Episode 28 - This is the End My Friend

After the Mayan apocalypse passed, Mike and Marty emerged from the cave expecting to find chaos and a world in turmoil, but instead, we found birds chirping peacefully, and a stack of bills that needed to be paid.
In the spirit of the expected doomsday, we decided to focus our triumphant ( ? ) return on two wonderful films that seek to depict very different versions of what it would be like for the end to truly come. 
The first film we look at is 1980's Virus, which is known by several different names and which is available for FREE on the Internet Archive.  Packed with an all-star cast and a very scientific look at what would happen following the accidental release of an ill-conceived germ weapon, it packs a wallop emotionally and, despite a few clunky performances, still holds up today. 
The second film is 2007's End of the Line, a lower budget Canadian shocker that presents a group of religious zealots who are expecting Armageddon  and start "saving the souls" of prospective sinners through judicious murder.  With some delightful plot twists and a few commendable performances, this is one to watch with your slate as blank as possible to maximize the impact of a few of the revelations when they occur.
After our 6 month hiatus, we are finally back and we hope you are happy to see us return.  We are asking that you submit your choices for the best films you saw in 2012.  They do not have to be released in 2012, they just have to be films you WATCHED in 2012.  Let us know what you think of our return, of episode 28, and your film list by writing to us at flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com or by leaving a post over on Facebook.

27 - In the Cave...No One Can Hear You Flicker

In episode 27 of the podcast, we are joined by Leif immediately following our trip to see Prometheus at the local IMAX. We take the opportunity to talk about the Alien film franchise as a whole, starting with the original 1979 film, and each of the three direct sequels. 1986's Aliens from hit-maker James Cameron, 1992's Alien 3 from the incredible David Fincher and 1997's Alien Resurrection which was directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. We briefly touch on these four and then really settle in to discuss Prometheus which was conceived as a prequel and succeeds on many levels. With five films to cover, we go a bit longer than normal but many intersting points are covered. Please do not listen to the spoiler section if you have not seen Prometheus, and do not listen to the show at all if you do not want the other films spoiled since we do not hold back while covering them. Please let us know your thoughts on the films we cover and on the show in general by writing to us at flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com. You can also post a message on our Facebook page.

26 - What the Fudge!?

Episode 26 of the podcast looks at two films that surprised us with sudden bouts of total craziness and left us scratching our heads and asking "what the...?"
After recently seeing Joss Whedon's The Cabin the Woods, which caused this reaction numerous times, we started talking about other movies that had elicited similar responses and we immediately thought of these two gems. 2003's Dead End starring Ray Wise and Lin Shaye, and the hilarious splatstick film, 2007's Botched starring Stephen Dorff and some of the worst russian accents ever commited to video. Both of these movies are fun to watch and full of surprises, both large and small.
Let us know what you thought of the show by writing to us at flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com. You can also post messages to our Facebook page.

25 - Metalhunter - The Destruction of the Forbidden Zone

Episode 25 of the podcast sees us delve into a danker, mustier and much darker corner of the cave. We return to the days of our youth and watch two films from 1983 that are so similar on the surface that you might think they're the same movies. We start with Metalstorm - The Destruction of Jaren-Syn which is another in a long line of mostly disappointing films from Charles Band. We finish by looking at Spacehunter - Adventures in the Forbidden Zone which features credible performances by a cast of b+ grade actors such as Peter Strauss, Molly Ringwald, Ernie Hudson and Michael Ironside. These both are variants on the "cash in, rip off, imitation" trend which continues still today in Hollywood. While an argument can be made that these are both bad films, we enjoyed them on different levels and think that at least one of them is worthy of your time.
Please let us know what you think of the show by writing to us at flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com. If you'd prefer, leave a message over on our Facebook page. We'd love to hear from everyone.

