CinemaSpection

In this episode we're scratching the surface to see what lies within the latest iteration of Salem Horror Fest. Tim discusses some of the events, short films, and features shown at the ninth edition of this unique film festival. Films discussed include: The Gnawer of Rocks Cujo Undertone Once Upon a Time in the Apocalypse Full Term Furry-Anxi The Safety Games Prom Party Massacre Darkroom Regressio...

  In this episode, we welcome Josh aboard to talk about a vastly underappreciated monster mash from the late 90s, Stephen Sommer's fun action-horror hybrid  Deep Rising from 1998. Listen as we detail our love of creature features, marvel at this movie's amazing cast (chief among them the late, great Treat Williams), and mourn the decline of mid-budget genre blockbusters. Warning: Contains explicit...

In this special episode, Salem Horror Fest returns from the grave for its eighth outing as Tim discusses some of the events, short films, and features shown at SHF 2025 including: Humanzee The Halloween Party The Guest on Topsfield Road Day Dreams Forever War Indicator Mordrake Bill Came Back Katie's Skin Paper Dolls Session 9 Bedlamer Hellbound: Hellraiser II RAT! The Rebrand Pater Noster and the...

Once again, we're discussing our favorite movies of the past year, in this case 2024. Despite it being a terrible year for us personally, the films were still great, so listen as we run through our top ten lists, which include disquieting depictions of religious and political conflict, disturbing bad behavior from rich people, and slapstick comedy involving fiendish but cute animals. Warning: Cont...

Ellie answers our ad for a flatmate as we come out of the attic for a discussion of Danny Boyle's spectacular debut film, the 1994 darkly comic thriller  Shallow Grave . Listen as we analyze the motivations of the three morally-challenged protagonists, discuss the highs and lows of Boyle's subsequent film career, and pine for more of Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor. Warning: Contains explicit...

Just a quick update to let you know what's been going on with us and the podcast.

It's time for our latest mission with 007 as Bob Chipman joins us again for a globe-trotting mission with  The Spy Who Loved Me . Listen as we discuss how the franchise tries to create a more proactive Bond girl in the form of female lead Anya Amasova, make note of Bond's best quips and gadgets for this entry, and question Bond's status as a 'secret' agent. Warning: Contains explicit language, fur...

Chris Chipman joins us again as we journey to a long lost age of monsters and movie magic and do battle with 1981's Dragonslayer. Listen as we marvel over the film's incredible animatronic and go-motion effects, examine how the film's portrayal of religion and authority reflects post-Vietnam cynicism, and discuss the movie's place among other 1980s fantasy films. Warning: Contains explicit languag...

The street is ours as Peter joins us once again to draw our guns on one of the wildest and most entertaining Westerns ever made, The Quick and the Dead from 1995. Listen as we chronicle the decline of the Western as a film genre in the late 1990s, marvel at director Sam Raimi's visual ingenuity in creating the movie's unique look, and praise producer and star Sharon Stone's foresight in casting th...

In this special episode, Salem Horror Fest returns to haunt the show as as Tim discusses some of the various events, short films, and features presented at SHF 7 including:  It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This Livescreamers Sacrificio Slip Free Bench Must Pick Up Today Kombucha! Giallo Overnights Valley of Souls Scam Three Baths Inner Demons Pest The Management Who's There? The Bounce House The Po...

  It's our annual wrap-up of the best movies of the previous year as we dive into our favorite films of 2023. Listen as we rationalize why acclaimed "perfect" films didn't make it on our lists and praise the courage of actors willing to let it rip onscreen. Our movie choices feature debauched adventures of the perverted rich, triumphant big-screen adventures of our childhood heroes (whether plasti...

We're spending this Christmas with the Griswolds and enduring squirrels, explosive sewer gas, and other yuletide dangers with a discussion of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation  from 1989. Listen as we examine the film's depiction of holiday nostalgia and obsession, praise the underappreciated comic genius of Beverly D'Angelo, and debate the proper amount of Cousin Eddie a film should contain....

Bob Chipman joins us again for our latest 'woke brawl' with 007 and this time we're setting our sights on  The Man With the Golden Gun  from 1974. Listen as we praise the suave menace of Christopher Lee, pine for the lost Alice Cooper theme song we might have had, and encounter that most rare of circumstances: a James Bond film Agatha enjoyed!! Warning: Contains explicit language, spoilers, and in...

