Torture Cinema #91: Damnation Alley (1977)
https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/sandftorturecinema91damnationalley/SandF–Torture_Cinema_91–Damnation_Alley.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSBoat cars, “Killa Cockaroaches”, and cannibals, oh my! Much to Jen’s chagrin, in her absence the team, Shaun Duke, Paul Weimer, and Alex Acks, discover a lot to criticize in the 1977 film adaption of a Roger Zelazny book, Damnation Alley! Jen likes to think they only criticize it because they just wanted it to be better than what we got which is a monotonous 90 minute post-apocalyptic road trip across the entire US. Regardless, they share their adoration of George Peppard’s mustache and grooming standards, their dislike for discount Starbuck, how the movie manages to make exciting things boring, but also some bright points, like how this movie ignores many post-apocalyptic tropes. There’s lots more than that, so go have a listen! Hopefully this 70 minute episode is more exciting than the 90 minute torture film. We hope you enjoy the episode!
Episode 6. Into the Wardrobe with The Secret of NIMH (1982; dir. Don Bluth): Dark Animated Wonder and the Motherhood of the Muddy Cinderblocks
https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFEp6IntoTheWardrobeSecretOfNIMH/SandF–Ep6–Into_the_Wardrobe–Secret_of_NIMH.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSIn this episode of Into the Wardrobe, Shaun Duke and Jen Zink talk about the dark and somewhat terrifying — but also whimsical and often hilarious — first major production of Don Bluth films, The Secret of NIMH, released in 1982 and based on Robert C. O’Brien’s book, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. Our intrepid duo discuss the film’s garage-style production, the history of Don Bluth Productions and his love of classical animation, the film’s tone and artistic style, the role of motherhood in the narrative, and so much more. Plus, they tackle the standards: their personal relationship to the film (childhood, y’all) and what impact the film might have on audiences today! They seriously couldn’t shut up about this movie because it is just that good. We hope you enjoy the episode!
At the Movies #76: Unicorn Store (2017)
https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFAtTheMovies76UnicornStore/SandF–At_the_Movies_76–Unicorn_Store.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSCrazy paint, unicorns, and post-graduation life, oh my! Alex, Stina, and Trang join forces to take a look at Brie Larson’s feature length directorial debut, Unicorn Store (2017)! Together, they discuss the deep metaphors of the film’s central concept, the way it elicits strong personal reactions that make us think about our own lives, the performances, and so much more. We hope you enjoy the episode!
Torture Cinema #90: Kull the Conqueror (1997)
https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFTortureCinema90KullTheConqueror/SandF–Torture_Cinema_90–Kull_the_Conqueror.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSApe men, nicked bits, and shirtless Sorbo, oh my! Shaun, Stephen, and Daniel join forces to fulfill their dudetastic Torture Cinema destiny by discussing 1997’s Kull the Conqueror (starring Hercules). They discuss the history behind the film, why it fails miserably at just about everything (action, romance, adventure, carefully crafted plots), and what it’s like to contemplate Kevin Sorbo’s bedroom abilities. We’re sorry about this one, folks, but our Patreon supports picked it, and we are bound by honor and blood to fulfill our sacred duties. Join us for this special dudetastic discussion of one of the most horrifically awful action movies of all time! We hope you enjoy the episode!
Korean Movie Review: Flu (2013)
If you need to know one thing about Flu (2013), know that it tries very, very hard to convey to its audience the importance of treating people with dignity and humanity — and that within the first five minutes, it fails in the most hamfisted of ways. It might seem like a strange choice to review a disaster film for a SFF column, but when you think about it, disaster films also take a premise based on scientific facts — in this case, an epidemic — and extrapolate it to an extreme level. Directed by Kim Sung Soo and written by Kim and Lee Young Jong, Flu imagines what would happen if a mutated version of the avian flu virus were to hit Bundang, South Korea. Infected patients die within 36 hours, sporting large rashes and vomiting blood, all of which results in mass panic and the inhumane detainment of Bundang’s citizens, who are all condemned to extermination by a political elite more concerned with saving their own skins than valuing the lives of the ordinary people. At the center of Flu is Kim In Hae (Soo Ae), a doctor involved in the effort to find a cure for the virus; Kang Ji Goo (Jang Hyuk), an everyman rescue worker who crosses paths with In Hae after saving her from a car crash; and Mi Reu (Park Min Ha), In Hae’s daughter. And that’s where the movie really falters, because even while trying to tell a story about the grotesqueries of a callous government wholly unconcerned about protecting its people, it chooses the most respectable characters as the heroes of the story.
Totally Pretentious #17. M (1931): The Nature of Evil, Citizen Mobs, and the Terror Within
https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFTotallyPretentious17M/SandF–Totally_Pretentious–17_M.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSIn today’s episode, David and Shaun once more talk about the films they’re currently enjoying, from big blockbusters to television epics and more. Then they turn their critical brains to the film of the day: Fritz Lang’s M (1931). They cover some of the history behind the film — including 1930s Germany and the background of the Lang and the cast — how the film explores the role of trauma and terror in the theme of good vs. evil, the claustrophobia of cities, the reception of the film in the 1930s, and much more! Prepare yourselves for another foray into cinematic greatness. Enjoy the episode!
