The Kulturecast

Hell House LLC and Hell House LLC II: The Abbadon Hotel are the first two films in the Hell House LLC trilogy and establish a compelling, terrifying narrative behind a seemingly normal abandoned hotel turned haunted house. Written and directed by Stephen Cognetti, the films present a fresh approach to the found footage genre as well as creating some truly unique and memorable characters and scares...

Harakiri is not only one of the finest samurai films ever made but also a commentary on the rise of feudalism in Japan and its abuse of the people it sought to rule. The film stars Tatsuya Nakadai as desperate ronin who implores the head of a castle to allow him to commit seppuku inside its courtyard. Mike White joins Chris once again to discuss the final film of Samurai September and how it may b...

The Predator is not only the sixth film in the Predator franchise but also the first directed by Shane Black who previously starred in the first film. The film follows Boyd Holbrook and Jacob Tremblay as father and son who must work together with a group of PTSD-afflicted soldiers to not only fight back against the titular alien but also against the US military. It's a jumbled, poorly edited mess...

Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance is the first film in the film series based on the influential Japanese manga Lone Wolf and Cub and it's a hell of a first entry. It stars Tomisaburô Wakayama as the titular executioner turned assassin who roams the countryside looking to avenge his honor and the death of his wife at the hands of a rival clan. Mike White joins Chris to discuss the latest film i...

The Nun is the latest film in the Conjuring Universe coming hot on the heels of last year's Annabelle: Creation, this time with Taissa Farmiga and Demian Bichir as a nun and priest, tasked with taking investigating the demonic titular villain. They travel to Romania to stop Valak who has been set free from her bonds due to the bombings of WWII and is hell-bent on escaping the monastery by any mean...

Chris is joined by The Projection Booth's Mike White to kick off Samurai September with a look at Kiru, a sendup of the samurai genre that utilizes humor and parody over stone-faced samurai. The film follows a former farmer and a former samurai who wander into a desolate town only to get swept into a power struggle between a clanlord and seven of his samurai who turn on him. It's a humorous take o...

Chris is joined by The Projection Booth's Mike White once again to finish out Documentary Month with a look at This Film is Not Yet Rated, a look at the secretive Motion Picture Association of America (the MPAA). The film takes a look at the inherent hypocrisy and censorship that the association levels against filmmakers who want their films released. It's a lighter film than any of the month's pr...

Chris is joined once again by OughtFiveFilm's Mike Wallace to talk Hell House, the penultimate film in our Documentary Month. The film takes a look at the Trinity Church Hell House, a haunted house aimed at converting the entrants to Christianity by displaying scenarios that could have been avoided through religion. They also speak with Zach Mortensen, one of the film's producers, about his time w...

Chris is joined by OughtFiveFilm's Mike Wallace to talk Why We Fight, the next film in our Documentary Month. The film chronicles the rise of the military-industrial complex in the United States since the farewell address from President Eisenhower warned the country against the rise of it. It's a sobering look at what happens when those in power use power to further their own financial and socio-e...

Chris is joined by The Projection Booth's Mike White to start Documentary Month with a look at Jesus Camp, a documentary described by some as "the scariest movie ever made". The film follows pastor Becky Fischer as she puts on the Kids on Fire summer camp in North Dakota to preach her message to evangelical children from across the country. It's an interesting look at the religious base in America...

Chris and Eric recap the first half of 2018 with a look at the best, worst, and most disappointing films so far in 2018 along with a look at what they're excited and not so excited about in the second half of 2018. They also touch on James Gunn being fired from Disney and what that means for the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise and for content creators in general.  As always, you can follow Chris...

Chris and Eric talk the final Marvel film of 2018 Ant-Man and the Wasp along with some talk about other summer movies you may have missed. The film stars Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly as the titular duo who attempt to thwart a mysterious assassin while trying to save Wasp's mother from the Quantum Realm. It's a light-hearted respite from the serious tone of Avengers: Infinity War and another fant...

Chris is joined by The Projection Booth's Mike White to talk the final film of Blaxploitation month: Trouble Man. The film stars Robert Hooks as the titular private eye, hustler, fixer, who is drawn into a web of danger when is framed for the murder of a crime boss' enforcer. It's a film in the vein of Cotton Comes to Harlem and maybe a little too much like Shaft for its own good. As always, you c...

Chris is joined once again by OughtFive's Mike Wallace to talk a blaxploitation film whose title had to rhyme: Petey Wheatstraw: The Devil's Son-in-Law. The film stars comedy legend Rudy Ray Moore as the titular character, a comedian who is cut down in his prime only to be resurrected by the devil in exchange for marrying his daughter. It's a film reminiscent of Moore's other more well-known roles...

Chris and Eric are joined by Wovoka's Rashid Najib as they talk about the scariest movie since The Exorcist since the last horror movie that was compared to The Exorcist: Hereditary. The film is the freshman effort from writer/director Ari Aster and stars Toni Collette as a miniaturist who, after losing her mother, watches as she and her family descend into madness. It's another horror film in the...

Chris is joined by OughtFiveFilm's Mike Wallace to kick off Blaxploitation Month with a look at a film that more than just a blaxploitation film: Cotton Comes to Harlem. The film stars Godfrey Cambridge and Raymond St. Jacques as Grave Digger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson, two black cops who are tasked with retrieving $87,000 that was conned out of the good folks in Harlem. It's a blaxploitation fil...

Chris is rejoined by a sand-covered Eric and everyone's favorite Canadian filmmaker Matt Campagna to talk Disney's latest film in the Star Wars franchise: Solo: A Star Wars Story. Starring Alden Ehrenreich as the charismatic titular pilot, the film follows his early years from street rat to the roguish pilot of the Millenium Falcon in A New Hope. It's a film that can't justify its existence, no ma...

Chris is joined by OughtFiveFilm's Mike Wallace to talk Robert Rodriguez's Desperado, the sequel/remake of his freshman effort El Mariachi. The film stars Antonio Banderas as a nameless mariachi who is out for revenge after the death of his girlfriend. Along the way, he's joined by Salma Hayek to try and take down the local crime boss in an all-out war. It's a hyper-stylized action sequel that doe...

Chris and Eric sit down to talk about what happens when the Doctor turns psychotic in Dean Devlin's second directorial film Bad Samaritan. The film features David Tennant as a billionaire serial killer who's house gets broken into by the wrong thieving valet. It's an indie thriller that features some of the best and worst things about the genre in spite of Tennant's fantastic performance.  As alwa...

Let's talk about an action sequel that has no redeeming qualities: 300: Rise of an Empire. It's got slow-mo, nudity, and bad acting; how fun! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support .

It's finally here! The film an entire universe, well half of it at least, has been waiting for! Join us as we break down the greatest cinematic event in Marvel and possibly even film history. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support .

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support .

Chris and Eric are joined by OughtFiveFilm's Mike Wallace to round out Brian De Palma Month with a look at one of the director's more salacious films Body Double. The film stars Craig Wasson as a claustrophobia-stricken actor who thinks that he sees a murder while house-sitting for a rich Los Angeleno. It's De Palma's most obvious tribute to the progenitor of suspenseful thrillers Alfred Hitchcock...

Chris is joined by OughtFiveFilm's Mike Wallace to talk one of Brian De Palma's lesser-known films that may actually be in contention for his best, Blow Out. It features a rare performance from John Travolta that doesn't suck, go figure. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support .

Chris and Eric keep their voices down and learn sign language as they talk John Krasinski's horror directorial debut A Quiet Place. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support .