The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 438: Annihilation, Screaming Bears, and Alex Garland
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).
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Mark and Nick Rehak (@TheRehak on Twitter) discuss the 2018 science fiction psychological horror film Annihilation. Directed by Alex Garland, and starring Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson, Oscar Issac and a screaming bear (and a mutated alligator), the movie focuses on what happens when four scientists enter a death void known as Area X. In this episode, they also talk about Stargate: Atlantis, canoe talk, and Patrick Wilson. Enjoy!
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions (we love random questions). 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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Quick Thoughts – Grade – A – The Phil Tippett directed Mad God is a visual masterpiece that features an insane amount of memorable monsters. You won’t want to blink while watching because there’s so much to look at.
After 30 years of work, it’s cool that Phil Tippett was able to finally complete Mad God and get a big push from Shudder. If you’re not familiar with the name, You’ve definitely seen Tippett’s work on movies like Jurassic Park, Robocop, Starship Troopers, Willow, Piranha, and Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back. He’s an absolute master who created the holochess board in A New Hope, and the Rancor in Return of the Jedi (my all-time favorite monster). If you’re looking for a visual masterpiece (I feel comfortable using that word) that is loaded with slightly horrifying visuals, bloody entrails, monster babies, and a bunch of mud people being squished, you will love this film. I have a feeling that there are several visuals (a tiny santa claus being squashed under a boot) that will live long in my memory.
Mad God revolves around a steampunk-esque character named The Assassin being dropped into a hellscape where nobody is safe, and there is always a monster around the corner who will drag you to a place where you are dissected alive. The narrative is extremely loose, but the main goal of The Assassin is to deliver an explosive world-destroying suitcase deep into the bowels of the dangerous wasteland that is filled with deadly battlefields, dangerous alleys, and dungeons filled with pain and terror. While on the mission, the Assassin comes across minotaurs, witches, alchemists, floating creatures, torture victims, and a hospital where cruel tortuers dissect their victims in front of large crowds. It’s an absolutely insane world, and of all the horrible cinematic creations ever created, it’s the place where I would never want to find myself exploring (Freddy’s Kreuger’s boiler room seems chill in comparison).
What’s great about Mad God is that it feels handmade, and that’s because Tippett painstakingly molded it over 30 years. He worked so hard for each frame that toward the end of the project he had a psychotic snap which forced him to stay at a psych ward while he recovered from the stress of the project. In an interview with Inverse, Tippett explained the film by saing “If Mad God is about anything, it’s about scale and process. That’s the backbone. It’s much more pictorially and sound-art-oriented than a typical Hollywood theatrical feature.” This quote is spot-on as Mad God is a sensory blasting experience that relies on sights and sounds to wow the viewer. I hate that Tippett went through some rough times to create his passion project, but I’m glad his obsessive nature allowed to make this unique visual experience.
Final thoughts – If you are into sensory blasting experiences that showcase absolute brutality, you will love this movie.
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You can download or stream the pod on Apple Podcasts 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!
Welcome to Con Air – The Podcast! On this show we will fly you through the 1997 prisoners-on-a-plane masterpiece Con Air one scene at a time with some incredible guests along the way. For the first episode, we brought in Nicholas Rehak (@TheRehak on Twitter) to discuss boat trips, LeAnn Rimes, and the excellence of Nicolas Cage. This will be a 40-episode exploration of one of my favorite movies and I hope you enjoy it!
You can download the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker.
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The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 437 – Orphan (2009), Bad Dads, and Sand Horror
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!
Mark and Zanandi (@Zanandi on Twitter) discuss the 2009 horror film Orphan. Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, and starring Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Isabelle Fuhrman and a very large house, the movie focuses on what happens when a family adopts an absolute maniac. In this episode, they also talk about cold water, piano playing, and playground horror scenes. Enjoy!
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions (we love random questions). 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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Neptune Frost (2021) – Review
Quick thoughts – Grade – A – Neptune Frost is a wildly original sci-fi punk musical that will hopefully give directors/writers Saul Williams and Anisia Uzeyman (who also worked as the cinematographer) more opportunities to showcase their writing and directing.
