BP Fleet

The Wild Angels + Baise-moi

Thu, 02 Sep 2021 20:47:52 GMT

The second chapter of the Exploitation + New French Extremity journey. This times, files that can be viewed around the world! Fortune smiles upon Double Feature as a theme of freedom and rebellion ties the parallel film movements together. The … Continue reading →

The post The Wild Angels + Baise-moi first appeared on Double Feature.

Suspiria (2018) + Belladonna of Sadness

Fri, 27 Aug 2021 16:59:28 GMT

Artful witches have an odd way. A coven helps break down the mise-en-scène with Suspiria (2018). The feeling of European arthouse films may have been buried in the 80s but it was resurrected by Suspiria in 2018. Mise-en-scène is a … Continue reading →

The post Suspiria (2018) + Belladonna of Sadness first appeared on Double Feature.

Kiki’s Delivery Service + The House with a Clock in Its Walls

Fri, 20 Aug 2021 21:18:13 GMT

A walk through youthful breezy films with a robust set of interpretive tools. Looking at Kiki’s Delivery Service after everything learned on the grand Ghibli journey. One tiny witch, one big village. Independence, it’s everything you ever wanted and nothing … Continue reading →

The post Kiki’s Delivery Service + The House with a Clock in Its Walls first appeared on Double Feature.

Ghost World + Wiener Dog

Thu, 12 Aug 2021 23:01:17 GMT

Independent, and maybe Independent As Fuck. One of the all-time greatest comic book adaptations, Ghost World. It seems illegal to watch these actors in this film. A debate on whether or not every single person in Ghost World is fucking … Continue reading →

The post Ghost World + Wiener Dog first appeared on Double Feature.

Chungking Express + Fallen Angels

Fri, 06 Aug 2021 20:55:57 GMT

Enter the world of Wong Kar-wai with Chungking Express and the spiritual successor Fallen Angels. A day and night Hong Kong pair from a director who should have been on Double Feature a long time ago.

The post Chungking Express + Fallen Angels first appeared on Double Feature.

Ready or Not + Would You Rather

Thu, 29 Jul 2021 18:05:11 GMT

Bottle films where mad men (of various numbers) make one or more participants play a deadly children’s game. Bonus points: films that are very aesthetically of their moment (or maybe even more specifically, a moment that summarizes the most popular … Continue reading →

The post Ready or Not + Would You Rather first appeared on Double Feature.

Cockfighter + A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 16:00:55 GMT

The rough and tumble birds of existential cinema. Cockfighter as the rare Corman underdog. The drifter and the road film. Holding strong onto the extended bird metaphor. Don’t call Pigeons sky-rats. The composition of A Pigeon Sat on a Branch … Continue reading →

The post Cockfighter + A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence first appeared on Double Feature.

Tie Me Up Tie Me Down + The Witch Who Came From the Sea

Fri, 16 Jul 2021 01:00:34 GMT

Find two movies fucked up enough for each other. An interdisciplinary approach to subverting the issues of equality? Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! or Pedro Almodóvar’s ¡Átame! Representing the world as it is vs as we wish it was. … Continue reading →

The post Tie Me Up Tie Me Down + The Witch Who Came From the Sea first appeared on Double Feature.

Marihuana + Criminal Lovers

Thu, 08 Jul 2021 18:04:55 GMT

American Exploitation and The New French Extremity. Want a better understanding of these movements? Start here! Take a deep dive on the entirety of two misunderstood subgeners in this multi-part series, beginning now with Marihuana and Criminal Lovers. The complete … Continue reading →

The post Marihuana + Criminal Lovers first appeared on Double Feature.

Jupiter Ascending + Alita Battle Angel

Fri, 02 Jul 2021 22:03:42 GMT

Failure to launch. Welcome to Double Feature! Giving love to two battle-weathered films with epic ambitions. What is a logline? How can you use loglines to get more out of films you loved? And actually, films you really didn’t? Jupiter … Continue reading →

The post Jupiter Ascending + Alita Battle Angel first appeared on Double Feature.

Double Feature Year 13 Finale

Thu, 24 Jun 2021 19:05:31 GMT

Get access to ALL previous episodes at Patreon.com/DoubleFeature – starting fresh? This is a great first episode to listen to! A full reset of Double Feature begins next episode. For now, here’s a spoiler-free retrospective of the entire last year. … Continue reading →

The post Double Feature Year 13 Finale first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Auld Lang Syne Off

Sun, 03 Jan 2021 15:54:17 GMT

After a long and edifying journey, Jim (again) says goodbye to I Do Movies Badly and the friends he made along the way.

IDMB Episode 215 - Introduction to Christmas Horror (featuring Alonso Duralde)

Wed, 09 Dec 2020 04:02:22 GMT

Alonso Duralde, podcaster extraordinaire and author of "Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas," returns to IDMB for the annual tradition of Christmas recommendations - this time with a bloody twist. On brand for 2020, Alonso's recommendations for this year are Christmas horror films and they're not the ones you'd expect: Curtis Harrington's Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? (1972), Lewis Jackson's Christmas Evil (1980), and Chris Peckover's Better Watch Out (2016).

IDMB Episode 214 - Possession (1981)

Fri, 04 Dec 2020 03:17:55 GMT

In the pantheon of IDMB movies that have befuddled me, there's Igmar Bergman's Person, Andrei Tarkovsky's The Mirror, Kim Ki-duk's The Isles, and now, there's Andrzej Zulawski's Possession.

IDMB Episode 213 - House (1977)

Wed, 25 Nov 2020 02:28:05 GMT

House is uh...an indescribable film. Avant-garde haunted house horror-comedy, Obayashi's absurdist answer to Jaws is technically innovative, off the wall ridiculous, and a seeming deconstruction of horror archetypes. Also, boring and exhausting (unless you're Chuck Stephens)

IDMB Episode 212 - The Killing of a Sacred Deer

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 02:23:55 GMT

The Killing of a Sacred Deer is a darkly comic tale of moral and social rigidity in which an unseen act brings out the inherent darkness in its protagonist. The balance that Lanthimos strikes between absurdity and horror is superb, but does our protagonist deserve what befalls him?

Here's where you can find The Killing of a Sacred Deer review from RogerEbert.com by Brian Tallerico

IDMB Episode 211 - Introduction to Highbrow Horror (featuring Benny Krown)

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 23:51:08 GMT

Benny Krown returns to I Do Movies Badly for the November (and a little bit of December) theme of Highbrow Horror! The guest whose last appearance to talk about Abbas Kiarostami has equal pretensions on his mind, discussing his relationship with the horror genre, what it means to be highbrow/arthouse/pretentious, and recommending three horror films that exist well outside the mainstream consciousness: Yorgos Lanthimos' The Killing of a Sacred Dear (2017), Nobuhiko Obayashi's House (1977), and Andrzej Zulawski's Possession (1981).

IDMB Episode 210 - Ma

Thu, 29 Oct 2020 00:24:35 GMT

Ma is neither great nor terrible, though its quality would certainly lean more towards the latter if not for the casting of and rewriting for Octavia Spencer, whose portrayal of a character not written to be African-American lends a subtext of tokenism and how victimization perpetuates victimization.

After a discussion of the film, some news on the direction of the podcast for the remainder of the year (SPOILERS: it's horror).

IDMB Episode 209 - Get Out

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 03:14:50 GMT

What can be said about a film that in just 3 years has already been canonized as a classic and has inspired classes in academia? All I can really add to the conversation about Get Out are the reasons that I think it's an excellent horror film along with why it's a fucking absurd critique to say "if the protagonist was white, we wouldn't be talking about it."

IDMB Episode 208 - The People Under the Stairs

Tue, 13 Oct 2020 23:50:05 GMT

First and foremost, thanks to everyone who contributed in some way - big or small - in helping me surpass 100,000 downloads!

Second and..er...secondmost(?), Wes Craven's The People Under the Stairs is clunky at times and strange all the time, but is an excellent social satire, depicting the real life horrors of gentrification and systemic racism in an over-the-top way that made Craven's biting social commentary more entertaining for a mass audience.

The article that I quoted extensively is Daily Dead's "Retrospective: Wes Craven's The People Under the Stairs" written by Patrick Bromley.

IDMB Episode 207 - Introduction to Racial Reckoning Films (featuring Mark H. Harris)

Mon, 05 Oct 2020 23:09:33 GMT

If you've ever been to BlackHorrorMovies.com or watched the fabulous documentary, Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror, then you may recognize my October guest. To help celebrate the Halloween season, Mark H. Harris joins I Do Movies Badly to talk about racial reckoning in horror films! Mark talks about how he fell in love with horror, the elements and history of black horror films and racial reckoning, and recommends 3 films that each focus on a different aspect of racism and white people getting their comeuppance: Wes Craven's The People Under the Stairs (1991), Get Out (2017), and Ma (2019).

IDMB Episode 206 - The Prophecy

Wed, 23 Sep 2020 22:49:48 GMT

The Prophecy has a really cool premise - angels seeking an edge over other angels to win the second war in Heaven! - and some enjoyable campy performances, but is a badly disjointed film (whether that's because of its first-time director or meddling from the Weinsteins is something maybe only God knows).

IDMB Episode 205 - Frailty

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 01:06:19 GMT

Unlike some films (here's looking at you, The Usual Suspects), Frailty holds up very well on a second viewing, probably because there's more to it than just the twist, like the honest depiction of emotional abuse and the culmination of the film's cynical journey towards its gut punch reveal.

IDMB Episode 204 - The Exorcist

Wed, 09 Sep 2020 18:44:23 GMT

Almost 50 years after its release, why is The Exorcist such an enduring, powerful horror film? I am obviously the first to ever ask this question about this cinematic classic, so allow me to answer: the time it takes to layout what's at stake and Owen Roizman's objective, documentary approach to the cinematography.

IDMB Episode 203 - Introduction to Religious Horror Films (featuring Spooky Doings)

Wed, 02 Sep 2020 20:33:29 GMT

Chelsea Bennington and Rick Guzman, who started the Spooky Doings improv group that in turn inspired the titular podcast, join I Do Movies Badly to talk about the advent of their horror-themed improv comedy, how their religious upbringings have influenced their moviegoing, and share some religious horror films to watch.

Full disclosure: the recommendations are based around Judeo-Christian themes and iconography. This approach was not taken to be dismissive of or discriminatory against other religions, but because it happens to be the formative religion for all of them: Rick (a devout atheist raised Catholic), Chelsea (spiritual, but not religious), and Jim (devout Christian).

Recommendations: William Friedkin's The Exorcist (1973), Frailty (2001), and The Prophecy (1995).

Keep up with Spooky Doings on Facebook Listen to the Spooky Doings Podcast (specifically, if so interested, Jim's guest episode talking about Bram Stoker's Dracula)

IDMB Episode 202 - Near Dark

Thu, 27 Aug 2020 23:56:01 GMT

The journey for the perfect metaphor ends with Near Dark, a wonderfully directed film that subverts the expectations of the Western genre, but that also signals that the "Others" are vile, bloodthirsty creatures whose influence can only be overcome by blood transfusion.

Read the summary of the essay, "Vampires, Indians, and the Queer Fantastic: Kathryn Bigelow's Near Dark" from The Glorious and the Grotesque

IDMB Episode 201 - The Lost Boys

Tue, 18 Aug 2020 23:37:13 GMT

When Joel Schumacher took over directing The Lost Boys, he made some big changes to the initial idea including making the vampires older, making them sexier, and, by extension, making our heteronormative, boring suburban family protagonists the "others." Read Alcy Leyva's "30 Years Ago, The Lost Boys Introduced Me to Queer Cinema."

IDMB Episode 200 - Fright Night (1985)

Thu, 13 Aug 2020 01:33:34 GMT

Happy 200th Episode to and from I Do Movies Badly! But enough mushy stuff - let's talk about the original Fright Night, a film that seems to be find its queer coded vampire character infinitely more fascinating than the other characters, but one that also casts him as a corrupter of youth and a sexual deviant. Or maybe that's just the POV of its main character, who hates the feelings that his next door neighbor has awoken in him...

IDMB Episode 199 - Introduction to the Queer Vampire Cycle (featuring Terry Mesnard of Gayly Dreadful)

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 19:16:34 GMT

Terry Mesnard of Gayly Dreadful brings some new blood (pardon the pun) to I Do Movies Badly to discuss films of the Queer Vampire Cycle. Terry talks about how his love for horror started with A Nightmare on Elm Street and its drag villain, explores how queer coded characters emerged out of a film industry and American society that didn't want to acknowledge homosexuality, and wades in on whether a director's intent matters as much as audience interpretation (SPOILERS: it does not). No matter what the directors may or may not have intended, Terry explores the queer subtext of the following three films: Tom Holland's Fright Night (1985), Joel Schumacher's The Lost Boys (1987), and Kathryn Bigelow's Near Dark (1987).

Follow Terry on Twitter @gaylydreadful

Check out his podcast, Scarred for Life

And follow it on Twitter as well @ScarredPodcast

IDMB Episode 198 - Class of 1984

Wed, 29 Jul 2020 02:53:41 GMT

Did Mark L. Lester, the man behind Commando, intend us to take Class of 1984 to be a satire of the overblown panic about violence in schools or a gravely serious warning about what he deemed an apathetic, dangerous next generation? Either way, it's an abject failure even if it does typify Canuxploitation. (Also, he definitely intended us to take it seriously)

IDMB Episode 197 - My Bloody Valentine (1981)

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 01:44:06 GMT

There does seem at first to be something clever and subversive about setting a slasher film on Valentine's Day...until you remember that Valentine's Day is a Hallmark holiday and My Bloody Valentine bungles the execution of what could have been an interesting mystery.

