The Rad Revival House pays tribute to a true icon of the Cinema: the late, great Robert Duvall.

Returning to the RRH as Special Guest Lecturer is Newman of the excellent podcast Movies 4 Dayz. Together with host Professor Cesare Augusto, Newman lends a strong hand in analyzing two criminally underrated Robert Duvall pictures: the Sci-Fi dystopian classic THX 1138, and the rough an’ tumble Crime classic, THE OUTFIT.

In THX 1138, director George Lucas gives a startling debut in his film career with a glimpse at a rigid, technological future. Every human is a drone without an identity, only a coded name, serving a faceless but powerful entity that oversees every action. Every human is also force-fed mind-altering medication, making them slaves to said entity, without emotion or soul. That is, until the inquisitive drone THX 1138 (Duvall) becomes aware of a world of freedom, free from the restrictions of their entity, and with a promise of individuality. Together with fellow drones LUH (Maggie McOmie) and SEN (a magnificently nutty Donald Pleasance), THX makes his escape, with relentless robots in hot pursuit!

And in THE OUTFIT, Duvall is Earl Macklin, an ex-con and professional thief who finishes his stretch the joint, only to hear of his brother’s brutal assassination. A man of principle and violent tendencies, Macklin seeks revenge against the organized crime figures responsible for his brother’s murder. Joined by fellow crook Cody (a fabulously tough Joe Don Baker) and beautiful girlfriend Bette (Karen Black), Macklin wages war against the crime organization known as The Outfit, who won’t take these so-called “independents’” vendetta lying down!

Newman and Professor Cesare have a blast analyzing these two Duvall pictures, how our star provides deeply nuanced performances in both films that are stylishly and thematically different from each other. Both reviewers marvel at Duvall’s classic signature stoicness, how complex his approaches are at fleshing out both THX and Macklin, and how acting students can learn from to create great character portrayals out of not scenery-chewing wildness, but stone-cold silence. Much like the great Robert Duvall! 

On this very special Oscars Edition of The Rad Revival House, we revisit the fantastic political foreign thriller, THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS! Nominated for three Academy Awards (in non-consecutive years, a true cinematic achievement), including Best Foreign Language Film in 1966, THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS is a great landmark picture that has impacted filmmakers for decades.

Returning to the RRH to assist in analyzing duties is Rob of the great film review podcast The Cinemigos. Together, our host Professor Cesare and Rob deep-dove into director Gillo Pontecorvo’s provocative exploration of the Algerian Revolution in the 1950s.

Angry at being politically and socially repressed by the French government for 130 years, Algerians strike back at their oppressors. Led by petty thief turned de factor leader Ali Pointe (the spellbinding Algerian actor Brahim Hadjadj), the organized Algerian resistance group known as the National Liberation Front (FLN), use whatever means necessary to elevate their cause. From ambushing police officers to blowing up tourist spots, the FLN wage war on France’s hold over their African country. Naturally, the French strike back with military precision through their leader Colonel Mathieu (Jean Martin, or who Professor Cesare called “The French Stephen Lang). Both the FLN and the French military pound each other relentlessly, causing death and destruction in their midst!

Both Cesare and Rob observe the filmmakers’ use of a near-documentary style shoot that makes THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS so captivating. Using realistic-looking explosions and a cast of mostly knowns, our reviewers marvel at the film’s gritty, uncompromising look and feel, which will leave audiences completely breathless. Aspiring filmmakers who seek to make pictures inspired by real events should study THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS and its uses of editing, raw cinematography, and unnerving performances!   

Horror gore-hounds of the world, REJOICE! The Rad Revival House hits the bloody 1980s with the cult 1985 splatter-fest RE-ANIMATOR!

