This is a podcast looking at the impact and legacy of cult films. It’s hosted by Mark Palermo (former critic, screenwriter of Detention) and Serena Whitney (former critic, programmer of The Revue Cinema in Toronto). The movies discussed tie into screenings happening at The Revue and Thrillema, a cult series Palermo helps run in Halifax. Why do these movies endure? Is some stuff too much for modern audiences? Theme music: "Hypernormalization" by Rich Aucoin, Artwork: Ryan Wilson
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This is a podcast that looks back at the movies of the '00s, and tries to make sense of that seemingly culturally faceless first decade of the new millennium. It's hosted by screenwriter, filmmaker, and sometimes critic Mark Palermo (Detention) and actor Loretta Yu (Blood and Water, Diggstown). Sometimes there are guests (also of some renown).
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Send us a Text Message. Serena returns from Fantasia Fest and gives us an early review of M. Night Shyamalan's camp/trash TRAP. Did DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE just put Marvel back on top? Plus, Mark and Serena have different takes on the surprise hit LONGLEGS. It's all here, folks.By Mark Palermo, Serena Whitney
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Send us a Text Message. We review the new franchise summer movies BEVERLY HILLS COP: AXEL F. and MAXXXINE, follow up on efforts to save the Revue, examine the dissonance of shrinking attention spans and lengthy blockbusters and discuss why the cost of living has workers leaving Hollywood. Stand and unite!…
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Send us a Text Message. On this National holiday, we're joined by critic Justine Smith (Cult MTL, Fantasia Fest) for a banger look at Canadian horror - its legacy and highlights. Serena also gives us the lowdown on the battle to save the Revue Cinema that's been making headlines. And Justine and Mark share their thoughts on A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE.…
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Send us a Text Message. With cinema attendance down this year, we look at this in the context of the box office disappointment of FURIOSA and what it could mean for the future of movie-going. Then we review BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE. And when are content warnings spoilers? Plus, Serena just SAW THE TV GLOW, too.…
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Send us a Text Message. 1999 is often mentioned as the last great movie year, but what was really different about it? Serena and Mark address the issue and discuss some of their favourite movies from that year. They then talk CHALLENGERS, THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 1 and I SAW THE TV GLOW. Plus, all the BUFFY referenced you can stand!…
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Send us a Text Message. We're thrilled to be joined by actor Walter Perez (Detention, Fame, Bodied, TV's Fatal Attraction and Quantum Leap) to talk about the state of the industry, his screen inspirations growing up, and being seen as "nice" in a cruel world. Walter and Mark also reminisce on the Detention production. Also, Baby Reindeer.…
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Send us a Text Message. Movie trailers, what's with them? Returning guest and the Revue Cinema's trailer creator and curator Nathan Boone joins us to talk about their art and evolution. Which ones have stuck with us though the years, and what trends do we like and despise in them now?By Mark Palermo, Serena Whitney
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Send us a Text Message. We’re thrilled to be joined by Brad Kane, superstar producer and writer (TOKYO VICE, WARRIOR, WELCOME TO DERRY) and former actor (BUFFY, STARSHIP TROOPERS, the f’in singing voice of ALADDIN!) to discuss adapting novels for movies and TV. We talk about our faves, geek out on our top Stephen King adaptations and formative horr…
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The Unkillable '80s with Kevin Hartford
1:20:06
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Send us a Text Message. We're excited to be joined by filmmaker Kevin Hartford to talk about how '80s nostalgia just won't die, as we review the reanimated '80s properties GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE and ROAD HOUSE. And we have some disagreements! Plus, Serena's struggle with "Movie Karens."By Mark Palermo, Serena Whitney
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Send us a Text Message. With the potential banning of TikTok, we look at what the popular app meant for filmmaking, its associated societal threats, and reminisce on a world without social media. Also, LOVE LIES BLEEDING and Neve Campbell joins the SCREAM 7 saga.By Mark Palermo, Serena Whitney
