Not Now in Theaters: A Retro and Cult Film Podcast

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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Why do Horror Fans continue to love Night of the Creeps?

Night of the Creeps performed poorly at the box office but has endured as a classic piece of 1980s horror.

A genre mashup that includes all the things horror and science fiction, Fred Dekker created an unorthodox B movie in the mold of his favorites and came out with something fans hold dear.

With practical effects from, among others, the founders of the KNB EFX Group, the cheesy and silly and disgusting fun is a throwback to times when filmmaking felt personal.

When aliens toss a canister of mind-controlling slugs to Earth, it's up to two college students, a love interest, and a hard-boiled detective to stop the creeps from ruining the formal.

Join me for this episode as I discuss heartfelt goodbye recordings, the joy of shotguns and flamethrowers, and how Tom Atkins is having the time of his life.

Written and directed by Fred Dekker. Produced by Charles Gordon. Starring Jason Lively, Steve Marshall, Jill Whitlow, and Tom Atkins.

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Sid and Nancy shows love can be as addicting as drugs.

British cult film Sid and Nancy is a Criterion collected work and a notable cult film of the 1980s. 

As a member of infamous British punk rock pioneers The Sex Pistols, Sid Vicious has the stardom many young men would crave. But when he becomes involved with new girlfriend Nancy Spungen, the couples' appetite for drugs spins them out of control.

Join me for this discussion of the 1986 rock biopic before that was a real thing and done in a very punk way.

In this episode, I discuss the legendary Sir Roger Deakins's cinematography you can't unsee, the film's surreal moments, and Gary Oldman's wild turn in the title role.

Directed by Alex Cox. Written by Alex Cox and Abbe Wool. Starring Gary Oldman and Chloe Webb. Cinematography by Roger Deakins. Music By Joe Strummer, Pray for Rain, and The Pogues.

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What movies and TV shows did Brandon Lee appear in before his final role in The Crow?

Brandon Lee was more than a martial artist and actor with an ultra-famous father. I'm convinced he was a performer on the way to serious Hollywood stardom.

But while you may know his breakout role in The Crow, what were his previous film and television appearances like?

This episode takes a look at Legacy of Rage, Laser Mission, Showdown in Little Tokyo, and Rapid Fire, Lee's first four film roles, as well as a few comments about his TV appearances.

I discuss how the madcap end of Legacy of Rage gets all John Woo style, how the flawed Laser Mission is a new not-so-guilty pleasure, and Rapid Fire's strong action scenes yet middling nature.

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What makes Battle Beyond the Stars a throwback, knock-off science-fiction film worth a nostalgia watch?

After Star Wars reeled in the dollars at the late 1970s box office, imitators around the film industry were everywhere.

Battle Beyond the Stars is Roger Corman's way of making a space adventure on a budget, hoping to capitalize on the wave.

But the moviemakers turned to Akira Kurosawa just as much as George Lucas, as this film is like Seven Samurai in space (or its American remake, The Magnificent Seven).

But little did Roger Corman know he had all-time talent working for him on the film. James Cameron (Terminator 2: Judgment Day) ended up in charge of special effects, and this is the first film scored by all-time great composer James Horner (Titanic).

Join me for this episode as I discuss the talking ship with questionable female anatomy, the frustrations of watching battles like laser chicken, and the hilarious battlecry that came from nowhere to make me laugh.

Directed by Jimmy T. Murakami. Screenplay by John Sayles. Story by John Sayles and Anne Dyer, based on Seven Samurai by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Oguni.

Starring Richard Thomas, Robert Vaughn, George Peppard, John Saxon, Sybil Danning, and Darlanne Fluegel.

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What makes Walter Hill's The Long Riders a sweeping but violent historical biographical western?

The Long Riders just about broke even at the box office (according to star Stacey Keach), and it doesn't seem the film that gets a lot of play nowadays.

But this biographical western about the James-Younger gang, to this day, is well-reviewed by fans and critics alike.

The movie is probably most remembered as the "brothers" film, because it cast four real-life sets of brothers to play the gang.

But there's more than just a casting gimmick behind the movie, and its dreamlike storytelling helps set it apart.

