The Kulturecast

While Halloween may be behind us, there's still horror movies to talk about, especially ones that have been releasing almost parallel to the duration of this podcast, now with a fifth and totally unnecessary entry. As Hell House LLC: Lineage may be the least necessary of the entire series, it does very little justify its existence as a lackluster epilogue to an otherwise peak found footage series. Ryan Verrill is a fan of the series and he's here to put a cap(?) on the series.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support.

Every year, this year not withstanding, I do an episode on Halloween, the best holiday of the year, on a horror movie, and this year it felt very apropro to cover Halloween Ends. Halloween Ends came out during the mid-years of the pandemic and was divisive in the horror community for the treatment of Michael Myers and the introduction and focus on a new, possible replacement. Divisiveness aside, the film treats Myers like a trauma monster, has some wild kills, and features an opening that may be one of the finest cold opens in horror history.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support.

Similarly to Tron, Final Destination is a franchise that has been out of the game for almost fifteen years, but no longer with this year's immensely entertaining Final Destination Bloodlines, a new step in the right direction for the franchise. Featuring the final film performance of Tony Todd's legendary career, it establishes new rules for the series while bringing the whole franchise together. Disc-Connected's Ryan Verrill joins the show to talk the film and the series in totality. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support.

Tron is a franchise that seems to come back every fifteen years to twenty for another swing at bat, often with arresting visuals and a killer soundtrack in tow. However, has the franchise at any point in over 40 years ever really escaped the gravity of "cult of cool" that has it looking stylistically interesting but not telling a truly engaging story? Seems like a question worth asking!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support.

If The House that Jack Built wasn't serial killer entertainment enough, South Korea cinema seems to be equally obsessed with the more depraved amongst us with 2008's The Chaser. A serial killer chase film set in the nightlife district of South Korea, it's as wild as it is creative with the direction of the action in a way you just didn't see in American cinema at the time.It was optioned to be remade and it was the director's first film, and he wrote it as well; insane.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support.

If serial killer cinema is your bag, baby, and you've never seen Lars Von Trier's The House that Jack Built, let us tell you why you should change that immediately. Not only is it a career performance for Matt Dillon but it features what may be the most interesting and engaging serial killer performance this side of the Trinity Killer.If serial killers aren't your bag, stay for the Dante's Inferno of it all, and possibly the most meta death scene ever featuring Uma Thurman.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support.

Addiction, mental health, grief: all things that can lead to an inescapable amount of trauma, heartbreak, and instability in one's life. Now, more often then not, those things aren't caused by a red-headed immortal witch but then again, those things aren't Weapons, Zach Cregger's latest joint.It's another fairy tale in in a horror movie wrapping with some comedic bits to boot.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support.

Dramedy runs high with a film from Adam Carter Rehmeier that not only made waves in 2024 due to the dopamine machine known as TikTok but also made an impact when it was initially released: Dinner in America. Disc-Connected's Ryan Verrill joins the conversation with collaborator Jeremy Long as well to round out the conversation, ya fucking punks.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support.

Twice in one week while not having been around for months, kinda like a deadbeat dad who tries. Apropro that the second episode this week kick's off Disc-Connected Month with Aftersun, a movie about a seemingly not deadbeat dad and his young daughter on vacation in Turkey.Might not seem like "your" kind of movie but trust me, you'll never hear "Under Pressure" the same way again.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support.

As we take a step back from your regularly scheduled programming, you advise you to turn on, tune in, and drop out with a very different conversation on life, film, the impact of film on life, and how the hell Adam Sandler swinging a putter shaped like a hockey stick ties it all together with Happy Gilmore.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support.

On this episode of The Kulturecast, Mike White, Father Malone, and Chris Stachiw wrangle with The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972), a shaggy, mythic Western brought to life—or perhaps strangled—by director John Huston and star Paul Newman. The trio digs into John Milius's wild, operatic script, packed with larger-than-life frontier chaos, and asks whether Huston's revisionist instincts and Newman's laid-back performance undercut the film's outlaw poetry. It's a strange, lurching ride through the West that might leave you pondering how history gets whitewashed, lionized, or laughed off entirely.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support.

Booby traps, RC cars, and ‘90s suburban chaos — this week, we're rewinding to Remote (1993), the Home Alone-adjacent adventure you probably forgot you loved. Join us as we dig into its offbeat charm, childhood wish fulfillment, and where it fits in the golden age of kid-powered cinema.For more Kulturecast episodes and podcasts guaranteed to be your new favorite audio obsession, check out Weirding Way Media at weirdingwaymedia.com.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support.

