Cinema Oblivia

Madeleine Koestner returns to Cinema Oblivia to talk about American Gothic, a supremely gnarly late-80s hidden gem of a slasher about a seriously dysfunctional family and the idiots yuppies they decide to slay.  Content Warning: We discuss fictional depictions of graphic sexual assault, and considering the tone of this film, our tone is certainly not serious when doing so.

The Challenge, directed by John Frankenheimer and starring Scott Glenn, is not the greatest film in the world. It was certainly not the greatest film to come out in 1982, but it's about a giant white dipshit living in Japan and making an ass of himself. And as a giant white dipshit who lives in Japan who routinely makes an ass of himself, I felt seen. Although I've killed far less people than Scott Glenn does in this movie (at least, so far). Fellow American in Japan Diamond Feit joins me to talk about this very silly film.

Last month it was Ant with Anthony Abatte. This month it's Bees...with Anthony Abatte...because I don't know anyone whose name is Bee.  You've never seen a killer bees movie like The Bees. Believe you me. In a time of great strife and war, the themes of unity and togetherness that are touched upon in The Bees should inspire us all to make the world a better place. And John Saxon. John Saxon is great (and oddly attractive).

ANThony Abatte joins me once more to discuss this ANTagonistic film about killer ants. It's real great bad movie, even if the ending is really ANTiclmatic. Sorry. (No I'm not).

Ever wish that every other person on the planet would vanish in a puff of smoke? Feeling that way more than usual lately? So have I! And so has Scott Sharkey, who wanders in from the wastelands to talk about The Quiet Earth, the hugely influential New Zealand classic about what it would be like to be the literal last man on Earth (and then suddenly not be).

We're closing out this year at Cinema Oblivia by offering a virtual smorgasbord of lesser-known film recommendations. Diamond Feit joins me once ore as we browse the absolute depths of Letterboxd to find the weirdest, most out-there, and criminally under-seen films we've watched, as well as our picks for the best movies we've seen this year!

Depressed over the current state of the world? Have you considered using a monster truck to solve your problems?   Diamond Feit and Anthony Abatte join me to talk about Rolling Vengeance, the world's only monster truck revenge movie. Yes, it is Canadian. And it rules.

It's nearly Halloween so I thought I'd meet with Joe & Rob from Caliber 9 From Outer Space to share some recommendations for spookytime movie watching. Whether you're into actually scary movies, gory movies, or just silly goofy movies with a horror bent, we got something for you in this episode. And stay tuned at the end to hear which presidential candidate earns the coveted official Cinema Oblivia endorsement!

DON'T YOU SAY THAT. Emmett Watkins Jr. returns to the podcast to talk about this wacky Blaxploitation spoof that helped to launch the Wayans family empire. We had a lot to say about this one, it may be my longest episode yet! We also talk about its lesser-known sequel/spin-off (yes, really!) and another attempt at Blaxsploitation homage that did not work nearly as well, Original Gangstas.

What's more terrifying than a circus full of clowns? A circus full of vampires! Joe Odber from the Caliber 9 From Outer Space podcast returns to Cinema Oblivia to talk about Vampire Circus, a 1970s Hammer horror flick that's oddly disturbing when compared to their other flicks featured fanged villain. Slight content warning on this one, there is some icky stuff in this one!

Anthony Abatte joins me once again to talk about Catch The Heat, an utterly forgotten late-80s B-grade action flick written by Sterling Silliphant and starring his wife Tiana Alexandra. It's a mess! But it's a charming mess. When it's not throwing out really bad racial slurs in its attempt to criticize racism. Yeah, um, content warning on this one.

Rob Hill of the Bad Movie Bible returns with possibly the most British thing I have ever seen in my entire life. If you've never seen Mr. Jolly Lives Next Door, for God's sake go on YouTube right now and watch Mr. Jolly Lives Next Door, it's only 53 minutes long! Then come back and listen to us laugh about Mr. Jolly Lives Next Door for over 90 minutes.

Doris Day makes her long-awaited debut on Cinema Oblivia! I put together this episode with Anthony Abatte and Diamond Feit because I wanted to introduce them to the wonderful world of Doris Day. And while we did that, I think we spent even more time talking about the amazing wit of Eve Arden and the inhuman dancing of Gene Nelson!

