Threat Level: Breen

     This week- Craig and Dave chose violence.

     Identical twin brothers, Cale and Cade, are abducted and turned into something more than human by an entity. They are sent out to fight what the entity claims is "evil" and for some reason that means working very closely with a US black ops organization. Unfortunately, Cale is seen as defective and eventually released from his captivity... only to find his own ways of combating "evil". Has Cale gone too far? Will Cade ever question any of what he has been told his whole life? A brotherly epic by auteur Neil Breen- Twisted Pair.
     Years have passed since the, uh... events?... sure, events of Twisted Pair and the twins have not been in contact. Cade donated a large sum of money to fix a psychiatric hospital. Unknown to him, the should be condemned hospital is just a front for insane human experiments in the back room and government sanctioned human trafficking in the basement. Will Cade save these poor, unfortunate souls? Why is Cale creeping around the staff staircase?  Could they really not find an actual room to film in? The latest film from cult filmmaker, in the very loosest sense, Neil Breen- Cade: The Tortured Crossing.
     All that and Kevin has a nap, Tyler goes to his happy place, Dave finds himself full of regret, and Craig laughs manically clutching a globe. Join us, won't you?
   Episode 401- Threat Level: Breen

400 (Unsimulated) Blows

     This week- we celebrate our 400th episode with a four pack of films, each tailored to our individual tastes. Apparently, we all like crime. A lot.

     When Drew returns home after a long time away, this adoptive sister lover concocts a plan to escape with the addict of his eye. Even if it means murdering their adoptive father. Unfortunately, Papa isn't as slow as everyone else and makes plans of his own. An early film from John Swab, a favorite filmmaker of Tyler's, about existential criminal crisis in the Bible Belt- Let Me Make You a Martyr.
     Cerebral and coolheaded Detective Somerset is looking forward to retiring at the end of the week. His replacement, young and brash Detective Mills, arrives just in time for a little touch passing and training. Unfortunately for them both, this all happens just as a serial killer with a religiously inspire masterplan announces his arrival in sadistic fashion. Both a number close to Kevin's heart and widely considered on of director David Fincher's best films- Seven.
     In 1964, Johnny Bartlett was executed for killing 12 people at the local hospital. In 1990 Frank Bannister's wife died under mysterious circumstances with the number "13" craved into her forehead. The trauma leaves Frank with the ability to communicate with ghosts. Now Frank leads a pack of spirited haunters and is about to learn that Bartlett's rampage might not be as far in the past as everyone assumes it it. An uneven goofy romp with deeply disturbing meta undertones, just like Dave, and the first major effects project helmed by Peter Jackson- The Frighteners.
     Gal and his wife have long since left their seedy London criminal origins for a nice quiet life in Spain. When they get the news that an old psychotic associate, Don, will soon be arriving with a job offer. Unwilling to take no for an answer and with a violent temper that knows little restraint, Gal just might find himself back with the gang for one more heist. The first feature from Craig's favorite director and costarring a fistful of his favorite actors- Sexy Beast.
     All that and a twist ending that leaves three of the Raiders devastated. Join us, won't you?
  Episode 400- 400 (Unsimulated) Blows

All for Pole and Pole for All

     This week- two films about women just trying to survive in harsh conditions.

     An observational documentary that intercuts conversations with Las Vegas based exotic dancers. They discuss their lives, their approach to the job, and how they were able to make a living after COVID closed stopped the action and dimmed the City of Neon Lights. The second in an ongoing documentary series, Stripped: Las Vegas. 
     When D'Artagnan goes to Paris to join the Musketeers of King Louis XIII, he is immediately caught up in a nefarious plot by Protestant rebels. He is quickly joined by three seasoned veterans of the group. Period hijinks ensue. The first in an epic modern retelling of the beloved novel series by Alexandre Dumas, The Three Musketeers: D'Artagnan.
     All that and Tyler dreams of franchise, Dave needs a really good egg roll, and Kevin considers leaving the tartan for a mariniere. Join us, won't you?
   Episode 399: All for Pole and Pole for All

Intestinal Fortitude

     This week- a pair of comedic classics about absurdist dystopian patriarchies. 