IDMB Episode 196 - Black Christmas (1974)

Fri, 17 Jul 2020 01:54:56 GMT

Black Christmas has earned its reputation as a seminal horror film, with Bob Clark's directorial choices and effective subversion of the Christmas holiday season establishing its influence for decades to come (especially in 2020, when this reviewer will be heavily inspired by I'll Be Gone in the Dark)

IDMB Episode 195 - Intro to Canuxploitation (featuring David Bax of Battleship Pretension)

Tue, 07 Jul 2020 22:09:47 GMT

David Bax remains the only I Do Movies Badly guest to actively pitch me topics and thus, he returns for the second time in three months to discuss some Canuxploitation films - or, less fun, "tax shelter films" - in which our neighbors of the Great White North used tax laws to create genre films that were precursors to American genre films in more ways than one. There is, of course, some talk about the impending NHL playoffs and why they're a stupid idea, wading into the waters of questioning if Hamilton is a "movie" or not, and, obviously, the recommendations: Bob Clark's Black Christmas (1974), George Mihalka's My Bloody Valentine (1981), and Mark L. Lester's Class of 1984 (1982).

IDMB Episode 194 - The Endless

Fri, 03 Jul 2020 02:34:49 GMT

Benson and Moorhead revisit the world that they established in Resolution with The Endless allowing them to explore more of the "what" of the entity controlling peoples' fates, but still neglecting to answer the "why" or "how."

IDMB Episode 193 - Resolution

Fri, 26 Jun 2020 14:53:24 GMT

Who'd have thought that it was a review from IMDb cluing me into how Resolution, a film that I initially wrote off as "two guys who did the best they could with what they had," was actually a meta parody of tired horror tropes that leaned into its budget restrictions rather than tried to work around them?

Southland Tales + Spider

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 07:01:32 GMT

Exasperated final episode of Double Feature. Eric’s relationship with Richard Kelly. The newfound cult status of Southland Tales. Donnie Darko and Michael’s tonal whiplash of seeing Southland Tales for the first time. A movie from another timeline. Why did everyone … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Southland Tales + Spider first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 192 - Spring

Tue, 16 Jun 2020 21:37:04 GMT

Benson and Moorhead's Spring is a marvelous exploration of suspense over surprise, focusing on two closed off characters whose world views of objectification stem from their vulnerabilities and fears of loss (even if its female lead is far more interesting than its male lead).

Sorry to Bother You + Bulworth

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 07:01:45 GMT

BLM and Capitalism. Americans hold power to account as The Brands cash in. On the seventeenth day of Black Lives Matter protests in the United States, workers and corporations are both forced to find the right framing for returning to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Sorry to Bother You + Bulworth first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 191 - Introduction to Benson & Moorhead (featuring The Pod and the Pendulum)

Tue, 09 Jun 2020 18:57:51 GMT

It only made sense to bring in the first pair of guests in IDMB history to converse about the first directing pair being covered in IDMB history! Jerry Smith and Mike Snoonian of The Pod and the Pendulum podcast join to discuss the films of indie genre pair, Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead. The boys first all check in to see how everyone is holding up and taking care of themselves as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on and protestors continue to demand police accountability and racial justice. Jerry and Mike talk about their personal creative journeys and how they joined together for The Pod and the Pendulum, they catch listeners up on the Cinestate fallout, and humorously relay the story of how $60 were mysteriously donated to Jerry one day out of the blue.

The two explain their deep love for the low-budget filmmaking duo who build genre elements around ultimately hopeful stories of love and relationships and gush about their three recommendations: Spring (2014), Resolution (2012), and The Endless (2017).

Horror fandom is a passion that is not bound by race, gender, sex, or orientation. If you want to support the diverse voices of genre fans check out these other websites and podcasts: Faculty of Horror Spinsters of Horror Good Mourning, Nancy The Grave Girls Podcast Kill By Kill Scaretroducing Horror Movie Survival Guide The Losers Club Halloweenies Gayly Dreadful Horror Virgin

Redbelt + Blade Runner 2049

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 07:01:37 GMT

The final stop in a look at the roles of writer and cinematographer with David Mamet and Roger Deakins. Redbelt as a film not only written but also directed by David Mamet. An alternate to the action path more commonly … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Redbelt + Blade Runner 2049 first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 190 - Lone Star

Thu, 28 May 2020 22:33:31 GMT

Lone Star is, for better and for worse, an efficient encapsulation of the two things that make John Sayles films well, John Sayles films: his earnest filmmaking and his egalitarianism towards his characters.

Tomboy + Bubble

Thu, 28 May 2020 07:01:08 GMT

The non-actor. Continue reading →

The post Tomboy + Bubble first appeared on Double Feature.

Avatar + Greener Grass

Thu, 21 May 2020 07:01:13 GMT

Another world, where things never made sense to begin with. A bizarre world. A more relatable world. Michael is a dog, now, and Double Feature leaves Earth to cover Avatar and Greener Grass. Bending elements. Tweet Michael if you’re not … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Avatar + Greener Grass first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 189 - Eight Men Out

Wed, 20 May 2020 16:48:37 GMT

Eight Men Out is a pretty faithful and earnest retelling of the 1919 "Black Sox" Scandal...to the film's detriment. More concerned with compiling a mostly historically accurate checklist of what transpired, perhaps Sayles' script would have been better served by another director who could have helped stoke the film's emotional core.

Barking Dogs Never Bite + Mother

Thu, 14 May 2020 07:01:25 GMT

A much deserved look at the work of Bong Joon-ho. An update on virtual cinema! Continue reading →

The post Barking Dogs Never Bite + Mother first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 188 - The Brother From Another Planet

Wed, 13 May 2020 02:31:22 GMT

The protagonist in The Brother From Another Planet doesn't speak one word throughout the entire film, but allows the people that he meets and the neighborhood in which he meets them to tell us a more realistic picture of what it's like to be an immigrant assimilating into a city with a troubling history of racism.

The Shock of the Future + TFW NO GF

Thu, 07 May 2020 07:01:31 GMT

Amazon’s SXSW 2020 Film Festival Collection. An isolation Double Feature provides a look into one of the early attempts to recreate some of the film festival experience as most of the world remains on COVID-19 lock down. Continue reading →

The post The Shock of the Future + TFW NO GF first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 187 - Introduction to John Sayles (featuring James McCormick)

Wed, 06 May 2020 01:46:09 GMT

He was tutored by Roger Corman like Coppola, Scorsese, and Dante. He's worked with actors like Chris Cooper, Matthew McConaughey, David Strathairn, and Angela Bassett. He's done script doctering on notable films like Apollo 13 and Mimic. He's received 2 Oscar nominations for screenwriting. He's John Sayles and, despite his prolific career, nobody talks about him. James McCormick of The Cast of Cthulhu returns to I Do Movies Badly to discuss the career of a writer/director who came up with the New Hollywood crowd, but neither hit the mainstream like Spielberg nor faded away like Rafaelson. The output of the man from Schenectady ranges from "low key" science-fiction to working class dramas and includes the three films James recommends: Brother From Another Planet (1984), Eight Men Out (1988), and Lone Star (1993).

The House by the Cemetery + Three Colors Red

Thu, 30 Apr 2020 07:01:17 GMT

A final trip to to the loose-trilogies of Lucio Fulci and Krzysztof Kieślowski. Continue reading →

The post The House by the Cemetery + Three Colors Red first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 186 - Man With a Movie Camera

Thu, 30 Apr 2020 02:00:04 GMT

With Man With a Movie Camera, Dziga Vertov pioneered many technical camera techniques (double exposure, superimposition, under/overcranking) that filmmakers would utilize regularly for decades to come as well as pioneering the cinéma vérité style. But can we talk about how the guy who's mantra was to capture "life as it is".....didn't do that with this film?

Zombi Child + Extra Ordinary

Thu, 23 Apr 2020 07:01:03 GMT

Exploring Virtual Cinema with a stay inside and do a virtual séance double feature. What is virtual cinema? How virtual cinema differs from VOD in both spirit and practice. The unspoken blow to independent film in the time of COVID-19. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Zombi Child + Extra Ordinary first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 185 - Mother

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 15:16:37 GMT

"Dedicated propagandist" Vsevolod Pudovkin introduces us to the plight of the poor and working class with Mother, a film that reminds us all that the phrase "eat the rich" was not a contemporary idea.

Contagion + Demolition Man

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 07:01:34 GMT

Shelf life. How movies fall in and out of touch with society. Relatability is a circle. Eric’s new film Antrum is the deadliest film ever made and also the number one trending movie on Amazon Prime! Continue reading →

The post Contagion + Demolition Man first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 184 - Battleship Potemkin

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 02:33:52 GMT

It's back to film school with the discussion of Battleship Potemkin, a film that is almost 100 years old, yet pioneered many cinematic techniques that we're still seeing implemented regularly today (Montage! Invisible edits! Romanticizing a country's troubling history!). It's both an effective film and an effective piece of propaganda,

Vanya on 42nd Street + The Village

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 07:01:28 GMT

David Mamet and Roger Deakins reconvene as Double Feature looks at the guiding hand. A complete deconstruction of what it even means to “write” a film. Also: the secret holy trinity of horror cinematography. Continue reading →

The post Vanya on 42nd Street + The Village first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 183 - Introduction to Soviet Silent Films (featuring David Bax)

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 16:39:50 GMT

I Do Movies Badly returns from its month-long with David Bax of Battleship Pretension in tow (tug? Like a tugboat? That's a boat joke). It's been a while, so there's a good deal of catching up first including some talk on working and viewing habits in the pandemic, recapping my improvised marriage in the face of a shelter in place order, and revisiting the lost bet* that resulted in David choosing the topic of discussion.

That topic of discussion, by the way, is on Soviet silent films, which were ahead of their times in how they pioneered editing techniques (...and state funded propaganda). It's a return to film school as David recommends Sergei Eistenstein's Battleship Potemkin (1925), Vsevolod Pudovkin's Mother (1926), and Dziga Vertov's Man with a Movie Camera (1929).

Raging Bull + American History X

Thu, 02 Apr 2020 07:01:40 GMT

Tragic masculinity examined as Double Feature covers movies people have actually heard of! Continue reading →

The post Raging Bull + American History X first appeared on Double Feature.

The Hunt + Emma

Thu, 26 Mar 2020 07:01:27 GMT

EMERGENCY EPISODE. Film in the time of Coronavirus. Universal sends their theatrical releases straight to VOID as the country joins a world-wide shut down for COVID 19. Modern and period pieces on class are left in the past by a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post The Hunt + Emma first appeared on Double Feature.

Uncut Gems + Lowlife

Thu, 19 Mar 2020 07:01:23 GMT

Low-fi crime day. Two films with an odd relationship to comedy. Contrasting personal relationships in the lives of similar characters. Why Double Feature is shelving the pandemic for a special emergency episode. Continue reading →

The post Uncut Gems + Lowlife first appeared on Double Feature.

Sweeney Todd + Cold Fish

Thu, 12 Mar 2020 07:01:43 GMT

A front for murder. Sweeney Todd (The Demon Barber of Fleet Street) finds Mr. Todd and Ms. Lovett making pies. No one asks Anthony Stewart Head to sing. Meanwhile, things are much different in the world of Cold Fish. The … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Sweeney Todd + Cold Fish first appeared on Double Feature.

Blindspotting + The Devil’s Candy

Thu, 05 Mar 2020 08:01:21 GMT

Music as a weapon. Talking about films that leave you speechless, like Blindspotting and The Devil’s Candy. Blindspotting is more than just a film about a cop shooting a black person. Oakland’s moment in cinema. Presenting conversations through the art … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Blindspotting + The Devil’s Candy first appeared on Double Feature.

Killapalooza 38: I Know What You Did Last Summer

Thu, 27 Feb 2020 08:01:53 GMT

Eric and Michael finally dig their hooks into I Know What You Did Last Summer films 1-3. Is it a slasher franchise or a hooker franchise? The fisherman Ben Willis. The plot is largely ignored in service of some broader … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Killapalooza 38: I Know What You Did Last Summer first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 182 - The Rhythm Section

Tue, 25 Feb 2020 02:19:27 GMT

Reed Morano month(s) goes out with a whimper instead of a bang. From box office receipts to tepid creativity, there is no way to describe The Rhythm Section other than a disappointment.

Reminder that I'm taking a hiatus for March, but I'll be back with a new guest, new theme, and a wife! In the meantime, head over to my other podcast, The Cast of Cthulhu, to get your fix!

Donkey Skin + The Brothers Grimm

Thu, 20 Feb 2020 08:01:50 GMT

Lang’s Fairy Books meet Grimms’ Fairy Tales. Rhyming Doo-wop films, Donkey Skin and The Brothers Grimm. Eric hates fun. You watch Jacques Demy’s Donkey Skin carefully. French New Wave. The phone is fine, but why’s there a helicopter? Flaying a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Donkey Skin + The Brothers Grimm first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 181 - I Think We're Alone Now

Thu, 20 Feb 2020 02:33:04 GMT

It's 13 minutes before any words are spoken in I Think We're Alone Now, but by that time, we already know all we need to about the film's main character, his world, and how he sees his role in it. If you're unfamiliar with "film grammar," then you've no better introduction than this Reed Morano film.

IDMB Episode 181 - I Think We're Alone Now

Thu, 20 Feb 2020 02:33:04 GMT

Force Majeure + The Killing of a Sacred Deer

Thu, 06 Feb 2020 08:01:45 GMT

Two tense films about survival in family dynamics in two very different genres. One, Force Majeure, about an impulsive barrel of the gun decision. The other, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, a film at the extreme end of premeditation. Continue reading →

The post Force Majeure + The Killing of a Sacred Deer first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 180 - The Skeleton Twins

Wed, 29 Jan 2020 15:03:27 GMT

The Skeleton Twins would have already been a great film thanks to the script from Mark Heyman and director Craig Johnson, but it's accentuated by the indelible mark that Reed Morano leaves on it with her emotionally evocative camerawork and lighting.

