Junkfood Cinema

Brian and Cargill have come here to chew bubblegum and podcast about John Carpenter's They Live. And they're all out of bubblegum. Put on the glasses, and your ear buds, and listen to their transmission!

To wrap up Red October, Brian and Cargill bring the heat with the strangest buddy cop movie of the 80s: Red Heat. Too stoic to be a comedy, too reserved to be a bombastic action film, and pushing a message of American-Soviet friendship during The Cold War? It doesn't work...but it works for us. All this plus a new segment: Lawrence Fishburne Was Always Old! Download and share, comrades!

Continuing their Red October series, Brian & Cargill parachute into Calumet to do battle with the public perception of John Milius' Red Dawn. Is it really a jingoistic, bloodthirsty fantasy bred of Cold War paranoia, or perhaps a staunchly anti-war film skewering the posturing politics of its day? Also how many times can the guys scream, "wolverines?" Download and find out, comrades!

Brian and Cargill finally venture into the waters of their anticipated Red October series. And what better way to kick things off than by joining Jack Ryan in The Hunt for Red October! The guys discuss the incredible cast, the uniqueness of this Cold War storytelling, and McTiernan’s giant, ballistic dick-measuring. They also sing anthems with Sven-Ole Thorsen, reveal Sean Connery’s favorite adult...

Brian and Cargill go Over the Edge to fulfill a patron request. The guys discuss the simmering danger of 1970s suburban boredom, rock out to some Cheap Trick, and set fire to a few trash cans. They also spend an inordinate amount of time talking about Stallone’s Oscar. Don’t listen to your parents, download and share this episode!

Brian and Cargill stop at the wrong roadside attraction and get totally FREAKED. Why was this gem buried for so long? Is this the better version of THE GREATEST SHOWMAN? When will Brian finally try flan?! All this, and probably some other things, in this especially freaky episode!

Believe or not, this is the 300th episode of Junkfood Cinema! Brian and Cargill do what any series does when it hits 300 episodes: A clip show! They reminisce and recommend 10 past episodes, explaining why they are a great starter pack for new listeners and a fun revisit for longtime Junkions. Thanks to all our listeners, past guests, sponsors, and especially Patreon patrons for ensuring we reach...

In this most triumphant extended episode, Brian and Cargill go back in time (and also return to the present) to discuss the entirety of Bill & Ted's Excellent Trilogy! They discuss why Excellent Adventure is one of the very best time travel flicks of the 80s, how Bogus Journey broke the sequel mold, and why Face the Music is the joy injection 2020 so desperately needed. Also, the guys abuse their...

After many years on the JFC most wanted list, Brian and Cargill have finally come to judge The Quick and the Dead. It’s the star-studded neo western that is “drenched in spaghetti.” It’s the bloodsport tournament film where almost every combatant has a fascinating secret. Also, it might just be Sam Raimi’s best film. Don’t wait for high noon, listen and share now!

Brian and Joe wrap up their epic dissection of Last Action Hero with a bang. Joe tells the story of his dinner with McTiernan in Serbia, Brian explains that we are living at the start of The Fast Food wars, and the guys ponder how much it wold cost to advertise their love for LAH on the side of a space shuttle. We hope you‘ve enjoyed our massive thesis on this wonderful flick.

Brian and Joe jump back through the screen and put Last Action Hero even further under the microscope. In this installment, the guys discuss passion projects. How Arnold Schwarzenegger invested so much into this movie that he even donned a schoolboy uniform and took guns out of the hands of toys? Brian and Joe also reminisce about their respective video store days and the unbelievable specificity...

Brian is joined by director Joe Lynch for the single most insane undertaking in the history of Junkfood Cinema: a three-part, in-depth exploration of Last Action Hero. They didn’t plan it, but the love Brian and Joe have for this unfairly maligned masterpiece of meta action filmmaking could not be contained within one hour...or two...or even three! Grab your golden ticket and get ready to go deep...

With the passing this summer of both Ennio Morricone and Wilfred Brimley, Brian and Cargill felt the time was right to venture to Outpost 31 and visit with The Thing. The guys dissect the ending theories, ponder why initial reception to The Thing was so cold, and argue that this masterpiece is even more powerful in 2020 than it was in 1982! They also manage to do battle with The Underquaker, pit T...

