Cobra Mission (Fabrizio De Angelis, 1986)

We've all been bored at a family wedding before, but it's unlikely that we've decided to leave early and head off to Vietnam to rescue some guys who got left behind, with nothing but some misplaced courage and a few guns that a French priest kept in his vestry. In this episode Wild, Wild Podcast goes back into the jungle to try and decipher Donald Pleasence's dodgy accent, whilst coming to terms with the fact that Adrian has never seen Rambo. This season is dedicated to that great quiet man of British cinema, Donald Pleasence, who spent a great deal of time in the 1980s in Italy (and the Philippines). We would love to hear from you about your favourite Donald Pleasence films from this period, or if you have ever been near an exploding helicopter. You can get in touch with us, follow us on social media, buy our merch, and all that stuff, through our ⁠Linktree⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An ill wind is blowing in the Swiss Alps, and it's going to take the combined might of a psychic teenager, a Scotsman in a wheelchair and a chimpanzee called Inga to do something about it - if they can hear themselves think over Iron Maiden being played at full blast. Rod and Adrian are tackling the maestro Dario Argento for the first time, but thankfully it's one of his more restrained efforts to make it easier. Donald Pleasence naturally gets plenty of air time, but also discussed is the continued ineptitude of the Italian/ Swiss police, what to do with several million unwanted flies and why you would try to escape in a boat when there's a perfectly good road right there to run down. It's a new season, dedicated to that great quiet man of British cinema, Donald Pleasence, who spent a great deal of time in the 1980s in Italy. We would love to hear from you about your favourite Donald Pleasence films from this period, or if you have ever been attacked by a chimp.You can get in touch with us, follow us on social media, buy our merch, and all that stuff, through our Linktree. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the gods delivered a golden mask to the Aztec people on a mountain plateau thousands of years ago, little did they know that one day a man in black leather would steal it, and it would be up to an unsuspecting American paleontologist working at the Natural History Museum in London to stop him, calling upon his inate super powers to do so. Becuase he is the PUMAMAN! He can fly! He can teleport! He can rip cars open with his bare hands! He can stop bullets! Oh wat, he can't do that - if he gets shot he will die. Seems a bit of an oversight when they were figuring out what powers to give him. So with the help of an Aztec High Priest and the daughter of the Dutch Ambassador, he will have to push himself to his very limits to stop the evil Donald Pleasence. Will he succeeed? Will Pumaman be such a box office smash that it will launch a whole series of Pumaman films? Tune in to find out. It's a new season, dedicated to that great quiet man of British cinema, Donald Pleasence, who spent a great deal of time in the 1980s in Italy. Clearly making Pumaman didn't put him off entirely. So join Rod and Adrian as they begin to explore some of these films, both the good and the bad. We would love to hear from you about your favourite Donald Pleasence films from this period, or if you have ever been thrown out of a high window by a tall Mexican. You can get in touch with us, follow us on social media, buy our merch, and all that stuff, through our Linktree. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this final episode of our Women in Italian Cinema mini-season, we focus on the unsung hero of Filmirage, Donatella Donati. She worked for many years with Joe D'Amato as a producer, production manager, screenwriter, script girl, and even set design on occasion. The most high-profile film she produced was StageFright, which also served as Michele Soavi's directorial debut after he had worked for Filmirage for several years. So join Adrian and Rod as they discuss vital issues like why doesn't Donati have her own Wikipedia page? Is that really George Eastman under the owl head? And why did Quest for the Mighty Sword (Joe D'Amato, 1990) almost kill Filmirage? We would love to hear from you about your favourite Italian female filmmakers, or your favourite Filmirage films. You can get in touch with us, follow us on social media, buy our merch, and all that stuff, through our Linktree. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a dystopian Milan, a failed revolution has left the Fascists in charge and the streets littered with dead rebels. Antigone (Britt Ekland) seems to be the only sane person left, determined to defy the authorities and her parents to retreive the body of her brother and give him a proper burial. When she meets a mysterious man who has great hair but speaks an unknown language (played by Pierre Clementi), their destinies in this strange tyrannical world become entwined. Oh, and also her boyfriend is Tomas Milian. In this episode we are exploring the early work of the important and often controversial director Liliana Cavani, and although we have not started a cannibal film mini-season (as has been frequently requested by some listeners), this is still a fascinating and important piece of work which was neglected at the time but is hopefully becoming reappraised, at least by us. Join us for some serious discussion about the impact Cavani's early television documentary work had on her subsequent cinema career, the often unsung but heroic work of background extras, and whether or not that really is Britt Ekland running naked through the streets of Milan. We would love to hear from you about your favourite Italian female filmmakers, or your recommendations for other late 1960s revolutionary films. You can get in touch with us, follow us on social media, buy our merch, and all that stuff, through our Linktree. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Italian star Rita Pavone is a mischevious schoolgirl with a confusing crush on her sleepy music teacher, who is living a double-life as a singer in a beat band. Can she stop pranking him long enough to make it as a new ye-ye pop sensation whilst navigating the exclusive private school life and these new romantic feelings? And sing loads of songs as she goes along? After a brief break we are back with a new mini-season focusing on female filmmakers in Italian cinema. In this episode Adrian tricks Rod into watching a musical, directed by one of Italy's most commercially successful female directors of all time, Lina Wertmüller. Will Rod ever forgive him? Will the podcast ever be the same again? Tune in to find out. We would love to hear from you about your favourite Italian female filmmakers, or if you are a fan of Rita Pavone and her brand of powerhouse 1960s pop. You can get in touch with us, follow us on social media, buy our merch, and all that stuff, through our Linktree. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Rod and Adrian as they agonise over how to rank the films from the Rapiers and Ruffles season. Will they agree, or will there be rapiers at dawn? If you have been watching along throughout the season, do contact us and let us know which have been your favourites. The podcast is also open to suggestions for future seasons! You can get in touch with us, follow us on social media, buy our merch, and all that stuff, through our Linktree. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

They seek him there, they seek him there, they seek the mysterious masked hero everywhere - but they will never find him thanks to his cunning use of a luxurious moustache! We've reached the final film in our Rapiers and Ruffles season, and the good news is that you can find Zorro in the Court of England on YouTube with excellent English subtitles, if you need them. You can get in touch with us (and we would especially love to hear which flms you've enjoyed this season), follow us on social media, buy our merch, and all that stuff, through our ⁠Linktree. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wild, Wild Podcast have jumped forwards in time from the safe, family-friendly adventures of the early 1960s to the hedonistic, anything goes year of 1969 to meet Zenabel, sometimes known as "The Naked General." Here we reach almost the end of our Rapiers and Ruffles season, and also perhaps Rod's tether, with this Italian sex comedy from the director of House at the Edge of the Park, Phantom of Death and Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man. You can get in touch with us (we love hearing from you!), follow us on social media, buy our merch, and all that stuff, through our Linktree. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is Zorro doing in Spain, thousands of miles away from home? Why are they called the Three Musketeers when there's actually four of them? Why does the King of Spain sound like he was voiced by Paul Frees? Some of these questions may or may not get answered in this thrilling installment of Wild, Wild Podcast! You can get in touch with us (we love hearing from you!), follow us on social media, buy our merch, and all that stuff, through our Linktree. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices