DVDeclutter Podcast

Heather challenges Mattie on Sideways, and the couple consider how the flavor profiles of its metaphors have aged over time. Then a shocking revelation about director Alexander Payne turns everything sour. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dvdeclutter.substack.com

With the proposed addition of Terrifier to the DVD wall, Mattie and Heather delve into the enigmatic draw of iconic slasher Art The Clown. What makes a slasher death joyful or simply cruel? Spoilers abound, as always. This is an icky film which means, as always that the conversation gets icky at points. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get acces...

Pride month starts today, and with it comes a new season of the Vampire Chronicles TV series. We take this opportunity to revisit Neil Jordan’s 1994 adaptation of the Anne Rice novel, place it within the context of vampire lore, and thirst after its antihero. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dvdeclutter.substa...

Heather challenges Mattie’s love for the slow-paced psychological thriller(?) Vertigo, and the pair unwinds their perspectives on Hollywood’s abusive “master of suspense.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dvdeclutter.substack.com

In the inaugural “Reclutter” episode of DVDeclutter, Mattie presents Heather with one of her favorite documentary films, D.A. Pennebaker’s behind-the-scenes look at the recording session of Broadway cast album. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dvdeclutter.substack.com

Mattie and Heather revisit one of the silliest films of there collection. Is it so hot right now, or has the world (and our heroines’ movie tastes) passed it by like so many aging supermodels? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dvdeclutter.substack.com

Folks, this is a heavy one. Mattie introduces Heather to the Spielberg war epic Saving Private Ryan, and they reflect on the cost of war as fascism rears its ugly head once again. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dvdeclutter.substack.com

In order to save the daughter of a US senator, Heather and Mattie must navigate a fraught mindgame with one another, unpacking their psychological histories with a classic film and considering it amidst the current rise of anti-trans bigotry. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dvdeclutter.substack.com

No new episode this week, but Heather and Mattie will be back in your feed before you can say “fava beans” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dvdeclutter.substack.com

Mattie introduces Heather to one of her favorite Hollywood bullet-fests of the 90s, and Heather considers whether the body-horror and psychological thriller elements are enough to keep her anchored to this careening speedboat of a film. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dvdeclutter.substack.com

Just as Mowgli one day appeared suddenly among a litter of wolf cubs, so too did Walt Disney’s final animated film appear on our DVD shelves. Heather and Mattie must determine if this colonial fable is cut out for the wild and hostile world of their cinematic tastes, or it must return to the village of normies from whence it came. The discussion considers Disney’s legacies of problematic racial co...

This episode, we discuss the American retelling of the Swedish vampire classic, exploring our interpretations of both films’ open-ended storytelling. We look at the widely different tones of these near-identical films, and how both cleared the path for the “elevated horror” boom of the 2010s. Things get heavy as we consider the subtext of the films: From the whitewashed grooming of teen vampire ro...

One of the more overlooked films of the mafia genre, Donnie Brasco points an unglamorous lens at the middle management of organized crime in America. After neglecting to watch it for years, Mattie finally catches up with the DVD that Heather bought specifically for them to share. Will it maintain a place of prominence in their collection, or will it be discarded like all of those who cross the big...

This wasn’t the first time that director Quentin Tarantino put his foot in his mouth. Inspired by his viral comments about beloved actors, Heather and Mattie revisit his debut film and discuss the casual racism, sexism, and toxic masculinity on display in this 90s independent hit. Does the artisanship hold up, and will it be enough to keep the DVD on the shelf? Or will it be sliced from the collec...

In this episode, we ring in the Christmas with Heather’s favorite holiday film. But it isn’t all gifts and good cheer as we consider Terry Zwigoff’s Christmas shock-comedy, Bad Santa. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dvdeclutter.substack.com