Episode 23: Zena Dixon Summons ‘Dead Mary’

12:18 PM CDT on September 2, 2020

Dead Mary Steven McCarthy — Genius Products

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Behold, the untapped potential of the 2000s direct-to-video market. Like the current landscape of streaming releases, the direct-to-video market of old offered viewers a potential goldmine of underseen and underappreciated releases. You may have to dig - and dig, and dig, and dig - but true horror fans know that any amount of dumpster-diving is worth that one unearthed gem.

In this episode of Certified Forgotten, the Matts are joined by Zena Dixon - aka The Real Queen of Horror - to discuss Dead Mary, a 2007 direct-to-video release from director Robert Wilson. With elements of both The Thing and Evil Dead, Dead Mary shows what happens when you take a handful of strained adult relationships and throw an evil witch into the mix.

Join us for a spirited conversation on the horror genre, as Zena opens up about her own experiences as a horror fan and explains the drive behind "Being Enough in the Horror Industry," her standout video from June that laid bare some of the racism she's experienced as a video creator and horror fan.

You can stream Dead Mary on Amazon or Tubi. Check out the rest of our podcast episodes on our Podcasts page.

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Matthew Monagle

@monagle.bsky.social

Matthew is an Austin-based film critic. You can find his work as sites like Film School Rejects, The Playlist, SlashFilm, and the Austin Chronicle. He is also a member of the Austin Film Critics Association. Matt spends most of his free time doting on his dog and losing games of Slay the Spire.