The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 334: Die Hard, Hans Gruber and Candy Bars
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The MFF podcast is back, and this week we’re talking about the Christmas classic Die Hard. We love this film, and despite it being covered by every other movie podcast (ever), we found some unique aspects to tackle to make sure you’re hearing something new. In this episode, we discuss candy selection, gun fights and dangerous rose bushes. We also draft our favorite action films, cast a Con Air sequel, and discuss our favorite moments.
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions so we can do our best to not answer them correctly. We thank you for listening, and hope you enjoy the episode!
You can download the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker.
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Deep Blue Sea – The Podcast – Episode 25: A+ B Movies, 1990s Action Cinema, and Strategic Shadows
You can listen to Deep Blue Sea – The Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Spotify, Tunein, Podcast Addict, Amazon, Google Podcasts, and everywhere else you listen to podcasts. Also, make sure to like our Facebook page!
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Jay and Mark are joined Brian Raftery (@BrianRaftery on Twitter), the man who made Deep Blue Sea fans very happy in 2016, when he wrote a Wired article entitled “Forget Jaws. The Real Shark Movie to Beat is Deep Blue Sea.” It might be the greatest DBS piece ever written, and it helped people realize that DBS is actually an A+B movie. In this episode, we discuss “Brothers Never Make It” the 25th chapter on the Deep Blue Sea DVD. We also talk about Howie Long, Chill Factor, and movie shadows. Enjoy!
Make sure to follow Brian on Twitter, and buy his excellent book Best. Movie. Year. Ever. How 1999 Blew Up the Big Screen wherever you buy books (buy four or five copies…why not).
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John’s Horror Corner: Black Christmas (2019), the second reimagining of the 1974 classic slasher Christmas horror.
MY CALL: Another remake of the 1974 original, but borrowing little from it. This remake is very light and feisty, best suited for an audience of teenagers or viewers who can’t handle mean, brutal, shocking horror movies. MOVIES LIKE Black Christmas: The closest choice would be. For more Christmas horror try Black Christmas (1974, 2006 remake), Await Further Instructions (2018), Holidays (2016; Christmas), A Christmas Horror Story (2015), Krampus (2015), Better Watch Out (2016), Tales from the Crypt Season 1 (1989; And All Through the House), Silent Night Deadly Night (1984), Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010) Gremlins (1984), and Tales from the Crypt (1972; And All Through the House). Skip The Oracle (1985) and All the Creatures were Stirring (2018).
This film opens with familiar beats; tropes yes, but executed well. A young college student departing campus for the holiday break is stalked by a mysterious hooded assailant. Everything swiftly goes wrong for this poor girl and her demise is as much cliché as it is graceful, rich with wintery themes. And with the close of our cold open, we fast forward to another winter break sometime in the near future.
As we’re introduced to our Hawthorne College sorority girls, we find they are thoughtfully written and likewise acted in lived-in, credible fashion. I’m reminded of the high-quality characters of Happy Death Day (2017) even though the tones of these two films differ a bit. We meet some who are gawky and awkward, shy, activistic and the like, and all of them feel like real people saying real things instead of some “this is what I do” canned cast introductions. Barring the ‘higher film’ attempts in horror (e.g., Get Out, Us, Hereditary, Midsommar) we seldom expect such natural writing in the genre—especially not for a second remake/reimagining. There are times in this first act that I completely forgot I was watching a horror movie, and that’s a big compliment.
When we meet Professor Gelson (Cary Elwes; Saw, The Bride, Bram Stoker’s Dracula), he seems everything we expect from a well-scripted (if still typical) college movie. He’s charismatic, a bit arrogant, and has an adversarial relationship with key players of the story. Again I’ll say it: tropes yes, but executed well.
