THIS WEEK: The Aftermath (1982) and Empire of the Dark (1990) In the late 1970s a man named Steve Barkett with nothing but a mustache and a dream set out to make a post-apocalyptic sci-fi action epic without a budget, studio, or feature filmmaking experience. The result was not just one, but TWO films and the lifelong respect and friendship of B-movie royalty like Fred Olen Ray and Jim Wynorski. Sometimes in the world of amateur egosploitation, you can write/star/produce/direct and defy the odds...
May 02, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 283
THIS WEEK: Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe (1990), No Exit (1995), The Viking Sagas (1995) Hunk Month, AKA the quest to explore every muscleman-turned-actor in Arnold Schwarzenegger's orbit, continues with a look at some of the major roles played by bodybuilder/powerlifter/natural villain/danish dynamo, Sven-Ole Thorsen. That also means you get TWO Damnia Lee films, a Eurovision star, and all the Jesse Ventura fake Terminator action you can handle. Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Opt...
Apr 25, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 282
THIS WEEK: Beretta's Island (1991), Danger in Paradise A.K.A. Taken Alive (1994), Doublecross on Costa's Island (1997), Ancient Warriors (2003) Oh, you thought Arnold Schwarzenegger was the only big Hollywood star to come out of Pumping Iron? Maybe you've forgotten all about the illustrious career of Arnie's best friend: Former bodybuilder turned writer/director/producer/action star, Franco Columbu. He's 5'5", jacked to the gills and ready to kill (or at least hack your film to pieces and re-edi...
Apr 19, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 281
THIS WEEK: Pumping Iron (1977), Pumping Iron II: The Women (1985) We don't agree on much at Optimism Vaccine, but one universal truth around here is our mutual admiration for hunky beefcakes. And when it comes to beefcakes, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bev Francis stand head and shoulders above the competition. Join us as we take a magnifying glass to two of George Butler and Charles Gaines' most influential documentaries. We'll answer all of your pressing questions like "Is Arnie the most likable ...
Apr 12, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 280
THIS WEEK: Road House (1989), Road House 2: Last Call (2006), Road House (2024), Road House (1948) How do you follow up the Rowdy Herrington helmed, Patrick Swayze starring, down-and-dirty shit-kicker fest that is the original Road House? You don't. You just don't touch it. And if you do touch it, don't cast Jake Busey like you're making an extended episode of Shasta McNasty. While you're at it, don't try to remake it 35 years later and hire Conor McGregor either. Donate to Palestinian Medical A...
Apr 04, 2024•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 279
THIS WEEK: Santo vs. Infernal Men (1961), Santo vs. the Evil Brain (1961), Santo and Blue Demon vs. the Monsters (1970), Santo vs. Doctor Death (1973) With a lucha libre wrestling career spanning 50 years and 50+ films under his belt, El Santo achieved god-like status in Mexico without ever taking his mask off in public. Join us as we survey his storied career and see if his star power can elevate low-budget genre films into something sublime. Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism V...
Mar 29, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 278
THIS WEEK: Cobweb (2023) and the other Cobweb (2023) Last year we were blessed with not one but TWO underappreciated films named COBWEB. One is a wild Halloween-set horror flick buried at your local multiplex in the midst of Barbenheimer fever and the directorial debut of Samuel Bodin. The other is a classic film-about-a-film farce helmed by acclaimed Korean auteur Kim Jee-woon and ignored by the haters at Cannes. Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon...
Mar 22, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 277
THIS WEEK: The Prophecy (1995), The Prophecy II (1998), The Prophecy III (2000) Angels walk among us and it turns out they're just white guys with beautiful hair who wear school shooter trenchcoats. Wild! Join us as we explore the world of pre-9/11 heavenly deities and the films that made them famous* *Syndicated on the SyFy channel and collecting dust on your local video store's shelves. That Vinegar Syndrome box set sure is nice though... Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vacc...
Mar 15, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 276
THIS WEEK: Scoundrels (1982), All American Girls (1982), Irresistible (1982), Night Hunger (1983), Nothing to Hide (1981) It's that time of year again! The big award show! The hottest night in Hollywood! Step out on the red carpet with us and celebrate the stars of the silver screen! Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon
Mar 07, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 275
THIS WEEK: House of Wax (2005), Pledge This! (2006), The Hottie & The Nottie (2008), Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008) Paris Hilton is a global cultural icon whose titles include, entrepreneur, reality tv show star, DJ, recording artist, model, designer, sex tape haver and New York Times bestselling author. But what about ACTRESS? Yes, that too. Optimism Vaccine investigates. Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon...
