Episode 200 - Beast and Wurst

We finally hit our 200th episode! Wow! To commemorate the milestone, we decided to look back at the movies we've featured since episode 100 and rank them. We start with our favorites and end with the ones that we thought were scraping the dark corners of the cave. It's a fun talk with lots of memories and love. Please email us your suggestions for future shows at flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com. You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Episode 199 - Homegrown Horror

We're staying close to home for this episode as we look at two films produced here in North Carolina. We start off with the completely entertaining "Death Screams" from 1982. Low budget, but packed with fun, it's a tale of a mysterious killer stalking a small town and leaving a trail of bodies in his tracks. We follow that with 1984's "The Mutilator". Featuring top-notch gore effects from Mark Shostrom, it's a wild ride, with some sketchy acting and the world's most rusty refrigerator. We then launch into our roundtable discussion of the other things we've seen lately. Please let us know what you thought of the show, and send us some suggestions for future episodes. You can email us at flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com. You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Episode 198 - You're In or You're in the Way

We turn our attention this time to two films from Mr. Duke Mitchell. After a VERY interesting career of acting and singing he decided he wanted to try directing so, in 1974, he released "Massacre Mafia Style". He plays Mimi, who comes to Hollywood with the intent to force his way into the local Mafia. It is violent and full of all sorts of distasteful shenanigans, but VERY entertaining and earnest. Mitchell's only other directing effort was lost for many years but was finally released in 2010. "Gone with the Pope" is the story of a group of former prisoners who hatch a plan to kidnap the Pope and hold him for ransom. Their idea is to ask every Catholic on earth to pay one dollar for the Pope's release. It is also packed with violence and cringey elements, but it's better assembled than the earlier film. We think these are both worth checking out, but warn you that some of the content is very difficult to absorb from a modern perspective. We then launch into our roundtable discussion of the other things we've seen lately. Please let us know what you thought of the show, and send us some suggestions for future episodes. You can email us at flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com. You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

Episode 197 - Hallo-Weed Vern

In this, the scariest of seasons, we decided to soften the spookiness with two horror films that lean into the funnier side of the holiday. We start off with 1999's "Ernest, Scared Stupid" from director John Cherry and starring the late great Jim Varney in the role that made him a star. It's a sweet-tempered movie aimed at a younger crowd, but at least two of us found it completely charming. We follow that up with 1999's "Idle Hands" from Rodman Flender and featuring a great cast of young actors turning in impressive comedic performances. There's also top-notch makeup effects and some very grisly moments, but we also get to see Jessica Alba in her underwear, so things are definitely balanced. We then launch into our roundtable discussion of the other things we've seen lately. Please let us know what you thought of the show, and send us some suggestions for future episodes. You can email us at flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com. You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Episode 196 - Rutger Power Hauer

Rutger Hauer was one of our favorites, from Nighthawks, to Blade Runner, to Wedlock, to Flesh+Blood, to Hobo with a Shotgun and countless other films, he left a huge mark on world cinema. We decided to look at two of his films on the show, starting off with 1986's Wanted Dead or Alive, from one of our favorite directors Gary Sherman. It's an action packed tale of a terrorist, played by Gene Simmons, being pursued by a former intelligence agent, played by Hauer, who now works as a bounty hunter. With really strong performances across the board and some great twists and turns, this is a solid choice! We follow that up with 1992's Split Second which is set in a near-future flooded London where a stealthy monster is on a murder spree, purused by policeman Hauer and his new partner. This one also has great performances and some nice surprises and we recommend it fully. We then ramble through a list of other things we've seen. Please let us know what you thought of the show, and send us some suggestions for future episodes. You can email us at flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com. You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Episode 195 - Desiegance

We are back with more oddball movies from the dustiest shelf in the video store! This time we start with 1980's "Defiance", from director John Flynn. It has a star-studded cast lead by Jan-Michael Vincent. He plays a sailor who finds himself staying in an apartment in a neighborhood that is being terrorized by a gang called the "Souls". It's the story of how he comes to think of this neighborhood as his own and decides to stand up against the gang. It is 100% solid throughout with some very strong perfomances. We follow that up with a horse of an entirely different color, 1983's "Siege". This is Canadian exploitation at its darkest and most ruthless. Set in Halifax, Nova Scotia, it starts during a police strike which leaves the city vulnerable to those with bad intent. A gang of neo-nazis takes advantage of the opportunity and they visit a local gay bar and do incredibly vile things. The lone survivor of this vicious attack escapes to a local apartment where he is shielded by the residents during a very dark night of brutal violence. This is grim stuff but highly recommended to those of you with strong constitutions. We then ramble through a list of other things we've seen. Please let us know what you thought of the show, and send us some suggestions for future episodes. You can email us at flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com. You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Episode 194 - Neon Hunters

