Retro Grade Podcast

“UNTIL THE BREAK OF DAWN..”

On this Halloween, we decided to cover one of the first horror films ever made. We cover the famous, German Expressionist film, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, directed by Robert Wiene from 1920. If you would like to watch the film before listening to us, the film is available for free on various sites, but we recommend watching the one that has fancy intertitles for the text and a blue tint in the beginning like this version here. The film is a “silent film“ so there is no spoken dialogue which we understand maybe might be a little intimidating for some audiences. However, we encourage you to give it a try so we can go on this adventure together. What does a horror film that is over 100 years old look like? How dated is it really? (Spoilers: It actually isn’t)

What is Expressionism? To put it simply, it is the artistic depiction of an emotional experience, rather than a realistic one. The set design of Caligari doesn’t resemble our own world, but a world that suits the content of the narrative. Caligari seeks to tell an emotional truth, how the characters feel living in this world, than present the world as it is. We talk about why we think this choice works and the film is rightly described as a classic, but also hope that if the film is ever remade, that this Expressionist theme isn’t lost in the translation to modern filmmaking sensibilities. The film’s strong style in its set design influenced the choices made for the actors, the costumes and even the previously mentioned intertitles. Some of the techniques used to generate audience anxiety in this film can be seen in films today such as Alien, It Follows, and even The Babadook!

We talk about how the film was made, and how not everyone agrees on how that went down. The film has a “frame story.” For this film, that means the bulk of the film takes place within a story told by one of the characters. The writers of the film were allegedly very upset about this, and stay they knew nothing about it, but 70 years later when the only surviving script was made available for public viewing, we find out that wasn’t 100% true. The writers talk about being on set, but the set designers say they were never there, there are conflicting reports on who actually was the producer for the film, etc etc. The narrative of the production of the film is almost as unreliable as the film’s narrator!

We also talk about the history of when this film came out. The world was different, and the expectations of what the experience of “going to the movies” was also very different. A close up on a giant screen hit different for those audiences, an authority figure taking advantage of ordinary citizens meant something different for a Germany that just got out on the losing side of a World War. Despite being 100 years removed from the intended audience, we believe the film can still resonate with a modern audience.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.

Artwork by @jannelle_o

“LEAVE ME ALONE!”

Due to recent events in the film industry, Retro Grade Podcast decided to take a different approach to the movies we will cover on the podcast until the strikes are over in support of the unions. We will be covering films that are not under the companies being struck, starting with one of the greatest anime films of all time: Akira, directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, from 1988. We talk about how this very strange, at times confusing, violent and beautiful film fits in the conversation of nuclear power in the minds of film goers today with Oppenheimer’s success at the summer box office. While Nolan’s film tells the story from the perspective of the man that invented the bomb, what about the perspective of the people that survived it? Through the cyberpunk, alternative future of a post-WW3 Neo-Tokyo, perhaps Otomo offers that through Akira.

This is the third animated film we’ve talked about on the podcast, and the second anime film after our Totoro episode. Fun fact, Totoro also came out the same year Akira did! We talk about how this film uses extreme detail, slow motion, violence, sound, and silence to give us a unique, enthralling experience. Starting with a high octane motorcycle chase, and ending with one of the most disturbing images we’ve seen since our Hellraiser episode. 

We talk about what makes Kaneda a different kind of protagonist. One that might not fit the hero archetype laid out by Joseph Cambell. We talk about the ensemble cast of characters whose individual actions (and even their names) are unknown to each other, despite them having so much screen time. Does Akira even have a main character? We don’t really agree on this one, but maybe the underlying issue is part of Akira’s DNA.

What is Akira’s DNA? Well, the film that was released in 1988, was based on the manga, (also created by Katsuhiro Otomo) that started in 1982 and ended in 1990. Yes, you read that right, the film came out while the manga was still in production. Although the film is a compromised version of the manga, Otomo was the one in charge of both. He chose what to change for the film, and in that process, likely changed how the manga would then end. We give a few examples on what the differences are, and maybe that might help us all understand what the film was trying to say.

Interpretation of film is a fun, and enriching exercise that we love here on Retro Grade Podcast. Given the setting of a post-war Japanese government rebuilding a city that has been destroyed by an atomic force, a militaristic police force violently suppresses protesters while Bosozoku gangs of disgruntled teenagers battle on motorcycles.. It’s safe to say this film is sort of about the reconstruction era of Japan post World War 2. However, there may be other things going on, and only looking at it through the lens of ‘post war trauma,’ might be selling Akira short. We go through some think pieces on what Akira was about, and then provide our own analysis of what it means to us! 

Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.

