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333 TENET
<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh3e3BqI6NIXll6D1hgWW5A7NggBX0MavwqZwi91-T5TVqNzmiRcA0njza-w4lTj6u_sQ3b3WKwNrpBuZmMty7Zz-vrPb_ilbi-1XqF4hIH9wCHx3Y4HrCTzEsKjRW1hWrz_g55CJZZTI/s2048/tenet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh3e3BqI6NIXll6D1hgWW5A7NggBX0MavwqZwi91-T5TVqNzmiRcA0njza-w4lTj6u_sQ3b3WKwNrpBuZmMty7Zz-vrPb_ilbi-1XqF4hIH9wCHx3Y4HrCTzEsKjRW1hWrz_g55CJZZTI/s320/tenet.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>Never fear, we are here!! ... with another podcast! I don't remember when we reviewed a movie last, but here you go. Beware, this podcast is mostly Mark and Matt catching up, but we throw a little commentary about Nolan's TENET your way. A puzzle of a film that separates the nerds from the boys. You aren't paying attention unless you've made your own scratch paper version of the timeline by the tenth viewing. Not sure what it's saying, or what the moral of the story is, but who cares.... it's late-stage Nolan and it's a hoot.<p></p><p>Downlaod: <a href="http://archive.org/download/the-cultof-mm-333/TheCultofMM333.mp3">333 TENET</a></p>
Listen:
332 The 9 Year Show
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Listen:
331
<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJXEj3qhKMPVcIgodNarH6gbIKNk_De7hAtm3nJfRhFpoZXz7-DcuGmS-zsm-uFy08scQ8hgcGZXhXFDPVKE8KeJxsQr61H2emn__qsgzKte1WGJ9qXVi7ZjZCMcZgO8QahH6mwsntcf8/s450/trainwreck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJXEj3qhKMPVcIgodNarH6gbIKNk_De7hAtm3nJfRhFpoZXz7-DcuGmS-zsm-uFy08scQ8hgcGZXhXFDPVKE8KeJxsQr61H2emn__qsgzKte1WGJ9qXVi7ZjZCMcZgO8QahH6mwsntcf8/s320/trainwreck.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>We intended to review Color Out of Space, but to actually label this podcast a review of such would be deceptive. Our podcast went off the rails with our current zeitgeist discussion of the run-up to the U.S's precarious Presidential Election and Mark and Matt's contentious opinions on all things 'Rona. So, if you want to actually hear our opinion on the movie, might want to fast-forward to 2:00:00 and listen to the 10 minutes of film discussion. I wouldn't really call this a Bonus Episode, because it wasn't planned... so here it sits. Enjoy?... .maybe?... It is, what it is...<p></p><p>Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/the-cultof-mm-331/TheCultofMM331.mp3">331</a> </p>
Listen:
330 Minority Report
<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi08qn5YkKEHl2dyHYauL5Pns1j4kmcQtVMa6qqdXh5l1eaeWaBstdq9O4wwlU9VDFwa_KQ6_bSD54t2BTZZ77dwwCOQRuQMFe7aHgBUUDgk9I8BfbfNQrbzL0evSodsUAnr3NRspjY42E/s2048/MR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1463" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi08qn5YkKEHl2dyHYauL5Pns1j4kmcQtVMa6qqdXh5l1eaeWaBstdq9O4wwlU9VDFwa_KQ6_bSD54t2BTZZ77dwwCOQRuQMFe7aHgBUUDgk9I8BfbfNQrbzL0evSodsUAnr3NRspjY42E/s320/MR.jpg" /></a></div>This go 'round we review the Spielberg Sci-Fi adaptation of the Phil Dick short story of the same name, Minority Report. Not a bad adaptation and it has the can't lose dynamic of the great Tom Cruise combined with the solid film making of Spielberg, however Matt and Mark still remain troubled by the titular focus of this film. While Minority Report is defined and described in the movie, it's the Pre-Cog "Echo" which becomes the fulcrum around which the plot twists. Was this intentional? Who knows. There's a striking amount of causal motivation problems that we somehow forgive... Why is John A. being chased? I dunno, but I hope he gets away! Because the film making is so solid, we tend to forgive its motivational transgressions. However, none of this would ever be admitted to by Ebert, who thought this film was as water-tight plot-wise as a frog's a'hole in a Pre-Cog tank.<p></p><p>Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/the-cultof-mm-330/TheCultofMM330.mp3">330 Minority Report</a></p>
Listen:
329 Bill and Ted Face the Music
<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk51k9ZyT1yRmncFrF9v9W0PxVhLE57JdJMLXPCCUvut7w9DNUedOIddFm3yxN8XMbVIY4dykdsufQK75MWv0uNmuiMjQp_je63BDnbGAYY2EMXbjSIrpmPuk4JfiHraeynIHEuUwAZec/s326/Bill_%2526_Ted_Face_the_Music_poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk51k9ZyT1yRmncFrF9v9W0PxVhLE57JdJMLXPCCUvut7w9DNUedOIddFm3yxN8XMbVIY4dykdsufQK75MWv0uNmuiMjQp_je63BDnbGAYY2EMXbjSIrpmPuk4JfiHraeynIHEuUwAZec/s320/Bill_%2526_Ted_Face_the_Music_poster.jpg" /></a></div>It's been along while since Mark and Matt rapped at ya', but are we still doing this goddamn pandemic thing? Geezus. Anyway, we head to the virtual movie theater and catch a showing of the new Bill and Ted movie. Is it good? It's a decent Bill and Ted movie, and taps the same vein of the original. Despite its 30+ year heritage, it becomes painfully aware that Bill and Ted are inter-changeable, and always have been. While Wayne and Garth and Beavis and Butthead mimic some of the same Bill and Ted vibe, the latter characters are distinctly their own. Could you reduce B&T to a single characeter? Yes, would he be called Bed or Till? perhaps.. and it wouldn't really matter. Excellent!<p></p><p>Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/the-cultof-mm-329/TheCultofMM329.mp3">329 Bill and Ted Face the Music</a></p>
Listen:
328 Animal House
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This week we complete the Twilight Zone director ensemble review them with Animal House by John Landis. For 1978 it pioneered the modern SNL-style comedies that we've all grown accustomed to (and perhaps tired of), but for its time it was somewhat ground-breaking. Standing out among all the fun performances was perhaps John Belushi's "Bluto", highlighting Belushi's incredible knack for physical comedy that has not yet really been repeated. Oddly, the film takes place in 1962, but was filmed in 1978.. not sure why, other than it excuses the film somewhat from the timely anchors of a modern status quo. </div>
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/the-cultof-mm-328/TheCultofMM328.mp3">328 Animal House</a></div>
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Listen:
327 Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
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This week we finish up the Mastermind George Miller's Mad Max film series with the odd-man out of the even-film set, Beyond Thunderdome. A PG version of Mad Max 2's more visceral R, it has a little for everyone, kids, Tina Turner, pig killers, etc... A decent movie, there's really nothing to complain about, but alas it's a tad milquetoast for various reasons and is most definitely the lesser of the films. But that's okay. Regardless, it isn't forgettable, which makes it a worthwhile watch some 30+ years later.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/the-cultof-mm-327/TheCultofMM327.mp3">327 Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome</a><br />
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Listen:
326 Twilight Zone: The Movie
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What's better than a Richard Matheson screenplay directed by mastermind George Miller? F#$kin' nothin! That's right... the finale of the oddball Twilight Zone: The Movie is the ridiculously amazing remake of the original Shatner episode "Terror at 20,000 ft". Is it worth the milquetoast offing's by Spielberg and Landis? Perhaps. But like a series of shoe gazing and boring opening acts at the beginning, the penultimate "It's a Good Life" offers up some Rob Botin FX that make it both memorable and creepy. But in the end, it's Lithgow's Xanax deprived flyer that reigns supreme. Want to see something scary?<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/the-cultof-mm-326/TheCultofMM326.mp3">326 Twilight Zone: The Movie</a> </div>
Listen:
325 E.T. the exxtra-terrestrial
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Matt and Mark review another kids mid-80's sci-fi film with the indelible E.T. the extra-terrestrial. Spielberg pioneered the mythic utopia of 80's California sub-urban life, a virtual "Oz" ripe for the visitation of a wayward space farer. There's very little for adults here, which is perhaps the reason it has lost staying power with the Gen-X'ers who dragged their parents to the film for almost a solid year's run in the cinemas back in 1982. Withe "cute" puppetry of the alien itself, to the overwhelming purple score of John Williams, E.T. remains...<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/the-cultof-mm-325_202007/TheCultofMM325.mp3">325 E.T. the extra-terrestrial</a></div>
Listen:
324 Explorers
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Matt and Mark review the Spielberg-ian mid-80's kid's adventure film Explorers. The film stars the pre-teen Ethan Hawke and River Pheonix in what can only be described as an Elon Musk ferry tale, from inventing your own spaceships to scoring chicks and coming up with an underground boring system powered by nothing more than a 9 volt battery. A clever film, it offers up a first contact story more pragmatic (strangely) from an alien standpoint, by keeping us a**hole humans and arms length with a proper filter. Oddly similar to Carl Sagan's plotline from Contact, including t.v. waves from space and "radioed" spaceship plans, we won't suggest the Cornell astrophysicist cribbed the film's idea. But for the record Explorers came out the same year as the novel Contact, so...<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/the-cultof-mm-324/TheCultofMM324.mp3">324 Explorers</a></div>
Listen:
323 Star Crash
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Once again Matt and Mark have a lot to say about current affairs (it's 2020... so, it's like every week these days), and less to say about the Star Wars coattails outing "Star Crash", a movie poorly engineered in order to capitalize on the Lucas pop culture phenomena. A bad move, of course, it's major sin is that it's boring. If you're going to bad, please be entertaining. We try to do our best to inject a little MST3K into the mix, but it is what it is... However, we are treated to a worthy Hoff' in an early role, noting his potential for future cheesy Sci-Fi outings like Knight Rider with a glint of Euro-trash..<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/the-cultof-mm-323/TheCultofMM323.mp3">323 Star Crash</a></div>
Listen:
322 The Empire Strikes Back
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For the 40th Anniversary Matt and Mark review the best of the Star Wars "ennealogy" Episode 5, The Empire Strikes Back, as we should. Why is this one the better? A host of reasons one could say, but it's really the scenes and production of TESB that makes it what it is. Care is taken with each scene to frame the acting and gravitas of each situation. Unlike the latter films, we're not fire-hosed with undigested CGI and stiff inconsequential acting. The sets and scenes of TESB are unique and atmospheric and pause accordingly to allow the viewer to take a virtual tour of the Galaxy Far Far Away.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/the-cultof-mm-322_202005/TheCultofMM322.mp3">322 The Empire Strikes Back</a></div>
Listen:
321 Downfall
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Matt and Mark enter Hitler's bunker this go 'round as we review Downfall, the intimate depiction of the Third Reich's final hours as it finds itself ruling over a dramatically smaller and smaller piece of Germany. While this is Hitler's story, it's also the story of the evaporation of national socialism into nothing. Like all imagined ideology, when there's no one left to believe in it, it becomes not only irrelevant but absurd. This is more the story of the knowing citizens of Germany during Nazi rule, here from the viewpoint of Hitler's personal secretary, and the creeping compromises and guilty admissions that are self-excused in a disingenuous way. Morality was not mutated into the grotesque during Hitler's Germany, it was merely suppressed. </div>
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/the-cultof-mm-321/TheCultofMM321.mp3">321 Downfall</a></div>
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Listen:
320 The Boys from Brazil
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This go 'round Matt and Mark review the 1978 speculative fiction film The Boys from Brazil. Loaded with actual science, we get to see the acting powerhouses of Gregory Peck and Sir Laurence Olivier mix it up with the acclaimed Police Academy actor Steve Gutenberg! A nature versus nurture debate tied in with cloning ethics, a film that offers up important questions even today. Could fertilizing the Earth with 92 Hitler Clones get us anything more than your standard shitty sociopath-type CEOs or could you actually hatch the 4th Reich? I suppose that question remains to be answered.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/the-cultof-mm-320/TheCultofMM320.mp3">320 The Boys from Brazil</a></div>
Listen:
319 The Lathe of Heaven
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Matt and Mark go cult arcana this week with the 1980 PBS production of the Ursala Le Quin classic The Lathe of Heaven (Watch it on YouTube for free!). Hidden away for more than 20 years due to a broadcast rights issue, it stuck in our collective cinematic consciousness. A pioneering film in contrast to the more bombastic space opera fair, it delves into the purity of true Science Fiction, laying the ground work for such 21st Century film makers as Alex Garland and Shane Carruth. A "monkey's paw" story, we enter the mind of the main character Orr's "effective dreams." A type of reality-amnesia that reforms out of the sub-conscious, we see the scene change from dream-to-dream in a composite state of simultaneous utopia and dystopia. Filmed on a shoestring, we forgive it its production faults as its "big ideas" seethe with an intensity rarely awarded to greater films.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/the-cultof-mm-319/TheCultofMM319.mp3">319 The Lathe of Heaven</a></div>
Listen:
318 High Rise
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One of Matt's favorite authors J.G. Ballard introduced us to a special quirk of the future near-apocalypse and thus the term "Ballardian" was coined. The film adaptation High Rise depicts an absurd apocalypse, a break down of society with no fundamental driver. But that's not exactly the point. The point is the emergence of a different human being, one that's enticed by the transformation of end-times, not one nostalgic for what was. While somewhat 2-dimensional, its characters hint at our specific pandemic moment, one that forces an appreciation of something perhaps more truthful, more atavistic than our current artificial landscapes and manufactured routines.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/the-cultof-mm-318/TheCultofMM318.mp3">318 High Rise</a><br />
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Listen:
Special Episode (Bonus Episode #5)