Feb 29, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 274
THIS WEEK: Visitor Q (2001), A Lonely Cow Weeps At Dawn (2003), The Cow Who Sang a Song Into The Future (2022) People often accuse us of not "listening" to our "audience" so we're finally rolling out the long-awaited fetish content meets arthouse cinema episode you've been begging for. That's right! You can get your Takashi Miike shot-on-video fix while also appreciating an underrated indie film AND a softcore flick that looks like Ozu but swaps out the usual family drama for the heartwarming ta...
Feb 22, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 273
THIS WEEK: Urban Legend (1998), Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000), and Urban Legends: Bloody Mary (2005) Nothing gets the 90s nostalgia juices flowing like watching Jared Leto with a terrible haircut pal around with Joshua Jackson and Tara Reid. Join us as we reflect on the only film franchise that dared to ask "What if Scream was dumb? No, like, REALLY dumb" before branching out into the realm of supernatural horror and fizzling into obscurity. Put on your favorite fencing mask and get the pop ro...
Feb 15, 2024•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 272
THIS WEEK: Hanging Heart (1989), Moonstalker (1989), and Dead Girls (1990) We dive back into Vinegar Syndrome's Homegrown Horrors. What awaits within? A slasher without any gore, a hard rocking horror without any music, and a homoerotic legal thriller. The fun never ends here on Optimism Vaccine. Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon
Feb 09, 2024•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 271
THIS WEEK: Long Arm of the Law (1984), Long Arm of the Law: Part 2 (1987), Long Arm of the Law: Part 3 (1989), Long Arm of the Law: Part 4 (1990) Before John Woo's stylish action flicks dominated the Hong Kong box office, Johnny Mak Tong-hung gave us his only feature film: Long Arm of the Law . And, like any classic Hong Kong action movie, three totally unrelated sequels were made (by Johnny's brother Michael, no less). Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon...
Feb 01, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 270
THIS WEEK: Wild Things (1998), Wild Things 2 (2004), Wild Things: Diamonds in the Rough (2005), Wild Things: Foursome (2010) Every red blooded film fanatic knows the original Wild Things is a pulpy sleazy neo-noir classic. BUT did you know that we were also blessed with not one, not two but THREE sequels? Even more puzzling is the fact that they're all basically identical to the original but without a strong supporting role from Bill Murray and Kevin Bacon's dong. Who needs Matt Dillon when you'...
Jan 26, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 269
THIS WEEK: Saltburn (2023) and Chick Flick (2023) In 2023 we were blessed with a film from one of contemporary cinema's most extraordinary new voices. Oh, and Emerald Fennell made a movie about Barry Keoghan trying to impregnate a pile of dirt. Anyway, it's time to see if either of these bourgeoise girl bosses knocked it out of the park with their sophomore efforts so we can determine once and for all if we're all getting matching Louise Linton tattoos. Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support ...
Jan 19, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 268
THIS WEEK: The Boogey Man (1980), Boogeyman (2005), The Boogeyman (2023) A boogeyman (or bogeyman if you're a little freak who can't spell) is a placeholder term for every faceless generic monster living under a bed or in a child's closet. It's only appropriate that when a boogeyman film is made it serves as a catch-all for whatever the hot horror trends of the moment are. Join us as we explore cinematic boogeymen through the ages, try to figure out what Ulli Lommel's deal was, mourn the 7th Hea...
Jan 11, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 267
THIS WEEK: Hard Boiled (1992), Just Heroes AKA Hard Boiled 2 (1989), and The Last Blood AKA Hard Boiled 2 AKA Hard Boiled 3 (1991) If you make the greatest action film of all time before leaving Hong Kong for Hollywood, there's a good chance someone will try to make a quick buck with an in-name-only sequel. If you're really lucky, they'll just slap a new title on an old movie. Maybe even one of your own. Or someone will make an Xbox game 15 years later. This is how it works. Donate to Palestinia...
Jan 05, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 266
THIS WEEK: New Year's Evil (1980), Bloody New Year (1987) We're true cinephiles around here so our New Year's resolution is to watch more late career Norman J. Warren flicks while simultaneously becoming the most POWERFUL podcast in the universe. Please tune in so we can finish the year strong and force Spotify to pay up. Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon...
