Remainders

On this episode of Remainders we watch the 1933 classic King Kong. We begin our King Kong Marathon with the horror movie that started it all – everything from Godzilla, Jurassic Park, and every special effect in Hollywood all goes back to the Eighth Wonder of the World. We talk about the innovative stop motion, the role of Beauty and the Beast in cinema, how pre-code Hollywood affected the movies, and the importance of Kong in cinema history.

Other topics include other Kong movies and the upcoming 70s version, the role of practical effects over all of movie history, other favorite monster movies, the upcoming season of Stranger Things, James Cameron and Avatar, disaster films, and Zevon’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Songs of the Week

Over the Rainbow by Smoking Popes

What Makes You Think You’re The One by Fleetwood Mac

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On this episode of Remainders, we watch the 1950 noir classic In A Lonely Place. Starring legends Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame, it secured it’s place in Hollywood history as one of the best noirs of the era. Seemingly a murder mystery, Lonely Place is at heart the existential love story between two broken souls guaranteed to fall. A bleak Hollywood movie ahead of its time.

Other topics include Nicholas Ray’s career and crossing paths with Jim Jarmusch, the tawdry love life of Gloria Grahame, Guillermo Del Toro and Frankenstein, Predator: Badlands and Disney franchises, Stephen Sommers and the art of the fun blockbuster, Brenden Fraser coming back to the Mummy, putting The Scorpion King movies on the watch list, Darren’s November painting mission, and debating the merits of Ska.

Songs of the Week

Enjoy Yourself (It’s Later Than You Think) by The Specials

Crazy Feeling by Lou Reed

All My Loving by The Beatles

The Night Before by The Beatles

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On this episode of Remainders we watch the 1988 creature feature The Blob. Part Three of our 80s Horror Remakes Marathon, we close with the updated version of the 50s classic. Increased gore, practical effects, and big government paranoia, The Blob is a quintessential remake that maintains it’s B-movie style.

Other topics include how the original 50s version holds up, other horror movies we’re watching in October, When We Were Young festival, John Carpenter in concert, and reappraisal for late-stage John Carpenter movies Vampires and Ghosts of Mars.

Songs of the Week

Killer Klowns From Outer Space by The Dickies

Last Year’s Man by Leonard Cohen

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On this episode of Remainders we watch the 1986 horror classic The Fly. The second installment in our 80s Horror Remake Marathon, The Fly updates the 50s B-movie with far more devastation, tragedy, and Academy Award winning special effects, making it a staple in 80s horror practical effects. Jeff Goldblum plays Seth Brundle, an awkward scientist and inventor of a teleportation device. When he transports himself with a fly, he begins a slow, painful transformation into the Fly that mirrors the descent into sickness of a loved one. A Cronenberg and body horror classic.

Other topics include Cronenberg’s filmography, special effects lead Chris Walas, the Fly II, October horror classics we're watching, Carpenter and Escape From L.A. vs. Escape from New York, independent theaters, the House of Wax franchise, the Music Box of Horrors and Jason X, Terrifier and 80s horror icons, Philip Glass and horror scores, and the movie poster art of Drew Struzan.

Songs of the Week

Vampira by The Misfits

Human Fly by The Cramps

It Was Always You, Helen by Philip Glass

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On this episode of Remainders we watch the classic John Carpenter film, The Thing. To start our 80s Horror Remake marathon, we begin with John Carpenter’s remake about a group of researchers facing off against an alien lifeform capable of imitating any life form. A classic study of paranoia, The Thing has gone from box-office bomb to all-time classic. We get into the practical effects, horror themes, and masterful direction, the legendary careers of John Carpenter and Kurt Russell, and the legacy it’s had on Tarantino’s career and horror movies overall.

Other topics include the role of 80s horror in film history, Ennio Morricone and the Razzies, One Battle After Another and VistaVision, Jaws 50th anniversary, and revisiting the 2010 Wolfman.

