It's Giving Camp

Composer and friend Harrison Lurie helps Saffron and Fabiola conclude the season with another musical, the pop art depiction of Jesus’ crucifixion. They discuss the film’s political implications, Roman history, and when music becomes camp. Listen to Rolling Midnight, 30 Candles: https://midnightceremoniesmedia.com/listen-to-rolling-midnight-30-candles/ 30 Candles official soundtrack: https://open.spotify.com/album/2qJwtNjs34ZQpIL0dzr7H4 It’s Giving Camp socials: Twitter: https://twitter.com/givingcamppod  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsgivingcamppod/  Support us on Patreon for exclusive bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/itsgivingcamp  This episode was edited and produced by Saffron Hefta-Gaub Series theme music by Harrison Lurie Episode Citations:  Marius, Marley. “The 5 Campiest Musicals Ever Made.” Vogue.com, Conde Nast, 27 April 2019, https://www.vogue.com/article/camp-met-gala-campiest-musicals-ever. “The Creation of Jesus Christ Superstar.” YouTube, uploaded by Staged Right, 31 August 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rf_AjFxKFWo. 

With another “advanced camp” text, the “fictional documentary” about the relationship between adult film stars Tigr and Sharon Mitchell, Saffron and Fabiola break down how the artificial can reveal truth, the combination of high and low art, and the voyeuristic nature of social media. It’s Giving Camp socials: Twitter: https://twitter.com/givingcamppod  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsgivingcamppod/  Support us on Patreon for exclusive bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/itsgivingcamp  This episode was edited and produced by Saffron Hefta-Gaub Series theme music by Harrison Lurie Episode Citations:  Madigan, Nick. “Voice of Health in a Pornographic World (Published 2004).” The New York Times, 10 May 2004, web.archive.org/web/20220715224128/https://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/10/us/voice-of-health-in-a-pornographic-world.html  Purchell, Elizabeth, et al. “Truth or Fiction: Juliet Bashore on Kamikaze Hearts.” Screen Slate, 19 July 2022, www.screenslate.com/articles/truth-or-fiction-juliet-bashore-kamikaze-hearts  Wissot, Lauren. “‘We’re All Pornographers Now’: Juliet Bashore on Her 2K-Restored Kamikaze Hearts.” Filmmaker Magazine, 7 May 2022, filmmakermagazine.com/114398-kamikaze-hearts-juliet-bashore/

With Kung Fu Clubhouse programmer Anya, Saffron and Fabiola discuss the prison abolitionism message at the heart of this spectacle of ultra- violence and visceral effects. Content warning: non-explicit discussion of sexual assault/violence Listen to Anya discuss Baby Assassins: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/episode-85-baby-assassins-2021/id1574408482?i=1000754500700 It’s Giving Camp socials: Twitter: https://twitter.com/givingcamppod  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsgivingcamppod/  Support us on Patreon for exclusive bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/itsgivingcamp  This episode was edited and produced by Saffron Hefta-Gaub Series theme music by Harrison Lurie Episode Citations:  Dwivedi, AP. “Riki-Oh: Buff and Tuff with a Heart of Gold.” Hyperrealfilm.club, 21 August 2024, https://hyperrealfilm.club/reviews/riki-oh. Kalat, David. “Riki-Oh: The Story of Riki.” TurnerClassicMovies.com, 28 September 2012,  https://www.tcm.com/articles/518299/riki-oh-the-story-of-ricky.

Saffron and Fabiola dive into the “Cars logic” of this gangster musical genre blend starring only children. It’s Giving Camp socials: Twitter: https://twitter.com/givingcamppod  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsgivingcamppod/  Support us on Patreon for exclusive bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/itsgivingcamp  This episode was edited and produced by Saffron Hefta-Gaub Series theme music by Harrison Lurie Episode Citations:  “Bugsy Malone: The Making of the Film by Alan Parker.” AlanParker.com, https://alanparker.com/film/bugsy-malone/. “Bugsy Malone (1976).” Catalog.AFI.com, 2024 American Film Institute, https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/55845.  Letterboxd review referenced: https://letterboxd.com/joshuadysart/film/bugsy-malone/

