Snails & Oysters
By Snails & Oysters
Snails & OystersApr 21, 2022
Thelma & Louise (S&O Series Finale*)
CONTENT WARNING
This episode contains extended conversations about sexual assault.
Unfortunately, due to professional and personal commitments, we've decided to conclude Snails & Oysters – for now at least. It's a series finale* because we both love this project and hope to bring it back one day. Until then, we've chosen a barnstormer of a movie to go out on: 1991's crime dramedy Thelma & Louise, starring Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis as the titular best friends, accomplices, and doomed lovers.
Eyebrow Cinema, "Indiana Jones – the Face of Jewish Vengeance:" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVZg5j8vg70
Find Snails & Oysters bonus content and Nat's continuing film diary at gnatroberts.substack.com
Follow us online:
Alli Rogers: letterboxd.com/allirodgers
Nat Roberts: letterboxd.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: instagram.com/fortgorgeous
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
SEE YOU, SPACE COWBOY...
The Royal Tenenbaums
In their last episode of 2022, Nat & Alli take it easy with a nice light Wes Anderson movie about... a broken family of egomaniacal has-beens, neurotic eccentrics, and semi-incestuous geniuses. Just in time for Christmas! The Royal Tenenbaums may have launched Anderson's mainstream success, but how does it hold up 21 years later? How does it handle Margot's bisexuality? And most importantly, why is Alli suddenly obsessed with AI?
Support Snails & Oysters on Patreon: patreon.com/snailsoysters
Follow us online:
Snails & Oysters is no longer on Twitter, please bear with us while we figure out alternative social media arrangements
Alli Rogers: letterboxd.com/allirodgers
Nat Roberts: letterboxd.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: instagram.com/fortgorgeous
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
Post-credits Nat here again: Thank you all for making 2022 such a wonderful year! We're off the rest of the month but will be back to our regular release schedule on January 12th. I'd love to tease what movie it will be, but to be honest we haven't picked one yet. Happy holidays!
Easy A
Bust out your normcore, Nat & Alli are taking it back to 2010 with modern high school classic Easy A. Directed by Will Gluck and written by Bert V Royal, Easy A pays loving tribute to John Hughes and his contemporaries, rips shamelessly from John Hughes and his contemporaries, and talks a lot about John Hughes and his contemporaries. But is this a frankenstein of pop culture references or a member of a proud legacy? A progressive critique of patriarchal sex-shaming or simply a palatable parable on gossip?
Support Snails & Oysters on Patreon: patreon.com/snailsoysters
Follow us online:
Snails & Oysters is no longer on Twitter, please bear with us while we figure out alternative social media arrangements
Alli Rogers: letterboxd.com/allirodgers
Nat Roberts: letterboxd.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: instagram.com/fortgorgeous
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
Post-credits Nat again: Man, I was so embarrassed when I posted Chasing Amy a week early, did y'all see that? Holy shit, I have not made a mistake like that before and I was FLUSHED. I was just in such a rush to get the episode edited on time! Overcompensated.
Chasing Amy
It's finally here. The movie you've been waiting for us to tackle and we have been avoiding like the plague. The bisexual's blight: Chasing Amy (1997). Of course, that's not what writer-director Kevin Smith set out to do, but BOY HOWDY it is what he did. Get the popcorn, this is one of those "Nat and Alli get mad" episodes.
Autostraddle, "My Rage at 'Chasing Amy' Helped Me Find My Bisexuality:" autostraddle.com/my-rage-at-chasing-amy-helped-me-find-my-bisexuality/
Support Snails & Oysters on Patreon: patreon.com/snailsoysters
Follow us online:
Snails & Oysters is no longer on Twitter, please bear with us while we figure out alternative social media arrangements
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: letterboxd.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: instagram.com/fortgorgeous
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
Post credits Nat here. I'm moving into a new apartment next week and I'm very excited!!
