Episode #9 - The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)

This week we discuss the 2007 Espionage, Action-Thriller, The Bourne Ultimatum. 

Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) continues his international quest to uncover his true identity. From Russia to Europe to northern Africa to the United States, he must stay one step ahead of those who would capture or kill him before he has a chance to discover the truth.

EPISODE NOTES: 

• We had to change our recording setup a little bit this week so Craig's voice is a litte low at times. We should have this resolved by the next episode. 
• Intro Music: Extreme Ways by Moby
• Outro Music: Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen

Episode #8 - Boyz N the Hood (1991)

In this episode we discuss the 1991 coming of age drama, Boyz N the Hood. 

Tre (Cuba Gooding Jr.) is sent to live with his father, Furious Styles (Larry Fishburne), in tough South Central Los Angeles. Although his hard-nosed father instills proper values and respect in him, and his devout girlfriend Brandi (Nia Long) teaches him about faith, Tre's friends Doughboy (Ice Cube) and Ricky (Morris Chestnut) don't have the same kind of support and are drawn into the neighborhood's booming drug and gang culture, with increasingly tragic results.

Episode Notes

• The character who has the pacifier in his mouth (who's name we couldn't remember) was called Dookie. He was played by Dedrick D. Gobert, who was shot and killed at the age of 22, 3 years after the film's release. 
• Intro Music: How to Survive in South Central by Ice Cube
• Outro Music: End of the Road by Boyz II Men

Episode #7 - Cabin in the Woods (2012)

In this episode we discuss the 2012 Thriller Mystery, Cabin in the Woods. 

Five friends go to a remote cabin in the woods. Bad things happen. If you think you know this story, think again. The Cabin in the Woods is a horror film that turns the genre inside out.

Episode Notes

Intro Music: The Teddy Bear's Picnic by Bing Crosby

Outro Music: Roll With The Changes by REO Speedwagon 

Episode #6 - Heat (1995)

In this episode we discuss the 1995 Crime Drama, Heat. 

Master criminal Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) is trying to control the rogue actions of one of his men, while also planning one last big heist before retiring. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Hanna (Al Pacino) attempts to track down McCauley as he deals with the chaos in his own life, including the infidelity of his wife (Diane Venora) and the mental health of his stepdaughter (Natalie Portman). McCauley and Hanna discover a mutual respect, even as they try to thwart each other's plans.

Episode Notes

• Intro Music - The Heat Is On by GLEN FREY
• Outro Music - God Moving Over The Face of The Waters by MOBY

Episode #5 - The Thing (1982)

In this episode we discuss the 1982 Sci-Fi Horror classic, The Thing. 

In remote Antarctica, a group of American research scientists are disturbed at their base camp by a helicopter shooting at a sled dog. When they take in the dog, it brutally attacks both human beings and canines in the camp and they discover that the beast can assume the shape of its victims. A resourceful helicopter pilot (Kurt Russell) and the camp doctor (Richard Dysart) lead the camp crew in a desperate, gory battle against the vicious creature before it picks them all off, one by one.

Episode Notes

• Cited by John Carpenter himself as being his favourite production out of everything he has created so far.
• Kurt Russell was not originally considered for a role in the film and fell into it after a conversation with Carpenter (his long-time friend)
• Considered to be the benchmark in practical effects for it's time and lead Rob Bottin to suffer from physical and mental exhaustion while on set.
• Carpenter is renowned for creating insightful commentaries and making-of documentaries around many of his films, The Thing (1982) is no different.
• The dog used in the opening act of the film is considered to be one of the finest animal performances on screen.
• Intro Music - People Are Strange by The Doors
• Outro Music - That Thing You Do by The Wonders

Episode #4 - The Sixth Sense (1999)

In this episode we huddle together for paranormal safety to discuss the 1999 supernatural hit - The Sixth Sense.

Dr Malcom Crowe (Bruce Willis) is a successful and prestigious child psychologist who, after a traumatising event involving the suicide of a now-adult patient seeks redemption in the form of a troubled and mentally haunted young boy called Cole (Haley Joel Osmond). As Malcom works with Cole to understand his spiritual gift he also has to reconcile his waning marriage and his own path towards redemption. All of which culminates in a climactic twist which demands a second viewing and which sealed the success of the movie at the box office.

EPISODE NOTES

• The film which catapulted director M. Night Shyamalan to stardom and who audiences & critics alike hailed him as the next Stephen Spielberg.
• A high quality exercise in effective use of screen-space and framed shots to instill a sense of foreboding and an unseen world.
• Hayley Joel Osmond who played Cole, vanished from the spotlight for nearly 15 years to pursue academic endeavors and only recently resurfaced, working closely with director/writer Kevin Smith. He took part in a very informative and enlightening interview on the Made Man YouTube channel.
• A stand-out performance came in the part of Toni Colette, who played Coles mother and who signed up for the script based on the penultimate scene in the car where her son tells her his supernatural secret.
• One of two films that Bruce Willis was contractually forced to star in due to a botched deal with Disney, after he caused the production of 'Broadway Brawler' to cease filming due to firing it's director.
• Intro Song: Ghost Town by The Specials 
• Outro Song: Somebody's Watching Me by Rockwell

Episode #3 - Back to the Future (1985)

In this episode, we're gunning it to 88 and discussing the 1985 sci-fi classic, Back to the Future!

Small-town California teen Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) is thrown back into the '50s when an experiment by his eccentric scientist friend Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) goes awry. Traveling through time in a modified DeLorean car, Marty encounters young versions of his parents (Crispin Glover, Lea Thompson), and must make sure that they fall in love or he'll cease to exist. Even more dauntingly, Marty has to return to his own time and save the life of Doc Brown.

EPISODE NOTES

• A film which saw Eric Stoltz take the lead for over a month of filming before being swapped out for Michael J Fox. Some of the existing reaction shots were actually of actors reacting to Eric, rather than Micheal.

• One of the first truly mutual and equal on-screen friendships between a teenager and an adult.

• The script is considered to be near-perfect and is used in many film education institutions as reference

• Crispin Glover and his lawsuit over the use of his likeness in Back to the Future II set a precedent in Hollywood that changed the legalities around how the likenesses of actors are portrayed in film.

• A wonderfully crafted element of visual storytelling that demands repeat viewings to fully take in the experience

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Episode #2 - Ghostbusters (1984)

In this episode we discuss the 1984 supernatural horror comedy Ghostbusters, directed and produced by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis as three eccentric parapsychologists who start a ghost-catching business in New York City. Sigourney Weaver and Rick Moranis co-star as a client and her neighbor, and Ernie Hudson as the Ghostbusters' first recruit.

The movie plot and other bits of information can be found on its Wiki page. There's also some additional trivia to be found on IMDB. 

EPISODE NOTES

• The movie Bill Murray asked to be remade before he'd agree to do Ghostbusters was "The Razor's Edge".

• The intro music snippet is Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr. 

• The outro music is the Ghostbusters Main Title Theme by Elmer Bernstein.

If you’d like to comment on the podcast, you can leave a review on iTunes. Not only do we read every review, but your positive, creative reviews will help our podcast reach more ears.

If you have questions or comments for us that you’d like us to discuss on our podcast, please leave a message in the comments section below or through our contact form.

Subscribe via RSS!