Between France, Luzzu, Martin Eden, Test Pattern, Bacurau, and Neptune Frost, Kino Lorber has been introducing me to some truly unique voices and cinema over the last few years. France and Martin Eden have taken up a permanent residence in my brain, and I have a feeling that the Stephen Hendel and Lin-Manuel Miranda executive produced Neptune Frost has the technology to make itself linger long in my memory. I really appreciate the creative costume design by Cedric Mizero (who also worked as the production designer and art director), which blends computer keys, harddrives and many red, blue and yellow colors together, and the poetic dialogue by Williams and Uzeyman, which was originally intended for a stage musical and a graphic novel (which is still in the works). Neptune Frost also works really well because Williams and Uzeyman made the decision to film on-location in Rwanda. The locations and local extras add an authenticity to the proceedings and help you become immersed in the world. Neptune Frost feels like a collective of artists came together to make art, and after some research I learned that Williams, Uzeyman, Mizero, Tanya Melendez (hair and makeup designer) are all world renowned artists, which makes sense considering how visual, chaotic, and energetic the experience is. Neptune Frost feels like a handmade experience and this is best exemplified by a white-and-red bird that occasionally appears and is clearly being held by someone off screen. It’s a charming decision that put a smile on my face and it proves that the creators set out to make something singularly creative and fun.
The tough part about reviewing Neptune Frost is explaining what exactly it is about. In a nutshell, it’s about a group of escaped miners who flee to a remote village to form a hacker collective that challenges the dangerous regime (The Motherboard) who are exploiting the region for its precious metals. The hackers are aided by Neptune (Elvis Ngado, Cheryl Isheja), an intersex runaway who forms a bond with Matalusa (Bertrand Ninteretse), and the two create a powerful force that threatens change. From there, I don’t want to explain much more, just know that this movie isn’t Hackers (1995) meets Braveheart (1995). The most important thing you should know is that actors Elvis Ngabo, Cheryl Isheja and Kaya Free are totally committed to their roles, and their earnest performances help create a totally unique experience (that is kind of reminiscent of Liquid Sky). The nice thing about Neptune Frost is that you never know where it’s going, and that allows you to sit back, relax and enjoy the journey into the unknown.
Final thoughts – If you’re in the mood for a memorable and unique experience, watch Neptune Frost.
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The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 436 – The 2022 Mid-Year Randon Movie Awards
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 Movies, Films and Flix tradition continues! Mark and Megan hand out random awards to their favorite moments and movies of 2022 (so far). In this episode, they celebrate movies like Moonfall, Montana Story, The Batman, Mad God, Kimi, RRR, Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Northman and Hustle. Enjoy!
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions (we love random questions). 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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Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) – Review
Quick Thoughts – Grade – C+ – There’s a lot to like in Thor: Love & Thunder, but the constant riffing and jokes destroy the momentum and create a disjointed and flat experience.
Taika Waititi placed himself in a tough situation when he decided to come back to direct another Thor movie. In 2017, Thor: Ragnarok felt like a breath of fresh air that allowed Chris Hemsworth to finally have some fun (He’s a friend from work!) and introduced audiences to Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie, and Waititi’s Korg (Both are favorites of mine). What made Ragnarok work so well is that it was able to infuse comedy into the Thor universe while still telling a relatively tight narrative about family and accepting one’s fate. The film went on to collect a 93% Tomatometer score, 7.9 IMDB User score, and it grossed $854 million worldwide. In other words, Thor: Ragnarok was a bonafide blockbuster that proved that Waitit was ready for the big leagues. It was neat seeing that the guy who directed Eagle vs. Shark, Boy, What We Do in the Shadows and The Hunt for the Wilderpeople, could step up and make a funky big budget blockbuster. Several years later, Waitti is now an Oscar-winning (2020 – Best Adapted Screenplay win for Jojo Rabbit) A-lister who also has produced excellent TV shows like What We Do in the Shadows, Reservation Dogs, Wellington Paranormal and Our Flag Means Death.
