Not Now in Theaters: A Retro and Cult Film Podcast

Why was The Castle of Cagliostro an influence on Pixar and the Disney Animation Renaissance? The Castle of Cagliostro combines the whimsical style of master animator Hayao Miyazaki ( Spirited Away) with the adventurous flair of an Indiana-Jones-style serial. Gentleman thief Arsene Lupin III and his sidekick, Jigen, journey to the tiny country of Cagliostro, where they fight to save young Princess...

What makes  To Live and Die in L.A.  one of the best films of the 1980s? Like The French Connection's stylish cousin, To Live and Die in L.A. blurs who's a cop and a criminal. An action thriller Neo-noir, the movie boasts an all-time thrilling car chase and features the grind, scheming, and sex appeal of 1980s Los Angeles. Director William Friedkin considered it one of his top works, and...

Is  Leviathan  an  Alien  rip-off or a solid horror movie of its own kind? Leviathan is a science-fiction horror that's part of the 1980s underwater movie craze.  The film didn't fare so well at the box office, and on the surface, it's a head-scratcher as to why. There are famous names behind the film -- like special effects master Stan Winston, artist Ron Cobb, and composer Jerry G...

How could The Raid 2 succeed as a sequel to one of the best action films of all time? The Raid  was a low-budget martial arts/action film from Indonesia that rocked the genre and gained worldwide attention. But instead of playing it safe and replaying the original's formula, The Raid 2 goes for it all. The first movie spans a few hours. But the sequel? It's a two-and-a-half-hour epic und...

What makes Heathers   a cult classic dark comedy? The cult film that is like a middle finger to the feel-good vibes of corny 1980s teen films, satirical Heathers  is a masterclass in dialogue and slightly surreal. More for adults than adolescents, the movie exposes the true underbelly of high school social games. And instead of tickling that belly, well, it pokes it. join me for this discussion of...

David Lowery's  The Green Knight is a visual delight and a thought-provoking journey. A medieval fantasy adventure, The Green Knight  i s a modern re-interpretation of the old poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight  by the Anonymous Poet. From acclaimed director David Lowery and produced by A24 (among others), the film's production design and cinematography has wowed critics and captivated...

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension  has a plot as long and winding as its title. W.D. Richter and Earl Mac Rauch's Buckaroo Banzai  is hard to explain and was challenging to market. Facing box office competition from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom , Ghostbusters , and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, the off-beat, complicated science-fiction comedy action fil...

Trancers  is a low-budget science-fiction classic that launched a cult franchise. A Terminator knock-off that blended sci-fi, noir detective, comedy, and silly horror, Trancers is a cult film that continues to reel in new audiences 40+ years later. The first in a franchise, this low-budget but inventive movie flows in a strange, off-beat tone that never feels like it's trying too hard. The fi...

How did Tom Holland's Fright Night push the horror/comedy crossover to success? Fright Night sprung out of the 1980s when horror/comedy blends were new and getting springy. Unlike many cult classics, the movie actually succeeded at release, yet still has the creativity, heart, and scares to find new audiences through today. When young Charley Brewster suspects his next-door neighbor, Jerry Da...

Phantasm   was light on budget but high on creativity. Don Coscarelli's Phantasm is a low-budget fantasy horror and cult favorite. An indie production, the film is the first in a franchise and introduced horror fans to iconic horror villain The Tall Man. Made on a shoestring budget, Coscarelli relied on family and friends for help with the production, yet the film would triumph with millions...

The Hidden came and went in the 1980s but has been rediscovered by horror and sci-fi fans. A science-fiction film, a buddy-cop film, an action film, even a dash of horror film -- The Hidden has a lot going on but strikes the balance. Remembered well by those that saw it, it pops up in "underrated" 1980s movie lists from time to time. When a snail-like alien comes to Earth, it doesn'...

Why did Motown Records Make a Martial Arts Comedy Film? The Last Dragon is a wild and totally 80s combination of martial arts, emerging hip-hop culture, and goofy comedy.  Produced by Berry Gordy of Motown Records, the film was a roll of the dice to get people back into the magic of the label. While it should be a forgettable glorified commercial, the film is full of heart and well-remembered by f...

