Retro Grade Podcast

“I'M NOT AN ANIMAL! I'M A HUMAN BEING!”As you may already know, we lost one of the great ones this year. In honor of David Lynch, we decided to go back to one of the earlier films in his career, The Elephant Man from 1980, starring John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins. The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards, is considered to be one of the greatest films of all time, a critical and commercial success in what would have been David Lynch's second film and put a lot of eyes on his future, incredibly influential body of work. However, despite Lynch being Austin's favorite director of all time, he has never seen The Elephant Man! Well, on this episode, we fix that.The Elephant Man is not known to be an incredibly surreal film, but we discuss the various similarities and signature iconography Lynch can't help but include in all his films, including The Elephant Man. We talk about the use of dreams, the use of sound, and how his sense of humor shines through in a film that more linear than his other body of work.We also talk about how the film approaches the topic of how society treats an outcast with a deformity/disability. It's not uncommon for the Academy to pay attention to this genre of film, but something about The Elephant Man is very different. What might be contrived and cliche in other films feels deeply moving in this one. How does The Elephant Man stand out and distinguish itself from “Oscar bait“ films?We also talk about the way the film was made and how the film differs from the reality of life for Joseph Merrick, the real life person who lived with this condition that lead people to refer to him as The Elephant Man. How does David Lynch go from making a surrealist art film, Eraserhead, to a narratively linear biopic that tugs on the heart? How does comedy legend Mel Brooks go from making Blazing Saddles to producing The Elephant Man? How did a babysitter get her boyfriend nominated for an Oscar? How did this movie invent an entirely new category the Academy had to pay attention to? We talk about all of this and more!This episode was very special for us and took a little bit of time to brew. With the changes in technology one would think more films would be more accessible to view at our convenience, but in fact that not the case for some films that are culturally significant like The Elephant Man. As of recording the episode we couldn't find the film digitally streaming/renting anywhere, but with luck we did manage to find the film on DVD at a reasonable price. After watching the film we might actually spring for that premium Criterion Collection version, because this film really is that special. In fact, the late John Hurt said in the making of documentary “If anyone isn't moved by the end of the film, I don't think I'd want that person in my life.“ We hope you enjoy this episode and seek the film out yourself, or hit us up about a potential screening!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“MY FAMILY HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN MEAT.”We hope you had a great Halloween! We know we are late, but over spooky season Jorge and Austin figured it was time to return to the horror genre, with one of the films that started it all! The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, directed by Tobe Hooper, released in 1974.While The Texas Chainsaw Massacre wasn't the first horror film, it certainly laid the blueprint out for modern horror cinema to copy from. From low budget to big profit, makes killers, found footage-esque grimy texture, “based on a true story” opening crawl, the final girl.. it all came from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre! Given that so many horror films borrowed from this film, how well does it hold up if you seen all of those other films first? This will be Austin's experience, as despite 34 years on this earth as a film fan, he's never seen it.Even though this film came out 50 years ago, during our watch for the episode we found a lot of things to talk about how it relates to our world today. Ideas of how divided the country is, the threat of capitalism and automation on the working class, the ethics of the meat industry, and the futile adherence to societal norms in a world that's crumbling apart. We also get into some of the behind the scenes on how the movie was made. Yes, no one actually got chainsawed while making the film.. but by the end of filming some may have wanted to chainsaw Tobe Hooper. We hope you enjoy this episode, and that you are excited for the next film we cover: Beetlejuice!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“WHY'S EVERYTHING SO BLACK, TOOT?“(CONTENT WARNING: Although this movie was very good, we do have to warn you that it might not be for everyone. The subject matter is difficult and might be triggering for some, as it deals with domestic violence, sexual assault and suicide.)On this episode, we explore mid 90's New Zealand Maori cinema in the critically acclaimed Once Were Warriors, directed by Lee Tamahori. The film stars Rena Owen, Temuera Morrison, and Cliff Curtis, and it is based on the first entry of Alan Duff's book trilogy. We went into this movie blind, only really knowing Temuera Morrison from playing Jango/Boba Fett in Star Wars, and seeing Cliff Curtis show up everywhere from Avatar 2 to Training Day. We took it up after one of Austin's streamer friends RasNoMas, a native Hawaiian, recommended it to cover the podcast. The film was a huge hit in New Zealand when it was originally released in 1994, drawing more at the NZ box office than Jurassic Park! It was released to the states the following year, and almost 20 years later we both watched it for the first time.The film is about a Maori family living in Auckland, New Zealand. Jake, played by Temuera Morrison is at first very charming, but has a violently abusive side to him that terrorizes his whole family. Beth, played by Rena Owen, is trying to be there for her children but is slowly losing them one by one. Throughout the course of the film, we see the family take refuge in parts of the Maori heritage and culture.The great thing about watching films from different periods, from different parts of the world, and from different cultures, is that we get a good luck at what it's like to live in someone else's shoes. Once Were Warrior succeeds here, as it doesn't portray our characters as one dimensional archetypes, but as complex people brought to life by truly phenomenal acting.We hope you enjoy this episode!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“AND IT WAS HERE, IN THIS BLIGHTED PLACE, THAT HE LEARNED TO LIVE AGAIN.“On this episode of the podcast we talk about one of the most influential post-apocalypse films of all time. One that's legacy has just been extended in an incredible prequel film that hit theaters on this year's Memorial Day weekend. We are talking about Mad Max 2, also known as The Road Warrior, directed by George Miller, starring Mel Gibson. We are also honored to have a guest, Nebula, who is a streamer, and a big Mad Max fan. In fact, Nebula was on our FIRST Mad Max episode: here. This is Jorge's first time watching the film, having only seen Fury Road and the first Mad Max film, so we were curious to see how he would react to George Miller's second attempt at depicting Australia at the end of the world.Sequels are often regarded as derivative, and “cash grabs“ of a previously successful movie. What makes Mad Max 2 different? We talk about how the film demonstrates how much George Miller has gotten as a film maker, being more deliberate with cinematography, making use of the bigger budget, and building a world without relying on heavy dialogue. There is so much to look at in this film, so much character, and for what little dialogue there is, some absolutely classic lines that we will remember forever. To this day, George Miller continues to grow as a filmmaker, challenging audiences and everyone crazy enough to be in his movies. And despite all of that, everyone seems to enjoy working with him.We talk about the iconic look of this film. Mad Max 2 is often used as the blue print for how people dress in the apocalypse, and maybe how some depictions of the gang might not hold up as well when we consider the history of how queer characters are represented in film. We nerd out about the stunts and the effect of real danger being caught on film, and what steps they took to keep people safe. And of course, we talk about Dog, the Australian cattle dog that acted as Max's companion in the Wasteland, but was rescued from an animal shelter in real life!We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you haven't yet, consider seeing Furiosa in theaters! Austin got a chance to see it and highly recommends to any one looking for a great theatrical experience by one of the greatest living filmmakers!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“YOU BETTER HOLD ON TIGHT SPIDER MONKEY.“On this Valentine's Day, we decided to cover a romance movie that captured the attention of an entire generation of girls, contributed to the YA adaptation craze, and gave us vampire baseball. Today, we are talking about 2008's Twilight, directed by Catherine Hardwicke, starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. When the film franchise was making its rounds at the box office, we remember that this was a thing that was very popular for adolescent boys to hate on. Austin hasn't even seen the film, despite being a fan of vampire films as we talked about on the Horror Movie Genre Tier List episode on our Patreon. We talk about how our tastes have evolved and why we might be more open to this film, despite not being in its target audience. Will we still find something to enjoy about it, or will we struggle to say nice things? Just in case, we will have a Twilight fan, Elle Parker as a guest to let us know what makes the film so special to her.We talk about the films commitment to the moody, blue aesthetic. How Hardwicke opted to shoot on location in the Pacific Northwest to capture the rain and the greenery. We talk about how significant her absence was in the following films, and give her praise for her craftsmanship and dedication to translating the essence of Stephanie Meyer's novel into a film. We also talk about the reasons she may not have been invited back to direct the sequels. We talk about the way the camera moves, the on point musical cues and soundtrack, the attention to mise en scene, the comedy, the practical effects and the relentless commitment to telling the story of a boy and girl who feel so tortured despite having pretty great lives. Seriously, even the step dad has a good relationship with Bella. Regardless of how you feel about Twilight, there is a reason why it had such an irrevocable hold on its fans. After watching the film and talking about it, it was very easy and fun to find out why!We hope you enjoy this episode!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“KEEP THE CHANGE, YA FILTHY ANIMAL.“On this episode, we are going to be talking about one of the most popular and beloved Christmas films of all time. We will be talking about 1990's Home Alone, directed by Chris Columbus, starring Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, and Catherine O'Hara. It is the first movie we have covered that was written by John Hughes, the second Chris Columbus movie, and believe it or not, the third movie we have covered to feature one of the Culkin brothers.When someone mentions “Home Alone,” the first thing we think about is obviously Kevin McCallister (played by Macaulay Culkin) laying traps for a pair of burglars to fall for, and experience head trauma that would kill a normal person, only to get up to fall down more stairs. However, upon reviewing we discover that there was actually a lot more to the movie than over-the-top comedic violence, but a story of a young child's growing resentment for his family and learning to take care of himself. It's success in telling that story is up for debate between your hosts, but we both still enjoy the film, buy maybe one of us didn't like it as much as he used to.We talk about how successfully (maybe too successfully) the film gets us to hate the McCallister family along with Kevin. We talk about the strengths of the films inclusion of the mysterious scary neighbor who isn't all that scary, admire the use of the fake noir film ‘Angels with Filthy Souls,' and discuss the great charisma of Macaulay Culkins performance, and also how good Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern are at playing dumb.Can you believe there are 6 films in this franchise? Why did they make so many, and why is it that the first film was the only film with a relatively positive reception from both critics and audiences? Why did Roger Ebert prefer Home Alone 3? Why did Macaulay Culkin stop away from acting a few years after Home Alone's historic theatrical run? What's he up to now? We get into all of that! We hope you enjoy this episode!