Video Monsters

Video Monsters

By Video MonstersTV & Film
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Video Monsters episodes

  • Fantastic Fest & Knoxville Horror Film Fest 2020
    Halloween has always been one of our favorite holidays here at Video Monsters - and our love of the Halloween season has grown exponentially over the past few years as we have made it a habit to attend the Knoxville Horror Film Fest and the Frightening Ass Film Fest (in Chattanooga).  And while living in a pandemic royally sucks and is sadly (ridiculously sadly) preventing us from being able to attend Knoxville Horror Film Fest in person this year, the necessity of changing formats to adjust to our current world means that we were finally able to "attend" Fantastic Fest, as it went virtual for 2020 (as Chattanooga Film Festival did, and as Frightening Ass Film Fest will do as well). And while each festival is adjusting to the pandemic in their own way, they are all doing their best to keep everyone as safe as possible while still providing a great festival experience and screening some awesome movies!!  As we have discussed numerous times before, part of what we love so much about film festivals is being able to share in that cinematic experience with fellow film lovers (yes, the movies are awesome, but it is the shared experience that really puts it over the top).  And it is safe to say that Fantastic Fest and Knoxville Horror Film Fest understand that as well (as does Chattanooga Film Festival & Frightening Ass Film Fest) as Fantastic Fest virtually maintained several of their live events, and Knoxville Horror Film Fest embraces some cinematic roots (and ensures social distancing) by screening films at Parkway Drive-In.  So, grab your favorite movie snacks, a tasty beverage, and watch out for chainsaws and zombie rain as we share our love of cinema and discuss some of the films of Fantastic Fest and Knoxville Horror Film Fest 2020!!
    Fantastic Fest films discussed:
    The Queen of Black Magic
    How to Deter a Robber
    The Boy Behind the Door
    Action U.S.A.
    The Stylist
    Knoxville Horror Film Fest films discussed:
    The Stylist
    Evil Dead 2
    Pieces
    The Return of the Living Dead
    Demons
    Grizzly II: Revenge (via discussion of Grizzly)
    Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well.
    music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons
    1 hr 51 min
  • Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
    Our Halloween 2020 coverage continues with a truly batty 90s horror gem from the director of some of the greatest films of all time... Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula! This film is a gorgeous, gloriously weird throwback to the early days of genre cinema. We discuss the allure of sexy Gary Oldman, Coppola’s commitment to pulling off the film’s many stunning special effects in-camera, how this modern adaptation stacks up the rest of the Dracula canon, and so much more! It’s safe to say we both enjoyed the film, but that didn’t stop us from getting into a few hearty debates over the film’s central romance, the way it treats its female characters, and even Keanu Reeves’s accent. Yes, you read that right. One of us had the audacity to actually defend the “sweet music” that comes from Keanu’s lips. But which one of us is it? So grab your comically large (and very suggestive) bowie knife, watch out for wandering shadows, and join us (you children of the night) as we cross oceans of time with Bram Stoker’s Dracula!
    Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well.
    music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons
    2 hr 25 min
  • Arachnophobia (1990)
    On tonight's episode, we continue our Halloween 2020 coverage and our 90s/00s horror series with a family friendly horror movie that absolutely draws you into its web:  Arachnophobia!!  Frank Marshall clearly learned from working with the best, as Arachnophobia is packed with characters that feel genuine, humor, and just enough subtle scares to give you the creeps the more that you think about them!  Arachnophobia has all of the heart of a Spielberg film and arguably does the same thing for spiders that Jaws did for sharks!  So grab your finest bottle of wine from the cellar (or a rare '74 Miller Lite with a misprint on the label), pop some popcorn with some extra butter, and cuddle up with your favorite arachnid as we sink our fangs into Arachnophobia!!
    Following the intro/announcements/etc., timestamps for each of the segments (we try to keep the content within the appropriate sections, but there is bound to be some overlap within the sections) are as follows:
    Prior information and how it shaped our expectations - 0:06:00
    What we thought of the film from a technical standpoint - 0:16:06
    What we thought of the film from an emotional standpoint and/or our analysis of the film - 1:01:00
    How rewatchable the film is - 1:16:44
    Who we recommend the movie to - 1:20:06
    Closing - 1:24:36
    Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well. 
    music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons
    1 hr 29 min
  • Troll 2 (1990) & Best Worst Movie (2009)
    We kick off our Halloween 2020 coverage in tonight's episode with some announcements about Knoxville Horror Film Festival, Frightening Ass Film Fest, and Chattanooga Film Festival ....then, we sink our teeth into one of the most deliciously terrible movies of all time - Troll 2!!  This movie is an absolute mess... and sheer enjoyment from start to finish!  While generally considered to be one of the worst movies of all time, there is so much heart put into the movie by those who made it.  And once you learn a bit more about the people who were in the movie, Troll 2 becomes an endearing cult gem of a comedy of errors.  While Troll 2 can certainly be enjoyed on its own, having a bit more of the backstory absolutely adds to the connection to the film.  Because of this, we very strongly recommend watching Best Worst Movie (the documentary about Troll 2 made by Michael Paul Stevenson - the actor who played Joshua) prior to watching Troll 2.  And, consequently, tonight's episode is a sort of a double feature as it is almost impossible for us to discuss Troll 2 without also discussing Best Worst Movie.  So grab your double-decker bologna sandwich,  remember to pick up supplies, and don't piss on hospitality as we take a trip to Nilbog for Troll 2 & Best Worst Movie!!
    Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well.
    music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons
    2 hr 10 min
  • History of Cinema: 1970s

