Tv/Movie Rewind

Today Matt & Todd are joined by Logan again to step into the arena for a film we love: 1988’s Bloodsport.

The words are few, but you came here for the Bloodsport, and you get it. A mix of martial arts styles, excellent fight scenes, and a dash of slapstick make this the cinematic equivalent of your older brother’s Karate Kid. For aspiring combat‑sport athletes, it might even be their Rocky.

If you’re not familiar: Bloodsport tells the inspired by true events story of veteran, martial-artist, and pirate-liason Frank Dux’s legendary performance at an underground, full‑contact tournament known as the Kumite.

Bloodsport is directed by Newt Arnold and stars:

• Jean-Claude Van Damme as Frank Dux
• Donald Gibb as Ray Jackson a fellow western Kumite fighter.
• Leah Ayres as Janice Kent an investigative journalist
• Norman Burton and Forest Whitaker as CID Agents tracking the AWOL Dux
• Whit Bissell award winner Bolo Yeung as Chong Li (Dux's massive opponent)
• Whit Bissell award winner Ken Siu as Victor Lin (Dux' manager)

Impressive fight choreography by Frank Dux himself with David Worth (who would later direct Kickboxer ) as cinematographer

Join us as we celebrate the punches, the splits, the slow‑motion faces of agony, and the pure Cannon‑era charm of a movie that knows exactly what it is and absolutely commits to it.

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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Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and copasetic impending yearly calendar renewals.

Today Matt & Todd are joined by 00‑fanboy Mike to discuss yet another holiday classic (Hello Lifetime, get on this): 1995’s GoldenEye.

Directed by: Martin Campbell (also director of Casino Royale (2006))

Starring:

Pierce Brosnan as “Agent 007” Bond, James Bond

Whit Bissell Award Winner: Sean Bean as Alec Trevelyan

Izabella Scorupco as Natalya Simonova

(Retroactive Whit Bissell Winner:) Famke Janssen as Xenia Onatopp

Joe Don Baker as Jake Wade

Judi Dench as M

Whit Bissell Award Winner: Alan Cumming as Boris Grishenko

Whit Bissell Award Winner: Robbie Coltrane as Zhukovsky

Whit Bissell Award Winner: Minnie Driver as the woman singing "Stand by your Man" in Robbie Coltrane's scene

GoldenEye is an explosive spy thriller and widely regarded as one of the strongest Bond films; especially among those not starring Sean Connery or Roger Moore. The action kicks off immediately with a thrilling opening sequence, barrels through an all‑timer tank chase, and ends in a cataclysmic finale that keeps you locked in from start to finish.

This Bond is a bit more dialed‑back than the 60s‑era madness you might associate with the Austin Powers parodies, but what it lacks in “traditional Bond‑ness” it makes up for with a sharp, modern spy thriller sensibility that is still sprinkled with just enough Bond‑flavored absurdity. That includes the usual questionable physics and, of course, whatever murder‑sex‑wrestling hybrid defines Xenia Onatopp’s particular combat style. She’d make an interesting kumite participant.

(Todd here: In retrospect, I should have given Famke Janssen the Whit Bissell Award for the same reasons Alan Cumming earned his. She’s playing a strange, thankless, borderline cartoon character. Onattop is more caricature than role you can “live in”—but she delivers a perfectly unhinged performance and goes all-in on some objectively strange stuff (even for a Bond film) worth recognition. So, with the power vested in me, I’m giving her co‑credit.)

While GoldenEye may not top many lists of “Christmas movies,” we think this is the perfect time of year to revisit it.

Today Matt & Todd bring you a holiday‑spirited review of the 1981 made‑for‑TV horror telefilm Dark Night of the Scarecrow.

Directed by Frank De Felitta (also known as a novelist behind Aubrey Rose and The Entity)

Teleplay by J.D. Feigelson & Butler Handcock

Starring:

Charles Durning

Robert F. Lyons

Lane Smith

Tonya Crowe (Whit Bissell Award Winner)

Larry Drake

Jocelyn Brando

Cinematography by Vincent A. Martinelli

Originally airing on CBS October 24, 1981, Dark Night of the Scarecrow is a prime example of late ’70s and early ’80s creepy nighttime television. Over the years, it has become a holiday staple, remembered fondly for its atmosphere, moody lighting, and the eerie void of cornfields at night.

