Donner Party

     This week we talk about four films from a master of mayhem who spent two decades setting the bar across multiple genres.

     When his biological child dies immediately after birth, diplomat Robert Thorne is persuaded to secretly adopt a child whose mother died giving birth. Keeping the switch a secret from all, even his wife, the Thornes spends five idyllic years together. When Robert is promoted and sent to England, strange event begin to pile up which eventually lead to one terrifying conclusion... A horror classic with a powerhouse cast, The Omen.
     The lone survivor of catastrophic end of Krypton is sent hurtling through the stars to a still developing backwater world filled with potential.  Taken in by a farming couple in Kansas, the survivor discovers incredible powers as he grows up. Tasked with guiding the planet to their best destiny by his biological parents, raised with empathy and strong morals to guide by his adopted parents, the refugee introduces himself to the world. The film that made the world believe a man could fly, Superman.
     Martin Riggs has dropped his crazy act to embrace just being a cruel piece of shit. Roger Murtaugh has been too old for this shit so long that he has made his daughter scared to be open about her life. When they stumble on a human trafficking ring, smuggling people from China to LA, they once again find their lives in about average for them danger. The final entry in a beloved action franchise, Lethal Weapon 4.
     An archeological expedition in France find the glasses of its missing leader in an underground room that hasn't been opened in over six hundred years. Three of the young researchers and the head archeologist's brain damaged son soon find themselves being hurtled through time in a desperate rescue mission. Based on the novel by genre master Michael Crichton that was either cut too heavily or not heavily enough, depending on who you ask, Timeline.
     All that and Dave raises a large monkey, Tyler tries bouncing in the Keys, Kevin remembers his tragic MMA past, and Craig has intestinal issues. Join us, won't you?
   Episode 354- Donner Party

Lurid Courtship

     This week- a pair of films with unexpectedly exciting visits to boring people's vacation homes.

     When Mia first sees Frida it is love at first sight. Tragically, that won't be an easy revelation as both of them are in long term monogamous relationships and their parents are engaged to each other. When they are the first to arrive at a family weekend, long silent stares give way to indiscretion. Can these women return to their daily lives or have they ignited the flames of undying cyberstalking passion in their hearts? What pain and joy can come With Every Heartbeat (aka Kiss Me, original title Kyss mig).
     Mickey King writes trashy thrillers, often under equally pervy pseudonyms. When a rich anonymous fan offers him a lot of money to ghostwrite an autobiography, Mickey finds himself neck deep in trouble. With a new corpse around every corner and an assassin with a penchant for costumes on his heels, can Mickey discover the truth or will his life end like one of his novels? Mike Hodges second feature film, Pulp.
     All that and Kevin leads a group of plucky squirrels in tense war against a vicious gang of girl guides. Join us, won't you?
   Episode 353- Lurid Courtship

(Acid) Bath & Beyond

     This week- English people get up to some not nice things.

     A jogger collapses and wakes up an amputee. An Eastern European totalitarian murders his way up the ranks. Finally, the worst cop in London teams with the angriest young pathologist to stop a brutal killer targeting young women. An absurd exercise in science fiction with support from three of horror's favorite sons, Scream and Scream Again.
     Miriam and her husband take a long trip to visit her sister, Greta, and brother-in-law, Dylan. Sometime in the future, Miriam and Greta's relationship is strained to near breaking while they set up for Dylan's family reunion. Sometime between these scenes, a brutal act of betrayal and an equally brutal act of vengeance. In the end, Miriam makes ice cream. Writer-directors Madeleine Sims-Fewer and Dusty Mancinelli's vicious rape-revenge film anchored by powerful lead performances, Violation. 
     All that and Dave objects, Craig makes recommendations, and Tyler is blissfully unaware of his impending doom at the cute paws of a squirrel army. Join us, won't you?
    Episode 352- (Acid) Bath & Beyond

S'all About the Bass

     This week an expedition through the ant infested desert of Kenya, Arizona and a tour through the crime ridden streets of Baltimore, Quebec. 

     In the aftermath of a strange cosmic event, ants begin acting strangely and rapidly changing. A pair of scientists and a 16-year old girl investigate this phenomena. The only feature directed by a legendary graphic artist and an absolute spectacle of macrophotography, Phase IV.

     On New Years Eve, a sniper begins to shoot random targets. After making an impression at the crime scene, Patrol Officer Falco is assigned to a special taskforce led by FBI Special Agent Lammark. Together they launch a desperate search for the killer before he can strike again. The first English-language feature from Argentinian writer-director Damián Szifron, To Catch a Killer.
     All that and Craig mourns his abandoned partner Mr Beepy, Tyler has dreams of skateboarders in Texas, Dave isn't sure if he still likes to watch, and Kevin plots his terrible revenge with an army of squirrels. Join us, won't you?
   Episode 351- S'all About the Bass

Spartan Green

     This week- a pair of detectives trying to solve puzzling murders in less than friendly environments.