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“UNTIL THE BREAK OF DAWN..”On this Halloween, we decided to cover one of the first horror films ever made. We cover the famous, German Expressionist film, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, directed by Robert Wiene from 1920. If you would like to watch the film before listening to us, the film is available for free on various sites, but we recommend watching the one that has fancy intertitles for the text and a blue tint in the beginning like this version here. The film is a “silent film“ so there is no spoken dialogue which we understand maybe might be a little intimidating for some audiences. However, we encourage you to give it a try so we can go on this adventure together. What does a horror film that is over 100 years old look like? How dated is it really? (Spoilers: It actually isn't) What is Expressionism? To put it simply, it is the artistic depiction of an emotional experience, rather than a realistic one. The set design of Caligari doesn't resemble our own world, but a world that suits the content of the narrative. Caligari seeks to tell an emotional truth, how the characters feel living in this world, than present the world as it is. We talk about why we think this choice works and the film is rightly described as a classic, but also hope that if the film is ever remade, that this Expressionist theme isn't lost in the translation to modern filmmaking sensibilities. The film's strong style in its set design influenced the choices made for the actors, the costumes and even the previously mentioned intertitles. Some of the techniques used to generate audience anxiety in this film can be seen in films today such as Alien, It Follows, and even The Babadook!We talk about how the film was made, and how not everyone agrees on how that went down. The film has a “frame story.” For this film, that means the bulk of the film takes place within a story told by one of the characters. The writers of the film were allegedly very upset about this, and stay they knew nothing about it, but 70 years later when the only surviving script was made available for public viewing, we find out that wasn't 100% true. The writers talk about being on set, but the set designers say they were never there, there are conflicting reports on who actually was the producer for the film, etc etc. The narrative of the production of the film is almost as unreliable as the film's narrator!We also talk about the history of when this film came out. The world was different, and the expectations of what the experience of “going to the movies” was also very different. A close up on a giant screen hit different for those audiences, an authority figure taking advantage of ordinary citizens meant something different for a Germany that just got out on the losing side of a World War. Despite being 100 years removed from the intended audience, we believe the film can still resonate with a modern audience.We hope you enjoy this episode!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“LEAVE ME ALONE!”Due to recent events in the film industry, Retro Grade Podcast decided to take a different approach to the movies we will cover on the podcast until the strikes are over in support of the unions. We will be covering films that are not under the companies being struck, starting with one of the greatest anime films of all time: Akira, directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, from 1988. We talk about how this very strange, at times confusing, violent and beautiful film fits in the conversation of nuclear power in the minds of film goers today with Oppenheimer's success at the summer box office. While Nolan's film tells the story from the perspective of the man that invented the bomb, what about the perspective of the people that survived it? Through the cyberpunk, alternative future of a post-WW3 Neo-Tokyo, perhaps Otomo offers that through Akira.This is the third animated film we've talked about on the podcast, and the second anime film after our Totoro episode. Fun fact, Totoro also came out the same year Akira did! We talk about how this film uses extreme detail, slow motion, violence, sound, and silence to give us a unique, enthralling experience. Starting with a high octane motorcycle chase, and ending with one of the most disturbing images we've seen since our Hellraiser episode. We talk about what makes Kaneda a different kind of protagonist. One that might not fit the hero archetype laid out by Joseph Cambell. We talk about the ensemble cast of characters whose individual actions (and even their names) are unknown to each other, despite them having so much screen time. Does Akira even have a main character? We don't really agree on this one, but maybe the underlying issue is part of Akira's DNA.What is Akira's DNA? Well, the film that was released in 1988, was based on the manga, (also created by Katsuhiro Otomo) that started in 1982 and ended in 1990. Yes, you read that right, the film came out while the manga was still in production. Although the film is a compromised version of the manga, Otomo was the one in charge of both. He chose what to change for the film, and in that process, likely changed how the manga would then end. We give a few examples on what the differences are, and maybe that might help us all understand what the film was trying to say.Interpretation of film is a fun, and enriching exercise that we love here on Retro Grade Podcast. Given the setting of a post-war Japanese government rebuilding a city that has been destroyed by an atomic force, a militaristic police force violently suppresses protesters while Bosozoku gangs of disgruntled teenagers battle on motorcycles.. It's safe to say this film is sort of about the reconstruction era of Japan post World War 2. However, there may be other things going on, and only looking at it through the lens of ‘post war trauma,' might be selling Akira short. We go through some think pieces on what Akira was about, and then provide our own analysis of what it means to us! Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“YOU CAME HERE PREPARED TO FIGHT A MAD MAN, AND INSTEAD YOU FOUND A GOD?“On this episode of Retro Grade Podcast, we talk about an adaptation to one of the most beloved video game series of all time. One of Hollywood's earliest attempts at adapting a video game movie, and the first financially successful one. We are talking about 1994's Street Fighter, directed by Stephen E. de Souza, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Raul Julia, Ming-Na Wen, and Kylie Minogue.We talk about our history with Street Fighter. Austin has been a fan of Street Fighter and fighting games in general for a while, and has been playing the newest Street Fighter 6 any chance he gets. Jorge knows Street Fighter is a fighting game with a character called Cammy, and that's about it. Will our different backgrounds with the existing franchise change how we see the film? Does the film's departure from the source material annoy Austin? Do the references to the video game feel lost on Jorge?Although the film was a financial success for Capcom, the critics of 1994 hated the film. In fact, this film has the lowest Rotten Tomato score from all of the films we have covered up to this point. We talk about the film's shortcomings but also talk about some of the things that make this film endearing almost 30 years after its theatrical release. We talk about the late Raul Julia's final film role as the villain M. Bison, arguably one of the best video game character performances of all time. We go over some of the cheesy one-liners from Jean-Claude that range from “bad,” to “so bad it's good,” and even to genuinely hilarious. And the overall campy feel to the film that makes it an enjoyable experience with the right perspective.However, Street Fighter is far from a perfect film. In fact, it might not even be a very good film at all. Despite the fact that we like parts of it, there's a lot of stuff that doesn't work. We talk about the lackluster fight scenes, the nonsensical plot, the bloated roster of characters, and uneven performances. We also talk about the reason why the film may not have been the best it could have been. It feels unfair to blame every bad movie on the director, the lead actors, or even the screenwriter. Sometimes, movies are set up to fail from the very beginning, because the non-creative people funding the film have ultimate creative control. We also have a fun section of the episode where Austin quizzes Jorge on Street Fighter trivia. Given that the only thing Jorge knows about the world of Street Fighter is the 1994 live-action film, how many of these multiple choice questions do you think he will get right? How many did you answer correctly? We hope you enjoy this episode!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“THEY ARE THE BAD GUYS, WE ARE THE GOOD GUYS. UNDERSTAND?“On this week's episode of Retro Grade Podcast, we talk about a film from a genre we have never covered before. We talk about the 1983 Hong Kong Wuxia classic Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain, directed by Hong Kong New Wave filmmaker Tsui Hark, starring Yuen Biao, Adam Cheng, Corey Yuen, Brigitte Lin, Moon Lee, Damian Lau, Mang Hoi, and Sammo Hung. We begin by talking about the story, breaking it down by what we thought of the characters, comedy, the philosophy depicted by the use of the Dual Swords, and whether there can be a connection between the story on screen with the real-life history of Hong Kong under rule of differing governments and how the film can be interpreted as a call for unity. We talk about the depiction of the elders and masters in the film, and how their inability to enact real change has thrown the world into conflict that the new generation must find a resolution for. From there we get into the technical side of the film, from it's impressive use of wire work during the fight scenes, to the in-camera techniques that were used to achieve the amazing choreography, to the film's very dated visual effects (though ambitious may not have aged as well.) But the film's editing becomes a larger focus in the episode, breaking down how the fast-paced editing helps the film, but also might be hindering it when compared to other wuxia films. Lastly, we go into the multiple versions that exist of the film, calling into question whether Tsui Hark ever got the version of the film he wanted. We breakdown the elements that go into a wuxia film, and how well Zu Warriors follows it, and go briefly go into the history of the Hong Kong New Wave cinema, and how Zu Warriors was a huge success for the movement but also a source of inspiration for future filmmakers. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this special episode of Retro Grade Podcast!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

On this special episode, we give a FREE preview of all the fun we have over at on the Retro Grade Podcast Patreon! We have our Modern Grade series where we review newer movies, our This Month In Movies series where we talk about current events in the industry, our Tier List Special where we make up tier lists for movie topics, and finally our Sequel Speed Pitch which is a little bit more complicated to explain.We have covered a little over 70 movies over the years of doing Retro Grade Podcast. We started this show because we love movies but ultimately, someday we wish to make some ourselves. So we put our writing skills to the test, and both Austin and Jorge come up with their own sequels to a movie they have covered. One pitch from each of us, two pitches total. The catch is, we don't know what movie we are doing until its time to record, and only get 45 minutes to write a pitch to that sequel. We must also follow four rules: 1) Each host must include the quote we picked for the movie when we covered it.2) Decide whether or not this is going to be a sequel, or some kind of remake/reboot of the original film.3) Include a previous actor from the film to be included in our sequel (can be just a cameo.)4) If a sequel already exists, the host cannot just plagiarize the existing sequel.5) We must mention the song that will inevitably be featured as a down tempo cover in our film's trailer.We spun the wheel and got Sam Raimi's, Spider-Man (2002.) Later this month, we will be recording another Sequel Speed pitch JUST for our patrons. If you like this episode, let us know, and perhaps consider signing up for our Patreon where we do all kinda of fun stuff like this! We hope you enjoy!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“IN SHORT THERE'S SIMPLY NOT, A MORE CONGENIAL SPOT.“On this episode, we return to the 1960's to catch the beginning of the end of the big budget musical era. We watch the film adaptation of the Broadway musical, Camelot, starring Richard Harris, Vanessa Redgrave, Franco Nero, and David Hemmings. Although this was the 10th highest grossing movie of the year, neither Austin or Jorge have ever heard about it, and had a listener not requested it for their birthday, we may have never seen this 3 hour long musical of the Arthurian legend. Why was this film not a huge success despite the musical being so popular? Why did this drive Jack Warner of Warner Brothers, out of the company he worked hard to swindle from his surviving brothers? Will this break the streak of being the first musical Jorge doesn't like? Sometimes describing a film as “interesting,” can be interpreted as a nice way of saying “I don't like it.“ However, in the case of Camelot, interesting is actually a very fitting description of the film. Even though it has its flaws, it is very entertaining to watch. It has a G rating, but it is one of the most sexually charged G ratings we have ever seen. Despite this film winning some Academy Awards, it was not very well received critically, possibly due to the aforementioned flaws, but perhaps also due to its content vastly differing from the rest of the films of this era. Perhaps one of the most interesting things about the film, is what part of the King Arthur story it chooses to focus on: his wife and his best friend falling in love.We have different opinions on the quality of the music in this film, but the one thing we do agree on is how it deals with the love triangle trope. Sometimes we like to have sides to root for in the triangle, we want to see our character(s) make the correct choice and celebrate with them. Sometimes you need one or two sides of the triangle to hate, or at least sit back and watch them hate each other. Camelot takes the path less traveled, and presents the love triangle where there is no villain. Only three sides getting hurt, and feeling bad for hurting each other.We talk about the shortcomings and personal gripes with the film. This is a three hour film with a pacing problem, some of the songs don't hit as hard as songs from previous musicals we've covered, and there is a question of what the film meant to say in the first place. Musicals can afford to be very direct and throw subtlety out the window, but something about the riddles the mysterious Merlin leaves Arthur leave us thinking about what we just saw, and what we were supposed to make of it. It's not a bad thing to think about a film's message was, but this is also the same genre of film where we get direct insight on a characters internal thought process, so why be coy about the take away? Regardless, this was an incredibly fun film to watch and talk about, and a piece of cinema history. They literally don't make them like this anymore.Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“IT WON'T LET US LEAVE!“On this week's episode, we go back to another horror classic from the 1980s independent scene: The Evil Dead! Directed by Sam Raimi, starring Bruce Campell, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManicor, Betsy Baker, and Theresa Tilly. Already having spoken about Sam Raimi in our Spider-Man episode, we were excited to re-watch the film that made him famous on the 40th anniversary of the film's wide theatrical release. Originally being released in 1981, with a different title, the film has since grown to be an iconic horror franchise with multiple sequels, reboots, and a tv series on Starz. With both of us having already seen the film and being big fans of it and of Raimi, we were eager to re-visit the film and see how well the film has held up since it's original release. In the episode, we talk about the our thoughts on the story, and how while the film doesn't do much too innovate or subvert the horror genre, it manages to not only be considered the definitive “cabin in the woods” film, but also influence future generations if filmmakers, from Eli Roth to Edgar Wright, to even some big time Hollywood directors like Francis Ford Coppola. We break down how some elements that were present in previous horror films, like the point of view shots from the killer's perspective, to the blood and gore, to characterization of the villains, and how The Evil Dead managed to add it's own spin on them. In that process, it created something that feels completely unique and recognizable. We talk about the production of the film, and what a nightmare it was for the cast and crew. Dealing with one of the coldest Tennessee winters on record (at the time,) to uncomfortable makeup and prosthetics including glass contacts, and to the multiple injuries incurred on set, we look into all of the setbacks the production went through to finish the film. And lastly, we go into the reception of the film once released, from the cast and crew, horror fans, but also governments officials reactions to the film. The film got a lot of pushback from governments across the globe, including the United Kingdom, which classified the film as a “video nasty.” We go into that specific term and what it meant for many films that were considered too much for the general public. So sit back and enjoy this new episode of Retro Grade Podcast!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU, KID.”On this episode of Retro Grade Podcast, we talk about one of the “greatest films of all time,” 1942's Casablanca, directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Claude Rains. What makes this film so good? Is it still that good 80 years later? Is this movie just for movie nerds, or does this film still resonate with audiences today?Since we both have a background of studying film in college, we are both familiar with Casablanca, both having sought it out after hearing it was one of the “best movies ever made.” Although it was in black and white, 4:3 aspect ratio, and filled to the brim with cheesy 1940's dialogue, of all the films typically regarded as the best, Casablanca remains incredibly relatable and accessible to this day!We talk about the legendary performances of Bogart and Bergman. Bogart, adding an emotional layer to an otherwise tough guy, no-nonsense actor and Bergman making us feel for a character that may have not had the most depth on the script. However, the script itself wasn't too shabby either. There is something very charming about hearing characters speak in Classic Hollywood, where even (mostly) antagonistic characters like Claude Rains' Captain Renault, add a delightful presence that makes you forget he's playing a terrible person.We take you back to the era of self-censored Hollywood, governed by the Production Code. How films were only allowed to portray marriage positively, crime always had to pay, and people of other nations were to be portrayed “fairly.' The latter may not sound like a bad thing, but it doesn't look so good when it also applies to Nazi's. We talk about why a film with a love triangle with Nazi villains was so significant, and how the code was used to determine not only the content of films, but also the films that were even allowed to be made.This is a good one, and we learned a lot of cool stuff about film history. If that sounds boring to you, we promise you, after 72 episodes we made this FUN!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

Continuing from out last episode, we go in the Behind the Scenes and making of for the 1996 classic, Scream, directed by Wes Craven. In the first part, we discussed our history with the film, how we familiar with the franchise and upon rewatching the film, how we felt about it now. We went over the writing, characters, structure, and reception of the film. Now, we go over the actual process of making of the film, beginning with the writing process and inspirations for the films. We cover why Wes was initially reluctant to come back and direct another horror film, and what made him change his mind. We breakdown the decision and process in making the film's first scene, with Drew Barrymore facing off against Ghostface and how the conclusion came about. We go into the casting of the main characters, from Neve Campbell to Rose McGowan, to supporting players like Jamie Kennedy and Matthew Lillard, and why they are each were an incredible addition to the cast. We talk about various aspects of production leading into the editing of the film, and how for a while the film was at risk of receiving the notorious NC-17 rating, and how one of the executives stopped that from happening. Lastly, we talk about some of the controversies the film faced, from local school boards shutting down the productions request to film at their campus, to copycat killers that went on to cause serious harm to people after the film's release. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the conclusion of our retrospect of Scream. Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“DO YOU LIKE SCARY MOVIES?“On this week's episode, we talk about the 1996 horror classic, Scream. Directed by the legendary Wes Craven, starring Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Skeet Ulrich, Drew Barrymore, Rose McGowan, Jamie Kennedy, and last but definitely not least, Matthew Lillard. In this first part, we get into our history with the film, and how even though Jorge hasn't seen the film, he's familiar with it enough simply because of how popular the franchise is. Once we come back from watching the film, we get into our initial thoughts about, and break down some of the biggest story beats, starting with the amazing introduction with Drew Barrymore and the film's amazing climax. We go into the cast, how they were all perfectly assembled and how each actor dons their respective character archetypes very well, from Neve Campbell being the virgin/final girl, Jamie Kennedy being the obsessive movie buff, to Matthew Lillard being the wild-card joker. We get into the film's subversion of the horror genre, and how in a time when mainstream Hollywood films was not embracing meta storylines, letting audiences know that the film was one step ahead of them and that their best guesses wouldn't cut it for this film. We also talk about the use of music which Austin argues is very underrated, we talk about the overall structure of the film, the references to other horror films, and we hint at what the production of this film was like, getting more in detail in the second part. But for now, sit back, relax and enjoy part one of out deep dive into the horror classic, Scream! (P.S. Can't believe I called Monica Geller, Monica Beller. My bad) Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“YOU THERE, OGRE!“On this episode, we cover the first film to ever take home the Best Animated Picture at the Oscars. We talk about the first film in the Dreamworks tent-pole franchise, Shrek, directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, starring Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and John Lithgow. What was it about Shrek that permeated throughout pop culture for over twenty years since its original release? Was it the fact that it was book-ended by two catchy Smash Mouth tracks? Because it lampooned all of the Disney films we grew up with and came out during the years where we wanted more edgy comedy? Or maybe because it provided the perfect meme template rivaled only by SpongeBob? Perhaps it's a combination of everything above.We talk about how the comedy in this film still works to this day. So much of the comedy comes from making fun of fairy tales made popular by Disney, and potentially making fun of people working at Disney, but some of the comedy is on a layer aimed for the adults in the audience. Watching the film 20 years later gives us a whole new level of jokes to notice that we might have missed as kids.We talk about how the comedy of the film doesn't completely bury the story. While often times our entertainment media might indulge in meta humor, it might come at the expense of the sincerity of the story. Shrek is a little different. While a huge part of the movie is all the jokes made about the fairy tale genre, the film doesn't forget about what it's trying to say about it's underdog characters. We talk about the legacy of Shrek. While it was great box office success in 2001, spawned two movie franchises, it also meant a lot of different things to a lot of different people. The song All-Star became a hit (again) and inspired some creative people to create mashups and remixes. We talk about how the love story in the film has since become a source of inspiration for real life weddings. We also take a look at some fan fiction that ranges from bizarrely sincere and sweet, to criminally obscene. If you have never heard the phrase “Shrek is love, Shrek is life,” don't look it up unless you want to revisit peak “no holds barred“ message board ‘humor.' Seriously.. its gross.Joining us on this episode is Brittnie who chose to talk about Shrek. We love talking to people about their favorite movies, and we were very curious as to what she had to say!We hope you enjoy this episode, and keep a lookout for our upcoming PATREON launch!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“LET THE DREAM BEGIN, LET YOUR DARKER SIDE GIVE IN“On this Valentine's Day, we decided to cover a romantic film for Retro Grade Podcast. Upon a listener's birthday request, we are going back to 2004's critically panned, audience adored, movie adaptation of the longest running show in Broadway history.. The Phantom of the Opera, starring Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum, and Patrick Wilson, directed by the late Joel Schumacher.We talk about Joel Schumacher's reputation as a film director, and how he's made some nostalgic, cult classics, but also a lot of movies people LOVE to hate. Perhaps one of the first directors to feel the unenviable vitriol of comic book fans after 1997's Batman and Robin. We talk about how from the right perspective, we can find immense entertainment value in his gaudy, camp style. What does he bring to the table in adapting Webber's widely successful show? Listeners of the pod know about Jorge's confession of not being into musicals. However, listeners also know this is probably one of the biggest lies in our show's now 69 episode run. Like we said, this was by no means a critic's darling film, but will the faults of the film be too much for Jorge to find Schumacher's Phantom entertaining?The casting of the film was also controversial. The vocals for Phantom's music typically demands exceptional Broadway voices, particularly for the part of the titular Phantom.. and they cast a young, then-unknown Gerard Butler, with no singing background at all. We talk about how his singing (and age) differ from typical stage portrayals of the Phantom. Can Butler hit all those notes? Maybe not like a Broadway singer could, but we can't help but appreciate the raw, unrefined emotive performance and exceptional cape twirls.We also get into a bit of things that don't hold up as well. Somethings that don't really matter, like leaps in logic that require industrial grade suspension of disbelief. And then there's somethings we can't overlook, particularly one scene that unfortunately perpetuates a very harmful stereotype of Romani people. In revisiting older films, these kinds of things are very common, but part of the show is acknowledging those uncomfortable moments rather than glossing over them.We do a bit of research on how this movie's budget compared to other musical films of the era, why there was such a huge gap in time between the 1986 show and the 2004 film, some of the various adaptations of Gaston Leroux's novel, and how one of our favorite scenes in the film was created. We hope you enjoy this episode, and stay tuned for our upcoming PATREON!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“TREES AND PEOPLE USED TO BE GOOD FRIENDS.“On this episode of Retro Grade Podcast, we cover our first 2D animated film, Studio Ghibli's My Neighbor Totoro, written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki from 1988. Although we both know Totoro from seeing that fluffy, grey creature, neither of us have seen the movie he comes from. We only know him as the mascot for Studio Ghibli. However, we are going to be joined by someone who LOVES this movie. Someone who calls My Neighbor Totoro, her favorite movie. Today, we are joined by Austin's girlfriend, Leanna!My Neighbor Totoro is a critically acclaimed film, but it is very different from what one might expect from an animated film made for children. We talk about the film's story, and general lack of a plot, and how that is one of the film's strengths. We also talk about the timeless, utopian setting, and the film relates to each of us, coming from three different backgrounds. How does a film strike that nostalgia chord that is all so popular now, in a way that doesn't reference any popular IP?We talk about how Studio Ghibli released the film as a double feature along with Grave of the Fireflies, and how looking at the two as companion pieces may add an extra layer to our Totoro viewing. Although the film is G rated and targeted for kids, the film is a lot deeper when considering the context of its theatrical run. The context may also opens up a sweet, cathartic scene to something much more meaningful, and can be interpreted as a hopeful response to national trauma.We also talk about some of the things that get lost in translation between the English and Japanese versions of the film, Hayao Miyazaki's relationship with his films being adapted for a Western audience, and figure out how you are ‘supposed' to pronounce “Ghibli.”This is the first episode we have ever done that isn't marked “explicit” and we tried really hard to keep the entire episode “safe for work” and profanity free, because Totoro is for everyone! We hope you enjoy!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

