Not Now in Theaters: A Retro and Cult Film Podcast

Drive (1997) blends Hong Kong action inspired sequences with American "buddy" humor. Drive (1997) wasn't a movie you could go see at the box office, unless you lived in Japan or The Philippines. It debuted on HBO and went straight to video, and it is mostly forgotten. But thanks to the internet, me and many others who missed it back in the 1990s have been told of its ways by those w...

How does Bone Tomahawk blend the western and horror genres together? S. Craig Zahler's Bone Tomahawk is, like a throwback cult classic, a low-budget film that has carved out a large fanbase. A "rescue western," the movie puts four men on a journey to rescue abducted townsfolk from a Native American tribe of otherworldly cannibals. And although the movie is notorious for one graphic...

Why was Dark Star so important to science-fiction films to come? Dark Star began as a student film project by then-USC Students John Carpenter ( Halloween) and Dan O'Bannon ( Return of the Living Dead). But what started out as an amazing student film was, over the course of a few years, expanded into a full theatrical release. And while Dark Star didn't fare too well at the box office, i...

T he ending to The Mist shocked audiences. The Mist has a notoriously difficult ending. Still, there are audiences who love it, including its original author, Stephen King. But I couldn't stand it, and I wanted to discuss why. Join me for this latest episode of Side Reels where I break down two reasons I loved the movie but couldn't sync with its ending. The Mist . Directed by Frank Dara...

How was Hard Boiled crazy on and off the screen? John Woo's Hard Boiled is considered by many to be one of the best action films of all time and possibly the director's biggest spectacle. Starring two of Hong Kong Cinema's most celebrated male leads, Chow Yun-fat and Tony Leung, the movie continues Woo's exploration of the themes of "heroic bloodshed." And there'...

Why do  Horror Fans  continue to love  Night of the Creeps? Night of the Creeps  performed poorly at the box office but has endured as a classic piece of 1980s horror. A genre mashup that includes all the things horror and science fiction, Fred Dekker created an unorthodox B movie in the mold of his favorites and came out with something fans hold dear. With practical effects from, among others, th...

Sid and Nancy shows love can be as addicting as drugs. British cult film Sid and Nancy is a Criterion collected work and a notable cult film of the 1980s.  As a member of infamous British punk rock pioneers The Sex Pistols , Sid Vicious has the stardom many young men would crave. But when he becomes involved with new girlfriend Nancy Spungen, the couples' appetite for drugs spins them out of...

What movies and TV shows did Brandon Lee appear in before his final role in The Crow? Brandon Lee was more than a martial artist and actor with an ultra-famous father. I'm convinced he was a performer on the way to serious Hollywood stardom. But while you may know his breakout role in The Crow , what were his previous film and television appearances like? This episode takes a look at Legacy o...

What makes Battle Beyond the Stars a throwback, knock-off science-fiction film worth a nostalgia watch? After Star Wars reeled in the dollars at the late 1970s box office, imitators around the film industry were everywhere. Battle Beyond the Stars is Roger Corman's way of making a space adventure on a budget, hoping to capitalize on the wave. But the moviemakers turned to Akira Kurosawa just...

What makes Walter Hill's The Long Riders a sweeping but violent historical biographical western? The Long Riders just about broke even at the box office (according to star Stacey Keach), and it doesn't seem the film that gets a lot of play nowadays. But this biographical western about the James-Younger gang, to this day, is well-reviewed by fans and critics alike. The movie is probably m...

What makes Katherine Bigelow's Near Dark a vampire film that doesn't play by the usual rules? Near Dark is a vampire film that didn't catch too much audience attention at release but quietly found its way to cult horror movie status. A bit of a Neo-western, the movie is about a small-town Oklahoma kid named Caleb who falls in love with a girl named Mae who ends up being a vampire. A...

Why do horror fans keep discovering the VHS-era thrills of Maniac Cop? William Lustig's Maniac Cop is best-known for the appearances of horror icons Tom Atkins (Halloween III: Season of the Witch) and Bruce Campbell (The Evil Dead) as well as cult film actor Robert Z'Dar (Samurai Cop). The movie looks like a brainless Friday the 13th clone but is written with smarts by the famous Larry C...

