Remainders

This week on Remainders, we talk the 1999 crime thriller A Simple Plan. Directed by Sam Raimi, mostly without his signature chaotic style, Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton play brothers who discover a duffel bag of money and decide to keep it. Almost immediately, this apparent blessing turns into a curse as greed, violence, past trauma, and death all arise as a result. Paxton and Thornton reunite after One False Move and once again prove they are both timeless character actors.

Other topics include the screenwriters and actors strike, Margot Robbie, the Boogie Nights soundtrack, new music picks, ranking the Mission: Impossible movies, and Tom Cruise as the last movie star.

Songs of the Week

Cocktails by Dennis Wilson

Martha by Tom Waits

Remainders Jukebox Playlist

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This week on Remainders we watch the 1992 crime film One False Move. From director Carl Franklin and co-written by Billy Bob Thorton, Bill Paxton and Thorton lead this forgotten gem about three criminals clashing with a small-town sheriff. Paxton, the all-time great everyman, is at his best as naïve Chief Dale “Hurricane” Dixon, who is excited at the opportunity to become a real cop. But when his past comes to light, his will is put to the test. A Coen-esque thriller with the perfect Paxton performance that shouldn’t be missed.

Other topics include Bill Paxton’s filmography, the summer sale at Darrenvorel.com, Jurassic Park at 30, the merits of VHS nostalgia, The Cure’s new tour and upcoming album, Treat Williams and Cormac McCarthy, and a rally for the return of film commentaries.

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This week on Remainders, we talk the 1981 neo-noir Body Heat. Written and directed by Lawrence Kasdan – around the same time as writing Raiders of the Lost Ark and the Empire Strikes Back – Body Heat was inspired by Double Indemnity and launched the careers of William Hurt and Kathleen Turner. Ned (Hurt) is a hapless lawyer who falls hard for the sultry but married Matty (Turner). Their affair turns dark though when they initiate a plot to kill her husband – with the potential to reap his fortune. A throwback to 40s crime noir, Body Heat feels especially relevant today as society reevaluates the eroticism in films of the 80s and 90s.

Other topics include new pieces from Darren’s collection and his upcoming exhibit at La Luz De Jesus Gallery, some first time Remainders swag available for purchase, a visit to the Hollywood Museum, what we’re watching on TV these days, Ebert vs. Kael, favorite William Hurt and Kathleen Turner performances, and the enduring brilliance of traumatic 1980s kids movies.

Music Picks of the Week

Sink to the Bottom by Fountains of Wayne

Mysterium by Hammock

Mashed Potato Time by Dee Dee King

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This week on Remainders we watched the 2017 film First Reformed. An all-time best performance by Ethan Hawke, First Reformed follows Hawke playing a small-town minister as he grapples with despair brought upon by the looming threat of climate change. Hawke’s crisis of faith leads him down a dark path as he bounces between hope and despair in a world that often leaves little to have faith in. Paul Schrader’s script and direction bring back many themes he explored in Taxi Driver into a modern world with new uncertainties about the future.

Other topics 90s yuppie thrillers, Darren’s selection for a new art exhibition, drinking with Cedric the Entertainer, The Cure’s summer tour and the lasting influence of their album Pornography, favorite Michael J. Fox movies and the new documentary Still, William H. Macy, thoughts on AI and what it may mean for the artistic process, and Jen Pop’s new video Saw In Half.

Songs of the Week

Walls by The Jonas Brothers

Willie The Pimp by Frank Zappa

Remainders Podcast Jukebox

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This week on Remainders we watch the 1997 drama Cop Land. James Mangold’s urban western was Sylvester Stallone’s return to drama after a slew of over-the-top 90s action bombs. Giving one of the best performances of his career, it helps that the rest of the cast is a list of all-time greats, including De Niro, Keitel, and Liotta. A tale of justice and grit, this sleeper hit is almost a hidden gem these days and should not be missed. Don’t blowwww it!