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Matt and Mark throw off the movie review mantle for a little free-wheelin' chat. So for the post-apocalyptic hordes who really wanted to listen to a podcast of the film adaptation of J.G.Ballard's High Rise, you can skip on to the next episode and not suffer 30 minutes of our free-wheelin' intro. Here we're chatting about the world-crisis pandemic and our own myopic inconvenient take on this particular plague. There's been many before, there's one now, and there will be more in the future... that's the way this creaky millennia old civilization rolls, I'm afraid.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/thecultofmm317bbonus5/TheCultofMM317B%20%28Bonus%205%29.mp3">Special Episode</a></div>
Listen:
317 Wonderland
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This week Matt and Mark review the mediocre Wonderland, capping off our So-Cal Drug/Porn/Val-Kilmer loose theme. While not a great film, it bookends our four film review. While we spend a great deal reviewing our current global pandemic (sorry.. just skip ahead enlightened mutants of the far future) we do get into some of the decent points of the film and it's Roshoman approach to the high-profile Wonderland murders of the early 80's. There's a few stand-out performances, and Val-Kilmers' sleazy glean is charismatic, at least enough to make the film worth a watch.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/thecultofmm317/TheCultofMM317.mp3">317 Wonderland</a></div>
Listen:
316 Spun
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Matt and Mark continue our SoCal drug-fueled cinematic voyage into the world of Spun. A more realistic if not overly frenetic depiction of tweaker life in the fringes of LA's exurbs. A powerhouse of acting talent turned up to 11, Spun features a wealth of Y2K actors including John Leguizamo, Brittany Murphy (RIP), Jason Schwartzman, and of course Mickey Rooney starring as the meth cook version of Mickey Rooney. With a now antiquated music video vibe (ala its director), Spun leaves you with drive-by portrayals of drugged out vignettes. Its characters lack back-stories, but in the end they don't need any. You know how they got to where they are, and you just want to see where the day takes them. Pop an old Blondie (or Judas Priest) cassette into your Chevette's tape deck, snort a crystal or two off our thumb, and kick back for a few days drive with Spun.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/thecultofmm316/TheCultofMM316.mp3">316 Spun</a></div>
Listen:
315 Boogie Nights
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Matt and Mark review the exceptionally great Paul Thomas Anderson film Boogie Nights this go 'round. A humanizing portrayal of what is known (or viewed as) as an objectifying/de-humanizing industry, we join the young DD on his nascent career into the ever-changing adult film industry. All A-listers in their own right, every actor fills out the ensemble in layered scenes that are great to watch. 20+ years on, it feels like the film came out yesterday. One thing is for sure... you'll never listen to Night Ranger's "Sister Christian" again without the jarring expectations of an ill-timed firecracker going off in your ear.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/thecultofmm315/TheCultofMM315.mp3">315 Boogie Nights</a></div>
Listen:
314 The Salton Sea
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This go 'round Mark and Matt review some stylized drug-fueled So-Cal tweaking with the Val Kilmer film The Salton Sea. A film that somehow romanticized meth use in a weird away, we ride along with Danny Parker / Tom Van Allen on his circuitous route to redemption and revenge. Along the way we meet the Vincent D'Onofrio incarnation of "Pooh-Bear", a film character like no other, also backed up by the fun Mexican-stereotypes of drug toughs played by non other than Luis Guzman and Danny Trejo (in one film!). So snort a line, kick back, and watch three days burn in the blink of an eye and enjoy... The Salton Sea.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/thecultofmm314/TheCultofMM314.mp3">314 The Salton Sea</a></div>
Listen:
313 The Beastmaster
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This geological epoch, Matt and Mark review the Sword and Sorcery/Sandal 80's fantasy film The Beastmaster. Chronologically speaking, a simultaneous release (more or less) with the Milius classic Conan The Barbarian, The Beastmaster lacks the exotic "Je ne se quoi" of the former with a more "back lot" quality that speaks to its production quality. Is it a watchable good film? Kind of... But for a non-discerning 10 year old in the early 80's it was Dungeons and Dragons gold! Shot with Kubrickian precision, it's Barry-Lyndon quality night-shots give it a peculiar look that makes for an honest effort. The Beastmaster knows what kind of film it is, and it serves it up well. That and Rip Torn is a decent stand-in for the ominous "Thulsa Doom" villain archetype.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/thecultofmm313/TheCultofMM313.mp3">313 The Beastmaster</a> </div>
Listen:
312 10
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Matt and Mark review the Dudley Moore classic 10, a mid-life crisis film with a more manic honest depiction of sexual irrationality of the 40 year white male than our previous Blame it on Rio review. Can you ever really live a fantasy? Probably not, and 10 makes that argument in genuine comedic fashion. The brain has the odd prediction for overestimating an experience despite one's better judgement. Was Bo Derek all that? Matt and Mark ponder... a Playboy model, yes, but what about those corn rows? hmm... <br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/thecultofmm312/TheCultofMM312.mp3">312 10</a></div>
Listen:
311 Blame it on Rio
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From Mark's "The Great T!ts" film catalog, we review the 80's sex comedy "Blame it on Rio." In this film the "ancient" 47 y.o. Michael Caine has an affair with the nubile daughter of his best friend and as you would expect... hi-jinks ensue. What could have been an honest potrayal of the obligatory mid-life crisis episode ultimately fails in this film (resulting in its 5% RT rating), however it does beg one to wonder, would anyone make a movie like this now? It's hard to say. With free 24/7 HD streaming pornography one wonders if this type of VHS-rewind-for-the-odd-boob-shot is necessary anymore. Perhaps nostalgia reigns supreme for Blame it...<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/thecultofmm311/TheCultofMM311.mp3">311 Blame it on Rio</a></div>
Listen:
310 Stalker (1979)
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Matt and Mark review the Tarkovsky Soviet-style Sci-Fi film Stalker. A film that introduces the "The Zone", similar to that of the recent Annihilation's "The Shimmer", is an alien anomalous zone arrived via meteor to the planet Earth. A journey into The Zone promises revelation and wish fulfillment, but sadly this film only delivers "elliptical" conversations embedded in Tarkovsky father's poetry. Meant to be a sublime journey into meaning, Stalker could have done more with the less it had to work with (in Matt's opinion). Perhaps worthy of 1.5 hours instead of the 2.5 it runs, it challenges the viewer. It's definitely not intended as entertainment (sadly), a fun romp it is not.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/thecultofmm310/TheCultofMM310.mp3">310 Stalker (1979)</a> </div>
Listen:
309 Vampire's Kiss
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The poster says "A biting comedy", but the comedic is a little sketchy with the odd intentions of this particular Nick Cage descent-into-madness story. Matt and Mark complete our Paranormal Cage theme with Vampire's Kiss. A little American Psycho, it offers up an asshole, complete with strange effete non-accent, and then let's us ride along as he spins out into a homeless vampire of a delusional existence. For whatever reason, it's a watchable weird film and a new/old take on Goth LARP'ing.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/thecultofmm309/TheCultofMM309.mp3">309 Vampire's Kiss</a></div>
Listen:
308 The Wicker Man (2006)
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Bees!!! Matt and Mark continue our "Paranormal Cage" theme with the much maligned/beloved bad movie remake of the sinister 1973 titular classic. As fans of the original, we both ponder why this version is such a failure. Yes there's the goofy bear scene, bees, and odd punching-the-lights-out of forest wandering women, but there's something at the core that fails. Matt speculates that unlike the original, where things are not what they seem, in this version you're served up pagan cult weirdos as soon as you get off the sea plane. Sadly, where horror once worked, farce now reigns.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/thecultofmm308/TheCultofMM308.mp3">308 The Wicker Man (2006)</a></div>
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307 Drive Angry
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We're back for our run-up to Halloween. This go 'round we're thinking "Paranormal Cage", and to begin our offering, we review a film that's near and dear to our hearts: Drive Angry (Shot in) 3D. Why? Well, one of our good friends not only was the art director but had the privilege of getting his sandal-wearing ass killed by diabolical leader Jonah King! While no doubt a Cage paycheck film, it is a well wrought 'B' movie with all your typical camp: there's a sex-gunfight, schemes of satanic child sacrifice, and then there's Cage's hell jailbreaker bringing it all back home. And tying it all together is a superbly fun William Fichtner as the Accountant.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/thecultofmm307/TheCultofMM307.mp3">307 Drive Angry</a></div>
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306 Valley Girl
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We're back (finally) and it's time to wrap up our "young lust" theme with the 1983 cult romance classic Valley Girl starring a young Nicholas Cage. A movie the breaks out from the teen-sex swamp of like genre films of the era, VG's character-driven story arc elevates it above the common Porky's-type drivel. Still with a dose of ample 80's boob shots, it has a little for everyone. Mark and Matt both agree it falls apart in the last 3rd of the film as it delves into the realm of silliness and cop-outs (violence doesn't really solve anything... it really doesn't... come on, this isn't Rambo folks). Oddly inspired by the titular Zappa hit, the linguistic impact of the era is not to be understated.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/thecultofmm306/TheCultofMM306.mp3">306 Valley Girl</a></div>
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305 Before Sunrise
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The penultimate entry into our "Young Lust" theme, this go 'round we review the Linklater Gen X love letter Before Sunrise. The first in the "Before Trilogy" we get off the train with Celine and Jesse for a night on the streets of Vienna. Matt works to give life to Mark's cold dead heart, and finds a few bits and pieces of Before Sunrise that lifts his current Morrissey fog. A film made over 25 years ago, the "simpler time" element is more in contrast than ever, a time before the slums of our current internet age befouled the purity of human-on-human interaction. While we know what becomes of Celine and Jesse in later entries to their story, Matt still appreciates this tattered Harlequin romance novel that is Before Sunrise's male wish fulfillment, while Mark? ... not so much.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/thecultofmm305/TheCultofMM305.mp3">305 Before Sunrise</a></div>
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304 Romeo + Juliet
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We continue our "Young Lust" theme with the crazy-ass Luhrmann joint Romeo + Juliet. Yes it's Billy Shakespeare (kind of), but the frenetic images and neck-snapping cuts overwhelm to a point that uptight Bard-heads may find "le'essence" diminished. Mark and Matt are not of that camp. An adaption for the MTV-video-games generation? Sure. But what the hell. Despite the R n' J focus, the film shines with its supporting players, specially Tybalt, Mercutio, Father Lawrence and the Nurse. So let's head off to our Sophomore English class shall we and enjoy some star-crossed love action.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/thecultofmm304/TheCultofMM304.mp3">304 Romeo + Juliet</a></div>
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303 The Dreamers
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"Young Lust" continues with our review of NC-17 rated The Dreamers from 2003 by Bernardo Bertolucci. Matt and Mark get into the world of the over-heated Paris apartment's artificial realms of cinema, sex, and sibling co-dependence. Heavily driven by the nostalgia of the chaotic Paris streets of 1968, it's hard not to see why the Bohemians of this era champion this film. However, there's something stranger and darker going on that's hard to comprehend. While having unending sex with Isabelle (Eva Green) for days on end sounds enticing (well, at least for dudes), the creepy monitoring of her brother Theo is the price Michael pays. So off the map is this strange trio, the mere act of asking someone out on a date breaks the status quo.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM303/TheCultofMM303.mp3">303 The Dreamers</a></div>
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302 The Blue Lagoon
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Our "Young Lust" theme rolls on with the odd-ball Rater R teenage sexual exploration movie The Blue Lagoon. There's a lot of things that The Blue Lagoon isn't, which may be it's problem. It's not an adventure story and it's not a steamy sex drama, leading to a confused movie going audience. What is it? A Disney-esque Cinemax cross-over and neither? Allegedly faithful to the 1903 book, its problems may lie in its true-faith adaptation of the original Victoria novel (which may have not been very good). Even Brooke Shields conspicuously placed hair frustrates the viewer. Regardless, the cinematography shines through even though everything else seems to pale (and shrivel).<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM302/TheCultofMM302.mp3">302 The Blue Lagoon</a> </div>
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301 Say Anything
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Matt and Mark start our "Young Lust" theme with the classic Cameron Crowe late 80's teen romance film Say Anything! Why do all Gen X women love Loyd Dobbler? Why? Because he's an absolutely nearly perfect good guy with few/if-any flaws. Everyone loves Loyd and he loves everyone, despite his minor if negligible personality quirks like the "talking thing" and the obligatory adolescent aimlessness that was the hallmark of a generation. And at the end, we all cheer Diane's reunion with Loyd, because if she hadn't taken him back, we could collectively agree she's the worst human being on the planet. </div>
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM301/TheCultofMM301.mp3">301 Say Anything</a></div>
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Listen:
Bonus Episode #4
