Welcome to NightTide’s Hear THIS, highlighting podcasts produced by marginalized creatives! Looking at the horror genre from an intersectional lens is the quest for the Unbound and Rewound Horror Podcast.

by Mo Moshaty

1. Give us your best elevator pitch on the theme of your podcast.

Whether that’s horror movies or horror fiction, I dive into any narrative looking for a mirror to hold up to society. The podcast motto is all about getting into the nitty gritty of it, because it’s always that deep. 

​2. What is one thing folks misconstrue about podcasting?

It’s true that “everyone has a podcast these days”. But I think people who say this overlook the way that podcasts unify people and offer safe spaces. There’s something therapeutic about being able to discuss your interests and building a community around it. For the horror community, there are so many different subgenres and niches that people tether too. I went from being someone looking for an intersectional, Gen-Z view on modern horror to being the host that offers it. 

​3. On podcasting in the horror genre specifically what roadblocks have you found? 

One roadblock that comes to mind is the limited availability of certain films that I review or discuss on my podcast. Horror is a genre that is slowly becoming an appreciated genre in Hollywood. However, that appreciation isn’t translating when it comes to slating films in movies theaters. Most of these films are independent and following marginalized narratives.

4. What motivated you to choose this theme?

After I graduated college, I realized I had lost an outlet to discuss and study film. I looked for podcast that were hosted by Black people: particularly women. However, while I enjoyed the insight offered, I felt that no one I had discovered dug into horror the way I desired. I enjoyed the philosophy and psychology of it as much as the technique and contexts. It was important for me to include literature, because the horror genre began with books. It’s important to reflect on the differences in horror elements across mediums. 

​5. From a historically marginalized perspective horror has always been othered in the mainstream, what is it about the genre that gives you comfort, and/or inspires you?

It’s no coincidence that many queer, trans, Black and Brown people identify with the horror genre. It’s always offered a controlled and safe environment to feel angry with the problems in our society. For me, in particular, I’ve always been attracted to the truth disguised within horror. I remember the first horror movie I defended being Cabin in the Woods. It was the first movie, to my memory, that I understood as more than just a scary movie.

6.  What do you feel is lacking in the genre today?

I think Black, queer horror is lacking. We’re getting more queer horror and more Black horror as companies like A24 and NEON take the reins in Hollywood. However, it’s the intersectionality that I wish we had more of. 

​7. What are three of your favorite films/TV in the genre and why?

SHOWTIME’s Yellowjackets, Julia DeCournau’s Raw (2016), and Black Christmas (1973) are my favorites to watch in the genre. They all offer something new to the genre that defies the common tropes and devices of horror. Well, I also just love queer horror, and I love Christmas horror. 

​8. What film is just “too much” for you and you regret seeing?

This may immediately be a red flag to some, and I get it. But hear me out. As someone who doesn’t watch horror for gore, Terrifier 2 was too much for me. I don’t regret seeing it, and I appreciate how Damien Leone is challenging the industry and Hollywood with his films. The bedroom scene just never stopped, and I wish it didn’t replay in my mind as often as it does. I will be seated for Old Saint Art in Terrifier 3, though. I have to support Christmas horror!

9. Where can we find your projects or passions outside of the podcast? 

Outside of my podcast, you can find me on Substack where I discuss horror news, recent books/shows/movies, and discuss a different movie in my “It’s Not That Deep” section. You can also find me on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter. No matter where you choose, it’s always @URHorrorPodcast with all of your horror needs. 

Check out Avery on U&R’s Instagram!