131 – Circle of Iron

Jeff Cooper and David Carradine in Circle of Iron (1978)

Tim and Jen assume the lotus position to study a leftover Bruce Lee passion project, the martial arts video essay Circle of Iron.

Hear the whole thing on Patreon and get access to 50+ bonus episodes as well!

The official Bruce Lee website 

If you’re not familiar with Zatoichi, the blind swordsman, just watch! 

The 17th century samurai, philosopher, and artist Miyamoto Musashi is considered a kensei— a “sword saint”— in Japan. Read a short Bruce Eder essay on the first installment in the Samurai trilogy of films, in which Toshiro Mifune played Musashi.

If for whatever reason you crave more of what Tim’s smoking, visit the Patreon of the Mega Dumb Cast, or purchase a PDF of the Palladium game Ninjas and Superspies. 

129 – Hot to Trot

Hot to Trot, 1988

Tim and Jen make hay out of the 1988 comedy Hot to Trot, which killed Bobcat Goldthwait’s career for two decades. The horse was unscathed.

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

Tim confused God Bless America with Red State (and Jen did not catch the error, shame on her) — the other movie from 2011 with a divisive title and middling reviews about a gun-toting ingenue.

On his blog, script doctor Andy Breckman reminisces unkindly about working on the screenplay.

Listen to the Q&A we discussed in the episode, in which Goldthwait puts the screws to the interviewer for opening with a question about Hot to Trot.

128 – Night Moves

Gene Hackman in Night Moves (1975)

Jen and Tim reflect on one of the great neo-noir films of Hollywood’s second golden age, Night Moves.

Hear it over at our Patreon!

Senses of Cinema has a thoughtful essay on the film by Bruce Jackson. 

We didn’t get a chance to talk about the film’s writer, Alan Sharp, who said his own screen work embodied “moral ambiguity, mixed motives and irony.” Matthew Asprey Gear describes the protracted gestation of Night Moves and illuminates some biographical details about Sharp in an article for Bright Lights Film Journal.

Read Alan Sharp’s obituary at the Guardian.

 For more Melanie Griffith, check out our episode on Roar, the absolutely wrong-headed movie project inflicted on her by mom Tippi Hedren and stepdad Noel Marshall.

126 – The Keep

Gabriel Byrne confronts Michael Carter's Molasar in THE KEEP (1983)

Jen and Tim are joined by Darren “Sebebe” Herczeg to reassess Michael Mann’s profoundly flawed fantasy/horror film, The Keep! Hear the whole episode at our Patreon and get access to more than 50+ bonus episodes!

Kit Rae’s exhaustive fansite may be the definitive document on The Keep at this point, but there’s also a documentary more than ten years in the making on the same subject. You can follow the filmmakers for updates on Twitter! 

Read Michael Mann’s original screenplay for The Keep!

Watch the ending cut from the theatrical release and inexplicably appended to TV versions of the film.

And after you’ve done that, watch Mann’s wonderful telefilm The Jericho Mile so Jen will finally shut up about it.

When you’re sick of The Keep, join Sebebe for the online I Swing, You Swing game.

125 – House

Miki Jinbo as the newly-dead Kung Fu in House (1977)

Tim and Jen are overwhelmed by the raw charisma of Jacques from the Seeking Derangements podcast in a truly chaotic episode nominally about the chaotic 1977 film House!

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

Via Senses of Cinema, read a retrospective on Nobuhiko Obayashi’s career that also serves as a defense of his filmmaking style.

You can see a sampling of Obayashi’s commercial work on YouTube. Don’t miss the MANDOM spot starring Charles Bronson.

123 – Apple TV+

Apple TV+

Tim and Jen shred a selection of programs from awful neolib also-ran streaming service, Apple TV+!

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

Have you seen…Tim’s website?

Jen alludes at one point to the “Unicorn Killer,” Ira Einhorn. He claimed to have helped found Earth Day, but his account has been disputed. Conservatives still love to evoke him as emblematic of leftist depravity. He died in prison in 2020.

Jen also touched on the much-muddied concept of “emotional labor,” as originally described by sociologist Arlie Hochschild. Read Sharmin Tunguz’s article on how the term has been misappropriated.

When emotional labor has left the professional sphere and has entered the domestic realm; when it is used to describe a household list of domestic chores, whether or not those chores are done happily or grumpily, it has become diluted to the point of being in danger of losing its meaning. Yes, women do tend to shoulder more emotional labor in the workplace, and more attention on its health and professional repercussions means more attempts to alleviate it. But when contexts morph, and meanings change, are we still talking about the same thing?

Sharmin Tunguz via Psychology Today

Don’t miss our Nothing But Trouble episode with Matt Christman, by the way!

