Watch This With Rick Ramos

Scott Sanders's Black Dynamite 

We're finishing out the month of December - two more weeks left in 2025 - and having a great time exploring the world of Cult Cinema and Midnight Movies. This week we take a look at one of the best comedies of the 21st Century . . . a film that should have been exactly the definition of Midnight/Cult Movie. In 2009 Director Scott Sanders and Writer/Star Michael Jai White would unlease Black Dynamite on the moviegoing public. A Spoof/Parody/Love Letter to the "Blaxploitation" films of the 1970s, Black Dynamite was sadly ignored by t...

Alejandro Jodorowsky's The Holy Mountain

This week we continue our love for Midnight and Cult Movies. For this episode we return to the great Chilean-French filmmaker, Alejandro Jodorowsky. A Visionary Artist and Poet of the Cinema, Jodorowsky has created some of the most beautiful and challenging images and concepts ever conceived. Problematic, Polarizing, Poetic, and Personal, Jodorowsky's films exist as islands of beauty in a world of Cinema too often overwhelmed by commerce - established, continuinuing, and obvious proven projects, as well as "safe" childrens' fair. Jodorowsky digs deep into the humanity, history, and struggles of the...

Mike Judge's Office Space 

Recorded some time ago, we've been holding onto this episode until the right time. As we move into our second month of Midnight & Cult Movies it is clear that Director Mike Judge (creator of Beavis & Butthead, Idiocracy, and King of the Hill) is a director whose filmography is almost entirely cult films and television shows. In 1999 he was approached by 20th Century Fox to adapt his short films (based on the Milton character first seen on Saturday Night Live and Mtv's Liquid Televison) into a theatrical film. There is no real undestanding of w...

Robert Aldrich's Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?

Not a "Midnight Movie" but certainly one of the great Cult Classics, 1962s Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? was an audience's dream pairing. The coming together of Oscar winners Bette Davis and Joan Crawford - two of the greatest stars the medium has known - created a film that has captivated film lovers for decades. The story of two sisters - volatile, abusive, and mutually destructive - has become a love/hate letter to the entertainment industry as well as continuing fuel to the bitterness surrounding its two stars. On...

Russ Meyer's Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! 

If you allow it to do so, Cinema will take you to strange, hypnotic, and brilliant places. For close to forty years I have known about Russ Meyer's Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965) and have assiduously avoided it. Cinematic Snobbery stopped this podcaster from one of the strangest and - seemingly - sexist and self-indulgent exercises in moviemaking. I could not have been more mistaken. The verdict on Russ Meyer as a filmmaker is stil to be determined by this podcast, however we can be sure that this film contains one of t...

David Lynch's Eraserhead

This week we continue our look into Midnight/Cult Movies. One of the earliest films to find an audience (and build its directors career) was 1977s Eraserhead. A film that baffles description, this weeks episode takes the angle of describing the "feelings" and memories that have followed our initial viewings of this brilliant debut film. Brilliant Black & White cinematography by Frederick Elmes and Herbert Caldwell, hypnotic performances from Jack Nance, Charlotte Stewart, Judith Anna Roberts, as well as a disturbing supporting cast that simply feels right. Take a listen to see if Lynch's debut...

Jim Sharman's The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Cinema is art, Viewing Cinema is an artistic experience. We sit in the theater and drift into the beauty of a story that either entertains, explains, or enlightens. Sometimes all of these and even more. In 1975 20th Century Fox would distribute a film that would fail miserably with mainstream audiences, but would survive box office death and be reborn on the Midnight Movie Circuit. The Rocky Horror Picture Show has played non-stop since it began midnight screenings in 1976. With a rabid fanbase that acts out scenes, musical numbers, and improvised a...

Kathryn Bigelow's Near Dark 

This year Halloween fell on a weekend . . . 

We've come to the end of the Halloween season. Two months of Vampire movies finds us ending on a cult favorite from the 1980s. In 1987 Kathryn Bigelow would direct her first solo-outing by re-imagining the Vampire film as a Neo-Western centered around a young couple and the family of vampires that haunt and terrorize a modern Southwest. Featuring Adrian Pasdar as Caleb Colton, a young man bitten and "turned" by the seductive Mae and his "adoption" into a troubling imagining on the traveling "nuclear fa...

E. Elias Merhige's Shadow of the Vampire

Sometimes it's simply a thrill to watch one your favorite actors let loose and have a great time. F.W. Murnau's 1922 Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror is widely - and deservedly - considered one of the greatest films of all time. A mythology has formed around the making of the film including the idea that its star, Max Shreck, was an actual vampire. With this springboard, writer Steven Katz and director E. Elias Merhige's fashion an exciting, inventive, and thrilling historical re-telling of the making of Murnau's film. With a g...

Carl Theodore Dreyer's Vampyr

If you dig deep enough, Cinema will unleash great treasures. The Silent Era ended in 1927 with the release of The Jazz Singer . . .  Movies would never be the same. A number of filmmakers would utilize the new technology in innovative, imaginitive, and groundbreaking ways. Fritz Lang's M comes to mind. Musicals became a reality and would astonish audiences. Storytellng became an entirely new artform. However the power of Silent Films would continue to be felt. Chaplin stubbornly held onto silence, while Karl Dane, Douglas Fairbanks Sr., and Emil Jannings would witness their star power d...

Adrien Beau's The Vourdalak

If you dive into the depths of World Cinema you will often discover magic. You may not know that you're viewing something exceptional while you're watching it, but you will find yourself realizing the power of the image, the power of ideas from different corners of the world. This week Mr. Chavez & I find Adrien Beau's 2023 French "Folk" Tale The Vourdalak, a film of nuance and beautifully imagined historical horror. Chronicling the story of a French aristocrat, robbed and left lost in Eastern Europe, Beau's story takes on a familiar story re-imagined as...

Tobe Hooper's Salem's Lot

From time to time movies slip through the cracks. Although Tobe Hooper's Salem's Lot is considered a television classic, it is a film that your movie podcaset host has somehow missed these 46 years. Adapted from Stephen King's 1975 best-seller, this 1979 adaptation features David Soul from TVs Starsky & Hutch, as well as future Mrs. Holly McClane, Bonnie Bedelia. What could have easily been a throw-away television mini-series, is instead a ground-breaking take on Vampires, Lust, and Small-Town Paranoia. Guided through the directorial lens of Mr. Hooper, shortly after the landmark Horror spectacle, The Texas Chainsaw Mas...