I've been unable to record lately due to my ever-so-fun health issues, so I thought I'd throw together this quick episode going over the multitude of Charles Bronson films I've seen recently. There are a lot, and most of them aren't the first flicks people think of when they think of Bronson. Lots of fun movies here, I hope you come away from this with some movies you want to check out!

It's the goopiest episode of Cinema Oblivia yet! Is Species II an unfairly maligned sequel? Madeleine Koestner thinks so, and she makes her case that this movie has a bad rep that is, well, at least partially unjustified. I mean, let's not get crazy here.

Last week I watched Batman & Robin for the first time and I unironically loved it so much. Seriously, I think it's an amazing movie and maybe the best Batman movie ever made. I needed to talk to someone about it! Thankfully, superhero movie aficionado and Batman superfan Anthony Abatte was able to join me to offer a more sane opinion on the film. We also talk about other films where our opinions deviate from the norm, sometimes we all have really out-there opinions!

Diamond Feit and I cannot stop talking about 1970s plane disaster TV movies! We're back with two more, the ludicrous Murder on Flight 502 and the absolutely bonkers SST: Death Flight! We, as a culture, lost something when we stopped making star-studded TV movies, I tell ya.

The 70s were rife with TV movies about bad things happening on planes, and we're talking about two of them today! Diamond Feit joins me to talk about William Shatner, ghost druids, Marjoe Gortner, drunk doctors, Christopher George, and more!

I'm back! And I brought Anthony Abatte with me so we could talk about The Last Stand, a movie starring one of the biggest movie stars of all time (Arnold Schwarzenegger) that only came out 11 years ago, but has somehow managed to be completely forgotten. Which is a shame because while it ain't high art by any stretch of the imagination, it's damn good.

Hey everyone! I'm still here! Covid sucks, don't get it. It (and other things) are keeping me from recording a proper episode this month, so I thought I'd record this mini non-episode to let you all know what's going on, and rattle off the 30+ movies I've watched in 14 or so days. I had a lot of down time.

Italian cinema fanatic Joe Odber is back to talk about The Italian Connection, a classic Italian crime flick about a pimp who is having a very bad day. It was also a major influence on Pulp Fiction, features a dope as hell score, and 70s lapels galore. It's fantastic.

Okay so there's a pig zombie monster wearing a Nazi jacket. And some kind of zombie lady? There's definitely a ghost horse and a shotgun with infinite ammo. But where does the mummy fit into all of this? Madeleine Koestner returns to try and help me digest one of the most inscrutably bad(?) movies ever made, Devil Story. We also delve into what we think makes an honest-to-goodness worst movie ever made, and why many people's picks for the worst movie of all-time are bullshit.  

In what might the be sleaziest episode of Cinema Oblivia yet, Diamond Feit returns to talk about De Palma's Hitchcockian thriller Body Double, one of the most ludicrously horny films ever made. It puts the 'cock' in 'Hitchcockian.' It's also the greatest film ever made that incorporates a Frankie Goes to Hollywood video in its narrative. And before you ask, yes there is another. No, I won't tell you what it is. Content warning: Lots of ribald sex talk in this one.

Since the last episode of Cinema Oblivia, my boyfriend got Covid, I flew to America, landed myself in the ER and [redacted personal drama]. Basically, it's been a hell of a month, so I felt like talking about movies that cheer me up. Anthony Abatte joins me to discuss his comfort films, what we feel makes a good comfort film, and our go-to emergency "cheer someone up" flicks.

Drew Mackie from The Gayest Episode Ever returns to Cinema Oblivia to talk about the 1986 fantasy classic Troll, aka the one true Harry Potter film (seriously). We talk about the movie's fantastic cast, great special effects, and what we want from a REAL Troll sequel.

I found Scott Sharkey wondering in the desert, put a microphone in front of him, and had him talk about the lesser-known Vincent Price/John Carradine horror anthology The Monster Club. This swan song of British horror anthologies is goofy as hell. Find out what a humgoo is and why Shaddocks should NEVER WHISTLE. And hear some great (and horrible) monster-themed rock and/or roll!

