Films at First Sight

Our "Star Search" is still shining bright as we dive into Graham's star selection, Harry Dean Stanton. Unfortunately for him, Joe is at the reins and is taking them into the Deep South with Monte Hellman's Cockfighter AKA Born to Kill. Will their journey into the violent sporting world of cockfighting tear the show apart? Tune in to find out!

It's summertime and that must mean one thing, we are headed down South to visit that special "Summer Camp for Cinephiles" that sits along a bend of the Tennessee River, the Chattanooga Film Festival!! Joe and Rachel kicks things out with a special look at Anthony Cousins's Frogman Returns. That's right, the green guy is back! And so is Dallas, Amy, the Children of Frogman, and some new unfortunatte souls that are set to witness the horrors that lie in wait. Will the crew survive another journey to Loveland, OH or will they wish they turned around when they stopped for gas at Frog-ee's? Tune in to find out!

Caitlin from the Plug It Up! podcast joins us to chat about Julianne Moore and Todd Hayne's historical melodrama, Far from Heaven. Will the crew be swept away by the lush technicolor musings on life in America circa the 1950's or will the dive into the interstitial space of gender, race, class, and sexuality be too much? Tune in to find out!

Jody and Mando from the Dads from the Crypt podcast join Joe to talk about Sam Fox's funny and colorful short film, "The Blue Diamond". Will this farcical funeral indoctrinate the fellas or will the slopes be a bit too slippery for their taste. Throw on your best ski googles and tune in to find out!

Deke from Sidetrackd16 joins us for our "Star Search" month which kicks off with Robert Mitchum! Oh, and we're throwing in Elizabeth Taylor and Mia Farrow as well in Joseph Losey's Secret Ceremony! So, join us for an escapade in questionable relationships and even more questionable facial hair. Will Deke discover a thrilling masterpiece, or will some secrets just be too much? Tune in to find out!

We're celebrating the start of summer with friends and intimate stories from the South Jersey Shore. Rachel and Tillie join Joe to discuss AGFA's recent release of Carol Weaks Cassidy and Ruth Leitman's documentary Wildwood, NJ, a wild and captivating look at the lives of various women in Wildwood, New Jersey in 1994. So, grab a seat and soak in the Super 8 vibes with us as we dive into our own childhood seaside experiences while marveling at the authentic snapshot of Americana that was captured over a sizzling New Jersey summer!

We celebrate the end of our insanely vain dive into Craig Denney's The Astrologer with good friend of the show Steve, who has more than a few questions for us about the movie. Will the tables be turned on us or will Steve realize there is no point in fighting the cosmic current that has swept us all out to sea? Tune in to find out!

We are at our penultimate episode where we invite people to be interviewed after watching/experiencing Craig Denney's The Astrologer. Ariel from the More Deadly Podcast had a feeling she was in for something weird, but certainly didn't anticipate so much random murder. Will the film leave a lasting impression or will it be just another Tuesday afternoon for her? Tune in to find out!

Short Ends is back, and we have a brand-new guest to help us celebrate the short film format. Tillie from the Zombie Grrlz Horror Podcast Network joins Joe to chat about Nana Duffuor's "Rainbow Girls", a tale of finding community through the transgressive action of shoplifting, which is based on real-life events that occurred in the Bay Area. Will we connect with the colorful trio or will things fall apart before they ever had a chance to truly be free? Tune in to find out!

"The art of our necessities is strange. That can make vile things precious." The end of our weird and awesome dive into Craig Denney's The Astrologer is nigh, so who better to turn to than the well-behaved Norse God, Thor? Actually, he is really the host of the podcast Thor's Hour of Thunder. Will lightning strike with this outrageous epic or will the rise and fall of an everyday conman just be too much? Tune in to find out!

We're back from the cosmic insanity of The Astrologer and somehow things have gotten even more strange and awesome. William Kroll, the designer and craftsman behind Tender Co.'s designs and wares, joins us to talk about Boots Riley's latest film, I Love Boosters. Will the maximalist heist film bring the crew together in solidarity or will they wish they brought in some scab-ass busters to do the dirty work? Tune in to find out!