Listen up, Junkions! This week Brian is joined by filmmaker Aaron Koontz (Scare Package, The Pale Door) as they sound off on De Palma’s Blow Out. Using split diopter shots to communicate character, fireworks to mark tragedy, and even Chekhov’s watch cord?! The guys dig deep into the brilliance of Blow Out as well as sharing some Goldust memories and revealing which JFC icon once yelled at Aaron on...

Scott Weinberg returns to the scummy streets of Junkfood Cinema to open up all the unmentionable horrors of Basket Case. How does a b-movie this schlocky also make us feel so much? How did Joe Bob Riggs save this movie? How does a puppet give us such nightmares? Why isn’t Basket Case a sitcom?! All these questions explored while Brian does his best to ruin all the best movies of 1982. Enjoy!

Bri Beard and Captain Cargill take to the seas to commit some skullduggery with Nate and Hayes. The weirdest relic of a pirate movie to ever be written by...John Hughes? Your favorite scoundrels of the Junky Sea discuss the movie that sunk Nate and Hayes, its oddly progressive politics, and the cannonball of sexual charisma that is 1983 Tommy Lee Jones. All this plus...the most random celebrity to...

Brian and Cargill draw their guns and pas de deux through the bullet ballet of John Woo's Hard Boiled. They discuss The Five Pillars of Woo, his impact on action, and his operatic use of slow-mo. They also pitch a new Golden Girls podcast, stop before their mom shoots, and solve one of the most notorious unsolved mysteries in history thanks to...Jurassic Park? Grab your babies and run to your comp...

This week, Eric Szyszka (We Hate Movies, Hooked on TJ Hooker) returns, and he and Brian take a few shots at Bulletproof. This insane action movie features an ice cream truck shootout, an experimental tank, and a plot to take over the United States by the most broadly drawn collection of terrorists since the opening of The Naked Gun. Get ready for thrills, chills, and...Gary Busey singing Will Smit...

Live from the virtual Chattanooga Film Fest just a few weeks ago, Brian and Cargill take to the ice to show they believe in Miracle. Miracle is such a great sports film that it will have you riveted by a game where no one scores for the last ten minutes! Kurt Russell whips the guys into a frenzy with his BDE, they decipher Walt Disney’s last words, and Bubs from CFF pops in and out of the episode....

Brian and Cargill are joined by the legendary Bill Corbett (RiffTrax, Mystery Science Theater 3000) to chew on some Soylent Green. Bill and the bots discuss the prescient themes, the meme-sational ending, and Charlton Heston’s obsession with the end of the world. The guys also riff on Irish Spring fetishes, cannibalistic Karens, and the best way to brine human flesh. Happy Soylent Green Day, we ho...

This week, Brian steps into the ring with special guest Jon Gabrus (High and Mighty, The Action Boyz) to determine if their favorite late 80s tae kwan do movie really is Best of the Best. The guys discuss BotB’s knockout cast, its charming sincerity, and the nearly incomprehensible tournament rules. Somehow they also invent a new buffalo wing challenge, get into a bar fight with Jason Voorhees, an...

Sir Todd in the Shadows returns to the JFC realm to join Sirs Brian and Cargill as they laud the far-too-under-heralded A Knight’s Tale! The gents discuss why this is a phenomenal sports film, why the needle drops work, and the sincerity that runs rampant throughout. Also discussed: butthole wranglers, Viva Rock Vegas, and which cult film director has seen Cargill naked. Rouse yourself to listen a...

Brian and Cargill--two cads, a couple of piehouse rats--beat their chops to squawk about the brilliance of Rian Johnson's Brick. They discuss the lyrical language of the film, the high school noir, and the importance of the punch-transition. Also discussed: time travel, the Brick homage hidden in Cargill's first book, and the accidental shot heard round the world. Don't heel it or take a powder, d...

For you, the day Junkfood Cinema covered Street Fighter was the most important day of your life. For JFC, it was Tuesday. Brian and Cargill are joined by special guest Todd in the Shadows (aka Todd in the Shadaloo) to go at least three rounds with one of the most baffling videogame adaptations ever. The guys throw love at Raul Julia, lower the Sonic Boom on Street Fighter: The Movie: The Game, and...

Brian is joined by the fantastic Nick Wiger (Doughboys, How Did This Get Played) to get a little messy with Peter Jackson's Dead Alive (a.k.a. Braindead). The guys discuss the art buried under the gore, the sleeve-worn influences, and how this very well have been the movie that taught Jackson how to shoot hobbits. They also get (Yahoo) serious, visit a Hungry Jack, and play a thrilling round of, "...