IDMB Episode 179 - Meadowland

Wed, 22 Jan 2020 03:01:21 GMT

Reed Morano's directorial debut is an immersive emotional journey into grief and pain, realized wonderfully by how the director/DP uses her camera. But emotion over logic doesn't always lead to satisfying conclusions.

Climax + The Beach Bum

Thu, 16 Jan 2020 08:01:32 GMT

Maybe Gaspar Noé and Harmony Korine can be friends. Michael Climaxes all over a Beach Bum. The never-ending journey to give Harmony Korine a playmate. Eric has not figured out how to release Disposition. If you’re a Patreon, send in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Climax + The Beach Bum first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 178 - Introduction to Reed Morano (featuring Sean Meehan)

Wed, 15 Jan 2020 04:31:04 GMT

New York-based DP/director Sean Meehan returns to IDMB to talk about another DP/director, Reed Morano! The conversation is a little more inside baseball than usual with some film school-ish explanations of the technical and creative considerations that go into being a DP (I learned where the term "color timing" came from!), but it transitions into an excellent conversation about why Morano was equipped to be a great director by first being a great DP.

Seeing Morano's third feature as director, The Rhythm Section hasn't yet been released, Sean had to get clever and recommend one film that she was lensing rather than directing, making January's titles: Meadowland (2015), The Skeleton Twins (2014), and I Think We're Alone Now (2018).

Be sure to keep up with I Do Movies Badly on Battleship Pretension, Podbean, and Facebook

The Verdict + Doubt

Thu, 09 Jan 2020 08:01:38 GMT

The writing and cinematography adventure gets difficult! The Verdict and Doubt. The David Mamet, writer, and Roger Deakins, cinematographer, Year 12 journey continues. Even Mamet gets demands for rewrites. Convoluted plots that may not really matter without the core character. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post The Verdict + Doubt first appeared on Double Feature.

Assassination Nation + Hail Satan

Thu, 02 Jan 2020 08:01:37 GMT

Change through antagonism! A delightful experience with Assassination Nation and Hail Satan? Everybody who saw Assassination Nation died. Deliberately antagonizing people without just being a bigot. The trailer for Assassination Nation. A misunderstood teenager of a film. A Trojan horse … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Assassination Nation + Hail Satan first appeared on Double Feature.

Space Jam + The World’s End

Thu, 26 Dec 2019 08:01:28 GMT

Double Feature ends the decade with a very personal look at nostalgia. Mike’s Special Episode to close out the Year of Our Lord 2019 feat. the exploitation of nostalgia via Space Jam and The World’s End. The retroactive viewing of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Space Jam + The World’s End first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 177 - Dans Paris

Sun, 22 Dec 2019 20:56:19 GMT

In this final episode of 2019, Jim talks a little bit about Dans Paris (not a fan), but mostly uses it to wax poetic about Christmas and how his life has changed, is changing, and will continue to change.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy New Year to everyone!

Blade of the Immortal + L’Atalante

Thu, 19 Dec 2019 08:01:30 GMT

1v100. Takashi Miike returns to Double Feature with his hundredth film, Blade of the Immortal. French pronunciation secrets and Jean Vigo’s first and only film, L’Atalante. Eric and Michael ignore Alec Baldwin’s roles in both films and talk about bigger things. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Blade of the Immortal + L’Atalante first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 176 - Rare Exports

Tue, 17 Dec 2019 15:10:44 GMT

It would be easy to assume that Rare Exports is just a dark and cynical twist on the Christmas symbolism of which many people have grown sick, but that wouldn't do justice to the fine line that writer/director Jalmari Helander straddles between satire and sincerity.

IDMB Episode 175 - A Christmas Tale

Wed, 11 Dec 2019 16:08:29 GMT

Arnaud Desplechin's A Christmas Tale is a mix of emotions, personalities, soundtracks, powerful performances, and filmmaking tricks that masterfully encapsulates the cacophony that results from a reunion of so many people with so much baggage. Desplechin's aesthetic keeps the audience constantly unsettled, riding waves of emotions that whip the audience back and forth amongst relating with his characters and rejecting them from scene-to-scene. It's a fabulous work, but not one without its problems.

IDMB Episode 174 - Foreign Language Christmas Films (featuring Alonso Duralde)

Wed, 04 Dec 2019 02:50:31 GMT

'Tis the season to be jolly...and for Alonso Duralde to return to I Do Movies Badly! The author of "Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas" makes his annual appearance on the podcast to talk about all things Christmas from the why's and what's of the influx of original streaming content to who's the best cinematic Ebenezer Scrooge (the correct answer is Michael Caine). Yuletide recommendations abound in both some highlights from this year's streaming crop to the titles I'll be reviewing this month: Arnaud Desplechin's A Christmas Tale (2002), Jalmari Helander's Rare Exports (2010), and Christophe Honoré's Dans Paris (2006).

The Beyond + Three Colors White

Thu, 28 Nov 2019 08:01:16 GMT

Spiritual trilogies meet again when Double Feature digs deeper on a new pair of filmmakers. Eric’s crossed the pond and is on a tin can for the first time since Double Feature: The Early Years. Part two of the two … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post The Beyond + Three Colors White first appeared on Double Feature.

American Buffalo + The Company Men

Thu, 07 Nov 2019 08:01:40 GMT

Taking another step toward understand writing and cinematography! Listening for David Mamet in America Buffalo and looking for Roger Deakins in The Company Men. Michael is proud of his experiment this year. Watching film without worrying what’s going on. You … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post American Buffalo + The Company Men first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 173 - Okja

Wed, 30 Oct 2019 02:51:29 GMT

Okja may not have made me swear off meat, but its intimacy with an adorable albeit extremely large pig did provide an emotional and critical look at larger societal forces (corporations, police, extremist groups) that all contribute to the oppression and separation of innocent people.

IDMB Episode 172 - The Host

Wed, 23 Oct 2019 02:35:45 GMT

The exploration of class separation may be more subtext in The Host than it was text in Memories of Murder, but it still provides fertile ground for exploring the absurdity of authorities that perpetuate the separation of people. Also, go see Parasite!

Tickled + Graphic Sexual Horror

Thu, 17 Oct 2019 07:01:36 GMT

Warning – Double Feature assumes you just watched these two films. This is not a conversation to provide an introduction to these movies. This episode digs into the most difficult questions posed by two disturbing documentaries. It’s up to an … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Tickled + Graphic Sexual Horror first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 171 - Memories of Murder

Wed, 16 Oct 2019 00:09:04 GMT

Memories of Murder is a story that's relatively simple in concept, but complex in execution because of how Bong Joon-ho skillfully blends emotions together within his characters and his scenes.

This Must Be the Place + Get Carter

Thu, 10 Oct 2019 07:01:16 GMT

The reckoning. A giant assault of Massive Attack returns to Double Feature with This Must Be The Place and the original Get Carter. Eric tries and fails to not talk about Robert Smith. Using a real-life icon as visual shorthand. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post This Must Be the Place + Get Carter first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 170 - Introduction to Bong Joon-ho (featuring Jim Mickle!)

Wed, 09 Oct 2019 04:05:44 GMT

Writer/director Jim Mickle (Stake Land, We Are What We Are, In the Shadow of the Moon) graces I Do Movies Badly with his presence to talk about his journey to filmmaking, his penchant for genre, and - of course - Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho! The Jims talk about Joon-ho's tendency to change lanes and moods mid-film, how his films are always centered in heart, and why Snowpiercer is Mickle's least favorite of the filmmaker's output before getting on to the recommendations: Memories of a Murder (2003), The Host (2006), and Okja (2017).

Jim Mickle's latest film, In the Shadow of the Moon, is streaming now on Netflix!

Nocturnal Animals + Stranger Than Fiction

Thu, 03 Oct 2019 23:45:53 GMT

The written word comes to life don’t roll your eyes at me. Writers who specifically hurt one person, with and without malice. Always showing up and actually covering the movies, like Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals and Marc Forster’s Stranger Than … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Nocturnal Animals + Stranger Than Fiction first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 169 - Close-Up

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 03:03:28 GMT

I'm wrapping up September with unadulterated, unfiltered Abbas Kiarostami. Close-Up, the filmmaker's second feature-length film, radiates the visual and aesthetic ambition of a young filmmaker exploring cinematic conventions for the very first time.

Listen to the end for an exciting announcement about October's guest and theme!

Killapalooza 37: Species

Thu, 26 Sep 2019 07:01:33 GMT

Species films 1-4. Pronunciation guides courtesy of plingmichael.com. What makes a Killapalooza. Species is more than just green porn. Baby Michele Williams. All great actors started in horror films. ’90s icky creature films. Finding a good human specimen. Director Peter … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Killapalooza 37: Species first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 168 - Certified Copy

Wed, 25 Sep 2019 01:53:20 GMT

After some big news - New podcast! New co-host! Coming next week! - I get to the discussion of Certified Copy, a film that I was fully on board with for...55 minutes.

IDMB Episode 167 - Like Someone In Love

Tue, 17 Sep 2019 12:06:22 GMT

It doesn't take long to find application of Kiarostami's duplicity of the image. In fact, it's a theme he introduces in the very first shot of the film, setting the tone for the interplay between image and language that would carry the remainder of the film.

Bokeh + The Signal

Sun, 15 Sep 2019 07:01:53 GMT

You wake up, and suddenly everything is different. Kittie is exciting and nü, like Kickstarter, which helped fund Bokeh and used to almost-fund Double Feature. The things that are out-of-focus. What if everyone else just disappeared? Pragmatism versus religion and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Bokeh + The Signal first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 166 - Introduction to Abbas Kiarostami (featuring filmmaker Benny Krown)

Tue, 10 Sep 2019 02:07:18 GMT

New York-based filmmaker Benny Krown joins Jim in conversation to discuss the late Iranian photographer/writer/director Abbas Kiarostami. Yes, they're two white, American guys talking about an influential filmmaker from the Middle East, but as is often the case with art, some truths are universal. The boys talk about the different philosophical approaches to photography and filmmaking, what "duplicity of images" means, and how a film can be meta without being self-referential before diving into the recommendations: Like Someone in Love (2012), Certified Copy (2010), and Close-Up (1990). Sorry - no Koker Trilogy.

Howl’s Moving Castle + Cronos

Thu, 05 Sep 2019 17:00:33 GMT

Adult whimsey, the burden of eternal life, and the vision of Hayao Miyazaki contrasted against Guillermo del Toro. Howl’s Moving Castle. Early use of computers in animation. Animation that looks good has succeeded. Filmmakers should be free to explore, change, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Howl’s Moving Castle + Cronos first appeared on Double Feature.

For Your Consideration + The Man Who Killed Don Quixote

Thu, 29 Aug 2019 07:01:11 GMT

Creating art kills humans. Other things that could be done For Your Consideration. Double Feature gets rained on. The happy warrior spirit of creation vs the nihilism of trying to get art made. Eric Thirteen performs for the patreons. Life … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post For Your Consideration + The Man Who Killed Don Quixote first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 165 - Happy-Go-Lucky

Wed, 28 Aug 2019 02:11:30 GMT

I spent the entirety of Happy-Go-Lucky waiting for the other shoe to drop, for Poppy's jubilance to be exposed as a facade, for the tension and conflict I've come to expect from a Mike Leigh film bubble to the surface. It never happened and that's wonderful.

Amadeus + Perfume The Story of a Murderer

Thu, 22 Aug 2019 07:01:01 GMT

Two films about innate genius, giggles, and sniffing. Miloš Forman’s Amadeus is one of the greatest films ever made. Using bookends and unreliable narration to tell a more interesting story. Michael’s firsthand experience of being the Mozart and Salieri in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Amadeus + Perfume The Story of a Murderer first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 164 - Secrets & Lies

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 00:11:55 GMT

Secrets & Lies wonderfully typifies what Leigh is capable of as a director in both the performances he gets from his actors and how subtlety explores the tension between social classes. It's just a shame that the film's mouthpiece also reminds us of the film's biggest weakness.

The Untouchables + The Ladykillers

Thu, 15 Aug 2019 22:13:23 GMT

Considering the voice of the writer and cinematographer. A new journey explores the work of David Mamet and Roger Deakins. Learning about screenwriting through brute force, with and without notes. The Untouchables, seen through the writing of Mamet. Poetics and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post The Untouchables + The Ladykillers first appeared on Double Feature.

Berberian Sound Studio + The Picture of Dorian Gray

Thu, 08 Aug 2019 07:01:50 GMT

The art life. The horror of what you don’t see and indirectly hurting others through art. Berberian Sound Studio is the best horror film no one has been yelling at you to watch. Making the viewer uncomfortable without showing the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Berberian Sound Studio + The Picture of Dorian Gray first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 163 - Naked

Tue, 06 Aug 2019 23:50:30 GMT

Mike Leigh's Naked is lead by a phenomenal performance by David Thewlis that takes us inside the world of a self-loathing intellectual who is likely using his brilliance to keep people at an emotional distance as he seeks to embrace a nihilism that'll make sense of a post-Thatcher England. But if that man is an unquestionable misogynist and rapist, why should we want to be taken inside his world?