The proficient employment of classic writing/movie tropes effects a sense of familiarity with this movie. Another strength of the film: the winterscape campus shots are a snowy stark sight. And while the photography is nothing epic and rarely wide-angled, the snow-caked buildings taunt the eye. Director and co-writer Sophia Takal (Always Shine) made an entertaining movie for those who have had enough brutal or high-brow horror fare lately, and Imogen Poots (Fright Night, Vivarium, Green Room) serves the film well as the lead.
I enjoyed the film overall as a low stakes popcorn flick, and appreciate the general filmmaking. But the shots of our hooded slasher (along with his actions) tend not to impress. The killer is the weakest component of the movie. Maybe it’s the PG-13-ness of it all, but it just feels sooooo Horror-LITE. Not only that, but we see very little provocative violence happen on-screen. The brutality is almost all off-screen and after the fact. What does happen on-screen tends to lack any punch or shock. The weakest “horror” of it all was the finale, which felt just plain stupid to an almost angering degree. All of the thoughtful writing was thrown out the window for this “children’s horror movie finale” display. Moreover I found the ending to be meaningless. The last 20-30 minutes of the film were a disappointing departure from the wonderful foundation of the first 60.
This remake feels nothing like the original. Not in tone or intensity, or even a scintilla of development. This is a completely unique product which essentially only shares the premise that “a group sorority girls are stalked and murdered on campus during Christmas break.” What’s good about that is that there is nothing to compare (or complain) about regarding the 1974 classic. The downside is that it hardly feels worthy of the iconic name Black Christmas, despite being a very well-made PG-13 horror-LITE movie.
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Deep Blue Sea – The Podcast – Episode 24: Leg Twitches, Police Academy, and Stair Scenes
You can listen to Deep Blue Sea – The Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Spotify, Tunein, Podcast Addict, Amazon, Google Podcasts, and everywhere else you listen to podcasts. Also, make sure to like our Facebook page!
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Jay and Mark are joined by Todd Liebenow (of the @ForgottenFilmz and @WaltSentMePod podcasts) to discuss “Thumbs Up, Man Down,” the 24th chapter on the Deep Blue Sea DVD. In this episode, they discuss DJ TJ Scoggs, Police Academy, Tremors, A League of Their Own, Musical Numbers and Legs twitching. Enjoy!
Please follow Todd on Twitter and listen to the Forgotten Filmcast and Walt Sent Me. Thanks!
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The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 333: Stargate, Alien Technology, and Sand
You can download or stream the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker (or wherever you listen to podcasts…..we’re almost everywhere).
If you get a chance please make sure to review, rate and share. You are awesome!
The MFF podcast is back, and this week we’re talking about Stargate, another excellent Kurt Russell film. Directed and written by Roland Emmerich, and starring Kurt Russell and James Spader, this science fiction film tells the story of what happens when interplanetary travelers are forced to battle a justifiably angry alien. We love the Stargate, and had a great time talking about how breezy it is, and how the practical effects keep it looking great 26 years after its release. In this episode, we discuss Roland Emmerich movies, sand, and alien technology.
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions so we can do our best to not answer them correctly. We thank you for listening, and hope you enjoy the episode!
You can download the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker.
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John’s Horror Corner: Silent Night, Deadly Night part 2 (1987), a Christmas horror sequel that is both lazy and clever.
MY CALL: The sequel of the “then controversial” cult classic, this story continues and replays the highlights of its predecessor to form the death scene meat and potatoes of the movie. MOVIES LIKE Silent Night, Deadly Night part 2: Normally I’d direct folks to the original: Silent Night Deadly Night (1984). But since all the kills and their build-up from the original are literally shown again in this, there’s little point.
The follow-up to a bonkers 80s B-movie cult classic, this sequel opens with strong scoring and a tense introduction to Ricky (Eric Freeman) in a psychiatric hospital on Christmas Eve. Now grown up after living through his older brother’s killing spree (i.e., Billy from part 1), Ricky has become a killer just like Billy.
