The Voyeuristic Pleasures of Proto-Slasher ‘Peeping Tom’ [Horror Queers Podcast]

Not Your Grindr’s Voyeurism

We spent the better part of 2.5 months exploring an “underseen or underrated?” theme, including Gaspar Noé’s Climax and Kurtis David Harder‘s Spiral before wrapping up with Michael J. Ahern, Brandon Perras and Christopher Dalpe‘s independent film Death Drop Gorgeous last week. Now that we’re free of the 2010s, Trace and I are jumping back to 1960 to discuss Michael Powell’s proto-slasher, Peeping Tom.

In the film,  Carl Boehm plays Mark Lewis, an introverted wannabe film director who works on movie sets by day, and shoots dirty photos in his spare. He also murders vulnerable women using a speared tripod leg as he films them, including his poor dancing co-worker Viv (Moira Shearer).

As Mark rushes to complete his snuff film, he initiates a tentative romance with his downstairs neighbour Helen (Anna Massey), which does not endear him to Helen’s blind and drunk mother, Mrs. Stephens (Maxine Audley). Will Helen fall victim to Mark’s passion project or will Mark learn to control his homicidal voyeuristic tendencies?

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Episode 170 – Peeping Tom (1960)

We’re jetting back to 1960 to check out Michael Powell’s classic Peeping Tom.

First: forget Psycho (ok, we can’t help but make comparisons!). But really, this film deserves more attention and recognition, and not just because it’s a trivia question in Scream 4!

Joe is adamant that the film is about more than gendered violence, while Trace has all of the medical deets about scopophilic fetishism aka voyeurism.

Plus: a Scorcese save, penis tripods, films within films (Singin’ in the Rain!), the film’s interest in disability, and our love of these female characters, especially Moira Shearer’s Vivian.


Cross out Peeping Tom!

Coming up on Wednesday: We’re celebrating Spring Break a little late with Alexandre Aja’s 2010 remake, Piranha 3D!

P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for more than 165 hours of additional content! This month, we’re discussing horror movies where the villain wins, as well as Hulu originals No Exit and Fresh, Ti West’s X and a 20th anniversary audio commentary on Blade II!

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