Tv/Movie Rewind

Today Matt, Todd, and would‑be companion Mike travel through spacetime and land in the Antarctic for the 6th serial of the 13th season of the classic BBC series Doctor Who.

“Seeds of Doom” originally aired from January 31 to March 6, 1976, and if you’re a fan of John Carpenter’s The Thing, Howard Hawks’ The Thing From Another World, or classic sci‑fi horror in general, you’re going to feel right at home. This is one of the earliest and most effective examples of British TV doing icy paranoia and creeping body‑horror on a shoestring.

Even if you only know Doctor Who from its 21st‑century resurgence starting with Christopher Eccleston, this story is anchored by perhaps the most iconic Doctor of all time: Tom Baker. His mix of alien aloofness and manic energy are as legend as his scarf is iconic.

The adventure begins at a remote Antarctic research base where a mysterious seed pod is unearthed; one that quickly draws the attention of Harrison Chase, a criminally unhinged botanist / eco‑terrorist / millionaire played with comic‑villain perfection by Tony Beckley. And every great villain needs a henchman: John Challis delivers a Whit BIssell-winning performance clean sweep as Scorby; a man who looks like he was born to menace people in cold climates.

Whether you’re a longtime fan, a newcomer, or just someone who loves classic sci‑fi horror with a dash of British eccentricity, Seeds of Doom is one of the high points of the Tom Baker era. It’s atmospheric, creepy, funny, and surprisingly intense, definitely one of our highest recommendations.

Today Matt & Todd saddle up with (not Wolverine) Logan for a retrospective on one of cinema’s most iconic, sharp‑eyed but little-discussed legends: Lee Van Cleef.

Few actors have ever done more with a squint, a silhouette, or the simple act of entering a room. Lee Van Cleef embodied a whole cinematic archetype. From Westerns to war films to Italian genre oddities to 80s action pulp, his career is a treasure full of gems any actor would be proud of.

This episode explores the major stops along that trail, to name a few that we mention:

High Noon (1952)

Van Cleef’s film debut, silent but unforgettable. Even without dialogue, he stands out—those cheekbones and that stare do half the acting for him. A small role, but the beginning of legend.

For a Few Dollars More (1965)

The real turning point. As Colonel Douglas Mortimer, Van Cleef becomes a full‑fledged Leone gunslinger. He was cool, lethal, and unexpectedly soulful. He matches Eastwood beat for beat, proving he wasn’t just a villain, but a presence.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966)

Angel Eyes. One of the greatest villains in film history. Van Cleef’s performance is all precision: calm, polite, and terrifying.

The Big Gundown (1966)

A masterpiece of the Spaghetti Western era. Van Cleef’s Jonathan Corbett is a bounty hunter with a conscience, and the film gives him room to be complex, conflicted, and commanding. This is peak Van Cleef—charismatic, dangerous, and magnetic.

The Big Showdown (1967)

A looser, more playful follow‑up to Gundown, showing Van Cleef’s ability to shift gears without losing his edge. He’s still the coolest man in the room, but now with a wink.

Barquero (1970)

A criminally underrated American Western and one of Van Cleef’s best roles. As Travis, the ferry‑man who becomes the last line of defense against a gang of killers, Van Cleef is gruff, stubborn, and absolutely riveting.

This is the movie that proves he wasn’t just a European Western icon—he could carry a gritty American frontier story with equal force.

If you watch only one deep‑cut Van Cleef film, make it Barquero which features a tremendous cast with stellar performances including the always great Warren Oates and Forrest Tucker.

Escape from New York (1981)

Snake Plissken may be the star, but Van Cleef’s Hauk is the heavy with a steel core. Older, grayer, but still radiating authority.

Code Name: Wild Geese (1984)

Pure 80s Euro‑action pulp. Van Cleef brings gravitas to a movie that desperately needs it, elevating the mercenary‑mayhem with that trademark “I’ve seen everything and survived it” energy. One of the most action-packed endings you'll see with a lifetime of pyrotechnics in one scene.

The Master (1984, TV Series)

Van Cleef as a ninja master. On television. In the 80s.

Is it absurd? Yes.

Is it terrible? Actually, no. Its really just fine 80s cheese.

He brings sincerity to a role that could’ve been pure camp, and the result is a cult oddity that’s impossible not to enjoy.

