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After that last episode of FORGOTTEN GEMS? we were feeling a little down, so to pick up our spirits we decided to watch a film that is only PARTIALLY miserable: the Golden Bear winning Brazilian-French film CENTRAL STATION from 1998. Featuring death, despair, and – rather improbably – hope, it includes an incredible (and Academy Award nominated) performance from Fernanda Montenegro. BUT IS IT ANY GOOD? Let’s find out!

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Well, here’s something a bit different. We were both dreading having to talk about ANNIE HALL on the latest episode of PRAISING KANE (Liam even wanted to skip this episode entirely), so instead, we spend the first half of the episode talking about why we almost skipped it (yes, it’s because of Woody Allen), our frustrations with separating art from artist, and how we personally deal with films that have been poisoned by the actions of people involved. After the break we shift gears to give our general thoughts on the film and, of course, Carol Kane’s performance within. Check it out.

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On this episode of YOU DON’T KNOW DICK we’re joined by CLAPBOARD JUNGLE director Justin McConnell to discuss Joe Dante’s wonderful 1985 science-fiction film EXPLORERS, starring Ethan Hawke, River Phoenix, Jason Presson and – of course – Dick Miller as Charlie Drake. We talk about 80’s nostalgia, the film’s often-criticized third act, wonder AND awe, and of course all things Dick Miller. Check it out!

Check out Justin McConnell on Twitter @UnstableGround and head over to http://www.unstableground.net/ to check out all his films, including the incredible CLAPBOARD JUNGLE.

And the Lehigh Valley Apparel Creations REEL RUMBLE REDUX IS COMING TO MAHONING DRIVE-IN on MAY 21st and 22nd! Buy tickets here: https://mahoningdrivein.ticketleap.com/reelrumble/ 

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On the final episode of THE FILMS OF JOHN SINGLETON we’re looking at his sequel/reimagining of SHAFT starring Samuel L. Jackson, Jeffrey Wright, Christian Bale, Toni Collette and a returning Richard Roundtree as (Uncle) Shaft! After that we take a look at the career of John Singleton as a whole, and rank his nine film filmography. Check it out!

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On the PREMIERE episode of WILD IN THE STREETS: A EUROCRIME PODCAST we’re looking at the two films which kick off Roberto Curti’s essential book Italian Crime Filmography, 1968-1980: 1968’s Bandits in Milan, as well as 1968’s Bandits In Rome! The first film takes a documentary approach to a real-life incident that took place in Milan, Italy in 1967 while the second film starts John Cassavetes as a bandit with a heart of gold who is locked away while his partner goes on a violent rampage. What did we think? Listen and find out!

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On this episode of HOW DO YOU DO, FELLOW KIDS? we’re looking at Jim Jarmusch’s 1989 triptych film MYSTERY TRAIN from 1989, featuring Masatoshi Nagase, Youki Kudoh, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Nicoletta Braschi, Elizabeth Bracco, Rick Aviles, Joe Strummer and Steve Buscemi as Charlie the Barber. The film features three stories that examine the relationship between foreigners and the city of Memphis, Tennessee, as well as Elvis – whose presence hangs heavily over the entire film. Let’s talk about it!

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On this episode of JodoWOWsky, be prepared to live the most wonderful experience of your life! It’s Alejandro Jodorowsky’s legendary acid western EL TOPO, and after seeing it you’ll never be the same. Liam, Julia and Doug break down the history of the film and their experiences with it before delving into the film proper, splitting it into three parts for easier consumption. We finish with a look at Jodorowsky’s comic book follow-up THE SONS OF EL TOPO. Enjoy!

Your hosts are Cinema Smorgasbord regulars Doug Tilley (@Doug_Tilley) and Liam O’Donnell (@LiamRulz), but they are joined on this adventure by the always wonderful and incisive Julia Marchese!

Julia is a filmmaker, actor, writer, film programmer and podcaster. Julia’s first film was Out of Print, a documentary about the importance of revival cinema and 35mm to culture. The film has played all over the world in film archives, art house cinemas and universities. The 35mm print of the film is now housed at The Academy Film Archives. Her next project is a short film adaptation of Stephen King’s short story “I Know What You Need”. She is the co-host of Horror Movie Survival Guide, a weekly podcast that takes a deep dive into a different horror film each week, focusing on how to become the final girl. You can follow her on her social media platforms

juliamarchese.com

Beware! They are still at large! On this episode of WHATEVER HAPPENED TO VIC DIAZ it’s 1974’s SAVAGE SISTERS, a wonderfully cartoonish (sorta) women-in-prison film full of outrageous humor, double crossing and – of course Vic Diaz as ONE EYE. Gloria Hendry, Cheri Caffaro and Rosanna Ortiz play the titular characters, with Sid Haig, Eddie Garcia and John Ashley (who also produced) as their often ridiculous foils. What did we think? Listen and find out!

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On this episode of FORGOTTEN GEMS? we’re looking at the winner of the 1978 Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize, Marco Ferreri’s BYE BYE MONKEY (aka CIAO MASCHIO) starring Gerard Depardieu! You might think a film about a grown (french) man adopting a baby chimp after finding it nestled in a giant animatronic King Kong would be loads of fun, but BOY is it not! It’s cynical, often irritating and very unpleasant, so let’s talk about it!

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On this episode of We Do Our Own Stunts we’re continuing our look at the early career of Jackie Chan with the Jimmy Wang Yu-starring THE KILLER METEORS, which features the first collaboration between Jackie and Wang Yu (though their fates would entwine a few years later) as well as Jackie playing a VILLAIN! It’s a bizarre, and sometimes incomprehensible, high-flying martial arts epic, but it’s still a lot of fun. Let’s check it out!