Park Chan-wook's Thirst

One of the great thrills of the past ten-plus years is the discovery of new, exciting, and challenging films. On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Mr. Chavez & I dive into the cinema of South Korea's Park Chan-wook for 2009s Thirst. It's fascinating to watch stories we believe we understand and are sure we have witnessed every variation. Park Chan-wook's Vampire story centers around a priest (Kang-ho Song) as he struggles with his beliefs and his slow transformation into the Undead. With an equally exceptional performance from Kim Ok-vin (as Tae-ju, the woman...

John Landis's Innocent Blood 

There are times when you have to take what you can get from a project. This week Mr. Chavez & I look at John Landis's 1992 Horror/Mob/Vampire/Comedy, Innocent Blood. With a talent such as Landis, the strokes are broad and without nuance. Innocent Blood is no exception. There are definitely the seeds for an exceptional Horror/Comedy hybrid, however this film is serving far too many masters. Some of the Horror works. Some of the Comedy works. The problem is there's simply not enough dedication to either. You can't serve two masters. T...

Samurai Dhampir - Yoshiaki Kawajiri's Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust

What an incredible find! This week Mr. Chavez & I return to the world of Japanese Anime with this discussion of Yoshiaki Kawajiri's 2000 Dark Vampire Fantasy, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust. Coming fifteen years after Toyoo Ashida's Vampire Hunter D, what Kawajiri creates is breathtaking. Simply put, Japanese Anime expands the boundaries and expectations of "Traditional" American Animation. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Kawajiri's tale of a half human/half vampire hired to track and rescue a wealthy man's kidnapped daughter. In a story that mirrors - to...

Fanged Housemates - Taika Waititi & Jermaine Clemente's What We Do in the Shadows

This week Mr. Chavez & I dive into the World of Reality Cinema with Taika Waittit & Jermaine Clemente's 2014 mockumentary, What We Do in the Shadows. A comical look at the undead that misses more often that it hits, Waititi & Clemente take a reality television approach to the vampire legend, both literary and cinematic. As always, we look at the film and dive into the history of movies that have inspired this film as well as the direction that these types of films have begun to...

Someone To Die For: Ariane Louis-Seize's Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person

The title alone may put off some audiences, however to do pass on this film would be a mistake. The rare film that explores genre with an intent to experiment, open up, and entertain, Louis-Seize's French-Canadian co-production is an exciting and beautifully realized look at a coming-of-age story wedged into the Horror genre. The story of a young female vampire who refuses to kill, Louis-Seize's story is a moving and intellectually stimulating examination of genre story-telling. Take a watch . . . we dont' think you'll be disappointed...

Mamuwalde Unchained: William Crain's Blacula 

Well Boys & Girls, this week Mr. Chavez & I begin our yearly dive into Horror, returning to the genre with a search for lesser-known, less-discussed titles in the Vampire sub-genre. Over the next two months we will be traveling to Korea, Canada, the American Southwest, a post-apocalyptic Japan, and New Zealand. This week we start in Transylvania and travel to Los Angeles with 1972s Blaxploitation Classic, Blacula. A film with a mixed reputation, there certainly is a great deal to admire in William Crain's re-imagining of the Dracula legend. One of the most pow...

Pilot Going Down: Robert Zemeckis's Flight

This week we close out our Denzel Washington Love Fest with - arguably - one of his best performances. In 2012 Mr. Washington would team with Director Robert Zemeckis for Flight, a film that is rarely discussed, but that has powerfully affected this film watcher. For this episode, Mr. Chavez & I sit down to watch, examine, and discuss this incredible performance that touches on the fraility of humanity and the dangers of addiction. Denzel Washington with supporting performances from Don Cheadle, Bruce Greenwood, John Goodman, Melissa Leo, an early star-making turn from Ye...

Battle for the Conn: Tony Scott's Crimson Tide

You can never get enough Denzel Washington. This week Mr. Chavez & I sit down to talk the first of five collaborations with director Tony Scott, 1995s Crimson Tide. This first collaboration of Washington and Scott would fall almost directly in the middle of Scott's career and would be the fourth collaboration between Scott and the Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer producing behemoth. This episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos takes a look at the relationship between Scott and his producing partners; the creation of the look and style that would come t...

Denzel Wandering the Wasteland: The Hughes Brothers' The Book of Eli

There are few great actors who can also be considered movie stars. Denzel Washington is certainly on that short list. A few weeks back we discussed his crowning achievement, Malcolm X. In 2010 he would produce and star in the Hughes Bros. directed, The Book of Eli. The rare instance of an action film with a purpose beyond mere entertainment, The Hughes Bros. brought to the screen one of the great "neglected" films of the 21st Century. In a post-apocalyptic world, Washington plays Eli, a man wandering t...

Neo-Nazi Family Drama: Tony Kaye's American History X

Some films simply don't age well. With the passing years the problems of a narrative can become glaring. Such is the case with Tony Kaye's American History X (1998). A difficult subject that would have been better served with a revised script and a stronger director, American History X  suffers from a forced and simplistic narrative. Good performances and interesting cinematography (by director Kaye) are simply not enough to overcome a story that my partner dismsses as "after-school special". Although this film is widely admired in some circles, your favorite movi...

A Time for Martyrs: Spike Lee's Malcolm X 

Last Week Spike Lee, Ernest Dickerson, and Denzel Washington started Mr. Chavez & Myself on an artistic, political, and introspective journey. We originally intended to discuss this masterpiece in one episode, however art, life, and the conversation often dictate a different outcome. Last week was the "making" of Malcolm X, this week WatchThis W/RickRamos dives into the beauty, power, and ground-breaking nature of this labor of love/passion project/grand cinematic statement. It is rare when so many of the cinematic elements come together to make a powerful and im...

By Any Means Necessary: Spike Lee & The Making of Malcolm X 

Cinema can change attitudes, englighten ignorance, strengthen understanding and faith. In 1992 director Spike Lee would partner with star Denzel Washington and long-time cinematographer (and NYU schoolmate) Ernest Dickerson to bring to the big screen the life of one of the most important firgures of the 20th Century, Malcolm Little to become "Red" to become Malcolm X, to become el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz. In an expansive narrative that covers over four decades and - could be argued - encapsulates the experience of Black life in the history of t...

Chaos, Frame by Frame: Alex Garland's Civil War

We're on top of it. The podcast continues to look into the possible disintegration of this country. We've discussed dystopias, comical and deadly serious looks at atomic annhilation, immigration abuse, fascism, paranoia, and now the full-on dissolution of the country. Last year Alex Garland directed Civil War a well-acted, interesting look at the fracturing of the United States. It's a problematic film that - probably - bit off far more than it could possibly chew. There's a great deal to admire in this film, including an exceptional Kirsten Dunst, ho...

Total Massacre - Takashi Miike's 13 Assassins 

Not a whole lot is better this week, so Mr. Chavez & I find ourselves digging deeper into an examination, coping, and understanding of Fascism, Cruelty, and Troubling Political Rule with this week's film, Takashi Miike's 2010 13 Assassins. Miike's vision is typically brutal, violent, and magnificent. 13 Assassins exceeds the critical constraints of your "Typical Action Film" with a look at Samurai Culture during the Edo Period (1603-1868 - in this case, 1844). With a strong debt to Akira Kurosawa and Seven Samurai, Miike's film is an action-packed drama that holds a mirror to society and t...

Operation Wetback: Richard "Cheech" Marin's Born in East L.A. 

Somethings refuse to change and what was true three and a half decades ago continues to be true today. With a nation struggling under the hand of an adminstration refusing to look at human beings as anything more than numbers, "Cheech" Marin's Born in East L.A. seems even more relevant today than it did when it premiered in the summer of 1987. Marin's film (the first of his projects after the end of his partnership as the ground-breaking comedy troupe, Cheech & Chong) is a - at points a s...

Mutual Doomsday: Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove/Sidney Lumet's Fail Safe 

Recording a mere two days before Donald Trump fired on Iran, Mr. Chavez & I sit down to discuss nuclear war and the incredible self-destructiveness of humankind. In 1963 Stanley Kubrick would direct one of his earliest masterpieces. With a ridiculous and hilarious George C. Scott, frighteningly honest Sterling Hayden, and a briliant Peter Sellars in a trio of roles that stands as one of the (three) greatest comic performances in cinema. There is a great deal going on in this film, however much of it's power has been d...

Kill Along to Get Along: Bernardo Bertolucci's The Conformist

Does Life Imitate Art or Does Art Predict and Comment on Life? 

Regardless of Bernardo Bertolucci's reputation - admitted questionable actions in the realization of art - the Italian filmmaker is regarded as one of the great Auteurs of Cinema. Films from 1900 (1976) thru the Oscar-winning The Last Emperor (1987), and the controversial (artistically and production-wise) Last Tango in Paris (1972), have explored the human eperience through Sexuality, Social Taboos, Class Conflict, and - in his directorial debut 1970s The Conformist, Politics. Lensed by the great Italian cinematographer Vittorio Stora...

Citizen Accused: Orson Welle's Film of Franz Kafka's The Trial

Few authors can lay claim to creating a genre, however it could be argued that Franz Kafka did just that with stories like The Metamorphosis, In the Penal Colony, and this week's cinematic adaptation, The Trial. The term Kafkaesque , instantly builds a sense of excitement, confusion, and paranoia in readers - many whom are only familiar with the term and not necessarily the author. This week we look at Orson Welle's 1962 adaptation of Kafka's 1925 classic, The Trial.  Set (15 minutes?) in the future, Welle's beautifully realizes the confusion and...

Forest vs Iron Town: Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke

This week Mr. Chavez & I continue our exploration of Japanese anime with a look at 1997s beautiful and breathtaking Princess Mononoke. Mr. Chavez & I are both very new to the world of anime . . . these episodes are our ntroduction to this magnificent world. Featuring story elements of traditional folk tales, the hero's journey, and environment warnings. This is a magnificent motion picture; leading us into deeper and more rewarding viewings. A good beginning and a promising journey. Take a listen and let us know if you agreee. As always we can...

High School Murder Tournament - Kinji Fukasuku's Battle Royale 

This week Mr. Chavez & I look back to the beginning of the new millennium and an examination of the paranoia, violence, and uncertainty societies all over the world were facing. In 2000 Japanese director Kinji Fukasuku would bring to the screen one of the most controversial, thought-provoking, and challenging films of the new century. Battle Royale would stun and anger audiences in Japan and - later - throughout the world with its (seemingly) hopelessly dystopian look at a future not very distant from our own. Societies are breaking down and...

Franchises, Sex Tapes, & The Future of Film

On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Mr. Chavez & I dive back into the archives to remember this 10 year journey. A John Turturro working-class musical, a Sean Penn/Gary Oldman/Ed Harris Hell's Kitchen crime drama, Defining Decades, and a Salute to Martin Scorsese . . . This week we look back to episodes #411-416 in this continuing Journey of Self-Indulgence. We hope you're enjoying this look back as much as we are enjoying talking it. Take a listen and let us know what you think - gondoramos@yahoo.com - Many...

Superficial Sci-Fi: Rupert Sanders' Ghost in the Shell

On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Ibrahim & I dive into Rupert Sanders' 2017 live-action re-imagining of Mamoru Oshii's 1995 Anime-Classic, Ghost in the Shell.  There are so many things that can go wrong with an adaptation and Sanders manages to check many of those boxes. From casting Scarlett Johansson  in the lead role through a amateurish handling of theme and purpose - the film is - certainly - beautiful to look at, however it misses out on so much that made the oringal anime both special and important. In an...

Cyborg Awakening: Mamoru Oshii's Ghost in the Shell

From time to time this podcast allows Mr. Chavez & Myself the opportunity to explore new genre's. With the encouragement and recommendations of WatchThis listeners, we have had the opportunity to engage in new experiences a number of times. Some of these new viewings have been from The World of Japanese Anime (Thank You, Mr. Burroughs!). This week we dive into one of the very best, Mamoru Oshii's 1995 dystopian masterpiece Ghost in the Shell. It is rare that a film is able to deliver on so many different levels (entertaining...

Synthetic Sexuality: Alex Garland's Ex Machina

AI continues to hold our fascination. This week Mr. Chavez & I dive into Alex Garland's examination of Artificial Intelligence with 2014s Ex Machina. Set, as Garland describes, "Ten minutes from now," Ex Machina is a fascinating film with exceptional performances from Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, and Alicia Vikander. Few films are able to capture the subtleties and realities of science fiction paranoia with this level of skill. As these talks have continued over the last few episodes, the paranoia is becoming greater as the realities of our world begin to live up...

Bad Bitch, Cyborg, & Liquid Metal: James Cameron's Terminator 2: Judgement Day

Go to last week's introduction to James Cameron's The Terminator . . . fast-forward seven years. Sarah Connor is no longer a "damsel in distress". James Cameron has worked his Sigourney Weaver magical transformation on another heroine, creating one of the great female action stars in all of cinema. Once again, Sarah Connor is facing the destruction of the world. However this time she is fully aware of the danger in front, behind, above, and below. Cameron's imagination - coupled with a sheer will and an (at that time) unheard o...

