Episode 182 - Rikki Tikki Davi

We wrap up this shitty year with two VERY entertaining action films from the 90's that both feature the always-fun Robert Davi and also have plots that remind us VERY much of our favorite Christmas movie...a little flick called "Die Hard". We start off with "The Taking of Beverly Hills" from 1991, directed by Sidney J. Furie and starring Ken Wahl and Matt Frewer, with several good people in supporting roles. The plot revolves around a group of disgruntled cops who fake a chemical spill in Beverly Hills in order to rob the place blind. Lots of things are blown up, crushed and shot during the runtime and it's a ton of fun!  We follow it up with 1995's "No Contest" which stars Shannon Tweed and Andrew "Dice" Clay. This time, a beauty pageant is taken over by a group of VERY bad men who hold the contestants hostage and only the kicks and punches of a former winner can save them!  It is a very fun piece of fluff that delivers on every level. Neither of these movies are "good" on any defensible level, but they both left us all with huge grins on our faces and we recommend them. Please let us know what you thought of the show and send us some suggestions for future episodes. Please send emails to flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com.  You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Episode 181 - Jiu Shitsu

We had REALLY high hopes for our two movies this time on the podcast, but to say that they both weren't winners would be a HUGE understatement. Both films are directed by Dimitri Logothetis and feature enormous dudes beating the crap out of each other. We start off with 2018's "Kickboxer: Retaliation" which continues the story that started with Jean-Claude Van Damme's hit film from 1989. VanDamme even reprises his role and serves as a mentor to the film's lead, played by Alain Moussi. It tells the story of an MMA fighter who goes to a Thailand prison where he is groomed to fight Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, who played the Mountain, in Game of Thrones. There's other famous faces around, including Christopher Lambert, Mike Tyson and many high-level MMA fighters. It is a lot of dumb fun with some fantastic action set-pieces and a fairly predictable storyline. The second film is where the real trouble begins. We had seen the trailer for 2020's "Jiu Jitsu" and it looked completely amazing! Also featuring Alain Moussi in the lead, it had Tony Jaa, Frank Grillo and Nicolas Cage!!! How could this thing be bad!?!? Well, it turns out that it could be bad in every single way imaginable. With a story that borrows liberally from "Predator" we have a team of elite fighters traveling to fight an alien who comes to Earth to compete against our best in combat to the death. It is dumb, confusing and badly assembled. Really just a huge step down from the first film. Please let us know what you thought of the show and send us some suggestions for future episodes. Please send emails to flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com.  You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Episode 180 - What in the Sam Hill?

This time, in the cave, we take a look at two films from VERY manly men. We start off with 1972's "The Getaway" from iconic director Sam Peckinpah. It stars another icon, Steve McQueen as an ex-con who gets back into a life of crime, only to have everything go wrong and he's left trying to get away from everyone who's out to get him. The movie was written by show-favorite Walter Hill, who also wrote AND directed our second film, 1978's "The Driver". It stars Ryan O'Neal as an unnamed wheelman who is being pursued by a relentless cop played by Bruce Dern and it is packed with macho dialogue and incredible chase scenes. We recommend both movies and we also recommend that you reach out to us and tell us some other films we should cover on the podcast. Please send emails to flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com.  You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Episode 179 - Flickered Not Stirred

On October 31st, we were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of the legendary actor Sean Connery. He was someone that was held in high esteem by all of us in the cave. We decided to do a special show in his honor so we did a bit of a search for some less popular starring vehicles to look at for the podcast. We start off with 1966's "A Fine Madness", from director Irvin Kershner, which intends to be a comedy but unfortunately fell VERY flat for us. It DOES have a great supporting cast, and a handful of interesting moments, but overall was a relic from a different time, and not in the best way. We follow that up with the very impressive "The Offence" from 1973. Directed by another legend, Sydney Lumet, it is VERY challenging to watch. It does allow Connery to really shine as an actor, and reminded us all just how effective he could be. Please let us know your favorite Connery performance, and also what you'd like to see on future shows but getting it touch with us.  Please send emails to flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com.  You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Episode 178 - Flickers from Witch Mountain