This week on The Kulturecast, we unpack The Brutalist — a visually arresting, emotionally layered film that blends architecture, identity, and postwar displacement. We dive into its moody aesthetics, deliberate pacing, and the story it builds, brick by brick.For more Kulturecast episodes and podcasts guaranteed to be your new favorite audio obsession, check out Weirding Way Media at weirdingwaymedia.com.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support.

Have you ever heard of the healing power of laughter? Mike White March wraps with the scene of the cinematic crime with Patch Adams (1998), a film that weaponizes red noses and sentimentality in equal measure. Chris Stachiw and Mike White welcome guest co-host Mark Begley to dissect this "based-on-a-true-story" heartwarmer, in which Robin Williams plays a medical student who believes laughter is the best medicine—even if it means violating every hospital policy in the book. From groan-worthy gags to emotional manipulation set to a soaring score, the trio digs into what works, what absolutely doesn't, and why this film somehow became a cultural touchstone. Bring tissues… and maybe some antacid.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support.

Mike White March limps across the finish line with Man of the Year (2006), a film that asks: what if a late-night comedian accidentally became president due to a voting machine glitch? Cullen Gallagher joins Chris Stachiw and Mike White to unpack Barry Levinson's bizarre genre mash-up that starts as political satire, swerves into romantic drama, and crashes into full-blown techno thriller. Robin Williams stars as a Jon Stewart-esque figure who suddenly finds himself in the Oval Office—not because of charisma, but because of...a software bug?It's a premise that felt far-fetched in 2006 and now feels like a documentary from an alternate universe. From clunky tone shifts to baffling plot twists, the trio digs into what Man of the Year was trying to say—and why it fails so spectacularly.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support.

Mike White March keeps the pain train rolling with License to Wed (2007), a so-called romantic comedy that tests the limits of both love and audience patience. Chris Stachiw and Mike White are once again joined by screenwriter and podcaster Richard Hatem to dissect this cringeworthy concoction, in which Robin Williams plays a meddling minister who puts an engaged couple (Mandy Moore and John Krasinski) through a series of increasingly bizarre and invasive "premarital challenges."From robot babies to relationship sabotage, License to Wed feels less like a comedy and more like a cry for help. Is this Williams at his most unhinged, or is the film simply cursed from the altar on down? The trio dives into the chaos to find out—so say a prayer and press play.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support.

Mike White March rolls on, dragging Chris Stachiw deeper into the depths of Robin Williams' cinematic misfires! This time, RV (2006) sputters into the spotlight—a Barry Sonnenfeld-directed road trip comedy that desperately wants to be National Lampoon's Vacation but barely makes it out of the driveway. Williams stars as a workaholic dad who drags his reluctant family on an RV adventure, only to find himself locked in a battle against sewage mishaps, corporate deadlines, and the ever-affable Jeff Daniels. Screenwriter Richard Hatem joins Mike and Chris to break down the film's chaotic energy, mismatched humor, and whether RV deserves to be parked in the junkyard of bad Robin Williams flicks. Buckle up—it's going to be a bumpy ride!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support.

Father Malone (Midnight Viewing) and Mike White (The Projection Booth) join Chris to talk about Brian DePalma's The Untouchables.  Written by David Mamet and loosely based on real events, the film stars Kevin Costner as Elliot Ness, a federal agent assigned to take down the crime boss of Chicago, Al Capone (Robert DeNiro).  With an amazing cast from stem to stern, the film boasts an incredible score by Ennio Morricone. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support.

We end Epic Movie Month with the only Martin Scorsese film to feature Daniel Day-Lewis along with one of the most misguided uses of the Irish accent, Gangs of New York. Disc-Connected's Ryan Verrill and Someone's Favorite Productions Dr. Will Dodson join the episode to Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Scorsese's later works.The film follows the story of Amsterdam Vallon, a man who's father is murdered by Bill the Butcher in 1850's New York and vows revenge upon him. It's a classic revenge tale set in a time and place rarely mined in media, making the overrated nature of the film that much more disappointing.For more Kulturecast episodes and podcasts guaranteed to be your new favorite audio obsession, check out Weirding Way Media at weirdingwaymedia.com.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kulturecast--2883470/support.