On this week's episode, we finish our retrospective on James Cameron 1997 classic, Titanic. In the previous episode, we summarized the entire story, going through Jack and Rose's blossoming romance to the Titanic crashing into the iceberg and the aftermath of it all. We talked about our initial thoughts, what worked and what didn't, mainly how some of the dialogue has not aged well. But as a whole, we all concluded that while not perfect, the story has largely has well enough to still get viewers invested in the love story and in the story of those on the Titanic, both in the wealthy and poor. From here, we move into the production and reception of the film. We talk about the immense list of actors who were considered for this film, from Matt Damon and Paul Rudd for Jack, to Winona Ryder and Gwyneth Paltrow for Rose, and how Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet ultimately won out over everyone else. We talk about they're experience filming, including Kate bruising a bone and getting hypothermia filming the climatic sinking, leading her to say that she would never work for James Cameron again unless she was paid a lot of movie.We talk about the filming techniques used to film the movie, and how they combined visual and practical effects to bring it all together. We break down specific scenes from the film and how they were shoot using different techniques including using miniatures, building actual sets, using mirrors as set extensions, computer generated imagery being composed with real life elements to bring the early 1900s to life. And we go into how all these techniques were used to film the sinking of the ship, and all the techniques they used to sell the viewer that what they were seeing was actually real. So sit back, relax, and join us in this final episode of Titanic.Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“ITS BEEN 84 YEARS..”On this week's episode, we go back and revisit one of the highest grossing films of all time. The behemoth of a movie about the “unsinkable ship,“ Titanic. Written and directed by James Cameron, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates, and the late great Bill Paxton. We talk about our early memories of the movie, how it came in a two-part VHS cassette package because the film was too long, and how we reacted to seeing the romance between Jack and Rose and the destruction of the ship. We compare and contrast the multiple times we've seen the film throughout our lives and how each time we walk away resonating with something we previously didn't. We cover the story, from the very beginning of Rose stepping onto the Titanic for the first time, and how that might be one of the scenes that hasn't aged well, to the actual framing device for the film, with an older Rose recounting her experience on the ship before it collided with the iceberg. We go into the multiple ways this framing device not only allows James to creatively insert exposition in order to keep audiences from becoming confused, but also how it creates suspense in the story, every so often remind the audience that the ships inevitable doom is coming. We go over different elements of the story, from and Jack and Rose's growing romance, to Billy Zane's Cal Hockley stealing the show with his incredible line delivery, to the social hierarchy seen in the ship and how that structure may have led to the death of many people on board when the ship finally sank. And there's plenty that we still talk about, but just like the original VHS, this episode is just too long for one recording, so we decided to split up the entire episode into two parts. So join us, as we dive in on this classic film with out special guest, Aneesa!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“YOU CROSSED THE LINE“On this episode, we return to Pandora before the long awaited sequel of the highest grossing film “everybody forgot about.” We are talking about James Cameron's Avatar, from 2009! We talk about how we weren't super impressed first time we saw this movie, and how that may have changed 13 years later. We talk about the new technology used to create the the luscious, flora and fauna paradise planet of Pandora, and pay respect to the artistry of the VFX work done in the film. Also bring up how influential the “performance capture“ technique has been in the films we see today, and how influential the film was for the video game industry. James Cameron himself actually showed up on G4 TV to explain how his camera rigs were able to shoot 3D better than the previous camera set ups! We talk about James Cameron's vision, and how time and time again he makes movies that change the way people make movies. We talk about how special the ability for filmmakers to be trusted (and funded) to pursue their crazy vision, without the studio pressure to make a certain kind of movie for a specific, unmovable date. Avatar is often criticized for its familiar plot. We talk about its similarities with films like Fern Gully or Dances with Wolves, but also talk about how that doesn't really hurt our enjoyment of the film this time around. Storytelling isn't always about how it ends, and this story resonated with some people so strongly, there were waves of depression that hit audiences as the film left theaters. Why did people love this movie so much? What makes Avatar so special? That's what we try to figure out.Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“I HAVE CROSSED OCEANS OF TIME TO FIND YOU”On this week's episode, we talk about the classic 1992 film, Bram Stoker's Dracula, directed by Francis Ford Coppola starring Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, and Keanu Reeves. Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, we revisit the film to see if what many people consider to be one of the definitive interpretations of Dracula stills holds up. We talk about Francis's goal with the film, wanting to be true to the original novel written in 1897, and to differentiate this story from the classic 1931 Bela Lugosi film from Universal Pictures. He wanted to create a grandiose telling, with sets and costume and visual effects that were nothing short of extraordinary and that would pay an homage to classic silent film era techniques but while using modern technology to make sure they had no limitations in what they could show. We dissect the story, talking about why we liked the film, and trying to see what may be holding us back from loving it. Because for as grandiose as the film may be, that's no guarantee that everything will work perfectly. Is this an example of style over substance? We talk about the A-list cast present, from young new talent like Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder to Hollywood veterans like Anthony Hopkins and Gary Oldman, what is the chemistry like among them all and are there some actors we feel that might not well suited for the film?Lastly, we go over the production of the film, from talking about costumes that were created by Eiko Ishika, who would win an Academy Award for her work in this film, to the visual and special effects created by Coppola's son, Roman Coppola, and some of the things they had to do in order to get some of the more elaborate shots needed. And we go over some of the more controversial acting decisions Francis implemented on set in order to get the best possible performances from everyone, including having Gary Oldman whisper into the cast ears some potentially problematic things. So join us for our discussion of Francis Ford Coppola's telling of Bram Stoker's Dracula. Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“IT'LL FIGHT IF IT HAS TO, BUT IT'S VULNERABLE OUT IN THE OPEN.“On this Halloween episode of Retro Grade Podcast, we cover one of the best movies from one of the best horror filmmakers of all time, 1982's The Thing, directed by John Carpenter. Although the film is referred to as a remake of the 1951 RKO Pictures production, The Thing from Another World, the film is actually more of a reinterpretation of the original novella from 1938, Who Goes There. If it's hard to believe that this movie has just celebrated it's 40th anniversary, it may be even harder to believe that it was a box office bomb and despised by critics of the time. However, the film has lasted the test of time, being remade, turned into a video game, and then inspiring the popular pandemic game, Among Us!On our episode, we talk about how the film also doubles as a “whodunit” and a graphic body horror film. We talk about how the film tricks you in your first viewing, and inspires multiple viewings, each one giving you a new thing to appreciate about it. We discuss our theories on the timelines, trying to track down when The Thing assimilates and imitates the doomed US Outpost 31 Team, with the help of the John Carpenter approved fansite. When do the crew members get infected, or rather, why did it imitate who it imitates? We have a lot of fun exchanging theories on this section of the episode.We talk about the nihilistic themes of the movie, and how innate it is in human nature to distrust each other, especially when you are on a job with people you might not necessarily like. The film's characters were (unfairly) criticized for being ‘stereotypes,' but we talk about how realistic they actually are, and their significance to the story and theme. We talk about the amazing special effects done by a then 21 year old Rob Buttin, working with the highest budget Universal had ever spent on creature effects. We talk about the score from the legendary Italian composer Ennio Morricone, and how the early versions of the score were used in a more recent western film. And yet, despite the amount of talent from the actors, (especially the arguably best dog actor in a film ever,) Carpenter's vision, Morricone's score, Buttin's effects, Dean Cundey's cinematography, the film was disregarded as “instant trash.“ We get into why we think the summer audience of 1982 might not have appreciated the film, but why we do now.We hope you enjoy this episode, and have a Happy Halloween!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“INTO THE LIGHT, I COMMAND THEE!“Continuing our spooky movie themed month, we decided to cover a movie about the world's grumpiest exorcist, Constantine! Although the Vertigo Comics character comes from the Hellblazer series, is blonde and British, certain liberties were taken in the American film adaptation starring Keanu Reeves as the titular character. Though the changes upset some fans (especially the comic series' creator Alan Moore as he infamously refused to accept any royalties from the film) the film still resonated with an audience. The film wasn't beloved by the critics, and to be honest, we at Retro Grade Podcast weren't enamored by the film when we first saw it. However, as news broke of an upcoming sequel with director Francis Lawrence and Keanu Reeves returning, maybe it's time to revisit the film and see how we feel about it now?Throughout our discussion, we talk about all of the things that make the movie so memorable. It sets up a unique paranormal noir world, rooted in Catholic concepts of sin, Heaven and Hell. The amazing cast AND performances from Rachel Weisz, Djimon Hounsou, Shia LeBeouf, Tilda Swinton, Gavin Rossdale, and Peter Stormare, playing both complex and archetypal characters in a thoroughly entertaining way. We even dig into the “lost” character of Ellie, played by Michelle Monaghan, and why she only appears in one shot of the final film.We get clinical about what are problems are with the movie, it's pace, its plot devices, and the burden of taking the audience to a magical world while showing/telling us the rules in which this world operates. Are these issues enough for us to say Constantine is a bad movie? Not at all. By diving in deep on the story and themes, and how the two main characters paths intersect, the movie is a lot deeper than critics said it was back in 2005. We hope you enjoy the episode!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

