The Cult of Matt and Mark Archive01

The Shining (Recorded in 2012)

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 10:11:00 -0700

We all shine on! (just some more than others). This week we review the 1980 Stanley Kubrick classic The Shining, based on the novel by Stephen King and starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall. Defying the usual horror movie gimmicks, Kubrick does what few directors are able to do, convert the The Overlook Hotel itself into a villain, packing it with an eerie cavernous malignancy that is without parallel in cinema. Matt attempts to put to bed the whole "movie not as good as the book" argument, while Mark gives his first-timer thoughts on the film. Here's Johnny! Enjoy!

Download: The Shining (Recorded in 2012)

174 2001: A Space Odyssey

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 10:09:00 -0700

Mopping up the Kubrik, Matt and Mark finally get around to reviewing the flawed masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey. A film broken up into four vignettes, we go about reviewing it as such. Despite all the big themes of human evolution and questions of mankind's existential crisis in the universe, what 2001 gets right is humanity's relationship with the tools it has created, and how we are now at the whims of those tools, good, bad, and indifferent. So open up the pod bay doors and set the controls for the heart of the sun (cue Pink Floyd... now!).

Download: 174 2001 A Space Odyssey

173 Somewhere In Time

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 10:07:00 -0700

Matt and Mark attempt to break out of our cult film review comfort zone this week and review the 1980 sci-fi fantasy romance Somewhere In Time. Trying to go gynocentric, we fail at finding the appeal of this film as it would pertain to the ladies. Centered around a somewhat charmless 36 hour romance more typical of bodice-ripper fair, it becomes an exercise in forced gravitas, leaving the viewer little investment in its time-crossed lovers' tragedy.

Download: 173 Somewhere In Time

172 Under The Skin

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 10:06:00 -0700

This week we get back into the serious and review Jonathan Glazer's enigmatic Under The Skin, starring Hollywood A-lister ScarJo as the alien seductress. More evocative than thematic, its disturbing imagery sticks with you long afterward. Matt attempts to find an analogy for the alien's motivations, but such metaphors may defy what the film was trying to provoke. Perhaps it is best to leave Under The Skin as undecipherable as a street conversation among Scottish Glaswegians.

Download: 172 Under The Skin

171 Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 10:05:00 -0700

Matt and Mark's Summer of Funny concludes this week with our review of Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie. T&C's brand of humor isn't for everyone, but if you can handle its mix of stupidity and darkness, there's genuine comedy to be had. While Ebert's write-off of the movie is understandable (0.5 stars), dopey overweight white guys with a healthy disdain for corporate propaganda (no one we know of course) should enjoy this movie more than your average joe film critic.

Download: 171 Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie

170 Up In Smoke

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 10:03:00 -0700

Our penultimate film for the Summer of Funny, this week Matt and Mark review the cult stoner classic Up In Smoke by comedy duo Cheech (Marin) and Tommy (Chong). While stoner humor tends to be one note (or one toke), C&C deliver a nice combo of outrageous characters stirred up with a nice mix of comic timing and physical humor. So head down to your local weed shop (unless you live outside the spliff utopias of Colorado and Washington State), kush out, and take a low ride into the bakey funny.

Download: 170 Up In Smoke

The Wicker Man (Recorded in 2012)

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 09:58:00 -0700

It's time for your appointment with The Wicker Man! This week we review the 1973 cult classic by Robin Hardy. Rated as one of the top ten British films of all time, The Wicker Man defies film making convention, skirting the line between horror and thriller, while making a comment on religion and its relationship to modern society. While paid nothing for his work, Christopher Lee stars as Lord Summerisle in this breakout role that would eventually lead him to later fame in the Lord of the Rings and the Star Wars prequels. Besides a little sacrificial unpleasantness, both Matt and Mark agree, to be a 'born again pagan' may not be all that bad. Enjoy!

Download: The Wicker Man (Recorded in 2012)

169 Caddyshack

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 09:55:00 -0700

Odd... no picture of Michael O'Keefe on the poster? Yep, that's correct. All by design. While originally scripted to follow the trials and tribulations of Danny Noonan and the caddies, the five hours of film quickly got whittled down to give the four major comedy players more screen time (Knight, Dangerfield, Murray, Chase). Matt and Mark continue with the "Summer of Funny" by review the one-and-only Caddyshack. If there was a sequel, let us all forget...

Download: 169 Caddyshack

168 Strange Brew

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 09:54:00 -0700

A film from the darkest depths of Matt's nostalgia, this week we continue the "Summer of Funny" and review the 1983 comedy Strange Brew. Mark basically tells this film to "take off, eh!" And as Matt dissects the bits, it seems the ghosts of his eleven year old self resurfaces to defend, however meekly. With so few Canadian stereotypes out there (sadly no Red Green blockbuster as of yet), we're left with the brothers McKenzie. So don't be a hoser, crack an Elsinore (or a Labatt's, Moslon, or Kokanee) and check out the film, eh?

Download: 168 Strange Brew

167 Young Frankenstien

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 09:53:00 -0700

It's alive! ... alive!!! This week we review the Mel Brooks masterpiece Young Frankenstein starring the great comedic actor Gene Wilder. While a bit averse to slapstick, Matt tries to drink the farcical potion of this comedic retelling aided by Mark's soft sell. A nod to the old timey comedies of the Marx's, it mixes physical comedy with innuendo in an homage that doesn't mock but instead pays homage. And Oh yeah... Mark and Matt both agree that Terry Garr was hot! hot! hot! tsss...

Download: 167 Young Frankenstien

166 Napoleon Dynamite

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 09:51:00 -0700

Apparently it takes an LDS BYU grad to truly get the nerd right when it comes to Hollywood film making. Scrap the stereotypes of the late night hacking (but cool) nerds of standard film fare, because the true nerd is one like Napoleon, social hobbled yet obsessed over things which bring no social currency. One of Matt's favorite funny movies, it's hard to watch ND with a straight face, even if you've seen the film too many times to count. Anyway, Vote for Pedro and enjoy.

Download: 166 Napoleon Dynamite

165 Airplane!

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 09:49:00 -0700

Matt and Mark's "Summer of Funny" rolls on with the 1980 corn-ball classic Airplane! A farcical send up of the 1957 film Zero Hour, Airplane! rolls out its gag like a prop-comic act spinning the figurative into the literal for comedic hilarity. Does it hold up today? More or less, despite the Hari Krishnas at the airport (is that even a thing anymore?) and the strange notion of serving complimentary dinners aboard domestic flights.

Download: 165 Airplane!

The Warriors (Recorded 2012)

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 00:01:00 -0700

Can you dig it!! This week we review the 1979 street gang classic The Warriors by Walter Hill. While firmly set in the late 70's nocturnal blight of New York City, The Warriors defies its reality with a stylized depiction of gang fiefdoms and eerie synth-rock soundtrack, courtesy of Barry De Vorzon. Enter the world of terrifying baseball Harlequins (Baseball Furies!) and Afro-chopsocky legionnaires (Grammercy Riffs!) with our discussion of this cult classic. Enjoy boppers!

Download: The Warriors (Recorded 2012)

164 Smokey and The Bandit

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 23:59:00 -0700

Little did we all know that it was truckers and CB's that pioneered the art of wi-fi and chat rooms back in the day. Smokey and the Bandit introduced America to the adventure/comic-laid world of the big rig trucker and his Southern domains via comedic stylings of legend Jackie Gleason and Burt Reynolds. Matt is disappointed his childhood nostalgia for such fair, infused with hot wheels sandbox antics and pre-pubescent notions of romance, didn't send him back into yesteryear. However, Mark's first viewing left a positive impression. Pop a Coors, sit back, and relax good buddy 10-4.

Download: 164 Smokey and the Bandit

163 Zoolander

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 23:58:00 -0700

An Ebert one-star movie, Matt and Mark come across probably one of the famous film critic's worst reviews of all time. Conflating Zoolander's "insensitivity" to the events of 9/11 is probably one of the greatest stretches since the Olympic pole vault record was broken. Regardless, derived from Ben Stiller's hilarious "Ben Stiller Show", Zoolander deftly ties all its sketches in with a fairly consistent and well written story line. So grab a hose of 87 Octane and let the fun begin!

Download: 163 Zoolander

162 Real Genius

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 23:56:00 -0700

The nerd stereotype, codified recently by such sitcom fair as Big Ban Theory, is much more nuanced and varied than your typical comic book nerd, as depicted in 1985's classic Real Genius. Chris Knight, Mitch Taylor, and Lazlo Hollyfield portray well thought out three dimensional characters that offer up a tiny comedic slice of the genius mind. While playing loose and fast with technical development cycles for military hardware and procurement timelines, Real Genius makes science coooool!

Download: 162 Real Genius

161 Monty Python and the Holy Grail

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 23:55:00 -0700

"Not dead yet!!" This week we review the quintessential Monty Python classic Monty Python and the Holy Grail. As opposed to the typical quotes and rehash of scenes, Matt and Mark attempt to rate the top bits from this sketch comedy classic and arrive at the same number one. Can you, dear listener, guess which one? Comedies are always a challenge to review, but unlike Sir Robin, we do not run away!

