Retro Grade Podcast

“HE WAS ALL OF US.“Hello everyone! We are back to talk about another film that may have aged a little better than we hoped, and we might all be worse off for that. We are talking about 2005’s V For Vendetta, directed by James McTeague, starring Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving, written by one of the podcast’s favorite sibling duos, the Wachowski sisters! On this episode we talk about just how relevant the film feels, especially while living in America. In the world of V, we are living in a fascist, police state, ravaged by a viral outbreak, with state sponsored media spreading fear and propaganda, an authoritarian government seizing personal freedoms while the oligarch class is protected and reaping all the benefits of their crimes against humanity. An all too familiar world for anyone not living under a rock. Even though the original Alan Moore graphic novel was written in response to Margaret Thatcher’s Britain in the 1980’s, and the Wachowski’s screenplay was written perhaps in response to the 2nd (or rather, 3rd) Bush Administration, perhaps the heart of the story is what it takes to survive these oppressive regimes.Speaking of Alan Moore, we talk about why the acclaimed graphic novel writer distanced himself from the film. When the frequent Wachowski collaborator and producer Alan Silver claimed Moore gave the film his blessing, which he did not, Moore asked for his name to be removed from the credits. Even still, Moore rejected the script itself and when we examine the differences between the film and source material we can see why. Both the graphic novel and film can be seen as separate, complimentary stories, but are so vastly difference that we can’t really say it’s a “good adaptation,” despite being fond of both. Listen to the full episode for more on this!We also talk about what the Wachowskis bring to the film. It wasn’t directed by them, but by their assistant director from the Matrix Trilogy, James McTeague. Still, we can still feel their influence in what segments get special attention, the montages, and how we experience time and how everything is connected.Putting this film together, with who was involved, who was cast, when it was filmed, where it was filmed.. there are so many connections and references that we don’t even get into all of it. Despite being a little sillier in some places, more digestible than something as heavy and poignant as Andor (which Austin HIGHLY recommends,) the film delivers some moments that may never be forgot.You can listen to this episode ANYWHERE you get your podcasts! You don’t have to go to Spotify or Apple! If you don’t see our show on your podcast preference of choice, just DM us on our socials and we will get right on it!

“THIS IS YOUR TIME.“Hello everyone, we hope 2026 has been treating you well. We apologize for the lack of updates, its difficult to schedule time and be in the right mental space for regularly releasing episodes. We hope to keep doing them, as watching and talking about movies helps keep us sane and grounded against the insanity of the world. Movies might be make believe, but the stories they tell come from real people. Through the language of cinema we are made to feel real emotions. By sharing our favorite movies with one another we are sharing perspectives, values and interests. We are building community, which is vital for the times we live in and the times ahead. This podcast started because two guys shared interest in a movie after all, and through recording and releasing episodes we have gotten incredible movie suggestions from listeners. Movies that we have never heard of or have just never given a second thought. The podcast has expanded our palette, introduced us to different cultures, history and appreciation for the art of movies and those that make them. We can’t stop yet. For this episode, we took a suggestion from fighting game prodigy BobaTeamo, and talk about 2004’s Miracle, directed by Gavin O’Conner and starring Kurt Russel. This Disney film is based on the true story of the 1980 US Olympic Hockey team, and their David and Goliath-type game against the dominant Soviet Olympic team. Coincidentally, also takes place during a period when it just feels bad being an American. Miracle is a period piece set during the Cold War and Oil Crisis of 1979. The rising tensions with the Soviets, dire financial situation for the working class, and general L’s America is taking are only relieved when on the ice. And even on the ice, our characters are put to the test with Kurt Russel’s Herb Brooks’s extreme coaching style, that gives the US Olympic council, his own staff, and family pause. We talk about how the political backdrop and post 9/11 nationalism of the early 2000’s play a role in our reaction to the film today, and also how the message of comradery and reliance of teammates who care about you seemingly undermine the rugged individualistic messages of typical American propaganda. When it comes to sports movies, we often think of them as formulaic and readily accept the two different endings. They lose, but spiritually win, or they win and all the hard work and sacrifice is rewarded. However, some movies are more than just cliches and predictable endings. These reductive analysis do not take into consideration the craft of film making, and the acute attention to detail of capturing what it feels like to play a certain sport. Not all movies are terribly concerned about accuracy and making you feel like you are in the game, but that’s what makes Miracle special. On this episode, we get into the lengths Gavin O’Conner and his crew went to to capture the essence of hockey. Heated Rivalry might have our hearts now, but Miracle was regarded as the greatest hockey movie ever made. After watching it for the episode and doing a bit of reading on how it was made, it’s no surprise why.You can listen to this episode ANYWHERE you get your podcasts! You don’t have to go to Spotify or Apple! If you don’t see our show on your podcast preference of choice, just DM us on our socials and we will get right on it!

