Not Now in Theaters: A Retro and Cult Film Podcast

Cemetery Man sounds like a few films crammed into one but is balanced so well it glides as one film expanding into many directions.

Directed by Michele Soavi, many consider it a minor classic of the late Italian Horror high point of the 1970s through the 1990s.

Love it (which most do) or hate it, it's a unique cult film watch.

Set up like a straight horror comedy, it follows cemetery caretaker Francesco Dellamorte (Rupert Everett) and his assistant, the speech-impaired Gnaghi (Francois Hadji-Lazaro). The pair of outcasts discover that the dead bodies in the cemetery rise from their graves within seven days, and it's up to the not-so-dynamic duo to keep "the returners" in the ground.

But when Dellamorte falls in love with the mysterious She (Anna Falchi), his world and worldview begins to fall apart.

Join me for this discussion of Gonzo Italiano style, Designer Visuals, and whether the open-ended ideas in the film will wow or whelm (as in underwhelm) you.

Directed by: Michele Soavi.

Starring: Rupert Everett François Hadji-Lazaro Anna Falchi

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Five films to go and what a fab five they are.

It’s time for part two of my look at and ranking of every John Carpenter film.

And I also hand out a couple of bonus awards such as most underrated or best John Carpenter theme.

So give a listen and be sure to let me know in the comments (respectfully) how you agree or disagree.

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It wouldn't be Halloween season without a John Carpenter film -- or all 18 of them.

Despite loving many John Carpenter movies, there were a few I had never gotten around to. So I did what film fans do and rewatched or watched every single one of them to put things right.

And I gotta say Mr. Carpenter is one of the best directors we've ever had, hands down.

For fun, this episode is part one of my journey through each movie the master made, breaking down what I thought works well or doesn't work well, and why I can justify them in the spots I have them.

I also touch on his career as a whole, how he came to be, what influences he had, and what defines his films.

So bring your rankings list and compare it to mine or sit back and just enjoy my thoughts about everything John Carpenter made (as a feature film director, that is).

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Ghosts of Mars lost money, and it didn't win too many critical fans when it was released.

Still, its Wikipedia page claims it "garnered a cult following."

So is the movie really that bad? After all, it's a John Carpenter movie, a guy who is infamous for releasing movies that audiences and critics don't get and then, years later, everyone (or seemingly everyone) comes around to loving.

Well, that's not the story here. You can find the film in "underrated movie" threads on Reddit, but you can also find it on the popular movie podcast How Did This Get Made.

So for this episode, I thought I would weigh in on where this polarizing movie came in for me.

I discuss the film's Native Martian subtext, Carpenter borrowing from Carpenter,and very large baby-talking villains.

In 2176, Mars is terraformed and run by a matriarchal society. When a disturbance occurs in a remote mining outpost, a police unit heads out to investigate. But what they find threatens the survival of all men and women on Mars.

Directed by John Carpenter.

Starring:

Ice Cube Natasha Henstridge Jason Statham Pam Grier Clea DuVall Joanna Cassidy

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I covered House a few weeks ago and had so much fun I was back in for the sequel.

But does House II live up to the fun of the original?

Well, I'll be annoying and say, "listen to my episode to find out." I'm sorry to do that. It's kind of annoying when people write that. But here I am, writing that.

But I will give you this: the new one is a lot lighter than the first movie. And that's funny to think because the first one isn't even serious at all.

Critics and audiences have generally pooped on this film as a good movie, but I think they need to get their shovels out and clean that crap up because it's not that bad.

Okay. So I gave away a little bit of how I feel on this anyhow.

Join me in this conversation as I go into a new house and a new quest. This time, it's about a great-great-grandfather and his great-great-grandson and, uh, entrepreneur friend protecting the Crystal Skull from the evil that wants to grasp it and presumably do evil with it because of course.

We'll be talking about cute Caterpillar Puppies and Baby Pterodactyls, electrician/adventurers who pop up out of nowhere to steal the movie, and the film's curiously laid-back attitude toward Uzi ownership and drunk driving.

Written and Directed by Ethan Wiley.

Starring:

• Arye Gross
• Jonathan Stark
• Royal Dano
• Lar Park Lincoln
• John Ratzenberger

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A Chinese Ghost Story is said to be a beloved Hong Kong film, one that's lasted generations, especially for those born in the 1980s.

And as a romantic adventure fantasy comedy film, it's easy to see a parallel between it and the West's The Princess Bride.

