Forgotten Cinema

The Mike's are watching Christian Bale get thin. Like I mean...real thin. Gross thin.

That's right, Mike Field and Mike Butler are talking about the 2004 film, The Machinist, starring Christian Bale and directed by Brad Anderson; where Bale being super gross thin is probably the only thing you know about this film!

The Mikes talk about how marketing the film by showcasing only the ridiculous weight loss Bale went through for the role of Trevor Reznik actually might have hurt this film; disgusting potential viewers and not telling a potential audience what this film truly was; an Alfred Hitchcock style film with a solid mystery and solid cast. Mike Field and Mike Butler talk about how this film was shot in Spain, dressed up to look like LA, what Bale did to loose all of his weight, and how the Hitchcock influence actually happened in the editing room.

So grab your popcorn and soda, please notice the exits to the left and right of you, and settle down for Forgotten Cinema. 

Thank you so much to Marvel Dice Throne for supporting today's episode. Please use the following link to check out their Kickstarter, support the campaign, and reserve your copy.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dicethrone/marvel-dice-throne?ref=e4adag

It's Jaws, but set in Africa, at the turn of the 20th century, and it's lions and Val Kilmer instead of Sharks and Roy Scheider...and forgotten? That's right it's the 1996 film, The Ghost and the Darkness!

Season 11 premieres with lions and blood and.....Michael Douglas!!! Mike Butler and Mike Field take a look at this film based on a true story where the most unbelievable parts are true!!! The Mikes truly enjoy this film that does have it's flaws; from Douglas' character who becomes a main halfway through only to have a very underwhelming exit, to cuts that seem to have been made to quicken the pace, but also seem jarring. The Mikes are too into the lion attacks that are increasingly unbelievable and yet somehow actually happened! Along with Val Kilmer's portrayal of John Henry Patterson, and strong supporting turns from John Kani and Henry Cele, this film is one that both Mikes can agree should not be forgotten, even if filming the movie is something that the director, Stephen Hopkins, would rather soon forget.

So grab your popcorn and soda, please notice the exits to the left and right of you, and settle down for Forgotten Cinema. 

Thank you so much to Marvel Dice Throne for supporting today's episode. Please use the following link to check out their Kickstarter, support the campaign, and reserve your copy.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dicethrone/marvel-dice-throne?ref=e4adag

Hey guys...you know what would be fun to do for a season finale and finale of the third annual Forgotten Horror? Let's Scare Jessica to Death!!! Get it? Because that's the movie that the Mikes are talking abou.....those boo's better be from ghosts!!!

Mike Field and Mike Butler talk about the 1971 film, Let's Scare Jessica to Death, directed by John D. Hancock, who got the directing gig for Jaws 2 based on one of the scenes from this film...before he got himself fired from said big career opportunity.

The Mikes will bring up that fact and more as they discuss what they thought of this film. From the odd way they present the vampires in the film, to the poor use of the supporting actors. Butler will lament that although the idea of the film is solid and the attempt at tackling themes of mental health within a horror film is admirable for a film from 1971, everything else is incredibly lackluster and handled in such a muddled way. Field will of course disagree with Butler and talk about his respect for a low budget film that goes so far and gets the director a shot at the big show; even if said director does blow it. Butler is probably wrong though, as this is one of Stephen King's favorite horror films.

So grab your frog's breath and worm's wort, please don't eat the deadly nightshade to the left and right of you and prepare for Halloween as you listen to the finale to the third annual Forgotten Horror!

Thank you so much to Marvel Dice Throne for supporting today's episode. Please use the following link to check out their Kickstarter, support the campaign, and reserve your copy.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dicethrone/marvel-dice-throne?ref=e4adag

Read any good books lately? No? The Mike's haven't either because they're too busy with their next Forgotten Horror film, John Carpenter's In the Mouth of Madness, starring Sam Neill.

Join Mike Butler and Mike Field as they discuss this 1994 horror film; part of Carpenter's self proclaimed Apocalypse trilogy. The Mikes will talk about how the concept for this film is its strongest point. A writer creating Hell on Earth when everything he writes comes true. The homages to both Stephen King and HP Lovecraft abound in this film as well, which the Mikes also find as a strong point. Butler is a big fan of the anything goes, monsters from beyond aspect to the film, as well as some abstract, almost David Lynch moments that occur.

Though Butler enjoyed the film quite a bit, he agrees with Field that In the Mouth of Madness has story beats that are missing. This could either be from deleted scenes or just inherent to the script which is why before landing on John Carpenter it went through a revolving door of directors.

So grab your eyeballs and entrails, please notice the bleeding walls to the left and right of you and prepare your immortal soul for more Forgotten Horror. 

In Northern Alaska, Josh Hartnett is fighting vampires to protect his small town in 2007's 30 Days of Night, directed by David Slade.

Listen in as Mike Field and Mike Butler discuss this action/horror film; both the good and the bad. The Mikes enjoy the action, the setting, and some of the actors in their roles, but film is plagued by other characters that seem wasted, generic, or just plain useless. Some of the vampire lore that the film attempts to set up also seems to make little sense or contradict itself at times. Field and Butler will talk about some of the character actions seeming to happen just to move the story along and Butler believes that the final act was a big rush job just to wrap it all up. That being said, the Mikes thoroughly enjoy the action, and the story presented within the film. It's a decent film that like a vampire victim's neck, has a lot of holes.

