Clearing The Queue

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On this week's Episode of the Clearing the Q Podcast, Mike and Zak explore some evocative and controversial subjects raised by Lynne Ramsey's 2011 Physiological Drama: We Need To Talk About Kevin. Untangle the Gordian Knot that is the age old question of "Nature Vs. Nurture" with two guys who look back on psych 101 and think that perhaps they should have paid better attention. And ponder loudly the significance of a mother's lover in a child's development with two self proclaimed man-children. Let's Talk about Kevin...    

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Wrapping up our Black History Month segment, we watched Scott Sander's 2009 legendary comedy Black Dynamite "DY-NO-MITE! DY-NO-MITE!"  Michael Jai White star as leading man Black Dynamite who's out to clean up the streets of Los Angeles, avenge the death of his brother, and settle a score with the Fiendish Dr. Wu, all while keeping it groovy. A tongue in cheek parody of countless Blacksploitation films, Black Dynamite will have you laughing out loud from start to finish. If you're a fan of over the top action, screwball comedy, of if you're just tired of MFers interrupting your Kung Fu, this masterfully made "bad film" is NOT one to miss. 

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In recognition of Black History Month Mike and Zak watched Melvin Van Peeble's 1971 independent film Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song. Rate X by an all white jury, Sweet Sweetback's Baadassss Song (Yes, you have to say the THE WHOLE THING, EVERY TIME!) is often regarded as the Godfather of the Blacksploitation genre, and celebrated by film buffs as one of the most successful independent films of it's time. It's historical importance aside, this movie is a psychedelic trip into the underbelly of Los Angeles in the 1970s. A grim spectacle that for many was, and still is, a harsh reality. 

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we're finishing out a month of Animated Films with an episode all about René Laloux and Roland Topor's 1973 Animated Feature: Fantastic Planet.  Join Mike and Zak on a journey to a strange and terrifying alien world, full of Blue Giants that keep Humans as pets, and commit the odd genocide ever few years or so. Is it a French Surrealist science fiction cartoon, or the plot of a Fet-Fiction story on Deviant art? 

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Mike and Zak return, albeit a little behind schedule, to kick off the new year with a new of the Clearing the Q podcast. Starting this year each month the boys will be selecting movies that fit a theme or rule depending on the month, and the first month will feature Animated Films. This week, we watched Ralph Bakshi's 1977 animated feature Wizards. If you're a fan of fantasy or animation this flick is not one to be missed, and although Bakshi himself might think this is a family film, we recommend you DON'T watch it with your kids or your parents.  

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Although we've only been releasing content for the latter third of the year, we here at Clearing the Q feel a strong sense of satisfactions for what we've accomplished, and by that we mean sitting on our butts, watching movies, and then talking about them. 2021 was a hell of a ride, and 2022 is looking like it might not be much better, but we've enjoyed the inflight movie, at least. Join Mike and Zak as they reminisce about fun times had at the cinema this year, you know, once we were all allowed to go back to theaters that is. Wrap up your year with an extra long Episode filled with half formed opinions about movies as we ramble through our Top 5 picks for best flicks of the year. 

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Continuing on with the spirit of the season, Mike shows Zak Ben Wheatley's 2016 tale of an arms deal gone awry: Free Fire. Two ranking members of the IRA have traveled to Boston to purchase some Firearms, but unfortunately the merchandise is no what they'd ordered. Tensions run high before it all deteriorates into the longest gunfight in cinematic history. 
If you're a fan of shootouts and sharply worded insults, or if you just really like watching Cillian Murphy be his charming Irish self, this is not one to be missed!  

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In the Spirit of Giving, Mike and Zak have decided to share their eclectic tastes in cinema with each other by selecting movies the other has not seen. This week, Zak chose to watch  Agnieszka Smoczynska's The Lure. A Polish Musical about two honest to goodness mermaids who learn the hard way show business ain't all glitz and glamour. This dark modernization of Hans Christian Anderson's much adapted fairy-tale The Little Mermaid, mixes horror with cabaret and positively drowns the audience with a visual smorgasbord sure to delight anyone who ever wanted to watch a mermaid, quite literally, devour a man heart.      

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Sterlin Harjo's Mekko is not quite what the log line sells, but if you buy the ticket, you gotta take the ride. One part Documentary, one par Narrative Film, Mekko follows the journey of an ex-con into the homeless community of Tulsa OK. The immersive visuals of this film are as stimulating as they are, at times, unsettling, inviting the audience to tag along with Mekko as things spin out of control. It also provides a harrowing glimpse into the hardships facing the homeless community, while making a powerful statement about addiction, mental illness, and redemption.  

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Have you ever brought your significant other home to meet your parents? If the results were ANYTHING even remotely resembling the events of Charlie Kaufman's "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" you have our deepest and most sincere apologies, because we are about to Trigger the FUCK out of you! #sorrynotsorry This film, unlike the other films we have reviewed to date, is a heavy trip down the rabbit hole of degenerative mental illness, specifically Alzheimer's and Dementia. It's as uncomfortable as a David Lynch Film with all the familiar comforts and aesthetics of Kaufman's unique take on the craft of filmmaking. Join us as we try and wrap our heads around this one.