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.
WWS Episode 14 - Kevin and I lovingly dismantle and analyze (to the best of our comprehension) this ambitious yet arguably well-executed tale of cyborg versus humanity from cult filmmaker legend Albert Pyun. Listen as we discuss why we like the film, what works and what works not quite as well, and at times struggle with wrapping our heads around what the Hell is happening on screen in this underappreciated Blade Runner and Terminator 2 inspired anomaly. Download the podcast for FREE on iTunes, Stitcher and PocketCast... or, listen directly here.
I've been a fairly devout fan of the "alien" films for many years, since my tender younger years when I first delved into the world of horror and sci-fi film. However, my earliest exposure to this frightening universe was through the various comic books released by Dark Horse. I made frequent trips to my local comic book store whereas I would pick up the newest Alien and/or Predator mini-series from Dark Horse as they came available, filling in between my regular comic book purchases within the Marvel X-Men universe. Without a doubt, my absolute favorite was a 12-issue Dark Horse mini-series written by Chris Claremont (coincidentally, also a major X-Men writer at the time), Being the hopeless geek I was at the time, I purchased the limited foil-covered first issue and each of the eleven following issues with much glee and anticipation. One day I found out none other than Chris Claremont himself was going to be at my local comic book shop, in person, for one day only to sign autographs. I was giddy! I met the man (briefly and awe struck) and had both my foil-covered first issue of Deadliest Species and my X-MEN issue #1 fold-out cover featuring Jim Lee's amazing artwork signed by the man himself. Kinda wish I'd held onto the X-MEN book now, but at least I still have the Deadliest Species complete run with issue #1 signed.
As for the films, my first experience with the genre was ALIENS, an incredible action-packed sensory feast firmly secured a space in this geek's heart for the xenomorphic kind. James Cameron's ALIENS (1986) nailed what was needed to make the sequel a success. With Ridley Scott's ALIEN (1979) being an almost purely horror film, a slow burn excursion of terror, we needed to take the story to the next level. We needed more and that's what we got! What's scarier than a single xenomorph picking off humans like gnats on a humid summer day? How about hundreds of them? Oh, and they're not going to be slaughtering helpless colonists. Nope. We're sending a crew of specially trained colonial marines to neutralize this mysterious threat, but the whole thing backfires and shit gets real... real fast! From here, the franchise leaves the realm of perfection on various levels, but each still maintains something of value for the fans. Here's my list of films that exist within the xenomorph universe, ranked in the order of my personal favorites:
7. ALIEN VS. PREDATOR: REQUIEM (2007)
6. AVP (2004)
5. PROMETHEUS (2012)
4. ALIEN 3 (1992)
3. ALIEN RESURRENCTION (1997)
2. ALIEN (1979)
1. ALIENS (1986)
ALIEN CANDY T-SHIRTS
Both the Xenomorph Tootsie Roll Pop "How many licks?" and the Predator Twizzler "Makes mouths happy" versions are currently available in my Redbubble shop.
"Blow Me," is a new retro 8-bit design now available as stickers, t-shirts and more. To see all products available and to purchase, go to my iNAPiXEL shop at Redbubble.com and see what other oddities are awaiting you while you're there.
We're back for another WATCHING WITH STRANGERS, gang! This week, Kevin and I tackle the criminally underrated 1987 John Carpenter film PRINCE OF DARKNESS staring a familiar cast of Carpenter regulars including Donald Pleasence, Victor Wong, Dennis Dun and many more! But more importantly this flick has possessed homeless people (with a cameo by Alice Cooper!) skin boiled women, Satan in a glass jar, talking beetles and MUCH more insanity. Download the podcast FREE on iTunes, Stitcher and PocketCast... or, listen directly here.
We’ve got a special treat for you this week, gang! Kevin and I review the brand new Lovecraftian horror throwback flick THE VOID! We start with a completely spoiler free review for all those cats still on the fence about whether or not to see this super gory monster flick. We give our first impressions and film scores before diving in to the spoiler heavy portion of the show. Did we love this homage to 80s creature features or is it another tired bore of a flick trying to capitalize off the glory days of horror cinema? Download the podcast FREE on iTunes, Stitcher and PocketCast... or, listen directly here.
The Watchers are back with a special “list” episode! This week Cult author Kevin Strange and I break down our 7 favorite cult creatures from the 1980s! This bonus flavor is extra packed with movie geekery. It runs over two hours long as we talk about the biggest, baddest, scariest, slimiest and sexiest movie monsters from our favorite cinematic decade, the 1980s! Download the podcast FREE on iTunes, Stitcher and PocketCast... or, listen directly here.
After a week off, Kevin and I are back with the big episode 10 of WATCHING WITH STRANGERS! This week, we tackle the 1988 Ron Howard directed cult classic WILLOW! A much maligned flick by critics, we make the case for why WILLOW is more of a misunderstood masterpiece than a blatant ripoff of better fantasy fare from the 70s and 80s. I struggle with this week’s 6 degrees of Fred Dekker and Kevin just can’t seem to get enough of Val Kilmer, shirtless. Download the podcast FREE on iTunes, Stitcher and PocketCast... or, listen directly here.