Download: 161 Monty Python and the Holy Grail

160 Get Carter

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 23:53:00 -0700

This week we review the classic British crime film Get Carter released in 1971. A view into the gritty proletariat British underworld, this groundbreaking film dispenses with the flash of previous British efforts, likening itself more to American detective stories. Mark feels its influences may have come full circle however, with directors like Guy Ritchie emulating Get Carter but unfortunately falling into a stylized glammy traps. A classic anti-hero feast, Michael Caine is the definition of the "smooth criminal."

Download: 160 Get Carter

Dark City (Recorded 2012)

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 23:50:00 -0700

We review the certified cult classic Dark City by Alex Proyas (released in 1998) in this week's episode. While both admitting this film is an amazing, groundbreaking, and influential piece of cinema, we spend a great deal of time discussing the film's theme (and our minor confusion thereof...) with a bit of nitpicking... perhaps undeservedly. Avoiding the usual scene-by-scene breakdown (we leave that up to Roger Ebert's excellent DVD commentary), we instead stick to 'big picture' concepts in the film. I tout its Sci-Fi street cred, while Mark begs to differ... Dark City stars Rufus Sewell, Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly, and William Hurt. Enjoy!

Download: Dark City (Recorded 2012)

159 Strangers with Candy

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 23:48:00 -0700

This week we review the sketch comedy adaptation Strangers with Candy. A lukewarm response from both Matt and Mark, Matt tries to dissect why 30 minute sketch comedy shows tend to limp into mediocre 90 minute films. It could be that while Amy Sedaris's Jerri Blank is funny for a 10 minute block, stretching this unlikable character to film length becomes challenging. Anyway, Mark has declared this the summer of 'funny', so let this be the vanguard.

Download: 159 Strangers with Candy

158 Red

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 23:46:00 -0700

This week we review the evocative Krzysztof Kieslowski swan song Red from his Three Colors Trilogy. A universally praised movie, its themes focus on the ideas of chance relationships and redemption. Mark brings up an interesting point however: while the main character is female, her story and character seem to take a back seat. Why? I don't think we'll ever know. A beautiful film of masterful detail, regardless.

Download: 158 Red

157 The Room

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 23:45:00 -0700

Oh hi! We're back. This week we review Tommy Wiseau's 2003 disasterpiece The Room! Mark brings some back story to the podcast while Matt brings his voice (back). Yes, it's been awhile as a Westeros class winter cold has ruined Matt's voice for much of the past month. Anyway, make sure to go out and catch the MST-3K 2015 release of The Room in a theater near you.

Download: 157 The Room

156 Das Boot

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 23:44:00 -0700

This week we took a significant portion of our free time and devoted it to watching the 3.5 hour directors cut of Das Boot. Divorced of U.S. war film tropes, Das Boot offers up a depiction of war that combines the psychological with action in a way that forces the watcher to feel the claustrophobia and terror of war at sea. Despite its subject matter, Das Boot is also an exposition on the mechanical wonders of undersea warfare, strangely making it one of Matt's adolescent cult hits.

Download: 156 Das Boot

155 District 9

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 23:42:00 -0700

Matt and Mark review the Oscar nominated District 9! One of the better Sci-Fi films in recent years, the film asks question about our humanity by our reaction to the inhuman. Despite its many plot holes and heavy handed themes, District 9 creates characters you feel invested in (human and alien) and builds a level of tension in its beautiful action sequences. Additional D9 is a technical achievement that uses CGI in way that compliments film making as opposed to detracting from it.

Download: 155 District 9

Max Max 2 - The Road Warrior (Recorded 2012)

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 23:37:00 -0700

We up the production value with a little bumper music courtesy of Dan-O at www.danosongs.com while adding in a little Ebert-esque intro clip. In this week's episode, we discuss the seminal cult classic Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, a cult movie if there ever was one. Mad Max 2: TRW was a watershed moment for action film and the post apocalyptic fiction in general. It literally defined the look and feel of the genre. The Road Warrior was written and directed by George Miller and stars the volatile and never boring Mel Gibson. Enjoy...

Download: Mad Max 2 - The Road Warrior (2012)

154 Easy Rider

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 23:29:00 -0700

The ultimate movie of the short lived motorcycle genre, Easy Rider takes the societal outcast counter-culture mythos to a new level. In their road quest, Wyatt and Billy realize they too have fallen prey to the machinery which they seek to rise above. Because in the end, they're just a couple of capitalists working their end of a scheme, man. "We blew it Billy!" A 60's complete with stereotypical flaky hippies and homicidal rednecks, Easy Rider let's you once again fly the tattered freak flag.

Download: 154 Easy Rider

153 The Birds

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 23:28:00 -0700

Matt has somewhat recovered from his apocalyptic cold, at least enough to mumble about these god damned Birds!! This week we review the Hitchcock classic 'The Birds'. While many have speculated about Hitchcock's greater message with the film, the simplest answer may be the most truthful: filling a town full of maniacal swarming birds just seemed like a bad ass enough premise, right? So, sit down to a nice plate of crow, and enjoy!

Download: 153 The Birds

152 Dirty Dancing

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 23:26:00 -0700

This week Matt and Mark embark on a voyage of teenage girl wish fulfillment and for our listeners, do not come up empty handed. To be as dismissive of this film as Ebert is would be to do it injustice. Just like elves and trolls are to adolescent boys, Johnny Castle is to adolescent girls. So what if the archetype is implausible? Doesn't matter. Whether it be a teenage vampire, an s&m billionaire, or a dance virtuoso at a blue blood Catskills resort, all that matters is they see Baby in the corner and lament whoever it is that put her there.

Download: 152 Dirty Dancing

151 The Raid: Redemption

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 23:24:00 -0700

A film of choreography, physical expression, and near musical rhythm, The Raid: Redemption serves up kung fu style violence as a Bollywood film serves up its musical numbers. This not a film about violence, don't make that mistake, this is a film whose medium is violence. There's really no morality tale, despite the title. So if you're craving a blitz of gonzo chop socky, The Raid Redemption is for you!

Download: 151 The Raid: Redemption

150 Zardoz

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Fri, 5 Jul 2019 23:35:00 -0700

We were going to get around to discussing Zardoz sooner or later, and now is the time! Matt and Mark review this most awesome Boorman cult classic and wade deep into the questions its Sci-Fi world creates. Zardoz plays wit the idea of utopia and immortality in a way that makes us question humanity's relationship with the death. What is life without death? So boring you'll pray for the sweat death, apparently, even if meted out by a gang of mankini wearing Brutals from the Outlands.

Download: 150 Zardoz

149 Beetlejuice

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Fri, 5 Jul 2019 23:33:00 -0700

This week Matt and Mark review the Tim Burton breakout Beetlejuice, a surreal ghost story that explores the mechanics and absurdest bureaucracy of being dead. A showcase for Burton's imaginative film making, many dismissed the film as gag-driven and style-over-substance (including a one R.Ebert). Matt and Mark disagree. To make work, even awkwardly, some of Beetlejuice's bizarre spectacle is to succeed. Must we regurgitate Dante every time we conjure the afterlife? The answer is "Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse".

Download: 149 Beetlejuice

148 Buckaroo Banzai

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Fri, 5 Jul 2019 23:31:00 -0700

This week we tackle the beloved Buckaroo Banzai on The Cult of Matt and Mark. Unarmed with its plentiful quotes and sound drops, Matt feels we may have let the fanboys down on this one. Mark however takes a more measured and less apologetic approach. Just because Banzai might not occupy your childhood nostalgia, does not mean this fecund space farce's Tolkien-esque mythology cannot be respected and enjoyed. So monkey boys, head into the way-back machine and enjoy the 80's pop-rock stylings of the Hong Kong Cavaliers.

Download: 148 Buckaroo Banzai

147 Legend

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Fri, 5 Jul 2019 23:30:00 -0700

Matt battles the forces of nostalgia to defend the honor of Legend against the mediocre reviews it received at the time, while Mark debates the Lili characters quest-worth. Ridley Scott's Legend is an astounding visual feast the brings to bear the best of the pre-CGI era practical effects. Intended to be a 'live action' Disney-like film ala Snow White, it succeeds. However, its ability to craft like-able characters in its heightened landscapes falls short. But one thing we can all agree on is that the teenage Mia Sara lit the fires of many proto-goth boys back in the 1980s with her black lipstick moodiness.

Download: 147 Legend

146 Top Gun

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Fri, 5 Jul 2019 23:28:00 -0700

This week we review the Tim Robbins classic Top Gun (yes, Tim Robbins was in Top Gun!... Merlin?... check the credits!) on The Cult of Matt and Mark. A cultural phenomena that encouraged thousands of young men to serve aboard aircraft carriers performing duties far less awesome than flying an F-14 Tomcat. Matt and Mark are of Ebert's opinion on this one, when in flight Top Gun soars, when on the ground, the film crashes and burns. So take a ride in to the danger zone of Cold War era machismo and enjoy.

Download: 146 Top Gun

145 The Princess Bride

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Fri, 5 Jul 2019 23:27:00 -0700

This Barbara Streisand vehicle is even better than seeing Babs live!! ... wait... no? This isn't The Prince of Tides? That was a close one. This week we review the 1987 classic The Princess Bride. A bit of a split review this go 'round, Mark finds the deft care Rob Riener takes with the characters memorable and endearing while Matt lacks the proper nostalgia to truly embrace this quirky and nuanced film. One thing we both can agree on is that it takes a rare individual to seek out a Billy Crystal performance.

