Podcasts by Notes From the Back Row
A cinema podcast brought to you by a buncha weirdos. We focus on the cult, arthouse, overlooked VHS, classics and beyond. Brought to you by www.Back-Row.com
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An Interview with The New World Pictures Podcast from 2022-02-21T10:00
This week on the podcast, Dan (a self-appointed N.W.P.P.V.I.P.) chats with Ryan, Erica and Marc of The New World Pictures Podcast.
They discuss how and why they started this ultra-specific chr...
Back Row's Fifth Year in Movie Reviews, Podcasts & Lists from 2022-02-18T13:35:32
Back Row is five years old and ready to star in its own version of
Kindergarten Cop! Check out our best lists, podcasts and articles from the
past year you may have missed.
Cream of the Crud: Cruise Control from 2022-02-09T11:00
It's time to get cruddy again! Carlo and Dan are back with another episode of the freewheeling Cream of the Crud podcast, talking about movies they've been screening (like an obscure SOV flick,) ta...
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“A Banquet” Review: A Claustrophobic and Visceral Family Horror from 2022-02-07T23:36:39
A Banquet is a slick and atmospheric horror movie that gets just weird
enough while still being tethered to reality. If this is where director
Ruth Paxton is starting, Veronica is very ex...
“Just Keep Making Stuff Up”: An Interview with Shadoe Stevens from 2022-02-07T11:00
When the name Shadoe Stevens comes to mind, a lot of people think about their time as a Radio DJ or as announcer on Hollywood Squares. But the other day I was lucky enough to sit down and chat with...
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Ten of Carlo's Favorite Movies of 2021 from 2022-01-31T10:00
Join Carlo as he “takes a bite outta” all of the movies that didn’t come
out in 2021 he’s watched!
Jenna's Top Ten Movies of 2021 from 2022-01-21T13:50:04
For the first time in ages, Jenna found there was just so many movies to
like from 2021 that she had to actively find reasons to not include some of
her favorites of the year. Long live 2...
Notes from the Back Row Presents: Cream of the Crud - Full Throttle from 2022-01-17T10:00
It’s the first Crud of the new year! On a brand-new episode of Cream of the Crud, Carlo and Dan are back to talk about the movies they’ve been watching, news of notable BluRay releases and so much ...
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Cream of the Crud: Full Throttle from 2022-01-17T10:00
It’s the first Crud of the new year! On a brand-new episode of Cream of the Crud, Carlo and Dan are back to talk about the movies they’ve been watching, news of notable BluRay releases and so much ...
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Old & New: Veronica's Top Movies of 2021 from 2022-01-12T13:36:08
It’s Veronica’s year end list of her favorite new and old movie watches for
2021. From Hollywood fare like Dune and Nightmare Alley all the way down to
A24’s Lamb and Muriel's Wedding.
Dan's 20 Favourite Film Discoveries of 2021 from 2022-01-05T10:00
Another year, another list of favourite discoveries! From movies that
deserve a BluRay release stat, to some of my favourite blind-buys of the
year - they’re all here, and more.
Make The Electrical Life of Louis Wain Your New Religion from 2021-12-31T14:20:05
Jenna is encouraging you to not only go see The Electrical Life of Louis
Wain but also to join her in starting a new electric religion based on
Louis’ own quasi-scientific ramblings and p...
Notes from the Back Row Presents: Jingle All the Cream of the Crud from 2021-12-20T11:00
It's that time of the year again! Christmas? No! Well, yes, but it's also the time where Carlo and Dan get together to talk about new releases, movies they've seen and so much more!
On tod...
Jingle All the Cream of the Crud from 2021-12-20T11:00
It's that time of the year again! Christmas? No! Well, yes, but it's also the time where Carlo and Dan get together to talk about new releases, movies they've seen and so much more!
On tod...
A Tribute to Martin Short, Leading Man from 2021-12-17T10:00
You know who's underrated as an actor? Martin Short. Not all comedians are able to jump the hurdle into Serious Actor, and arguably Martin Short never truly succeeded financially in that sense, but...
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I Watched It So You Don't Have To: I Saw The Devil from 2021-12-08T13:45:16
The beautiful and unflinchingly brutal I Saw The Devil invites the the
audience to meditate on the idea of the purpose of revenge and justice –
how either is served and where to draw the ...
Notes from the Back Row Presents: Cream of the Crud - Back in the Habit from 2021-11-15T11:00
Cream of the Crud: Back in the Habit
Carlo and Dan are back with a post-Halloween episode of Cream of the Crud, talking about movies they've been watching (BoardingHouse! New York Ninja!) ...
Cream of the Crud: Back in the Habit from 2021-11-15T11:00
Cream of the Crud: Back in the Habit
Carlo and Dan are back with a post-Halloween episode of Cream of the Crud, talking about movies they've been watching (BoardingHouse! New York Ninja!) ...
Notes from the Back Row Presents: Cream of the Crud - Money Never Sleeps from 2021-11-01T10:00
Today might be Halloween hangover day, but Dan and Carlo are back in podcast form to talk about what they've been watching this frightful season, news of physical release announcements and much mor...
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Cream of the Crud: Money Never Sleeps from 2021-11-01T10:00
Today might be Halloween hangover day, but Dan and Carlo are back in podcast form to talk about what they've been watching this frightful season, news of physical release announcements and much mor...
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Double Feature: Of Love and Anxiety (Audition & Possession) from 2021-10-29T12:12:49
Veronica serves up an anxiety-riddled double feature for you to watch with
your romantic partners with Audition (1999) and Possession (1981). Enjoy
the pain!
Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch is a Salute to Imperfection in a Perfectionist's Career from 2021-10-25T13:38:03
Practically all of the jokes in The French Dispatch exist on a sort of
intellectually tickling plane that are amusing when you think about them
after the fact but not exactly hilarious to...
Notes from the Back Row Presents: Cream of the Crud - On the Move from 2021-10-18T10:00
n the lastest episode of Cream of the Crud, Carlo and Dan are getting spooky with it for their favourite two months of the year: Falloween! They’re of course talking about new and upcoming physical...
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Cream of the Crud: On the Move from 2021-10-18T10:00
n the lastest episode of Cream of the Crud, Carlo and Dan are getting spooky with it for their favourite two months of the year: Falloween! They’re of course talking about new and upcoming physical...
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Prisoners of the Ghostland and the Pursuit of a Better Tomorrow from 2021-10-15T10:00
Don’t be blinded by the action and exploding [censored], Prisoners of the
Ghostland boasts a strong morality message on how we can make things
actually great for once; not ‘again’ because...
What Makes a City a City? from 2021-10-11T10:00
Jenna and Veronica are back at it – having long conversations that only barely have to do with movies! In this latest episode of Notes From the Back Row, they investigate what it is about cities th...
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Notes from the Back Row Presents: Cream of the Crud - Armed & Fabulous from 2021-09-29T10:00
Carlo and Dan are back with more Cream of the Crud action, talking about the movies they’ve been watching recently, new physical media releases and so much more.
This week, they answer su...
Cream of the Crud: Armed & Fabulous from 2021-09-29T10:00
Carlo and Dan are back with more Cream of the Crud action, talking about the movies they’ve been watching recently, new physical media releases and so much more.
This week, they answer su...
Hoser Horror - Scanners I & II feat. Patrick Cotnoir from 2021-09-27T10:00
Carlo and Dan are back at it again, in the Great White North. They dive back into the horrific world of Canadian genre cinema with a seasonally appropriate double-feature of Scanners (1981) and Sca...
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13 Movies You Should Watch For Halloween 2021 from 2021-09-24T09:00
As always, Dan is back this year with another batch of Falloween movie
picks for your viewing pleasure! Get reading!
The Healing Bridge Between Comedy and Tragedy: 'Too Soon: Comedy After 9/11' Review from 2021-09-20T10:00
As a platform for alternative voices and takes on how to process this now
consecrated national tragedy, Too Soon: Comedy After 9/11 proves to be an
invaluable documentary.
Cream of the Crud 33?: The Final Insult from 2021-09-17T10:00
On the latest Cream of the Crud episode, Carlo and Dan discuss more movies and physical media releases for your listening pleasure!
On this episode they talk about the Vinegar Syndrome ann...
Notes from the Back Row Presents: Cream of the Crud 33? - The Final Insult from 2021-09-17T10:00
On the latest Cream of the Crud episode, Carlo and Dan discuss more movies and physical media releases for your listening pleasure!
On this episode they talk about the Vinegar Syndrome ann...
Interview: Emalie Soderback & Kevin Clarke of Viva Physical Media from 2021-09-15T09:00
On this episode of Notes from the Back Row, Dan is joined by the delightful Emalie Soderback and Kevin Clarke of Scarecrow Video and the YouTube show Viva Physical Media!
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Life Without a Parachute: A Review of Anne at 13,000 Ft. from 2021-09-13T09:00
If the past two years of societal upheaval hasn't been enough drama for
you, Kazik Radwanski's Anne at 13,000 Ft. is here to whip you right back
into another panic attack. Or really, take...
