We love a mismatched double feature, and this is a doozy. Charlie Adlard is back to discuss a couple of films that couldn't be more different. We reflect on Dario Argento's masterpiece of phantasmagoric horror, Suspiria (1977), followed by Gerry Anderson's own childlike dream of mecha joy: Thunderbirds Are GO (1966), directed by David Lane. One thing these films have in common? Plot is entirely secondary in importance, and as such, we don't bother calling out a Spoiler Territory section for eith...
Jun 27, 2025•2 hr 15 min•Season 2Ep. 79
Computer game adaptations: perhaps the least respected form of film-making around. And let's face it, the ratio of good films to bad films is pretty darn low. This week, we team up with the guys from the Grandad and Mr Tech gaming podcast to have a close look at two much maligned entries in this subgenre: Street Fighter (1994), directed by Steven E. de Souza, and Mortal Kombat (1995), directed by Paul W.S Anderson. Tune in, sit back, and FINISH IT!!! Let's just say, plot is somewhat secondary in...
Jun 20, 2025•2 hr 21 min•Season 2Ep. 78
Just which cop is the biggest bastard? Lieutenant Crow or Inspector Cliff? Bryce joins us to discuss a couple of tales of cops gone off the rails. First up: Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects (1989), directed by J. Lee Thompson, and Mafia Junction a.k.a. Super Bitch (1973), directed by Massimo Dallamano. We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for both films, so if you haven't seen them before you listen, you can nevertheless avoid spoilers for Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects by skipping ahead to...
Jun 13, 2025•1 hr 50 min•Season 2Ep. 77
This week, we are trapped inside and beset by unnameable horrors in a dark corner of the Great White North. Sammy from the Gentlemen's Guide to Midnite Cinema pops in to discuss Pontypool (2008), directed by Bruce McDonald, followed by the notorious SOV act of lunacy, Things (1989), directed (if that's what you can call it?) by Andrew Jordan. As well as pondering the profound cultural influence of language as a thing in and of itself, we also tackle some other philosophical questions such as: Th...
Jun 06, 2025•2 hr 22 min•Season 2Ep. 76
It's another director spotlight this week, as Al stops by to discuss a couple of Riccardo Freda joints. Freda was a diverse journeyman of the Italian film industry who produced most of his output before the heyday of Italsploitation, but his late career tilts at giallo and horror were... unusual, to put it mildly. We dive deep into his Dublin-set giallo, The Iguana With the Tongue of Fire (1971), and his bizarre hippiesploitation / gothic horror / Satanic gore fest, Tragic Ceremony (1972). We wi...
May 30, 2025•2 hr 23 min•Season 2Ep. 75
This week we are talking about one of the great directors of the New Hollywood era, George Roy Hill. Sakana joins us once again to celebrate the work of this master storyteller: we will check out his divisive box office failure, The Great Waldo Pepper (1975), and his raucous, subversive sports comedy Slap Shot (1977). Death defying air stunts, stunted pretty boys, and ultraviolence on the ice rink - there's a lot to chew on here. We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for both films, ...
May 23, 2025•2 hr 21 min•Season 2Ep. 74
War is hell. Vive le revolution! Conflict is on the menu this week as Nick Langdon drops by to discuss The Battle of Algiers (1966), directed by Gillo Pontecorvo, and Battle of the Commandos (1969), directed by Umberto Lenzi. A legendary treatise on how to both wage a guerilla resistance and combat one, plus an object lesson in how NOT to conduct a commando mission - even if you are Jack Palance with a shonky Scottish accent! The Battle of Algiers has an unusual narrative structure which is not ...
May 16, 2025•2 hr 9 min•Season 2Ep. 73
It's a week for tough cops who chafe under the soft libertarian justice system of modern democracy, dammit! And no cop is tougher than Maurizio Merli. Unless it's Charles Bronson, obviously. Bryce swings by to shoot the breeze and a whole heap of scumbag criminals, as we discuss 10 to Midnight (1983), directed by J. Lee Thompson, followed by Rome, Armed to the Teeth (1976), directed by Umberto Lenzi. We don't think you can really spoil Rome, Armed to the Teeth, which only has a passing acquainta...
May 09, 2025•1 hr 52 min•Season 2Ep. 72
We are very late to the wake, but better late than never. Earlier this year, in close succession, we lost a couple of legends of film: Gene Hackman and Wings Hauser. In this bonus episode, Rob and Joe talk about the contrasting careers of these two great talents: one of them widely celebrated, the other probably underappreciated. Then we have a close look at the only film collaboration between them: Ted Kotcheff's Uncommon Valor (1983), which starred Hackman and was written and produced by Hause...
May 05, 2025•1 hr 12 min•Season 2Ep. 71
I dunno, man - I think this mutually-agreed arrangement is a little undercooked. Mike White drops by again to discuss Raw Deal (1948), directed by Anthony Mann, and then, you guessed it, Raw Deal (1986), directed by John Irvin. Listen as we gasp in wonder at Mann's sumptuous shadowy cinematography and Arnie's enormous pectorals. What do these films have in common other than their names? Probably not a lot, but we sure have a lot of fun discussing them. It's not really possible to spoil Raw Deal ...
May 02, 2025•2 hr 23 min•Season 2Ep. 71
The horror genre exists to probe our latent fears, and the so-called "Duality of Man" has been a huge theme across so much film and literature. This week, writer and video artist Graham Williamson joins us to discuss a couple of interesting meditations on transformation and duality: Ginger Snaps (2000) directed by John Fawcett and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Miss Osbourne (1981), directed by Walerian Borowczyk. Forget Duality of Man: what about the Duality of Woman? Or the Duality of Man a...
Apr 25, 2025•1 hr 58 min•Season 2Ep. 70
Forget the threat of AI to our livelihoods... what about the murderous CYBORGS that countless B-movies have taught us are coming to get us any moment now?! This week, Al (the person, not the AI) joins us to check out Steel and Lace (1991), directed by Ernest D. Farino, and American Cyborg: Steel Warrior (1994), directed by Boaz Davidson. We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for both films, so if you haven't seen them before you listen, you can nevertheless avoid spoilers for Steel a...
Apr 18, 2025•2 hr 12 min•Season 2Ep. 69
Half ape. Half reptile. Half we don't know what. Dr Ethan Lyon is not a horror from the murkey deeps but he is a huge fan of the films of Matt Farley and the folks from Motern Media, and he joins us this week to discuss two microbudget gems: Don't Let the Riverbeast Get You! (2012) and Magic Spot (2022), both directed by Charles Roxburgh. We don't think we spoil either of these films in the dissussion, so there's no Spoiler Territory section this week. If you're in the UK, join us at Dr E's Mote...
Apr 11, 2025•1 hr 47 min•Season 2Ep. 68
By gar, it's a good old fashioned Letterboxd Collab! Dr Ethan Lyon and Sakana join forces to help us deliver a little shot of bonus episode classic western joy, as we share our thoughts on Anthony Mann's Winchester '73 (1950). Jimmy Stewart in dark and vengeful mode, Shelley Winters as comely young blonde, Stephen McNally being dastardly, Dan Duryea sliming up the screen (bless his cotton socks) and Rock Hudson as a politically incorrect Indian Chief. All saddled up and ridden like the clappers ...
Apr 07, 2025•1 hr 11 min•Season 2Ep. 67
This one hurt. This week we lost one of Hollywood's great mercurial talents, Val Kilmer. In this bonus episode, Rob and Joe talk about the man, the enigma, sometimes the spanner in the works that was Val Kilmer. Then they deep dive into one of his lesser celebrated later films, David Mamet's Spartan (2004). We do have a Spoiler Territory section for Spartan , so you can skip ahead to the 55:10 mark to avoid spoilers if you haven't seen the film. RIP Val. Want to get in touch? You can reach us on...
