Morally Offensive

Morally Offensive
  • 5.0 (16)
  • FILM HISTORY
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Morally Offensive is a bi-weekly film podcast covering movies “Condemned” or considered “Morally Offensive” by the Catholic Legion of Decency, and U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. This podcast isn’t just for those who grew up with the trauma of Catholic guilt and shame. It’s for anyone interested in the history of  censorship, dirty movies, film history, and how social upheaval and change often coincide with seismic changes to the media landscape.

  1. 19H AGO

    Filthy Habits: Black Narcissus (1947) and the Roots of Nunsploitation (Part 1)

    Bill and Jess begin a two part deep dive into the classic film Black Narcissus (1947) as part of the Morally Offensive series Filthy Habits, where the show examines religion, repression, and scandal in films about nuns and clergy. Joining them is film director Dalila Droege to help unpack one of the most visually stunning and psychologically intense films of the 1940s. This episode also introduces a new format for the show. Before diving into the movie itself, the hosts examine Catholic reactions and reviews of Black Narcissus. Religious critics have long been divided about the film’s themes of temptation, vocation, and spiritual crisis, and those responses reveal a lot about how the movie has been interpreted by faith communities over the decades. In Part One, the discussion focuses on Act I of the film. The panel explores the arrival of the Anglican nuns at a remote Himalayan palace that is being converted into a convent, the unsettling atmosphere of the mountain setting, and the early hints of emotional and spiritual tension that begin to emerge within the mission. Bill, Jess, and Dalila also discuss the filmmaking of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, the performances that made the film legendary, and why Black Narcissus remains one of the most provocative and talked about “nun movies” ever made. Support the show: Merch: https://morallyoffensive.bigcartel.com/ Buy Us a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/morallyoffensive Follow Dalila Droege on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daliladroege For the latest updates on Beauty Night, follow the official account: https://www.instagram.com/beautynight_film Website and Contact info: https://www.morallyoffensive.com Follow and watch: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MorallyOffensivepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@morallyoffensivepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morallyoffensivepod Threads: https://www.threads.net/@morallyoffensivepod

    58 min

  2. MAR 6

    Sinners: The Blues, Religion, Colonization, and the Catholic Critics Who Can’t Agree

    In this episode of Morally Offensive, Bill and Jess are joined by horror author Ophelia Crane to dig into the Oscar-nominated film Sinners—and the very different reactions it’s sparked. The trio wades into Catholic reviews of the movie and what they reveal about how religious critics approach controversial art, while also exploring the film’s bigger ideas about religion, colonization, and the long history of cultures borrowing—sometimes stealing—stories, music, and folklore. Along the way, the conversation touches on Catholic film criticism, horror traditions, cultural ownership, and the strange moment when theology collides with awards season. It’s a lively, occasionally irreverent discussion about one of the year’s most talked-about films. *We apologize to our listeners for the slight drop in audio quality on this episode. We have been changing up how we handle remote audio, and we are still learning the ropes with our new setup for recording remote guests or co-hosts. For our upcoming series, we should have the audio quality back to where it usually is on this show. Thank you for your patience.* Support the show: Merch: https://morallyoffensive.bigcartel.com/ Buy Us a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/morallyoffensive Follow Ophelia Crane here Website and Contact info: https://www.morallyoffensive.com Follow and watch: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MorallyOffensivepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@morallyoffensivepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morallyoffensivepod Threads: https://www.threads.net/@morallyoffensivepod Keywords: sinners movie, sinners film analysis, sinners movie review, sinners oscars, sinners oscar nominations, sinners themes explained, sinners religion themes, catholic review sinners, catholic film criticism, religion in horror movies, controversial religious films, colonization in film, cultural appropriation in movies, folklore in horror movies, horror film themes, movie podcast, horror movie podcast, film analysis podcast, morally offensive podcast, ophelia crane interview

    2h 29m

  3. FEB 7

    X-Rated: A Clockwork Orange w/John Enroth (Regular Show, Time Bandits)

    In this episode of Morally Offensive, co-hosts Bill and Stephanie continue their series on X-rated films with Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange. Originally released with an X rating, the film remains one of the most controversial titles in cinema history, raising enduring questions about violence, free will, censorship, and state power. Guest John Enroth, composer (Regular Show, Interior Chinatown), joins the discussion to examine Wendy Carlos’s electronic score, Kubrick’s use of Beethoven, and the role of music as psychological control and moral irony. The episode places A Clockwork Orange within the history of the MPAA ratings system, film censorship, and controversial cinema of the 1970s, asking whether Kubrick critiques violence or deliberately refuses moral resolution. And of course, it DID receive the dreaded "C" rating from "The Catholics". Keywords: A Clockwork Orange, Stanley Kubrick, X-rated films, MPAA ratings, film censorship, Wendy Carlos, Beethoven, Anthony Burgess, Malcolm McDowell, dystopian cinema, controversial movies Website and Contact info: https://www.morallyoffensive.com Follow and watch: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MorallyOffensivepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@morallyoffensivepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morallyoffensivepod Threads: https://www.threads.net/@morallyoffensivepod Support the show: Merch: https://morallyoffensive.bigcartel.com/ Buy Us a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/morallyoffensive

