The WatchTower Film Podcast

New month, new movies, and absolutely no rules!

We're kicking off our November Free Picks with Peter Greenaway's audacious 1989 film, The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover.

Set in an extravagant restaurant ruled by a vicious gangster, the film follows a world of gluttony, cruelty, infidelity, and revenge. As the thief indulges in his lavish dinners and terrorizes those around him, his wife finds an unexpected connection with another man — setting the table for a story that gets increasingly shocking with every course.

We're diving into Greenaway's striking visual style, the film's lavish production design, its unforgettable performances, and the ways it uses food, color, and excess to explore power, greed, and human cruelty. It's beautiful, grotesque, provocative, and certainly not your typical dinner-and-a-movie experience.

After a month of B-horror, we're trading zombies and chainsaws for fine dining, cinematic excess, and one very disturbing menu.

Pull up a chair. Dinner is served — but you might want to skip dessert.

#TowerCastPodcast #TheCookTheThiefHisWifeAndHerLover #PeterGreenaway #HelenMirren #MichaelGambon #AlanHoward #TimRoth #ArtHouseCinema #CultCinema #1989Movies #FilmPodcast #MoviePodcast #FilmDiscussion #Cinephile #MovieReview #BritishCinema #DarkComedy #Cinema #FreePicks #NovemberMovies

Groovy! We're wrapping up Spooky Month with a bloody bang!

This week on TowerCast Podcast, we're heading back to the cabin in the woods for Sam Raimi's horror-comedy classic, Evil Dead II!

Bruce Campbell returns as Ash Williams, a man whose relaxing getaway turns into an absolute nightmare when demonic forces take over the woods — and pretty much everything else. Between possessed body parts, gallons of blood, a chainsaw for a hand, and some of the most gloriously ridiculous physical comedy ever put on film, Ash's night just keeps getting worse.

We're diving into Raimi's wildly inventive direction, the practical effects, Bruce Campbell's legendary performance, and the razor-thin line between horror and comedy that makes Evil Dead II such a beloved cult classic.

And what better way to wrap up our B-Horror Movie Month than with a movie that proves low-budget horror can deliver big laughs, unforgettable scares, and absolute cinematic madness?

So grab your boomstick, sharpen your chainsaw, and get groovy with TowerCast Podcast!

#TowerCastPodcast #EvilDead2 #EvilDeadII #EvilDead #BruceCampbell #SamRaimi #AshWilliams #SpookyMonth #SpookySeason #BHorror #BMovies #HorrorMovies #HorrorComedy #CultClassic #PracticalEffects #80sHorror #1980sMovies #HorrorPodcast #FilmPodcast #MoviePodcast #Cinephile #Groovy

I have come here to chew bubblegum and talk movies… and we're all out of bubblegum.

This week on TowerCast Podcast, we're putting on the sunglasses and exposing the truth with John Carpenter’s 1988 cult classic They Live!

When drifter Nada discovers a pair of special sunglasses, he realizes the world isn't quite what it seems. Beneath the advertisements, the consumer culture, and the everyday hustle lies a horrifying truth: aliens have infiltrated society, manipulating humanity through subliminal messages and keeping everyone obedient, distracted, and asleep.

Starring professional wrestler Roddy Piper, They Live delivers alien action, outrageous one-liners, a legendary alleyway brawl, and sharp social commentary that still hits decades later.

We're breaking down Carpenter's sci-fi satire, the film's B-movie charm, its unforgettable moments, and the unsettling question at its core: What if the world really is trying to keep us from seeing the truth?

So grab your sunglasses, question everything, and join us for another episode of TowerCast Podcast.

OBEY. CONSUME. WATCH TOWERCAST.

#TowerCastPodcast #TheyLive #JohnCarpenter #RoddyPiper #KeithDavid #SpookyMonth #BHorror #BMovies #HorrorMovies #SciFiHorror #ScienceFiction #CultClassic #CultCinema #80sMovies #1980sCinema #SocialSatire #FilmPodcast #MoviePodcast #HorrorPodcast #Cinephile #MovieDiscussion #OBEY

B-Horror Month rolls on!

This week on TowerCast Podcast, we're taking on the 1988 remake of The Blob — a movie that takes a classic creature feature and cranks the horror, gore, and insanity all the way up.

When a mysterious organism crashes to Earth, it begins consuming everything in its path, growing larger and more terrifying with every victim. It's up to a rebellious teenager and a local waitress to try to stop it before the entire town becomes dinner.

We're talking practical effects, outrageous kills, creature design, the movie's surprisingly dark sense of humor, and why The Blob deserves way more love as one of the great B-Horror movies of the '80s.

And if you thought the Blob was just some goofy pile of goo… this Blob is coming to eat you.

It's bigger. It's meaner. And it's hungry.

#TowerCastPodcast #TheBlob #TheBlob1988 #BHorror #BMovies #SpookyMonth #HorrorMovies #80sHorror #1980sHorror #CreatureFeature #MonsterMovies #PracticalEffects #HorrorComedy #CultClassic #CultCinema #FilmPodcast #MoviePodcast #HorrorPodcast #Cinephile #MovieDiscussion #KevinDillon #ShawneeSmith #FrankDarabont

Spooky Month is here, and we're going B-Movie!

We're kicking things off with Dan O'Bannon's 1985 horror-comedy classic Return of the Living Dead!

Zombies are rising from the dead, the undead are hungry for brains, and a couple of unlucky employees at a medical supply warehouse are about to have the worst night of their lives. Add in a punk rock soundtrack, outrageous gore, unforgettable characters, and some seriously bizarre zombies, and you've got one hell of a B-movie.

We're talking Return of the Living Dead, the movie that gave us brain-eating zombies, the infamous "Send More Paramedics" moment, and a completely different flavor of undead chaos.