Plus:

Ride Lonesome, Sabata, The Magnificent Seven Ride, The Octagon

Lee Van Cleef never phoned it in, even in the wildest genre films.

He could be heroic, villainous, or something intriguingly in‑between.

He had a face that told stories before he spoke a word.

He elevated everything he touched—from masterpieces to B‑movies to TV curiosities.

If you know, you know. If you don't, find out via some of the best western and action films you missed

Matt has over 100+ lists for movie suggestions on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠You can reach out on Bluesky: @MovieMattSirois

Terrible movies often find him, even under under the alias Marcus at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Movie Asylum of the Weird, Bad and Wonderful⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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Apologies for the strange 'chop' underlying the audio in parts...

Today Matt & Todd dive into the 1996 African‑adventure / animal‑horror thriller The Ghost and the Darkness.

Arriving in theaters with a fair amount of mid‑90s buzz, the film has since become a bit forgotten—despite starring Val Kilmer and Michael Douglas, boasting a tight script by William Goldman, striking visuals, and Oscar‑winning sound design. Reviews at the time were mixed‑to‑positive, and the movie turned a modest profit, but it never quite broke through the way its pedigree suggested it might.

We enjoyed the film’s supernatural-ish tone even if it was an element that landed badly to insufferably for some viewers. It can be hard to root for the “heroes,” even the movie versions as dynamic as Douglas is, or as charming as Kilmer, once you understand the historical context.

But taken as a cinematic experience, what we think it’s really about is a beautifully shot, atmospheric thriller that embraces its setting, its legend, and the eerie campfire‑story energy at the heart of the tale.

It’s a compelling fireside tale brought to life by a strong cast, including:

• Michael Douglas as Charles Remington
• Val Kilmer as Colonel John Henry Patterson
• John Kani as Samuel
• Bernard Hill as David Hawthorne
• Whit Bissell Award Winner Tom Wilkinson as Sir Robert Beaumont
• Emily Mortimer as Helena Patterson
• Om Puri as Abdullah
• Henry Cele as Mahina
• Brian McCardie as Angus Starling

A little mythical (perhaps), a little messy, but still one of the more unique “man‑eater” films out there, The Ghost and the Darkness remains an entertaining slice of 90s adventure‑horror filmmaking.

Matt has over 100+ lists for movie suggestions on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠You can reach out on Bluesky: @MovieMattSirois

Terrible movies often find him, even under under the alias Marcus at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Movie Asylum of the Weird, Bad and Wonderful⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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Today Matt & Todd discuss the 1934 comedy-mystery movie: The Thin Man.

A wildly successful film, spawning several sequels over 92 years ago, it still sparkles with as much charm as it did on release.

Based on a Novel by Dashiell Hammett (of Sam Spade fame), the incredible cast is anchored by William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles in a fairly middling mystery that is carried by two of the most engaging characters you might ever see. The mystery itself is not one of the best, but you should expect to see an effortless and timeless performance.

An infectious cast, leads a great film, wrapped around an OK mystery in: The Thin Man.

Directed by:

Woodbridge Strong "W.S." Van Dyke

Starring:

William Powell as Nick Charles

Myrna Loy as Nora Charles

Maureeon O'Sullivan as Dorothy Wynant

Nat Pendleton as Lt John Guild

Minna Gombell as Mimi Wynant-Jorgenson

Porter Hall as Herbert MacCaulay

Whit Bissell Winner William Henry as Gilver Wynant

Cesar Romero as Chris Jorgenson

Edward Ellis as Clyde Wynant (the titular "Thin Man")

Ethanol

and

Skippy as Asta the Charles' terrier.

Matt has over 100+ lists for movie suggestions on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠You can reach out on Bluesky: @MovieMattSirois

Terrible movies often find him, even under under the alias Marcus at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Movie Asylum of the Weird, Bad and Wonderful⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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It’s Friday the 13th (or close enough), so Matt and Todd return to horror with a classic franchise.

Today we invite you into the unholy terror of:

Return of the Blind Dead

(or if you prefer)

Attack of the Blind Dead

(or if you prefer)

Attack of the Evil Dead

...or honestly, pick a title and it might be right.

