Hit Factory

Pop culture critic Roxana Hadadi returns to discuss the landmark 1990 Iranian masterpiece 'Close-Up', directed by Abbas Kiarostami. We explore the film's multiple layers of artifice, the fundamental truths those layers reveal, and reflect on finding joy in Kiarostami's cinema of absence. Read Roxana's piece on 'Through the Olive Trees' at Bright Wall/Dark Room . . . . . Our theme song is 'Mirror'...

Renegade economist and host of Upstream Podcast Della Duncan joins us to discuss the Wachowskis' groundbreaking sci-fi action benchmark 'The Matrix'. We illuminate the film's bracing anti-capitalist critique, explore its undertheorized collectivist leanings, and reclaim the Red Pill as an emblem of left political action. . . . . Our them song is 'Mirror' by Chris Fish

Industry insider and returning guest Rich Pierceall joins us to discuss the pulpy Hollywood send-up 'Get Shorty'. We talk the resurgent success of Elmore Leonard adaptations in the 90s, Hollywood's enduring ties to the mob, and briefly touch upon the shape of cinema in the not-so-distant future. . . . . Our theme song is 'Mirror' by Chris Fish

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Film writer and co-founder of Certified Forgotten   Matthew Monagle enters the Hit Factory to discuss the cannibal horror 'Ravenous'. We discuss the film's onerous origins, its breathtakingly subversive score, and the wonders of an outsider's perspective on American colonialism. . . . . Our theme song is 'Mirror; by Chris Fish

We assembled an emergency panel of friends Chris Clayman, Brianna Zigler , and Chris Woodward to discuss one of our favorite films starring the late Charles Grodin (RIP), 'Clifford', also starring Martin Short as a miscreant 10-year-old boy who may or may not also be a terrorist. We offer some novel readings of the film's subtext, share our favorite Grodin moments, and make the case for bringing b...

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Freelance film writer Brianna Zigler joins us to discuss David Cronenberg's 1999 VR body-horror extravaganza 'eXistenZ'. We talk the film's position in the cinematic landscape of the late nineties, its prescient sexual, social and technological anxieties, and briefly make the case for Comrade Cronenberg. Read and subscribe to Brianna's newsletter That's Weird . . . . . Our theme song is 'Mirror' b...

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We test our might with Leslie Lee III , host of Struggle Session , and revisit the original (still the best) Mortal Kombat directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. We discuss the distinctive charm of a pitch-perfect video game adaptation, reflect on the property's cultural ubiquity in the 1990s, and bemoan the severe lack of tournament-based action in the franchise's live-action follow-ups. . . . . Suppor...

San Francisco District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston is the first Democratic Socialist elected to local office in over 40 years. He joins Hit Factory to discuss national and local developments within the labor movement as well as some noteworthy San Francisco political projects like free public transit and a first-of-its-kind public banking institution. Learn more about Dean and the initiatives he is...

Co-hosts of the premier sci-fi & fantasy podcast Podside Picnic , Karlo & Pete, joined us to watch the 1997 cinematic adaptation of Todd McFarlane's signature comic creation, 'Spawn' - A film that reminds us that in the battle between the ultimate forces of Good and Evil, the real arbiters of justice are CNN, the intelligence community, and the police. The gang also reflect on the film's i...

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Catherine Liu is the author of Virtue Hoarders: The Case against the Professional Managerial Class . She joins us to discuss Todd Hayne's 1995 masterpiece 'SAFE'. Topics include the director's razor-sharp indictment of PMC ambivalence, the dogmatic substitution of collective progress with personalized healing in New Age practices, and the indelible grotesquerie of peach and teal. . . . . Our them...

Our April Fool's Day episode. Friends of the pod Taylor Grimes and Travis Snyder join Hit Factory to discuss Good Burger starring the consummate Nickelodeon comedic duo Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell (not The Shawshank Redemption). We discuss the inherent exploitation of service industry culture, the minimum wage, and expound the eternal wisdom of Kel's mythic character creation, Ed. Read Jaya Sa...

Co-host of the We Need to Talk About Kevin podcast and contributor at Blood Knife digital magazine Trevor Drinkwater joins us to discuss James Mangold's 1997 police thriller 'Cop Land'. We discuss Sylvester Stallone's rutted career as a performer, the film's nearly-there indictment of policing, and place our bets on the upcoming bout between lizard and ape in 'Godzilla vs. Kong' . . . . . . Our th...

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Aaron & Carlee enter the Hit Factory to discuss Carl Franklin's riveting neo-noir crime saga 'One False Move'. Along the way we discuss the corporatization of sexual wellness, the awards season's bleak reflection of the zeitgeist, and the film's refreshingly complex portrayal of law enforcement, racial tensions and the cultural divide between urban sprawl and small-town America. . . . . Our th...

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Pop culture critic Roxana Hadadi joins the Hit Factory crew to discuss the unsung masterpiece of the teen movie genre, 'Pump Up the Volume'. We talk hard about Christian Slater's indelible charm, the triumphs and follies of 90's "fight-the-system" narratives, and posit Hard Harry as the prototype for the leftist podcaster. Read Roxana's piece for Crooked Marquee: "Pump Up The Volume at 30: A Middl...

Ryan Cartwright, formerly of the Ded Air podcast (RIP), joined us in the Hit Factory to take on the gleeful, smart-shark insanity of 1999's 'Deep Blue Sea'. We discuss some recent Joe Biden comments, attempt to queer Michael Rapaport roles, and make a case for the return of the movie/music video tie-in. . . . . . Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish

To celebrate Valentine's Day, we watched the most romantic film we could think of - David Fincher's grisly neo-noir thriller 'Se7en'. Aaron & Carlee discuss the false promise of 'The Middle' from last weekend's Bruce Springsteen Super Bowl ad, the immaculate precision of David Fincher's directorial approach, and the reactionary core at the center of the film's subversive aesthetics. Reminder t...

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It's officially Joe Biden's America™ and the resumption of The End of History. We took a look at one of the biggest comedies of the 90's, 'There's Something About Mary' to discuss the Farrelly Bros' fascination with disability, the comforting appeal of simulated normalcy, and the likelihood of an offensive comedy resurgence in a post-Trump society. What a time to be alive! . . . . New intro tune i...

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