Cinema Smorgasbord

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Check out the full Wild in the Streets archive right here

Claudio Cassinelli plays a man on the edge in Sergio Martino’s unique eurocrime oddity THE SUSPICIOUS DEATH OF A MINOR which mixes comedic elements, the elaborate (and stylish) murder sequences from the popular giallo films of the time – including a knock-off Goblin-style score almost as good as the real thing – and the usual Poliziotteschi trappings of the era to create something a bit scattershot, but totally unique. Filled with odd flourishes and bizarre choices, it’s equally confusing and enthralling – just like our hosts! Check it out!

The post Episode 238 – Wild in the Streets – The Suspicious Death of a Minor (1975) first appeared on Cinema Smorgasbord.

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Check out the full You Don’t Know Dick archive right here

On our first episode of YOU DON’T KNOW DICK since Roger Corman’s passing at the age of 98 we’ve brought in those ringers from The New World Pictures Podcast to help us discuss Corman’s lasting legacy, their favorite Roger Corman-directed films, biker gangs and biker movies, and – specifically – 1966’s THE WILD ANGELS featuring Peter Fonda, Nancy Sinatra, Bruce Dern, Diane Ladd and – OF COURSE- the legendary Dick Miller. Check it out, you squares!

Check out The New World Pictures Podcast on Twitter @TheNewWorldPod and be sure to check all the links to their podcast at https://newworldpicturespodcast.com/

Don’t miss their wonderful tribute to Roger Corman, available in video form here with special guests Alan Arkush, Allan Holzman, and Tony Randel

The post Episode 237 – You Don’t Know Dick – The Wild Angels (1966) (/w The New World Pictures Podcast) first appeared on Cinema Smorgasbord.

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

On this episode of WHATEVER HAPPENED TO VIC DIAZ? (the world’s finest podcast devoted to “the Filipino Peter Lorre” Vic Diaz) we’re checking out the oddball 1971 (though filmed in 1965) B&W sorta-spy horror film BLOOD THIRST featuring a wise-cracking cop in a foreign land, a monster that looks like a diseased testicle, many legitimate – and accidental – red herrings and, of course, the legendary Vic Diaz playing a rare good guy. It’s pretty entertaining with some nice photography, and also consistently strange for its brief 75-minute run time. We also chat about diseases, FLETCH, and SO MUCH MORE! Check it out!

You can watch the whole movie on YouTube right here:

The post Episode 236 – Whatever Happened to Vic Diaz? – Blood Thirst (1971) first appeared on Cinema Smorgasbord.

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Check out the full Bartel Me Something Good archive right here

On this episode of BARTEL ME SOMETHING GOOD (the world’s finest Paul Bartel-themed podcast) we’re finishing up the directorial career of Paul Bartel with some television odds & sods! First up are two episodes of the TV show CLUELESS, based on the popular 1995 film starring Alicia Silverstone. This 1996 series is a cut above the sitcoms of the time and brought along a surprising amount of the film’s cast, and not only has Paul Bartel behind the camera.. but in front of it as well, playing a crusty old principal in one of the episodes! Then we talk about an interesting rarity; an episode of the British alternative comedy anthology series THE COMIC STRIP PRESENTS directed and co-written by Paul Bartel called DEMONELLA, starring a whole slew of familiar faces in the realm of UK comedy, including Adrian Edmonson, Jennifer Saunders, Robbie Coltrane and a beardless Paul Bartel playing Oscar Wilde! Listen and enjoy!

Check out The Comic Strip Presents: Demonella right here:

Check out Clueless, Season 1, Episode 5 “We Shall Overpack” right here:

Check out Clueless, Season 1, Episode 8 “Cher Inc.” right here:

The post Episode 235 – Bartel Me Something Good – The Comic Strip Presents: Demonella (1993) & Clueless Episodes (1996) first appeared on Cinema Smorgasbord.

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Check out the Praising Kane archive right here.

Who loves Bud Cort? We (being the hosts of Praising Kane, the world’s most beloved Carol Kane-themed podcast) do! On this episode we’re doing a FULL CORT PRESS with not one but TWO Kane/Cort pairings (and some bonus Bud in the news section). We start with a spooky episode of 80s anthology favorite Tales From the Darkside putting Cort against Kane in a light-hearted magic battle. Then we move onto the startlingly unfunny 1984 comedy THE SECRET DIARY OF SIGMUND FREUD featuring Cort as Freud, Kane as his (eventual) wife and some of the most disturbing IMDB trivia involving Klaus Kinski you’re likely to ever hear! Can you resist listening after all that? NOPE!

The post Episode 234 – Praising Kane – The Secret Diary of Sigmund Freud (1984) & Tales From The Darkside Season 1, Episode 14 ‘Snip Snip’ first appeared on Cinema Smorgasbord.

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

An episode of HOW DO YOU DO, FELLOW KIDS? without Steve Buscemi?! Well, not quite! Though Buscemi doesn’t appear in 2022’s THE LISTENER, which concerns a help line worker (played by Tessa Thompson) dealing with the trials and tribulations of (unseen) callers in the time immediately following Covid lockdown, it’s directed by the man himself! It’s a unique film, and we go through its strengths and weaknesses and if it feels tied to a very specific period in history. We also discuss all the latest Buscemi news, including TRANSFORMERS ONE! Check it out!

The post Episode 233 – How Do You Do, Fellow Kids? – The Listener (2022) first appeared on Cinema Smorgasbord.

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

One stage of Jackie Chan’s career comes to an awkward conclusion in FEARLESS HYENA 2, with producer Lo Wei taking old footage (from the first Fearless Hyena, along with some bits from Spiritual Kung Fu) along with some a few new scenes filmed before Jackie’s controversial move to Golden Harvest to create something predictably incoherent. Filled with actors doubling Jackie (in disguise), pieces that don’t quite fit together, and the introduction of Austin Wai as Tung, a mechanical genius with an automatic house, it makes for a bizarre and often baffling viewing experience without ever becoming entirely unwatchable. Have a listen and see if you agree!

Fearless Hyena 2 is currently available to stream on The Criterion Channel and is available as part of the Jackie Chan: Emergence of a Superstar set in the Criterion Collection.

The post Episode 232 – We Do Our Own Stunts – Fearless Hyena 2 (1983) first appeared on Cinema Smorgasbord.