“IT’S SHOWTIME!“Happy Halloween everyone! We hope you have a good night on the best holiday on the planet, and to celebrate we are releasing an spooky themed episode, just a year and some change after recording it! This episode will be on, Beetlejuice (1988,) directed by Tim Burton, starring Winona Ryder, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, and Michael Keaton as the titular character himself!Tim Burton was the director for the odd ducks in our formative years, but what is it like revisiting peak Burton? Before the dark times, before the live-action Alice in Wonderlands? We talk about the classic Burton aesthetic that really came to fruition in what would be his second feature-length film. We talk about it’s charm, but also how problematic parts of it are when considering some rather tone deaf takes he’s had later on in his career. Tim Burton is no saint, but he’s not the most controversial person in the film, not that it’s a competitionIt wouldn’t be Beetlejuice without Michael Keaton though. His performance has definitely withstood the test of time, even if some of the things his character are doing are definitely inappropriate and perhaps not as funny as we once thought they were. Keaton takes his limited screen time and created a character that got his own animated show, where he was retconned into a chaotic good, undead bestie of Lydia. Is the film just the Michael Keaton show though? Absolutely not. The film has an incredible cast and there is not a dull moment on the screen. Winona Ryder playing an over the top goth that fringes on parody, Baldwin and Davis playing the sweetest couple to ever appear in a Burton film to contrast the villainous Deetzs, particularly Catherine O’hara’s Delia and her best friend Ortho, played by Glenn Shadix (RIP.) We get into some behind the scenes as well! We talk about the transformation the film went through from the first draft to the final product. The unnamed producer who referred to the film as career ending filth, the behind the scenes romance, the planned sequel, and more! We hope you enjoy this one! You can listen to this episode ANYWHERE you get your podcasts! You don’t have to go to Spotify or Apple! If you don’t see our show on your podcast preference of choice, just DM us on our socials and we will get right on it! Have a happy and safe Halloween!

Hello everyone! It’s been a minute but we are back with another episode selected by vote from out discord community! We will be talking about one of the greatest films of the 21st century (according to a New York Times polll,) No Country For Old Men, directed by the Joel and Ethan Coen, also known as the Coen Brothers. It is the first film we have covered from the acclaimed duo, and to make this episode extra special, we have a guest that is a big Coen Brothers fan!Not only did the film win 4 Oscars during the 80th Academy Awards ceremony, more importantly, the film left a resounding impression on audiences at the time, particularly the three of us on this episode. We talk about how the use of violence, lack of score, and the motivated cinematography courtesy of the great Roger Deakins elevated what we could expect from a movie. Also, who can forget the chilling performance from Javier Bardem, creating the iconic hitman, Anton Chigurh, doing to bob cuts what Jaws did to sharks.We talk about the differences between the novel by Cormac McCarthy and the film, and how the camera work, performances, and costume design elevates the words from the novel into the visual language of film. We get into how the Coen Brothers work together, and talk about why they are no longer making films together. We talk about their style and what makes them some of the greatest film makers in modern cinema. Also, speaking of cinema, our guest Aaron is a professional cinematographer! He provides insight on the craft and its use in the film, and what makes it one of his favorites. As casual movie goers sometimes it is easy to forget the actual work it takes to make a film look the way it does. We don’t think about why a particular shot is used for a particular line of dialogue, or how are the lights placed to create that shot, or why any of it matters. Yet, we can always feel it, because it is a part of every movie we ever watch. On this episode we get a chance to talk to someone who can tell us a little of how that movie magic works.We hope you enjoy this one!

