'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, Carroll Baker was drinking, Tim Thomerson was singeing, and Jesse Ventura was sitting up in bed being creepy. It's a heck of a Christmas, people, it really is.

Seasons greetings, folks! Join us for this special Christmas episode, along with very special guests, Sammy from the Gentlemen's Guide to Midnite Cinema, and habitual Caliber 9'er, Bryce Hamilton (who never says no to an eggnog). We'll be reviewing a triple feature of sort-of-Christmas movies (mostly), with Trancers (1984) directed by Charles Band, Orgasmo (1969), directed by Umberto Lenzi and Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe (1990), directed by Damian Lee.

We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for all these films. So if you haven't seen them before you listen, you can nevertheless avoid spoilers for Trancers by skipping ahead to the 1:21:26 mark, for Orgasmo by skipping ahead to the 2:03:34 mark and for Abraxas by skipping ahead to 2:38:38.

Want to get in touch? You can reach us on [email protected]

Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM.

Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp

Sakana drops in this week to discuss The Visitor (1979) directed by Giulio Paradisi and Ship of Monsters (1960) directed by Rogelio A. Gonzalez. These are very different styles of psychotronic cult sci-fi movie - one a fever dream of Italian excess in an imagined America stuffed with big stars and psychedelic weirdness; the other a slightly risque but heartwarming love story involving singing cowboys and terrifying space monsters.

We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for both films, so if you haven't seen them before you listen, you can nevertheless avoid spoilers for The Visitor by skipping ahead to the 1:18:28 mark, and for Ship of Monsters by skipping ahead to 1:49:35.

Want to get in touch? You can reach us on [email protected]

Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp

It's our 50th episode! To celebrate, we have lined up a TRIPLE TREAT with Doctor Ethan Lyon along for the ride. We shoot up the streets with Isaac Hayes in Truck Turner (1974) directed by Jonathan Kaplan. Then we indulge in some Indonesian black magic insanity with Special Silencers (1982), directed by Arizal. And finally, we go for maximum bamboozlement with famed egosploitation miracle worker Neil Breen's Fateful Findings (2013). Vengeful pimps, rhizomial gut explosions and completely incoherent messianic ramblings - just what every 50th celebration needs.

We didn't think it was possible to spoil Special Silencers, but will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for the other two films. So if you haven't seen them before you listen, you can nevertheless avoid spoilers for Truck Turner by skipping ahead to the 1:01:33 mark, and for Fateful Findings by skipping ahead to 2:25:36.

Want to get in touch? You can reach us on [email protected]

Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM.

Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp

From the outskirts of Tokyo to the slums of early 80's Madrid, there is no existential horror like just being TEEN. Bob McCully drops in to discuss Typhoon Club (1985) directed by Shinji Sōmai and Navajeros (1980) directed by Eloy de la Iglesia. From an arthouse take on messed-up coming-of age narratives, to the gritty world of Spanish quinque films, get ready for crime, sex, drugs, suicide, murder and a whole classroom full of ennui.

We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for both films, so if you haven't seen them before you listen, you can nevertheless avoid spoilers for Typhoon Club by skipping ahead to the 1:10:17 mark, and for Navajeros by skipping ahead to 1:50:21.

Check out Bob's great podcast, Split Your Head

Want to get in touch? You can reach us on [email protected]

Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp

Dust off your leather armour and polish your glaives, it's time for high fantasy this week. Plus, erm, dinosaurs. Film-maker James T Williams returns to discuss a couple of childhood faves. We check out Krull (1983), directed by Peter Yates, and Planet of Dinosaurs (1977), directed by James K. Shea. Wizards, alien slugs, giant spiders, baby-faced Liam Neesons, stop-motion dinosaurs, possibly stop-motion actors... there's no end to the sense of wonder in this week's episode!

We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for both films, so if you haven't seen them before you listen, you can nevertheless avoid spoilers for Krull by skipping ahead to the 1:08:50 mark, and for Planet of Dinosaurs by skipping ahead to 1:33:57.

Watch James T Williams' excellent short film, Irrefutable Evidence here. James' other films can be found on YouTube at Joefest and Mr Glass Productions, and his 2007 feature, Waiting for Dawn is freely available here.

Want to get in touch? You can reach us on [email protected]

Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp

Our closing music this week comes courtesy of The Briefest Echo of Lemon and their track "The Briefest Echo of Lemon" (K. Darke, T. Morton, J. Ramsden, A. McKinnon) © 2024

Enter... if you dare. It's squealing martial arts and ninja death mayhem as Ali joins us to discuss Enter the Dragon (1973), directed by Robert Clouse and Enter the Ninja (1981), directed by Menahem Golan.

