Are you a straight man with violent urges and don’t know what to do with them? Well, 20th Century Fox’s big budget Fight Club (1999) has the perfect anti-capitalist message for YOU! While certainly problematic, David Fincher’s adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s novel subtly undercuts it’s own message of reclaiming masculinity through anarchy with style and aplomb. We dig into it along with ice tubes, sleddy things, and Homework: The Video Game, this week on Ex Rated Movies!

If you’re in the mood for a no-frills genre thriller with an Australian accent, look no further than the nautical but not-erotic, Dead Calm (1989). Starring a sun-kissed Nicole Kidman, a perfectly serviceable Sam Neill, and a mostly shirtless Billy Zane, this gorgeously shot tale of a traumatized couple enduring another trauma delivers the entertainment goods. Join us as we take a deep dive into poop decks, rave orgies, and dick poppers this week on Ex Rated Movies!

Practically brimming with merits, Tom Ford’s directorial debut A Single Man (2009), boasts impeccable production design, an exquisite score, and refined performances. Based on the Christopher Isherwood novel of the same name, this movie elegantly portrays a day in the life of a closeted gay man struggling with loss, depression, and alienation. And Ryan doesn’t like it one bit! Find out why as Matt kicks off his Ryan’s Wrong season this week on Ex Rated Movies!

Now that January 2019 has tumbled through the choke point of the hourglass, we return to our regularly scheduled programming with the terribly-titled, French New Wave-referencing, real-time homo-romance, Paris 5:59: Théo and Hugo (2016). Similar to Weekend yet wholly singular, this film manages to capture those ineffable feelings that come with a newfound attraction without censoring the hot sex that can spark it. Join us as we discuss our kitchen sink drama proclivities, the banality of civilization, and BFE this week on Ex Rated Movies!

For our final installment of Short and Sweets with the Dead Beats, we all sat down together like a happy little family and watched AM 1200 (2008). Best known for his cinematography work with David Fincher, David Prior shifts to the director’s chair for this creepy Lovecraftian thriller full of blackmail, religious zealots, and a huge gaping maw. Be sure to put some fresh batteries in your flashlight and check your car thermometer as Bonus Content January continues this week on Ex Rated Movies!

There’s something so French about a man going back in time to save humanity only to botch the whole mission because he fell in love. Ah, l’amour. Told almost entirely through still black and white photographs and voiceover narration, La Jetée (1962) manages to pull off the challenging feat of telling a cohesive hard sci-fi story while pushing the boundaries of film as a format. Join us, along with Kevin and Emily from the Dead Beat Film Society podcast for our fourth installment of Short & Sweets with the Dead Beats!

What’s your favorite idea? Ours is talking with the Dead Beat Film Society about the musical horror comedy web series Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared (2011-2016)! How did we get the idea? We just had to think creatively about our Bonus Content January programming! It’s time to go to time as we discuss chicken picnics, creative colors, and drowning in oil on this Short & Sweet episode of Ex Rated Movies!

And check out Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZOnoLKzoBItcEk5OsES2TA

Considered a landmark of American avant garde cinema, Meshes of the Afternoon (1943) is an inspired work of imagination that is equal parts, thrilling, unnerving, and beautiful. The Dead Beat Film Society joins us to try and make sense of this abstract masterpiece on this, our second installment of Short & Sweets with the Dead Beats!

Check out the short film Season of the Witch, which was inspired by Meshes and scored by Ryan here: https://vimeo.com/189232014

BoCo January continues with the first of a five-part series we’re calling, Short & Sweet with the Dead Beats. We got together with our friends Emily and Kevin from the Dead Beat Film Society podcast to jabber on about some films that may be short in duration but are definitely rich in substance. First up: Michael Jackson’s strange yet seminal music video, Thriller (1983).

We’re taking a break from our regularly scheduled programming this month but that doesn’t mean we’re not going to deliver the hot quality pod you’ve come to expect! This week, for our first episode of Bonus Content January, we managed to land an interview with the multi-talented, in-demand costume designer Mairi Chisholm. Join us for a delightful conversation about the ins and outs of the biz, fatherly expectations, and what panty lines (or lack thereof) say about a character.

And check out Mairi’s work here: https://www.mairichisholm.com/