Artwork by @jannelle_o

“YOU CAME HERE PREPARED TO FIGHT A MAD MAN, AND INSTEAD YOU FOUND A GOD?“

On this episode of Retro Grade Podcast, we talk about an adaptation to one of the most beloved video game series of all time. One of Hollywood’s earliest attempts at adapting a video game movie, and the first financially successful one. We are talking about 1994’s Street Fighter, directed by Stephen E. de Souza, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Raul Julia, Ming-Na Wen, and Kylie Minogue.

We talk about our history with Street Fighter. Austin has been a fan of Street Fighter and fighting games in general for a while, and has been playing the newest Street Fighter 6 any chance he gets. Jorge knows Street Fighter is a fighting game with a character called Cammy, and that’s about it. Will our different backgrounds with the existing franchise change how we see the film? Does the film’s departure from the source material annoy Austin? Do the references to the video game feel lost on Jorge?

Although the film was a financial success for Capcom, the critics of 1994 hated the film. In fact, this film has the lowest Rotten Tomato score from all of the films we have covered up to this point. We talk about the film’s shortcomings but also talk about some of the things that make this film endearing almost 30 years after its theatrical release. We talk about the late Raul Julia’s final film role as the villain M. Bison, arguably one of the best video game character performances of all time. We go over some of the cheesy one-liners from Jean-Claude that range from “bad,” to “so bad it’s good,” and even to genuinely hilarious. And the overall campy feel to the film that makes it an enjoyable experience with the right perspective.

However, Street Fighter is far from a perfect film. In fact, it might not even be a very good film at all. Despite the fact that we like parts of it, there’s a lot of stuff that doesn’t work. We talk about the lackluster fight scenes, the nonsensical plot, the bloated roster of characters, and uneven performances. We also talk about the reason why the film may not have been the best it could have been. It feels unfair to blame every bad movie on the director, the lead actors, or even the screenwriter. Sometimes, movies are set up to fail from the very beginning, because the non-creative people funding the film have ultimate creative control. 

We also have a fun section of the episode where Austin quizzes Jorge on Street Fighter trivia. Given that the only thing Jorge knows about the world of Street Fighter is the 1994 live-action film, how many of these multiple choice questions do you think he will get right? How many did you answer correctly? 

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.

Artwork by @jannelle_o

“THEY ARE THE BAD GUYS, WE ARE THE GOOD GUYS. UNDERSTAND?“

On this week’s episode of Retro Grade Podcast, we talk about a film from a genre we have never covered before. We talk about the 1983 Hong Kong Wuxia classic Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain, directed by Hong Kong New Wave filmmaker Tsui Hark, starring Yuen Biao, Adam Cheng, Corey Yuen, Brigitte Lin, Moon Lee, Damian Lau, Mang Hoi, and Sammo Hung. 

We begin by talking about the story, breaking it down by what we thought of the characters, comedy, the philosophy depicted by the use of the Dual Swords, and whether there can be a connection between the story on screen with the real-life history of Hong Kong under rule of differing governments and how the film can be interpreted as a call for unity. We talk about the depiction of the elders and masters in the film, and how their inability to enact real change has thrown the world into conflict that the new generation must find a resolution for.

From there we get into the technical side of the film, from it’s impressive use of wire work during the fight scenes, to the in-camera techniques that were used to achieve the amazing choreography, to the film’s very dated visual effects (though ambitious may not have aged as well.) But the film’s editing becomes a larger focus in the episode, breaking down how the fast-paced editing helps the film, but also might be hindering it when compared to other wuxia films.

Lastly, we go into the multiple versions that exist of the film, calling into question whether Tsui Hark ever got the version of the film he wanted. We breakdown the elements that go into a wuxia film, and how well Zu Warriors follows it, and go briefly go into the history of the Hong Kong New Wave cinema, and how Zu Warriors was a huge success for the movement but also a source of inspiration for future filmmakers.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy this special episode of Retro Grade Podcast!

Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.

Artwork by @jannelle_o

On this special episode, we give a FREE preview of all the fun we have over at on the Retro Grade Podcast Patreon! We have our Modern Grade series where we review newer movies, our This Month In Movies series where we talk about current events in the industry, our Tier List Special where we make up tier lists for movie topics, and finally our Sequel Speed Pitch which is a little bit more complicated to explain.

We have covered a little over 70 movies over the years of doing Retro Grade Podcast. We started this show because we love movies but ultimately, someday we wish to make some ourselves. So we put our writing skills to the test, and both Austin and Jorge come up with their own sequels to a movie they have covered. One pitch from each of us, two pitches total. The catch is, we don’t know what movie we are doing until its time to record, and only get 45 minutes to write a pitch to that sequel. We must also follow four rules:

1) Each host must include the quote we picked for the movie when we covered it.

