Episodes
Tuesday Dec 22, 2020
Sordid Cinema Podcast #564: Black Christmas Continues to Give Horror Thrills
Tuesday Dec 22, 2020
Tuesday Dec 22, 2020
Though director Bob Clark may be most remembered for helming the brilliantly sentimental holiday favorite A Christmas Story, his 1974 slasher classic Black Christmas is just as unforgettable, though for very different reasons. The story of a psychopathic murderer who terrorizes the residents of a sorority house just as everyone is about to leave for Christmas break might come to seem like merely a seedy premise for some cheap thrills, but excellent craftsmanship and standout performances result in one of the most unnerving home invasion films ever made. Where’s a Red Rider carbine action BB gun when you need one?
This week Rick and Patrick are joined by filmmaker Keir Siewert to break down exactly what makes this precursor to the slasher genre explosion so effective. Along the way we touch on the film’s creepy use of POV, discuss how the characters enhance the tension and go into how the film inspired John Carpenter to make his own seminal classic, Halloween. But how does that ending hold up? Is Olivia Hussey’s Jess a true ‘final girl’? Could changing one line of dialogue have made an already superb experience even better? For all this and more, have a listen!
Saturday Dec 19, 2020
Sordid Cinema Podcast #563: Cynicism Can’t Keep It’s a Wonderful Life Down
Saturday Dec 19, 2020
Saturday Dec 19, 2020
Once a staple of holiday programming, Frank Capra’s 1946 masterpiece It’s a Wonderful Life may not be as widely broadcast, but it nevertheless still deserves to be seen by as many as possible. An inspiring story that showcases an inspired performance from star Jimmy Stewart, this tale of a man driven to the brink of suicide who is given a second chance at life remains powerful and effective to this day. What better way for the Sordid Cinema Podcast to kick off the holiday season than by re-taking the plunge ourselves into the world of a disappointed dreamer called George Bailey, the miserly Mr. Potter, and a doddering guardian angel named Clarence.
Rick and Patrick’s trip through the storybook town of Bedford Falls includes talk of a near-fatal poisoning by a druggist, a Depression-era run on the banks, theft of $8000 that could lead to embezzlement charges, loss of hearing, a theory about a possible curse by a marriage-seeking teenager, a supremely talented crow, and discussions of just how many strip clubs a small town needs. Feeling the holiday spirit yet? Find out why the guys believe the notoriously sentimental ending works perfectly, count the references to Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and It Happened One Night, and maybe even learn what a spinster is!
For all this and more, have a listen!
Wednesday Dec 02, 2020
Sordid Cinema Podacst #562: ‘Airplane!’ Still Soars To Silly Heights
Wednesday Dec 02, 2020
Wednesday Dec 02, 2020
The spoof genre may have descended to near non-existence these days, but neither time nor inferior imitators have grounded what many consider to be one of the greatest comedies ever made. This week the Sordid Cinema podcast takes a look at 1980’s Airplane!, a top-notch example of what an amazing take-off looks like. With a story ripped straight from an obscure drama called Zero Hour! and a healthy sense of irreverence built up from 10 years of disaster movies, this story of an airline flight placed in peril by some rotten fish packs in so many jokes that it will be nearly impossible to see them all in just one viewing.
But who watches Airplane! only once? Surely, not Rick and Patrick (and we’re not calling you Shirley). Join us as we discuss some of the best gags, marvel at how close this film is to comedic perfection (oh, Johnny…), and muse about the potential future of the spoof genre. For all this and more, have a listen!
Wednesday Jul 29, 2020
Sordid Cinema Podcast #554: ‘Dressed to Kill’ is Draped in Stylish De Palma
Wednesday Jul 29, 2020
Wednesday Jul 29, 2020
Dressed to Kill Podcast Review
Though many may not rank it among his best (including our own Ricky D), Brian De Palma’s Dressed to Kill is nevertheless a perfect example of how a particular director can greatly enhance the material through individual craftsmanship and sensibilities. Sure, what should be a fairly simple story of a high-class call girl both investigating and fleeing from the mysterious woman she witnessed commit a bloody murder might get a bit needlessly convoluted and confusing thanks to De Palma’s screenplay, but there is never any doubt in the clarity of the visuals. The director brings his Hitchcockian best here, with several standout scenes worthy of discussion, including a virtuoso flirtation sequence in a museum, as well as a grisly slashing in an elevator.
In addition to the fantastic camerawork, Rick and Patrick also save some praise for the performances, many of which rise above the sometimes-hokey dialogue to create memorable characters (and yes, that praise includes Nancy Allen as call girl Liz). They also discuss De Palma’s influences, and though Dressed to Kill might seem like an overt homage to Hitchcock’s Psycho, it also owes something to giallo horror films of the day. These elements all come together to result in a stylish, adult thriller the likes of which modern audiences could use more of. But can Dressed to Kill still enjoy a wide appeal?
For all this and more, have a listen!
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Thursday Jul 02, 2020
Sordid Cinema Podcast #552: Revisiting’Gremlins 2: The New Batch’
Thursday Jul 02, 2020
Thursday Jul 02, 2020
One of the Best Horror Sequels Turns 30!
Gremlins 2: The New Batch Podcast Review
This week the Sordid Cinema Podcast takes a look at 1990’s Gremlins 2: The New Batch, one of the strangest sequels ever made by a Hollywood studio. Famous for director Joe Dante’s reluctance to return to his world of the mischievous little monsters without the total creative control eventually granted him, Gremlins 2 plays almost like a satire of the original, as well as of sequels in general and numerous cultural trends at the time. Chaotic, comedic, yet tightly structured, this renegade, Looney Tunes-inspired film mocks everything from the convoluted Mogwai Rules to the sad backstories that Kate seems to have for specific holidays. And thanks to Rick Baker (also a co-producer), there are plenty of amazing creatures perpetrating the hijinks this time around. Bat gremlins, spider gremlins, lighting gremlins – this movie has it all!
