Stuart: A Life Backwards

I hope that none of you have ever experienced the intrusion of some bad neighbors. Certainly not to the point that they force you to rent out your prospective second library and refurbish it to become a garish 1970s Post-Modern monstrosity.This is the crux of the film CONVERSATION PIECE, written and directed by master filmmaker Luchino Visconti. It stars Burt Lancaster as the central character. This film is a real treat that is handled with finesse and grace. It's an anxiety-inducing mystery tale about loneliness, generational differences, and lamenting on your past.Just remember, when all the dust settles, it all started because of a painting.

DA DUM DA DUM DA DUM! Heed the sound of the Valentine's drums for the ultimate date night movie!Not really. We're slap bang in the middle of 16th Century Europe where violence and assault run rampant across these lawless lands. Mercenaries are storming castles and war is rife in the region. This is the landscape of Paul Verhoeven's fantasy/romance/drama: FLESH + BLOOD.It's definitely an oddly placed film that's home is undetermined for an audience. Its lack of success when it was released is evidence of that. It's a bit messy. It's a bit uncomfortable. It's a bit uninspiring. If you remember anything from this mess, there are these four words: LIGHTNING STRIKE DOG COLLAR!

"Oh my God! You're the absolute worst for that!"Yeah. Have you ever heard that before? Maybe a bit too much? Well, this film will test your moral compass (somewhat) into whether you think any of these people deserve that title. We don't believe so, by today's messy standards, when there is some true evil out there in the world presently but Joachim Trier's highly successful THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD that trail-blazed to the Oscars is upon us, and in your lug-holes.So, sit back, feel therapeutic, and accept the inevitable. We're going deep, man.

What's cool, full of vibrant colors, gets pretty sexy but also is a bit annoying to the point where you question the integrity of the central relationship? That's probably Jim McBride's remake of the 1960 Nouvelle Vague classic À BOUT DE SOUFLE (in English): BREATHLESS.You might have thought: the most stringent of cinephiles would not touch a remake of this film with the longest of barge poles! It's a classic for a reason; however, this modern, pop-culture-filled, punky injection of 80's Neo-Noir cinema is much better than you might think. It takes some swings and hits most of them if you can get past the fact that Richard Gere's central character is one of the most annoying criminals in existence.Join us as we continue down an odyssey of appreciating Mr. Gere in all his fine glory from 1983.

A new year. A new us.Well, not really. It's the same show basically, just a little older and tired. We're the podcast equivalent of just wanting to go to your bed and having a lie-down. Kinda like the old saps in this fourth (and final) mainline installment of the AMERICAN PIE film series (we're not counting all the straight-to-DVD films either).This is AMERICAN REUNION! And we're back with this bunch of reprobates as they've hit full adulthood and struggling with the woes that come with that. Again, this is another excuse to see what nonsense Jim finds himself brutalizing his member over. It's hilarious.Weren't the 90's awesome?

In the second part of our seasonally titled "DESCENDING INTO DARKNESS", we take you on a trip into a very whimsical murder. A faux documentary crew who follow a serial killer as he maims, murders, assaults, and offends his way through Belgium.The blackest of black comedies and not for the faint of heart, actors and principal crew Remy Belvaux, Andre Bonzel and Benoit Poelvoorde's MAN BITES DOG embodies the very meaning of a cult classic even if you don't (and really shouldn't) agree with the content. One thing that really isn't up for debate is it does give us one entirely unique thing...a better English title than the translated one.We do wish you a good Holiday Season and an even happier New Year, however...we do want to invite you to DESCEND INTO THE DARKNESS WITH US ALL!

Ho Ho Ho Ho-ello there!It has come upon us once again: the Christmas season. And as was aforementioned, its getting darker. We must let you know that this was not planned... or our tolerance levels are so out of whack that we've blackened our souls and have detached ourselves from societal norms...Annnnyyyywwwaaaayyyyyy, there's nothing more Christmas-sy than Lars Von Trier! And this film; starring Stellan Skarsgård and Emily Watson, in her first film role, lets us know that we're in for a rough ride for a good 2 hours and 40 mins. Thankfully, it's all set on an "unnamed Scottish Isle" where everyone's accents are all over the place, the sideburns are "pure 70s", the medical equipment looks outdated, and it's all brown. And that means we're in the past.DESCEND INTO THE DARKNESS WITH US ALL!

Oh boy. Looks like we inadvertently put a bunch of sad (but good) films in a row to wrap up 2024. But honestly, it makes sense.In David Attwood's film, based on the true story of the troubled homeless man called Stuart who meets a writer to detail the intricacies of his life, we are treated to another masterclass from Tom Hardy. In the final part of "Tomsgiving" bit of a tearjerker but it's a good tearjerker. Everyone likes a good cry. It's very therapeutic. Or something.Anyway, get your tissues you fiends!

Whit ye sayin'?! (We can't actually write what he says without getting reported).Yeah, that's right, SIT DOWN! Charlie Bronson is here and he's looking to cause some trouble. We're doing something quite majestic this November. A veritable TOM'S -GIVING! We're doing a Tom Hardy double-bill!We're starting with Nicholas Winding Refn's BRONSON, the "true-ish" story of Britain's Most Violent Prisoner. What we have come to discover is that this breaks the ratio from the 90+ films we've covered so far. This is not one to miss!

Do you hear that? Do you hear that piercing scream in the darkness of the night? No, it's not Wilhelm. It's Belial! The freakishly deformed twin that is intent on murdering the very people that separated him from his loving brother Duane!My goodness! We're so excited! It's finally here! In closing our Spooky Penis Month 2024, we're covering Henenlotter's BASKET CASE; the down-and-dirty video nasty that was inducted into the MOMA Collection for Film Preservation. This is one episode you do not want to miss. A celebration of Horror/Exploitation but also of the purest form that cinema can offer!