WE'LL TEAR YOUR SOUL APART!”On this week's episode, we continue our month of spooky movies by revisiting Hellraiser, 1987 horror classic directed by Clive Barker starring Ashley Laurence, Clare Higgins, Andrew Robinson, and Doug Bradley as the famous Cenobite, Pinhead. We talk about how this film differs very much from how it was conveyed to us when we were younger. Instead of it being a film about torture with senseless acts of brutality, we see that there is actually a story present, a story about love, lust, betrayal, obsession, pain, and how in some ways, pain and pleasure are one in the same, and not as distant from each other as we may think. The characters are very relatable, and all interesting in their own way.We go into the connection between this film and the BDSM culture, even though there are some in the latter that would want to stay far away from this film, but how maybe the film isn't insulting the culture, but merely using it as an example of how unchecked passions can be detrimental to innocent bystanders, or to oneself. We go into the production of the film, and how the film was produced for 1 million dollars, which is extremely low considering the average budgets for films at the time. We talk about how the film was shot chronologically, mostly filmed in one location, and how they had to deal with the censors when it came to rating this film.So if you feel like you're up for it, then enjoy this week's episode on this horror classic. Be advised this movie does have extreme scenes of violence with lots of blood and gore, it's not for the faint of heart. If you're trying to get into horror films but still working your way up, then it might be best to visit this film in the future. But if you're still curious about it, then enjoy listening to this episode about it.Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“YOU KNOW, I'VE ALWAYS WANTED A CHILD. AND NOW I THINK I'LL HAVE ONE ON TOAST!”On this week's episode, we are officially leaving behind summer and getting ready for Halloween. We start this season with revisiting a childhood classic, Hocus Pocus, directed by Kenny Ortega starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Omri Katz, Thora Birch, Vinessa Shaw, and Doug Jones. Being released in 1993, the film was received very poorly, with well known film critic Gene Siskel calling it “dreadful,” and with little to no marketing support from Disney Studios, the film was dead on arrival, losing Disney around 16 million dollars at the time, But since then, the film has grown into a cult classic, with yearly presentations on television during Halloween. Similar to It's a Wonderful Life, this movie had a second life on television, and it was continued to grow with no signs of stopping. And with the sequel being released on September 30th, there's a chance for a whole new generation to learn about Hocus Pocus.But how does the original hold up? We talk about one of the main reasons this film grew in popularity, the Sanderson Sisters. Being lead by the well-known Broadway actress, Bette Midler, the Sandersons Sisters antics and relationship was so charming and hilarious, that it's easy to see why they were so impressionable to so many kids. From their dialogue to their performances, the Sanderson Sisters are brought so vividly to life, you can never forget them once you've spent time with them. We also talk about camp that is found in the film, and we discuss whether Kenny Ortega was intentional in the campiness, or if it just so happened to be there.We talk about the release of this film, and how the cast and crew coped with the failure that is was considered to be, and how they feel about the film having seen a resurgence in recent years. And also, we talk about moving forward, this film might or might not have the same impact for future generations. So get ready for a spooktacular episode on a childhood classic, and stay tuned for the entire month of October, because we have a whole month of exciting films we'll be revisiting.Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“LOOKS LIKE MEAT'S BACK ON THE MENU!“On this episode of Retro Grade Podcast we talk about the second Peter Jackson live-action adaptation of The Lord of the Rings series, We are joined once again by our resident LOTR expert Becky to help us talk about why this film series changed the fantasy genre forever.We talk about how this film splits the fellowship and takes our various heroes on their own journeys, fighting against the ethereal evil of Sauron. Delivering the ring to Mount Doom, defending the Rohan against the orc hordes, or recruiting more to join the cause, the ensemble cast really gets to come into their own in this film, and establish themselves as individual characters we can still relate to 20 years later. Speaking of characters, we talk about what makes Gollum at the top of many lists as one of the greatest CGI characters of all time. Not only do we get an amazing physical and vocal performance from Andy Serkis gave but also talk about the amazing work of the visual effects team at WETA Digital, and go through a brief history in the world of motion capture.The Battle of Helm's Deep is the big, climactic set piece in the film and probably the most iconic castle siege in film history. We talk about the months it took to film the scene, the way it is lit so that we can actually see the battle at night, and how the beats of the action walk the line of being an enjoyable action sequence, but also a commentary on the cost of war. The allegory comes in heavy in The Two Towers, possibly more so here than in The Fellowship of The Ring. As we watch films, sometimes to get the most out of that experience we have to think about what the film is trying to say. When Sarumon says he wants “the old world to burn in the fires of industry,” maybe Tolkien wasn't just talking about the old world of Middle-Earth. Maybe the reason these stories held up so well to be written as books and shared between generations and turned into films and now television series is because they are a reflection of real world concerns through a fantastical lens of dwarves, elves, wizards and orcs. And in this fantasy world, there is hope that's worth fighting for, so maybe ours is too.Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“GET TO THE CHOPPER!“On this week's episode, we revisit the 1987 action/horror classic, Predator, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and directed by John McTiernan. This was an interesting film to revisit since both Austin and Jorge don't really have a deep connection to the film, having only seen it a few times each. But it seems that they are both in the minority, with everyone else saying that this is an absolute classic piece of cinema, going down with the some of the best action and horror films, alongside Alien, Halloween, Friday the 13th, and many more. But those the film actually hold up? Does the film deliver on all these promises and how well does it stack to other films of the same genre and decade. That's what we go over in this episode. We go over the similarities between this film and other great horror films, and how closely this movie uses those tropes to create an atmosphere of dread that soon the characters feel. And look at each of the characters, from Jesse Ventura's Blaine to Carl Weather's Dillon, and how they take up the role of classic horror archetypes, and how our favorite action hero, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is actually this film's version of the “Final Girl” trope, placing right up there with Jamie Lee Curtis, Neve Campbell, and Sigourney Weaver. But we also take about the action tropes that it uses, and how well does the film balance these genres out and whether the film masters both of them equally, or if it a bit one sided. Specifically, we look into the deaths of each character and whether we think those deaths are on par with classic horror kills, like to Johnny Depp's death in A Nightmare of Elm Street, and whether the deaths hold up.We talk about how difficult the production was on the entire cast and crew, including on the actors playing the title villain. Originally played by someone who would become very famous in the future, the actor would go on and talk about how difficult it was to play the villain in such a difficult environment that brough in extreme heat, difficult terrain to maneuver in, and a filming schedule that was brutal. We breakdown how difficult it was to place and operate a camera in this environment, just to give you an idea of how just aspect of filming was worsened by filming in the brutal jungle. From there we talk about how that actor was fired and replaced by Kevin Peter Hall, or as many people are familiar with him, Harry and the famous NBC show Harry and the Hendersons. Standing at over 7 feet tall, this change in actor and costume proved to be one of the best changes for the film, creating a creature that has stood the test of time and placed among the great villains in cinema history. We end the episode talking about the portrayal of the country the film takes place in, and how even though it might not have been intended, reflected the real history of the United State's involvement in Central American's politics during the cold war, and how that may have potentially been part of the inspiration for the 2022 Hulu film, Prey. Lastly, we talk about John McTiernan and the controversies he was wrapped in concerning and ex-wife and a producer on a future project. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this week's episode on PredatorMusic is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“IS IT POSSIBLE, THAT THERE ARE NO COINCIDENCES.“As the “family vs aliens" genre receives another entry in Jordan Peele's Nope, we at Retro Grade Podcast decided to talk about a similarly themed movie that recently celebrated it's 20th anniversary. We are talking about, M Night Shyamalan's Signs, starring Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin and Abigail Breslin. We talk about how this movie left an impact on our childhoods, and it's unexpected relatability in a post-911, mid-COVID America of today. We talk about the scenes that scared us, the scenes that made us laugh, the scenes that made us want to cry, and how Shyamalan packs all of this into one emotional roller coaster of a movie, that still makes us feel all of the things.We gush about the strengths of the films cohesive structure and rant about how the current obsession over finding “plot holes“ is ruining our ability to enjoy movies. Seriously, stop trying to find plot holes. If you want to find them, you will find them in every single alien invasion movie, and perhaps any movie you want. Suspension of disbelief is something you need to have to appreciate storytelling, especially when it comes to movies. We talk about the writer-director's fall from grace, and whether or not he deserved the degree of criticism that he got. Shyamalan became known as the twist director, but how many of his films actually have twists? We talk about how widespread it became to ridicule Shyamalan and purposefully mispronounce his last name, and how he alone seemingly took the fall for the failure of the film adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender. During the late aughts we saw a lot of terrible adaptations of beloved franchises, but how many of them do we still hold a grudge against to the person that directed them? We discuss the different style of acting we see in this film. We don't see big emotional performances, but instead get these grounded characters in the quiet moments of an impending apocalypse. Performances that help make the film so incredibly personal and charming. Even Mel Gibson, despite his controversial statements, outbursts, wild conspiracy theories, questionable politics and hateful comments, makes us want to root for Graham Hess. The severity of the controversies is something we touch on in this episode. Some people should probably be in jail, or perhaps not be allowed to make films ever again, but how does Hollywood decide who gets a second chance? Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“WE'RE NEVER GOING TO TALK ABOUT THIS, OKAY?” On this week's episode of Retro Grade Podcast, we talk about 2007's 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, from Romanian filmmaker Cristian Mungiu starring Anamaria Marinca and Laura Vasiliu. Over the past few weeks, the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, giving states the ability to make abortions illegal to millions of people. We wanted to watch a film that covered that same scenario, and try to see the challenges that those characters went through to try and get an abortion. We go over the story, which see's Gabita trying to get an abortion during the1980s in Romania where they are illegal, and what her friend and roommate Otilia does to help her. We cover the setting, the structure, pace, tone and see how they all add to create a thriller that resembles a few other films that we have talked about on this podcast. We cover how the film was shot, with many long takes to add to the realism of the film and how the cinematography was used to put the viewer directly in the head of Otilia as she is constantly running into obstacles. We talk about the themes of the film, not only about what it says about abortions, but about oppression towards woman, the tactics some men will use to establish dominance over women, but also the camaraderie and friendship that will arise between women when facing oppression. Towards the second half of the episode, we begin to go over the real life setting that the film is based on, how Romania fell into economic turmoil, and how this lead to Decree 770, the decree by communist Romanian government of Nicolae Ceausescu. It restricted abortion and contraception, which did double the birth rate in the first few years, but would also increase the death toll of women from having illegal abortions, and increased the number of orphans in the country. We also try and see why so many films about unplanned pregnancies were released in such quick succession during 2007 (Knocked Up, Juno, Waitress, 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, and lastly Revolutionary Road). This is the most difficult film we have covered on the podcast, but thankfully we have a special guest that will help shed even more light on this topic, Victoria, co-host of the Impure, Rethought podcast which covers how purity, patriarchy, and profit have shaped Western culture, be sure to give them a listen!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“IT'S NOT EASY HAVING A GOOD TIME.. EVEN SMILING MAKES MY FACE ACHE.