Ostensibly the second entry in the Blind Dead series, Return/Attack of the Blind/Evil Dead is better described as a reboot, remake, or re‑imagining. It brings back the iconic death‑knights on horseback, but trades the slow‑burn moodiness of the first film for a more energetic, chaotic, and action‑forward tone.

Matt argues that Return of the Blind Dead is to Tombs of the Blind Dead what Dawn of the Dead is to Night of the Living Dead: a bigger, louder, more exciting evolution. It’s cheaper and it shows at times, sure, but it gets to the carnage faster and delivers some genuine chaos and horror that still hits hard 50+ years later.

Directed once again by Armando de Ossorio, this Spanish horror sequel is further proof that 1970s Europe was very much alive… with the dead. It stars:

Tony Kendall as Jack Marlowe

Whit Bissell Award Winner Fernando Sancho as Mayor Duncan

Esperanza Roy as Vivian

Lone Fleming as Amalia

Frank Braña as Howard

José Canalejas as Murdo

This one is weirder, campier, and more chaotic than the original. If you didn’t like the first one because it was too slow, this might be the Halloween II to your Halloween? Something a bit stranger but faster, bloodier and willing to take a couple new risks.

Matt has over 100+ lists for movie suggestions on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠You can reach out on Bluesky: @MovieMattSirois

Terrible movies often find him, even under under the alias Marcus at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Movie Asylum of the Weird, Bad and Wonderful⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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Today Matt & Todd take on one of Alan Smithee's finest: 1986’s Let’s Get Harry.

Starring:

• Michael Schoeffling
• Thomas F. Wilson
• Glenn Frey
• Rick Rossovich
• Ben Johnson
• Mark Harmon
• Whit Bissell Award Winner Gary Busey
• and Robert Duvall

The premise is simple: Earnest regular guys hire a mercenary (Duvall) to find proof of a friend brother's kidnapping.

A foundation of solid action, a great performance by Gary Busey and further elevation by Robert Duvall couldn't help this movie become a hit. There's fun to be had here if you're a fan of 80's action even if it isn't near the top of our list.

If you love the era, the vibe, or the “ordinary men on an impossible mission” check it out.

Matt has over 100+ lists for movie suggestions on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠You can reach out on Bluesky: @MovieMattSirois

Terrible movies often find him, even under under the alias Marcus at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Movie Asylum of the Weird, Bad and Wonderful⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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Today Matt & Todd ride into town with the 1981 Western‑adventure The Legend of the Lone Ranger, directed by William A. Fraker.

This movie famously flopped at the box office; partly because of its flaws, but just as much because of the deeply questionable studio decisions surrounding its production. Among them:

• They alienated one of the original Lone Ranger actors.

• They cast someone who simply “looked good in the mask.”

• They then dubbed him entirely.

• They tinkered with the character’s legacy.

• They gave a such a silly explanation for the Ranger’s iconic silver bullets.

Add all that up and you’d expect a disaster……but what you actually get is a pretty fun Western adventure.

Not perfect: there’s some cheese, some studio weirdness, and some choices that don't quite work; but what’s on screen is still a rollicking, pulpy good time in the spirit of The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. or The Mummy (1999). There’s some out‑of‑place balladeering, it takes a while for the masked man to actually mask up, and it’s definitely not the definitive telling of the Lone Ranger mythos. But taken on its own terms, it’s a lively, earnest, slightly goofy Western that probably got hit harder by critics than it deserved. Probably fair to say that even in its best life it didn't live up to the hype meant to surround it. It was a bust for sure.

Is it “good” though? We think so, but that’s for you to decide.

The Legend of the Lone Ranger (1981) stars:

• Klinton Spilsbury (James Keach, voice) as John Reid / The Lone Ranger

• Michael Horse as Tonto

• Christopher Lloyd as Maj. Bartholomew “Butch” Cavendish

• Whit Bissell Award Winner: Matt Clark as Sheriff Wiatt

• Juanin Clay as Amy Striker

• Whit Bissell Award Winner: Jason Robards as Ulysses S. Grant

• John Bennett Perry as Ranger Captain Dan Reid

• Merle Haggard as the Balladeer

Matt has over 100+ lists for movie suggestions on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠You can reach out on Bluesky: @MovieMattSirois

Terrible movies often find him, even under under the alias Marcus at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Movie Asylum of the Weird, Bad and Wonderful⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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Today Matt & Todd are invaded by the 1986 sci‑fi‑horror‑comedy Critters, directed by Stephen Herek.