Cream of the Crud: The Search for More Money from 2021-09-01T09:00
This week on Cream of the Crud, we're getting into the pre-Falloween pre-gaming mood with some horror-adjacent picks, news of physical releases and more. It’s a potpourri of podcasting for the cine...
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Notes from the Back Row Presents: Cream of the Crud, The Search for More Money from 2021-09-01T09:00
This week on Cream of the Crud, we're getting into the pre-Falloween pre-gaming mood with some horror-adjacent picks, news of physical releases and more. It’s a potpourri of podcasting for the cine...
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A Very Cream of the Crud Sequel from 2021-08-16T10:00
Carlo and Dan are back yet again with another jam-packed episode of Cream of the Crud - it’s a potpourri of podcasting for the cinematically deranged!
This week on the show, they chat abo...
Notes from the Back Row Presents: A Very Cream of the Crud Sequel from 2021-08-16T10:00
Carlo and Dan are back yet again with another jam-packed episode of Cream of the Crud - it’s a potpourri of podcasting for the cinematically deranged!
This week on the show, they chat abo...
Cream of the Crud Strikes Back from 2021-08-04T10:00
Dan & Carlo return once again for a potpourri of podcasting for the cinematically deranged.
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Notes from the Back Row Presents: Cream of the Crud Strikes Back from 2021-08-04T10:00
Dan & Carlo return once again for a potpourri of podcasting for the cinematically deranged.
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Beneath the Planet of Cream of the Crud from 2021-07-16T09:00
Carlo & Dan are back with another potpourri of podcasting for the cinematically deranged – including Vinegar Syndrome's latest release Surf II: The End of the Trilogy to Treasure of the Ninja to Th...
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Notes from the Back Row Presents: Beneath the Planet of Cream of the Crud from 2021-07-16T09:00
Carlo & Dan are back with another potpourri of podcasting for the cinematically deranged – including Vinegar Syndrome's latest release Surf II: The End of the Trilogy to Treasure of the Ninja to Th...
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Losin' It: Movies on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown from 2021-07-14T09:00
There’s no standard way to behave for a breakdown, so it can be a challenge
to make something read clearly on screen when the majority of the drama
takes place internally. Veronica discus...
The Lowbrow Prince of Greaser's Palace: In Memoriam Robert Downey Sr from 2021-07-12T09:00
The only way Robert Downey Sr knew how to communicate with his audience was
to level with them. He’d undercut your expectations while openly ribbing
your reactions, delighting in the intr...
An Introduction to Hong Kong and Taiwan Cinema from 2021-07-05T13:26:42
Carlo and East Asian literature/film academic Jessica Siu-yin Yeung talk about their mutual love for Hong Kong and Taiwanese cinema - including the best five films to get you started
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Revenge of the Cream of the Crud from 2021-06-30T10:00
Carlo and Dan are at it again with another episode of Cream of the Crud, their corner of the podcast feed to chat about new physical media releases, movies they’ve screened recently, and whatever e...
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Notes from the Back Row Presents: Revenge of the Cream of the Crud from 2021-06-30T10:00
Carlo and Dan are at it again with another episode of Cream of the Crud, their corner of the podcast feed to chat about new physical media releases, movies they’ve screened recently, and whatever e...
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Return of Cream of the Crud from 2021-06-21T11:00
Carlo and Dan are back with another hang-out, news-talkin' episode of Cream of the Crud! It's a potpourri of podcasting for the cinematically deranged. This time on the podcast they're discussing:...
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Notes from the Back Row Presents: Return of Cream of the Crud from 2021-06-21T11:00
Carlo and Dan are back with another hang-out, news-talkin' episode of Cream of the Crud! It's a potpourri of podcasting for the cinematically deranged. This time on the podcast they're discussing:...
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Trauma, Forgiveness and the Root of All Evil in Mickey Reece’s Agnes from 2021-06-14T13:18:57
Mickey Reece’s Agnes is a religious horror film that spends more time
ruminating on trauma than it does on jump scares. Which isn’t to say it
doesn’t lean hard into the horror aesthetic –...
The Last Days of DVDisco (Feat. Bart D'Alauro of Bart & Greg's DVD Explosion) from 2021-06-07T09:00
Carlo, Dan and Jenna sit down with Bart D'Alauro of Cinema60 to talk about his previous life as the owner of the DVD rental store Bart & Greg's DVD Explosion. They talk physical media, the shortcom...
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'Together Together' in the Loneliest Generation from 2021-05-31T12:00
Nikole Beckwith's platonic-romantic comedy Together Together, about a
single dad and his surrogate pregnancy, is surprisingly meditative – honing
in on social pressures, generational stru...
Double Feature: You Meta Believe It (Keep an Eye Out & In Action) from 2021-05-26T09:00
Our latest double feature centers on the idea of movie making, performance
and the blurred line between art and real life – featuring two new releases
Quentin Dupieux's Keep an Eye Out an...
Cream of the Crud from 2021-05-24T09:00
Today on the podcast, Carlo and Dan are stretchin' their legs out for a chilled chat about whatever the heck they've been watching lately. Like Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation
Notes From the Back Row Presents Cream of the Crud from 2021-05-24T09:00
Today on the podcast, Carlo and Dan are stretchin' their legs out for a chilled chat about whatever the heck they've been watching lately. Like Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation
The Evolution of Election from 2021-05-12T09:00
Veronica writes an ode to Alexander Payne’s Election – a perfect microcosm
of the US, our inherent mistrust of ambitious women, and the gross reality
of being a human.
Post-Anime Club: Jigoku & Blind Beast from 2021-05-10T12:17:48
Carlo & Jenna go to Hell with two 1960s Japanese films that deal with death and torture: Jigoku & Blind Beast
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Hoser Horror: An Interview with Allan Levine (Emmeritus Productions & More!) from 2021-04-26T09:00
For this episode, I was lucky enough to sit down and chat with Allan Levine, a Canadian film and television producer who directed two features for Emmeritus Productions (The Chronicle of 1812 aka T...
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Lights, Camera, Make It Pop: A Review of Quentin Dupieux's Keep An Eye Out from 2021-04-16T12:48
Quentin Dupieux's Keep An Eye Out is a smart mashing of the worlds of
commercial art versus personal art. It's surprisingly straight foward but,
in the surreal world of Dupieux, making se...
A Conversation with Lynn Novick on Hemingway, Masculinity, Mythos & Filmmaking from 2021-04-14T09:02
Emmy award-winning filmmaker Lynn Novick talks with Jenna about her latest documentary Hemingway, including how to read his work, the prison of his masculinity and Hemingway’s relevancy for modern ...
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Reevaluating Toxic Genius in Ken Burns and Lynn Novick's Hemingway Documentary from 2021-04-14T09:00
At a time when giving toxic male personalities a second look may feel
almost like a step backwards, Hemingway makes a strong case for trying.
Novick and Burns tackle Hemingway's troubled ...
Criticism, Critiques, People & Perfection: A Discussion with Jenna & Veronica from 2021-04-12T09:00
Jenna & Veronica discuss an essay by Pauline Kael reflecting on people's hostile responses to her writing while they reflect on their own experiences as female film critics. They touch upon multipl...
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Female Anxiety Films: Women's History Month Edition from 2021-03-19T12:55:39
Anxiety is what bonds us women together, even more than that sisterhood
junk or whichever biological grossness, because it exists inside every type
of woman there is. If you’ve spent a mi...
Get Rollin' to Big Fun at the House Party from 2021-03-15T10:00
This time on Notes from the Back Row, Carlo and Dan are diving into a trio of hip-hop and music based feature films that span from the early eighties and into the nineties.
First, they ch...
The 3rd Annual Back Rowsie Awards: Overcoming This Fraught Future from 2021-03-01T10:00
It's that time of year again - when we look back on the year behind us and talk about movies we liked, stuff we saw for the first time, and what we'd like to see out of that golden haze on the hori...
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Keith Thomas' The Vigil Review: Jewish Demons Can Possess Too, You Know from 2021-02-26T10:00
Finally, a movie that acknowledges how Jewish mysticism can freak people
out just as well as any ol’ Christian folk horror. L’chaim!
Back Row's Fourth Year in Movie Reviews, Podcasts & Lists from 2021-02-19T10:00
Back Row turns four on Saturday! This past year we shifted focus a bit more
to reviewing new films as they came out, but judging from our most popular
articles it seems the audience wants...
Veronica's Top New To Me Movies of 2020 from 2021-02-15T10:00
There’s no number attached to Veronica’s “best of” list for 2020. This
year, she’ll mention as many movies as she can remember seeing and liking
well enough because, well, with theaters c...
Jenna's Top Ten Movies of 2020 from 2021-02-12T13:45:57
A great documentary, skillful character studies and a handful of
surprisingly original biopics kept 2020 afloat for Jenna. Here’s hoping
this under appreciated cinematic year, full of int...