“This month, we at Retro Grade Podcast decided to cover one of the most beloved cult classics and recognizable LGBTQ+ themed movies of all time, The Rocky Horror Picture Show! Directed by Jim Sharman, written by Richard O'Brien, starring Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Patricia Quinn, Nell Campbell and Richard O'Brien themself! Austin is a huge Rocky Horror Picture Show fan, but Jorge has never seen it. Throughout the course of recording this podcast, Jorge has a preference for movies with strong plots, and the musical genre is not exactly his favorite. However, after starting this show, Jorge has watched even more musicals and may actually be a secret music fan. Will he be converted to the House of Rocky during this episode?We talk about how the movie serves as an homage to the campy sci-fi and horror movies of the 50's and 60's, references old Hollywood, glam rock, and classic art, all to tell a very fun movie with catchy music. However, beneath the fun exterior lies a story about a sexual awakening contrasted with the conservative sexual politics from the world the main characters come from, a fictional town in middle America. We talk about how the film can be empowering and inspiring, and also get a modern perspective of how some of the ideas can seen as problematic, and we give our opinions on controversy. We talk about how the Rocky Horror show was born from the mind of Richard O'Brien, a transgender person in 1972 going through gender dysphoria while trying to be an actor. Without any of the resources (some) people in the LGBTQ+ community have today, Richard unintentionally wrote about what they were going through as a stageplay that turned into something the Library of Congress deemed “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.” How did The Rocky Horror Picture Show go from box office flop, to the longest running theatrical release for a film of all time? We get into all of that and so much more! We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did making it!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“FEAR IS THEIR GREATEST DEFENSE!“On this episode of the podcast we take a look behind the scenes of Star Wars: A New Hope. We go back to before it was even called Star Wars. Before George Lucas was even interested in making films in the first place. On this journey through the creative process of not only one of the most profitable movies, but entertainment and merchandise franchises of all time, we see that it all started with a guy and his friends driven to make a movie outside of Hollywood and the studio system. The same movie that would later be owned by one of the biggest Hollwood studios of all time. Ironic isn't it?We go back to George Lucas' time at USC and all of the people he met that would be instrumental in the creation of the first Star Wars movie. We go back to how he met Francis Ford Coppola (director of the Godfather,) the short film that he made that left an impression on Steven Spielberg (Jaws, Jurassic Park,) the help with the famous crawl text he got from Brian De Palma (Carrie, Scarface) and perhaps his most important collaborator, Marcia Lucas (his then-wife) in editing the long, wordy space epic into the movie we know today. We talk about how George Lucas positioned himself to be the owner of his own movie, and how important that fact was in the creation of the franchise, and perhaps how that may have caused the quality of the saga to waver. Thanks to the Wookiepedia, we found several of the early drafts of Star Wars and how concepts like a floating city, a jungle planet, kyber crystals and the names like Mace Windy and Starkiller all existed in early drafts of The Star Wars, but were ultimately cut out and repurposed later on in the expansion of the universe. We talk about the lines that almost were, and also the people that were almost playing the iconic characters. What would famed samurai actor and frequent Akira Kurosawa collaborator, Toshiro Mifune bring to the film by playing Ben Kenobi? Or what about Kurt Russel playing space smuggler, Han Solo? We talk about a lot of ‘what ifs' and ‘could have beens' on this episode, but by the end we discover that the film was never about making the most amount of money possible, it was about taking an audience to a place they hadn't been to before in a film, and unlocking the imagination of the children going to see it. It just happened to make a lot of money on the way. We hope you enjoy this episode! And stay tuned for our next episode on another 70's film, one that may not have had as much money, but has just as long lasting pop culture staying power. A different set of ‘Jaws' if you will..Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“HOKEY RELIGIONS AND ANCIENT WEAPONS…"“On this week's episode, we finally get to talk the about the one that started it all: Star Wars (1977). Or rather: Star Wars: A New Hope. In 2022, the film is celebrating its 45th anniversary and we thought now would be the best time to revisit the film and see how it holds up. We begin by talking about our earliest memories with the film, from how we first watched and loved it as children to how we remember it today. We go into the box office success, and how this is still one of the highest grossing films of all time after adjusted for inflation.From there, we cover the entire story, beginning with the iconic introduction with John William's score with the yellow text scrolling by, leading into an action-packed shootout and the introduction of one of the greatest villain in cinema history: Darth Vader.We talk about the extended sequence in Tatooine, where we are introduced to Luke Skywalker and Obi Wan Kenobi. What's surprising about this is how long this section truly is, and how it focuses on developing each of our characters and developing this universe, showing us how this universe's underbelly or villainy and scum, to the outsiders like the Tusken Raiders and Jawas. And we cover the introduction another set of legendary characters, Han Solo and Chewbacca. We talk about how these scenes from the film on Disney+, actually differ from when we originally saw them on our home video VHS tapes. During the Death Star, we focus the relationships between out three main leads, Han, Luke, and Leia, and how future installments don't quite reach the same level with their characters. And all this leads us to the finale, with an epic space battle that combines groundbreaking computer graphics and practical camera work to deliver one of the greatest climaxes in cinema history.On the next episode, we will talk about how George Lucas wrote and re-wrote and re-wrote Star Wars. We will get into how over the years the versions of the films have changed (and address an error made in the episode.) We will get into the troubled production and how the film we love was created in the editing room. We will talk about the impact Star Wars has had not just on us but on movies in general, and of course, we will get into our trademark quote section where we summarize how we feel about the film using one of its quotes.This is where the fun begins!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“OUT, AM I?“On this week's episode, we continue talking about Sam Raimi's first Spider-Man film, released in 2002. In the first episode we focused on the story and on the style, how Sam Raimi went about filming the web swinger in his first Hollywood outing. Now, we go back to the very beginning of Spider-Man, back to when he was created in 1962. We go over his creation, and how he was result of a collaboration between Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. We talk about his first comic book appearance in Marvel Comic's Amazing Fantasy No.15 which led to his own series The Amazing Spider-Man. From there we talk about the various forms that Spider-Man took, from a 1977 television show on CBS to a Japanese revisioning of the character. With Spider-Man's popular continuing to grow, it was only a matter of time before Hollywood planned to capitalize on his popularity in 1985. But that would take multiple decades, with multiple production companies vying for the rights to the character, and everyone suing and countersuing in order to have a chance at making his big screen debut. Numerous directors' names were thrown around, but ultimately Raimi got the job. We talk about all of that, and why we think he was the best one!Afterwards, we go into the actually production, what went into the casting of the film, the hurdles Sam had to go through during that, the choice in trying to ground the film's sillier ideas so they could mesh well with the real life setting of New York, including the Green Goblin's costume and the use of the organic web shooters. We talk about how this film could have been rated R for some of the depictions of violence, and what the team did to avoid that. We cover the film's marketing, and the ultimate U-turn the marketing team had to do in order to remove all images of the Twin Towers after the events of September 11th, 2001, and how real-life events have an effect of audiences interpretation of media, regardless of whether or not it chose to make a statement.Lastly, we briefly talk about the newest Marvel film, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness since it's Sam Raimi's return to directing after a 9 year hiatus. We talk about the good, the bad, and the weird things we saw in the film and in a spoiler free discussion. So sit back and enjoy our final episode on the original Spider-Man film!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“YOU MESS WITH ONE OF US, YOU MESS WITH ALL OF US!“Just in time for the 20th anniversary of one of the greatest super hero (origin) movies from one of the greatest directors to ever tackle the genre, we at Retro Grade Podcast have decided to cover Spider-Man from 2002, directed by Sam Raimi, starring Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe, and Kirsten Dunst. Although there have been several Peter Parker's since 2002, none of them captured the duality of the Spider-Man like the first one. The duality of how fun and unfun being a hero is. For every win Spider-Man has, Peter Parker gets a few L's, and this is what makes the character so endearing, relatable and somewhat inspiring.We talk about the Willem Dafoe's classic portrayal of Norman Osbourne, the Green Goblin. There's a lot of ways to play a villain, and the way Dafoe chooses to rides that fine line between silly and scary, bouncing back and forth between making him more entertaining than any villain in the MCU (until he reprised the role of course.) He turns all of his dialogue into classic one-liners that we still laugh at today. We get into the way Sam Raimi's iconic, campy and visual style permeates through the fact that Spider-Man is Hollywood Blockbuster made for mainstream audiences. His style lends itself to the comic-book genre in a way that we haven't really seen since. Needless to say, we are beyond excited to see his return to the genre in Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness!Because there is so much to talk about with the making of this movie and the movie itself, we decided to do another two-parter similar to our Godfather episodes. So stay tuned for our Making Of special, to hear us talk about how the movie was made and how the national tragedy of 9/11 shaped the making of Spider-Man!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“IT'S HARD BEING MEXICAN-AMERICAN.“On this episode of Retro Grade Podcast, we go back to a movie that meant more to each of us than we realized. We take on 1997's Selena, directed by Gregory Nava, starring Jennifer Lopez and Edward James Olmos. While both being 90's babies and both having Hispanic heritage, Selena's music was in our ears and hearts during our formative years. To this day, hearing her music takes us on an emotional journey that is shared by millions of others. We were both huge fans of the movie as children, but after falling in love with film and going to a university to study the craft of filmmaking, we haven't watched Selena since. So now in making this episode we are tasked to ask…how good is Selena the movie really?We talk about the objectively amazing performances given by the principal cast. Edward James Olmos as the Quintanilla patriarch does an amazing job playing an over protective father, who despite all his faults always comes from a place of love. John Seda playing Selena's future husband gives a performance that feels so subtle and authentic, it made both of us think to ourselves “I know this guy!“ And of course, there is no denying the career-launching portrayal of Selena from Jennifer Lopez. She may not have looked like Selena, she may not have had the Texan accent like Selena, she didn't even sing like Selena (the singing scenes were all dubbed with Selena's actual voice) but she brought Selena back to life in a way that brought the real Quintanilla's to tears. Anyone who says J. Lo can't act has clearly never seen this movie.There are somethings we get into about how maybe the movie hasn't aged as well. Some of them not being faults of the movie itself, but perhaps the music biopic genre itself. Some being reminders of how films in the 90's were made. But one of them being a part of the Selena story itself. How do you tell the story without the abrupt and tragic end, that to this day still breaks our hearts? We get into some of the history of the real life Selena, and how the film compares. We provide context to show our listeners how much people cared about Selena, and how some people really didn't care about at all, and that despite all of the barriers in front of her and her untimely death in 1995, she remains as a beacon of hope for so many, immortalized in her music and the film that has just turned 25 years old.We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we had making it!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“THIS IS NOT ABOUT BLACK AND WHITE. THIS IS ABOUT MONEY. THIS IS ABOUT GREEN. YOU GOT THAT?“On this episode of Retro Grade Podcast, we go back to the 90's to cover a different basketball movie: White Men Can't Jump, directed by Ron Shelton, starring Woody Harrelson, Wesley Snipes, and Rosie Perez. What was it about the 90's and basketball? Is it just us, or did basketball feel so much bigger back then? Is that just the nostalgia talking, or is there any truth to that admittedly generalized statement? Although not being sports guys, we talk about how movies will use the sports setting to bring up social issues, like race, gender and social status to provide stakes and conflict to the characters already engaged in a competition that yields winners and losers. Often times these issues may be over simplified to provide an easier viewing experience for the audience, but sometimes the films offer no easy, end-all solution. Such is the case in White Men Can't Jump.Comedies, more so than other genres, do not have a great track record on this podcast for aging particularly well. Sometimes jokes that were edgy back then, are either too tame or just grossly inappropriate for a contemporary audience. What is timeless though, is the performances that these jokes are accompanied with. We get into how well the cast of this film delivers the comedy, and how this movie makes us laugh 30 years after it debuted in theatres. We also talk about the absolute gem of a performance Rosie Perez gives us, and talk about what she said the role means to her.To just call this film a sports comedy would be a disservice. We get into the themes, messages, and dive deep on the fictional characters of the insecure gambling addict Billy Hoyle, the providing hustler in Sydney Deane, and romantic Jeopardy fanatic in Gloria Clemente. Being that 30 years have passed, we get into some fun behind the scenes trivia that is now available due to the cast and crew spilling the proverbial beans.If that sounds like fun, give this episode a listen! And/or share this episode with someone you know! See you in two weeks!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