Invaders from Mars + Heavy Metal

Thu, 01 Aug 2019 07:01:08 GMT

Step into a world of child like wonder. Or maybe one is just, like, smut. It’s time for an adults-are-childen Double Feature. Also, an accidental Dan O’Bannon Double Feature. Tobe Hooper’s Invaders from Mars is a children’s film. What happened … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Invaders from Mars + Heavy Metal first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 162 - Introduction to Mike Leigh (featuring Tyler Smith of Battleship Pretension)

Wed, 31 Jul 2019 02:39:00 GMT

Professor Tyler Smith makes his second appearance on I Do Movies Badly this year to discuss how he easily could have split his Mike Leigh recommendations into 2 episodes. We've only got time for 1 though, so we'll have to make do with a discussion on his approach to why he teaches some films over others in his classes, what it means for Leigh to be an Oscar-nominated writer despite such a heavy improvisational directing style, what it means to be objective vs. observational, and a little bit of fantasy film casting (who would Eddie Marsan play in your Harry Potter franchise?). Avoiding Leigh's more tightly controlled period pieces, Tyler recommends Naked (1993), Secrets & Lies (1996), and Happy-Go-Lucky (2008).

Eden Lake + The Wicker Man

Thu, 25 Jul 2019 07:01:28 GMT

Summer break has arrived. Eden Lake and The Wicker Man: two films about being in the wrong place at the wrong time and doing wrong. Hooded teens and Broken Britain come to your very American hosts with Eden Lake. Eric … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Eden Lake + The Wicker Man first appeared on Double Feature.

Ratatouille + Big Man Japan

Thu, 18 Jul 2019 07:01:37 GMT

Heroes large and small? Michael finally gets to watch Ratatouille. Big Man Japan Bites Dog. Brad Bird returns to the show with Ratatouille, the best Pixar film. Michael attempts to shame Podmanity for never watching the films. The only perfect … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Ratatouille + Big Man Japan first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 161 - Tiny Furniture

Thu, 11 Jul 2019 23:54:54 GMT

Mumblecore Part 2 wraps up with the best film of the bunch, Lena Dunham's Tiny Furniture, an assured feature debut from the Girls creator that uses exemplary directorial work and semi-autobiographical truth to comment on the directionless transitionary post-college period that a return to affluence in no way helps assuage.

Also, last episode for a few weeks. Summer break and then back in August!

City of the Living Dead + Three Colors Blue

Thu, 11 Jul 2019 19:01:22 GMT

Spiritual trilogies align as Double Feature covers a new pair of filmmakers. A freshly minted episode to begin Lucio Fulchi’s Gates of Hell trilogy and Krzysztof Kieślowski’s colors trilogy. Michael has a high thoughts lists and a silent colon. Giallo, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post City of the Living Dead + Three Colors Blue first appeared on Double Feature.

Blade Runner + Fargo

Thu, 04 Jul 2019 07:01:07 GMT

It’s finally happening. Year 12 begins here. The perfect introduction for a new Double Feature listener: Blade Runner and Fargo, the most-requested listener films from a decade ago. Eric tries to embrace the fresh start. Michael embraces the show’s deep … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Blade Runner + Fargo first appeared on Double Feature.

57 - THE END

Sun, 30 Jun 2019 16:59:33 GMT

Well, friends and listeners, the time has come. Erik, Sean, and Kyle are signing off for the last time. It's been a blast talking about classic horror movies with all of you over these past six years. So we're going out with a bang!

Each host brings three movies they think we SHOULD have talked about on the podcast and discuss them all up and down. Then, it's a reminiscence of the movies they loved the most on the show, and the ones they hated. Fun!

IDMB Episode 160 - Medicine for Melancholy

Thu, 27 Jun 2019 14:33:20 GMT

Medicine for Melancholy may be a mumblecore film in its aesthetics, but its financial and physical confines don't hinder the film from achieving something emotionally and societally transcendent.

Eighth Grade + A Serbian Film

Thu, 20 Jun 2019 07:01:40 GMT

Ending the year on the most transgressive films. Those fucking kids Double Feature. The most dangerous film in recent history, Bo Burnham’s Eighth Grade. Also, A Serbian Film. If there’s a new year of Double Feature, Eric promises that Michael … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Eighth Grade + A Serbian Film first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 159 - Funny Ha Ha

Thu, 20 Jun 2019 04:06:32 GMT

Funny Ha Ha may be the most effective film to capture the meandering, awkward, post-college malaise in which no one had any idea what they were doing or where they were going and I never want to watch it again.

IDMB Episode 158 - Mumblecore Part 2 (featuring David Bax of Battleship Pretension)

Tue, 11 Jun 2019 03:38:54 GMT

We might be through with the mumblecore, but the mumblecore ain't through with us. David Bax returns to I Do Movies Badly to convince Jim to give mumblecore another chance, to explain his distaste for the label "mumblecore," and to discuss Stanley Cup predictions that, due to recording in May, are already hilariously dated! David didn't care for Jape Man's recommendations back in the day, so he's making three of his own: Andrew Bujalski's Funny Ha Ha (2002), Barry Jenkins's Medicine for Melancholy (2008), and Lena Dunham's Tiny Furniture (2010).

Zack and Miri Make a Porno + Mother!

Thu, 30 May 2019 07:01:44 GMT

A sexy Double Feature, courtesy of Kevin Smith and Darren Aronofsky, so strap in and strap on. What’s the opposite of a reward? Hatefucking? The stages and trajectory of Kevin Smith’s film career and audiences. The end of Phase 1 … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Zack and Miri Make a Porno + Mother! first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 157 - Two Evil Eyes

Wed, 22 May 2019 16:56:51 GMT

An hour may seem like enough time to adapt an 8-page Poe short story, but it's not nearly enough time for Romero to fully and effectively explore the ambitious themes that he attempted to add to otherwise terse, gothic source material.

56 - Dead Alive (1992)

Fri, 17 May 2019 23:34:25 GMT

This month, Kyle, Erik, and Sean discuss the "goriest fright film of all time," the splatter movie, slapstick comedy masterpiece that is Peter Jackson's 1992 film Braindead, aka Dead Alive.

The fellas also have an announcement.

The Changeling + Gothic

Thu, 16 May 2019 07:01:48 GMT

Horror, old and new. Gothic and The Changeling. Not the 2008 film. Or any of the other Changeling films. The spooky chair one and a definite article. Empty chairs that get lots of attention. Person vs House. Michael learns how … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post The Changeling + Gothic first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 156 - Monkey Shines

Tue, 14 May 2019 00:36:32 GMT

Monkey Shines starts out as an inspirational tale of a man overcoming adversity with the assistance of a super smart monkey and turns into a horror story of a man trying to overcome the adversity of his super smart monkey. Its problem is it commits to fully to neither.

IDMB Episode 155 - Season of the Witch

Wed, 08 May 2019 02:24:08 GMT

Is the pursuit of witchcraft the reason behind Joan finally taking control of her own life or was it just the decision to pursue it that finally gave her agency? More importantly, does it really matter?

IDMB Episode 154 - Introduction to George Romero (featuring Allie Kroeper of Bit Lip: A Teen Movie Podcast)

Tue, 30 Apr 2019 03:59:16 GMT

After an unintentionally long delay, I Do Movies Badly is back with a new setting, new theme, and new guest! Allie Kroeper of Bit Lip: A Teen Movie Podcast stops by to discuss her love of Spider-Man, her appreciation for Paul Robeson, why nostalgia is such a significant factor in fondness for rom-coms, and how Romero brought his trademark cynicism of humanity from his Living Dead films to the recommendations she makes: Season of the Witch (1972), Monkey Shines (1988), and Two Evil Eyes (1990).

Cam + Demonlover

Thu, 18 Apr 2019 07:01:29 GMT

The internet destroys society despite the magic healing power of sexual intercourse. The horrors of technology in Cam and Japanese anime tentacle sex in Demonlover. Sex for another purpose. Eric just covers the films with things he wants to talk … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Cam + Demonlover first appeared on Double Feature.

Keep An Eye Out + An Evening With Beverly Luff Linn

Thu, 04 Apr 2019 19:01:53 GMT

Two filmmakers who seem to belong nowhere but are perfectly at home together. Quentin Dupieux’s Rubber 4, aka Keep an Eye Out. How the fuck did this great movie get made? The miracle of making a good movie. Making indescribably … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Keep An Eye Out + An Evening With Beverly Luff Linn first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Favorites - Introduction to Universal Classic Monsters

Wed, 27 Mar 2019 04:09:35 GMT

The final favorite being revisited during this March hiatus involves a conversation with I Do Movies Badly hall-of-famer Gavin Mevius recommending me some double features of Universal classic monster movies, which led me down a controversial path of questioning how much the filmmaker's intent is unknowingly influenced by societal factors like sexuality (or, more specifically, its suppression).

IDMB Favorites - Introduction to Andrea Arnold

Mon, 18 Mar 2019 01:07:35 GMT

This walk down memory lane takes us to May 2016 where I talked with Jenni Miller, recent recipient of a failed tongue lashing from a totally not racist Green Book producer, about the films of English director, Andrea Arnold, the only director whose entire catalogue I've seen. All of her films from Red Road to American Honey explore the themes of class and struggle, with her approach applied most effectively in her unique adaptation to the literary classic Wuthering Heights.

House (1977)

Fri, 15 Mar 2019 01:23:37 GMT

Some houses are born bad, and some movies are just hella weird. This month, Erik, Sean, and Kyle discuss Nobuhiko Obayashi’s piece of macabre surrealism, House.

IDMB Favorites - Introduction to Film-Noir

Mon, 11 Mar 2019 00:11:05 GMT

Reaching all the way back to September 2016 comes this favorite episode featuring a conversation with Kristen Sales, who would later return to the show to discuss the films of Jim Jarmusch. The film-noir titles she discusses in this episode are all directed by women who took the conventions and archetypes of the genre to tell and manipulated them to tell worthwhile individual stories. Happy International Women's Month!

IDMB Favorites - Introduction to Guillermo del Toro

Mon, 04 Mar 2019 01:08:48 GMT

Just because I'm on hiatus doesn't mean I'm not giving you something to listen to! Revisit some of my favorite conversations from I Do Movies Badly's past beginning with the Introduction to Guillermo del Toro featuring NYC-based filmmaker, Sean Meehan! This discussion and the subsequent month helped me to develop a new appreciation for the Mexican writer/director's work, including his gothic horror Crimson Peak, which I had so foolishly written off upon first viewing.

Prep School + Firestarter

Thu, 28 Feb 2019 08:01:29 GMT

External and internal pressures. Double Feature covers an audience-directed horror movie, Prep School! After weeks of discussing the difficulties of creating independent film, Prep School offers the opportunity to support one. A discussion on the finer points of fucking up … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Prep School + Firestarter first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 153 - The Freshman

Tue, 26 Feb 2019 03:10:15 GMT

Your enjoyment of The Freshman can be perfectly predicted based on the tried and true formula that Harold Lloyd laid out in Girl Shy and Safety Last! previously: tell the perpetually true story of someone who wants to be more than they are.

IDMB Episode 152 - Safety Last!

Thu, 21 Feb 2019 02:56:33 GMT

Safety Last! may only last a brief 1 hour and 7 minutes, but that was long enough to create an image that would resonate with film audiences almost 100 years later!

IDMB Episode 151 - Girl Shy

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 03:29:10 GMT

I was expecting a gag film and I got a character story instead. Luckily, the characters of Harold Meadows and Mary Buckingham were so relatable and likable that I was fully invested in their story.

IDMB Episode 150 - Introduction to Harold Lloyd (featuring Tyler Smith of Battleship Pretension)

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 03:46:10 GMT

Tyler Smith becomes the first member of the BP Fleet to guest on I Do Movies Badly since it returned to discuss the films of silent film actor, Harold Lloyd. The recipient of an MFA from UCLA talks about how Harold Lloyd stands apart from - and, in his opinion, stands above - the other "big three" silent film pioneers, Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton and what makes a "Harold Lloyd film" even when he was not the credited director. The value of studying silent film for more than just academic purposes is also discussed before delving into the three recommendations: Girl Shy (1924), Safety Last! (1923), and The Freshman (1925).

IDMB Episode 149 - The Tree of Life

Thu, 31 Jan 2019 01:30:01 GMT

The Tree of Life kicks off with a Bible quote from a book that should signal to you that - surprise! - there will be no easy answers. But when it comes to themes like creation, existence, significance, and memory, there shouldn't be.

IDMB Episode 148 - The Thin Red Line

Wed, 23 Jan 2019 02:00:07 GMT

According to David Sterritt, The Thin Red Line is a film about the harmony of the universe. According to me, it's a film about mankind's existential insignificance (and why that's beautiful!)

54 - The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Thu, 17 Jan 2019 00:16:15 GMT

This month, Kyle, Erik, and Sean get lost in the woods--and in the weeds, coincidentally--about the 1999 found-footage harbinger, The Blair Witch Project, a movie cited as one of the scariest ever made. Is it as terrifying now as it was then, or is it just 80 minutes of people yelling at each other in the woods? We get to the bottom of it!

IDMB Episode 147 - Badlands

Tue, 15 Jan 2019 01:13:00 GMT

Was Terrence Malick a genius with a clear directorial vision or a newcomer with no clear idea on what he wanted to do? It's perfectly understandable to derive one or the other - or both - when watching Badlands, the directorial debut filled with existential stagnation.

IDMB Episode 146 - Introduction to Terrence Malick (featuring Andrew DeSelm)

Wed, 09 Jan 2019 01:43:51 GMT

In this, the longest episode in I Do Movies Badly history, the conversation between Jim and guest, Andrew DeSelm, emulates the tone of its subject in its meandering, grandiose, and occasionally poignant (purely by accident, of course) nature. If you're into navel-gazing, superfluous tangents about Gus Van Sant, and two men bloviating on what obviously the definitive spirit of a Terrence Malick film is, then you'll love this introductory episode on the reclusive auteur and the discussion of Andrew's 3 recommendations: Badlands (1973), The Thin Red Line (1998), and The Tree of Life (2011).