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Send us a Text Message. What makes a movie snob in this media-secular world? We look at what's behind preferences for movies shot and projected on film vs. digital even when those old 35mm prints are turning pink. Also, what's behind the trend of movies shot in 4:3 ratios? Thoughts about rebooting THE CROW. Various Halloween sequels. A bit on JLo. …
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In a Violent Podcast with Chris Nash
1:30:44
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Send us a Text Message. Filmmaker Chris Nash joins us to discuss his experimental festival-hit slasher IN A VIOLENT NATURE, coming soon to Shudder. We talk about the strengths of practical and CG effects. And because nothing slips by us, we all review the new Jennifer Lopez VFX-heavy visual album THIS IS ME... NOW.…
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Send us a Text Message. Serena and Mark talk about repertory programming drama, competition, clout, and how to avoid all those things. Plus, the BARBIE Oscar controversy, Melissa Barrera faces more punishment for not wanting civilians to die, the passing of Carl Weathers, and the upcoming BEETLEJUICE sequel.…
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MOVIES AND HIP-HOP (the BREAKIN' films) with Outlaw Vern
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Send us a Text Message. In this lively convo, we're joined by critic and scholar of ass-kicking films Outlaw Vern to talk the 1984 Cannon Films landmarks BREAKIN' and BREAKIN' 2: ELECTRIC BOOGALOO. We also get into the relationship of hip-hop and movies, the rap soundtracks that first impacted us, and much more.…
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Send us a Text Message. Happy New Year (can we still say so?)! It's our Season 2 premiere, and we pick our best and worst films of 2023, talk about our fave screenings that we hosted, and look forward to the film year ahead. Plus, Mark is finally optimistic about the future of cinema. All the character development a podcast can hold!…
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MOVIES AND CHRISTMAS with Loretta Yu and Ryan Jackson
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Send us a Text Message. It's the holidays, and actor Loretta Yu (Moonshine) and screenwriter/podcaster Ryan Jackson (Mutual Aberration Society) join the pod to discuss their thoughts on Christmas movies. We take a look at the teen slasher It's a Wonderful Knife and the bizarre Canadian children's film The Christmas Martian. Plus, the influence of D…
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Send us a Text Message. We talk about Melissa Barrera getting fired from Scream 7 over her pro-Palestine comments, censorship, conformity, and the age of policing what celebrities say. Then we review Thanksgiving, Napoleon, Five Nights at Freddy's and Leave the World Behind.By Mark Palermo, Serena Whitney
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Physical Media and the Vinegar Syndrome with Andy Williams
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Send us a Text Message. In this lively discussion, we're joined by Andy Williams of the cult genre film distributor Vinegar Syndrome to talk the importance of holding onto your DVDs and blu-rays. We also nerd out on specific Vinegar Syndrome titles, and ask what's going to save movies in the age when everything's "content."…
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Send us a Text Message. We talk about programming horror films with Steven Landry (Toronto International Film Festival, Fantastic Film Festival, Nightmare Alley), including discussions on When Evil Lurks and Terrifier, and what feels like a new age of Extreeeeme Horror. Plus, thoughts on the Fast and the Furious franchise, and a mini argument on Su…
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Send us a Text Message. It’s scary movie season, so Mark and Serena riff on doing the 31 Days of Halloween thing, what they consider the appeal of horror, our fave movies to watch this time of year, the new Exorcist, When Evil Lurks, Totally Killer. Plus, our evolving feelings on gore in movies, the exploding penis on Gen V, etc.…
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TAYLOR SWIFT/JACKIE CHAN with Chancler Haynes
1:03:33
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Send us a Text Message. This week we're joined by superstar film and music video editor Chancler Haynes. He talks to us about what it's like editing projects for Taylor Swift and Joseph Kahn. And then he schools us on all things Jackie Chan, as we discuss the classics Police Story and Police Story 2.…