Rob Hill from the Bad Movie Bible returns to the podcast to discuss one of his favorite films of all-time, the obscure 1961 British murder mystery, What A Carve Up! (The exclamation point is in the title) You definitely haven't heard of that movie but I hope you give the episode a listen regardless.

Dr. Sparkle makes his return to the podcast to talk about Mario Bava's Bay Of Blood, a strange proto-slasher with gore-o-plenty and a plot-o-nonsense, but it's a hell of a lot of fun, if you got the stomach for it.

When pronouns attack! Them! is a giant monster movie classic. The definitive killer bug flick that holds up better than any of the multitudes that came in its wake. Anthony Abatte and I talk about the flick, how it launched the careers of two boomer TV icons, and briefly go over other giant bug movies that might be worth a watch (there aren't many). This one's for you, dad.

Certified Australian Rhys (aka FlemishDog) is back to discuss two of the most Australian films ever made, Death Cheaters and Stunt Rock, both written and directed by the most Australian filmmaker, Brian Trenchard-Smith, and starring the most Australian stuntman/actor ever, Grant Page. Don't worry about spoilers in this episode because these films barely have plots, but who needs plots when you have WICKED STUNTS AND HEAVY METAL.

*MYSTICAL BOINGING* Blood Beat is, without question, one of the most inscrutable and hard-to-describe "horror" films that I have ever seen. There's a family of psychics? And a ghost samurai? And I think orgasms power it? Or something? Thankfully I have Madeleine Koestner here to help me figure it out. I don't know if we succeed though. *MYSTICAL BOINGING CONTINUES*

Drew Mackie from The Gayest Episode Ever podcast is here to discuss Switchblade Sisters, a grindhouse classic by legendary B-movie director Jack Hill (Jackie Brown, Coffy). We talk about the gender and political subtext of this underrated girl gang classic, and all the amazing 70s hair.

Norm from A Question of Character returns to discuss TerrorVision! The crazy colors! The amazing cast! The spectacular special effects! The incredible theme song that WILL NEVER LEAVE MY HEAD. Turn off your TV before it eats you and give us a listen!

Diamond Feit returns to talk about Q: The Winged Serpent. One of my all-time favorite movies and, without question, the greatest movie ever made about a giant dragon that lives on top of the Chrysler Building and eats people. Larry Cohen was a mad genius.

Shane Bettenhausen and Alex Navarro both return to discuss the underrated Stephen King adaptation Firestarter, from 1984. They then begrudgingly stick around to discuss the massive piece of dog crap that is the absolutely horrendous 2022 remake. It's a bad movie. Bad movie. Bad.

I'm back! And so is Emmett Watkins Jr to talk about Run Lola Run! This movie rules! Emmett and I talk about just how much it rules, why it rules, and how it doesn't rule that there aren't more movies like it!

Anthony Abatte and I watched a lot of older flicks this year and we decided to look back on those instead of rattling off a Top Ten of 2022 this year - largely because I only saw 10 movies that came out this year. Hope you enjoy this more casual episode! Cinema Oblivia will be taking a slight break to start 2023 but I'll be back before the end of next month!

It's the very first Christmas-themed episode of Cinema Oblivia, as Joe Odber returns to discuss 1961's Cash On Demand. Yes, more Hammer and more Peter Cushing, but in a decidedly different film; a tale of a bank robber that's...surprisingly an affirmation of the Christmas spirit? And maybe an influence on Die Hard?

Oh boy. One of the absolute strangest movies of the early-80s, featuring a bravado performance by the wonderful Susan Tyrrell as THE WORST PRIMARY CAREGIVER EVER and shockingly progressive, LGBT+ themes, Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker is a one-of-a-kind fever dream of a film, exactly the kind of thing that Madeline Koestner likes to subject me to, and I'm better for it. Content Warning: Generally uncomfortable sexual themes/assault discussion.

More Peter Cushing! Diamond Feit is back to talk about Horror Express, one of the funnest, silliest, wackiest, goofiest horror movies of the early-70s. And not only does it star my all-time favorite actor of all-time, Peter Cushing, but it also features my second-favorite actor of all-time; Christopher Lee. And someone who would probably make the top 10 or so; Telly Savalas! This movie kicks ass.

