George & Ryan discuss four Roger Corman produced films directed by filmmakers who went on to do big things!
Martin Scorsese: Boxcar Bertha
Joe Dante: Piranha
Ron Howard: Grand Theft Auto
Francis Ford Coppola: Dementia 13

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Welcome to a new feature series! High and Low! On each installment Ryan and George will be discussing an actor or director. One great movie, one bad movie. Our inaugural featured player: The Great Tony Curtis! The Films: Some Like it Hot and The Manitou!

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In order to capitalize on the blockbuster success of Tim Burton's Batman every studio in town dusted off any pulp magazine or comic strip hero they could find. A litany of lush period pieces with beautiful dames, handsome heroes and dastardly villains were produced throughout the 90's- all failing to match the success of Caped Crusader. Films like the Rocketeer, The Shadow, The Phantom & Dick Tracy have often found themselves the butt of jokes, a misguided cycle of movies that misdiagnosed Batman's appeal. Were these films right to be maligned, forgotten or ignored? Tune in to find out!

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What transformed science fiction from niche fantasy serials into a dominant cultural force? The answer lies in the atomic anxieties of post-World War II America. The mushroom cloud hanging over our collective consciousness created fertile ground for stories about invasion, destruction, and otherworldly threats.

Diving into four quintessential films—The Day the Earth Stood Still, Forbidden Planet, War of the Worlds, and The Blob—we uncover how each reflected different facets of Cold War paranoia while establishing visual language and narrative conventions that would define the genre for decades. From authoritarian space messengers to monsters from the id, these films weren't just entertainment; they were processing cultural trauma through fantastical allegory.

The conversation reveals surprising insights about these classics. Did you know The Day the Earth Stood Still's seemingly progressive message masks a surprisingly fascistic ultimatum? Or that Forbidden Planet's groundbreaking visuals and electronic score directly shaped Star Trek's entire aesthetic universe? We explore how War of the Worlds brought H.G. Wells' Victorian invasion tale into contemporary America with spectacular effect, while The Blob captured teenage alienation by literally making adults the last to understand the threat.

What makes these films endure isn't just nostalgia—it's their perfect crystallization of human fears dressed in alien packaging. Whether reflecting right-wing anxieties about outside invasion or left-wing concerns about internal destruction, they created a template for using science fiction as cultural commentary that continues today.

Ready to rediscover these influential classics or experience them for the first time? Subscribe to our podcast for more deep dives into cinema's most fascinating genres and eras. Leave a review to help other film enthusiasts find our discussions!

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We saw it

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What a year 2024 has been for cinema! In this deep-dive episode, we unpack the most compelling, controversial, and conversation-worthy films that defined the year in movies.

We begin with "The Substance," examining how this body horror masterpiece transcends simple commentary on Hollywood's beauty standards to explore the psychology of self-destruction. Demi Moore's fearless performance deserves special recognition for tackling a character struggling with identity and aging in an industry that discards women past their prime.

Robert Eggers' "Nosferatu" sparked heated debate among horror aficionados. We discuss why changing Count Orlok's iconic appearance undermined the film's purpose and how it compares to other vampire classics like Coppola's "Dracula." Despite its visual beauty, did this remake justify its existence?

"A Complete Unknown" offers a refreshing take on music biopics by focusing on a pivotal moment in Bob Dylan's career rather than attempting to chronicle his entire life. Timothée Chalamet's transformation into the folk icon is nothing short of remarkable, capturing the artist's determination to evolve despite fierce resistance from the folk establishment.

Ridley Scott's "Gladiator 2" proves that epic historical spectacle still has tremendous power on the big screen. The Pedro Pascal/Paul Mescal colosseum battle delivers one of the year's most riveting sequences, while Denzel Washington's deliciously villainous performance steals every scene.

Clint Eastwood's "Juror #2" stands as a potential final masterpiece from the legendary director. Nicholas Holt delivers a career-best performance as a juror who realizes he may be responsible for the crime being tried – creating a morally complex thriller that asks profound questions about justice, family, and personal responsibility.

What films defined your 2024 cinematic experience? Which performances will you remember years from now? Listen to our passionate breakdown and then share your own favorites with us online!

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Ryan and George discuss the legacy of Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece Psycho and its three sequels. Are they any good?

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Before there was Rotten Tomatoes, before YouTube critics dominated our screens, two rival Chicago newspaper men forever changed how we talk about movies. What began as a local PBS show featuring a pair of bickering film critics evolved into a cultural phenomenon that would span decades and influence generations of film lovers.

The magic of Siskel and Ebert wasn't just in their famous thumbs up/thumbs down verdicts; it was in their genuine passion for cinema and their willingness to make thoughtful criticism accessible to everyday viewers. They weren't interested in impressing audiences with academic jargon or pandering to Hollywood studios. They brought an authenticity to television that felt revolutionary—two real newspaper rivals who genuinely disagreed about films and weren't afraid to challenge each other on screen.

Their impact extended far beyond reviews. They battled for proper presentation formats like letterboxing when pan-and-scan was standard practice. They championed forgotten films like "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm" and "My Dinner with Andre," giving them second lives. They highlighted important cultural conversations, from the disappearance of Black-led films in the 1980s to the rise of slasher movies they found morally objectionable. Whether you agreed with their takes or not, their integrity was never in question.

The tragedy of their stories adds poignant dimension to their legacy. Both men would eventually lose their ability to speak—the very gift that had made them famous. Gene Siskel kept his brain cancer diagnosis largely private before passing away in 1999 at just 53. Roger Ebert's battle with thyroid cancer was more public, robbing him of his voice but never silencing his passion for film criticism, which continued through his writing until his death in 2013.

Want to experience the magic of these pioneering critics firsthand? Seek out their clips on YouTube, where their chemistry and passion still feel as vibrant and engaging today as when they first sat in those theater seats. The balcony may be closed, but their influence on how we discuss, debate, and celebrate cinema continues to thrive.

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