Video Monsters

Video Monsters

By Video MonstersTV & Film
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Video Monsters episodes

  • History of Cinema: 1950s
    Continuing our year-long theme covering the history of cinema, today's episode covers films from the 1950s!  While I can understand why some people might not want to watch movies with social commentary because they view movies as pure escapism, the 1950s serve as a pretty strong rebuttal to people who say that movies should never include any social commentary.  Cinema in the 1950s was packed full of commentary about the fallout (literal and metaphorical) of atomic weapons, finding one's identity in a post-WWII world, and the red scare fear mongering of McCarthy.  Even the "B-movies" of the era (which saw an increase thanks to things such as drive-in theaters) were often giant monster movies, playing off of fears of atomic war.  And while some of the movies from the decade now serve as mindless escapism, it is the social commentary (even in some of the more "mindless" films) that has led to so many of these movies becoming classics and still continuing to have a powerful impact!!
    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 19 min
  • Chattanooga Film Festival 2020 - with special guests Andrew Austin and Mark Covino
    The Chattanooga Film Festival was held virtually this year on 5/22 - 5/25.  Despite the obvious limitations of not being able to attend a film festival in person, the Chattanooga Film Festival did an amazing job of translating the festival experience into a virtual format and we, once again, had an amazing time watching films and interacting with fellow film lovers!  The change in format this year did have an impact on how many films we were able to see (Nathan was able to watch more while, unfortunately, Eric was not able to watch as much), which in turn had an impact on our coverage.  So, while we were not able to cover every single film we saw in as much depth as we would have liked, Andrew Austin and Mark Covino have joined us once again to provide an overall view of the entire fest.  There is a bit of overlap in discussion from each of the discussions, but the timestamp for the start of each of the general segments is below:
    Opening statement against racism - 0:00:53
    Intro of Mark and Andrew - 0:05:00
    Overall Thoughts of Chattanooga Film Festival - 0:13:43
    Highlights of Feature Films, part 1 - 0:23:46
    Highlights of Live Events - 0:46:08
     Highlights of Feature Films, part 2 - 1:03:27
    Highlights of Short Films - 1:58:49
    Impact of Virtual CFF on Future Film Fests - 2:48:22
    Final Thoughts on CFF - 3:02:44
    Where to Follow and Closing Remarks- 3:06:31
    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
    3 hr 14 min
  • Matinee (1993)
    The virtual Chattanooga Film Festival is set to begin in just a few short hours and this year's CFF includes a presentation of the CFF Lifetime Achievement Award to the incomparable Joe Dante!!  The presentation will be Saturday at 7:00pm, but we wanted to get the celebration started a little early...so, tonight's episode is a discussion of Matinee - a heartwarming tale of the impact that movies can have when it feels like the rest of the world is falling apart (it is set during the Cuban Missile Crisis, but its certainly just as relevant today!)  This was a cinematic blind spot for us here at Video Monsters, but we instantly fell in love with it as it is Dante's love letter to monster movies and the importance of cinema in society!!  Also, Matinee has one of the greatest movies within a movie - Mant! (which, by the way, also includes a scene in a movie theater, creating a beautiful movie within a movie within a movie).  The love of cinema and the celebration of Joe Dante make Matinee the perfect pre-Chattanooga Film Festival movie!  So head over to chattfilmfest.org to get your CFF badges (10$ for a day pass, $30 for the entire weekend) and then go to your preferred VOD platform and check out Matinee...you'll be glad you did!
    And speaking of love and Chattanooga Film Festival, a few of our fellow Video Monsters stop by (virtually, of course) to send their love to the Chattanooga Film Festival and Chris Dortch!!
    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 58 min
  • Chattanooga Film Festival 2020: pre-CFF coverage with special guest Chris Dortch II
    Anyone who has ever listened to even a single episode of Video Monsters probably knows just how much we love the Chattanooga Film Festival!!  The love of cinema of everyone involved always shines through with all of the hard work and sacrifices they put into making CFF happen each year.  And this year, there has been an extra dose of hard work and sacrifices as CFF had to shift from its usual format to a virtual CFF because of the global impact of COVID-19.  So, we are beyond excited to once again be joined by Chris Dortch II (CFF Director) as we discuss this virtual shift, along with some of the highlights of this year's programming.  But, most importantly, we discuss how CFF is about the people.  Not just the people involved in making the films, but the people attending CFF.  Every time that we discuss CFF on the podcast, we go on and on about how the movies are awesome...but the camaraderie of sharing and discussing those experiences with fellow cinephiles and filmmakers is why the Chattanooga Film Festival has firmly established a permanent place in our hearts!!  And while it certainly won't be exactly the same with not being able to be there in person, after seeing the programming and hearing Chris talk about how the focus on supporting filmmakers and maintaining the experience (as best as virtual can offer) was at the center of all they have been preparing this year...we have no doubt that this year's Chattanooga Film Festival will be one that we never forget!!
    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 22 min
  • History of Cinema: 1940s

    Continuing our year-long theme covering the history of cinema, today's episode covers films from the 1940s! The 1940s were a very dark time in America (coming out of the Great Depression only to go into WWII) and that abundantly clear from the movies that were released that decade.  But, despite the heavy tone, the 40s also graced us with some of the most iconic movies in cinematic history...including what many consider to be "the greatest movie of all time."  So, grab a snow globe, join us at Pleasure Island, and avoid the full moon as continue our cinematic journey through history with the 1940s!! 