“I’M NOT AN ANIMAL! I’M A HUMAN BEING!”As you may already know, we lost one of the great ones this year. In honor of David Lynch, we decided to go back to one of the earlier films in his career, The Elephant Man from 1980, starring John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins. The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards, is considered to be one of the greatest films of all time, a critical and commercial success in what would have been David Lynch’s second film and put a lot of eyes on his future, incredibly influential body of work. However, despite Lynch being Austin’s favorite director of all time, he has never seen The Elephant Man! Well, on this episode, we fix that.The Elephant Man is not known to be an incredibly surreal film, but we discuss the various similarities and signature iconography Lynch can’t help but include in all his films, including The Elephant Man. We talk about the use of dreams, the use of sound, and how his sense of humor shines through in a film that more linear than his other body of work.We also talk about how the film approaches the topic of how society treats an outcast with a deformity/disability. It’s not uncommon for the Academy to pay attention to this genre of film, but something about The Elephant Man is very different. What might be contrived and cliche in other films feels deeply moving in this one. How does The Elephant Man stand out and distinguish itself from “Oscar bait“ films?We also talk about the way the film was made and how the film differs from the reality of life for Joseph Merrick, the real life person who lived with this condition that lead people to refer to him as The Elephant Man. How does David Lynch go from making a surrealist art film, Eraserhead, to a narratively linear biopic that tugs on the heart? How does comedy legend Mel Brooks go from making Blazing Saddles to producing The Elephant Man? How did a babysitter get her boyfriend nominated for an Oscar? How did this movie invent an entirely new category the Academy had to pay attention to? We talk about all of this and more!This episode was very special for us and took a little bit of time to brew. With the changes in technology one would think more films would be more accessible to view at our convenience, but in fact that not the case for some films that are culturally significant like The Elephant Man. As of recording the episode we couldn’t find the film digitally streaming/renting anywhere, but with luck we did manage to find the film on DVD at a reasonable price. After watching the film we might actually spring for that premium Criterion Collection version, because this film really is that special. In fact, the late John Hurt said in the making of documentary “If anyone isn’t moved by the end of the film, I don’t think I’d want that person in my life.“ We hope you enjoy this episode and seek the film out yourself, or hit us up about a potential screening!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“MY FAMILY HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN MEAT.”We hope you had a great Halloween! We know we are late, but over spooky season Jorge and Austin figured it was time to return to the horror genre, with one of the films that started it all! The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, directed by Tobe Hooper, released in 1974.While The Texas Chainsaw Massacre wasn’t the first horror film, it certainly laid the blueprint out for modern horror cinema to copy from. From low budget to big profit, makes killers, found footage-esque grimy texture,  “based on a true story” opening crawl, the final girl.. it all came from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre! Given that so many horror films borrowed from this film, how well does it hold up if you seen all of those other films first? This will be Austin’s experience, as despite 34 years on this earth as a film fan, he’s never seen it.Even though this film came out 50 years ago, during our watch for the episode we found a lot of things to talk about how it relates to our world today. Ideas of how divided the country is, the threat of capitalism and automation on the working class, the ethics of the meat industry, and the futile adherence to societal norms in a world that’s crumbling apart. We also get into some of the behind the scenes on how the movie was made. Yes, no one actually got chainsawed while making the film.. but by the end of filming some may have wanted to chainsaw Tobe Hooper. We hope you enjoy this episode, and that you are excited for the next film we cover: Beetlejuice!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“WHY’S EVERYTHING SO BLACK, TOOT?“(CONTENT WARNING: Although this movie was very good, we do have to warn you that it might not be for everyone. The subject matter is difficult and might be triggering for some, as it deals with domestic violence, sexual assault and suicide.)On this episode, we explore mid 90’s New Zealand Maori cinema in the critically acclaimed Once Were Warriors, directed by Lee Tamahori. The film stars Rena Owen, Temuera Morrison, and Cliff Curtis, and it is based on the first entry of Alan Duff’s book trilogy. We went into this movie blind, only really knowing Temuera Morrison from playing Jango/Boba Fett in Star Wars, and seeing Cliff Curtis show up everywhere from Avatar 2 to Training Day. We took it up after one of Austin’s streamer friends RasNoMas, a native Hawaiian, recommended it to cover the podcast. The film was a huge hit in New Zealand when it was originally released in 1994, drawing more at the NZ box office than Jurassic Park! It was released to the states the following year, and almost 20 years later we both watched it for the first time.The film is about a Maori family living in Auckland, New Zealand. Jake, played by Temuera Morrison is at first very charming, but has a violently abusive side to him that terrorizes his whole family. Beth, played by Rena Owen, is trying to be there for her children but is slowly losing them one by one. Throughout the course of the film, we see the family take refuge in parts of the Maori heritage and culture.The great thing about watching films from different periods, from different parts of the world, and from different cultures, is that we get a good luck at what it’s like to live in someone else’s shoes. Once Were Warrior succeeds here, as it doesn’t portray our characters as one dimensional archetypes, but as complex people brought to life by truly phenomenal acting.We hope you enjoy this episode!