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Movie Posters: Artworks About Artworks with Matthew Therrien
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Send us a Text Message. This is a great discussion on movie poster design, its importance, its history and its trends, with graphic designer Matthew Therrien. Matthew designed posters for Drunken Cinema events and now does cover art for blu-ray labels like Severin and Synapse. We also discuss dealing with online haters, the Russell Brand and Sam Le…
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Send us a Text Message. First, we let you know how to pitch a successful film series at a repertory cinema. Then we talk about Harmony Korine's view that TikTok is the future of movies and his stated desire to rethink the artform, Plus, does Bottoms signal the mainstream acceptance of post-woke comedy? Finally a vital skill: dealing with hecklers.…
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Send us a Text Message. In this super fun ep John Davies (screenwriter of Hobo with a Shotgun and Kids vs. Aliens) joins us to talk about the movie moments that scarred us as kids. Are kid movies traumatizing enough anymore? Plus, the legacy of the 2000s torture porn era on popular audiences.By Mark Palermo, Serena Whitney
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Your #1 Dating Podcast with Lauren Messervey
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1:27:56
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Send us a Text Message. Yes, we here at Movies and Chaos are all things! Writer and extreme cinema fan Lauren Messervey joins us to discuss dating at the movies. What are some bad date movie choices we've all made? Is movie dating even a good idea? Plus, Tarantino, Gaspar Noe, thoughts on PDA, Elon Musk, more Oppenheimer, MORE Barbie, etc.…
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Send us a Text Message. Mark and Serena take a look at the Barbenheimer phenomenon saving a disastrous Summer 2023 box office. Why do Barbie and Oppenheimer feel like something new? We get into why horror films are also still playing well in theatres. Plus, our thoughts on the new Mission: Impossible, the weird phenomenon of Sound of Freedom, and m…
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WGA vs. Godzilla with Simon Barrett
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Send us a Text Message. This is a lively chat about the WGA Strike with Simon Barrett (the screenwriter of You're Next, The Guest and the upcoming Godzillla x Kong: The New Empire, as well as the writer-director of Seance). How are writers treated in the film industry? Should we fear the AI takeover? Auteurism, possessory credits, Indiana Jones. It…
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Send us a Text Message. The battle of independent cinemas against corporate monopolies. We're joined by Andy Willick, chairperson of N.I.C.E. (Network of Independent Canadian Exhibitors) and owner and programmer of the Fox, Apollo, and ByTowne cinemas for a great talk about the fight against film screening hegemony, and the pride and passion of bri…
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Send us a Text Message. In this fantastic discussion, we get deep with culture/philosophy podcaster and writer Angie Speaks (Newsweek, Mystic and the Machine) to discuss puriteens, gender hostilities, and the emptiness of sexuality on screen in the context of HBO’s The Idol. Sex vs. Sexiness. Men vs. Women. Hollywood vs. Our Souls.…
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Send us a Text Message. With the recent passing of rock legend Tina Turner, we take a look back at the 1993 biopic What's Love Got to Do with It. And is the abuse depicted in the film too much for unsuspecting audiences. Content warnings are back in the news following a couple disturbing Cannes screenings, but when does an advisory become necessary…
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Film Bro Apocalypse with Ali Chappell
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Send us a Text Message. On this lively ep, we're joined by filmmaker and actor Ali Chappell as she and Serena diagnose the scourge of toxic film bros facing women film programmers, fans, and the movies themselves. Are things changing? What happened to make some guys like this? Is the Barbie movie the only hope humanity will ever know? Mark also off…
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The Podcast Under the Stairs with Ryan Jackson
1:38:38
1:38:38
