Cinema Oblivia

Oh boy. One of the absolute strangest movies of the early-80s, featuring a bravado performance by the wonderful Susan Tyrrell as THE WORST PRIMARY CAREGIVER EVER and shockingly progressive, LGBT+ themes, Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker is a one-of-a-kind fever dream of a film, exactly the kind of thing that Madeline Koestner likes to subject me to, and I'm better for it. Content Warning: Generally...

More Peter Cushing! Diamond Feit is back to talk about Horror Express, one of the funnest, silliest, wackiest, goofiest horror movies of the early-70s. And not only does it star my all-time favorite actor of all-time, Peter Cushing, but it also features my second-favorite actor of all-time; Christopher Lee. And someone who would probably make the top 10 or so; Telly Savalas! This movie kicks ass.

This Halloween I decided to spread the gospel of the Hammer House of Horror by subjecting Hammer virgin Anthony Abatte to one of my favorite films from the studio, 1971's Twins Of Evil! Not only does it have a standout performance by the legendary Peter Cushing, but the, ahem, titular characters are really something else too. We also have a quick spoiler-free discussion about the new Halloween End...

"Die Hard but in Beverly Hills" is elevator pitch for The Taking of Beverly Hills. And while the film looked like a sure-fire hit on paper thanks to its star, the then white-hot Ken Wahl, and it's director, Sidney J. Furie, the didn't even get the chance to fade into obscurity - it debuted there. Rob Hill from The Bad Movie Bible joins me to try and find out why. Content warning; When discussing W...

The original idea of this podcast was to focus on the types of films they don't make anymore and "Technicolor underwater musicals" certainly fit that bill. Diana Goodman of 30-20-10 joins me today to talk about Million Dollar Mermaid. If you thought movies like The Avengers were spectacle, you ain't seen nothing yet.

We're 70s AF today on Cinema Oblivia. How 70s? We got a movie by the writer of Harold & Maude, starring Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn, and featuring a hit single by Barry Manilow. That's how 70s. Foul Play is a wacky little comedy that is very much of its era, and I'm happy that Diamond Feit called me up to talk about it! Check it out!

Shakedown is a 1988 action film about corrupt cops starring Peter Weller and Sam Elliott. It's one of the most bonkers movies of the 80s, thanks no doubt to its writer/director, the madman James Glickenhaus. Madeline Koestner joins me once again to discuss this utterly bizarre flick, and she brought her attorney with her! Because this movie is full of so many crazy courtroom shenanigans that I jus...

In 1987, Cannon Films teamed up with Toho Pictures in Japan to make a children's film about a friendly robot and his stupid American girl friend. It stars no one you've ever heard of and it was directed by a softcore porn producer. It's called Too Much, and it's really [insert movie title here]. Rhys (aka FlemishDog) joins me to talk about this family-friendly monstrosity.

We got an all-star line-up today! T.L. Foster is back! Anthony Abatte is back! Norm from A Question of Character is back! And they're all here to talk about American Ninja 2! Is it a good film? Probably not, but it's a great excuse to talk about Steve James, the man who should've been the biggest action star of the 1980s/90s/2000s/2010s and today.

A brilliant slice of life comedy from the director of The Last Dragon(!!) and Joel Schumacher(!?!?!?), Car Wash is a perfect time capsule of a bygone era, but still manages to hold up today as a fantastic comedy, all while offering insightful commentary on race, gender, sexuality, and religion. And it has George Carlin and Richard Pryor! Anthony Abatte joins me to talk about this great piece of 70...

I'm dumb white boy (sometimes) and Norm from A Question of Character is a black dude from Chicago, so we felt we absolutely had to cover Big Shots - a film about a dumb white boy (sometimes) and a black kid from Chicago. This is not a great film, but it's definitely the best film about a white kid from suburban Chicago that was made without John Hughes' involvement. I absolutely love it. It also h...

Thrashin' was an attempt by out-of-touch middle-aged men to make a hip and cool skateboarding film. They failed miserably. But I still love it! And so does Nextlander's Alex Navarro! We talk about this fascinating failure, and why we can't hate it despite it's mediocre acting, idiotic story, and absolutely atrocious original music.

