Five by Spike Lee

     This week we pay tribute to one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Spike Lee. Always bold, never subtle, often brilliant with a command of visual language that is unmatched. 

     Jungle Fever takes a look at an interracial affair and the ripples it creates in the lives of all those around them, including a breakout performance by Samuel L Jackson. Flipper Purify is a successful architect and happily married with a young daughter. When his firm hires Angie Tucci as a temp to be his secretary... one late night at the office they start a tumultuous relationship.

     Crooklyn is a casually plotted but deeply personal semi-autobiographical tale in the summer of 1973. 9 year-old Troy Carmichael learns some hard lessons from her tough mother, naive father, and rowdy siblings.  The project originated as a television pilot and was co-written by two of Lee's siblings.

     He Got Game takes a hard look at sports culture, its inherent predatory exploitation, father-son dynamics, and acceptance of on'es past. Jesus Shuttlesworth is the top prospect in the country. His father, Jake Shuttlesworth, is given a week out of prison and the promise of possible early release if he can convince his son to sign a letter of intent to the governor's alma matter.

     Da Sweet Blood of Jesus is a remake of Bill Gunn's Ganja and Hess shifts the focus more on religion. Wealthy anthropologist and art collector Dr Hess Green is stabbed with an ancient African dagger by his assistant and becomes addicted to blood. As he settles into his new situation, his assistant's ex-wife decides to drop in. 

     Da 5 Bloods explores the complicated relationship between African-American soldiers and the military, the lasting effects for both sides that continue, and PTSD. An African-American squad from the US Army 1st Infantry Division secure a crashed CIA plane and it's cargo- a locker full of gold bars to be used as payment for the Lahu people. Deciding that the gold is as much rightfully theirs as anyone's the squad bury their treasure, only to lose it and their leader in the ensuing counter attack and napalm strike. Years later the surviving members return to search the recently rediscovered area. 

Join us, won't you?

Episode 159- Five by Spike Lee

Auteurist Openings

     This week- the first films from a pair of visionary directors. 

     John Singleton wrote and directed a film that would serve as the blueprint for a whole genre the 30 years since its release. Filled with amazingly naturalistic performances, assured direction, and made with an honesty that is still rare in studio films. Boyz n the Hood set a lasting mark on film.
     Melina Matsoukas created some of the best music videos the medium has ever offered. After years working in that area, she made her feature debut with Queen & Slim. A beautifully acted, amazingly filmed, and perfectly scored story of a couple who are forced to go on the run after accidentally killing a cop. It ranks with the best of the decade and is easily the best film of 2019.

     All that and Craig ghosts, Tyler might have gotten a little too excited, Dave overflows with love, and Kevin readiest himself for a showdown in the Punderdome. Join us, won't you?

Episode 158- Auteruist Openings

Fastened Nitroglycerin

     Michael Jai White's blaxploitation parody/homage is as upper echelon as the genre is capable. A film that should be spoken of in comedy film groups with the same reverent tones as anything by ZAZ or Guest. The hard hitting, endlessly quotable, strange science, never interrupt his kung fu... I should really put a rhyme here- Black Dynamite

     The second directorial work from Jordan Peele. What if there are clones of everyone underground, somehow psychically linked to you? What if one day they decided to kill you and take your place? Great performances and very important themes but is it enough for Us?
     All that and Dave deep dives but only shallow discusses, Tyler runs out of flavor comparisons, and Kevin finally gets corporeal. Join us, won't you?

Episode 157- Fastened Nitroglycerin

Beautiful Seizures

     This week a live action video game that might have a message and a masterpiece of animation that very much does. 

     First they brought you Crank and Crank 2 and then a bunch of movies everyone, except Tyler, has forgotten about. In the not-so-distant future people can use other living breathing people as their video game flesh puppet avatars in the two most expensive MMOs ever made. Gerard Butler stars as one such puppet forced through death matches to eventually earn his freedom... but is he GAMER enough to pull it off?

