Watch This With Rick Ramos

Missing the Mark - Alex Proyas' The Crow On this week's episode, Mr. Chavez & I travel back to 1994 to look at Alex Proyas' cult classic, The Crow . Featuring incredible set design and production value, The Crow has captured the imagination and admiration of audiences and visual artists, alike. This week Ibrahim & I discuss how this film misses the mark and the ideas we have in (the simple changes...

The Undying Dead: A Continuing Discussion of Vampires (Vampires Part IV) On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Mr. Chavez & I sit down to continue our exploration of those blood-sucking bastards the vampires. This week we discuss Neil Jordan's 1994 adaptation of Anne Rice's novel Interview with the Vampire featuring Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Antonio Banderas, Steven Rea, and Kirsten Dunst....

Us & Them: The Horror of Jordan Peele On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Ibrahim & I tear into the Horror genre on our way towards that most Terrifying of Holidays - Halloween. We start this series with a look at the films of Jordan Peele beginning backwards with Peele's 2019 Us and finish with his 2017 debut (one of the truly great debuts in cinema), Get Out . This week Mr. Chavez &...

Yakuza, Soldier, Swordmaker, Mercenary, Bad Ass: The Legend of Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba (January 22, 1939 - August 19, 2021) On August 19th the world lost one of the great stars of action cinema with the passing of Shinichi Chiba, known throughout the world as Sonny Chiba. Rising to fame in 60's and early 70's Japanese Cinema, Chiba would play one of the great anti-heroes of the movies - Takuma Tsur...

The History of Rock 'N Roll Part VI: The Dream is Over - John Lennon & George Harrison On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Ibrahim & I continue our discussion of The Beatles with a special focus on John Lennon & George Harrison. This week we look at the late career work of these exceptional artists; From hit recordings through political stances and spiritual explorations, both of thes...

Favella Masterpiece - Fernando Meirelles & Kátia Lund's City of God On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Ibrahim & I sit down to discuss a great film that deserves praise, 2002's City of God directed by Fernando Meirelles & Kátia Lund. There's not a whole lot that I can say in this post that isn't better realized in this new episode. Take a listen as we discuss the technical, acting, r...

Perhaps Best Known For . . . a Documentary about Val Kilmer On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Ibrahim & I discuss Leo Scott & Ting Poo's Val (2021). We differ on our impressions of this new film, however this is an exciting and balanced episode. Take a listen as Ibrahim and I discuss the career of Val Kilmer; the triumphs, mistakes, and legend of Val Kilmer. We don't completely agre...

The Branches, The Wind, & The Rain: Florian Zeller's The Father This week Ibrahim & I discuss a wonderful new film featuring an exceptional performance from the iconic Welsh actor, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Florian Zeller's The Father . Please make time to watch this beautifully told, intricately paced and structured story centering on the slow mental deterioration of a man (Hopkins) brought on by adva...

Subtext & DoubleCross in Steven Soderbergh's No Sudden Move This week Ibrahim & I are thrilled to recommend a new film playing on HBOMax -  Steven Soderbergh's No Sudden Move . For over 30 years, Soderbergh has been an exceptional filmmaker, moving in and out of various genres, styles, and box office returns. From his debut with 1989's Sex, Lies, and Videotapes thru Oscar-winning films - Traffic a...

"Because we had to remember them." - Paul McCartney McCartney 3, 2, 1 This week Ibrahim & I continue our exploration of Rock 'N Roll with a look at the new 6-Part HULU docu-series, McCartney 3, 2, 1 . For fans there doesn't seem a whole lot left to say about Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, & Ringo Starr, however the thrill of this documentary comes from an examination by one of the l...

Get to the Point:         The Problems, Excess, & Failure of        Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Ibrahim & I go back to a favorite of ours and once again scream into the nothingness in our attempts to challenge the cult of Quentin Tarantino. In 2015 Tarantino gathered an incredible cast including: Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer J...

Waters of Dread: Robert Egger's The Lighthouse On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Ibrahim & I continue our look into fascinating, challenging, and underseen cinema. On this episode we look at Robert Egger's 2019 sophomore effort, The Lighthouse . This is a truly rare thing in popular cinema, a film of enormous power and challenging stylistic choices. From it's Black & White, 1.19:1 a...

Doomed Journey of Lost Souls: H.G. Wells'      The Island of Dr. Moreau On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Ibrahim & I sit down to discuss a Sci-Fi Classic, H.G. Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau. With three English language productions, Wells' story has proven problematic for numerous filmmakers. This week we take a look at Erle C. Kenton's Island of Lost Souls (1932), featuring Charl...

