The Horror Agenda

PYOTR495 (2016)

Season 3 Episode 11

Welcome to the Horror Agenda and this week we cover the 2016 short film PYOTR495 written and directed by Blake Mawson.

CW: anti-queer violence; discussions of anti-queer violence, homo- and transphobia and related conversations. 

You can watch the film on the Alter YouTube channel here.

We reference this 2017 interview from HuffPo with the writer/director by Charlie David here

We also talk international law:

  • AP 2024 piece by Litvinova "Russia’s LGBTQ+ community is living in fear following new laws and court rulings, activists say"
  • (2023) Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2023

On Grindr killings:

  • (2024) "How a murderer used Grindr to find victims" by Hodgson
  • (2024) "12 College Students Charged With Hate Crimes After “Targeted” Assault of Gay Man on Grindr" by Monteil 
  • (2024) "Man Accused of Using Grindr to Kidnap, Assault Two Texas Trans Women Faces Felony Charges" by Factora
  • (2022) "Grindr Cannibal Sentenced to Life in Prison for Kevin Bacon Murder" by Padgett 

Recent anti-queer/anti-trans violence:  (2025) by "5 people in upstate New York charged with murder after allegedly torturing, killing Minnesota transgender man" by Sottile. RIP Sam Nordquist.

This week Victor recommends Smile 2 (2024), the Naomi Scott starring sequel where plays a pop star haunted by the Smile demon from the first film. 

He also recommends Final Destination Bloodlines (2025) based on the newly (at time of recording) released trailer.  

Carlos recommends Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower (1993), an amazing sci-fi/post-apocalyptic novel that is also available as a graphic novel adaptation (2020). 

He also recommends Half-Resurrection Blues (2015), a Bone Street Rumba novel by Daniel José Older. An urban fantasy trilogy set in a Brooklyn with half-dead, ghosts and more.

Beware Spoilers. You can follow The Horror Agenda on Instagram @TheHorrorAgenda. Our personal links and more are on our Linktr.ee and you can email us at TheHorrorAgendaPod [at] GMAIL [dot] com.

Intro Music: "Satanic Panic" by Weary Pines
License code: MGAQUP5RVMIGHPDB

Outro Music:
"Threatened" by Alex Besss
License code: YXKZGTB3AXZACFBU

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