Robert Aldrich's Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?

Not a "Midnight Movie" but certainly one of the great Cult Classics, 1962s Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? was an audience's dream pairing. The coming together of Oscar winners Bette Davis and Joan Crawford - two of the greatest stars the medium has known - created a film that has captivated film lovers for decades. The story of two sisters - volatile, abusive, and mutually destructive - has become a love/hate letter to the entertainment industry as well as continuing fuel to the bitterness surrounding its two stars. On this episode, Mr. Chavez & I dig through the film's creative history, the relationship between Davis and Crawford, and our own interpretations of the movie and its lasting impact in the culture. Take a listen and let us know what you think. As always we can be reached at [email protected]. Many, Many Thanks.

For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love, you can do so with a contribution at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/watchrickramos - Anything and Everything is appreciated, You Cheap Bastards.

Russ Meyer's Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!

If you allow it to do so, Cinema will take you to strange, hypnotic, and brilliant places. For close to forty years I have known about Russ Meyer's Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965) and have assiduously avoided it. Cinematic Snobbery stopped this podcaster from one of the strangest and - seemingly - sexist and self-indulgent exercises in moviemaking. I could not have been more mistaken. The verdict on Russ Meyer as a filmmaker is stil to be determined by this podcast, however we can be sure that this film contains one of the greatest performances ever captured on celluloid. Tura Satana is simply incredible. The leader of a three girl gang of violent, porsche-racing, hedonistic go-go dancers on a desert adventure of murder, kidnapping, seduction, and robbery, Satana is a force of nature that is unlike anything else ever captured in the movies. This week we discuss this classic film, our opinions and theories regarding Russ Meyer, sexploitation, and the brilliance of Tura Satana. This is a fun talk. We hope you enjoy it. We can be reached at [email protected]. Many, Many Thanks.

For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love, you can do so with a contribution at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/watchrickramos - Anything and Everything is appreciated, You Cheap Bastards.

David Lynch's Eraserhead

This week we continue our look into Midnight/Cult Movies. One of the earliest films to find an audience (and build its directors career) was 1977s Eraserhead. A film that baffles description, this weeks episode takes the angle of describing the "feelings" and memories that have followed our initial viewings of this brilliant debut film. Brilliant Black & White cinematography by Frederick Elmes and Herbert Caldwell, hypnotic performances from Jack Nance, Charlotte Stewart, Judith Anna Roberts, as well as a disturbing supporting cast that simply feels right. Take a listen to see if Lynch's debut film has affected you in a way that it has affected us. We'd love to hear from you. As always, we can be reached at [email protected]. Many, Many Thanks.

For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love, you can do so with a contribution at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/watchrickramos - Anything and Everything is appreciated, You Cheap Bastards.

Jim Sharman's The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Cinema is art, Viewing Cinema is an artistic experience. We sit in the theater and drift into the beauty of a story that either entertains, explains, or enlightens. Sometimes all of these and even more. In 1975 20th Century Fox would distribute a film that would fail miserably with mainstream audiences, but would survive box office death and be reborn on the Midnight Movie Circuit. The Rocky Horror Picture Show has played non-stop since it began midnight screenings in 1976. With a rabid fanbase that acts out scenes, musical numbers, and improvised attacks on the action, the film has become a cinematic cultural experience . . . But, what is it, and is it actually a good movie? This week Mr. Chavez & I return to our shared experience with a NuArt screening, his return to the theatre, and my home viewing, alone in a dark room without any of the supporting distractions. This week we discuss Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, and - a legendary - Tim Curry as Dr. Frank-N-Furter. Take a listen as we dive into a month of Cult Films & Midnight Movies. It's going to be a good time. Reach Out: [email protected] - Many, Many Thanks.

For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love, you can do so with a contribution at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/watchrickramos - Anything and Everything is appreciated, You Cheap Bastards.

Kathryn Bigelow's Near Dark

This year Halloween fell on a weekend . . .

We've come to the end of the Halloween season. Two months of Vampire movies finds us ending on a cult favorite from the 1980s. In 1987 Kathryn Bigelow would direct her first solo-outing by re-imagining the Vampire film as a Neo-Western centered around a young couple and the family of vampires that haunt and terrorize a modern Southwest. Featuring Adrian Pasdar as Caleb Colton, a young man bitten and "turned" by the seductive Mae and his "adoption" into a troubling imagining on the traveling "nuclear family" including Bill Paxton, Jenette Goldstein, and Lance Henriksen. The film certainly has its problems however it is an assured and impressive debut directorial feature for Bigelow and captivating performances from her Vampire Family. Take a listen and let us know what you think - Questions, Comments, Complaints, & Suggesetions can be directed to [email protected] - Many, Many Thanks.

For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love, you can do so with a contribution at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/watchrickramos - Anything and Everything is appreciated, You Cheap Bastards.

