Joe Lipsett and Trace Thurman find queer subtext in everything from Anaconda to The Mummy.
Horror Queers treats horror as fandom, argument, and queer text all at once. Films, series episodes, shorts, ads, marketing choices, censorship fights, and production trivia all become material for lively critical debate.
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Horror Queers is primarily a co-hosted panel format, with Joe Lipsett and Trace Thurman working through one horror film per main episode, supplemented by a lighter 'Micro Queers' segment that covers shorter, often campier or lower-profile titles. The hosts move between decades-old genre staples (The Mummy, 1932) and current releases (28 Years Later, Anaconda 2025), treating both with the same mix of close reading and casual, joke-heavy banter. A consistent thread across episodes is queer subtext: characters, imagery, or production choices that read as coded or explicit queerness, even when a film doesn't foreground it. The hosts also track industry mechanics — MPAA censorship decisions, studio rights history, box office performance, and franchise/reboot logic — as part of how they evaluate a film. Less frequently, the show shifts to an interview format, bringing on filmmakers (directors, screenwriters) to discuss a specific project's queer content, censorship fights, or thematic intent, as with the Faces of Death conversation with Daniel Goldhaber and Isa Mazzei. Episodes often end with a numeric or comparative verdict on the film, including explicit 'so bad it's good' recommendations for streaming-friendly titles. The tone ranges from serious film-historical analysis (makeup process, screenwriter background, casting) to comedic takedowns of weak scripts and lazy franchise cash-ins. Listeners who enjoy genre film podcasts, classic monster movie history, or queer media criticism are the core audience. Episode lengths vary widely, from short Micro Queers entries under 30 minutes to full panel or interview episodes running 80+ minutes. Guests are drawn from the film industry (directors, screenwriters) rather than academics or unrelated celebrities.
Made for: Horror movie fans interested in queer film criticism, camp and 'bad movie' viewing, and franchise/reboot commentary, from classic Universal Monsters completists to casual streaming watchers.
What sets it apart: Unlike general horror-review podcasts, Horror Queers applies a consistent queer critical lens across both decades-old classics and same-year new releases, pairing full panel analysis with a shorter 'Micro Queers' format for quicker, campier titles.
Each week, queer hosts Joe Lipsett and Trace Thurman discuss a horror film with LGBTQ+ themes, a high camp quotient or both.
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Joe Lipsett and Trace Thurman connect queer interpretation with close scrutiny of horror films' scripts, performances, politics and genre mechanics.
Horror Queers treats horror films as arguments waiting to be tested. Joe Lipsett and Trace Thurman move from plot and performance to queer readings, production choices and historical context, while keeping enough disagreement in the conversation to prevent a settled…
Chekhov's Playboy meets queer film theory, giving your trashy creature feature a surprisingly sharp second life.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A sharp, funny horror discussion that ties The Mummy (1932) to identity, transgression, and queer-coded reading.
Horror Queers makes The Mummy (1932) feel sharp rather than dusty, finding room to joke about the film without sanding down what is eerie about it.
A sharp censorship talk that keeps returning to the film's intent and hidden cues.
The discussion is strongest when it stays on censorship, satire, and the mismatch between what gets flagged and what gets a pass. The MPA, platform hypocrisy, and the uneven treatment of queer or sex-work-adjacent material versus graphic violence give it real bite.
A brisk, funny read on a sequel that leaves room for identity and queer interpretation.
Horror Queers uses Critters 2: The Main Course as a goofy sequel and a workable excuse for a queer reading. The case lands because the hosts keep circling Lee's blank face, the talk about finding the right self, and the script's genderless framing without turning the discussion…
A sharp, slightly meandering horror discussion that zeroes in on the film's weakest logic.
Horror Queers reads Tamara as a film that cannot quite settle its own moral logic: bad judgment hangs over the story, punishment feels uneven, and the script never fully tracks who is owed what.
A brisk horror chat that finds a few laughs and meta touches, but mostly argues that the movie outstays its premise.
Micro Queers: Anaconda (2025) comes across as a brisk, skeptical horror discussion that keeps circling back to one main point: the movie asks a lot of patience for a premise that feels thin.
A sharp, funny sequel talk that treats the apocalypse like an argument about inheritance and control.
Horror Queers turns 28 Years Later into a brisk, entertaining argument about why Danny Boyle and Alex Garland keep refusing the expected franchise playbook.