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Matt is back from Scotland and it's time for our centennial bonus episode now that we've completed our 300th film review (sort of). A mixed back of discussion topics that are meandering at best. Hold fast and you'll get our last 100 episode recap. Hopefully we'll be around for a bonus episode in 2021! Hope you've had as much fun listening to us as much as we've had talking about movies for the past 7+.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMMB04/TheCultofMMB04R.mp3">Bonus Episode #4</a></div>
Listen:
300 300
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Stop! Sparta-time... This week we review the obligatory 300 for our 300th podcast. Every one of our prior episodes like a fallen Spartan at Thermopylae, buff, ripped, free, and bloody. A perfect exercise in the notion of style-over-substance, 300 delivers a healthy plate of jingoism and old-timey masculinity to pump up our inner Conan the Barbarian. What is it about the "few against many" theme? Not sure, but suffice it to say the Spartans weren't your typically boot-strapping citizen soldiers. Atop a slave-fueled pyramid scheme, Mark and Matt ponder King Leonidas of Sparta's "freedom" rallying cry. I suppose everything's relative (and not exactly fair) in love and war.</div>
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM300/TheCultofMM300.mp3">300</a></div>
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Listen:
299 Apocalypto
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This review we go pre-Columbian with the Gibson action-chase film Apocalypto. Despite the criticism of its classic period Mayan portrayals, Apocalypto is a violent action film akin to modern fair. Why set it in during the Mayan fall? Why not? Despite it's odds-and-ends of Meso-american history, it commits no greater sins than your average sword and sandals epic. What Gibson shows us is something no one has ever seen in Hollywood films. Ever wondered what it might be like to be atop a Mayan period during an eclipse? Apocalypto gives you a peak, and for what its worth, it is distinctly memorable.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM299/TheCultofMM299.mp3">299 Apocalypto</a></div>
Listen:
298 Hard Target
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We get around to finally putting out another podcast, and this time? The Woo/Van Damme joint Hard Target! Complete with doves, sub-machine guy dude on dirt bikes.. this film has it all for those pining for a Cajun flavor Hong Kong actioner! Can we dismiss Van Damme's Belgian-Cajun creole and Wilfred Brimley's only known un-codgery film role? Yes we can! If you like a boot kick to the head at 40 mph hour along with class-warfare themes, order up some Hard Target!<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM298/TheCultofMM298.mp3">298 Hard Target</a> </div>
Listen:
297 Enter the Dragon
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"Wwwaaaah! Chewaaaah!" Time to Enter the Dragon with our Seattle homey Mr. Bruce Lee! Even though heavily borrowed from similar spy tropes, Enter the Dragon was daring in its marketing. While kung fu theater was a Hong Kong staple, bringing it into the US mainstream required a multi-prong (and multi-racial) tact that brought out Mr. Lee's savvy. "A white guy, a black guy, and and Asian guy walk into a bar/death-ring tournament..." Unfortunately Mr. Lee's pioneering legacy still has a long way to go. Asian leading men in the US mainstream are still absent for the most part some 45 years later, much to our detriment.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM297/TheCultofMM297.mp3">297 Enter the Dragon</a> </div>
Listen:
295 Fire and Ice
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This go 'round we review the Bakshi/Frezetta joint Fire and Ice from 1983. For its time, a solid outing by the sorta like 'em/hate 'em Bakshi (Cool World anyone?). Crutching heavily on Frazetta's muscular fantasy exotica, the look of the film and its rotoscoping bring to life the static comic book "je ne sais quoi." Matt laments the luke warm relationship with adult themes and animation while bemoaning the silly look of today's live-action comic book fair. We both take a nostalgic journey into the sci-fi book cover art of yor, discussing our favs. While not to be left out, the mall standard Thomas Kincaid (painter of light) is given his due credit for his pre-historic matte work on F&I. Sadly, his fantasy contributions never usurped his twee cottage themes beloved by grandmothers in middle-America.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM295/TheCultofMM295.mp3">295 Fire and Ice</a></div>
Listen:
294 Krull
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Matt and Mark review the 80's sci-fi/fantasy fusion film Krull! Diametrically opposed, Matt and Mark square off about what Mark liked and Matt did not! A highly derivative epic, Krull attempts to mash-up the tropes of high fantasy classic quest with something a little more Star Wars. Does it work? Despite its many stumbles of illogic and poorly sketched motivations, Krull is a well-filmed and produced popcorn movie with a decent set of supporting characters and a few trippy set pieces. Nostalgia may have been Matt's greatest enemy here, while Mark enjoyed it for what is... whatever that may have been.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM294/TheCultofMM294.mp3">294 Krull</a></div>
Listen:
293 Two-Lane Blacktop
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It's Matt and Mark's 7th Anniversary of doing the podcast, and for this go 'round we finish up with our 70's car movie theme with the artsy Two-Lane Blacktop. With a set of steamy hunky rock n' rollers racing about in a built out 55' Chev, this is as American as it gets... or is it? TLB has been debated as a 'metaphor' due to the sparseness of its character sketches (if they can even be called sketches at all), but what they're a metaphor for and what archetypes they represent are not obvious or clear. In the end, we don't really know these characters other than what meaning we graft on to them. Despite it's subtext, the film captures the early 70's zeitgeist of the post-Love era, which if anything, is an interesting cultural time more and more alien to us 21st Century folks.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM293/TheCultofMM293.mp3">293 Two-Lane Blacktop</a></div>
Listen:
292 Death Race 2000
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This go 'round Matt and Mark continue our 70's car movie them with the campy Death Race 2000. Like a macabre Cannonball Run, DR2K takes place in a futuristic dystopia where the sweaty masses (somewhere off-camera) are appeased by the breads and circuses of the titular race. Does it make any sense? Not really, but we go with it anyhow. Composed of farcical racers and their campy race cars, one can help but be reminded of far better fair in Swarzenegger's Running Man, specifically when it comes to production value. Matt takes issue with lack of geographic framing (no St. Louis does not have a Mediterranean climate and rolling coastal mountain ranges) while Mark highlights some of the film's more nonsensical nonsense. Perhaps more salient in the early 70's than it is today, DR2K remains entertaining high concept.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM292/TheCultofMM292.mp3">292 Death Race 2000</a></div>
Listen:
291 Mad Max
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Matt and Mark continue our 70's car movie theme with the quintessential movie that started it all, the original 1979 Mad Max. Mark declares it to be his favorite of the Max saga as its characters have yet to enter the realm of post-apocalyptic genre fiction. With real characters and a recognizable yet distorted quasi-present, we can feel Max's reality more than the nuclear wastelands of the Humongous. Matt revels in the badassery of the 70's muscle car with a middle-aged crisis wish to one day ride into the empty deserts behind the wheel of an 800 hp super-charged v8 pursuit special (specifically the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, a mere $83k). Hopefully fully equipped with Android Auto and a 4G link to my Spotify catalogue.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM291/TheCultofMM291.mp3">291 Mad Max</a></div>
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290 McQ (and Rendezvous)
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Matt and Mark do up a double feature this week (kind of) for our 70's car-movie theme with the 1976 short "Rendevous" and the John Wayne 1974 Neo-Noir McQ. Matt waxes nostalgic over his favorite city Paris, while both Matt and Mark wax nostalgic over the uncrowded free-ways of early 70's Seattle. As Seattle natives, we ponder the set pieces of Wayne's McQ and its set-piece car chase, while parsing out the acting talents of the venerable and storied Wayne. Is it a Bullitt knock-off? Does it matter? Foreign to both Wayne's Western canon and the zeitgeist of early 70's popcorn cinema, we try to appreciate McQ with fresh eyes. Despite its mediocre reviews, Wayne is certainly a charismatic actor worthy of his legend.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM290/TheCultofMM290.mp3">290 McQ (and Rendezvous)</a></div>
Listen:
289 Vanishing Point
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Continuing our 70s car movie theme, we review the classic Vanishing Point. A road movie that's nothing more than a cross-country chase in a 71 super-charged Challenger, we probe the classic film archetype of Kowalski. Reaching for deeper themes, Matt and Mark ponder Kowalski's origin and try to parse his enigmatic back story. But in the end we determine it may not really matter. Do we care? Or do we just like road movies? Dunno. A man with death nipping on his heels. Kowalski meets it head on... literally. <div>
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM289/TheCultofMM289.mp3">289 Vanishing Point</a></div>
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Listen:
288 Duel
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Continuing our 70's car movie theme (and our political discussions... sorry, fast forward ahead 15 - 20 mins) Matt and Mark review the inaugural Spielberg outing Duel. A made for TV movie, it's simple Plymouth vs Peterbilt road rage spectacle is not so much about the literal mechanics of the setup, but a psychological experiment. The Dennis Weaver character in his modern man impotence is an avatar for our own anxious helplessness. What makes Duel interesting is the "what would I do?" dynamic in each of its scenes. If the impotent David Mann was more a stoic Mad Max character, this film would fall flat. It's our annoyance of David Mann that makes this film relevant.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM288/TheCultofMM288.mp3">288 Duel</a></div>
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287 Corvette Summer
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This week Matt and Mark kick-off our 70's car movie them with 1978 comedy-drama Corvette Summer starring a recently minted Luke Skywalker (aka Mark Hamill) and a super-sexy Annie Potts of Designing Women fame. Sadly, at this point in Hamill's career the die was cast. His lack of acting chops and psuedo Buster Keaton physical antics would seem to doom him as an A-listers post Jedi. Thankfully Potts's "hooker with a heart of gold" Vanessa lit up our labido's to propel us through this silly snapshot of 70's pop culture. FYI... skip the first 20 minutes, if our political musings leave you feeling like Hamill covered in a drum of motor oil.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM287/TheCultofMM287.mp3">287 Corvette Summer</a></div>
Listen:
286 The Serpent and The Rainbow
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Finishing up our zombie run, we review the Wes Craven "true life" zombie film The Serpent and the Rainbow. Steeped in voodoo, Wes goes to the source of the zombie origin story and brings to life (pun intended) the legend of the "undead." While the film conjures the supernatural, it's blended into the story in such a way that skirts the magical, making it a fun ride. Matt and Mark spend a considerable amount of time debating the "exotic fetishism" of Dr. Alan's character with only a modicum of genuine theory. Whatever the true impetus, we both agree it seems like a good time.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM286/TheCultofMM286.mp3">286 The Serpent and The Rainbow</a> </div>
Listen:
285 Dead Snow
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Another international zombie entry into Matt and Mark's zombie Halloween run-up. A ridiculously simple "teens, cabin in the woods, monsters" combination, Dead Snow is a high concept film. One can almost see a couple of Nordic would-be filmmakers smoking a little of Amsterdam's finest pondering the simple combo "Nazis?... zombies?.. Nazi zombies!" And Voulais! Unfortunately, Dead Snow has a lot of grist for the mill, but fails in its ability to tie up plot elements and expand/exploit more intriguing ideas. Regardless what you might think about National Socialism, it's staying power as an ideology among the undead is remarkable. One hopes we don't experience an even worse horror, say Ayn Randian Objectivist Zombies? Shudder to think...<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM285/TheCultofMM285.mp3">285 Dead Snow</a></div>
Listen:
284 28 Weeks Later
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Our first back-to-back sequel review! This week we review 28 Weeks Later as part of our zombie film run-up to Halloween. Matt and Mark, while remembering the movie as decent, stumble upon a change-of-heart. While the first half is memorable, the second half is nothing more than a typical chase scene with a nonsensical ending that betrays the valor of its heroes. While some framing exposition to the military fallback protocols would have helped us invest in the situation, 28 Weeks dismisses the notion. And as result, we dismiss it as well.</div>
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM284/TheCultofMM284.mp3">284 28 Weeks Later</a></div>
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Listen:
283 28 Days Later
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It's 28 Days Later and we're back with our 28 Days Later Podcast in our run up to Halloween! This go round we're reviewing zombie fair, in particular the "fast zombie" types. 28 Days kicked off the renaissance in how we depict the undead in film: more "Aliens" and less Romero. Besides its evocative beginning, 28 Days succeeds because it addresses fundamental humanity with its obvious juxtapositions. Because zombies allows us to play around with notions of humanity, fundamental morality is put into question, even mass murder.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM283/TheCultofMM283.mp3">28 Days Later</a></div>
Listen:
282 Train to Busan