122 – Gothic

Natasha Richardson and Kiran Shah in Gothic (1986)
this is what happens when you buy from MyPillow

Jen welcomes Julie once again to talk about the historical background of a phantasmagoric Ken Russell favorite, Gothic!

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

The movie Jen fails to identify is, of course, Catherine Breillat’s 2004 Anatomy of Hell, starring Amira Casar and Rocco Siffredi.

Thomas Dolby enlisted vocalist Timothy Spall (!) for a song inspired by the film Gothic, “The Devil is an Englishman”

Hear Steve Hackett’s cover of “The Devil is an Englishman” from his 2003 album, To Watch the Storms.

Stephen Volk, the screenwriter of Gothic, has a page devoted to the film on his website. Lots of cool photos, videos, and other reminisces to be had there.

Speaking of, we also discussed another work by Stephen Volk, the controversial BBC special Ghostwatch. Give it a listen!

120 – Nothing But Trouble with Matt Christman

Nothing But Trouble (1991) glitch
p̵̨̨̡̧̛̛̜̻̞̲̞͖͔͇̩͕̗̳̤̪̞̞͔̩̩͎̮̤̗̖̙̼͇̺̤̣͖͚̘̦͚̲̜͇̹̩̠̝͇̭̦̱̼̳̜̻̜̦̫̤̤̲̫̝͕̤͎̪͈̜̯̰̼̖̙̮̣̗̘̯̝̞̠͍̬͖̯͇̱̞̙̪̜̬͓͈̪̟̠͉͓̯̙̠͎̈́͆͂̆́͑̅͊̿͋̽̒̽̄̀̀̇̍̌̀̓̈̓̾͋̓̒͗̂̈́͌͗̑͛͒̈́͆̔̂͋̈̋̔̆͌̈͑̚͘͜͜͜͝͝͠ͅͅư̸̡̧̨̡̡̡̧̢̡̡̢̧̧̨̢̧̧̧̢̛̛̠̣̜̬̳̣̤̲̠͓͇̣̬̦̺̱͉̻̖͍̙͙̘͍͚̙͓͓̪͈̳̻̗̱̩̭̟͈̯̜̰̻͕͈̜̟̜̦̮͕̳͓̞͍͚̤̲̗̮͉̣̮̬͖̮̳̻̖͍̟̟̲͉̣̹̹͕̙̖̺͙͉̥͇͈̼͈̼̠̙͕̫̫͍̝͔͓̺̫͚͙͈̯̲̹̳͉̞̹̖̙͉̠͎͚̤̺̟̝̹̫̪̳͈̟̫̠̝̠̝̩͓̤͍̥̼͎̦̩͔̤̯̣̭̪̜̱̰͓̖͍̥̯͉̼̘̘̣̹̹̑̂̈́͆̉͒͋̇͐͗̉̀̆̂͑͂͊̅̒͊͒͋͛̀̆̐͊̀̃̇̉̈́̂̃́̀̇̑̇̐̑̉̒̒͆̓̅̇͗̿͒̌̐̑̇͛̔͛̊̍̍̀̍̿̿̾̾͆̈̾̎̍͗̃̿͛̎̾̅̐̃̽̂͂̀͛͐̇͋̾͋̓́̾̏̉̆̎͛̾̑̓͂̍͘̚̚̚͘̕͘͘͘͘̚̚̕͜͜͜͜͠͝͠͝͠͝͝͝͝͝͠ͅͅͅͅͅd̶̨̨̡̧̨̡̛̛̛̛̛̛̛͍̱͍͈͕͖̰͚̟̮̗̞͖̠̰̹̲̝̥͙̘̩̫̥͚̙͚͇͓̻̩̠̞͚̬̙̮̘̱̗͍͈̝̗̱̳̮̻̩̲̻̗̺̹̫̥̪̝̮̺̥̻̩̩̾̀̎̽́̂͆͐̄̈́͐̀̈́̐͒̀͂̍̃̔̌̓̿̒̒́͐̄́̀͛̓̿̆̃͆̈́̽̓̆̊̂͐̌̿̍̋̀͛͑̀̇̀̇̅̆̎̆̌̅̾̌͋͋̿͂̔̽̐̍͑͑̑̈͐̌͌̒̇́̂̽̆͒̍͋̇̃̓̆̈͐͐̈͌͆̽̔̽̋̍̎̽̑̌́̋̌̎̄͑̄́̃̄̓̓̏͒͑̑͋̐̅́͊̇̒̆͒̑̽͐͂̀̌̌͛̑͂̒͐͑̎͗̌̓͌͗̍̍̇̇̿̄͛̀̀̎͑̊͛͆͛̐̋̒͑͒̊̕̚͘͘̚̚̕̚̚̕̕͜͜͜͝͠͝͝͝͝͝͠͝͝͝͠͝ͅͅ ̷̧̡̧̧̡̧̧͕͍̠̠̱͇̝͖̜͕͚̞͎̪͓̤̩̺͈̺͕̰͎͔̭̺̭̖̜̞̠͍̟̘̞͓̙̳̬͍̮͉̞̳͇̭̠̭̼̮̞̩̭̲̹̣̪̪̩͔̻̩͖̩̻̖̤̟̺̜͉͎͚̦̜̰͔̺̟͚͈̱̔̇̋̈́̀̆̈́̌͆̒́̒͜͜ͅͅc̴̡̢̛̛̛̛̛̝͉̰͕̪̻̺͙̹̭͔̠͓̫̪͚̜͚͎̗͊̐͌̄̿͌̏̃̏̀̓̒̌̈̇̾́̑̏̀̅͐̀̓̌͌͗̈́̈̿̈́͗́͊͊̉͋̊̔͛̓͒͐͂̏̅͋̌̽̈͒̑͑̆̑̈̑̑͗̔̔̇̔̔̃̇̂͛̊͛͗̇̏͛̊̋͆̆̒͂͛̑̂̌́̀̉͋̎͗̏̏̔̅̆̊́͆̃̂̒̾͛̽̈̾̍̈̾͐͑̔͂̓̒͊̊̑̐́̎̉͒͋́̑̂̽̾̐̃͒̊͒̌̊̍̿̋̈̊̐̍̒͂̚̕̚͘͘̚͘̕̚͘̕̕̕̚̕͘̚͜͝͝͠͝͝͝͝͝͝͠͝ơ̷̧̧̧̢̡̢̡̧̡̨̧̛̛̛̛̛͓̹̜͔͎̙͈͕͙̯͕͕͚͙̻͚̠͍̙̗̻͍̹̦͖̘̹͎̭̮̜̭͚͔͖̮̪̺̹̖̣͎͎̘̝̲̦̼̼̜͍̤̭̬͚͚̯̖͙͍̮̻͈̳͍̬͙͓̬̼̳̜̩̦̩̗͓̮̝̰̯̙̫̼̹͉̺̠̤̦̬̦̯̱̞̗̬̺̦̠̭̰̣̤̰̞̞̱̆̉͆͒̓̈́̑̒̎̃̔͑̾͐̈̑͑͆̌͐͒͌̑̉̓̌̒̀͆͆̀́̿̍͒̍͛̀̌̽͐̄̆̀͑̾̐͂́́͂̃̀̆̔̾̀̌̌̃̐̃́̎͛̔̾́̆̂̐̈̇̅̄͌͋̃̓͋̿͛̆̔̔̒̋͂̋̊͗͑̑̌̐͛͋̏́̂̔͋͛̂̐̊̀̊̾̌̃͒͐̋̆͒̔̉͐͆̾̊̍͋̎̂̿̌̔̋̊͆̊̆̅̍̋̕̕̕͘̕̕̕̚̚̕͘̕̚̕̚̕͘͜͜͜͜͜͝͠͝͝͝͝͝͝͝͝͝͝͝͝͠ͅͅͅͅl̷̢̡̧̧̧̢̡̡̧̨̢̡̨̧̡̡̢̨̧̛̛̛̛̖̪̘̳̮͖͈̜̰̼̱͚͚͚͇̩͎͚͓̟̬̲̦̤̞̖͈̝̼̺̠̩̘͓͓̫̱̪̳͓̠̯̫̤̭͈͖̺̲̪̟͎̭̰͚̰̠̺͇͈̜̟̩̠͚͔̱͍̣͓͖̮̲͍̙͈̺̠͓̮͍͚̥̤̹̠̙͚͉̬̪̩̘̲̣͎̖̣̠̳̙̞̜͎̘͙͓͚̫̙̬̥̱̝̗̪̙̱̱͈̮̻̝̤̬̟͕̣̻̫̭̘̭͎͙̙̯̬̬̭̞̪̺̩̠̩̓̇͛̈́̏̎͆͌̑̍̇̔͛̿͊̐̔͑̀̈́̈͆̉̋̇͆́̀̏̀̃̅̆̋̿͆̏̿́̉̀̏̎͆́̉͆̆͛͛̈́͒̇̋̎̇͌̌̄͆̿̏͌́͊́̓͋̌͑͂͂̂͛̋̿͋͆̍̇̏̄̇̋̉̆͗́̏̇͆͆̊́̾̂̾̐̏̌̾̀̿̊͗̅̀̽͗̾͑̍̑͌̌̊͋̏͌̉̆̇̿̋̐͒͛͒̐̽̕̚̕̕̚̚͘͜͜͝͝͠͝͝͠͝͝͝ͅͅͅl̴̨̢̢̨̨̢̧̨̧̨̨̧̧̧̢̨̨̡̡̢̢̡̢̡͎̰͎̗͕͉̼̳̯̜̰̪͙̭̮̞͙̦̟̹̲̥̦̠̗͚͎̪̦̞̭͈̹̺̪̻͕̞̩͎͈͇̠̬̳̗͇̝̫͇̺̜̳̫̰̥̘̞̪̞̪̟̫̠̙̞̺̯̭̲̦͙̪͉̪͓̥̖̫̟̗͎̜̠̦͓̰̤͈̹̙̭͇͎̺̦̣̭̦͉͕̖̼̣̟̲̗̥̰̞̙̯͚̲̩̮͔͍̥̥̜̱̼̫̜̬̗̖̮̻̗͉̬̠̤̼͓̮͇̪̜̭̠̳̗͉̼̻̗̩̯̩̩̭̜̼̠̝̩͈̳͚͇͙͚̭̠͚͈̣̼̩̱̥͍̫̝̙̻̝̥̹̦͌̑͌͐̃͐͌̆̀̀͂͜͜͜͜͜͜͜͜͜ͅͅͅͅͅạ̵̢̡̡̧̡̢̨̛̛̹̤̝̦͓̭̯̪̲̪̜̘͎͖͇̘̩̮̺̹̱̖͕͈̠̼̹͍̹̺̗̞̮̼̪͙̬͉̜͔̝̜̝̠̮͕͚̥͔̥͕̫̥̜̱̲̺͓̞̳̫̘̣̥̼̝̜͐̾͋̆͛͐̈́̀͑̂̽͊͑́̑́̅͌͂͆̇̎̔̊̃̾̇̓̓̌̎͆͛͌̒͗̀̌̊͆̒̾̏͛͂͋̔͆̊̔̌͒͌̃̆̉̃͌̾̿̅̏̉̎̇͆̿̇̔̾̂͌̅̒͛̎̄̄͛͌̈͆͆̏̂̐̎̉̏̇͗͗͆͒̎̂̽͐͗́̓͋͑̇̋͒͆̎̊͌͗̒͊̀͗̐̎̉͊̍̒̾̋̇̂̉̓̈̄́̕͘̚͘͘̕̚̚͘̕̕͠͝͝͝͝͝͠͝͝͠͝͠͝͝͝r̴̡̡̨̡̢̡̨̨̢̛̛͈͓͚͎̩̬̹͓̰̠̭̙̟̜̹͖̯͔̬͚̖͍̪̤̥̰̫͍̭̹̖̹̻̺̼̬̺͓̣͙̞͎̬̮̭̘̻̘͉̫̹̬͚͐̐̇̐̊̓̾́̇̿͋̀͂̍̄̈́͌̍́̈́̒̔̈́̂̃̽̆̈̋͊́̿̾̊͊̓͑̂̒̈̏̎͌̄̃̇̈́͐̾͋̀͆́̂̃̐̾̐̊̈̈̽̎͋̿̽͑̉̐̕͘̕̕͜͠͝͠͠͝͠͠͠͝͝ͅͅ

