This week - You are cordially invited to celebrate a most wonderous union, that's right, Tyler and Craig are back with another Euphoria mini-sode!
This Week- two films that cause no harm to Tyler and leave him filled with the joys of life and a new car smell.
A videotape with a brutal attack on it is found in a refrigerator, clutched in a dismembered hand. Two separate but overlapping investigations into who made the tape and its authenticity being. One from a young videographer who becomes increasingly obsessed with the violent images, the other from a crusading journalist with a mysterious history of her own. An artful and genre-defying pink film from one of Japan's most transgressive filmmakers- Re-Wind (aka Celluloid Nightmare).%20Rewind.jpg)
This week - Tyler and Craig have tagged in for another (whole week behind) chat about the latest episode of Euphorla's third season.
Can Tyler keep his powder dry for more than two seconds? Can Tyler keep ANYTHING dry for more than two seconds?
Strap in, wrap up and find out as we dig into episode two!
This week we close out the month with a gang of puppets moving one frame at a time.
In 1957, a rare Sumatran rat monkey was smuggled into New Zealand and put on display. When meek Lionel's domineering mother is bit by the rat monkey, he soon finds himself desperately trying to contain a zombie outbreak. The last of Peter Jackson's early splatter comedies, Braindead (aka Dead Alive).
This week- we interrupt the usual Wednesday post excitement to deliver our first Euphoria minisode! Craig and Tyler will be double-teaming the new season of Euphoria with episodes dropping every Wednesday for the next 8 weeks!
First up, as is customary, episode one of the third season of HBO's hit.
Listen up or Rue the day!
This week a pair of films about men being awful and getting rewarded for it.
After having lead French forces against the English in several campaigns during the Lancastrian War, Jeanne d'Arc is brought before a clerical court for heresy. The judges and majority of the audience are loyal to England and plotting for an unavoidable conviction. Based on the transcripts of the actual trial and widely considered one of the greatest films ever made- The Passion of Joan of Arc.
Three loser friends are talked into joining an underground pool tournament run by Daddy, a local crime lord, in order to help save their neighborhood hangout. As they move up the bracket, pressure from both Daddy and the women in their lives begins to have an effect on their game. Can the boys save the bar, will they collapse under the threats of loneliness and losing a finger, or will they thrive as Stickmen?
All that and Kevin goes to the theatre, Craig gets some deep cuts, Dave gets a completely different kind of cut, and Tyler feels euphoric. Join us, won't you?
Episode 461- Chalk It Up to Misogyny
This week- two movies about people following their calling outside of social norms and expectations.
In order to graduate Shuhei Yamamoto cuts a deal with his thesis supervisor. He must join the university sumo club and participate in an upcoming tournament. With only one other club member, Shuhei finds himself rebuilding the club from scratch. One of the very few movies about sumo and, arguably, one of the best sports films ever made- Sumo Do, Sumo Don't.
A street preacher spends his days telling those walking Hollywood Boulevard that God loves them. One day, a young woman wonders out of her job while having an emotional crisis and crosses his path. Originally debuting at the 1998 New York Underground Film Festival before being removed from view to undergo reshoots 9 years later and resurface on YouTube in 2012. The first feature by music video and commercial director Erick Ifergan- Johnny 316.
Kevin and Dave get a reanimating jolt, Craig finds a gem that everyone will enjoy, and Tyler spreads ruin in the way only he can. Join us, won't you?
Episode 460- Through the Valley of Sumo
This week- a pair of psychodramas about mentally unwell women and how they navigate societies determined to restrict and limit them.
It's summer and Florence is determined to make the best one ever and begins experiencing inexplicable blackouts. As the endless summer drags on, she begins to suspect that she might just be the serial killer that has been targeting the people around her. Meanwhile Captain Monica Stark, a tough career centered policewoman, is on the case. A cult film based on a cult play written by and costarring cult icon Charles Busch- Psycho Beach Party.
This week we pack a toolbox with overlooked titles from The Studio That Dripped Blood.
Simon, an aged American tourist, picks up Joan, a young local, after Joan had previously lured him into a mugging. This rages her biker gang leading brother, King, who chases them around the coast. Eventually the pair take refuge in a very curious cave full of well mannered school children. An anti-nuclear sci-fi drama directed by a backlisted American director- The Damned.
This week- two films about people pushed to desperate measures for love and socioeconomic security.
After an emergency landing, a young boy must spend a week with his estranged uncle. Fortunately, the uncle is desperate to manipulate his girlfriend into believing he wants children and jumps at the opportunity. When a promise is broken, dire consequences for all ensue. A cult classic dark comedy- Clifford.
After a chance meeting, a young couple are drawn together. Substance abuse, emotional issues, domestic violence, and hostile work environments keep them in an untenable situation. Just as it all seems ready to collapse, they find the answer to all their problems, bank robbery. A tragically overlooked social commentary laden romantic crime thriller- Normal Life.
All that and Kevin bribes wildlife, Dave gets names wildly wrong, Craig plots, and Tyler might have misunderstood an assignment. Join us, won't you?
Episode 457- Real Boy
This week- two films about people confronting their worlds changing.