Ten Reasons Why Eric Roberts Was My Rock in the Year of the Curse, 2020 from 2021-02-10T13:30:59
If there’s one guy who deserves some sort of Nic Cage-level renaissance,
it’s Eric Roberts. With a filmography that’s over 300 films long, there’s
no lack of hidden gems to discover. Let’...
Dan's Top Film Discoveries of 2020 from 2021-02-08T13:41
Dan says 2020 sucked but watching these movies didn’t. Maybe you can find a
couple new gems to watch to hopefully ensure that 2021 is less shitty.
Double Feature: 30-Something Delinquents Going on 16 (Crime in the Streets & The Delicate Delinquent) from 2021-01-27T10:00
Turning 30 can be rough. All that peer pressure, awkward insecurity, fights
with mom, not to mention the raging hormones… Wait did I say 30? I meant
16. Sorry, I get those two confused so...
Hoser Horror: Top of the Food Chain (1999) & Corpse Eaters (1974) from 2021-01-25T10:00
It's a brand new year, so it's time for a brand new episode of Hoser Horror! Join Carlo and Dan as they talk about two completely random, theme-less Canadian horror movies that they happened to wan...
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Hoser Horror: Witchboard III - The Possession (1995) & Bleeders (1997) from 2020-12-28T10:00
This week on Hoser Horror, Carlo and Dan are joined by Heather from the Movie Melt! Podcast and Compañeros Radio Network to discuss two Canadian horror movies of varying quality and thematic releva...
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Christmas Capers and Comedies to Lighten Up This Shitty Year from 2020-12-23T10:00
And so this is Christmas… doesn’t mean Veronica’s gotta be all sentimental
about it. Here’s a list of three perfectly hilarious Christmas films to
bring you joy, whether they mean to be f...
Of Truth and Nonsense: Matthew Rankin's The Twentieth Century Review from 2020-12-18T13:50:28
Matthew Rankin’s The Twentieth Century is like if Guy Madden and Ken
Russell discovered a portal to the 1920s while playing playing laser tag
against Monty Python’s animations. You know, ...
Forget Die Hard & Gremlins: Alternative Christmas Movies To Watch in 2020 from 2020-12-16T11:00
Put down that copy of Die Hard, toss aside that Gremlins tape… here’s a
list of some alternatively festive (or creepy or funny or somewhere
in-between) Christmas picks for you to watch th...
Hoser Horror: The Pink Chiquitas (1987) & Wicked World (1991 / 2009) from 2020-12-14T13:00
Carlo and Dan are joined by Meghann of the Ghouls Only Cast to discuss two Canadian horror movies of varying quality.
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Post Anime Club: Carmen Comes Home & Carmen's Innocent Love from 2020-11-16T10:00
Jenna & Carlo take a look at the early films of Hideko Takamine and Keisuke Kinoshita
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Hoser Horror: Deathdream (1974) & Seizure (1974) from 2020-11-02T13:30
On the latest episode of Hoser Horror, Carlo and Dan welcome Back Row's own Jenna to discuss two more Canadian horror movies!
First up, is Bob Clark's anti-war horror classic Deathdream. W...
All of Them Witches: Female Anxiety in the Supernatural from 2020-10-31T13:22:08
Witch movies making a comeback speaks to a larger trend of people wanting
more control over how they’re seen. With all of the discussion right now
about who has power, who gets power, and...
Synchronic Review: The Trouble with Time Travel & Appreciating the Now from 2020-10-23T14:30:43
Horror sci-fi Synchronic focuses on drug addiction, sudden death, the harsh
realities of the past, and unintentional time travel. While you wish it
scratched past the surface a bit more t...
The Crushing Weight of Love & Insecurity in Cooper Raiff's Shithouse from 2020-10-21T14:05:33
Finally a college movie for the rest of us! I’m talking about those of us
who spent their so-called “best years” mostly talking on the phone with
their parents, eating take-out in their r...
Franchise Frenzy: Children of the Corn Series (Part One: I - IV) from 2020-10-19T12:30
On the latest episode of Franchise Frenzy, Carlo and Dan are back to discuss every movie in a long-running film franchise.
Today is the first episode (of potentially many?!) focusing on Stephe...
Hoser Horror: Blood Clan (1990) & Evil Judgment (1984) from 2020-10-05T12:30
This week on a very special episode of Hoser Horror, Dan and Carlo decide to dive into two more spooktastic horror flicks, as is customary around this time of year. Or so they thought! Our films fo...
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Back Row Book Club: The Poignant & Grotesquely Funny Cinema of Ettore Scola from 2020-09-25T13:22:48
The Cinema of Ettore Scola is an essential addition for the shelves of
those who have wondered what contextual nuances they might have been
missing out on, or anyone who has wanted to dip...
I Watched It So You Don't Have To: The House That Jack Built from 2020-09-23T10:00
Ruthlessly bloody, indulgent and like watching Lars Von Trier primp in the
mirror for two-and-a-half hours, The House That Jack Built is surprisingly
watchable. A little insufferable, big...
Hoser Horror: Invasion of the Mindbenders (1987) & Possession (1987) from 2020-09-21T12:18
We're back with another episode of Hoser Horror, with the extra-special addition of a returning guest! Yes, Matt from the Compañeros Radio Network has returned to the show to discuss two "horror" m...
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15 Movies For Your Halloween Horror Watchlist from 2020-09-09T12:38:44
Dan’s back at it again this year, this time with 15 horror movies ready for
adding to your Halloween watchlist. The only question is: which will you
watch first?
Hoser Horror: Rituals (1977) & Trapped (1982) from 2020-09-07T09:00
This time on a brand-new episode of Hoser Horror, Dan and Carlo go back to the backwoods and deal with the dangers lurking within. They're talking about Rituals (1977) and Trapped (aka Baker County...
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Post-Anime Club: Tokyo Idols & Perfect Blue from 2020-08-24T10:00
Capitalism, loneliness and purity is the name of the japanese idol game–especially as told through Tokyo Idols and Perfect Blue. Carlo and Jenna discuss these themes in depth as they attempt to nav...
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Happily Ever After Without All the Fairy Tale Crap: Spinster Starring Chelsea Peretti from 2020-08-21T09:00
Between women still being inundated with toxic ideals and Chelsea Peretti’s
trademark style of acting, Spinster becomes a lovely and funny movie about
how much better we can be when we st...
Michael Almereyda’s Tesla Shines a New Light on the Mad Genius Myth from 2020-08-19T09:00
Tesla de-claws the myth of the angry male genius who is simultaneously
punished and celebrated by society as a superior being. Almereyda’s Tesla
is instead portrayed as a bundle of neuros...
Hoser Horror: Slashers & The Mangler 2 from 2020-08-10T12:30
This time on Notes from the Back Row, Carlo and Dan are back in the Great White North talking about two maple syrup horror movies on Hoser Horror.
They take a break from talking about 80s...
Amy Seimetz's She Dies Tomorrow Explores the Terror of Anticipation from 2020-08-07T09:00
The brilliance of She Dies Tomorrow is in how it weaponizes the anxiety of
anticipation. The finality of death, in comparison, feels far less
terrifying than having to live in fear of its...
Franchise Frenzy: The Meatballs Series from 2020-07-27T13:28:16
Dan & Carlo watch all four of the Meatballs movies, the Canadian teen-sex comedy movies that launched the career of Bill Murray
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A Conversation with Director Amy Goldstein of Underestimate The Girl from 2020-07-17T23:55:47
Veronica talks with director Amy Goldstein on her new intimate documentary
about musician Kate Nash. They discuss shooting the film, as well as Amy’s
experiences, both fun and frustrating...
Victor and Victoria in 1933 and 1982 from 2020-07-13T12:04:47
Jenna and (professional drag performer) Veronica talk about the original German Victor and Victoria in comparison to the Julie Andrews and James Garner remake
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Post-Anime Club: The Legend of the Stardust Brothers & Hausu from 2020-06-29T09:00
Instead of trying to tackle a director's entire oeuvre, this time Carlo & Jenna focus on two wild and wacky films that have nothing in common except for their supremely cartoonish appearances: The ...
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Free Comedies on YouTube to Get Through [gestures] All of This from 2020-06-19T09:00
One might imagine the caliber of free movies on YouTube to be dismal to
painful, but it turns out that a large portion of what is available without
payment is surprisingly… good. Veronica...
The Queer Pioneers of the Weimar Republic: Victor and Victoria, Michael, and Mädchen in Uniform from 2020-06-17T14:18:24
Kino Lorber has just released three beautifully restored queer films from
the Weimar era on VOD: Michael (1924), Mädchen in Uniform (1931) and
Victor and Victoria (1933)
Franchise Frenzy: Project Shadowchaser I - IV from 2020-06-15T11:03:27
Carlo & Dan discuss all four films in the Project Shadowchaser series starring Frank Zagarino as a villainous android. Also, sometimes he's a villainous alien. How do these movies fit together? Wha...
