Wake Up Heavy

On this episode I am joined by Sam Panico to discuss David Robert Mitchell's ambitious (yet messy) sunscorched-Neo-Noir-comedy-thriller Under the Silver Lake. Andrew Garfield plays Sam our hapless protagonist who is pulled into a labyrinthine mystery after a brief encounter with his neighbor Sarah (Riley Keough) and her sudden disappearance. Sam is bombarded by cryptic codes, conspiracy theories, secret societies, subliminal messages, underground zines, backward masking, LA hipsters, and an incoherent parrot as he searches for a truth that may be better left uncovered.

Much like the movie itself this episode dips and dives into many different points of reference which ends up being a whole lot of fun. Since Sam and I discussed a lot of other stuff at the beginning and end of the recording I will be putting that out as a separate bonus episode shortly.

Sam's Review Site: https://bandsaboutmovies.com/

Show Notes: https://www.wakeupheavy.com/2019/07/wuh-under-silver-lake-2018.html

WUH comes back from hiatus with a new WDIRT episode on Harry Bromley Davenport's nutso early-80s Alien rip-off that's actually so much more than that. Filled with too many WTF moments to count, and some of the most inspired and gloopy SFX from the era, XTRO would have damaged my brain as a kid. Now that I'm older I can soak in this odd-ball treasure with wild abandon.

"It must have been the magpies."

Peter Strickland's Berberian Sound Studio is an eerie love letter to Italian horror films like Suspiria (see previous entry) and psychological thrillers like The Tenant. Toby Jones plays Gilderoy, a sound mixer who travels to Italy to work on "The Equestrian Vortex," a graphically violent movie involving witches at a horse-riding school. Nearly everyone at the recording studio is dismissive of, or openly rude to him. This, along with the violent nature of the film and his home-sickness, sends Gilderoy down a spiral of identity confusion.

Included in this episode is my little story about how Peter Strickland and I watched a movie together in London back in 1990. Maybe. ;)

Show notes: https://www.wakeupheavy.com/2019/05/wuh-berberian-sound-studio-2012.html

Like many people my age, Dario Argento's Suspiria was my introduction to Italian horror films. The imagery was phantasmagoric, the music was bombastic, and the violence was horrific. Unlike anything I'd seen before, SUSPIRIA opened up a whole new world of horror cinema, though one that was ultimately elusive and frustrating.

Ronald Dzerigian is back to join me in discussing this seminal film--arguably Argento's best--the other entries in the Three Mothers trilogy, and the 2018 remake by Luca Guadagnino. Along the way we discuss our views on spoilers, and kvetch a little more about CGI.

Show notes.

WUH's first Special Guest is a fellow I've known for 25 years, give or take, and is the "movie buddy" I've referred to in a number of episodes. In this episode we talk about one of his Recollections of Horror: Joe Dante's 1981 self-referential werewolf flick The Howling.

The Howling is not a movie I watched a lot back in the Eighties but have grown to appreciate much more of late. Listen as we compare and contrast our first viewings of the film and kvetch like two old-timers about modern CGI. We try to figure out why 1981 was The Year of the Werewolf, and you get to hear me complain about watching the first three sequels (which is far as I'm willing to go in the franchise).

Visit the show notes for more.

Buy Ronnie's book.

It's been awhile... Since I did a listy-list episode that is. So here ya go, more modern horror flicks I like which proves I'm not just a nostalgia baby stuck in horror's heyday. Heck, right now might just be horror's heyday so jump on the bandwagon and check out these frightening films! What's on the list, you so impertinently ask? Listen to the dang episode says me. And then listen to this one too: https://soundcloud.com/wakeupheavy/minisode-2-favorite-modern-horror

Thanks to Kim and Ket for letting me use a clip from their show. Check it out here, along with their other episodes.

[EPISODE CORRECTION: Realized that I didn't give the title for the movie that I thought was a remake of Rituals. It's called The Ritual. Makes sense now, yeah?]

Here's another instance of my stupidity: I saw the very intriguing video box image for Eyes of Fire probably 50 million times back in my teens and never took a chance on renting it. Dumb, Mark, just plain dumb! This is one fascinating oddity that has never really gotten its chance to shine. The film didn't get very positive reviews when it came out, died at the box office, and wasn't given a VHS release until 1987. At that point it gained a cult following, but once again got buried in obscurity. If you like The Witch you should definitely check this one out!

WDIRT V2E1: ALICE, SWEET ALICE (1976)

This slightly sleazy, giallo-esque proto-slasher gained notoriety for starring Little Brooke Shields. But it was the anti-Catholic sentiment and shocking violence that got it condemned. Director Alfred Sole borrows from Hitchcock, throws in some DON'T LOOK NOW and tops it all off with a creepy masked killer. Enjoy! [Stars at 00:01]

[EPISODE CORRECTION: Jason Patric and Joshua John Miller are half-brothers, not step-brothers.]

WDIRT V2E2: LET'S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH (1971)

After a stay in a mental institution, Jessica, along with her husband and their friend, moves from Manhattan to Connecticut in hopes that her fragile mental state will improve. They encounter a mysterious stranger squatting in their new home, strange, hostile men covered in bandages, and a mute girl, all of whom may be the victims of a century old vampire. Will Jessica escape alive and with her sanity in tact? p.s. There's outtakes at the end of this one! :P [Starts at 18:45]

WDIRT V2E3: THE GATE (1987)

Why didn't I rent this? Apparently I'm a dingus. "It's THE EVIL DEAD, for kids!"--Mark Begley. 'Nuff said. [Starts at 52:46]

Lemora: A Child's Tale of the Supernatural (1974), directed by Richard Blackburn and starring Cheryl Smith and Leslie Gilb.

Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970), directed by Jaromil Jires and starring Jaroslava Schallerová.

Quite by happenstance I watched both of these films recently and was struck by their similarities. Two young girls, Lila Lee in the American South and Valerie in Czechoslovakia, are each experiencing the perilous journey into womanhood. Both are pursued by lecherous clergyman, amorous lady friends, relatives, and vampires within dark fairy tale landscapes. Will one or both succumb to the temptations laid before them, or emerge with their purity in tact?

Visit the show notes for more information on both films.

Back when I first tried my hand at a Patreon subscription the goal was to offer "exclusive content." It lasted for four episodes. Then I closed the account (which I eventually brought back in a different form). Here are the first two of those episodes.

--Barton Fink (1991)
Wherein I talk about MY favorite Coen Bros. movie in a roundabout way. More stream-of-conscious musing than film talk, this episode is heavy on recollections. Get it!?

--After Hours (1985)
Got Scorsese on the brain after the Taxi Driver episode and thought it might be fun to talk about one of his outlier films. Described as a "Yuppie Nightmare" After Hours brings out some of my social anxieties and elicits my distaste for comedies of error. Plus, Paul Hackett's a dick!