Kino Royale

Film Lady

Kino Royale is a podcast for those who like their cinema dark, hosted by the Film Lady — a Russian émigré of dubious royal lineage, residing in Australia. Expect horror, horror-adjacent, and the occasional genre detour, alongside book-to-screen explorations when a story demands it.

  1. 59m ago

    Ep 30 - Halloween Bookclub: Jenny Will Eat You Now (2026) by Gillian Daniels 

    Happy Halloween, darlings! This week the Film Lady creeps down into Boston's abandoned subway tunnels to hang out with Jenny Greenteeth, the green-toothed pond hag who used to snatch English kids off riverbanks and is now the hungriest, horniest heroine of Gillian Daniels's debut, Jenny Will Eat You Now. We dig into her spooky folklore roots, why the book keeps calling her a rusalka, and the ultimate spooky-season dilemma: do you date the cute academic, or just eat him? Grab your candy corn (or a Dunkin' munchkin), because this one's a meat-cute with love at first bite. Content warning: cannibalism, gore, body horror, murder, violence, stalking and obsession, minor mentions of street harassment, religious irreverence, and romantic content.  Spoiler warning: detailed discussion and analysis of the novel! All the twists revealed! Cold Open: Nelly Furtado – Maneater Lyrics | Genius Lyrics Warm Close: Lykke Li – I Follow Rivers Lyrics Mentions, books, TV & film: Rusalka: The Evolving Myth of Slavic Water Spirits Pt.1 Amphibian Man Official Trailer The Shape of Water (2017) Amphibian Man (1928) by Alexander Belyaev Aquaman (2018) The book: Jenny Will Eat You Now by Gillian Daniels | Goodreads Music - Free Music Archive - CC BY License: Lenny Pixels - Soft Spooky Spectacle Armotonic - Spooky Pumpkin Find me: @filmladyroyal on Letterboxd, Bluesky & Instagram. Email: kinoroyalepodcast@gmail.com All eps & more on website: kinoroyale.net Equipment: JBL Quantum Stream Studio | Quad pattern premium USB microphone for streaming, recording and gaming Audacity - recording & editing by FL Links: Simon & Schuster Canada The Nerd Daily – Q&A with Gillian Daniels Goodreads – Jenny Will Eat You Now Acknowledgement of Country I would like to acknowledge that I live, work, and learn on the traditional lands of the Dharug and Darkinjung peoples. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples here today.

    Ep 30 - Halloween Bookclub: Jenny Will Eat You Now (2026) by Gillian Daniels 
  2. 5d ago

    Ep 29 - Carrie TV show (2026)

    Film Lady heads back to high school prom, yet again! 50 years after Brian De Palma drenched Sissy Spacek in pig’s blood, Mike Flanagan’s 2026 Prime Video series Carrie takes the stage, and Film Lady is here to see how the New Girl measures up. She’ll skip the shower room, ignore the Instagram comments, and say ‘yes’ to promposal. My advice: bring a raincoat to the dance. FL’s weather forecast says, it’s going to rain blood. And, Mama was right: they’re all gonna laugh at you, after all. #plugitup #carriered Content warning: bullying & online harassment, emotional abuse by a parent, religious extremism, menstruation and blood, drug use and drugging without consent, an inappropriate teacher-student relationship, suicide by hanging, strong language, and graphic supernatural violence including mass death, discussion of eating disorders, depression & anxiety. Spoiler warning: detailed discussion and analysis of the TV show, original novel & de Palma’s movie! All the twists revealed! Cold Open & Warm Close: A Flock of Seagulls – I Ran (So Far Away) Lyrics Pod Rec: The Evolution of Horror Books: The Evolution of Horror: A Terrifying Guide to Horror Movie History Other Worlds Than These (The Talisman, #3) by Stephen King | Goodreads Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King by Caroline Bicks | Goodreads Mentions:  Carrie (1976) by Brian de Palma YOU - TV show (2018) Gossip Girl TV show (2007-2012) Killing me softly & Suitable Flesh with Heather Graham Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (TV Series 2015–2019) - IMDb Mentions, MF works, TV & film: Midnight Club Midnight Mass Hush Haunting of the Hill House Haunting of Bly Manor When im talking sculpted body im thinking this: A woman in a bikini posing for a picture - Free Photo on Unsplash Music - Free Music Archive - CC BY License: Armotonic - Spooky Pumpkin Soularflair - SUBSCARA (soundtrack, eerie, spooky) Kirk Osamayo - Spooky Lenny Pixels - Soft Spooky Spectacle The Top One Percent - Spooky Find me: @filmladyroyal on Letterboxd, Bluesky & Instagram. Email: kinoroyalepodcast@gmail.com All eps & more on website: kinoroyale.net Equipment: JBL Quantum Stream Studio | Quad pattern premium USB microphone for streaming, recording and gaming Audacity - recording & editing by FL Links: Common Sense Media: Carrie parents’ guide Screenwise: Carrie 2026 guide CineParenting: Carrie Parents Guide (2026) Acknowledgement of Country I would like to acknowledge that I live, work, and learn on the traditional lands of the Dharug and Darkinjung peoples. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples here today.