Skynet AI 2029: James Cameron's The Terminator 

If you grew up in the 1980s, you were living in a decade that would be controlled by raunchy teen sex comedies (Porky's, My Tutor, Private Lessons), John Hughes (The Breakfast Club, 16 Candles, Ferris Bueller's Day Off), and the emergence of straight to video. However there was one genre that stood above all others and would forever alter the output of Hollywood. Action films had always been a part of Hollywood, however the 1980s would unleash the talents of Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis, as well as lesser box office talents such...

Gonzo Hellscape: Terry Gilliam's Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas

In 1998 Director Terry Gilliam - a director whose cinematic career has been fraught with difficulty on the level of Job (see 2002s Lost in La Mancha) was finally successful in bringing to the screen Hunter S. Thompson's 1971 Classic roman á clef of excess, paranoia, idealism, and disappointment, Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream. A polariizing film upon its release in 1998, Giliam's interpretation of Thompson's 1971 vision is both awe-inspiring and troubling. There is a tremendous amount to admire in this film whil...

This week we continue digging through the archives to remember the past ten years of WatchThis W/RickRamos. (Episodes #395 - #410) Great Episodes . . . Great Discussions.  We dive into Mr. Chavez's Favorite Cinematic Decade - The 1990s, as well as looks at Horror both Domestic and International: Dante/Carpenter/Craven & Cronenberg/Kobayashi/Na Hong-jin/Jodorowsky, Oliver Stone, Defining the 80s, but we start everything with a terrific, exciting, worthy re-boot of the Predator series, Prey. We're having a hell of a good time remembering these episodes. Take a listen and let us know what you think - gondoramos@yahoo.com. Many Th...

Godzilla, the 60s, Hopes, & Monsters 

A return to 10 years of WatchThis W/RickRamos (Episodes #384 - 394) - This week we return to the vault to look at one of the greatest movie monsters of all time . . . Toho's Godzilla. We look back on the tumultuous 1960s and the changing face of Cinema, Monsters, and Hopes for the Future. Take a listen and let us know what you think. We can be reached at gondormaos@yahoo.com - Many Thanks. 

For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love, you can do so...

Cynicism, Rogan, & What Would Carlin Say? - Remembering 500 Episodes

We come back to this celebration as we look through the archives and reminisce and what these episodes have meant to us. Take a listen as we remember the good times, arguments, and great cultural gifts that Pop Culture, Music, Television, and - of course - Cinema have gifted us. It's a fun conversation . . . We hope you enjoy it. Send us your thioughts: gondoramos@yahoo.com. Many Thanks. 

For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love, you can do s...

Carry the Fire, Get to the Coast: John Hillcoat's The Road 

Bleak & Dark, Hopeless & Beautiful . . . On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Mr. Chavez & I sit down to discuss one of the most brutal and powerful films to emerge from the studio system in decades. In 2009 Director John Hillcoat adapted Cormac McCarthy's 2006 novel The Road. Featuring a career best Viggo Mortensen as "Man" and newcomer Kodi Smit-McPhee as "Boy" - two of the last surviving humans, left to wander the desperate and perilous remains of a world rapidly dying. There's only so much that should be sa...

Dumbing Down the Future - Mike Judge's Idiocracy

This is an especially fun one! This week Mr. Chavez & I take a trip into a very funny, very frightening, and very likely future. In 2006 20th Century Fox released Mike Judge's Idiocracy in a manner that almost guaranteed that no one would ever see it. 

. . . but the film would survive. Judge's bleak and pessiimistic vision of the future - the year 2505 - would find a cult audience that would embrace its hilarious prediction of a Professional Wrestler President, warehouse stores as a kind of Mecca, Fast-Food Restaurants as c...

Dreams with Gilliam, The Rolling Stones Through the Years,  The Silent Voice, The Magic of Tarkovsky, Zappa, A Trio of Very Different Noir

On this week's episode Mr. Chavez & I return to reminiscing on 500 shows. We begin with the beauty and magic of Terry Gilliam with The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, through a look at Rock 'N Roll and The Rolling Stones, A beginning series of movies that defined their decades, the beauty of Soviet Cinema with Andrei Tarkovsky, and The Dark Brilliance of Film Noir. It's a fun look back; We hope you'll take the ride wit...

Cinematic Karma - Stanley Kubrick's                     A Clockwork Orange 

WatchThis fan and BuyMeACoffee contributor, Alan Lamberg, suggests this week's title, Stanley Kubrick's 1971 controversial (masterpiece - ?), A Clockwork Orange. In the late 60s and early 70s the cinematic landscape was changing and evolving into a very different creature. Arthur Penn's Bonnie & Clyde and Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch would usher in a new era of cinematic violence. Stanley Kubrick would soon pick up the baton and create one of the most polarizing and controversial films ever made. From the novella by Anthony Burgess, Kubrick would create a dystopian England that would c...

Whitey Saves the Day, Jake Won't Go Down, The Beatles Break Up, & More

This week Mr. Chavez & I return to a project that began in the middle of last year, releasing an episode recorded many months ago, and exploring the first 500 shows of WatchThis W/RickRamos. It's taken some time to get back to this, but we find ourselves returning to Memory Lane and plan on spending the next few months peppering the podcast with our reflections on what has come before; what it meant then, what it means now, and what it may mean in the...

David Lynch: The Art of Dark Dreams 

This week Mr. Chavez & I remember and say farewell to one of the greats of Cinema - David Lynch (01/20/46 - 01/15/25). Goodbye, Mr. Lynch; we were fortunate to have you. 

For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love, you can do so with a contribution at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/watchrickramos - Anything and Everything is appreciated, You Cheap Bastards.

When Evil Men Remember: Joshua Oppenheimer, Christina Cynn, & an Anonymous Indonesian Director's The Act of Killing

This week Mr. Chavez & I go up river for one of the most powerful, depressing, and meaningful documentaries ever made, The Act of Killing. This 2012 documentary explores the Indonesian mass killings, rapes, and tortures that occurred between 1965 and 1966 of alleged Communist Chinese and others opposed to the Indonesian New Order Regime. What sets this documentary apart from other films of similar subject matter is the straight-forward and excited re-tellings of these war crimes by the very torturers and murderers originally involved a...

Angry White Male: Joel Schumacher's Falling Down

Looking at the world - past, present, and future - this week Mr. Chavez & I sit down to watch and discuss Joel Schumacher's 1993 look at American male angst, disgust, and disspointment, Falling Down. As we "welcome" a return of the Republicans to political power, Schumacher's film is a brutal look at the disspointment of the American Dream. Michael Douglas leads with a powerful performance of a late-30s/mid 40s everyman, laid-off, divorced, and confused by his no longer being "Economicallay Viable". Sharing the screen is a strong, later-career performance b...

