Episode 13. Near Dark (1987; dir. Kathryn Bigelow): The Vampire, the Western, and the Setting Sun
http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/TotallyPretentiousEpisode013NearDark/TotallyPretentiousEpisode013–NearDark.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSThe Vampire, the Western, and the Setting Sun! In our 13th episode, David and Shaun play catch-up on films left over from last year with an intense discussion of Kathryn Bigelow’s 1987 vampire western, Near Dark. Among the subjects under discussion: the cinematography and the western myth, where Near Dark went wrong (and where it veered heavily into “that’s interesting” territory), and what Near Dark says about the 1980s vampire film — plus much more. We also briefly discuss Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens (2015), since David didn’t get to participate in the Skiffy and Fanty Show episode on the movie! Enjoy!
#37. Ex Machina (2015) — A Shoot the WISB Subcast
http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/ShootTheWISB37ExMachina/ShootTheWisb37–ExMachina.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSThe Turing test, eccentric billionaires, and the singularity, oh my! In this special edition of Shoot the WISB, Alex takes Shaun and Paul on a journey through Alex Garland’s directorial debut, Ex Machina. We explore the film’s treatment of AI, its themes, its women, and much more! We hope you enjoy the episode! Note: If you have iTunes and like this show, please give us a review on our iTunes page, or feel free to email us with your thoughts about the show! Spoiler Alert: the following podcast contains spoilers for the film being reviewed; if you wish to see the film without having it ruined for you, download this podcast and save it for later.
276. Live at CONvergence! Space and Its Discontents (On Contact and Gravity)
http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFEpisode276ContactAndGravitySpaceAndItsDiscontentsLiveAtCONvergence/Sandf–Episode276–ContactAndGravitySpaceAndItsDiscontentsLiveAtConvergence.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSAlien messages, space debris, and space women, oh my! The Robogoblins descend upon CONvergence to discuss Gravity and Contact. We tackle how each film addresses religion, science, trauma, and female characters, and we explore the optimism of Contact versus the pessimism of Gravity. We hope you enjoy the episode! Note: If you have iTunes and like this show, please give us a review on our iTunes page, or feel free to email us with your thoughts about the show! Here’s the episode (show notes are below): Episode 276 — Download (MP3) Show Notes:
Episode 7. Jurassic Park (1993) and Jurassic World (2015): Blockbuster Spectacle and Reconstituting the Family
http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/TotallyPretentiousEpisode007JurassicParkAndJurassicWorld/TotallyPretentiousEpisode007–JurassicParkAndJurassicWorld.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSBlockbuster Spectable and Reconstituting the Family! We take our first stab at a blockbuster hit — the incredibly influential Jurassic Park (1993). We discuss the film’s visual effects and influence, its treatment of corporations and family, and the film’s legacy. Plus, we spend a considerable amount of time discussing Jurassic World (2015) and its place within the franchise. We’re also still working on our Subscriber Drive so we can add a second regular episode to the show. Enjoy!
Retro Nostalgia: Mortal Kombat (1995; dir. Paul W.S. Anderson) and Ruining Your Childhood
I’ve just re-watched Mortal Kombat, the less-than-stellar 1995 video game adaptation directed by Paul W.S. Anderson. The same director who would two years later direct a far better film, Event Horizon (2007), which has the unfortunate reputation of being a movie most people hate. Why did I watch Mortal Kombat…again? Two reasons. First, I needed something to write about for this column, and it just seemed fitting that a 20-year-old film from my childhood happened to be streaming on Netflix. Second, I wanted to re-experience something from my childhood to see how well it would hold up. An experiment, if you will. And while other films from the 90s (and 80s) have not so much held up as become interesting in other ways as a result of age, Mortal Kombat is one of those gems that, frankly, has always been ridiculous. I just couldn’t see it when I was 11.
Around the World: Ms. 45 (1981; dir. Abel Ferrara); Trauma, Gender Violence, and Revenge Fantasies
(Trigger warning: this review involves discussion of sexual assault, trauma, and gender violence.) Two years after the release of his gritty and noisy murder-fest, The Driller Killer (1979), Abel Ferrara returned to the director’s helm with Ms. 45 (1981), a revenge “fantasy” film. Though Ms. 45 still demonstrates some of that rawness present in Ferrara’s first feature film production, it is by far a smoother film, making excellent use of its mostly unknown and untested cast, especially Zoë Lund, the protagonist from which the title, Ms. 45, gets its name. Of Ferrara’s early films, Ms. 45 is certainly the most compelling, if not because it is a tighter, thematically expedient production, then because of its somewhat brutal (and uncompromising) exposure of the sexist underbelly of NYC — a common theme, it seems, in Ferrara’s work.