In their discussion of the Russ Meyer cult classic, Fabiola and Saffron cover the difficulties of distribution, the layered meanings of cars, and the feminist reading that finds the fun in hypersexualized female characters. Fabiola’s Substack piece on gothic media: https://dollhouse166a4.substack.com/p/the-strange-case-of-dr-jekyll-and  Tender Subject episode on Titane: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/024-titane-with-sophie-lewis/id1692462745 It’s Giving Camp socials: Twitter: https://twitter.com/givingcamppod  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsgivingcamppod/  Support us on Patreon for exclusive bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/itsgivingcamp  This episode was edited and produced by Saffron Hefta-Gaub Series theme music by Harrison Lurie Episode Citations: Ellefson, Sam. “The Feminism of Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill! And Beyond the Valley of The Dolls.” Wednesdayzine.com, 9 April 2021, https://wednesdayzine.com/arts-culture- 1/2021/4/9/the-feminism-of-faster-pussycat-kill-kill-and-beyond-the-valley-of-the-dolls.  Juzwiak, Rich. “How Russ Meyer’s Body of Work Was Saved from Obscurity to Rescue These Sexless Times.” IndieWire.com, 18 December 2024, https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/russ-meyer-films-restored-newly-available-1235077569/.

Fabiola and Saffron discuss the 1998 culmination of the erotic thriller genre, a movie where everyone is performing, and the setting is steeped in sleaze Content Warning: non-explicit discussion of rape and sexual abuse It’s Giving Camp socials: Twitter: https://twitter.com/givingcamppod  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsgivingcamppod/  Support us on Patreon for exclusive bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/itsgivingcamp  This episode was edited and produced by Saffron Hefta-Gaub Series theme music by Harrison Lurie Episode Citations:  Lipsett, Joe. “The Camp Appeal of Genre-Blurring ‘Wild Things’ [Sex Crimes].” BloodyDisgusting.com, 6 June 2022, https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3717865/wild-things-camp-appeal-sex-crimes/. Parsons, Spencer. “Gator Tango: An Interview With John McNaughton On ‘Wild Things’ (1998).” SplitToothMedia.com, 3 May 2024, https://www.splittoothmedia.com/john-mcnaughton-wild-things/.

With overwhelming joy and returning guest Nicole Veneto, Saffron and Fabiola gush over the artistry of Jim Henson and his friends, brainstorm the ideal guests for a Muppets reboot, and praise the true diva that is Miss Piggy. Nicole’s Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/kuntsuragi/  Marvelous! Or, the Death of Cinema: https://www.patreon.com/cw/marvelousdeath  Boston Underground Festival: https://bostonunderground.org/submit/  Nicole’s review for Chainsaw Man the Movie: Reze Arc for The Art Fuse: https://artsfuse.org/319160/film-review-chainsaw-man-the-movie-reze-arc-or-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-the-bomb-girl/  It’s Giving Camp socials: Twitter: https://twitter.com/givingcamppod  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsgivingcamppod/  Support us on Patreon for exclusive bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/itsgivingcamp  This episode was edited and produced by Saffron Hefta-Gaub Series theme music by Harrison Lurie Episode Citations:  Be Kind Rewind. “Miss Piggy, Camp, and the Death of the Movie Star.” YouTube, 07 July 2024, https://youtu.be/mkvAckgH4Yw?si=Naj_w3jRVvnBAHVp. Canning, Laura. “Sometimes It’s Hard To Be A….Feminist Film Critic, Or; Why I Am That Asshole At The Cinema – Laura Canning DCU.” Critical Media Review, 8 Sept. 2013, criticalmediareview.wordpress.com/2012/02/23/sometimes-its-hard-to-be-a-feminist-film-critic-or-why-i-am-that-asshole-at-the-cinema-laura-canning-dcu/.  Ryan, Maureen. “The Myth of an Egalitarian Future: The IP Strikes Back.” Burn It Down, HarperCollins, 2023.  Referenced episodes: S1e2 Rita Moreno S1e9 Lena Horne S1e19 Vincent Price S2e19 Don Knotts S3e8 Alice Cooper S3e15 Harry Belafonte S3e17 Liberace S5e12 Carol Burnett S5e16 Debbie Harry

