Missing Real with Mike D'Arrigo
Great movies take their place in history, but what about all the "turkeys" and disastrous flops littering the vast cinematic cesspool? If you really love movies, then what does it matter if a particular film won eight Oscars or eight Razzies? Sometimes over-the-top hammy acting, laughably choreographed fight sequences and rubber monster FX outdo even the most lavish productions in the Academy Awards echelon. So, whether it's an unsurpassed masterpiece or a piece of something else, every movie I talk about in this podcast is near and dear to my heart. Some you will know well, some you'd be well...
Season 3 Episode 6: Videodrome
This is an obscure one, but you true film geeks know it well. For the uninitiated, it's the movie where the guy makes out with his television set and sticks a VHS tape in his stomach. Given that this guy is played by a typically wired James Woods, not too unusual. Throw in Debbie Harry and some S&M, and we've got ourselves a true masterwork here. We even get to see Blondie "in the flesh". Or is it "the new flesh"? Plenty of trippy, mind-bending special effects, trademark Cronenberg "body horror" and a timely theme of people getting obsess...
Season 10 Episode 9: Year of the Snake Special! (with guests!)
Snakes...why did it have to be...snakes? Well, because it's Lunar New Year of the Snake! Took me half the year to get this thing wrapped and ready, but here it finally is: a festive gathering with a couple of buddies to talk about some of the most memorable (or best forgotten) snake-related movies through the years! As we slither along, we'll cover Snakes on a Plane, Anaconda, & Sssssss! Plus a few unexpected twists and turns. I've got Dave Chan and Evan Lam down in the snake pit with me, and if you stick around til the end credi...
Season 5 Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith (with Special Guest!)
Let's face it: even the most die-hard Star Wars fans absolutely HATED episodes I and II (and probably also hated every Die Hard after the second or third one). But no matter what, we just HAD to see it through and get some closure, at last witnessing the origin of Darth Vader. Hearing that iconic voice for the "first" time. The movie turned out to be pretty satisfying, as if Vader himself threatened George Lucas with a good old "You've failed me for the last time!”
Sadly, Vader's few lines in this film are far from menacing...and you...
Season 7 Episode 4: Burton Batmans
Everyone knows who Batman is (unless you happen to live in Gotham City, then it might take a while) so here's my tribute to the Dark Knight's first big cinematic adventures since the 1960s Adam West camp-fest. Most of us were skeptical about a Michael Keaton/Tim Burton collaboration. We were expecting something ridiculous...Beetleman?!? Batjuice?!? To our surprise, 1989's Batman delivered, thanks in no small part to Jack Nicholson's even battier Joker. We then got a bonkers sequel, Batman Returns, with Christopher Walken in a supporting role that basically steals the show. Of course, I'm a bit biased and ma...
Season 10 Episode 8: Schumacher Batmans
In retrospect, it turns out that Michael Keaton might have been the coolest Batman of all time. I mean, did anyone really go see that Flash movie because The Flash is so awesome? Nope. Keaton Batman. That's why. In the mid-1990s, after Tim Burton stepped away from the franchise, the next couple of Batman movies would have a new director, and (gasp!) a couple of new Batmen. While we've seen some really excellent work from both Val Kilmer (RIP) and George Clooney, these were not their crowning achievements. Or should I say masking achievements? These movies quickly became a parody o...