Waititi’s tough situation is that anything he makes now will have insane amounts of expectations, and with Thor: Love & Thunder, he has to deliver another excellent Marvel film that has to somehow live up to the expectations that Thor: Ragnarok created. In the end, Thor: Love & Thunder is fun, but it lacks momentum and cohesion because the constant riffing grinds everything to a halt. Also, Christian Bale’s Gorr The God Butcher character looks great, and has a compelling backstory, but he’s largely ignored as the movie progresses and the majority of his abilities revolve around him sending shadow monsters into battle while he hangs out and waits for them to accomplish their mission. The narrative becomes a little overwhelmed as well as the movie focuses on Thor, Valkyrie, Korg, two screaming goats, and The Mighty Thor (Natalie Portman – getting much needed retribution as being wasted in Thor: The Dark World) attempting to stop Gorr before he’s able to locate *spoiler* so he can finish off all the gods. It sounds simple enough, but throw in Gorr’s backstory, training montages, fun cameos, the Guardians of the Galaxy, space battles, health scares, shadow planets, god planets, tourist destinations, hospitals, dry planets, child abduction, relationship montages, and final battles and you have a lot going on. What’s nice about Thor: Ragnarok is that it tells a simple narrative about Thor returning to Asgard so he can battle his sister Hela (Cate Blanchett – so good). It’s simple, easy to follow, and not overloaded with momentum killing gags.
As always, reviewing MCU movies is tough because there are so many spoilers and twists that are best left unspoiled. I’d love to write more about Natalie Portman’s return, but a lot of her storyline was a surprise to me and I don’t want to wreck anything for you. It is nice seeing her back in the MCU after Thor: The Dark World left her pining for Thor and being a plot Macguffin. This time around Portman gets to wreck villains and have fun alongside Hemsworth, Thompson, Waititi, Bale and Russell Crowe (with a unique accent). Also, since the MCU is now dealing with gods and space travel, the CGI-heavy finales are becoming predictable (Truth be told I have no idea how to fix this because their formula works and CGI is necessary) as wildly powerful people battle other powerful people in fancy locations that need to be out of the public’s eye to avoid spoiler-tastic photos. Waititi and co-writer Jennifer Kaytin Robinson include a fun finale surprise, but the ending still doesn’t hold much weight because you know that good will prevail (and a famous rock song will be played). All in all, Thor: Love & Thunder is a good time, but it has zero momentum because of the constant riffing and gags that pump the narrative breaks. For instance, when Thor goes off on a quest he flies through the roof of a building and Valkyrie says “He’s paying for that.” Sure, it’s a funny bit, but it’s not necessary and does nothing for the narrative. Now, imagine dozens of these cheeky moments that will probably make you laugh, but will also slow down the narrative. Somewhere along the way the narrative took a backseat and Thor: Love & Thunder became more about having a good time and that’s why I gave it a C. It’s fun, but it comes nowhere near movies like Iron Man, Black Panther, and Thor: Ragnarok. I did love the Event Horizon and Interstellar references, which open up a fun can of cameo worms. Also, I’m pretty sure Chris Hemsworth used this movie to audition for a Big Trouble in Little China remake.
Since it’s an MCU film with a gigantic budget, the production is top notch and special props should go to costume designer Mayes C. Rubeo (Apocalypto, Jojo Rabbit, World War Z) and production designer Nigel Phelps (World War Z, The Island), who do some excellent work as there are some interesting design choices and I really like the updated costumes for Valkyrie, Korg and The Mighty Thor.
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The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 435: Brotherhood of the Wolf, Rain Fights, and Mark Dacascos
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!
Mark and David Cross (of the Award Wieners Movie Review Podcast – @ItsMeDavidCross on Twitter) discuss the 2001 action-horror movie Brotherhood of the Wolf. Directed by Christophe Gans, and starring Samuel Le Bihan, Vincent Cassel, Monica Bellucci, and Mark Dacascos, the movie focuses on what happens when a murderous monster terrorizes the French countryside. In this episode, they also talk about rain fights, cave fights, and monster fights. Enjoy!
