HERE BE WITCHES 04 • The Skeleton Key (2005) with Kelli Weston

Anna and film critic Kelli Weston dive deeper than probably anyone ever has into The Skeleton Key (2005), a New Orleans set hoodoo horror film. They discuss the commendable attempts at tackling race, ideas of passing and double-speak, the genius of Gena Rowlands, hoodoo magic and the figure of the conjure woman.
In this episode, we discuss the hoodoo horror The Skeleton Key (2005), starring Kate Hudson, Gena Rowlands, John Hurt, Peter Sarsgaard and Joy Bryant. Anna is joined by film critic Kelli Weston to discuss the (questionable) merits of the film, its attempts at tacking history, race and ideas of passing and double-speak, as well as the genius of Gena Rowlands, how hoodoo and voodoo are often conflated in horror cinema, and the figure of the conjure woman. 

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The Final Girls are a UK-based film collective exploring the intersections of horror film and feminism. 

To coincide with our season of films and events, Here Be Witches, we will be focusing this first series on exploring all things witchcraft on film. Each episode, we will dive deep into films and TV shows that we can’t necessarily screen. Each episode, we’ll be joined with special guests to dissect and discuss a film or show, its legacy and the way witches are represented.

Find out more about our projects here: thefinalgirls.co.uk

Explore the Here Be Witches programme here

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Follow Anna on @annabdemented and Olivia is on @livihowe 

Our special guest this episode is film critic Kelli Weston, follow her work on @kelli_weston and read her review of Mati Diop's Atlantics here.

Creators and Guests

Anna Bogutskaya
Host
Anna Bogutskaya
Writer, Film Critic and Host of The Final Girls
Kelli Weston
Guest
Kelli Weston
she/her | PhD 😳 words @NotebookMUBI @FilmComment @reverse_shot @Criterion etc
Anna Bogutskaya