     When he goes to prison for killing the gang responsible for the death of his love, Saiga Riki-Oh (here called Ricky Ho Lik Wong), finds himself at odds with the corrupt system and its enforcers. A cult classic of ultra brutal slapstick martial art splatter violence that. Fun fact- after filming the finale, it took lead actor Fan Sui-wong three days to wash off the blood. Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky.
     When the paranoid commander of the Strategic Air Command decides to take matters into his own hands and gives the go-ahead to drop nuclear bombs on Russia, the US Government springs into action to avert devastation. Only to learn the Soviet Union might have a real doomsday machine and any aggression will automatically annihilate us all. Fun fact- in the 1990s, director Stanly Kubrick and co-screenwriter Terry Southern had worked on a screenplay for a sequel. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.
     All that and plans are set in motion... Join us, won't you?
   Episode 398: Intestinal Fortitude

Visions of a Meditative Man

     This week- we change our earlier plans and try to catch some big fish in honor of David Lynch.

     In a nameless city, caught in an endless rain storm, a trio live with a mystery and possessive forces- Rabbits.
     A surgeon finds a man covered in deformities in a sideshow. Together they study human dignity and our social denial of it- The Elephant Man.
     A body dumped, a family given horrific news, a deeper horror lurking. Lumiere camera and Twin Peaks vibes- Premonitions Following an Evil Deed.
     An elderly man makes up his mind to make amends before it is too late. Even if it means hundreds of miles on a lawn mower.- The Straight Story. 
     A man is left to care for his deformed child in an industrial wasteland- Eraserhead.

     Join us, won't you?
   Episode 397- Visions of a Meditative Man

Dino Dixie String Bikini

     This week two movies about young women and the lengths they will go to for love and connections.

     Tammy is a cheerleader with a crush on football player Michael. When Michael is abducted by Tammy's violent and jealous ex-boyfriend he is left in a coma hovering between life and death. Meanwhile, Dr. Wachinstein is preparing his new creation to show for his investors. All the potentially mad doctor needs is a fresh brain. What twist of fate will bring these three together? Can love blossom between a girl and a 1000 lbs. robot dinosaur? One of the titans of good bad film discussion viewed in all its restored and bloody glory, Tammy and the T-Rex: Gore Cut.
     Star is living with her sexually abusive father and taking care of two half-siblings. When she meets Jake, the top seller in a travelling sales crew, he offers her the chance to get away. Joining the crew, Star navigates her feelings toward Jake, his approach to selling, and the tangled web of relationships between the rest of the crew. The fourth feature from Andrea Arnold and featuring a powerhouse debut performance from Sasha Lane, American Honey.
     All that and a small change of plans as next week we will be placing the brilliance of Nakadai on the shelf for a bit and instead diving into some Lynchian nightmares.

  Episode 396- Dino Dixie String Bikini

Childhood Hangover

     This week- two films about Japanese youth discovering themselves and the world around them told through vibes.

     Three boys decide to keep an eye on the local recluse who lives in a crumbling house with an overgrown garden, figuring he isn't long for this mortal coil. After a little stalking, the boys and old man begin to bond, through repairing the garden, and learn what drove him to be a self-imposed outcast from the world. A snapshot of the moment when childhood ends and repercussions of an act can reverberate through generations. Directed by one the most esteemed post-New Wave Japan filmmakers, Shinji Sômai, Natsu no niwa: The Friends (1994, lit. The Summer Garden: The Friends)
     After celebrating their friend's marriage, an unnamed man (referred to only as senpai) plans to confess his feelings to kurokami no otome (black-haired maiden also referred to as kōhai). Unfortunately, Sempai being too slow to act kicks off both of them wondering through a long night of drinking, underwear theft, introspection, perversion, surrealism, consumption contests, and spontaneous theater. The first full feature by animation studio Science SARU and spiritual successor to cult favorite Tatami Galaxy- Night is Short, Walk On Girl (2017).
     All that and Craig feels vindicated, Kevin might still be wearing the wrong trousers, Dave discovers love isn't always 3D, and Tyler only has eyes for Southern bikinis. Join us, won't you?

   Episode 395- Childhood Hangover