Morally Offensive
What Makes a Film “Morally Offensive”? Two ex-Catholics ask this question every other week as they tackle the list of films “Condemned” or considered “Morally Offensive” by the Catholic Legion of Decency (RIP) and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Not just a film podcast, hosts Bill and Cisco bring their mutual ex-Catholic backgrounds into play as they evaluate movies—from all-time cinematic heavyweights to films that were written off as “trash” upon their release. Each week, they explore the production history of these movies while also exploring topics relevant to their ex-Catholic backgrounds. Not just for former Catholics, Morally Offensive is a podcast for anyone interested in film history and the history of censorship in the United States.
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Episodes
Saturday Nov 16, 2024
Saturday Nov 16, 2024
It shouldn't be surprising that an episode about William Friedkin's The Exorcist would be plagued with technical problems (if you believe in that kind of thing) but the episode is finally live! Cisco makes Bill watch a film that he has put off seeing for years, due to a deep-seated fear of the devil and the demonic. Bill gives his first reactions, and the guys get into the post-Exorcist panic over demons (and consequent spike in exorcisms in the US), the increase in the number of Exorcists in the US, and the film's troubled production. Tangents include why Bill has never played Dungeons and Dragons, Hot priests, New Age synth music as gateway to the devil, the actual Pope's Exorcist, and irrational Catholic fears over yoga.
Thursday Oct 31, 2024
Thursday Oct 31, 2024
For the pilot episode, Bill and Cisco discuss their respective Catholic upbringings, discuss censorship and the Hayes Code, and introduce the Legion of Decency and USCCB film ratings systems, before doing a deep dive into Richard Donner's The Omen.