Episode 98 – Whatever Happened to Vic Diaz? – A Taste of Hell (1973)

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On this episode of WHATEVER HAPPENED TO VIC DIAZ? we’re heading back to 1973 and the surprisingly Filipino-centric war film A TASTE OF HELL. Starring William Smith as an American soldier helping local villagers fight off the Japanese during World War II and John Gardwood as a soldier who gets horribly burned by a Japanese attack and haunts the nearby villages as a monstrous hunchback! It’s real weird. But it does have a delightful moustache twirling performance by Vic Diaz, and also a pretty amazing decapitation that may or may not directly involve the man. Check it out!

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Episode 95 – Wild in the Streets – Revolver (1973)

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On this episode of WILD IN THE STREETS we continue our look at the Eurocrime films of the 70s (and beyond) with Sergio Sollima’s 1973 poliziottesco film REVOLVER, starring Oliver Reed and Fabio Testi. Featuring a dynamite score from Ennio Morricone, the film has Reed’s prison warden Vito Cipriani being blackmailed into releasing a prisoner after his wife is taken hostage. Featuring a twisty plot that ends in pretty depressing fashion (our favorite!), it’s both a successful action film and a critique of oppressive governmental infrastructure. FUN! But is it any good? Let’s find out!

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Episode 94 – We Do Our Own Stunts – Magnificent Bodyguards (1978)

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We made it! Ten(-ish) movies deep, Jackie Chan’s career is floundering. Desperate for a hit, Lo Wei pairs him with James Tien and Bruce Leung for a western-inspired fantasy action epic featuring bizarre twists, excessive face-ripping, and music shamelessly stolen from Star Wars and.. heck.. let’s make the whole thing 3D! MAGNIFICENT BODYGUARDS may have been Jackie’s final film before his breakthrough role in SNAKE IN THE EAGLE’S SHADOW, but it’s far from forgettable. Let’s check it out!

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Episode 93 – You Don’t Know Dick – Night of the Creeps (1986) (/w Scout Tafoya)

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The good news is your dates are here. The bad news is.. they’re DEAD! On this episode of YOU DON’T KNOW DICK we’re joined by filmmaker and critic Scout Tafoya (author of Cinemaphagy: On the Psychedelic Classical Form of Tobe Hooper) to discuss Fred Dekker’s beloved horror-comedy NIGHT OF THE CREEPS from 1986. Along the way we chat about Tobe Hooper, horror movie “secret handshakes”, The Monster Squad and, of course, all things Dick Miller. Check it out!

You can follow Scout on Twitter at @Honors_Zombie and don’t forget to support him on Patreon and read his tremendous The Unloved series over at RogerEbert.com.

And you must pick up a copy of Scout’s book Cinemaphagy: On the Psychedelic Classical Form of Tobe Hooper. Find a link right here: http://miniverpress.com/book/cinemaphagy-psychedelic-classical-form-tobe-hooper/

 

 

 

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Episode 92 – Halloween Horror Special – V/H/S 94 (2021) & Censor (2021)

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On our Cinema Smorgasbord HALLOWEEN HORROR SPECIAL we’re taking a break from our many themed episodes to instead look at two well-regarded horror films from 2021! We start with the fourth in the V/H/S found footage series: V/H/S 94! Is this a return to form for the often erratic collection of shorts from acclaimed filmmakers? Then we look at the critically acclaimed CENSOR, which focuses on the mental deterioration of a film censor in 80s Britain. We also chat about some of our other recent horror favorites and our thoughts on the state of horror as we reach the end of 2021. CHECK IT OUT!

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Episode 78 – How Do You Do, Fellow Kids? – Billy Bathgate (1991)

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What’s Steve Buscemi up to in the 1991 star-studded gangster film bomb BILLY BATHGATE? Not much! Despite a big budget, an incredible cast (Dustin Hoffman, Nicole Kidman, Bruce Willis and.. uh.. Loren Dean!) and Tom Stoppard handling the script, it’s a lifeless and predictable slog. On this episode of HOW DO YOU DO, FELLOW KIDS? we try to work out what went wrong, the moments we liked and, of course, we look closely at the Steve Buscemi content. CHECK IT OUT.

 

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Episode 77 – Forgotten Gems? – Maria Full of Grace (2004)

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On the latest episode of FORGOTTEN GEMS? we’re traveling back to 2004 to check out Joshua Marston’s much lauded (particularly for its lead performance by Catalina Sandino Moreno) drug smuggling drama MARIA FULL OF GRACE. But aside from that dynamite lead, does the film hold up to our older – and somehow even MORE cynical – eyes? And does it even matter? Lots of talk about the drug war, hypocrisy, and all that good stuff. Check it out!

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Episode 74 – Cinema Fantastica – Coherence (2013) & Why Don’t You Play In Hell (2013)

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On this rip-roaring episode of Cinema Fantastica we’re traveling to the 2014 (premiere) edition of the Chattanooga Film Festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee to pit two festival favs against each other: James Ward Byrkit’s low budget sci-fi mindbender COHERENCE vs Sion Sono’s epic tribute to filmmaking (and “mankind’s greatest achievement”) WHY DON’T YOU PLAY IN HELL? Which movie reigns supreme? Listen and find out!

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Episode 62 – JodoWOWsky Part 2 – El Topo (1970)

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On this episode of JodoWOWsky, be prepared to live the most wonderful experience of your life! It’s Alejandro Jodorowsky’s legendary acid western EL TOPO, and after seeing it you’ll never be the same. Liam, Julia and Doug break down the history of the film and their experiences with it before delving into the film proper, splitting it into three parts for easier consumption. We finish with a look at Jodorowsky’s comic book follow-up THE SONS OF EL TOPO. Enjoy!

Your hosts are Cinema Smorgasbord regulars Doug Tilley (@Doug_Tilley) and Liam O’Donnell (@LiamRulz), but they are joined on this adventure by the always wonderful and incisive Julia Marchese!

Julia is a filmmaker, actor, writer, film programmer and podcaster. Julia’s first film was Out of Print, a documentary about the importance of revival cinema and 35mm to culture. The film has played all over the world in film archives, art house cinemas and universities. The 35mm print of the film is now housed at The Academy Film Archives. Her next project is a short film adaptation of Stephen King’s short story “I Know What You Need”. She is the co-host of Horror Movie Survival Guide, a weekly podcast that takes a deep dive into a different horror film each week, focusing on how to become the final girl. You can follow her on her social media platforms

@juliacmarchese

juliamarchese.com

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Episode 61 – Whatever Happened to Vic Diaz? – Savage Sisters (1974)

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Beware! They are still at large! On this episode of WHATEVER HAPPENED TO VIC DIAZ it’s 1974’s SAVAGE SISTERS, a wonderfully cartoonish (sorta) women-in-prison film full of outrageous humor, double crossing and – of course Vic Diaz as ONE EYE. Gloria Hendry, Cheri Caffaro and Rosanna Ortiz play the titular characters, with Sid Haig, Eddie Garcia and John Ashley (who also produced) as their often ridiculous foils. What did we think? Listen and find out!