E. Elias Merhige's Shadow of the Vampire

Sometimes it's simply a thrill to watch one your favorite actors let loose and have a great time. F.W. Murnau's 1922 Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror is widely - and deservedly - considered one of the greatest films of all time. A mythology has formed around the making of the film including the idea that its star, Max Shreck, was an actual vampire. With this springboard, writer Steven Katz and director E. Elias Merhige's fashion an exciting, inventive, and thrilling historical re-telling of the making of Murnau's film. With a great supporting cast including Cary Elwes, Eddie Izzard, Udo Kier, and Catherine McCormack as actors and crew of Nosferatu. However the film belongs solely to a pair of unhinged and clearly fun performances from John Malkovich as Murnau, and (in an Academy Award nominated performance) Willem Dafoe as Schreck. For fans of Murnau's classic, silent films, and vampire stories, Shadow of the Vampire is a real treasure. Take a listen to see if you agree. As always we can be reached at [email protected] - Many, Many Thanks.

For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love, you can do so with a contribution at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/watchrickramos - Anything and Everything is appreciated, You Cheap Bastards.

Carl Theodore Dreyer's Vampyr

If you dig deep enough, Cinema will unleash great treasures. The Silent Era ended in 1927 with the release of The Jazz Singer . . . Movies would never be the same. A number of filmmakers would utilize the new technology in innovative, imaginitive, and groundbreaking ways. Fritz Lang's M comes to mind. Musicals became a reality and would astonish audiences. Storytellng became an entirely new artform. However the power of Silent Films would continue to be felt. Chaplin stubbornly held onto silence, while Karl Dane, Douglas Fairbanks Sr., and Emil Jannings would witness their star power dim sound emerged. Danish filmmaker, Carl Theodore Dreyer, would struggle throughout his career with complex material, however he would - years later - be recognized as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. With Vampyr the struggle with the new technology is evident in its use in the film, however the brilliance in Dreyer's vision is in the visual. The images are haunting, disturbing, and - in many cases - unforgettable. Take a look at this Classic of World Cinema and enjoy one of the great works of the 20th Century. Take a listen as we bring you this powerful film. Questions, Comments, Complaints, and Suggestions can be directed to [email protected] - Many Thanks.

For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love, you can do so with a contribution at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/watchrickramos - Anything and Everything is appreciated, You Cheap Bastards.

Adrien Beau's The Vourdalak

If you dive into the depths of World Cinema you will often discover magic. You may not know that you're viewing something exceptional while you're watching it, but you will find yourself realizing the power of the image, the power of ideas from different corners of the world. This week Mr. Chavez & I find Adrien Beau's 2023 French "Folk" Tale The Vourdalak, a film of nuance and beautifully imagined historical horror. Chronicling the story of a French aristocrat, robbed and left lost in Eastern Europe, Beau's story takes on a familiar story re-imagined as the Marquis Jacques Saturnin du Antoine is directed to a villager's home and the terror of a new vampire story. Better seen than read about, we encourage you to take the chance, start the movie, and trust that it will captivate you. Take a listen, watch the movie, and let us know if you agree. As always we can be reached at [email protected] - Many Thanks.

For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love, you can do so with a contribution at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/watchrickramos - Anything and Everything is appreciated, You Cheap Bastards.

Tobe Hooper's Salem's Lot

From time to time movies slip through the cracks. Although Tobe Hooper's Salem's Lot is considered a television classic, it is a film that your movie podcaset host has somehow missed these 46 years. Adapted from Stephen King's 1975 best-seller, this 1979 adaptation features David Soul from TVs Starsky & Hutch, as well as future Mrs. Holly McClane, Bonnie Bedelia. What could have easily been a throw-away television mini-series, is instead a ground-breaking take on Vampires, Lust, and Small-Town Paranoia. Guided through the directorial lens of Mr. Hooper, shortly after the landmark Horror spectacle, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) and before Poltergeist (1982), Hooper elevates the material to a truly frightening and exciting experience. If you haven't seen this classic you owe it to yourself to make the time. Take a listen and let us know what you think. Questions, Comments, Complaints, and Suggestions can be directed to [email protected]. Many Thanks.

For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love, you can do so with a contribution at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/watchrickramos - Anything and Everything is appreciated, You Cheap Bastards.

Park Chan-wook's Thirst

One of the great thrills of the past ten-plus years is the discovery of new, exciting, and challenging films. On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Mr. Chavez & I dive into the cinema of South Korea's Park Chan-wook for 2009s Thirst. It's fascinating to watch stories we believe we understand and are sure we have witnessed every variation. Park Chan-wook's Vampire story centers around a priest (Kang-ho Song) as he struggles with his beliefs and his slow transformation into the Undead. With an equally exceptional performance from Kim Ok-vin (as Tae-ju, the woman who fall in love with the priest with all of its complications), Chan-wook's film is a beautifully realized exploration of love, religion, death, and sin. Take a listen and let us know what you think. Questions, Comments, Complaints, & Suggestions can be directed to [email protected] - Many, Many Thanks.

For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love, you can do so with a contribution at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/watchrickramos - Anything and Everything is appreciated, You Cheap Bastards.