Episodes
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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Wednesday Jun 10, 2020
Sordid Cinema Podcast #550: Is 'Dog Soldiers' a Bitch of a Werewolf Movie?
Wednesday Jun 10, 2020
Wednesday Jun 10, 2020
This week on the Sordid Cinema Podcast we discuss Neil Marshall’s first feature— the low-budget werewolf action/adventure siege film titled, Dog Soldiers. Frightening, funny, and packed with action, Dog Soldiers is considered one of the five best werewolf movies ever made and was an incredible showcase of Marshall’s (then) burgeoning talent.
It certainly made a name for the director who has since gone onto a highly promising career as a genre director, but is it as good as they say it is?
This week, Tim Maison joins us to help answer several questions we have about the movie including the unexpected plot twist and whether this movie could have used a better script. All this and more!
Tuesday Jun 02, 2020
Tuesday Jun 02, 2020
This week we take a break from reviving older classics to take a look at a recently released indie sci-fi gem called The Vast of Night. The film (now available on Amazon Prime) depicts a fateful evening in a small town in 1950s New Mexico as they host a rival high school basketball team for the big game, but also may be getting some visitors from even further out of town. It’s up to a young switchboard operator and a radio DJ to uncover the truth. Rick and Patrick are once again joined by critic Stephen Silver to discuss the many things that director Andrew Patterson does right in his feature debut, from virtuoso camerawork to the fantastic rhythm he develops using editing. We also praise the engaging performances of the film’s two leads, who anchor the entire production.
The Vast of Night promises sci-fi creeps along the lines of The Twilight Zone, but does it deliver on this? Do all the stylistic approaches work in supporting the story and tone? And just why is that basketball game so important?
For all this and more, have a listen to our breakdown of this wonderful little film!
Tuesday May 26, 2020
Sordid Cinema Podcast #548: ‘The Mist’ Contains Monster Movie Greatness
Tuesday May 26, 2020
Tuesday May 26, 2020
Frank Darabont’s The Mist Podcast Review
Though its ending may leave some viewers in a daze, Frank Darabont’s 2007 adaptation of Stephen King’s novella, The Mist, is clearly old-fashioned monster moviemaking at its best. This week, Rick and Patrick are joined by artist Dan Bransfield to talk about what makes this simple story of a group of small-towners stuck in a grocery store during the onset of a foggy inter-dimensional invasion such a delightful throwback to B-movie horror.
With a cast of characters (many of whom played by Darabont regulars) that efficiently portray the ugly breakdown of community during a crisis, and a host of mysterious creatures representing the external threat that acts as the catalyst, The Mist is filled with tense moments and fascinating threads (even if some of them seem to go nowhere). Of course, that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few things we might change if we had the chance (child actors or executions of twist endings), but there’s more than enough to love here to recommend for genre fans. What are our favorite scenes? Who is the film’s MVP? Will The Mist stand the test of time?
For a little debate on these questions and more, have a listen!
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.
Thursday Apr 23, 2020
Sordid Cinema Podcast #546: ‘The Passion of the Christ’ – Torturous or Rapturous?
Thursday Apr 23, 2020
Thursday Apr 23, 2020
This week the hosts of the Sordid Cinema Podcast take a look at Mel Gibson’s 2004 monster hit, The Passion of the Christ. While the film is known primarily for its extreme level of violence and the controversies surrounding its release, does the film actually accomplish what it sets out to do? Is there a point to all the suffering? Rick and Patrick try to get to the heart of the matter, doing our best to remember the Stations of the Cross while debating the artistic merits of Gibson’s context-reliant storytelling. The Passion may be hard to enjoy, but there’s no doubt it’s a film that offers plenty to talk about.
As usual, we discuss our favorite scenes, wistfully mention a few things we might have changed, and wonder if this violent biblical epic will stand the test of time.
For all this and more, have a listen!
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!
Monday Mar 23, 2020
Monday Mar 23, 2020
12 Monkeys Podcast Review
This week on the Sordid Cinema Podcast we discuss Terry Gilliam’s 1995 sci-fi masterwork 12 Monkeys, which mixes time travel with paranoia set against the backdrop of a dystopian future that both has happened, and is yet to come. Joining Rick and Patrick is film critic and Goomba Stomp writer Stephen Silver, who helps us dive into the intricacies and nuance of this Bruce Willis-led thriller. Along the way, we praise the structure of a script that juggles numerous elements that all pay off handsomely in a pitch-perfect end, debate about which performance really stands out among the cast (for both the right and possibly wrong reasons), and look into some of the history of the film, including the inspiration taken from the 1962 French short La Jetée.
What are our favorite moments? What would we change if we could go back in time? Does 12 Monkeys ultimately still hold up to modern audiences? 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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