The Kulturecast

We continue Bollywood August with what was at the time the most expensive Indian film ever made, a film that happens to mash up The Terminator, Bicentennial Man, and The Matrix: Enthiran. Superstar Rajinikanth plays Dr. Vaseegaren who creates a robotic doppelganger Chitti who ends up going on a journey of self-discovery with a violent, over-the-top finale that is not to be missed. It's a three-hour-long film that needs to be seen to be believed and one that is a prime example of not only Tamil filmmaking but also the star power of Rajinikanth. Scary Stories We Tell's Jess Byard joins Chris to talk about Rajinikanth, the film's CGI, and the bombastic musical numbers.

You can follow Chris Stachiw at @Casualty_Chris and the Kulturecast @kulturecast. The music is Tigerblood Jewel's The Bayou. You can also subscribe to the Kulturecast on iTunes here. Also, don't forget to check out our official Facebook page for news, upcoming reviews, contests, and new content along with our Patreon page.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support.

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The Kulturecast is a film and culture podcast from Weirding Way Media, hosted by Chris Stachiw, the Doctor of Podcasting, alongside a rotating table of guest co-hosts. Each week digs into where film and culture meet — and how each one bends the other. Now home to sub-feeds including Required Viewing: A 360° Film Study with Dr. David D. Perlmutter.

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-kulturecast/id931361376
Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/5wjxip9XVYapYuY12yEaGY.
Back the show: https://www.patreon.com/cw/kulturecast

We kick off Bollywood August with a look at one of the absolute classics of Indian cinema that permeates pop culture to this day: Sholay. Starring Dharmendra and Amitabh, it follows the two as Jai and Veeru, thieves tasked by a former policeman to help rid his home village of the evil Gabbar Singh. Not only is it a western, but it also features slapstick comedy, musical numbers, and a villain that has been compared to the Darth Vader of Bollywood. Pulp Serenade's Cullen Gallagher and screenwriter Richard Hatem join Chris to talk about the film's legacy, Gabbar Singh, and the prolific nature of Bollywood actor's careers.

You can follow Chris Stachiw at @Casualty_Chris and the Kulturecast @kulturecast. The music is Tigerblood Jewel's The Bayou. You can also subscribe to the Kulturecast on iTunes here. Also, don't forget to check out our official Facebook page for news, upcoming reviews, contests, and new content along with our Patreon page.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support.

———

The Kulturecast is a film and culture podcast from Weirding Way Media, hosted by Chris Stachiw, the Doctor of Podcasting, alongside a rotating table of guest co-hosts. Each week digs into where film and culture meet — and how each one bends the other. Now home to sub-feeds including Required Viewing: A 360° Film Study with Dr. David D. Perlmutter.

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-kulturecast/id931361376
Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/5wjxip9XVYapYuY12yEaGY.
Back the show: https://www.patreon.com/cw/kulturecast

We end Steven Seagal July with one of the final theatrical films from the Aikido master, as well as being his first sequel: Under Siege 2: Dark Territory. Seagal reprises his role of the Aikido cook Casey Ryback as he's tasked with stopping a deranged Eric Bogosian from using a satellite to start WW3. It's Die Hard on a Train but with more train car jumping. The film's screenwriter Richard Hatem and Oughtfive Film's Father Malone join Chris to talk about the film's creation, what Seagal is really like, and what a third film might look like.

You can follow Chris Stachiw at @Casualty_Chris and the Kulturecast @kulturecast. The music is Tigerblood Jewel's The Bayou. You can also subscribe to the Kulturecast on iTunes here. Also, don't forget to check out our official Facebook page for news, upcoming reviews, contests, and new content along with our Patreon page.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support.

———

The Kulturecast is a film and culture podcast from Weirding Way Media, hosted by Chris Stachiw, the Doctor of Podcasting, alongside a rotating table of guest co-hosts. Each week digs into where film and culture meet — and how each one bends the other. Now home to sub-feeds including Required Viewing: A 360° Film Study with Dr. David D. Perlmutter.

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-kulturecast/id931361376
Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/5wjxip9XVYapYuY12yEaGY.
Back the show: https://www.patreon.com/cw/kulturecast

We near the end of Steven Seagal July with one of Seagal's earlier works, which is code for "it might be good": Marked for Death. Once again starring the Corn Dog Master himself, he plays John Hatcher, a retired DEA agent who returns to Chicago only to find the town being overrun by Jamaican posses dealing hard drugs. It's essentially some of the best parts of the Dirty Harry franchise with that unmistakable odor of Seagal. The One Season Show's Jess Byard joins Chris once again to talk about more about Seagal's acting, the film's brutality, and whether it's a true action "classic."