2) Decide whether or not this is going to be a sequel, or some kind of remake/reboot of the original film.

3) Include a previous actor from the film to be included in our sequel (can be just a cameo.)

4) If a sequel already exists, the host cannot just plagiarize the existing sequel.

5) We must mention the song that will inevitably be featured as a down tempo cover in our film’s trailer.

We spun the wheel and got Sam Raimi’s, Spider-Man (2002.) Later this month, we will be recording another Sequel Speed pitch JUST for our patrons. If you like this episode, let us know, and perhaps consider signing up for our Patreon where we do all kinda of fun stuff like this! We hope you enjoy!

Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.

Artwork by @jannelle_o

“IN SHORT THERE’S SIMPLY NOT, A MORE CONGENIAL SPOT.“

On this episode, we return to the 1960’s to catch the beginning of the end of the big budget musical era. We watch the film adaptation of the Broadway musical, Camelot, starring Richard Harris, Vanessa Redgrave, Franco Nero, and David Hemmings. Although this was the 10th highest grossing movie of the year, neither Austin or Jorge have ever heard about it, and had a listener not requested it for their birthday, we may have never seen this 3 hour long musical of the Arthurian legend. Why was this film not a huge success despite the musical being so popular? Why did this drive Jack Warner of Warner Brothers, out of the company he worked hard to swindle from his surviving brothers? Will this break the streak of being the first musical Jorge doesn’t like?

Sometimes describing a film as “interesting,” can be interpreted as a nice way of saying “I don’t like it.“ However, in the case of Camelot, interesting is actually a very fitting description of the film. Even though it has its flaws, it is very entertaining to watch. It has a G rating, but it is one of the most sexually charged G ratings we have ever seen. Despite this film winning some Academy Awards, it was not very well received critically, possibly due to the aforementioned flaws, but perhaps also due to its content vastly differing from the rest of the films of this era. Perhaps one of the most interesting things about the film, is what part of the King Arthur story it chooses to focus on: his wife and his best friend falling in love.

We have different opinions on the quality of the music in this film, but the one thing we do agree on is how it deals with the love triangle trope. Sometimes we like to have sides to root for in the triangle, we want to see our character(s) make the correct choice and celebrate with them. Sometimes you need one or two sides of the triangle to hate, or at least sit back and watch them hate each other. Camelot takes the path less traveled, and presents the love triangle where there is no villain. Only three sides getting hurt, and feeling bad for hurting each other.

We talk about the shortcomings and personal gripes with the film. This is a three hour film with a pacing problem, some of the songs don’t hit as hard as songs from previous musicals we’ve covered, and there is a question of what the film meant to say in the first place. Musicals can afford to be very direct and throw subtlety out the window, but something about the riddles the mysterious Merlin leaves Arthur leave us thinking about what we just saw, and what we were supposed to make of it. It’s not a bad thing to think about a film’s message was, but this is also the same genre of film where we get direct insight on a characters internal thought process, so why be coy about the take away?

Regardless, this was an incredibly fun film to watch and talk about, and a piece of cinema history. They literally don’t make them like this anymore.

Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.

Artwork by @jannelle_o

“IT WON’T LET US LEAVE!“

On this week’s episode, we go back to another horror classic from the 1980s independent scene: The Evil Dead! Directed by Sam Raimi, starring Bruce Campell, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManicor, Betsy Baker, and Theresa Tilly. Already having spoken about Sam Raimi in our Spider-Man episode, we were excited to re-watch the film that made him famous on the 40th anniversary of the film’s wide theatrical release. Originally being released in 1981, with a different title, the film has since grown to be an iconic horror franchise with multiple sequels, reboots, and a tv series on Starz. With both of us having already seen the film and being big fans of it and of Raimi, we were eager to re-visit the film and see how well the film has held up since it’s original release.

In the episode, we talk about the our thoughts on the story, and how while the film doesn’t do much too innovate or subvert the horror genre, it manages to not only be considered the definitive “cabin in the woods” film, but also influence future generations if filmmakers, from Eli Roth to Edgar Wright, to even some big time Hollywood directors like Francis Ford Coppola. We break down how some elements that were present in previous horror films, like the point of view shots from the killer’s perspective, to the blood and gore, to characterization of the villains, and how The Evil Dead managed to add it’s own spin on them. In that process, it created something that feels completely unique and recognizable.

