Episodes
Monday Jul 19, 2021
Monday Jul 19, 2021
Babe: Pig in the City Podcast Review
Originally dismissed by most critics and audiences as too dour and scary for children, George Miller’s Babe: Pig in the City holds up today as a beautiful, haunting portrait of the toll an urban existence can take on both human and hog. This week, the Sordid Cinema Podcast dives into the anachronistic, unwelcoming canals of this fantastical Metropolis, looking for a little decency in a cinematic world of cynicism. Join Rick, Simon, and Patrick as we break down Babe’s almost-certain annihilation at the hands of a pit bull, marvel at the incredible effects and ability of the star animals to hit their marks, and have a good laugh at Ferdinand the Duck’s expense.
So what exactly is ‘sordid’ about Babe: Pig in the City? One of our hosts was (at first) asking that same question – until a certain stretch where George Miller puts audiences through the emotional wringer. Though the story revolves around a talking sheep-pig on a wholesome mission to save his farm, there are moments of dread, suspense, action, and horror as a little pig’s innocence and empathy are tested. There is also a bizarre cameo by Mickey Rooney, a drug bust at an airport, a Thunderdome-like ballroom sequence, and a monkey with a gun. Thank you, Pig, for delivering this crazy feast for the eyes and ears, and for more on Babe: Pig in the City, have a listen!
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Friday Jul 09, 2021
Friday Jul 09, 2021
The Cable Guy Review
He came…He saw…He tormented…
There are plenty of overnight success stories in Hollywood, but none quite like Jim Carey’s rise to fame. After a stint on In Living Color, Carey transitioned to the big screen with Ace Ventura, which became a sleeper hit in the spring of 1994, grossing more than $100 million on a $15 million budget. Carrey followed that up with blockbusters like The Mask, Dumb and Dumber, Batman Forever, and Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls— all within a span of two years, helping him become the biggest box office draw in Hollywood. From there, the rubber-faced comic was hired to star in the 1996 black comedy The Cable Guy directed by Ben Stiller and co-starring Matthew Broderick, Leslie Mann, Jack Black. The film opened to a respectable $20 million but ultimately became a box office bomb, weighed down by toxic word of mouth from critics who called it a complete misfire. The bigger story, however, was how much money Carey was paid— the actor received $20 million from Columbia Pictures, as well as a 15% backend, and critics couldn’t wrap their head around why a studio would pay so much for any actor to star in a comedy. 25 years later, however, The Cable Guy has found a huge cult following and is now considered one of the best dark comedies of its time— a multi-faceted parody built around a multitude of movie and television-inspired set pieces and references along with an incredible performance by Jim Carey. And not only was The Cable Guy slightly ahead of its time, with its prophetic look on the future and the internet at large— but The Cable Guy was arguably the flashpoint for the next big generation of comedy, paving the way for the next generation of comedies. On this episode on the Sordid Cinema Podcast, we dive deep into what makes the film special, even after all these years.
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Sunday Apr 25, 2021
Sunday Apr 25, 2021
White Men Can’t Jump Review
In 1992, Ron Shelton wrote and directed one of the greatest sports movies of all time starring a then relatively unknown Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrleslon who was previously only known for his work as the fifth lead in the popular sitcom, Cheers. On paper, White Men Can’t Jump shouldn’t have been a hit considering the lack of star power and the fact that the first 20 minutes of the movie revolves around a pickup outdoor basketball game— and yet, this unconventional sports movie became a box office success and helped popularize street ball across North America. There hasn’t been a sports film quite like it since.
This week on the Sordid Cinema podcast, we dive deep into the cult classic and discuss why the movie is just as much about the art of jive as it is about basketball and why this exuberant romantic comedy is as smart about playground basketball as Bull Durham was about minor league baseball.
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Saturday Mar 13, 2021
Sordid Cinema Podcast: 'Slaxx' is Comfortable, Loose-Fitting Horror Satire
Saturday Mar 13, 2021
Saturday Mar 13, 2021
Slaxx Movie Review
This week on the Sordid Cinema Podcast, we review Elza Kephart‘s Slaxx, a playful horror-comedy about possessed jeans that come to life and go on a killing spree at a chic retail store the night before their big release! It sounds silly and it is, but Slaxx is also a sharp satire of consumerism, corporate wokeness, and colonial capitalism. If you’re looking for a fun, witty, satirical new b-movie with plenty of gore; look no further. SLAXX is comfortable, loose-fitting horror satire.
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Sunday Jan 24, 2021
Sordid Cinema Podcast #567: The Hunt is Killer Thriller Entertainment
Sunday Jan 24, 2021
Sunday Jan 24, 2021
After much controversy surrounding its premise and the timing of its original release, Craig Zobel’s The Hunt finally dropped into theaters before suffering an unceremonious death due to pandemic closures. But did this tongue-in-cheek story of rednecks being hunted by elitists deserve better? Was misleading marketing a factor in its ultimate demise? This week, Rick and Patrick are joined by returning Sordid Cinema Podcast host Simon Howell to give this entertaining genre film its due. Sure, the satire might be toothless, but it’s hard not to appreciate all the humor and bloody kills that The Hunt does so well.
From gleefully dispatching expected protagonists to a knockdown brawl in a rustic manor, there is a lot to love here. Perhaps more than anything else, however, fans of this type of film will want to savor a fantastically restrained, physical performance by Betty Gilpin (GLOW) as a reticent former soldier who finds being tracked down by self-righteous psychos as a form of stress relief from her daily life as a car rental agent. Streamlined and more mainstream than many of the ads and rhetoric would have suggested, The Hunt should be on the radar for anyone looking for a fun movie night where a guy gets stabbed by a stiletto heel, a woman is doubly impaled by a spiked pit, and a pig names Orwell runs rampant (at least for a while). For a discussion on 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!
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!
Monday Feb 03, 2020
Monday Feb 03, 2020
This week the Sordid Cinema Podcast takes a short break from all the blood and guts to look back at Howard Hawks’ 1940 screwball comedy masterpiece, His Girl Friday. This adapted story of a newspaper writer (Rosalind Russell) trying to break free from the journalist lifestyle only to be lured back in by an incredibly big story — as well as her boss/ex-husband(!), played by Cary Grant — features cascades of whip-smart wit, an abundance of double crosses and double entendres, and fantastic direction from one of old Hollywood’s finest filmmakers.
Rick and Patrick are joined by writer/film critic Mariko McDonald to discuss the impact of Hawks swapping out the original male lead for a female lead, reveal tidbits about the production and how they managed to fit a 191-page screenplay into 92 minutes, pick our favorite scenes as well as elements we might change, and much more! For an in-depth dive into this wonderful classic, have a listen!