This Halloween I decided to spread the gospel of the Hammer House of Horror by subjecting Hammer virgin Anthony Abatte to one of my favorite films from the studio, 1971's Twins Of Evil! Not only does it have a standout performance by the legendary Peter Cushing, but the, ahem, titular characters are really something else too. We also have a quick spoiler-free discussion about the new Halloween Ends, and rattle off some other horror movies you might want to check out this Halloween weekend.

"Die Hard but in Beverly Hills" is elevator pitch for The Taking of Beverly Hills. And while the film looked like a sure-fire hit on paper thanks to its star, the then white-hot Ken Wahl, and it's director, Sidney J. Furie, the didn't even get the chance to fade into obscurity - it debuted there. Rob Hill from The Bad Movie Bible joins me to try and find out why. Content warning; When discussing Wahl's past, I quote some homophobic things other people said.

The original idea of this podcast was to focus on the types of films they don't make anymore and "Technicolor underwater musicals" certainly fit that bill. Diana Goodman of 30-20-10 joins me today to talk about Million Dollar Mermaid. If you thought movies like The Avengers were spectacle, you ain't seen nothing yet.

We're 70s AF today on Cinema Oblivia. How 70s? We got a movie by the writer of Harold & Maude, starring Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn, and featuring a hit single by Barry Manilow. That's how 70s. Foul Play is a wacky little comedy that is very much of its era, and I'm happy that Diamond Feit called me up to talk about it! Check it out!

Shakedown is a 1988 action film about corrupt cops starring Peter Weller and Sam Elliott. It's one of the most bonkers movies of the 80s, thanks no doubt to its writer/director, the madman James Glickenhaus. Madeline Koestner joins me once again to discuss this utterly bizarre flick, and she brought her attorney with her! Because this movie is full of so many crazy courtroom shenanigans that I just had to find out from an expert just how inaccurate this movie is. The answer will (not) surprise you!

In 1987, Cannon Films teamed up with Toho Pictures in Japan to make a children's film about a friendly robot and his stupid American girl friend. It stars no one you've ever heard of and it was directed by a softcore porn producer. It's called Too Much, and it's really [insert movie title here]. Rhys (aka FlemishDog) joins me to talk about this family-friendly monstrosity.

We got an all-star line-up today! T.L. Foster is back! Anthony Abatte is back! Norm from A Question of Character is back! And they're all here to talk about American Ninja 2! Is it a good film? Probably not, but it's a great excuse to talk about Steve James, the man who should've been the biggest action star of the 1980s/90s/2000s/2010s and today.

A brilliant slice of life comedy from the director of The Last Dragon(!!) and Joel Schumacher(!?!?!?), Car Wash is a perfect time capsule of a bygone era, but still manages to hold up today as a fantastic comedy, all while offering insightful commentary on race, gender, sexuality, and religion. And it has George Carlin and Richard Pryor! Anthony Abatte joins me to talk about this great piece of 70s pop culture, and its legendary soundtrack.

I'm dumb white boy (sometimes) and Norm from A Question of Character is a black dude from Chicago, so we felt we absolutely had to cover Big Shots - a film about a dumb white boy (sometimes) and a black kid from Chicago. This is not a great film, but it's definitely the best film about a white kid from suburban Chicago that was made without John Hughes' involvement. I absolutely love it. It also has what might be the worst rap song of all-time.

Thrashin' was an attempt by out-of-touch middle-aged men to make a hip and cool skateboarding film. They failed miserably. But I still love it! And so does Nextlander's Alex Navarro! We talk about this fascinating failure, and why we can't hate it despite it's mediocre acting, idiotic story, and absolutely atrocious original music.

Class of 1984 is a fantastic exploitation flick about a high school from hell, its evil bullies, and the poor teachers who just try to teach their damn students. Diamond Feit joins me to talk about this classic late-era grindhouse flick. Disclaimer: Although this is an over-the-top exploitation film, we do discuss real world school violence at times. Additionally, this was recorded BEFORE the horrific events in Texas.