Episodes
Sunday Jan 16, 2022
Sordid Cinema Podcast #609: Why Censor is one of Best Horror Films of 2021
Sunday Jan 16, 2022
Sunday Jan 16, 2022
Censor Review
The act of censorship cuts deep into the heart of Censor, a slick first feature from Welsh writer/director Prano Bailey-Bond. Censor is a nostalgic treat for anyone old enough to remember the infamous “video nasties” scare of the early eighties but it’s also a film about the power of editing, memory, and dealing with traumatic events from your past. In other words, it’s a movie about the grieving process and how deep-lying emotional trauma can cloud one’s identity and judgment— but it’s also a kick-ass psychological horror film that we happen to love. This week on the Sordid Cinema Podcast we break down this wonderfully ambiguous, introspective, thoughtful film and tell you why it landed on our list of the best horror films of 2021. All this and more!
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Friday Dec 31, 2021
Sordid Cinema Podcast #607: The Beta Test
Friday Dec 31, 2021
Friday Dec 31, 2021
The Beta Test Review
Writer-director-actor Jim Cummings’ made a splash with Thunder Road and The Wolf of Snow Hollow, two independently produced films that were both very well received on the American indie circuit. His latest, The Beta Test, co-written and directed with its co-star PJ McCabe was 100% crowdfunded and made specifically in a way to avoid the traditional old-school corporate model of moviemaking to have complete control of the final product. The Beta Test is many things: a scathing satire of Hollywood culture; a black comedy; a detective story; and an erotic thriller that doubles as a cautionary tale about the age of digital tracking and your digital footprint. It’ best described as the twisted delinquent cousin to Robert Altman’s The Player— something WGA members will love, and agents will hate! This week on the Sordid Cinema Podcast, Simon Howell and Ricky D break down why The Beta Test is one of their favourite films of 2021 and explain why Jim Cummings is a star in the making.
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Thursday Dec 02, 2021
Sordid Cinema Podcast Rewind: Xavier Dolan’s Mommy
Thursday Dec 02, 2021
Thursday Dec 02, 2021
Anyone who’s even remotely familiar with Quebec cinema will know his name: Xavier Dolan is currently Canada’s chief prestige cinematic export, for better or worse. On episode 398 of the Sordid Cinema Podcast (then known as Sound On Sight), Kate Rennebohm and Justine Smith joined Simon Howell to debate the merits of his sixth feature, Mommy, for which he shared the Best Director prize at Cannes with none other than Jean-Luc Godard.
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Wednesday Dec 01, 2021
Wednesday Dec 01, 2021
Dune 2021 Review
There’s a lot to like about Denis Villeneuve’s version of Frank Herbert’s Dune and this week on the Sordid Cinema Podcast we discuss what we admire about the Montreal filmmakers’ adaptation of the complex, weighty sci-fi novel and how it compares to David Lynch’s 1984 vision. We’ll tell you why Dune is a feminist film even if it revolves around a very masculine world and explain why it has some of the best sound design of any blockbuster film in recent memory. We also examine Greig Fraser’s gorgeous cinematography; Patrice Vermette’s incredible production design, as well as the work of Hans Zimmer who spent months creating new instruments to help him and his team, compose the soundtrack. Needless to say, there’s a lot to discuss this week. Enjoy!
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Friday Nov 26, 2021
Friday Nov 26, 2021
Cube (1997) Review
This week on the Sordid Cinema Podcast, we revisit Vincenzo Natali’s 1997 science-fiction horror film Cube; a low-budget, high-concept, mind-bending, sci-fi-thriller that revolves around people trying to escape a giant cube made of 17,576 different rooms, some of which feature inescapable deadly traps. We debate if Cube was ahead of its time and discuss why we feel the film was so influential to other movies and TV shows like Squid Game, Battle Royale and Saw, to name just a few. But what really interests us is the question: how many ways can one man film a movie that all takes place in one room and still keep it engaging? All this and more!
Tuesday Nov 09, 2021
Sordid Cinema Podcast #596: A Detailed Analysis of Squid Game
Tuesday Nov 09, 2021
Tuesday Nov 09, 2021
Squid Game Podcast Review
You might think we’re late with our review of Squid Game, but we swear, it was all by design. Now that the hype has whittled down, we decided to sit back and discuss the Netflix phenomenon and why we think Squid Game— despite its many flaws— is one of the best shows of 2021.
Squid Game has all the characteristics we love about Korean dramas including unexpected plot twists, over-the-top characters, and a story that grapples with economic anxieties and class struggles. It’s part horror and part dark comedy and boasts a catchy soundtrack and impeccable set design featuring candy-colored, high-concept dystopian sets that reflect how brutal South Korean society is toward the people at the bottom.
If you’re familiar with manga like Liar Game, Gambling Apocalypse: Kaiji, and Battle Royale, you know what to expect. Squid Game is all that and more!
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Tuesday Oct 19, 2021
Sordid Cinema Podcast Rewind: Why Mulholland Drive is a Masterpiece
Tuesday Oct 19, 2021
Tuesday Oct 19, 2021
David Lynch Special Part 1: Mulholland Drive Review
In what turned out to be one of the most epic conversations in our podcast’s history, Ricky, Simon, and Edgar Chaput were joined by David Lynch superfan and friend of the show Kate Rennebohm for a two-part dissection of David Lynch’s films: 2001’s Mulholland Drive and 2006’s Inland Empire. Discussed: rabbits, the Lincoln assassination, the significance of doorknobs, yelling at Laura Dern, and many, many more odd tangents. Here is the first half of the special. Enjoy!
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Wednesday Sep 29, 2021
Sordid Cinema Podcast #594: Nosferatu the Vampyre
Wednesday Sep 29, 2021
Wednesday Sep 29, 2021
Nosferatu the Vampyre Review
This week, we take a look back at Nosferatu – no, not that one! Werner Herzog’s 1979 stab at the Dracula mythos, Nosferatu the Vampyre, complete with the great and terrible Klaus Kinski as the titular ghoul, is the one we’re taking a look at this time, inspired by recent news that Robert Eggers will be making a run at the same material for his next feature. Discussed: mass rat murder, the weirdnesses of the German/English dual release, and the eternal appeal of this character.
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Wednesday Aug 18, 2021
Sordid Cinema Podcast #592: To Live And Die In L.A. — The Quintessential L.A. Crime Film
Wednesday Aug 18, 2021
Wednesday Aug 18, 2021
To Live and Die in L.A. Review
We continue our informal, intermittent series on grimy cops vs crooks genre movies (see also: Drug War, King of New York, Hard Boiled) with William Friedkin’s slick-but-gritty 1985 thriller To Live and Die in L.A. With its amoral characters, full-frontal nudity, and wildly epic car chase, this is one we (mostly) find lots to rave about.
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Sunday May 16, 2021
Sunday May 16, 2021
Point Blank (1967) Review
Way back on episode 126 of the Sordid Cinema Podcast, we reviewed John Boorman’s gritty, raw crime drama Point Blank, featuring superb performances by Lee Marvin and Angie Dickinson.
The 1967 thriller combines elements of film noir with stylistic touches of the European nouvelle vague and features a fractured timeline (similar to the novel’s non-linear structure), disconcerting narrative rhythms, and a carefully calculated use of film space.
Discussing the film is Ricky D, Simon Howell and former co-host, Ali McKinnon.