Out There in the Dark

Not since the cultural phenomenon of Barbenheimer has the cinema seen a box office boom quite like this. But this time, the revolution isn't coming from legacy directors or massive studio IP—it's coming straight from YouTube. In this episode of Out There in the Dark, we are breaking down the staggering, paradigm-shifting success of Kane Parsons’ The Backrooms and Curry Barker’s Obsession. Both of...

If cinema is the closest thing we have to time travel, then watching "old" movies is our most direct portal into the psyche of the past. These films do more than just capture a moment; they contextualize the global industry’s shifts, the trends of the era, and the evolving politics and psychologies of the public. So many movies, so little time—but we’re on the case. In this installment of our ongo...

Once again it is confirmed that a large hotel is a world unto itself and that this world is like the rest of the large world. The guests here roam about in their light-hearted, careless summer existence without suspecting anything of the strange mysteries circulating among them."   — Siegfried Kracauer, The Hotel Lobby On this special episode of Out There in the Dark, Azed and Tom check in to Hote...

The Acadamy Awards is known for being a self-congratulating, elitist, popularity contest soaked in cringe inducing segments and usually that is an accurate description. The 2026 show thankfully seemed to focus a little bit more on the actual quality of the films nominated. Yes, there were the usual awkward, phony-baloney things going on, but with a spate of excellent features, docs and technical a...

The spate of films being considered for this year’s Oscars is among the best we’ve seen in a long time. With titles like The Secret Agent, Train Dreams, and One Battle After Another, it seems the Academy is finally catching up to the audience's desire for challenging, experimental, and—dare we say it—non-English fare. Perhaps this year, amidst the global anxiety, fear, and unpredictability, we are...

Arguably most famous for spawning the self-evolving Halloween franchise, John Carpenter is a true cinema maverick. Crossing genre boundaries usually adhered to strictly by competent craftspeople, Carpenter may represent a bygone figure in cinema; a true auteur. Carpenter's films bear an umistakable signature style. Carpenter was as at ease with sci-fi,  The Thing and Escape From New York,  as he w...

Few works of art have ascended to the level of universal archetype, even fewer by 19 year old women in 1818, but Mary Shelly's Frankenstein has achieved this place of distinction in the world of letters. The story of the writing of the novel (Lord Byron and the Shelly's stuck indoors during a stormy few days, deciding to write ghost stories as a way of passing time) is as mythic as the book. With...

On this episode of Out There in the dark, we take a deep dive into PT Anderson‘s latest epic, weird, and thrilling One Battle After Another. At a time when our world is being rocked by corrupt and dark forces, Anderson explores with subtlety and humour, the issues that plague us on the daily. We also go through Anderson’s oeuvre from his first film, Hard 8 (1996) to OBAA. And we say a fond farewel...

Toronto hosts one of the world's most prestigious film festivals and this year Tom and Azed managed to move off their respective couches and see a few films.  The festival has always been a defining characteristic of Toronto's love affair with movies, which draws huge audiences to see some of the world's least seen artwork. Of course, over the years, TIFF has embraced a more mainstream, commercial...

Ari Aster’s latest film, EDDINGTON, has polarized critical intelligentsia. While a few have hailed it as a “masterpiece” many others have decried it as at best an ambitious flop. As with Aster’s last “flop” Beau is Afraid, critics and audiences alike seem confused and disappointed by Aster’s non-horror films.  Without the surface excitement of supernaturally tinged serial killings or sadistic tort...

EXCLUSIVE! WE HAVE THE LIST! That's right, the list of the best movies of the past 25 years.  Putting aside our usual snobby pooh-poohing of so called "best of..." lists, Azed and Tom have created lists to end all lists. Stop saying list! Taking off from the (failing?) New York Times' Best of the Century , which chose PARASITE as their top film, and Rolling Stones 100 Best List  , which chose the...

As the world slides inexorably towards xenophobia, authoritarianism, and flat out racism, the cinema of Jim Jarmush offers a crucial counterpoint to the dehumanizing of the other as a means of social control.  Jarmush, a staple of the New York punk and post-punk art scene broke onto the scene with Stranger Than Paradise (1982) which introduced the cool, art house, minimalism that has become the ha...