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Starting up some zombie films in time for the Halloween holiday (we'll see how many we actually get through), we begin with the Korean take on the zombie genre, Train to Busan. Using the 28 Days Later prototype, we're entertained by the hyper viral parkour of zombie hordes in pursuit. A kind of nod to the Night of the Living Dead, Train to Busan uses the barricaded survivor trope to full affect, specifically the interactions among the desperate. Good zombie films tend to tell us a bit about ourselves as human beings via the obvious juxtaposition, and Train is no different.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM282/TheCultofMM282.mp3">282 Train to Busan</a></div>
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281 Dune
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Matt and Mark review the flawed but redeemable Lynch sci-fi interpretation of the Herbert classic Dune! ... finally. Despite its limited running time and abbreviated faulty plot, Dune shines in its quintessential Lynchian moments. Lynch's portrayal of the Harkonnen Geidi Prime captures an aesthetic that is uniquely alien as it is human; something we have never seen before on film. When the mutated spice junkies of the Guild wander onto set, sloppy and warped, you buy into their psychedelic prescience. Yes, Dune could have been done much much better (we know Mr. Jodorosky... yes, we know), but as a disowned Lynchian orphan, it aged well enough and is wholly memorable.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM281/TheCultofMM281.mp3">281 Dune</a></div>
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280 The Fly (1986)
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The "Summer of Sci-Fi" continues with our review of the Chronenberg classic The Fly. An exercise in cinematic body horror, the fly takes the squirmy parts of our anatomy and its associations and full throttles it into a disquieting aesthetic. While Matt and Mark detail the fundamental scientific boundaries of true teleportation, we both agree Ronny played by Gina Davis is a full-on Physics Phd groupy. But how can she resist and acne-ridden Babe Ruth gorging totally cut Jeff Goldblum? Anyway, flies are gross and this movie does the species no favors.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM280/TheCultofMM280.mp3">280 The Fly (1986)</a></div>
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279 Mad Max: Fury Road
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"What a Lovely Day!" This go 'round Matt and Mark review the Miller reboot of the Max franchise with Mad Max: Fury Road. While no doubt an undisputed masterpiece of 21st Century action, one has to wonder does it hold up on repeat viewings? Mark hmms and hahs certain details overlooked in the initial bombast, while Matt codifies the tropes of the Max universe which has made it an archetype of its own. Part Gandalf, Part Clint Eastwood, Hardy's Max is a catalyst for the feminist action of Furiosa's story. Fury Road also goes to prove that yes... you can stage a monster truck as a film's set piece and still get nominated for an Oscar. Witness!!!<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM279/TheCultofMM279.mp3">279 Mad Mad Fury Road</a></div>
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278 Reign of Fire
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What can we say about an Apocalyptic Dragon mash-up film like Reign of Fire? Matt and Mark indulge this most unlikely of films with our review of the McConaughey/Bale sci-fi/fantasy popcorn movie. While it shouldn't work, it kind of does and for that we forgive it its many grievous sins of plausibility and bad acting. The fact that Ebert gave it 1 star, yet here we are reviewing it 16 later should count for something... shouldn't it? Nothing of this elder talking dragon nonsense, what do we like most about dragons? Burning shit up!<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM278/TheCultofMM278.mp3">278 Reign of Fire</a><br />
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277 The Time Machine (1960)
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This week Matt and Mark go "old timey" with our review of the classic 1960 The Time Machine. True to the original source material, The Time Machine gives the cinematic treatment to the original 19th Century novel by H.G. Wells. A far future epic (which there are surprisingly few in cinema) we enter a world of split humanity, decay, and of course... troglodyte cannibalism. Unlike more tired tropes of antiquated sci-fi, The Time Machine remains fresh and inventive today. Will there be hot blondes speaking perfect English 800,000 years from now? Watching this film, you can almost believe it to be the case! Nearly sixty years on, the original The Time Machine remains a fun Saturday afternoon watch.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM277/TheCultofMM277.mp3">277 The Time Machine (1960)</a></div>
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276 Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
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A slice of life from the whimsical 80's, Matt and Mark review Bill & Ted! Not the first time travelling comedy by any stretch, it un-apologetically plays with the "fish out of water" routine to full affect. While Bill & Ted may be SoCal caricatures of the proto "dudebro" aesthetic, they are played by Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves as fully fleshed out 3D characters. Are the historical figures cartoonish? Very much so. But that serves the point in the end. Hidden within the obvious gags are tinges of subtle comedic moments. Before the pastiche of Wayne's World and the dynasty of Beavis and Butthead, there was Bill & Ted! Most Excellent! Party on!<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM276/TheCultofMM276.mp3">276 Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure</a></div>
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275 Annihilation
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Can a recent movie be considered cult-worthy? Regardless, Matt and Mark have endeavored to review the recent 2018 release Annihilation. Based after Jeff Vandermeer's novel of the same name, it is a cinematic treatment of the sci-fi "New Weird" genre. An alien encounter film in the vein of Carpenter's The Thing and H.P. Lovecraft's "The Colour Out of Space" (complete with rainbow shimmer) it defies the almost obligatory anthropomorphic alien encounters so typical in film. Annihilation doesn't spend its time sketching its characters in a reality we typical expect. Its characters, while fully human, are as unreal in their interpersonal relationships as the alien vortex consuming Southern Florida.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM275/TheCultofMM275.mp3">275 Annihilation</a></div>
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274 The Ice Pirates
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Matt and Mark review the space-camp early eighties cult classic The Ice Pirates. A pre-Spaceballs riff on all things Star Wars and other associated derivative Sci-Fi (e.g. Roadwarrior), it begs, borrows and steals shamelessly to stitch together a watchable silly film that for whatever reason has stuck in the consciousness of Gen Xers recalling their adolescence. There's some decent gags and the film mercifully doesn't attempt to take itself seriously (that would run an extra $10 million in budget).<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM274/TheCultofMM274.mp3">274 The Ice Pirates</a></div>
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273 Solaris
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Matt and Mark finally get around to kicking out another podcast. This time we review the 1972 Soviet sci-fi classic Solaris. A well-reviewed film and ground-breaking for its era, Matt and Mark decide that for whatever reason its slow trudging art-house chic has grown a bit shabby. In our review we compare the film to its Stanislaw Lem source material (and recent translation) in addition to the latter-day remake by Steven Soderbergh. But none-the-less, the questions this film poses to the audience require insight and introspection, a form of sci-fi film making that we so preciously crave, but so rarely receive.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM273/TheCultofMM273.mp3">273 Solaris</a> </div>
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272 Kelly's Heros
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Burnin' Bridges! This week we review the 1970's ensemble war-heist film Kelly's Heroes. Filled with stable of well-known heavies including Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas, and Donald Sutherland, it's a WWII film injected with Vietnam-era sensibilities. A cynical movie, perhaps? Maybe, maybe not. What it is is a whole lotta fun. Matt and Mark discuss the true logistics of the would-be denouement... because it does beg the question: how do you get a few thousand pounds of gold out of WWII's western front when the road home leads through Berlin? Maybe it's not for us to worry about. A cult classic? Probably not, but we like it, and that's all that matters.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM272/TheCultofMM272.mp3">272 Kelly's Heroes</a> </div>
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271 Anomalisa
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Matt and Mark are back... to back! this week with our review of the 2015 Charlie Kaufman film Anomalisa. Using stop-motion puppetry to enhance the Fregoli syndrome metaphor, Anomalisa dissects the ubiquity and transactional nature of the protagonist Michael Stone. When he meets Lisa a momentary emergence of beauty invigorates Michael, but it's ephemeral and more of self-illusion than authentic. Anomalisa paints middle-aged human interaction as a desert of intimacy with its perceived oasis nothing more than mirages. Not a "feel good" movie by any stretch, it does attempt a level honesty most likely unattainable with live actors.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM271/TheCultofMM271.mp3">271 Anomalisa</a></div>
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270 Assault on Precinct 13
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We near completion of our Carpenter box set this week with our review of the sophomore cult classic Assault on Precinct 13. A mash-up of Western tropes and a little Zombie Romero thrown in for good measure, Carpenter works up an atmosphere of claustrophobic doom despite the seeming implausibility of the story line. It's almost as if we don't really care. Why? Because Assault is a fun B-movie action film which is Carpenter's stock-and-trade. Strangely as Carpenter's budgets bloomed in the 90's/00's his films somehow suffered. A more-with-less artist, Carpenter begins to refine his directorial chops with Assault, a cult classic if there ever was one.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM270/TheCultofMM270.mp3">270 Assault on Precinct 13</a></div>
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269 SLC Punk
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Matt and Mark get around to reviewing the 1998 cult film SLC Punk! in Goodfella's fashion, Stevo takes us on a tour through the punk scene of Reagan-era Salt Lake City. Musing on the paradoxes of Anarchy and Le'essence of being a punk, we're privy to the seemingly endemic metamorphosis of youthful rebellion. While in its throng, the youthful punk may not know where his chaos leads but Stevo knows better, and that's okay. Why? Because Stevo's honesty is one of this films most enduring qualities. Drop the Dungeons and Dragons, slap in a little Minor Threat, and enjoy!<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM269/TheCultofMM269.mp3">269 SLC Punk</a></div>
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268 Baby Driver
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Again keeping up with our recent endeavor into current movie reviews (possibly with cult potential), Matt and Mark review the car chase heist film Baby Driver. Not quite a musical, it insinuates a musical element in the movie like another actor. The cast is ridiculously good, with the currently maligned Kevin Spacey, Oscar worthy Jamie Foxx, and lovably evil John Hamm dealing the bad guy goods. With a truly three dimensional main character, Baby Driver builds out a Ansel Elgots Baby with a great deal of humanity. It's a fun flick. Check it out.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM268/TheCultofMM268.mp3">268 Baby Driver</a></div>
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267 Marathon Man
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Mark and Matt review the 1976 thriller Marathon Man. While not a particular strong movie or a well-plotted film, Marathon Man holds its own as well as any thriller of its genre, so much so that's it's remained a cult favorite for over 40 years. With Dustin Hoffman and Roy Schieder in their prime, backed up by the lethal paranoid presence of Sir Laurence Olivier, MM indulges the 70's aesthetic or "je ne sais quoi" of the era. That and everyone hates Nazis, so seeing a Nazi get what's coming to him is always a crowd pleasing claptrap.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM267/TheCultofMM267.mp3">267 Marathon Man</a></div>
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266 Blade Runner 2049
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In the year 2049!... Matt and Mark break with tradition this go 'round and review the recent release Blade Runner 2049. Like the Roman Empire before it, Los Angeles 2049 is dependent on slave labor to maintain its tenuous expanse. And as a result, this society suffers from the endemic sickness that comes with the inhumanity of such practice. Whether it's your lawn mower, a pet, or in the case of 2049, a replicant/simulacrum, how you use (or abuse) owned property reflects on your own humanity. Is Joi real? Does it matter? While yelling profanity and vulgarity at your home Alexa Echo may seem fun, its cruel intentions degrade your own humanity just by the practice. While the Deckard plot moves the film through its scenes, this is really the story of Gosling's 'K' and his evolution. 2049 is derivative by definition, but it is a true homage to the original, handled deftly and with care.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM266/TheCultofMM266.mp3">266 Blade Runner 2049</a></div>
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265 The Usual Suspects
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This week Matt and Mark get it together to review the classic The Usual Suspects. A plot intensive illusion, it leads the viewer along with its narrative with the classic "Just the Facts!" detective boilerplate. But at it's center is a deception, a ruse perpetrated by an unreliable narrator, for this film is a long-con and it's not only playing the characters, it's playing you the viewer. While Verbal and Kayser Sose are possibly one-in-the-same, neither one are confirmed real. The Usual Suspects deals in perception as a tool of social currency, exploiting our confidence. In classic Phillip K Dickian fashion, TUS plays on this theme and it plays it well. A film like no other, it is a hard-boiled crime drama mired in its tropes, but at the same time, it is something else.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM265/TheCultofMM265.mp3">265 The Usual Suspects</a></div>
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264 Ronin