Advise & Consent (Election Day Special)
Who thought an Election Day special was a good idea in year of our Lord 2022? Only Nathaniel Grant Roberts, aka Booboo the fool. Join Booboo and Alli as they discuss Otto Preminger's capable adaptation of author Allen Drury's "conservative, paranoid fever dream" novel of the same name, starring Henry Fonda, Charles Laughton, and a million indistinguishable white men. This is one of those "you don't have to watch, just enjoy our frustration" episodes.
Support Snails & Oysters on Patreon: patreon.com/snailsoysters
Follow us online:
Snails & Oysters is no longer on Twitter. Until Alli and Nat find a social media platform that isn't run by a White South African fail-son/neo-Nazi, please share the show with your friends! That's always been better than any marketing anyway.
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: letterboxd.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: instagram.com/fortgorgeous
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
Hey y'all, Nat's post-script again. I know I usually do a joke here, but I'm actually quite genuinely concerned that our show is going to suffer a lot without using Twitter to promote our episodes. There's nothing you need to do about that, really, I just had to tell someone. Whatever the cost, it was worth it to have a clean conscience and I have no regrets.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
CONTENT WARNING
--
--
-- This episode includes conversations about sexualized violence, rape, and childhood SA. --
This week, Nat and Alli are taking a cozy little jaunt up to Sweden. We'll look at the fjords, ride the metro, and definitely overlook the country's seething undercurrents of fascism, racism, and misogyny...
Just kidding, we're talking about David Fincher and Steven Zaillian's unflinching adaptation of Stieg Larsson's brutal mystery/social commentary, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011). Starring Rooney Mara in the titular role as hacker Lisbeth Salander opposite Daniel Craig as journalist Mikael Blomkvist, Dragon Tattoo is a excoriating examination of Sweden's dark side – both its history of Nazi collaboration and its present mistreatment of women, immigrants, and the neuro-atypical. It's also a crackling thriller about two unusual investigators uncovering one family's extensive and often horrifying secrets as they unlock a 40-year-old mystery.
Videos we reference:
Lessons from the Screenplay, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo — Breaking Convention:" youtu.be/yYMhaILOs-I
kaptainkristian, "David Fincher - Invisible Details:" youtu.be/QChWIFi8fOY
Patrick (H) Willems, "Why Is It So Hard To End A Trilogy:" youtu.be/MRoorGEwM9k
Support Snails & Oysters on Patreon: patreon.com/snailsoysters
Follow us online:
Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: letterboxd.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: instagram.com/fortgorgeous
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
Hello my little darlings, thank you for joining me once again at the end of the episode description. God, my wifi is the worst, this is my third time writing this description because it just. Kept. Cutting. Out. before I could save. I have no request or anything this week, I just wanted to share my pain with you. - Nat
The Lost Boys
Nat and Alli kick off the countdown to Halloween right, by discussing Joel Schumacher's blood-soaked teen Vampire classic: The Lost Boys (1987). Although it's not explicitly bisexual, the film contains more queer eroticism than you can shake a stick at, particularly from Kiefer Sutherland as iconic bad boy David Powers. Along the way, we discuss 1980s paranoia around children, Schumacher's rollercoaster of a filmography, and what vampire stories can tell us about the culture that creates them.
The Atlantic, "The Lost Boys’ Subtly Radical Vision of Family" by Brandon Tensley: https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2017/08/the-lost-boys-subtly-radical-vision-of-family/535266/
Support Snails & Oysters on Patreon: patreon.com/snailsoysters
Follow us online:
Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: letterboxd.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: instagram.com/fortgorgeous
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
The Children's Hour (with Annette Rainey)
CONTENT WARNING: Suicide. If you or a loved one are struggling, call the new National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 988.
Nat and Alli are delighted to be joined by video editor Annette Rainey to discuss 1961's The Children's Hour, starring Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine as small town schoolteachers who are ostracized after a student spreads the rumor that the pair are lovers. The film is adapted from the 1934 play of the same name by Lillian Hellman, an ill-tempered Stalinist blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee.