Our globetrotting adventures continue thanks to Craig Denney's The Astrologer. And much like our hero/villain, we circle back around and find ourselves on the California coast to check in with Whitney Lynn, creator of the Oh My Horror Movie Challenge. Will the cosmic mirror bring her the fortune she seeks or she find a new philosophy of nihilism and proclaim that God is Dead, Shit on Life, Hell is Earth? Tune in to find out!

There are crimes and there are legal crimes. Luckily, we have Adam Space Lawyer on retainer and he's here to help sort out Craig Denney's The Astrologer for us. Will he provide the answers that we seek, or will it just be an emotional meeting that lacks any clear dialogue? Tune in to find out!

The carnival lights are still bright but our dreams are even brighter. And yet, our guest's hair outshines them all. Rachel Shatto from the More Deadly Podcast as well as Bloody Good Horror, joins us to be asked a series of questions inspired by Craig Denney's The Astrologer. Will she wistfully sail the high seas or will she get stuck in a questionable bit of quicksand? Tune in to find out!

It's another SPECTACULAR! THRILLING! DIFFERENT! episode of Films at First Sight as our journey with Craig Denney's The Astrologer sails on. And what would an epic be without an appearance from somebody from the past? Brian McKenzie returns, but will he make it out of the Kenyan jungle alive? Tune in to find out!

Masterpiece to some, disasterpiece to others. Lots of others. Move over Taylor Swift, it's Craig Denney's The Astrologer Era. To celebrate, we are inviting 8 guests back to the show to watch the lost voyage of a man who wanted a sign too much and learned(?) that Jesters do oft prove prophets. First up, is Casey from the Bloody Good Horror podcast. Will he see all the riches that lay ahead or will he have sorrow around his eyes? Tune in to find out!

We are wrapping up our coverage of the West Chester Film Festival with some highlights from the 3rd and final day of the celebration of the short film format. And what better way to kick things off than with some brunch and animation as we hit up the pop-up event at BierHaul - TownHouse, which included an inspiring morning routine courtesy of "Dance Into the Day", the comedic musings of a bucket list in "Retirement Plan", the tough lessons of "Forevergreen", and a delivery driver committed to fast service in "Rush Order | Drive! CalGal Drive!". We then caught one of the last of Stephen King's "Dollar Babies" with "The Woman in The Room", a visually striking tale of domestic abuse in "Dark Orange", a comedic look at zombies and labor exploitation in the "MAGNET BRAIN", a hand-painted and heart-wrenching stunner with "Papillon (Butterfly)", and of course, we have a full breakdown of all of the festival's award winners. Check it out!!

Our recap of the West Chester Film Festival marches on with Day Two starting with a handful of documentaries, including one about a giant, both real and imaginary in  "N.C. Wyeth: The Giant", another about the coalition and community that made Pride possible in Phoenixville, PA in "See Me - LGBT Equality Alliance", and a rereading of a document most Americans THINK they know in "Dare to Declare". And of course the shorts continued with an Irish examination of grief through produce in "Cabbage", a tense and heartbreaking prison break in "Run Rabbit", a beautiful and heart-wrenching tale of greed and exploitation in "The Girl Who Cried Pearls", a rapper and his zombie Grandma just trying to survive the apocalypse the only way they know how in "Z-Mile", a humorous look at a woman making her way through the contemporary job market in "Excuse Me", an animated tale involving an adorably drawn community and its relationship to natural resources in "Varken (Pig)", summer love in "The Variety Club", and a poetic reflection on loss, love, and grief, in "Pour Concrete in my Wound". And there is more to come from the delectable short film buffet that is the West Chester Film Festival. Stay tuned for Day Three!!

Join us as we recap the wonderful West Chester Film Festival, a celebration of cinema that is bursting at the seams with short film goodness. Day one included Atlanta dance culture with "If Cities Could Dance: J-Setting Atlanta", a coming of age tale with "Leaf", the animated adventure "Éiru", medicine, a mermaid, and murder in "The Pearl Comb", an animated tale involving the "Black Paintings" with "The Quinta's Ghost", a comedic zombie attack with "White Meat: Appetizer", and the fantastically disturbing claymation "Playing God". Check it out and stay tuned for our coverage of Day 2 and Day 3!!

We're winding down our monthe of "Cream of the Crop" films with Hal Ashby's comedic gem, Being There, a film about cinema's first TV casualty played by the idelible Peter Sellers. Join us as we touch on his career, as well as Hal Ashby's filmography, while on a cinematic journey to discover if the white man really does have a God complex. 

