Cinema Shock

In the annals of cult cinema, few films are as infamous — or as influential — as Alejandro Jodorowsky’s 1970 masterpiece EL TOPO. A violent, hallucinatory blend of spaghetti westerns, Zen Buddhism, surrealist theater, and esoteric philosophy, EL TOPOfollows a black-clad gunslinger on a spiritual journey of transformation and destruction. It shocked audiences, confused critics, and helped define th...

Before he became the godfather of midnight movies and a psychedelic prophet of cinema, Alejandro Jodorowsky made his directorial debut with a black-and-white surrealist nightmare called FANDO Y LIS. Based on a play by Fernando Arrabal and made on a shoestring budget in Mexico, FANDO Y LIS caused riots when it premiered and was banned in its home country. But it also marked the beginning of a bold...

In this episode of Cinema Shock Roulette, we dive into the totally bonkers, synth-fueled, ninja-packed world of MIAMI CONNECTION, a forgotten 1987 indie action film that rose from obscurity to become a full-blown cult phenomenon decades later. Filmed in Orlando, funded by a Taekwondo grandmaster, and featuring a rock band called Dragon Sound who fight crime in their spare time, MIAMI CONNECTION is...

Well, we just wrapped up our 7 episode series on the career of Sam Raimi, and you know what that means: It's time for another Cinema Shock Roulette episode! Roulette episodes are randomly selected from an ongoing list (which you can find over on Justin's Letterboxd) and are designed to function as standalone episodes, not part of a larger series. It allows us to explore the history behind cult fil...

After a decade spent in the world of big-budget blockbusters — including three SPIDER-MAN films — Sam Raimi returned to his horror roots with 2009’s DRAG ME TO HELL. The result? A lean, mean, gross-out machine packed with bodily fluids, demonic goats, and Raimi’s signature mix of slapstick and sadism. But DRAG ME TO HELL wasn’t just a nostalgic exercise — it was Raimi proving he could still go toe...

After the cult success of ARMY OF DARKNESS, Sam Raimi took a sharp stylistic detour — straight into the sun-drenched, bullet-riddled world of the American Western. Released in 1995, THE QUICK AND THE DEAD brought Raimi’s hyper-stylized camera work and comic-book energy to the genre, complete with whip pans, POV bullets, and a rogue’s gallery of gunslingers. It was also a star-studded affair: a pre...

As a bonus to our ARMY OF DARKNESS episode, we’re cracking open the Necronomicon one more time to talk about the wild and often ridiculous world of Army of Darkness comic books. Since the early 2000s, Ash Williams has been battling Deadites across time, space, and intellectual property in a sprawling series of comics from Dynamite Entertainment and beyond. In this episode, we take a look at the ma...

Following the success of DARKMAN, Sam Raimi finally had the clout — and the backing of both Universal Pictures and longtime supporter Dino De Laurentiis — to make a third EVIL DEAD film. But rather than return to the series’ roots, Raimi aimed his boomstick at something much bigger. With ARMY OF DARKNESS, the EVIL DEAD franchise took a sharp left turn into Ray Harryhausen–inspired fantasy adventur...

In this bonus episode, we take a quick detour into the world of direct-to-video mayhem with a loose discussion of DARKMAN II: THE RETURN OF DURANT and DARKMAN III: DIE DARKMAN DIE. We’re not going full deep dive here — just chatting about laser guns, Arnold Vosloo, questionable wigs, and whether these sequels hold any candle to Sam Raimi’s original cult classic.

After cutting his teeth on low-budget horror, Sam Raimi was ready for the big leagues. The breakout success of Tim Burton’s BATMAN had launched a new wave of comic-book-inspired films, and Raimi was eager to join the fray. But when he couldn’t secure the rights to characters like Batman or The Shadow, he did what any determined filmmaker would do: he invented his own. Enter DARKMAN — a twisted, op...

After the failure of CRIMEWAVE, Sam Raimi was at a crossroads. His career as a filmmaker was on shaky ground — until mentor Irvin Shapiro encouraged him to return to the film that put him on the map: THE EVIL DEAD. But rather than play it safe with a by-the-numbers sequel, Raimi went all-in. With a bigger budget (thanks to producer Dino De Laurentiis) and a creative vision fully untethered, Raimi...

For this bonus episode, we're doing something a little different: We're giving some tips and tricks for anyone who might be interesting in doing this whole podcasting thing. Ever thought about doing a podcast but didn't know how to start? Now you can get some advice from three dudes who *sort of* know how to do it.