On this week's episode of Retro Grade Podcast, we go back 19 years ago to talk about Sofia Coppola's Lost In Translation. This will be the first time that either of us have seen the film. Not knowing what to expect, we talk about Coppola's first feature, The Virgin Suicides, and try to see what that film did well and whether Coppola can follow it up. We spend a large amount of time talking about the story, about the themes on loneliness and isolation, and about the unorthodox relationship between Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson. Are they lovers? Friends? Is it sexual or platonic? Is the large age gap and issue that the film addresses, or are we meant to see past it? We go into the Japanese representation in the film, and whether that holds up. Having done a little research before watching the film, there was some controversy about the Japanese characters present in the film and whether they were given the same treatment as the main characters, or if Coppola may have resorted to age old Japanese stereotypes in order to convey the isolation Bill and Scarlett feel. After the story, we focus on the film's aesthetics, appreciating the beautiful cinematography that highlights the beauty in the Japanese metropolitan area, as well as the iconic soundtrack that may be some of the best needle drops in cinema history. We talk about how Sofia made us see the world through Scarlett's point of view, a feminine point of view, and how this may have subverted classic Hollywood conventions when filming female characters. And lastly, we talk about the film subverting genre conventions, how it manages to be something more than most movies, somehow balancing comedic and romantic elements with drama, but never straying too far. So grab a hot cup of chocolate, get cozy with your favorite blanket, and enjoy this week's episode of Retro Grade Podcast!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

On this episode of Retro Grade Podcast, we find even more to talk about The Godfather. Behind every great movie, is a great story of how it was made, and the impact it had when it was released. Have you ever wondered why The Godfather was such a big deal? Well, on this episode we might have some answers for you!We talk about where Mario Puzo got the inspiration to tell this story by talking to some mob members while gambling with them. We talk about how Francis Ford Coppola didn't want to make this movie, how the studio did not want to make the movie Coppola wanted to make, and how the real life Mafia that existed in New York, REALLY did not want the movie to be made period. This movie almost got canned before a single frame was even shot.We get into the cinematic landscape that this movie came out in. Did you know that 1971 had the lowest ticket sales on record until recent pandemic? With TV taking off and movies getting stale, The Godfather offered something different. Something you could only get from the theatrical experience. After the huge success that the movie eventually was, the story doesn't end there. Creating a star out of Al Pacino, an auteur out of Francis Ford Coppola, and a different side to Marlon Brando that no one knew he had. A side that earned him an Oscar, that he famously declined and gave an opportunity to Sacheen Littlefeather to speak about the racist representation of Native Americans in film and TV. There is so much more to The Godfather story besides the nearly three hour film. We hope you enjoy this one, and stay tuned for next Sunday, because we talk about Sophia Coppola's breakthrough film, Lost in Translation!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“IT'S NOT PERSONAL. IT'S STRICTLY BUSINESS.“On this week's episode of Retro Grade Podcast, we talk about what's considered to be one of the greatest films of all time: the 1972 classic, The Godfather. Because the film is so massive in runtime and story, we are going to be breaking up the episode into two parts, similar to the original Godfather trilogy, Godfather: Part I and Godfather Part II. Don't be confused, part 2 will not cover The Godfather Part 2, it will cover the behind the scenes and what made this film different from gangster movies in the past. In this first part, we will be focusing on the story and the characters. We begin with the very first shot, breaking down the opening monologue where the undertaker Bonasera talks about his daughter being assaulted and asking Vito Corleone to bring him justice. From there we go over how the beginning thirty minutes, Connie's Wedding, is effective in conveying everything the audiences needs to know going into the movie: the themes, setting, tone, and most importantly, the characters. We talk about the film's many positive elements, including the suspense and the acting, but also about any few potential shortcomings it might have. One of them being the runtime, whether the film justifies it's extended runtime. And to the depiction of the women in this world, and whether maintaining realism of the film's patriarchal underworld justifies their limited screen presence and lack of characterization.So while this episode may not be the complete picture of The Godfather, it is the perfect episode to listen to if you want to delve deep into these characters and themes, and to find out if this film should be the next thing on your watchlist queue. So sit back, relax, and enjoy our episode on Mario Puzo's The Godfather.Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

On this episode of Retro Grade Podcast, we talk about a movie over 100 years old. We talk about the oldest surviving film from a Black director. The movie is Oscar Micheaux's Within Out Gates from 1920. This is the first silent film we've done on the podcast, and also a film neither of the hosts had even heard about until visiting the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. We wanted to really focus on a Black filmmaker for the last episode that will be released during Black history month, and could not have picked a better one than Oscar Micheaux The film is about a young Black woman named Sylvia who works as a school teacher and must try to raise money to save her school, however events of her past continue to haunt her. When the film was released, it was met with praise, but also contempt, censorship and outright banned by some theaters in fear that it would reignite race riots like the ones in Chicago in 1919, and was thought to be lost to history until accidentally discovered in Spain in the 1970's. However, just 5 years before, D. W. Griffith's Birth of a Nation was met with praise, financial success, unsuccessfully banned, endorsed by the President, made its place in history as one of the first feature length films in history.. AND ALSO depicted the Ku Klux Klan as a heroic force that preserved American virtue, was used to recruit new members into the KKK, and ignited riots that left at least one Black teenager dead in Lafayette, Indiana. If Within Our Gates was meant to depict multiple representations of the African-American experience, why was it met with such hostility and neglect? What does it say about us as a NationWe discuss why the film was so controversial, who Oscar Micheaux was, what the historical context for the film was (including its bizarre final two minutes,) and how despite being over 100 years old, the film's themes and side stories hold up better than some other ones we have covered.Hope you enjoy!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

FEEL THE RHYTHM! FEEL THE RHYME! GET ON UP, IT'S BOBSLED TIME!On this week's episode of Retro Grade Podcast, we wanted to commemorate both the Winter Olympics happening in Beijing, and Black History Month. And there's only one film that we can think of that fits the bill: Cool Runnings, the 1993 Disney Classic. It's loosely based on the Jamaican Bobsled team that went on to compete in the 1988 Olympic games, and their journey from being ridiculed by everyone, to representing their country on the grandest athletic stage. Being remembered by many as a classic sports film, including our very own Austin, how does the film hold up after being out for almost 30 years? With the little representation that Jamaica receives in the United States, does the film do it justice or does it fall short by leaning into racial stereotypes that America has had about Jamaicans? With none of the lead actors having been born in Jamaica, how do they play their parts, and are they a positive representation of the people of Jamaica, and of the real bobsledders that competed in the 1988 games?We talk about the story and screenplay, mainly focusing on how strictly the story follows the real-life events that inspired it (hint: not very closely at all). And what creative liberties the filmmakers choose to make to bring the film to life. This aspect of the story was actually the reason many filmmakers passed on the project, with many not knowing how to combine the real events with contemporary Hollywood storytelling techniques. We also focus on the main characters, and how their writing and performances were so great, we can see how their story has stood the test of time and will continue to in the coming years.So pack up your snow gear and flip flops, because on this week's episode we're going to be taking a round trip to both Jamaica and Canada, as we talk about Cool Runnings.Enjoy!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“PULLING A TRIGGER IS LIKE ORDERING TAKE OUT.“Hello listeners! We are BACK from our winter recess with an adrenaline pumping action movie in 2011's, The Raid: Redemption directed by Gareth Evans. We talked a lot about action movies in our last episode, so we figured we'd kick the new year off with a classic. A martial arts action movie so good, Netflix is currently in the process of making a remake… Yeah.. BUT! Before we get hung up on the concept of remakes, how did a 1 million dollar budget movie from Indonesia, directed by Welshman, became a word-of-mouth hit that introduced Iko Uwais, Joe Taslim, Yayan Ruhian, and martial art of penchat silat to the world? We talk about all of that on this weeks episode!We get into what makes this movie a “good action movie.“ At Retro Grade Podcast, we talk about different genres of movies and how they should all be judged accordingly. An action movie needs to make it's action scenes distinct, come up with fresh choreography that it visually interesting, and use cinematography to capture the action in a way that lets the audience see and feel the hits. The Raid does ALL of that, with meticulously planned fight choreography from Iko and Yayan and the use of a figrig on a small digital camera to capture martial arts in a way not seen before. Before they ever stepped foot on the set, the fight scenes were rehearsed with the camera movements in the gym through a process called previs, which has since become a standard practice of industry leading stunt team: 87eleven. Before we inevitably watch the remake, how does the original Raid hold up today? Find out what we think on this episode!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