     Bringing a bunch of others along for the ride, Miles Morales makes his big screen debut. Wilson Fisk has an ambitious plan. Unfortunately for him, it also drops a clutter of Spiders in his way. An ambitious and fantastic animated film that stands pretty far above a lot of other American entries to the genre and gives its message pretty clearly. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
     All that and Kevin shouts from the void, Craig is played again by Dave, Tyler is a bad bad man, and Anna goes full J Jonah Jameson. Join us, won't you?

Episode 156- Beautiful Seizures Web Unto Me

Masochist May- Hard Swiss Crime Tapes

     Masochist May finally lets Tyler out of the strappado after a quadruple dose of suggestions designed to bring pain to some and pleasure to others.
     A serial killer leaves a box of video tapes in the house he used to rent. A mockumentary of legendary reputation from days when IMDb had message boards and social media consisted on top 8 spaces- The Poughkeepsie Tapes.
     Mexican exploitation legend with a predilection toward animal suffering, René Cardona Jr, bring his version of the Jonestown mass murder and suicide. Released less than a year after the actual events and stuffed with familiar faces, don't mistake that for a mark of quality in Guyana: Crime of the Century aka Cult of the Damned.
     The self proclaimed "M. Night of my times" takes 20 minutes from his previous feature and spins it out into either genius OR suffering. Depending on who you ask. Nazis and Pedophiles and the town from Footloose and Hard Rock Zombies. Oh my.
     Finally a man about to end it all makes friends with a very special corpse. High jinks ensue. Swiss Army Man

     All that and Dave learns all there is to know about talking puppies, Tyler paddles against the stream, Anna gets lost in a dark wood full of coyote, and Craig does an amazing impression for the whole run. Join us, won't you?

Episode 155- Masochist May: Hard Swiss Crime Tapes

Cults, Cuts, and a Singer Gone Nuts (Revisited)

     Due to technical issues, this weeks episode has been lost to the ether and is unrecoverable. To sum it up- ThanksKilling 3- hurt everyone except Craig, who has promised to get his brain scanned just in case it's a sign of some deeper issue. X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes- a great film in the Corman catalog that everyone should check out sometime. Just don't be too sad that the King ending isn't real. It got Anna's endorsement for the best film of the week. Dora and the Lost City of Gold- A nice joyful surprise for everyone. The cast is good, Isabela Merced is a joy, the jokes mostly land. A rare film that is appealing to all and far better than it has any right to be. It won the week by swiping Dave, Tyler, and Craig's votes.
     Until next week's four pack of super pain caps off Masochist May, enjoy this episode from the long long ago where we look at The Manson Family, The Skin I Live In, and Phantom of the Paradise. Join us, again, won't you?

Episode 62- Cults, Cuts, and a Singer Gone Nuts (Revisited)

Masochist May: Melinda's House of Whampires

     Masochist May rolls us under with special guest Stone Rockhouse bringing a personal touch to the pain.

     Another day, another experiment with 2-4-5 Trioxin. The military has the difficult choice between putting the dead in cheap mech exoskeletons or developing a slowly firing, long reloading freeze gun. When Julie and Curt have a little one vehicle accident, Curt decides to dose Julie with the gas before even taking her to a hospital. Director Brian Yuzna drops the earlier gags for a fairly fatalistic Shakespearean tale of Zombie love with Return of the Living Dead 3. 

     Christina lives in a house next to a creek. People near the house keep dying. Good thing she lives in a town where every guy is trying hard to channel their inner creepy crazy bastard. I mean... all of them. Why would anyone live anywhere near Christina's House.

      It's the not too distant future and mankind is living with a plague. This one happens to turn those infected into sorta vampires with reality ending skills and transdimensional pockets. Is Kurt Wimmer a genious or just very very good at back alley handies? I guess we find out with Ultraviolet.
     All that and Dave sees nothing, Tyler loves all, Stone remembers like a Pepridge Farm ad, and Kevin gets all wibbly wobbly timey wimey. Join us, won't you?

Episode 154- Melinda's House of Whampires