It's another sausage party on the podcast as we look at two Disney movies from our childhoods that meant a lot to us. Featuring psychic power, gangs of children, flying saucers and more than a few screen legends, these two films left very large marks in our young, malleable brains! We start off with 1975's "Escape to Witch Mountain" where the villains are played by Donald Pleasance and Ray Milland! We follow that up with 1978's "Return from Witch Mountain" where the bad guys are Christopher Lee and Bette Davis!!! Both films are directed by John Hough and have Ike Eisenmann and Kim Richards as Tony and Tia, a brother and sister pair who start off knowing very little about their pasts but who come to understand much more over the course of the two movies. Both have that unmistakable Disney energy and charm and they really took us back to our childhoods. If you have to pick one, make sure it's the first film but they both are worth your time if you don't mind some cheese in your movies. Please send emails to flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com.  You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Episode 177 - What Scares You - Volume 3

We continue our Halloween tradition of looking at films that hit our personal phobias...this time, it's the idea of "eye trauma". We start off with 1975's appropriately titled "Eyeball" from Italian director Umberto Lenzi. A fairly boilerplate giallo with a gloved killer and tons of misdirects, but it is fun and moves along quickly. It also features a number of off-camera eye gouging incidents that makes it a fairly decent choice for this theme. We follow that up with an absolute masterpiece...1987's "Anguish" from director Bigas Luna. This is a really trippy and, at times, genuinely unsettling experience. Using the idea of hypnotism and combining that with a layered series of meta narratives, it's truly something you need to see. We then proceed to a discussion of things we've seen lately. Please send emails to flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com.  You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Episode 176 - He's No Hack...Man!

 We've all missed Gene Hackman since he stopped acting with 2004's Welcome to Mooseport. On this episode of the podcast we look at two of his films from the early 70's and then proceed to dissect them bit by bit. Starting off, we look at 1971's The Hunting Party with a brutal game of cat and mouse between the impossibly rich Hackman and the scoundrel Oliver Reed who has inadvertently kidnapped Hackman's wife, played by Candice Bergen. The relationships and situations in the film are ALL problematic, but there are some excellent performances and incredible sweeping vistas. We follow it up with 1972's Prime Cut which brings Lee Marvin in as a fixer for the mob who is tasked with forcing Hackman and his inbred hillbilly family to pay up. It is similarly problematic but has a little more Hollywood sheen to it. We then launch into an epic round of "What Else Have You Seen Lately®" and even talk about what might be featured in upcoming shows. Please send emails to flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com.  You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Episode 175 - Fill in the Blanks

The cave is filled, once again, with the furious sounds of martial arts as we are joined by Eli to look at two movies from the 1990s that star Mr. Tae bo himself, Billy Blanks! We start off with 1993's "TC 2000" where Blanks plays part of a "Tracker-Communicator" team in a  dystopian future where the elite live underground in secure facilities, while the surface of the earth is populated with roving groups of ne'er-do-wells who are constantly trying to break in. It has shades of Robocop and includes several action-movie greats in key roles, including Matthias Hues and Bolo Yeung. We follow that with 1990's "The King of the Kickboxers" where Blanks plays the evil villain Khan who is killing people in snuff movies. The usually reliable Don Stroud and Richard Jaeckel send a total jerk to infiltrate the operation and lots of great fighting ensues! These were both very entertaining, but to call them "good" might be an exaggeration! The conversation continues with us all running down the various things we've watched lately and we end up with a bit of an epic show. Please send emails to flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com.  You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Episode 174 - Flickers Ahoy

We go deep on this episode of the podcast and get soaked in the process. We start off with 1998's "Deep Rising" from director Stephen Sommers, which stars Treat Williams and several other notable big-name Hollywood stars in a tale of a heist gone horribly wrong. It takes place on an ocean liner that meets up with a horrific beastie from the depths with teeth in places you don't expect. It is a big, noisy, dumb movie that is also a total blast to watch. We follow that up with an entirely different take on aquatic horror, with 2020's "Underwater", directed by the very impressive William Eubank and featuring an incredible lead performance from Kristen Stewart. It is an unrelenting tale of miners in the deepest part of the ocean who find themselves dealing with a sudden collapse of ALL the systems in their facility, and who come face to face with an unspeakable swarm of creatures that seem determined to kill them all. It is an absolute masterpiece and we highly recommend it. We would love to hear your thoughts on these two and also your recommendations for future movie pairings. Please send emails to flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com.  You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Episode 173 - Soldier On