So grab your EMF Reader and voice recorder, please notice the ectoplasm puddles to the left and right of you, and float your way into Forgotten Horror. 

It's that time of year again!

Time to get Spooky y'all!!!!!

It's time for the third annual Forgotten Horror! On this first adventure in fear, the Mikes are discussing the 1987 John Carpenter film Prince of Darkness.

Join Mike Butler and Mike Field as they discuss the interesting way that the film attempts to blend science fiction and biblical horror. The Mikes also discuss the fantastic use of practical effects in the film and the way that the film succeeds with it's singular location and tight script. They will also talk about some of the less than spectacular performances and a cameo that Butler finds to be a little too much. They'll also agree that the film is rife for a sequel that can also serve as a reboot of sorts without ignoring the original.

So press play on this episode if you dare and listen to the Mikes discuss the first Forgotten Horror film that gave Field a nightmare! Mwahahahaha!!!!

So grab your crucifix and steak, please notice that sunrise is in about two hours, and sink your teeth into Forgotten Horror. 

The Mikes are hunting for a serial killer in Soviet Russia on this episode of Forgotten Cinema as they discuss the 1995 film Citizen X, starring Stephen Rea and Donald Sutherland. An HBO film.

You read that right; Mike Butler and Mike Field are doing a "TV" movie!!! Butler was hoodwinked I tells ya! Field tricked him! But the stigma of non-cinema releases aside, Butler believes this is one of the best films that they have covered thus far on the podcast that he has not already seen.

Listen in as the Mikes discuss the amazing character arch's of both Sutherland and Rea; their chemistry together and their overall fantastic acting. The writing is also top notch in this film which has a surprising amount of heart and warmth in a film which in itself is about the hunt for a man of pure evil.

So grab your popcorn and soda, please notice the exits to the left and right of you, and settle down for Forgotten Cinema. 

"My God! It's full of stars!

That's right, the Mikes are taking on the sequel to what is widely considered one of the greatest movies ever made, 2010: The Year We Make Contact, which was directed, written, and filmed by Peter Hyams and starring Roy Scheider, John Lithgow, and Helen Mirren.

Join Mike Butler and Mike Field as they talk about how this film went up against in possible odds; not just in box office competition (although it absolutely did), but also in that it would always be judged, unfairly, against the Stanley Kubrick classic, 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Field and Butler talk about the fantastic acting from Scheider and crew, the fact that this film has a lot of great story to it and tells a story of science and exploration that most films, even today, do not.

They'll also discuss how this film, 16 years later, doesn't hold a candle to 2001 special effects-wise and ponder what could be if they continued the series whose book versions have two more sequels.

All in all though the Mikes will hopefully convince you to watch an overlooked sequel to a classic that holds up on its own through story, writing, and theme.

Special thanks to the Mike's pal, Greg Antonini, who have been pestering them to cover this movie since before they even started recording the podcast.

So grab your popcorn and soda, please notice the exits to the left and right of you, and settle down for Forgotten Cinema. 

You and the Mikes, you're gonna have a fight. Today. After school. Three o'clock. In the parking lot. You try and run, they're gonna track you down. You go to a teacher, it's only gonna get worse. You sneak home, they're gonna be under your bed.

That's right! The Mikes are fighting you! No...wait. Correction. The Mikes are talking about the 1987 cult classic comedy Three O'Clock High, starring Casey Siemaszko and Richard Tyson, and "not" produced by Steven Spielberg.

Listen in as Mike Butler and Mike Field discuss why this film has been criminally overlooked by fans of 80's teen comedy. From director Phil Joanou taking inspiration from Martin Scorsese's After Hours and Raging Bull, the use of Tangerine Dreams' score, to the way the film plays out in its final moments of actually having the titular three o'clock fight. The Mikes also discuss how the film eschews typical teen "archetypes" and displays a heightened, but perhaps slightly more realistic look at how high school and being a teenager really works. Butler breaks down why he believes this film is better than many of the John Hughes teen films of the 80's, especially The Breakfast Club and Mike Field argues that had Spielberg kept his name attached to this picture, it would be remembered not as a cult comedy, but a classic comedy.

So grab your popcorn and soda, please notice the exits to the left and right of you, and settle down for Forgotten Cinema. 

"What I want out of each and every one of you is a hard-target search of every gas station, residence, warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse and doghouse in that area."

Wait...we're not doing that one. Much to Field's chagrin.

The Mikes are discussing the 1998 sequel to The Fugitive, the Stuart Baird directed US Marshals, starring Tommy Lee Jones returning as US Marshal Sam Gerard out to capture Wesley Snipes' fugitive spy, Mark Sheridan.

Mike Field can't help but compare this film to 1993 Harrison Ford original; which Mike Butler sees as unfair, but understandable. Listen in as they debate about the character of Sam Gerard, and whether or not he is performing the character in the same way as in the first film. Field and Butler also talk the awesome practical effects and stunt work used in the film, and an original third act that was re-written and reshot due to test audience feedback; a third act that may have been more interesting, more engaging, and more true to the characters that have been on screen for two thirds of the film already. Had they used this ending, maybe we could have seen more films with Sam Gerard and his Marshals.

So grab your popcorn and soda, please notice the exits to the left and right of you, and settle down for Forgotten Cinema.