Not Now in Theaters: A Retro and Cult Film Podcast

Is John Dies at the End a modern cult film?

Director Don Coscarelli pulled magic from modest budgets with Phantasm and Bubba Ho-Tep. And in adapting David Wong's cosmic horror comedy novel John Dies at the End, well, he pulls up a lot of goo here.

And whether you love all the stuff, the many many bags of stuff, that are in this movie or not is the real question here.

While the film has mixed reviews, critics and audiences agree this comedy/horror is anything but boring.

So being a big Don Coscarelli fan, this was my dive into his last film to date.

Join me for a discussion of the film's bags of creativity, a cast that mixes newcomers and cult favorite vets, and whether or not a movie with this many ingredients holds together.

When college dropouts David and John try a drug called soy sauce, they receive supernatural powers and get pulled into a multi-dimensional battle to stop an invasion.

Written and Directed by Don Coscarelli. Based on John Dies at the End by David Wong.

Starring: 
Chase Williamson, Rob Mayes, Paul Giamatti, Clancy Brown, Glynn Turman, Doug Jones, and Daniel Roebuck

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Prospect is a bit of a space western and a definite science-fiction thriller.

The film started as a crowdfunded short and, when it attracted attention, got expanded into a full-blown release.

Prepare to have your mind blown by the fact that this film has a $4 million dollar budget yet memorably pulls off what many call "lo-fi sci-fi" or "lived-in sci-fi."

And with strong performances from leads Sophie Thatcher and Pedro Pascal (yes, he is in this), this is a movie that many audiences have found but still not enough have gotten to know.

Join me for a discussion of spaceships like latte cups, Pedro Pascal's slippery character Ezra, and the merits of not explaining your space tech.

Written and Directed by Zeek Earl and Chris Caldwell. 

Starring:

• Pedro Pascal
• Sophie Thatcher
• Jay Duplass

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The Death of Stalin is Armando Ianucci's satire of the true paranoia of life under Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.

The controversial film has won plenty of fans in some regions but was panned and banned in Russia.

Everyone lives in fear of the Soviet leader's frequent executions -- including and especially those closest to him of the Central Committee. 

But soon that table turns: it's Stalin who falls ill and seems at death's doorstep.

With the window closing on the Soviet leader's rule, well, a gaggle of conniving Central Committee members squirm and fight to see who can get through that window of power first.

In this British dark comedy, which of the Central Committee members will plot their way to the top?

In this episode, I discuss the film's hot potato politics, zany characters, and a ton of accents, yet none from Russia.

Directed by Armando Iannucci. 

Starring:

• Steve Buscemi
• Simon Russell Beale
• Paddy Considine
• Rupert Friend
• Jason Isaacs
• Michael Palin
• Andrea Riseborough
• Jeffrey Tambor

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The film industry is full of unrealized promising projects that, for whatever reason, fail to launch.

In this episode of side reels, I'm discussing my top five films we never got to see that I wish got made.

With so-far unrealized projects from George Miller, John Carpenter, Catherine Bigelow/James Cameron, Guillermo Del Toro, and Christopher Nolan -- we've really missed out.

From superheroes to steam punk, I'm speculating on what we could have had.

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Why do Cult Film Fans Love the Horror Comedy blend of House?

House started out as a straight horror film but was molded into a comedy.

A bonkers movie that worries less about making sense and more about entertainment value, it pits one down-on-his-luck writer against the machinations of a straight-up evil house.

As main character Roger Cobb battles demon witches, littler witch things, garden tools out to kill him, and slips through portals, we laugh at all the mayhem.

Join me for this discussion of the cult classic comedy horror from the decade that best did that -- the 1980s.

I'll be discussing the films puppets and props, whether it should or should not have neatly tied together, and the deepest of deep V-necks.

Directed by Steve Miner. Screenplay by Ethan Wiley. Story by Fred Dekker. Produced by Sean S. Cunningham. Starring William Katt, George Wendt, Richard Moll, and Kay Lenz.

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Drive (1997) blends Hong Kong action inspired sequences with American "buddy" humor.

Drive (1997) wasn't a movie you could go see at the box office, unless you lived in Japan or The Philippines.

It debuted on HBO and went straight to video, and it is mostly forgotten.