Detective or Pervert: David Lynch's Blue Velvet 

This week Mr. Chavez & I dive into The World of David Lynch. Amazingly, Lynch has been able to survive and thrive in the Hollywood System for over four decades. From his beginnings with a labor of love called Eraserhead (1977) thru critical acclaim and an Oscar nomination for 1980s The Elephant Man, and a colossal failure attempting an adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune (1984), which could have easily ended his filmmaking career, Lynch bounced back with a truly strange, mesmerizing, and captivating work. Polarizing for critics when first released in 1986, Lynch's Blue V...

Dracula Done to Death - Robert Egger's Nosferatu

This week Mr. Chavez & I run to our local movie theaters to watch, contemplate, and bring to you Robert Egger's end of the year re-imagining of the F.W. Murnau Classic, Nosferatu. Re-makes are notoriously difficult to pull of and Egger's has his hands full with one of the greatest films in the History of Cinema. There is a great deal to admire in this new rendering of the Horror Classic. Where does it succeed? Where does it fail? There is so much to dig into on this week's...

Time Destroys Everything - Gaspar Noé's Irreversible

We're closing in on our two final films in our  "Dark Cinema" showcase. This week we look at Gaspar Noé's 2002 controversial and troubling film, Irreversible. Arguably one of the most difficult viewing experiences ever unleashed on movie-watching audiences, Noé's exploration on storytelling (a backwards playing narrative) could have easily been a gimmick with little to say in the way of exploring themes, however Noé deftly handles the obvious showboating of such a technique to add a true, honest, and enlightening understanding of his story of a brutal rape...

Perv with a Pen - Terry Zwigoff's Crumb

This week we race back to 1994 with one of the great documentaries of the modern era, Terry Zwigoff's portrait of underground comic artist, Robert Crumb. A simple profile of the artist and the polarizing reaction to his work alone would have made for an interesting and enjoyable film; Zwigoff's decision to focus on Crumb's extended family (two brothers and mother) forms a more powerful and disturbing work. With an abusive childhood to expand on and two examples of talent overpowered by mental difficulties, Zwigoff highlights how powerful art is...

Blood, Metal, C*m - David Cronenberg's CRASH 

For Darkness in Popular Cinema it's difficult to find a director that reaches deeper and more disturbing images than Canadian auteur, David Cronenberg. 1997s Crash is - arguably - his most divisive, polarizing, and controversial film. Winner of a special Cannes Jury Award (which jury president, Francis Ford Coppola refused to hand to Cronenberg), Crash examines symphorophiliacs  (A paraphilia involving sexual arousal from staging and watching disasters, such as traffic collisions.) as they discover one another and push the limits of their sexual kinks, desires, and passions. This is not...

To Neither Have Nor Hold - Tod Browning's The Unknown

On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Mr. Chavez & I look back to 1927 for one of the great Actor/Director collaborations - Lon Chaney & Tod Browning. With The Unknown, Chaney & Browning would create one of the most disturbing and beautifully realized films of The Silent Era. Browning's years spent as a youth in circuses and carnivals would inform two of his most famous films (The Unknown and Freaks [1932]). Chaney's dedication to portraying a carnival performer without arms who falls in love with a young Joan Crawford...

Wall Street Chainsaw Massacre - Mary Harron's American Psycho

On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Mr. Chavez & I take a look at director Mary Harron's 2000 adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis's American Psycho. A controversial and polarizing film that has gained cultural and critical praise in the nearly quarter century since the film's release (and the 1991 publication of the novel), we are thrilled to discuss the pros (Christian Bales's performance as Patrick Bateman) and cons (a limited scope in portraying and commenting on the society it was showcasing and influencing) of this cult classic. As always...

Rage for Ratings: Paddy Chayefsky & Sidney Lumet Present NETWORK

What was once considered a satire by all (save the two men who made it - they considered it a reflection of what was happening), Paddy Chayefsky and Sidney Lumet's 1976 masterpiece exists as a fifty year harbinger of a media, social, and political reality that has reached its culmination with the current state of American culture. Once considered a blistering social comedy Network has lost a great deal of of its humor in the absurd realities of the third decade of the 21st Century. Mr. Chavez & I are...

Sun-Soaked Rape-sploitation: Coralie Fargeat's Revenge

Sometimes a film fails, but the conversation it inspires is worth the viewing; That appears to be the case with this week's discussion of Coralie Fargeat's 2017 beautifully shot, thinly plotted, obvious and disappointing exploitation film, Revenge. Fargeat (director of last week's episode, The Substance) proves a capable, but limited story-teller. Mr. Chavez and I use Fargeat's film as a jumping off point to understand the rape and revenge genre with comparisons to I Spit on Your Grave, Death Wish (I & 2), and Kill Bill Vol. I & II. What was an unsatisfying and critically disa...

Young, Hot, Horrible - Coralie Fargeat's The Substance

November brings with it a return to the theaters as I venture into the multiplex (and Mr. Chavez grabs up a streaming subscription) for Coralie Fargeat's critically acclaimed attack on Womens' Aging in Tinsel Town, the Male Gaze, Vanity, with a Twilight Zone-like look at an industry that both makes stars and disposes of them in the most cruel and emotionless of ways. There's a whole lot to admire in Coralie Fargeat's sophomore effort, however how much of it is successful, and how much of it is obvious and...

Blood - Old & New, Tragedy on the Set, Author & Director, and an Unholy Alliance

Back to the Memories. This week Mr. Chavez & I return to reminiscing on the past decade with a look at episodes ranging from the History of Vampires in Cinema, the loss of Brandon Lee on the set of The Crow, the first imagining of Stephen King in Brian De Palma's Carrie, and - finally - our introduction to a cabin in the woods, the Necronomicon, Ash Williams, and the warped mind of Sam Raimi. Take a listen . . . We're having a great time remembering Wat...

A$$Holes Learn a Lesson - Michael Gornick's Creepshow 2 

This week Mr. Chavez & I close out our Annual Halloween episodes with a look at 1987s Creepshow follow-up Creepshow 2 - already creatively innovative. Although not a great film - and lacking the charm, inventiveness, and professionalism of the original - Michael Gornick's (taking over directorial duties from George A. Romero) sequel is fun - but also forgettable. The film is enjoyable if you let go of your expectations, dive into the nostalgia, and remember it's a dumb, fun Horror film. Take a listen and let us know what y...

