The Cinema Triforce

Delving into the only chapter of the Purge movies Matt had not seen yet, this is a fun episode about the thread carrying through this series.  There are some serious moments, but those are much later in the episode, so fear not. :)  Jas Links:  Episode 121 (Prometheus segment) Info Links:  Incidentally, the closing arguments for the kidnapping plot against the Michigan governor just began.  Here is an article about it.  Here are 2 bits of information about American Muslim support for gay marriage:  Newsweek, Pew Research.

the 2nd of 5 films, which will likely translate to 5 episodes as the attention to detail is pretty consistent in this series...

The 1st of multiple episodes cutting into the layers of the Purge movies.  It really did hit the ground running with a strong 1st installment & equally strong follow-up that stands on its own. ... but that, is another story.   that we will get to next!! Notes:  Captive State was the John Goodman alien film he couldn't remember.  Equinox was the term he did not use, fitting as these events create sacrifice for the spring planting season.

A summation of things Matt snuck away to see off the couch this year...

In an attempt to perhaps subliminally compensate for how much of this show is spoilers, this episode contains a chunk of discussion about international media growing in western countries.  Have at it!!

Halloween 4 vs. Halloween 5 Dusting off the brain for memories of movies one hasn't videed in decades is an interesting experience.  Join Matt this week as he remembers the good, the bad, and the deadly from his horror vhs days.  It can be a curse to own & watch so many movies because people expect you to remember everything; it can also be a blessing to drown out the bad movies among the good ones.  Where do these 2 movies rest on that scale??  Jack in and discover. BTW:  Halloween Kills recommendation - err, not really.  Go check it out, form your own opinion. At minimum, it should be said that the 2018 film has more going for it.

Halloween II vs. Halloween III The 80's & the home video market that came with it was ripe for creating franchises, with horror leading the pack.  While many action, cartoon, & fantasy sequels were relegated to only being released on home video, many of the horror sequels in fact went through the theater.  The initial 4 Halloween sequels at least had a theatrical release (you can look up the rest - we can't do EVERYTHING!!). Check your candy for razor blades (actually referred to in 1 of these flicks!) while listening to this episode talking about one of the most infamous horror series of all time that continues to thrive as we speak. Here is the City of Geek page with a video review of Halloween '18. Notes:  Box office for H III - 14 million on a 2.5 budget.  #II made 25 million on the same cost.  The original made 47 million on just over 300,000!! Ratings for I, II, & III:  77%, 65%, & 50%.  A harsh decline, but many wanted more out of both sequel films.  Matt feels that some of them forget how bad a lot of the acting is in the 1st Halloween too.

Black Dahlia vs. Summer of Sam It's an episode about killings, see?  Put on a hat & smoke a lot of cigarettes while listening.  A novel episode with 2 movies that are not Matt's favorites: hopefully you'll find his ability to discuss a movie of value, whether or not he loves them...  Notes:  STEVE Park was the actor Matt couldn't remember from Fargo.  Terence Blanchard has scored a lot of television, Matt meant movies were mostly Lee.

Noises Off vs. Game 6 We did an actors playing actors episode in our 1st year; Matt thought it'd be fun to look at a couple more in this vein after finally getting his own copy of Noises Off. Have at it!!

Midsommar vs. Summer Rental What people seek in sitting down to a movie varies from person to person, & sometimes it depends on how our day/week/year is going.  Like comfort food, comfort tv/movies are familiar & safe when our day to day may not always be that.  When you feel the need:  indulge!! Which is our plan in this episode looking at movie versions of The Cure vs. Presidents of The United States of America as opposing methods of making us happy, if at least forget about our day Note:  Richard Crenna from Summer Rental died in 2003, bringing death toll of crew to 4.

Shows/movies discussed from streaming services:  Better Call Saul, Coming 2 America, No Remorse, Loki. Thank you for your patience!

Beverly Hills Cop II AND III vs. Cop Out The hot summer battle royale pushes on, with 3 opponents in the ring this time!  With Axel Foley being one of many characters likely to return to the screen in the next year or so (safe choices for recovering studios/theaters), it seemed right to look at this type of movie & see how different decades fare against each other.  Varying in popularity and approach, it does give us a fair amount to chew on for the episode.  BTW:  Cop Out is rated 56%, like BHC III - do you agree?? Here is a link to an article discussing the "joke" Morgan told.  It covers a lot of the aftermath as well, where he cried & truly seemed to regret it.  Eddie Murphy has apologized for his earlier material...  Which is what you do to own your actions, and continue to grow as a person. :)  LINKS:  Dolemite is My Name (has other Eddie Murphy links),   Beerfest, Dune, Das Boot.  True Romance, Domino, Running Man, Batman, Beetlejuice. Red 2 (has other Bruce Willis links), Rundown, Blues Bros (has BH Cop link), Coming to America, Commando, Malcolm X.  

Tucker & Dale vs Evil  Vs. April Fool's Day   Our Battle Royale Summer begins!! 2 delightful romps in horror, set apart by nearly 25 years.  Though they don't share the exact approach, both take a step or 3 away to look at the structure of horror & play with it a little... Though not mentioned in the episode, April Fool's Day only have a 62% rating with the other at 75%.  Matt is of the mind that AFD deserves at least high 60s or 70s for the entertainment it provides.

Commando 2 (India) Journey To The West (China) Ashfall (Korea) Our tribute to AAPI Heritage Month, dig into a variety pack of entertainment from companies that Disney doesn't own!! Links for Byung Hun-Lee:  Red 2 (contains link to G.I. Joe), Terminator Genisys (also link for Train to Busan), The Good, The Bad, & The Weird.  Old Boy.

Hobbit I A departure from our default stance of slobbery love, Matt gets into some unflinching critique of a beloved director.  Tune in for tea!! Here's an eagle link, though not what Matt was looking for.

Rambo Last Blood vs. Terminator Dark Fate Another chapter of what we plan to do a lot this summer:  have movies duke it out for our preference!  It's Sly v Arney...  2019 gave us new installments of franchises from the 80's; were they rockin?  Were they rotten? Let us tell you!! 

Nacho Libre vs. Blades of Glory Aiming for some light episodes after a heavy year, we're gonna see how much fluff we can cover over the summer.  This is your first installment.  Although it's technically the second time we've done it.  See link below.  But like - you know - AFTER you listen to this one.  Or before works, we guess.  Who's still reading at this point?!

Alex Wheatle/ Education/ The 2nd half of this series discussion, we have a foot in historical and the other in fictional - though based on historical policy & patterns.  Then Matt gives his assessment of the entire series, followed by some spouting off about vaccines & masks a bit.  As with the series, the goal is hope.  Hope that the worst is behind us & we'll learn from the hardest times we all faced.  Take care world; meanwhile we'll try to scrounge up some fun flicks to go over next time! 

Mangrove Lovers Rock Red, White, & Blue Another episode featuring the mighty Steve McQueen, this time doing a chapter-based serial!  In our 1st episode we cover 3 of 5 stories told, 2 of which are based on historical figures in England's recent history of racial conflict.  Have at it!!

Malcolm & Marie/ Beauty Shop/ Moonlight/ The fight to survive is usually envisioned as physical, but what about the fight in our heads?  The distance, the connections, the gestures; these things get us by as well.  This episode we look at 3 examples of connection & struggles between people.  Have at it, lovelies!!