Download: 145 The Princess Bridge

144 In Bruges

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Fri, 5 Jul 2019 23:25:00 -0700

Finishing out our Christmas movie theme, we review the nearly perfect In Bruges directed by Martin McDonagh. Matt and Mark both agree, that the film achieves what the likes of Quentin Tarantino set out to do with conversation-based character driven crime stories in the 90's. However, unlike QT's recent bombastic over-the-top cinematic daring, In Bruges relies on expansively 3D dimensional characters with tactful nuance. All actors are firing on all cylinders including the memorable supporting cast. So, kick back, enjoy the fairy-tale shit, and take in the medieval marvel of Bruges!

Download: 144 In Bruges

143 Lethal Weapon

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Fri, 5 Jul 2019 23:23:00 -0700

Matt and Mark apologize in advance for the quality of this week's podcast. Mark's single malt exhaustion coupled with Matt's daycare sponsored cold has made the coherence and vocal quality of this review possibly annoying. Anyway, excuses aside, we indulge a watershed moment in 80's action film with this Richard Donner 48 hour power punch of mania. Gibson is always a treat, especially when he's playing a half-crazed (possibly "Mad") cop acting out from the recent loss of his wife, while Glover, who finally comes into his own in a leading role, anchors this adept cop buddy classic. So put in the mousse and tease that mullet out for Lethal Weapon! Oh yeah... and Merry X-mas!

Download: 143 Lethal Weapon

142 The Machinist

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Thu, 4 Jul 2019 23:42:00 -0700

Can one's conscience inflict a more tortured justice than that of society's? Christian Bale in The Machinist delivers a portrait of masochism in the form of madness. A Hitchcockian film, it is a nod to the psychological thriller of old (right down to the use of the theremin in the soundtrack). Bale, one of the greater actors of our generation, puts his health at risk to depict a man transformed not just mentally, but physically by his guilt. So drop a few NoDoz, stay up for a week or so, and enjoy the world of The Machinist.

Download: 142 The Machinist

141 Bubba Ho-Tep

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Thu, 4 Jul 2019 23:40:00 -0700

Matt and Mark are in the house (literally) when we both manage to co-occupy the same room for this week's review of Bubba Ho-Tep, a rare collector's edition podcast, if you will. We delve into the high concept wackiness which manages to meld myth with legend and conspiracy theory. Tossing aside the Elvis cliches, director Coscarelli and cult film actor Bruce Campbell paint a respectful portrait of Elvis as a regretful nursing home patient facing the reality all of us will at one point face. That reality, of course being one where you're forced to fend off a 5000 year old mummy from a soul sucking onslaught.

Download: 141 Bubba Ho-Tep

140 Starship Troopers

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Thu, 4 Jul 2019 23:38:00 -0700

Can there be a fascist utopia? Such a question is usually never entertained in polite company (knowing what we know today), but Paul Verhoeven serves up such an idealist future in 1997's Starship Troopers, while wrapping it in a nice Leni Riefenstahl bow (with tongue firmly in cheek). True to form, Verhoeven manages to insinuate nuanced philosophical musings into a bombastic sci-fi action film. A satire that baits the educated liberal class, Starship Troopers is a film that continues to gain appreciation as it ages.

Download: 140 Starship Troopers

139 Robocop

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Thu, 4 Jul 2019 23:36:00 -0700

"Domo arigato Mr. Roboto!" Matt and Mark review the Verhoeven classic, Robocop, a move that spawned a franchise that continues to this day. As usual, Verhoeven transcends the sci-fi high-concept and makes a prescient film packed with big ideas served it up with a beautiful does of satirical humor. Robocop's future is our present, a cornerstone of the cyberpunk zeitgeist, not only with its predictions of man/machine technologies, but also with its notions of politics and our exploitative media culture.

Download: 139 Robocop

138 Halloween

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Thu, 4 Jul 2019 23:33:00 -0700

Matt and Mark's Halloween movie marathon "The horror... the horror... " concludes this week with the the titular 1978 classic by John Carpenter. A definitive slasher film if there ever was one, John Carpenter uses minimalism to his advantage with "now you see him/now you don't" camera shots that highlight paranoia and dread. The masked Michael Meyers is what Dr. Loomis dubbed the embodiment of evil, however a more fearful notion still is that Michael Meyers has decoupled from a human soul so completely, "good and evil" no longer hold meaning. Happy Halloween everybody!!

Download: 138 Halloween

137 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Thu, 4 Jul 2019 23:31:00 -0700

Our penultimate pick for our October "The horror... The horror.." marathon is the cult classic 1974 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. A film that adds family life to the derangement of your standard slasher-killer horror film standby, TTCM is the inspiration for arguably better fair such as Rob Zombie's House of a 1000 Corpses. Sadly, most of the film is consumed in tedious chase scenes and waits until its last 20 minutes to truly reveal is genius. Worth a watch none-the-less.

Download: 137 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

136 Killer Klowns from Outer Space

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Thu, 4 Jul 2019 23:29:00 -0700

The Horror... The Horror... continues this week when we review the highly regarded B-movie Killer Klowns from Outer Space, a movie that sets your expectations low by its premise. Matt retells his childhood clown trauma while Mark patiently listens, trying to provide healing. Why are these clowns so creepy? Partly, its the monster movie in reverse. You see them in all their gratuity at the outset, and as its silliness wears off, the disturbia settles in.

Download: 136 Killer Klowns from Outer Space

135 Ringu (Ring)

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Wed, 4 Jul 2018 22:44:00 -0700

The Horror... The Horror... continues this week with your marathon run-up to Halloween. We review the original Japanese Ringu (Ring) from which inspired the highly successful American remake. A minimalist fright-fest, gone are the typical gory tropes of traditional film horror, instead replaced by a meta-foreboding that will make you jump at the site of grainy old school television sets and the shrill ring of land line phones. Matt and Mark ponder Sadako's curse in the age of Youtube and wonder if its possible to curse an entire planet.

Download: 135 Ringu (Ring)

134 The Exorcist

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Wed, 4 Jul 2018 22:44:00 -0700

Time to have a chat with Captain Howdy this week when Matt and Mark review the horror classic The Exorcist. Continuing on with our pre-Halloween "The Horror..." marathon, we discuss the disturbing Friedkin masterpiece that has few, if any, parallels. The Exorcist is strangely a movie for skeptics by skeptics, taunting one to ask terrifying questions about humanity's existence. While many think the opposite of love is hate, the opposite of love is indifference, and the demon occupier Pazuzu/Captain Howdy epitomizes this anti-human element by brutally perverting an innocent twelve year girl, while taking you a long for the ride.

Download: 134 The Exorcist

133 Pieces

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Wed, 4 Jul 2018 22:43:00 -0700

And we're back! The Horror... The Horror... this week we start off The Cult of Matt and Mark's horror movie marathon on the run up to Hell'oween with the grindhousey Pieces from 1982. A movie that defines the slasher genre in all of its cliche'd silliness. Mark is able to appreciate the films nuances, while Matt laments his inability to partake in Washington State's new-found freedom to herbally enhance for such cinematic exploitation. Nowadays, it has been out done by the horror auters it inspired (e.g. Eli Roth), it gives the gory gross out the old college try.

Download: 133 Pieces

132 The Passion of the Christ

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Wed, 4 Jul 2018 22:42:00 -0700

Matt and Mark are going on a summer hiatus, but will be back mid-to-late September for our Halloween run-up horror-a-thon. To tide you over, we review the Mel Gibson film The Passion of the Christ. Beloved by the devout, it's time for the atheists perspective. And it cannot be denied, TPOTC is a flat-out good film, regardless of its two-millennium of baggage. Matt takes a psychological perspective while Mark provides the Christian context. A film that is guilty by association, it deserves an honest viewing, even by the most cynical and critical among us. And the South Park guys can go hang. Anybody that wants their money back for TPOTC are nothing but assholes.

Download: 132 The Passion of the Christ

131 Stranger Than Paradise

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Wed, 4 Jul 2018 22:41:00 -0700

Matt and Mark review the Jim Jarmusch indie darling Stranger Than Paradise. A film ahead of its time, it manages to capture the Kurouac feel despite its early 80's setting. Speaking to the aimless twenty somethings, there's a lot to relate to. Unfortunately in Jarmusch's endeavor, this atmosphere seems to come at the expense of plot and theme. What is this movie about? Not sure. Although, I'm sure Jim Jarmusch would retort in an ironic hipster quip that would leave you defenseless.

Download: 131 Stranger than Paradise

130 Escape from New York

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Wed, 4 Jul 2018 22:41:00 -0700

The third and final review of the John Carpenter/Kurt Russell trilogy, this week we discuss Escape from New York. Mark's virgin viewing coupled with Matt's nostalgia result in contrary opinions. Does Escape from New York really not work? Does its unique premise and the quintessential movie anti-hero Snake Plissken override some of its more 2D performances? It's hard to say. But one could argue if it really matters in the end. One thing we do learn watching Escape, is that the rumors of Snake Plissken's premature demise may have been greatly exaggerated.

Download: 130 Escape from New York

129 This is Spinal Tap

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Wed, 4 Jul 2018 22:40:00 -0700

Let's turn this up to 11! Matt and Mark have come to the realization that it's a challenge to review comedies properly, and Spinal Tap is no different. But we give it a go, and as such, end up rambling quite a bit. Perhaps more tangential than usually, on this podcast we try to probe the cliched and spoof-worthy realm of heavy metal pop music, a comedy rich landscape. Spinal Tap holds a mirror up to the self-indulgent adolescent rocker, and no matter how close it hits to home, bands to this day continue to indulge the silliness. Just as rock will never die, neither will Spinal Tap.

