Queer Up with Lily & Robin

In this episode, we discuss the ableist dystopia of Gattaca, where perfection is everything and the scope of what counts as acceptable human variation is narrowing. What place does such a world have for queerness? CW: Discussions of ableism, suicide, homophobia, transphobia, misogynyMusic by Goshdarn Rabbit: https://goshdarnrabbit.bandcamp.com/References:Masculinity, Masquerade, and Genetic Impersonation: Gattaca's Queer Visions by Jacqueline StaceyThe Disablist Nature of Desiring Perfection in Gattaca by Dom EvansThe Adversity in “Gattaca”: Vincent Freeman’s Struggle and Triumph Over Genetic Determinism by John Jimenez Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Your Name is a film about the first ever cis T4T relationship, and we are joined once again by Raptor to talk about it. It's an incredible film that touches on gender, grief, human connections, and the value of fighting for your happiness. We also talk about body swap stories in general and the value of kissing your bros. Oh, and we also have a new theme song!CW: Discussions of death, natural disasters, gender dysphoriaMusic by Goshdarn Rabbit: https://goshdarnrabbit.bandcamp.com/References:5 Centimeters Per Your Name by RaptorTrans Allegories in Film: 'Your Name' (2016) by Atreyo PalitYour Name | Kimi no Na wa: Interpreting Progress in Gender and Rule-breaking by ATMA & FunomenaYour Name And The Message Of Hope It Gives Transgender People by Jade KingI’ll Remember Your Name—Will You? by Tsunderin Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What couple possibly be more gay than to plan and execute a multi-million dollar heist with your homies? And yet, neither of the crews from the all-male or all-female spend literally any time kissing each other. Let's fix that in this episode, where we break down what works and what doesn't about Ocean's Eleven and it's female-centric spin-off, and what kind of queer spin we can give these charming criminals.CW: Discussions of misogyny, prison violence, rape, sexual harassment, homophobia, transphobiaReferences:Ocean's 11 but it's gay! by Gabriel Shane Dunn‘Ocean’s 8’ is Extremely Gay—So Why Isn’t It Gay? by Jill GutowitzOceans 8 Is a Lesbian Movie by E. Alex Jung Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Queer Up is a year old and we celebrate by revisiting our underwater roots. After celebrating you, our amazing listeners, we look at the largely forgotten mermaid movie Aquamarine. It's what happens when you attempt to cram a season of a mediocre sitcom into 100 minutes of film, and a good testament to why the gays are better at mermaid stories.CW: Discussions of suicidal ideation, parental trauma, abandonmentReferences:Aquamarine is Less Straight Than You Thought (and I can prove it) by Drawpinion Dump Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is a true Venominomenon! Along with our guest Pim, from the excellent Youtube channel Pim's Crypt, we dig into the entire Venom trilogy of films. Besides fangirling out about these genuinely delightful films, we explore their (often very explicit) queer themes, and discuss how the third film drops the ball on what makes the series so enjoyably gay. No need to worry, though; we know how it should be queered up.You should follow Pim on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/@pimscrypt) and Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/c/pimscrypt/)CW: Discussions of body horror, domestic violence, family abandonmentReferences:Venom Is Queer: A Film Analysis by Pim's CryptVenom: The Last Dance review on Letterboxd by Pim's CryptVenom Is A Queer Icon Now And I’m Here For It | Venom: Let There Be Carnage Review by Drew Friday Venom star Tom Hardy weighs in on the symbiote’s status as an LGBT+ icon by Maggie BaskaHow the queer community found solace in Venom by Diana Velasquezthe big gay history of venom by land-of-brains-and-chocolateTom Hardy’s Kat Rescue by Tom Hardy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What would a world built and inhabited entirely by robots be like? It turns out, very much like the one we live in now - gender roles included. In this episode, we dive into the strange, undercooked world of Bluesky Studios' 2005 Robots, and examine its strange approach to sex and gender. We talk about robot skirts, robot penises, and robot misogyny.References:The Art of Robots by Amid AmidiHow Robots (2005) Rejects Gender and Capitalism by Drawpinion DumpTrans