ForestTaylor

I agree with everyone else. Such a great idea for a show and a really entertaining podcast as well. It would be a real shame to see it go.

I'd like to take this moment to express my appreciation for the Canon as well. It is by far my favorite podcast and the only one that I listen to every single week. I think what I love the most about it is that it covers so much ground in terms of the films they discuss. It seems like a lot of other podcasts keep the discussion limited to one type or genre of film, but not the Canon. They'll go from a 1980s horror/exploitation movie, to a 1950s melodrama, to an agreed-upon classic and talk about all of them with the same amount of knowledge and enthusiasm. So I just wanted to let you know that I'm a big fan of the show and hope that it can continue in some form or another. Thank you very much for the entertainment and insight.

This! If I got my own chance to choose an indulgence pick, it would easily be The Toxic Avenger! I don't know if any of their movies will ever make it into the Canon, but it would be an interesting episode just to discuss the impact that Troma and Lloyd Kaufman have had on the world of independent film-making.

Oh yeah, one other thing. The first movie I ever saw that I remember having a curtain call is the original Predator and like The Bad Seed, it just seemed so weird to me. I had just seen all these cast members get brutally slaughtered by some invisible alien hunter and now here they all were, laughing and smiling directly at the camera. Just a bizarre addition but something that is strangely charming.

I'm voting yes for this one. I've always wanted see this film after listening to John Waters talk endlessly about it, and this episode has finally given me an excuse to watch it. I agree with everyone that this kind of genuine camp is sorely needed these days. The most recent film I can think of that comes the closest to actual camp would have to be Paul Verhoeven's Showgirls. Ever since then, nobody seems particularly interested in camp films. Anyway, I loved this film. It was wonderfully creepy and Patty McCormick did an outstanding job. I'll remember her Rhoda as one of the best movie villains I've ever seen. I agree that the tacked on ending does pretty much undermine the whole thing, similar to the tacked on ending to the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but in a weird way I kind of loved it. It was so ridiculous and over the top that it was kind of brilliant. Like Rhoda was so evil for this world the very forces of nature had to step in and take her out! Anyway, I'm voting yes on the grounds of McCormick's performance and because the film's an excellent entry in the campy melodrama subgenre despite, or maybe because of, its flaws.

I posted all that other stuff before I listened to the podcast. After listening to it, I have some other things to add. First of all, Dave Schilling describing what he likes about Star Trek could have been my own sentiments word for word. I love that it has always been so forward-thinking and positive. It appeals to my adult side by offering some really thought-provoking science fiction, but it always appeals to my sense of child-like wonder because the idea of getting in a spaceship and going on adventures to other worlds is just the coolest idea ever. That being said, I couldn't disagree with them more about the fight scenes. The horrible fight choreography is one of the things that I love the most about Star Trek. I'm a big fan of '60s camp and those fight scenes always put a smile on my face. It's why Arena has always been my most watched episode. Secondly, I can't speak for anyone else but Capt. Terrell's sacrifice really bothered me as a kid. Maybe even more so than Spock's death. Of course the worm scene scared me, but I think that watching Terrell kill himself made that scene even scarier. Again, I can't speak for anyone else, but it really affected me. Finally, this is going to get a little personal but I have to bring it up. Dave talking about watching the movie with his brother after his father died has really stuck with me. My dad died earlier this year and that first night after learning about the horrible news, all I wanted to do was watch Wrath of Khan. Part of it had to do with the fact that my dad was a big Star Trek fan and he was the one who got me into Star Trek in the first place. But as I was watching it, I realized that there is something very cathartic about watching that film after the death of a loved one. You're right in that the theme of dealing with the inevitable really hits home in that movie when you're going through that grief as well. And that's my two cents on this podcast.

Also, like everyone else said, none of the movies even come close to the best episodes of the series. We should have another thread dedicated to a theoretical debate about which episodes of the TV show should be inducted into the Canon.

That's a big yes from me, although that's obvious given I'm a huge Star Trek fan. That being said, I think this one deserves to be in the Canon just on the grounds of being a good movie. The struggle between the Enterprise and the Reliant is very exciting and it reminds me of a classic nautical adventure story. I think that gives it a real universal appeal that any audience can enjoy. Also, even though it was reversed in the next film, I really think Spock's death gives the film more emotional weight than any other film in the series. Combine the excitement with the emotion and The Wrath of Khan is a rewarding experience for trekkies and non-trekkies alike.