Download: 129 This is Spinal Tap

128 Full Metal Jacket

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Wed, 4 Jul 2018 22:39:00 -0700

Does Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket romanticize war? Is it possible to make a war movie that doesn't? An interesting two-part film, Kubrick builds a loose narrative from vignette's that don't necessarily speak to one overriding theme. But one doesn't watch FMJ to hammer home the "war is bad" narrative, you watch it for its dark humor, you watch it for its quips, character sketches, and dialogue, and you watch it because its evocative. "Get some!"

Download: 128 Videodrome

127 Videodrome

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Wed, 4 Jul 2018 22:38:00 -0700

This week we review David Cronenberg's 1983 classic Videodrome. If brain tumors were doled out to those who've casually watched tasteless sex and violence, we'd all be dead in the internet age. But back in 1983, when VHS acted as a sole source for content delivery of our collective perversions, Videodrome was perhaps more prescient and horrifying. Thirty years later, calloused to reality television and on-line video "obscenity" where everyone lives "online", Videodrome's blurred reality is more the norm than the exception. Enjoy a little Crononberg body-horror and long live the new flesh!

Download: 127 Videodrome

126 Fast Times at Ridgemont High

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Wed, 4 Jul 2018 22:37:00 -0700

Could this movie get made today? If you're the strangely prudish Russ Meyer devotee, Roger Ebert, the answer would be "let this movie never get made!" As time travelers from the hyper-sensitive P.C. present, Matt and Mark disagree. Stacy's coming of age experiences with underage sex, reproductive mistakes, and poor judgement isn't necessarily the exception, but perhaps more the norm than uptight middle-aged white guy America likes to think. In the past, Jennifer Jason Liegh's Stacy probably would have been burned at the stake, but in early 80's American, she's just slut shamed by Ebert.

Download: 126 Fast Times at Ridgemont High

125 Sexy Beast

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sun, 25 Mar 2018 22:47:00 -0700

Just when you think you're out, they pull you back in! This week Matt and Mark review Sexy Beast starring a surprisingly menacing Ben Kingsley as the titular character. While Sexy Beast could easily be a straight up British heist film, it chooses to be something more. Which is strange considering its 85 minute run time. Kingsley's Don Logan is a sociopath with a single-mindedness that may be perfect for crime, but is cancerous when it comes to matters of the heart. Sexy Beast is well filmed and visually amazing, and one can only wonder if Donnie Darko's Frank the bunny was inspired by Sexy Beast's Uzi toting counterpart.

Download: 125 Sexy Beast

124 Big Trouble in Little China

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sun, 25 Mar 2018 22:46:00 -0700

John Carpenter's campy cult classic Big Trouble in Little China, chock full of classic special effects, still holds up to this day and as a result is a beloved favorite by many (more some, than others!... you know who you are). An original film concept if there ever was one, Big Trouble slips between Western tropes and Hong Kong Kung-fu awesomeness while mashing it up with Dungeons and Dragons, creating an adventure no nerdy teenage boy of the 80's could resist. Anyway, pour some green tea into your favorite bottle of Scotch, sit back, and enjoy!

Download: 124 Big Trouble in Little China

123 Borat

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sun, 25 Mar 2018 22:44:00 -0700

Very Nice! High Five! At the height of America's redneck propaganda in 2006, immersed in one of the most ridiculous overseas misadventures of the country's history, Sacha Cohen decided to hold up a cultural mirror to the ole' USA, resulting in Borat. Gag driven and loosely scripted, stereotypes both of the old world and the new are juxtaposed for laughs, sometimes mixed, sometimes spot on. However, the fact that Borat doesn't really resemble anyone from Kazakhstan may be the movie's most deft criticism of our cultural myopia and stupidity.

Download: 123 Borat

122 The Matrix

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sun, 25 Mar 2018 22:42:00 -0700

An epic podcast this week (and maybe our longest?), we enter the Matrix, a film that stylistically matches our appetite for thought provoking sci-fi. Like most sci-fi, the Matrix is derivative, but in all the right ways, especially when it comes to the questions Agent Smith poses to not only Neo and Morpheus, but ourselves. If your existence is defined as a prison, regardless of the cage, is it your duty as a human to escape it? Must human beings never serve a master? Red or blue, the choice doesn't seem to be that simple.

Download: 122 The Matrix

121 Bad Boys 2

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sun, 25 Mar 2018 22:41:00 -0700

What? You haven't seen the first Bad Boys? Sorry bro, you're totally not going to get Bad Boys 2. But if you dare, let Matt and Mark give you the neophyte's perspective. A quintessential Michael Bay action movie (although quintessential is a little too high bro) BB2 is a film lesson in why our current decade and a half has been a wretched low point in action film, devoid of suspense, care, or craftsmanship. BB2 is what happens when films are made purely based on marketing decisions, solely focused on profit margins. Michael Bay's talent lies in his ability to get asses in seats, $12.50 in hand, and for that, he and his ilk will unfortunately be with us for quite some time.

Download: 121 Bad Boys 2

120 The Terminator

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Tue, 31 Oct 2017 22:42:00 -0700

Matt and Mark take an objective look into whole the Harlan Ellison-James Cameron kerfuffle over the origins of the film The Terminator. After much deliberation, we determine that not only is Harlan Ellison kind of a dick, but that Cameron should be given credit for taking the nascent Outer Limits episode Soldier and fleshing it out into a more exciting action packed narrative. Regardless, its always nice to entertain the notion of traveling back to Reagan's big hair 80's and getting the chance to blow that miserable decade back to hell.

Download: 120 The Terminator

119 Secrets and Lies

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Tue, 31 Oct 2017 22:41:00 -0700

It's a storm of swords and a clash of kings this week as Matt and Mark enter the bloody battle space of drama film reviewing. Secrets and Lies is not a popcorn movie, unless you like to salt your popcorn with the tears of bleak desperation and catharsis. But one thing Mark and Matt did conclude during this contentious and disagreement fraught podcast is that the dramas one likes are deeply personal, and perhaps for unexplained reasons lacking resolution. Even if you haven't seen S&L, tune in and see what reviewer becomes a feast for crows.

Download: 119 Secret and Lies

118 Deliverance

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Tue, 31 Oct 2017 22:39:00 -0700

This week we head down river into the "squeal like a pig" back woods of Southern hill billy-dom when we review the unforgettable John Boorman film Deliverance. Not necessarily an essay on the nature of violence, Deliverance offers up questions of morality vs. civilization's legal framework. Because it's one thing to be a victim of violence, it's another to be at the mercy of unknown justice. An adventure story perhaps, Matt argues that it is something more, while Mark wrestles with contrived plot mechanisms and ham-fisted allegory.

Download: 118 Deliverance

117 The Seventh Seal

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Tue, 31 Oct 2017 22:38:00 -0700

Would you like to play a game... with Death? Only really a stalling tactic, Max Von Sydow's Antonius Block endeavors to play Death a game of chess, not necessarily to put off the inevitable, but offer God a chance to make himself known. A literal movie, Ingmar Bergman's The 7th Seal dispenses with metaphor and allegory, instead relying on stunning visuals to deliver its point. Endlessly parodied and borrowed, The 7th Seal is a cornerstone of our collective cinematic language.

Download: 117 The Seventh Seal

116 Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Tue, 31 Oct 2017 22:36:00 -0700

Heading off for a savage journey to Heart of the American Dream, Matt and Mark discuss the pros (Matt) and cons (Mark) of the Hunter S. Thompson adaptation Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Terry Gilliam. Matt attempts to slice and dice the absurdity, comparing such existential musings with the likes of Sartres and Camus, while Mark shrugs his shoulders at the irredeemable assholes which are Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo. It's hard to argue either way.

Download: 116 Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

115 Threads

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Tue, 31 Oct 2017 22:34:00 -0700

Are you ready for the feel good movie of 1985! ... No? Perfect. Let's watch Threads! The unrelentingly bleak UK film about the realities of nuclear war. Humanity may survive such an apocalypse, but what does it really mean to survive in world without progress, a civilization in regression... ugh... so hopeless... Anyway, Threads will make want you want to fire up the XBox and play a little Fallout 3 to dissolve the gloom. Armageddon was supposed to fun, wasn't it?

Download: 115 Threads

114 They Live

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Tue, 31 Oct 2017 22:33:00 -0700

A strangely influential John Carpenter B-movie, They Live's premise of an Alex Jones alien conspiracy to take over our planet Republican-style could only be effectively pulled off with a healthy serving of camp. Matt indulges his loathing for all things moneyed and corrupt while Mark puts it all in perspective. So OBEY and enjoy! Remember to like us on Facebook and tune in to Matt's mini Sci-Fi animated film short festival.

Download: 114 They Live

113 Screamers

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Tue, 31 Oct 2017 22:31:00 -0700

We conclude our Dan O'Bannnon'othon this week with the 1995 Screamers. Not a great movie by any stretch of the imagination, Matt finds himself in the odd position of defending cheesy B-grade sci-fi to Mark. Despite being ridden with plot holes and degraded by lack of production value, Screamers achieves in theme what many more blockbuster offerings only hint at. Holding true to its Philip K Dick short story source material, Screamers surpasses the likes of Paycheck and Minority Report without the Hollywood head-start.

