Fitting for the holidays, episode 46 is Children of the Corn! Picked by our former child-preacher turned podcast guest Zefrey Throwell! This 1984 film spawned one of those weird horror franchises that just seems to keep going (even though the first sequel didn't happen for almost ten years). Originally based on a Stephen King short story, Children of the Corn stars the Terminator lady and some guy who was married to Michelle Pfeiffer. We get into the horrors of super rural areas, how a doctor ca...
Dec 16, 2015•41 min
Episode 45 proves we're not a bunch of commercial low brow animals! It's The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, And Her Lover, as chosen by comedian Matt Burke(@heymattburke)! What? You've never heard of it? Well neither had I, but then I watched it, and my body split into two beings - one saying "Of course I'd never heard of this!" and the other saying "Why hadn't I heard of this?" AND GUESS WHAT - They were both right. This is the "artsiest" movie we've done so far, by far, and it is polarizing. The t...
Dec 09, 2015•47 min
Episode 44 is brought to you by the macabre mind of John Carpenter, it's Big Trouble in Little China! Starring Kurt Russell and other people! An 80's staple, Big Trouble was chosen as our pick this week thanks to our guest, stand up comedian Bryan McKenna. It's campy, over the top, colorful, surprisingly good looking at times, super quotable, and bad in all the best ways. Download the episode, subscribe on iTunes, leave a comment somewhere, follow us on Twitter @flixbookclub, just get in on the ...
Nov 25, 2015•39 min
Episode 43 is brought to you by our nation's obsession with destruction and violence! It's Nightcrawler starring Jake Gyllenhaal! Lori Palminteri is a good friend, fantastic writer, and hilarious stand up comedian, and she also sat down and talked to us about this movie. Once in awhile we gotta throw you one of these mainstream, not ancient movies (although this wasn't a huge, huge movie by any means). Listen to the episode, leave us a comment on our main page http://www.flixbookclub.com/, subsc...
Nov 19, 2015•39 min
Episode 42 is Lawrence of Arabia! This is another classic movie that I (Dennis) had never seen before, and I was glad to mark it off my list. I owe this forced-watching experience to our special guest this week Ray Kump, a hilarious stand up comic from NY. Lawrence of Arabia is a historical dramatization of the story of T.E. Lawrence, a British officer and diplomat. It's in the National Registry and Kump basically made us watch it because he "thought it'd be funny to make you watch a 3 hour movi...
Nov 05, 2015•44 min
Episode 41 is the 1984 gangster spoof Johnny Dangerously! We also introduce a friend of the book club on this episode, Michael Kaldarian, who brings an Aussie sensibility to an otherwise staunchly American podcast. IS THIS MOVIE FUNNY? DOES IT HOLD UP? HOW MUCH OF THE PRODUCTION COST WAS SPENT ON MAKEUP? These questions and more are explored on the podcast, but add to the discussion over at our main page, http://www.flixbookclub.com/. Subscribe on iTunes! Follow us on Twitter @flixbookclub! Catc...
Oct 31, 2015•32 min
After a short hiatus Netflix Book Club returns with episode 40 - To Kill A Mockingbird. Chosen by KC as his final pick before leaving the club, Mockingbird stars Gregory Peck and other people I was unfamiliar with before watching. I had never even read the book, something I had somehow avoided in High School. Having said that we had a fantastic conversation about the film, discussing fear, childhood, pragmatism, and how badass Atticus Finch is. Head on over to the main page http://www.flixbookcl...
Oct 17, 2015•36 min
Netflix Book Club brings you episode 39, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World! It stars Steve Carell and Keira Knightley, two neighbors turned friends (OR MORE THAN FRIENDS?!) each on a respective mission to see through before the world comes to it's end. It's another apocalypse movie! And an interesting take on the subject. We also get a slew of comics and comedic actors in small side roles that really round out the film. But did we enjoy it? Listen to this week's episode to find out what ...
Sep 09, 2015•38 min
Episode 38 is Enemy at the Gates! Jude Law plays our protagonist Russian sniper going up against the antagonist Nazi sniper (played by Ed Harris). There's a romantic subplot, we see some of the battle of Stalingrad, we're reminded of the colossal death toll Russia faced during World War II (well over 8,000,000 people). It's not Saving Private Ryan, but it's the only movie I can think of that shows the war from the Russian perspective to a degree. Listen to the podcast to hear us talk about it, d...
Sep 04, 2015•38 min
Episode 37 is The Skeleton Twins starring Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig! It's another movie where somebody's all boo-hoo and returns to their childhood home to try and sort their bull-ish out. That being said, this movie is hilarious. But is that enough for everybody to give it the ol' stream it stamp of approval? Listen to the podcast to find out! Swing by the main page at http://www.flixbookclub.com/ and leave us a comment; what'd you think about what we thought? Catch us next week for Dennis' p...