Class of 1984 is a fantastic exploitation flick about a high school from hell, its evil bullies, and the poor teachers who just try to teach their damn students. Diamond Feit joins me to talk about this classic late-era grindhouse flick. Disclaimer: Although this is an over-the-top exploitation film, we do discuss real world school violence at times. Additionally, this was recorded BEFORE the horr...

Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key isn't the best giallo ever made, but it certainly is one of the best-named. Joe Odber takes a break from chronicling the Mandela Effect weirdos of Reddit to stop by and discuss this lesser-known gem of Italian sleaze, which features just about every depraved act you can possibly imagine, and then some. So yeah, content warning for this one. Seriou...

Once upon a time there was a man named Snakey. He liked snakes more than he liked people. One day, a lot of the people he didn't like made him angry and he decided to get his revenge. You can probably guess where this is going but I swear to you that Fangs (aka Snakes aka Holy Wednesday aka Snakelust) will leave you guessing to the end, thanks to its fantastic script, hilarious dialogue, and a bre...

Shane Bettenhausen previously graced this podcast to subject me to the awfulness that is The Apple. But he redeems himself today to talk about not one, but two, very good movies - the much belated sequels to Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho! Are they as good as the original? Of course not, but they're both damn fine films that you need to see. We discuss how these fascinating films got made, and go over...

Very happy to have Rob Hill from the Bad Movie Bible joining me today to discuss a forgotten piece of Bondsploitation, 1967's Deadlier Than The Male! This 60s update of the Bulldog Drummond books (which themselves inspired the Bond films), turns the character into a suave, understated ladies' man (of mystery) which makes his surrounding world of buxom female assassins, maniacal super-villains, and...

An amazing film with a great cast, fantastic crew, and stellar script: Alligator isn't just one of the best Jaws rip-offs ever made, it's one of the best horror comedies ever made. Period. Madeline Koestner agrees with me, and she took time out of her busy schedule planning the Unnamed Footage Festival to sit down and talk with me about this film that's a downright masterpiece.

Flashdance + The Exorcist + Poltergeist x Ninjas = Ninja III The Domination. Cannon made a lot of crazy films in their time, but this just might be their craziest! Norm from A Question of Character and Anthony Abatte return once more to discuss this legendary train-wreck. And we also use AI to hypothesize a potential Ninja IV!

The ninja cannot be stopped! Anthony Abatte returns to discuss the FAR superior sequel to Enter The Ninja. But he's not alone, Norm from A Question of Character is with him! There was simply too much awesome in this movie for one guest to discuss!

Ninjas were just as much a part of 80s pop culture as big hair, neon, and growing economic disparity, but why? Enter The Ninja, that's why! While not solely responsible for the ninja craze of the 80s, this flick had a lot to do with it! I'm joined by Anthony Abatte to talk about this utterly mediocre flick, and its bizarre influence on pop culture.

Gene Simmons is a genderfluid drag performer/terrorist who wants to poison Los Angeles with radioactive waste. Only George Lazenby's son, John Stamos, and his partner Vanity can stop him. It's a hell of a cast for a hell of a movie, 1987's Never Too Young To Die. Matt Kucick returns to discuss this amazing gem of 80s cheese, and we also discuss our dream cast for a sequel/remake that damn well sho...

Takashi Miike broke through big in 1999 with Audition, but for me, his best movie of that year (he made, like, six) is Dead or Alive, a gonzo bonkers crime drama with one of the craziest beginnings in film history, which is then completely trampled by one of the most apeshit endings of all time. Diamon Feit agrees with me, and he joins me to talk about this underrated work in Miike's insane and im...

Jim Belushi beats up inner city youths with a baseball bat because he wants them to study algebra in this problematic classic. Norm from A Question of Character returns to discuss Belushi's unlikely run as an action star, the film's questionable racial politics, and the movie's dope as hell rap song, "Set It Off."

Coonskin was animator Ralph Bakshi's first real bomb, attracting far more controversy for its racially charged content than box office. Emmett Watkins Jr. bravely joins me today to talk about this controversial cult classic that's problematic with a capital P, but absolutely fascinating. Content warning: Lots of discussion on racial issues and homophobia, with descriptions and clips of scenes that...