As we attempt to get back into a more regular schedule, we turn to something that is almost always reliable...the movies that seem at least slightly inspired by the epic Mad Max. We start off with 1988's Future Hunters which mixes the Bible, mythology, Nazis, Amazon warriors, kung fu and everything else you can imagine. All these crazy elements should not work together, but somehow director Cirio Santiago pulls it off to great success! We then move on to 1991's Neon City, starring the legendary Michael Ironside as a bounty hunter in a post apocalyptic wasteland, trying to get his latest catch across a dangerous stretch of land so he can collect the reward. This one completely blew us away and we are all stunned that it's not better known. Currently it's free on Tubi and we urge everyone to check it out. We then ramble through a list of other things we've seen. Please let us know what you thought of the show, and send us some suggestions for future episodes. You can email us at flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com. You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Episode 193 - The Wings Beneath Our Wind

After a VERY long and unplanned break, we are finally returning with episode 193. We had technical issues the first time we tried to record this one, but we succeeded the second time! Our focus for the second attempt was the actor Wings Hauser, who always seems to rise to the top in any film he's in. We start off with 1983's Deadly Force, from director Paul Aaron, where Wings plays Stoney Cooper, a former Los Angeles cop who is pulled back into town to search for a serial killer. It plays it very safe storywise but has some interesting twists and it was fun to see Wings playing a good guy for once. We follow that with 1989's L.A. Bounty which was written by and stars one of our favorites, Sybil Danning! Sybil plays "Ruger", a former cop who has a vendetta against a crazy crime lord, played by Wings Hauser, who killed her partner. It has some standout stunt scenes and lots of mayhem. Both of these films were fun, but don't expect to be shown something new. Our original pairing for this episode were two movies with vampire bats hunting humans. We watched 1974's Chosen Survivors and 1979's Nightwing. They were both entertaining but with VERY different budgets! We include a brief bit about each in the podcast, and it's safe to say that we recommend both. Then we go over some of the large changes that have happened in each of our lives and a few standout things we've been watching.  Please let us know what you thought of the show, and send us some suggestions for future episodes. You can email us at flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com. You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Episode 192 - Pride from the Cave

In honor of Pride month, we looked at two films that we felt were interesting celebrations of different aspects of the LGBTQ+ world. We don't think these movies are going to necessarily change anyone or make the world a better place, but they are both excellent, thoughtful, and most-of-all FUN! We start off with 1982's Liquid Sky, from director Slava Tsukerman and featuring an amazing dual-lead performance from Anne Carlisle. It is an arty science fiction tale that reminded us all of Repo Man, and that's a hell of a compliment from the cave dwellers! We follow that with a completely fabulous, zero budget sci-fi romp from 1991 called Vegas in Space. It was largely created by and stars legendary drag queen and activist Doris Fish as well as a cavalcade of colorful, funny and memorable drag queens and genetic women, trying to solve a mystery on an "all-female" pleasure planet. This is pure entertainment and an amazingly successful labor of love. We then chat about other things we've seen and events in our lives. Please let us know what you thought of the show, and send us some suggestions for future episodes. You can email us at flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com. You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Episode 191 - Cobracabana

We love Fred Williamson so we went back to his filmography for this episode. We look at the first 2 of the "Black Cobra" films. The first from 1987 is a boilerplate actioner with a typically cool performance from Williamson. The sequel "Black Cobra 2" from 1989 ups the ante by adding TV's Spiderman Nicholas Hammond as a sidekick when Williamson's character is sent to the Phillipines where he finds romance, intrigue and danger! These are both appealing and will not stretch your brain with simple plots and wall-to-wall fun!  We then chat about other things we've seen and events in our lives. Please let us know what you thought of the show, and send us some suggestions for future episodes. You can email us at flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com. You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Episode 190 - Two Lane Cock Fight

We bring out the Hellman's on this episode of the podcast as we look at two from Monte Hellman. We start off with the controversial 1974 movie "Cockfighter" and follow it up with the metaphorical masterpiece "Two Lane Blacktop" from 1971. Both films feature Warren Oates, Laurie Bird and Harry Dean Stanton, all turning in strong performances. Cockfighter follows a deliberately mute Oates as he competes in a series of cockfights across the south, in pursuit of respect and love. It's tough to watch at times and confounded us with some of its choices. Two Lane Blacktop, on the other hand, is a wonder. With a deliberate pace and subtext galore, it is making statements left and right. It also features very impressive performances from two musicians, James Taylor and Dennis Wilson. We then proceed to our lists of other things we've been watching. Please let us know what you thought of the show, and send us some suggestions for future episodes. You can email us at flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com. You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram andTwitter. 

Episode 189 - Fruet of the Loom

We decided to return to the work of Canadian director William Fruet this time for the podcast. We start off with "The House By the Lake" from 1976 ( also known as "Death Weekend" ). Starring one of our favorites, Don Stroud, and with a great performance from Brenda Vaccaro, it is a very well-told tale of home invasion which does NOT disappoint. We follow that up with "Baker County U.S.A." ( also known as "Trapped" ) from 1982. Henry Silva turns in really strong performance as a villainous hillbilly who has gone off the deep end and NEEDS to be stopped! It is an outstanding bit of exploitation filmmaking, with great acting and mind-blowing stunts. After we talk about those two, we run down the other films we've been watching then we have a round-table discussion of the new film "Nobody" and ( spoiler alert ) we all LOVED it!  Please let us know what you thought of the show, and send us some suggestions for future episodes. You can email us at flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com. You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram andTwitter.

