On the BiTTE

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's a commune! 

In the concluding part of our New Year's Ross-olution, we look at Matt Ross' second feature CAPTAIN FANTASTIC. A story about a family of self-sufficient survivalists who live in the woods of Washington but take a road trip to attend their mother's funeral. As you might expect the journey is shenanigan's galore and we find, they learn a few lessons along the way. 

It's a solid follow-up to 28 HOTEL ROOMS with a genuine message and some 'interesting' ideas. Why is it called CAPTAIN FANTASTIC you might be asking? Well, you find out here but it's probably not what you were expecting. 

In our New Year's Ross-o-lution! (Laura's genius addition to this series) a limited series dedicated to the films of Matt Ross, we begin where you are likely to start; the debut feature 28 HOTEL ROOMS.

We give it a strong C+, a good start. But what you kinda get is a risky film that doesn't take the risks it needs to stand out a bit more. You can make up your mind about it but welcome back and here's to another successful year!

I can't believe we got here! No, honestly. How did we get here? It's all been a blur. The blur of movement we made to get to episode 40. We started this podcast in August of 2021 with the vain hopes it would do "OK". I'm just happy we ended 2022 on a round number. 

We celebrate episode 40 looking at Jalmari Helander's RARE EXPORTS, a "rare" welcome addition to the traditional Christmas viewing year in, year out. And we celebrate with friends. A whole bunch of them in a Christmas Party setting with similar antics. There's some suspect jokes, wild views and a dude on all-fours licking people's hands. It wouldn't be Christmas without it! 

But really, this is a special Christmas film and well worthy of being our last coverage of the year so sit back, pull up a foot rest, grab your egg-nog and gaze into the burning trash fire. We'll see you in the New Year. 

Tis the Season! And what better to depict this time of the year than a story of greed, adultery and murder than Stephen Hop... I mean, Simon Moore's UNDER SUSPICION. Starring the inimitable Liam Neeson (even though Ryan tries) and the cream of the crop of British telly and film performers, this "whodunnit" about defrauding the strict divorce laws set in late 1950's Brighton, starts off with a BANG (quite literally) but.... um.... kinda just... well... continues... to play. Neeson is the reason to stay for this one. Aptly put in this episode, "he's a Gandalf in a Hobbit world".

Oh boy. Here we are. After watching the scene out of context a few weeks ago, we've found ourselves in the indelible position of having to watch this 189-minute epic to cover on the podcast: AT PLAY IN THE FIELDS OF THE LORD, Héctor Babenco's  adventure/drama/trauma film from 1991. 

Don't mistake Ryan's excitement to cover this film purely on the basis of Tom Berenger's visage. We can't stress enough how messed up it is. And to others, there's some other stuff in this film that's about as (if not more) messed up. The evident cultural appropriation is 'baffling' but this is also a tale of modernity encroaching on native civilization and the damage that eventually causes, led squarely by a group of naive, judgmental white Christian missionaries. As you might expect, it doesn't exactly go as everyone hoped. 

"What were they thinking?", you might be expressing, which would be very appropriate. Trust us, this film is a ride. 

Does anyone remember that Rage in a Cage song? I'm not talking about that J. Geils Band song but that nu-metal one. And no, not the Pantera song either. Anyway, that was what I referencing for that one joke where I spontaneously broke into song. I thought it was funny. Anyway, here we are. 

Thanksgiving is on the horizon! We are nearing the end of another year of living. And here we are watching a film about a twin who murders all in his path, especially if you exhibit any form of sexual interaction with another human being. This man is beyond delighted to enact his jealous fueled celibacy rage. 

This is Blood Rage, AKA Slasher, AKA Complex, AKA Nightmare at Shadow Woods. A film with that many titles has to be 4 times as good!

As you can see, we sadly had to skip Bride of Re-Animator (1989) (no male nudity), but we pick right up 13 years later with Beyond Re-Animator (2003), this time helmed by the great Brian Yuzna! We didn't think there would be a lot to say about this film, simply because it's not amazing, but we were wrong. Animatronic rats, dancing penises, and nanoplasms intermingle to provide an adequately amusing finale to the Re-Animator series. Joined, once again, by Josh Martin of Uncomfortable Brunch and Orlando Pop Up Movie Services, we are ready to tango. 

We are joined, not only by friend of the podcast Josh Martin (of Uncomfortable Brunch and Orlando Pop Up Movie Services), but also by man-about-town Tighe Arnold, to discuss an absolute favorite: Stuart Gordon's Re-Animator (1985). Produced by the interminable Brian Yuzna, this is where a tag team becomes a real friendship. You know Laura loves a good friendship story, which means she also gets to talk about the friendship between Herbert West and Dan Cane. Love a good bromance. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the second selection of Spooky Penis Season (or as Josh so aptly calls it "Cocktoberfest"). 

And so it begins. Year two of "Spooky Penis Month!" Or as Miriam aptly retitled it, "Freaky Phallus Friday!" 

As you might be able to tell from the title, or within less than a minute into this, Miriam joins us again in the studio to talk about a horror film staring Mark Duplass. Last time, we  promised her a horror movie, and not a James Ivory peiod piece romp in the lake. What she got is (according to Ryan and Miriam) a horribly mediocre sequel that just so happens to have full-frontal: CREEP 2 (2017). Let's see how everyone felt about this? Well, actually, we just gave it away...

In the spirit of the tone and frivolity we have set ourselves in the creation of this podcast, these three films of Steve McQueen, three very serious films, have demanded our steely reserve. No more so than in the final chapter in our McQUEENER's trilogy, 12 YEARS A SLAVE, the telling of the true story of Solomon Northup from his memoir of the same name. An engaging, if brutally horrific film that is fully deserving of all its accolades.