Kowai- Chapter 11: Throne of Blood (1957)

Rashmi & Zach continue their Police Noir unit with a stop in France and a time jump to 1981 where they unpack the grittiest crime story involving media piracy and bread buttering, Jean-Jacques Beineix's DIVATune into to hear the duo unpack how Beineix weaves old trick of noir under a color fueled new spirit that pushes the limits of noir even further than the golden age!

Rashmi & Zach continue their Police Noir unit by traveling back to Japan and the world of Kurosawa as they unpack his phenomenal 1949 noir, STRAY DOGTune in to learn more about the production of the film and to follow our hosts as they unpack how Kurosawa takes contemporary Noir influence to create his own influential classic. Plus: We talk about how sexy Toshiro Mifune is. Like a lot. You have been warned.

Rashmi & Zach begin Unit II of their International Noir Journey with a look into Police Noir. The unit kick's off back in Hollywood with the legendary Fritz Lang and his 1953 crime classic, THE BIG HEAT. Tune in to hear about the many ways Lang's masterwork establishes many of the noir tropes & portrayal of police in noir that would influence the world of cinema to follow.

Rashmi & Zach reach the end of their "One Last Job" unit of Noir with a trip to Australia and unspool the glory of Julius Avery's 2014 outing, SON OF A GUN. Tune in to hear them breakdown how the film draws upon its Noir ancestors & indie filmmaking savvy to create a tight crime caper on a budget with style!

Rashmi & Zach pay a visit to the cinematically oft neglected country of Chad on their international Noir tour as they unpack  Mahamat-Saleh Haroun's 2013 tale of dance and danger, GRIGRIS. Tune in as the duo unpack the many ways the film is picking up very familiar tropes and traits of Noir past while able to bring forth an ending that the dawn of Film Noir could never achieve.

Rashmi & Zach's tour through the wide world of noir lands this week in Mexico as our hosts navigate the bleach bypassed world of Alejandro González Iñárritu and his 2000 debut feature, 'Amores perros'.Tune in as the duo unpack this crime anthology that embraces its noir roots and comes across the unique ways that Iñárritu upends traditional noir tropes to create further dimensions for viewers to contemplate.

Rashmi & Zach's trek through the noir alley's of the world continues with a stop in Hong Kong; where with the twist of your hand and a flock of doves, noir and action combine in John Woo's THE KILLER!Tune in to hear more about the making of the film, hear them deconstruct the crime thriller's plot, and analyze how John Woo takes the reliable plot elements & style of noir and intertwines them with the pulse pounding action he would become revered for.

Rashmi & Zach's tour through the wide world of noir lands them in Fance and at the door steps of an old friend, Jean-Pierre Melville, and his 1970 heist spectacular, LE CERCLE ROUGE! Tune in to hear more of how Melville homages and updates the Noir genre of Hollywood that entranced him, thrill alongside our hosts as they unpack this meticulous and patient picture, and... swoon like crazy over the glory that is Alain Delon with a mustache! To learn more about the beginnings of Melville and Delon's collaborations, listen to Rashmi & Zach's previous chat on Le Samouraïhttps://ballyhoorevuepodcast.com/ep-87-wonders-of-world-cinema-le-samourai-the-samurai-1967-or-a-matter-of-birds-bullets/

Rashmi & Zach move along the map in their Noir journey and find themselves back in Japan to unravel the amazing heist and aftermath of Takumi Furukawa's 1964 caper, CRUEL GUN STORY (Kenjū zankoku monogatari)!   Tune in today to unpack all the glorious ways Furukawa blends together the various strands of noir in such an efficient way and how it stands in the grand gutter of Noir legacy.   PLUS: Joe Shishido becomes the greatest meme of all time. To watch CRUEL GUN STORY, go to Criterion for Disc & Streaming Options Criterion Listing: https://www.criterion.com/films/2958-cruel-gun-story Disc (As part of the Eclipse series): https://www.criterion.com/boxsets/655-eclipse-series-17-nikkatsu-noir Streaming: https://www.criterionchannel.com/cruel-gun-story ----------- Our upcoming film, Le cercle rougue (1970) can be purchased here: https://www.criterion.com/films/628-le-cercle-rouge

Rashmi & Zach set upon their first trip abroad in their international noir journey with a stop in France as they deep dive into the gritty world of Jules Dassin’s 1955 caper, RIFIFI.  Tune in to hear about the films unusual origin story, stories from the production, and how the film’s influence has permeated the world of film we experience today.  —------------------- Please take a moment to donate to or to share these links in support of the assistance to those affected by the Southern California Wildfire.  Red Cross: https://www.redcross.org/local/california/los-angeles/about-us/news-and-events/press-releases/palisades-fire--red-cross-opens-emergency-shelter-.html Direct Relief: https://www.directrelief.org/2025/01/as-southern-california-fires-rage-medical-aid-en-route/ LA Food Bank:  https://www.lafoodbank.org/fire/