But the actual films are not that similar. A Chinese Ghost Story leans into the horror and martial arts genres, creating a romantic folk-lore-based adventure that occasionally gets slightly scary but is always darkly magic.

Join me for this discussion of billowy white dresses of cute ghost girls, stop motion without the herky-jerky, and whether there's one whoosh too many in a very whooshy film.

When a somewhat accident prone young tax collector named Ling Choi San falls in love with a beautiful, captivating woman, Lip Siu Sin, he's delighted. But when he learns his new young love is a ghost, he's pulled into a battle to rescue her from captivity.

With the help of priest/swordsman Yan Chixia, can Ling Choi San rescue Lip Siu Sin from her fate?

Directed by Ching Siu-tung
Produced by Tsui Hark
Starring:Leslie Cheung, Joey Wong, Wu Ma

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I don't normally dip back into 1950s movies on Not Now in Theaters, but for the so-called "Beauty and the Beast of westerns," I was intrigued.

Johnny Guitar looks like a classic western, but it's unlike the ones you would think of.

A cult movie in its time, the film has a big fan in Martin Scorsese and was an influence on the filmmakers of the French New Wave.

The picture breaks the mold of the 1950s western by pitting two warring women against each other in a battle to the death over a perceived slight, jealousy, and just pure hatred.

But director Nicholas Ray (Rebel Without a Cause) truly sets this work apart with an overdramatic tone. Every line and all the performances are full of bravado, and as Scorsese says, there really isn't another movie quite like it.

Join me for this discussion of babbling man babies, McCarthyism as a metaphor, and whether or not the film can hold up with the limits of the old action ways.

Directed by Nicholas Ray.

Starring:Joan Crawford
Sterling Hayden
Mercedes McCambridge
Scott Brady

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Ride in the Whirlwind is a Criterion Classic film directed by Monte Hellman and written by Jack Nicholson.

Filmed side-by-side with fellow low-budget Criterion Classic western The Shooting, the movie had a strong reception in France but was practically shelved and then relegated to TV in the United States.

But critical and audience appreciation grew over time because Whirlwind just isn't the average western.

Right at the height of the western genre's popularity, this anti-western, acid western, whatever label of western you want to give it, we can all agree doesn't play by the genre's normal conventions. This is more like a survival story, told plain and slow, than the gunslinging, win the day type of fare audiences would have been used to.

But while I loved The Shooting, covered in a previous episode, how did I feel about the less mysterious Whirlwind? You'll have to listen to find out.

But I"ll tell you now I talk about things like the film's intentionally slow pacing, its solid performances, and the beauty yet sadness of Millie Perkins's dark eyes.

A group of cowboys takes shelter for the night with a gang of outlaws. But when a vigilante posse shows up to haul the outlaws to justice, the cowboys get caught in the crossfire, mistaken as outlaws themselves. Will the cowboys escape the posse?

Directed by Monte Hellman. Written by Jack Nicholson.

Starring:
Jack Nicholson
Millie Perkins
Cameron Mitchell
Rupert Crosse

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A Better Tomorrow II is best-known for its epic, stylish, bonkers end shootout. Ranked by many as one of the best ever shot, it lives up to the hype as among the very best, very bloodiest, very chic Hong Kong action heyday endings ever crafted.

But the rest of the film is a chaotic mess.

A movie literally fought over by its director (John Woo) and producer (Tsui Hark), it's a mixed vision that feels bipolar.

The film is the story of an epic undercover cop operation with some of John Woo's trademark "gun-fu" action one minute, a drama about a raving lunatic the next.

But with its hyperbolic moments, like the infamous "apologize to the rice" scene, is this movie still a lot of fun?

Join me for this discussion of even more of John Woo's "Heroic Bloodshed," the identical twin main character rescue, and the scenes Max Payne is probably exactly based on.

Directed by John Woo.

Starring:

• Dean Shek
• Ti Lung
• Leslie Cheung
• Chow Yun-fat

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John Boorman's Excalibur is still many film fans' go-to story of King Arthur. And it's a movie I love to stare at because it is simply gorgeous.

A dark fantasy epic, its visual brilliance and story of light, might, and right continue to captivate filmmakers and audiences.

Merlin is here and he's tricky; Morgana is here and she's witchy. Noble Arthur loves Guinevere, but she's twitchy (because of Lanceleot).

It's as uplifting as it is haunting. And loaded with practical effects, like handcrafted suits of armor, the film feels as everlasting as the subject matter.

Join me for this discussion of green and gold glowing, armor so bright it's like staring at the sun, and the need to check in on your heroes when your film takes a big detour.

