Today Matt & Todd discuss Jack Sholder’s 1987 Sci-Fi-Crime-Action-Thriller: The Hidden

Written by Jim Kouf

Starring: Michael Nouri, KyleMaclachlan, and Chris Mulkey/William Boyett/ClaudiaChristian/Jake/Clarence Felder/John McCann as their identity-shifting alien nemisis.

The Hidden was a HBO and VHS staple for us in the late 80s and early 90s. Heavy rotation in the early days but largely forgotten over the last 30 or so years.

Sergeant Tom Beck starts his day investigating a brazen,violent bank-robbery and car chase in the middle of the day. Seems mostly normal enough, but he later meets FBI Agent Lloyd Gallagher and learns that this runs deeper into a ring of criminals who seem to be from different walks of life butall share a love of violence and sports cars.

What unfolds is a genre classic that we loved then, and love it today.

We couldn’t find this one streaming free in the US, but the DVD or BluRay will be well worth its place in your collection.

Relive this one again or watch it for the first time.Thank you all for listening!

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If you’re in the mood for something but you just can’t decide, peruse one of more than 100 themed lists by Matt on Letterboxd. Check out lists to inspire your blood-soakedaction side, your spacy side, or your whimsical side.

Follow Matt for updates on Bluesky: @MovieMattSirois

Dangerous inter-galactic adrenaline-junkie-body-posessing slugs can’t always be blamed for what he reviews on Facebook at the ⁠⁠⁠Movie Asylum of the Weird, Bad and Wonderful.

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⁠⁠⁠Once Upon a Geek⁠⁠⁠

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Today Matt & Todd discuss Tony Scott's 1991 Crime-Action-Thriller: The Last Boy Scout

Written by Shane Black

Starring: Bruce Willis, Damon Wayans, Chelsea Field, Noble Willingham and Taylor Negron.

First seen by us decades ago, this rewatch had more going for it than we remembered.

Very 90s, very macho, angsty-angry, but very funny at times; punctuated with excellent action sequences and performances, The Last Boy Scout remains popular among many genre fans, including these two.

We were expecting at most a remembrance of a pretty fun film of our teens, and we got that but saw a lot that we probably missed.

Thank you all for listening!

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If you're following a dangerous criminal on an international crime spree that leaves you frustrated with clues of interconnected movies that you just can't piece together; consult one of Matt's 116 or so lists on Letterboxd⁠,⁠ and stay one step ahead.

Advise him of your favorite parts of House of the Dead @MovieMattSirois on BlueSky.)

BOLO for a snarkier version of Matt: and follow him as Marcus on ⁠⁠Movie Asylum of the Weird, Bad and Wonderful⁠⁠ reviewing off-brand or forgotten action and sci-fi.

Peruse some great content we also follow at:

⁠⁠Once Upon a Geek⁠⁠

Also  ⁠⁠The Fade Out Podcast

Today Matt & Todd discuss Tom Holland's Fright Night from 1985.

An outstanding example of a modern take of the gothic vampire; Fright Night stars:

William Ragsdale, Amanda Bearse, Roddy McDowall, and Chris Sarandon

In present-day (1985) mysterious Jerry Dandridge and his roomate Billy move in next door to curious Charlie Brewster.

Charlieknowshe is a vampire; but the police won't believe him, and his friends think he's losing his mind. With no one else to turn to, he finds local Horror Show host Peter Vincent -Vampire Hunter to help.

What follows is a fantastic movie that could have gone missed in the wave of the summer of 1987's Lost Boys shortly after.

Tom Holland's directorial debut is a darkly-humorous vampire tale also with fantastic FX by legend Richard Edlund (ILM).

If you missed this one, find it. A must have for vampire movie fans featuring Chris Sarandon as one of the finest to don fangs in any era.

Thank you all for listening!

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You're preparing your implements of war against the ever thirsting undead; and you forgot the matches. You forgot the matches because you were too busy testing the hardware store for werewolves, and you went off script like you always do.

Congrats, and there you go: 5 dozen candles and no matches with which to ignite them.

Fumbling for the lighter you vaguely remember behind the couch, you fail to notice the mysterious shadow fall over your exposed back. You're straining your arm to the limit, socket popping and stretching as tendons cling to their last.

You've done it!

That orange plastic and bright nickel steel, little pocket of flame. The moment you clasp your prize everything turns; and with unwanted inertia you find the room pulling away from you at incredible speed. The explosion of pain across your back punctuates the realization that you've been hurled across the room like laundry and decimated a wardrobe.

With little time to breathe it hulks towards you. The thing that took everything from you.

You grasp the vial of anointing oil and light it. That's it. It is time we- (Oh, I'm here too, in spirit though. Remember I already bought it a while back—I took down 6 of them blowing up the gas station. You were all "We won't leave you!" and it was sad but still youdid leave withouttoo much argument...)

(Anyway...)

It is timeweface this head-on.

Once and final.

Teeth vs. flame sounds like good odds.