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions (we love random questions). 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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The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 434: Innerspace, Stomach Acid and Martin Short
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!
Mark and Niall Moore (@elniallo on Twitter) discuss the 1987 cult classic Innerspace. Directed by Joe Dante, and starring Dennis Quaid, Martin Short, Meg Ryan, and lots of red blood cells, the movie focuses on what happens when Joe Dante is given a large budget for special effects. In this episode, they also talk about stomach acid, gross booze, and cowboys. Enjoy!
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions (we love random questions). 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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The Mid-year Random Awards are back! 2022 has given us a plethora of fun movie moments and we had a great time coming up with random awards to celebrate them!
If we missed any moments, please include them in the comments. Thanks!
Also, here are my 10 favorite (not best) films of 2022 so far.
- Hustle
- Moonfall
- Everything Everywhere All at Once
- Kimi
- RRR
- The Northman
- The Lost City
- Top Gun: Maverick
- Ambulance
- A Montana Story
Best Musical Moment Award- Cyrano – I gave Cyrano awards in 2021, but it felt right to honor it again. I love the song Someone to Say.
Best Thumb Drive Award – The Batman – Between Kimi and The Batman, Zoe Kravitz has been in some solid movies that feature thumb drives
One of My Most Favorite Movies Ever Award, Best Friendship Since Barb and Star Award, One vs Many Fight Award, and Music Award – RRR – Want to watch an extremely fun movie? Check out RRR
Best and Most Unfortunately Timed Fireworks Award – The Forgiven – John Michael McDonagh’s dark comedy features some of the best fireworks of 2022. Why? They are incredibly poorly-timed.
Best Pirate Ship in a Cave Since the Goonies OR Best Flying Pirate Ship Since Stardust Award – Uncharted – Uncharted earned my undying respect when it featured a pirate ship in a cave that eventually becomes a flying pirate ship
Best Animated Cooking Scene Award – Turning Red – Not only does Turning Red featured the best fake band of 2022, it features the best animated cooking scene.
Best Training Montage Award – Hustle – Hustle is probably my favorite film of 2022 so far, and a big reason for that are the excellent training montages. Adam Sandler + sports movies = A good time.
Best Chapstick Eating Award – Everything Everywhere All at Once – EEAaO is a wildly inventive experience that features Ke Huy Quan eating some chapstick.
Best Excuse to Never be a Motorcycle Henchman Award – The Lost City – If you’re looking for a fun movie that is loaded with laughs, treasure hunting and motorcycle henchmen falling to their deaths, look no further than The Lost City.
Best Chase Scene Involving a Jet Ski and Great White Shark Award – Shark Bait – Shark Bait features a great white shark chasing a jet ski. Life doesn’t get any better.
Best Ugly Sonic Award – Chip N’ Dale’s Rescue Rangers – If you’re looking for fun cameos look no further than Chip N’ Dale’s Rescue Rangers.
Best Chainsaw That was Built by Magicians Award- Texas Chainsaw Massacre – The latest Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie is not good. However, Leatherface’s chainsaw is an unstoppable force that cuts through everything without ever catching, stopping or being halted in the least bit.
Best Villain Dancing Award – Fresh – Sebastian Stan carries on a long tradition of villains dancing in movies.
Best Gravity Wave and Best Drunk Patrick Wilson Award – Moonfall – Moonfall is a beautiful experience because not only does it feature gigantic gravity waves, it features a drunk (but still buff – think Jason Statham in the Meg) Patrick Wilson saving the day.
Best Usage of Foghat Award – Top Gun: Maverick – I’m telling you, Foghat makes everything better. The clip below isn’t the moment, but I wanted to include something involving music.
Best Moment Involving Watching Someone Watch Someone Who is Watching Her Award – A lot of people get watched in The Watcher.
Best Zombie in a $200 Million Budgeted Movie Award- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – I still can’t believe that the folks at Marvel let Sam Raimi make such a Sam Raimi movie.