Other topics include Mangold’s upcoming Indiana Jones movie, thoughts on the new Cage flick Renfield, theater experiences good and bad, Joe Dante favorites and Key and Peele’s incredible Gremlins 2 sketch, Dee Dee Ramone’s novel, the new Evil Dead, South Park and Spielberg, and the final push to get Warren Zevon inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

 Songs of the Week

Saw in Half by Jen Razavi

Cannibal Holocaust (Main Theme) by Riz Ortolani

Lawyers, Guns and Money by Warren Zevon

Remainders Podcast Playlist

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This week on Remainders we continue De Palma Days and talk about 1984 film Body Double. Possibly De Palma’s most Hitchcockian film, it’s the story of a man caught in between voyeurism and murder – essential Hitchcock tropes. We discuss its horror and pornographic elements, De Palma’s use of over-the-top acting and direction style, lead actor Craig Wasson’s effectiveness as the lead, Melanie Griffith’s introduction to Hollywood, and where it stands in De Palma’s filmography.

Other topics include Air and the Affleck brothers, Renfield, a legendary encounter with the great Leslie Nielson, the legitimacy of TMZ and CNN, the Twilight Zone, Stuart Gordon, monster movies and creature features, 80s special effects, and whether James Cameron brought Dee Dee Ramone pizza.

Songs of the Week

Down About It by The Lemonheads

Anything Could Happen by The Clean

Remainders Podcast Jukebox 

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This week on Remainders, we talk Brian De Palma and his 1981 film Blow Out. A classic in Travolta's and De Palma's filmography, the story of a movie soundman uncovering a murder plot against a presidential candidate has grown in appreciation amongst cinephiles since its release over 40 years ago. De Palma's innovative camera movements and focus on doubles and murder mystery do not go unnoticed as Hitchcock devotees, in addition to all time performances from Travolta and John Lithgow as the lurking serial killer. We pay homage to one of the most important auteurs of the 70s. 

Other topics include Tarantino's great book Cinema Speculation, new movies Air and Renfield, Dee Dee Ramone's hip hop, L.A. movie billboards vs. Chicago's movie billboards, John Lithgow's best performances, and Dennis Franz's exquisite scumbaggery. 

Songs of the Week

Racist Society by Screeching Weasel

Open Your Eyes by Lords of the New Church

Remainders Podcast Jukebox Playlist

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This week on Remainders, we talk about the 2008 documentary Anvil! The Story of Anvil. Anvil is the story of a veteran heavy metal band that influenced the genre, but never saw their own success. Childhood friends Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow and Robb Reiner made a pact to become rock stars and they never looked back, despite the doubts, setbacks, day-jobs, and all the other mundane chores that got in their way. A rockumentary hailed by Scorsese about a band adored by Motorhead. What more could you want?

Other topics include Robert Smith vs. Ticketmaster, new movies in theaters, the Oscars, Tarantino’s (most likely) final film, Pauline Kael and Roger Ebert stories, and Bayside’s new EP with cover art by Darren.

Songs of the Week:

Don’t Call Me Peanut by Bayside

Pain Remains III: In a Sea of Fire by Lorna Shore

Remainders Jukebox Playlist

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This week on Remainders, we talk the 2007 documentary King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, the story of die-hard gamers competing for the record high-score on Donkey Kong. Steve Wiebe, a down on his luck everyman, needs a purpose and discovers it in classic arcade gaming. As he attempts to break the record in Donkey Kong, he is exposed to the power and corruption in the underbelly of competitive gaming.  The charismatic but deceptive Billy Mitchell, self-proclaimed “world’s best gamer,” will do anything to maintain his high-score and championship title regardless of the cost.

Other topics include American Movie’s influence on 2000s documentaries, Tarantino’s new book, Scorsese’s upcoming Killers of the Flower Moon, Leonard Cohen, big-budget movies and their influence on the movie industry, and Warren Zevon’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nomination.

Songs of the Week

Your Wild Years by The Menzingers

Nothing in Return by Roky Erickson

All Songs of the Week here

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This week on Remainders we continue Cage Fest with the 2018 metal-revenge nightmare Mandy. Red and Mandy are living a serene life in the Pacific Northwest woods when a demonic cult sets their target on them and destroys everything they know and love. Red, in an all-time great Cage performance, is forced to descend into madness in a pursuit for revenge. Biker monsters will snort coke, Cage will forge metal, and Cheddar Goblin will be had by all.

Other topics this week include the lighter side of Cage’s performances, his upcoming take on Dracula in Renfield, Gore Verbinski’s filmography, Darren’s chance encounter with C.J. Ramone, and Shudder and Criterion Channel as Remainders essentials.

Songs of the Week

777 by Chad Tepper & Lit

From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea by The Cure

All Remainders Songs of the Week here

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