The Searchers

This is it... the moment some of you Hong Kong cinema fans have all been manifesting. Welcome to "Fe-Biao-ary," now officially locked into your cinematic calendars. This episode is a double bill — or as we like to joke, a “Biao Biao” (we had to brush up on our Cantonese for that heavy hitting joke). In episode 115, The Searchers are pairing Rosa with On the Run, two tonally opposite films united b...

Folks, we've returned to the great genre that inspired the show. Mitch Capps joins the three cinema cowboys on the trail in their journey to find the best films past and present. Enjoy as we wax poetic on all our favorite westerns. Next month is "Fe-Biao-ary." Join us during our discussions of Little Brother Yuen Biao and why he's the most overlooked of the Three Dragons. We're covering four of hi...

We are back with another entry in The Searchers catalog. Get ready for an episode that isn’t only oh so brand new, but covers a film that’s oh so rare! (It is literally our most obscure review ever.) One of our frequent guests, Odie Arbuckle, joins us again with quite the pick — a Filipino action film from 1997. Full of melodrama as is usual for Filipino cinema and action that breathes the essence...

The Searchers cover the series finale of Strangers Things, discuss general thoughts on the entire season, and touch upon the entire series as a whole. Chris and Ben both were watching the show with their wives, so they said what the heck. Here's something we wouldn't typically do. Enjoy! Please rate us a 5/5 on Apple, Spotify, or Podbean, and review us on Apple. Submit your mailbags to us at these...

For the first episode of 2026, Ben and Chris cover Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Tokyo Sonata.     

A very Merry Christmas to you all! We’ve reached the big day before the new year, and what better choice of a film to cover than Clive Donner’s A Christmas Carol from 1984? For this one, Kevin’s bringing on an old friend of his, Alan, to join us for the show. Through such subtlety in performance, cinematography, and the natural cadence of the screen translation of Charles Dickens’ beloved novella,...

This week, Eastern Condors takes us back into familiar territory with an artist we never tire of revisiting: Sammo Hung. After covering Mr. Nice Guy and Encounters of the Spooky Kind earlier in 2025, we arrive at our fourth Sammo film on the show—but this time the laughs are traded for gunfire, jungle sweat, and brutal combat.   A stark departure from kung fu comedy and supernatural hijinks, Easte...

Alrighty, folks! Following our first John Candy feature, Only the Lonely — which we covered back in 2024 — The Searchers set off on a journey across the North American plains (well, Toronto) and into the warm, lasting memories of the beloved comedian and actor. This time, we’re diving into a heartfelt documentary about the cherished Canadian, directed by Colin Hanks. From fan-favorite roles like D...

The Searchers' Trading Post is back! This edition is a whole lotta 80s since we gave each other Streets of Fire (1984) and The Legend of Billie Jean (1985). The Searchers explore each film’s rebellious spirit, its place in 80s pop culture, the amazing soundtracks, and the unforgettable characters that turned these summer movies into cult legends. Whether you’ve seen them a dozen times or need a re...

Folks… did you think spooky season was over? It ain’t truly finished yet! Reaching into November now, the autumnal season has brought us to a little mash-up of Horror Adjacent™️ and Veterans Day graces. We’re covering our second South Korean film of the show. In the jungles of Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, a Korean squad, led by Lieutenant Choi, heads into the mist and fog of a mysterious...

The Searchers finish out October with Sammo Hung's inventive genre piece Encounter of a Spooky Kind. Nick Langdon joins the gang and helps discuss the ins and outs of this fantastic Horror Adjacent™ piece. Of course there are tangents into Hong Kong cinema, Jackie Chan, Michael Mann, and other random topics; however, we focus mainly on Sammo Hung yet again  in NOT our last Sammo movie of 2025. Hap...

Following Chris’s pick starring gentle giant Dolph Lundgren, we follow up with Kevin’s pick — a South Korean dark comedy and erotic horror film with Song Kang-ho as a priest who makes a radical decision out of selflessness. With plunges into Catholic humility and lustful sins, it’s a haphazard and treacherous road to find redemption, and really you’d think those concepts would float our boats, wou...

Is it Halloween, or is it Christmas? Maybe some it's both! Join Kevin and Chris discussing the show's first Dolph Lundgren film. Does he match the undeniable power of Arnie? Are his one-liner's just as good? Tune in and find out on The Searchers' first Horror Adjacent™ episode of 2025... thanks for listening! Please rate us a 5/5 on Apple, Spotify, or Podbean, and review us on Apple. Submit your m...

