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!

Happy New Year, Class! The RRH is proud to present our first review of 2026 that slices harder than a sword to the neck: the 1973 Kung Fu epic, BEACH OF THE WAR GODS!

Joining our discussion as Special Guest Lecturer is Chris The Brain, the esteemed host of the excellent Bulletproof Action Podcast, the show that analyzes all things cinematically action. Both Chris and our host, the Professor Cesare Augusto, explore the unique martial arts thriller that is BEACH OF THE GODS.

Written, directed, and starring vintage movie legend Jimmy Wang Yu, BEACH OF THE WAR GODS is essentially the Chinese answer to THE SEVEN SAMURAI. During the Ming Dynasty, a community of Chinese fisherman found themselves oppressed and threatened by a horde of invading Japanese samurai. Unable to repel the marauders alone, the fishermen look to Hsia Feng (Wang Yu), a taciturn swordsman with justice and vengeance on his mind. Recruiting five equally-deadly warriors, Hsia Feng rallies the fishermen to fight back against their oppressors, leading to a deadly, blood-soaked confrontation on the town streets and the local shores.

Both Cesare and Chris analyze the film’s magnificently-shot battle sequences, the incredible use of genuine, elbow-grease stunt work, and Wang Yu’s expert directorial vision. Our reviewers also discuss Wang Yu himself, on how his stunning career was hampered by his controversial off-screen life and alleged ties to Chinese organized crime. Despite the star’s setbacks, both reviewers admire Wang Yu’s efforts in making one of the greatest and yet criminally-underrated martial arts tales ever released!

The Rad Revival House continues its Unlikely Holiday Movies run with the bonkers 1984 Sci-Fi cult classic NIGHT OF THE COMET!

Joining us is our newest Special Guest Lecturer, former screenwriter and now Writers Guild of America auditor Chris Chabot, who worked the hustle and bustle of the Amazon Fulfillment Center in Pennsylvania alongside our host, Professor Cesare Augusto! Together, Cesare and Chris explore this goofy satirical look at the cinematic post-apocalyptic craze of the early 80s.

When a comet decimates half of the human race during the Christmas Season, two young Valley Girl sisters (Catherine Mary Stewart & Kelli Maroney) are stunned that they are among the very few survivors of this global disaster. Left with the very strong possibility that they are the last people on Earth, the sisters do what every other person will do after surviving the Apocalypse: go shopping! That is, until they run afoul of gun-totting zombies and a sinister cabal of government scientists!

Despite its limited budget, NIGHT OF THE COMET is a fabulously-shot independent science fiction thriller thrown in with a happy dose of 80s-flavored comedy. Backed with a hilariously effective cast and a catchy 80s New Wave soundtrack (including Cyndi Lauper’s megahit “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” NIGHT OF THE COMET is slambang entertainment, especially for cult film fans. Both Chris and Cesare discuss the film’s quirky writing, its surprisingly strong special effects (including that eerie yellow sky!), and indie movie charm.

Filmmakers should view NIGHT OF THE COMET to help them understand that a $100 million dollar budget isn’t necessary to tell an end-of-the-world tale, as long as you have a strong imagination and memorable characters to boost it!

The Rad Revival House continues its Unlikely Holiday Movies run with the bonkers 1984 Sci-Fi cult classic NIGHT OF THE COMET!

Joining us is our newest Special Guest Lecturer, former screenwriter and now Writers Guild of America auditor Chris Chabot, who worked the hustle and bustle of the Amazon Fulfillment Center in Pennsylvania alongside our host, Professor Cesare Augusto! Together, Cesare and Chris explore this goofy satirical look at the cinematic post-apocalyptic craze of the early 80s.

When a comet decimates half of the human race during the Christmas Season, two young Valley Girl sisters (Catherine Mary Stewart & Kelli Maroney) are stunned that they are among the very few survivors of this global disaster. Left with the very strong possibility that they are the last people on Earth, the sisters do what every other person will do after surviving the Apocalypse: go shopping! That is, until they run afoul of gun-totting zombies and a sinister cabal of government scientists!

Despite its limited budget, NIGHT OF THE COMET is a fabulously-shot independent science fiction thriller thrown in with a happy dose of 80s-flavored comedy. Backed with a hilariously effective cast and a catchy 80s New Wave soundtrack (including Cyndi Lauper’s megahit “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” NIGHT OF THE COMET is slambang entertainment, especially for cult film fans. Both Chris and Cesare discuss the film’s quirky writing, its surprisingly strong special effects (including that eerie yellow sky!), and indie movie charm.

Filmmakers should view NIGHT OF THE COMET to help them understand that a $100 million dollar budget isn’t necessary to tell an end-of-the-world tale, as long as you have a strong imagination and memorable characters to boost it! 

Happy yee-haw Holidays! The Rad Revival House begins its Unlikely Holiday Films movement with back-to-back reviews of the most unlikely movies to watch before Christmas!

First on our list is DAY OF THE OUTLAW, the 1959 wintry Western thriller from genre master Andre De Toth. Our host, Professor Cesare Augusto, analyzes this what he calls a “Hitchockian suspense Western”. In an isolated Wyoming town, powerful and angry cattleman Blaise Starrett ( criminally-underrated screen legend Robert Ryan) is feuding with a major farmer when their local squabble is interrupted by an invading outlaw gang. Led by dying but principled cavalry soldier Jack Bruen (Burl Ives), the gang threatens to violate the town’s women and destroy everything in its path. Forced into action, Blaise must find a way to outwit the outlaws and save his town from utter destruction. 

DAY OF THE OUTLAW is a powerful winter-based Western that, in Professor Cesare’s eyes, serves as a precursor to later icy frontier pictures such as THE GREAT SILENCE and THE HATEFUL 8. Aspiring Western writers should absorb this little-seen picture that combines both the hostile threat of freezing temperatures and the cruelty of evil men!