Rick and Patrick are joined by writer/film critic Mariko McDonald to parse out the plethora of in-jokes, references to classic horror, odd Easter eggs, fourth wall-breaking, and overall zaniness, while also discussing a bit of the film’s history and how it compares to Gremlins. One could talk for hours about this masterful example of studio-funded anarchy, so for all this and more, have a listen!
Tuesday Jun 16, 2020
Sordid Cinema Podcast #551: Why ‘La Haine’ is as Explosive 25 Years On
Tuesday Jun 16, 2020
Tuesday Jun 16, 2020
La Haine Podcast Review
Twenty-five years ago, Mathieu Kassovitz’s French black-and-white drama crime drama La Haine sent shockwaves through the 1995 Cannes Film Festival, where it received a standing ovation and the Best Director prize.
A story of social unrest, La Haine was inspired by three isolated incidents involving the killing of unarmed young people by police officers (including the famous case of the 17-year-old Congolese Makomé M’Bowolé) that led to three weeks of riots in Paris and surrounding areas.
Starring Hubert Koundé, Saïd Taghmaoui, and Vincent Cassel (in his breakout performance), La Haine is set over 19 consecutive hours in the lives of three young men living in the impoverished, multi-ethnic public housing complexes known as Chanteloup-les-Vignes. We follow the three of them in the aftermath of a riot in a banlieue that left their teenage friend Abdel comatose in a hospital after being brutally beaten by the police. When Vinz recovers a gun lost by a cop during the riot, he feels empowered and decides to take revenge.
Twenty years on, La Haine feels more relevant than ever. It’s arguably the best film made about systemic racism and police brutality— easily the best film released in 2015— and one of the most powerful pieces of urban cinema ever made. Today on the Sordid Cinema Podcast we reflect on the film’s lasting significance and why it holds a special place in our hearts.
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Friday May 01, 2020
Sordid Cinema Podcast #547: ‘The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover’
Friday May 01, 2020
Friday May 01, 2020
This week on the Sordid Cinema podcast, we discuss The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover, Peter Greenaway’s most successful film and some would argue his true masterpiece— although not to the taste of the average cinema goer.
Tuesday Apr 14, 2020
Sordid Cinema Podcast #545: ‘The Fog’ Deserves to be Seen
Tuesday Apr 14, 2020
Tuesday Apr 14, 2020
This week Rick and Patrick are joined by Goomba Stomp writer Marty Allen to discuss one of John Carpenter’s lesser-cited horror classics, 1908’s The Fog. Though it may not have had the impact of such genre masterpieces as Halloween or The Thing, this low-budget story of a group of ghostly lepers who assail a small coastal town contains many of the director's stylistic hallmarks, as well as his usual efficiency. Sure, the third act may suffer a bit from a lack of inspiration, but what comes before is rock-solid filmmaking that should appeal to anyone that loves well-crafted suspense and horror.
So just how well does The Fog hold up for modern audiences? Who (or what) is the film’s MVP? Where does it stand in Carpenter’s filmography? We dive into the production, gush over the camerawork, break down why this screenplay works, and even pick a few nits. For all this and more, have a listen!
Wednesday Apr 01, 2020
Sordid Cinema Podcast #544: ‘The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance’
Wednesday Apr 01, 2020
Wednesday Apr 01, 2020
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance Podcast Review
This week’s show sees Patrick picking another western, but this one is a little more talkie and a little less shooty. John Ford’s 1962 adaptation of The Man Who Shot Liverty Valance centers on a classic genre theme of civilization vs. frontier law. While Ford may be an acquired taste for some, the hosts discuss the fascinating philosophical conflicts at play while praising many (though not all) of the performances, as well as note the uniqueness of the (mostly) action-free film. With Monument Valley never making an appearance, is there enough to look at? Does this slower western still hold up today? Why, oh why, did Ford leave in that classroom scene?
For all this and more, have a listen!
Saturday Mar 14, 2020
Sordid Cinema Podcast #542: ‘The Quick and the Dead’ is the Sam Raimi show
Saturday Mar 14, 2020
Saturday Mar 14, 2020
Sam Raimi’s The Quick and the Dead Podcast Review
1995’s The Quick and the Dead showed that director of The Evil Dead, Darkman, and Army of Darkness wouldn’t hold back his off-kilter, kinetic style for a western, and the result is thrilling for Sam Raimi fans. While certain aspects (i.e., the script) may not shine in this tale of Sharon Stone’s mysterious gunfighter entering a quickdraw competition in order to enact revenge on the despotic mayor of the small town of Redemption, Raimi ensures that there is always something crazy and meaningful to look at. This week on the Sordid Cinema Podcast, Rick and Patrick celebrate the film’s 25th anniversary by discussing how the director shapes and enhances the boilerplate story with his unique visuals and panache.
Along the way, the hosts also marvel at the distinct performances by an incredible cast that features a stoic Stone, a deliciously evil Gene Hackman, a badass Russell Crowe, and a young Leonardo DiCaprio, among many others. They also decide which gunfight is the best, pick their favorite and least favorite scenes, and wonder if this version of Raimi still holds up with modern audiences. For all this and more, have a listen!
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