     While the long range V-1 missiles rain down and an English woman spews Nazi propaganda over the radio, a man dies under mysterious circumstances during a routine operation. While suspicions among the staff spread like wildfire, it is seen as just an accident... until a second body turns up murdered. Based Christianna Brand's book of the same name and the only film adaption featuring her acerbic detective, Green for Danger.
     A wealthy industrialist moves to Sparta, Mississippi to oversee the building of a factory and is soon found dead in an alley. Grabbing the first stranger they see, an African-American man with a fat wallet alone in the train station and immediately try to frame him neatly. The racist officers of Sparta soon learn that the suspect they blindly grabbed isn't just a cop himself but a detective from Philadelphia with the skills they desperately need. Based on the novel by John Ball and starting a film franchise and long running television series with two powerful central performances, In the Heat of the Night.
     All that and Dave gets stapled, Kevin digs up some classics, Tyler puts lotion in a basket, and Craig reveals he was hiding under the porch this whole time. Join us, won't you?
   Episode 350- Spartan Green

All Killa No Filla

     This week a super special guest and we keep our free flowing vulgarity to a minimum... try to anyway. Sorta.

     A chance encounter leads a high school girl to an abandoned part of town, where she discovers a strange door in the middle of the remains of a spa. Next thing she knows, supernatural cats are running away from possessed chairs and a giant worm threatens everything. Makoto Shinkai's latest film about connection, loneliness, and mourning the lost places... Suzume (original title- Suzume no Tojimari, literal- Suzume's Locking Up).
    Prior to the founding of Seabrook, those seeking to settle there fought off Werewolves for control of  a powerful mystical stone. The same stone that would be the strange source of energy for Seabrook Power that brought about Zombies. Now, after zombies have finally gotten a measure of equality, the powers that be decide to demolish Seabrook Power, the heart of Zombie culture, and Werewolves return to town seeking what was stolen from them. In the panic that follows, anti-monster laws are re-established. Can cheerleader Addison earn the place of captain as her bigot pandering cousin aims for higher office? Can Zed finally go to Prawn? Will Seabrook finally learn the lessons from the first film and welcome the Werewolves with open arms of equality, love, and kinship? Can the Werewolves do it like the... Zombies 2.
     16 years after adventurer archeologist Lord Richard Croft disappeared, his daughter Lara has taken up the legacy and is without question the best in the world. Elsewhere, Manfred Powell and the Illuminati are desperately searching for a key to unite two halves of a mystical artifact before a once every 5000 year celestial alignment occurs. If you had any doubt, the key is definitely in the missing father's possessions and Lara will be immediately drawn into the shadowy shenanigans as soon as she finds it. Will Lara save the world? Obviously. Will baby Bond ever learn how to do a decent American accent? No, it's been 23 years and he is still terrible at it. Will there ever be a truly great adventure game adaptation?  Based on the ridiculously popular and long running video game series- Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.
     In the thousand years since the Institute of Elite Knights began protecting the kingdom, following the teachings of the legendary hero Glorith, there has never been a commoner brought into the knighthood. All of that is about to change with Ballister Boldheart being the shining hope for the future... or he would be if he wasn't the fall guy in a plot to maintain the status quo by murdering the queen. Instead Ballister loses an arm and finds himself on the run with no one to turn to and no way to clear his name. Enter a mischievous shapeshifter who has faced persecution for her powers and knows all too well the pain of being rejected by everything and everyone. Declaring herself his sidekick, the duo set off to find the truth and maybe cause a little trouble for the powers that be along the way. A current Oscar contender that started production at Fox with their animation powerhouse Blue Sky, continuing for a couple years under Disney's hesitant eye, and finally being finished by Annapurna as their first animated feature. Based on the webcomic and graphic novel by ND Stevenson- Nimona.
     All that and did I mention that there's a super special guest this week? Join us, won't you?
   Episode 349- All Killa No Filla

Pour Some Sugarbowl on Me

     This week- two movies about men given a second chance to relive their dreams.

     When a professional football players strike happens with only four games left in the regular season, the Washington Sentinels call in maverick coach, Jimmy McGinty, and give him free reign to assemble a motley crew of might have-beens and never-weres. Leading the pack is former college All-American, Shane Falco, who lives on a boat that just happens to be floating in the, at the time not yet gentrified, National Harbor. A cult comedy classic with a cast that is more than equal the task, The Replacements.
     Jessica Shepard is a hard drinking, tough as nails inspector for SFPD's homicide division with a tragic backstory. When the body of someone she had a one night stand with is found along the shore, it's curious but not enough for another investigator to take over. By the time the third is found its downright troubling. A heavily James Patterson-inspired women in trouble thriller, a staple genre of the 1990s and early 2000s, and one of the most commercial works from director Philip Kaufman, Twisted.
     All that and Dave does nothing alone in his cardboard box, Tyler realizes that he's run out of canvas below the neck, and Kevin likes to watch from a tree. Join us, won't you?
   Episode 348- Pour Some Sugarbowl on Me