Jen welcomes show regular Bitter Karella and wild card Moodyferret to evangelize a Gore Verbinski flop that didn’t deserve the massive shrug it got from the public: the 2016 psychological thriller A Cure For Wellness.
Errata: we all say in the episode that this movie came out in 2016, but it actually arrived in theaters on February 17, 2017 before almost immediately disappearing. Oops! That said, the movie was originally slated for an October 2016 release, which seems to indicate that 20th Century Fox lost their nerve and dumped the film in Fuck-You February.
Fox made a last-ditch effort to hype the film with this Super Bowl teaser, mimicking a pharma company ad. This is the one that Jen vaguely described in the episode.
Every previous Bitter Karella appearance on the show may be found in our collection!
Tim and Jen cover an unusual holiday movie that features a man beaten down by an uncaring society enough to become a self-appointed assassin. Wait, what year is this? It’s 1980 and this is Christmas Evil!
There is a whole ass website about Whamageddon with the ruleset and everything, if you’d like to play or simply to inform yourself. We won’t be participating, though, because we love Wham! too much to refrain from listening to them. You could also listen to this “Last Christmas”-free megamix!
Can’t get enough of Paul? Listen to the episode where he joined us to discuss Warren Beatty’s singular mania, Dick Tracy! Or just mainline all of his guest appearances via this collection!
Read a 1992 interview with David Fincher, in which he’s quite candid about “the worst thing that ever happened to me”— that is, the production of Alien³.
Of course you’re going to want to rush right over to Tubi in order to enjoy all 78 action-packed, low-resolution minutes of L.A. AIDS Jabber. It’s free (with ads)!
Over at The Body, Mathew Rodriguez wrings some thoughtful musings on AIDS stigma and the inversion of the white male savior trope out of the movie.
Jen and Tim are doing misogyny again! They DO NOT support women…filmmakers who make bloodless, smarmy takes on rape-revenge flicks. Kind of like Promising Young Woman!
Jen and Tim do a deep dive into the canned pumpkin pie filling that is Shudder’s Ghoul Log! Are we serious with this shit? You tell us! However, all of the usual outlets appear to trick-or-treat it with the same gravitas afforded to, say, the latest Terrifier installment. To wit:
“While some fans might be disappointed that this year hasn’t embraced a specific horror property, it still marks a great way to capture the atmosphere of Halloween night.” – Patrick Cavanaugh
“It’s charming, but it’s also a bit distracting. If you want the Ghoul Log to serve as background filler – as I do – this isn’t the way to go, as the constant interruptions will pull you away from whatever it is you’re doing.” – Chris Evangelista
Tim and Jen bring back one of horror’s heaviest (lol) hitters to talk about a movie William Friedkin couldn’t be bothered to mention after he made it, The Guardian!
Tim’s quip about Q’s on Wilshire refers to a 2000 incident in which screenwriter and director Eric Red plowed his Jeep into a crowded bar following a fender bender, killing two people, then attempted to slit his own throat with a piece of glass. The linked LA Weekly article draws some tenuous conclusions between Red’s work and the bloody mess at Q’s, but as of 2023 he appears to have stayed out of trouble and written several novels.
KCRW memorializes Deirdre O’ Donaghue’s incredibly influential playlists with its Bent By Nature podcast.
The ballerina clown of Venice remains in situ, where it has been since 1989. Presumably, it makes the CVS underneath it easy to find for out-of-towners.
Do you love Tim and Bitter Karella, but have had enough of Jen? Hear the former two discuss a beloved childhood favorite in our Ernest Goes to Camp episode!
Spooky psychological horror from one of the modern British greats
Jen is pleasantly surprised when Tim suggests a horror movie that’s actually pretty good: the eerie anthology with a twist, Ghost Stories (2017). Also, Tim gives an impromptu lecture on the deeper meaning of American zombie movies. (He also seizes an opportunity to wedge in his love for League of Gentlemen. C’mon, that was 20 years ago!)
Read an interview with Ghost Stories co-writer Derren Brown about his new stage show. He also confesses that he used to be a cape guy (“a bit intense, and a bit socially maladroit,” according to the article). No surprise there! He also has a YouTube channel if you would like to see him hypnotize people into giving him their wallets.
Need another spooky fix? Try our free episode on another slept-on horror anthology 50 States of Fright!