    Ep 29 - Carrie TV show (2026)
  3. Oct 15

    Ep 28 - Other Mommy (2026) & Incidents Around the House (2024)

    Film Lady goes back to the closet to confront BoogeyMum (a hot one, at least!). If Jessica Chastain asks to go into your heart, who are we to say ‘No’? From Josh Malerman’s 2024 novel Incidents Around the House to Rob Savage’s 2026 film Other Mommy, Film Lady weighs her options and leaves the closet door unlocked. Two mommies are better than one, after all. #mommyissues Content warning: a child in danger, supernatural horror and possession, a manipulative entity targeting a child, bloody violence and body horror, death of a family member, infidelity, marital conflict, a child in danger in water, séance/exorcism, and strong language. Spoiler warning: detailed discussion and analysis of the book & movie! All the twists revealed! Cold Open & Warm Close: p.6 & p.230 respectively from Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman | Goodreads Pod Rec: Read Rant Review JM’s website: Josh Malerman JC on her creepy smile: Jessica Chastain Teaches Jimmy Kimmel How to Do the Other Mommy Creepy Smile Books: Other novels by JM: Daphne (2022) Unbury Carol (2018) Inspection (2019) Pictures of You (2026) Bird Box (2014) Coraline (2002), a fantasy horror children's novella by Neil Gaiman Room (2010) by Emma Donoghue - told from a child’s perspective The Boogeyman: Stephen King’s short story from Nightshift (1978) Associations - movies:  Dead Silence (2007) - poster looks like JC  Boogeyman (2023) Backrooms (2026) - when OM has too many fingers, like AI The Good Boy (2025), a Shudder film Good Boy (2025) - IMDb Bird Box (2018) A Quiet Place (2018) IT (2017) The Babadook (2014) Mentions: What We Do in the Shadows (TV show) Carrie (2026) - new TV SHOW Music - Free Music Archive - CC BY License: Soularflair - SUBSCARA (soundtrack, eerie, spooky) Kirk Osamayo - Spooky Lenny Pixels - Soft Spooky Spectacle The Top One Percent - Spooky Find me: @filmladyroyal on Letterboxd, Bluesky & Instagram. Email: kinoroyalepodcast@gmail.com All eps & more on website: kinoroyale.net Equipment: JBL Quantum Stream Studio | Quad pattern premium USB microphone for streaming, recording and gaming Audacity - recording & editing by FL Links: Josh Malerman - Wikipedia Other Mommy - Wikipedia Acknowledgement of Country I would like to acknowledge that I live, work, and learn on the traditional lands of the Dharug and Darkinjung peoples. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples here today.

