NathanGordon

I'm voting no on principle. The Beatles are widely recognized as the greatest pop cultural phenomenon ever. I'm sure this will go in the canon, but I'm indifferent to it. It's kind of like the discussion here about the Harry Potter films; yes, it's a massive cultural enterprise, but the film is a byproduct of the source material and wasn't the reason for the widespread impact. I suppose it's interesting as a bridge between terrible Elvis movies and modern pop band documentaries or music videos, but I'd rather watch The Monkee's Head again.

I watched about half on it on demand while I made a lasagna. It's less a film than a cameo delivery system; they come and go so fast that it becomes a game of "is this a D-list celebrity, or just an actor in a bit part?". Like the camera will pass by Wayne Newton and settle on a lady at a slot machine, and you're looking at her thinking "maybe that's someone from Mafia Wives of Miami?" but you don't watch that and the 'nado has moved on already to another cameo. This gets even weirder when the movie stops at a chainsaw store in Texas, where a guy named "Gunnar" is working. He looks exactly like Gunnar Hansen, who played Leatherface in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre films. But Gunnar Hansen isn't in Sharknado 4; he's dead. They got an actor who looks like him, and named a character after him, so another minor cameo can make an unfunny chainsaw massacre reference. That's a lot of effort for very little return on investment.

It's really weird how much pop culture has turned around on silly movies about guys in tights punching crime!

It's really bold to make the first film in a franchise a sequel.

I can't believe an MST3K fan hasn't seen it! There's a pretty decent Rifftrax for it, but the movie doesn't need it. I promise you, you won't be disappointed. There's real magic in Troll 2.

Me too, honestly. I think covering the first three was more than the movies deserved; there's really nothing to say about them at this point. I'm surprised that poster doesn't have a literal kitchen sink in it.

I saw this as a kid when it came to video, and the only thing I remember is Corey Feldman copying an entire Michael Jackson dance routine (pretty well, I'll admit). I remember seeing him on some talk show around the same time and he was even dressed like late 80s MJ, he was obsessed with him apparently. Weird plot though and more of a horror movie when you think about it -- old people stealing young bodies.

I mean it's Cronenberg doing Burroughs, of course you're going to get biotypewriters, alien jizz, and drug metaphors. I've read "Cronenberg on Cronenberg"; the guy is smart, trusts his actors, and is a consummate professional, so that's probably how this got made.

This post is way more racist than saying anime is for pedos.

I was never interested in Harry Potter; even if Azkaban is a good movie, I still need several other books or films worth of background to get it. I don't like massive franchises for this reason, the investment they ask of the viewer. Fortunately, this YA fiction trilogy->obligatory film quadrilogy thing seems to have busted post-Hunger Games.

You understand that you're replying to all these threads years after the fact, right? Hopefully by this time next year you'll be caught up -- I hope you enjoy Solarbabies as much as I did.

The Duke of Burgundy I'm really surprised Peter Strickland's second film hasn't gotten more recognition, or at least not that I've seen. One of the best films recently about sex and relationships, while also being Greenaway levels of weirdness AND finding time for an homage to Stan Brakhage. Strickland's Berberian Sound Studio was a wonderful little musique concrete giallo, but The Duke of Burgundy is an alien S&M music box that unfolds into a liminal meditation on the way we navigate sexual desire with our partners. The film is so sumptuous and textured you could eat a slice of it, with lavender and honey tea.

Taxi Driver doesn't feel like it's about NY in the way The Warriors does, where the city is practically a character of its own. In Taxi Driver, it's just where the movie takes place.

What, no love for Raising Arizona? It's one of the greatest comedies of all time! It's the Coens at their cartooniest (that yodeling soundtrack!), Cage doing his shtick before he lapsed into self-parody, and still manages to say thoughtful things about parenthood and mortality. The diapers chase sequence is Merry Melodies level. I still crack up thinking about: "What kind of pajamas?" "They were jammies! They had Yodas and shit on 'em!"