Could Dredd 2012 Overcome the Poor Reputation of Judge Dredd 1995? Judge Dredd is a well-known comic book character from the anthology series 2000 AD.  The series has run from the late 1970s to current, drawing close to its 50-year-anniversary. Yet when it comes to his time at the big screen, the cynical tough guy hasn't found the same success. Judge Dredd 1995 was a box-office underperformer...

Can a filmmaker produce high-quality action on a shoestring budget? Versus is a zombie action horror film that goes heavy on substance -- combining gun-fu, martial arts, sword fighting, zombies, Yakuza gangsters -- but light on funds -- starting out with a budget in just the tens of thousands of dollars. An exhilarating action spectacle, the film did little in any box office yet spread around the...

Why Did Critics Hate on The Hitcher and Yet Fans Love It 40 Years Later? Moma told The Hitcher's main character Jim Halsey never to pick up a hitchhiker, and when he picks one up, he immediately learns why. His mysterious passenger, John Ryder, goes on to stalk him across the West Texas Desert, leaving a trail of destruction and death. Inspired by The Doors' song "Riders on the Stor...

How Did Thief Craft Such Realistic Heist Scenes? Thief is a neo-noir heist action thriller film that, yes, fits into all those categories neatly. The film directorial debut of Michael Mann (Collateral), the movie didn't make a whole lot of money but has some fans in high places. It's landed in the Criterion collection, and still holds an impressive critical and audience score on review s...

Is Walter Hill's The Driver the source of inspiration for getaway driver movies and games to come? Drive, Baby Driver, or most things with a getaway wheelman -- those films and TV shows likely owe something of their makeup to Walter Hill's The Driver 1978. A sleek, minimalist, neo-noir crime thriller, The Driver never reveals his name and may, in fact, say fewer lines of dialogue than Ma...

Does Atomic Blonde Have the Recipe to Mix Incredible Action with an Intriguing Spy Thriller? "Jane Wick" to some, Atomic Blonde is the vision of John Wick co-creator David Leitch. It's a Cold War tale of spy vs. spy vs. spy vs. more in the days leading up to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Released in 2017, the film made a reported $100 million in the worldwide box office, outpacing it...

How did Showdown in Little Tokyo get shoved from theaters but find fans on the shelves of video stores? Well now, where was this gem of a movie back in my video store days? With a limited theatrical release and negative reviews, Showdown in Little Tokyo got shuttered to the back of the movie dumpster bin (or that's my theory, at least). But given time, word of mouth, and now, of course, the i...

Why is Knightriders called George A. Romero's Most Personal Film? George A. Romero is forever known as the "godfather of the zombie movie," but Knightriders is a complete departure from his horror films. A personal film that serves as an allegory for Romero's troubles with the film industry, Knightriders tells the story of a band of outsiders who joust by motorbike, performing...

Did Babe: Pig in the City go too far, or did audiences miss the message? A kid's movie for parents who think chainsaws are a toy -- ok, not quite -- Babe: Pig in the City confused audiences. After the feel-good vibes of the original, kids and parents were ready for a sequel. But what they got was shocking. Profoundly darker than the original feel-good 7-time Oscar Nominee, Babe: Pig in the Ci...

What Makes The Hobbit 1977 a Gateway Film for Fantasy? The greatest adventure -- or so the song in the movie claims. This animated adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit was directed by the famous duo of Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin, Jr. Released as a TV movie, it was broadcast by NBC in 1977, dividing critics but winning over some within the fanbase. While you would think this adaptation...

Why do audiences rave about the overlooked gem Southern Comfort? Walter Hill directed two cult classics with The Warriors and Streets of Fire, but some argue Southern Comfort is his underseen best and belongs in the same category. An action thriller (that seems like horror), the 1981 movie evaporated from theaters worldwide, yet has found some small corners of appreciation over time. It's the...

Why do horror fans still love The Blob 1988? A standout work of 1980s body horror, The Blob 1988 updated the campy 1958 classic with a twist of the hard stuff. Not winning too many fans at release, almost like its titular character, The Blob's fanbase has grown with time, with many now considering it one of the strongest practical effects movies just before the dawn of CGI. Directed by Chuck...

Why is Hard Times worth a watch today? Filmmaker Walter Hill's (The Warriors) directorial debut, Hard Times is an old-school action movie about bareknuckle boxing in the depression era. But with its light-hearted tone and breezy script, there's nothing to be sad about here. When the mysterious drifter Chaney (Charles Bronson) rolls into town, grifter Speed (James Coburn) realizes he has...