Episode 4 of The Limits of Horror: Dr Catherine Lester on Watership Down

Host Pete Turner is joined by Dr Cat Lester, the author of "Horror Films for Children: Fear and Pleasure in American Cinema" and editor of "Watership Down: Perspectives On and Beyond Animated Violence" to explore what makes Watership Down a horror film. They discuss the violence and the vulnerability of these lovable bunnies, but also the film's themes around death, leadership and community.

Episode 3 of The Limits of Horror with animation expert Luke Holmes on Perfect Blue

What makes Satoshi Kon’s Perfect Blue such a disturbing film? And just because it's disturbing, does that make it a horror, or would it be better classed as a psychological thriller? In episode 3, host Pete Turner and animation expert Luke Holmes explore how the film taps into some deep fears about selfhood and identity, surveillance and performance, and disorientation and paranoia.

Episode 2 of The Limits of Horror with cinematographer Jamie Laxton on Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula

Did Francis Ford Coppola intend to make a horror film or a gothic romance when he adapted Bram Stoker's Dracula? Can horror films be filled with beauty? Do our expectations of horror change with age and experience? In this episode, Pete discusses Coppola's version of Bram Stoker's Dracula with cinematographer Jamie Laxton to try and decide if a Dracula film can ever not be horror?

Episode 1 of The Limits of Horror: Govind Chandran on his short film Scarlet

Are vampire films always horror films? Does a horror film have to be scary? Does a filmmaker always know what genre their film belongs to? In this first episode, Pete sits down with Govind Chandran to discuss Gov's short film Scarlet. Do we answer any of these questions? Listen to find out. And you can also watch Gov's short film here. Enjoy the episode and the film!

Launching The Limits of Horror podcast