Dark Discussions Podcast

A Weekly discussion of your favorite TV show, Westworld.

Sometimes a film gets a bit of buzz simply because of its outrageous premise.  But that doesn’t mean the film doesn’t work.  The new Hulu original, FRESH (2022), is most certainly one of those bizarre films that seems to be one thing but turns into something completely different than one would think.

Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) is a twenty-something that just can’t seem to find love.   She starts using dating apps and has many blind dates but most turn out to be completely awful.  Then one day while she’s grocery shopping, she meets Steve (Sebastian Stan) who seems to be everything she’s ever wanted in a guy.  After hitting it off quite well, the two head to his vacation home.  While enjoying their time together, something drastic happens that will change her life.

The film is directed by Mimi Cave form a script by Lauryn Kahn.  Besides starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan, the film’s cast includes Jonica T. Gibbs and Charlotte Le Bon.  Dark Discussions takes a look at this generally positively reviewed film and gives their thoughts.

A Weekly discussion of your favorite TV show, Westworld.

To wrap up Pride month and the theme of lesbian arthouse films, we end with the highest profile of the four, AMMONITE (2020).  Starring Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan, the film is based on two extremely important and real women in the field of paleontology.  The movie however is a complete fictional account where the screenwriter supposes a “what-if” about the two, and had they been lesbian and what that relationship would be like.

In the 1840’s, Mary Anning (Kate Winslet) is a self-taught paleontologist, running her family’s store on the English coast selling fossils she finds and categorizes.  Geologist Roderick Murchison (James McArdle) and his wife Charlotte (Saoirse Ronan) arrive, where the husband leaves Charlotte in attendance with Mary so to have her learn more about fossils and sciences.  Soon the two’s class differences are overlooked and they begin a torrid affair.

The film is directed and written from a completely fictional story by English director Francis Lee.  Both actresses were praised for their performances with Kate Winslet especially getting high regard.  With its completely fictional story, slow pacing, and little focus on the women’s fossil work, the film received lukewarm reviews by critics.  Your co-hosts take a look at this period piece and give their thoughts.

Zombie films are most certainly nothing original.  Whether “fast zombies” or “slow zombies”, whether “virus zombies” or the undead, the market has been saturated with them.  However, a few prominent one have appeared recently.   One of them is VIRUS-32 (2022) from Uruguay.  The question does it do enough new to make it stand out.

When it is her weekend to take care of her daughter, Iris (Paula Silva) has to bring her to work.  As a security guard at a massive workout and activity center, she lets her daughter play basketball in one of the indoor ball courts while she does her rounds.  Soon out on the street, people begin to go violent and attack and kill innocent bystanders.  As Iris, her daughter, and a man named Luis (Daniel Hendler) try to survive, the infected begin to break in.

The movie is directed by and from a story by Gustavo Hernandez.  The screenplay is written by Juma Fodde.  The movie was released to the television station Shudder during Q2 of 2022, only a short time after its initial release in its home country.  Dark Discussions takes a look at the latest in the zombie genre and gives their thoughts.

For Pride Month, the podcast continues our review of lesbian arthouse films.  With a lot of these films, we’ve discovered that many are more than just an LGBT arthouse film.  They are dramas, coming-of-age, crime, and in our latest, a thriller.  The British film, THE ADORED (2012), is most certainly a thriller in all ways even though the lead characters may be LGBTQ.

Francesca (Laura Martin-Simpson) is a well known photographer.  For her latest subject is the aspiring model Maia (Ione Butler).  At Francesca’s remote Welsh manor home, the two discuss, shoot, and build a friendship.  However, as Francesca misreads Maia’s comments and actions, the two women begin to come at odds with each other.  Soon their once working relationship turns into much more.

The film was co-directed by Carl Medland and Amarjeet Singh with a screenplay by Jody Medland.  Laura Martin-Simpson shines as Francesca in a cast that includes her co-star Ione Butler plus Jake Maskall.  Your co-hosts take a look at this film and give their thoughts.