Support Snails & Oysters on Patreon: patreon.com/snailsoysters
Follow us online:
Annette Rainey: instagram.com/annette.c.rainey
Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: letterboxd.com/GnatRoberts
Bisexual cups: instagram.com/bisexual_drinks/
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: instagram.com/fortgorgeous
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
If you read this note, post a review that's the full first paragraph of your favorite fanfic.
Orlando
It's not just a city in Florida anymore! Nat and Alli sit down to discuss Sally Potter's 1992 adaptation of Virginia Woolf's 1928 fantasy novel, Orlando. Tilda Swinton stars as both male and female versions of the titular immortal as they explore life, love, and poetry throughout European history. Orlando celebrates its 30th Anniversary this year, coinciding with this year's Venice Film Festival where Orlando Debuted!
Support Snails & Oysters on Patreon: patreon.com/snailsoysters
Follow us online:
Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: letterboxd.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: instagram.com/fortgorgeous
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
Continuing my experiment to see if anyone reads the full episode description. If you read this, leave a review of this show that's just describing Billy Zane's lips, preferably a five star review (for the show, not the lips).
Cloud Atlas (with Victoria Provost)
Nat & Alli are joined in the Snoysters studio by NYC playwright Victoria Provost to discuss Cloud Atlas. The Wachowski Sisters' and Tom Tykwer's 2012 adaptation of David Mitchell's 2004 novel of the same name, Cloud Atlas is a science fiction epic that blends six storylines separated by continents and centuries into the journey of a single soul/identity/consciousness. With an all-star cast all playing multiple parts, Cloud Atlas broke down the barriers between age, gender, and race, making it an audacious and justifiably controversial creative achievement.
Support Snails & Oysters on Patreon: patreon.com/snailsoysters
Follow us online:
Victoria Provost: twitter.com/shprinkles
Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: letterboxd.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: instagram.com/fortgorgeous
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
I have a theory that no one reads past the links in the episode description. Like, you his hitting "...see more" and scrolling to the bottom. If you're reading this, prove me wrong by leaving us a review that's just 🥗 because I was high out of my mind when I wrote this description.
Cabaret
Willkommen! And bienvenue! Welcome! Nat and Alli discuss Bob Fosse's 1972 classic Cabaret, which Roger Ebert termed the "movie musical for people who hate musicals." The final link in a chain of circuitous adaptations, Fosse's Cabaret centers on the intense relationship between actress Sally Bowles and writer Brian Roberts. Set in Weimar Berlin, their tangled love story intersects with issues of queerness, abortion, and fascism. So, you know, not at all relevant today.
Support Snails & Oysters on Patreon: patreon.com/snailsoysters
Follow us online:
Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: letterboxd.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: instagram.com/fortgorgeous
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
The Favourite
Nat and Alli are just as c***struck by Yorgos Lanthimos's 2018 black comedy as when they first saw it in theaters – from the central performances by Weisz, Stone, and Colman; to the needle-sharp script by Tony McNamara and Deborah Davis; to the disorienting use of fisheye lenses. With three bisexual leads to discuss, our hosts are spoiled for choice as they discuss power, lust, and (possibly) love.
Support Snails & Oysters on Patreon: patreon.com/snailsoysters
Follow us online:
Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: letterboxd.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: instagram.com/fortgorgeous
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
The Batman (2022)
Nat and Alli cover a popular reinvention of a major superhero franchise that's previously struggled to find its cinematic footing, particularly its love interest because the actress said in an interview that she included the character's canonical bisexuality in her creative process (although the film's director was quick to clarify that this queerness wasn't officially part of the film's story). No, we aren't covering Thor: Ragnorak again, it's The Batman! The more things seem the same, the more they change...