Join me for this episode as I discuss David Carradine's impressive performance, an amazing horse stunt, and whether or not the movie can overcome its lack of commentary on the gang's historical place in American history.

Directed by Walter Hill. Starring David Carradine, Keith Carradine, Robert Carradine, James Keach, Stacy Keach, Dennis Quaid, Randy Quaid, Christopher Guest, and Nicholas Guest.

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What makes Katherine Bigelow's Near Dark a vampire film that doesn't play by the usual rules?

Near Dark is a vampire film that didn't catch too much audience attention at release but quietly found its way to cult horror movie status.

A bit of a Neo-western, the movie is about a small-town Oklahoma kid named Caleb who falls in love with a girl named Mae who ends up being a vampire. And when she bites him, she pulls him into the world of the night and hiding from the light of day.

But what sets this film apart is its revisionist depiction of the vampire mythos. Instead of the glamorous world of near invisibility, it's the pathetic world of Near Dark. The vampires in the film are vagabonds, struggling to stay out of sight and avoiding the sun.

Join me for this discussion of low-tech sunblocking methods, performances and scenes you won't forget, and whether or not one of the wrinkles in the plot spoils the movie.

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow. Written by Eric Red and Kathryn Bigelow. Starring Adrian Pasdar, Jenny Wright, Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton, Jenette Goldstein, and Tim Thomerson.

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Why do horror fans keep discovering the VHS-era thrills of Maniac Cop?

William Lustig's Maniac Cop is best-known for the appearances of horror icons Tom Atkins (Halloween III: Season of the Witch) and Bruce Campbell (The Evil Dead) as well as cult film actor Robert Z'Dar (Samurai Cop).

The movie looks like a brainless Friday the 13th clone but is written with smarts by the famous Larry Cohen. The berserker cop on a killing spree will satisfy genre fans, but it spins up a hard-boiled detective and a conspiratorial backstory. 

Join me for a discussion of the film's unorthodox structure of three protagonists, unexpected twists, and mighty-fine chins and stiff upper detective lips.

Directed by William Lustig. Written and produced by Larry Cohen. Starring Tom Atkins, Bruce Campbell, Laurene Landon, Richard Roundtree, William Smith, Robert Z'Dar, and Sheree North.

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Could Dredd 2012 Overcome the Poor Reputation of Judge Dredd 1995?

Judge Dredd is a well-known comic book character from the anthology series 2000 AD.  The series has run from the late 1970s to current, drawing close to its 50-year-anniversary.

Yet when it comes to his time at the big screen, the cynical tough guy hasn't found the same success.

Judge Dredd 1995 was a box-office underperformer and a critical failure.

But could the venerable Alex Garland (28 Years Later) and Karl Urban (The Boys) put together an adaptation that pleased fans of the comics, won over critics, and raked in the dollars?

Well, not to spoil things, but this episode is about how the movie pulled off two out of three from that list. And, hey, two out of three aint so bad.

Join me for this discussion of Karl Urban's power chin, Lena Headey's fear-inducing turn as Ma-Ma, and a drug that makes you hear Justin Bieber at the slowest clip possible.

Directed by Pete Travis. Screenplay by Alex Garland. Based on Judge Dredd by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra. Starring Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Wood Harris, and Lena Headey.

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Can a filmmaker produce high-quality action on a shoestring budget?

Versus is a zombie action horror film that goes heavy on substance -- combining gun-fu, martial arts, sword fighting, zombies, Yakuza gangsters -- but light on funds -- starting out with a budget in just the tens of thousands of dollars.

An exhilarating action spectacle, the film did little in any box office yet spread around the world in the early days of DVD releases, becoming a cult hit.

Ryuhei Kitamura's (Godzilla: Final Wars) debut feature film, the movie is called Versus because of all the fighting in the film and the director's battles off-screen to  become a director. 

Paying homage to his hero Sam Raimi, this is a low-budget movie also made in the woods with friends that launched careers and captured the vibe of a particular era: the early 2000s.

Join me for this discussion of the Japanese cult action classic and its lasting legacy.

I'll be talking wicked camera moves, all the actions of action, and the film's comedy.

Directed by Ryuhei Kitamura. Starring Tak Sakaguchi, Hideo Sakaki, Chieko Misaka, and Kenji Matsuda.

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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