Aug 26, 2015•33 min
Episode 36 is The Station Agent! Back before he was your favorite Game of Thrones character, Peter Dinklage did this indie movie about a reclusive dwarf whose only friend has passed away, leaving him a small plot of land and a place to live. It's a bit droll but filled with some good laughs and great scenes. This is Dinklage 12 years younger, but his acting is seasoned. Listen to the episode to see what this movie made us think about, be sure to swing by the main site http://www.flixbookclub.com...
Aug 19, 2015•33 min
Episode 35 puts us back on track with the wickedly weird John Dies at the End! And it only cost us some music and editing! Chosen by Dennis, never before seen by KC (OOF. Listen to the episode), John Dies at the End tells the story of two slackers imposed with supernatural powers trying to prevent the end of times in their crappy town. It's by Don Coscarelli of Phantasm/Bubba Ho Tep fame and is what I'd call a slick-ass B movie. We were ramped up this episode. Real ramped up. We tackle the patro...
Aug 12, 2015•30 min
Episode 34 is a canned episode! What's that mean? It means life was hectic this week so we're throwing you an episode WE'VE HAD IN THE CAN. Listen in to hear us talk about Philadelphia, our umpteenth movie about the AIDS epidemic (purely coincidental). It stars Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington, two lawyers on opposite sides of the social spectrum coming together to fight a landmark case, which stages Hanks' character dead center. I think I liked this movie! I remember this being a fun episode, an...
Aug 05, 2015•29 min
Episode 33 is brought to you by the mean streets of 1970's New York - it's The Warriors! Stephen had the chance to pick this movie because KC had never seen it, and open your ears to this listeners: IT'S A BLOCKBUSTER. CAN YOU DIG IT? This movie's about The Warriors, a gang from Coney Island who've been framed for the murder of Cyrus, the leader of the biggest gang in the city. They gotta get home to Coney from the Bronx with every gang in the city on their tail. Simple. Dark. Fun. This movie's ...
Jul 29, 2015•35 min
Episode 32 as chosen by KC is Fruitvale Station. This movie tells the real life story of the murder of Oscar Grant by a police officer, and recounts his last 24 hours alive. It's directed by Ryan Coogler (his first full length feature) and stars Michael B. Jordan (soon to be seen in Creed). This was a highly regarded movie that somehow missed out on our Blockbuster accolade. Check out the podcast to hear us talk about reality vs. fiction and whether Dennis is a cold, heartless bastard. Head over...
Jul 22, 2015•37 min
BY GOD MAN! Episode 31 is Dennis' pick, leading us to 1984's The Bounty. It's the true tale of the HMS Bounty and it's mutiny while under the command of Lt. Bligh. Throw in the dissolution of his and Christian Fletcher's friendship and you have a meaty story. Plus, this flick's got a hell of a lineup - Anthony Hopkins, Mel Gibson, Daniel Day-Lewis, Liam Neeson, and even more white dudes! That's not to say everyone of us at Flix Book Club gave it a thumbs up. Download the podcast and find out who...
Jul 15, 2015•39 min
Episode 30 as chosen by Stephen is Primer! Have you seen this? Yeah? Did you understand it? LIAR. This is a seriously heavy duty movie about time travel. Rooted deeply in realistic characters, Primer talks about friendship, trust, knowledge, and ambition. It was made for only $7,000 (holy cow!) and over the years has developed even more than a cult following. Like a major religion following. People blow this movie up. Hear how we feel about it and what it led us to talk about in this weeks episo...
Jul 08, 2015•37 min
Episode 29 is brought to you by Heineken (kinda,sorta)! No they're not a sponsor, they just happen to be the technical backbone to the film we watched this week. KC picked Kidnapping Mr. Heineken, a 2015 film that fictionalizes the true ransom of Freddy Heineken, the man behind the international brewing company. Let's not beat around the bush - this movie ranked as a dud, but that doesn't mean it didn't spawn a great conversation between us three. We talk heists, morality, and how much money it ...
Jul 01, 2015•35 min
We return this week to talk about the 1973 beacon of horror films - The Exorcist! I (Dennis) picked this, largely because Stephen has never seen it. Stephen's picked several movies that he was very familiar with that KC and I had never seen and it felt like time to return the favor. It didn't hurt that KC hadn't seen this movie in about 15 years. If you haven't seen this movie...shame on you, it's a blockbuster for Christ's sake! Listen to the episode to hear us talk about divorce, the extent of...
Jun 24, 2015•37 min
Oh no! Stephen got stuck in Chicago (probably from being all nostalgic for the city these past few weeks after watching Blues Brothers for Episode 24) this week so we are serving up a canned episode for y'all. Episode 27 was an early recording of Netflix Book Club (old theme song and everything!), so disregard the "movie" for next week at the end of the episode. I assure you next week we will bring you a discussion on The Exorcist. For now here's us chatting about In The Loop, a 2009 British com...