Support Snails & Oysters on Patreon: patreon.com/snailsoysters
Ursula K. Le Guin, "Commodified Fantasy:" biblioklept.org/2017/12/30/commodified-fantasy-takes-no-risks-ursula-k-leguin/
Oliver Sava, "Batman #15 showcases why superheroes should have more sex:" avclub.com/batman-15-showcases-why-superheroes-should-have-more-s-1798256503
Follow us online:
Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: letterboxd.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: instagram.com/fortgorgeous
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
Signals Through the Flames
Watch the full movie for free on Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/SignalsThroughTheFlamesALivingTheaterDocumentary
Nat & Alli venture beyond their comfort zone of pop culture and sex puns to explore documentary ethics, avant-garde theatre, and anarcho-pacifism as they discuss Signals Through the Flames. This 1983 documentary centers on the founders of the Living Theatre, Julian Beck and Judith Malina. In the course of their nearly 40-year romantic and creative partnership, Beck and Malina faced poverty and arrest, both took and shared many other lovers, and created an institution of the New York theatrical scene that stands to this day.
Support Snails & Oysters on Patreon: patreon.com/snailsoysters
Follow us online:
Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: letterboxd.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: instagram.com/fortgorgeous
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
(500) Days of Summer
Tempers flare as Nat & Alli butt heads over 2009's controversial twee anti-romcom (500) Days of Summer, directed by Marc Webb and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. Is it an insightful satire of the romantic comedy genre or a half-baked hit piece written by a spiteful ex? Is Tom a charming but flawed lead or a raging psychopath? But the most important question of all is: Will Nat and Alli's friendship survive this episode?? (Yes).
Support Snails & Oysters on Patreon: patreon.com/snailsoysters
Follow us online:
Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: letterboxd.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: instagram.com/fortgorgeous
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
Shiva Baby
Holy moly, a contemporary, realistic film with a bi lead where bisexuality is a big part of her life without becoming the sole defining feature of her characterization????? This is it, boys! The one we've been waiting for! Nat and Alli are thrilled to discuss Emma Seligman's debut feature Shiva Baby (2020), as its a hilarious comedy with rich imagery of food, sex, and (of course) death
Support Snails & Oysters on Patreon: patreon.com/snailsoysters
Follow us online:
Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: letterboxd.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: instagram.com/fortgorgeous
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
Top Gun
DISCLAIMER: This episode contains a discussion of the aesthetics of fascism and how Top Gun can be read as a fascist film. To be clear, we are in no way suggesting that director Tony Scott, writers Jack Epps Jr. & Jim Cash, or any other person involved in the making of Top Gun is a fascist or holds fascist sympathies. Rather, our intention is to examine how fascist imagery and ideas infiltrate popular culture and prey on our emotions.
Nat & Alli feel the need for speed and there's only one prescription: big, dumb, homoerotic 80s action schlock. Without a trace of rose-tinted nostalgia, the Snails and Oysters team finally gets to the bottom of the age old question: Is Maverick bi? Yes. Obviously. We also ask a more interesting question: Is Top Gun a fascist movie?
Umberto Eco, Ur-Fascism: pegc.us/archive/Articles/eco_ur-fascism.pdf
Support Snails & Oysters on Patreon: patreon.com/snailsoysters
Follow us on Twitter
Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: letterboxd.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: instagram.com/fortgorgeous
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
Everything Everywhere All at Once
SPOILERS! For once that feels relevant, since this movie is still in theaters. Nat and Alli celebrate Snails & Oysters' first anniversary by discussing the best movie of 2022 and a strong contender for the best movie of the decade, the Daniels' sci-fi action comedy Everything Everywhere All at Once. Tune in for discussions of the fractured experience of bisexuality and queerness, Albert Camus's rejection of nihilism and suicide, and Randy Newman as a singing raccoon. Support Snails & Oysters on Patreon: patreon.com/snailsoysters
Follow us online
Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: letterboxd.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: instagram.com/fortgorgeous
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
Brokeback Mountain (with Michelle Hsu)
It's the Snails & Oysters Spaghettageddon Extravaganza! Alli flew all the way out to LA just to eat fresh pasta and watch Brokeback Mountain with Nat and our special guest, TV writer Michelle Hsu! Listen in as Michelle initiates Nat and Alli into Brokeback lore, the trio reflects on the gentility and violence of nature, and everyone struggles not to weep openly on a hot mic!
