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Arena (1989): Let's Punch Monsters in the Face
Episode 13
What makes Arena a fine bit of 1980s video store era fun?
Because we can't watch envelope-pushing, audience challenging films at all times, I present …
1 year, 8 months ago
Robot Jox (1990): Post-Apocalyptic Mecha Science Fiction
Episode 12
Robot Jox is a throwback science-fiction good time.
Who says post-apocalyptic science fiction has to be dreary?
Stuart Gordon's Transformers-influenced…
1 year, 8 months ago
The Raid (2011): When a Whole Building Comes After You
Episode 11
How did The Raid capture worldwide attention?
Made for just ~$1 million US Dollars, this Indonesian martial arts/action film garnered worldwide attent…
1 year, 8 months ago
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990): Balancing the Darkness of the Comic and the Lightness of the Kids' Show
Episode 10
How did Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles strike a middle ground between the violent comic books and the bloodless children's TV show?
Adapting the comic b…
1 year, 8 months ago
The Company of Wolves (1984): a Gothic Fairytale for Adults
Episode 9
The Company of Wolves spins Little Red Riding Hood in dark and provocative directions.
This gothic fairy tale, based on the story by magical realism …
1 year, 9 months ago
1990: The Bronx Warriors (1982): the Italian Dystopian Sci-Fi Ripoff
Episode 8
Why is 1990: The Bronx Warriors an exploitation semi-classic?
Get your spiked elbow pads, motorcycles, and crop tops ready.
For this episode, we're fly…
1 year, 9 months ago
Westworld (1973): Michael Crichton's Warning About AI
Episode 7
Why is Michael Crichton's Westworld a landmark science-fiction film?
Sci-fi took some serious steps forward in the 1970s, and Westworld was an influen…
1 year, 9 months ago
Batman Returns (1992): The Sequel So Dark it Angered Parents and McDonald's
Episode 6
Why did so many people think Batman Returns was too dark and violent?
This snowy Gotham sequel to the hit Batman '89 went so dark and Tim Burton it fa…
1 year, 9 months ago
Outland (1981): the Space Western With Sean Connery
Episode 5
How does Outland recreate the story of High Noon in space?
Outland didn't rock the box office but has quietly endured as a good flick among the scienc…
1 year, 10 months ago
Lady Snowblood (1973): the OG Flower of Carnage
Episode 4
How did a movie as violent and erratic as Lady Snowblood end up in the Criterion Collection?
Lady Snowblood is a violent Japanese revenge tale that is…
1 year, 10 months ago