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This week Matt and Mark review the bombastic (and slightly silly) Frankenheimer actioner Ronin! More like a tabletop RPG come to life, Ronin deftly utilizes a McGuffin plot in which to thread its Mamet enhanced characters. For whatever reason, we forgive it its military-grade body count and implausible set pieces. Why? Because its a fun film. Unlike most action drivel, Ronin's interstitial scenes have lives of their own and not just a scaffold to tie the car chases together.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM264/TheCultofMM264.mp3">264 Ronin</a></div>
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263 Yojimbo
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Time for a little "Fist Full of Akira Kurosawa" with our review of his classic Ronin Samurai film Yojimbo. Weighing heavy with the archetype of the Western Genre, Kurosawa reinterprets the dynamic in 19th Century feudal Japan. While its debatable such a small Japanese village could harbor rival gangs of such murderous intent, the true enigma of the film is the mysterious Ronin Sanjuro. His motivations are mercurial, his turned conscience uncharacteristic. While a great film, its biggest fault may be Kurosawa's need of the film's amoral anti-hero to forcible assume a typical High Noon archetype. But whatever, Sanjuro's a cinematic badass, and that's pretty cool.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM263/TheCultofMM263.mp3">263 Yojimbo</a> </div>
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262 Clash of the Titans (1982)
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Matt and Mark get around to cranking out another podcast with our review of Ray Harryhausen's classic stop-motion masterstroke Clash of the Titans. An end of an era, Clash attempts the high concept marketing of Star Wars but using the public domain creatures of Greek Myth. Despite the clunkiness of the composite special effects, Harryhausen brings real menace to the likes of Calibos and Medusa. With the venerable chops of Laurence Olivier and Burgess Meredith, Clash delivers its epic suite of Saturday matinee melodrama. Perhaps not timeless, it is a classic.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM262/TheCultofMM262.mp3">262 Clash of the Titans (1981)</a></div>
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261 Holy Motors
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Matt and Mark review the 2012 French film "Holy Motors" this go around. A very Jodorosky-esque film, its filled with cut-up non-sequiturs loosely tied together by a vaguely metaphoric limousine and it's enigmatic passenger. Perhaps too reference heavy for average American Joe, Holy Motors nods to all that is cinema, providing a meta-landscape where its denizens are in fact incarnations of film themselves. Beyond it's context-free acting indulgences, Holy Motors is a striking film to look at and absorb. But if you're looking for anything resembling a plot, move along.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM261/TheCultofMM261.mp3">261 Holy Motors</a> </div>
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260 Phantasm
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A flying metal baseball with razor blades, shrunken human undead slaves, a portal to another planet.... all typical horror move tropes, right? While in essence a typical horror flick, complete with your menacing preternatural bad guy, Phantasm throws in some "special sauce" that breaks the mold of your typical archetypes. What Phantasm doesn't show you is almost as brilliant as what it portrays. From it's subtle hints of weirdness, the viewer is left to build out a conspiratorial world of interplanetary servitude. While a little discombobulated, we as the viewer don't seem to mind.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM260/TheCultofMM260.mp3">260 Phantasm</a></div>
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259 Blown Away (1993)
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Matt and Mark review a lesser known offering from the 80's child actor duo The Coreys Haim and Feldman. Set to get on our Samurai Cop/The Room bad movie mojo, we find ourselves oddly enjoying 1992's Blown Away. Yes! Nicoel Eggert is naked a lot in the movie, but the plot does keep you kind of guessing and there is a bit of attention getting intrigue. It fails in its ending, but that's a common sin among stronger fair. Mark and Matt admittedly didn't mind this film. It's not bad and watchable. So as sad and tragic as the true life stories of both Fledman and Haim, you have to give them an 'A' for effort here. <br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM259/TheCultofMM259.mp3">259 Blown Away (1993)</a> </div>
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258 The Wolf Man (1941)
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Mark is stunned and amazed this week to learn there's an old timey film that Matt actually appreciates and has chosen for the ultimate end to our mini werewolf marathon leading up to Halloween. The best offering of the werewolf films so far, The Wolf Man pipes in the smoke to enhance the gothic atmosphere of this classic tale. Pioneering the silver bullet and full moon tropes of the werewolf, The film deftly handles the the ying-yang schizophrenic themes of the beast man unlike lesser later offerings. Unfortunately, the theme of male stalkers fails to transcend the film's era and the Lon Cheney Jr character, making him more of a menace as a man than perhaps a wolf.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM258/TheCultofMM258.mp3">258 The Wolf Man (1941)</a></div>
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257 The Beast Must Die
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The third werewolf film in our three film Halloween run-up. A quirky Hammer-style exploitation schlock-fest, The Beast Must Die starts out with a great "whodunnit" set-up but in Matt's opinion, squanders it with overly long action/chase scenes and hokey non-menacing werewolves. While the acting is solid, and the characters have promise, there is no M.Night twist/suprise after the werewolf-break reveal. Mark liked this movie more than Matt, but all-in-all a German Shepard shot with a night-lens fails to bring out the visceral horror of later special affects offerings.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM257/TheCultofMM257.mp3">257 The Beast Must Die</a></div>
Listen:
256 The Howling
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Are werewolves just lesser vampires? Is that why there's such a dearth of werewolf fair when compared to the vast catalog of vampire films? Perhaps. While they share many of the same traits, werewolves lack the sexy urbane sophistication of a vampires, because they're basically just ... well... dogs. The Howling from 1981 is a notable film, at least in its modern depiction of the werewolf/wolfman transformation. While out-competed by American Werewolf in London at the time, its blend of camp and horror, combined with eerie tones make it enjoyable. However, due to the previous comments, Matt and Mark are only review three (or so) werewolf movies in our run up to Halloween.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM256/TheCultofMM256.mp3">256 The Howling</a></div>
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255 Star Trek The Motion Picture
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Going where no man has gone before, Matt and Mark review the 2001'esque Roddenberry big screen debut of Star Trek. A film intended to bring the spaced-out psychedelia of Kubrik's pioneering film to the popcorn audience, it ended up being a mixed offering to the hardcore Trekkies. While Kahn II would set the trend of current Star Trek actioners, STTMP basked in the awe of the cerebral questions of creation and existence. Despite the spa-staff uniforms of the crew and the uneven effects, the initial Star Trek brings the goods to those willing to shun unrealistic expectations.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM255/TheCultofMM255.mp3">255 Star Trek The Motion Picture</a></div>
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254 Soylent Green
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We review the 1973 Heston classic Soylent Green. What do you do when the ocean taps out and there's hungry mouths to feed? For the animal kingdom, a logically solution; But for humanity on the Malthusian brink? A little more taboo. Despite the ominous reveal of the end, Soylent Green's true insight is into human nature in the midst of a desperate overcrowded and overheated future. And what's more shocking perhaps than the fact that foodstuff's being manufactured from human beings is the fact that "furniture" is also a manufactured product from human flesh. 2022 is four years away, time to stock up on some protein bars.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM254/TheCultofMM254.mp3">254 Soylent Green</a></div>
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253 Silent Running
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Continuing our ad-hoc 70's Sci-Fi theme, we review the Bruce Dern film "Silent Running." A theme-heavy sci-fi film, we take a peak into the mind of an eco-terrorist of sorts. Back in the early days of the EPA and environmental themes, Silent Running assumes a bereft Earth devoid of natural beauty and encrusted by a mall-like super structure of artificial living with Dern's Freemen the champion of Earth's last natural vestiges. Matt and Mark discuss the nature of ideological zealotry as it concerns environmental heroes and come to the conclusion, that while necessary to a certain extant, one could argue if such people as Dern's character aren't insufferable assholes.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM253/TheCultofMM253.mp3">253 Silent Running</a> </div>
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252 A Boy and His Dog
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In the year 2024... 'bout 6 years from now... we'll all be living off the carcass of a buried civilized world. At least that's the setting for the Ellison adaptation, A Boy and His Dog. A great piece of science fiction, what ABaHD gets right is that the character of Vic is truly a creation of his world and not a mere avatar from ours. He does not need to justify his serial raping and pillaging. His morality is a construct of a post nuclear Phoenix Az. Which, of course, puts him at odds with the weird down-under cult inhabiting an underground vault of 20th Century Americana. A unique film, ABaHD delivers a world without expostiion, and in doing so, bids a healthy f**k you to Disney's Shaggy Dog franchise.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM252/TheCultofMM252.mp3">252 A Boy and His Dog</a></div>
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251 Westworld
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Summertime and the living is... slow... slow-rolling. But we're back! This week (this time?) we review the Crichton classic Westworld, the movie that started it all (at least the critically acclaimed HBO series). Inspired by Disneyland's Pirates ride, Chrichton builds an "anything goes" theme park filled with human emulating robots. When programming goes wrong, the machines rise up! With little spin on the original 1920's robot themes, Westworld does create a sense of wonder with regard to artificial worlds and our forever pining to escape into them.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM251/TheCultofMM251.mp3">251 Westworld</a></div>
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250 The Last Starfighter
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This week we head back to the early 80's for some primitive cinematic CGI with The Last Starfighter. With a somewhat gimmicky but weak main storyline, the film benefits from a humor filmed subplot involving the Alex Beta unit. Filled with Spielbergian kid culture 80's tropes, the films fits the time period but is perhaps a lesser offering. While its attempt at CGI special effects are noble, they don't allow the film to ascend to Tron-like stature.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM250/TheCultofMM250.mp3">250 The Last Starfighter</a> </div>
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249 The Day the Earth Stood Still
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Stop fighting, you silly humans! This week Matt and Mark review the 1951 classic The Day the Earth Stood Still. Matt takes issue with the message of this film, which seems muddled in his alien-godlike appearance of Klaatu and his pimp hand Gort. Did Klaatu just impose of slavery onto humanity? A forced utopia? To what degree would Gort allow for some on-planet nuclear rough housing? So many questions to a thoroughly unsatisfying movie. Despite the bigger questions, The Day the Earth Stood Still also lacks perhaps the usage of more inventive sci-fi tropes offered in the literature of the day, but instead opts for the cinematic 50's standard of metal robots and flying saucers.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM249/TheCultofMM249.mp3">249 The Day the Earth Stood Still</a></div>
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248 Tron
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This week Matt and Mark review the surprisingly ahead of its time Tron, by none other than Walt Disney Productions. A film that is unapologeticaly set within the confines of a computerized world, it would set the precedent for such later VR films as The Matrix and Inception that would give the filmmaker free reign to design plausible and spectacular fantasy worlds manufactured inside printed circuit boards. A beautifully rendered movie, Tron holds its own 35 years later and is as fresh and fun now as it was back then: a summer movie if there ever was one. It's a movie that fights for the users.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM248/TheCultofMM248.mp3">248 Tron</a> </div>
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247 Scanners
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Matt and Mark review the Chronenberg cult classic Scanners this week. A nicely stylized B-movie with decent production and a well crafted premise, scanners falls a bit short. With too much plot, the machinations and motivations of the characters are archetypal at best, implausible at worst. There are hints here of what Chronenberg would become and its refreshing to go back in time and see a classic director in the rough. Unlike Advanced Dungeons and Dragons psionicists rules for combat however, the Scanner "mind fights" are not only cathartic but at times spectacularly visceral.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM247/TheCultofMM247.mp3">247 Scanners</a></div>
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246 Over the Edge