Download: 113 Screamers

112 Altered States

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Tue, 31 Oct 2017 22:30:00 -0700

Mark gives Matt enough rope to hang himself when Matt goes on a hippie-hating tangent in the guise of scientific credibility this week when we review the cult classic Altered States. What is consciousness? Does it matter when you're talking about insight into our own inner human experience? Maintaining its high for the first part of the film, AS descends into silly farcical horror the latter half, which is to not necessarily diminish its effect.

Download: 112 Altered States

111 Total Recall

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Tue, 31 Oct 2017 22:28:00 -0700

Matt and Mark review the Verhoeven 1990 classic Total Recall starring Arnold Swarzenegger. Matt struggles to evoke the sense of sci-fi wonder in Mark when he becomes fixated on the notion of a Hilton hotel room on the planet Mars, complete with cheesy wall art. But despite this, Matt and Mark do thoroughly plumb the Phillip K Dickian notion of "what is real" and Total Recall's deft delivery thereof. Total Recall's true magic is its ability to literally spoil the plot for you 1/4 of the way in, yet keep you riveted until the very end.

Download: 111 Total Recall

110 Closer

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Tue, 31 Oct 2017 22:26:00 -0700

Matt and Mark try to get closer to Closer this week when we review the 2004 adaptation of the titular play. Like Mike Nichols other film The Graduate, this film examines the lives a self-involved privileged and generally unlikable people, daring its audience to take a stake in their relationships' outcomes. Is there a 'theme' here? Hard to say, but memorable well written scenes, this movie has many. So why do you like this movie? Perhaps you're a f*&%ing caveman!!!

Download: 110 Closer

109 Lifeforce

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Tue, 31 Oct 2017 22:24:00 -0700

Vampires in space! Oh the high concept! Matt and Mark find the thin blue/green/red/gray line of our mutual tastes with this week's review. While Matt picks at the film's contrived ideas and its poorly thought out feasibility, Mark gives Lifeforce a pass, enjoying the dry wit of the British characters and B-movie silliness. A movie that really should never have been made, Lifeforce, like many megaplex flops, is a film artifact, and for that reason, I/we suppose it is worth a watch.

Download: 109 Lifeforce

108 Predator

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Tue, 31 Oct 2017 22:22:00 -0700

A simple twist on the "Most Dangerous Game", Predator extrapolates big game hunting into the interstellar. When compared with the chicken-shit style of hunting ala Dick Cheney's "fish in a barrel" Texas ranch shoot-your-friend-in-the-face or the deservedly maligned Melissa Bachman lets-blow-away-an-endangered-cat-because-I-can nonsense, the Predator plays fair, allowing its prey to shoot back. So when Ahneld asks the question "What da' hell ahr you?" and the Predator mimes back the question, the exchange is more poignant than it may seem.

Download: 108 Predator

107 Alien

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Mon, 7 Aug 2017 21:08:00 -0700

The Dan O'bannon-othon continues this week with the 1979 classic Star Beast (original title) aka Alien. Matt and Mark discuss at length Mr. O'banon's hand in making this film and his purity of vision compromised for better-or-worse by the deft hand of Ridley Scott (probably for the better). While the alien xenomorph is a beautiful monster designed by H.R. Giger, its ingenious biology was not as much a consequence of stylistic creativity than it was plot necessity, which may have worked even better.

Download: 107 Alien

106 Blue Velvet

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Mon, 7 Aug 2017 21:06:00 -0700

David Lynch's proto-Twin Peaks film Blue Velvet lays the groundwork for many of the quirks that define the film maker. A tale of curiosity, sex, trauma, and torture, Blue Velvet deals in darkness, but not in an exploratory way which many have criticized as giving the heavy subject matter short shrift. However, to take anything else out would be to leave the film bereft of its powerful imagery and atmosphere. Crack a Pabst Blue Ribbon you fucking fucks, and enjoy, because this... is... it!

Download: 106 Blue Velvet

105 Heavy Metal 1981

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Mon, 7 Aug 2017 21:05:00 -0700

Don Felder, the unsung hero of the most loved/hated band ever The Eagles, bestows some righteous licks upon the adult animated universe in this week's cult classic Heavy Metal (1981). Another notch in the belt of Mark's Dan O'bannon'othon, Matt takes a nostalgic trip into his 80's adolescence and remember his first exposure to the T&A laden comic book magazine. Not exactly up to the snuff of today's slick CGI bombast, Heavy Metal does lay the groundwork for future tropes however.

Download: 105 Heavy Metal 1981

104 A Clockwork Orange

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Mon, 7 Aug 2017 21:04:00 -0700

This week Matt and Mark review Kubrik's A Clockwork Orange. Viddying the horror-show ultra-violence and some of the ole in-out in out, we seek the film's thematic elements through its stylistic fog. While Alex is a miserable, violent, and possibly irredeemable bastard, he provides us a window into an alien personality that we experience but with whom we aren't necessarily asked to sympathize. And that may've been the films worst sin in many critics' eyes, thus dismissing a beautifully wrought film of near artistic perfection.

Download: A Clockwork Orange

103 Return of the Living Dead

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Mon, 7 Aug 2017 21:02:00 -0700

Once again Matt and Mark return to the sub-genre of horror comedy. A highly rated film by Alien screenplay writer Don O'Bannon, RotLD sets the mood for all slapstick zombie horror to follow ("brains... more... brains"). While Mark indulges the silliness and touts its original ideas, Matt is less engaged. Not necessarily an indictment of the film per-se as much as a 'been there, done that' attitude calloused by henceforth imitators. None-the-less a worthy outing.

Download: 103 Return of the Living Dead

102 The Thing 1982

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Mon, 7 Aug 2017 21:01:00 -0700

And finally.... John Carpenter's The Thing is reviewed this week on The Cult of Matt and Mark. While much is to be said about the making of this strange dread-filled movie adaptation of the original Campbell novella, Matt and Mark delve into the viability of The Thing as an organism, attempting to rationalize its motives, desires, and biology. Dismissing Ebert's dismissal of this seminal Sci-Fi horror classic, we are drawn to the film 30 years on, engaging it again and again with homage prequels and video games as we try to capture a little of Carpenter's original paranoid beauty.

Download: 102 The Thing 1982

101 Kill List

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Mon, 7 Aug 2017 21:00:00 -0700

Matt and Mark are back in movie review mode this week with our take on the UK soon-to-be cult film Kill List. Skillfully made by Ben Wheatley, with measured pacing and realistic dialogue, the film is a mash-up domestic drama, hit man thriller, and horror. While echoing the Wicker Man (Podcast #10), the Kill List, whether intended or not, does not tie up its loose ends neatly, which is both evocative and maddening.

Download: 101 Kill List

100 BONUS EPISODE!

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Mon, 7 Aug 2017 20:58:00 -0700

It's The Cult of Matt and Mark's 100th Episode, and this week we decided to take topics from our loyal listeners, film related and otherwise. So come join us, knock back a few (we always do), and allow us to waste your time with inadequate answers to very thoughtful questions/topics! Much thanks to friends of the show Aaron C. of Ireland and Tom H. of Australia.

Download: 100 Bonus Episode!

099 Killing Zoe

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sat, 8 Apr 2017 23:32:00 -0700

Not a spectacular movie but one of Matt's cult films none-the-less, Killing Zoe has the heavy hand of Quarantino all over it. A churn of graphic violence, drug use, criminality, friendly prostitutes, KZ is a walk on the wild side. Lacking the thematic meat of other films, Matt and Mark get slightly tangential, which is why we're soliciting topics for our 100th podcast! Make sure to email us desired topics at cultfilmreview@gmail.com. Film based or other-wise, we will discuss ALL emails sent in!

Download: 099 Killing Zoe

098 The Big Lebowski

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sat, 8 Apr 2017 23:31:00 -0700

The Mt Everest of cult films, The Big Lebowski may offer too much meat for Matt and Mark to digest properly, but we give it a go regardless. Like Sam Elliott's cowboy, we ramble quite a bit. Matt wastes a great deal of time trying to pinpoint his loathing towards all that the fraudulent Reagan-inspired titular character represents, while Mark thankfully stirs us towards more interesting topics like the fleecing of Walter and The Dude over the funeral home's most modestly priced receptical.

Download: 098 The Big Lebowski

097 A Scanner Darkly

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sat, 8 Apr 2017 23:30:00 -0700

A film tailor made for Philip K Dick fans, where many Hollywood blockbusters have failed (yep, that's my finger and it's pointed at you Stephen Spielberg and John Woo) Richard Linklater delivers the goods.... which may be the reason ASD didn't bring the masses to the megaplex, but whatever. While not necessarily the most coherent of podcasts to date, we try to get to the 'dark' heart of A Scanner Darkly's drug fueled paranoia, with our meager sober minds.

Download: 097 A Scanner Darkly

096 Children of Men

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sat, 8 Apr 2017 23:30:00 -0700

What most action movies strive to achieve but somehow completely fail at, Children of Men, the apocalyptic drama by director Alfonso Cuaron, succeeds. Filmed with such immediacy and consequence, it's hard not to be in the shoes (or flip-flops) of Clive Owen's Theo and ponder the slow whimper-filled twilight of mankind's tenure. So pull yourself up a bottle of Scotch (Matt a 20yr Macallan, Mark a 12yr Glenfiddich) and embrace the sweet oblivion.