Allegories in Film: 'Robots' (2005) by Atreyo PalitRobots Production Notes by Robin Williams FansiteLooking Back, I Think ‘Robots’ Was My Gay Awakening by Ky Stewart Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two decades after its release, Let The Right One In continues to be one of the most beloved vampire love stories of all time. And yet, it seems many have forgotten, or completely missed, the inherent queerness at its core. In this episode, we investigate the queer history of John Ajvide Lindqvist's masterful debut, and the original Swedish film adaptation, and discuss how we could bring these themes to the forefront.CW: Pedophilia, rape, murder, bullying, violence against children, alcoholism, parental abandonmentReferences:About Eli´s gender by John Ajvide LindqvistLet the Right One In is a Queer Vampire Love Story by Vrai KaiserThe Northlander Sits Down With The Writer Of LET THE RIGHT ONE IN! by Aint It Cool NewsQueerness And The Exploration Of Childhood Sexuality In Let The Right One In by BJ ColangeloOskar Loves Eli: LET THE RIGHT ONE IN And Trans Romance by Fae Basir Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the most beloved live-action Disney films from the 90s gets a queering up in this episode. We specifically examine two characters and their joint journey towards self-acceptance, while imagining why their story gives big gay vibes. We also take the opportunity to talk generally about this delightful gem of a film, and remind ourselves just how good John Candy was.CW: Mentions of racism, stereotypes, oppressive families, sports injuriesReferences:Cool Runnings: An oral history by Samantha HighfillSome Rough Sledding Making 'Cool Runnings' by John Hartl Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our first episode of the year, we're taking a break from queering up to instead talk about some existing queer media that we enjoy. We'll be recommending some of our favourite queer films, books, and games, in a relaxed chat before we head into 2025 gayer than ever.Films: Tokyo Godfathers (2003)Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same (2011)Merry & Gay (2022)Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)Pride (2014)Books:"Deadendia" by Hamish Steele"Gideon the Ninth" by Tamsyn Muir"Roadqueen: Eternal Roadtrip to Love" by Mira Ong Chua"This Is How You Lose The Time War" by Amal El-Mohtar and Max GladstoneGames: "Secret Little Haven" by Hummingwarp Interactive"Ascension: Transition and Silver" by SulMatul"Get in the Car, Loser" by Love Conquers All Games"Newfound Courage" by Cafe Empty"An Outcry" by Quinn K."Super Lesbian Animal RPG" by ponett"Extreme Meat Punks Forever" by Heather FlowersMusic:Pansy DivisionAgainst MeEthel CainChappell RoanPupil SlicerJasmine.4.t Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Everything is pleasant in Pleasantville - until it isn't. In this episode, we watch a film that feels out of time in many ways, but still manages to be strangely prescient. We dig into the many mixed metaphors of Gary Ross' splendid debut film, and see how it could be read a parable for queer awakenings.CW: Mentions of misogyny, racism, racial violence, Nazism, fascismReferences:DVD Commentary by director Gary RossGoing back to ‘Pleasantville’: when doing a DI wasn’t so easy by vfxblogTotally Trans podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Downey Jr really wanted to play a gay Sherlock Holmes and he so nearly did. In this episode, we look at the somewhat maligned Sherlock Holmes films directed by Guy Ritchie, starring Downey Jr and Jude Law. We discuss why the first one is such a delightful romp and how the two leads play with the intensen queer subtext to great effect. We spend less time talking about the dreadful sequel, except to dig into the behind-the-scenes drama that forced Sherlock deeper into the closet.CW: Mentions of homophobia, drugs, misogynyReferences:Is Sherlock Holmes Gay? by Nikki GloudemanSherlock Holmes: Queer, Straight, Neither? by Lambda LibraryIs Sherlock Holmes gay? by The WeekRobert Downey Jr.'s allegedly gay 'Sherlock Holmes.' Seriously?! by PopWatch (archived)No Holmes 2 for Ritchie? by Film News (archived) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a shocking twist to our usual formula, we are compelled to say many nice things about a Tim Burton film. You see, once upon a time, Burton truly had the juice and made a messy masterpiece that's only sort-of a Batman film. We are also