You mean, instead of the bluray that added the comic book frames? I'm pretty sure the version on Netflix does not have those -- it's listed at 92 minutes, which is the length of the theatrical cut.

I forgot about Excalibur, I didn't consider that part of the genre because Arthur is a little less "fantasy" to me. There's a lot of excellent stuff in that film, just visually it's pretty amazing. I'm surprised we don't see too many takes on that legend these days; I can't say that I'm enthusiastic about Guy Ritchie's upcoming film. Willow is pretty great, although it doesn't hold up as well as I'd hoped. Still a great film for kids with wonderful FX. I guess I'd still rank Conan above all those, for the seriousness and relatively realistic tone it takes. There's hardly a tongue in cheek moment, and no unintentional laughs -- hard to accomplish in a swords and sorcery film. It never feels pulpy or cheap, in the way that Beastmaster or Dragonslayer do. I kind of miss the fantasy boom of the 1980s, which also gave us films like Ladyhawke, Flesh+Blood, and cheesy indulgences like Legend or Krull.

The best thing Oliver Stone ever co-wrote! Basil Poledouris' score is surely one of the most influential ever, and is still reused today in movies, games, and trailers. Incredibly evocative, stirring music. Fun fact: this was the last major studio film recorded and released to theaters in mono sound. Conan doesn't get the respect it deserves, probably due to spawning an entire genre of crappy imitators, from Deathstalker to Ator the Fighting Eagle to the Barbarian Brothers (to say nothing of Conan's poor sequels). In fact, I'd say it's the only good "low fantasy" movie ever made. This film is also well worth tracking down on disc, in order to hear the amazing commentary by Schwarzenegger.

Well you're answering your own question here, hoss. Are we listening to the same podcast? How do you connect Crank with Requiem For a Dream in your mind? Requiem is an intense, serious drama by a major director, based on a novel from a well respected writer, and executed with total technical control and award winning performances -- Ellen Burstyn was nominated for an Oscar. The film ranks #78 in the IMDB top 100, just above A Clockwork Orange. It is wildly inappropriate for this podcast, and I was well within reason to joke about it.

This actually would have been a killer reveal -- that The Shadow isn't actually Cranston at all. If the movie wanted to go a little dark, it could have even delved into the idea that The Shadow struggled with keeping his real identity. That would be an interesting story, a hero who spends his life as an illusion and forgets who he actually is. ... By the way, after retiring from acting, the knife went on to a successful music career and released several albums under his (her? their?) real name.

Can anyone out there recommend a particular version of The General? There are several different scores available. The Carl Davis music from the Kino DVD seems to be popular, but there's also a version by Joe Hisashi I'd be interested in hearing. I kind of hate the generic ragtime piano or barrel organ that seems to accompany many silent classics.

sorry i was making a joke requiem for a dream is probably the worst suggestion anyone's made for this podcast you could host your own show "how did this get suggested on the forum" you don't have to give me credit for the idea

you know what's bonkers, irreversible is a crazy movie, i mean wow how did that get made

Jesus. Is this film really that irrelevant today? It definitely showcases to a certain kind of lingering Cold War cheerleading while also being very 80s in its fetishization of high speed aircraft (see also: lamborghini, ferrari testerosa, delorean, etc). It was iconic as hell throughout the decade and into the 90s, although I think a lot of it had to do with the durability of Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone" and Berlin's "Take My Breath Away". I think it's worth an episode. It was an extremely popular film, there's tons of interesting politics in it, plus the homosexual subtext (which is there, but overstated by people now for humor).

I've never heard or seen his band on radio or tv, so it doesn't bother me. Celebs can have their vanity music projects. I have seen Keanu Reeves live in concert with Dog Star, so there's that blemish on my life.

I understand what you're getting at here but it's not like racist depictions in cinema ever really went away, we have plenty of contemporary examples. Anyways, I voted no for several reasons, the shitty racism being just one. I think it's an overreaction to say "this is very important for its racism" -- you can acknowledge it without deeming it necessary for the canon, similar to how I'd feel about Birth of a Nation.