Through their discussion of the 1975 parody of blaxploitation, Fabiola and Saffron articulate how having no restraint in your filmmaking style can lead to community building. It’s Giving Camp socials: Twitter: https://twitter.com/givingcamppod  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsgivingcamppod/  Support us on Patreon for exclusive bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/itsgivingcamp  This episode was edited and produced by Saffron Hefta-Gaub Series theme music by Harrison Lurie Episode Citations:  “Outta Sight Like Dolemite: A Beginner’s Guide to Blaxsploitation.” The Frida Cinema.org, 24 October 2019, https://thefridacinema.org/2019/10/24/outta-sight-like-dolemite-a-beginners-guide-to-blaxploitation/. Ryfle, Steve. “Dolemite Was His Name: The Story of Self-Made Cult Film Icon Rudy Ray Moore.” Cineaste, Vol. XLV, No. 1, 2019, https://www.cineaste.com/winter2019/dolemite-was-his-name-rudy-ray-moore.

Connecting it to the under-discussed genre of nunsploitation, Fabiola and Saffron discuss the Showtime series The Borgias and how it depicts “things being what they are not” in relation to sexuality and Catholicism.  Fabiola’s substack piece on The Borgias: https://dollhouse166a4.substack.com/p/the-most-fun-show-you-either-havent It’s Giving Camp socials: Twitter: https://twitter.com/givingcamppod  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsgivingcamppod/  Support us on Patreon for exclusive bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/itsgivingcamp  This episode was edited by Fabiola Liaño and produced by Saffron Hefta-Gaub Series theme music by Harrison Lurie Episode Citations:  Newton, James. “Nunsploitation: The Forgotten Cycle.” Offscreen.com, Vol. 18, Issues 6-7, July 2014, https://offscreen.com/view/nunsploitation. Referenced episodes:  -The Poisoned Chalice (S1E1) -The Beautiful Deception (S2E3) -World of Wonders (S2E9) -The Banquet of Chestnuts (S3E4)

With returning guest Amparo, Fabiola and Saffron analyze the generations of Spanish women in Pedro Almodóvar’s iconic melodrama and define the genre in relation to camp and artifice. Amparo’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/polaroranged  Amparo’s Twitter:https://x.com/polaroranged  It’s Giving Camp socials: Twitter: https://twitter.com/givingcamppod  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsgivingcamppod/  Support us on Patreon for exclusive bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/itsgivingcamp  This episode was edited by Fabiola Liaño and produced by Saffron Hefta-Gaub Series theme music by Harrison Lurie

Keeping up the tradition of having at least one vampire film per season, Saffron and Fabiola discuss the muddy politics of this Andy Warhol-produced sexploitation/monster movie genre-blend. It’s Giving Camp socials: Twitter: https://twitter.com/givingcamppod  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsgivingcamppod/  Support us on Patreon for exclusive bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/itsgivingcamp  This episode was edited by Fabiola Liaño and produced by Saffron Hefta-Gaub Series theme music by Harrison Lurie Episode Citations:  Davie, Nick. “Blood for Dracula.” Wastelandarts.com, 11 August 2021, https://www.wastelandarts.com/post/blood-for-dracula.  News Desk. “Paul Morrissey (1938-2024).” Artforum.com, 30 October 2024, https://www.artforum.com/news/paul-morrissey-dies-19382024-1234721028/. Peres Smith, Justine. “Of Love and Other Demons: ‘Blood for Dracula’ (Paul Morrissey, 1974).” VagueVisages.com, 1 October 2015, https://vaguevisages.com/2015/10/01/blood-for-dracula-essay-movie-film/.