We're back and this week we are bringing some friends with us as we climb the European social ladder with Stanley Kubrick's epic Barry Lyndon. Rosalie Kicks and Benjamin Leonard from MovieJawn give us the lowdown on Philly's BEST 'zine while we discuss duels, kissing cousins, the casting of this sweeping tale, and ponder the art that we would surround ourselves with. Will this lauded film lead us to a better and more fulfilled life or will fate intercede in the worst way? Tune in to find out!

This week we are looking at a film about the filmmaking process with the help of Ariel and Rachel from the More Deadly podcast as we discuss Olivier Assayas' Irma Vep from 1996. That's right, it's French cinema, Maggie Cheung, and a whole lotta questions! Will this meta-flick about a remake of Les Vampires be a success or will the gang feel like they've been robbed of their most precious commodity, time? Tune in to find out!!

Levi from the Well-Adjusted Horror Podcast joins us for an episode of Short Ends that is a bit silly and odd. We're talking De Düva from 1968, an Oscar nominated black & white short film that parodies the work of Ingmar Bergman. Will it turn out to be a hit with the fellas or will it just a pundent avian turd of a film? Tune in to find out!

We're kicking off a month of "cream of the crop" films with an arthouse flick that continues to be studied and criticized. Levi from the Well-Adjusted Horror Podcast joins us as our Ingmar Bergman expert as we chat about Persona from 1966. Will the enigmatic dive into the self click for the fellas or will they be left unable or unwilling to put the pieces together? Does any of it matter when things look so beautiful? Tune in to find out!

We are wrapping up our look at assassin films by heading back to Japan with Isao Yukisada's Revolver Lily, a gorgeous period-set action film starring the undeniable Hurka Ayase. And what would this cinematic adventure be without a final showdown as the fellas pit each of our killers against each other to determine the last person or persons standing. Will Yuri Ozone save the day or will the fellas be left wounded, wishing things could be different? Tune in to find out!

Welp, Joe is trapped in a creepy Polish cinema and there is a masked killer lurking about. Luckily, he is not alone and it is just a movie. Jody and Mando from the Dads From the Crypt podcast join him to chat about Dawid Torrone's new horror film, Dead by Dawn. Will the fellas become another unwilling victim to the multieyed maniac or will they live to watch this slasher flick another day? Tune in to find out!

We're hitting the road with a ragtag group of highly dangerous individuals when we sit down to chat about Stephen Frears' The Hit from 1984, a film that makes you wonder what a future with a bleach blonde Tim Roth would really hold. Will the fellas survive the journey across the sunbaked terrain of rural Spain or will they loose their cool and wish the whole bloody trip never took place? Tune in to find out!

We are back with another killer episode, or at least another episode about a killer. And a disarmingly beautiful at that! Alain Delon brings an otherworldly amount of cool to Jean-Pierre Melville' s Le Samouraï, a film that set the template for action thrillers to come. And a film that Joe can say he finally saw! Did the fellas fall for Jef's cold charm, or will they just be another mark for a legendary letdown? Tune in to find out! 

We're diving into a new theme for next month with a bang thanks to Anya from Celluloid Consommé. So, join us as we look at the profession of MURDER as seen across the globe. First up is Yugo Sakamoto's Baby Assassins from 2021, a film that takes downtime as serious as completing the Organization's next hit. Luckily for us all, the wholesome charm that Saori Izawa and Akari Takaishi bring to the screen may be a deadlier weapon than even the sharpest blade or quickest gun. Will the three of us be able to survive this new living situation or will we consider a major career change? Tune in to find out!

Join us as we take a look at Alex Cox's latest (and final?) film thanks to the fine folks at San Francisco IndieFest, Dead Souls, a Westerm adaptation of Nikolay Gogol's satire of the same name. Will the reinvention of the tale of greed, corruption, and classism strike a chord with the fellas or will it just be another cinematic obituary? Tune in to find out!

This week we are diving into the third dimension alongside Wit from the Another '80s Podcast as we chat about Exhumed Films' 3D Spectacular event held LIVE at the Colonial Theatre. That's right, it's a jampacked TRIPLE FEATURE with Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn, Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone, and Starchaser: The Legend of Orin, all presented in their original 35mm format and all in 3D. Will the fellas survive the intergalactic trip through the stroboscopic gimmick or will their eyes be blasted into space dust as they focus on a rock that looks REALLY CLOSE. Tune in to find out!