"Pop Chaos" Acrylic Paint on Cardboard Jigsaw Puzzle
This one took me several months to complete, randomly selected individual pieces from a bag and hand-painting each one with it's own abstract image to finally be combined at the end. It was a risky project, as I intentionally did not plan out how they would all go together, instead numbering the backs so I knew how the puzzle was meant to fit together and painting at random. I would only know how everything fit together once it was completed.
WATCHING WITH STRANGERS returns with episode number 9! This week Kevin and I talk about the 1989 Rutger Hauer action comedy BLIND FURY! I definitely like this flick a lot more than Kevin does, which leads to some very interesting back and forth in which Travis schools Kevin about the source material that BLIND FURY is based on, and the two movie nerds geek out about the absolutely dreadful martial arts movie GYMKATA (which shares its writer with BLIND FURY.) Download the podcast FREE on iTunes, Stitcher and PocketCast... or, listen directly here.
It’s time to take a trip back to the 90s this week on WATCHING WITH STRANGERS as Kevin and I hit the mean streets of Brooklyn, New York in our review of the Steven Segal/William Forsythe classic OUT FOR JUSTICE! We swap crazy stories about ole Steve and lovingly send up the career of one of the more eccentric man-movie action heroes of that bygone era. If you’re a fan of the 80s/90s action hero genre, you’re not gonna want to miss this one! Download the podcast for FREE on iTunes, Stitcher and PocketCast... or, listen directly here.
We’ve got a weird one for you this week, gang! Watching With Strangers returns for the first week of March 2017 with a review of the Harlan Ellison classic A BOY AND HIS DOG. If you haven’t seen this Don Johnson flick and you love weird movies, you’re definitely missing out! As far as post-apocalyptic movies go, this one is totally bonkers. Not in a nonsensical action sort of way, more like bat-shit crazy storytelling. Download the podcast for FREE on iTunes, Stitcher and PocketCast... or, listen directly here.
On this, the 6th episode of our cult movie review podcast WATCHING WITH STRANGERS, Kevin and I get serious about Sylvester Stallone’s cult classic OVER THE TOP! Kevin gets emotional talking about Stallone’s role as a father figure for all young men of the 80s and I reveals that I'm a long time fan of professional arm wrestling. If you think OVER THE TOP is just a goofy Cannon films flop, you’ve got another thing coming. Download the podcast for FREE on iTunes, Stitcher and PocketCast... or, listen directly here.
Things get "inconceivable" quickly as Kevin and I basically sit and quote an entire feature length film from memory. That’s just what kind of flick you get with THE PRINCESS BRIDE. We throw plenty of little known factoids into the mix and yet again find a way to bring the whole thing back to Fred Dekker on this classic episode of WATCHING WITH STRANGERS! Download the podcast for FREE on iTunes, Stitcher and PocketCast... or, listen directly here.
Once again, Kevin and I manage to talk about a movie for longer than the actual run time of the film as we blow past CHOPPING MALL’s brisk hour and sixteen minute run time by discussing, among other things, Barbara Crampton’s lovely lumps and all of the Roger Corman easter eggs lovingly nestled throughout this ultra violent schlock-fest. Download the podcast for FREE from iTunes, Stitcher, PocketCast... or, listen directly here.
Feast your ears on the brand new Watching With Strangers episode as we tackle the Paul Verhoeven 80s masterpiece ROBOCOP! We get into all the nitty gritty about this undeniable classic featuring such unforgettable lines as, “Your move, creep!” “Dead or alive, you’re coming with me!” “Bitches. Leave.” and “I’ll buy that for a dollar!” Download for FREE on iTunes, Stitcher, PocketCast and PodBean... or, listen directly here.
Kevin and I pick up the torch for cult movies once again as we review the 80s cult classic horror/comedy THE MONSTER SQUAD! We delve deep into the brain matter of this beloved kids movie from an era when it was cool for grade-schoolers to drink, smoke, cuss and talk about Wolfman’s nards. Join us, won’t you, as we send up another B-movie masterpiece! Download the podcast for FREE from iTunes, Stitcher, Podbean and PocketCast... or, listen to it directlyhere.
Kevin and I are back with the official first episode of Watching With Strangers! In this epic two hour and twenty minute debut, we break down all the bad-assery surrounding one of their all time favorite movies, George Miller’s post-apocalyptic masterpiece MAD MAX FURY ROAD. Download the podcast for FREEon iTunes, Stitcher, PocketCast, PodBean and others, or Listen directly fromhere.
And, so it begins... listen to our introductory episode, where Kevin and I discuss how we met, working for a crappy boss at a video store, the Wachowski Siblings and a number of other things that are way off topic. This 15-minute podcast quickly became a 45-minute ramble-fest. I hope you enjoy. Listen to Watching With Strangers here.
William Peter Blatty, author of The Exorcist, the 1971 novel that inspired the terrifying movie of the same name and it's related franchise, passed away on Thursday, January 12, 2017. Blatty's groundbreaking work with The Exorcist included the screenplay for the original as well as for The Exorcist III, but also the screenplay for A Shot in the Dark, among others. His work garnered him an Oscar for Best Screenplay, three Golden Globes and various other awards. Blatty died at the age of 89.