extremely proud to welcome our very first guest; the amazing Raptor, who will help us tackle this delightful disaster.Follow her on https://bsky.app/profile/ohthatraptor.bsky.socialCW: Child abuse, murder, misogynyReferences:Batman Returns (1992) feat. Alex Hall by Horror Queers PodcastThe (not) gay movie club – Batman Returns by Jonny StoneTim Burton's Unmade Catwoman Spin-Off Would’ve Been a 'Boys'-Like Experience Ahead of Its Time by Collier Jennings"Look what I found" and "Just like riding a bike" on Michelle Pfeiffer's Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Equilibrium is a film that we have a lot of feelings about, which is perfectly fitting. We take a look at this unfairly maligned flop from the post-Matrix era of philosophical action films, and discuss how its themes of emotional repression, self-expression, and waking up to who you truly are can be turned into a queer story. Also, about how totally awesome gun kata is.CW: Death, suicidal ideation, mental health, anti-depressants, transphobia, homophobia, gender dysphoria, police violence, fascismReferences:Equilibrium Director's Commentary by Kurt WimmerEquilibrium Director and Producer Commentary by Kurt Wimmer and Lucas FosterEquilibrium by Kill James Bond Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Well, we've had a good run, so it was about time we watched something mediocre. In this episode, we take a look at Tim Burton's mostly failed attempt to recapture the magic of The Nightmare Before Christmas, and why it fails to make us care for its tepid characters or lifeless love story. It needs a good queering up, and we're just the ones to do it.CW: Mentions of death, suicide, forced marriage, murder, poisonReferences:Tim Burton's World of Sadboys by Infinite Snow ProductionsLooking For Meaning in Tim Burton's Movies | An Analysis by Maggie Mae FishThe Corpse Bride is Actually Jewish by Jewitches Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we learn why Bend It Like Beckham is a modern classic and why it has such a massive queer fanbase. We had to take our own shot at queering up this delightful coming-of-age classic - and explore if there is any truth to the rumour that the film was always intended to be even more gay.CW: Mentions of racism, sexism, homophobia, generational traumaReferences:Q&A: Keira Knightley on Gay Directors, a Lesbian Sequel to 'Bend It Like Beckham' and Her Drag-Inspired Sugar Plum FairySpecial Episode: Gurinder Chadha Spills The Chai on 'Bend It Like Beckham' - The Film & The Musical by Burn It All Down PodcastDropping Lesbian Romance from Beckham the Right Decision by AfterEllen‘Bend It Like Beckham’ isn’t a Queer story, but it’s part of mine by Sarah RahmanBend It, More Like Straighten It: A look at the queer subtext of BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM by Everything You Love is Gay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some like it hot - but how about we make it even hotter? In this episode, we tackle a true comedy classic, which ended up breaking boundaries both for the American film industry and for queer representation on screen. And it's our job to make it even queerer.CW: Alcohol, gun violence, mentions of transphobia, acephobia, and homophobiaReferences:Behind the Scenes of SOME LIKE IT HOT: Secrets, Scandals, and Marilyn's Mystique by Matt Baume"Nobody's Perfect" - The Making of 'Some Like It Hot' with Monroe, Curtis & LemmonMemories From The Sweet Sue's Tony Curtis on Some Like It Hot - Nostalgic Lookback Documentary Part 1, Part 2, Part 3Marilyn Monroe - The making of Some Like It Hot (2006)Joani HannonA Trans Perspective on “Some Like It Hot” by Natasha TroopOpening theme: Mini Vandals - Who Do You Think I Think You Are?Ending theme: King Canyon - Mulholland Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For our first Queer Up, we tackle one of the most influential animated films of all time: Disney's The Little Mermaid. We dig into its queer legacy and themes - both that of the 1989 film but also the original story by Hans Christian Andersen - to see how we can turn it into an explicit story of self-acceptance, transitioning, and community. And why Flounder needs to end up on the cutting room floor.CW: Mentions of parental abuse, transphobia, homophobia, sexual abuse, knivesOpening theme: Mini Vandals - Who Do You Think I Think You Are?Ending theme: King Canyon - Mulholland Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.