LIVING IN LETTERBOX

Our first episode in six months includes a lot of diverse reviews: I talk about Lars Von Trier's sexual saga NYMPHOMANIAC and the excellent indie revenge thriller BLUE RUIN. Steve shares why he loves ROCKY III but despises ROCKY IV, and he praises the documentary BIRTH OF THE LIVING DEAD, which documents the making of George Romero's NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD.And finally, we try to figure out why Cineplex Odeon would like to charge patrons extra for "the best seats".

This month, we start by talking about Paul Walker's death and how it affects the future of FAST & FURIOUS 7. On the lighter side of things, Steve recommends a movie to me that he didn't care for at all, but felt I would really enjoy: director William Friedkin's 1983 flop DEAL OF THE CENTURY, a war arms satire starring Chevy Chase! I review what I feel is the best film of 2013 so far, 12 YEARS A SLAVE, plus BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR, Spike Lee's remake of OLD BOY and BIG STAR: NOTHING CAN HURT ME, a documentary about the 70s rock band whose cult following brought them out of obscurity. We also talk about the golden days of movie novelizations and Steve reviews INDIE GAME: THE MOVIE which is a revealing doc about the merciless and painful obsession of creating video games.

This month Steve and I delve into alternate kinds of dark territory by reviewing the monolithic sci-fi hit GRAVITY and the remake of MANIAC starring Elijah Wood. I also review THE KILLER SNAKES, a 1973 horror film produced by the Shaw Brothers. We also discuss the difficulties of separating art from artist, case in point: the author Orson Scott Card, who wrote the book ENDER'S GAME, and his controversial stance on homosexuality. Can you endorse a person's literature, film or other work of art and easily reject their unpopular opinions and actions? This and a whole lot more great chatter on this episode.

Steve and I talk about the viral phenomenon that is SHARKNADO and why this made-for-cable shark hybrid movie became so successful. Steve reviews two recent documentaries about movies: CLEANFLIX which reveals how Mormons are able to watch R-rated films and THAT GUY WHO WAS IN THAT THING, about the lives and careers of some very familiar character actors. I review two notable classics, the 1966 adventure THE NAKED PREY and Wim Wenders' classic PARIS, TEXAS. Steve also recommends a film with the wonderful title of MAGIC COP.