Movie Roulette Tuesday: The Podcast

Tiptoes

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2117292/fan_mail/new] We close out our theme of “Movies That Couldn’t Be Made Today” with the 2002 forgotten oddity Tiptoes [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0316768/]. You can’t make this up. Gary Oldman only did the movie because he had bills to pay. Kate Beckinsale agreed to the SAG minimum as long as she could wear her “lucky hat” during filming. The writer/director tried to get his name completely removed from the movie. Matthew McConaughey and Gary Oldman play twins. Gary Oldman plays a little person. This is an actual movie.  We also discuss smoke detectors and why you shouldn’t take places you love for granted. Come join us!

Black Narcissus

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2117292/fan_mail/new] We continue our theme of "Movies That Couldn't Be Made Today" with one that literally couldn't (for TECH-nical reasons). . .  we are watching something filmed in vibrant, beautiful, and now extinct TECHNICOLOR!!!  Our shining example of this format is 1947's "Black Narcissus."  Directed by the duo of Powell and Pressburger, starring Deborah Kerr and David Farrar, this film is about a group of nuns tasked with setting up a convent high in the Himalayas, leaving familiarity behind and grappling with the mysticism and other-worldliness of this strange setting. We also review in layman's terms what the Technicolor process is, what made it so special, and why it is not possible to recreate it in today's world. So, as Hamlet tells Ophelia, so we advise you, "Get thee to a nunnery... go!"

Excalibur

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2117292/fan_mail/new] We've got another new theme this week and this time we will be delving into "movies that could not be made today".  There could be various social, technical, political or other reasons why but regardless, these will be movies that would not see the light of day in our modern times. Up first we have the Arthurian legend fever-dream that is 1981's Excalibur [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082348/].  Featuring appearances by Patrick Stewart, Liam Neeson, Helen Mirren and starring Nigel Terry as Arthur we have Merlin the magician helping Arthur Pendragon unite the Britons around the Round Table of Camelot, even as dark forces conspire to tear it apart.  This one is a weird one that would most likely not be made today for a variety of reasons that we get into. We talk about all kinds of other things as usual so sit back, relax and enjoy the show.

Taxi Driver

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2117292/fan_mail/new] This week we have another listener pick for the podcast; this time it is a submission from our wonderful, longtime friend and fellow cinephile Andrew, who recommended to us (in a very off-the-cuff fashion), 1976's "Taxi Driver."  Directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro, Cybill Shepherd and Jodie Foster, this iconic film is about a mentally unstable loner in a big city who resorts to drastic action to find meaning in his life. We also take an exploratory dive into male loneliness, its possible causes and the films that deal with this subject.  So hop in and join us for an exciting ride through existential despair and the downward spiral, as we pose the universal question, "are you talkin' to ME?"

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2117292/fan_mail/new] We finish up our theme of “All Roads Lead to Rome” with Dario Argento’s 1970 directorial debut, The Bird With the Crystal Plumage [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065143/], a giallo film set in Rome. It’s about an American writer vacationing in Rome who witnesses a brutal attack and decides to investigate the case himself.  We talk about the origins of the giallo film genre, as well as play the newest game out there on the streets, “Giallo or Giall-No”, where Matt and Rachael compete to see who can tell a real giallo film title from a fake one. Who wins?  Tune in to find out!