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This week Matt and Mark review the 70's teen rebellion film "Over the Edge". Despite its teen crime hyperbole, the film brings insight into the corportizing of the American family and it's dehumanizing affect on community and landscape. While such a movie could have fallen flat, Over the Edge is deftly executed with a cast of competent teenage actors and careful direction. Introducing a young Matt Dillon and packed with an iconic set of 70's rock n' roll (Cheap Trick, The Ramones, and Van Halen), Over the Edge has stuck in the collective memory.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM246/TheCultofMM246.mp3">246 Over the Edge</a> </div>
Listen:
245 Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
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After a three week hiatus, Matt and Mark are back with an epic review of Twin Peaks Fire Walk with Me. A discussion which comprises the entirety of the Twin Peaks mythos (including TP: The Return), we set the stage and dig deep into the cinematic debut of the ultimate cult television drama. Matt confesses that FWWM was his introduction to Laura Palmer's world, which despite the obvious spoilers, had little effect on its appreciation. Filmed on location and Matt and Mark's actual high school (Go SHS Panthers!) and adjacent neighborhoods, the film is particularly evocative and fun. A definitive cult film, head into the Black Lodge and enjoy.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM245/TheCultofMM245.mp3">245 Twin Peaks Fire Walk with Me</a></div>
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244 Trinity and Beyond: The Atomic Bomb Movie
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Shot Mark and Ivy Matt finish out our docu-athon this week with the dispassionate Trinity and Beyond: The Atomic Bomb Movie, narrated by William Shatner. Its lack of emotion coupled with a minimalist straight forward narrative is argued to be its drawback, while Matt argues the opposite. As an engineering project, Trinity and Beyond takes the viewer through the lab bench proving grounds of the Pacific and Nevada as the United States hones the weaponry which re-defined geopolitics. As a hardware nerd, the film offers quite a bit (or at least as much as it can in 90 minutes), however as a passionate member of the human race, there's little to glom onto .<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM244/TheCultofMM244.mp3">244 Trinity and Beyond</a></div>
Listen:
243 Crumb
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Continuing with the docs this week, Matt and Mark review the cult documentary Crumb from 1994. Less a film about the man and his art, its fulcrum is Robert Crumb's dysfunctional upbringing and its creative aftermath. What Robert Crumb channels is the artistic byproduct of his autobiographical torture, accented by interviews with his neurotic/psychotic brothers. While funny and witty, Crumb in the end fits the asshole artist stereotype, going to prove that turmoil and resentment often offers the best muse.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM243/TheCultofMM243.mp3">243 Crumb</a></div>
Listen:
242 Exit Through The Gift Shop
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The week(s) Matt and Mark are still in full doc mode and review the Banksy film Exit Through The Gift Shop. A meta-documentary of sorts, Bansky deconstructs the art hype machine with the human graffiti equivalent Thierry Guetta, an OCD film maker turned street artist. A film so deftly wrought, the ability of the viewer to discover the edge of the hoax and the beginning of reality is seamless. Banksy sets fire to the trash heap of post-modern philosophical mental masturbation and lights his cigarette with it.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM242/TheCultofMM242.mp3">242 Exit Through the Gift Shop</a></div>
Listen:
241 Grizzly Man
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This week Matt and Mark discuss the indifference of survival and nature's cruelty when we discuss both United Airlines contract of carriage and the definitive Herzong documentary Grizzly Man. Tim Treadwell created an anthropamorphized fantasy world in the Alaskan Tundra where he spent 13 summers with Earth's most fearsome carnivores, the North American Grizzly. Passions exceeded pragmatism and in the end, Tim paid the price inhabiting his self-created world. An interesting character sketch the likes of which we rarely see on film.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM241/TheCultofMM241.mp3">241 Grizzly Man</a></div>
Listen:
240 Waltz with Bashir
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Matt and Mark continue to review documentaries this week with the 2008 Lebanon War animated film Waltz with Bashir. Not so much a reconstruction of events leading up to the infamous Sabra and Shatila Massacre, as it is the personal exploration of an Israeli soldier who 20 years on finally comes to terms with his complicity in the atrocity. Such horror is endemic to human history it seems, and in away, no human being is truly innocent of crimes done in their name, despite the paper thin facade of nationalism. An amazing movie and one of kind, Waltz with Bashir is an important film.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM240/TheCultofMM240.mp3">240 Waltz with Bashir</a></div>
Listen:
239 Pumping Iron
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Time to Ahneld it up once again with the movie that made Schwarzenegger Schwarzenegger, the semi-scripted documentary Pumping Iron. Despite its contrived situations and its cursory treatment of the body building's "Je Ne sais quoi", it does give us insight into Mr. Schwarzenegger's persona and his charisma. Besides the subject matter, the film unknowingly gave birth to the the ripped bodies of the modern action stars. Prior to Arnold, a trim Sean Connery circa Dr. No used to be cinematic gold, but now we require comic book hero caliber physiques. A boon to Hollywood dietitians and trainers, no doubt.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM239/TheCultofMM239.mp3">239 Pumping Iron</a></div>
Listen:
238 The Running Man
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"I'll be back (again)..." This week we review the classic Schwarzenegger mid-80's camp action film The Running Man. A movie that works on many levels, its shining stars are a supporting cast who manage to play themselves spectacularly, including game show host Killian played by a venerable Dawson and the retired stalker/wrestler Captain Freedom played by the one and only Jesse Ventura. While attempting to predict 2017, this 1987 film gets many things right, including the nefarious ubiquity of staged reality television and the conmen/entertainers who profit from their fake narratives.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM238/TheCultofMM238.mp3">238 The Running Man</a></div>
Listen:
237 Edge of Tomorrow
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Despite Matt's cold-rattled voice, we review the recent sci-fi hit Edge of Tomorrow. A Groundhog's Day for the Warhammer 40k fanboys, we get to see space marines crash the beaches of Normandy. Despite its working gimmick, EoT's mimicry (pun-intended) of the Sisyphian exercise of video game save points/respawns lacks a true human element. Cage (Cruise) is nothing more than an avatar for the "player"/viewer, but, hey.... were we really asking for anything more?</div>
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM237/TheCultofMM237.mp3">237 Edge of Tomorrow</a></div>
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236 Memento
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This week Matt and Mark review the Christopher Nolan timeline reversal Memento. While gimmicky, the regressive timeline synthesized the amnesiac Leneord's sense of disorientation, all the while keeping the reveal until the end/beginning. Skirting the ragged line of plausibility, Memento attempts to question the mnemonic landscape which helps us stitch our lives together. Have you ever walked into a room of your house and not know why? What's the bare essentials of your brain's memory operating system? Maybe there's a little Leonard in all of us.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM236/TheCultofMM236.mp3">236 Memento</a> </div>
Listen:
235 Face/Off
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This week we review the stateside John Woo effort Face/Off. Mark appreciates the "switcheroo" action take of typical comedy tropes while Matt laments the overwrought over-length action sequences and melodrama. Besides the plausibility elements, Cage and Travolta's effort to impersonate their stylings was notable, but without a true immersion, the illusion isn't fully complete. At 2 hours and 20 minutes, Face/Off is possibly a harbinger of Michael Bay's to come. Too much action with too little substance.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM235/TheCultofMM235.mp3">235 Face/Off</a></div>
Listen:
234 Dr. Strangelove
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This week Matt and Mark review the holy grail of black comedies, Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove... A biting satire about the very realistic possibility of a nuclear holocaust. It's impressive not only for its subject matter, but also for its timing: in the middle of paranoid ravaged 60's America. Peter Sellers' performances coupled with G.C.Scott's Turgidson, Slim Picken's Kong, and Hayden's Ripper are some of the greatest comedic and satirical performances put to film. So, as Morrissey says let the bomb bring us together.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM234/TheCultofMM234.mp3">234 Dr. Strangelove</a></div>
Listen:
233 Roadhouse
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Matt and Mark review Roadhouse this week, an 80's classic starring Mr. Swayze in his physical and acting prime. Basically a modern day Western, Roadhouse fallows the plot mechanics and tropes to a 'T'. Cinematic westerns were always steeped in a lawless era that never was, and when recast into the Aquanet Monster Truck Reagan era, the fantasy becomes even more implausible. But armed with a proper suspension of disbelief, Roadhouse is a worthy watch.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM233/TheCultofMM233.mp3">233 Roadhouse</a></div>
Listen:
232 Last Tango in Paris
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Ending our somewhat informal "May/December" movie half-marathon, we review the classic Bertolucci film "Last Tango in Paris." Matt and Mark agree that LTIP is a difficult watch because the main character is so unlikeable. Watching a wild animal act out its crude sexual id as a coping method for grief is what's on display here, portrayed by an off-the-rails Brando. There's a few questions regarding "who is anybody?" framed in a seemingly improbable collision of strangers, but for the most part it's the Brando Show, complete with ad-lib monologues involving a lot of pig talks.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM232/TheCultofMM232.mp3">232 Last Tango in Paris</a></div>
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231 Max Mon Amour
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Mark defies the "May/December" movie marathon theme by going bestial with the odd-ball Max Mon Amour, a bizarre film that's less about monkey love and more about normalcy in the face of predicament. As a podcast listener, if the movie doesn't inspire you to give this one a go, Matt and Mark's "Show News" goes radioactive as we take a Facebook argument live with more political nonsense. Get it while it's hot, we may put a moratorium on such Trumpian digressions soon.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM231/TheCultofMM231.mp3">231 Max Mon Amour</a></div>
Listen:
230 Lost in Translation
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Film three in our loosely sketched out "May/December" movie marathon, we review one of Matt and Mark's favorite films, Lost in Translation. An Oscar nominated performance that Bill Murray should have won, coupled with the nascent stardom of ScarJo, gives life to authentic characters in believable, if not quirky but ordinary situations (namely business travel). Sofia Coppola deftly captures the shimmer of an ephemeral relationship, relationships relieved of the day-to-day routine, allowing us to connect, strangely, in more meaningful ways.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM230/TheCultofMM230.mp3">230 Lost in Translation</a> </div>
Listen:
229 Leon: The Professional
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Continuing our May/December movie review marathon this week, we review the 1994 debut of Natalie Portman in Leon: The Professional. When a precocious hard scrabble 12 year old Matilda meets up with the emotionally stunted hitman Leon, a unique chemistry forms. Matt and Mark discuss the primary argument of why Besson chose a 12 year old for the lead role. Despite Ebert's nebulous and inconclusive derision, the film flat out wouldn't work as well if Matilda were older. Also of note, is Oldman's chthonic maniac portrayal of DEA agent Stan. OIdman at his finest.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM229/TheCultofMM229.mp3">229 Leon: The Professional</a></div>
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228 Harold and Maude
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This week we kick off a loosely defined "May/December" movie marathon with the seminal cult classic Harold and Maude from 1971. Unlike Ebert, we refrain from drunkenly urinating over this film. With a simple straightforward message, its characters are as a result... simple. While the film does have its plausibility problems, its uniqueness and quirkiness set it apart from both black comedies and romantic comedies.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM228/TheCultofMM228.mp3">228 Harold and Maude</a> </div>
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227 Valhalla Rising
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This week we review a contemporary companion film of El Topo with Refn's arthouse adventure drama Valhalla Rising. Matt prattles on about possible meaning while Mark gets to the heart of what makes this evocative film intriguing; dudes, violence, vikings, gladiators, general badassery, and no chicks! (except as the reward of pillage and conquest). The beauty of the Scottish Highlands is on full display in this film and Refn delivers. Believe me, there's nothing quite so satisfying as standing in the highlands, longsword in hand, surveying the great mountainous expanse.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM227/TheCultofMM227.mp3">227 Valhalla Rising</a></div>
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226 El Topo
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Matt and Mark finally review the midnight movie classic El Topo by Alexandro Jodorowsky. A Deepak Chopra myth salad of religious symbolism, Matt chooses to not take the ride while Mark extracts the essential parable of the film. While the stylistic surrealism is intriguing and evocative, the Spaghetti Western set dressings and overwrought violence cater to a more specific crowd. An allegorical trip through misguided purpose and failed redemption, there's something here here. To soak up the strangeness no doubt requires multiple watchings, an investment perhaps a certain few are willing to make.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM226/TheCultofMM226.mp3">226 El Topo</a> </div>
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225 On Her Majesty's Secret Service
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It's Christmas time! And this week we review a Bond film with a waft of Yule-tide dressing (a Christmas tree here, a wreath there...), and the only George Lazenby Bond film in the canon: On Her Majesty's Secret Service. In the shadow of the Connery purists, OHMSS is a solid Bond film with worthy set pieces and a perfect villain played by Telly Sevalas. The Piz Gloria, with it's loungy interiors and Alpine vistas is a madmen's redoubt where we could only hope to sip a Martini and woo a harem of international beauties.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM225/TheCultofMM225.mp3">225 On Her Majesty's Secret Service</a> </div>
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224 Withnail and I
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Matt admits failure this week when we review Withnail and I, the beloved British cult film from 1987. Without the benefit of repeat watchings and dialogue insight, the witty writing and conversations were lost with Matt's virgin viewing. Mark luckily picked up the major slack. A tiny slice of the 60's, Withnail and I indulge the youthful abandon aesthetic of the time. So, we apologize in advance to the devoted Withnailers for our review. We tried.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM224/TheCultofMM224.mp3">224 Withnail and I</a></div>
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223 Computer Chess
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This week Matt and Mark review the 2013 film Computer Chess. Like Terminator's man-vs-machine themes (without time travel and plasma-rifle wielding cyborg killers), Computer Chess is an idiosyncratic look at humanity's constant yearning to recreate itself. When we finally stumble upon the holy grail of Vinge's Singularity, mid-80's nerd competitions in a nondescript Holiday Inn will usurp Newton's Apple as the defining moment of human progress.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM223/TheCultofMM223.mp3">223 Computer Chess</a></div>
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222 Idiocracy
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Not a current comment on our body electorate or anything, but this week Matt and Mark review the unsung Mike Judge classic Idiocracy. Besides the gags, Matt and Mark try to unearth the kernel of incurious idiocy Judge depicts. In a world of junk food convenience, the lack of ownership and struggle may work to numb us and dumb us down to a level you see in the film: wandering zombies of simple needs, hamsters on a wheel, etc... Anyway, at the expense of sounding too faggy, Idiocracy manages to redefine the lowest common denominator.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM222/TheCultofMM222.mp3">222 Idiocracy</a></div>
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221 What We Do In The Shadows
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A fitting coda for our Matt and Mark's Vampire Weekends movie review marathon, we review the New Zealand mockumentary What We do in the Shadows. A film that's gimmick could've easily sabotaged it, the high concept of a Real World for vampires is handled deftly with a genuine love for it's characters. Well edited and tight, all the gags and bits flow seamlessly. This movie is funny and worth more than one viewing, dare I say an "instant cult classic."<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM221/TheCultofMM221.mp3">221 What We Do In The Shadows</a> </div>
Listen:
Bonus Episode #3
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A surprise bonus episode this week (Matt was overcome by a swarm of feverish screaming children, and didn't' get to watching the movie). After a minority of us voted to make America Great Again, Matt and Mark thought we'd take some time and hash over the aftermath of the 2016 election. If you're sick of politics, low-rent punditry, and snobbish West Coast libtard commentary, skip this one. However, Mark does insert a quick review of Gibson's Hacksaw Ridge, which may make us worthy of redemption.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/BONUSEPISODE03/BONUSEPISODE03.mp3">Bonus Episode #3</a></div>
Listen:
220 Byzantium
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This is the end of Matt and Mark's Vampire Weekends movie review marathon! And to go out, we review Neil Jordan's sophomore vampire film, Byzantium (not to be confused with Matt's dismally selling novel Nova Byzantium). Beautifully wrought with a carefully crafted atmosphere, Jordan takes the vampire tale in a different baroque direction, filled with Illuminati-esque intrigue and nascent melancholy romance. Where Twilight is bubble gum and Tiger Beat, Byzantium is The Cure mixed with midnight readings of Edgar Allen Poe. Hope you enjoyed our set of blood-sucking cinema critique!<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM220/TheCultofMM220.mp3">220 Byzantium</a></div>
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219 Near Dark
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With skin more volatile than kerosine mixed with flash paper, the vampires of Katheryn Bigelow's Near Dark redline their existence into the daylight hours (often). Vampire Weekends continues with our penultimate offering this week on The Cult of Matt and Mark. A Western-genre modern-horror mashup, Near Dark is stylistically polished with gritty murderous characters that eventually gets what's coming to them, and deliciously so. However, for a horror film, it really fails to terrify.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM219/TheCultofMM219.mp3">219 Near Dark</a></div>
Listen:
218 Fright Night
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And Vampire Weekends movie review marathon just keeps on rolling on The Cult of Matt and Mark with Fright Night, a solid mid-80's vampire offering. While the main character of Charlie Brewster merely provides an avatar for the viewer, the power of the film resides in its supporting characters. While Evil Ed and the two-bit Van Helsing Peter Vincent add color, it's Chris Sarandon as the seductive vampire lord Jerry Dandrige that adds an awesome brush stroke of menace. In so doing, it could be argued that Sarandon's performance could go down as one of the greatest cinematic vampires of all time.</div>
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM218/TheCultofMM218.mp3">218 Fright Night</a></div>
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217 Shadow of the Vampire
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And Vampire Weekends keeps rolling with The Cult of Matt and Mark's vampire film movie review marathon. This week we review the 2000 indie film Shadow of the Vampire, starring powerhouse actors Malkovich and Defoe. While Matt developed a nascent pining for an "is it real?" theme, Mark re-aligns the compass and delves into the power of film and the historical schism it created when action itself could be cast in stone for later generations. A meta film, Shadow of the Vampire asks the hypothetical question: Was Nosferatu documenting the end of the vampire legend or its beginning?<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM217/TheCultofMM217.mp3">217 Shadow of the Vampire</a></div>
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216 Blade 2
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This week Matt and Mark continue our Vampire Weekends movie marathon with Guillermo del Toro's sequel Blade 2. Despite being a fun Matrix-style neo chop-socky action film, it also deals with the idea of "vampire normalcy" in pop culture. Having familiarized ourselves with vampiric menace for decades now, Blade 2 must invent a more sinister "Reaper" variety to inspire the menace, a beast so sinister it feeds on vampires as well as humans. Because with your garden-variety vampires no more sinister than club kids, you gotta take it up a notch.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM216/TheCultofMM216.mp3">216 Blade 2</a></div>
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215 Thirst (2009)
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Our second Park Chan-wook film review, Matt and Mark review Thirst from 2009 while in the midst of our Vampire Weekends movie marathon. A lesser film than the more intense Oldboy, Thirst deals with the moral dilemma of vampiric transformation and its predatory aspects. While Matt took issue with the insertion of Catholic guilt, Mark enjoyed the film's more visceral aspects. Matt's viewing comprehension was piss poor this go around, but luckily Mark's astute viewing habits mopped up the film's fine details.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM215/TheCultofMM215.mp3">215 Thirst (2009)</a></div>
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214 The Lost Boys
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The Vampire Weekends movie review marathon rolls on and this week, as Matt and Mark review the very 80's The Lost Boys from 1987. A modern retelling of Peter Pan with vampire teenagers? Besides the flying and the name, we're not big enough Pan Fans to give this much credence. While Matt liked exactly the opposite of what Ebert liked (Is Mark the anti-Ebert incarnate?), Matt indulged the very 80's aspects of this film, including the first union of the Two-Coreys, and the whole "I wear my sun-glasses at night" Corey Hart tribute.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM214/TheCultofMM214.mp3">214 The Lost Boys</a></div>
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213 Dracula (1958)
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The unsung Christopher Lee stars as the titular Dracula in this classic Hammer Horror film released in 1958. Titled "Horror of Dracula" stateside, as to not confuse the Bela Lugosi holdouts 25 years earlier, Lee defines menace and could arguable be the best portrayal of the undead count. Liberally reworked from the original Bram Stoker novel, it captures Le'essance of the Dracula idea, a seductive charming wraith with a supernatural force complimenting the natural ensemble. While we all wait for Bahaus to change the lyrics over to "Christopher Lee is Dead", we have this cinematic horror gem to relish.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM213/TheCultofMM213.mp3">213 Dracula (1958)</a></div>
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212 Only Lovers Left Alive
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Our first film review in the "Vampire Weekends" movie marathon, this week we review Jarmusch's Only Lovers Left Alive. A film about the human continuum and the essence of nostalgia, it uses the vampire lovers Adam and Eve as juxtaposition to describe humanity's attachments to the past and the nature of art. To create art is to embrace mortality and the material. And while a compulsion, it may weigh heavy on the immortal mind. An excellent vampire film, however all that hipster name-dropping ship can go hang. "Yeah man, I know Jack White. blah-blah-blah".<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM212/TheCultofMM212.mp3">212 Only Lovers Left Alive</a></div>
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211 Surviving the Game
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A modern take on the venerable Most Dangerous Game, Matt and Mark review the Ice-T vehicle Surviving the Game. A cast list like something out of a whose-who of guy-movie favs from the VHS era, we get to have fun with the likes of Gary Busey and Rutguer Hauer as they go on the male-bonding ritual of the bum hunt. Mark and Matt disagree on the plausibility of the action, but what we do agree on is that Janet Maslin of the NYT coats the premise with a racist paint brush and as a result, dismisses not only a decent action movie, but also its would-be movie goers. Janet, you are dead to us.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM211/TheCultofMM211.mp3">211 Surviving the Game</a></div>
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210 The Wraith
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A movie concept that exceeds its ability to execute, The Wraith staring a pre-addled Charlie Sheen and a sultry pre-Twin Peaks Sherilyn Fenn is a film you have to admire for its idea. Adapting archetypal stories from Victorian legend and Greek myth, it fits them into a teen-age car movie like a dark supernatural American Graffiti, but without the deft hand of character building and plotting of -dare I say- George Lucas. Small details. Its highlight however is the cartoonish fun the film has with the evil car gang and their psuedo-lingo. Also the film stars Clint Howard, so you really can't complain.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM210/TheCultofMM210.mp3">210 The Wraith</a></div>
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209 Samurai Cop
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There is an uncanny valley of bad films that come along so rarely, when they are unearthed, they immediately attain cult status. Is it the unintentional humor? You know, the stilted awkward dialogue no human being would ever utter naturally, or the action scenes hatched straight from the scribblings of an 80's thirteen year old? Samurai Cop is a bad film that is not only bad, but is also extremely watchable and ridiculously funny... a rare gem. There's plenty of terrible cinema, but most of it commits the cardinal scene of just being flat-out boring. For its sins, Samurai Cop thankfully does not.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM209/TheCultofMM209.mp3">209 Samurai Cop</a></div>
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208 Dragonslayer
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Tyrian? Valerian? Dragons? Could George RR Martin's Game of Thrones be nothing but an homage to the great Disney/Paramount hybrid Dragonslayer from 1981? Since Mr. Martin considers Vermithrax Pejorative the greatest cinematic dragon of all time, it just may be. Matt and Mark review the 35 year old dragon picture and believe that its classic affects still hold up to this day. An aged ragged bat-like dragon brings realism to the mythical beast, assuming such a monster had once existed. Beyond its quest/dragon mantle, Dragonslayer builds out its characters into complicated moral creatures questioning justice and the statusquo of patriarchy.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM208/TheCultofMM208.mp3">208 Dragonslayer</a></div>
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207 Pandorum
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In the vein of Pitch Black and Event Horizon, we review another unsung solid B sci-fi film; this time Pandorum. An oft trod sub-genre of science fiction, the "generation ship" gets its due in this film to entertaining affect. Completely undeserving of its 28% Rotten Tomatoes rating, Pandorum is a niche film that unlike its many contemporaries is true science fiction, not just a western set in outer space. While Mark had his list of plausibility complaints, they were small and outweighed by the care of production design.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM207/TheCultofMM207.mp3">207 Pandorum</a> </div>
