Diabolique Webcast

On this episode of the Diabolique Webcast, writer and critic Deirdre Crimmins joins us to discuss director Herk Harvey’s 1962 cult classic. Yes, cult classic—a phrase these days so easily tossed around and blown over the edge that it’s drowning in insignificance; but here, with Carnival of Souls, it couldn’t be more aptly applied.

On this special episode of the Diabolique Webcast, Jean-Paul Ouellette, the second unit action director on The Terminator, adds some never-before-shared behind-the-scenes stories from the making of the film. The episode consists of two parts. In the first part, I discusses the film with David Kleiler and J-P Ouellette. In the second part, J-P and I hold an in-depth discussion on the making of the film.

Earlier this year, when Shout Factory announced their Blu-ray release of John Carpenter’s Village of the Damned, I can’t say I was enthusiastic about the news. It mostly served to remind me how much I wanted to like the film and that I found it hugely disappointing. Sure, it’s neatly stylish, and even cool at times. But it’s a colorfully lackluster endeavor that sure doesn’t stand up to director Wolf Rilla’s black-and-white original—a film more worthy of appreciation.

On this episode of the Diabolique Webcast, J. P. Ouellette, David Kleiler, and I discuss the 1960 original Village of the Damned, which needs the well-produced-Blu-ray-release treatment afforded its remake.

The Tenant isn't the first film I think of when the name Roman Polanski is mentioned. The director's 1976 film strikes me more as a curiosity. Does its central character, Trelkovsky, out of all the characters in Polanski's films, most represent the the real Roman Polanski? Parallels are easily drawn; it seems certainly a strong case of a filmmaker's identification with a character. And that's The Tenant's attraction. We could well be watching a surreal impression of Polanski's timorous life.

Mulholland Drive is perhaps a unique sort of puzzle—one that's different upon every deconstruction. Conversationally you can take the film apart and put it back together and maybe you'll come up with an entirely different theory as to what's truly going on in director David Lynch's 2001 psychodrama.

On this episode of the Diabolique Webcast, writer/producer/director J. P. Ouillette and Prof. David Kleiler join me to discuss Mulholland Drive, which was recently released on Blu-ray by The Criterion Collection. Speaking for myself, if I recorded this podcast again I might arrive at completely different conclusions about the film. So go ahead and press play for my current take.

The Brood entertains the notion that psychotherapy can be dangerous. It doesn’t merely result in a changing of one’s mind, it can also result in a changing of one’s body—disturbingly so. And woe be the therapist who messes around with this power. This playing on a fear of psychology is the territory of David Cronenberg.

On this episode of the Diabolique Webcast, writer/producer/director J. P. Ouillette joins David Kleiler and me to discuss The Brood, which will soon be released on Blu-ray by the Criterion Collection.

From a technical strand-point, director Brian de Palma's 1980 psychological thriller Dressed to Kill is top notch. His fascination with the techniques of filmmaking makes the film a treasure trove for cinephiles. The film has its detractors, of course, but fans of split-diopter and tracking shots can't deny that Dressed to Kill has beautiful examples of both. And I'll admit, I can be charmed by a film's style enough to forgive deviations from its narrative. Mr. de Palma believes you can too.

On this episode of the Diabolique Webcast, David Kleiler and I consider the merits of Dressed to Kill, which will be released on Blu-ray by the Criterion Collection in September.

Time has been good to Escape from New York. From the cinema netherworld of the early 80s, John Carpenter’s dystopian adventure prospered on home-video, spawned a sequel, and has been emblemized by cinephiles as an avatar of eighties cool. On this episode of the Diabolique Webcast, Improper Bostonian film critic, and fellow Boston Online Film Critic Association member, Brett Michel and I discuss the making of Escape from New York and the film’s lasting appeal.​

Much has been written about Quentin Tarantino’s influences – the Spaghetti Westerns of Leone and Corbucci; the French New wave, particularly Goddard’s Band of Outsiders and Breathless; and, more significantly McBride’s 1983 remake of Breathless. And let’s not forget the Italian horrors of Mario Bava and Dario Argento; Fukusaku’s Battle Royale; and American Slasher films. With Death Proof, Tarantino creates a fascinating combination of these influences within the framework of a Slasher film. In this episode, David Kleiler and I take on the unique genre mash-up that is Death Proof, Tarantino’s tip-of-the-hat to Grindhouse cinema.​

Much has been written about Quentin Tarantino’s influences – the Spaghetti Westerns of Leone and Corbucci; the French New wave, particularly Goddard’s Band of Outsiders and Breathless; and, more significantly McBride’s 1983 remake of Breathless. And let’s not forget the Italian horrors of Mario Bava and Dario Argento; Fukusaku’s Battle Royale; and American Slasher films. With Death Proof, Tarantino creates a fascinating combination of these influences within the framework of a Slasher film. In this episode, David Kleiler and I take on the unique genre mash-up that is Death Proof, Tarantino’s tip-of-the-hat to Grindhouse cinema.​