Download: 096 Children of Men

095 Trainspotting

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sat, 8 Apr 2017 23:29:00 -0700

No, Matt and Mark did not indulge heroin for this week's podcast, even though our off-kilter and awkward Skype issues might give one the impression of a nascent junk habit. This week we review the British cult 90's classic Trainspotting. Not much of a morality tale, and as the viewer you don't much care, as it offers up a buffet of interesting characters all swirling around the desperate world of heroin use. Solidly directed with solid actors, Danny Boyle made a name for himself with this iconic film, leading to a career that continues to challenge its viewers.

Download: 095 Trainspotting

094 Pink Flamingos

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sat, 8 Apr 2017 23:28:00 -0700

With the invention of the internet and its vast inexhaustible 24/7 geek show, the relevance of Pink Flamingos has long past. Despite its obsolete status, it still does not fail to disgust (there's a little bit of vomit-in-your-mouth for everyone). John Waters somehow managed to carve out a mainstream film career from this cinematic circus freak show, which defies convention. Not really Matt and Mark's cup o' tea, we both struggle to take a little bit away.

Download: 094 Pink Flamingos

093 Akira

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sat, 8 Apr 2017 23:27:00 -0700

Matt and Mark review the Otomo classic Akira this week, taking stock of its 25 years and whether or not its message of creation/destruction is transcendent or buried in the generational zeitgeist of post-war Japan. Released at the height of the cyberpunk wave, its flashy urban grit and ground-breaking animation make for anime spectacle despite Matt and Mark's lament that the use of psychic powers is weak sci-fi sauce, but that's just nitpicking.

Download: 093 Akira

092 The Maltese Falcon

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sat, 8 Apr 2017 23:27:00 -0700

Matt and Mark get into the way-back machine and rediscover The Maltese Falcon, the hard-boiled film noir that started it all. So borrowed in pop-culture, to watch the unaltered/unmolested original, the film that started the genre, is an experiment in perception. Matt of course takes issue with old film (as usual), moaning about dialogue and realism, while Mark enjoys the quick-paced action and direction of the one and only John Huston, finding the movie uniquely fresh 70+ years on.

Download: 092 The Maltese Falcon

091 Night of the Living Dead

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sat, 8 Apr 2017 23:26:00 -0700

Q: mommy, daddy, where do zombies come from? A: from vampires of course! It's no accident that the walking dead resemble all the mythical tropes of a vampire, undead-ness, feeding on human flesh, etc... Heavily borrowed from Richard Matheson's novel 'I am Legend', George Romero reinvents the idea giving birth to the rich cornucopia of zombie entertainment today. Matt and Mark discuss this nuance, and others, like the subtext of American racial tension in the late 60's on this week's podcast.

Download: 091 Night of the Living Dead

090 Muriel's Wedding

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sun, 12 Feb 2017 15:39:00 -0800

A little late this week, Matt and Mark, consumed with the Sisyphean chores of yardwork the prior weekend, managed to finally get the podcast out! We review Muriel's Wedding and Mark discloses his affinity for the melancholia of the ambition-less suburban existence while Matt riffs on the US and Australia's mutual affinity.

Download: 090 Muriel's Wedding

089 Outland

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sun, 12 Feb 2017 15:37:00 -0800

Not really a science fiction film if you hold a snobby attitude towards the genre, but perhaps a nicely wrought 'space opera' more akin to Star Wars than Blade Runner. Matt and Mark review the film Outland starring Sean Connery, a recasting of the 'High Noon' western tale set on the far-flung Jovian moon of Io. A straight forward plot filled with hit-men, corrupted lawmen, and seedy power-brokers, it makes for a very enjoyable film, minus pretense. Absent heavy thought-provoking sci-fi themes, Matt and Mark discuss the minutia.

Download: 089 Outland

088 Over The Top

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sun, 12 Feb 2017 15:35:00 -0800

A movie about arm wrestling? really? It's high concept, Mark and I both agree this odd Stallone vehicle, strangely ridden with ad placement, is that, but what else is it? Matt finds this Hollywood misfire a strange concoction of sap, corniness, and bad acting while Mark manages to find a certain redemption. What's most troubling is how Mike Hawk is handled in the film, stiff but lacking potency, and at the film's climax, a little dry.

Download: 088 Over The Top

087 Annie Hall

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sun, 12 Feb 2017 15:33:00 -0800

Matt and Mark come to the conclusion that reviewing comedies is tough business and Annie Hall is no exception. More meat on its bones than the romantic comedies that came before and after, Annie Hall provides an interesting window into Woody Allen's persona, one both of us (more so Matt) can easily relate to: neurotic, self-deprecating, liberal, and fond of easy intellectual pretentious stereotypes that invite mild ridicule. We try to do it justice, so... you decide.

Download: 087 Annie Hall

086 Alphaville

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sun, 12 Feb 2017 15:30:00 -0800

Famous French director Jean-Luc Godard explores a world if 60's vintage IBM created a dystopic city hellbent on galactic domination! A sci-fi film minus the leotards and lasers, Alphaville is more about theme than flash, which is to its credit. A society devoid of emotion or passion creates a ant-hive like world where its doped numb citizens only live for the now. Mark expresses a budding affection while Matt expresses admiration despite its derivative sci-fi themes.

Download: 086 Alphaville

085 The Graduate

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 09:29:00 -0800

It's not rebellion that defines youth (that's a given) but it's really how one rebels... In the case of Dustin Hoffman's Ben Braddock in The Graduate, his act of rebellion comes in the form of easy sex with the venerable Mrs Robinson played by Anne Bancroft. Juxtaposed to 60's counter-culture, Ben's form of revolt lacks a needed creativity or a new paradigm which was the hallmark of his more adventurous generational peers, which is why he is so unlikable. Matt and Mark discuss a film whose time may have passed but is still relevant in its capturing the 1967 zeitgeist, still making it worthy of discussion.

Download: 085 The Graduate

084 Master and Commander

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 09:27:00 -0800

And we're back! This week Matt and Mark review the rip-roaring high seas adventure film Master and Commander The Far Side of the World. Doing storytelling justice, MACTFSOFTW teases out just the right tidbits to flesh out full characters, reflecting and contrasting persona to add depth without bruising the script purple with unneeded conversation. Matt discloses his spiteful appetite for minke whale while both Matt and Mark relish in the blood and splinters visceral nature of Napoleanic tall-ship combat, a form of war rarely depicted in an era of the modern shoot 'em up.

Download: 084 Master and Commander

083 Sideways

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 09:26:00 -0800

An epic podcast by Matt and Mark this go around and perhaps our longest (depending on editing). Viewing the Jack and Miles characters as two side of the same addiction-addled coin (strange-women/alcohol ...respectively), we discuss the chemistry of the unlikely duo. In addition, Matt waxes hypocritically on the snobbishness of wine aficionados while defending his Scotch addiction. Sympathies abound with the struggling novelists plight as well (please by my novel Nova Byzantium, coming out in October via Masque Books).

Download: 083 Sideways

082 The Five Deadly Venoms

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 09:24:00 -0800

Inspiring a whole sub-genre of mystical East Coast hip hop, the 5 deadly venoms is the epitome of classic kung fu pulp. Matt indulges his nostalgia, championing the cheesy sound affects and bad dub, while Mark gives a more adult sub-titled perspective. With an arguably nebulous plot, the premise is solid but that's not really the point. This is a stunt show, similar to professional wrestling, with all the fake blood and melodrama of Hulk Hogan's turn to the "dark side."

Download: 082 The Five Deadly Venoms

081 Red Rock West

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 09:21:00 -0800

Adios Red Rock! This week Matt and Mark review the neo-noir western Red Rock West directed by John Dahl. A fairly straight up review, Matt waxes nostalgic for a Wyoming perhaps more intriguing than ever experienced while Mark gives us a virgin-eyed view of this early 90's classic. All actors are in top form including an non-inebriated/non-crazy Nick Cage and the ever wily Dennis Hopper. So kick up your cowboy boots, grab yourself a bottle of Bud and a shot of Jim Beam, and enjoy...

Download: 081 Red Rock West

080 Chinatown

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 09:20:00 -0800

Chinatown... not so much a place as it is an unknowable reality which Jake Gittes attempts to understand when he follows John Huston's Noah Cross down his amoral rabbit hole. Steeped in classic film noir tropes, Chinatown isn't so much an homage as it is a synthesis of the classics. The water-tight script has been called the "greatest script ever" by film scholars and it's hard to argue otherwise, although Mark manages to point some a few ambiguous inconsistencies. Polanski, familiar with the abyss himself, takes us on a tour.

Download: 080 Chinatown

079 Goonies

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 09:19:00 -0800

In 1985 Steven Spielberg conjured the kids' film Goonies from his bag of money-making tricks and garnered a cult following among the adolescents of the day (Matt and Mark included). Set in the rainy berg of Astoria, Oregon, Goonies is an Indiana Jones for juniors. Mark takes issue with fat kid stereotypes but gives the film cred for its realistic fraternal relationships, while Matt reminisces about the 80's style water parks. But all in all, we still must fault Spielberg for his hallmark emotional manipulation even though he let's adolescent kids crack sex jokes and say "shit", something verboten in today's young adult film market.