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“AND IT WAS HERE, IN THIS BLIGHTED PLACE, THAT HE LEARNED TO LIVE AGAIN.“On this episode of the podcast we talk about one of the most influential post-apocalypse films of all time. One that’s legacy has just been extended in an incredible prequel film that hit theaters on this year’s Memorial Day weekend. We are talking about Mad Max 2, also known as The Road Warrior, directed by George Miller, starring Mel Gibson. We are also honored to have a guest, Nebula, who is a streamer, and a big Mad Max fan. In fact, Nebula was on our FIRST Mad Max episode: here. This is Jorge’s first time watching the film, having only seen Fury Road and the first Mad Max film, so we were curious to see how he would react to George Miller’s second attempt at depicting Australia at the end of the world.Sequels are often regarded as derivative, and “cash grabs“ of a previously successful movie. What makes Mad Max 2 different? We talk about how the film demonstrates how much George Miller has gotten as a film maker, being more deliberate with cinematography, making use of the bigger budget, and building a world without relying on heavy dialogue. There is so much to look at in this film, so much character, and for what little dialogue there is, some absolutely classic lines that we will remember forever. To this day, George Miller continues to grow as a filmmaker, challenging audiences and everyone crazy enough to be in his movies. And despite all of that, everyone seems to enjoy working with him.We talk about the iconic look of this film. Mad Max 2 is often used as the blue print for how people dress in the apocalypse, and maybe how some depictions of the gang might not hold up as well when we consider the history of how queer characters are represented in film. We nerd out about the stunts and the effect of real danger being caught on film, and what steps they took to keep people safe. And of course, we talk about Dog, the Australian cattle dog that acted as Max’s companion in the Wasteland, but was rescued from an animal shelter in real life!We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you haven’t yet, consider seeing Furiosa in theaters! Austin got a chance to see it and highly recommends to any one looking for a great theatrical experience by one of the greatest living filmmakers!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“YOU BETTER HOLD ON TIGHT SPIDER MONKEY.“On this Valentine’s Day, we decided to cover a romance movie that captured the attention of an entire generation of girls, contributed to the YA adaptation craze, and gave us vampire baseball. Today, we are talking about 2008’s Twilight, directed by Catherine Hardwicke, starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. When the film franchise was making its rounds at the box office, we remember that this was a thing that was very popular for adolescent boys to hate on. Austin hasn’t even seen the film, despite being a fan of vampire films as we talked about on the Horror Movie Genre Tier List episode on our Patreon. We talk about how our tastes have evolved and why we might be more open to this film, despite not being in its target audience. Will we still find something to enjoy about it, or will we struggle to say nice things? Just in case, we will have a Twilight fan, Elle Parker as a guest to let us know what makes the film so special to her.We talk about the films commitment to the moody, blue aesthetic. How Hardwicke opted to shoot on location in the Pacific Northwest to capture the rain and the greenery. We talk about how significant her absence was in the following films, and give her praise for her craftsmanship and dedication to translating the essence of Stephanie Meyer’s novel into a film. We also talk about the reasons she may not have been invited back to direct the sequels. We talk about the way the camera moves, the on point musical cues and soundtrack, the attention to mise en scene, the comedy, the practical effects and the relentless commitment to telling the story of a boy and girl who feel so tortured despite having pretty great lives. Seriously, even the step dad has a good relationship with Bella. Regardless of how you feel about Twilight, there is a reason why it had such an irrevocable hold on its fans. After watching the film and talking about it, it was very easy and fun to find out why!We hope you enjoy this episode!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“KEEP THE CHANGE, YA FILTHY ANIMAL.“On this episode, we are going to be talking about one of the most popular and beloved Christmas films of all time. We will be talking about 1990’s Home Alone, directed by Chris Columbus, starring Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, and Catherine O’Hara. It is the first movie we have covered that was written by John Hughes, the second Chris Columbus movie, and believe it or not, the third movie we have covered to feature one of the Culkin brothers.When someone mentions “Home Alone,” the first thing we think about is obviously Kevin McCallister (played by Macaulay Culkin) laying traps for a pair of burglars to fall for, and experience head trauma that would kill a normal person, only to get up to fall down more stairs. However, upon reviewing we discover that there was actually a lot more to the movie than over-the-top comedic violence, but a story of a young child’s growing resentment for his family and learning to take care of himself. It’s success in telling that story is up for debate between your hosts, but we both still enjoy the film, buy maybe one of us didn’t like it as much as he used to.We talk about how successfully (maybe too successfully) the film gets us to hate the McCallister family along with Kevin. We talk about the strengths of the films inclusion of the mysterious scary neighbor who isn’t all that scary, admire the use of the fake noir film ‘Angels with Filthy Souls,’ and discuss the great charisma of Macaulay Culkins performance, and also how good Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern are at playing dumb.Can you believe there are 6 films in this franchise? Why did they make so many, and why is it that the first film was the only film with a relatively positive reception from both critics and audiences? Why did Roger Ebert prefer Home Alone 3? Why did Macaulay Culkin stop away from acting a few years after Home Alone’s historic theatrical run? What’s he up to now? We get into all of that! We hope you enjoy this episode!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o