This week we are joined by Caitlin from the Plug It Up Podcast and Deke from Sidetrackd16 to talk about aliens, CEOs, conspiracy theories, and some wickedly dark humor. That's right, it's Yorgos Lanthimos' latest mind-melter, Bugonia. Is the film worthy of all of the Oscars buzzzzz? Tune in to find out! 

Deke joins the fellas to wade into Sven Bresser's contemplative murder mystery, Reedland. Amongst the reeds, we talk about first-time actors, the impact of isolation and how environments can reflect one's inner feelings, what constitutes a feature film, and FINALLY try to get to the bottom of where horses really come from. Will the reflective mystery click with the crew or will they get lost in the natural static of the world? Tune in to find out!

Graham is at the wheel and taking Joe and Caitlin from the Plug It Up! Horror Podcast on one helluva ride through the mind of musical maniac. That's right, we're talking Bob Fosse's All That Jazz, a film that has enough sweat to make even Joe Spinell nervous. Join us as we dive deep into a film that is as self indulgant as it is bursting at the seams with talent, joy and love for the craft. 

Grab your sharpest blade and nock your finest arrow as we head into the world of dark fantasy with Steven Kostanski's Deathstalker. And it wouldn't be a proper journey without a proper crew! Mando from Dads from the Crypt and Levi from the Well-Adjusted Horror podcast join Joe to talk about their taste in Sword & Sorcery films, Robert E. Howard, Frank Frazetta, remakes of B-Movies, giant blades, and of course swamp cuddling. Will the fellas survive their journey to a VERY BAD PLACE or will Nekromemnon prevail, plunging their cinematic world into eternal darkness? Tune in to find out!

This week we've got drug dealers, aliens, sophisticated detectives, uptight FBI agents, and enough explosions to turn Michael Bay into Tex Avery's Howling Wolf. Oh, and we forgot to mention, it's also Christmastime. That's right, we're talking Craig R. Baxley's action/sci-fi thrillride, I Come in Peace AKA Dark Angel with Deke from Sidetrakd16. Will this out-of-this-world tale create an endorphin burst large enough to trigger an intergalactic takeover of the planet or will the fellas be left stranded looking for another fix? Tune in to find out!

We're back and this week we are covering Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another, a film that has a little something for everyone. We're talking revolution, vaping, Leonardo DiCaprio, modern western motifs, comfy robes, white supremicists that LOVE Santa Claus, Sean Penn's induction into the Ministry of Silly Walks, and of course, a few small beers. So, remember to breathe, and tune in to find out if PTA televised the revolution or if Gil Scott-Heron was right all along!

It's that time of year where a chill in the air can be so cold that it permeates everything, eventually  settling deep in one's bones. Luckily, we have friends, fire, and ghost stories to keep us warm. Alyssa of the The Silver Scream Podcast joins Joe to discuss Kier-La Janisse's hauntingly good adaptation of "The Occupant of the Room", an eerie tale of a man just trying to find a safe place to sleep. Did the crew survive the night or were the spectral happenings in the Alps just too much to overcome? Tune in to find out!

This week, Graham brings Joe and Steve on a noirish journey through a desert full of family drama, betrayals, pyschobabble, and identity crisis, in Scott McGehee and David Siegel's stylish thriller Suture. Will the fellas get swept up in the mystery or will it be another unfortunate case of mistaken identity? Tune in to find out!

Whoops, sorry for the delay! We got distracted exploring eBay. Fortunately, we came back with the goods! Join us as we chat about Kiyoshi Kurosawa's latest thriller, Cloud, a film that ultimately asks, what are you really willing to sell to feel fulfilled? And according to Joe going gaga for the Japanese auteur, it may be EVERYTHING. Tune in to find out if the fellas fell upon another cinematic gem or if it was all just another scam!

This week we are tightening up our habits alongside Rachel from the More Deadly Podcast and Whitney from the Oh My Horror Movie Challenge, as we talk about the Powell & Pressburger epic from 1947, Black Narcissus. Will the crew be swept away by the sensuous winds of the Himalays or will it all just be too much resulting in deeds most foul? Tune in to find out!