As the narrator to our story, Ricky recounts his brother’s vile deeds to his psychiatrist. As if justifying his murderous destiny, Ricky recalls the murder and sexual assault of his parents by a man in a Santa suit; their troubled upbringing in an orphanage run by Mother Superior (Lilyan Chauvin; Predator 2, Pumpkinhead 2, Silent Night Deadly Night); Billy’s departure from the nunnery and job at the toy store when he turned eighteen; and absolutely everyone Billy killed in 1984. Entire scenes of footage are generously borrowed from part 1. As a result, all the kills from the first half of this movie are from this stock footage. Like really, every kill from Silent Night Deadly Night (1984); about half of this sequel is in fact the more exciting half of part 1.
So really, this sequel doesn’t even begin to hold its own until about minute 40. But fret not, because at least one “new” kill (the umbrella death scene) is rather spectacular for a lower budget kill. And while I enjoyed the jumper cable death as well, the better deaths in this movie were from the previous film. It makes it hard to judge this movie on its own unless it was viewed in lieu of its predecessor. I guess we do still get Ricky killing some folks in a Santa suit (for some of new death scenes). But it’s just not enough for me care… even a little. The Santa suit shenanigans feel phoned-in and short-lived.
But let’s give director Lee Harry (Street Soldiers) and his cast a little credit. Ricky’s storytelling scenes were well-acted and aptly written. In fact, the acting in this felt rather superior to anything from part 1 (except of course, for the most talented scream queen Linnea Quigley; The Return of the Living Dead, Night of the Demons, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4, Creepozoids). It seems that someone had a great script idea, but so little money to fund the film that utilizing the previous was the only way to make it work. So as lazy as the scene-stealing tactic initially feels, maybe this was their clever way of making it happen. At least they managed to cast the lovely Elizabeth Kaitan (Friday the 13th part VII, Nightwish, Necromancer), who is something of a bad movie starlet.
Despite a couple entertaining kills, this movie is basically a cheap cash-grab throwaway riding the coattails of the best parts of its maker. This would best be viewed by horror fans who actually missed the original. For that demographic, this would probably be quite satisfying.
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Freaky: An Inspired Horror Film Featuring Fun Performances From Vince Vaughn and Kathryn Newton
After the excellent Happy Death Day and Happy Death Day 2U, director/writer Christopher Landon is back with another film with an interesting hook. Instead of a time loop, Freaky focuses on a 17-year old named Millie (Kathryn Newton) swapping bodies with a 40-something-year old serial killer dubbed the BIissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn) after he stabs her with a mystical dagger known as La Dola. To make things worse, she (now Vince Vaughn) learns she has around 12(ish) hours to find The Blissfield Butcher (Now Kathryn Newton), so she can stab him with the dagger. It’s a wonderful idea, and the performances by Vaughn and Newton, and Landon’s ability to stretch a $6 million budget make Freaky worth a watch.
After the PG-13 rated Happy Death Day films, it’s nice to see Landon step into R-rated territory, and he more than earns the rating. The beginning of the film features some highly effective gore as dumb teenagers are hunted and killed by the Blissfield Butcher, who uses wine bottles, tennis racquets and spears as killing devices. Landon takes full advantage of Vaughn’s 6’5 frame, as the large killer overpowers all of his victims, and later his size plays well with the body swap as Millie begins to enjoy having the strength of a large man who can pick up bullies like they’re nothing.
While the Happy Death Day films focused on likable characters trying to figure out how to break the time loops, Freaky is more kill driven, as unlikable characters are singled out, and sawed in half. It’s easy to know who will be killed during the film, as various stereotypical adults and high schoolers mark themselves for eventual deaths by being rude, bossy or chauvinistic. On one hand, there’s a satisfaction in seeing bullies being frozen to death, but it also eliminates any suspense as there’s nothing to like about the horror fodder.