It all started back in 1990 when the novel, JURASSIC PARK, written by the great author Michael Crichton, was released.  When the movie was released, screenplay written by Michael Crichton and David Koepp and directed by Steven Spielberg, the whole world were introduced to one of the biggest franchises of all time.  Now on the sixth installment of the movie franchise, 2022 is the release of JURASSIC WORLD:  DOMINION to the world.

Now that dinosaurs have escaped into the world, the environment may be in danger and the dinosaurs have to integrate into modern life.  But there’s nefarious things going on; pouching and corporate greed.  When formerly extinct giant locusts begin to destroy crops and food supplies, a group of scientists have to come together and try to save the world.

Directed by Colin Trevorrow, the director of JURRASSIC WORLD, is back for this latest installment.  The film stars Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum reprising their former roles.  The film has made millions and is a theatrical success.  Dark Discussions takes a look at this latest film in the Jurassic franchise and gives their thoughts.

Television actors and actresses have transitioned to film roles quite successfully at times.  One way to start is to do independent cinema.  And to be noticed, sometimes it is best to be daring and courageous in the roles you choose.  Dianna Agron, after her run on the TV series GLEE, got notice for her role in BARE (2015).  The role was a co-starring performance alongside BOARDWALK EMPIRE actress, Paz de la Huerta.

Sarah (Dianna Agron) is a young girl living in a small town in Nevada.  She feels ennui as she spends time with her longtime boyfriend, her high school friends, and working her boring job.  When she visits the closed business of her father (who died some years ago), she finds Pepper, a worldly and free-spirited woman, that had broken in to crash on the couch.  Soon the two begin a friendship that will change Sarah forever.

The film was written and directed by Natalia Leite (M.F.A. (2017)) and played numerous festivals including Tribeca among others.  The film got buzz more so for the first-time nudity from Dianna Agron but also got notice from the arthouse crowd too.  Your co-hosts take a look at this movie during our June Pride month and give their thoughts.

The passing of Ray Liotta was most certainly unexpected.  He was sixty-seven years old and had been having a career rejuvenation with roles both in television and movies.  His meteoric rise to fame was the 1990 Martin Scorsese film GOODFELLAS.  Soon after he was one of Hollywood’s most recognizable names.  In 2003, award winning director James Mangold gave him a co-starring role in his film IDENTITY. 

When a group of travelers get caught in a torrential rainstorm in the remote area of Nevada, each lands up at a broken down motel to spend the night.  Unfortunately, an accident occurs leading to one person at deaths door.  To add to the drama, a police officer traveling with a violent murderer has to spend the night as well.  Unfortunately patrons begin to die making each wonder who is the culprit.

Besides Ray Liotta, the film stars John Cusack, Rebecca De Mornay, Amanda Peet, John Hawkes, John C. McGinley, Jake Busey, Alfred Molina, and Pruitt Taylor Vince.  IDENTITY, gaining great reviews on its initial release, has slowly grown a cult following with its many twists and turns.  Dark Discussions Podcast takes a look at the movie and pays tribute to acting great, Ray Liotta.

Welcome to Halloween Boutique Psychotronic Reviews theme month.  June has been designated as Pride Month for the LGBT community.  So to fit with the month, once again the podcast has decided to review various art house lesbian films as we did last year.  To start off, we discuss the 2021 film RIDE OR DIE.

When Rei commits a crime for Nanae, a woman in an abusive relationship, the two head out to avoid consequences.  Soon we discover that the two have known each other since childhood.  Rei has an unhealthy infatuation about Nanae and is willing to throw her entire life away.  Nanae, on the other hand, is a very damaged woman who carries personal demons with her that have shattered her inner soul.

The film is directed by veteran director Ryichi Hiroki.  Written for the screen by Nami Sakkawa, the story is based on the manga by Ching Nakamura.  Starring Kiko Mizuhara and Honami Sato in unforgiving roles, the movie has received mixed to positive reviews by critics and audiences alike.  Your co-hosts take a look at this interesting film that is as much arthouse as it is grindhouse.