  To truly appreciate this episode, you must become Caligari! We're going back to the origins of horror as we delve into the madness of Robert Wiene's 1920 thriller Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari  A.K.A.   The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari ! Listen as we discuss the disputed origins of the film's story and style, Agatha attempts to explain the nuances of the Expressionism movement that provided the film's...

  We're back and we're bringing the Thunder as we welcome Gabe Ciociola to the show on an orientation flight and we use our sophisticated surveillance technology to record a conversation on the 1983 technothriller  Blue Thunder . Listen as we discuss the film's themes of police militarization and misuse of technology, gush over the movie's amazing aerial stunts and action scenes, and chart how the...

In this quick First Run review, Tim takes on the newest and creepiest internet challenge to review Sweet Relief , the second film from Nick Verdi, director of  Cockazoid .  Check out The Barrens Hideout Podcast, who held the screening of the film discussed in this episode and recorded a Q&A with the filmmakers:  https://linktr.ee/TheBarrenshideout Our theme song is "Nostalgia TV" by Edward Jonatha...

In this special episode, Tim wraps up his coverage Salem Horror Fest 6 by discussing some of the various events, short films, and features he saw including:  Dead End T Blockers The House Sitters Saint Drogo The Blair Witch Project The Hitcher The Weird Kidz Follow Her Guys at Parties Like It Bliss of Evil Swallowed Fright Night Part 2 HeBGB TV Maya Pou The Forest Hills Check out Salem Horror Fest...

In this special episode, Salem Horror Fest is back! Listen as Tim discusses some of the various events, short films, and features presented at SHF 6 including: Candyman Witch Hunt Satan Wants You Demon Box Wolves John Carpenter's The Fog The Blood on Satan's Claw No More Time The Ones You Didn't Burn Pendulum Stag Bury the Bride Demons Check out Salem Horror Fest at www.salemhorror.com Salem Horro...

As part of his research for our recent episode on Alfred Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes , guest Noel Thingvall did a deep dive into the cinematic career of actors Naunton Wayne and Basil Radford, who steal the movie as the very British comic relief characters Charters and Caldicott. While this particular tangent went a bit too long to be included in the episode, we've decided to present it complete...

All aboard as Noel Thingvall returns to the show for a train ride into international intrigue courtesy of the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, and his comedic thriller The Lady Vanishes . Listen as we discuss the movie's wild tonal switches, the film's portrait of pre-World War II British politics, and the charm of scene-stealing supporting characters Charters and Caldicott. Warning: Contains...

We're back for the 48th annual Boston Science Fiction Festival to cover the 'Thon, the 24-hour sci-fi marathon! For the first time in five years we're in person at the Somerville Theater in Massachusetts to record our in-the-moment observations (and exhaustion) on the thirteen films shown for the marathon, which include two Arnold Schwarzenegger action epics, first outings for two classic monsters...

We're back to run down our list of the best movies released during 2022. Listen in as we discuss how the accessibility of movies led us toward some off-beat films, the surge of great horror movies this year, and the value of rewatchability. Our favorite flicks include desperate quests for fame, risk-taking animated films, harrowing looks at the culinary world, and forays into strange performance a...

For our final episode for 2022, we've invited Kay Lynch back for a game of gin rummy and a discussion on Billy Wilder's groundbreaking 1960 comedy/drama  The Apartment . Listen as we examine the movie's amazing mix of humor and pathos, praise Jack Lemmon's amazing comedic abilities, and criticize corporate culture language-wise, morality-wise, and everything-wise. Warning: Contains discussion of s...

Before everyone goes on holiday break, we're inviting film critic Jessica Scott onto the show to help us answer some disturbing phone calls and celebrate the yuletide season with Bob Clark's superior slasher film  Black Christmas  from 1974. Listen as we discuss the effectiveness of the film's restraint and ambiguity, explore the story's themes of patriarchy and found families, and explain why Bar...

Bob 'Moviebob' Chipman joins us for another outing with James Bond, but this time we all get Moore than we bargained for... Roger Moore, as we take on one of the most offensive films of the 007 series with the blaxploitation-influenced thriller  Live and Let Die . Listen as we grapple with the movie's incredibly racist plot and characters, take aim at Moore's portrayal of the venerable super-spy,...