Pint‑sized, ravenous, space-hedgehog critters escape space-prison and head to earth for a feast, crash landing on a quiet Kansas farm. Hot on their trail are two morphing alien bounty hunters who are armed, dangerous, and able to change their faces (with varying success).

If you’re expecting something in the vein of Gremlins, be warned: Critters is its own wonderfully weird beast. The tone leans far more into 1950s creature‑feature energy. It is closer to The Blob (1958) than Poltergeist (1982). This one keeps its own “offbeat meets surreal” personality and impressive practical effects.

If you’re a fan of retro sci‑fi and drive‑in monster mayhem, this one sits comfortably alongside:

Night of the Creeps

Return of the Living Dead

The Blob (1958)

The Fly (1958)

Critters features:

• Dee Wallace Stone
• Terrence Mann
• M. Emmet Walsh
• Billy Green Bush
• Scott Grimes
• Whit Bissell Award Winner Nadine van der Velde
• Whit Bissell Award Winner Don Keith Opper
• Lyn Shaye
• Billy Zane

A cult classic with teeth: Critters is a chaotic, charming slice of ’80s creature cinema that still hits the spot.

Matt has over 100+ lists for movie suggestions on ⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠You can reach out on Bluesky: @MovieMattSirois

Terrible movies often find him, even under under the alias Marcus at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Movie Asylum of the Weird, Bad and Wonderful⁠⁠⁠.

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Today Matt & Todd dive into one of the great under‑sung gems of 1970s cinema: the 1973 ensemble whodunnit mystery‑thriller The Last of Sheila, directed by Herbert Ross.

Featuring a stacked cast of Hollywood heavy hitters:

Richard Benjamin

Dyan Cannon

James Coburn

Joan Hackett

James Mason

Ian McShane

Raquel Welch

Movie producer Clinton Greene invites a group of industry friends aboard his luxury yacht, the Sheila, for what’s supposed to be a pleasure cruise. When they arrive he reveals that he has also spun up an elaborate parlor game: a mystery scavenger hunt where each guest is assigned a “secret” the others must uncover. As the game unfolds it is clear that there is more to this group that meets the eye.

With a screenplay co‑written by Anthony Perkins and Stephen Sondheim, this film is filled with sharp dialogue and Hollywood satire. It is a great twisty murder mystery, a classic of the genre that still feels as clever as the first time we saw it.

This episode contains full spoilers, including the ending, so make sure you watch The Last of Sheila before listening. Trust us—you’ll want to experience the reveals for yourself.

Today Matt and Todd venture into Gymkata:

“The skill of gymnastics… the KILL of karate!”

Starring champion gymnast Kurt Thomas as champion gymnast Jonathan Cabot, the film follows his training to compete in The Game: a cross‑country gauntlet of traps, assassins, and inexplicable pommel horses placed in the wild. The prize for surviving? One wish from the Khan of Parmistan. The U.S. government’s wish? Permission to install a satellite base for Reagan’s “Star Wars” program.

The movie flopped on release, but time has been kind to this fever dream. It's unusual blend of Cold War paranoia, martial‑arts enthusiasm, and “why not?” energy makes it a flawed but undeniably entertaining ride. If you’re tolerant of cheesy cinema, or actively seek it out, Gymkata delivers a very fun time. It’s infamous, fairly so, but what else are you watching this weekend anyway? Decide for yourself whether it’s at least “so bad it’s good.”

Directed by: Robert Clouse

Starring:

• Kurt Thomas as Jonathan Cabot
• Tetchie Agbayani as Princess Rubali
• Richard Norton as Commander Zamir
• Edward Bell as Paley
• Bob Schott as Thorg
• Whit Bissell Award Winner Buck Kartalian as The Khan
• Whit Bissell Award Winner for sound by Cutter’s Inc.

Matt has over 100+ lists for movie suggestions on ⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠You can reach out on Bluesky: @MovieMattSirois

Terrible movies often find him, even under under the alias Marcus at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Movie Asylum of the Weird, Bad and Wonderful⁠⁠.

Follow who we follow:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Once Upon a Geek⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Fade Out Podcast⁠⁠⁠