Apologies for the delay, it's been a hectic month. Here is a recording from a couple months ago... Chris and Ben review 1997's Kull the Conqueror starring Kevin Sorbo. We'll be back with some Searcher's Horror-Adjacent™ content very soon. Thanks for listening.  Thanks to Nostalgic Covers for letting us use this kickass cover of the Joel Goldsmith score.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcmsil7uvk8...

Alright, everyone! Chris and Kevin are back, this time driving The Searchers' stagecoach from wondrous sepia tones and into the graces of beautiful black and white. A sweet film from 2023, bearing a subdued essence and yet proving itself to be such a permeating spear that’ll strike the hearts of those who see and hear. Veteran and iconic director John Huston’s very own grandson, Jack, has taken th...

The Searchers celebrate their centennial episode with honorary fourth Searcher Nick Langdon. The movie focuses on Hiroki, a young man plagued by loneliness and unrequited love. When a strange girl appears out of nowhere, he is torn between believing she’s real or a creation of his own psyche. Miss Lonely is one of Chris' favorite movies from director Nobuhiko Obayashi; however, to keep with tradit...

In this episode, Ben and Chris dive deep into Nobuhiko Obayashi’s poignant 1991 drama Chizuko’s Younger Sister — a lesser-known gem that blends grief, coming-of-age, and the supernatural with the director’s signature dreamlike touch. We explore how the film captures the emotional aftermath of loss through the eyes of high schooler Mika, visited by the ghost of her older sister Chizuko. How does Ob...

The Searchers close out this arc on Jean-Paul Belmondo actioners with The Outsider from 1983, not to be confused with the Francis Ford Coppola film. Is this the famous Frenchman's Dirty Harry clone? Was he too old to do all his own stunts? Come listen to the latest episode and find out! On the next episode, Chris and Ben cover another film from the great Obayashi.  Please rate us a 5/5 on Apple, S...

Folks, Chris and Kevin are once more at it again. The stagecoach on this wild cinematic trail takes listeners on a third detour back onto the “Non-Algorithmic Superhero Film” route, and this time it’s rather red like the last one, but a bit more fiery. The Searchers review Neveldine and Taylor’s Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance from 2011, with the one and only Nic Cage, sporting the leather jacket...

Hey all, we're back! All three Searchers return to Jean-Paul Belmondo action films this time reviewing Claude Zidi's Animal from 1977. JPB stars alongside American superstar Raquel Welch hence the American release title, "Stuntwoman." We discuss the film, more about Jean-Paul Belmondo's career, and many tangents on random things like Peter O'Toole's Oscar nominations. Check Animal (1977) out on Tu...

Chris and Kevin take a look at Daredevil (2003), specifically the Director’s Cut, directed by Mark Steven Johnson and starring Ben Affleck as the blind vigilante from Hell’s Kitchen. This episode explores a film often dismissed, but one that reveals more on a closer look — a story about pain, guilt, and perseverance. So hop on the Searcher's stage — we’re digging into the forgotten corner of early...

Ben and Chris come back around to Japanese cinema with a review of Nobuhiko Obayashi's 1989 film, Beijing Watermelon . While made considering Japan's and China's complicated history and produced coincidentally with the events of Tiananmen Square in 1989, Obayashi bends the rules of cinema once again to make a beautiful and non-political film about community, personal responsibility, and balance. W...

Kevin and Ben are joined by Letterboxd reviewer extraordinaire and friend of the pod Tyler to discuss the new Tom Cruise movie in an effort to save cinema once again. In addition to reviewing MI 8: The Final Reckoning, we discuss the Mission Impossible series as a whole, storytelling with mythology, artificial intelligence as of 2025, the future of cinema, and more. Your mission, should you choose...

In this episode, Chris and Kevin review Ang Lee’s Hulk, a bold and visually experimental take on the superhero genre. They explore the film’s unique split-screen techniques and its psychological focus on Bruce Banner’s inner conflict. Was this ambitious, art-house approach a stroke of genius, or did it miss the mark with comic book fans? Tune in as we unpack the film’s legacy, its flaws, and the m...

In this episode, The Searchers dive into the 1964 French classic That Man from Rio , a film that blends action, comedy, and romance in the most improbable ways. Join us as we unpack Jean-Paul Belmondo’s irresistible charm as he embarks on a wild adventure through the streets of Rio de Janeiro. From stolen artifacts to high-flying stunts, this film has it all—and then some! But does its quirky blen...