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Hoser Horror: Eternal Evil & Deadline from 2020-06-01T12:51:17
This time on the latest episode of Hoser Horror, Dan and Carlo watch a double-feature about men, their failing lives and relationships, and their inability to distinguish reality from non-reality.
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Hoser Horror: Killer Party & Prom Night with Amanda Reyes from 2020-05-18T09:00
This time on Hoser Horror, Carlo and Dan welcome Amanda Reyes from the incredible Made For TV Mayhem blog and podcast to talk about two of her favourite Canadian horror movies from two major Canadi...
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Hoser Horror: The Peanut Butter Solution & To Catch A Yeti (Feat. Matt from Compañeros Radio Network) from 2020-05-04T13:41:51
This time on Hoser Horror, Carlo and Dan are joined by Matt from the Compañeros Radio Network podcasts Movie Melt! and Songs On Trial to discuss some Canadian family films that have the power to in...
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Hoser Horror: The Kiss & Graveyard Shift from 2020-04-20T20:13:45
This week, it's a duo of supernatural-ish shockers: one about a vampire, and one about something else entirely. First up, it's Graveyard Shift (no, not the Stephen King movie!) from 1987 about a ta...
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Longing For the City You're Locked In: Experiencing San Francisco Through Film from 2020-04-17T09:00
Watching movies filmed in a place you love when you are physically present
in said place but unable to enjoy it has become a strange panacea for
Veronica. Between Petulia, Foul Play and T...
The World is Burning. Why Can't I Stop Watching Mission Impossible? from 2020-04-15T09:00
Jenna watched every Mission Impossible movie while under quarantine and she
was shocked to find that, instead of the nationalistic action-schlock she
had anticipated, the entire franchise...
I Watched It Five Times in Theaters So You Don't Have To: Tom Hooper's Cats from 2020-04-13T09:00
The experience of seeing Cats, especially at a late-night or rowdy
screenings, is like trying to solve a brain-teaser in a karaoke bar on a
rollercoaster. Guest contributor PJ Kryfko lays...
Hoser Horror: Interview with Jesse D'Angelo from 2020-04-06T12:15:51
This time on Hoser Horror, Dan is hosting without Carlo because he had a chance to sit down with Jesse D’Angelo, step-son of writer-director John Fasano and son of screenwriter/author Cindy Cirile ...
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I Watched It So You Don't Have To: Irreversible from 2020-03-25T09:00
Gaspar Noé’s Irreversible is known for its unflinchingly brutal rape scene,
but what Veronica found more unforgivable was how boring the whole movie
was.
Hoser Horror: Humongous & Cross Country feat. Shea Mossefin from 2020-03-23T11:58:48
This episode of Hoser Horror sees Carlo and Dan taking another look into the filmography of Paul Lynch as they watch his island-set slasher Humongous and the cross-country sleaze-o-rama... Cross Co...
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Hoser Horror: Radioactive Rabids from 2020-03-09T12:55:44
On the latest episode of Hoser Horror, Dan and Carlo dive into the three R's: radioactivity, revenge and rabid...ness! That's right, they watched Revenge of the Radioactive Reporter and the David C...
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Noah Hawley's Lucy in the Sky Loses the Cosmos for the Stars from 2020-02-28T10:00
Picture yourself on a truck on a lawn, with a general unease and an outer
space high. Lucy in the Sky indulges in tired tropes and gimmicks, but its
most egregious mistake is focusing on ...
Male Anxiety Movies That Fear the Future is Female from 2020-02-26T10:00
In this day of blurred lines between gender, sexual orientation, and what
those words even mean, the axiom of the “every man” is fading away.
Veronica looks at three movies that anticipat...
The 2020 Back Rowsie Awards: The Best Movies of the Decade from 2020-02-24T10:00
Jenna, Veronica, Carlo & Dan discuss their favorite films of the 2010s, nominating and voting as they go along
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Back Row's Third Year in Movie Reviews, Podcasts & Lists from 2020-02-21T15:17:50
We’re three years old today! Check out the most popular articles from our
third year on this mortal coil–including I Watched It So You Don’t Have To,
Hoser Horror, I Watched It So You Don...
Three Men, and a Baby In The White House: Onur Tukel's The Misogynists from 2020-02-14T13:42:34
Onur Tukel’s The Misogynists tickles an intellectually vouyeristic itch by
peering into the minds of people who were actually happy after the 2016
election. There is something cathartic a...
Back Row Book Club: Nick Nolte's Rebel from 2020-02-12T10:00
Veronica was impressed by how honest Nick Nolte’s autobiography Rebel
is. From being open about his struggles with mental illness and drugs, to
his love to acting and unconventional women...
Hoser Horror: The Clown Murders & The Clown at Midnight from 2020-02-10T10:00
This time on Hoser Horror, Carlo and Dan return to the world of clowns after hanging out with Zeebo a few episodes back. That's right, they both watched The Clown at Midnight and The Clown Murders ...
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Ep# 37 - The Late Jerry Lewis: Cracking Up & The Nutty Professor Cartoon from 2020-01-27T10:00
Guest Ben Nash joins Jenna to discuss two later Jerry Lewis offerings. One of the overlooked genius type, aka Cracking Up aka Smorgasbord, and one of the don’t-even-look vomit type, aka The Nutty P...
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Carlo's C.R.A.P. (Cinematic Rarities And Peculiarities) 2019 from 2020-01-17T10:00
Carlo’s caught a bad case of Movietitis B in 2019 so stay clear if you
don’t wanna get sick.
Sill going for it, eh? Sick.
Jenna's Top Ten Movies of 2019 from 2020-01-15T10:00
Jenna rejects all your parasites, irishmen, gems uncut and once upon a
times for a list of films that leans heavily on character development and
themes of redemption.
Ep# 36 - Hoser Horror: Phone Murder by Death Ship (with Paul Corupe) from 2020-01-13T10:00
Guest Paul Corupe joins Dan & Carlo to discuss two notable tax shelter era horror movies featuring inanimate objects as murderers: Murder by Phone and Death Ship.
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Dan's Top Film Discoveries of 2019 from 2020-01-10T14:03:28
Dan’s top film discoveries of 2019 include made for TV movies, found
footage, documentaries about dating objects, arthouse slashers and
overlooked 1990s dramas–it’s a cornucopia of the st...
Old & New: Veronica's Top Ten for 2019 from 2020-01-08T10:00
Veronica’s top ten for 2019 is a mix of old and new and includes everything
from murderous cults, murderous alligators, murderous ice, murderous frat
boys, murderous dancing… you get the ...
Back Row Patreon: It Exists and You Should Join from 2020-01-01T10:00
We have a Patreon now and if you like us as much as we like you, maybe
throw us a dollar to show us you care? Please? No? Okay. Well. I mean, we
still like you.
Tis The Season: Not Christmasy Christmas Movies from 2019-12-25T11:00
Christmas may always be the season of sap and treacle, but there’s no
reason to suffer through boring, trite entertainment just to be
thematically appropriate. Veronica delves into Red Ch...
Ep# 35 - Hoser Horror: Christmas Spectacular (Curtains & Ghostkeeper) from 2019-12-23T11:30
On this very festive Hoser Horror episode of Notes from the Back Row, Carlo and Dan zip up their snowpants, lace up their winter boots, and head out into the blizzards of the Great White North to t...
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Unwatchable Films and Unfilmable Books, Part II: Source VS Adaptation from 2019-12-18T10:00
London Fields and Cloud Atlas aren’t horrible films, they’re just poor
adaptations. Veronica takes a look at how that could be in part II of Back
Row Book Club’s look at unfilmable books.
Ep #34 - Post-Anime Club: Juzo Itami & Nobuko Miyamoto from 2019-12-16T10:00
Carlo & Jenna once again indulge in a big ol’ bowl of classic Japanese cinema with this in-depth look at the life and career of director Juzo Itami, along with his collaborator and wife Nobuko Miya...
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Unwatchable Films and Unfilmable Books: The Great Gatsby, Naked Lunch & Dune from 2019-12-04T10:00
Veronica takes a look at whether it’s the books that are unfilmable or if
the movie is just unwatchable. Spoiler: It has nothing to do with the
details and everything to do with capturing...
Ep #33 - Hoser Horror: Mind Meltin' Rip-Offs (Cathy's Curse & Things) from 2019-12-02T10:00
Carlo and Dan continue their Hoser Horror journey - taking a mind-melting turn down the back-alley of Canadian pseudo-rip-offs with the Exorcist-meets-Italian-horror-junk film Cathy’s Curse, and a ...
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2019 is the Year of Psychomagic Therapy: Honey Boy, The Souvenir, Pain & Glory from 2019-11-20T10:00
What do Shia LaBeouf, Joanna Hogg and Pedro Almodovar all have in common?
Their latest films prove they are all students of Alejandro Jodorowsky’s
Psychomagic–a shamanic psychotherapy tha...