Boxing Helena + Patty Hearst

Sun, 30 Dec 2018 03:26:36 GMT

A Double Feature Stockholm Syndome double feature. Dangerous cinema returns. When you put Helena in a box like you do (RIP Cubbiebear). The deeper issues actually at work in Boxing Helena are just regular issues but no one comes to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Boxing Helena + Patty Hearst first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 145 - Trapped in Paradise

Sun, 23 Dec 2018 18:10:42 GMT

Trapped in Paradise may not be a great film - it may not even be a particularly good film - but it's quite a solid Christmas film if you, unlike Roger Ebert, can overlook all the police car crashes.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from I Do Movies Badly! See you all in 2019!

Rumble in the Bronx + Skyscraper

Sat, 22 Dec 2018 00:22:26 GMT

A look at secret role China plays in big American films. Double Feature gets into the weeds on how blockbusters are assembled, from the creation of a bankable team to the financing and eventual distribution. America sees a martial arts … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Rumble in the Bronx + Skyscraper first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 144 - 3 Godfathers

Wed, 19 Dec 2018 01:53:41 GMT

As you can clearly see, 3 Godfathers isn't Less Than Zero. 3 Godfathers also isn't a great metaphor for the story of the 3 Wise Men. That doesn't mean, however, that it isn't a fine Christmas film.

53 - Black Christmas 1974

Sat, 15 Dec 2018 23:01:45 GMT

It's the yuletide season again, and so Erik, Sean, and Kyle are here to discuss one of the most celebrated Christmas horror films ever made, Bob Clark's 1974 movie, Black Christmas. Is it Christmassy? Is it a slasher movie? Is it even very fun to watch? Ho ho ho!

Delicatessen + Paddington

Thu, 13 Dec 2018 08:01:32 GMT

Bear and Long Pig, together at last. Outrageously whimsically characters disrupt the system. No negative jokes about Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s art direction suffering after 1995. Michael feels the need to rant about his top ten list and then randomly namecheck Black … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Delicatessen + Paddington first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 143 - Millions

Thu, 13 Dec 2018 04:27:54 GMT

In order to understand Millions, one must first understand Danny Boyle. Once one appreciates the latter, one will see how his directorial trademarks brought out the best in this script.

IDMB Episode 142 - Offbeat Christmas Films (featuring Alonso Duralde of Linoleum Knife)

Thu, 06 Dec 2018 00:26:02 GMT

It's December and you know what that means: twinkling lights, jolly carols, and Alonso Duralde. The co-host of Linoleum Knife stops by IDMB again to rehash what he loves about the holiday season and its films from It's a Wonderful Life to Mingle All the Way. The two also discuss why the magic of the Christmas season endures despite rampant commercialism as well as how the quintessential "Christmas" film has evolved over time. Alonso then throws Jim for a loop with his recommendations of 3 offbeat Christmas films, which all make with the holly while perhaps dispensing with the jolly: Danny Boyle's Millions (2004), Marek Kanievska's adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis's Less Than Zero (1987), and John Ford's 3 Godfathers (1948).

IDMB Episode 141 - The Ladykillers

Tue, 27 Nov 2018 04:04:09 GMT

Ealing Studios Comedies month comes to an end with The Ladykiller, a film that doesn't re-invent the wheel cinematically, but which is still an absolute delight that goes to show not every film has to be a game changer - sometimes it just has to be good.

IDMB Episode 140 - The Man in the White Suit

Tue, 20 Nov 2018 03:31:29 GMT

Kind Hearts and Coronets may have been delightful, but The Man in the White Suit is delightful! A great comedic performance from Alec Guinness centers a film with a clear focus on what it's satirizing, resulting in enough cathartic laughs and cynicism of capitalism to make Billy Wilder proud.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Forrest Gump + The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Thu, 15 Nov 2018 08:01:45 GMT

The lives of individual men as told through bizarre high-concept epics! Double Feature talks about the films of Eric Roth. An examination of the lives of others and what can be learned from them. Indulging the wild premise hooks of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Forrest Gump + The Curious Case of Benjamin Button first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 139 - Kind Hearts and Coronets

Wed, 14 Nov 2018 02:12:38 GMT

Jim keeps this episode on Kind Hearts and Coronets light and airy, just like the film itself.

IDMB Episode 138 - Introduction to Ealing Comedies (featuring Gavin Mevius of The Mixed Reviews)

Mon, 12 Nov 2018 02:11:45 GMT

I Do Movies Badly hall-of-famer Gavin Mevius returns to bring some joy back to the world (or, at the very least, to the podcast) by recommending some comedies from Britain's Ealing Studios! Gavin fills us in on the studio that, though only active from 1947 - 1957, gave us Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers as well multiple comedies of manners that responded to World War II not with cynicism and film-noir, but with laughter. Sadly, he can only recommend three titles, so he goes with Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), The Man in the White Suit (1951), and - in the absence of streaming rights for Whisky Galore - The Ladykillers (1951).

Scream of Fear + Bambi

Sat, 10 Nov 2018 21:35:53 GMT

Hammer meets Disney. The second step in a deep drive on two studios. Scream of Fear is probably actually called Taste of Fear. Where does Scream of Fear sit in 1960s horror? Hammer aside from the more commonly known Universal-Monsters … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Scream of Fear + Bambi first appeared on Double Feature.

Killapalooza 35: Jaws

Thu, 01 Nov 2018 07:01:10 GMT

Jaws films 1-4. A look at the entire Jaws franchise as if it’s the true horror property people say it is. What’s refreshing about Jaws if it is a horror film. Aquatic horror and the Miskatonic Institute. Seriously, go if … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Killapalooza 35: Jaws first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 137 - Opera

Wed, 31 Oct 2018 02:01:03 GMT

October month wraps up with Opera, the best example of what makes up a Dario Argento film both for good and ill. But mainly ill. Jim's done with torturing and objectifying women, thanks very much.

Happy Halloween everybody! And please get out and vote on November 6th!

IDMB Episode 136 - Phenomena

Wed, 24 Oct 2018 01:06:40 GMT

Now that we've established how to make a giallo, we'll explore how Dario Argento makes a giallo: with a soundtrack that doesn't make sense, troubling attitudes towards women, and a monkey that saves the day.

IDMB Episode 135 - The Cat o' Nine Tails

Thu, 18 Oct 2018 02:50:23 GMT

In order to appreciate Dario Argento, one must first fully appreciate the giallo genre. So, Jim sets out to do just that in this episode, analyizing what constitutes good giallo in order to understand what makes The Cat o' Nine Tails exemplary.

Hocus Pocus + Slice

Thu, 11 Oct 2018 07:01:11 GMT

October kicks in with the full force of mystic green Halloween energy. Two fantastical spooky-delights with very different receptions. Horror outsiders then and now. Hocus Pocus hits 25. Eric Thirteen’s film Disposition plays in a theater and heads for the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Hocus Pocus + Slice first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 134 - Introduction to Dario Argento (featuring James McCormick of That's Not Current)

Thu, 11 Oct 2018 00:35:09 GMT

Somehow, Jim and James manage to get sidetracked before the discussion on Argento even begins, but the two eventually do get around to talking about the legendary giallo filmmaker. The two discuss what typifies giallo, how Argento stands apart from Italian compatriots Lucio Fulci and Mario Bava, and how - if at all - viscera for the sake of viscera can be considered art. Also there are tangets. Lots of tangents. And recommendations too!: The Cat o' Nine Tails (1971), Phenomena (1985), and Opera (1987). You read that right - no Suspiria.

52 - Return of the Living Dead 1984

Wed, 10 Oct 2018 16:30:15 GMT

This month, we're all about BRAAAAAAAAAAINS! It's time to discuss '80s horror comedy and what better film to focus on than Dan O'Bannon's The Return of the Living Dead, a film so influential, it made everyone think zombies only eat brains.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Mandy + Revenge

Thu, 04 Oct 2018 07:01:34 GMT

Basic melts minds. Two films with straight-forward plots to different dramatic ends. How can something so basic become so mind blowing? Celebrating the return of The New French Extreme to Double Feature. But first: Mandy should be seen big and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Mandy + Revenge first appeared on Double Feature.

Coherence + 10 Cloverfield Lane

Sat, 29 Sep 2018 19:11:31 GMT

Take it and run. Sitting down to have dinner with friends. Back to back mind-benders. How Coherence under-promises before over-delivering. The little film you just don’t expect. When that things that always happens starts happening. Turning the tables on expectation. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Coherence + 10 Cloverfield Lane first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 133 - Cronos

Wed, 26 Sep 2018 01:28:47 GMT

The first shall be the last and the last shall be the first. No, it's not the Bible - it's the first film of Guillermo del Toro's career, but the last film in the month (and in Jim's heart), Cronos.

Unbreakable + The Beach

Thu, 20 Sep 2018 07:01:03 GMT

A new look at two infamous directors. Michael for some reason believes people don’t really know who Danny Boyle. An update on Eric Thirteen’s new film Disposition, with a new round of theatrical dates in the upcoming weeks. Everything is … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Unbreakable + The Beach first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 132 - Crimson Peak

Wed, 19 Sep 2018 02:48:01 GMT

Past Jim had 3 main complaints the last time he watched Crimson Peak: everything was too on-the-nose, the scares weren't scary, and the relationships didn't work. Current Jim is here to explain why those complaints are stupid and why Crimson Peak is excellent.

Perfect Blue + Enemy

Thu, 13 Sep 2018 07:01:59 GMT

Identity, duality, and the public eye. Reflections and persona. What is personhood? Eric Thirteen’s new film Disposition now has a trailer! Disposition (2018) Trailer. Perfect Blue as an insight to an Asia-centric phenomena. Working Perfect Blue backwards. The psychological thrills … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Perfect Blue + Enemy first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 131 - The Devil's Backbone

Wed, 12 Sep 2018 03:00:16 GMT

Perhaps we shouldn't say Guillermo del Toro makes "horror" films, but rather "terror" films. Don't get me wrong - there are plenty of things to be scared of in The Devil's Backbone, but "The One Who Sighs" isn't one of them. After all, what's so scary about ghosts when there's so many horrible things of which the living are capable?

Thoroughbreds + The Craft

Thu, 06 Sep 2018 07:01:29 GMT

The outsider’s need to belong and the influence of the spooky peer-group. Wearing an aesthetic to sneak past the gate. Three fantastic performances. The public face and the private face. The role of score in Thoroughbreds. Well check out the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Thoroughbreds + The Craft first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 130 - Introduction to Guillermo del Toro (featuring filmmaker Sean Meehan)

Wed, 05 Sep 2018 01:58:54 GMT

In the first NEW I Do Movies Badly episode in over a year, Jim talks with Sean "Undercooked Ryan Gosling" Meehan to discuss the films of Guillermo del Toro. The boys discuss the relationship between DPs and directors, del Toro's childlike wonder and empathy for the Other, before disagreeing about if del Toro should finally adapt "At the Mountains of Madness" (he shouldn't) and, ultimately, getting to the recommendatons: The Devil's Backbone (2001), Crimson Peak (2015), and Cronos (1993).

IDMB Is Back!

Fri, 31 Aug 2018 00:12:31 GMT

After walking away from I Do Movies Badly one year ago, Jim Rohner returns to the podcast that he had intended to leave forever to lay the reasons behind the return and to hint at things to come!

51 - Vampyr (1932)

Tue, 21 Aug 2018 16:14:44 GMT

This month, Classic Horror Cast takes a look at Carl Theodor Dreyer's 1932 semi-silent German Expressionist masterpiece Vampyr.

Good Time + Nice Dreams

Thu, 16 Aug 2018 07:01:56 GMT

From hijinks to devastation, Double Feature does some drugs. Good Time, a film from a parallel universe. Robert Pattinson is not fucking around. Settle down, synthesizers. When bad times get worse. It’s getting harder not to just classify all of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Good Time + Nice Dreams first appeared on Double Feature.

Black Swan + Patti Cakes

Thu, 09 Aug 2018 07:01:35 GMT

Female fame in different games at different levels. Black Swan as a mainstream arthouse horror film. Why the horror elements of Black Swan are worthy of callout – body horror! A fight between avoiding the most obvious conversation and avoiding … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Black Swan + Patti Cakes first appeared on Double Feature.

Horror of Dracula + Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Thu, 02 Aug 2018 07:01:11 GMT

Horror of Dracula, very much not the same as original Dracula. Jonathan Harker upsets Dracula after after accepting a job at the vampire’s castle under false pretenses. Legends of hammer horror. The Universal Monsters and the Dark Universe reboot. What … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Horror of Dracula + Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs first appeared on Double Feature.

Victor Crowley + The Endless

Thu, 05 Jul 2018 07:01:28 GMT

New listener? Start here! A brand new year of Double Feature starts a fresh run with returning local heroes. Pay to rent these films! Victor Crowley as Hatchet 4. Returning to form. The slasher trajectory. The most misunderstood element of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Victor Crowley + The Endless first appeared on Double Feature.

50 - Misery (1990)

Sun, 24 Jun 2018 16:27:35 GMT

This month, we're hobbled--err, humbled--to join you to talk about a Stephen King movie, and you won't even have to get out of the cock-a-doodie car to listen! Kyle, Sean, and later Erik gather in the snowy mountains to discuss Rob Reiner's 1990 King adaptation Misery, a movie with a huge reputation, and an Oscar-winning lead performance from Kathy Bates. Are they worth the hype, Mister Man?