Download: 079 Goonies

078 True Romance

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 09:17:00 -0800

A film that somehow usurps its lead actor and director by its supporting performances and screenwriting, True Romance was quintessential 90's cool. Quentin Tarantino, as writer, is at the heart of this updated Bonnie and Clyde story, where comic book nerds leap from their lowly low-paying clerk status into the realm of mobsters, Hollywood coke kings, and the FBI, all the while sweeping blonde bombshells off their feet. What's not to love!? Mark and Matt both indulge this highway fantasy, while Mark discusses what cosmic alignment must occur for him to entertain the idea of procreation.

Download: 078 True Romance

077 THX 1138

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 09:16:00 -0800

George Lucus's debut feature THX 1138 was one of the first and last Zoetrope films to be produced by Francis Ford Coppola's nascent production company. Before Star Wars and the ILM empire was founded, Lucas cut his chops on true Sci-Fi themes in this dystopic 1984 story revised for the 60's/70's bomb-shelter generation. Matt and Mark digest the themes of the film, embellished by a haunting sound track and stark sterile visuals. Both agree this is rock-solid sci-fi which mainstream film rarely dabbles in and few get right.

Download: 077 THX 1138

076 Sholay

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 09:14:00 -0800

Attempting to expand our listenership to the sub-continent of India, Matt and Mark review the #1 Indian cult film of all time, Sholay! A movie that leverages familiar tropes of western film to create what is called the "masala" Curry Western, director G.P. Sippy provides a bit of something for everybody. Having little exposure to Bollywood film-making, we both feel that if you're going to start somewhere, Sholay is the place. Now throw your arms in the air, like you just don't care!.... uhm... not you Thakur.... yeah, yeah... we know.

Download: 076 Sholay

075 Office Space

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Tue, 11 Oct 2016 22:41:00 -0700

Damn, it's good to be a gangster! Matt and Mark review the 1999 cult classic Office Space by Beavis and Butthead creator Mike Judge. An existential film if there ever was one, Office Space mines the heart of darkness lurking in the quiet desperation of our ubiquitous industrial parks. In lamenting the soullessness of modern corporate life, Judge releases subtle comedic gold. We've all met Lawrences and Lumbergs, but Judge is able to introduce you to these archetypes deftly and without the heavy-handedness typical of more mainstream Hollywood comedies.

Download: 075 Office Space

074 Jaws

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Tue, 11 Oct 2016 22:40:00 -0700

Mark's virgin viewing of the high-concept classic Jaws, from sophomore director Steven Spielberg. Mark gets to the heart of his prejudice against Spielberg and tries not to bring his baggage into the review, but we both find it fairly hard to defend the director's later efforts. Despite his reliance on emotional claptrap, Spielberg delivers a terrifying fish story held tight by the superb acting trio of Scheider, Dreyfuss, and Shaw.

Download: 074 Jaws

073 The Virgin Suicides

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Tue, 11 Oct 2016 22:38:00 -0700

You miss them until they're gone... such is the paradox of the ephemeral and beautiful teenage girl. This week Matt and Mark try to get to the bottom of a film that admits it has no answers, Sophia Coppala's The Virgin Suicides. An extremely evocative film, it deftly plays with the idealism of youth juxtaposed to the tarnished mediocrity of adulthood, allowing you only brief empathetic glimpses into the life of adolescent girls.

Download: The Virgin Suicides

072 Blazing Saddles

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Tue, 11 Oct 2016 22:37:00 -0700

The originator of the first cinematic fart joke, Mel Brooks hits his farcical stride in the 1974 film Blazing Saddles. Exploiting exploitation itself, Brooks manages to charm his audiences with the absurdity of our shameful national history. Both making fun of the Old West and the titular film genre of the 50's and 60's, Brooks uses every gag known to man, making its cheap laughs nearly transcendent. So fix yourself a plate of beans and a pot of coffee and join in on the gastrointestinal hilarity.

Download: 072 Blazing Saddles

071 The Dark Crystal

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Tue, 11 Oct 2016 22:35:00 -0700

Another world! ... Another time! This week Matt and Mark review the Jim Henson Frank Oz puppet show masterpiece The Dark Crystal. A marvel of classic special effects, TDC proves to be an evocative film minus its human-free celluloid. Marketed as a children's movie, it challenges youthful sensibility with a touch of Grimm's fairy tales, and in so doing, gives its viewer the benefit of the doubt. So forget James Cameron's heavily borrowed Pandora and settle in to the more imaginative world of The Dark Crystal.

Download: 071 The Dark Crystal

070 Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Tue, 13 Sep 2016 22:23:00 -0700

Matt and Mark delve into the big-boobed world of Russ Meyers this week when we review the 1965 cult classic Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! We attempt to explore the feminist angle of FPKK by juxtaposing the Varla character with the typical male-dominated action roles. What we get is an interesting hyperbole of exaggerated misogyny that may speak more truth then most men can admit.

Download: 070 Faster Pussycat!

069 Reservoir Dogs

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Tue, 13 Sep 2016 22:22:00 -0700

Well, it's about time we got around to reviewing a Quentin Tarantino film ("Quarantino", if you're not into that whole brevity thing, man). A cult film if there ever was one, Matt and Mark discuss the seminal classic Reservoir Dogs. Along with its violence, R'Dogs capitalizes on the subtle yet intriguing nuance of everyday guy conversations, whether its pop-culture musings or humorous anecdotes. Tarantino's dialogue is where he's always been the strongest, which of course is not to sell the film short for its storytelling chops, which QT deftly wields.

Download: 069 Reservoir Dogs

068 The Third Man

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Tue, 13 Sep 2016 22:21:00 -0700

This week Matt stupefies Mark, and possibly raises the ire of all those who consider themselves fans of cinema, by shrugging off the film noir classic The Third Man, starring Orson Welles. Yep, Matt must admit he did not enjoy the film, despite its essential place in cinematic history. Mark makes the case which Matt respects, but in the end, film will always be a subjective media. Anyway, we'll let the listener decide. Hate mail welcome!

Download: 068 The Third Man

067 Aliens

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Tue, 13 Sep 2016 22:19:00 -0700

"We're in some real pretty shit now!" Well, it's good to see that in the far interstellar future of mankind, the institution of the U.S. Marines is spreading its diplomatic subtleties far and wide, perhaps no better embodied by the memorable Pvt. Hudson character played by Bill Paxton in James Cameron's epic sequel Aliens. Matt obsesses over James Cameron's flair for far future gadgetry while Mark muses on the humor of Hudson, literally and figuratively. After 27 years, Aliens is a terrific sci-fi film that's stood the test of time.

Download: 067 Aliens

066 Dersu Uzala

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Tue, 13 Sep 2016 22:18:00 -0700

The famous Japanese director Akira Kurawasa released his only non-Japanese language film in 1975, Dersu Uzala, the true life tale of Siberia's version of Jedi Master Yoda. Matt and Mark invite Mark's better half Jean to share in our discussion of the quiet classic. Man v. Nature is always a straight forward theme, but here, we're treated to a nuanced interpersonal relationship between two characters that define the eternal struggle. With vistas of Far East Russia, Dersu is a beautiful snapshot of frontier life that's all but disappeared.

Download: 066 Dersu Uzala

065 American Psycho

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sun, 7 Aug 2016 20:55:00 -0700

Is Christian Bale's Patrick Bateman a metaphor for corporate America, male narcissism, or both? Matt and Mark try to sort it out when we review the darkly satiric American Psycho, released in 2000. Matt rants about the Reagan era, embodied by Patrick Batemen's empathy-free consumerist machismo, while Mark brings up the hypothetical and controversial view that the only problem with serial killers is their choice of victim. And last but not least, R.I.P. Roger Ebert, you will be missed.

Download: 065 American Psycho

064 Wet Hot American Summer

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sun, 7 Aug 2016 20:53:00 -0700

Wet Hot American Summer is farcically neither. A film in a long line of farce comedies, Wet Hot has a lot to live up to. While Matt compares it to titans of the comedy sub-genre (Caddyshack, Strange Brew, Ron Burgandy, etc...) and finds much to criticize, including its lack of a comedic anchorman, no pun intended, Mark indulges and champions it's hit-or-miss weirdness. One of the few films where we disagree, it makes for a much lively discussion than your average junior high sycophantic scene rehashing.

Download: 064 Wet Hot American Summer

063 River's Edge

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sun, 7 Aug 2016 20:44:00 -0700

What if there was a murder and nobody cared? This week Matt and Mark enter the teenage nightmare of River's Edge, starring the always enigmatic Crispin Glover, along with Keanu Reeves, Ione Skye, and an ever-crazy Dennis Hooper. Based after a real life murder, River's Edge dares you to blame the film's psychological phenomena on the usual suspects (drugs, alcohol, societal breakdown, the media, etc...) but in providing no answers, it forces the viewer to ask deeper and more troubling questions about the human animal.

Download: 063 River's Edge

062 Apocalypse Now

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sun, 7 Aug 2016 20:43:00 -0700

Time to make a friend of horror! This week Matt and Mark attempt to get at the heart of Francis Ford Coppola's Heart of Darkness adaptation, the Vietnam masterpiece Apocalypse Now, starring Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall and a rotund Marlon Brando. Probing the dark corners of Kurtz's psyche, Matt and Mark dwell on the fundamental themes of A.Now, for better or worse, depending... A multi-themed film deserves its due, and perhaps long winded, Matt and Mark attempt to give this monstrously important film its day in court.