Apr 07, 2025•58 min•Season 2Ep. 67
We're still fixated on HEISTS, people!!! Nick Langdon pops in to discuss Charley Varrick (1973), directed by Don Siegel, and then Hudson Hawk (1991), directed by Michael Lehmann. Walter Matthau gets dark and grisly under Siegel's immaculate directorial hand (even if he didn't get the movie at all, apparently) and Joel Silver lets Bruce Willis' ego off the leash completely (with the result that very few people got the movie at all). Underappreciated gems or not? You be the judge! And then see if ...
Apr 04, 2025•2 hr 14 min•Season 2Ep. 67
Marek Turner stops by to tell tales of Gigi the Loser, as we pair another classic Italian giallo with one of the great classics of film noir. We check out Rififi (1955), directed by Jules Dassin, and The Cat O' Nine Tails (1971), directed by Dario Argento. We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for both films, so if you haven't seen them before you listen, you can nevertheless avoid spoilers for Rififi by skipping ahead to the 1:01:24 mark, and for The Cat O' Nine Tails by skipping ah...
Mar 28, 2025•1 hr 56 min•Season 2Ep. 66
Jonathan Owen joins us this week as we venture into Eastern Europe to lift the lid on the greatest cinema you've probably never heard of. Together we Czech out (see what I did there? And sorry about that) Marketa Lazarova (1967), directed by František Vláčil, and I Killed Einstein, Gentlemen (1970), directed by Oldřich Lipský. Sublime dark-age psychedelic freak-out paired with ridiculous comedy of errors with a sci-fi Surrealist twist. It's not really possible to spoil I Killed Einstein, Gentlem...
Mar 21, 2025•2 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 65
Samm Deighan is back to chat with us about one of our favourite niche subgenres: the Two-Mortal-Enemies-From-The-Past-Get-Frozen-In-Ice-And-Reanimated-In-The-Future-So-They-Can-Chase-Each-Other-Around-And-Smash-Stuff-to-Bits movie. We check out Demolition Man (1993), directed by Marco Brambilla, and The Iceman Cometh (1989), directed by Clarence Fok. We won't be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for either film this week, because we just don't think they can be spoiled! Want to get in touch...
Mar 14, 2025•1 hr 50 min•Season 2Ep. 64
It's 8 o'clock in the F#%KING MORNING and we are joined by full grown sandgroper, Adam Trainer to dig up a couple of unsung antipodean gems. We discuss Fortress (1985), directed by Arch Nicholson, and then Fortress (1992 - no relation), directed by Stuart Gordon. Deep kindertrauma in the bush and dystopian prisonbreak glory - this week's episode is a psychedelic trip down some very obscure Australian rabbitholes so put on your stubbies and blue singlet, crack open a VB longneck and settle back f...
Mar 07, 2025•2 hr 10 min•Season 2Ep. 63
Sammy joins us this week to check out a couple of films which (a) feature Michael Caine in less-than-flattering roles and (b) may have been regretted by their directors in later years. We discuss Blame It On Rio (1984), directed by Stanley Donen, and then On Deadly Ground (1994), directed by Steven Seagal. This week's episode is brought to you by the letter P - for Problematic . Yikes!!! It's not really possible to spoil On Deadly Ground (Seagal prevails, guys - he always does), but we will call...
Feb 28, 2025•2 hr 20 min•Season 2Ep. 62
The Walking Dead's Charlie Adlard joins us this week to talk comic books, kaiju and the iconic art of Saul Bass. Together we check out Bass' sole feature as a director, Phase IV (1974), followed by Destroy All Monsters (1968), directed by Ishiro Honda. It's not really possible to spoil Destroy All Monsters but we will call out Spoiler Territory for Phase IV . If you want to skip ahead from that point, you can rejoin the conversation at the 1:14:28 mark to avoid spoilers. Want to get in touch? Yo...