So grab your brains, crank up the punk rock, and join us as we officially kick off Spooky Month!

They're back. They're hungry. And this time… they're having brains for dinner.

#TowerCastPodcast #ReturnOfTheLivingDead #BMovies #BHorror #HorrorMovies #SpookyMonth #ZombieMovies #DanOBannon #1980sHorror #80sHorror #PunkRock #ZombieHorror #HorrorComedy #CultClassic #CultCinema #FilmPodcast #MoviePodcast #HorrorPodcast #Cinephile #MovieDiscussion #Brains

This week on TowerCast Podcast, we're talking about The Big Sick!

Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon turn their own unlikely love story into one of the most heartfelt romantic comedies of the 2010s. What starts as a complicated relationship between Kumail and Emily takes an unexpected turn when Emily becomes seriously ill, forcing Kumail to confront her family, his own family, and the cultural expectations pulling him in every direction.

We're talking love, family, cultural differences, stand-up comedy, and how The Big Sick manages to be genuinely hilarious while tackling some pretty heavy stuff.

It's a love story. It's a comedy. It's a family drama. And yeah… somebody actually gets pretty sick.

#TowerCastPodcast #TheBigSick #KumailNanjiani #EmilyVGordon #ZoeKazan #HollyHunter #RayRomano #RomCom #RomanticComedy #ComedyMovies #MoviePodcast #FilmPodcast #Cinephile #MovieDiscussion #IndependentFilm #A24 #2010sMovies #Cinema #MovieFans

This week on TowerCast Podcast, we're heading down to Arizona for one of the Coen brothers’ most bizarre and beloved comedies: Raising Arizona!

Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter star as an unlikely couple who find themselves going to some pretty extreme lengths to start a family — including kidnapping one of the famous Arizona quintuplets. From the Coens’ rapid-fire dialogue and cartoonish chaos to H.I.’s legendary hair and the terrifying Lone Biker of the Apocalypse, there’s a lot to unpack.

We're talking Raising Arizona, the Coen brothers, Nicolas Cage at maximum Cage, and why this wonderfully strange comedy has become a cult classic.

A baby, a kidnapping, a couple of criminals, and one hell of a road trip. What could possibly go wrong?

#TowerCastPodcast #RaisingArizona #CoenBrothers #JoelCoen #EthanCoen #NicolasCage #HollyHunter #JohnGoodman #FrancesMcDormand #MoviePodcast #FilmPodcast #ComedyMovies #CultClassic #ClassicCinema #Cinephile #MovieDiscussion #CoenBrothersFilms #1980sMovies #Cinema #MovieFans

200 EPISODES. 10 YEARS. ONE INCREDIBLE CITY.

For our 200th episode of TowerCast Podcast, we wanted to do something special.

We gathered at the legendary Plaza Theatre in downtown El Paso for a celebration of everything we've built together over the years. We showcased some of our work, looked back at a decade of making cinema in El Paso, and most importantly, took the time to say thank you to the city that has supported us along the way.

The celebration also featured a special Q&A, where we talked about our 10-year journey making films in El Paso, the highs and lows of creating independent cinema, the experiences that shaped us, and what we've learned along the way. We also discussed our most recent short films and what comes next for us.

This episode isn't just about reaching 200.

It's about the people, the films, the friends, the collaborators, the audiences, and the city that made the journey possible.

Thank you, El Paso, for 10 incredible years. Here's to the next 200.

#TowerCastPodcast #Episode200 #200Episodes #ElPaso #ElPasoTX #ElPasoFilm #ElPasoCinema #ElPasoFilmmakers #IndependentFilm #IndependentCinema #Filmmaking #FilmPodcast #MoviePodcast #Cinema #FilmCommunity #PlazaTheatre #PlazaTheatreElPaso #TexasFilmmakers #ShortFilms #TowerProductions #ThankYouElPaso #200thEpisode

This week on TowerCast Podcast, we're setting sail with Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey!

Matt Damon takes on the role of Odysseus in Nolan’s massive adaptation of Homer’s legendary epic, as one warrior faces gods, monsters, sirens, and a long—and very dangerous—journey home after the Trojan War.

We’re diving into Nolan’s take on one of the oldest stories in cinema history, the film’s massive scale, its IMAX presentation, the mythology, the performances, and whether Nolan can bring his signature filmmaking style to an adventure that’s been told for thousands of years.

Gods. Monsters. Heroes. IMAX. Let’s go to Ithaca.

#TowerCastPodcast #TheOdyssey #ChristopherNolan #MattDamon #TomHolland #AnneHathaway #Homer #GreekMythology #Odysseus #IMAX #Nolan #NolanFilms #EpicMovies #AdventureMovies #FantasyMovies #FilmPodcast #MoviePodcast #Cinephile #MovieDiscussion #Cinema

This week on The WatchTower Film Podcast, we're heading to Neo-Tokyo for a cinematic landmark: Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira.

Released in 1988, Akira didn't just push the boundaries of animation—it helped redefine what audiences thought animated films could be. We dive into its jaw-dropping animation, cyberpunk world, political themes, questions about power and identity, and the sheer ambition behind bringing Otomo's sprawling vision to the screen.

We talk about Kaneda, Tetsuo, psychic powers, motorcycles, government conspiracies, and, of course, that iconic opening sequence. We also look at Akira's enormous influence on anime, science fiction, and filmmakers around the world.

It's chaotic, beautiful, disturbing, and still feels like it came from the future.

Neo-Tokyo is calling. We answered.

#WatchTowerFilmPodcast #Akira #KatsuhiroOtomo #Anime #AnimeMovies #NeoTokyo #Cyberpunk #JapaneseCinema #SciFi #FilmPodcast #ClassicCinema #CinephileTalk #MovieDiscussion