Cinema Smorgasbord

RSS/iTunes/Spotify

Check out the full Wild in the Streets archive right here

A trio consisting of fun-loving Tony (Harry Baer), the more serious minded Ric (Al Cliver) and the bombastic Napoli (Vittorio Caprioli) take on the vicious Mazari (Jack Palance) in the 1976 Italian action film RULERS OF THE CITY (aka MISTER SCARFACE), another poliziottescho classic from genre master Fernando Di Leo which includes a surprising amount of comedy amongst the usual array of car (and foot!) chases, motorcycle stunts and gunfights. Tony years for a relaxing life in Brazil but gets on the bad side of the mob, while Ric wants revenge for the murder of his father, which means they have to stay one step ahead of baddies as they play pool, have group sex and get themselves in deeper and deeper trouble. It’s fun! All of this and a little introductory summary of our experience with Italian crime films over these last few years. Check it out!

The post Episode 248 – Wild in the Streets – Rulers of the City (1976) (aka Mister Scarface) first appeared on Cinema Smorgasbord.

RSS/iTunes/Spotify

Check out the full WHATEVER HAPPENED TO VIC DIAZ? archive right here

On this episode of WHATEVER HAPPENED TO VIC DIAZ? we’re with two American lunkheads (played by Jock Gaynor and Larry Ward) exploring shipwrecks in the Philippines when one of them happens upon the skeleton of an ancient Moro princess.. UH OH! Soon we’ve got possession, murder, cock fighting, nude underwater photography and a whole lot more (including Vic Diaz)! It even has a fun twist thrown in for good measure. All that and a conversation about sexploitation films and how they make us feel (the answer may surprised you). ENJOY!

Watch THE DEATHHEAD VIRGIN right here:

The post Episode 247 – Whatever Happened to Vic Diaz? – The Deathhead Virgin (1974) first appeared on Cinema Smorgasbord.

COMICS! WE LOVE ‘EM! And so does Alejandro Jodorowsky, and on this episode of the world’s finest Jodorowsky-themed podcast JodoWOWsky we’re going deep on three of Jodo’s most impressive comic works of the 90s and 2000s. We start by checking out his post-Incal collaboration with the legendary Jean “Moebius” Giraud: the mind-bending satire MADWOMAN OF THE SACRED HEART! Next up are two collaborations with the ALSO legendary François Boucq, starting with his epic violent western BOUNCER, and finishing with the playful collection of fables THE SHADOW’S TREASURE. All that and all of the latest Jodorowsky news. Who could ask for anything more? Enjoy!

Sources mentioned on this episode:

Alejandro & Pascale Jodorowsky | Honey In All Hues, All Forms: https://www.flaunt.com/post/alejandro-pascale-jodorowsky-the-gold-standard-issue

A 2014 interview with Jodo from bombmagazine.org: https://bombmagazine.org/articles/2014/05/22/alejandro-jodorowsky/

Alejandro Jodorowsky’s dance on the edge of meaning: https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2011/jan/25/alejandro-jodorowsky

In the Heart of the Universe: Jay Babcock talks with visionary comics author Alexandro Jodorowsky https://arthurmag.com/2010/02/01/jodorowsky-i-am-old/

Julia Marchese is a filmmaker, actor, writer, film programmer and podcaster. Julia’s first film was Out of Print, a documentary about the importance of revival cinema and 35mm to culture. The film has played all over the world in film archives, art house cinemas and universities. The 35mm print of the film is now housed at The Academy Film Archives. Her next project is a short film adaptation of Stephen King’s short story “I Know What You Need”. She is the co-host of Horror Movie Survival Guide, a weekly podcast that takes a deep dive into a different horror film each week, focusing on how to become the final girl. You can follow her on her social media platforms

Check out the George A Romero Foundation’s recently announced HORROR X @GARFHorrorX on Twitter

http://juliamarchese.com

The post Episode 246 – JodoWOWsky Part 16 – Madwoman of the Sacred Heart (1992), Bouncer (1997-2003), The Shadow’s Treasure (1999) first appeared on Cinema Smorgasbord.

RSS/iTunes/Spotify

Check out our Halloween Horror Special archive right here.

We were working in the lab, late one night.. recording a brand new HALLOWEEN HORROR PODCAST SPECIAL featuring two recent horror(ish) features to put HEAD TO HEAD! We start with a conversation about some of our recent favorite (and least favorite) horror films before moving onto a discussion on the twisty crime horror STRANGE DARLING from 2023 and ending with the moody British horror DADDY’S HEAD from 2024! CHECK IT OUT!

The post Episode 245 – Halloween Horror Special – Strange Darling (2023) & Daddy’s Head (2024) first appeared on Cinema Smorgasbord.

RSS/iTunes/Spotify

Check out the Praising Kane archive right here.

It’s the SPOOOoooOOOkiest month, so why not check out the surprisingly un-spooky (and, honestly, pretty unfunny) TRANSYLVANIA 6-5000 on the world’s finest chronological Carol Kane podcast PRAISING KANE? Starring Jeff Goldblum and Ed Begley Jr. as two hapless tabloid reporters forced to go to Transylvania to work on a story about monster sightings, the film has supporting performances from Joseph Bologna, John Byner, Michael Richards, Jeffrey Jones (ugh), an extremely underutilized Geena Davis and – of course – Carol Kane! Directed by frequent Mel Brooks collaborator Rudy De Luca and bankrolled by the Dow chemical company (?) it’s plenty weird. How weird? Let’s find out!