Download: 062 Apocalypse Now

061 Pink Floyd The Wall

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sun, 7 Aug 2016 20:42:00 -0700

Forgoing the Pink Floyd fanboy trivia, Matt and Mark explore the quiet desperation of Bob Geldolf's Pink character in the The Wall. What happens when you write off your fellow man, embrace your cynical side, and dismiss one's need for meaningful personal relationships? Roger Waters explores this idea using music and evocative visuals in this cult "rock opera". If you could only take one music video to to the dark side of the moon, we highly recommend The Wall (take that Axl Rose and your November Rain!).

Download: 061 Pink Floyd The Wall

060 War Games

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 10:55:00 -0700

Shall we play a game? Galaga? or Donkey Kong... maybe Pac Man? In War Games, Matthew Broderick's character David (a fellow Snohomish High alum!) was pining for something more in home gaming, which leads him to the Pentagon's NORAD launch computer WOPR/Joshua. More of a tangential podcast than most, Matt and Mark cover many topics including extinction events, AIs, and Ally Sheedy's strange attraction for the John Lennon-esque professor Falken. War Games gave hope to thousands of shut-in hackers that it's theoretically possible to one day make out with a chick.

Download: 060 War Games

059 Aguirre The Wrath of God

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 10:53:00 -0700

In 1972, Werner Herzog released the cult masterpiece Aguirre the Wrath of God starring the mad acting genius of Klaus Kinski. Matt struggles to verbalize the proper analogy for this obsessive story of hubris and doom, while Mark points out religion's seemingly absurd (yet obvious) place in the New World's conquest. Regardless, Aguirre is an amazingly shot experiment in gonzo/guerrilla film making that would go on to be heavily borrowed by other directors like Francis Ford Coppola and Terrance Malick.

Download: 059 Aguirre The Wrath of God

058 Being There

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 10:52:00 -0700

Life is just a state of mind! Yes, in a way, and if you have the mind of Chauncey Gardener, played brilliantly by Peter Sellers in the Hal Ashby film Being There, that mind is a little... lacking? Matt and Mark share differing opinions regarding the film, with Matt criticizing the film's dated satire while Mark basks in the 'alien-like' preternatural Chauncey. Regardless, Being There hits the right notes and manages to avoid going the 'full retard', laying the groundwork for cultural feel-good hits Forrest Gump and Rain man.

Download: 058 Being There

057 Ghost in the Shell

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 10:50:00 -0700

Conjuring the 'ghost' of the bygone 90's cyberpunk era, Matt and Mark review Mamoru Oshii's anime classic Ghost in the Shell, released in 1996. Pondering such Sci-Fi topics as the Technological Singularity, we discuss the viability of a world dominating artificial intelligence and how the GITS's Puppet Master may fit such a paradigm. But more importantly, we discuss whether or not anime cyborgs are truly anatomically correct.

Download: 057 Ghost in the Shell

056 Re-Animator (1985)

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 10:48:00 -0700

"But you're just a talking head!" And so are Matt and Mark this week when we discuss Stuart Gordon's 1985 Cult Classic Re-Animator, based loosely on H.P. Lovecraft's short story of the same name. Matt and Mark get into the finer physiological details of 're-animation' and come to the conclusion that freezing your head, despite its promise of immortality, will not even get you close to the body-less monstrosity of the film's Dr. Carl Hill. Sorry Mr. Disney.

Download: 056 Re-Animator (1985)

055 Conan the Barbarian (1982)

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 10:47:00 -0700

Q: What is best in life? A: Watching John Milius's 1982 sword and sorcery epic Conan the Barbarian starring Arnold Schwarzenegger! Matt and Mark attempt to discuss one of the greatest films of its genre. Slightly before J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit there was Robert E. Howard's Conan short stories in Weird Tales, an influential fantasy character that still resonates with audiences today. Managing to get it right, Milius's Conan pays tribute to the venerable character while adding new dimensions to the barbarian king's story. There is only one Conan movie, and this.... is.... it!

Download: 055 Conan The Barbarian (1982)

054 Intacto

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 10:45:00 -0700

Is Luck an ephemeral 'thing' that can be swapped and stolen? Matt and Mark try to sort out the nuance of that question this week when we review Juan Fresnadillo's freshmen effort Intacto. Starring the venerable Max Von Sydow as the Luck Master, this visually stimulating film plays with its magic in such a way that may hide its truer reality. Dismissing its magical gimmick, Matt and Mark discuss the film in a practical context, for better or worse.

Download: 054 Intacto

053 Showgirls

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 10:44:00 -0700

"You're going to have to sell it sometime"... and for Elizabeth Berkeley that time was 1995 when Paul Verhoeven released the over-the-top NC-17 rated Showgirls. An exercise in off-color exploitation, Showgirls is viewed by many as not only a camp classic but also satire. What is it satirizing? Perhaps the feel-good "a star is born" tropes of Americana, hard to say, but one thing you can say is that 17 years on, people are still talking about it, which unlike most of Hollywood's endless parade of vapid offerings makes it worthy of at least a little discussion.

Download: 053 Showgirls

052 The Crying Game

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 10:42:00 -0700

A very gender neutral podcast this week as Matt and Mark review Neil Jordan's 1992 much talked about The Crying Game. While set in "The Troubles" of IRA political intrigue, its message about love and attraction is much more basic, yet altogether complex. Mark derides Matt for his soon-to-be antiquated old-timey prejudices and dares him to imagine a manly world where macho men still seek the company of their catamites, much to Matt's obvious discomfort. The Crying Game delves into our facades, with the overt not necessarily being the most malign.

Download: 052 The Crying Game

051 Donnie Darko

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Mon, 25 Apr 2016 22:37:00 -0700

"Why are you wearing that stupid man suit?" Oh Frank, such a quip from a demonic 6' tall rabbit. This week we enter Richard Kelly's tangential universe in the neo cult-classic Donnie Darko, starring the siblings Gyllenhaal. Despite perhaps an overly contrived metaphysical philosophy (which provides the basis for this genre-bender) Donnie Darko succeeds with its atmosphere. We are left to bask in its weirdness, a demonic rabbit, a dues-ex machina jet engine, and the truth that the world will end in 28 days. All of this combined with its nostalgic 80's high school setting somehow works, making it a thoroughly enjoyable film despite its calorie-free ending.

Download: 051 Donnie Darko

050 Die Hard

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sun, 6 Mar 2016 23:47:00 -0800

Yippee-ki-yay, Mother F****rs, It's Christmas movie time! In 1988 Bruce Willis starred as the venerable John McClane in Die Hard, paving the way for a decades spanning action enterprise that refuses to *cough* die. A script loaded with one-liners, overly campy character archetypes, and a little touching sappiness to boot, Die Hard achieves what it set out to do: epitomize all that is 80's action. Bruce Willis would never be the same afterward and neither would we. Sparing us the stilted accent of Schwarzenegger and the punchy slur of Stallone, Willis offered us a "thinking man's" action star...or at least a coherent one.

Download: 050 Die Hard

049 Swingers

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sun, 6 Mar 2016 23:46:00 -0800

We're all so money, and we don't even know it! This week we review the 90's zeitgeist 20-something indie hit Swingers, starring a young Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Ron Livingston and an ever beautiful Heather Graham. After his first viewing, Mark delves into the existential and the futile of what it is to be truly "money", while Matt embraces his inner Vince (aka Trent). With a heavy dose of 60's lounge nostalgia, Swingers is couched in the heydays of the past. But Mark's not buying any of that hipster crap. Stay dead Sinatra!!

Download: 049 Swingers

048 Oldboy

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sun, 6 Mar 2016 23:45:00 -0800

Revenge is a dish best served as a live octopus in a Seoul sushi restaraunt. Oldboy is a Korean psychological thriller from Chanwwok Park that exploits the idea of revenge to full effect. Where violence always takes the forefront in revenge tales (and there is a decent amount of violence in Oldboy) this film deconstructs the idea into a form of brutal shared empathy that gets to the heart of the vengeance concept. A mix of Hitchcock and Tarantino, smart and poetically objective, Oldboy is cinema that reinvents its genre.

Download: 048 Oldboy

047 Glengarry Glen Ross

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sun, 6 Mar 2016 23:43:00 -0800

It's all about the fucking leads!!! This week Matt and Mark review the boiler room Mamet classic Glengarry Glen Ross directed by James Foley and starring a rock star "super group" of Oscar talent including Al Pacino, the late Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, and Kevin Spacey. Like a meat grinder, this film shows you what happens when you take the weak pulpy bits of human pride and process them through the steel teeth of capitalism. To be a salesman is to be an actor, a character fueled by seduction and confidence, and if your act isn't honed, as Baldwin's character Blake puts it, "You can't close the leads you're given, you can't close shit, *you are* shit, hit the bricks pal, and beat it, 'cause you are going *out*. "

Download: 047 Glengarry Glen Ross

046 Taxi Driver

cultfilmreview@gmail.com (The Cult of Matt and Mark) — Sun, 6 Mar 2016 23:40:00 -0800

"You lookin' at me? ARE you lookin at me?" ... is strangely the most quoted line of the gritty 70's New York City classic Taxi Driver, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert Dinero. Armed with a skewed morality concocted from a lonely paranoid mind, Dinero's Travis Bickle embarks on a manic crusade to "clean the scum off of the streets." With an ending, nicely wrapped up with a bow, the director maps a path of violence from which redemption is achievable. Laying the groundwork for the Tarantinos of current cinema, Scorsese shows us the gutter and revels in it.

Download: 046 Taxi Driver

045 Goldfinger