Fabiola and Saffron debate how Spike Lee’s 1996 dramedy explores labor, sexuality, and representation in Hollywood. It’s Giving Camp socials: Twitter: https://twitter.com/givingcamppod  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsgivingcamppod/  Support us on Patreon for exclusive bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/itsgivingcamp  This episode was edited by Fabiola Liaño and produced by Saffron Hefta-Gaub Series theme music by Harrison Lurie Episode Citations:  “bell hooks On Cultural Criticism.” YouTube, Cyberphunkisms, 4 November 2021, https://youtu.be/u3hY6p6kyAM. hooks, bell. “Good Girls Look The Other Way.” Reel to Real: Race, Sex and Class At The Movies, 2009, https://archive.org/details/routledge-classics-bell-hooks-reel-to-real-race-sex-and-class-at-the-movies-2009-2012-routledge.  “Spike Lee’s Girl 6 and the art of distraction.” YouTube, cherryvstudios, 27 June 2023, https://youtu.be/xqWWd9mw0oE.

Joined by the fabulous multi-hyphenate Annapurna Siriam, Fabiola and Saffron discuss the extreme teenage horniness of this musical sequel, argue its feminist themes, and pitch ideas for Grease 3. Annapurna’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/missannapurna/  Fucktoys’ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fucktoysthemovie/  It’s Giving Camp socials: Twitter: https://twitter.com/givingcamppod  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsgivingcamppod/  Support us on Patreon for exclusive bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/itsgivingcamp  This episode was edited by Fabiola Liaño and produced by Saffron Hefta-Gaub Series theme music by Harrison Lurie

Fabiola and Saffron discuss how this 1969 Japanese film comments upon the artifice of queerness, itself, and the art of cinema at large.  Fabiola’s Letterboxd list: https://letterboxd.com/fabithegremlin/list/mandatory-filmmaker-watchlist/  It’s Giving Camp socials: Twitter: https://twitter.com/givingcamppod  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsgivingcamppod/  Support us on Patreon for exclusive bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/itsgivingcamp  This episode was edited by Fabiola Liaño and produced by Saffron Hefta-Gaub Series theme music by Harrison Lurie Episode Citations: “Funeral Parade of Roses- Transfemininity in 1960s Japan.” YouTube, You Have Been Watching Films, 8 June 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Px93KfAYvg. McCarty-Simas, Payton. “‘The Blade and the Executioner’: Funeral Parade of Roses, Psycho, and Queering the Monstrous Other.” BlindFieldJournal.com, 20 March 2023, https://blindfieldjournal.com/2023/03/20/the-blade-and-the-executioner-funeral-parade-of-roses-psycho-and-queering-the-monstrous-other/. Pico. “Three ways of looking at Funeral Parade of Roses (Year of the Month).” The Solute, 12 April 2018, https://www.the-solute.com/three-ways-of-looking-at-funeral-parade-of-roses-year-of-the-month/. “Why You Should Watch Funeral Parade of Roses (1969) [Late Pride Month Special].” YouTube, Dead Air Films, 12 July 2024, youtu.be/IiQY2-mYcoM?si=Xe5vTgo4pEG0NIFG.

Fabiola and Saffron start the season by taking the silliness of the comedy-horror musical by Team Starkid seriously with a discussion of images of fascism. Fabiola’s Substack: https://dollhouse166a4.substack.com/  It’s Giving Camp socials: Twitter: https://twitter.com/givingcamppod  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsgivingcamppod/  Support us on Patreon for exclusive bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/itsgivingcamp  This episode was edited by Fabiola Liaño and produced by Saffron Hefta-Gaub Series theme music by Harrison Lurie Episode Citations: “Jane Feuer’s Self-Reflexive Musical and the Myth of Entertainment.” YouTube, Film & Media Studies, 27 May 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zayUIuvixdg. “Siegfried Kracauer’s ‘The Mass Ornament,’ Explained.” YouTube, Film & Media Studies, 9 October 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzV-7VdVB08.

New season starts Friday, September 12th!