    Continuing our year-long theme covering the history of cinema, today's episode covers films from the 1970s!  Following the civil unrest of the 60s, cinema in the 70s took a much more cynical view of the world, exposing the rough edges of humanity with the "gritty realism" that defined movies from that decade.  While not every movie from the 70s hated the world in which it was born, the increase in original horror movies that were more grounded in "reality" than reliance on classic monsters, the popularization of disaster movies, and an abundance of vigilantes and rogue cops "cleaning up the streets" was clearly holding up a mirror to reflect the disillusionment of humanity at the time.  While a pretty solid chunk of the episode is discussing the representation of vigilantes (as well as the potential impact it continues to have on modern society), we do also spend some time talking about some brighter spots of the decade that don't center around rogue "justice."  We also spend some time (not nearly enough time, honestly) discussing a hidden gem that might honestly be one of our favorite films of the decade, Keoma!! 


    As a reminder, these History of Cinema episodes will not be a comprehensive coverage of every single movie that was released that decade. It isn't even necessarily going to be the "top" movies from the decade. Instead, it will be more of a broad discussion of some of the advancements, themes, and highlights from each decade, with the various movies that we watched as examples. This series is also serving as an opportunity for us to fill in some gaps in our own personal film viewings (this series was also inspired, in part, by our Horror Movie Blindspots series we did last year). 


    Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well. 



    music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons



    Audio clip from Keoma (1976)

