Velvet Slasher is a podcast for horror fans who savor the artistry of filmmaking, where horror is more than jump scares. Hosted by your personal hostess in heels, a lifelong horror lover and obsessive student of cinema, we dive deep into the artistry behind the blood: the evocative cinematography and haunting sound design to the myths and the timeless tropes that make horror the most revealing genre in film. Whether you’re a British folk-horror fan, a J-horror devotee, or just discovering the beauty of horror, this is where horror lives as art.
Tonight we are talking about the 1981 film Madman directed by Joe Giannone and how names can give us power or take it away.
Curious about the episode? Here are the resources I used:
The Burning Discussion:
https://youtu.be/qMmC3MiqEAc?si=7FD5Rg7Ih4_-RZ0k (https://youtu.be/qMmC3MiqEAc?si=7FD5Rg7Ih4_-RZ0k)
Buy the film here:
https://www.amazon.com/Madman-NON-USA-FORMAT-PAL-Reg-0/dp/B013MMSH66/ref=tmm_dvd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.dMWXLu2OVlFLGR0FYW7tJLGeQQgHa2SlgzQAbbYjEN8.U9Df4anu0EK_TKs2f65NspgIENQWdEJeQKPWVkv_ko0&qid=1787009135&sr=8-1 (https://www.amazon.com/Madman-NON-USA-FORMAT-PAL-Reg-0/dp/B013MMSH66/ref=tmm_dvd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.dMWXLu2OVlFLGR0FYW7tJLGeQQgHa2SlgzQAbbYjEN8.U9Df4anu0EK_TKs2f65NspgIENQWdEJeQKPWVkv_ko0&qid=1787009135&sr=8-1)
Sources:
Plato -https://classics.mit.edu/Plato/cratylus.html (https://classics.mit.edu/Plato/cratylus.html)
Romeo & Juliet-https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/romeo-and-juliet/read/ (https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/romeo-and-juliet/read/)
Ra, Isis, and the snake:
https://faculty.gvsu.edu/websterm/Egypt/Ra&Isis.html (https://faculty.gvsu.edu/websterm/Egypt/Ra&Isis.html)
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/museums-static/digitalegypt/literature/isisandra.html (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/museums-static/digitalegypt/literature/isisandra.html)
The Making of Madman – 30 Year Celebration Documentary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTfbtAJH0bc&t=1271s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTfbtAJH0bc&t=1271s)
15 Aug 2026
The Burning (1981): The Story Behind Cropsey — And Why Camps Invent Guys Like Him
Tonight we are talking about the 1981 film The Burning directed by Tony Maylam and how the legend of Cropsey is just one example of stories told at camps around the country.
Curious about the episode? Here are the resources I used:
Missing Children:
Henry "Hank"Gafforio: https://charleyproject.org/case/henry-gafforio (https://charleyproject.org/case/henry-gafforio)
Tiahease TiawannaJackson: https://www.missingkids.org/poster/NCMC/701777/1 (https://www.missingkids.org/poster/NCMC/701777/1)
Alice Pereira:https://www.missingkids.org/poster/ncmc/604013/1 (https://www.missingkids.org/poster/ncmc/604013/1)
Holly Ann Hughes:https://www.missingkids.org/poster/NCMC/601770/1 (https://www.missingkids.org/poster/NCMC/601770/1)
Cropsey True Crime Documentary:
https://pluto.tv/us/movies/5694166b2bb959cc3f59f060/?utm_medium=textsearch&utm_source=google#open (https://pluto.tv/us/movies/5694166b2bb959cc3f59f060/?utm_medium=textsearch&utm_source=google#open)
Films Mentioned (Year) - Director * = Spoiled:The Burning (1981) - Tony Maylam*
Friday the 13th (1980) - Sean S. Cunningham
Halloween (1978) - John Carpenter
Books:https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1059&context=usupress_pubs (https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1059&context=usupress_pubs)– Sutton-Smith, B. (1999). Children's folklore: A source book.Logan, Utah: Utah State University Press.Articles:Friday the 13th Earnings: https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0080761/ (https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0080761/)Tom Savini The Burning DVD interview - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2w2Dz4Ca0E (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2w2Dz4Ca0E)
Andre Rand Arrested:
https://www.nytimes.com/1987/08/06/nyregion/homeless-man-seized-in-case-of-missing-si-girl.html (https://www.nytimes.com/1987/08/06/nyregion/homeless-man-seized-in-case-of-missing-si-girl.html)
https://www.nydailynews.com/2004/10/20/jury-pedophile-took-holly/ (https://www.nydailynews.com/2004/10/20/jury-pedophile-took-holly/)Cropsey connection:
https://allthatsinteresting.com/andre-rand (https://allthatsinteresting.com/andre-rand)
https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/Death-legends-and-a-murky-bogeyman-in-Cropsey-11588909.php (https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/Death-legends-and-a-murky-bogeyman-in-Cropsey-11588909.php)
7 Aug 2026
The Ancient Fears Behind Modern Slashers Films
Tonight we are talking about how the scares behind modern slashers are linked to fears we've had as humans throughout history.
