The Kulturecast

We continue Horrortober with a crossover with the Wake Up Heavy podcast as we continue our trend of talking about three horror movies at once: Hellraiser 1, 2, and 3. Each film in the series follows the Lament Configuration, a puzzle box whose opening brings about the arrival of Pinhead and the Cenobites. While the first film is a rather quiet affair, the second and third films amp up the practica...

We continue Horrortober with a giallo film that may not actually be a horror movie, but it's definitely a giallo film for good and bad: The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh. Starring Edwige Fenech as the titular character, she must stop a razor-blade-wielding murder who may have a connection to her past. It has all the hallmarks of giallo but maybe not horror proper. Artist Maggie the Odd joins Chris to...

We kick off our annual Horrortober with some lighter horror fare that doesn't quite thrill and doesn't entirely cause laughter, making it a true thrill-omedy: Arachnophobia. Starring Jeff Daniels as a city doctor who moves with his family to the country, he must help stop an invasive spider species from killing the entire town. It features some gross-out moments and light jump scares but ultimatel...

We finish You've Never Seen September, this year focusing on Elvis Presley, with a film that is as cornball as it gets with the King, Fun in Acapulco. Starring Elvis as a troubled former trapeze artist turned musician, he must get a job and the girl in the exotic land of Acapulco. It's the corniest Elvis film this month, and that's saying something. Wake Up Heavy's Mark Begley joins Chris to talk...

We continue You've Never Seen September, this year focusing on Elvis Presley, with the last pre-army Elvis role as well as his personal favorite role, King Creole. Starring Elvis as a troubled youth turned musician, Elvis must navigate the waters of New Orleans' seedy underbelly. It's a little bit James Dean, a little bit Giant, and a whole lot of edgy Elvis. On Seagal's Trevor Gumbel joins Chris...

We kick off You've Never Seen September, this year focusing on Elvis Presley, with a look at one of Elvis's lesser-known films, Roustabout. Starring Elvis as a musician turned titular roustabout, Elvis must ingratiate himself to a carny setup and the woman of his dreams. DC Titan's Richard Hatem and Pulp-Serenade's Cullen Gallagher join Chris to talk about the film, Elvis's career, and Colonel Par...

We end TV Movie Month by looking at a cyberpunk miniseries that shares its DNA with another well-known miniseries: Wild Palms. Starring Jim Belushi as Harry Wyckoff, a patent attorney tasked with finding a long-lost flame's missing son. The job eventually leads him into the high-stakes world of religion, mind control, and virtual reality. It's a wild ride that doesn't necessarily stick the landing...

We near the end of TV Movie Month with a look at the first film in a series of fifteen that follows the exploits of Richard Sharpe in Sharpe's Rifle. Starring Sean Bean as Sharpe, it takes place during the early days of the Peninsular War, where Sharpe is tasked with pushing back the invading French. It's a fun entry and a good start to the long-running series! On Seagal's Trevor Gumbel joins Chri...

We take another break from TV Movie Month to take a look at a film that retcons another film with an almost identical title: The Suicide Squad. Starring Idris Elba, John Cena, Margot Robbie, and a whole host of others, it follows the titular group as they attempt to thwart The Thinker and Starro. It's essentially Guardians of the Galaxy 3, but with blood and gore! The Projection Booth Podcast's Mi...

We continue TV Movie Month with a look at a PBS adaptation of a Kurt Vonnegut short story: Who Am I This Time? Starring Susan Sarandon and Christopher Walken, it is set in a small Midwestern town where the only thing doing is the community theater. Walken and Sarandon play the two leads in the theater's version of "A Streetcar Named Desire," which has unintended consequences on their personal live...

We take another break before TV Movie Month with a trilogy of films that reinvigorates the horror genre and queer identity in the genre: Fear Street. Split into three films, they follow the parallel stories of Shadyside and Sunnyvale, towns torn apart due to a witch's curse. After the witch's curse begins again, a group of teens must figure out a way to stop the curse and save Shadyside. Wake Up H...

We kick off TV Movie Month with a movie that features a whole boatload of famous TV detectives teaming up to stop a mysterious man hunting them: Murder Can Hurt You. Starring a who's who of '70s character actors, the film follows Kojak, Columbo, Starsky and Hutch, and several other TV detectives as they attempt to thwart the Man in White. It's a goofy send-up of '70s TV detectives that doesn't alw...