    Ep 28 - Other Mommy (2026) & Incidents Around the House (2024)
  4. Oct 2

    Ep 27 - Verity: novel (2018) & movie (2026)

    Join Film Lady for a working retreat at the Crawford house in Vermont, where the coffee is strong, the husband is grieving (but hot), and the bestselling author upstairs hasn't moved or spoken in months. Supposedly. From Colleen Hoover's sensational 2018 thriller to the 2026 big-screen adaptation, Film Lady pulls up an ergonomic chair at Verity's desk and reads the one manuscript that should have stayed in the drawer. Darkness ahead. You’ve been warned! Content warning: violence, death, suffocation, strangulation, child death, car accident, serious injury, child abuse & endangerment, a parent intending harm to their children, attempts to self-induce miscarriage, pregnancy, sex scenes, infidelity, obsession, possessiveness, psychological manipulation, emotional abuse, grief, mental illness, gaslighting, deception, unreliable narration, strong language. Spoiler warning: detailed discussion and analysis of the book & movie! All the twists revealed! Cold Open & Warm Close: p.61-62 & p.304 respectively from the novel: Verity by Colleen Hoover | Goodreads Pod rec: Read Rant Review Madwoman in the attic book Mentioned: Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover | Goodreads Associations:  Housemaid (2025) Rebecca, Jane Eyre, other gothic novels & their various screen adaptations 50 Shades of Grey (2015) Gone Girl (2014) Titane (2021) Paranormal Activity (2007) Music - Free Music Archive - CC BY License: Alex Morgan - Dark Suspense Thriller Underscore Alex Morgan - Scary Soundscape for Suspense Podcasts Tommaso Motteran - Horror Chase Music - Dark Orchestral Suspense TRAMOS - Suspense Theme - TRAMOS.mp3 Find me: @filmladyroyal on Letterboxd, Bluesky & Instagram Email: kinoroyalepodcast@gmail.com All eps & more on website: kinoroyale.net Last chance to vote for November theme - on socials, email or under ep on Spotify (ep 22) Acknowledgement of Country I would like to acknowledge that I live, work, and learn on the traditional lands of the Dharug and Darkinjung peoples. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples here today.

    Ep 27 - Verity: novel (2018) & movie (2026)
  5. Sep 28

    Ep26 - Psycho, movie (1960) & novel (1959)

    Join Film Lady for a quiet night at the Bates Motel, where there are twelve cabins, twelve vacancies, and one devoted son who simply adores his mother. From Robert Bloch's pulpy 1959 novel to Hitchcock's 1960 masterpiece, Film Lady takes a long, hot shower in the story that made the whole world afraid of bathrooms. A boy's best friend is his mother, after all.  Content warning: murder, blood, human remains, mental illness (stigmatizing portrayal), voyeurism, parental abuse, matricide, alcoholism (novel), dated attitudes toward gender identity. Spoiler warning: detailed discussion and analysis of the book & movie! Mentioned: Ace of Base – The Sign Lyrics Cold Open: p. 129 from Robert Bloch’s novel, Psycho Psycho on Goodreads: Psycho #1 - Robert Bloch Madwoman in the attic book What Went Wrong podcast, search an episode on Psycho: What Went Wrong Podcast Sybil: The Classic True Story of a Woman Possessed by Sixteen Personalities by Flora Rheta Schreiber | Goodreads Associations:  Mother and Son (TV Series 1984–1994) - IMDb The Night of the Hunter (1955)  Les Diaboliques (1955) The Haunting of Hill House TV show (2018) Music - Free Music Archive - CC BY License: Water Sark - Half Crazy Gagmesharkoff - Wild and Crazy Kids Damiano Baldoni - I'm CrAZy Squire Tuck - Jumping Madly (Going Crazy Too) Find me: @filmladyroyal on Letterboxd, Bluesky & Instagram. Email: kinoroyalepodcast@gmail.com All eps & more on website: kinoroyale.net Don’t forget to vote for November theme - on socials or under the previous ep on Spotify (ep 22)  Question to listeners: Offered $2m, who would you rather spend a night in a motel room: Patrick Bateman, Winnifred Notty or Norman Bates? And why? Equipment: JBL Quantum Stream Studio | Quad pattern premium USB microphone for streaming, recording and gaming Audacity - recording & editing by FL Acknowledgement of Country I would like to acknowledge that I live, work, and learn on the traditional lands of the Dharug and Darkinjung peoples. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples here today.