Jackie + The Wonderful Horrible Life of Leni Reifenstahl

Thu, 07 Jun 2018 07:01:39 GMT

Presidents and propaganda gets an epilogue! Discovers from looking at fictional adaptations of presidents’ lives and documentaries that are implied to carry the truth. People around the president. Finding more truth in fictional accountings. The desire of fictional narratives to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Jackie + The Wonderful Horrible Life of Leni Reifenstahl first appeared on Double Feature.

Charley Varrick + The Nice Guys

Thu, 10 May 2018 18:55:40 GMT

Rooting for bad people. How human conflict helps audiences enjoy the bad acts of bad people. Charley Varrick is a self interested man who doesn’t seem too bothered by everyone around him being shot, tortured, or meeting an otherwise terrible … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Charley Varrick + The Nice Guys first appeared on Double Feature.

Matador + The Apartment

Thu, 26 Apr 2018 07:01:11 GMT

Problematic sex gets more problematic. First up is Pedro Almodovar’s film Matador! An ex-bullfighter who gets turned on by killing, a lady lawyer with the same fetish and a young man driven insane by his religious upbringing – these are … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Matador + The Apartment first appeared on Double Feature.

Tragedy Girls + Ingrid Goes West

Thu, 19 Apr 2018 07:01:55 GMT

Exploring two very different aspects of social media in modern society. Tragedy Girls as a commentary on branding. Set up a humorous device, overcome audience expectations. The narcissism potentially illuminated by social media as told through absurd extremes. Best of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Tragedy Girls + Ingrid Goes West first appeared on Double Feature.

49 - The Howling (1981)

Sun, 15 Apr 2018 05:39:08 GMT

This month, it must be a full moon, because Kyle, Erik, and Sean are talking about one of a very small list of good werewolf movies, Joe Dante's 1981 classic The Howling. However, in a film written by John Sayles and featuring dazzlingly grotty effects by the legendary Rob Bottin, is there a lot to be desired? Is self-help and new-age medicine really the right setting for a werewolf movie?

Killapalooza 34: Return of the Living Dead

Thu, 12 Apr 2018 07:01:58 GMT

Return of the Living Dead films 1-5. What separates Return of the Living Dead from Night of the Living Dead. Glory be to Dan O’Bannon, legal action be to John A. Russo! Return of the Living Dead II as a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Killapalooza 34: Return of the Living Dead first appeared on Double Feature.

Frost Nixon + Hearts and Minds

Thu, 29 Mar 2018 07:01:29 GMT

The climax in the series of Presidents and Propaganda double features. In Ron Howard’s film Frost/Nixon – not to be confused with Japanese monster film Frost vs Nixon – audiences get a dramatic retelling of the post-Watergate television interviews between … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Frost Nixon + Hearts and Minds first appeared on Double Feature.

Wind River + Bug

Thu, 22 Mar 2018 07:01:41 GMT

Human beings consumed by answers! An update on Double Feature’s status. The last critical moments that determine’s this podcast’s fate. First up in writer/director Taylor Sheridan’s film Wind River: a veteran tracker with the Fish and Wildlife Service helps to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Wind River + Bug first appeared on Double Feature.

Brigsby Bear + Jim and Andy: The Great Beyond

Thu, 08 Mar 2018 08:01:28 GMT

Deeper into the questions posed when making films with less than perfect humans. Exploring the magic, therapy, complexities, and baggage of making a movie through a fictional narrative. How Brigsby Bear turns the boy-in-a-bubble template into something new. Sidestepping predictable … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Brigsby Bear + Jim and Andy: The Great Beyond first appeared on Double Feature.

48 - Re-Animator (1985)

Fri, 02 Mar 2018 16:35:50 GMT

This month, the fellas discuss the first major film by horror legend Stuart Gordon, as well as the first major work adapted from a story by H.P. Lovecraft, 1985's Re-Animator. There's much talk of bridging horror and comedy, whether horror can be funny at all, Herbert West as an anti-hero, and Lovecraft as a creator of stories. Also, there's lots of talk of heads and head.

Society + La Grande Bouffe

Thu, 01 Mar 2018 08:01:35 GMT

Spending a night with high society. Eat the rich. Fuck the rich. Eat yourself? Also: melting, death, fatalism, nihilism, and Double Feature gets a cold. Spending an hour making bad decisions. Two movies that were spoiled by their representation over … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Society + La Grande Bouffe first appeared on Double Feature.

Industrial Symphony No. 1 + Lucifer Rising

Thu, 01 Feb 2018 08:01:15 GMT

Double Feature’s 500th episode celebrates by trying to figure out what a film is. David Lynch directs the something like a a Julee Cruise nightmare called Industrial Symphony No. 1: The Dream of the Brokenhearted. Stripping away elements, adding to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Industrial Symphony No. 1 + Lucifer Rising first appeared on Double Feature.

47 - Rosemarys Baby (1968)

Wed, 24 Jan 2018 18:04:29 GMT

This month, Sean and Kyle discuss Roman Polanski's classic of paranoia, female suppression, and Satanism, Rosemary's Baby. Is the movie out of date now, or does its terrors seem all the more potent in today's climate?

Truman + The Atomic Cafe

Thu, 11 Jan 2018 08:01:00 GMT

Presidents and propaganda continue. Boy, do they continue. Harry S Truman (basically considered unqualified for the job, hahaha) is elected president because America. Revolution Number 33 Franklin D. Roosevelt is dead man miss him miss him. Ok, reel it back … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Truman + The Atomic Cafe first appeared on Double Feature.

Solaris + Galaxy of Terror

Thu, 04 Jan 2018 08:01:11 GMT

Two space films of completely equal merit and in fact equal in every direction and one of them is not total fucking nonsense. Hey, actually, maybe both of them or total nonsense? Wade through an existential crisis and find out. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Solaris + Galaxy of Terror first appeared on Double Feature.

Blue Ruin + Let Me Make You a Martyr

Thu, 28 Dec 2017 08:01:05 GMT

Southern hospitality as crime heads into the American, well, south. Blue Ruin, Green Room, and Double Feature’s other favorite colors. A man is naked. Why is this man naked. Wait, where is this man going. On no, that poor man’s … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Blue Ruin + Let Me Make You a Martyr first appeared on Double Feature.

The Golem 1920

Sat, 16 Dec 2017 22:52:38 GMT

This month, to celebrate Hanukkah and to celebrate Erik living in Prague, the fellas discuss the 1920 German expressionist horror movie, The Golem: How He Came into the World, one of the earliest monster movies ever made. Director-star Paul Wegener's movie is a lyrical, moving film that has shadows of movies to come, like Frankenstein. Have YOU seen it? Well here's the one we watched!

Get Out + Colossal

Thu, 14 Dec 2017 08:01:00 GMT

Social issue genre films. Trojan horsing social issues. How Get Out keeps it subtle by riding the elephant in the room. Having a conversation with the audience that’s actually showing up. Jesus Christ Get Out is scary, what the fucking … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Get Out + Colossal first appeared on Double Feature.

The Beguiled + Thriller: A Cruel Picture

Thu, 30 Nov 2017 08:01:27 GMT

Lady problems. Shudder update: Double Feature no longer has a promo code but you should check out Shudder anyways. Search online and maybe you can find one. The Beguiled is too morally clear, let’s add the confederacy! On Side A, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post The Beguiled + Thriller: A Cruel Picture first appeared on Double Feature.

Falling Down + Man on Fire

Thu, 16 Nov 2017 08:01:17 GMT

A 90s-industrial-fueled burn-it-all-down double feature. The carnage both finally clocking out and ending a hiatus to clock the fuck back in. Two action films that are more subtle than they really know what to do with. Is the lead of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Falling Down + Man on Fire first appeared on Double Feature.

Dr Terrors House of Horrors

Wed, 15 Nov 2017 20:29:32 GMT

Sorry for the delay, horror friends, but we're making it up to you with an episode chalk full of horror. Not one story, but five! We're diving into Amicus Productions and their brand of anthology horror flicks by starting with 1965's Dr. Terror's House of Horrors, directed by British great Freddie Francis and starring both Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. Does the movie work? Not necessarily, but these are the kinds of movies where if one bit doesn't work, just wait a few minutes.

The Day Reagan Was Shot + In the Face of Evil

Thu, 09 Nov 2017 08:01:22 GMT

The second visit in a look at presidents and propaganda. The Day Reagan Was Shot, a film that says much about Ronald Reagan by knocking him the fuck out. Richard Dreyfuss as: some old white government type with lots of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post The Day Reagan Was Shot + In the Face of Evil first appeared on Double Feature.

Killapalooza 33: Resident Evil

Thu, 26 Oct 2017 07:01:25 GMT

Resident Evil films 1-6. A lengthy analysis of an otherwise un-touched horror juggernaut. Power-couple Paul W.S. Anderson and Milla Jovovich. Much like Resident Evil, people need to cherish the Michelle Rodriguezs they have. Resident Evil: Apocolypse, Extinction, Afterlive, Retribution, and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Killapalooza 33: Resident Evil first appeared on Double Feature.

44 - SLEEPAWAY CAMP (1983) - Eat S**t and Live

Fri, 13 Oct 2017 17:43:55 GMT

It's October, the spookiest month of the year, and hence you'd expect us to watch and discuss one of the scariest movies ever made. It's a month that ends in Halloween AND contains a Friday the 13th, so you'd be right in assuming we'd be talking about a slasher movie...but there's no Jason or Michael Myers here...just a little movie called Sleepaway Camp. Whyyyyyyyyyy?

Also, if you enjoy the show and want to help out one of us, Erik is moving to Prague (will still be on the show, don't worry), but if you'd like to support him on Patreon, please do so here!

Buffalo 66 + Chinatown

Wed, 27 Sep 2017 14:22:00 GMT

When sketchy individuals make great films – what is the moral imperative of an audience in reaction to the art of those alleged to have done wrong, both well after the film and on the set of the very art … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Buffalo 66 + Chinatown first appeared on Double Feature.

43 - Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom

Thu, 07 Sep 2017 02:59:38 GMT

This month, we're not talking about vampires or werewolves or ghosts, but we're instead looking at the horror of fascism, libertinism, and depravity. It's Pier Paolo Passolini's shocking final film, 1975's Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom. We get all up in the poop when it comes to thematic elements and graphic content here, so if that kind of thing upsets you, be warned.

We also take a moment to briefly discuss the passing of Tobe Hooper, one of horror's true mavericks. We've talked about Hooper's films previously, in our 9th episode (Texas Chain Saw Massacre), and our 33rd episode (Poltergeist).

Barbershop + Wall Street

Thu, 17 Aug 2017 07:01:43 GMT

Differing economic headaches. Decade-specific economic problems. Tangible goods and services and abstract investment. Black ownership as depicted on the south side of beautiful Chicago, Illinois. Ice Cube returns in another great movie that no one expects to be great. Well, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Barbershop + Wall Street first appeared on Double Feature.

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage 1970

Fri, 11 Aug 2017 18:25:20 GMT

This month, Scaredy Friends, Kyle, Erik, and Sean discuss a movie that launched a whole subgenre: giallo, or the Italian pulp-crime-horror film, which was a direct precursor to the slasher movie of the '80s. While not the first, the one that ushered in the trend was Dario Argento's first film, 1970's The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, a movie that isn't quite as gory or as salacious as the films would become, but has nevertheless been the most influential of the bunch.

History of Giallo comin' at ya! And more Italian stuff next month, which decidedly more coprophelia.

The Breakfast Club + The Hateful Eight

Thu, 10 Aug 2017 07:01:28 GMT

Two writer directors take on social interactions trapped in a room. A pack of individuals spend that day together, learning to rise above their own differences in sharing the human experience with their fellow man. Or killing each other maybe. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post The Breakfast Club + The Hateful Eight first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Goodbye Episode

Thu, 03 Aug 2017 00:26:14 GMT

On this, the final episode of I Do Movies Badly, Jim bids a very fond farewell to the guests, listeners, and fans who supported the podcast throughout its tenure.

Nights of Cabiria + American Honey

Thu, 20 Jul 2017 07:01:24 GMT

Women making their way through life with men, and maybe better without them. Slice of life films focusing on finding individualism and a sense of self in uncommon communities. Two release weekends separated by fifty-nine years. Women in Nights of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Nights of Cabiria + American Honey first appeared on Double Feature.

RIP George Romero

Thu, 20 Jul 2017 01:48:14 GMT

It's terribly sad when anyone dies, but a horror luminary such as George A. Romero deserves some special recognition. News broke last weekend that Mr. Romero--the father of the modern zombie film and a brilliant filmmaker in his own right--had passed away at the age of 77 and Erik, Sean, and Kyle met up for an all-too-brief discussion about the man's legacy, from his Living Dead films which gave him much international acclaim, to his more contemplative but no less effective films, and even to discussing why he didn't have a late-career renaissance like Wes Craven.

We will miss you, George Romero; your horror legacy will never die.

IDMB Summer Update

Thu, 13 Jul 2017 00:23:45 GMT

In which Jim apologizes for many things including: episode delays, continuously apologizing for episode delays, and the next episode delay as he announces - for many reasons - a hiatus for the rest of the month of July.

Episode 41 - House of Usher (1960) Corman Goes Gothic

Fri, 07 Jul 2017 19:12:37 GMT

Hello, Boils and Ghouls!

This month, Kyle, Erik, and Sean got together to discuss a Roger Corman movie. Yes, it's true! We're not liars. It was the beginning of his eight-movie Edgar Allan Poe cycle, it starred Vincent Price and had some truly excellent sets, cinematography, and music. It's 1960's House of Usher, but is it as good as it should have been?