24 - As the Bone Turns

Welcome to Episode 24 of FFTC. In this episode we celebrate the fine actor Yaphet Kotto, starring as the titular character in Larry Cohen's amazing 1972 film Bone and taking a fantastic turn as the villain in 1974's action packed Truck Turner starring Issac Hayes. Although both films were made during the height of the blaxploitation era and feature some of the signature tropes of that genre, they both transcend genre pigeon holing and budgetary limitations to achieve more than most films coming out of the studios today. We run a little longer than usual in this episode, but we had much to talk about with these two gems. Hope you enjoy the cast.
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23 - From Italy to Mexico

Episode 23 of the podcast features two very divergent films that both fall within the umbrella of exploitation cinema. The first is 1973's Ricco the Mean Machine which stars Christopher Mitchum ( son of the legendary Robert Mitchum ). It is a reworking of the classic revenge tale that includes organized crime, youthful rebellion, and soap. Featuring some of the hottest Italian actresses we have ever seen and some truly shocking moments of violence, this is not to be missed.
The second film is 1977's Tintorrera ( Spanish for Tiger Shark ). While the movie is, at first glance, a Jaws ripoff, it is actually more of a study of non-standard relationships, all set in an idyllic Mexican paradise full of mostly uninhibited tourists, crafty locals, and one very hungry shark that seems to pop up at the worst possible time. And trust us, when this shark pops up, things do NOT go well for the hapless humans that encounter it. This film is a time capsule of another time, and another place that, despite it's mostly unbridled hedonism, is still an innocent take on how we could all lead happier lives. Tintorrera is truly unique.
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Enjoy!

Episode 22 - Gary Pimpstick Sherman

We start 2012 by looking at three films from director Gary Sherman. We start with 1973's Raw Meat starring Donald Pleasance then look at 1981's Dead and Buried which stars James Farentino and finish up with 1982's Vice Squad which features an astounding performance by Wings Hauser as the nastiest pimp ever commited to celluloid, Ramrod. Gary Sherman displays his skill at crafting tight storylines and telling compelling stories that are filled with characters that seem totally real. These films succeed on most every level and they each are worth tracking down and watching. This special trilogy of films is our way of starting off 2012 with an extra big bang.
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Episode 21 - Trolling for Santa

Episode 21 of the podcast was born from a message from Daniel who got us thinking of covering films from the Scandinavian part of the world. We chose two films from 2010, Troll Hunter and Rare Exports. If you listen to the podcast, you will hear that we LOVED both of these movies and put them on the highest of pedestals. If you know of a film from a specific area of the world that might force us outside of our cultural comfort zone, please let us know by writing to us at flickersfrom@yahoo.com or by posting a message on our Facebook page.

Rest In Peace Mr. Russell

No one ever wishes to be the bearer of bad news, so I write this post with a heavy heart indeed. Legendary filmmaker Ken Russell has passed into the great beyond leaving an enormous gap in the world of bizarre and transgressive cinema. Probably most well known by mainstream audiences for Altered States, a film that delves into the world of psychedelic research and features many of his trademark flourishes, his canon includes so many more wonderfully strange and aggressively unsettling films. From the crazed drug fueled imagery of Tommy, based on the Who's album, to the gloriously blasphemous scenes of torture and debauchery featured in his high water mark film (my opinion) The Devil's, Mr. Russell never failed to press someone's buttons with his work. If you have never experienced any of his films for your self, please do. It will surely expand your cinematic horizons and maybe even blow your mind. R.I.P. Mr. Russell, you will be missed.


-Mike

Episode 20 - Magnum and Manson

Episode 20 focuses on some great prison exploitation films from opposite sides of the earth. 1973's Terminal Island and 1982's Turkey Shoot. They both posit a near future situation where socially undesirable types are shipped off to remote locations to protect the masses from either a murderous blood lust or a revolutionary mindset. In both there is violence, sexism and fantastic action set-pieces. These are not your typical exploitative fare though. Terminal Island is given an interesting spin by director Stephanie Rothman and Turkey Shoot is another in director Brian Trenchard-Smith's long career of outstanding films.
These both are well worth watching, especially if you love totally bizarre additions of things like werewolves, mini-bulldozers and evil villains who are afraid of the dark!