Ep #32 - Hoser Horror: The Origin of Canuxploitation with Paul Corupe from 2019-11-18T11:51:38
Paul Corupe joins Dan & Carlo of Hoser Horror to discuss how his website Canuxploitation.com came to be.
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Ep #31 - An Interview with Anja Murmann on Unintended from 2019-11-04T10:00
Veronica interviews filmmaker Anja Murmann on her upcoming film Unintended–about a woman who has repressed a memory of murder for so long that it begins to drive her insane.
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Parody is the Sincerest Form of Flattery in These Horror Spoof Remakes from 2019-10-30T09:30
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but what about
parody? Specifically for horror, spoofs work better when the movie (or
movies) in reference is respected. Such is the ...
Ep #30 - Hoser Horror: Deranged & The Uncanny from 2019-10-28T09:00
Jenna joins Dan and Carlo on Hoser Horror to discuss two Canadian horror movies from the 1970s: Deranged (1974) and The Uncanny (1977).
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I Watched It So You Don't Have To: Albert Serra's Liberté from 2019-10-23T09:00
Liberté is as much about human nature versus society as it is about tongue
versus butt. Albert Serra casts the audience in the role of the vouyer,
using the act of observation as a meta c...
Ep #29 - Hoser Horror: Are You Afraid of the Dark? from 2019-10-21T09:00
On the latest Hoser Horror episode of Notes from the Back Row, Dan and Carlo dive into the seminal kid-horror series Are You Afraid of the Dark?
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Ep #28 - Hoser Horror: Two Good Doggos (The Gate & Watchers) from 2019-10-14T09:00
Dan and Carlo are watching Watchers and The Gate, two movies with two very good boys: Furface and Angus!
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I Watched These 2000s Horror Movies So You Don't Have To from 2019-10-09T09:00
People often talk about the 80’s as the golden age of schlock (and they’re
100% right), but Carlo will always look back at the 2000s as a time when
his interest in cinema hit an all-time ...
Ep #27 - Hoser Horror: Jon Mikl Thor's Nightmares from 2019-10-07T09:00
Carlo and Dan watch a double-feature of Canadian horror films featuring the one, the only: Jon Mikl Thor. Featuring a discussion on Zombie Nightmare and Rock and Roll Nightmare.
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This Halloween, Watch These Alternative Horror Picks from 2019-10-02T09:00
In the spirit of the Halloween season, Dan’s whipped up some
recommendations for alternative horror picks to slide into your rotation
with the regular year-after-year classics we all know...
Ad Astra Crashes High-Concept Space Dramas Back Down to Earth from 2019-09-30T09:00
James Gray takes the vacuum of space–including your lofty and high-minded
expectations of space movies–and plugs it all up with self-help books about
learning to love yourself. Cue Whitne...
Ep#26 - Raisin' Hell with Burton, Harris, O'Toole, and Reed in the #MeToo Era from 2019-09-23T09:00
Jenna & Veronica discuss Robert Sellers' book Hellraisers (a biography about Peter O'Toole, Richard Harris, Richard Burton and Oliver Reed) and how the legacies of these four legendary drunks fit i...
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Ep#25 - Hoser Horror: A Fruet Duet (Spasms & Blue Monkey) from 2019-09-09T09:00
In the latest Hoser Horror, it’s a duet of movies by William Fruet: the snake/telepathy thriller of Spasms (1983), and the sci-fi throwback with a modern twist that is Blue Monkey (1987).
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I Watched It So You Don't Have To: Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer from 2019-08-30T09:00
At it’s heart, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is a commentary on both
the mutability of morality and the culpability of voyeurism. Or it’s a
weirdly dark comedy, depends on how twiste...
A Double and Dinner: Moonstruck (1987) & I Love You to Death (1990) from 2019-08-28T09:00
It’s dinner and a movie with Italians, American Style! Veronica mixes it up
by providing you with two recipes to go with your double feature of
Moonstruck and I Love You To Death.
Ep#24 - Hoser Horror: US, Eh? Canadian American Horror from 2019-08-26T09:00
Hoser Horror goes a little bit south of North America and dips into the ol’ U.S.A. with this week’s two Canadian horror films–Red Blooded American Girl and American Nightmare.
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Ep#23 - Hoser Horror: My Bloody Valentine & Visiting Hours from 2019-08-12T09:00
This time on Notes from the Back Row, Carlo and Dan welcome Adam Eisentrout (of Kawaii Trash) to Hoser Horror so they can discuss two major slashers from the great white north. It’s the bloody-hear...
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I Watched It So You Don't Have To: The Greasy Strangler (2016) from 2019-07-31T11:46:23
A naked, greased-up elderly man who strangles people, eats their eyes and
then scrubs off in a carwash. After watching The Greasy Strangler (2016),
Veronica is not sure of anything anymore.
Ep#22 - Hoser Horror: Revenge in the Great White North from 2019-07-29T09:00
Hoser Horror goes into the backwoods to find two of the meanest, sleaziest revenge movies this side of the great white north. Featuring Bullies (1986) and Death Weekend (1976)
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Ep# 21 - Post-Anime Club: Yasujiro Ozu from 2019-07-15T09:00
Carlo and Jenna are making up for years of ignoring Japanese cinema by focusing on some choice classics. First up are the charming and mesmerizing films of Yasujiro Ozu–including Tokyo Story, Float...
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It's All Relative: Movies About the Inherent Dysfunction in Families from 2019-07-03T12:43:59
The fetishization of the family unit is only now beginning to get picked
apart as people are becoming more honest and aware of the skewed, unfair
dynamics that can play out within an insu...
Ep# 20 - Hoser Horror: When Animals Attack, Eh? from 2019-07-01T09:00
Animals are attacking on Hoser Horror, eh? Giant rats, killer fish, oh my! Carlo & Dan discuss Psycho Pike and GNAW: Food of the Gods II - and live to tell the tale!!
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Mandy: A Microcosm of Ideological War from 2019-06-21T11:54:54
While it might seem like a simple tale of revenge, Mandy is a post-Vietnam
War story about ideological wars and the inescapable systems in which we
find ourselves.
"This Is Fine": The Dead Don't Die is a Portrait of Modern Complacency from 2019-06-19T11:29:24
Jim Jarmusch seems downright mad about our collective complacency and
emotional compartmentalization towards the world. He’s hoping that if he
dresses it up real nice in a fun, mainstream...
Ep# 19 - Kingdom of Trash (Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying & Love Junk Horror) from 2019-06-17T09:00
This week on the podcast, Dan and Veronica sit down for a freewheeling, wide-ranging discussion spurred on by Veronica’s recent article about the current state of horror movies (specifically around...
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Ep# 18 - Hoser Horror: The Mask & Cannibal Girls from 2019-06-03T10:00
This week on Hoser Horror, Dan (resident hoser) and Carlo take a look at two Canadian “firsts.” What do we mean by firsts? How about the first Canadian movie to be distributed by an American distri...
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Ep# 17 - Hoser Horror: Science Crazed & The Pit from 2019-05-20T10:00
Dan and Carlo are back together and talking about something near and dear to both of them… Hoser Horror! First up, they focus on The Pit (1981) and Science Crazed (1989).
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Art vs Trash: Why "Elevated Horror" Doesn't Work As Well as Junk Horror from 2019-05-08T12:52:50
Horror films are like yoga for the primordial parts of our brains, and when
something is so directly tied to our lower instincts, it can be hard to
‘pretty it up.’
Ep# 16 - A Heroic Trio of Female Prisoner Scorpions from 2019-05-06T10:00
After being subjected to several Jerry Lewis movies, Carlo challenges Jenna to watch some of his favorite action films from Hong Kong and Japan–including The Heroic Trio, and the first two Female P...
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Alex Ross Perry's "Her Smell" Reeks of Toxic Brilliance from 2019-05-01T10:45
Alex Ross Perry’s Her Smell perfectly depicts the push-and-pull ecosystem
of the public’s relationship to a celebrity whose toxicity overshadows her
talent.
Hearts of Darkness: Movies that Pit Humans Against Nature from 2019-04-29T10:45
Stories that pit man against nature are classic and universal. They remind
us how far we’ve come and yet how easily it can all be taken away. The
films Arctic, Sorcerer and Embrace of the...
Ep# 15 - We Watched Climax So You Don't Have To from 2019-04-22T10:00
Jenna and Veronica discuss Gaspar Noe’s hyper violent dance-torture film Climax, which they suspect is actually the superior remake of Suspiria.
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Double Feature: Scenes from the Class Struggle in Florida (Magic Mike & Wild Things) from 2019-04-10T11:00
It’s The Man vs Florida Man in this double feature focusing on Magic Mike
and Wild Things. Both films focus on the unhappiness of those who have
money all of the money in the world and th...
Ep# 14 - Carmine Capobianco: Psychos in Conversation from 2019-04-08T10:45
Carlo interviewed writer, actor, composer, and jack-of-all-trades Carmine Capobianco (best known for Psychos In Love)
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Ep# 13 - Women In Film from 2019-03-27T11:00
This week on the podcast, we celebrate women in filmmaking with a look at a number of great movies and directors. From the overlooked to a few classics, we discuss everything from American Psycho t...
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I Watched It So You Don't Have To: Ishtar from 2019-03-25T11:00
Ishtar’s reputation stinks. But do you know what stinks even more? The men
that undermined director Elaine May at every opportunity throughout the
production, shooting, editing and promot...
Back Row Book Club: Taraji P. Henson's Around the Way Girl from 2019-03-15T11:00
Resourceful, talented, intelligent, strong and super cute, Taraji P Henson
makes you believe the American Dream is actually achievable. Around the Way
Girl: A Memoir: Taraji P. Henson is ...
Ep# 12 - The CHUD Buddies Challenge from 2019-03-13T11:00
That’s right, the dynamic duo that is Dan and Carlo are back with another cult-cinema themed episode of Notes from the Back Row!
This time on the show, they are recapping their participati...
The LEGO Movies and Wreck-It Ralph Dismantle Toxic Masculinity Brick by Brick from 2019-03-11T11:00
Guest contributor Russell discusses the recent animated film trend of
directly addressing toxic masculinity. Between how The LEGO Movie 2, LEGO
Batman and Ralph Breaks The Internet tackle...
Ep# 11 - The Tomfoolery of Jerry Lewis Movies from 2019-02-27T11:00
Jenna and Carlo take a chronological foray into Jerry Lewis’ cartoon-like films, starting with Frank Tashlin’s Artists & Models and The Geisha Boy, to Lewis’ own The Nutty Professor. They like it, ...
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Back Row's Second Year in Movie Reviews, Podcasts & Lists from 2019-02-21T12:00
We’re two years old and we’re learning how to run, talk and be more social.
We’re also throwing tantrums, so click the damn link already!!
Ep# 10 - The Official Back Row Alt-cademy Awards from 2019-02-15T12:00
This week on Notes From the Back Row, Jenna, Veronica and Carlo decide to throw their own awards ceremony: the Back Rowsies! Listen as they nominate and discuss various films from 2018 for importan...
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Double Feature: Dashed Dreams of Unrequited Love (Le Notti Bianche & The Science of Sleep) from 2019-02-13T12:00
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, it’s a double feature of Le Notti Bianche
and The Science of Sleep–two films that can offer some therapeutic soul
deflation to counteract the pressures o...
Carlo's Cream of the Crud: The Vengeful Beauty (1978) from 2019-02-11T12:00
Carlo is here, in living color, with a brand new video essay on Shaw
Brothers’ The Vengeful Beauty (1978), a proto-girls with guns movie.
Ep# 9 - CHUD Buddies Film Discoveries of 2018 from 2019-01-30T12:17:59
Dan & Carlo discuss some older, lesser-known hidden-gems they watched for the first time last year.
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Double Feature: Where, Oh Where, Can My Baby Be? (Burning & The Vanishing) from 2019-01-23T12:40:04
Contrary to the somewhat giddy title, this is not a happy double feature.
Both Burning and The Vanishing center around male protagonists trying to
find a woman who has mysteriously disapp...
Dan's Favourite Movie Discoveries of 2018 from 2019-01-21T13:32:35
Dan Gorman lists his favorite new-to-him films of 2018, including a whole
lot of Robert Wiseman documentaries and live-action cartoon C.H.O.M.P.S.
Veronica's Favorites of 2018: A Year of Quiet (And Not So Quiet) Desperation from 2019-01-11T12:47:11
To simply rattle off the movies I enjoyed, and the reasons why, would be
too safe and too shallow. What follows is not a list of my favorite movies
this year but rather an examination of ...
Jenna's Top Ten Movies of 2018 from 2019-01-09T13:24
In 2018 I watched 326 films, with around 41 of those being 2018 releases.
Unfortunately, while I enjoyed many 2018 movies, very few stood out as
outstanding to me.
Captain Carlo's Top 10 Movie Discoveries in 2018 from 2019-01-07T12:41:04
You watch 700+ movies, what do you get? Another year older and closer to
death.
Whoa, that got dark. Anyway… Yay movies!
Double Feature: Female Anxiety, Tinseltown Edition (Play It As It Lays & Ingrid Goes West) from 2018-12-21T12:41:59
You can dress it up in stars and glamour but at some point you’ll realize
the sunny dream of Los Angeles is really just made of plaster and plyboard
like the rest of it. Play It As It Lay...
La Dolce Vita Rip-Offs and Spiritual Remakes from 2018-12-19T12:39:08
Since La Dolce Vita premiered, we've been treated to so many versions and
variations of this story, all with varying degrees of glitz and sadness.
While there have been no direct remakes,...
Double Feature: Fractions of Art and Mind (8½ & 9½ Weeks) from 2018-12-17T12:25:44
You may be surprised to find out that 8 1/2 and 9 1/2 Weeks have more in
common than their sequential titles; they’re both approaches to art-making
about approaching art-making.
Ep# 8 - Suspiria Double Feature from 2018-12-07T12:41:30
That’s right, this week it’s movie-versus-movie in an all-out compare-and-contrast-o-rama as Jenna, Veronica and Dan discuss their reactions to the 2018 “inspired by” update, and then discuss how t...
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Suspiria's Problematic Take on Fascism and Guilt from 2018-12-03T12:48:56
With the character of Dr Klemperer, Luca Guadagnino and David Kajganich
make an assumption of guilt that should be unpacked. In weighing the
insinuations of this storyline, Auschwitz surv...
Naughty By Nature: Films That Wrestle With Instinct Over Intellect from 2018-11-28T12:42
Movies spend a lot of time ruminating on how much of who we are is inherent
and how much is learned. Yet the films Good Manners, The Woman, and Spring
ask us: what if nothing about us is ...
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs Sends The American Dream To The Gallows from 2018-11-26T13:00:18
“All day I face the barren waste / Without the taste of water, cool water
Old Dan and I with throats burned dry / And souls that cry for water, cool,
clear, water.”
I Watched It So You Don't Have To: Foodfight! from 2018-11-21T12:23:11
“The worst animated feature film of all time.” Argle-bargle or foofooraw?
We find out!
Ep# 7 - Saturday Night Live Comedies from 2018-11-19T12:53:18
This time on Notes From the Back Row we have all gathered ‘round the internet’s table to discuss every single official Saturday Night Live feature film! You may even be surprised which ones we disc...
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The World of Surreal and Experimental Horror Movies from 2018-10-31T11:29:17
There are scores of horror movies that follow formulas, rules, and tropes
to the bitter end. Even with the 2018 glut of art house horror, plenty of
familiar aspects linger. To really see ...
Ep# 6 - Horrific Hilarious Horror (and Other H Words) from 2018-10-29T12:41:46
It's the Halloween episode and we're discussing everything from franchises, teen horror, horror comedies and VHS horror.
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Double Feature: The Dangers of Peer Pressure (Last Summer & The Party's Over) from 2018-10-19T11:37:59
If you watch The Party’s Over and Last Summer in a row and you'll come away
realizing not only was the dream of the 1960s a lie, but we've never
actually accomplished anything.
I Watched It So You Don't Have To: Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom from 2018-10-17T11:31:03
We tend to think of Fascism as everyone “agreeing” to the same ideals, but
those boundaries are rarely ever publicly decided. Instead of a commentary
on what fascism does, Salo presents w...
Ep# 5 - The Hype Machine from 2018-10-15T11:27:07
Jenna and Veronica (and some technology failure) talk about overhyped movies, including Hereditary, mother!, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and more.
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Double Feature: Revenge, Irish Style (Black 47 & Bad Day For The Cut) from 2018-09-28T11:45:02
Black 47 and Bad Day for the Cut both star bearded Irish men with rifles
who are out for blood over political strife. So if you want some charming
accents and a whole lot of violence, loo...
Bad Horror Gone Good: 976-EVIL, Blades, and Death Spa from 2018-09-26T11:09:13
The season of spoops is upon us, boils & ghouls. So you know what that
means… let’s go crazy horror-style! Take your “Tomatometer,” put it in a
box, mail it to your butt, and open your mi...
Goodbye Burt Reynolds, a Sensitive and Emotional Man's Man from 2018-09-24T11:21:30
Burt Reynolds will be remembered for being gorgeous, funny, and a great
actor. But I’m here to make sure people know that he was also a sensitive,
sweet and easily shocked mama’s boy from...
Ep# 4 - CHUD Buddies Double Feature from 2018-08-31T11:03:06
Ever since Carlo started the CHUD Buddies - an online community of like-minded cinema freaks, who also happen to watch movies together on Sunday mornings - we have been excited to do some CHUD Budd...
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Ep# 3 - Heist-o-Rama-Rama from 2018-08-10T11:30:50
Veronica brings a double-feature with The Aura and Sugar & Spice. Jenna talks about The Hot Rock, Dan doubles-down on some unconventional heist films with Special Delivery and Beyond the 7th Door, ...
