Optimism Vaccine

THIS WEEK: The Laughing Dead (1989) and Shatter Dead (1994)

From the fringe corners of the zombie film spectrum comes a pair of movies that might have "dead" in the title but couldn't be further from anything George A. Romero has cooked up. One is a bleak, shot-on-video masterpiece proudly proclaiming that "God hates you." The other is about catholic romance, kaiju battles, and basketball. Normal stuff, really.

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THIS WEEK: High Risk (1995) and The Red Wolf (1995)

Steve is sick, Miros is hung over, and Jack is fending off a feral dog. Ideal recording conditions for discussing two Hong Kong Die Hard clones. Does one of them exist solely to spite Jackie Chan in surprisingly vulgar fashion? You betcha!

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THIS WEEK: Champagne and Bullets AKA Geteven AKA Road to Revenge (1993)

How do you measure greatness? When do you know you're watching an unimpeachable masterpiece? What is it like to touch the hand of God?

The closest any of us can really get is John DeHart's 1993 movie, Champagne and Bullets. Originally released to little fanfare and then re-edited and re-released multiple times by writer/director/actor/producer/composer John DeHart under alternate titles, Champagne and Bullets is an unforgettable film full of action, painfully long sex scenes, and satanic baby sacrifices.

Witness a visibly drunk Wings Hauser give the performance of a lifetime! Stand in awe of William Smith's gravel-voiced portrayal of the dastardly Normad (yes that's with a "d")!

Open your heart, dear listener, and let John DeHart gently shimmy slide into it.

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THIS WEEK: Snapdragon (1993), Raw Force (1994), Barb Wire (1996), Naked Souls (1996)

From Playboy centerfold to first-run syndication starlet and tabloid fodder, only one woman can claim the title of THE definitive cultural icon of the 1990s: Pamela Anderson. Sure, you're probably familiar with Anderson's big-budget studio film, Barb Wire, but what about the rest of her cinematic oeuvre? Join us as we dissect the 90s movies that made Pam Anderson (not so) famous, read excerpts from her semi-autobiographical novels, and try to figure out how she got involved with a Power Rangers director.

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THIS WEEK: Fatal Exam (1990), Beyond Dream's Door (1989), Winterbeast (1992)

From the crusty bowels of middle America to a crisp HD Vinegar Syndrome boxset, Homegrown Horror Volume 1 collects three regional horror films from the 80s and 90s. Join the OV boys as we wax poetic about goopy monsters shot on 16mm, claymation stop motion action, and hanging out with your St. Louis buds.

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THIS WEEK: Nothing But Trouble (1991), Cool As Ice (1991), Return to the Blue Lagoon (1991), Hudson Hawk (1991), and Dice Rules (1991)

The morning zoo crew tackles the hottest awards show in tinsel town.

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After seven years of podcasting and 18 years since Everybody Loves a Happy Ending, a day we never thought would come has arrived. There's finally a brand new Tears for Fears album. Steve and Stephen dive headfirst into The Tipping Point, share their initial impressions, expectations vs reality, and more.

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THIS WEEK: Boardinghouse (1982) and Pathogen (2006)

The OV Team turns their keen critical eyes to the world of shot-on-video horror films. First up, Boardinghouse, the film that dared to combine murder, music and man thongs. It also holds the distinction of being completely incomprehensible AND the first SOV film released theatrically. The chaser to this shot of 80's sleaze is Pathogen; a homegrown zombie film written, directed and starring an actual 12-year-old.

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When inspiration fails to strike, the siren’s call of our unwatched physical media shelves beckons. Recently restored by Vinegar Syndrome, the OV gang examines a pair of early 90s actioners that co-star the indomitable Cynthia Rothrock in tales of broken familial bonds and illegal sports car smuggling. If our criminal justice system were to ever fail, rest easy, because a shape-shifting supercop occasionally known as “Martial Law” will always be there to take down the bad guys.

This week: Martial Law (1991) and Martial Law II: Undercover (1992)

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THIS WEEK: Man to Man with Dean Learner (2006), Submarine (2010), The Double (2013)

I bet you saw the title of this episode and thought "Damn, the OV boys got Ayoade on the pod?" Boy, wouldn't that be great? But you should know better. This week, we're talking Ayoade's contribution to the world of film and television + maybe taking a brief aside to educate Miros on what Jeff Dunham's puppets mean to the American heartland.

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