After the runaway success of THE EVIL DEAD, Sam Raimi and his Michigan crew were given the opportunity to go legit—with real money, a Hollywood cast, and a script co-written by none other than Joel and Ethan Coen. The result? CRIMEWAVE, a screwball noir comedy that was plagued by creative interference, disastrous test screenings, and a studio that ultimately took the film away from its creators. I...

In this bonus episode, the guys discuss things they've been watching lately and try to figure out why Todd thinks MOON is a STAR TREK-adjacent movie (a subject to be further explored on a future episode of Computer, Resume Podcast)

It’s time for a new series here on Cinema Shock! This week, we kick off a multi-part exploration of the career of Sam Raimi, the filmmaker who went from Michigan movie-obsessed teenager to the director of some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters. But before SPIDER-MAN or DOCTOR STRANGE, Raimi made his name with a scrappy, super low-budget horror film that would go on to become one of the most icon...

In this Roundtable discussion, we talk about everything from CHILD'S PLAY to WRATH OF KHAN to DELIVERANCE! We'll also be letting you know what to expect from our next longford series, which will begin NEXT WEEK! For episode archives, merchandise, and more, visit http://www.cinemashock.net

In this Cinema Shock Roulette episode, we’re heading deep into the foggy woods with PUMPKINHEAD, the 1988 creature feature that marked the directorial debut of legendary FX artist Stan Winston. Known for his Oscar-winning work on films like ALIENS, THE TERMINATOR, and JURASSIC PARK, Winston brought his creature chops and gothic sensibilities to this low-budget revenge tale starring Lance Henriksen...

In this Roundtable discussion, the guys discuss what they've been watching lately (aside from the movies they watch for the show) and then spin the wheel to find out what the next Cinema Shock Roulette episode is going to cover! Want to know what's next? You'll have to listen! Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by  Slasher Film Festival Strategy . This e...

More than a decade after TITANIC, James Cameron returned to narrative filmmaking with a film that many doubted would succeed. The year was 2009, and AVATAR was a massive gamble: a wildly expensive, original sci-fi epic that leaned heavily on unproven technology and an entirely digital world. But Cameron once again proved the doubters wrong. In this episode, we trace the full story of AVATAR — from...

In this episode, we'll take a look forward to the finale of our James Cameron series where we'll be discussing AVATAR! We also have a chat about all of the other things we've been watching lately, including SANDMAN, FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH, PREY, DAY SHIFT, THEY/THEM, ORPHAN: FIRST KILL, and REAR WINDOW! Are you caught up on our James Cameron series? If not, find all of the episodes at https:...

After the massive success of TITANIC, James Cameron disappeared from narrative filmmaking for over a decade — but he wasn’t sitting idle. In this episode, we explore the 12-year gap between TITANIC and AVATAR, a period in which Cameron shifted his focus toward deep-sea exploration, documentary filmmaking, and groundbreaking technological development. From Ghosts of the Abyss to co-developing new 3...

In Part 2, we pick up during the troubled production of TITANIC, where tensions on set reached their breaking point, cast and crew rebelled, and rumors of a doomed project dominated the press. We’ll break down the second half of the shoot, including the legendary water tank days, the film’s VFX innovations, and the now-infamous PCP-laced chowder incident. Then we’ll track the film’s test screening...

In Part 1 of our deep dive into TITANIC, we look at how James Cameron went from being Hollywood’s reigning king of sci-fi to convincing Fox to bankroll a historical romance set aboard a doomed luxury liner. We’ll explore Cameron’s early fascination with shipwrecks, the pitch that sold the studio (“Romeo and Juliet on a boat”), and the massive production that would balloon into one of the most expe...

After TERMINATOR 2 became the biggest hit of James Cameron's career — and the third highest grossing movie of all time — the director felt like he needed a change of direction. Maybe a small character-based drama? Well, that didn't work out. His next film would end up being a pseudo-remake of a French comedy called LA TOTALE! that he was introduced to by his friend Arnold Schwarzenegger. Their ver...

It's time for another Bonus Episode! This time around, we're talking about our thoughts going into our episode where we'll be covering James Cameron's TRUE LIES! We also talk about lots of other stuff we've been watching lately, including THE BOYS, MS. MARVEL, STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS, THOR: LOVE & THUNDER, and much much more! Subscribe, listen, buy merch, etc: cinemashock.net