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Steven Seagal is an Alien. Can We All Just Agree On That? from 2018-08-08T11:27:13
Back in the ‘90s there was this one guy, a stoic blob who had neither much
in terms of discernible charm, nor was he ever willing to show off much of
anything he picked up in all his year...
I Watched It So You Don't Have To: Rob Zombie's 31 from 2018-08-06T11:23:56
A creepy carnival clown Hunger Games lead by Malcolm McDowell dressed as
Marie Antoinette via Rob Zombie? Sadly, 31 was just a bloody, boring mess.
Girls With Guns in Hong Kong: Beyond Michelle Yeoh & Cynthia Rothrock from 2018-07-27T11:39:20
"Girls With Guns" as a sub-genre was an absolute phenomenon in Hong Kong
between the ‘80s and ‘90s where the climate for female empowerment in
male-dominated exploitation cinema reigned s...
Ep# 2 - Fulci, Giallos, Reed & Wishes (Oh My!) from 2018-07-23T12:32:12
On the latest episode of Notes From The Back Row, your projectionists run through four segments covering one Lucio Fulci fantasy classic, two giallo-inspired films for an inspired double-feature, t...
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Freddy's Dead. Long Live Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare from 2018-07-13T11:26:43
Freddy’s Dead is both a deviation from, and constrained by its formula. But
I love it because it’s a fascinatingly desperate attempt to re-capture some
of the magic that kickstarted Fredd...
Singing Psychedelia: Drug Soaked Musicals of the '70s & '80s from 2018-07-11T11:17:22
People who dislike musicals like to make claims about how unrealistic they
are while they stand in line for yet another superhero movie, but nobody
who likes musicals is dying for realism...
Ep# 1 - Talkin' Aboot Goldblum from 2018-07-09T11:24:57
www.Back-Row.com has grown sentient, with four mouthes and eight ears, and transformed into: Notes From the Back Row! In Episode 1, Carlo, Dan, Jenna and Veronica talk about all things Jeff Goldblu...
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Michael Greer, Out and Proud in Hollywood from 2018-06-22T11:52
You may not have heard of him, but Michael Greer managed to make a modest
but impressive dent in the oppressively straight world of cinema in the
late '60s and early '70s. Greer went from...
Down Low Down Under: Homoeroticism in Australian Cinema from 2018-06-20T11:33:21
Take a dip into the world of Australian cinema’s homoerotic undertones –
from Mad Max to The Rover. A country so manly that in some ways it’s like
masculinity folded in on itself and emer...
I Watched It So You Don't Have To: Myra Breckinridge from 2018-06-13T11:33:42
Myra Breckinridge is indeed a failure of an adaptation, yet I suspect the
intensity of the vitriol towards this film is about something beyond just
the admittedly poor direction; most lik...
I Watched It So You Don't Have To: Martyrs from 2018-06-11T11:24
The charges against Martyrs range from misogyny, to torture porn, to
support for getting what you want by any means necessary. It’s an
unsettling and rightfully polarizing film, but I'd l...
Double Feature: The Stylish and Violent Op Art Future We Deserve (Clockwork Orange & The 10th Victim) from 2018-05-30T10:58:17
That's right folks, pretty soon we'll be able to violently murder each
other next to some sweet-ass concentric circles, just like our forefathers
envisioned. You might scoff, but we've be...
This Is Indeed a Disturbing Universe: Movies for Our Troubled Times from 2018-05-28T11:58:11
Staring into the realm of existential horror can actually be quite
liberating, and there’s no surer cure for deep-rooted anxiety than fully
embracing nihilism and toasting the end of the ...
The Coca-Cola Kid and the Corporate Comforts of Selling Out from 2018-05-18T11:31:20
The Coca-Cola Kid was largely forgotten by time for, to be fair, a
multitude of reasons. But it's my suspicion that the movie got such a mixed
reception due to the fact that, while we'll ...
Double Feature: Capitalism Kills (Thoroughbreds & Cheap Thrills) from 2018-05-16T11:23:34
We’re killing Capitalism before it kills us with a double feature of
Thoroughbreds and Cheap Thrills, both of which skewer, roast, and serve up
the worst parts of capitalism on a metal sp...
Double Feature: Manga in Chains (Female Prisoner Scorpion & Riki-Oh) from 2018-04-20T11:23
Based on a manga? Check. Strong, silent protagonist? Check. Prisons? Check.
Rage against The Man? Check. Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky and the Female
Prisoner Scorpion movies complement eac...
Double Feature: Girl Getters Get Got in '64 (The Girl Getters & A Hard Day's Night) from 2018-04-18T11:28:20
In this double feature we're focusing on A Hard Day's Night and The System
/ Girl-Getters. Two British movies that came out in the same year and
surprisingly have more in common than you'...
Bad Girls, Bad Girls, Whatcha Gonna Do? from 2018-04-16T11:26:48
Girls: some are good, some are bad, and some are just trying to figure
their own shit out. An exploration of Throughbreds, Ixcanul and A Fantastic
Woman.
Double Feature: It's Outta Control (Killing of a Sacred Deer & A Serious Man) from 2018-04-11T11:22:47
Take control and watch a double feature of The Killing of a Sacred Deer
with A Serious Man. Sure to throw you into at least the most basic of
existential turmoil, if not some sort of nerv...
I Watched It So You Don't Have To: La Grande Bouffe from 2018-04-09T11:19:45
La Grande Bouffe is a movie that drags out all of the worst qualities in
humanity and society, mixes them with our most base and unpleasant bodily
functions, and then wallows in them all ...
Double Feature: Female Anxiety, Celebrity Edition (I, Tonya & Amy) from 2018-03-09T12:35
Veronica takes a look at I, Tonya and Amy in this latest double feature
with a focus on celebrity female anxiety as its theme.
Repulsion at Catherine Deneuve and Roman Polanski from 2018-03-07T12:32:49
In light of Deneuve's comments on #MeToo, Jenna muses on how it is that
somebody so close to Repulsion could somehow miss this point of the movie
entirely.
Movies that Fear the Future: Before We Vanish, Antiviral and Mindhack from 2018-03-02T12:14
There is a spectrum for how humans think of the future: at one end are the
people who look forward to Mars colonies and widely available sex robots,
and at the other end is the Unabomber....
Annihilation Review: A Refraction of Mortality from 2018-02-28T12:11:15
Alex Garland's Annihilation is engaging and creepy, yet a little more on
the horror-concept side than truly enlightening sci-fi to me. TL;DR I came
for Stalker but I got reverse Solaris.
Cynthia Rothrock: The Blonde Fury of Hong Kong from 2018-02-26T12:31:33
Two-and-a-half decades before the stars of Charlize Theron and Uma Thurman
had risen, there was a little girl from Delaware who, with a little
perseverance and a whole lot of talent, took...
Back Row's First Year in Movie Reviews, Articles & Lists from 2018-02-20T13:32:53
Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you,
You look like a monkey and you smell like one too
I Watched It So You Don't Have To: A Serbian Film from 2018-01-31T12:21:04
With graphic violence, rape, drugs, pedophilia and necrophilia, Veronica
watched A Serbian Film so you don't have to. But maybe you actually should.
Old & New: Veronica's Top 10 for 2017 from 2018-01-19T12:26:13
Some excellent movies come out in 2017, and some truly excellent movies
that came out last year finally got the distribution they deserve.
Jenna's Top Ten Movies of 2017 from 2018-01-12T12:19:34
If I had to sum up 2017 I'd use the word "dread." And cinema, a mirror of
humanity as it were, sure seemed to reflect that sentiment...
Old Man Yells At 2017: The Best New To Me Movies from 2018-01-10T12:32:28
Or "An excuse to go on about Hong Kong cinema."
Listen
Double Feature: Female Anxiety, Christmas Edition (Black Christmas & Elves) from 2017-12-25T13:40:11
Veronica looks at Black Christmas and Elves – movies about female anxiety,
loss of autonomy, murder, and, oh, Christmas.
'Tis The Season: Very Merry Un-Christmas Christmas Movies from 2017-12-20T14:59:32
AKA How to Lose Friends and Alienate People by telling them to shove their
Christmas cheer and watch movies about losing yourself in a maze of
hangovers and murder in the Australian outback.
My Friend Dahmer Review: The Dilemma Between Disgust and Empathy from 2017-12-18T12:20
My Friend Dahmer emphasizes how the culture of cruelty and selfishness in
high school can aid in masking real warning signs. But to forgive or not to
forgive is another question entirely.
Cinematic Odysseys Through the Underworld from 2017-11-29T12:20:17
Veronica takes a closer look at a different kind of odyssey. Featuring
Showgirls, Good Time and Tangerine.
Wait For Your Laugh and the Enduring Talent of Rose Marie from 2017-11-06T12:20:49
An engaging documentary about a woman who went from vaudeville, to radio,
to variety shows, to Broadway, to television, to game shows, to stage
shows, to voice overs and still is looking ...