We take a break before TV Movie Month with a look at a film that's been mired in development hell for almost two decades, for whatever reason: Space Jam: A New Legacy. Starring Lebron James as himself, he must team up with the Looney Tunes in a plot eerily reminiscent of the original film. It's less about the Looney Tunes and more about showing off all of the cool properties that Warner Brothers o...

We end Burt Reynolds Month with a film that is not only one of the frequent guest Cullen Gallagher's favorite but also one that casts Burt in a very different role: Lucky Lady. It stars Reynolds, Gene Hackman, and Liza Minelli as a group of business partners who run rum, trick the law, and fall in love in prohibition-era America. It's a wild film that deserves re-evaluation, especially given its t...

We near the end of Burt Reynolds Month with the film that not only put Reynolds on the map but also lead to a thousand jokes about squealing: Deliverance. Starring Reynolds, Jon Voight, and Ned Beatty are friends who go on a canoe trip down a river in northern Georgia. They found themselves thrust into a trip of terror, danger, and toxic masculinity that will change them forever. Pulp Serenade's C...

We continue Burt Reynolds Month with an entry into Reynold's rather large catalog of cop films that stands out since Reynolds himself directing it: Sharky's Machine. Starring Reynolds and a cavalcade of fantastic character actors, Reynolds plays the titular Sharky, a disgraced cop who stumbles upon a political conspiracy. With some strange choices, both style, and substance, it's more than just a...

We kick off Burt Reynolds Month with a look at one of his films that truly vaulted him into superstardom: Smokey and the Bandit. Starring Reynolds and Jerry Reed, it stars the two as the Bandit and Snowman, who are tasked with transporting Coors beer from Texarkana to Atlanta in 28 hours. The film traded in the trucking culture of the 70s along with a heavy helping of sex appeal courtesy of Reynol...

We end the second annual Jess Byard June with a film that is on the list for being one of the worst of all time, a true dud: Cool World. Starring Brad Pitt and Gabriel Byrne, it centers on the two as a displaced police officer and a comic book artist both attempting to escape an animated reality called "Cool World" While it may sound like "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?", that comparison begins and ends...

We continue the second annual Jess Byard June with a look at what is widely considered to be Bakshi's best film: American Pop. Centering around an immigrant Jewish family, it tells the story of four generations that attempt to break into the music industry and make a name for themselves. It's the quietest and most reflective of his works and one that stands out due to its soundtrack. Scary Stories...

In this bonus Wake Up Heavy crossover episode, we take a look at one of the most famous horror films of the '80s: Poltergeist (1982). Starring Craig T. Nelson and Jo Beth Williams, the film follows their family as pesky spirits plague it in their California tract home. The film also spawned two sequels and a remake, all of which experience diminishing returns. Wake Up Heavy's Mark Begley joins Chr...

In this bonus crossover episode, we take a look at the most recent entry into The Conjuring Universe and possibly the final film in the mainline franchise: The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It. Starring the always fantastic pair of Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson, the film follows the two as they attempt to clear the name of a man who murdered while possibly possessed. Wake Up Heavy's Mark Beg...

We kick off the second annual Jess Byard June with a look at one of Ralph Bakshi's more infamous works and the first animated film to be rated X: Fritz the Cat. Featuring Skip Hinnant as the titular feline, it follows the exploits of Fritz as he stumbles from one awkward scenario to another, taking the piss out of the '60s at the same time. It's a satire first and foremost but lacks a strong narra...

We end our second annual Indian Cinema Month with another team-up between Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol as they once again fall in and out of love in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. SRK and Kajol play two best friends who become embroiled in a love triangle that spans nearly a decade. It's similar to DDLJ with some pacing issues but manages to succeed thanks to the chemistry between the leads. Wake Up Heavy's Mark...

We near the end of our second annual Indian Cinema Month with a film that proves hip-hop truly does transcend culture and that you should always follow your dreams: Gully Boy. Starring Ranveer Singh as Murad, it follows his journey from living in the slums of Mumbai to becoming the titular rapper dead set on escaping his future. It's a story of love, music, and the hustle to be successful. DC Tita...

We continue our second annual Indian Cinema Month with a film that challenges long-held tenants of the education system along with certain aspects of Indian culture: 3 Idiots. Starring Aamir Khan, it follows Khan and two friends who enroll in engineering school and then have to overcome the odds, their professors, and society. Not only is the film immensely entertaining, but it also manages to tak...