Best Iron Branding and Best Line of 2022 (So Far) Award – The Northman – I love that Robert Eggers was given $70ish million to make The Northman. It’s wonderful. My favorite line of 2022 is when Alexander Skarsgard says he wants revenge because there is a “freezing river of hate that runs through my veins.”
Best Mom Talk Award- Cha Cha Real Smooth – Between Sh*thouse and Cha Cha Real Smooth, Cooper Raiff excels at having nice talks with his movie moms.
Most stressful 2 hrs and 16 min of 2022 so far (Also Best Sailing Sing Along) Award – I love Ambulance. It’s wonderful, insane and I have a hard time believing Michael Bay shot it in 30ish days.
Best Kissing Scene Award – Jackass Forever – Watching a snake bite a guy named Poopies in his face has really stuck with me.
Best Overhead Shot of an Alligator Stalking a Person in a Gross Lake Award – X – X features the best overhead shot of an alligator swimming since Crawl.
Best Chic Looking Hoodie Award – Morbius – Jared Leto would never wear a regular hoodie. In Morbius he wears a super stylish looking hoodie.
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Best Hangout session in Spiderhead Award -, Chris Hemworths and Miles Teller are hanging out and Hemsworth says “Jeff and Steve, Steve and Jeff, just hanging out.” It’s wonderful. The movie isn’t good, but I like the moment a lot.
Best Pastry Suitcase Award – And Cutest Looking Deadly Beasts Award – Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore – I love the baby manticores in the latest Fantastic Beasts movie.
Best Remake Featuring Andy Garcia Award – Father of the Bride – Andy Garcia is really good in the Father of the Bride remake.
Zanadi Botes (@ZaNandi on Twitter) – Best Friendship – The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent – Nicolas Cage and Pedro Pascal are a fun team in Cage’s latest film.
Jonny Numb (The Last Knock Podcast – @JonnyNumb on Twitter)
- The Cat Comes Back! Award – Moonfall
- The Tunnel Echo Scene in Men.
David (The Award Wieners Movie Review Podcast – @ItsMeDavidCross on Twitter)
- Best Use of Hot Dogs in a Movie – Everything Everywhere All at Once
- Best Dance Sequence: – X
- Best Cameo by My Childhood – Chip and Dale’s Rescue Rangers
- Most Quotable Movie- Moonfall
Aaron Neuwirth (Out Now With Aaron and Abe Podcast – @AaronsPS4 on Twitter)
- Best Use of Ground Pound as Survival Signal – RRR
- Best Usage of a Flag – RRR
- Best Drum Solo – RRR
- Best Musical Torture Scene – RRR
- Best Rock Fight – RRR
- Best Tiger Throw – RRR
The Last Action Heroes Podcast (@TL_ActionHeroes on Twitter – Listen to their show!)
- Best Loud Vehicle – The Batman – My award for most charismatic hunk of metal goes to the snarling Batmobile. The threatening growls and fire-spitting from the darkness before it lunges into a full assault of screaming, rampaging aggression. I honestly laughed out loud like a giddy child at that scene. 5/5
- Best Hair – The Northman – The Northman is a hairy film. Long, beautiful hair. Badly cut hair. Various colors of hair. Head hair. Face hair. Body hair. At one point I think there was even a hare. Even if you don’t like bloodthirsty folk-lore tales of revenge and vikings, go for the hair.
Joey Lewandowski (The 2 Fast 2 Forever Podcast – @soulpopped on Twitter)
- “Take My Hand” plays in Top Gun: Maverick
- After Yang’s opening credits
- The Worst Person in the World freezes time
- “Kimi, play Sabotage” – Kimi
- “Church” in Marry Me
- Mustache origin story in Death on the Nile
- “F**K THE MOON” in Moonfall
John Leavengood (@MFFHorrorCorner on Twitter) – The Most Convincingly Ungratuitous Use of a Butt Plug Award.” aka “The Least comfortable Kung Fu Ever Award.” – Everything Everywhere All at Once
Movies, Films & Flix 