Giallo to Grindhouse: Our Fascination With Violence from 2017-10-31T11:20:09
What is it that interests humans in seeing others killed, maimed, or
tortured? A look at giallo, grindhouse, and the beyond.
Digital Life After Death: Almereyda's Marjorie Prime from 2017-10-11T04:53:11
Do androids dream of family dogs?
Listen
Neon is Our New Technicolor from 2017-10-09T11:04:05
There is a slew of newer movies that have been embracing “knock your eyes
out” color, and it doesn't discriminate. Drugs, palm trees, Instagram, mob
ties, coming-of-age, death – it's all ...
Beautiful Trash Part Deux: Beyond the Valley of the Dolls from 2017-09-22T11:03:34
this isn’t the starry-eyed kids of the pre-Vietnam sixties, setting out to
make a name for themselves. It’s the druggies and the rockers and they’re
here to party because fuck you, old man.
Darren Aronofsky's "mother!" is an Allegory for the Obvious from 2017-09-20T11:24:42
It's fun, it's bluntly obvious, it's absurd, it's grating, it will make you
want to sit down somewhere quiet by the end because your ears are kinda
ringing from the sound of incoherent vo...
Nuclear Documentaries or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Embrace Our Fate from 2017-08-18T11:18:44
Worried about a nuclear holocaust? Well here's a list of documentaries that
highlight four other things that should terrify you more!
So Basic: Understanding Our Base Desires from 2017-08-14T12:46:12
Movies that focus on what happens when an otherwise normal mind connects
with the purest source of existence.
SubUrbia: The Kitsch Underbelly of America from 2017-08-11T11:29:42
American suburbia reborn in the '80s and '90s as a haven in a heartless
world
The Endless Poetry of Alejandro Jodorowsky from 2017-07-21T11:16:53
A look at Endless Poetry, Alejandro Jowodrosky's semi-autobiographical
coming of age film
Singing Cowboys Make Americana Great Again: Robots, Herb Jeffries, Dorothy Page and Tito Guizar from 2017-07-14T11:19:24
A look at some of the more obscure singing cowboys films that build a
mythical America I want to remember - including Gene Autry, Herb Jeffries,
Dorothy Page and Tito Guízar.
Childhood is Hell: The Horror of Coming of Age Movies from 2017-07-12T11:03:06
Stand By Me and Now and Then faces mortality, while The Transfiguration
and Eyes of My Mother accept it head-on.
Laughing Through the Tears: The Big Sick, Dean, and Other People from 2017-07-07T12:48
Comedians Getting Sad In Cars Over Loved Ones. Re: A look at The Big Sick,
Dean, and Other People
Summertime Sharks from 2017-07-03T11:05:30
Very first sign of summer, Chief, sharks come cruisin'.
Listen
Double Feature: Life's a Drag, Sweet and Salty Edition (To Wong Foo & Girls Will Be Girls) from 2017-06-19T11:21:56
Featuring To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar and Girls Will
Be Girls.
Nothing Beside Remains: An Appreciation of Alien Covenant from 2017-06-16T11:27:21
All earth was but one thought — and that was death
Immediate and inglorious
Carlo's Corner: Sequels Don't Suck (Unless They Do) from 2017-06-14T11:12:50
Making a good sequel is a lot like eating an orange.
Listen
Back Row Book Club: Rita Moreno's America from 2017-06-12T11:20:52
Rita Moreno is sharp, stunning, can sing, dance, act, just everything. She
also had a ton of sex with Marlon Brando ?
Coming Back to Fire Walk With Me from 2017-06-09T11:24:05
Fire Walk With Me hammers home the anguish of the life that existed before
it was defined by a final tragic act.
Carlo's Corner: Worst Movie Ever? from 2017-06-07T12:42:17
"Yeah, that movie sure did suck last night. It just plain sucked. I've seen
movies suck before, but that movie was the suckiest bunch of suck that ever
sucked."
Anthologies of Interest from 2017-06-05T11:13:28
Why haven't anthology films ever had their own heyday?
Listen
Carlo's Corner: Live-Action Cartoons from 2017-05-19T11:25:47
They're just stupid drawings that give you a cheap laugh.
Listen
Belladonna of Mixed Emotions from 2017-05-17T11:14:39
The unusual and slightly questionable Belladonna of Sadness.
Listen
Miss 2D Animation? Look To The Concept Art from 2017-05-15T11:14:27
An appreciation of the spectacular concept art behind CGI animated films
Listen
Double Feature: No Homo, Bro (Moonlight and Chuck & Buck) from 2017-05-12T11:12:51
A double feature of Moonlight with Chuck and Buck
Listen
I Watched It So You Don't Have To: Charlotte For Ever from 2017-05-10T11:27:22
"Inceste de citron, lemon incest, je t'aime t'aime, je t'aime plus que
tout"
Carlo's Corner: It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's... Your Inflated Sense of Self-Esteem! from 2017-05-08T11:27:22
So long, Superman. Your secret identity is safe with me.
Listen
Valley of the Dolls: Beautiful Trash from 2017-05-05T11:15:02
Vern delves into that oft misrepresented technicolor dream Valley of the
Dolls
Interview: Director Myroslav Slaboshpytskyi on The Tribe from 2017-05-03T11:09:06
Interview with director Myroslav Slaboshpytskyi on The Tribe, silent films
and upcoming projects
Zalman King's Two Moon Junction is Twin Peaks' Dirty Secret from 2017-05-01T11:09:15
Two Moon Junction is an erotic thriller straight out of the Black Lodge...
or is it vice versa?
Of Gods and Monsters: Frankenstein’s Monster Remakes from 2017-04-28T12:06:56
An exploration of movies influenced by Frankenstein
Listen
Are You There Godzilla? It's Me, Carlo from 2017-04-26T12:28:15
You crazy car. I don't know whether to eat you or kiss you.
Listen
Monsters, Robots, "Nice" Guys, Oh My! in Vigalondo's Colossal from 2017-04-24T11:14:28
A review of Nacho Vigalondo's Colossal, staring Anne Hathaway and Jason
Sudeikis
The Remake, The Revival, and The Cover from 2017-04-14T11:20:22
On a clear day you can remake forever...
Listen
Carlo's Corner: E.T. the Extra-Exploitable from 2017-04-12T11:09:22
Will there ever be a rainbow?
Listen
In Defense of Remakes from 2017-04-10T11:18:29
Who gets to choose what's okay to remake and what's not? Do we put it to
vote? What if the electoral college fucks it up?
Cinema Mixtape: Beck from 2017-04-07T11:20:52
It's like a mixtape but with movies! And Beck. This is all about Beck.
Listen
Interview: Director Robert Budreau on Born To Be Blue from 2017-04-05T11:21:17
Interview with director Robert Budreau on Born to be Blue, jazz, and being
true to the spirit of Chet Baker.
Eat Your Heart Out: The Carnivorous Women of Raw and The Lure from 2017-04-03T11:11:08
Women feasting on the life-force of men, presented in two great
female-directed films.
What a Twist: Double Consciousness and M. Night Shyamalan from 2017-03-20T14:35:41
To boil M Night Shyamalan down to just meaningless "twists" is to miss the
point of his entire body of work
Back Row Book Club: Hunting for Tab from 2017-03-17T11:21:43
All the dirt and gossip from Hollywood memoirs, starting with Tab Hunter
Listen
Carlo's Corner: King Kong Movies from 2017-03-15T11:17:14
"I wish we were going to Candy Apple Island."
"Candy Apple Island? What do they got there?"
"Apes— But they're not so big."
Double Feature: Counterculture Cowboys of 1971 (The Hired Hand & Zachariah) from 2017-03-13T11:13:11
Featuring The Hired Hand and Zachariah - fusions of Western and
counterculturist values.
Double Feature: Accidentally in Love (Sexy Beast & Highlander) from 2017-03-10T12:17:30
Featuring Sexy Beast and Highlander - gun and sword wielding romance films
Listen
The Two-Way Prison of Vigilantism in Villeneuve's Prisoners from 2017-03-06T12:13:40
The morality of vigilantism, as explored in Denis Villeneuve's 2013 film
Prisoners.
The New Wave Horror Films of Mexico from 2017-03-03T12:33:34
Mexico has been the country to watch when it comes to horror and sci-fi
movies
Carlo's Corner: 90's Cyber Thrillers from 2017-03-01T12:24:53
It's like, uh... did anyone see the movie Tron?
Listen
Female Anxiety Movies: The Overlooked Genre from 2017-02-20T16:05
It's not easy being a woman. Hell, being alive in general isn’t easy
either, but being of the female persuasion comes with a layer of neuroses
that is hard to shake.
Listening To You I Get The Movie: Ken Russell's Tommy (1975) Explained from 2017-02-20T16:00
The question of “who are you” can be a difficult one to pin down, whether
you’re forced to answer in front of a crowd or just in the mirror to
yourself.
Carlo's Corner: 80's Hip-Hop Culture from 2017-02-20T16:00
With their hippin' and their hoppin' and the bippin' and the boppin'.
Listen