But thanks to the internet, me and many others who missed it back in the 1990s have been told of its ways by those who saw it. And, well, Drive's ways are amazing.

With explosive fight scenes featuring Mark Dacascos (Brotherhood of the Wolf) and the comic wingman skills of Kadeem Hardison (A Different World), this kickback action fest is a surprising cult pick.

When Toby, a former Hong Kong agent, is implanted with a device that gives him super speed and power, he flees, lest his device fall into the hands of the new Chinese government. But when he lands in San Francisco, he is chased by assassins trying to nab it back. Soon, Toby finds Malik, a struggling singer/songwriter. But Malik's got one important thing Toby needs: a car. Offering Malik a pile of cash for driving him to Los Angeles, Malik accepts.

Featuring battles with electrified stun baton wielding assassins, fights handcuffed together in a rock quarry, and a final showdown with an "advanced model" in a strange Apollo 14 restaurant, Drive is a bizarre but mesmerizing fight fest. And I had a blast breaking it all down for you in this latest episode.

Directed by Steve Wang. Written by Scott Phillips. Starring Mark Dacascos, Kadeem Hardison, Brittany Murphy, Tracey Walter, and John Pyper-Ferguson.

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How does Bone Tomahawk blend the western and horror genres together?

S. Craig Zahler's Bone Tomahawk is, like a throwback cult classic, a low-budget film that has carved out a large fanbase.

A "rescue western," the movie puts four men on a journey to rescue abducted townsfolk from a Native American tribe of otherworldly cannibals.

And although the movie is notorious for one graphic death scene, there's much more than simple exploitation here. There's a clever screenplay and a film about courage in the face of hardship.

Join for a discussion of the film's slow-burning realism, bone-crunching sound design, and lightning-quick violence.

Written and Directed by S. Craig Zahler. Starring Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox, Lilli Simmons, Richard Jenkins, Evan Jonigkeit, Kathryn Morris, Sid Haig, David Arquette, Fred Melamed

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Why was Dark Star so important to science-fiction films to come?

Dark Star began as a student film project by then-USC Students John Carpenter (Halloween) and Dan O'Bannon (Return of the Living Dead). But what started out as an amazing student film was, over the course of a few years, expanded into a full theatrical release.

And while Dark Star didn't fare too well at the box office, it gained cult status on the 1980s home video circuit. It jump-started Carpenter and O'Bannon's careers and influenced, or even helped create, science fiction franchises to come, like Alien and Star Wars.

But while the film's legacy is never in doubt, does it hold up today?

Join me for this episode as I discuss parodying 2001, space boredom, and conversations with talking bombs.

Directed by John Carpenter. Written by John Carpenter and Dan O'Bannon. Starring Dan O'Bannon, Brian Narelle, Cal Kuniholm, Dre Pahich. 

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The ending to The Mist shocked audiences.

The Mist has a notoriously difficult ending. Still, there are audiences who love it, including its original author, Stephen King.

But I couldn't stand it, and I wanted to discuss why.

Join me for this latest episode of Side Reels where I break down two reasons I loved the movie but couldn't sync with its ending.

The Mist. Directed by Frank Darabont. Screenplay by Frank Darabont, adapted from The Mist by Stephen King. Starring Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden, Andre Braugher, and Toby Jones.

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How was Hard Boiled crazy on and off the screen?

John Woo's Hard Boiled is considered by many to be one of the best action films of all time and possibly the director's biggest spectacle.

Starring two of Hong Kong Cinema's most celebrated male leads, Chow Yun-fat and Tony Leung, the movie continues Woo's exploration of the themes of "heroic bloodshed."

And there's plenty of Woo's trademark "gun-fu" here to enjoy.

Join me for a discussion of how Woo's improvised approach to the film pays off, heroic bloodshed as the antidote to the western buddy-cop formula, and manic baby rescues.

Directed by John Woo. Screenplay by Gordon Chan and Barry Wong. Story by John Woo. Produced by Linda Kuk and Terence Chang. Starring Chow Yun-fat, Tony Leung, Teresa Mo, Philip Chan, Philip Kwok, and Anthony Wong

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And to read more of Will's writing or check out more podcast episodes, you can visit him at: willturntale.com