    Ep26 - Psycho, movie (1960) & novel (1959)
  6. Sep 20

    Ep25 - Victorian Psycho, novel (2025)

    Join Film Lady in befriending one accomplished, dignified governess, Winnifred Notty (pronounced ‘Naughty’ or ‘Nutty’ depending on the context). Dear Reader, if you have only one book to read this year - this is it. Victorian Psycho (2025) by Virginia Feito is Film Lady’s new fave novel! Content warning: Graphic violence and gore, including murder, dismemberment and bodily mutilation, Depictions of infant and adolescent slaughter. Psychological abuse and manipulation, Sexual content, Misogyny, sexism and classism (satire-driven), Unreliable narration and hallucination-like sequences, Body horror and disgust imagery. Spoiler warning: detailed discussion and analysis of the book! All the twists revealed! Watch trailer YT: Victorian Psycho | Official Trailer | Bleecker Street Author website with diff covers: Victorian Psycho — virginia feito Cold open: Ava Max – Sweet but Psycho Lyrics Vic Psych on goodreads: Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito | Goodreads Madwoman in the attic book Top 100 books ABC: Radio National's Top 100 Books Associations:  Classic Female Gothics: Jane Eyre, Rebecca, Wuthering Heights American Psycho The Handmaid's Tale Handmaiden (2016) Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe Carrie by Stephen King (Margaret White in particular) Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll Pod mentioned: Lady Killers: a Feminist Rage Podcast, ep on Victorian Psycho Music - Free Music Archive - CC BY License: Geoff Harvey - Purple Planet Music - The Victorian Mansion Kevin MacLeod - Camille Saint-Saëns_ Danse Macabre - Light Dance: CC BY License Kevin MacLeod - Lift Motif: CC BY License Kevin MacLeod - Mourning Song Soularflair - THE MOURNING AFTER (classical, strings, emotive) Alex Morgan - Phonk House Hybrid With Classical Sample Kevin MacLeod - Schmetterling Kevin MacLeod - Camille Saint-Saëns_ Danse Macabre - Sad Part: CC BY License Geoff Harvey - Purple Planet Music - Classical Pastures Find me: @filmladyroyal on Letterboxd, Bluesky & Instagram. Email: kinoroyalepodcast@gmail.com All eps & more on website: kinoroyale.net Don’t forget to vote for November theme - on socials or under the previous ep on Spotify (ep 22)  Equipment: JBL Quantum Stream Studio | Quad pattern premium USB microphone for streaming, recording and gaming Audacity - recording & editing by FL Next ep #26: Psycho (1960) movie by Hitchcock + eponymous novel by Robert Bloch (1959) Acknowledgement of Country I would like to acknowledge that I live, work, and learn on the traditional lands of the Dharug and Darkinjung peoples. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples here today.

    Ep25 - Victorian Psycho, novel (2025)
  7. Sep 15

    Ep24: American Psycho - 2000 movie

    ‘I like to dissect girls. Did you know I'm utterly insane?’ How does Pat Bateman appear on the big screen compared to the original novel? Join Film Lady in analysing the horror-comedy adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’s novel - a 2000 movie by Mary Harron, American Psycho. Content Warning: like all of my eps, this is an explicit episode which is targeted at adults. It is labelled accordingly on your pod platforms with *E* symbol. Please go through the triggers below before jumping in! Also, this ep is also full of spoilers for the movie. Trigger Warning for the movie & this ep: graphic violence/gore, sexual content, nudity, disturbing/psychological content, violence against women, animal cruelty, drug use, body horror. Cold open: Huey Lewis & The News – Hip To Be Square Lyrics Warm close: Genesis – In Too Deep Lyrics American Psycho (film) - Wikipedia Movies: Requiem for a Dream (2000) Music - Free Music Archive - CC BY License: Alex Morgan - Funny Background Music With Playful Major Tune Alex Morgan - Funny Quirky Comedy Short Sting Lobo Loco - Funny Twitching (ID 2333) ROZKOL - Funny Looker Pierce Murphy - This Dream I Had Josh Woodward - Crazy Glue (Instrumental Version) Find me: @filmladyroyal on Letterboxd, Bluesky & Instagram. Email: kinoroyalepodcast@gmail.com All eps & more on website: kinoroyale.net Help me decide on the November theme - cast your vote on socials or in the Spotify poll under episode #22. Voting closes October 6th, 2026.  Equipment: JBL Quantum Stream Studio | Quad pattern premium USB microphone for streaming, recording and gaming Audacity - recording & editing by FL Previous ep - #23: American Psycho, 1991 novel Next ep - #25 (bookclub): Victorian Psycho, 2026 novel  Acknowledgement of Country I would like to acknowledge that I live, work, and learn on the traditional lands of the Dharug and Darkinjung peoples. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples here today.