Jun 17, 2015•28 min
Unless you count Bloodsport, Episode 25 is our first children's movie. It's an animated film that's part political drama, part gender studies, and wholly coming of age. That might be a little grandiose. Needless to say there were very few things we agreed on with this movie. Even the animation technique was divisive (hit us up on Twitter and let us know if you're a ones or twos person). Click on over to the main page at www.flixbookclub.com and leave us a comment - what makes a good kids movie? ...
Jun 10, 2015•32 min
Episode 24, as chosen by KC Arora, is The Grocer's Son. A film that "hits close to his heart" (these were his initial words). It's a quaint little indie film set in Provence, France. Our protagonist Antoine has returned home with a guest in tow to help out with the family business after his father has suffered a heart attack and can no longer fulfill his duties. Riveting, morally shaking stuff here. OK, SO IT'S A DUD. BUT IT'S NOT WITHOUT IT'S MERITS. Listen to the podcast to hear us discuss it'...
Jun 04, 2015•34 min
Episode 24 puts to rest a major issue for two of our hosts, Dennis Rooney and KC Arora. We had never seen The Blues Brothers. To make matters worse, we're stand up comedians. KNOW YOUR HISTORY FOLKS. This concept started as a Saturday Night Live sketch, became this film, and still runs around today in various mediums. There's a ridiculous amount of cameos in this, both musical and otherwise. But is all this enough to get a stream it from the crew? Listen to the podcast and find out. Head on over...
May 28, 2015•34 min
Episode 23 as selected by Stephen is Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, an interesting flick based on the autobiographical memoir of game show creator/host/possible CIA assassin Chuck Barris. This marks the directorial debut of George Clooney, responsible for the excellent casting of Sam Rockwell as our lead Chuck. Sounds like the makings of a blockbuster, no? Listen to the podcast to see if Confessions gets that badge of honor, and if it doesn't, WHY THE HELL NOT? Swing over to the main page at w...
May 20, 2015•40 min
KC brings us episode 22 with his biblical pick, Darren Aronofsky's 2014 Noah. You know the story already: a man has a vision of a great flood sent from God to wipe the Earth clean, and he is to build an ark to protect the innocent (read as: animals). Super exciting stuff, right? Right? I mean Russel Crowe is in it and it's directed by the Pi/Black Swan/Requiem guy so it's gotta be good...right? Listen in and see how the boys weigh in, there are some surprising views on this one. Head over to the...
May 13, 2015•33 min
Episode 21 is Dennis' pick - a documentary produced and directed by Mike Myers about a long time friend of his: Shep Gordon. The movie is called Supermensch - mensch being a yiddish term for someone of great and noble character. This dude-man has been a talent manager since the late 60's, he's worked with every celebrity you can think of, and everybody loves him. Why? How could anybody be so likable? Watch the movie to find out and listen to us talk about ol' Shep, whether there's more to his st...
May 06, 2015•32 min
Are you happy with the car you drive? Is vehicular safety your number one concern in life? Do you love sales? Well then episode 20 is for you - Bulletproof Salesman, a documentary about a self admitted war profiteer in the business of selling armored vehicles. This documentary marks yet another blockbuster selection from our friend Stephen here at The Flix Book Club. It's only a little more than an hour long and stars maybe the most charming German fellow you've ever conducted a pseudo arms deal...
Apr 29, 2015•32 min
For episode 19 KC chose the 2014 reboot of the 1987 Robocop, which takes place in 2028. 867-5309. Holy Christ! This movie is packed with big names: Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Samuel L. Jackson, hell I'll even throw in Jay Baruchel and Abbie Cornish. Also some dude I've never heard of plays Robocop, which is fitting, as I'd never seen the original film (this is written by Dennis). Listen to the episode to hear our thoughts on why some films just need an R rating and what exactly "character deve...
Apr 22, 2015•33 min
Listen up Flix folk: we have an irregular episode today because life is crazy sometimes. Like when you're Jewish but you hate Jewish people. We'll get to that in a minute though! OK, so if you watched the Robocop reboot don't worry; we'll be back next Wednesday to talk about it. But for now! Here's an early episode of The Flix Book Club with the original theme song and name! SOAK IT IN. The movie we talk about is called The Believer - one of Ryan Gosling's earliest films, it shows the story of a...
Apr 15, 2015•30 min
Episode 17 is Dennis' pick - Mystic River, the Clint Eastwood directed murder-thriller-mystery flick that stacked up tons of awards and nominations in 2003. While Dennis had never seen it before, KC and Stephen had. That doesn't mean they had solid opinions about the movie...Listen to the episode to see who changed their mind to make this Dennis' first blockbuster! Head over to the main site at www.flixbookclub.com and drop us a comment, whether you agree, disagree, or think there's a movie we j...
Apr 08, 2015•34 min