Directed by John Boorman. Screenplay by Rosso Wallenberg and John Boorman. Cinematography by Alex Thomson.

Starring:

• Nigel Terry
• Helen Mirren
• Nicholas Clay
• Cherie Lunghi
• Paul Geoffrey
• Nicol Williamson

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Nemesis is a low-budget 1990s cyberpunk action film that, if you missed in its day, you got to check out now.

With effects wizards from Terminator 2 and cult movie vets behind the camera, director Albert Pyun (Cyborg), cast, and crew stretched a limited budget into an action science-fiction film that's still finding fans today.

In this episode, I dive into the cult movie-making that gives Nemesis a stand-out place in the straight-to-video era of the 1990s.

If you like Sega Genesis games, books by William Gibson, or action films that are retro and awesome, this movie may be for you.

I unpack its fun camera angles, firefights and kickass practical effects, but question its wig choices.

Directed by Albert Pyun. Written by Albert Pyun (credited as Rebecca Charles).

Starring:

• Olivier Gruner
• Tim Thomerson
• Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
• Merle Kennedy
• Yuji Okumoto
• Marjorie Monaghan
• Brion James
• Deborah Shelton

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American Yakuza is a straight-to-video film that may catch your eye because it stars the legendary Viggo Mortensen.

In this episode, I explain that, even though I didn't like this film, it may be a good watch for aspiring writers and creatives. As an imitation of a heroic bloodshed film, there are writing lessons to learn here.

When forklift driver and ex-con Nick Davis rescues Yakuza gangster Shuji Sawamoto from a mob hit, it marks the beginning of an unlikely friendship. As Nick grows close to Shuji and develops a new love interest, Yuko, he gains acceptance into the Japanese mafia.

But when gangster Dino Campanela launches an attack to wipe out the Yakuza, Nick may be called to the rescue again.

Directed by Frank Cappello.

Starring:

• Viggo Mortensen
• Ryo Ishibashi
• Michael Nouri
• Franklyn Ajaye
• Yuji Okumoto
• Anzu Lawson
• Robert Forster

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Is John Dies at the End a modern cult film?

Director Don Coscarelli pulled magic from modest budgets with Phantasm and Bubba Ho-Tep. And in adapting David Wong's cosmic horror comedy novel John Dies at the End, well, he pulls up a lot of goo here.

And whether you love all the stuff, the many many bags of stuff, that are in this movie or not is the real question here.

While the film has mixed reviews, critics and audiences agree this comedy/horror is anything but boring.

So being a big Don Coscarelli fan, this was my dive into his last film to date.

Join me for a discussion of the film's bags of creativity, a cast that mixes newcomers and cult favorite vets, and whether or not a movie with this many ingredients holds together.

When college dropouts David and John try a drug called soy sauce, they receive supernatural powers and get pulled into a multi-dimensional battle to stop an invasion.

Written and Directed by Don Coscarelli. Based on John Dies at the End by David Wong.

Starring: Chase Williamson, Rob Mayes, Paul Giamatti, Clancy Brown, Glynn Turman, Doug Jones, and Daniel Roebuck

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Prospect is a bit of a space western and a definite science-fiction thriller.

The film started as a crowdfunded short and, when it attracted attention, got expanded into a full-blown release.

Prepare to have your mind blown by the fact that this film has a $4 million dollar budget yet memorably pulls off what many call "lo-fi sci-fi" or "lived-in sci-fi."

And with strong performances from leads Sophie Thatcher and Pedro Pascal (yes, he is in this), this is a movie that many audiences have found but still not enough have gotten to know.

Join me for a discussion of spaceships like latte cups, Pedro Pascal's slippery character Ezra, and the merits of not explaining your space tech.

Written and Directed by Zeek Earl and Chris Caldwell.

Starring:

• Pedro Pascal
• Sophie Thatcher
• Jay Duplass

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The Death of Stalin is Armando Ianucci's satire of the true paranoia of life under Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.

The controversial film has won plenty of fans in some regions but was panned and banned in Russia.

Everyone lives in fear of the Soviet leader's frequent executions -- including and especially those closest to him of the Central Committee.

But soon that table turns: it's Stalin who falls ill and seems at death's doorstep.

With the window closing on the Soviet leader's rule, well, a gaggle of conniving Central Committee members squirm and fight to see who can get through that window of power first.

In this British dark comedy, which of the Central Committee members will plot their way to the top?

In this episode, I discuss the film's hot potato politics, zany characters, and a ton of accents, yet none from Russia.