    Ep24: American Psycho - 2000 movie
  8. Sep 13

    Ep23: American Psycho - 1991 novel

    Would you like to have lunch at Dorsia with a fine young man named Patrick Bateman and learn about his business of mergers & aqua sessions? Join Film Lady in exploring one of the darkest, most controversial novels of all time - a 1991 novel by Bret Easton Ellis’s - American Psycho. Content Warning: like all of my eps, this is an explicit episode which is targeted at adults. It is labelled accordingly on your pod platforms with *E* symbol. Please go through the triggers below before jumping in! This ep is also full of spoilers for the novel. Trigger Warning for the novel & this ep: graphic violence, sexual violence (SA & others), animal cruelty, necrophilia and cannibalism, misogyny, child harm, torture and gore, substance abuse, homophobic and racist language, body horror. Cold open: The Avalanches – Frontier Psychiatrist Lyrics I meant DSM not DCM, soz: Psychiatry.org - DSM Warm close: Nelly – Just a Dream Lyrics Picador edition of my book I keep calling Bateman Batman? Some kind of Freudian slip hehehe… Bruce Wayne is played, btw, also by Christian Bale in the movies :) Associations:  Ab Fab - Patty Stone YT Dexter Clockwork Orange Wolf of Wall Street Mad Men Lit mentioned: Lost Lambs by Madeleine Cash: Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash | Goodreads Aldous Huxley's Brave New World Pod mentioned: The Book Club Sources: Keeping Up With The Penguins, "American Psycho — Bret Easton Ellis" Dan McNeil, "American Psycho" — The McNeil Variations Literariness, "Analysis of Bret Easton Ellis's American Psycho" Panova, O. Yu., "American underground spirit: Dostoevsky's Notes From Underground and 20th century USA literature," Izvestiya Saratov University (2021) — DOAJ link Baltimore Sun review, "'American Psycho' is not merely gruesome, it's also dull" (1991) Music - Free Music Archive - CC License: Andrew R Codeman - Crazy Bot Blank & Kytt - Come Get Some Blank & Kytt - Thursday & Snow (Reprise) Cullah - Ooh Baby You Drive Me Crazy Blues Damiano Baldoni - I'm CrAZy Geoff Harvey - Purple Planet Music - Crazy Town HoliznaRAPS - My Family Thinks I'm Crazy Josh Woodward - Crazy Glue (Instrumental Version) Mise Darling - It's Crazy! Ondrosik - Crazy Paweł Spychała - Crazy parrot.mp3 Find me: @filmladyroyal on Letterboxd, Bluesky & Instagram. Email: kinoroyalepodcast@gmail.com All eps & more on website: kinoroyale.net Don’t forget to vote for November theme - on socials or under the previous ep on Spotify (ep 22)  Equipment: JBL Quantum Stream Studio | Quad pattern premium USB microphone for streaming, recording and gaming Audacity - recording & editing by FL Next ep: American Psycho the 2001 movie! Acknowledgement of Country I would like to acknowledge that I live, work, and learn on the traditional lands of the Dharug and Darkinjung peoples. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples here today.

    Ep23: American Psycho - 1991 novel

About

Kino Royale is a podcast for those who like their cinema dark, hosted by the Film Lady — a Russian émigré of dubious royal lineage, residing in Australia. Expect horror, horror-adjacent, and the occasional genre detour, alongside book-to-screen explorations when a story demands it.

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