Each of these films were seminal in their own way, the first as a tragically premature end-point for Bruce Lee's career, and the second as a statement of intent for the then-new Cannon Films Group. But we also address such existential questions as: IS "wait... what?" the new buzz-phrase of the decade? IS there any greater joy than watching a very small man beat up a very tall man? And of course, the age old conundrum: NINJA or NO NINJA?

We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for both films, so if you haven't seen them before you listen, you can nevertheless avoid spoilers for Enter the Dragon by skipping ahead to the 1:01:41 mark, and for Enter the Ninja by skipping ahead to 1:45:14.

Want to get in touch? You can reach us on [email protected]

Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp

The perils of leaving civilisation behind. This week, we strike out into the wilderness to explore a couple of backwoods thrillers: the big daddy of them all, Deliverance (1972) directed by John Boorman and one of the many imitators that came in its wake, William Grefe's Whiskey Mountain (1977).

We discuss the world of hillbilly and hickspoloitation film in general, as well as addressing the vital issues of how to deal with drunken psychopaths on set, the unique challenge of acting convincingly dead and the disturbing American trend of camping without tents in movies.

We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for both films, so if you haven't seen them before you listen, you can nevertheless avoid spoilers for Deliverance by skipping ahead to the 1:07:38 mark, and for Whiskey Mountain by skipping ahead to 1:44:02.

Want to get in touch? You can reach us on [email protected]

Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp

Sammy from the Gentlemen's Guide to Midnite Cinema is back to sing a love song to the Spaghetti Western with us. Well, not sing, exactly, but we sure do talk a lot about them. It's a bumper-length episode to cover this beloved genre for us, and we focus on a double feature of The Great Silence (1968), directed by Sergio Corbucci and Keoma (1976), directed by Enzo G. Castellari.

We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for both films, so if you haven't seen them before you listen, you can nevertheless avoid spoilers for The Great Silence by skipping ahead to the 1:22:41 mark, and for Keoma by skipping ahead to 2:26:05.

Want to get in touch? You can reach us on [email protected]

Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp

Samm Deighan joins us today to talk about the cinema of resistance, as profiled in her fantastic new book, Revolution in 35mm: Political Violence and Resistance in Cinema from the Arthouse to the Grindhouse, 1969-1990. In addition, we discuss a double feature plucked from the pages of this fantastic book: Pierrot le Fou (1965), directed by Jean-Luc Godard, and The Awakening of the Beast (1970), directed by José Mojica Marins.

Samm is one of the finest film historians working today in the cult and exploitation cinema space (and beyond), and we were super excited to have her on the show. Our discussion takes in the diverse and fascinating world of cinematic political violence but we also take the time to marvel at Coffin Joe's plucky provocation, recognise Godard as one of film's most important innovators and bemoan the ridiculously long runtime of modern superhero movies.

It's not really possible to spoil The Awakening of the Beast, but we will call out Spoiler Territory for Pierrot le Fou. If you want to skip ahead from that point, you can rejoin the conversation at the 1:12:20 mark to avoid spoilers.

Buy Revolution in 35mm here.

Join Samm Deighan's Patreon here.

Listen to Samm's great podcast, Eros + Massacre here.

Want to get in touch? You can reach us on [email protected]

Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM.

Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp

Happy Halloween! We're dropping this week's episode two days early to chime in on the spooky holiday fun. Dr Ethan Lyon gets all devilish with us as we check out Haxan (1922), directed by Benjamin Christensen, and then Beyond the Door (1974), directed by Ovidio Assonitis. In our usual roundabout way, our discussion of these films leads us to some unexpected questions such as: Is Halloween America's greatest ever export? Is the hyrax nature's sleaziest rodent? Are Beatrix Potter's idyllic stories actually a horrifying animal dystopia in disguise? And last but not least, how advisable is it to play wind instruments through your nose?

It's not really possible to spoil Haxan as it doesn't have a conventional plot, but we will call out Spoiler Territory for Beyond the Door. If you want to skip ahead from that point, you can rejoin the conversation at the 1:51:18 mark to avoid spoilers.

Want to get in touch? You can reach us on [email protected]

Rob's alternate sountrack for Haxan can be found on Spotify here

Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM.

Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp