Kevin & I salivate all over the pink, phallic, goofy weirdness of KILLER TONGUE (1996) for Episode 18 of Watching With Strangers, where Kevin tries and fails to trip me up with this absurdly difficult to find modern produced-in-Spain-shot-in-English cult film. Download this podcast FREE on iTunes, Stitcher, Podbean and PocketCast or, listen directly here.
Kevin & I clown around while attempting to discuss the goofy horror comedy KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE (1988) on Watching With Strangers, Episode #17, as I somehow attempt to summarize the plot and Kevin struggles to understand my cheesy sense of humor. Download the podcast from iTunes, Stitcher, PodBean and PocketCast, or listen directly here.
One of my all-time favorite films, today's new #iNAPiXEL design is horrific! Inspired by Stanley Kubrick's THE SHINING (1981) featuring the Grady Twins and the infamous non-word spoken by Danny. This design is available as T-Shirts and more on Redbubble here.
WWS - Episode 16: Kevin and I travel to a far off place & time to witness swords & sorcery with THE BEASTMASTER (1982), from cult filmmaker Don Coscarelli. Listen in as we delve into the nostalgia and weirdness of this unique fantasy flick by downloading the podcast for free from iTunes, Stitcher, PodBean and PocketCast, or listen directly here.
As only the one and only Samuel L. Jackson can put into words, this iNAPiXEL design was inspired by the cult classic to be SNAKES ON A PLANE (2006). T-Shirts, stickers and more are available on Redbubble here.
I have a deep fascination with the Australian culture, both modern and native, and I get my fix almost entirely by way of motion pictures. I know, this isn't exactly the most reliable source for obtaining a thorough, factual education on just about anything, but that's not what I'm seeking. The truth is that Australia has a surprisingly long and rich history in cinematic storytelling. The true beginning of the Aussie rise in filmmaking (in my eyes) occurred in the 70s when we began getting hints of new cinema wafting from the down under. A significant portion of the films coming out of Australia in the 70s could be classified as exploitations films, in addition to some bigger budget, higher profile period and war pieces. This trend in exploitation filmmaking carried on into the 80s and has experienced something of a resurgence today as original, clever horror films from Australia are now regularly washing up on our shores as genre fans eat them up like the freshest seafood.
One of these genre films from the 80s was called RAZORBACK. Released in 1984, the film was directed by Russell Mulcahy. Having his roots planted deeply in directing music videos and television series, perhaps his most memorable theatrical film would be HIGHLANDER (1986), a film I am quite fond of, however he would return to direct the mind-boggling sequel HIGHLANDER 2: THE QUICKENING, which somehow chooses to disregard the first film almost entirely. His most recognizable recent venture in theatrical film would be the 2007 blockbuster franchise film RESIDENT EVIL: EXTINCTION. Personally, aside from HIGHLANDER, I feel RAZORBACK is his strongest film and least appreciated. While the film is currently available to rent digitally via Amazon Video, it is currently only available on DVD and is yet to get a US bluray release. Currently, there is a PAL format bluray import available from Spain.
The opening scenes of the film are shot to convey a certain sense of living in a Hellish existence. Dry, dusty, red and rugged, something like if Texas Chainsaw Massacre were shot on planet Mars. We're introduced to an elderly man whom we are initially convinced is our central character, but that would prove false as the film forges on to reveal the central character, our "hero," actually are two men that serve as a sort of tag team, or a relay race to the climax.
This elderly man, a kangaroo hunter and grandfather, is watching his young grandson at his little homestead in rural Australia when his life is turned upside down by a massive rampaging wild boar that wakes him in the middle of the night and bulldozes through his little house, taking with and killing his grandson in the process. In the aftermath, the townspeople laugh at his ludicrous story and while he must defend himself in court, he's ultimately released due to a lack of evidence that he had himself harmed his own grandson. As a result, this otherwise peaceful grandfather becomes a rage-fueled man seeking vengeance by way of hunting down as many wild boars as he can find.
Soon thereafter, we're introduced to a gang of troublemaking outback trash, young uneducated men who hunt various wildlife and process it into pet food. In their free time, they drive around in a semi-armored pickup truck terrorizing strangers and drinking. We also meet a young blond American woman present in Australia to document and report what she feels are abuses against the Australian wildlife by hunters such as this young gang and the grandfather. This is one way we realize this is not a predictable film, as many in this general horror genre often were from this 80s boom era.
The vengeful grandfather and the young American woman are both, in their own ways, victims of the gang's anarchist tendencies, doing what they please, when they please, with whom they please. Despite their cruelty and utter disregard for human dignity, these semi-psychotic punks are not directly to blame for the deaths of the grandfather and the American woman, but their actions are links within the chain of events that lead to the beastly boar taking multiple loves, including their own in due time, but only after they've created more chaos within this remote setting.
As you most likely have deducted, the grandfather is not our ultimate protagonist, nor is the American woman. Instead, it's the arrival of the woman's husband, a Canadian looking for his missing wife, who unwittingly takes up the mantle of our boar-battling hero. This relative pacifist is put through his paces almost from the moment we meet him. He, too, is terrorized by the lawless gang, at one point left alone at night in the middle of nowhere.
One result of his being abandoned leads to a fever dream sequence which is a creatively bizarre and creepy nightmarish intermission to the events taking place and allows us to dig a bit deeper into the character's mind as he's somewhat of a late entry into the story. Initially, the man is merely trying to find and return home with his wife, but he realizes at one point and accepts that she's gone. The result is a man versus nature fight for survival as he is forces by circumstance to become the hero that kills the monster that reigns supreme over these people.
RAZORBACK features a wonderfully elongated, exciting third act that has the our widower eluding, hiding and ultimately fighting back against the big boar within the pet food processing plant. The sequence of events and actions leading up to the climax plays up the tension to the rewarding final kill as the killer pig's demise is as brutal as it is darkly comical. More than anything, this film will have you rethinking the consumption of pork and the desire to go venturing into the Australian outback. RAZORBACK is certainly worth tracking down, as I'd rank it in the top ten best killer animal movies ever made.
WWS - Episode 15: Kevin and I return from the far east and get bloody violent with BATTLE ROYALE (2000), a film as energetic and fun as it was controversial upon it's initial release. Want to know why, or if you have seen the film, find out how we see this modern cult classic from Japan. Download the podcast for free from iTunes, Stitcher, PodBean and PocketCast, or listen directly here.
New from iNAPiXEL, the Lil' Monsters "The Usual Suspects" features all our favorite creatures and killers in 8-bit pixelated fun, available as stickers, t-shirts, posters and more! Visit iNAPiXEL here for more info and how to order.
Few filmmakers have a resume of movies like Steven Spielberg, with the track record of financial and critical success that he's enjoyed, as well as the literal army of fans and followers who practically worship his cinematic imagination. Few people wield the power he has in Hollywood, yet still maintain what seems to be such a down-to-Earth, humble and good-hearted nature as Spielberg. So, given my penchant for cult films and works of obscurity and extreme subjects, you may ask yourself why I'm writing about an artist better known for mainstream and family-friendly fair. Well, I say... don't let the facade fool you. Not only did I grow up watching his films, wide-eyed and slack-jawed in awe, but as I grew up both emotionally and intellectually, I began to discover that Spielberg has a surprisingly dark current running just beneath the good ole days Amblin persona. Perhaps this, even subconsciously, is a factor in why I'm so drawn to his films. Perhaps, it's simply nothing more than an appreciation for his talent and dedication to his craft. Or, perhaps, it's because he's helped me to retain my connection to that inexhaustible source of creative manna that dwells within my inner child's imagination. Whatever the reason, I cannot escape his influence and seek not to try. Below, I have listed and ranked my 13 favorite films directed by Steven Spielberg...
13. A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (2001)
12. THE ADVENTURES OF TIN TIN (2011)
11. MINORITY REPORT (2002)
10. HOOK (1991)
09. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977)
08. DUEL (1971)
07. INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (1984)
06. SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (1998)
05. E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982)
04. INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE (1989)
03. JURASSIC PARK (1993)
02. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981)
01. JAWS (1975)
Confession Time: It is true... as of the writing of this post, I have yet to see SCHINDLER'S LIST. I know, as I live and breath, being a self-proclaimed movie junkie and admitting to this grave error is not good for my image, but in all honesty, I just haven't made the time to sit down and watch, in one setting, uninterrupted, this 195-minute depressing masterpiece. I have nothing but desire to see the film, but it just hasn't happened yet. It is a sin I do plan to atone for soon.
"In the future... It pays to be more than human." The tagline from Albert Pyun's 1992 cyborg film NEMESIS sums it all up. Wear the future in style with this t-shirt, or display it with a vinyl sticker. Both and more are available on Redbubble here. And, to make this an even better deal, TODAY ONLY --> use coupon code IWANT20 and receive 20% OFF your entire order of ANYTHING in my Redbubble store! The future has never looked so good.