    2h 20m

  4. JAN 22

    X-Rated: Beyond the Valley of the Dolls w/Matt Harding of Severin Films

    Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970) is an X-rated studio film written by Roger Ebert, directed by Russ Meyer, and still more culturally radioactive than most modern movies. So we had to talk about it. This week on Morally Offensive, the ex-Catholic hosts are joined by Matt Harding of Severin Films to dig into Meyer’s psychedelic cult classic and its strange place in American film history. We unpack Roger Ebert’s involvement in the script, Russ Meyer’s obsession with buxom women, and how that fixation shaped both the visual language and politics of his films. We get into the feminist debates around Meyer’s work, the film’s relationship to 60s counterculture, and the way Beyond the Valley of the Dolls became a cultural reference point for everything from Sublime lyrics to Austin Powers parody. We also go on a side quest through Catholic film criticism, breaking down a period review that condemned this movie while praising the morality of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, which somehow manages to be more disturbing in its own way. If you’re into film history, cult cinema, Catholic moral panic, and movies that make everyone uncomfortable for different reasons, this episode lives right in that space. Episodes, essays, and archives: https://www.morallyoffensive.com Follow and watch: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MorallyOffensivepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@morallyoffensivepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morallyoffensivepod Threads: https://www.threads.net/@morallyoffensivepod Guest shoutout: Severin Films https://severinfilms.com Support the show: Merch: https://morallyoffensive.bigcartel.com/ Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/morallyoffensive

    1h 55m

  5. JAN 13

    Pink Flamingos: Is John Waters' Last Enemy The Catholic Church?

    This week on Morally Offensive, Bill and Kevin dig into the origins and impact of John Waters’ Pink Flamingos. The crew is joined by Bryan Wendorf of the Chicago Underground Film Festival and Thomas Bottoms of Bottoms of the Barrel to trace Waters’ early years making films in Baltimore, from DIY shorts and church-basement screenings to cultivating an audience far outside the mainstream. We break down the production of Pink Flamingos, the creation of Divine as a transgressive screen icon, and how the film’s deliberate provocation helped spark outrage, fascination, and the rise of the midnight movie phenomenon. Along the way, we discuss censorship, exhibition, and why Waters’ brand of bad taste proved so culturally disruptive, and so enduring.  Want to help us pay our bills and keep the podcast going: DONATE NOW! Check out our new Merch Store! We've got t-shirts, hats, tote bags and branded denim jackets! Follow us on our socials at Instagram and Tiktok. Check out https://cuff.org/ to find out more about the Chicago Underground Film Festival! Find out more about Thomas over at Bottoms of the Barrel: https://www.bottomsofthebarrel.com/

    1h 52m

  6. 12/25/2025

    Black Christmas (1974): The Call is Coming from Inside the Church

    In this Christmas episode of Morally Offensive, Jess and Bill take a deep dive into Black Christmas (1974), the landmark horror film that helped define the slasher genre several years before Halloween. Joining them is Professor Eric D. Wesselmann, who brings an academic lens to Bob Clark’s deeply unsettling and surprisingly nuanced film. The conversation covers the film’s complex female characters, the origins of the “the call is coming from inside the house” trope, and how Roe v. Wade and second-wave feminism shaped the movie’s themes and cultural reception.  A holiday episode about horror, depictions of disability on film, the evolution of women's rights, and why Black Christmas remains one of the most influential films of the 1970s.

    2 hr

  7. 12/15/2025

    X-Rated: Midnight Cowboy (1969) and the Catholic Film Fest That Loved It

    This week on Morally Offensive, everybody's talking (okay its just Kevin and Bill) with singer/songwriter (and former film student) Stefanie Joyce about the ONLY X-Rated Film to win Best Picture, Midnight Cowboy. The film features a young Jon Voight as an aspiring sex worker who runs from his past in a small Texas town, toward the bright city lights of Broadway and 42nd St. While unsuccessfully attempting to get into the game, he runs into Ratso Rizzo (a young Dustin Hoffman), a small-time hustler who gets by on petty theft and squating in an abandoned apartment building. The crew uncovers the shocking facts surrounding the film being screened at an international Cahtolic Film Festival, while simultanesouly receiving an A-IV rating (Adults with Reservations - so, not QUITE "C" or "O" - our bad). Diversions including pocketing cold cuts at swanky parties, Meat-and-Threes, Flannery O'Connor, Baby Bob Balaban, and the ongoing debate about THAT scene. Want to donate or buy us a coffee to keep us going? We'd really appreciate it: DONATE NOW! Check out our new Merch Store! We've got t-shirts, hats, tote bags and branded denim jackets! Follow us on our socials at Instagram and Tiktok. Check out guest Stefanie Joyce on Tiktok and her website.

    2h 25m

  8. 12/01/2025

    X-Rated: Caligula: The Ultimate Cut (with Producer Thomas Negovan)

    Bill and Stephanie sit down with Thomas Negovan to discuss the restoration of Caligula: The Ultimate Cut and how he and an editor pieced the film back together. Thomas explains how they uncovered hours of never-before-seen footage and used it to assemble a version of Caligula that reflects what was originally filmed, offering a clearer look at the movie’s intended narrative. The episode also explores Bob Guccione’s controversial attempt to reshape Caligula in the edit, the bizarre choice to make an additional R-rated release, and of course the Catholic Reviews from the time. The crew gets into film restoration, the lost footage, and how a movie’s meaning changes depending on who controls the final cut. Check out our new Merch Store! We've got t-shirts, hats, tote bags and branded denim jackets! Follow us on our socials at Instagram and Tiktok.

    1h 43m
See All (38)

5
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

Morally Offensive is a bi-weekly film podcast covering movies “Condemned” or considered “Morally Offensive” by the Catholic Legion of Decency, and U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. This podcast isn’t just for those who grew up with the trauma of Catholic guilt and shame. It’s for anyone interested in the history of  censorship, dirty movies, film history, and how social upheaval and change often coincide with seismic changes to the media landscape.

Information

  • Creator
    Morally Offensive
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    38
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Morally Offensive

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