Support Snails & Oysters on Patreon: patreon.com/snailsoysters
Follow us on Twitter
Special guest Michelle Hsu: twitter.com/_michellehsu
Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: twitter.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: instagram.com/fortgorgeous
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
Pariah
Episode CW: Domestic violence, child abuse. If you or someone you know is suffering from DV, know that you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text "START" to 88788.
Nat and Alli discuss Dee Rees's exquisite feature debut, 2011's Pariah. After its debut at the Sundance Film Festival, Pariah launched the careers of Rees, star Adepero Oduye (12 Years a Slave, The Big Short), and cinematographer Bradford Young (Selma, Arrival). We discuss the complexity of home in a Queer context, the divide between Queer folks who can pass for straight and those who can't, and Long Furbies.
Support Snails & Oysters on Patreon: patreon.com/snailsoysters
Follow us on Twitter
Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: twitter.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: instagram.com/fortgorgeous
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
The Green Knight (with Peter AKA @gorbachev_simp)
Nat and Alli are joined by filmmaker Peter AKA @gorbachev_simp to discuss David Lowery's 2021 fantasy film, The Green Knight. Adapted from the 14th century poem "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," the movie leans into its source material's bisexuality subtext, while also questioning the Arthurian cycle's values of honor, masculinity, and chastity. The Green Knight video essay: youtu.be/Gmedp2ZvwBw
Support Snails & Oysters on Patreon: patreon.com/snailsoysters
Follow us on Twitter
Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Peter: twitter.com/gorbachev_simp
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: twitter.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: instagram.com/fortgorgeous
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
Bi The Way
Imagine Me & You (with Alex Mannix)
Nat and Alli are joined by Day 1 Listener and Friend of the Show, Alex Mannix, to discuss Ol Parker's surprisingly queer romantic comedy: Imagine Me & You. We discuss how vernacular has changed since 2006, the power of deviating from the romcom formula, and how we (not including Alli) all want to sleep with Matthew Goode.
Support Snails & Oysters on Patreon: patreon.com/snailsoysters
Verily Bitchie: youtube.com/c/verilybitchie
Follow us on Twitter
Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: twitter.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: twitter.com/billylibbymusic
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
Moonlight
Nat and Alli spend well over an hour gushing over Barry Jenkin and Tarell Alvin McCraney's 2016 coming of age drama, Moonlight. While sensitive lead Chiron is solidly coded as gay, his more confident love interest Kevin appears to be bisexual. How does that distinction separate Chiron and Kevin's experiences in childhood and high school? How does Kevin's sexuality play into his role as the "Elegba" of the film? What part does he play in Chiron's many metamorphoses?
Support Snails & Oysters on Patreon: patreon.com/snailsoysters
Follow us on Twitter
Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: twitter.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: twitter.com/billylibbymusic
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
Appropriate Behavior
Nat and Allie use Desiree Akhavan's 2014 romantic comedy Appropriate Behavior as an opportunity reminisce about the halcyon days of their youth spent on overcrowded 4 trains and at bougie Bushwick bars. Writer, director, and star Akhavan breathed fresh life into the deadpan romcom genre by incorporating her own experiences as a bisexual Persian woman feeling out of place both at home and in Queer spaces.
Follow us on Twitter
Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: twitter.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: twitter.com/billylibbymusic
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
Gosford Park
Snails & Oysters celebrates Nat's birthday by discussing one of his favorite movies: Robert Altman's 2001 "whodunnit where you don't care who did it," Gosford Park. From the beginning, Altman and producer Bob Balaban intended to use the conventions of the Christie-esque "parlor mystery" to examine class dynamics between the World Wars – and the roots of class conflict today. With a cast the size of a small nation and a script penned by future Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes, Gosford Park turns the genre on its head the way only Robert Altman could.