The Autopsy of Jane Doe + The Witch

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 07:01:18 GMT

The new series begins right here. Two recent horror efforts answer “why horror” in spectacular fashion. A slow decent from the reality of tonight’s theme to the extremes of it. The straight concept mystery that keeps on giving. Another oven … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post The Autopsy of Jane Doe + The Witch first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 129 - Mystery Train

Thu, 29 Jun 2017 02:45:32 GMT

With Mystery Train, Jim says goodbye to June and Jim Jarmusch, which is fitting for a filmmaker whose elegiac work seems to deal with traveling, transitions, and hanging onto a pride from times and places that once were.

Love + Nymphomaniac

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 07:01:49 GMT

The longest orgasm in podcast history. What is the line between art and pornography? An unpopular opinion. Sex is a dangerous thing. It changes your life. Consent, monogamy, a depression trilogy fuck-epic and the intersection of love and sex. Sexual … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Love + Nymphomaniac first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 128 - Dead Man

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 02:18:24 GMT

All the quirks and indie filmmaking tropes that made Paterson work seem not to make Dead Man work.

White Dog + Blazing Saddles

Thu, 15 Jun 2017 07:01:28 GMT

A conversation on race in America from the last two people to learn the results of the disastrous election. Like, actually. Also, an art problem: Racial satire + enough time = film that just looks racist. Can racists in 2017 … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post White Dog + Blazing Saddles first appeared on Double Feature.

IDMB Episode 127 - Paterson

Tue, 13 Jun 2017 02:08:48 GMT

Why is it when nothing supposedly happens (during the mundane, the routine, the regular), we assume that art can't be found? Paterson - both the film and the man in the film - are able to find the poetry in the mundane and value it just for being.

40 - The Birds (1963) Hitchcock's Monster Movie

Wed, 07 Jun 2017 16:07:39 GMT

"Iiiiiii married my wife in the month of June, Rizzle-dee-rozzle-dee mao-mao-mao!"

Dear God, what a terrible song, but it's fairly apropos, for this, the month of June, sees Erik, Sean, and Kyle discuss their second Alfred Hitchcock movie, and the one and only time he made a straight-up monster flick (essentially), 1963's The Birds which finds a small Northern California town beset by rampant avian attacks for seemingly no reason. I bet there's a thematic reason, though, huh?

Also, as discussed in the episode, here is a compiled list of what are considered the best episodes of HBO's Tales from the Crypt. Enjoy!

The Man Who Was Death (S1, E01)
And All Through the House (S1, E02)
Dig That Cat, He's Real Gone (S1, E03)
Collection Completed (S1, E06)
Dead Right (S2, E01)
Cutting Cards (S2, E03)
Four-Sided Triangle (S2, E09)
The Ventriloquist's Dummy (S2, E10)
Television Terror (S2, E16)
Carrion Death (S3, E02)
Abra Cadaver (S3, E04)
Top Billing (S3, E05)
The Reluctant Vampire (S3, E07)
Easel Kill Ya (S3, E08)
Mournin Mess (S3, E10)
Split Second (S3, E11)
Yellow (S3, E14)
What's Cookin' (S4, E06)
The New Arrival (S4, E07)
Split Personality (S4, E11)
Werewolf Concerto (S4, E13)
Death of Some Salesman (S5, E01)
People Who Lives in Brass Hearses (S5, E05)

IDMB Episode 126 - Introduction to Jim Jarmusch (featuring Kristen Sales)

Wed, 07 Jun 2017 01:20:20 GMT

You know what's cool? Rock and roll music. Sloths. Jim Jarmusch. Kristen Sales espouses the coolness of all of these things, but it is primarily with Jim Jarmusch, the New York City-based musician/filmmaker with whom she is concerned during her second appearance on IDMB. She discusses how he's a dying breed of indie filmmaker, whether he's really as cool as he looks or really just a nerd (or both), and what is so quintessentially American about his work before recommending these three titles: Paterson (2016), Dead Man (1995), and Mystery Train (1989).

IDMB Episode 125 - F for Fake

Wed, 31 May 2017 01:51:56 GMT

A documentary about some of the world's most famous fakers from one of cinema's greatest fakers. I mean that as a compliment.

Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter + The Human Centipede 2

Thu, 25 May 2017 07:01:14 GMT

TIME IS RUNNING OUT! Double Feature Year 10 needs you or it can’t happen. https://patreon.com/doublefeature Impressionable loners who take fiction seriously, fictionally. Real fake stories. What lurks inside the bunker (not a casper mattress). Kumiko THE Treasure Hunter. Old wounds, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter + The Human Centipede 2 first appeared on Double Feature.

39 - The Devils (1971) and the Horror of Religious Madness

Fri, 12 May 2017 19:13:19 GMT

This month, we're delving into the realm of sacrilege, blasphemy, persecution, torture, and sexual repression. You know, light and fun stuff. Erik and Kyle (with Sean joining later) discuss Ken Russell's 1971 controversial masterpiece, The Devils, which is recently available (though still heavily cut) on Shudder. Watch, listen, discuss. There's a lot going on.

In a Valley of Violence + The Devil’s Backbone

Thu, 27 Apr 2017 07:01:34 GMT

From the Spanish Civil War to the 2016 Valley. But the other way around. Also, probably not 2016. Ti West returns, and inevitably there’s going to be some conversation about horror. The term ‘slow burn’ is sort of getting annoying. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post In a Valley of Violence + The Devil’s Backbone first appeared on Double Feature.

38 - What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)

Sat, 22 Apr 2017 21:45:59 GMT

This month, because it seems very much in the zeitgeist of late, the fellas have decided to discuss Robert Aldrich's 1962 thriller, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, a movie almost more famous for the rivalry between co-stars Bette Davis and Joan Crawford than for anything artistic. Is this right? Does the movie count as horror? Does it make sense for this film to have become a camp icon? Let's get into the birth of the Psycho Bitty genre!

Nightcrawler + Smash and Grab: The Story of the Pink Panthers

Thu, 20 Apr 2017 07:01:54 GMT

Prowlers meet up in a pairing of Nightcrawler with Smash and Grab: The Story of the Pink Panthers. In Dan Gilroy’s Nightcrawler, Louis Bloom (a driven man desperate for work) muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism. There he … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Nightcrawler + Smash and Grab: The Story of the Pink Panthers first appeared on Double Feature.

Killapalooza 30: Ghoulies

Thu, 13 Apr 2017 07:01:09 GMT

Slasher marathon number thirty! Ghoulies 1-4. In the first Ghoulies, a young man and his girl friend move into an old mansion home, where he becomes possessed by a desire to control ancient demons. Then in Ghoulies 2 (Ghoulies II), … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Killapalooza 30: Ghoulies first appeared on Double Feature.

American Sniper + The Man with the Golden Arm

Thu, 30 Mar 2017 07:01:50 GMT

The ongoing war and peace series continues with American Sniper and The Man with the Golden Arm. Clint Eastwood brings the story of Chris Kyle in American Sniper. Navy S.E.A.L. sniper Chris Kyle’s pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post American Sniper + The Man with the Golden Arm first appeared on Double Feature.

Fast Food Nation + Taxidermia

Thu, 16 Mar 2017 07:01:16 GMT

Definitely eat while watching this double feature. Fast Food Nation tastes delicious with Taxidermia. Michael has lots of questions about Eric being a vegetarian. Pseudo-veganism. In Richard Linklater’s Fast Food Nation, an ensemble piece examining the health risks involved in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Fast Food Nation + Taxidermia first appeared on Double Feature.

37 - Dawn of the Dead (1978) - When there's no more room in hell

Mon, 13 Mar 2017 17:48:43 GMT

This month, Kyle, Erik, and Sean hole up in a shopping mall to escape the hordes of bad people running the world and decide to talk about one of the best and most influential horror movies ever made, George A. Romero's 1978 adventure gore-fest, Dawn of the Dead. Is there more to it than simply marauding zombies and weird muzak? Let's find out together!

Knock Knock + All Cheerleaders Die

Thu, 09 Mar 2017 08:01:49 GMT

Horror filmmaker who keep audiences waiting. Michael: We’ve got two movies today by two directors who made me like movies. Eric: Very truly so. That is Lucky McKee and the great Eli Roth. I should say the great Lucky McKee … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The post Knock Knock + All Cheerleaders Die first appeared on Double Feature.

36 - Phantasm (1979) Boooooooy!!!!

Sat, 11 Feb 2017 19:32:03 GMT

Is it a dream, a curse, or just a weird movie we can't fully explain? This month, Erik, Sean, and Kyle look at Don Coscarelli's 1979 film Phantasm, the movie that gave the world the tertiary horror icon The Tall Man, and a shiny flying ball that drills into people's skulls. But is this movie worth remembering or just shaking off like a bad nightmare?

35 - Hellraiser (1987) - Some Kind of Sublime Pain

Sat, 14 Jan 2017 23:43:09 GMT

Let it never be said that the fellas of the Classic Horror Cast don't start a year with a bang. Our 35th episode, and the first of 2017, features what many consider a tentpole horror flick from the 1980s, creating an icon up there with Freddy and Jason... if only any of his movies were good! That's right, we're taking our first (and likely ONLY) foray into the psychosexual realms of Clive Barker with his first film as a director, 1987's Hellraiser, which features that Cenobite porcupine known as Pinhead. Is the movie worthy of such a villain? Join us!

Episode 7: 2016 in Review

Fri, 30 Dec 2016 17:04:32 GMT

Sabina Stent, Oralia Torres, Lady P , Justine A. Smith, Diana Drumm, Kristen Sales join host Marya E. Gates to talk about their favorite films directed by women from 2016 (new or new-to-them).

34 - Gremlins (1984) - Who is This For?

Tue, 13 Dec 2016 17:15:36 GMT

Happy Holidays, good friends and listeners! For our final Classic Horror Cast of the bag of shattered dreams that was 2016, we're looking at one of the more upbeat horror movies we're likely to ever watch for the show: Joe Dante's 1984 creature feature, Gremlins. We talk about if the horror bits are effective, if the comedy is too over-the-top, and ultimately try to figure out who this damn movie was even for. Everyone, apparently, since it made a metric poop-ton of money. Let's discuss!

Episode 6: Kelly Reichardt

Fri, 25 Nov 2016 05:26:56 GMT

Writer Kristen Sales joins joins host Marya E. Gates to talk about the work of filmmaker Kelly Reichardt

Poltergeist (1982) They're heeeeeeere...

Sun, 13 Nov 2016 21:42:51 GMT

This month, amid some horrors happening in the real world, Erik, Sean, and Kyle take to the supernatural to discuss a seminal work of ghost fiction, the 1982 film Poltergeist directed by Tobe Hooper (or possibly Steven Spielberg, if you believe certain reports). Can something that inspired so many other films and tropes remain scary? Was it ever scary in the first place? We find out together!

Episode 5: Kasi Lemmons

Fri, 11 Nov 2016 04:18:02 GMT

Writer Angelica Jade Bastien joins host Marya E. Gates to talk about the work of filmmaker Kasi Lemmons

Episode 4: Maya Deren

Fri, 28 Oct 2016 02:34:28 GMT

Writer and Surrealism researcher Sabina Stent joins host Marya E. Gates to talk about the work of experimental filmmaker Maya Deren

Episode 3: Sara Gómez

Fri, 14 Oct 2016 02:48:59 GMT

Film writer Monica Castillo joins host Marya E. Gates to talk about the work of Afro-Cuban filmmaker Sara Gómez

32 - Peeping Tom (1960)

Sun, 09 Oct 2016 03:40:24 GMT

Happy Halloween, everyone! It's another year into the podcast and another movie to discuss. This month, Kyle and Erik are without a Sean, but they still have plenty to say about Michael Powell's career-destroying treatise on childhood trauma manifesting as psychosexual compulsions. The Red Shoes.... Just kidding, it's Peeping Tom from 1960, a movie that got buried under the weight of Hitchcock's Psycho but that might actually be a richer, more disturbing, and possibly scarier flick. DISCUSS!

Episode 2: Ida Lupino

Fri, 16 Sep 2016 01:59:19 GMT

Lady P from Flixwise joins host Marya E. Gates to talk about the work of filmmaker and actress Ida Lupino

31 - The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) - Horror Wakes Up

Wed, 07 Sep 2016 23:40:35 GMT

This month, minus one Erik who's having to get a new laptop, Kyle and Sean are back to discuss one of the very pillars of the horror film: 1920's silent masterpiece of German Expressionism, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, directed by Robert Weine. Many point to this film as the very birth of horror in the movies, and nearly 100 years later, it's still incredibly effective. But is it scary?

Episode 1: Jane Campion

Tue, 30 Aug 2016 01:50:53 GMT

Justine Smith and Kristen Sales join host Marya E. Gates to talk about the work of filmmaker Jane Campion

30 - Scream (1996) - What's Your Favorite Scary Movie?

Sat, 30 Jul 2016 22:55:28 GMT

This month, it's just Kyle and Erik, but we're hitting a big one: Wes Craven's 1996 comeback film (he had several comeback films), Scream, which revived the flagging horror film industry, introduced the idea of postmodernism and cinephilia into the genre, and is a pretty damn scary movie in and of itself!

29 - The Exorcist (1973) and Throwing Up in the Aisles

Sun, 08 May 2016 06:56:46 GMT

This month, it's another heavy hitter in the realm of classic horror as Kyle, Erik, and Sean discuss what many (at the time) consider(ed) the scariest movie ever made, William Friedkin's 1973 film, The Exorcist. Is it actually the scariest movie ever, or is it just a movie with a lot of swearing and a little girl made to blaspheme. What scares us about "The power of Christ compels you!"?? Does anything? We get to the bottom of it here.

28 - John Carpenter's The Thing (1982)

Tue, 29 Mar 2016 01:08:30 GMT

This month, Kyle and Sean take a trip to the frigid south pole to hole up with a crew of guys (what do they DO?) and an alien that can look like anything. That's right, we're talking about the masterpiece that is John Carpenter's The Thing, made in 1982. Discussion of plot, pacing, performance, and p-creature design (couldn't continue the p trend). Enjoy!