Joining us as a first time Special Guest Lecturer is longtime Horror film lover Mike Messbauer, who is more than eager to discuss his fascination with director Stuart Gordon’s take on the classic Frankenstein tale, originally conceived by iconic writer H.P. Lovecraft. RE-ANIMATOR tells the tale of Dr. Herbert West (the incredible Jeffrey Combs), who works feverishly to accomplish one scientific breakthrough: the reanimation of once-dead flesh. With the reluctant assistance of fellow medical student Dan Cain (Bruce Abbott), West successfully creates a serum that rejuvenates dead tissue, bringing corpses back to life. Inevitably, however, West’s experiments backfires as the corpses become hideous flesh-eating zombies!

Together, host Professor Cesare and Mike analyze what makes RE-ANIMATOR so enjoyable. Not since THE EVIL DEAD has there been loads, and we mean LOADS, of fake yet convincing manufactured blood. Gallons of fake blood, along with intricately-created zombie makeup and prosthetics, are used to make the undead monsters of RE-ANIMATOR so amazingly compelling, despite an obvious low budget. The film is also bolstered by a deliciously creepy performance by Combs, helping to make RE-ANIMATOR a true 80s horror flick a real treat to fans, and a must-see for aspiring horror filmmakers looking to revitalize the genre away from the current CGI-ladened trends!

What do you get when you combine the futuristic, technological, but paranoid marvel of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY with the gripping nuclear what-if nightmare of DR. STRANGELOVE? You get the brilliant underrated sci-fi masterpiece COLOSSUS: THE FORBIN PROJECT as this week’s Rad Revival House review!

Returning to the RRH is our old friend and recurring Special Guest Lecturer, George Davison. He rejoins our host, Professor Cesare Augusto, with a thorough look at this simply shot, yet compelling picture. COLOSSUS: THE FORBIN PROJECT tells the tale of a new supercomputer, designed to prevent nuclear war not just in the United States, but all over the world. Designed and built by scientist Dr. Charles Forbin (a terrific Eric Braedon), Colossus was made to solve all of man’s problems: disease, famine, crime, war. That is, until Colossus becomes mysteriously sentient. It springs to life, and begins blackmailing the world with its own capabilities to fire nuclear missiles at any target of its choosing. Colossus’s ultimatum to mankind: “Obey me…or die!”

COLOSSUS: THE FORBIN PROJECT is a great case of “less is more.” Both Cesare and George marvel at the film’s great use of government-inspired sets, a cast of effective unknowns (including great future character actor James Hong), and sharp, intelligent writing. The film offers a strong cautionary tale of man’s over-reliance on computers, and how that reliance will be our downfall if we let the power of technology go severely unchecked. We recommend all serious students of Science Fiction view and study COLOSSUS: THE FORBIN PROJECT should they desire to tackle the genre without the use of flashy CGI and a massive billion-dollar budget!

Are we our brother’s keepers? YES WE ARE!

The Rad Revival House concludes our Black History Month Movie Movement 2026 with a true bang through our review of the 1991 African-American action classic, NEW JACK CITY.

Helping us analyze this slam-bang urban thriller is Vashawn “V.Q.” Quinones, host of the Fear Of A Black Film Critic Podcast and son of the late, great actor and break-dancing extraordinaire Adolfo “Shabba Doo” Quinones, a fact that he revealed half-way through our episode, much of Professor Cesare’s pleasant shock! Together, Professor Cesare and V.Q. explore just what makes NEW JACK CITY the iconic action picture that it is.

Nino Brown (the magnificent Wesley Snipes), a charismatic but cruel and megalomaniacal up-and-coming drug lord, seeks to control the streets of Harlem and eventually all of New York City. With his gang, the Cash Money Brothers, Nino launches his criminal empire through his vast flow of crack cocaine, flooding the inner city streets with its poison. On the side of the law is Scotty Appleton (the fearsome Ice-T), a vengeful veteran detective looking to destroy Nino. With the help of his tough partner Nick Peretti (Judd Nelson) and recovering addict/informant Pookie (a surprisingly dramatic Chris Rock), Scotty will use every means necessary to crush Nino’s empire once and for all.