Follow us on Twitter
Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: twitter.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: twitter.com/billylibbymusic
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
Jennifer's Body (with Olga Lexell)
Sunday Bloody Sunday
No, this isn't a music podcast now, Nat and Alli are discussing the 1971 FILM Sunday Bloody Sunday, directed by John Schlesinger, written by Penelope Gilliatt, and starring Glenda Jackson, Peter Finch, and Murray Head as the members of an open ménage à trois. Nat and Alli break down the film's revolutionary handling of ethical non-monogamy, bisexuality and homosexuality, and social alienation in the post-War UK.
Follow us on Twitter
Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: twitter.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: twitter.com/billylibbymusic
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
Blue Is the Warmest Colour
Nat and Alli talk 2013 festival darling Blue Is the Warmest Colour, directed by Abdellatif Kechiche and starring Adèle Exarchopoulos and Léa Seydoux as lovers Adèle and Emma. The film was controversial on release for its explicit sex scenes, both due to the usual moral panic and because many Queer viewers found the film's portrayal of Lesbian sex absolutely ridiculous. The controversy was compounded by Exarchopoulos and Seydoux's accounts of Kechiche's abusive behavior on set. Is it possible to view such a talked-about movie in isolation? Can we still find artistic merit knowing how the artists were treated on set? What happens when a movie's director is actively working against the cast?
Follow us on Twitter
Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: twitter.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: twitter.com/billylibbymusic
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
Dare (Nat & Alli in NYC!)
Nat and Alli record the first episode of Snails & Oysters: Nights – AKA they got drunk and recorded this episode together while Nat was in New York this summer. Dare (2009) is a lesser known indie film starring a pre-Shameless Emmy Rossum, and covers the highs and lows of high school, acting aspirations, and questionable threesomes
Follow us on Twitter
Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: twitter.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: twitter.com/billylibbymusic
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
Frida
Nat and Alli discuss 2002's Frida, a biopic of Mexican Surrealist Frida Kahlo directed by Julie Taymor (The Tempest, Across the Universe) and starring Salma Hayek and Alfred Molina as Kahlo and her husband Diego Rivera. The film accurately depicts both Kahlo's bisexuality and commitment to socialism, but the movie exploration of her sexuality was marred by the behind-the-scenes interference at Miramax.
CW:
.
.
This episode includes a discussion of convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein, specifically his manipulation and abusiveness. While assault is not described nor discussed, the subject matter may be upsetting for some listeners.
Follow us on Twitter
Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: twitter.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: twitter.com/billylibbymusic
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
Call Me By Your Name
Nat and Alli discuss 2017's bisexual romance/coming-of-age film Call Me By Your Name, directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by James Ivory, based on the novel of same name by André Aciman. The conversation ranges from full-frontal nudity and Greco-Roman statuary to the commonplace erasure of bisexual men in contemporary cultural analysis.
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Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: twitter.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: twitter.com/billylibbymusic
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
GoldenEye
Completely by coincidence, Nat and Alli cash in on the excitement around No Time to Die's long-delayed premiere with an episode about 1995's Goldeneye. The first Brosnan Bond film, GoldenEye shares a lot of thematic interests with Craig's turn in Skyfall: Namely, is James Bond still relevant? Nat and Alli discuss Bi Bond Girl Xenia Onatopp, reverse engineer a less conservative James Bond film, and gush over Pierce Brosnan's perfectly symmetrical face
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Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: twitter.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: twitter.com/billylibbymusic
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
Y tu mamá también
Nat and Alli discuss Alfonso Cuarón's famous and/or notorious 2001 road film Y tu mamá también (Sp: "And your mom, too"). In a movie that builds to a climactic moment of bisexuality, how are sex and gender portrayed in the lead up? What does the movie have to say about life and death? And why haven't Nat and Alli written their own manifesto?