We talk about the production of the film, and what a nightmare it was for the cast and crew. Dealing with one of the coldest Tennessee winters on record (at the time,) to uncomfortable makeup and prosthetics including glass contacts, and to the multiple injuries incurred on set, we look into all of the setbacks the production went through to finish the film. And lastly, we go into the reception of the film once released, from the cast and crew, horror fans, but also governments officials reactions to the film. The film got a lot of pushback from governments across the globe, including the United Kingdom, which classified the film as a “video nasty.” We go into that specific term  and what it meant for many films that were considered too much for the general public.

So sit back and enjoy this new episode of Retro Grade Podcast!

Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.

Artwork by @jannelle_o

“HERE’S LOOKING AT YOU, KID.”

On this episode of Retro Grade Podcast, we talk about one of the “greatest films of all time,” 1942’s Casablanca, directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Claude Rains. What makes this film so good? Is it still that good 80 years later? Is this movie just for movie nerds, or does this film still resonate with audiences today?

Since we both have a background of studying film in college, we are both familiar with Casablanca, both having sought it out after hearing it was one of the “best movies ever made.” Although it was in black and white, 4:3 aspect ratio, and filled to the brim with cheesy 1940’s dialogue, of all the films typically regarded as the best, Casablanca remains incredibly relatable and accessible to this day!

We talk about the legendary performances of Bogart and Bergman. Bogart, adding an emotional layer to an otherwise tough guy, no-nonsense actor and Bergman making us feel for a character that may have not had the most depth on the script. However, the script itself wasn’t too shabby either. There is something very charming about hearing characters speak in Classic Hollywood, where even (mostly) antagonistic characters like Claude Rains’ Captain Renault, add a delightful presence that makes you forget he’s playing a terrible person.

We take you back to the era of self-censored Hollywood, governed by the Production Code. How films were only allowed to portray marriage positively, crime always had to pay, and people of other nations were to be portrayed “fairly.’ The latter may not sound like a bad thing, but it doesn’t look so good when it also applies to Nazi’s. We talk about why a film with a love triangle with Nazi villains was so significant, and how the code was used to determine not only the content of films, but also the films that were even allowed to be made.

This is a good one, and we learned a lot of cool stuff about film history. If that sounds boring to you, we promise you, after 72 episodes we made this FUN!

Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.

Artwork by @jannelle_o

Continuing from out last episode, we go in the Behind the Scenes and making of for the 1996 classic, Scream, directed by Wes Craven. In the first part, we discussed our history with the film, how we familiar with the franchise and upon rewatching the film, how we felt about it now. We went over the writing, characters, structure, and reception of the film.

Now, we go over the actual process of making of the film, beginning with the writing process and inspirations for the films. We cover why Wes was initially reluctant to come back and direct another horror film, and what made him change his mind. We breakdown the decision and process in making the film’s first scene, with Drew Barrymore facing off against Ghostface and how the conclusion came about. We go into the casting of the main characters, from Neve Campbell to Rose McGowan, to supporting players like Jamie Kennedy and Matthew Lillard, and why they are each were an incredible addition to the cast.

We talk about various aspects of production leading into the editing of the film, and how for a while the film was at risk of receiving the notorious NC-17 rating, and how one of the executives stopped that from happening. Lastly, we talk about some of the controversies the film faced, from local school boards shutting down the productions request to film at their campus, to copycat killers that went on to cause serious harm to people after the film’s release. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the conclusion of our retrospect of Scream. 

Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.

Artwork by @jannelle_o

“DO YOU LIKE SCARY MOVIES?“

On this week’s episode, we talk about the 1996 horror classic, Scream. Directed by the legendary Wes Craven, starring Neve Campbell,  Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Skeet Ulrich, Drew Barrymore, Rose McGowan, Jamie Kennedy, and last but definitely not least, Matthew Lillard. In this first part, we get into our history with the film, and how even though Jorge hasn’t seen the film, he’s familiar with it enough simply because of how popular the franchise is.

Once we come back from watching the film, we get into our initial thoughts about, and break down some of the biggest story beats, starting with the amazing introduction with Drew Barrymore and the film’s amazing climax. We go into the cast, how they were all perfectly assembled and how each actor dons their respective character archetypes very well, from Neve Campbell being the virgin/final girl, Jamie Kennedy being the obsessive movie buff, to Matthew Lillard being the wild-card joker. We get into the film’s subversion of the horror genre, and how in a time when mainstream Hollywood films was not embracing meta storylines, letting audiences know that the film was one step ahead of them and that their best guesses wouldn’t cut it for this film.

We also talk about the use of music which Austin argues is very underrated, we talk about the overall structure of the film, the references to other horror films, and we hint at what the production of this film was like, getting more in detail in the second part. But for now, sit back, relax and enjoy part one of out deep dive into the horror classic, Scream! 

(P.S. Can’t believe I called Monica Geller, Monica Beller. My bad)

Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.

Artwork by @jannelle_o