Why is A Better Tomorrow a landmark film in Hong Kong Action Cinema? John Woo's A Better Tomorrow was a lightbulb moment for the filmmaker and a groundbreaking film whose influence runs strong today. The movie is a foundational work in Hong Kong Cinema that helped birth action gun-fu choreography, the heroic bloodshed genre, and the worldwide star Chow Yun-fat. John Wick, The Matrix , Max Pay...

Why did Blood In, Blood Out   fail at the box office yet find fans later? 1993's Blood In, Blood Out  was supposed to be the next epic crime drama.  Shot on location in Los Angeles and inside San Quentin Prison, a screenplay that drew on the true-life experiences of poet Jimmy Santiago Baca, it was to tell the Mexican-American tale of three young relatives pulled at by societal forces and the...

Why is  Lifeforce  one of the best films The Cannon Group ever financed? Tobe Hooper's Lifeforce is a sci/fi horror with off-the-wall ideas and some batshit crazy scenes. And I love it! It's hard to stand out in the vampire and zombie genres, but this film can claim some originality points in both columns. The movie has plenty of fans today, but it didn't fare too well at the box of...

What makes Arena a fine bit of 1980s video store era fun? Because we can't watch envelope-pushing, audience challenging films at all times, I present to you Arena . Some reviewers have called it Rocky in Space. I call it big white guy punching rubber monsters in the face. For those of us with nostalgia for the video store, VHS era, Arena brings you back to the practical effects-rich schlocky...

Robot Jox is a throwback science-fiction good time. Who says post-apocalyptic science fiction has to be dreary? Stuart Gordon's Transformers -influenced Robot Jox brings mech-vs.-mech combat to life and serves its Cold War themes as a side dish. With its eye-catching models and old school stop-motion, it's a time capsule of late 80s to early 90s production goodness. This episode breaks d...

How did The Raid capture worldwide attention? Made for just ~$1 million US Dollars, this Indonesian martial arts/action film garnered worldwide attention and influenced the genre ever since. With breathless, realistic sequences and brutal, stylized action, it's an action fans' delight. And with a slight mix of survival horror and a documentary film style, director Gareth Evans shows off...

How did Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles strike a middle ground between the violent comic books and the bloodless children's TV show? Adapting the comic book characters the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles into a feature film looks like a no-brainer in hindsight, but back in 1990, only New Line Cinema was willing to take the bet. The film smashed the box office and made a lot of money for a lot of pe...

The Company of Wolves  spins Little Red Riding Hood in dark and provocative directions. This gothic fairy tale, based on the story by magical realism author Angela Carter, is not your average werewolf flick. Directed by Neil Jordan ( Interview with the Vampire ), this modern retelling of Little Red Riding Hood was nominated for four BAFTA awards yet quietly seems to have passed in and out of theat...

Why is 1990: The Bronx Warriors an exploitation semi-classic? Get your spiked elbow pads, motorcycles, and crop tops ready. For this episode, we're flying into the 1980s Mad Max , Escape From New York, and The Warriors influenced 1990: The Bronx Warriors. It's a not-quite cult classic from Italy's B-movie maestro, filmmaker Enzo G. Castellari ( The Inglorious Bastards ). Money is lo...

Why is Michael Crichton's Westworld a landmark science-fiction film? Sci-fi took some serious steps forward in the 1970s, and Westworld was an influence on franchises to come, like The Terminator . Despite being a mega best-selling author, Michael Crichton ( Jurassic Park ) stepped into the director's chair to realize his first story of a theme park gone wrong. Serving up strict warnings...

Why did so many people think Batman Returns was too dark and violent? This snowy Gotham sequel to the hit Batman '89 went so dark and Tim Burton it famously got McDonald's in hot water over a toy tie-in.  Though I don't know what film execs were expecting. The script was written by Daniel "I wrote  Heathers"  Waters. But while retro critical reviews were mixed, more recent...

How does Outland recreate the story of High Noon in space? Outland didn't rock the box office but has quietly endured as a good flick among the science-fiction fan community. It's a sci-fi thriller with a strong performance from Sean Connery and plays out like a western in disguise. Oh, and the film looks and sounds like it belongs in Alien's universe. On Jupiter's moon Io, the...

How did a movie as violent and erratic as Lady Snowblood end up in the Criterion Collection? Lady Snowblood is a violent Japanese revenge tale that is both entertaining and visually accomplished, with the film's artistry landing it in the prestigious Criterion collection. Though it's in some circles known as the largest source of "inspiration" for the Kill Bill films, this movi...