    We also start the episode out discussing the announcement from the Chattanooga Film Festival regarding their partnership with Microsoft to bring you an online, interactive, film festival!! 


    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 44 min
  • The Crazies (1973 & 2010) - With Special Guests Andrew Austin & Mark Christopher Covino
    Anyone who has listened to the podcast for even just a little bit knows that we like having a theme for our episodes each month (whether or not we are able to always stick to that theme is a different story...but, in general we like themes).  The theme for April was supposed to be Chattanooga Film Festival coverage, but (like everything else) it had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  So, as one of our ways of coping with the current situation, our theme for the next several episodes (excluding the History of Cinema episode for the 1940s) will be movies related to disease/outbreaks/pandemics/etc.  There will be four different kinds of movies that we plan to cover within this theme:
    1) Directly related to disease/outbreaks.
    2) Undead (zombies, vampires, etc.) - since practically every film about the undead (in part) involves fear of diseases.
    3) Movies that capture the theme/tone, but not directly related to disease or the undead.  This is where disaster/apocalypse movies would go.
    4) Movies that don't really have anything to do with any of the above, but are just movies that we enjoy that help us temporarily forget about the current situation.
    So, kicking off this impromptu series is a double dose of The Crazies (both the 1973 & 2010 versions).  And what better way to discuss The Crazies than with a couple of our favorite crazies, Andrew Austin and Mark Covino!!  And if you've ever listened to one of the episodes with Mark and Andrew, you shouldn't be too surprised that things do, in fact, go a bit off the rails on this crazy train...
    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 12 min
  • History of Cinema: 1930s
    Continuing our year-long theme covering the history of cinema, today's episode covers films from the 1930s!  While there are countless amazing movies from the 30s that we could have focused on, as well as some tremendous advancements in cinema (such as "talkie" pictures and technicolor), this episode primarily turned into a discussion of Universal Monsters and The Marx Brothers (two of Nathan's personal favorites of all time).  But, despite the somewhat limited scope of films covered, we hope that you enjoy joining us in our cinematic journey through history, continuing with the 1930s!!
    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 17 min
  • Castle Freak (1995)
    In preparation for the world premiere of Fangoria's remake of Castle Freak at the Chattanooga Film Festival (April 16-19), today's episode is about the original Castle Freak from 1995, directed by Stuart Gordon and staring Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, Jessica Dollarhide, and Jonathan Fuller as the title character (the castle freak, that is).  Castle Freak is drastically different in tone from some of Gordon's more well known films (such as Re-Animator and From Beyond), but it is still just as memorable!  Rather than fun, over the top, campy gore, Castle Freak is more of a family drama that focuses on themes such as addiction, isolation, grief, and despair....that just so happens to also have a disfigured monster of a man terrorizing the inhabitants of a castle.  And like any great horror movie, the monster is representative of something much deeper and serves as the personification of other underlying fears (but, there are still enough scenes of gore to make the monster terrifying on its own...even without the deeper meaning).  Regardless of whether you have seen Castle Freak before or not...with the world premiere of the remake right around the corner, this is a perfect time to revisit this 90s gem!!
    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.
    Chattanooga Film Festival 2020 will be April 16-19, so start planning your trip now!! Tickets can be purchased (or, donations given) at chattfilmfest.org. And submissions for Knoxville Horror Film Festival 2020 are currently open, so submit your films at FilmFreeway.com
    music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons
    1 hr 17 min
  • History of Cinema: 1920s
    Continuing our year-long theme covering the history of cinema, today's episode covers films from the 1920s!  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). Due to illness, our first couple of episodes were delayed quite a bit, but we hope to get back on track to where each month covers the corresponding decade (e.g. February is the 1920s, March is the 1930s, etc.). We hope that you enjoy our coverage and that you join us in our cinematic journey through history, continuing with the 1920s!!
    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.
    Chattanooga Film Festival 2020 will be April 16-19, so start planning your trip now!! Tickets can be purchased (or, donations given) at chattfilmfest.org. And submissions for Knoxville Horror Film Festival 2020 are currently open, so submit your films at FilmFreeway.com
    music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons
    1 hr 48 min
  • History of Cinema: 1880s - 1919
    If you've been listening to the podcast for a little while, you've realized that we generally like to do themed months.  This year, along with the themed months, we will also be doing a year-long theme covering the history of cinema.  We will be covering a decade a month, starting with the early days of cinema (ok, so this first episode is a bit more than a decade...) and going right up to present day.  These 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).  Due to illness, our first couple of episodes were delayed quite a bit, but we hope to get back on track to where each month covers the corresponding decade (e.g. February is the 1920s, March is the 1930s, etc.).  We hope that you enjoy our coverage and that you join us in our cinematic journey through history, starting with the early days of cinema (1880s-1919)!!
    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.
    Chattanooga Film Festival 2020 will be April 16-19, so start planning your trip now!! Tickets can be purchased (or, donations given) at chattfilmfest.org. And submissions for Knoxville Horror Film Festival 2020 are currently open, so submit your films at FilmFreeway.com
    music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons
    1 hr 47 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…