A Quality Interruption

EPISODE #485-- On today's episode we finally get around to one of the great breakout indie movies of the early 2000s, the Asian-American crime drama, BETTER LUCK TOMORROW (2002). Go and check it out if you haven't already. Go make Roger Ebert proud. We also rap about British horror short film THE BLACK TOWER (1987), THE SHEEP DETECTIVES (2026), and film noir OUT OF THE PAST (1947). LINKS-- Join th...

EPISODE #484-- Today we're talking a classic Hungarian animated feature, SON OF THE WHITE MARE from 1981. There's really nothing else like it. Go out and watch it. We'll wait. Done? Okay. Now listen to the show. We also talk about Kurosawa's IKIRU (1951),  THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA (2006), HELL'S ANGELS (1931), and CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS (1937). Not a bad little run. LINKS-- Join the cause at  Patreon.co...

EPISODE #483-- We slam headfirst into the car crash of a genre-bender, GOD TOLD ME TO (1976), which tries to combine a police procedural, UFOs, horror, and, I don't know what else, into a real must-see mess of a movie. Seriously. It's almsot good at every single turn. It begs to be watched. We also chat about George Clozeau's LE CORBEAU (1943), Tim Burton's BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE (2025), Carol Re...

EPISODE #482-- We go back to Hong Kong with the classic horror/kung fu/folk tale mash-up A CHINESE GHOST STORY (1987), directed by Ching Siu-tung. It's a banger. Great film. Good episode. Listen to it! We also chat about John Frankenheimer's GRAN PRIX (1966), Kurosawa's SCANDAL (1950) and THE IDIOT (1951), as well as Carol Reed's NIGHT TRAIN TO MUNICH (1940) and Howard Hughes' HELL'S ANGELS (1930)...

EPISODE #481-- We talk about one of the American independent classics with Sofia Coppola's debut feature THE VIRGIN SUICIDES (1999). In between bouts of complaining about movies, we also talk about her second feature LOST IN TRANSLATION (2004), the Peter Weir crime film WITNESS (1985), and, once again, the cult classic French feature TCHAO PANTIN (1983). Also, do us a favor: Share this show. Send...

EPISODE #480-- We follow up our celebration of African-American film with what might be one of the whitest movies of all time, Richard Linklater's epochal anthology film SLACKER from 1989, 1990, or 1991, depending on who you ask. We also briefly chat about the two Oscar-nominated films, Chloe Zhao's HAMNET (2025) and Kleber Mendonça Filho's THE SECRET AGENT (2025), as well as the Pixar film HOPPER...

EPISODE #479-- We delve back into the world of David Cronenberg with A History of Violence which is also a history of mid 2000's Bush era Liberal anger. We also talk Opening Night (1977), Song Sung Blue (2025), and Tchao Pantin (1983)   Join the cause at  Patreon.com/Quality.  Follow the us on on Bluesky at  kislingconnection  and  cruzflores , on Instagram  @kislingwhatsit,  and on Tiktok  @kisli...

EPISODE #478-- We celebrate the final installement of our Black History Month series with the epochal concert film, WATTSTAX (1973, dir. Mel Stuart). It's an incredible film that is as much an examination of the time as it is a people and also, a hell of a concert. We also chat about THE TENTH MAN (1988), PRIMAL, Season 3 (2026), THE BETRAYAL (1966), John Ford's STAGECOACH (1939), and Gore Verbins...

EPISODE #477-- Now that grad school is behind our editor, we're back to our Black History Month series (and the show, in general). Today we're talking about the Charles Burnett student film classic, THE KILLER OF SHEEP (1978). A great, weird, little movie that kind of has to be seen to be believed-- not that this'll keep us from trying. Anyways, it's a fun one. Listen to it. We also chat about Spi...

EPISODE #476-- We continue our belated celebration of Black History Month (and in many ways, is not every month Black History Month?) with the classic 1990's teen comedy HOUSE PARTY , directed by Reginald Hudlin (of the Hudlin Bros). We also briefly chat about John Ford's STAGECOACH (1939), Jasques Audiard's A PROPHET (2009), Peter Yates' BULLITT (1967), and FALLOUT, Season 2 (2026). LINKS-- Join...

EPISODE #475-- To celebrate Black History Month, we talk about the Easy Rawlins adaptation DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS (1995), staring Denzel Washington. It's a good little picture. You got some LA. You got some Pasadena. You got Denzel. You got a gunfight. What more could you want? We also chat about NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (2007, dir. Coen Bros) and MEAN STREETS (1971, dir. Martin Scorsese). LINKS-- Jo...

EPISODE #474-- We get back on the Yukio Mishima train with the English film THE SAILOR WHO FELL FROM GRACE WITH THE SEA (1976). We also talk the new Game of Thrones show, PONIES (2026 - ), 28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE (2026), and a few other movies. Fun little, weird little episode-- not unlike Mishima himself. LINKS-- Join the cause at  Patreon.com/Quality. Follow the us on on Bluesky at kisli...

EPISODE #473-- We dive back into the world of heroic bloodshed with the seminal Hong Kong actioner, A BETTER TOMORROW (1986) directed by John Woo, staring Chow Yun Fat, Leslie Chung, and Ti Lung, among others. It's an incredible film and there's a brand new restoration that is widely available on most (American) streaming services. So, stop reading this and go watch it. Then come back and listen....

