Episodes
Saturday Apr 17, 2021
Sordid Cinema Podcast Rewind: The Guest is a Stylish and Entertaining Thriller
Saturday Apr 17, 2021
Saturday Apr 17, 2021
The Guest Review
Way back in 2014, we sat down to discuss The Guest, a pretty crafty genre pastiche written by Simon Barrett and directed by Adam Wingard of You’re Next fame. The film follows a soldier who introduces himself to the Peterson family, claiming to be a friend of their son who died in action. After the young man is welcomed into their home, a series of accidental deaths seem to be connected to his presence leaving everyone questioning who he really is. Joining us for this review was Sound On Sight’s then managing editor, Deepayan Sengupta.
Monday Apr 05, 2021
Monday Apr 05, 2021
Abel Ferrara’s King of New York wasn’t a hit with most critics back at the time of its release, but over the years it has gained a loyal, cult following and is now considered by many, one of the best gangster films of the ‘90s. Not only was the film a significant turning point in the director’s oeuvre but it helped launch the career of Christopher Walken, David Caruso, and Laurence Fishburne.
This week on the Sordid Cinema podcast, we discuss the hard-edged crime thriller along with Ferrara’s career and why King of New York stands the test of time. All this and more!
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Monday Mar 29, 2021
Sordid Cinema Podcast #574: 'The Silent Partner' is a Hidden Gem
Monday Mar 29, 2021
Monday Mar 29, 2021
Modern thrillers getting you down? Head back to the late 1970s and indulge in Daryl Duke’s The Silent Partner, a nasty, funny neo-noir driven by Elliott Gould and Christopher Plummer’s deadly game of cat and mouse. Loaded with gags, twists, and tons of real Toronto landmarks, the film was a critical and commercial hit at the time, but has since evolved into a cult item beloved by critics and connoisseurs of edgy Canadiana. Ricky, Simon, and Patrick offer their perspectives on the twisted characters and ponder how 21st-century audiences might take to this brutal-but-hilarious caper.
Saturday Mar 06, 2021
Sordid Cinema Podcast Rewind: Richard Kelly Special
Saturday Mar 06, 2021
Saturday Mar 06, 2021
Donnie Darko, Southland Tales, and The Box Review
In episode 167 of the Sordid Cinema Podcast (then called Sound On Sight), we discussed not one, not two, but three Richard Kelly films.
At the time, writer-director Richard Kelly wasn’t around too long, but his three features had all been the subject of intense debate: Is Donnie Darko the great sci-fi fable of the 2000s or a teen angst pretension pit? Is Southland Tales, as the Village Voice’s J. Hoberman contends, a “visionary” film, or creative control gone horribly wrong? And is The Box an incomprehensible sci-fi mishmash or a return to form? Al Kratina, Mariko McDonald, and Simon Howell attempt to answer all these questions without falling into any aquatic time portals.
Sunday Feb 21, 2021
Sunday Feb 21, 2021
Brawl in Cell Block 99 Review
After his gritty/dreamy horror western Bone Tomahawk, writer-director S. Craig Zahler established himself as a genre talent to watch. His sophomore effort, a prison flick about a bruiser of a man slugging his way into the bowels of a maximum security facility in order to kill an inmate and save his wife, only bolstered that assessment. Brawl in Cell Block 99 is an immersive, raw, visceral experience with a knockout performance from Vince Vaughn that (depending on who you ask) might just be the quickest 132 minutes you’ve spent watching a movie. Or it might be bone-crunching hell.
This week sees Patrick Murphy and Simon Howell tackling Zahler’s off-beat world, guessing at his socio-political leanings, marveling at the hands-on destruction of a car that surely did nothing to deserve it, and making as many references to Dragged Across Concrete as we possibly can. Along the way we cover Vaughn’s terrifically physical performance, go into some of the themes common to Zahler’s work, and chuckle over some great practical effects that may not look ‘real,’ but certainly get the job done. What are our favorite scenes? What would we change if we could? And just what sort of movie watcher will Brawl in Cell Block 99 appeal to? For all this and more, have a listen!
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Sunday Jan 24, 2021
Sunday Jan 24, 2021
On this episode of the Sordid Cinema Podcast (which was recorded back in 2012), Julian Carrington, Simon Howell, and Ricky D reviewed Compliance, a thriller written and directed by Craig Zobel, and based upon a strip search phone call scam that took place in Mount Washington, Kentucky, in which the caller, posing as a police officer, convinced a restaurant manager to carry out unlawful and intrusive procedures on an employee.
Friday Jan 22, 2021
Friday Jan 22, 2021
Inherent Vice Review
The Sordid Cinema podcast has been around since 2007 and as you can imagine, the show has gone through some major changes over the years including the name. It was originally called Sound On Sight but on January 21, 2015, original hosts Simon Howell and Ricky D sat down to record what was supposed to be the final episode as a team before Simon quit and Ricky decided to rename it. And to send it off in style, they invited Kate Rennebohm and Adam Nayman to discuss one of the best films of 2014, Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice.
Listen on LinkTree | Amazon | Spotify | iTunes | Podbean | YouTube | Listen Note |
Thursday Jan 21, 2021
Sordid Cinema Podcast Rewind: David Cronenberg’s Videodrome and The Fly
Thursday Jan 21, 2021
Thursday Jan 21, 2021
David Cronenberg Special
On episode 252 of the Sordid Cinema podcast (then named Sound on Sight), we invited Sean Dwyer and Jay Cheel from the Film Junk Podcast to discuss David Cronenberg’s visually audacious, revolutionary, and utterly strange sci-fi thriller, Videodrome— as well as The Fly, possibly his most triumphant and accessible film to date. Enjoy!
Monday Oct 26, 2020
Sordid Cinema Podcast #558: ‘Frailty’ Remains a Solid Horror Mystery
Monday Oct 26, 2020
Monday Oct 26, 2020
Frailty Podcast Review
The late Bill Paxton’s 2001 directorial debut Frailty may have passed by unnoticed at the box office, but over time this low-budget, atmospheric horror film has maintained a steady appreciation. This week Rick and Patrick are joined by Montreal-based film writer and professor Matthew Hays to break down just what makes this underseen gem so good, as well as dive into its themes of religious piety and family dynamics. The story of a man who believes he has been chosen by God to destroy demons living as humans on earth delves into dark places, as this good-natured mechanic also turns his mission into a family affair – even as one of his sons thinks his father may be going insane.
From strong performances to an interesting script with an unreliable narrator, Frailty consistently engages the audience and is sure to surprise them as well with its many (too many?) twists. Join us as we sort out all the plot details and ponder the mysteries. How well does Frailty handle the supernatural elements? Would the film have worked even better with more ambiguity, or is the clarity of vision one of its strengths? 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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