HAPPY NEW YEAR!We normally like to talk about older movies, but on this episode of Retro Grade Podcast, we look back at movies that came out in 2021, and give our SPOILER FREE thoughts about what we liked and did not like during the past year. We talk about the big blockbusters like Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Suicide Squad, Fast 9, and The Matrix Resurrections.* Some smaller films you might have missed like Penguin Bloom, Last Night in Soho and Pig. We also talk about movies that surprised us, like Titane, Malignant, and The Green Knight. And we talk about movies that we didn't really agree with each other on, like Jungle Cruise, Space Jam 2, and Mortal Kombat. What were some of your favorites we might have missed? What was your favorite movie of the year? Let us know on Twitter or Discord! DM us on Twitter or Instagram for the discord invite. Enjoy!*There is an error on the reporting of some facts during this segment. It is not true that Hugo Weaving missed filming due to COVID, but due to a prior engagement and the inflexibility of the film's production. However, cinematographer John Toll left the production due to an undisclosed medical situation with his family, giving the chance for Daniele Massaccesi to go from the film's camera operator to its' director of photography. Was this situation influenced by COVID? What difference did the three months of suspended filming mean for Matrix 4, or other films shot between February 2020 and now? (Maybe it's something we can talk about at an other time?)Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“DEAR GEORGE, REMEMBER NO MAN IS A FAILURE WHO HAS FRIENDS.“On this episode, we revisit a Christmas Classic, It's a Wonderful Life, directed by Frank Capra, and starring James Stewart. Released in the winter of 1946, this holiday classic has been adored by critics and audiences for decades, almost becoming an essential viewing during the holidays. Strangely, however, when the film was released, it was a box office bomb, while also receiving middling reviews from critics. And what was thought to be a film that would disappear to the bottom of the bargain bin would eventually become an American classic that many consider to be one of the greatest films of all time. How does a film that have one of the biggest actors of the time, with a big name director helming the project, be a flop at release, and yet come back adored more than any other film released that same year? That's what we go into in this week's episode. We talk about the reception from critics, and why audiences may not have been too keen to see a film about a struggling business owner. We first dive into the story, the general premise about George Bailey at the brink of suicide, and how an angel in sent to save him and show him just how bad the city of Bedford Falls would be without it. We talk about the overall morals of the film, and how whether laced with good intentions, how some of those ideals don't hold up in the modern world. Speaking of things that don't hold up, we cover some of the filmmaking practices from the film that haven't aged well, including the assault of a child actor causing his ear to bleed, and the only person of color being casted as a maid.We also go into one of the most despicable characters ever put to film, Mr. Potter, the power-hungry businessman set on controlling Bedford Falls and stripping George Bailey of his business and ensuring the people of the town always stay poor. Despicable to most viewers, but seen as sympathetic through the FBI at the time, so much so that they considered his character wrongly represented in the film, and who were convinced that the film may have had a communist agenda. It is as dumb as it sounds, but we go over this as well as many more things from this American classic, which is celebrating it's 75th anniversary this year. So sit back, relax, grab your drink of choice, and enjoy this week's episode into It's a Wonderful Life.Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“EVEN THE SMALLEST PERSON CAN CHANGE THE COURSE OF THE FUTURE.“On this episode, we cover the one high fantasy film franchise to rule them all, The Lord of the Rings. Specifically, The Fellowship of the Ring, directed by Peter Jackson released in December of 2001. Yeah, this movie came out 20 years ago (feel old yet?) We talk about how we both liked this movie as kids, but missed so much of what it was about and what individual journeys the characters were on. Looking back on the film we fill in those gaps from past and current experiences that gives us an enriched experience in watching this film again. But one question eludes us. What does the One Ring do other than turn you invisible?Does the film still succeed in transforming the very real landscape of New Zealand into the fictional Middle-Earth? The 5'6” Elijah Wood into a 3'6” hobbit? How about computer generated image from 2001 into the Balrog of Morgoth? Does the cinematography, stage blocking and computer still hold up enough to take us on this journey to Mordor?We also talk about how Peter Jackson's film language fits in with J. R. R. Tolkien's writing. After all, this is the same director that gave us the kung-fu preacher from Dead Alive and gave a handful of audiences nightmares (or laughs) about Orson Wells in Heavenly Creatures. How does a “campy“ director make a film adaptation of a beloved high fantasy series? By not being afraid to get a little silly sometimes.We also talk about the dedication put in by the “size doubles” that stood in place of the principle cast playing the dwarves and hobbits. Sophisticated camera tricks and sets were constructed to trick audiences into believing the varying heights of our characters, but for some of the shots, children and little people were called upon to stand in for the typically-sized stars of the film. We talk about the dedication from one size double in particular, Brett Beattie, and how his co-stars chose to honor him. One does not simply talk about Lord of the Rings. Thankfully, we are joined by Lord of the Rings super-fan, Becky Kralle! She gives us great insight onto the hard labor on the production set, the extensive pre-production on the Peter Jackson trilogy, knowledge on why the Hobbit prequel trilogy wasn't as kindly looked upon by fans, behind the scenes trivia, what we might expect (or be worried about) from the upcoming Amazon series, and some LOTR hot takes!Hope you enjoy the episode!PS - Sorry to any LOTR fans that get annoyed by us calling Aragorn, Aragon. Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“THERE IS NO SPOON.“On this episode we cover one of the most influential sci-fi action films of all time: The Matrix (1999,) written and directed by the Wachowski sisters, starring Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Lawrence Fishburne and Hugo Weaving.Most likely, there is not a person reading this blog post that hasn't experienced The Matrix in some way. Be it the film series itself, a parody of the film's revolutionary special effects, the famous lines of dialogue working their way into every day speech, or it's themes permeating into our meme culture through a virtual osmosis (for better and worse.) And just like every other movie that has such a huge footprint in our pop culture, it has a new sequel coming out with one of the directors of the original, Lana Wachowski, returning a the helm with some of the original cast, making it the perfect time to go back to where it all began. We talk about how influential the film was in our personal lives, from Jorge being traumatized by the tracking bug scene and how Austin desperately wanted to find out what The Matrix was having his access to R- rated films very limited. And while we both liked the movie when we saw it, being mind blown by the special effects and growing up on the cusp of the age of the internet, we now have the experience with watching and studying film to put to words why this film was so revolutionary. What distinguishes the fight choreography in The Matrix from other Hollywood films? Why do the slow motion and “bullet-time“ scenes work so well in The Matrix?We also do some digging on the myth that The Matrix was the first film to use the “bullet-time” effect and also the myth that The Matrix and Terminator being stolen from an underdog writer who had to sue to get her residuals. We talk about indisputable things like how amazing Hugo Weaving plays Agent Smith, how effective the film feeds us exposition, and the advanced and almost prophetic story about our relationship with technology.To say The Matrix is a sci-fi action film might be accurate, but the film also borrows imagery and themes from Westerns, Anime, Cyberpunk, Philosophy, Spirituality, Kung Fu and the ever present question of identity that exists in all of the Wachowskis works. Since Lana and Lilly have come out as transwomen and our understanding of the transgender experience grows, going back to The Matrix with this in mind, is it possible to see the film as a trans allegory? Is Neo waking up in the “real world“ recognizing the disconnect from who the system tells him he is versus he who he actually is, a metaphor for his “egg” hatching? A metaphor for recognizing his self being exploited by a ruling class? A metaphor for realizing his own potential? Or perhaps all of the above? After all, The Wachowskis can only show us the door. It is up to us to walk through. Joining us on this episode is friend of the podcast and professional in film distribution: Dillan Damodar! Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“I AM A ROCKER, I AM A ROLLER, I'M AN OUT-OF-CONTROLLER!”On this episode of Retro Grade Podcast, we talk about the most prestigious high-octane, post-apocalyptic film franchise in cinema history. We are talking about where is all began in Mad Max, from 1979, directed by George Miller, produced by the late Byron Kennedy, and starring the infamous Mel Gibson. With a very humble budget of about 350,000 dollars, this film would go on to make 100 million dollars, putting Australian cinema on a global scale. In fact, Mad Max became the most profitable film ever made until the mid nineties when it would be dethroned by The Blair Witch Project.We talk about how much this film means to Austin, who has been a fan of the series ever since he caught a glimpse of Mad Max on TV as a kid with his dad, and how Jorge has never seen any of the old Mad Max's despite being a huge fan of Fury Road. We talk about the undeniable impression the films have had on pop culture with their unique quotes and terminology, and becoming the measuring stick for all post-apocalyptic films and video games to come out after Mad Max 2. We talk about how the film was a labor of love from people who really wanted to make a movie. Inspired by the 1973 Oil Crisis, George Miller's experience while working as a medical doctor in emergency rooms, and the desire to make a “kinetic picture” that could be understood on an international level without subtitles, you could tell that the film was made by someone destined to be a film director. Shot on used camera lenses, stunt men directing crazy stunts from wheelchairs, and edited on a homemade rig in a borrowed apartment, the film is definitely rough around the edges but is it enough to keep it from being appreciated today? (Spoiler alert: Hell no.)One of the highlights of doing this podcast is talking to people who are equally, if not more, passionate about the films in discussion. On this episode, we are fortunate enough to be joined on this episode by amazing Twitch streamer and Mad Max expert, Nebula!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“YOU'RE A WIZARD HARRY.”On this episode of Retro Grade Podcast, we talk about the most famous wizarding world in cinematic history. We are talking about Harry Potter! Specifically, we are talking about where it all began with 2001's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone directed by Chris Colombus, based off of the book series by the world's first billion dollar author, and documented transphobe, JK Rowling. We talk about our unorthodox relationship to the film franchise and why we enjoyed them so much despite never having read the books. We talk about the inevitability of movie adaptations being different from the books they were based on due to the nature of their respective mediums, and how that can cause fans to become upset, sometimes unreasonably so. There's a lot to love and talk about when it comes to Harry Potter. The amazing sets, quirky magical world, unforgettable characters, iconic performances and dialogue. We talk about Quidditch, and how it kinda makes no sense. We argue about Hermione's intelligence. How fun and silly the ending is and well, how the movie reminds us of… other movies on HBO Max.However, the whole point of this podcast is to look back on things with what we know now. We must acknowledge what JK Rowling has said about the trans community. What was it that she said, and how do trans people feel about it, particularly those who are/were Harry Potter fans? Is it okay to still love Harry Potter despite the harm that it's author has caused? If you are unfamiliar with TERFs or Gender Critical Feminists, we will post some links below providing insight from transgender people themselves. We are both cis-gendered, heterosexual guys who are trying to learn more about these issues ourselves. If you don't want to listen to us that's fine, but please listen to them. They are the ones who are being effected by all of this. (If the hyperlinks below don't work, you can visit our blog post on our website.) Jessie Gender's Breaking Down JK Rowling's Transphobic EssayOakwyrm's Looking Back at Harry Potter a Transperson's perspectiveWashington Posts' Queer Harry Potter fans respond to J.K. Rowling's comments on transgender womenMusic is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o

“THE WORST THING THAT'S HAPPENED TO YOU HAS ALREADY HAPPENED AND YOU'RE STILL HERE.“On this week's episode of Retro Grade Podcast, we talk about a horror gem from the mid 2000's, The Descent. Directed by Neil Marshall, the film is about a group of women who go exploring remote underground caves, and find that they are not the only ones there. We go into depth about the story, how the film leans on the main characters internal conflict to drive the film instead of letting the creatures be the main draw, and why that is a GOOD thing. We talk about how people complain about horror movie characters “acting stupid,” and why that is no longer a valid excuse given how some people in the world have responded to a global pandemic. We also get into how the characters of The Descent behave in a way that is true to their respective personalities laid out before a monster ever appears in the movie. We talk about how it was extremely rare to cast an entire film with female characters, and how they are written with nuance over stereotypes. We go into the making of the film, how the director and production had to get creative in order to make the most of their 4 million dollar budget, without compromising the quality and how these restrictions lead to some of the boldest decisions we would see in a horror film from recent memories. Shooting a film in the dark isn't easy. How do you make sure it's not too dark for the audience to see what's happening, and not dark enough so that it compromises the atmosphere of claustrophobia? We also talk how this film would go on to influence future films and video games. So join us for this special Halloween episode of Retro Grade Podcast!Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.Artwork by @jannelle_o