You can follow Chris Stachiw at @Casualty_Chris and the Kulturecast @kulturecast. The music is Tigerblood Jewel's The Bayou. You can also subscribe to the Kulturecast on iTunes here. Also, don't forget to check out our official Facebook page for news, upcoming reviews, contests, and new content along with our Patreon page.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support.

———

The Kulturecast is a film and culture podcast from Weirding Way Media, hosted by Chris Stachiw, the Doctor of Podcasting, alongside a rotating table of guest co-hosts. Each week digs into where film and culture meet — and how each one bends the other. Now home to sub-feeds including Required Viewing: A 360° Film Study with Dr. David D. Perlmutter.

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-kulturecast/id931361376
Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/5wjxip9XVYapYuY12yEaGY.
Back the show: https://www.patreon.com/cw/kulturecast

We continue Steven Seagal July with Seagal's second foray into not only kicking ass but also protecting the environment all while wearing a Nehru jacket in the country-western singer filled Fire Down Below. Starring the Corn Dog Master himself, he plays Jack Taggart, an EPA agent tasked with taking down Kris Kristofferson, an evil businessman hell-bent on poisoning a rural Kentucky town. If it sounds like On Deadly Ground that's because it's eerily similar to that film in more ways than one could count. The Projection Booth's Mike White and Diabolique's Heather Drain join Chris to talk about more about Seagal's lack of charisma, all the film's singers, and finally put to bed a long-running joke.

You can follow Chris Stachiw at @Casualty_Chris and the Kulturecast @kulturecast. The music is Tigerblood Jewel's The Bayou. You can also subscribe to the Kulturecast on iTunes here. Also, don't forget to check out our official Facebook page for news, upcoming reviews, contests, and new content along with our Patreon page.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support.

———

The Kulturecast is a film and culture podcast from Weirding Way Media, hosted by Chris Stachiw, the Doctor of Podcasting, alongside a rotating table of guest co-hosts. Each week digs into where film and culture meet — and how each one bends the other. Now home to sub-feeds including Required Viewing: A 360° Film Study with Dr. David D. Perlmutter.

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-kulturecast/id931361376
Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/5wjxip9XVYapYuY12yEaGY.
Back the show: https://www.patreon.com/cw/kulturecast

We kick off Steven Seagal July with a look at the master of Aikido's one and only directorial effort with tonally bizarre On Deadly Ground. Starring as a mystical martial artist turned environmental agent Forrest Taft, Seagal tries to save the environment from evil oil men all while wearing a sweet fringe jacket. Scary Stories We Tell's Jess Byard and Pulp Serenade's Cullen Gallagher join Chris to talk about Seagal the man, his turn as director, and whether or not he realizes he's a talentless actor.

You can follow Chris Stachiw at @Casualty_Chris and the Kulturecast @kulturecast. The music is Tigerblood Jewel's The Bayou. You can also subscribe to the Kulturecast on iTunes here. Also, don't forget to check out our official Facebook page for news, upcoming reviews, contests, and new content along with our Patreon page.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support.

———

The Kulturecast is a film and culture podcast from Weirding Way Media, hosted by Chris Stachiw, the Doctor of Podcasting, alongside a rotating table of guest co-hosts. Each week digs into where film and culture meet — and how each one bends the other. Now home to sub-feeds including Required Viewing: A 360° Film Study with Dr. David D. Perlmutter.

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-kulturecast/id931361376
Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/5wjxip9XVYapYuY12yEaGY.
Back the show: https://www.patreon.com/cw/kulturecast

It's the end of the second annual Jess Byard June, and we end the month with another Ken Russell film based on the life of a real person: Valentino. Starring Rudolf Nureyev as the Rudolph Valentino, the film follows his rise to fame from lowly gigolo to one of the silent age's most famous leading men. While the film never really subverts biopic expectations, it does just enough to justify a watch. Scary Stories We Tell's Jess Byard, The Projection Booth's Mike White, and artist Maggie the Odd join Chris to talk about Valentino, Ken Russell's filmography, and biopics in general.

You can follow Chris Stachiw at @Casualty_Chris and the Kulturecast @kulturecast. The music is Tigerblood Jewel's The Bayou. You can also subscribe to the Kulturecast on iTunes here. Also, don't forget to check out our official Facebook page for news, upcoming reviews, contests, and new content along with our Patreon page.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support.