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Send us a Text Message. Ryan Jackson (Mutual Aberration Society) joins us to talk about Wes Craven's 1991 housing crisis horror The People Under the Stairs. We also get into it about recent horror foregrounding its subtext, and the ahistorical stance that the genre is only newly about social issues. Plus, is there a Black Canon? The Beef controvers…
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Send us a Text Message. This is the Ultimate Jason Eisener Interview! We talk to the filmmaker (HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN, DARK SIDE OF THE RING) about his new movie KIDS VS. ALIENS. Plus, making DIY films in Dartmouth and Halifax, childhood movie traumas, the Anchor Bay DVD era and much more! Check out KIDS VS. ALIENS now on Blu-ray and Shudder.…
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Freaked, Very Bad Things and the Death of Counterculture
1:11:24
1:11:24
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Send us a Text Message. Is there space for counterculture when everything is vying for mainstream approval? How do we choose offbeat retro movies for our repertory audiences, and what goes into programming a film series? Plus, we look at two offbeat '90s movies that culture wasn't prepared for yet: Alex Winter and Tom Stern's Freaked and Peter Berg…
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The State of Cinema Etiquette and Killer Parties with Nathan Boone
1:28:49
1:28:49
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Send us a Text Message. Have movie audiences become more disruptive since the pandemic? We talk with editor Nathan Boone about the popular new viewer-etiquette PSAs he's put together for the Revue Cinema, and share our own stories of the worst-behaved movie audiences. Plus, our long-awaited reviews of Scream VI. And we look at the unusual 1986 Cana…
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Return of the Killer Tomatoes!/Leprechaun/Perfect Blue
1:28:49
1:28:49
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Send us a Text Message. Serena and Mark discuss how to handle content warnings as film programmers, and where the new Chris Rock special Selective Outrage is more standard than transgressive. All this in the context of this week's cult movie topics: the surprisingly delightful Return of the Killer Tomatoes!, the seasonal Leprechaun, and the anime c…
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The SCREAM Movies (and chaos) with Zack Cherry
1:44:28
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Send us a Text Message. On the dawn of Scream VI, we're joined by Scream expert Youtuber and host of The Cherry Picker podcaster Zack Cherry to look at this entire series in ultranerd close detail. Why does Scream have such a legacy and devoted following? And what do we want from the new one? SPOILER: Serena hopes it's like 1993's Judgment Night.…
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Coming to America/The Wedding Singer/Phenomena
1:20:17
1:20:17
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Send us a Text Message. On this pilot episode, filmmakers and programmers Mark Palermo and Serena Whitney take a look at the legacies of Coming to America and The Wedding Singer, the movies that tried to break Eddie Murphy and Adam Sandler out of their typical formulas to sell them as romantic leads. Why do these movies continue to play for reperto…
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I AM LEGEND and DONNIE DARKO (w. Zach Heltzel)
1:36:06
1:36:06
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How does the end of the world as portrayed in the Will Smith I AM LEGEND and cult hit DONNIE DARKO stack up to our end times. Twitter, Tik Tok and all around comedic internet presence Zach Heltzel joins Mark, Loretta, and Riley for this animated look back on two aughties classics. It's also our Season 2 premiere! We made it. Things are said!…
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The Real Cancun and Jackass: The Movie (w. Olivia Bolaño and Ryan Jackson)
1:58:20
1:58:20
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Reality Movies! This one's an epic, and is the most thorough discussion you'll find on 2003's THE REAL CANCUN and 2002's JACKASS: THE MOVIE anywhere. Reality TV fan/Master chef Olivia Bolaño and screenwriter Ryan Jackson join us to look at this moment early in the millennium where television and movies collided in a way that struck some critics as …
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Happy New Year, everyone! As we're all reflecting on the year 2021, Loretta and Mark decided to look back at their favourite movies of 2001. It was a time when movies were a major cultural force. But were popular films bolder back then, and what's driving the new creative fears?By Mark Palermo, Loretta Yu
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THE MATRIX RELOADED & REVOLUTIONS Revisited (w. Outlaw Vern)