Charles Durning commands the screen as Otis, the town’s belligerent, but the film’s strength lies in its ensemble cast and the chilling mood that permeates every frame. While not the most gruesome horror you’ll encounter, it remains a standout thriller of its time—one that continues to hold high regard 44 years later released against

Dark Night of the Scarecrow is the perfect seasonal watch. If you’re exploring classic thrillers, this one deserves a place on your list.

In 1997, James Cameron released 'Titanic', it broke box office records entertaining and inspiring millions to this day, while breathing new life into exploration of the historic wreck that sank on April 15, 1912.

Remember that night, because today Matt and Todd are joined by "CollinsportGirl" Katherine, to discuss the 1958 British Made: A Night to Remember.

We're thrilled to be joined again by Katherine who helped us explore a little more of the 'East Wing' at 'The Great House on the Hill' in our 'Return to Collinsport' while we discuss a disaster film now 67 years old and still as impactful as it ever was.

Where Cameron's epic is a love story set amongst the backdrop of this world-changing disaster, A Night to Remember attempts to retell it as it was by giving us the closest retelling of the events this side of a modern documentary.

What makes this variation of the tale stand out is the 'matter of fact' telling of the events through the eyes of the survivors. This is a well-researched movie, it does make a few errors, but tries to tell what is ultimately a story of mistakes, and most importantly unfathomable courage that leads to survival hundreds.

'A Night To Remember' was produced with an enormous ensemble cast, featuring:

• Whit Bissell Award Winner' : Tucker McGuire as Mrs Margaret ("The Unsinkable") "Molly" Brown
• Whit Bissell Award Winner': George Rose as Chief Baker Charles Joughin
• Kenneth More as Second Officer Charles Lightoller]
• Michael Goodliffe as shipbuilder Thomas Andrews
• Laurence Naismith as Captain Edward Smith
• Kenneth Griffith as Wireless Operator Jack Phillips
• David McCallum as Assistant Wireless Operator Harold Bride
• Frank Lawton as chairman and managing director of the White Star Line J. Bruce Ismay
• Richard Leech as First Officer William McMaster Murdoch
• Honor Blackman as Mrs Liz Lucas
• Robert Ayres as Arthur Godfrey Peuchen

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Matt has over 100+ lists formovie suggestions on ⁠Letterboxd⁠
You can reach out on Bluesky: @MovieMattSirois

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

Follow who we follow:

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In 1994, television gave us a criminally short-lived gem: The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.. Created by Carlton Cuse and Jeffrey Boam, the series ran for just one spectacular season—27 episodes of sci-fi‑tinged Western adventure that blended pulp thrills with tongue‑in‑cheek humor.

The cast was stacked:

• Bruce Campbell as Brisco County Jr.

• Julius Carry as Lord Bowler

• Christian Clemenson as Socrates Poole

• Featuring Billy Drago as the sinister John Bly

• Kelly Rutherford as Dixie Cousins

• John Astin as Professor Wickwire

• And John Pyper-Ferguson (a dual Whit Bissell Award winner) as the unforgettable Pete Hutter

The story follows Brisco, driven to hunt down the gang who murdered his father (played by R. Lee Ermey), but it’s far more than a revenge tale. With its mix of Western grit, sci-fi weirdness, and comedic charm, the show delivered equal parts fun, strangeness, and thrills. Billy Drago’s chilling turn as Bly remains a highlight—an absolutely sinister performance that elevated the series.

Gone too soon, Brisco County Jr. remains one of the most fun, inventive shows of its era. If you missed it the first time around, it’s well worth rediscovering—you won’t be disappointed.

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

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

Follow who we follow:

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Born July 5, 1928 in Depoy, Ky. Warren Mercer Oates came to our screens in 1953 and began a career as one of the finest actors you might never have heard of.

From his debut through 1982, Oates delivered unforgettable performances in films such as: The Wild Bunch, In the Heat of the Night, Return of the Seven, and Two-Lane Blacktop. He became a frequent collaborator with two of the most influential filmmakers of his era—Sam Peckinpah and Monte Hellman—featuring in some of their most iconic works throughout the 60s and 70s.

Oates passed away in 1982 at the age of 53, leaving behind a legacy of gritty, soulful, and often overlooked brilliance.One of the finest actors in front of a camera has an ecclectic list of some fantastic performances that ought to be recognized by film fans at large.