This week, friend of the show Deke joins us as we head back to the Deuce with Joseph Cates' leering and pervy thriller, Who Killed Teddy Bear. It's an evening full of menacing phone calls, Sixties bops, rampant perversity, and of course, Sal Mineo's workout routine. And let's be honest, that last part is the entire reason Joe picked the film in the first place

Jody from Dads from the Crypt joins us again for another episode of Short Ends, and he's taking Joe to the prom. Well, sorta. He showed Joe a short film about a couple of kids whose romantic prom night takes a nightmarish turn. Join us as we chat about Brian Otting's "Prom Car '91"!

Short Ends is back and getting esoteric with Jody from Dads from the Crypt as he joins Joe to discuss Maya Deren and Alexandr Hackenschmied's experimental silent short film from 1943, Meshes of the Afternoon. So, step out of time with us as we discuss cloaked killers, doppelgangers, and sunlight horror while becoming increasingly concerned with the inherent dangers of taking an afternoon nap.

Technical difficulties be damned, nothing can stop Joe from talking about Steve Wang's stylistic action spectaluar Drive from 1997. With Graham on his own adventure, Wit and Zac swing on by to chat about Brittany Murphy, Hong Kong influences, friendship in films, and of course, cyborgs. Will Mark Dacascos win over their hearts or will they be as cold and mechanical as the advanced model? Throw some boots on your hands and tune in to find out!

This week, we are joined by Mando from the Dads from the Crypt podcast to discuss Daniel Goldhaber's eco-terrorism thriller, How to Blow Up a Pipeline. Alongside the implicatations of commiting such a crime in today's society, the fellas discuss other lighthearted topics such as the upcoming Faces of Death remake and Mando explains what the Lawn Dart Hula Hoop Challenge is. Tune in to find out if it all goes to hell or if we successfully ride off into the night with another great film! 

This week we're diving head first into one of Joe's favorite films of the year, Eephus. And it wouldn't be a baseball episode without a new member of the squad, friend of the show Ethan joins us for the first time to discuss the events that took place on the final day of play at Soldier's Field in Carson Lund's elegy to America's pasttime. Will this film be a homerun for Graham and Ethan or will they just get tired of the same old same old, throw their mits down, and walk off into the sunset? Tune in to find out!

This week Graham takes Joe on an inexplicable journey through Richard Kelly's Southland Tales, a film about porn stars, an amnesiac actor, the Book of Revelations, and so many other goddamn things that this could turn into a James Joyce-esque description if we hit each beat. So buckle up for opinions as divergent as Dwayne Johnson's acting abilities and get ready for some Fluid Karma as we try and parse through the madness of this sci-fi/action/drama/politcal satire from 2006. Will Joe be Left Behind or will he accept his role in all of the whirling chaos? Tune in to find out!

Joe and Graham spent the weekend down at the historic Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville, PA taking in the sights and sounds of the 3rd Annual Phoenixville Film Festival. So, join us as we recap the festivities and chat about such feature films as Drink and be Merry, American Comic, and RARE: A Rare Disease Revolution. And it would not be a proper film festival without a bevy of short films, including "Warning: Strong Language", "Phillipsburg A Railroad Legacy", "Pipe Dream", "Christopher & the Bug", "Hope", "Baldy", "So Close", "Flowers, Birds & Dad", "Gods of Cable City", and "Te Seguiré a la Oscuridad". Check it out!!

This week, Graham hops in the driver's seat with beset promises to Joe of an exotic destination. And where did they land? In the gang infested suburbs of Naples, Italy. That could mean only one thing, the fellas are talking Matteo Garrone's oppressively grim crime epic, Gomorrah. So tune in for discussions of urban crime, typical vs atypical mafia films, as well as their experiences with shooting firearms, drug robberies, stealing cars, child labor, and high fashion! Check it out!!

We're back and things are about to get weird! Join us as we talk Kuei Chih-Hung's INSANE horror-action film The Boxer's Omen, a film so entrenched in chaos, describing it feels like the ravings of a lunatic. But if's you're a fan of the Shaw Bros, Bolo Yeung, black magic, practical effects, dissolving bats, alligator skulls, creature feature work, eye gouging, head ripping, Buddhism, full moons, boobies, and of course Tawainese boxing, then do we have something in store for you!!