Songs of the Week

Dracula by Philip Glass & Kronos Quartet

Dead Sound by The Raveonettes

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On this episode of Remainders we watch the 1994 comedy The Stoned Age. Two stoner buddies, Joe and Hubbs, cruise suburban Los Angeles in search of beer, chicks, and a good time. Certainly a product of its time, with comically obvious influence from Bill & Ted, Wayne's World, and Dazed and Confused, this forgotten 90s gem is ripe for potential cult status.

Other topics include 90s teen sex comedies, the loss of Robert Redford, Riot Fest, Darren’s new artwork for Punk Rock & Paintbrushes, the Oasis reunion, the new Twisted Metal show, and elusive Jake Busey cameos.

Songs of the Week

Don’t Fear the Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult

Our Anniversary by Smog

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On this episode of Remainders we watched Spike Lee’s 25th Hour, the Edward Norton drama about a drug dealer’s final night of freedom before heading to prison. Shot in New York right after 9/11, the movie feels right in the moment, with grief, uncertainty, and the sense that there’s no tomorrow. We talk about the ideas like mortality, facing consequences, and what accountability really looks like when time’s running out. We also get into about the outstanding cast: Barry Pepper, Philip Seymour Hoffman doing awkward brilliance, Rosario Dawson, and Brian Cox stealing scenes as Norton’s dad. Plus, we look at how it fits into Spike Lee’s career.

Other topics include Montgomery Clift’s tragic Hollywood story, Tarantino’s Death Proof connections, Patrice O’Neal, Matt Dillon and Singles, favorite Bruce Springsteen albums, first impressions of the new Toxic Avenger, and the new movies at Tarantino’s Vista Theater.

Songs of the Week

The Right Profile by The Clash

Whirling-In-Rags, 8 AM by Sea Power

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On this episode of Remainders, we watch the 90s cult classic Joe Versus the Volcano. An often overlooked movie in Tom Hanks early career, Joe Versus the Volcano is a classic Hollywood screwball comedy that rightfully has gained a cult following since its release. With themes of death, mortality, and the meaning of life, the heady vibes will continue to garner new fans for years.

Other topics include Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, director John Patrick Shanley, Flashback Horror Weekend in Chicago, Joe Dante, the new Naked Gun movie, the original Naked Gun trilogy, and classic 80s movies that shaped our childhood.

Songs of the Week

Hey Julie by Fountains of Wayne

Midnight Rider by Allman Brothers Band

Seed of Memory by Terry Reid

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Rip some throats and lube up the celery, because on this very special episode of Remainders we watch the 2010 cult classic MacGruber. We dive deep into the very last, and possibly best, SNL movie. Insanely confident as a comedy playing it straight as an 80s action movie, we check out why this absurdist masterpiece works so well. Crude, chaotic, and classic MacGruber.

Other topics include the careers of Will Forte, Val Kilmer and Powers Boothe, Christopher Nolan’s love for MacGruber, Jon Hamm and comedy, the 90s Batman movies and the reappraisal of the campy spirit of those movies, studio marketing and The Studio television show, the Coen Brothers, new physical media pickups, the Avatar 3 trailer, favorite comedies of all time, A History of Violence on Criterion, and whether Marlon Wayans was a Robin action figure.

Songs of the Week

Jealous Heart by Connie Francis

I Just Want You by Ozzy Osbourne

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On this episode of Remainders we watch the 2001 movie Bully. Based on a true story about a Florida murder, Bully is directed by Larry Clark of Kids fame. Capturing that same sense of aimless and amoral young people, Bully is a brutal and terrifying account of a group of kids planning to murder the monstrous Bobby, played by Nick Stahl. Bobby is the source of abuse and anguish for Marty, played by Brad Renfro, and their friendship spurs their friends to react. Mean, dirty, and slightly horrifying, Bully is nonetheless a time capsule of pre-9/11 fear of disaffected youth.

Other topics include the careers of Nick Stahl and Brad Renfro, Batman Begins vs. The Dark Knight, Tom Wilkenson’s accent, Liam Neeson and The Naked Gun, the passing of Michael Madsen, new Criterion sale pickups, and how big of a fan Eminem is of Kids.

Songs of the Week

Dead Meat by Sean Lennon

Taking a Chance on Love by Ella Fitzgerald

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