We fight our way back into the 90's action-movie world for this episode of the podcast. Starting off, we look at "Universal Soldier" from 1992. Directed by the typically lousy Roland Emmerich, it stars two genre favorites, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren. It tells the story of a group of resurrected soldiers, equipped with high-tech equipment who fix problems that seem to have no possible solution until one of them goes rogue and must be taken out. It's a decent movie, but 100% by-the-numbers. We follow that up with "Soldier" from 1998, directed by Paul W.S. Anderson and starring the always reliable Kurt Russell. It similarly focuses on a group of super-soldiers who find themselves being phased out by newer models and the struggle to not be replaced. The film has great 90's era effects and some top-notch action. We enjoyed both and would love to hear your thoughts on them and also your recommendations for future movie pairings. Please send emails to flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com.  You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Episode 172 - Hammer Time

Fred "The Hammer" Williamson starred in some great films throughout his still-continuing career. We look at a great one, and a...not so great one. We start with a film from 1983 that  goes by a handful of names, but we watched it as "The New Gladiators". Directed by show-favorite Lucio Fulci, it is a clunky, goofy, slow-moving slog that is representative of Fulci's worst films. We survived it just to get to our second film, the excellent "Hell Up in Harlem" which was released in 1973. It is from writer/director Larry Cohen. It is the sequel to the also-great "Black Caesar", also from Cohen. It continues the story of Tommy Gibbs from the first movie, and it succeeds in every way. We'd love to hear what your favorite Fred Williamson movie is! Please send emails to flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com.  You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Episode 171 - Pixels and Panties

We were longing for simpler times, when all you needed to be happy were video games, psychic powers and a few garter belts. We start off with 1983's Joysticks from maestro Greydon Clark. It is enjoyable if you think of it as a parody of the teen-sex-comedy genre, but extremely rough-going if you watch it as a regular movie. We follow that up with the "star"-packed 1982 movie Zapped, with Willie Aames and Scott Baio caught up in basically a Disney movie with boobs...it is not good, but it really took us back to that simpler time when we had no idea just how problematic these types of stories were. Listen in and let us know where your cinematic "happy places" are and let's all try to find some relief during these trying times. Please send emails to flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com.  You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

 

Episode 170 - Tommy Guns and Roses

We finally got the whole gang back together again for a long, drunken, food-filled episode, with a truly apocalyptic amount of rambling. We look at two movies that explore the life of notorious bank robber John Dillinger. First up is 1973's Dillinger, from maverick writer/director John Milius, with Warren Oates playing the titular character. It is a rough and rowdy tale of criminals and the big strong lawmen who are chasing them down. It's violent, and full of that signature Milius dialogue. We follow that up with 1979's The Lady in Red from the killer combination of John Sayles and Lewis Teague. It focuses more on a young woman played by Pamela Sue Martin who has a VERY rough life then meets Dillinger at the diner where she works and they fall in love. This one is also very rough in spots, with the main character being subjugated, beaten and mistreated in a myriad of ways. We all loved both movies and recommend them fully. Let us know what you'd like us to look at next by writing to flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com.  You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

 

Episode 169 - Stoned Wheelers

We have gotten the gang back together...sort of...for this episode of the podcast. In what can only be described as "The best we can do at the moment" we present a hodge-podge of recordings and a metric ton of rambling as we look at two classic motorcycle movies of the 70s. Thanks to a great recommendation from Craig, we were turned on to the 1974 Australian classic "Stone" which none of us had heard of before. It completely deserves it's legendary status and kicked ass in every way possible. We follow that up with also excellent 1973 British flick "The Death Wheelers" ( aka Psychomania ). It's a much more light-hearted affair, but still a unique twist on the biker genre and total blast. Let us know what you'd like us to look at next by writing to flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com.  You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