Curious about the episode? Here are the resources I used:
Films Mentioned (Year) - Director * = Spoiled:
Psycho (1960) - Alfred Hitchcock
Black Christmas (1974) - Bob Clark
Halloween (1972) - John Carpenter
Peeping Tom (1960) - Michael Powell*
Scream (1996) - Wes Craven
Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives (1986) - Tom McLoughlin*
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006) - ScottGlosserman
Nosferatu (1922) - F.W. Murnau
Doctor X (1932) - Michael Curtiz
Phantom of the Opera (1925) - Lon Chaney et al.
Blood and Black Lace (1964) - Mario Bava
You're Next (2011) - Adam Wingard
The Collector (2009) - Marcus Dunstan
Friday the 13th Part 7 (1988) - John Carl Buechler
Halloween (2018) - David Green*
Freddy vs Jason (2003) - Ronny Yu*
Books:
The Myth of Sisyphus: Renaissance Theories of Human PerfectibilityBy Elliott M. Simon
Primary Sources:
The Ugaritic Baal Cycle
Hamlet by Shakespeare
Laxdaela Saga
Grettir's Saga
Articles:
Mot - https://www.jstor.org/stable/27924890
Thanatos -https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/00030651030510021201
Japanese Noh - https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/75/article/417595/summary
Japanese Noh -https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0071389
Greek Masks - https://muse.jhu.edu/article/499391
Plague Doctor Masks -http://www.rimed.org/rimedicaljournal/2020/12/2020-12-72-spotlight-pan.pdf
Revenant Burials:
https://archaeology.org/news/2024/06/11/240430-germany-revenant-grave/
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/blog/ancient-greeks-feared-walking-dead-secrets-news-june-13-19-2015/
https://archaeology.org/news/2015/06/25/zombie-sicily-greek-living-dead/
https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/irish-studies/blog/2017/viking-zombies/
https://shakespeare.mit.edu/hamlet/full.html
This episode explores recurring themes across history and horror. Similar ideas appearing across cultures do not necessarily indicate direct historical influence.
19 Oct 2025
Hereditary (2018) Explained: It isn’t about Grief - it’s about Fate & Free Will
In tonight’s episode, we crawl deep inside Hereditary — Ari Aster’s chilling debut that everyone said was about grief… but what if it’s really about something darker?
Walk into the velvet shadows as we peel back the layers of fate, free will, and the illusion of control that haunt the Graham family. From miniature sets to demonic conspiracies, from the doomed family archetype to the art of dread itself, we’ll explore how Hereditary came to be called this generation’s Exorcist.
Featuring discussions on the artistry, tropes, and emotional horror that make this film unforgettable — and maybe, just maybe, a reminder that we might all be living in someone else’s dollhouse.
Subscribe for more cinematic horror dissections, served with a feminine edge and a splash of blood.
10 Oct 2025
The Wailing (2016) - A Slow-Burn South Korean Horror Analysis
Step into the velvet shadows with the Velvet Slasher as we break down The Wailing (2016), a slow-burn South Korean horror film about faith, doubt, and uncertainty. In this episode, your hostess in heels explores the artistry behind the film: from the haunting landscape cinematography to the meticulous set design, and analyze the ending that leaves more questions than answers.
We discuss its struggles with its pacing, its twists on classic horror tropes, and the obsessive detail of director Na Hong-Jin's vision, while revealing our Velvet Slasher rating. If you love thoughtful horror analysis, cinematic craft, and slow-burn terror, this is an episode you don't want to miss.
25 Sept 2025
The Collector (2009) - Horror Review, Artistry, and the Ending We Didn't Deserve
Step into the velvet shadows with the Velvet Slasher as we dissect The Collector (2009) — a home invasion horror film with tension and delayed cinematic recognition. In this episode, your hostess in heels explores the artistry behind the blood: the dancing cinematography, the trapped set design, and the devastating ending that may have ruined the movie.
We break down why this film, despite its brilliant craft and experienced director, struggles with its ending and era of release — and why it could have reached icon status. From looking at the SAW connection to reviewing how the film incorporates classic horror tropes, this analysis looks at The Collector with an artistic lens.
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