OKC Film Society: After Dark

After another long hiatus, we are back with a massive episode. We cover the Scorsese/Marvel controversy, speak a bit about The Irishman, do a bit of jazz solo jumping around, and barely cover our last double-feature, Flash Gordon/Flesh Gordon. 

Hippieploitation meet Italian auteurism in our latest episode of Oklahoma Film Society: AFTER DARK. First up is Zabriskie Point, Michelangelo Antonioni 1970's capture of Vietnam protesting, airplane stealing and strange desert happenings; and last is An American Hippie in Israel, another instance of a foreign filmmaker trying to capture hippie culture... with very different results (a lot more white-faced murderers, goats and raft losing than Zabriskie Point).

In this episode, 3/4ths of our illustrious hosts talk about Quentin Tarantino’s latest film, discuss the 60s in America and the Manson family lure. Later on, Eric joins the fray just in time for some John Waters talk.

On this episode of Oklahoma Film Society: After Dark, independent filmmakers The Burns Brothers, join us for a double-feature time travel extravaganza.  The specimens this episode are George Roy Hill's 1972 film adaption of Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five and Nacho Vigalondo's 2007 scifi thriller Timecrimes. 

On this episode, the gang explores the neo-noir subgenre. This weeks double feature: Carl Franklin’s 1992 film ONE FALSE MOVE and Sam Raimi’s 1998 film A SIMPLE PLAN.  Both films feature Billy Bob “Uncle Goddamn” Thornton and the late great Bill Paxton.

  In hot anticipation of the FX Fosse/Verdon series, the gang dives head-first into All That Jazz and Star 80, Bob Fosse’s final two films. Give a listen as the guys merrily wade through these two light-hearted, feel-good movies about showbiz and fame!      Patrick Crain: @patrickcrain73 Eric King: @uncannykarloff Rodney McKinley: @rodofwar1 Kevin Tudor: @KevTudo

We continue our conversation with Mickey Reece, this time over film directors with problematic backgrounds.  We also get in a little 2019 OSCAR talk.

In this episode, the gang is joined by filmmaker Mickey Reece to discuss Greetings and Hi, Mom!, Brian De Palma’s two early, revolutionary comedies and other sundry items.

In this episode, the gang tackles the directorial debut of George Clooney, the woefully under-appreciated Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. Scripted by Charlie Kaufman, this wonderfully weird and dazzling adaptation of Chuck Barris’s famed autobiography is a flashy and surprisingly poignant ode to showbiz and its crushing pressures and disappointments. Paired with this was Chuck Barris’s one and only directorial turn, The Gong Show Movie. A notorious flop when released in 1980, this “film” is something of a wild curio that reflects Barris’s state of mind just prior to his penning of the source material for Clooney’s film. Terrible vanity project from a dark and troubled character, a cheap knock on Fellini’s 8 1/2, or a little of both? Go down a wild rabbit hole in a spirited discussion that spins completely out of control at the end and somehow pivots to a discussion on Bob Fosse and has Patrick screaming at Proud Boys.

On this episode, the gang tackles a horror double feature that should be experienced by everyone: Gloria Katz & Willard Huyck’s Messiah of Evil and John Hancock’s 1971 chiller, Let’s Scare Jessica to Death. Although they are two films that convey their respective female protagonists’ crumbling mental states, each entry is very unique in how it presents that material but each one is equally fascinating in its own right. One a low-budget, Euro-inspired semi-riff on Carnival of Souls and the other a forward-thinking meditation on mental illness and isolation, the two make for a double bill the perfection of which even caught the gang by surprise.   Patrick Crain: @patrickcrain73 Eric King: @uncannykarloff Rodney McKinley: @rodofwar1 Kevin Tudor: @KevTudo

FilmStruck is dead and Disney is forming its own streaming service while physical media aisles in stores decrease in size. The gang discuss the culture of streaming and the importance of owning physical media while companies continue to axe streaming services, leaving customers without titles that are unfortunately never promised to them.   Patrick Crain: @patrickcrain73 Eric King: @uncannykarloff Rodney McKinley: @rodofwar1 Kevin Tudor: @KevTudo

The gang comes together for another double feature with special guest Laron Chapman. This month's double feature is 1976's Taxi Driver and 2018's First Reformed, both written by Paul Schrader. We talked about Paul Schrader's career, how Taxi Driver still resonates today and how First Reformed takes the essence of Taxi Driver to different and similar levels.   Patrick Crain: @patrickcrain73 Eric King: @uncannykarloff Rodney McKinley: @rodofwar1 Kevin Tudor: @KevTudo Laron Chapman: @THENAMESLARON

