, 20242 hr 32 min

Hairspray (2007) with Ella Kemp

Jordan and Brooke are joined by Ella Kemp (Letterboxd) for 2007's sock-hoppin' musical featuring - gasp - actual sets?! We talk some inspired (and some uninspired) casting choices, the legacy of John Waters, all things camp, drag, JAMES EFFING MARSDEN, and Zac Efron's one perfect curl. Follow us on Twitter and IG! (And Jordan's Letterboxd / Brooke's Letterboxd ) Follow Ella on Twitter!...

Apr 12, 20241 hr 45 min

Bringing Up Baby with Mia Lee Vicino

Jordan and Brooke are rejoined by Mia Lee Vicino (Letterboxd, Best in Show) for 1938's delightful romp, known as a box office flop and the "feral stepchild" of screwball comedies. We finally get to discuss David Canfield's amazing article on Cary Grant & Randolph Scott's life, thirst over noted badass Katharine Hepburn, marvel at how insane it is to combine these practical effects with such snappy writing, and express major fashion and gender envy over Cary Grant in a fluffy dressing gown. F...

Mar 29, 20241 hr 46 min

Carrie (1976) with Cass Clarke

Jordan and Brooke are rejoined by writer & podcaster Cass Clarke (Horror Hangover) for 1976's iconic and powerful film, the prom royalty of teen horror. We talk bitch-ass high schoolers, Carrie being punished via a literal closet, historically sexy art of St. Sebastian, the abject horror of womanhood, how we really need to nominate more horror at the Oscars, and getting cathartic, bloody REVENGE!! Follow us on Twitter and IG! (And Jordan's Letterboxd / Brooke's Letterboxd ) Follow Cass on th...

Mar 15, 20241 hr 33 min

Everything Everywhere All at Once with Yutaka Tamanaha & Liam Boyack

Join Jordan, Brooke, and special guests Liam Boyack and Yutaka Tamanaha (The Horror Hour) just in time for awards season, as we dive into 2023's zany Oscar juggernaut that nobody could escape. We think this movie is great! We are thrilled by the awards it won! We love the dildos and the scrappy production and the cast and the costumes! We, do, however, have some questions about the butt plug stuff. Plus, a bonus mini therapy session as we unpack generational trauma, the need for mainstream repre...

Mar 01, 20241 hr 50 min

Valentine's Day

What better way to celebrate the capitalism of Valentine's Day than with a big blockbuster film? Join us for a state of the union on late 00s queer rep (TL;DR – there are way too many straight white people), Taylor's Swift rocky acting career, Jordan's enduring love for Bradley Cooper, Brooke's enduring love for Anne Hathaway, and a bite-sized review of the new Mean Girls movie. Follow us on Twitter and IG! (And Jordan's Letterboxd / Brooke's Letterboxd )...

Feb 16, 20241 hr 43 min

Mamma Mia! & Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again with Flynn Slicker

Jordan and Brooke are joined by Flynn Slicker (Letterboxd) for a fabulous musical double feature / luxury vacation to Greece! Experience the pure euphoria that only ABBA can summon as we dive into a star-studded cast, a notoriously lit wrap party, THREE whole father figures, and the transcendent gay vibes of choreography in bell-bottoms. Follow Flynn on Twitter , IG and Letterboxd! Follow us on Twitter and IG! (And Jordan's Letterboxd / Brooke's Letterboxd )...

Feb 02, 20242 hr 1 min

Maestro with Fran Hoepfner

Jordan and Brooke are joined for 2023's sweeping romance by the Maestro Moment creator herself, the one and only Fran Hoepfner! We discuss man vs. myth, self-proclaimed "crazy cinephile" Bradley Cooper, big swing accents, prosthetics, a marriage and the space around it, and Matthew "always in his bag" Libatique. Follow us on Twitter and IG! (And Jordan's Letterboxd / Brooke's Letterboxd ) Follow Fran on Twitter and subscribe to Fran Magazine! This episode is sponsored by Super Yaki! Use code: SU...

Jan 19, 20241 hr 28 min

The 2023 QQ Qualifiers

It's the second year of The QQ Qualifier Awards – aka the Quallies! Listen along as Jordan and Brooke award the coveted "Rainbow Prism" to their favorite films, performances, and other special categories from the 2023 cinematic year. Follow us on Twitter and IG! (And Jordan's Letterboxd / Brooke's Letterboxd )...

Jan 05, 20242 hr 49 min

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Happy holi-gays, friends – celebrate with us by taking a trip to mid-aughts Hot Topic with Henry Selick's 1993 multi-holiday classic! Christmas or Halloween...or porque no los dos? Is Jack's Lament actually a coming out power ballad? How ridiculously in his bag was Danny Elfman on this one? What's up with those fruity little Halloweentown vampires? And are we running out of queer holiday movies far too quickly?! Follow us on Twitter and IG! (And Jordan's Letterboxd / Brooke's Letterboxd )...

Dec 15, 20231 hr 26 min

I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry with Natalie Torres

We asked for it, we manifested it...and now we have to deal with it. Jordan and Brooke are rejoined by writer and verified Sandman stan Nat Torres for a long-awaited episode on 2007's extremely subtle and not at all offensive four-quadrant comedy! Listen along for Brooke's "Grown Ups" audition story, a dissection of New England mascot Adam Sandler, the "Happy Madison girl" problem, plenty of moaning and groaning about poorly aged jokes, and why this movie is low-key not that bad...perhaps even g...

Dec 01, 20232 hr 5 min

The Favourite with Iana Murray

Jordan and Brooke are rejoined by film writer (and Poor Things festival viewer) Iana Murray for the most snubbed movie of 2018, in our humble opinion. Yorgos Lanthimos ties together a twisty triptych of lesbian power and desire...but we all know the real MVP of this movie is Horatio, the Fastest Duck in the City. If you like Rachel Weisz giving big "step on me" energy, national treasure Olivia Colman, historical memes, the rarity of triple Best Actress Oscar noms, or the word "cunt," this episod...

Nov 17, 20232 hr 1 min

A Simple Favor

Jordan and Brooke take you on a twisty, murderous ride filled with fabulous pantsuits and dubious incest for Paul Feig's 2018 film. Listen along for a thorough history of "domestic female thriller" novels (aka "Gone Girl" ripoffs), the evolution of Stephanie and Emily's sapphic explorations, Henry Golding's charming star power, and the definitive best way to make a martini. Follow us on Twitter and IG! (And Jordan's Letterboxd / Brooke's Letterboxd )...

Nov 03, 20231 hr 26 min

Arsenic and Old Lace with Clay Keller

Jordan and Brooke are joined by Clay Keller (Screen Drafts) for Frank Capra's 1944 horror / dark (screwball) comedy / crime caper / rom-com. How do all these genres fit into one tight two-hour romp? How many wild looks does Cary Grant give straight to camera? Is it valid to poison men to give them peace in this life, actually? And is Peter Lorre the all-time best weird little guy? Follow us on Twitter and IG! (And Jordan's Letterboxd / Brooke's Letterboxd ) Follow Clay on Twitter , and listen to...

Oct 20, 20231 hr 42 min
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