Optimism Vaccine

What's the best way to gain insight into the soul of America? By watching a pair of revered genre classics from Cannon Films, of course. Special guest Colin Tanner joins us as we end the year breaking down cinema's ultimate conservative power fantasies and attempt to pin down the source of Charles Bronson's sexy grandpa energy (Pall Malls and Kessler?).

THIS WEEK: Joe (1970) and Death Wish 3 (1985)

Rate and Review Optimism Vaccine on iTunes: https://bit.ly/OptimismVaccine

Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/optimismvaccine

We're getting into the holiday spirit with our old yuletide pals: unbathed Mel Gibson and Kirk Cameron the irredeemable sewer chud! Plus, we check out an underappreciated French genre gem that begs the question "What if Home Alone had an R rating?"

Crank up the Bonnie Tyler record, baby. Christmas has never been more festive.

THIS WEEK: Saving Christmas (2014), Fatman (2020), and Deadly Games: Dial Code Santa Claus (1989)

Rate and Review Optimism Vaccine on iTunes: https://bit.ly/OptimismVaccine

Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/optimismvaccine

Not every great movie in 2020 can star a bloated Russell Crowe but we did find a dozen or so other films that were pretty decent. Kristy Strouse, editor-in-chief of Film Inquiry, joins us to help pick out the best-of-best from this year.

THIS WEEK: City Hall, Undine, Fourteen, Tommaso, Siberia, Da 5 Bloods, On the Rocks, Days, Bacurau, The Assistant, I'm Thinking of Ending Things, First Cow

Rate and Review Optimism Vaccine on iTunes: https://bit.ly/OptimismVaccine

Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/optimismvaccine

Is Twins a top-tier 80s comedy? Of course not. It's probably not even a top-tier Arnold Schwarzenegger comedy or Ivan Reitman movie if we're being honest. Maybe it's the funniest eugenics comedy. At least we can all agree that there's something special about Arnie belting out "Yakety Yak" on an airplane.

Anyway, we paired this with a Frank Henenlotter grindhouse classic and some vintage Brian De Palma to really dig deep into the power of twin magic. Probably going to start dropping some hot fleets about Gemini season now.

THIS WEEK: Twins (1988), Sisters (1972), and Basket Case (1982)

Rate and Review Optimism Vaccine on iTunes: https://bit.ly/OptimismVaccine

Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/optimismvaccine

You'd think after doing this for six years we'd run out of gimmicks for episodes, but then our genius brains come up with stuff like "films with single word titles released in 2020." After that, we remember "Jiu Jitsu" is two words but being idiots is still on brand, so who cares?

Anyway, we're covering the latest, greatest DTV movies in the year of CINEMA DEATH. Cool!

THIS WEEK: Run (2020), Alone (2020), Jiu Jitsu (2020), and Possessor (2020)

Rate and Review Optimism Vaccine on iTunes: https://bit.ly/OptimismVaccine

Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/optimismvaccine

What's that? You're isolated from everyone you love during a holiday centered on comradery and familial gathering? Your life has been ravaged by unfettered capitalism, leaving you at the mercy of a federal government unwilling to offer even the slightest bit of relief as they they twist the boot pressed against your neck?

Join us as we suffer in solidarity this Thanksgiving the only way we know how: By watching vaguely related, Thanksgiving-ish splatter films in preparation to make a blood sacrifice to a long-lost Egyption god. It's what the pilgrims would have wanted. Or at least it's what Herschell Gordon Lewis would have wanted.

THIS WEEK: BLOOD FEAST (1963), BLOOD RAGE (1987), and BLOOD DINER (1987)

Rate and Review Optimism Vaccine on iTunes: https://bit.ly/OptimismVaccine

Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/optimismvaccine

Jake and Jack finally tackle the latest (and longest) James Bond film, Spectre, with special guest, Alistair Ryder.

Rate and Review Optimism Vaccine on iTunes: https://bit.ly/OptimismVaccine

Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/optimismvaccine

We're pumping the brakes on our usual film-centric content for a very special episode.

Stephen Kohlmann and Steve Cuff return to Discourse From The Big Chair after a three year hiatus to discuss the recently released 4xCD/Blu-ray box set of Tears For Fears' 1989 album, The Seeds of Love. The guys talk alternate versions, B-sides, weird backstage tour gangs, and recording studio opulence. And hey, when is that new album coming out anyway?

Rate and Review Optimism Vaccine on iTunes: https://bit.ly/OptimismVaccine

Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/optimismvaccine

A respectable podcast would dedicate an episode to just watching the 2020 action/thriller, Unhinged. Lucky for you, we're a bunch of masochistic idiots and decided to watch EVERY movie titled Unhinged. Come for the bloated, sweaty stepdad energy of Russell Crowe, stay for the in-depth discussion of a forgotten video nasty and a few other films that should probably be forgotten.

THIS WEEK: Unhinged (1982), Unhinged (2006), Unhinged (2011), Unhinged (2017), and Unhinged (2020)

Rate and Review Optimism Vaccine on iTunes: https://bit.ly/OptimismVaccine

Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/optimismvaccine

Another year, another batch of Blumhouse horror films unceremoniously dropped on a streaming service in October. Join us as we revel in movie mediocrity and give ourselves a big, juicy, Halloween content enema.

THIS WEEK: The Lie (2018), Evil Eye (2020), Black Box (2020), and Nocturne (2020)

Rate and Review Optimism Vaccine on iTunes: https://bit.ly/OptimismVaccine

Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/optimismvaccine