The gang dives into the gall bladder and drinks the blood of wirgins in this episode, a look at Paul Morrissey’s Flesh For Frankenstein and Blood For Dracula; two gory, highbrow arthouse exploitation flicks that are curiously missing Andy Warhol despite his above-the-title credit but are abundant with the inspired wackiness of Udo Kier, Joe Dallesandro, and Arno Jürging amid ravishing landscapes and incredible locations.   Follow the individual Twitter accounts of the OKCFS: After Dark cast at:   Patrick Crain: @patrickcrain73 Eric King: @uncannykarloff Rodney McKinley: @rodofwar1 Kevin Tudor: @KevTudo

The Director’s Cut is a now-ubiquitous term that means nothing. Take a trip with the gang as they dive into the history of this practice and explore how it went from a specialized event to give unfairly-maligned films another life to crass marketing ploy created only to sell units on home video.   Follow the individual Twitter accounts of the OKCFS: After Dark cast at:   Patrick Crain: @patrickcrain73 Eric King: @uncannykarloff Rodney McKinley: @rodofwar1 Kevin Tudor: @KevTudor

On this episode, the gang tackles the entire filmography of writer-director William Peter Blatty whose cinematic adaptations of his own literary work defy genre standards and stand as unique and thoughtful statements on faith and humanity.   Follow the individual Twitter accounts of the OKCFS: After Dark cast at:   Patrick Crain: @patrickcrain73 Eric King: @uncannykarloff Rodney McKinley: @rodofwar1 Kevin Tudor: @KevTudor

In this thrilling episode, LSD is on the menu and the gang decides to pair Ken Russell’s eye-popping American debut Altered States with Jeff Lieberman’s late-70’s relic Blue Sunshine. In a double feature that ranged from man’s very existence all the way to raging acid flashbacks in a shopping mall disco, there was obviously plenty to chew on and trip to.   Follow the individual Twitter accounts of the OKCFS: After Dark cast at:   Patrick Crain: @patrickcrain73 Eric King: @uncannykarloff Rodney McKinley: @rodofwar1 Kevin Tudor: @KevTudor    

With the release of the new Halloween trailer, we discuss the quite convoluted lineage of the Halloween series, the various Halloween entries that are being thrown out the window and our expectations with this new sequel. If you have any suggestions for films for us to dissect or would like to potentially guest on an episode (we’re four white dudes, we could use some diversity), follow and tell us on Twitter at @OKCFSAfterDark!   Follow the individual Twitter accounts of the OKCFS: After Dark cast at:   Patrick Crain: @patrickcrain73 Eric King: @uncannykarloff Rodney McKinley: @rodofwar1 Kevin Tudor: @KevTudor

Our latest episode is the first in our special topics series where we talk the culture of film in its various forms. So of course we chose to go with “vape cinema”. Returning champion Kirsten Thurkelson returns to the pod.

In this episode, the gang welcomes Kirsten Therkelson AKA the Frightful Femme to join in on dragging two very 1980’s films directed by schlockmeister extraordinaire Kevin S. Tenney, WITCHBOARD and (not a sequel to WITCHBOARD) WITCHTRAP. You can follow Kirsten on her grand adventure on Twitter @kranstin, and you can check out her wares at http://www.goodtrashmedia.com/category/articles/the-frightful-femme-anticlickbait/   If you have any suggestions for films for us to dissect or would like to potentially guest on an episode (we’re four white dudes, we could use some diversity), follow and tell us on Twitter at @OKCFSAfterDark!   Follow the individual Twitter accounts of the OKCFS: After Dark cast at:   Patrick Crain: @patrickcrain73 Eric King: @uncannykarloff Rodney McKinley: @rodofwar1 Kevin Tudor: @KevTudor

In this episode, the gang discuss George Romero’s Martin and Season of the Witch, two pivotal films in the storied filmmaker’s career. Retaining Night of the Living Dead’s sharp eye for social commentary and looking forward to Dawn of the Dead’s evocation of suburban America’s slow death via consumption and boredom, these two underseen gems cement Romero as one of the most thoughtful and versatile genre directors of all time.   If you have any suggestions for films for us to dissect or would like to potentially guest on an episode (we’re four white dudes, we could use some diversity), follow and tell us on Twitter at @OKCFSAfterDark!   Follow the individual Twitter accounts of the OKCFS: After Dark cast at:   Patrick Crain: @patrickcrain73 Eric King: @uncannykarloff Rodney McKinley: @rodofwar1 Kevin Tudor: @KevTudor

Our inaugural episode covers two films from William Friedkin: 1977's SORCERER and the controversial 1980's CRUISING. Join our brave heroes as they discuss the intense thrill ride of SORCERER, the controversial S&M-based CRUISING and Friedkin's career around these two films.   If you have any suggestions for films for us to dissect or would like to potentially guest on an episode (we’re four white dudes, we could use some diversity), follow and tell us on Twitter at @OKCFSAfterDark!   Follow the individual Twitter accounts of the OKCFS: After Dark cast at:   Patrick Crain: @patrickcrain73 Eric King: @uncannykarloff Rodney McKinley: @rodofwar1 Kevin Tudor: @KevTudor