Optimism Vaccine

THIS WEEK: Sonatine (1993), Kids Return (1996) and Hana-bi (1997)

The third time is the charm in our exploration of Takeshi Kitano. We've finally ventured beyond his odd late career dalliances and into the 90s, when Kitano felt like the most vital filmmaker on the goddamn planet.

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THIS WEEK: Hellzapoppin' (1941) and Date Movie (2006)

When a Patreon subscriber requests one of the best slapstick meta-comedy musicals of all time we are contractually obliged to pair it with one of the most maligned comedies of all time. If this were a video podcast you'd see us whipping ourselves like Flagellant Christians looking for penance.

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THIS WEEK: Outrage (2010), Beyond Outrage (2012), Outrage Coda (2017)

Takeshi Kitano does an about-face from his self destructive introspection and returns to the world of stone-faced Yakuza violence and double crosses.

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THIS WEEK: Gone With The Pope (2010), Grizzly II: Revenge (2020), and New York Ninja (2021)

We have plenty of stories of dusty 35mm film reels rescued from obscurity and finally given the reverence and restoration they deserve. It's far rarer when a film that was never completed is rescued and reconstructed. This week, we're looking at three unique approaches to film reconstruction. From Bob Murawski's slick editing and commitment to director Duke Mitchell's vision, to a three-decade-long journey ultimately resulting in a head-spinning horror sequel, and even a full "re-directing" and re-dubbed version of an unreleased John Liu oddity.

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THIS WEEK: Takeshis' (2005), Glory to the Filmmaker (2007), Achilles and the Tortoise (2008)

What do you do when you’re Takeshi Kitano, Japan’s ubiquitous, wildly successful TV and film star, and you begin questioning your own value as an artist? You get introspective introspective and try your best to self-destruct in the most interesting way possible.

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THIS WEEK: The Hand (1981), Body Parts (1991), Idle Hands (1999)

What do Oliver Stone, the guy who wrote The Hitcher and Timothée Chalamet’s uncle have in common? They’ve all made films about killer limbs. Is this loose theme enough to carry an episode? Maybe! Or maybe this was just an excuse to watch another movie starring Jeff Fahey.

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THIS WEEK: House (1985), House II: The Second Story (1987), House III: The Horror Show (1989), House IV (1992)

You might remember House as the dusty VHS tape at your local video store with the creepy finger ringing a doorbell. Maybe you remember House II because of the brilliant subtitle, THE SECOND STORY. Perhaps you caught House III on TV years ago because you spent a solid 20 minutes believing it was Wes Craven's Shocker. And you absolutely don't remember House IV so don't try to act like you do.

No matter what, only one is certain: We should have watched House Party instead.

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THIS WEEK: Ringmaster (1998) and Citizen Verdict (2003)

Jerry Springer survived the Holocaust and then grew up to become a sleazy, salacious gift who graced our TV screens and local multiplex/dvd bargain bin. Jerry taught us that you shouldn't pay for a prostitute with a personal check, but if you do, you can still be mayor of Cincinnati. He also taught us that it's cool to punch your mom in front of a live studio audience if she slept with your boyfriend. Most of all, he taught us that no matter what, when you're at the height of your fame, people will pay you large sums of money to be in movies, regardless of your talent.

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THIS WEEK: Ghosthouse (1988), Witchery (1988), Beyond Darkness (1990)

While noted coward and layabout Sam Raimi was busy not making Army of Darkness, the brave and noble Italian film industry stepped in with three Evil Dead sequels of their own. The La Casa series proves once and for all that with the power of Claudio Fragasso, Umberto Lenzi, Fabrizio Laurenti, and Joe D'Amato, anything is possible.

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THIS WEEK: Fuck The Devil (1990), Frostbiter: Wrath of the Wendigo (1995), and Bloody Muscle Body Builder in Hell

Adam Miros returns from his heroic effort to boost Renfield's box office by seeing the film 5 times a day and demands we watch the new Evil Dead film, Evil Dead Rise. Instead, OV takes on three Evil Dead knock-offs from around the globe: A german SOV amateur nightmare, A Japanese super-8 splatterfest, and a goofy Raimi-inspired horror flick shot in the snowy woods of Michigan.

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