Taking one further step weFind MovieMattSirois on Letterboxd⁠, & @MovieMattSirois BlueSky.)

Then read a snarkier version of Matt: and follow him as Marcus on ⁠Movie Asylum of the Weird, Bad and Wonderful⁠ reviewing off-brand or forgotten action and sci-fi.

Oh andthenwe check out some great content we also follow at:

⁠Once Upon a Geek⁠

Also  ⁠The Fade Out Podcast

Editor note: We had some audio and connection problems with this episode, we apologize for some of the weird sounds and random issues. Anyway, on to the notes:

Hailed as one of the most influential sci-fi films ever made, 1954'sThem!directed by Gordon Douglas, still stands the test of time over 7 decades later.

Mike joins us today, he and Matt reminisce about earlier days finding the film on afternoon TV; this was a (relatively) new watch for Todd.

Yes this is 1950s 'radioactive-giant-beast' sci-fi, but this is a true classic. Helping to launching a genre that would eventually be beaten into the radioactive sands of the southwestern desert.

Given the subject you might expect far more cheese, but this isn't the sillier B-level stuff parodied by theThe Simpsons and taken to the extremes withSharknado.

Released a few months before Japan's iconicGodzilla, Them!Stars James Whitmore, James Arness, Joan Weldon and Edmund Gwenn.Them!builds tension with some great characters to a thrilling finish reminiscent of James Cameron's 1986 masterpiece.

Thank you everyone for listening and join us again.

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Find Matt on Letterboxd⁠ as he reviews over 1,500 movies (while you're at it also let him know if there are any newSniper movies on @BlueSky.)

-------He can change his name but he can't avoid getting threatening boxes of questionable films. "Marcus" is forced to watch anything from the dreadful to awful, to sometimes passable, and the very rare gem of the discount movie bin experience on Facebook at the Movie Asylum of the Weird, Bad and Wonderful.

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Check out some great content we also follow at:

Once Upon a Geek

Also  The Fade Out Podcast

1983's The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show is brought to you by the world of Charle's Schultz' Peanuts and the creative team that brought you the beloved specials of the 1960s, 70s and 80s.

The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show was a short-run animated series based off of stories pulled from the long-running strip, shown in a series of several vignettes per episode.

What stands out here is revisiting the show 40 years later and absorbing the (often surreal) drama through an adult lense.

In our minds, everything about this series holds up in pure entertainment value. There are a lot of laughs to be had again, and very odd situations to ponder along the way.

Snoopy is adorable as always.

Thank you everyone for listening!

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Did you get to that moment where you want to watch something but none of the algorithms grab you?

Curated by @MovieMattSirois.

He left the world of movie hate-review justice behind. That was a different time. An angrier time.

He left it to find a place to lift up, not tear down.

He changed his name to Marcus and tried to leave it behind for a quiet pasture.

But those terrible films just come for him anyway on Facebook at the Movie Asylum of the Weird, Bad and Wonderful.

Check out some great content we also follow at:

Once Upon a Geek

Also  The Fade Out Podcast

...You're a WINNER!

Today, Matt, Todd, and Mike dive into 1986's animated Sci-Fi action slugfest: Transformers: The Movie, directed by Nelson Shin, and featuring an all-star voice cast:

Orson Welles as Unicron

Leonard Nimoy as Galvatron

Judd Nelson as Rodimus Prime

Robert Stack as Ultra Magnus

And of course...

Frank Welker as Megatron & Soundwave

Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime & Ironhide

Written by Ron Friedman, this movie brought us many unforgettable moments. If you know & love the movie, you already know where this is going.

Talk to the right person, and mentioning this movie might just bring back some deep childhood trauma. If you don't know it yet, you're about to delve into one of the most effective and disturbing 'war films' an '80s child could watch—something akin to "We Were Soldiers" but, you know, with toys, set to some of the most rocking '80s glam you'll ever hear.

We're talking about a bunch of toy-heroes getting systematically slaughtered, genocided, tortured, and dipped in acid...

So grab your nearest action figure and jump in for a fantastic, fun-filled ride of family adventure. Transformers: The Movie is far more 'adult' than one would ever have expected, and the impactful death of some of the biggest stars is remembered forever. Many recall tearful theaters and leaving in shock.

Maybe you were never a fan, and maybe the Michael Bay movies didn't help. But this is different—more akin to "Heavy Metal" than a Saturday afternoon with some trucks and lasers.

Check this classic out! America doesn't make too many animated films quite like this, so it's no surprise that the Transformers' origins lie thousands of miles away in Japan.

Till all are one... and as always, thank you for listening.

Matt rolls out his favorites on Letterboxd and BlueSky @MovieMattSirois.

Witness Matt dispense Quintesson justice on the black fog of despair that is $1-budget action nonsense at the Movie Asylum of the Weird, Bad and Wonderful.

Check out some great content we also follow at:

Once Upon a Geek

Also  The Fade Out Podcast

(Matt Joins the host on the Gordon Douglas episode featuring his final film: "Viva Knievel" a pretty strange 'sign of the time' fluff piece about the notoriously... complex Mr. Knievel)

Today, Matt & Todd cover 1978's The Wild Geese, directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and starring Richard Burton, Richard Harris, and Roger Moore.