Directed by independent wunderkind Mario Van Peebles, NEW JACK CITY provides a powerful inside look at the period’s real-life drug epidemic while offering healthy doses of no-holds-barred action. Both Professor Cesare and V.Q. marvel at the picture’s pulsating late 80s/early 90s hip-hop and R&B soundtrack, its gritty dialogue (written by genre favorite Barry Michael Cooper), and its status as a forerunner to the 1990s urban crime drama. Filmmakers looking to create inner-city based thrillers must look to NEW JACK CITY as a bible of gritty, uncompromising inspiration!  

On this week’s episode of The Rad Revival House, we combine our Black History Month movie movement with the Valentine’s Day holiday in our review of the bittersweet racial love story NOTHING BUT A MAN.

Returning to our show is Mike Dennis, independent filmmaker, cinephile, and host of the great cinematic website, Reelblack.com. Mike and RRH host Professor Cesare Augusto explore the complex, character-enriched nuances of NOTHING BUT A MAN, and how the film left indelible marks on both speakers.

NOTHING BUT A MAN surrounds the plight of Duff Anderson (the brilliant Ivan Dixon), a working-class black man working to survive the harsh racism that plagued the 1960s American Deep South. While enduring racism by hostile whites, Duff finds love in the form of shy African-American school teacher Josie (the great character actress Abbey Lincoln), much to the dismay of her disapproving preacher father. Despite the antagonism from their respective parents, as well as the hellish bigotries of the local white populace, Duff and Abbey strive to survive to keep their love and shared lives together.

Both Mike and Cesare explore the film’s excellent performances (including a stunning supporting role by famed character actor Julius Harris), its peculiar yet strong production by German-Jewish American filmmakers Michael Roemer & Robert Young, and powerful societal messages. Even if the picture is largely forgotten by mainstream audiences, our reviewers feel NOTHING BUT A MAN is significantly worth revisiting by today’s viewers, especially with our current society’s racial tensions, as well as socially-conscious filmmakers looking towards the past for strong creative inspiration!

Who’s ready for some football…drama?

Happy Superbowl Sunday, class! We’re at a very special edition of our Black History Month movie movement, as we combine both BHM and the big game! This week, the RRH explores the great 1971 made-for-TV dramatic sports tearjerker, BRIAN’S SONG.

Helping in our review is first-time Special Guest Lecturer, Walter Cherepinsky. An old Penn State University friend of our host, Professor Cesare Augusto, Walt is the host of WalterFootball.com, a comprehensive website that analyzes every statistics and current facts of American professional football. Together, Cesare and Walt discuss the hard-hitting dramatic essence of BRIAN’S SONG. The film explores the friendship between Brian Piccolo (James Caan) and Gale Sayers (Billy Dee Williams), two players on the Chicago Bears who couldn’t be more different. One is white, the other black, and both are members of a major football team in the middle of the volatile 1960s. When the two are forced to room together during the season, both men overcome seemingly great societal odds by becoming close friends. The film takes a startling turn when Piccolo is diagnosed with a potentially-lethal cancer bout, leaving Sayers struggling with the pain of losing his best friend.

Cesare and Walt combine their analytical powers to decipher BRIAN’S SONG, how the film captures the brilliant chemistry between Caan and Williams, its witty dialogue born out of football player team camaraderie, and the simplistic feel despite being a made-for-TV movie. BRIAN’S SONG is a great example of how to effectively dramatize real-life events, and make it into solid cinematic entertainment!

Happy Black History Month! All February long, The Rad Revival House celebrates African-American culture through the all-compassing eye of the cinematic lens, especially by way of underrated, underseen black movies. Joining our podcast for the very first time is Derek Major, an old friend of RRH Host Professor Cesare Augusto from their days at Penn State University’s own student radio network PSU ComRadio, and a talented writer for many notable news outlets.

