We near the end of Musical Month Deux with a modern-day biopic that also happens to be parody along with being a damn fine musical with alot of heart: Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. Disc-Connected's Ryan Verrill programs the episode and stops by to talk all about John C. Reilly, the film's music, and what Dewey Cox may be up to in 2024.


Starring John C. Reilly as the titular Dewey Cox, the film sends up musical biopics of the mid-2000s with their formulaic full-life story retelling along with encountering popular musicians and music styles of the time. Add in a healthy dose of catchy musical numbers and you've got a cult classic musical comedy that deserves more appreciation from a wider film-watching audience.

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We continue Musical Month Deux with a Julie Andrews-helmed performance musical that has some rather progressive ideas about gender and sexual politics: Victor/Victoria. 80's TV Ladies' Susan Lambert Hatem programs the episode and stops by to talk all about James Garner, 80's sexual politics, and if this could be remade in 2024.

Based on the 1933 German film, the musical follows the titular Victoria as she attempts to make a name for herself in 1930's Paris by posing as Count Victor, the world's foremost female impersonator. She's aided in her attempt by Robert Preston's Toddy, a gay performer down on his luck, who does everything he can to make her the biggest star in the music scene.

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We soldier on with Musical Month Deux with yet another adaptation of an Andrew Lloyd Webber joint that, similarly to Cats (2019), doesn't do the source material much justice: Jesus Christ Superstar. Scary Stories We Tell's Emma Mantell joins another episode in a row to talk about Norman Jewison, the usage of anachronisms, and those hats.

Based on the stage play of the same name, the rock opera film follows the last days of Jesus Christ before his crucifixion, including the Last Supper and other memorable moments from one of the world's most famous fictional texts. However, as opposed to a dry retelling, there's musical numbers and enough bizarre choices to fill, well, an entire hour and forty-six minutes. There's better ways in 2024 to get your JCS fix folks, this isn't it.

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We continue Musical Month Deux with a look at one of the most critically and commercially reviled films of the last decade that also happens to be based off the first megamusical: Cats (2019). Scary Stories We Tell's Emma Mantell kicks off the New Year right by joining the first recorded episode of 2024 to talk about various celebrity-cat hybrids, the lack of buttholes, and why Tom Hooper may never work again.

Directed by Gillian Armstrong, the film follows Jo Kennedy as a young waitress in Sydney, Australia who has dreams of becoming a rockstar. Along with her cousin Angus, she attempts by any means necessary to make a name for herself in the Aussie music scene of the '80s. It's a cult classic that deserves a proper reappraisal by a wider audience.

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We kick off the New Year with a look at a true Australian musical classic that deserves alot more love than most musicals from the early '80s: Starstruck (1982). Noise Junkie's Heather Drain and Kulturecast newbie author Rachel McPadden program the episode and kick off the month with talk about Jo Kennedy, Aussie filmmaking, and the fan theory ending.

Directed by Gillian Armstrong, the film follows Jo Kennedy as a young waitress in Sydney, Australia who has dreams of becoming a rockstar. Along with her cousin Angus, she attempts by any means necessary to make a name for herself in the Aussie music scene of the '80s. It's a cult classic that deserves a proper reappraisal by a wider audience.

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With our quick jaunt into food films over, we end the year with a month programmed by the one and only Heather Drain, starting with an Argentinian horror film that could also be a noir film: Feast of Flesh. Noise Junkie's Heather Drain kicks off the month and joins the episode to talk about the film's masked man, the lighting, and more.

Directed by Emilio Vieyra, the film follows the exploits of a small Argentinian town that must contend with a masked killer who is drugging women and turning them into sex slaves. It's the classic murder mystery setup with some unique twists and turns that make it a cult classic worth tracking down.

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With Horrortober 9 in the rearview, we take a quick jaunt into food films with an amended month of two classic food films, closing with The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover. Noise Junkie's Heather Drain and Dark Destinations' Father Malone join the episode to talk about the production design, Peter Greenaway, and that finale.

Directed by Peter Greenaway, it tells the story of the ruthless Albert Spica, played by Michael Gambon, a crime boss who takes over a fine-dining restaurant only to have his wife, played by Helen Mirren, fall in lovely with a regular customer behind his back. What follows must be witnessed to be believed; from the performances to the set design, it's a truly one of a kind film experience.

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With Horrortober 9 in the rearview, we take a quick jaunt into food films with an amended month of two classic food films, starting with Babette's Feast. Rankin on Bass's Richard Hatem joins the episode to talk about food, religion, and the end of the writer's strike.

Based on the short story by Karen Blixen, the film tells the story of two sisters, Martine and Filipa, who, after devoting their lives to their father, take in a French Revolution refugee who becomes their live-in chef. This chef becomes part of their lives and, after winning the state lottery, decides to pay it forward with the titular feast. Religion, food, and where the two meet; it's a truly mesmerizing film and a worthy adaptation of the classic story.

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With Horrortober 9 in the rearview, take a break from everything to check out a film that's been in Chris' blind spot: L.A. Confidential. The World is Wrong's Andras Jones stops by for his first time along with programming the episode all about classic LA, gangsters, and noir filmmaking.

Starring Russell Crowe, Kevin Spacey, and Guy Pearce, the film follows the three LAPD detectives as they must uncover corruption and lawlessness that plagues 1950's Los Angeles. It's an adaptation of James Ellroy's novel of the same name that cements itself as one of the finest entries into the noir genre along with featuring some truly magnetic performances.

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With Horrortober 9 in the rearview, we make one last stop in Horrotown for a film almost a decade in the making: Five Night's at Freddy's. Scary Stories We Tell's Emma Mantell and Dustin Rutledge join the episode to talk FNAF lore, the movie's RT score, and where the series goes from here.

Josh Hutcherson stars as Mike, a man plagued by memories of his brother who was kidnapped, who gets a job at the titular pizzeria so he can attempt to keep custody of his sister. Along the way, he finds out that the night security job may be much more than he bargained for when it turns out the animatronics may be possessed by the ghosts of other missing children. It's a wild ride that is as much fan service as it is an interesting entry into the horror mega-franchise.

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