Feb 21, 2025•2 hr 9 min•Season 2Ep. 61
This week we are celebrating the diva that was Elizabeth Taylor! Sakana joins us once again to celebrate the work of this prodigious star - with a close look at two of her most bizarre and off-kilter projects: the Italian psychosexual thriller, Identikit (1974), directed by Giuseppe Patroni Griffi, and Tennessee Williams' Boom! (1968), directed by Joseph Losey. Macrobiotic orgasms, bomb attacks on the streets of Rome, Richard Burton getting attacked by dogs and then sulking about not being fed e...
Feb 14, 2025•2 hr 12 min•Season 2Ep. 60
There's mad, and then there's MAD. John Horgan joins us this week to check out Madhouse (1981), directed by Ovidio Assonitis, and then Watch Out, We're Mad (1974), directed by Marcello Fondato. Sheer slasher insanity from the deep south, followed by chases and fights a-plenty with Bud Spencer and Terence Hill. It's not really possible to spoil Watch Out, We're Mad as the plot doesn't matter (it's all about the crashes and bashes, basically), but we will call out Spoiler Territory for Madhouse . ...
Feb 07, 2025•1 hr 59 min•Season 2Ep. 59
Mike White from The Projection Booth podcast stops by to venture across the boundaries of normality, into the weird, the disturbing, the monstrous and the sometimes hilarious. We check out Border (2018), directed by Ali Abbasi, and The Rift (1990), directed by Juan Piquer Simon. A portrait of personal loneliness and dispossession both sensitive and shocking, followed by a ramshackle underwater adventure by our favourite Spanish lunatic. We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for both ...
Jan 31, 2025•2 hr 22 min•Season 2Ep. 58
Jerry joins us once again to discuss Bad Lieutenant (1992) directed by Abel Ferrara and Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans (2009), directed by Werner Herzog. Two very different takes on utter corruption and the possibility (or not) of redemption, from two very different, but both visionary film-makers. A double feature for the ages with two towering central performances triggers one of our most enjoyable discussions so far - from the sublime to the ridiculous and back again. We will be a...
Jan 24, 2025•1 hr 56 min•Season 2Ep. 57
Which one of you two looks most like a football movie? This week, we welcome Ali back to the show to discuss a couple of sports-related flicks: The Last Boy Scout (1991) directed by Tony Scott and The Last Match (1990), directed by Fabrizio de Angelis. Get ready for some pop psychoanalysis of Shane Black, a close examination of the early 90's Bruce Willis screen persona, and just how weird it got for aging Hollywood stars in the dregs of Italian exploitation fare around the same time. We will be...
Jan 17, 2025•1 hr 56 min•Season 2Ep. 56
The Middle Ages were a terrible time to be alive. Dr Ethan Lyon joins us in the torture chamber as we dress up in couch upholstery and torment some sinners while discussing The Conspiracy of Torture (1969), directed by Lucio Fulci, and then Torture Dungeon (1970), directed by Andy Milligan. Yep, time to get medieval on your ass!!! It's not really possible to spoil Torture Dungeon as it barely has a plot at all, but we will call out Spoiler Territory for The Conspiracy of Torture . If you want to...
Jan 10, 2025•1 hr 51 min•Season 2Ep. 55
From the sublime to the ridiculous, noir comes in many forms. Nick Langdon joins us this week to discuss Back to the Wall (1958), directed by Édouard Molinaro and In the Cold of the Night (1990), directed by Nico Mastorakis. We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for both films, so if you haven't seen them before you listen, you can nevertheless avoid spoilers for Back to the Wall by skipping ahead to the 1:03:36 mark, and for In the Cold of the Night by skipping ahead to 1:46:08. Wan...
Jan 03, 2025•1 hr 53 min•Season 2Ep. 54
Happy New Year, folks! The party's heating up at our place: Lucio Fulci has been hitting the rum punch, Eric Roberts is singing and dancing, and Klaus Kinski is tripping balls (at least we think that's what's happening - it's getting a little scary, tbh). So we figured we'd duck out of the festivities long enough to count down our Top 5 first-time watches of 2024 for you. Just a quick episode before we head back and launch into Auld Lang Syne. See you later this week for the first episode of Sea...
Dec 31, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 53
