Where Every Torso is More So
Talking AIP Beach Party Movies on the Eros + Massacre podcast
I have long been a cheerleader (perhaps even a swinging cheerleader) for AIP’s cycle of beach party movies from the 1960s. Like being a fan of Elvis movies or sword and sandal epics, this is a lonely island on which to exist, as the films are niche even among the niche, and few are the fellow fans out there. So I was overjoyed when one of my favorite people and one of the smartest voices in modern film studies, Samm Deighan, asked me if I’d be interested in joining her on her podcast, Eros + Massacre, to talk about this much-maligned genre that she, too, adores.
The result was over two hours of delight, for me anyway, and I could have kept going for another two. In our time together, we talk about everything from the history of surfing and teenagers to the tried and true ARKOFF method of making profitable films, to the mystery of how Dick Miller never showed up in a beach party movie, to wondering how a couple of East Coast brunettes got picked to play all-American California kids.
Give it a listen, ya bunch of gremmies! Find Eros + MAssacre wherever you find your podcasts. And consider supporting Samm’s work through Patreon, because it’s worth it.
Interested in hearing me ramble more? I also had a great time speaking at great length about The Legend of Billie Jean and Psycho II on The Feminine Critique podcast.
One of my favourite gags in That Thing You Do is the band's rage when they discover their "first Hollywood movie" is as background players in a 'Rick & Anita' beach party movie.