———

The Kulturecast is a film and culture podcast from Weirding Way Media, hosted by Chris Stachiw, the Doctor of Podcasting, alongside a rotating table of guest co-hosts. Each week digs into where film and culture meet — and how each one bends the other. Now home to sub-feeds including Required Viewing: A 360° Film Study with Dr. David D. Perlmutter.

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-kulturecast/id931361376
Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/5wjxip9XVYapYuY12yEaGY.
Back the show: https://www.patreon.com/cw/kulturecast

We near the end of Jess Byard June with a look at the final theatrical film directed by Ken Russell that also happens to be his response to the blockbuster hit Pretty Woman: Whore. Starring Theresa Russell as the eponymous character, it attempts to reconcile the reality of sex work against the glamorized version that Hollywood glommed on to. It's an exciting film that doesn't quite stick the landing, but it does more to bring light to the reality of sex workers than most films on the subject do. Scary Stories We Tell's Jess Byard joins Chris to talk about Russell's performance, the comparisons to Pretty Woman, and the reality of sex work in America.

You can follow Chris Stachiw at @Casualty_Chris and the Kulturecast @kulturecast. The music is Tigerblood Jewel's The Bayou. You can also subscribe to the Kulturecast on iTunes here. Also, don't forget to check out our official Facebook page for news, upcoming reviews, contests, and new content along with our Patreon page.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support.

———

The Kulturecast is a film and culture podcast from Weirding Way Media, hosted by Chris Stachiw, the Doctor of Podcasting, alongside a rotating table of guest co-hosts. Each week digs into where film and culture meet — and how each one bends the other. Now home to sub-feeds including Required Viewing: A 360° Film Study with Dr. David D. Perlmutter.

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-kulturecast/id931361376
Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/5wjxip9XVYapYuY12yEaGY.
Back the show: https://www.patreon.com/cw/kulturecast

We continue Jess Byard June with a look at one of Ken Russell's forays into the horror genre, whether or not it was successful is a different story, but Lair of the White Worm persists! Starring Hugh Grant, Peter Capaldi, and Amanda Donohoe, it focuses on the discovery of a fossilized worm skull that brings about the return of the eponymous white worm. It's a goofy, at times drab, attempt at gothic horror that doesn't exactly stick the landing. OughtFiveFilm's Father Malone and Scary Stories We Tell's Jess Byard joins Chris to talk about Donohoe's performance, whether the film succeeds as a horror film, and why Russell didn't return to horror.

You can follow Chris Stachiw at @Casualty_Chris and the Kulturecast @kulturecast. The music is Tigerblood Jewel's The Bayou. You can also subscribe to the Kulturecast on iTunes here. Also, don't forget to check out our official Facebook page for news, upcoming reviews, contests, and new content along with our Patreon page.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support.

———

The Kulturecast is a film and culture podcast from Weirding Way Media, hosted by Chris Stachiw, the Doctor of Podcasting, alongside a rotating table of guest co-hosts. Each week digs into where film and culture meet — and how each one bends the other. Now home to sub-feeds including Required Viewing: A 360° Film Study with Dr. David D. Perlmutter.

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-kulturecast/id931361376
Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/5wjxip9XVYapYuY12yEaGY.
Back the show: https://www.patreon.com/cw/kulturecast

We continue Jess Byard June with a look at Lisztomania, a film that attempts to chronicle the life, times, improprieties, and death of classical composer Franz Liszt. Starring The Who's Roger Daltrey as the composer, it fuses classical music, biopics, and anachronistic themes into an over-the-top bizarre ride that could only have come from Ken Russell. Artist Maggie the Odd and Scary Stories We Tell's Jess Byard joins Chris to talk about Daltrey as Liszt, the cuckoo imagery, and the real man at the center of the film.

You can follow Chris Stachiw at @Casualty_Chris and the Kulturecast @kulturecast. The music is Tigerblood Jewel's The Bayou. You can also subscribe to the Kulturecast on iTunes here. Also, don't forget to check out our official Facebook page for news, upcoming reviews, contests, and new content along with our Patreon page.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support.

———

The Kulturecast is a film and culture podcast from Weirding Way Media, hosted by Chris Stachiw, the Doctor of Podcasting, alongside a rotating table of guest co-hosts. Each week digs into where film and culture meet — and how each one bends the other. Now home to sub-feeds including Required Viewing: A 360° Film Study with Dr. David D. Perlmutter.

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-kulturecast/id931361376
Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/5wjxip9XVYapYuY12yEaGY.
Back the show: https://www.patreon.com/cw/kulturecast