Matt Christman makes a triumphant return to the show to hold forth on the finest American film ever made, Nothing But Trouble! Hear the whole fuckin’ thing at our Patreon!

Want that feature-packed blu-ray? Get it at Shout Factory.

You can also hear our earlier take on Nothing But Trouble with guest Mike Rosen aka @ bitterkarella on Twitter!

119 – Siesta

Jen welcomes Julie (@ chimericalgirl1 on Twitter) to celebrate an almost entirely forgotten erotic thriller with art house ambitions, Siesta, from 1987. This one’s quite overlooked in spite of a stacked cast that includes Ellen Barkin, Gabriel Byrne, Jodie Foster, Julian Sands, Grace Jones, and Alexei Sayle.

Hear the whole episode at Patreon!

We admit, this one’s hard to track down unless you’re willing to hunt for PAL and/or bootleg DVDs, but you can hear some of the sultry Miles Davis/Marcus Miller soundtrack!

If you love Julie as much as we do, listen to our episode on Yes concert film 9012Live!

117 – The Town That Dreaded Sundown

The killer claims another victim in The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976)

Jen and Tim discover two Arkansas originals: The Town That Dreaded Sundown from 1976, and indie film pioneer Charles B. Pierce!

Hear the entire episode over at our Patreon!

Amanda Squitiero, daughter of Charles B. Pierce, corrects some misconceptions about him in this fine article from Filmmaker magazine.