Episode 188 - Kong vs Flickerzilla

We turn our attention to director Jackie Kong in the cave this week by looking at two films from her career. We start off with her third film, 1987's "Blood Diner" which was originally planned as a follow-up to H.G. Lewis' "Blood Feast". It tells the story of two brothers who have the brain of their uncle in a jar and are being directed, by the brain, to perform a variety of rituals to resurrect an ancient goddess. The cave was divided on this one, but we were more aligned on the second film which was Kong's debut effort as a director. 1983's "The Being" is about a mysterious monster rampaging through Pottsville, Idaho, leaving a trail of dead bodies in its wake. It has some recognizable faces in the cast and some pretty impressive special effects at times. We follow that with our usual discussion of what else we've been watching. Please let us know what you thought of the show, and send us some suggestions for future episodes. You can email us at flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com. You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Episode 187 - Grefe not Covfefe

We return to one of our favorite subjects, the "Regional Filmmaker", focusing on Mr. William Grefe, He produced most of his films in Florida and we had covered another of his films "Mako, the Jaws of Death" back on episode 90 of the podcast. We start off with 1977's "Whiskey Mountain" which stars one of our favorite actors, Christopher George. It follows 4 people on a bit of a treasure hunt through lush woodlands, who run afoul of some people growing marijuana. It is surprisingly brutal for a PG rated film and has some nice moments, but is probably at least twice as long as it needs to be. We follow that up with 1974's "Impulse" which has a bonkers performance from William Shatner as a ruthless gigolo who murders a number of people and terrorizes a young girl. It's quite a shocker at times and you'll want a shower after it's over. Please let us know what you thought of the show, and send us some suggestions for future episodes. You can email us at flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com. You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Episode 186 - Joe Mama

We look at two films that feature the martial arts legend Joe Lewis this time on the podcast. We were not familiar with him but he popped up on our radar and seemed perfect for the show. We start off with his debut starring role in 1979's "Jaguar Lives" which also features a sizeable cast of legendary actors. It's a fun combination of martial arts and James Bond, with globe-trotting, intrigue and an inscrutable plot. We follow that up with 1981's "Force Five" from show-favorite director Robert Clouse. It's a familiar plot, with an evil leader who has an island stronghold that must be stopped. It has some really fun moments, with great stunt work. Please let us know what you thought of the show, and send us some suggestions for future episodes. You can email us at flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com. You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

 

Episode 185 - Sexually Transmitted Demons

We recorded this episode on Valentine's Day, with love and romance filling our hearts and minds as we looked at two disparate films where sex and demons are connected. We start off with the light hearted goofiness of 1987's "My Demon Lover" where a woman in New York City is struggling to find the right man until she meets a weirdo who's possessed with a demon that presents itself any time he becomes sexually aroused. It's dumb, but fun, and completely forgettable. We follow that up with a modern masterpiece, 2014's "It Follows" where a curse is passed from person to person via sex. The curse causes a demon to relentlessly pursue you, with a goal to violently kill you. The only way to stave off the attack is pass the curse on to someone else by having sex with them. It is a layered parable that still manages to be very scary and fun at the same time. Please let us know what you thought of the show, and send us some suggestions for future episodes. You can email us at flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com. You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Episode 184 - Assemble the Cave

We turn our attention back to one of our favorite genres, the big dumb action-movie!  We talk about two obscure flicks from the 80s that have had a bit of a renaissance lately. We start off with 1982's "Kill Squad" where a team of martial artists team up to find out who attacked their leader. It's fantastic low-budget fun. We follow that up with "Action USA" from 1989 which recently got a blu-ray release from Vinegar Syndrome. It's surprisingly coherent and has a great cast of favorite faces, having fun and causing a TON of havoc! Please let us know what you thought of the show, and send us some suggestions for future episodes. You can email us at flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com. You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

 

 

Episode 183 - Rage in the Cave

Welcome to 2021! We kick off the new year with a look at a dark side of human behavior...road rage! First up is 2004's "Highwaymen", from the director of the 80's classic "The Hitcher" Robert Harmon. Starring Jim Caviezel and Rhona Mitra, it's a big, noisy action movie, that tells a story of revenge between two men who have fast, dangerous cars. There is smashing, crashing, flipping and exploding action throughout and it's a fun bit of escapist entertainment. We follow that with 2020's "Unhinged" starring Russell Crowe as a huge, psychotic brute with an enormous pickup truck and an axe to grind with a woman and son in a station wagon. It is rough, vicious, intense and violent, and Crowe is terrifying and believable as someone you do NOT want to cross. The show goes long as we get reacquainted  after a long pause over the holidays, and we talk about all the things we've watched since the last show. Please send emails to flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com. You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.