Rented by the Hour

     This week- a pair of films adapted from the stage.

     1931, Berlin, while finishing his doctorate a British academic, Brian Roberts, takes residence in a boarding house. Finding his room is too small to teach English lessons, which he must to survive, Brian strikes up a friendship with his neighbor, Sally Bowles, a performer at the Kit Kat Klub. Soon Brian finds himself caught up in her bohemian lifestyle. One of the first films to be rated X with fiendishly catchy songs, strong performances, plenty of thought-provoking subtly under the bawdy exterior, and possibly Bob Fosse's most enduring and still relevant work- Cabaret.
     Liz is a street prostitute who is weary of her life and desperate to escape her pimp. As she wonders the late night streets of LA, Liz directly tells the audience of her history, from her youth to the current moment, and why she keeps going. Based on a monologue play, one of the first to be given a NC-17 rating in the US, anchored by a strong lead performance and strong visuals. Ken Russell's satirical drama tries to bring pathos and humanity to the world's oldest profession, Whore.
     All that and Dave finds his memory slipping, Craig discovers pain in the ring, Kevin gets classy again, and Tyler plots to ensure there are no flawless victories. Join us, won't you?
    Episode 356- Rented by the Hour

Is That a Baton in Your Pocket

     This week someone attempts to subvert a democratic process and a weekend trip goes very wrong.

     When Big D, a candidate for Wo Ling Shing triad's biennial chairman election, refuses to accept the outcome things take an immediate turn to the violent. Loyalties shift quickly and without warning as the two sides search desperately for the dragonhead baton, the symbol of the chairman's authority. Can Lok, the winner of the Uncle's vote, bring them all together or will everything rupture under him? Will Jimmy, a triad member with dreams of legitimacy, be able to do what needs to be done to end the fighting in the streets? The first chapter in Johnnie To's epic saga of unchecked greed and ambition seething under a show of pomp and tradition, Election.
     After Jennifer has her history of justified retribution mocked and derided by a law professor on the first day of classes, she decides to blow off higher education for a long vacation in a cabin in the woods with her friend Sam. Just a couple hours after hitting town, Jennifer will live through another nightmare encounter with a local Conway Twitty impersonating gas station attendant and his slow witted but homicidal friend. Will Sam take heed of the stranger danger lessons of her teen years? Can Jennifer just have a nice weekend by a lake without an assault happening? Donald Farmer's unauthorized sequel to a late-70s cult favorite, that so gleefully crossed the line he was sued by the original filmmakers, Savage Vengeance.
     All that and Dave's frozen corpse is retrieved and revived by a humanist organization, Kevin learns many valuable things that he hadn't thought to explore, Craig plans revenge on the worlds third largest fire alarm manufacturers, and Tyler faces some difficult choices that may fundamentally change the very nature of his sense of self. Join us, won't you?
    Episode 338- Is That a Baton in Your Pocket?

Rural Bags of Dirt

     This week- two unreported sexual assaults, six rapists, and two male leads who make everything about themselves... 

     When Paul, a greasy kid from a small Midwest town, is accepted to NYU on an academic scholarship. The university rooms him with 3 roofie slinging serial rapists from the city who resent his polite and hardworking ways. Soon Paul finds himself sleeping in the back of a strangely always empty veterinarian's office. When, for more reasons that are impossible to discern, his former roommates talk him into letting them throw a party at the vet's while he's out at a concert. Coming home he finds a classmate, hardworking and studious Dora, overdosed and abandoned on his toilet. Romance ensues? Some people have a lot of nostalgia and love for Amy Heckerling's Loser. 

     An American applied mathematician, David, and his English wife, Amy, move to the small Cornish moorland town she grew up in. Taking residence in the isolated and dilapidated Trechers Farm, David hires a few local men to fix the garage and take care of the rat problem. Soon tensions with the locals grow over David's aloofness and cracks in his marriage spread. When David takes in an injured man and refuses to give him over to vigilantes, it all boils over in a rush of violence. Is a civilized man pushed too far, is this the inevitable beast inside a man all along, or is this an inadvertent criticism of the toxic masculinity the filmmaker thought he was celebrating? There are no easy answers in Sam Peckinpah's Straw Dogs.

     All that and Dave sees a doc, Kevin finally turns on a light, and Tyler ate a lot of pie. Join us, won't you?

  Episode 286- Rural Bags of Dirt

We've Got Wyrms

     This week a trio of movies with dragons. 

     When Babydoll is committed by her stepfather, placed on the quick lobotomy list by an evil orderly... and... she gets part of her brain removed which sends her into a dual layered fantasy world where she images herself plotting her way to freedom from sex slavery and fighting a guerilla war against male oppression. Full of director Zack Snyder's usual flourishes and video game level styled fights... if you question its messaging and intent you will feel a Sucker Punch.
     A knight of "The Old Code" spends years training and teaching Prince Einon in the hopes he will be a better king than his tyrannical father. When suppressing a rebellion, the king is killed but Einon is accidentally grievously wounded. Desperate, his mother and the knight take the prince to a dragon who makes a pact and saves the prince's life. Soon, Einon shows himself to be worse than his father and the knight vows to make the dragon pay for corrupting the prince. Eventually the last knight and the last dragon will face off and see what makes a Dragonheart.
     Urland is being terrorized by Vermithrax Pejorative, a 400-year old dragon. In order to appease the creature, the king has been running a lottery to choose a sacrificial virgin twice a year. Valerian, a youth from a small town, leads a group to plead their case to Ulrich, the last sorcerer. Soon politics, religion, and the end of the time of magic will collide as someone who should never be a hero, Ulrich's apprentice Galen, has the responsibility for all dropped on him. Will he fold under the weight or rise to be the Dragonslayer?
   All that and Dave gets some TV time, Kevin tries many flavors, and Tyler finds that when he gets angry he transforms into a large green force of destruction. Join us, won't you?

Episode 263- We've Got Wyrms

 

Wrestling Lovers

     This week two totally unrelated groups oiled up and groping each other. 
     One the greatest to ever step into a wrestling ring, El Santo, faces off against the forced of evil once again. With the Blue Demon in tow, Santo stands against a full stable of off brand Universal Monsters. Action, adventure, romance, a mask match against a vampire. All the lucha your heart could desire. Santo and the Blue Demon vs the Monsters! (Santo el enmascarado de plata y Blue Demon contra los monstruos)
     Bella Cherry arrives in LA from Sweden with a laser focus on becoming the next big name in porn. With another newcomer from her model house, she navigates the world of adult entertainment and pushes her personal boundaries farther than she ever expected. A powerhouse performance, a slightly less male gaze look at the industry and a passing nod at almost all its inherent issues. Pleasure makes for one impressive debut feature.
     All that and Dave takes a nap, Kevin lords his classy taste over us, and Tyler prepares for the glory to come. Join us, won't you?

Episode 258- Wrestling Lovers