If you've seen "The Wild Geese," you understand where we're coming from. If you've made assumptions about how this movie might handle apartheid-era politics, don't—because it didn't think too hard about it. The movie reflects that in nearly every character, why they're there, and what they're doing. This is not a message film, nor a political one. We appreciate the sense of honesty the film has about what it is doing and why.

The movie remains controversial for filming within South Africa during a time of heightening pressure against the oppressive regime, causing early bad publicity towards the film and outright bans in several countries.

On the surface, "The Wild Geese" is a straightforward action-adventure starring a cast of older stars whose characters are looking for profit and adventure. It is fair to point out the film for not getting into the socio-political problems it references, or the real-life mission it was inspired by. While forming that criticism, we think it is important to remember: It is a film made by one of the most mercenary operations in existence—filmmaking and exploiting something for entertainment without thinking too hard about it. We feel it handles the subject matter about as well as could be. If nothing else this film sticks to the clear motivations of the main characters with glints of humanity that may not be the best developed, but these are pretty single-minded lads by nature.

If you're an action fan, this should entertain you; it is thrilling, tense, and dramatic in just the right places.

You can also check out two critics we respect saying the exact opposite:

Roger Ebert - ("...dumb movie...", "...stay away...") and Gene Siskel - ("dull", "Dog of the Year")

Ebert's opening line about the cast is objectively funny.

We didn't watch this review before recording ours, and I can only imagine what they would have thought us.

As always, thank you for listening, and Happy New Year!

Collect intel on the movies Matt loves on his Letterbox'd and Bluesky: MovieMattSirois accounts.

Observe Marcus sufferings of the depths of "action" DVD bargain bins on Facebook at the Movie Asylum of the Weird, Bad and Wonderful

Check out some great content we also follow at:

Once Upon a Geek

Hear Matt on Fade Out

1999's The Mummy - Directed by Stephen Sommers; Starring Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, Jonathan Hyde and Arnold Vosloo stars as Imhotep: a resurrected sorcerer with incredible powers of destruction.

The Mummy is a throwback to early adventure films of early Hollywood, like we hadn't seen since Indiana Jones: And the Last Crusade fitting a mold that is a great blend of grand adventure with the supernatural we hadn't seen in over 10 years.

One of the top 10 grossing films in the US of 1999, The Mummy is left with a legacy of uneven sequels and spinoffs (including the debut of Dwayne Johnson: Movie Star), and a remake to undo it entirely, but let none of that stop you from having a great time with this one.

Dreams.

Do they go on when you close your eyes?

What are they made of?

Are they a slow and steady fire?

Are they your heart and soul's desire?

Listen in as we discuss the movie that demands the question:

Would Alex Gardner get you through the night?

Dreamscape is a 1984 Sci-Fi Thriller directed by Joseph Ruben that was a blast to rediscover after probably 4 decades of kinda remembering it, despite having heavy HBO rotation in 'the day.'

Starring a stacked cast:

Dennis Quaid

Max Von Sydow

Christopher Plummer

Eddie Albert

Kate Capshaw

David Patrick Kelly

George Wendt

and more. listen in!

Follow @moviemattsirois on Letterbox'd and Bluesky!

Despite a prolific and acclaimed creative career, including a musician his entire life with a deep passion for jazz and awards for composition and scoring along with directing.

Despite a list of international guilds, publications, and awards that goes on and on. (Whatever he hasn't won, he's received an honorary award for). About half of the films he has directed have been nominated for major industry awards in categories such as picture, direction, acting, sound, or scoring.

Despite all of this; Clint Eastwood will probably forever be remembered most as either the 'Man With No Name', 'the Good', or 'Dirty' Harry Callahan.

Today, Matt and Todd are joined by our neighbor from the north, Logan, to embark on a retrospective of Clint Eastwood's directorial efforts. The legend as a director.

Director Clint Eastwood's films have garnered enormous praise across the globe. Listen in as we discuss a career filled with industry accolades: 11 Oscar nominations for Best Picture or Director, including 2 wins each for "Unforgiven" and "Million Dollar Baby". He has also received 12 Golden Globe nominations as a director, with wins for "Bird", "Unforgiven", and "Million Dollar Baby".

We're throwing our hat into the ⁠⁠⁠immense list⁠⁠⁠ of accolades to offer our admiration for his efforts and gratitude for hours of entertainment.

Follow! - Matt's TV/Movie diet as @moviemattsirois on: Twitter, Letterboxd, and Instagram

Join! - "Movie Asylum of the Weird, Bad and Wonderful" on Facebook

Witness! - Logan, presumably doing what he does best as: @quintsvessel, On Twitter & Letterboxd

Ponder! - Todd doesn't really do anything, so if you see one with an online presence, it isn't him, he's the other one.

Thank you again for listening, and we hope to have you next time.