Episode 168 - Flickers from the Block

We're back with another two-seater Covid19 special from the cave, looking at two films with similar storylines but VERY different tones. We start off with 1985's Tenement from director Roberta Findlay. It is a super low budget, exploitation movie that takes place mostly in and around a tenement building in the South Bronx. There are some very rough moments in the movie, and they pack a punch, even with some of the less than perfect acting and very basic special effects. It is a grimy, mean-spirited movie, and we recommend it 100%. We follow that up with Enemy Territory from 1987, which has Ray Parker Jr. in one of the two lead roles. With Tony Todd playing the leader of a vicious gang called "The Vampires" it follows an insurance salesman who has gotten himself into a seriously bad situation and who relies on the kindness of the residents in an enormous apartment building to escape from danger. It has a lighter tone than Tenement, but still has some bleak moments. This is another one we think you should check out. Let us know what you'd like us to look at next by writing to flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com.  You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

Episode 167 - Rothrocking

During this global downtime, we wanted to harken back to a simpler period, when all we needed was a little kicking and punching to make us feel better. One of the biggest female martial artists back in the day was Cynthia Rothrock, and we look at two of her films for this show. Mike is struggling with scheduling during the pandemic, so we brought Eli back for a repeat engagement to help us come to grips with the movies. We start off with 1993's Undefeatable, from legendary director Godfrey Ho. It has Cynthia seeking revenge on a psycho who has killed a number of people, including her sister. It is, largely, a mess, but fun and delivers the necessary goods. We follow that up with 1991's Tiger Claws, which is a real cornucopia of treats! With the monster Bolo Yeung as the villain, it is packed with some great moments, clever film making, and works on almost every level. Let us know what you'd like us to look at next by writing to flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com.  You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Episode 166 - Robocop-y

With all the craziness in the world, we have another two-headed episode for you...this time with Julie and Marty looking at some movies that are ALMOST Robocop. We watch the excellent "The Vindicator" from 1986 ( released BEFORE Robocop ) and "The Demolitionist" from 1995. We both agree that The Vindicator is excellent, from director Jean-Claude Lord, with a great suit-design from Stan Winston Studios. It does a lot with a small budget and is filled with great ideas. The Demolitionist, though, is saddled with Richard Grieco as the villain which keeps it from really hitting its target. We hope everyone out there is staying safe in their own caves while we deal this bastard of a virus. Let us know what you'd like us to look at next by writing to flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com.  You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

Episode 165 - White Line Ballin'

Truckers were HUGE when Mike and Marty were growing up. They were featured on TV shows, on songs on the radio and were big business on the movie screen. We've been dying to cover this topic and finally got around to it on this show. Unfortunately, Julie was tied up and could join us, but she'll be back soon. We start off with 1978's High Ballin' which stars Jerry Reed and Peter Fonda as two long-time friends facing off against a band of hijackers who are attacking truckers and stealing their rigs. It's a solid little movie, but it really doesn't try to do more than tell a simple story. Our second movie, though, is 1975's White Line Fever, starring Jan-Michael Vincent and directed by the incredible Jonathan Kaplan. This is pure exploitation and completely entertaining, raising the bar in every way. It tells the story of Carrol Jo Hummer, a military veteran, back from the war, and wanting to follow in his late-father's footsteps and become a truck driver. He is faced with corruption and criminal behavior and he refuses to sit idly by. We cannot recommend this one highly enough! Let us know what you'd like us to look at next by writing to flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com.  You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

 

Episode 164 - Flickers De Breen

Surely no one can argue that some movies are better than others...does it not logically follow that there must be one movie somewhere that is objectively the worst one ever made? Tastes being what they are, it's really not possible to make that overall judgement, but we dare anyone to challenge the statement that we cover two of the very worst ones on this episode of the podcast. Joined in the cave by friend-of-the-show Eli ( click on his name to see some of his truly awesome work ), we look at some delightful and mind-boggling trash. We start off with 1997's "Geteven" aka "Road to Revenge" from Mr John De Hart esquire...a celebration of 80s and 90s action movies with actual movie stars costarring alongside Mr De Hart. It's bad, but in a very charming and goofy way. We follow that up with the excremental "Fateful Findings" by the legend Neil Breen from 2013.  This one was an endurance test that we made it through, but were not better for it. It is bad...really bad. Will we watch more movies from Breen?  Probably.  Will they be better than this one? Who the hell knows! Let us know what you'd like us to look at next by writing to flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com.  You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.