This isn’t a comprehensive list, but it’s a passionate one. Listen with Matt, Todd and their guest Logan in as we celebrate the work of an industry legend who remains underseen by far too many audiences.

---------------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

Today, Matt & Todd are joined by Mike to discuss the 1948 comedy-horror classic Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.Directed by Charles Barton.Starring:

• Bud Abbott as Chick

• Lou Costello as Wilbur

• Bela Lugosi as Dracula

• Jane Randolph as Joan

• Lenore Aubert as Sandra

• Whit Bissell Award winners:

  • Glenn Strange as Frankenstein’s Monster

  • Lon Chaney Jr. as The Wolf Man

  • Frank Ferguson as Mr. McDougal

Chick Young and Wilbur Grey are your average porters, tasked with handling cargo arriving from abroad. Temperamental Mr. McDougal, who runs a wax museum, has two large crates containing the bodies of Dracula and Frankenstein’s Monster. Frustrated with their bumbling ways, McDougal insists they deliver the crates directly to his museum.

What follows is a hilarious horror adventure featuring three icons of classic monster cinema in their Universal swan song—marking the end of an era of terror.

Add in the rapid-fire dialogue and genius timing of the legendary comedy duo, and you’ve got a timeless piece of entertainment wrapped in a surprisingly solid monster movie.

Maybe you’re a fan of classic cartoons that borrowed liberally from their act—or maybe you’ve never seen Abbott & Costello in action. Either way, now’s the perfect time to revisit this spooky Halloween gem and keep these legends of comedy, screen, and nightmares alive.

_____________

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

Today Matt and Todd explore (Stephen King's) The Mist, released in 2007, directed by Frank Darabont:

Starring:

Thomas Jane,

Whit Bissell Winners Marcia Gay Harden and Andre Braugher,

Jeffrey DeMunn,

Laurie Holden,

Toby Jones

Thomas Jane, his son, and a group of grocery store staff & patrons are enveloped by a thick mist with unseen menaces lurking within. Based on the Stephen King short story.This is an absolute favorite for Matt, listen to him rave about his favorite King Adaptation and one of his favorite horror movies ever!

Follow Matt:
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

In 1999, we were treated to a full re-imagining of the 1959 horror classic House on Haunted Hill. Directed by William Malone and loosely adapted from Robb White’s original story by screenwriter Dick Beebe, this is one of those rare remakes/reboots/re-imaginings where homage and inspiration meet and produce something welcome at just the right time.

This update is completely different in just about every way—except for the basic kernel of the story.

Geoffrey Rush (as Steven Price) and his wife Famke Janssen (Evelyn) host a party of unsuspecting guests for a night filled with shock and terror. The animosity between the couple and the characterization of Watson Pritchett (Chris Kattan) are carried over, and yes, there’s a very large house with some very scary things. But that’s about where the similarities end.

This re-imagining updates the tone to a contemporary horror standard: heavy on computer effects, much gorier, both almost loud enough to overshadow the entertaining performances from the entire cast, but it doesn't. In the end it all works for a lot of fun.

Our party guests are rounded out by:

Taye Diggs

Ali Larter

Peter Gallagher

Bridgette Wilson

And the great Jeffrey Combs as Dr. Vannacutt

It’s slick, it’s loud, it’s bloody—and it’s a lot of fun. A haunted house movie for the late ’90s, with just enough weirdness to make it memorable.

Follow Matt:
Matt has over 100+ on Letterboxd

You 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

Today Matt and Todd welcome frequent collaborator Mike to discuss another childhood horror classic.

In 1979 we were treated to a Universal remake of their 1931 classic: Dracula, directed by the great John Badham and starring:

Frank Langella as Dracula

Lawrence Olivier as Abraham Van Helsing

Kate Nelligan as Lucy Seward,

Donald Pleasance as Jack Seward

Whit Bissell Award Winners Janine Druvitski as asylum patient Annie, Jan Francis as Lucy and Tony Haygarth as Renfield.

This retelling of Bram Stoker's gothic classic makes some changes to the story we remember, but you get what you came for, including a tremendous score by legend John Williams. A worthy successor to the 1931 classic, even if not our favorite, it offers its own haunting scenes and terrific performances that keep us rewatching.Follow Matt:
Matt has over 100+ 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