27 - M (1931)

Wed, 24 Feb 2016 08:06:50 GMT

This month, Kyle and Sean discuss Fritz Lang's 1931 sound film M which has a lot of the trappings of being a horror movie, but is it in fact a horror movie? We'll find out! Discussion topics include whistling creepy songs, balloons, kangaroo courts, real-life murderers, Peter Lorre's acting abilities, and shifting messages. It's a good ol' time.

26 - The Shining (1980): Is it scary or just weird?

Mon, 18 Jan 2016 00:28:06 GMT

This is a long-awaited episode, not just because it's about Stanley Kubrick's 1980 Stephen King "adaptation" The Shining, but because you thought you'd get it in December and now it's mid-January and it's finally in your earholes. After a busy holiday season, Erik, Kyle, and Sean finally reconvene their own auditory Midnight Society to discuss Jack Torrence, scary twins, hallways full of nothing, and whether or not this movie's actually any good at all. Get into it!

Next month: Fritz Lang's M!

Episode 25 - Black Sunday (1960) - Italian Gothic

Sat, 14 Nov 2015 19:27:12 GMT

This month, Erik, Kyle, and Sean dive into a Spaghetti Gothic... a term Kyle just made up. This is Mario Bava's first major work in the horror genre, 1960's BLACK SUNDAY, a film which arrived at the same time as a number of other groundbreaking horror films. They discuss what makes an Italian horror movie distinctly Italian, and whether Bava is a true auteur or not. Next month: We close out the year with all work and no play...

Episode 24 -- The Night of the Hunter (1955)

Sat, 10 Oct 2015 01:39:42 GMT

This month, Erik, Kyle, and Sean return to the black and white era to discuss Charles Laughton's sole directorial effort, the thriller/noir/horror morality fable The Night of the Hunter. If a review of a classic movie about an evil preacher chasing two kids for $10,000 isn't enough, the boys also have some spooky recommendations for your Halloween enjoyment! Next month--Mario Bava!

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET - Bad Dreams from a Horror Maestro

Thu, 10 Sep 2015 19:53:53 GMT

This month, we put our initial plans on hold just for a moment in order to pay tribute to the passing of one of horror's undisputed kings, Mr. Wes Craven. Erik, Kyle, and Sean discuss his 1984 film A Nightmare on Elm Street, dream logic, the legacy of Freddy Krueger, and about Craven's films in general. Few were as innovative or as willing to reinvent themselves and the genre as Wes Craven. He leaves a massive whole in the world of cinema.

Episode 22 - The Silence of the Lambs (1991) - Hannibal Lecter and Psychological Horror

Tue, 11 Aug 2015 15:09:06 GMT

This month, Kyle, Sean, and Erik try to psychoanalyze a psychopath while discussing Jonathan Demme's 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs, which is arguable to some whether or not it's even a horror film. We take that as read here and get into why this movie's so effective, especially in the performances of Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling and Anthony Hopkins as the world's most charming cannibal, Hannibal Lecter. There's also lots to talk about regarding the film's OTHER monster, Buffalo Bill. Is he much of a monster at all?

Next month - Charles Laughton's Night of the Hunter.

An American Werewolf in London (1981) - Beware the Moon

Wed, 08 Jul 2015 01:27:35 GMT

This month, Kyle, Sean, and Erik talk about what is the high water mark for a very low pool, the best werewolf movie ever made, An American Werewolf in London, written and directed by John Landis in 1981. Is it truly a good horror movie or is it just a good movie with horror in it? Or is it even a good movie? Your intrepid horror hosts get to the bottom of it, and think of how many different versions of "Blue Moon" they can think of.

Dracula (1931) - Two Films, One Plot

Sun, 07 Jun 2015 08:00:00 GMT

This month, it's a double-header, double-feature, or double-bladed lightsaber of a month because Erik, Kyle, and Sean are discussing two films with one script. First, the 1931 Tod Browning-directed Universal horror classic Dracula starring Bela Lugosi, and the 1931 Spanish-language version of the same movie being made on the same sets at night. We all know the Bram Stoker novel (or at least its million adaptations), but never before have two films been so similar and yet so incredibly different as these two are. Which is better? Is the Spanish one really the superior, or is that just the hipster mentality? And what exactly happens to Renfield when the Brides get him?

Ep 19 - JAWS (1975) Get out of the water!!

Fri, 08 May 2015 00:38:33 GMT

This month, Erik, Kyle, and Sean learn that Amity means "friendship" when they head into a boat to hunt a maneating Great White in the classic blockbuster 1975 film Jaws. They discuss a film of two halves, a puppet of minimal usage, a mission of three guys who don't really like each other, and the power of frame-stretching. But is it a horror movie at all? They don't necessarily agree.

Island of Lost Souls (1932) - Are we not men?!

Mon, 13 Apr 2015 03:02:53 GMT

This month, Kyle, Erik, and Sean talk about an underappreciated gem, Erle C. Kenton's 1932 film Island of Lost Souls, adapted from the landmark H.G. Wells novel, The Island of Doctor Moreau. The fellas discuss Charles Laughton's amazing performance, the very idea of turning animals into men and playing god, and whether shocking things from the '30s still shock today. Devo also gets mentioned.

Repulsion (1965) - Terror, Hatred, and Feminism

Thu, 12 Mar 2015 15:24:33 GMT

This month, Erik, Kyle, and Sean are shutting the blinds, not answering the phone, and ignoring the rotting rabbit corpse in the kitchen as they discuss Roman Polanski's 1965 film Repulsion, starring the brilliant Catherine Denueve. The movie brings up topics such as the male gaze, the subjective camera, and the idea of Pure Cinema. It also happens to be one of the most disturbing glimpses into a human psyche ever committed to celluloid. So, enjoy that, horror hounds.

The Haunting (1963) - Some Houses Are Born Bad

Sun, 08 Feb 2015 20:32:15 GMT

This month, the fellows discuss Robert Wise's 1963 understated yet unimaginably effective The Haunting, based on Shirley Jackson's novel The Haunting of Hill House. Topics include the cinematography, the use of sound effects, the psychosexual terror of the main character, paternal and vindictive ghosts, and Julie Harris' layered central performance.

Alien (1979) - A Haunted House in Space

Wed, 07 Jan 2015 16:15:32 GMT

Greetings, boils and ghouls! Erik, Kyle, and Sean are back from their various holiday excursions to talk about an honest to goodness horror blockbuster, which is often (we think erroneously) lumped in with science fiction simply because of its setting, that of course being Ridley Scott's 1979 film Alien, which was initially developed under the title Star Beast. Wonder why that one didn't stick. Points of contention for this episode include whether the dystopian future elements, plus the actual sci-fi stuff, get in the way of the scares, not to mention the overall H.R. Giger-ness of everything.

Videodrome (1983) - Long Live the New Flesh

Wed, 10 Dec 2014 15:25:02 GMT

This month, your intrepid horror hosts take a hard look at television and its effects on people's brains, bodies, and chest cavities when they dive into David Cronenberg's 1983 film Videodrome, which many consider to be one of the Canadian filmmaker's crowning achievements. Is Cronenberg holding up a mirror to the Cathode Ray-obsessed populace, or to himself for making gory, sexy films that might be corrupting someone's head? Or maybe it's both. But the line between what's real and what's just an image are more blurred than ever before.

Eyes Without a Face (1960) - Clinical Gore and French Lyricism

Sun, 16 Nov 2014 21:03:38 GMT

In French, the title of this month's movie is Les yeux sans visage, but we hear in the English-speaking world call it Rebel Yell. Sorry, wrong Billy Idol song. It's actually Eyes Without a Face, the moody and creepy 1960 film by Georges Franju, concerning a surgeon who will go to any lengths to replace his disfigured daughter's face, however until he does, the daughter is stuck at home wearing a form-fitting featureless mask. Did we mention it's creepy? Erik, Kyle, and Sean delve into the film's German expressionist and Italian Neo-Realist tendencies as well as its incredibly graphic surgical scenes. And caliope music, too.

Carrie (1976) - They're All Going to Laugh at You!

Tue, 14 Oct 2014 00:58:26 GMT

This month, Sean, Erik, and Kyle head to the prom to dance, drink punch, and run in horror from a girl with pig's blood on her face and telekenetic powers in her brain. That's right, we're talking about Brian De Palma's 1976 adaptation of Stephen King's first published novel. Discussion topics include girls coming of age, locker room antics, religious zealotry, acting virtuosity, how terrible people are, and whether or not split screen adds anything at all.

The Evil Dead (1981) - Misogyny and Patience-Testing

Tue, 16 Sep 2014 03:10:41 GMT

This month, Erik, Kyle, and Sean travel into a cabin in the woods for one of the first films to use that familiar location, Sam Raimi's 1981 feature debut, the immortal The Evil Dead, starring Bruce Campbell. Topics of discussion include the inherent misogyny of being violated by a tree, the relative realism of the Ash character, and a whether testing the stamina of the audience works in the film's favor or not.

The Wicker Man (1973) - The Terror of Belief

Fri, 08 Aug 2014 16:29:02 GMT

This month, Erik, Kyle and Sean take a pleasant journey to Summerisle to sample some of the fine cuisine, native culture, and ritual sacrifice. That's right, the film in question this time around is Robin Hardy's 1973 paranoid pagan masterpiece, The Wicker Man, and the discussion delves into questions of false piety, open copulation, and whether or not it matters if the founder of a religion actually believes in it.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

Tue, 08 Jul 2014 23:15:33 GMT

This month, Erik, Kyle, and Sean discuss one of the most disturbing, influential, and most misunderstood horror films ever made, Tobe Hooper's 1974 masterpiece The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. In particular, they talk about the impact the movie had on the slasher genre, the methods Hooper employed to get the creepy and uneasy feeling throughout, and what the "family unit" truly means.

The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) - It's Not Alive

Sat, 07 Jun 2014 08:26:53 GMT

In an extension of our episode last month, we (that is Erik, Kyle, and Sean) take a look at what is arguably the first Hammer horror film: 1957's The Curse of Frankenstein starring Peter Cushing and (kind of) Christopher Lee. We discuss what it means to be a "Hammer" movie, the nature of having a villain for a protagonist, and whether a movie about Frankenstein really needs the Creature.

Frankenstein (1931) & Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Wed, 07 May 2014 04:00:00 GMT

This month, you get two films discussed for the price of one - James Whale's two Universal classics, Frankenstein (1931) and Bride of Frankenstein (1935), both based very loosely on Mary Shelley's novel. From the writing-by-committee of the first film to the camp allegory of the second one, Erik, Kyle, and Sean trundle along after the thick-booted Boris Karloff with the torches of knowledge.

Suspiria (1977) Murder as High Art

Sun, 06 Apr 2014 16:47:39 GMT

This month, we tackle the divisive Italian horror masterpiece Suspiria by maestro Dario Argento. The film was a departure at the time for Argento, being his first to deal with the supernatural and not strictly a knife-wielding murderer. There's still plenty of knife murders, of course. We discuss the film's visuals, the director's penchant for cinematic logic versus narrative logic, and whether or not we can truly be driven mad by the music of Goblin.

Ringu (1998) - Video Age, Telephone Game, and Casual Psychics

Sun, 09 Mar 2014 17:34:02 GMT

This month, Erik, Kyle, and Sean discuss Hideo Nakata's 1998 J-Horror classic, Ringu, which was remade in America as The Ring. The fellows discuss Asian horror sensibilities, creepy girls with stringy hair, how to immediately date a movie, and why it's apparently no big deal for people to be psychic.

Next month: Dario Argento's Suspiria

Episode 4 - John Carpenter's Halloween (1978); the boogeyman

Sat, 08 Feb 2014 05:04:01 GMT

This month, we take a look at our first film in color, believe it or not. It's a movie that made a star out of its director, lead actor, and white-masked murderer and finally brought fear to the scariest day of the year. Of course, we're talking about John Carpenter's 1978 masterpiece Halloween. Is it as scary as people say? Does it scare Erik, Kyle, and Sean? Or is it, like Night of the Living Dead, more important than good. Listen to find out.

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Wed, 01 Jan 2014 02:44:00 GMT

Before "walkers," "undead," or even "zombies," there were the ghouls of George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead. On the surface, the 1968 film is just an independent horror picture with uneven pacing and more realisitic gore, but in the 45 years since its release, it's become everything from a political and social allegory to the beginning of a cultural phenomenon. This month (Happy New Year!), Erik, Sean, and Kyle sink their teeth into a modern horror icon.

Psycho (1960) Hitchcock, and Little Stuffed Birds

Sat, 07 Dec 2013 02:04:00 GMT

On this month's Classic Horror Cast, Sean, Erik, and Kyle discuss Alfred Hitchock's 1960 masterpiece of suspense, Psycho, which was one of the precursors to the modern slasher movie. It also happened to be one of several classic horror films to be at least partially based on the life of famous murderer/mother lover Ed Gein. Look him up; he's gross.

Nosferatu (1922): German Expressionism, Silent Horror, and Creepy Vampyres

Thu, 31 Oct 2013 14:37:00 GMT

For their inaugural episde, Erik, Kyle, and Sean tackle one of the oldest and most influential horror classics: F.W. Murnau's 1922 film Nosferatu.

Episode 0--A Teaser of What's to Come

Tue, 22 Oct 2013 23:00:00 GMT

Or is it a prequel? No, it's definitely a teaser. Or a trailer? Hmm...in any case, here's a quick taste of CHC to hopefully whet your appetite for the release of our first full-length episode on October 31. That's Halloween, in case you didn't know.