Ribbon of Darkness: Daphné Baiwir's King on Screen 

The Halloween Season is coming to a close. Mr. Chavez & I are concluding with a look at the prolific and celebrated novelist, Stephen King. First we begin with a look at Daphné Baiwir's 2022 - French/Belgian financed - Documentary, King on Screen. More a talking head celebration of Stephen King's film adaptations than any kind of serious examination of the novelists work; the subtle difference here is that the majority of the talking heads are directors/producers/screenwriters of Stephen King's film adaptations. Pure fluff, however fluff that leads your...

Old Fangs for a New Monster: Terrence Fisher's Dracula aka Horror of Dracula 

October continues to roll along. This week Mr. Chavez & I dive into the world of English Horror with 1958's Dracula aka Horror of Dracula. Although a flawed film that feels lazily directed, Terrence Fisher's film is our introduction to one of the great Dracula's of the Silver Screen - The Brilliant and Mesmerizing Christopher Lee. Lee would appear as Dracula nine times and is probably the most recognized Dracula after Bela Lugosi. Dracula (1958) would create a different kind of menace and a defiantly sexier Dracul...

Phantoms of the Field: Kaneto Shindō's Onibaba

From time to time, Mr. Chavez & I stumble on what can lovingly be referred to as "hidden cinematic gems". A few weeks ago we discovered (for ourselves, at least) a rarely seen "cult classic" - Herk Harvey's Carnival of Souls. As we continue our look into the Horror genre we discover another film that deserves much greater attention. In 1964 Japanese director, Kaneto Shindō directed a disturbing and rather compelling look into relationships strained by the struggles and horrors of war and the power and drive for survival. Onibaba is Shin...

Seven Bloody Schoolgirls: Nobuhiko Obayashi's House

There are times when reputation precedes a viewing yet nothing can really prepare you for what you are about to see. Recently Mr. Chavez & I continued our dive into the Halloween Holiday Season with a search for new, frightening, strange, and acclaimed films. This week we stumbled on Nobuhiko Obayashi's 1977 Japanese Cult Classic House. As is often the case, your two favorite movie talkers are at odds with what we take from this film. Mr. Chavez enjoyed the film's inventiveness and originality, while I found it ponderous, boring, and without any k...

Ghost Dance for the Organ Girl: Herk Harvey's Carnival of Souls 

This week Mr. Chavez & I continue our celebration of the Halloween season with a little-seen and incredibly influential cult film from 1962, Herk Harvey's Carnival of Souls. This is truly discovering diamonds in the landfill. Herk Harvey - a director and producer of industrial and educational films based in Lawrence, Kansas - would create one of the most influential films in cinema that would, somehow, remain almost completely unknown.  Harvey's film would be dismissed upon its intitial 1962 release, but would find an audience through television screenings (it was...

The Beggar, The Blonde, and The Button: Sam Raimi's Drag Me to Hell

Take a listen as Mr. Chavez & I continue our annual exploration of Horror for this Halloween Season. This week my podcast partner & I take a look at Sam Raimi's 2009 return to the Horror/Comedy genre. A modest hit when initially released, Raimi's film has developed somewhat of a cult following. Herein lies part of the problem . . . on this week's episode Mr. Chavez & I discuss the importance of the audience experience in enjoying a film of this type. It's a changing movie-watching world. Take a...

Gen Z Xenomorph: Fede Alvarez's Alien: Romulus 

No Worries . . . Mr. Chavez & I will be returning to our Never-Ending 500 Episode Retrospective.  However, this week we continue our look into the Horror genre taking us into the Halloween Season, with Fede Alvarez's newest entry into the Alien Series, Alien: Romulus. This 7th film in the series - We Don't Count Those AlienVSPredator Embarassments - takes place between Ridley Scott's original 1979 Alien and James Cameron's 1986 sequel, Aliens. Your two favorite movie podcasters differ wildly on this entry. Take a listen to see which of us you agree with. Is this a te...

The TV Took My Blonde Daughter - Spielberg & Hooper's Poltergeist

This week we take a break from our 500 Episode Retrospectives - I really didn't think it would take this long to get through 500 episodes - to bring the cinematic hammer down and dive into The Season of All-Saints. We have an entirely new slew of Cinematic Horror for the next two months with looks at Horror Comedy, Horror Cult, Horror Classics, Foreign Horror, and Literary Horror. It's going to be a fun month as we dive into an 80s Classic . . . The Steven Spielberg Produced/Tobe Hooper Directed Polt...

Found Treasure, Excess, Hilarity, and New Authors in Horror

We have no idea when this will end, but we're having a hell of a time remembering. Take a listen as Mr. Chavez & I remember The Video Store, New Voices in Horror (Peele/Aster/Eggers), Ultimate Excess (Tarantino's The Hateful 8), Legends (Dylan & McCartney), and a Heartfelt Farewell to a Comedy Legend . . . Mr. Paul Mooney. This was a good time. Let us know what you think. As always we can be reached at gondoramos@yahoo.com - Many Thanks.

For those of you who would like to d...

Music Televison, Bad Taste, Toxic Masculinity & So Much More

It's proving to be a hell of a good time reminiscing on these past ten years. Part 9 is coming at ya. Break open a bottle, take a listen, and enjoy the memories we share. We'd love to hear your thoughts - gondoramos@yahoo.com - Many Thanks. 

For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love, you can do so with a contribution at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/watchrickramos - Anything and Everything is appreciated, You Cheap Bastards.

Memories Are Made of This 

Part 8 of a never-ending ride back through a decade of WatchThis W/RickRamos. Discussing all manners of cinema, music, television, the culture, and culminating with my leaving Los Angeles after twenty years. It's a good time between two good friends. Take a listen and let us know what you think . . . .  gondoramos@yahoo.com. 

For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love, you can do so with a contribution at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/watchrickramos - Anything and Everything is appreciated, You Cheap Bastards.

Conspiracies & Things to Come

Take a listen as we continue our deep dive into a decade of WatchThis W/RickRamos. We're having a great time . . . We hope you're feeling the same. Best Wishes. As always, we can be reached at gondoramos@yahoo.com. Many Thanks. 

For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love, you can do so with a contribution at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/watchrickramos - Anything and Everything is appreciated, You Cheap Bastards.

Old, New, and Everything In-Between

Neither Mr. Chavez nor I are sure how long this will take, but we are having a great time remembering these last ten years. We hope that we are stirring memories and giving you an idea of the enjoyment we have in recording these shows and the importance that each episode means to us. Take a listen . . . we think you'll enjoy yourselves. As always, we can be reached at gondoramos@yahoo.com - Many Thanks!