History of Rock N Roll Part IV: The Beatles - FourHeaded Phenomenon On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Ibrahim & I continue to wind our legs, ears, and memories through The History of Rock N Roll, with a look at - arguably - The Greatest Band of All Time: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, & Ringo Starr - The Beatles. Looking at 1964's Richard Lester directed A Hard Day's...

Homey Don't Play That! Remembering Paul Mooney (August 04, 1941 - May 19, 2021) A walk through memories of stand-up comedy lit by the fire of Paul Mooney's passing at the age of 79. Mooney was one of the greatest - and one of the most divisive - comics to ever pick up a microphone. I don't know when I first heard him, but I know that it was a life-changing experience. On this episode of WatchThis...

Ignoring the Bear - Ari Aster's Midsommar This week Ibrahim & I tackle Ari Aster's 2019 "Folk Horror" film, Midsommar . . . a film that takes  extreme chances, challenging its audience like few multi-screen attractions do. This is a great film that is difficult to recommend only because of the limitations of so much of today's movie-going audience (we really need to pick it up). Take a watch and l...

Printing the Legend: John Ford's The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Ibrahim & I sit down to discuss a classic of Western Cinema - and arguably one of the greatest films ever made - John Ford's The Man Who Shot LIberty Valance . We discuss the Western, Mythology & Legend, and - of course -  Ford Stewart & Wayne. Take a listen . . . it's a fun look into...

History of Rock 'N Roll Part III: Bob Dylan Continued - Masked and Unmasked This week Ibrahim & I continue looking at the career and artistry of Bob Dylan. Focusing on Dylan's career following his Triumph motorcycle accident (July 29, 1966) and his re-emergence, with Ibrahim & I focusing on The 1975 Rolling Thunder Tour  (chronicled in Martin Scorsese's excellent Netflix documentary, Rolling Thund...

History of Rock 'N Roll Part II: Bob Dylan - Original Vagabond On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Ibrahim & I continue our look at The History of Rock 'N Roll looking at the career, influence, and artistry of Bob Dylan.  Take a listen as we look at this incredibly influential artist through the eyes of D.A. Pennebaker's 1967 behind-the-scenes documentary Don't Look Back and Martin Sc...

Hanging Onto Yesterday - The Birth, Evolution, and Death of The Video Store On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Ibrahim & I sit down to discuss memories of the video store . . . whether the Mom & Pop stores, the chain stores, and the monster that ate it all - Blockbuster Video. We discuss the anarchy and danger of the Mom & Pop versus the bulldozer that was Blockbuster Video and later...

"Another way to say 'Mexican'" - Luis Valdez's Zoot Suit This week Mr. Chavez and I get a bit personal with a discussion of a classic in Chicano Cinema . . . 1981's Luis Valdez directed Zoot Suit . The story of Enrique "Hank" Leyvas (Reyna in the theatrical play and film) and his - and his crews' - railroading into San Quentin for the 1941"Sleepy Lagoon" Murder. In a case that was a clear abuse of...

Magic of The Illusion or Stepping Back from the Rabbit - Christopher Nolan's TENET On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Ibrahim & I sit down to discuss the problems and overreach of Christopher Nolan's Tenet (2020). For a filmmaker as bold, inventive, and risk-taking as Christopher Nolan, Tenet is a serious letdown. Take a listen as we discuss the film's various flaws and disappointmen...

John Waters - Examining the Genre-Bending & Culture-Crashing Art of a Filth Icon Has there ever been a figure in popular (or even underground) culture quite like Baltimore's John Waters? I would argue that Mr. Waters is a unique and essential artist in the history of American Cinema. From his early days as an underground filmmaker with such classics as Multiple Maniacs (1970), Female Trouble (1974...

The Devil's Music: The Birth of Rock 'N Roll - Little Richard, Bo Diddley, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, & Charles Edward Anderson Berry On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Ibrahim & I sit down to discuss the power, influence, and long-lasting cultural and artistic power of Rock 'N Roll Music . From it's origins in the Blues , Rhythm & Blues , and Country...

I Want My MTV - A Revolution in Music, Image, & Popular Culture A hell of a stroll down memory lane as Ibrahim & I look back at the power and impact of Mtv. From it's humble beginnings as a throw-away cable channel showcasing popular artists - Top 20 Music and Youth Culture - the channel would rapidly evolve into a driving force in American & World culture. There was a time when Mtv gave us music...