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206 Event Horizon
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The Shining in Space? Or maybe 2010 with a little Solaris thrown in? Hmm... no? How about Hellraiser meets Alien? Well, whatever Paul Anderson's Event Horizon was attempting, it got short shrift from a mercilessly hurried editing job that diminished what might have been its seminal scenes of horror and dread. But does it work? Just a little bit, and that's all that might be necessary here. Despite its scientific plot holes, there's enough here that allows EH to stand the test of time, at least from a cult film standpoint.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM206/TheCultofMM206.mp3">206 Event Horizon</a></div>
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205 Pitch Black
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Mark has stealthily kicked off his "Summer of Action" (unbeknownst to Matt) a few movies back, and now we're full throttle this week with the Vin Diesel engine Pitch Black! Inaugurating a milquetoast space opera franchise that still lingers, here we're introduced to the titular Riddich! A straight up decent B sci-fi film, PB doesn't pretend to be anything its not and in the process delivers a well rounded fleshed out cast of monster fodder. Benefiting from the blackness, the sins of nascent CGI effects are dutifully hidden for maximum affect.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM205/TheCultofMM205.mp3">205 Pitch Black</a></div>
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204 Spanking the Monkey
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Ah yes, the classic teen summer sex comedy where the frustrated protagonist, in a series of hijinks, ends up sleeping with his mom... no.... wait! Yep, 1994's Spanking the Monkey builds the strangely believable scenario of how such a preposterous Greek drama may actually unfold in the sub-urban present day. Matt and Mark agree that the film would have been able to deliver its point without the taboo act, but would it have been as poignant? Perhaps. But in a truly dysfunctional family, rife with jealousy and unrequited needs, incest as an act of vandalism maybe isn't that unbelievable. However, Matt and Mark agree, having to spank the titular monkey in the bathroom of a somewhat empty house is absolute contrivance!<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM204/TheCultofMM204.mp3">204 Spanking the Monkey</a></div>
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203 The Omega Man
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The NRA fantasy which Chuck Heston somehow misconstrued for reality later in life, The Omega Man attempts a worthy adaptation of the Matheson vampire classic I Am Legend... and kind of fails. The tone changes and plot holes, including The Family as worthy post-apocalyptic adversaries, divorced the film from the lonely psychological epic of its source material. There's been three IAL adaptations, all failing to deliver the titular goods due to Hollywood's need for a well tested ending. The Omega Man, sadly, is just an imperfect milestone towards the yet-to-be-made film we all deserve.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM203/TheCultofMM203.mp3">203 The Omega Man</a></div>
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Donnie Darko (Archive01)
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It's summertime folks! And you know what that means, vacation! Mark is out of town, so to tide you over until our review of The Omega Man, we bring you one from the archives (Archive01 that is)... D. Darko!! Remember jet engines make strange bedfellows and don't hit the cinemas with Frank the Bunny, he talks to goddamn much. Enjoy!<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM051/TheCultofMM051.mp3">Donnie Darko (Archive01)</a></div>
Listen:
202 Network
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Are you as mad as Hell? Are you going to keep taking it?.... yeah, probably. What's better than raging against machine? Raging against the machine for profit and marketshare. The duplicitous nature of corporate television news seems to somehow continue to masquerade as impartial, a shabby illusion we continue to buy into even today. "Damn, liberal media!" Network not only exposes this thin facade, but it hints at television gutters to come, infotainment, scripted reality t.v., etc... What's the abyssal chthonic terminus of all this? Take a look at your 2016 ballot, and we're almost there.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM202/TheCultofMM202.mp3">202 Network</a></div>
Listen:
201 Demolition Man
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It's been awhile, but Matt and Mark are back! We review the 1996 sci-fi actioner Demolition Man. Despite the titular song by the stung solo artist Sting, Demo Man satisfies the action itch while deftly inserting humor into a farcical future. Stallone and Woody Allen may live in separate universes, but Demo Man mirrors the classic Sleeper in more ways then you'd suspect. And, who the f*%k doesn't love Wesley Snipes (well, besides the IRS)..<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM201/TheCultofMM201.mp3">201 Demolition Man</a></div>
Listen:
Bonus Episode #2
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It's our long awaited bonus episode! This one's for the fans (and friends) who've managed to get it together to listen to our inanity for four years running! A free-from mix of topical tangential nonsense and our morning coffee house ramblings. There's a good 2.5 hrs dosage here. Binge away. We'll be back for another 100 episodes of cult film reviews in a couple of weeks. And if you're longing for more, hit our back episodes by following the links on our blog at cultfilmreview.blogspot.com or head over to iTunes and search The Cult of Matt and Mark Archive01..<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/BONUSEPISODE02/BONUSEPISODE02.mp3">Bonus Episode #2</a></div>
Listen:
200 Mulholland Drive
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We made it! This week Matt and Mark celebrate our 200th Podcast with Lynch's masterpiece Mulholland Drive. A dream film with a reality coda, Lynch creates an evocative experience that never loses sight of its character study. This is a film about the jagged hard edge of Hollywood's ego trip and its menace to the dreamers who dare give it a go. Diane/Betty's downward spiral of mediocrity and failure is nothing new, but Lynch teases out a world that is like a Grimm fairy tale, a mix of innocent intentions and nightmare.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM200/TheCultofMM200.mp3">200 Mulholland Drive</a></div>
Listen:
199 Planet of the Apes
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This week Matt and Mark go ape shit over Planet of the Apes. A straightforward piece of beautiful science fiction, PotA does the classic turn of reversing the world we take for granted. While assuming the position of a middle-ages clergymen, Dr. Zias is oddly perhaps the most sympathetic character of the film (at least he's not a miserable nihilist like that asshole Taylor). Is there such thing as a benign charlatan? While absolute truth my serve the individual, its role in culture may be something more complicated.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM199/TheCultofMM199.mp3">199 Planet of the Apes</a></div>
Listen:
198 Behind the Green Door
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Can anyone ever make a truly "good" porn film? Most of the time the subject matter's visceral mechanics deny any higher humanization of performers, and no one ever seems to have time for back story, plot, or character development. But 1972's Behind the Green door attempts to rise above its stag film pedigree.... and kind of fails. Matt and Mark agree that, while interesting in a historical sense, its not a good film, neither as a 'film' or pornographically. Swept under the rug of VHS tapes and Youporn, it's time has past but its psychedelic money shots remain in our collective consciousness.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM198/TheCultofMM198.mp3">198 Behind the Green Door</a> </div>
Listen:
197 C.H.U.D.
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It's hard not to discuss the nature of Trump supporters without bringing up the seminal 80's schlock fest C.H.U.D. Despite the nuclear sized plot-holes and inadequate monster origins story, C.H.U.D. manages a little bit of charm by utilizing the acting talents of its strong second tier cast to the fullest. If anything, it harvests the zeitgeists of 80's era nuclear waste trains and rogue sewer alligator urban-myths, welcoming us back to this bygone Reagan era.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM197/TheCultofMM197.mp3">197 C.H.U.D.</a></div>
Listen:
196 Paths of Glory
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And we're back! Sorry for the delay, but after almost 200 episodes, life occasionally gets in the way of getting the podcasts out. This week we review an early Kubrick masterpiece Paths of Glory as part of our ultra-mini WWI movie marathon to commemorate the 100th anniversary. Mark boldly states this is one of the finest films he's ever seen and Matt can't really find anything wrong with such a pronouncement, as PoG manages to defy his nihilistic and cynical tendencies without contradicting them. From a film that exclusively depicts men at war, it's hallmark denouement, featuring the film's only female actor (Kubrick's future wife), is a cinematic landmark that resonates and transcends its subject material.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM196/TheCultofMM196.mp3">196 Paths of Glory</a></div>
Listen:
The Shining (Archive01)
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Once again, a cold has seized Matt's vocal chords and is holding them hostage. It appears 12 hours in an airplane over two days will guarantee a winter virus. In lieu of our Paths of Glory podcast, we serve up one from The Cult of Matt and Mark Archive01, our most downloaded podcast ever actually, The Shining! <br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMattandMark_TheCultFilmReviewPodcastEpisode_14_TheShiningbyStanleyKubric/TheCultofMM014.mp3">The Shining (Archive01)</a></div>
Listen:
195 Gallipoli
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Mark and Matt is kicking off a mini-World War I movie marathon (actually two movies) to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the Great One. While not exactly a heavy anti-war film, Gallipoli isn't so much about war as it is about the personalities that populate them. Has romanticism and combat really been exorcised from young men? If there is a solid thematic element to Gallipoli, it questions the strange draw young men have to fighting strangers in strange lands.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM195/TheCultofMM195.mp3">195 Gallipoli</a></div>
Listen:
Blade Runner (Archive01)
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Matt has no voice due to an epic daycare cold. So we invite you to listen to an oldie but a goodie this week. From The Cult of Matt and Mark Archive01.... Blade Runner. We'll be back next week with our review of Gallipoli.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMattandMarkEpisode_20_BladeRunner/TheCultofMM020C.mp3">Blade Runner (Archive01)</a> </div>
Listen:
194 Saturday Night Fever
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This week Mark has a slight fever and decides to promptly take a Tylenol to get rid of it. Long after the disco inferno has gone to ash and receded a whole new pop landscape, John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever still draws a crowd. Matt and Mark attempt to figure out why this was Gene Siskell's favorite movie... hmm... Despite it's ancillary (and terrible) sub-plot elements the idea of rising above one's station seems to be the overriding attraction, perhaps. Regardless, it's hard to not think you're watching an episode of the Jersey Shore circa 1977. GTL ya'll.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM194/TheCultofMM194.mp3">194 Saturday Night Fever</a></div>
Listen:
193 Crash (1996)
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If kinked up pornography were the domain of aliens and/or computer programs, they would no doubt eventually arrive at Chronenberg's 1996 Crash. Cars are sexy status symbols which are extensions of ourselves. Middle-aged graying men buy Porsches to reclaim lost virility, etc... Is there an S&M analogy? Not really. But there should be, right? That question is what makes Crash so cold and perplexing. As watchers we are meant to be turned away from this particular fetish. It's supposed to not make sense. It is paradox.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM193/TheCultofMM193.mp3">193 Crash (1996)</a></div>
Listen:
192 Equilibrium
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Time to drop some Prozium and review Equilibrium this week om The Cult of Matt and Mark. Despite being a highly derivative film, Equilibrium promotes and explores ideas, which has always been the currency of decent science fiction. The film does work on a certain level, even the contrived made-for-Hollywood martial art Gun-kata is intriguing and entertaining. M&M wonder if Libria is in fact a metaphor for pharma-fueled child rearing these days. Is prescribing an answer for negotiating the inner caveman of toddlers?<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM192/TheCultofMM192.mp3">192 Equilibrium</a></div>
Listen:
191 Drive
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Drive, was a critical darling when it debuted and also the focus of populist backlash... which in our opinion, was a good thing, because we wouldn't have Refn's Drive otherwise. Matt and Mark concur that underneath it all, this is a character study. As the fable goes, why does the scorpian kill the frog and himself, despite the consequence of mutual destruction? Driver understands it: because it's his nature. The world is gray and as such, there are no pure psychopaths. There is, however, a thirst for redemption and change, stoked by a kernel of empathy that's dying to get it out.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM191/TheCultofMM191.mp3">191 Drive</a></div>
Listen:
190 Repo Man
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Matt and Mark finally get around to reviewing the 80s cult classic Repo Man. A film that holds an affection for the early 80's LA punk scene, it breaks B-movie convention with its multi-party hilarity and deft inside jokes. While not a great movie, it is entertaining and it seems few film roles are dedicated to the weird legal twilight of the repo man. Also in this episode is a certified Matt and Mark double feature, our mini-review of the new Star Wars film at the end (warning spoilers!)<br />
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Download: <a href="http://archive.org/download/TheCultofMM190/TheCultofMM190.mp3">190 Repo Man</a></div>
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