Optimism Vaccine

THIS WEEK: WarGames (1983) and Cloak and Dagger (1984)

Whether you're a young Mathew Broderick or just the kid from E.T., the only surefire way to protect America from a nefarious foreign power is with a little dab of Dabney Coleman. Join us as we confront 1980s cold war anxiety and Russophobia the only way we know how: By watching a pair of 40-year-old movies made for children.

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THIS WEEK: Crimes of the Future (2022), Crimes of the Future (1970), eXistenZ (1999)

David Cronenberg is back with more body horror because the man can't resist a good goopy bone machine. Plus, it's been a while since he's tried to make a film with the title Crimes of the Future so he needs to check that box. Grab a big ol' bar of tasty synthetic waste to munch on, kick your feet up, and see if you're ready to get on Dave's level.

Steve and Stephen endured cross-state travel and sweltering heat to check out Tears for Fears on their 2022 tour in support of The Tipping Point. How do the new songs translate live? More importantly, did the OV squad finally make it backstage or did Tears For Fears melt into a pile of black long sleeve shirts and perspiration?

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THIS WEEK: Thriller: A Cruel Picture AKA They Call Her One Eye (1973) and Breaking Point (1975)

Swedish director Bo Arne Vibenius may have gotten his start working with Ingmar Bergman, but he made his mark on cinema with the grindhouse classic, Thriller: A Cruel Picture. He's also the only director who has been breathlessly lauded by Quentin Tarantino and had multiple films completely banned in his home country. This week we're unraveling the slow-mo cruelty of Thriller and trying to wrap our heads around his darkly comedic XXX followup, Breaking Point.

THIS WEEK: The Guyver (1991) and Guyver: Dark Hero (1994)

Brian Yuzna sure did make a pile money off of Honey I Shrunk the Kids. That's the only explanation for this franchise based on an incomprehensible manga that boldly toes the line between body horror and Barney.

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THIS WEEK: Scanners 2: The New Order (1991), Scanners 3: The Takeover (1991), Scanner Cop (1994), and Scanner Cop 2: Volkin's Revenge (1995)

We celebrate the release of Crimes of the Future by examining the only franchise to emerge from a David Cronenberg film: Scanners. Surely, each sequel will prove more cerebral than the last.

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THIS WEEK: RRR (2022)

With Steve marooned on a godless island, we've called Jake Tropila away from his fatherly duties to discuss the best film of the... year? Decade? Century? All answers are valid.

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THIS WEEK: Mad Dog Time (1996) and Hell Ride (2008)

Larry Bishop rubbed shoulders with the Hollywood elite at a young age and made a name for himself among cult film fans with roles in classic biker exploitation movies like The Savage Seven and Wild in the Streets. So what happens when Larry cashes in his clout and connections to write and direct his own feature films?

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THIS WEEK: The Haunting of Morella (1990), The Demolitionist (1995), Amanda and the Alien (1995), and Blown Away (1993)

Nicole Eggert was an American television mainstay with roles on Who's the Boss, Charles in Charge, and later alongside Pamela Anderson on Baywatch. TV made her a star but what happened when Eggert became a leading lady in feature-length films? Let's just say your mileage with her movies may vary (unless you're a big Jim Wynorski fan).

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THIS WEEK: Father Stu (2022)

Sometimes God calls you to do something extraordinary. Maybe he wants you to get blackout drunk and carbo load until you're accepted into the priesthood. Maybe he wants you to team up with Mel Gibson and his girlfriend to make the Catholic biopic every major studio has already declined. Either way, nothing beats mop top Marky Mark on the silver screen teaching us about redemption and how to uppercut the blessed virgin to show her you mean business.

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