Episodes Archives - Page 14 of 23

095 – Crash (the good one)

Jen and Tim welcome back Darren Herczeg to discuss one of the most controversial movies of the 90s— David Cronenberg’s arresting 1996 film, Crash.

Hear the whole episode at our Patreon and get access to more than 50 bonus episodes!

For the record, J.G. Ballard wholeheartedly endorsed the film:

A journalist from Finland spoke up and attacked us in a novel way. Rather than excoriating us for making a ﬁlm “beyond the bounds of depravity” (per Alexander Walker of the Evening Standard, who actually shook a schoolmaster’s disapproving ﬁnger at Jeremy from the back of the packed hall), he said that the movie completely betrayed the book, was a pathetic and weak skimming of a powerful work. Jim answered him: “The movie is actually better than the book. It goes further than the book, and is much more powerful and dynamic. It’s terriﬁc.” An astonishing thing for an author to say. Abashed, the Finnish journalist sat down.
David Cronenberg

If you’re a Darren stan, be sure to listen to our episode on the musical white elephant Lost Horizon!

094 – True Stories

David Byrne drives an open-top convertible in True Stories (1986) — A pioneering work in autistic cinema

Tim returns to chug the haterade as we discuss David Byrne’s vision! It’s True Stories from 1986! Jen weakly defends the movie but she’s no match for Tim’s anti-twee vitriol!

David Byrne talks about being on the spectrum in a live Q&A.

For another movie that Tim despised, try our episode on sci-fantasy misfire Krull!

093 – The Sleeping Car

Jen welcomes special guest Keenan to discuss an ineffectual answer to Jason and Freddy. It’s The Sleeping Car, from 1990!

Hear the whole episode at our Patreon and get access to more than 50 bonus episodes!

As a bonus, here’s a look at Jeff Conaway’s role in the film as the most loathsome human being to ever draw breath.

If you love Kevin McCarthy as much as we do, listen to our episode on UHF!

092 – Christian the Lion

Jen welcomes animal expert Emma back to the show to discuss the documentary that spawned a surprise viral clip.

Hear the whole episode at our Patreon and get access to more than 50 bonus episodes!

Emma is one of our favorite guests, and stopped by a while back to talk about Tippi Hedren and Noel Marshall’s incredibly misguided film, Roar! Listen to that episode here.

More About Christian the Lion

Ace and John’s memoir, A Lion Called Christian, is available cheap at Alibris.

Ace and John’s website pays tribute to their lion friend and has lots of photos and information.

You can also visit a very Web 1.0 site with info about the remarkable George Adamson.

091 – Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

Key art for Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006)

Jen and Tim welcome back Mike Rosen so he can carve up Joss Whedon like the turkey he is and also to discuss an affectionate satire of the slasher genre.

Offensive Films by Mikita Brottman

Men, Women, and Chainsaws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film by Carol J. Clover

For more Mike, listen to our episode about a truly wretched Dan Aykroyd comedy, Loose Cannons!

Tim and Jen (mostly Tim) describe a beloved ersatz-Hammer sci-fi thriller starring the venerable team of Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing (plus a sensational appearance by Telly “Kojak” Savalas). Throughout, Tim is like: games games games tabletop Cthulhu saving throw Traveller roll up a character -2 sanity

Hear the whole episode at our Patreon and get access to more than 50 bonus episodes!

Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing in Horror Express (1972)

In the movie, Peter Cushing discovers the image of a murderer preserved on a victim’s eye. This was a real turn-of the century theory! Smithsonian Magazine has an article about it.

The Internet Archive has preserved a number of wonderful pop-culture artifacts, including issues of Fangoria. Read their 1999 article in which Horror Express director Eugenio Martín reflects on the film and his career up to that point.

You can also get the Horror Express blu-ray from Arrow Films!

089 – Zen Filmmaking

Scott Shaw and some unpaid actors in Roller Blade Seven (1991)

Would you like to make a movie and just don’t know how? Why let that stop you? Try concocting a pseudo-spiritual method called Zen Filmmaking out of your own failings and refusing to pay your cast and crew! On this episode, don’t miss Jen slipping into mania about Hollywood sex criminals and Tim getting confessional about his own indie filmmaking sins!

Hear the whole episode at our Patreon and get access to more than 50 bonus episodes!

We highly recommend perusing Scott Shaw’s website, where many of his books are available for purchase. Scroll down for about seventeen hours to find the book we discuss in this episode, Zen Filmmaking!

“If you have too many crew people, they all want silly things like story boards, shot lists, and stuff.” -Scott Shaw

088 – The Lawnmower Man

Pierce Brosnan and Jeff Fahey in Lawnmower Man (1992) — 😐

Tim holds forth excitedly about “the most accurate depiction of virtual reality as a profound concept that is silly in its execution.” Based on the Stephen King lawsuit!

GenXers may remember Nintendo’s failed “virtual reality” console, the Virtual Boy. If you’re unfamiliar and were wondering what the heck we were talking about, you can’t go wrong with the Angry Video Game Nerd’s very funny and profane video on the topic.

“The Sixth Finger” is an Outer Limits episode that appears to share some plot inspiration with Lawnmower Man.

Here’s that Tom the Dancing Bug comic Tim didn’t get a chance to summarize (it parodies “Flowers for Algernon”).

Peter Gabriel’s “Kiss That Frog,” video directed by Brett Leonard

087 – Serial

Screenwriter Josh Olson brings us a movie that he swears is actually funny and good! It’s the little-seen Serial from 1980! Featuring Martin Mull, Tuesday Weld, violent gay bikers, Sally Kellerman’s boobs, casual homophobia, Tommy Smothers in a headband, hot tubs, est probably, psychologically disturbed children whose acting out is played for laughs, etc.

Hear the whole episode at our Patreon and get access to more than 50 bonus episodes!

For the curious, here is the full Kevin Thomas review of Serial from 1980 that we mentioned on the episode:

You can also hear more of Josh with Dave Anthony on The West Wing Thing, or with Joe Dante on The Movies That Made Me, or check out our episode on Beyond the Valley of the Dolls!

086 – Wild Side

Jen and Tim discuss Donald Cammell’s posthumous thriller, Wild Side from 1995.

Hear the whole episode at our Patreon and get access to more than 50 bonus episodes!

Wild Side went straight to video. Sadly, director Cammell committed suicide in 1996. However, while some have connected his death to the failure of his last project, we found that the story wasn’t quite so pat.

We were indebted to the only definitive biography on the man and his work. Get a copy of Donald Cammell: A Life on the Wild Side by Rebecca Umland on Alibris.

For another frank flick from the 90s, try our episode on David Cronenberg’s Crash!