The post Episode 244 – Praising Kane – Transylvania 6-5000 (1985) first appeared on Cinema Smorgasbord.

RSS/iTunes/Spotify

Check out the full HOW DO YOU DO, FELLOW KIDS? archive right here

On a returning HOW DO YOU DO, FELLOW KIDS? (the world’s finest Steve Buscemi-themed podcast) we’re looking at the stylized 90s crime caper THINGS TO DO IN DENVER WHEN YOU’RE DEAD, featuring a cast full of recognizable faces: including Andy Garcia, Christopher Lloyd, William Forsythe, Bill Nunn, Treat Williams, Christopher Walken, Fairuza Balk and – of course – Steve Buscemi as “Mr. Shhh”. But is it just a Tarantino rip-off, or does it have more to offer? LET’S FIND OUT! We also check out the latest Buscemi news because WHY THE HECK NOT?

The post Episode 243 – How Do You Do, Fellow Kids? – Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead (1995) first appeared on Cinema Smorgasbord.

RSS/iTunes/Spotify

Find the entire George Kennedy is my Copilot archive right here

What’s a George Kennedy-themed podcast without a DISASTER? On this episode of George Kennedy is My Co-Pilot California is hit by the BIG ONE in 1974’s EARTHQUAKE where an all-star cast (including Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, Richard Roundtree, Lorne Greene, Geneviève Bujold and – of course – George Kennedy) have to deal with the after-effects of a massive tremor that destroys most of California. Of course, before the quake hits there’s plenty of melodrama and complex relationships (script by Mario Puzo!), but once the earth starts to move things get properly apocalyptic. Our EARTHQUAKE talk is preceded by a short chat about a late-era episode of the television sitcom WINGS featuring George playing a put-upon version of himself! ENJOY!

https://x.com/CinemaSmorg/status/1837522129333403912

Check out Sarah Jane on Twitter @FookThis, as well as the White Slaves of Chinatown YouTube page. And check out her writing over at the Austin Chronicle right here.

The post Episode 242 – George Kennedy is My Copilot – Earthquake (1974) first appeared on Cinema Smorgasbord.

RSS/iTunes/Spotify

Check out the full We Do Our Own Stunts archive right here

CUT THE CRAP! We’re post-American excursion and post-Lo Wei scraps and things are about to POP OFF with the first of the Five Lucky Stars series WINNERS & SINNERS starring Sammo Hung, Richard Ng, Charlie Chin, Stanley Fung and John Shum. Oh, and Jackie Chan is here as well, reconnecting with his “big brother” (and Yuen Biao in a tiny part) for the first time in years and transitioning to martial arts/comedy hybrids with higher production values and bigger stunts. This one might lean a bit TOO heavily on the comedy, but you get roller skating stunts, car stunts, and some dynamite action to whet your appetite for what’s to come. Enjoy!

Here’s the Winners & Sinners outtakes:

The post Episode 241 – We Do Our Own Stunts – Winners & Sinners (1983) first appeared on Cinema Smorgasbord.

RSS/iTunes/Spotify

Check out the Further Reeding archive right here.

You can’t have an Oliver Reed-themed podcast without eventually dipping into the works of the legendary Ken Russell, and we stick our toes in for the first time with his 1969 melodramatic adaptation of D. H. Lawrence’s beloved – and controversial – 1920 novel, Women in Love. Starring Reed alongside Alan Bates, Glenda Jackson and Jennie Linden, the film examines love, sex and death in all manner of permutations, and manages to fit in some notorious nude man-on-man grappling just for fun. We go deep on the film’s explicit queerness, the difficulty of working with temperamental actors (and directors) and so much more. ENJOY!

Further Reeding can be found on Twitter @FutherReeding!

Check out these WOMEN IN LOVE-related articles referenced in the episode:

Death and Marriage and Sex: On Ken Russell’s Women in Love by Bruce LaBruce

More is More: Lessons in Excess from Women in Love by Joe Talbot

Women in Love: Bohemian Rhapsody by Linda Ruth Williams

The post Episode 240 – Further Reeding – Women in Love (1969) first appeared on Cinema Smorgasbord.

RSS/iTunes/Spotify

Check out all the episodes of CINEMA SMORGASBORD SELLS OUT right here.

Jeremy Saulnier (MURDER PARTY, BLUE RUIN, GREEN ROOM) returns after a lengthy hiatus with the long-in-development Netflix original revenge movie REBEL RIDGE! Starring Aaron Pierre as a marine facing off against the corrupt law enforcement of a small Louisiana town, it’s not quite the FIRST BLOOD-riff that the initial trailers suggested, but its mix of crooked cops, a righteous cause, racial politics and a dynamite performance in the lead creates something very special. On this episode of CINEMA SMORGASBORD SELLS OUT we restrain ourselves from delving into spoilers while discussing the film, responding to some of the critiques we’ve heard since its release, and so much more. Check it out!

The post Episode 239 – Cinema Smorgasbord Sells Out – Rebel Ridge (2024) first appeared on Cinema Smorgasbord.