Lorenz Hart slips away from his creative partner's first work without him to hold court before the opening night celebration begins. As the night goes on, Hart's insecurities, jealousy, and self-destructive tendencies simmer. Richard Linklater's 23rd film boasts incredible central performance, strong support and beautiful production design- Blue Moon.
This week- two films featuring explosions of wildly different natures.
When Jean, a middle age writer living in Paris, reconnects with Claire, an old friend, at a party. Claire introduces him to her beautiful new toy and draws him into a sadomasochistic triangle. Based on Catherine Robbe-Grillet's Lacanian exploration of abjection and desire, directed by porno chic auteur Radley Metzger, and part of MOMA's permanent collection- The Image.
This week a pair of films about people reluctantly stepping into roles they never wanted but have to for the greater social good.
After her sister and nephew are murdered, a psychologist with multiple black belts gets psychic powers. Using her new found powers for justice, she begins to investigate the crime ring that is responsible for her sister's murder. A cult classic of the straight to video action era, that takes the star out of her comfort zone and drops her and the audience right into the director's favorite dreams- Sworn to Justice.
This week- four films about full service sex workers and how dominant social groups view them, from the dawn of the 20th century to Nazi era Germany to modern day Atlanta and Mashhad.
A new girl joins an upscale maison close, regulated and licensed legal brothels in France from 1804 to 1946, where a horrific event happened the year before. As she learns the workings of her new environment and gets used to the daily mundanities of their highly restricted and controlled lives. At the same time, the building's landlord is threatening to try and cash in on the house's popularity by skyrocketing the rent far beyond what the madam can afford. Bertand Bonello's fifth feature shows off his highly stylized approach and complex visual storytelling coming into full maturity, House of Tolerance (aka House of Pleasures, orig French title L'Apollonide: Souvenirs de la maison close)
This week- two films about alternative family structures.
One night Veronica meets Abel, a freelance music journalist, at a concert and sparks fly. That same night she meets Zed, a drummer, and sparks fly. She begins dating both men and eventually brings them together in a polyamorous cohabitation. Despite some simmering tension between Zed and Abel, Veronica is mostly content with her life... until she meets successful up and coming director Mike, a recently single serial monogamist, and learns she is pregnant. Will Veronica choose her nontraditional love or throw it all aside for security and tradition? A modernist take on screwball romantic comedy from Greg Araki, one of the indie auteurs of the New Queer Cinema movement, Splendor.
This week- two movies about new families and arguable amounts of crime.
Just as Charlie Babbitt, a grey-market collectible car dealer, hits a snag in his biggest deal, he learns about his estranged father's death. After looking into the will, Charlie finds he has an extremely regimented, autistic savant, older brother, Raymond, living in an institution. Charlie takes Raymond out of his daily routine and demanding half the estate for his return. Will Charlie get what he feels is rightfully his? Will the brothers find a way to connect and communicate? The film that introduced autism spectrum disorder to the public at large, coinciding with more broadly defined diagnosis criteria in the DSM-III-R, published the same year- Rain Man.
This week- two movies about relationships... with ourselves and with others.
Nicky, a small time gangster, stole from his boss. With nowhere else to go, he calls his old friend Mikey, also employed by the same local crime boss. Together the two drift through the city at night with a hitman not far behind. An anxiety inducing melodrama about male friendship and cruelty driven masculinity, with a pair of staggeringly brilliant performances, a sharply witty script and equally edged direction from Elaine May- Mikey and Nicky.
This week a four film tribute to an actor whose career spanned seven decades, the legendary Tatsuya Nakadai.
A penniless samurai leaves his wife for improved social status and the daughter of wealthy family. A young woodcutter, taking refuge from a blizzard, confronts a yuki-onna. A blind musician performs for a dead Emperor, who plans to keep him playing in his ghostly court forever. A lord sees a face he doesn't know reflected back in his cup of tea and soon is visited by their ghostly and murderous attendants. Widely regarded as one of the most beautiful films of all time and based on the legends collected by Yakumo Koizumi, whose work gave Western audiences their first look into Japanese culture- Kwaidan.
This week we arrive late as a party and finally close the on Hawkins Lab Sourcebook Unusual Contrivances Adventure Inverted Corporeal Supplement 5e.
This week- two films about men with great destines.
After attempting suicide, former court composer of Joseph II, Antonio Salieri confesses to having murdered Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. 49 years earlier, learning that Mozart was a childishly obscene reprobate with divine musical inspiration lead Salieri to renounce God and swear to take his revenge by destroying Mozart. Another masterwork by one of cinema's patron saints of nonconformity, Miloš Forman, with a screenplay by Peter Shaffer, based on his Tony Award winning play, and driven by one of the greatest villain performances ever put to film, Amadeus.
This week- a pair of films about men driven to extremes.
Two Vietnam Vets begin having similar ultrarealistic dreams about a member of their fireteam who died in a POW camp. Soon they start waking up with actual injuries they received in their dreams. In a desperate effort to save their buddy and stop a sadistic traitor they gear up for one final nocturnal confrontation. A high concept action thrillers from VHS pioneer David A. Prior, Night Wars.