Directed by Armando Iannucci.

Starring:

• Steve Buscemi
• Simon Russell Beale
• Paddy Considine
• Rupert Friend
• Jason Isaacs
• Michael Palin
• Andrea Riseborough
• Jeffrey Tambor

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The film industry is full of unrealized promising projects that, for whatever reason, fail to launch.

In this episode of side reels, I'm discussing my top five films we never got to see that I wish got made.

With so-far unrealized projects from George Miller, John Carpenter, Catherine Bigelow/James Cameron, Guillermo Del Toro, and Christopher Nolan -- we've really missed out.

From superheroes to steam punk, I'm speculating on what we could have had.

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Why do Cult Film Fans Love the Horror Comedy blend of House?

House started out as a straight horror film but was molded into a comedy.

A bonkers movie that worries less about making sense and more about entertainment value, it pits one down-on-his-luck writer against the machinations of a straight-up evil house.

As main character Roger Cobb battles demon witches, littler witch things, garden tools out to kill him, and slips through portals, we laugh at all the mayhem.

Join me for this discussion of the cult classic comedy horror from the decade that best did that -- the 1980s.

I'll be discussing the films puppets and props, whether it should or should not have neatly tied together, and the deepest of deep V-necks.

Directed by Steve Miner. Screenplay by Ethan Wiley. Story by Fred Dekker. Produced by Sean S. Cunningham. Starring William Katt, George Wendt, Richard Moll, and Kay Lenz.

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Drive (1997) blends Hong Kong action inspired sequences with American "buddy" humor.

Drive (1997) wasn't a movie you could go see at the box office, unless you lived in Japan or The Philippines.

It debuted on HBO and went straight to video, and it is mostly forgotten.

But thanks to the internet, me and many others who missed it back in the 1990s have been told of its ways by those who saw it. And, well, Drive's ways are amazing.

With explosive fight scenes featuring Mark Dacascos (Brotherhood of the Wolf) and the comic wingman skills of Kadeem Hardison (A Different World), this kickback action fest is a surprising cult pick.

When Toby, a former Hong Kong agent, is implanted with a device that gives him super speed and power, he flees, lest his device fall into the hands of the new Chinese government. But when he lands in San Francisco, he is chased by assassins trying to nab it back. Soon, Toby finds Malik, a struggling singer/songwriter. But Malik's got one important thing Toby needs: a car. Offering Malik a pile of cash for driving him to Los Angeles, Malik accepts.

Featuring battles with electrified stun baton wielding assassins, fights handcuffed together in a rock quarry, and a final showdown with an "advanced model" in a strange Apollo 14 restaurant, Drive is a bizarre but mesmerizing fight fest. And I had a blast breaking it all down for you in this latest episode.

Directed by Steve Wang. Written by Scott Phillips. Starring Mark Dacascos, Kadeem Hardison, Brittany Murphy, Tracey Walter, and John Pyper-Ferguson.

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How does Bone Tomahawk blend the western and horror genres together?

S. Craig Zahler's Bone Tomahawk is, like a throwback cult classic, a low-budget film that has carved out a large fanbase.

A "rescue western," the movie puts four men on a journey to rescue abducted townsfolk from a Native American tribe of otherworldly cannibals.

And although the movie is notorious for one graphic death scene, there's much more than simple exploitation here. There's a clever screenplay and a film about courage in the face of hardship.

Join for a discussion of the film's slow-burning realism, bone-crunching sound design, and lightning-quick violence.

Written and Directed by S. Craig Zahler. Starring Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox, Lilli Simmons, Richard Jenkins, Evan Jonigkeit, Kathryn Morris, Sid Haig, David Arquette, Fred Melamed

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Why was Dark Star so important to science-fiction films to come?

Dark Star began as a student film project by then-USC Students John Carpenter (Halloween) and Dan O'Bannon (Return of the Living Dead). But what started out as an amazing student film was, over the course of a few years, expanded into a full theatrical release.

And while Dark Star didn't fare too well at the box office, it gained cult status on the 1980s home video circuit. It jump-started Carpenter and O'Bannon's careers and influenced, or even helped create, science fiction franchises to come, like Alien and Star Wars.

But while the film's legacy is never in doubt, does it hold up today?

Join me for this episode as I discuss parodying 2001, space boredom, and conversations with talking bombs.

Directed by John Carpenter. Written by John Carpenter and Dan O'Bannon. Starring Dan O'Bannon, Brian Narelle, Cal Kuniholm, Dre Pahich.

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