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by Morally Offensive
Morally Offensive is a weekly film podcast about the movies the Catholic Church tried to warn you about. We revisit films “Condemned” by the Legion of Decency, unpacking the outrage, the censorship, and the cultural shifts behind them.
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- 2 weeks ago1h 13m
The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) Part 1: The Legion of Decency vs. Boob Shots
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 R. 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
- 3 weeks ago1h 34m
Basic Instinct (1992): Let's Get Basic and Instinctual | Part 2 (American Giallo)
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
- 3 weeks ago2h 30m
RE-RELEASE: Ken Russell's The Devils (1971) w/Ken Melvoin-Berg
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
- 3 weeks ago1h 17m
Basic Instinct (1992): Part 1 (American Giallo)
For the next installment in their American Giallo series, Bill and Jess 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
- Oct 1, 202659 min
The Eyes of Laura Mars (1978): Sleazy Sexploitation or An Examination of Conscience? | Part 2 (American Giallo)
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
- Sep 28, 20261h 33m
Re-release: The Exorcist (1973) - First Impressions of an Exorcist Virgin (Restored)
Since the Spooky Season is upon us, and we've gained a LOT of new listeners over the summer, we decided to restore one of our best early episodes, which unfortunately experienced technical difficulties during the recording process. Our Exorcist episode was famously interrupted by demons that got into our recording gear and caused a host of tech issues (or so the TikTok Exorcists tell us). As a result, we were never fully happy with the finished product. Now, armed with the very same technology used to restore John Gielgud's big speech in Caligula, we have improved the audio as best we could, given our time and budget. We didn't expect miracles, but we are much happier with the overall sound of this episode, and it really helps the content shine in the way we initially intended. Summary: It shouldn't be surprising that an episode about William Friedkin's The Exorcist would be plagued with technical problems (if you believe in that kind of thing) but the episode is finally live! Cisco makes Bill watch a film that he has put off seeing for years, due to a deep-seated fear of the devil and the demonic. Bill gives his first reactions, and the guys get into the post-Exorcist panic over demons (and consequent spike in exorcisms in the US), the increase in the number of Exorcists in the US, and the film's troubled production. Tangents include why Bill has never played Dungeons and Dragons, Hot priests, New Age synth music as gateway to the devil, the actual Pope's Exorcist, and irrational Catholic fears over yoga. 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
- Sep 25, 202645 min
The Eyes of Laura Mars (1978): Sex, "Twaddle", & One B.F. Dick | Part 1 (American Giallo)
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
- Sep 16, 20261h 10m
Body Double (1984): Relax, Don't Do It...When You Wanna Come | Part Two (American Giallo)
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
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About Morally Offensive
Morally Offensive is a weekly film podcast about the movies the Catholic Church tried to warn you about. We revisit films “Condemned” by the Legion of Decency, unpacking the outrage, the censorship, and the cultural shifts behind them.
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