For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love...

Down a Darker Path 

The memories continue to flow. Take a listen as we remember, argue, laugh, and double-down. This is proving to be a great time for the two of us . . . We can only hope you're enjoying it in the same manner. As always, we can be reached at gondoramos@yahoo.com. Many Thanks. 

For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love, you can do so with a contribution at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/watchrickramos - Anything and Everything is appreciated, You Cheap Bastards.

A Never-Ending Talk . . . 

We're just having too much fun remembering the last decade and the 500 episodes that have come with it. Take a listen as we amuse ourselves and - hopefully - you. No End in Sight. Just enjoy the ride. 

As always we can be reached at gondoramos@yahoo.com - Many Thanks. 

For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love, you can do so with a contribution at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/watchrickramos - Anything and Everything is appreciated, You Cheap Bastards.

And the Band Plays On . . . 

What can I say . . . ? This week Mr. Chavez & I continue our leap into the past with a look at 500 episodes and a decade of memories. It's a fun time and we'd love to share our memories, thoughts, thanks, and promises for the future. Take a listen . . . we think you'll enjoy it. 

As always, we can be reached at gondoramos@yahoo.com. Many Thanks!

For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love, you can do so with a contribution at https://www.bu...

More to Say: A Continuing Reminiscence on 500 Episodes

Take a listen as Ibrahim & I continue to look back on the decade of episodes we have done. This continues to be a great time for two old friends and our look back at the show, why we do it, how it still excites us, and what it has meant to us as a whole. Take a listen . . . We don't think you'll be dissapointed. As always, we can be reached at gondoramos@yahoo.com - Many Continued Thanks. 

For those of you who would like to donate t...

Because It's In 'Em And It's Got To Come Out: Reminiscing on 500 Episodes

A whole lot of what we do is the thrill of (hopefully, thoughtful/intelligent) conversation. WatchThis W/RickRamos has afforded your two hosts the opportunity to maintain, grow, and strengthen our friendship. The fact that there exists an audience interested in where these ideas, thoughts, and opinions are platformed only emboldens our belief that criticism and conversation can be a welcomed and fascinating artform. We thank you for your nearly decade-long dedication to this show. We put a great deal of heart and soul...

Nature Finds a Way: Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park

This week Ibrahim & I close out the month with a fan favorite, a ground-breaking special effects extravaganza, the emergence of a new cinematic tool, and a hint at the cinematic world to come. This week we close out our look at blockbusters bookending Steven Spielberg's 1975 Jaws with his 1993 look at Jaws on land - Jurassic Park. This was a fun time looking back on a classic and examining how it changed the face of filmmaking. There's a whole lot to cover here - Mr. Chavez's fascination with the film, its r...

Lady War Rig: George Miller's Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga 

This week we focus on a soon to be classic prequel to - arguably - the best action film of the 21st Century . . . the continuing George Miller saga - Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Featuring an incredible Ana Taylor-Joy, taking over the Imperator Furiosa role originated by Charlize Theron in Miller's 2015 Mad Max: Fury Road, Taylor-Joy (and as the much younger Furiosa, Alyla Browne) and Chris Hemsworth as the Warlord Leader Dementus. This is a truly incredible cinematic feat that has been pulled off by the 79 year ol...

Yippee-Ki-Yay, M*#^%$F@!^!#: John McTiernan's Die Hard 

This week a 1980s Action Classic . . . John McTiernan's Die Hard (1988). A huge gamble for 20th Century Fox in the late 1980s, Die Hard remains the standard for "everyman" action films. Before the character would become a superhero, impervious to any and all pain, John McClane was a New York cop, visiting Los Angeles, and struggling to keep his ego, anger, and jealousy in check in a Christmas Eve attempt to win back his estranged wife. We all know the story . . . Terrorists (?) take over Nakatomi Plaza and all that stands between the...

Like Looking in the Mirror, Only Not: John Woo's Face/Off

This week Mr. Chavez and I continue our look at blockbusters with this 1997 John 
Woo Classic of stylized violence, ridiculous plotting, and unbridled overacting . . . we are - of course - talking about Woo's Face/Off. There's no way to really get into how utterly ridiculous this film is for an episode synopsis, but I will say that it was a fun utterly moronic ride into the past. John Travolta (riding the waves of Pulp Fiction that would carry him through to the end of the cen...

Like a Doll's Eyes: Steven Spielberg's JAWS

This week, a classic . . . in 1975 Steven Spielberg changed the face of cinema with his adaptation of Peter Benchley's 1974 novel Jaws.  The story of a man-eating shark terrorizing a small island community, Jaws would usher in a new era of moviegoing. There's little that should be written in this episode synopsis; the history and legacy of Spielberg's film is well known. But conversation is always a good time, and we would love for you to join us as we break down this classic. From casting (Schreider/Dreyfuss/Shaw), shotting on the oce...

Make a Move and the Bunny Gets It: Simon West's Con Air  

This week Mr. Chavez & I celebrate bad cinema with a look at the 1997 Simon West Action/Comedy/Prison/B-Movie Character Actor Extravaganza Con Air. Based on a real-life judicial system prison transport program, Con Air is an embarassing and exaggerated look at 1990s Hollywood Action Cinema. Featuring a slew of character actors (M.C. Gainey - Swamp Thing, Danny Trejo - Johnny 23, Mykelti Williamson - Baby-O), a future star (Dave Chappelle - Pinball Parker), and respected stars slumming: (Ving Rhames - Diamond Dog, John Cusack - U.S. M...

Obvious Action, Patriotic Porn: Michael Bay's The Rock

This week Mr. Chavez & I dive into the world of 1990s Big Budget, Over-Hyped & Underwritten, Garbage Cinema with one of the best that would come out of the Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Machine, Michael Bay's 1996 opus The RockFeaturing Nicholas Cage (in the first of a series of big-budgeted, ridiculous films), Sir Sean Connery, David Morse, and Ed Harris (in a performance out of touch with this particular film), along with a who's who of 90s  character actors inclluding: John Spencer, Phillip Baker Hall, Claire Forlani, Bokeem Woodbine, Tony Todd, Mic...

The Bailey Effect: Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life

This week Ibrahim & I re-watch a classic (Thank You - Anonymous Donor, Someone), Frank Capra's 1946 Jimmy Stewart/Donna Reed Classic It's a Wonderful Life. Few films have captured the public's hearts and imaginations like Capra's look at the life of Bedford Falls' George Bailey - A man with big dreams hobbled by the responsibilties and challenges of life. A kind of Christmas Carol re-telling from the Bob Cratchett point of view, Capra's look at pre-war thru World War II Small Town America, is a film that has been honor...