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Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: twitter.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: twitter.com/billylibbymusic
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
Nat and Alli tackle Edgar Wright's 2010 action romcom, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, based on the comics series by Bryan Lee O'Malley. Scott Pilgrim poses a particularly difficult challenge, since it's both an incredibly good movie AND an example of the "bisexual phase" stereotype. How do you balance your personal affection for a movie with its larger culture position? Why is the term "bi phase" so hurtful to so many? Which Evil Ex would you bone if given the opportunity? These are questions for the ages
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Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: twitter.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: twitter.com/billylibbymusic
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
Spartacus
At long last, Nat and Alli reveal the origin of the name "Snails & Oysters." Assuming we didn't explain in the first episode. Did we? Regardless, tune in to here your bi nerds discuss Stanley Kubrik and Dalton Trumbo's 1960 classic, Spartacus. We talk about the nature of freedom, homophobia among leftists, and Tony Curtis's thick New York accent
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Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: twitter.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: twitter.com/billylibbymusic
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
Deadly Illusions
Snails & Oysters Season 2 kicks things off wrong, as Nat and Alli discuss the notoriously terrible Netlfix thriller Deadly Illusions. Our intrepid heroes examine harmful stereotypes around mental illness, the paranoia of the upper class, and the boundary between "so bad it's good" and "so bad it's bad."
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Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: twitter.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: twitter.com/billylibbymusic
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Nat and Alli take a trip to Transylvania to discuss Jim Sharman's 1975 camp classic. Along the way, they discuss heteronormativity in Americana imagery, Operation Paperclip, and the timeless charisma of Tim Curry's turn as Dr. Frank-N-Furter
Follow us on Twitter
Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: twitter.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: twitter.com/billylibbymusic
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
Thor: Ragnorak
Mulan
Nat and Alli get down to brass tacks and settle the age old question: Is Li Shang bisexual? He is. With that out of the way, they go on to discuss how Mulan handles gender and gender roles as well as the movie's place in conversations around cultural appropriation and the corporate culture industry. And yes, Nat sings "Let's get down to business" and yes it's bad
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Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: twitter.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: twitter.com/billylibbymusic
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
Barbarella
Nat and Alli struggle to follow the plot of the cult classic Barbarella, starring Jane Fonda. While Barbarella has influenced countless sci-fi movies since its release, how does the original hold up to modern scrutiny? Not well. Spoiler alert, I guess...
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Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: twitter.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: twitter.com/billylibbymusic
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
Some Like It Hot
Alli and Nat dive into Billy Wilder's surprisingly fresh 1959 screwball comedy Some Like It Hot, starring Tony Curtis, Marilyn Monroe, and Jack Lemmon. How does the 62-year-old film hold up to modern standards of gender expression, sexual orientation, and horniness? How does Some Like It Hot fit in among cross-dressing classics like Twelfth Night and Victor/Victoria? Will Nat convince Alli to watch The Apartment by the end of this podcast?
Follow us on Twitter
Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: twitter.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: twitter.com/billylibbymusic
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Nat and Alli sit down to discuss Céline Sciamma's 2019 romance, Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Critics and viewers often refer to PoaLoF as a "lesbian love story," but how does Marianne's implied bisexuality play into the film? How does the movie grapple with capital-t-Themes like Art, Love, and Memory, while still grounding itself in Marianne and Héloïse's love affair? How many times will Nat whine that this movie is "so f***ing gooooOOOooood?"
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Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: twitter.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: twitter.com/billylibbymusic
And our cover art was designed by Abby Austin: instagram.com/abigailbaustin
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Nat and Alli kick off the world's first bicoastal, biweekly, bisexual podcast with a conversation about The Talented Mr. Ripley. How does the title character's bisexuality play into his murderous instability? How does the director frame queerness? How many goddamn young, A-list celebrities can they jam into this goddamn movie???
Follow us on Twitter
Snails & Oysters: twitter.com/SnailsOysters
Alli Rogers: twitter.com/allinotallie
Nat Roberts: twitter.com/GnatRoberts
Our theme song is Gumballs by Billy Libby: twitter.com/billylibbymusic