Rotten Rewind

There are only a handful of directors whose films feel like events. From the 90's class of directors, there's Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson and Wes Anderson. The latter Anderson's films have only grown in popularity and mainstream appeal. For better or worse, along with Tarantino, Wes Anderson has a built a brand around his name. In 2004, Anderson experienced his first flop with his $50 million Disney swan song, "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou." Co-written by Noah Baumbach, the film remains his most divisive with its stoner vibes, curmudgeonly hero, and violent pirate shootouts.

Certified Wes Stan Nick Laskin returns to the podcast to show love to one of his all time guys and the underrated "Life Aquatic." Join us as we discuss the growing popularity of Wes Anderson's aesthetic, his early collaborations with Owen Wilson and Baumbach, the low-key beauty of Willem Dafoe's performance, accent debates, that great Seu Jorge soundtrack, and the influence Anderson has had on future generations of filmmakers.

You can find Nick's writing on his Substack.

Danny Boyle and Leonardo DiCaprio head to Thailand to drink snake blood and cuck French guys in "The Beach."

In 1996, Danny Boyle was riding the success of "Trainspotting" and American studios were lining up to give him a shot at the big leagues. In 1999, Boyle teamed with Fox and Leonardo DiCaprio for his first big post "Titanic" role to bring Alex Garland's 1996 novel "The Beach" to the big screen. Unfortunately, "The Beach" failed to bring even the most die-hard DiCaprio fans to theaters, with critics giving Boyle the worst reviews of his career. Writer and filmmaker Alex Kolpan joins the podcast to break down the troubled production, as well as Boyle's beef with Ewan McGregor, Leo's early attempt to break out of teen stardom and into Serious Actor territory, underwater sex scenes, destroying beaches, and Moby.

James Gray has quietly made a name for himself as one of the most underrated modern filmmakers of the 21st century. From his 2000 breakout "The Yards" to last years "Armageddon Time," Gray's films have often been festival and critical darlings, but rarely had crossover appeal. After a 7 year hiatus, Gray reunited with Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Wahlberg for his first studio film, "We Own the Night." Unfortunately, the film once again failed to give Gray the crossover hit that some of his peers experienced, while leaving critics divided. Australian director John Hillcoat had a similar fate in the 2000's, adapting big literary works and garnering the support of some of our most beloved actors, without ever fully connecting with mainstream audiences. His 2016 dirty cop thriller "Triple 9" gave Hillcoat his biggest ensemble yet, led by Casey Affleck, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anthony Mackie, Woody Harrelson, Aaron Paul and Kate Winslet auditioning to be Natasha in "Rocky and Bullwinkle." Like Gray's cop thriller, "Triple 9" failed to find crossover appeal.

Two certified Gray heads William Breen and Nick Laskin join the podcast this week to show love to Hollywood's best kept secret. We break down Gray's relationship with muse Joaquin Phoenix, the golden era of Mark Wahlberg as a legitimate actor, Anthony Mackie as one of our best shit-talkers, typecasting Aaron Paul post-Breaking Bad, Clifton Collins Jr.'s little ponytail, and Kate Winslet's misguided era of wacky accents.

You can find William's films on Vimeo and subscribe to Nick's writing on his Substack.

Spike Lee tackles disco and serial killers in his 1999 flop “Summer of Sam.”

1999 was a landmark year for cinema with directors like Paul Thomas Anderson, David Fincher, Spike Jonze, Stanley Kubrick, David Lynch, Michael Mann and Martin Scorsese releasing new films. Often forgotten is Spike Lee’s kaleidoscopic vision of the Son of Sam’s 1977 summer of terror, “Summer of Sam.” Featuring an ensemble led by John Leguizamo, Adrien Brody and Mira Sorvino, Lee’s film captured a volatile, frightening moment in America with his usual chaotic flare.

Critic and co-host of The Good, the Bad and the What, Ryan Oliver, joins the podcast to break down Lee’s sweatiest film since “Do the Right Thing.” Did critics have a bone to pick with Lee after his hot streak in the early 90s? Why didn’t Leguizamo get the leading man career he deserved? Was the story’s lack of focus on the Son of Sam a detriment to the films success? Is the Son of Sam the most relatable serial killer? Find out now in our latest edition of Auteur Misfires.

Listen to Ryan’s podcast The Good, The Bad, and The What!? wherever you get podcasts!

In the mid-90s, Tim Burton and Steven Spielberg were two of the most beloved directors in Hollywood. Spielberg was coming off his first Oscar for "Schindler's List" while Burton was riding the hot streak of Batman movies, "Edward Scissorhands," "Beetlejuice" and the Oscar-winning "Ed Wood." Burton's luck ran out with his first critical and financial bomb, "Mars Attacks!" featuring a stacked ensemble of actors like Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Natalie Portman, Pierce Brosnan and Sarah Jessica Parker. Meanwhile, Spielberg followed up the massive success of "Jurassic Park" with his first sequel "The Lost World," bringing Jeff Goldblum back to the franchise with rising stars Vince Vaughn and Julianne Moore in tow.

Musician and writer Devon Hansen joins the podcast for the first time to discuss the nostalgia of "Mars Attacks!" and Burton's fall from grace. In the second half of the episode, cinematographer Matthew Hayes returns to the podcast for a look back at Spielberg's 50 year career and how he phoned it in with "The Lost World."