Nathan Fielder's The Rehearsal is probably the most brilliantly strange "reality" show to date.  An uncanny mixture of documentary, memoir, comedy show, and adventure movie, The Rehearsal pushes the usual conventions of TV, deconstructing the elements that go into producing and directing an almost impossible series of thrilling, funny and bizzare segments. Fielder, a bona fide eccentric and oddbal...

Roger Corman (April 5, 1926 -May 9, 2024)—an iconic figure whose influence on Hollywood is nothing short of legendary—traversed the cinematic landscape from the late 1950's to the 1990's. Celebrated as the "Pope of Pop Cinema," the "Spiritual Godfather of the New Hollywood," and the "King of Cult," Corman was a pioneering force in independent filmmaking, forever reshaping the industry with his inn...

The recent and tragic news of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, has left movie fans around the world reeling. While the unsettling details surrounding their passing may capture attention, this isn’t TMZ. Instead, we choose to honor the life and extraordinary talent of one of the greatest actors of our time. Gene Hackman was renowned for his unparalleled ability to convey authenticity—somet...

One of the least explored subgenres in cinema is the short-lived, radical category known as "punk film." This genre emerged in response to the rise of punk music in the late 1970s, which served as a counterpoint to the hedonistic glam of disco and dance music—a genre I also enjoy. However, punk's emergence was more than just a musical trend; it was a political reaction against the shift toward rig...

Welcome to our annual Oscar's Bitch Fest. 2025, this year with 50% less 'bitchiness'.  Largely unpolitical, this year's Oscar's seem to successfully navigate the current chaos and produce an entertaining, actually funny and drama free event. However, smooth sailing can make for an uninspiring and somewhat boring ride. If it wasn't for Adrian Brody's eccentric acceptance speech, I wouldn't have cri...

With the passing of David Lynch we mourn the loss of a true artist and spiritual guide. Anyone familiar with Lynch, the man and his work, knew him to be a study in the paradoxical.  His All-American "boy next door" character and rural common sense, always sat oddly beside the nightmare cinematic worlds he created.  Mel Brooks, who hired him to direct The Elephant Man, called him "Jimmy Stewart fro...

Just in time for the holidays, OTD presents Giallo! What could be more appropriate at this festive time than gorgeously designed, sexually perverse murder mysteries with a dash of the supernatural? Alright! This was supposed to be a Halloween release but Azed was too busy with his charity work and Tom is extremely limited in many ways. Instead of the usual Xmas cinema fare, We suggest a horror fil...

At one point in the 70's everyone was wearing clogs and in the 80's, we were handing out Best Picture awards to movies like, Driving Miss Daisy and calling it a sign of progress.  So it's a good idea to check in with your once loved cultural artifacts to make sure you aren't still listening to Jesus Jones or defending Dan Brown books . In that vein, Tom and Azed discuss two movies they both used t...

As the world continues to spiral down into increasing idiocy, cruelty and destructiveness, Azed and Tom are both using cinema to cope.  In this episode, we discuss some more recent releases including: Richard Linklater's Hit Man,  Alex Garland's Civil War and George Miller's Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.   Despite increasing corpulence and hair loss, we are not the new Siskel & Ebert,. We employ no...

After a short hiatus, Azed & Tom return for this very special epsiode dedicated to the often overlooked character actor. Although a somewhat vague label the character actor is usually understood to be a film or television performer who specializes in portraying unique, offbeat, colorful characters in supporting roles.  While leading actors receive most, if not all, of the accolades for a film...

The Academy Awards are a reliable exercise in celebrating some of the worst tendencies in modern, capitalist society.  A bunch of privileged, back slapping industry folks handing out trophies to each other is perhaps the height of egotistical "cringe", but still we watch them. Often, with the same passion as one might watch, say a "Real Housewives" or a "Big Brother", essentially, a hate watch. Az...

In this episode, Azed & Tom delve into the captivating world of acclaimed filmmaker Martin Scorsese and the resounding critical acclaim surrounding his latest masterpiece, "Killers of the Flower Moon." In this episode, we explore the widespread praise and recognition that this film has garnered, exploring its profound impact on both critics and audiences. "Killers of the Flower Moon" has capti...

It's has been said that the 70's were the last golden age of cinema. it's hard to disagree when you realize how many auteurist directors that era birthed. A modest list would have to include; Scorsese, DePalma, Bogdanovich, Coppola, Lynch and William Friedkin.  Friedkin's career is an enigma. His third film The French Connection won multiple Oscars (Including Best director), catapulted him to fame...