EPISODE #472-- Today Cruz and James run down their respective top ten films from the previous year. I always say this, but 2025 was a weird year. It was also, thankfully, weird in a unique way. Lots of good movies. Lots of great movies. Maybe even some classics in there. Give it a listen! LINKS-- Join the cause at Patreon.com/Quality. Follow the us on on Bluesky at kislingconnection and cruzflores...

EPISODE #471 -- Look at us! Look at us getting back to our BS with this episode. Today we calk the Herbert Ross film THE SEVEN-PER-CENT SOLUTION [sic] (1976). It's a Sherlock Holmes movie. It's a Sigmond Freud movie. It's a combination Sigmond Freud-Sherlock Holmes movie. We also talk about Soderberg's THE KNICK (2014 - 2015), CONCLAVE (2025), DEEP COVER (2025), and perenial holiday favorite DIE-H...

EPISODE #470-- We commemorate the glorious dead with the classic film HARAKIRI (or "Hara-kiri," depending on how particular you want to be), directed by none other than the firebrand Masaki Kobayashi. This is a classic Japanese film, a classic samurai movie, and one of the all-around important works of all of the 20th century. We also turned out a pretty good episode about it. We also briefly disc...

EPISODE #469-- Nice. Today we talk about the best of the worst William Friedkin movies, 1978's THE BRINKS JOB . Or is it the worst of the best? That sounds worse, but I'm not sure it is. Anyways, there's a lot of guys in this movie. If you want look at or to see a guy, of some sort, there's worse movies to go with. Anyways, we love Hurricane Billy. We also chat about a bunch of old THE SIMPSONS (1...

EPISODE #468-- We wrap up Spooktagon 2025 with Brian di Palma's weird, minor masterpiece, PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE (1974) (not to be confused with the Kiss made-for-TV-movie, PHANTOM OF THE PARK , which has nothing to do with anything). It's a good movie. It's a good episode. It's got everything: The devil, rock operas, pills, and Looney Toons BS. It's great. Give it a listen. We also rap about JUB...

EPISODE #467-- Cruz and James return to Germany (and to vampires) with the 1979 remake/reimagining NOSFERATU ! It's a good one! It's a great one, even! And no audio errors this time! It stars Klaus Kinski, Bruno Ganz, and Isabelle Adjani! We also talk about HBO's TASK (2025), the Kazakh films STEPPENWOLF (2024) and MONGOL (2007), and THE OTHERS (2001). LINKS-- Join the cause at Patreon.com/Quality...

EPISODE #465-- Welcome to the Spooktagon? We still doing this? Alright. THE SPOOKTAGON! BOO! On today's episode we talk the witchy horror flick THE CRAFT (1996). We also talk about the season finale of HBO's PEACEMAKER , Season 2, James Whale's FRANKENSTEIN (1934), and GUNDAM: WAR IN THE POCKET . Cruz, meanwhile, just talks abouts his back problems. Take care of your backs, kids! LINKS-- Join the...

EPISODE #465 Today we enter into the SPOOKTAGON, the very real and very important series we do every year, in which we pretend that we don't do horror movies all the time. Anyways, today we tackle the long-lost Disney flick SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES (1981). We also talk about HBO's TASK (2025) and PEACEMAKER , Season 2 (2025), SUPER SON S (2025), the latest season of SLOW HORSES (2025) on Ap...

EPISODE #464 On today's episode we talk about the pseudo-documentary/alternate history thriller/discursive essay/grad-student lecture  PUNISHMENT PARK (1971). It's a rough, weird movie that really feels like a prompt to get us to talk about our favorite dirtbag president, Richard Milhouse Nixon. We also talk about James Gunn's SUPERMAN (2025), Akira Kurosawa's SEVEN SAMURAI (1954), THUNDERBOLTS* (...

EPISODE #463 For this, our four-hundreth-third episode, we tackle the 1968 supernatural tale, THE SNOW WOMAN , directed by Tokuzo Tanaka. It's a good one. Quick, short, and to the point-- unlike us! We also talk about LA STRADA (1954), SUMO DO, SUMO DON'T (1991), MATEWAN (19878), Mishima's PATRIOTISM (1968), Spike Lee's HIGHEST 2 LOWEST (2025), Marvel's FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS (2025), and THE...

EPISODE #462 We are kinda of back, just in time for the holidays. We talk about the (in)famous Japanese "pinky violence" film, FEMALE PRISONER #701: SCORPION (1972), directed by Shunya Ito. This is the first entry in the "Sasori" series, which is fantastic if you're into the idea of 1970's Japanese women-in-prison films. We also talk about CRUMB (1994), BLACK TIGHT KILLERS (1966), YOKOHAMA BJ BLUE...

EPISODE #461 -- We dive back into the world of Stephen King with the stone-cold summer classic STAND BY ME (1986, dir. Rob Reiner). All the stars are here. You got the Joker's younger brother. You got the slightly less tragic Corey. You got Wesley Crusher, everyone's least favorite Star Trek character. You got the Sliders guy. Nothing but heroes in this pantheon. OTHER LINKS: Join the cause at Pat...