A Fighter's Journey: The Rocky Saga & Legacy

This week Mr. Chavez & I continue our look at Sylvester Stallone's 1976 Oscar-Winning creation, Rocky Balboa. For nearly five decades Stallone's Balboa has captured the hearts of the American public. An underdog character that has appeared seven times on the big screen, Balboa's story has run the gamut of emotions featuring deaths, births, disappointments and success. It's a paint by numbers story that the public continues to eagerly swallow. Why is this the case? On this week's episode Mr. Chavez & I attempt to understand and answer this question. There's a great de...

America's Underdog: John G. Avildsen's Rocky & Sylvester Stallone's Rocky II

Jumping into the world of underdogs (last week's Popeye), Mr. Chavez & I look at one of the great American Cinematic creations - Rocky Balboa. The Balboa character's screenplay origin rivals that of the character's struggle in the film(s). From a real life adaptation of the 70s Muhammad Ali/Chuck Wepner bout, Stallone is legendary for having written Rocky and forcing studios to accept him as the lead in order to produce the film. It was an incredible gamble that paid of beautifully for Stallone. This week we...

Comic Strip Underdog: Robert Altman's Popeye

This week we look to the fans with a special episode dedicated to WatchThis supporter, Jorge Saucedo. Mr. Saucedo asked that we take a look at the much-maligned 1980 Robert Altman comic strip adaptation, Popeye. This was a great time re-visiting a classic of my youth and, although Popeye is not Mr. Chavez's type of film - good guy hero, comic strip adaptation, musical - there is a great deal that he admired in this 80s Classic. Featuring Robin Williams (in his debut role) as the famed Sailor Man, a supporting cast in...

We'll Always Have Aqaba - David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia

Few films are able to live up to the label of "epic".  In 1962 David Lean created one of the great epic masterpieces of cinema, Lawrence of Arabia. Based on the life of British archaeologist, army officer, diplomat, and write, T.E. Lawrence, Lean's film chronicles Lawrence's involvement in the Arab Revolt (1916-1918), his life among his adopted tribal families and his struggles with loyalty to the Arab tribes, the dessert, and his ties to his British roots. Lean's film is an epic in every way; from beautiful 70m...

Frank Herbert's Burden: Denis Villeneuve's Dune Part 2

This week Mr. Chavez & I return to Planet Arrakis for the conclusion (a lie) of Frank Herbert's Sci-Fi Classic, Dune. We partly imagined that this would be more of our previous look at this film (Episode #353), however we were able to find more to complain about. Take a listen as we fortify our stance in the minority opinion regarding this "WhiteSaviour" epic. It's an interesting talk with a lot to unpack. As always we can be reached at gondoramos@yahoo.com.

For those of you who would like to...

Woman in Trouble; Audience Perplexed: David Lynch's Inland Empire 

Few filmmakers can live up to the title "auteur" . . . David Lynch almost requires the use of it. From daring soundtracks through troubling narratives and controversial story elements, fascinatingly over the top performances and strange journeys into the subconscious, Lynch has left audiences reeling with confusion and excitement for over forty years. On this week's episode Mr. Chavez and I take a look at his last theatrical release 2006s Inland Empire. It's as if everything that has come before has been building towards this strange and captivating three-hour long j...

Broken Mirror: Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan

Fun talk . . . This week Mr. Chavez and I continue to look at the films of Darren Aronofsky with this discussion of his 2010, Five Time Oscar Nominated (Including Best Picture and Director, and Winner for Best Actress - Natalie Portman) look at the world of Ballet. Aronofsky's film is a tense and often brutal look at the world of artistic perfection featuring a dynamic and fearless performance from Natalie Portman as Nina Sayers, a young ballerina given the opportunity of a lifetime to lead a production of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. Questions of pe...

Souls Dead, Eyes Dilated: Darren Aronofsky's Requiem for a Dream

On this week's episode Mr. Chavez & I sit down for a re-watch of Darren Aronofsky's second feature, Requiem for a Dream, based on the 1978 novel by Hubert Selby Jr. Aronofsky's adaptation is a tragic and often times painful viewing of heroin addiction and the victims (Jared Leto, Marlon Wayans, and Jennifer Connelly) it leaves in its wake. Aronofsky and Selby contrast heroin addiction with the more "acceptable" and less recognized addiction of prescription diet pills embodied in the struggles of Ellen Burstyn's Sara Goldfarb character as she...

Mima's Room: Satoshi Kon's Perfect Blue 

This week we thank long time listener and Buy Me a Coffee supporter, Cornelius Burroughs with a viewing and discussion of Satoshi Kon's Perfect Blue. Mr. Burroughs was kind enough to gift me a blu-ray copy of this Classic Japanese Anime many years ago . . . I have finally made the time to watch it and am eager for listeners to hear our admiring, problematic, and conflicted opinions of this film. This is a great discussion that has forced - at least this moviewatcher - an intense critical and psychological understanding of cinema, gen...

From Cute & Cuddly to Killer: Joe Dante's Gremlins and Gremlins 2: The New Batch

This week Mr. Chavez & I continue our stroll through the 1980s with a look at a stange kind of Comedy/Puppetry/Action/Horror hybrid, Joe Dante's Gremlins (1984). Dante - a graduate of the Roger Corman School of Low-Budget Filmmaking - is one of the most criminally underappreciated directors of the 1980s and 1990s. The Howling, Explorers, The 'Burbs, Matinee, Innerspace, and Looney Tunes: Back in Action . . . Joe Dante has been a reliable, solid, and inventive filmmaker. Gremlins is what he calls, "the movie I'm going to...

What's Out There: Ridley Scott's Alien and John Carpenter's The Thing

This week we take a look at two of the greatest Science-Fiction/Horror films in the History of Cinema: Ridley Scott's Alien (1979) and John Carpenter's The Thing (1982) We've talked about both of these films throughout the history of the podcast, however on this go-around we take a slightly different approach, looking at the similarities between the films, the differences, the influences, and how each film has adhered to and expanded the genres. Take a listen as we go back to a well that never seems to go...

A Safe Alien for the Box Office: Steven Spielberg's E.T. The Extra Terrestrial

This week Mr. Chavez & I shift our focus from the dangers of extra terrestrial life to the cute and cuddly alien that captivated audiences in 1982 - Steven Spielberg's E.T. The Extra Terrestrial. At the time, the biggest box office hit in the history of cinema (a title it would hold until Spielberg's own Jurassic Park eleven years later), E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, is a film that has stayed in the public consciousness for the better part of four decades . . . But is it...