This one's a definite yes for me. I was in high school when The Blair Witch Project came out and it was all anyone seemed to be talking about for a while. There was the debate about whether or not the footage was authentic followed by arguments over whether or not the film itself was any good. I didn't see it until long after it had come out so I already knew that none of it was real, but I still found it to be one of the most terrifying films I had ever seen. The final shot in this film is right up there with the final shot in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre as one of the most genuinely unsettling images to ever come from a horror film. What really makes it work for me though, isn't the possible supernatural elements. It's the psychological terror of just watching these characters slowly break down as they come closer and closer to the realization that they aren't getting out of these woods alive. I think that's why the woods have become such an iconic part of horror movie imagery. For most of human history, the woods were regarded with the utmost fear; the haven of monsters and other mysterious beings. To watch a group of people from the modern world succumb to that same primal fear is both fascinating and terrifying. As for the found footage stuff? I think it works much better than just about any other found footage film in breaking down one of the barriers found in horror. Most everyone agrees that horror movies serve as a way to experience scary events in a safe environment. I think the camera itself acts as one of the safety nets to that experience. By having the characters be the ones holding the camera, I think it cuts that safety net, making the experience just a little more visceral and therefore, a little scarier. In other found footage horror movies, they lessen this by making the shots look too clean and too professional looking. In the Blair Witch Project, the camera is out of focus a lot of the time, the lens is sometimes fogged up or it has some dirt on it and it has some bad audio; something to remind people that the characters (and by extension, the audience) are the ones holding the camera. This is referenced in the film as the Heather character continues to shoot her documentary as a way of keeping some kind of emotional distance from what's happening onscreen. This is revealed in my favorite scene in the film when Josh interrogates Heather on why she's still shooting her film and Heather finally breaks down and screams "it's all I fucking have left!". Which leads me to my last point: the incredible acting in the film. I know the scene of Heather crying in front of the camera has been parodied to death, but it really should be pointed out how rare it is to see actors break down so completely on film. The actors (especially Heather Donahue) do an amazing job going from joking, devil-may-care college students into a practically infantile state by the film's end. I know the hosts, Devin especially, have already complained about what a crock of shit the Razzie Awards are, but I'm going to join in as well. I will always despise the Razzies for giving Donahue a Worst Actress nomination. So this is an obvious yes vote. I actually wrote all this before even listening to the episode. I just wanted to get my thoughts about this film out there right away. I think The Blair Witch Project should be mentioned along with Night of the Living Dead, Halloween and The Evil Dead as one of the best independent horror films ever made.

Yes! One of my favorites as well. Other people have already mentioned the amazing cinematography by Vittorio Storaro, but I want to mention the story as well. I think it's one of the best films to explore the nature of fascism and other ideologies like that. By focusing on a man who just wants to belong to something, regardless of how twisted that ideology is, it really drives home the idea behind the banality of evil, so to speak. I think that makes the film worthy of discussion for the Canon.

The only Hughes film I'd like to see an episode about would be Ferris Bueller's Day Off just to hear Devin's thoughts about what an evil character Ferris is. I used to really like that film as a kid but now I couldn't force myself to watch it again. There have already been several articles written about Ferris Bueller's psychopathic tendencies, but it would be nice to hear Devin and Amy's take on the film. After typing that, I feel kind of bad recommending a movie just to hear people shit on it, but I can't help it. I love hearing people take a well-loved film and taking it down a few notches.

I agree completely on Away from Her. I forgot about that one in my first post.

I'm not sure if this counts as a 2016 release, but I really loved Embrace of the Serpent. It was easily the best film I've seen in 2016 so far. I also really liked The Witch, The Nice Guys and Sing Street and I'm looking forward to Hell or High Water and La La Land. Also, as a dumb guilty pleasure, I really enjoyed Hardcore Henry. I wouldn't call it the best movie of the year, but I had a lot of fun watching it.

I would much rather see the whole trilogy inducted rather than a vs. episode, but if I had to pick one, Before Sunset would be my pick.

That's a tough one. 2000 Maniacs is without a doubt my favorite of Lewis's films, but Blood Feast is probably more influential. In my opinion though Herschell Gordon Lewis films, while a lot of fun, don't really have what it takes for the Canon. I wouldn't call any of his films well-made and there were other movies that may have came out later, but were more influential for low-budget exploitation movies. Don't get me wrong, I think doing an episode on Herschell Gordon Lewis would be fun, but if we're going to consider his films for the Canon then we need to take up Amy's suggestion about considering Plan 9 from Outer Space as well.