Amidst the chaos, there is a nice story involving Millie’s mom Katie (Paula Finneran) coming to grips with the loss of her husband. Also, Millie’s friends Josh (Misha Osherovich) and Nyla (Celeste O’Conner) prove their loyalty as they help Millie (after a fun kitchen fight), attempt to stop the serial killer from wiping out dozens of kids at the homecoming dance. In the end, Landon’s neat idea and committed performances have created a fun film that should become a cult-classic.
Freaky is a lot of fun, and if you enjoy all-in performances, creative skills and inspired cheeky ideas, you’ll appreciate the film.
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The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 332: 2 Fast 2 Furious, Cigar Cutters, and Pockets That Aren’t Empty
You can download or stream the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker (or wherever you listen to podcasts…..we’re almost everywhere).
If you get a chance please make sure to review, rate and share. You are awesome!
The MFF podcast is back, and this week we’re talking about 2 Fast 2 Furious. My favorite film of the Fast & Furious franchise is 2 Fast 2 Furious, and I know I am in the minority of people who believe this movie could even place in the top three. It isn’t the hipster (Tokyo Drift), obvious (Fast Five), or off the wall pick (Fast & Furious). I’m not saying it is the best film of the franchise, because Fast Five obviously deserves the acclaim. It is my favorite because it is the underdog second film that gave the world the Brian O’Conner/Roman Pearce friendship, and introduced Ludacris’ Tej character. 2 Fast 2 Furious focuses on car culture and the type of “family” that Dominic Toretto could only dream of. I love how everything feels lived in and instead of talking about “family” it shows us fantastic examples of brotherhood and friendship. For instance, I love how Roman is introduced to the world. He is on house arrest and uses his driving skills to win demolition derbies in some backwoods area. When Brian approaches him in an effort to recruit him for an undercover mission they engage in a pretty great fight where they exchange some seemingly dumb dialogue (You still fight like shit!) that actually does a solid job establishing a history between them.
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions so we can do our best to not answer them correctly. We thank you for listening, and hope you enjoy the episode!
You can download the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker.
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Let Him Go: An Excellent Thriller Featuring Solid Performances From Diane Lane and Kevin Costner
Let Him Go is a fun thriller that features solid performances from Diane Lane and Kevin Costner, and if you are into tense dinners that take place in the middle of nowhere, you will love it. Written and directed by Thomas Bezucha, and based on the Larry Watson novel, Let Him Go centers around Margaret (Diane Lane) and George Blackledge (Kevin Costner) leaving their Montana ranch, and driving to the Dakotas to find their grandson. The adventure is anything but smooth, as they traverse the beautiful and dangerous Dakota territory and go toe-to-toe with the legitimately frightening Blanch Weboy (Lesley Manville), and her clan of murderous children.
The film starts off with Margaret and George’s son James (Ryan Bruce) getting married to the soft-spoken Lorna (Kayli Carter) on their Montana ranch. Eventually, the two have a child, and everything is happy until James falls off his horse and dies. Years later, Lorna meets an abusive sh*theel named Donnie Weboy (Will Brittain), and they get married and move back to his family farm in South Dakota. The sudden move, and their knowledge of Donnie’s abusive tendencies, set Margaret and the former-sheriff George, to pack up their station wagon and make their way towards certain violence. What follows, I won’t spoil, just know that it’s a bit rushed, occasionally shocking and almost always tense as they come across 100% creepers like Bill Weboy (Jeffrey Donovan – dude is scary), who will send shivers up your spine.
There are two major standouts of Let Him Go. The chemistry between Kevin Costner and Diane Lane (AKA Superman’s parents) is excellent, and I’d pay to watch them ride horses, eat lunch at small diners, and cruise around glorious landscapes. Their performances are lived-in, and you can tell that the two of them genuinely like each other (I hope), and are comfortable inhabiting the same space. The excellent and non-showy (the well-framed shots never feel excessive or unnecessary) cinematography by Guy Godfree (Buffaloed) is creative, patient and makes Lane and Costner look excellent during their adventure. I kept wanting to pause the film to admire the cinematography, but since it’s a thriller that depends on momentum, I let it wash over me while I admired the inspired shots.