We begin our cinematic BHM movement with HOLLYWOOD SHUFFLE, a great independent film featuring written, directed, and starring great black actor/comedian Robert Townsend. HOLLYWOOD SHUFFLE offers an in-depth look at aspiring thespian Bobby Taylor, who finds himself at a creative and moral crossroads. Looking to make his big break, Bobby is close to securing a lucrative actor role, which unfortunately happens to be a racially-typecast character of the urban, inner-city “street” persuasion. Bobby must make his choice: would he accept portraying a negative stereotype as a means of holding steady work as an actor, or will he make that sacrifice in order to keep his integrity as a man?

HOLLYWOOD SHUFFLE is an interesting exploration of the working person-of-color actor which combines comedy and hard-hitting subtle drama. Both Cesare and Derek discuss the film’s hilariously-constructed vignettes designed to poke fun at Hollywood’s use of cinematic black stereotypes, along with exploring Townsend’s realistically human approach in focusing on Bobby’s professional and personal journeys. HOLLYWOOD SHUFFLE is a great example of the burgeoning black independent cinema movement that may have cemented the rise of other African-American filmmakers like Spike Lee and John Singleton!

Hey, freaks! In this very special episode, The Rad Revival House takes things a bit “upside down” with a unique new topic, “The Unrealized Pop References of STRANGER THINGS”!

Joined by longtime regular Special Guest Lecturer Steve “The Analog Man” Tumolo, host Professor Cesare Augusto tackles the worldwide phenomenon of the hit Netflix series STRANGER THINGS. Both Cesare and Steve are big fans of the show, especially with its nonstop use of 70s and 80s-based movie references towards legends such as Steven Spielberg, Stephen King, George Lucas, John Carpenter, Sam Raimi, and more. These legends clearly shaped the work of STRANGER THINGS creators Matt and Ross Duffer, but what about more unobvious references? What were some of the other, more obscure, more underrated films that influenced this show and helped shape its amazing impact?

So Cesare and Steve put their heads together and came up with 5 movies they theorize helped create the classic pop culture zeitgeists of STRANGER THINGS. Together, they speculated that films such as  THE MONSTER SQUAD, THE MATRIX, A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, THE BREAKFAST CLUB, and others are possible cinematic candidates that possible burned into the creative brains of the Duffer Brothers, which in turn helped them envision the grand design of STRANGER THINGS. Cesare and Steve painstakingly discuss their movie theories, and have a damn good time doing it! Plus, they discuss the series’ grand finale, and what the Duffers should do to continue their successful careers down the road!

Konichiwa! The Rad Revival House returns to the Land of the Rising Sun with a look at the bonkers Japanese monster thriller MATANGO, OR ATTACK OF THE MUSHROOM PEOPLE!

Writer and Japanese cinema aficionado Jennifer Upton returns as Special Guest Lecturer to lend a helping hand in discussing this unique picture. Directed by the mastermind behind iconic Kaiju movie beast GODZILL, Isihiro Honda, MATANGO is a significant departure for Honda as he tackles an emotionally-deeper, thought-provoking tale, wrapped in a bizarre monster motif. Seven Japanese tourists on a yacht in the middle of the Pacific ocean survive a brutal storm and land on a deserted island, only to encounter a brand new threat: mysterious and deadly mushrooms. Faced with possible starvation, the survivors must resist eating the strange fungi as they work to return to civilization. However, lack of proper sustenance, the rough natural elements, and volatile bickering among the survivors lead to drastic measures, before the arrival of the dreaded mushroom people themselves!

Jennifer and host, Professor Cesare Augusto, discuss director Ishiro Honda’s bizarre, yet ultimately prolific vision, how his experiences of the WWII horrors shaped his creative style, and his overall artistic contributions to the world, including his Godzilla pictures. Both reviewers agree that filmmakers can indeed create a striking, emotionally-charged picture despite set within a seemingly-goofy premise, provided it is armed with strong writing, convincing characters, and a powerful creative outlook!