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Unlicensed film critic, novelist and action movie scholar Vern (@outlawvern) joins Mark, Loretta, and '00s ZONE veteran Sarah Riley to take a fresh look at the Wachowskis' 2003 double-hitter THE MATRIX RELOADED and THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS. We dispute the merits of the first sequel's infamous "rave scene," question whether we live in the Matrix alrea…
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HOUSE OF WAX and the State of Horror (w. Lauren Messervey and Serena Whitney)
1:12:03
1:12:03
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On this lively episode, we look back at the 2005 HOUSE OF WAX featuring Paris Hilton, with returning guests (and champions) Serena Whitney and Lauren Messervey. Plus: the slasher and torture porn eras of the aughties vs. the state of horror movies today, influencer culture, the drug of nostalgia, and digressions on MEGAN IS MISSING and REPO! THE GE…
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DENIS VILLENEUVE - Maelström, Polytechnique, Incendies (w. Justine Smith)
1:46:43
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Film critic and programmer Justine Smith joins Mark and Loretta to look back at some of DUNE filmmaker Denis Villeneuve's early Canadian movies. MAELSTRÖM, POLYTECHNIQUE, and INCENDIES each won the Genie for best film, and the latter was even nominated for an Oscar. But in becoming the current most celebrated director in Hollywood, has the Quebecoi…
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Die Another Day and Casino Royale: JAMES BOND! (w. Fred Topel and Matt Nguyen)
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2002's DIE ANOTHER DAY and 2006's CASINO ROYALE saw a changeover from Pierce Brosnan to Daniel Craig, reinventing James Bond for a new century. Fred Topel (aka Franchise Fred) and returning guest Matt Nguyen join the pod for all things 007. Also, we pick our favourite Bond movies and title songs.By Mark Palermo, Loretta Yu
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Spirited Away and Metropolis (w. Adrian Comeau and Matt Nguyen)
1:45:19
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Our nerdiest episode yet! We delve into 2000s feature anime as Adrian Comeau and Matt Nguyen join the podcast to talk about Hayao Miyazaki's seminal SPIRITED AWAY and Rintaro's strangely under-celebrated METROPOLIS. Plus, differences between Japan's and America's relationships to technology. Who was the best movie Batman? And Adrian talks about bei…
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The Ring and Irreversible (w. Lauren Messervey)
1:19:35
1:19:35
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We’re joined by writer Lauren Messervey to look back at THE RING, the 2002 American remake that introduced J-horror to mainstream America. Then we argue about Gaspar Noé’s controversial New French Extremity shocker IRREVERSIBLE and discover the true meanings of art and crime. Also: Von Trier, Chinese vampires, and how horror can empower.…
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Tomcats and The Sweetest Thing (w. Gillian Wallace Horvat)
1:47:47
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We're joined by Gillian Wallace Horvat, the director, co-writer and star of the terrific new movie I BLAME SOCIETY, for this dive into the raunch comedies of the early 2000s. First we look at the escaped testicle, horny frat farce TOMCATS (2001), starring Jerry O'Connell and Shannon Elizabeth. Then we have some words with THE SWEETEST THING, divers…
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The CROUCHING TIGER episode! (w. Ryan Jackson)
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In Part 2 of our discussion with Ryan Jackson (Mutual Aberration Society), we revisit Ang Lee's CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON. We also discuss Chinese cinema, Woke Capitalism, when "representation" is just empty optics, Hamilton, and what's wrong with American action movies today. In other words, everything that concerns you and your family!…
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ROMEO MUST DIE and CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON: Part 1 - When in Romeo (w. Ryan Jackson)
1:29:28
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Ryan Jackson (Mutual Aberration Society) joins Mark and Loretta for a discussion on Black and Asian relations in pop culture. In the first segment of our two-part most political episode yet, we look at the Aaliyah and Jet Li action film Romeo Must Die, and its placement in 2000's America. Then things really heat up.…
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