If you are in the mood for an old school thriller anchored by A+ performances, I totally recommend Let Him Go. You won’t be disappointed.
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Deep Blue Sea Special – Ranking The Door Scenes in Deep Blue Sea
I love Deep Blue Sea, and think it is a perfect popcorn film that features creative deaths, lots of surprises, and the best kitchen fight ever (that isn’t in The Raid 2 or Sudden Death). It makes me happy that Wired, Bloody Disgusting, and Deep Blue Sea – The Podcast, have been praising its brilliance lately. After watching the film again, and realizing that the characters spend over eight minutes opening and closing doors, it felt right to rank every moment that features a door opening or closing. Some of the best moments in the film feature doors, and after watching DBS for the 700th time, I decided to log every moment, and rank them in a very subjective manner.
Here’s the cast for reference.
- Saffron Burrows as Dr. Susan McCallister
- Thomas Jane as Carter Blake
- LL Cool J as Sherman “Preacher” Dudley
- Jacqueline McKenzie as Janice “Jan” Higgins
- Michael Rapaport as Tom Scoggins
- Stellan Skarsgård as Dr. Jim Whitlock
- Aida Turturro as Brenda Kerns
- Samuel L. Jackson as Russell Franklin
39. Sherman “Preacher” Dudley takes his cake out of the oven, and kicks the oven door shut (it’s slick) – I have this in last place because it always reminds me of the deleted subplot involving Preacher and Tom Scoggins arguing over cake. I want a world that features LL Cool J and Michael Rapaport arguing about cake.
38. Scoggins opens up some closet doors looking for batteries for his flashlights.
37. Carter Blake opens up a medicine cabinet door to grab some gauze for his burnt arm. It’s industrious, but not memorable.
36. McAlester opens up her lab door after she kills the shark. The scene works well because of the urgency of Carter Blake and the shocked look on McAlester’s face.
35. Random extras open up a gate to get to the boat that’s taking them away from the Aquatica for the weekend. It’s A+ plus extra work because they weren’t walking like extras normally do in movies (like they’ve lost all motor functions).
34. Janice Higgins opens a door to greet McAlester and Russell Franklin. It’s a totally fine moment.
33. Preacher enters the kitchen via the swinging doors while being chased by the shark. There’s nothing wrong with this scene, it’s just that opening a door in water is kinda boring as it closes slowly (more on this later).
32. Carter opens up the Wet Lab door and swims in. I’d rank this higher, but since the door was already open, and all he had to do was open it more, I couldn’t justify a higher ranking.
31. Carter opens a chain link fence door to check out the tiger shark that was just delivered. The Walt Conti designed sharks are amazing btw.
30. An extra closes the plane door after Susan McAlester exits it – The door close is solid, there’s just nothing spectacular about it.
29. McAlester opens the metal fence door – It’s kinda cool because it shows there is a lock on the door, and thus the place is kind of like a prison (Alcatraz floats).
28. The crew walk into Janice’s room – This is interesting because we actually get to see someone’s living quarters. She has a fish tank, I feel bad for the fish….
27. The crew enter the wet entry (before Russell is killed) – I enjoy the casualness of the door opening.
26. The elevator door closes after they attach Jim to the helicopter – It’s a good shot, I like the use of the widescreen aspect ratio. However, after the crew got wiped out by water (on set accident), the door closing is anticlimactic.
25. Opening of the door to avoid the flooding from the wet lab – This happens after the shark bashes the giant glass with Jim. It’s a good moment, but I’m 175% certain the water would’ve rushed in faster.
24. The makeshift rope is pulled inside the door, and it’s closed – This moment is memorable because of how long the makeshift rope is. Preacher must’ve taken a long time to make it. Also, the shark could’ve killed everyone during the construction of the rope, and chose not to so it could continue to herd the humans. Also, later on, Carter doesn’t even bother using the rope.