To conclude the season, Saffron and Fabiola finally talk about camp icon Kenneth Anger and his galaxy-brain ability to blur the meanings of popular imagery and music. Suggest themes for future episodes: https://forms.gle/8MPoBWeYkHcbTei86  It’s Giving Camp socials: Twitter: https://twitter.com/givingcamppod  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsgivingcamppod/  Support us on Patreon to see exclusive unedited, video versions of episodes: https://www.patreon.com/itsgivingcamp  This episode was produced Saffron Hefta-Gaub and edited by Fabiola Liaño Series theme music by Harrison Lurie  Citations: BROOK, VINCENT. “Puce Modern Moment: Camp, Postmodernism, and the Films of Kenneth Anger.” Journal of Film and Video, vol. 58, no. 4, 2006, pp. 3–15. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20688535.  “Kenneth Anger, Mouse Heaven, 2005.” Whitney.org, 2025 Whitney Museum of American Art, https://whitney.org/collection/works/27372 Pulver, Andrew. “Kenneth Anger, underground film-maker and Hollywood Babylon author, dies aged 96.” TheGuardian.com, 24 May 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/may/24/kenneth-anger-underground-film-maker-and-hollywood-babylon-author-dies-aged-96. Sontag, Susan. “Fascinating Fascism.” The New York Review, 6 February 1975. Letterboxd review mentioned: https://letterboxd.com/nickrs/film/puce-moment/ by Nick R Referenced films: Puce Moment (1949) Scorpio Rising (1963) Mouse Heaven (2004)

Fabiola and Saffron come to terms with the contentious documentary about ballroom culture and its legacy of gender, race, and wealth. It’s Giving Camp socials: Twitter: https://twitter.com/givingcamppod  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsgivingcamppod/  Support us on Patreon to see exclusive unedited, video versions of episodes: https://www.patreon.com/itsgivingcamp  This episode was produced by Saffron Hefta-Gaub and edited by Fabiola Liaño Series theme music by Harrison Lurie  Citations: Collins, K. Austin. “Paris is Burning is Back- and So is Its Baggage.” VanityFair.com, 18 June 2019, Conde Nast, https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/06/paris-is-burning-documentary-drag-jennie-livingston-interview. Ezraeatsacrocidile. “‘Notes on Camp’, the Legacy of ‘Paris is Burning’ and RuPaul’s Fast Cars.” Eatacrocodile.Wordpress.com, 12 November 2019, https://eatacrocodile.wordpress.com/2019/11/12/notes-on-camp-the-legacy-of-paris-is-burning-and-rupauls-fast-cars/.

With friend and Song of Ice and Fire devotee Erika, Fabiola and Saffron make the case that HBO’s prequel is a Sirkian melodrama with dragons and that its fans engage in diva worship. Genderf*cked Attack Dog explanation: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3ss0iTxJqCfI1o37WGZSq2 It’s Giving Camp socials: Twitter: https://twitter.com/givingcamppod  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsgivingcamppod/  Support us on Patreon to see exclusive unedited, video versions of episodes: https://www.patreon.com/itsgivingcamp  This episode was produced by Saffron Hefta-Gaub and edited by Fabiola Liaño Series theme music by Harrison Lurie  Citations: HARRIS, DANIEL. “The Death of Camp: Gay Men and Hollywood Diva Worship, from Reverence to Ridicule.” Salmagundi, no. 112, 1996, pp. 166–91. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40548907. Accessed 19 Dec. 2024. “May December and the Melodrama of Film Twitter.” YouTube, Broey Deschanel, 21 December 2023, https://youtu.be/f7yoK1Eyvt0.

With the second woman-directed exploitation film of the season, Fabiola and Saffron process how sex and violence are often intertwined and what that means for female filmmakers. It’s Giving Camp socials: Twitter: https://twitter.com/givingcamppod  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsgivingcamppod/  Support us on Patreon to see exclusive unedited, video versions of episodes: https://www.patreon.com/itsgivingcamp  This episode was edited by Fabiola Liaño and produced by Saffron Hefta-Gaub Series theme music by Harrison Lurie  Citations: Bodrojan, Sam. “For Bad Girls- Love, Doris.” Metrograph.com, https://metrograph.com/for-bad-girls-love-doris/. Greene, Ray, director. Schlock! The Secret History of American Movies. Protagonist Productions, 2001.  Letterboxd reviews referenced: https://boxd.it/rU58p by Scumbalina