Joe Rogan's marathon one-on-one talks, from UFC judging debates to Bob Lazar's UFO claims.
Kate Langbroek's long-form interviews with Australian public figures about the moment things cracked open.
Hollywood radio drama, one curtain at a time.
Romance recaps with teeth, heart, and chaos.
The episode takes on The Mummy by asking what still makes the film feel unnerving.
This Patreon clip from HorrorQueers analyzes a horror movie scene involving a cult attack, reanimation plot points, and discusses marketing spoilers in trailers.
Daniel Goldhaber and Isa Mazzei frame Faces of Death as a film about what the franchise becomes after VHS, Rotten.com, E-Bomb, and 2020-era TikTok rather than a straight remake.
This Patreon clip features a discussion analyzing the ending of The Haunting of Hill House, addressing fan criticisms about its neat resolution and comparing it to other horror media like The Witch.
The hosts discuss 'Look Behind You,' a queer horror-themed Verizon commercial directed by Nia DaCosta and starring Connor Story, analyzing its creepy elements and humorous twist.
Joe and Trace dive into Critters 2: The Main Course, exploring its production history, Easter horror themes, and queer subtext.
Hosts Joe and Trace analyze episode 8 of The Haunting of Hill House, praising standout performances and discussing nepotism in film.
This Patreon clip discusses a scene from Ready or Not 2, focusing on character interactions, missed dramatic opportunities, and casting considerations.
Queer hosts Joe and Trace discuss a horror film with LGBTQ+ themes and high camp quotient, starting with a sponsor ad and banter.
A queer-hosted podcast discussing horror films with LGBTQ+ themes and high camp, featuring a Patreon clip analyzing a TV episode.
The episode begins with an ad for a horror movie, then transitions into a Patreon-exclusive clip where hosts discuss a horror film with spoilers.
Queer hosts discuss a horror film with LGBTQ+ themes and campy dialogue.
The hosts discuss a horror film double bill, comparing influences and defending cartoonish CGI.
A horror film podcast episode featuring a Patreon clip with ad reads and a warning about spoilers.
Joe and Trace cover Tamara, a mid-2000s horror film written by Jeffrey Reddick and starring Jenna Dewan as a bullied teen who becomes an aggressive supernatural force after a prank goes wrong.
The hosts of Horror Queers announce and explain their 2025 Hereditaries awards for horror films, detailing the voting process involving patrons and fans.
Queer hosts discuss a horror film with LGBTQ+ themes, starting with a sponsor ad for the movie Obsession.
The hosts discuss audience reactions to 28 Years Later and the crowded January horror release schedule.
Joe and Trace return on Micro Queers with a look at Passenger.
The episode approaches the film with skepticism and a strong memory of the franchise.
Queer hosts discuss a horror film with LGBTQ+ themes and high camp quotient.
The hosts discuss The Housemaid, analyzing it as a pulpy, mid-budget domestic thriller with camp elements, comparing it to 90s films and Lifetime movies.
Joe and Trace discuss a horror film with LGBTQ+ themes, focusing on a memorable elevator scene.
The hosts interview a director about his feature debut, a gateway horror film, discussing his background and the film's themes.
Joe and Trace discuss the 2005 horror film The Skeleton Key, with a focus on its LGBTQ+ themes and camp elements.
Joe and Trace discuss James Whale's 1931 classic Frankenstein, focusing on its queer auteur and themes.
The hosts introduce a bonus episode where they rank the 25 best horror films of the century, after a sponsor ad for the film Obsession.
Joe and Trace discuss The Witches of Eastwick for a special episode at the Chattanooga Film Festival, celebrating pride with a campy horror film.
Joe and Trace discuss the 2010 remake of I Spit on Your Grave for its 15th anniversary, analyzing its queer themes and camp elements.
Queer hosts Joe and Trace discuss the horror comedy classic 'Killer Klowns from Outer Space' with guests.
Queer hosts Joe and Trace discuss horror films with LGBTQ+ themes and camp, starting with a sponsored ad for the film Obsession.
The hosts discuss the upcoming release of The Strangers Chapter 2 and revisit the first chapter, analyzing its reception and production delays.
Joe and Trace discuss a horror film with LGBTQ+ themes, starting with a sponsored ad for a new horror movie 'Obsession'.