    Directed by Enzo G. Castellari 

    starring: Franco Nero, Woody Strode and William Berger  

    music: Guido De Angelis & Maurizio De Angelis 

    song performed by: Sybil & Guy

    3 hr 41 min
  • Schumacher's Batmen
    Holy infrequent podcast, Batman!!  The Video Monsters signal has gone up and we have answered the call - turning our "Joely" into "SchumAugust" to bring you our heartfelt reviews of two of the lesser-loved films in the cinematic world of Batman.  Well...lesser-loved to most.  Here at Video Monsters, we recognize the flaws that these films have...but who cares!!  These movies are popcorn fun with a lot to love!!  So put on your anatomically correct leather suit, make some bad puns, and power up with diamonds (that still makes less than zero sense) to share in our love of Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever and Batman & Robin!!
    Following the intro/announcements/etc., timestamps for each of the segments (we try to keep the content within the appropriate sections, but there is bound to be some overlap within the sections) are as follows:
     - Prior information and how it shaped our expectations - 0:5:27
     - What we thought of the films from a technical standpoint - 0:20:14
     - What we thought of the films from an emotional standpoint and/or our analysis of the films - 1:15:16
     - How rewatchable the films are - 1:58:30
     - Who we recommend the movies to - 2:01:13
     - Closing - 2:04:54   
    Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well.     
    music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons
    2 hr 8 min
  • The Lost Boys (1987)
    Even though we got a very (very, very) late start, the theme of July at Video Monsters is Joel-y, in which we are paying respects to the passing of Joel Schumacher by covering some of his more notable films.  And we are kicking things off with one of the most beloved films in Schumacher's filmography, The Lost Boys!  Along with discussing all of the obvious things about this film that have made it a classic (the cinematography, soundtrack, amazing performances, unforgettable characters, etc.), we also get into a pretty deep analysis into the much darker subtext of what the vampires represent....or, at least what Nathan's over-analysis thinks that they could represent.  So grab your box of maggots, grate some garlic, and invite us in as we sink our fangs into The Lost Boys!
    Following the intro/announcements/etc., timestamps for each of the segments (we try to keep the content within the appropriate sections, but there is bound to be some overlap within the sections) are as follows:
    Brief discussion of Joel Schumacher's filmography - 0:06:08
    Prior information and how it shaped our expectations - 0:15:11
    What we thought of the film from a technical standpoint - 0:28:27
    What we thought of the film from an emotional standpoint and/or our analysis of the film - 0:41:13
    How rewatchable the film is - 1:31:28
    Who we recommend the movie to - 1:43:42
    Closing - 2:00:50
    Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com
    Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well.
    music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons
    2 hr 13 min
  • History of Cinema: 1960s
    Continuing our year-long theme covering the history of cinema, today's episode covers films from the 1960s!  With an increase of morally grey "protagonists", anti-heroes, sexuality, and critiques of establishment, the increasing counterculture was abundantly clear in the cinema of the 1960s!  This counterculture critique of establishment is also part of what contributed to significant social change, such as the civil rights movement.  And the civil unrest is clearly captured in the films of the decade - sometimes through directly addressing the issues of the day; while other times capturing the emotion of the unrest through more subtle forms, such as merely challenging the standard structure of how a movie is presented.  The social commentary of the films of the 1960s is especially relevant (and highly discussed) on tonight's episode, as history repeats itself and we see numerous issues from back then continuing (or, resurfacing) in the present day.
    As a reminder, these History of Cinema episodes will not be a comprehensive coverage of every single movie that was released that decade. It isn't even necessarily going to be the "top" movies from the decade. Instead, it will be more of a broad discussion of some of the advancements, themes, and highlights from each decade, with the various movies that we watched as examples. This series is also serving as an opportunity for us to fill in some gaps in our own personal film viewings (this series was also inspired, in part, by our Horror Movie Blindspots series we did last year).
    Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com
    Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well.
    music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons
    2 hr 43 min
  • The Droving (2020)
    Tonight's episode is about The Droving (2020) - a story of loss, grief, trauma, revenge, and the role that one's belief has in how they cope with their suffering.  Without giving too much away, this film is essentially a cult movie without the cult.  The Droving has many of the tropes of a cult film (mysterious disappearance, traditional festival, folklore, discrepancy between the mundane aspects of daily life and the supernatural elements of belief), but focuses primarily on Martin (Daniel Oldroyd) and his emotional journey set forth by the beliefs of another.  At only 80 minutes, this film quickly gets to the point - which helps to keep the focus on "what will happen next?" rather than lingering on the mystery of what happened in the past.  The great performances of this small cast bring an intimacy to this film what will keep you engaged and give you a LOT to discuss by the end (at least, we certainly had plenty to discuss....)!!
    Following the intro/announcements/etc., timestamps for each of the segments (we try to keep the content within the appropriate sections, but there is bound to be some overlap within the sections) are as follows:
    Prior information and how it shaped our expectations - 0:11:17
    What we thought of the film from a technical standpoint - 0:18:34
    What we thought of the film from an emotional standpoint (major spoilers during this section) - 0:45:00
    How rewatchable the film is - 1:22:52
    Who we recommend the movie to - 1:27:10
    Closing - 1:35:30
    Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com
    Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well.
    music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons
    1 hr 45 min
  • Butterfly Kisses (2018)
    Tonight's episode focuses on Butterfly Kisses (2018), a mockumentary/found footage mashup about a filmmaker's journey attempting to prove the authenticity of evidence of an urban legend, caught on the tapes of a couple of film students for their final project.  While most found footage films rely too much on the "found footage" gimmick as an attempt to draw the audience more into the story (without actually focusing on a story into which the audience wants to be drawn), director Erik Kristopher Myers wraps a mockumentary around the found footage to bring a lot more depth to the story, as well as play with (and poke holes in) the tropes of found footage films.  The deconstruction of the genre, as well as having most of the urban legend and found footage experts portrayed by real people actually in the field, results in a much more authentic feel that helps Butterfly Kisses be a truly entertaining film!
    Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com
    Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well.
    music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons
    1 hr 21 min

About Video Monsters

From the publisher's feed

In-depth movie analysis podcast with hosts Nathan, Eric, and Dan where we take movies seriously, but we don't take ourselves seriously. Sponsored by Chattanooga Film Festival, and Central Cinema…