Dec 28, 2023•54 min•Ep. 265
THIS WEEK: Christmas Evil (1980) and Blood Beat (1983) We tried our best to find some things you could watch with the whole family this holiday season. Gather 'round the Yule log and enjoy the classic combination of a glowing Christmas samurai and Santa Claus Travis Bickle. Your mom is going to love this. Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon...
Dec 22, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 264
THIS WEEK: The Bloody Exorcism of Coffin Joe (1974), The Strange Hostel of Naked Pleasures (1976), Embodiment of Evil (2008) We wrap up our coverage of the incomparable Zé do Caixão with the final Coffin Joe films of the 1970s and Jose Mojica Marins' late career resurrection of the character in 2008. Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon...
Dec 14, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 263
THIS WEEK: Awakening of the Beast (1970), The End of Man (1971), When the Gods Fall Asleep (1972) Our Coffin Joe retrospective takes a wild swerve into LSD fueled meta-fiction freakouts and we take a look at Jose Mojica Marins other reoccurring role as Finis Hominis. Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon
Dec 08, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 262
THIS WEEK: At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul (1964), The Strange World of Coffin Joe (1968), This Night I'll Possess Your Corpse (1967) In 1964, Brazillian filmmaker José Mojica Marins introduced the world to an iconic undertaker with disgusting fingernails, a love of sadistic murder and a deep appreciation for children: COFFIN JOE. Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon...
Dec 01, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 261
THIS WEEK: Taboo (1980), Taboo II (1982), Taboo III (1984), Taboo IV: The Younger Generation (1985), Taboo V (1986) We're celebrating Thanksgiving like any good red-blooded American should: By watching some turkeys get STUFFED. Yes Nut November comes to a close with one of the biggest and most controversial X-rated series ever, Taboo. Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon...
Nov 23, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 260
THIS WEEK: Salon Kitty AKA Madam Kitty (1976), All Ladies Do It (1992), Cheeky (2000) We're crankin' our nut knob higher this week and checking out the films of brilliant butt enthusiast and Italian ass-teur, Tinto Brass. Producers may have hacked apart his cut of Caligula, but they can never take away the weird bread scene in Salon Kitty. Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon...
Nov 16, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 259
THIS WEEK: Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965), Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970), and Supervixens (1975) We finally got to fulfill our lifelong dream of covering our favorite army combat cameraman turned campy sexploitation and softcore peddler, Russ Meyer. How many filmmakers can say they had a career making the finest big-boobed, square-jawed, action packed movies in the world AND got to collaborate with Roger "Erogenous" Ebert? There's only one, baby. Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid S...
Nov 09, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 258
THIS WEEK: Emanuelle in America (1977), Star Of David: Beautiful Girl Hunter (1979), Bitter Moon (1992) VOTE ON THE NAME FOR THIS MONTH'S THEME ANOTHER PATRON REQUEST EPISODE! Theres no better way to kick off November than with a trio of movies that would get a more respectable podcast shamed and criticized into oblivion. Lucky for us, most people don't care about which films we cover and those who do hold us to the lowest of standards. We'll be tackling all the hard hitting questions this week ...
Nov 02, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 257
THIS WEEK: Hellraiser (1987), Nightbreed (1990), Lord of Illusions (1995) Clive Barker is a British author, filmmaker, and visual artist known for his contributions to the horror and dark fantasy genres. While his primary claim to fame is as a novelist and short story writer, he also had a brief but impactful career as a film director. Clive Barker made his directorial debut with "Hellraiser," a horror film based on his own novella "The Hellbound Heart." The movie introduced audiences to the ico...
Oct 26, 2023•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 256
THIS WEEK: Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama (1988), Nightmare Sisters (1988), Leeches! (2003) Shawn Glinis has never seen a single David DeCoteau movie about shirtless hunks taking showers. We're doing our best to help him live a less shameful and embarrassing life. Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon Steve's Chili Recipe 1 1/2-ish lbs ground beef (nothing too lean you weirdo. 80/20 or better. Usually I just grab a prepackaged 80/20 that’s a little ov...
Oct 19, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 255
THIS WEEK: Blood Bath (1966), The Velvet Vampire (1971) Shawntober continues with Roger Corman protégé and criminally underrated New Hollywood auteur, Stephanie Rothman. Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon
Oct 12, 2023•58 min•Ep. 254