23. Carter, McAlester and Preacher enter the escape hatch room. I love the spinning handle on the door.
22. Elevator door opens, and McAester slowly walks out when she’s called to the surface level – I like the “scary” vibe and camerawork.
21. McAlester locks herself in her office while looking for her research. I like the idea of her locking herself in her office – while the shark is waiting for her.
20. The Wet Entry doors open and Carter jumps into the water. Dude is a maniac.
19. Russell sees the Wet Lab for the first time – It’s a nice door opening that leads to some wonder.
18. Janice closes the fence door and it locks – I love the look that Russell Franklin gives the locked fence door. Do they think the sharks could walk out of the place? Are the locks there to prevent pirates from entering?
17. The remaining survivors open the Wet Entry door after Russell Franklin is eaten. I love the delayed water explosion.
16. Preacher, McAlester and Blake swim though the escape hatch to face the sharks (1:20 in clip) – It’s suspenseful, but it’s overshadowed by Preacher’s prayer. You barely remember that a door was opened.
15. Dr. McAlester exits a helicopter on her way to talk to Russell Franklin. I love a confident helicopter exit. Also, she doesn’t bother closing the door – it’s a boss move.
14. Carter pries open the door to level 2 to prevent the elevator shaft from flooding (:30 in clip). I love a scene involving a door being pried open. Bonus points for the following moments when the shark doesn’t even try to eat him, because he’s needed to open more doors.
13. The Gen 2 shark knocks open the door to the elevator shaft (Beginning of clip). I love the shark vision leading up to the door smash.
12. Preacher exits the flooded kitchen door, then says “You ate my bird.” (1:45 in clip) – The door opening isn’t exciting, however, the shark explosion is fun.
11. Preacher escapes through the top oven door (1:20 in clip) – It’s a lot of fun watching the chef escape the oven (that the shark turned on).
10. The extras leave the Aquatica and get on a boat – I like how they hold the door open for each other. It’s a pleasant moment. Are they dancing on the boat because they are a fun crew, or are they happy that they are leaving?
9. McAlester opens up her locker door, and the shark learns where she gets her research – This is important later on, when the shark is waiting for her.
8. The crew take Whitlock up to the surface, and there is a massive storm. I like seeing all the waves blasting around them.
7. The shark has Carter open a door after Scoggins is eaten. It’s neat seeing Carter’s head fly back and as he is sucked into the other corridor. The sharks are so smart.
6. The group uses teamwork to get out of the wet lab after it is flooded (2:18 in clip – you’ll also see a great Carter Blake slip). It’s nice seeing everyone work together.
5. McAlester opens up her locker door, grabs her research, and the shark attacks. I love that the shark was sitting in her room, waiting for her to grab her research.
4. Carter opens up the pen door so he can dart the Gen. 2 shark (:30 in clip). It’s freaky watching him swim out into the dark water. It’s neat knowing that the Gen. 2 shark allowed Carter to dart it.
3. You think that another shark is trying to bash its way into the elevator shaft, BUT, it’s Preacher coming to save the day. It’s a nice moment.
2. Preacher opens up and closes the oven door when he’s trying to escape the shark. I love the idea of him climbing into the oven, when he’s a chef. It’s such a great visual.1. The Gen. 2 shark sneaks into the flooded kitchen (:20 in clip) while Preacher is climbing on some cabinets. This isn’t exactly exciting, I just love how stealthy the shark is. It makes me laugh.
1. The Gen. 2 shark sneaks into the flooded kitchen (:20 in clip) while Preacher is climbing on some cabinets. This isn’t exactly exciting, I just love how stealthy the shark is. It makes me laugh.
There you have it! Every door closing and opening moment in Deep Blue Sea ranked. Make sure to lisen to Deep Blue Sea – The Podcast, and read everything we’ve ever written about the film.
Movies, Films & Flix 