So here’s the thing: Walerian Borowczyk’s La Bete is neither spooky nor scary. It’s a silly, bordering-on-campy tale of a fancy lady who has sex with a Bigfoot, or something, and in 1975 it was a modest art-house sensation for its graphic depiction of the above, and also all the masturbating. It’s not a horror movie, but it is a perfect Halloween choice, which is probably why Sebastian Back wanted to bring it to his episode of Someone Else’s Movie.

And so here we are, with a mostly serious conversation about why Borowczyk’s silliest production has endured for almost fifty years, and why it’s impossible to take seriously while also carrying some sort of compelling weight inside it. This is a story Borowczyk needed to tell, on some level, and you can sort of feel that while you watch it.

We also talked about whether you can separate nudity from sexuality, which is a question Sebastian ponders in his own film, Verona, which is opening theatrically in Toronto on Friday and playing in Landmark theaters across Canada on Monday.  It’s a moody, atmospheric work, and the young actor Kat Khan is terrific in it, so check that out if you can.

And check out the podcast too, of course! You can subscribe in all the usual locations — Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify — or download the episode directly from the web and listen to it the next time you go walking in the forest wearing something diaphanous. If that’s what you’re into, of course.

And then you should catch up on Shiny Things, which this week features my auteurist consideration of Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s first film, Passion, and Ben Wheatley’s latest, Meg 2: The Trench as well as that consideration of the Mission: Impossible franchise I’ve been meaning to write all summer.

Subscribe now so you don’t miss my review of Dead Reckoning: Part One when it drops later this week. I have thoughts.