You can find Devon on Instagram and Bandcamp and Matthew at his official website.

We're back in action with a pair of political thrillers starring heavyweight stars of the 90's! That's right, there was a time when Hollywood produced big budget thrillers for adults starring bonafide movie stars! First up, it's Alan J. Pakula's return to the paranoia thriller with 1993's "The Pelican Brief," starring Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington as a law student and journalist caught up in a conspiracy to assassinate members of the supreme court, who definitely do not fuck at any point. After that, it's Richard Donner's aptly titled "Conspiracy Theory," which finds Julia Roberts falling in love with a paranoid cab driver who stores Tapioca pudding in a pad-locked fridge, played by Mel Gibson at the peak of his career.

Actor and writer Morgan Phillips returns to the podcast to break down the tonally confused madness of "Conspiracy Theory" and the sleepy thrills of "The Pelican Brief." Can the star power of Denzel and Roberts make up for a by-the-numbers script? Did Mel Gibson really improvise a conspiracy about the streets of New York being covered in cum? Why wouldn't Denzel agree to kiss Julia Roberts on screen? Is Stanley Tucci one our most underrated actors? Why didn't Hollywood produce more MKUltra themed rom-coms? Find out right here on the hottest podcast in America.

Buckle your fucking seatbelts because it's time to go ballistic as Auteur Misfires enters the 90's.

Kicking things off, it's Clint Eastwood's return to the podcast with one of his forgotten cop thrillers, "The Rookie" starring Eastwood, Charlie Sheen and Raul Julia. After that, we're headed into the Wooniverse with John Woo's second American feature, "Broken Arrow" starring John Travolta, Christian Slater and Samantha Mathis.

Cinematographer and resident 9/11 correspondent Jake Ures returns to the podcast to unpack the complicated politics of Eastwood, the balletic action of Woo, Travolta as a virile American superstar, Eastwood getting raped(?) by Sonia Braga, and the failed action career of Howie Long.

"The Rookie" is currently streaming on Max. "Broken Arrow" is available to rent wherever you rent movies. You can find Jake's work on his official website.

We're kicking off month 3 of Auteur Misfires with a pair of 1986 coke-noirs from two of the most iconic directors of the 20th century. First up, it's Hal Ashby's unlikely swan song, "8 Million Ways to Die" starring Jeff Bridges, Rosanna Arquette and a ponytailed Andy Garcia in Scarface mode. After that, it's John Frankenheimer's adaptation of Elmore Leonard's "52 Pick-Up" featuring Roy Scheider, Ann-Margaret and an all-timer villain performance from John Glover.

Why did Ashby's career decline so rapidly in the 80's? Was Frankenheimer one our most underrated filmmakers? What the fuck was going on in Ann-Margaret's career? Why is Roy Scheider rarely mentioned in the echelon of great 70's actors? Is this cinema's first and last snow cone showdown? Find out right now on this very scummy edition of Rotten Rewind.

Just in time for the 4th of July, it's Alex Cox's radical, career-killing satire, "Walker."

It's hard to imagine a more radical film being made in the studio system than Alex Cox's "Walker." Shot on location in Nicaragua with a predominately Nicaraguan crew, "Walker" was Cox's scathing satire on William Walker, the man who colonized and attempted to rule over Nicaragua in 1853. Featuring a career-best performance by Ed Harris, "Walker" was nearly forgotten to time just as the real-life Walker was, until Criterion introduced it into its collection 20 years after Universal buried the film in a handful of theaters.

Writer and critic Olivia Willke joins the podcast to examine the film that effectively ended Cox's short-lived career as a filmmaker in the studio system. It was no surprise audiences didn't respond to a film this strange and uncompromising, but why did so many critics despise Cox's anti-biopic? Join us for a look back at Alex Cox's brilliant "Walker."

If you're in Chicago, don't miss Olivia's upcoming programming of "SexWorld." Tickets are on sale now and you can get a discount using the code LIV10. 

Ever listen to Simon & Garfunkel and wonder what Art Garfunkel's balls look like? Curious what an Austrian/Brooklyn accent would sound like? Then we have the perfect double feature for you.

Like so many other directors in the first part of this series, Nicolas Roeg had an incredible run of films in the 1970's. From the critically acclaimed "Don't Look Now" and "Walkabout" to the David Bowie-starring cult hit "The Man Who Fell to Earth," Roeg had prominently secured himself as the best cinematographer turned director of his time. Roeg's 80's output was far more divisive and obscure though. Today on the podcast, we're diving into two of Roeg's most controversial and critically maligned films with the Art Garfunkel/Theresa Russell meditation on obsession and possession, "Bad Timing," followed by the epic true story "Eureka," featuring Russell, Gene Hackman, Joe Pesci, Mickey Rourke and Rutger Hauer.

Writer and director Alex Kolpan joins us to unpack these X-rated thrillers and all things Roeg. We'll dive into his longtime creative and romantic partnership with Russell, the reason we keep returning to Roeg's work, Yassified Harvey Keitel, voodoo orgies, and the acting career of Art Garfunkel and his balls.

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