Chain Link Theater

Sin City // Bruce Willis | Review & Discussion - Ep. 26

This week on Chain Link Theater, we're hitting the gritty, rain-slicked streets of Basin City! We’re trading the shattered glass of Nakatomi Plaza for a high-contrast, black-and-white comic book underworld as we trace Bruce Willis’s hard-boiled turn in Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller's 2005 neo-noir masterpiece, Sin City. We’re talking about his gravelly, tragic performance as Detective John Hartigan, the groundbreaking green-screen visual style that literally brought the graphic novel to life, and how this hyper-violent, ensemble anthology forever changed the landscape of comic book adaptations. We even talk about that... ending. An old man dies, a young woman lives. Fair trade. Grab your trench coat, and keep your guard up. We’re entering Sin City.

Die Hard // Alan Rickman | Review & Discussion - Ep. 25

This week, Chain Link Theater is 25 episodes deep! And to celebrate? We're heading straight for the thirtieth floor of Nakatomi Plaza! We’re following the link from the sarcastic Voice of God to the man who redefined the modern cinematic villain: the legendary Alan Rickman! We’re trading in the celestial wings for a tailored suit and a vault code as we trace Rickman’s explosive American film debut in the 1988 action classic, Die Hard. We’re talking about the shift from Shakespearean stage actor to silver-screen mastermind, the enduring legacy of Hans Gruber, and why this Bruce Willis-led blockbuster remains the ultimate, glass-shattering standard for action cinema (and yes, we debate whether it's a Christmas movie). Yippee-ki-yay! Take off your shoes, and don't drop the detonators. We’re watching Die Hard.

Dogma // Ethan Suplee | Review & Discussion - Ep. 24

This week, Chain Link Theater is stepping out of the neon-soaked aisles of the Eastside Mall and heading straight for the pearly gates! We’re following the link from the foul-mouthed half of cinema's most iconic duo, Jason Mewes, to the man who brought the View Askewniverse's messiest monster to life: Ethan Suplee! We’re tracing Suplee's evolution as he graduates from his mallrat quest to see the sailboat into raising unholy hell in the 1999 religious satire, Dogma. We’re talking about the shift from suburban slapstick to star-studded divine intervention, and why this movie remains the ultimate, controversy-stirring tribute to Catholic mythology and comic book culture. Snootchie bootchies! Watch out for hockey-playing teenagers, keep your Buddy Christ on the dashboard, and for the love of god, don't forget the air freshener—we’re diving into Dogma!

Mallrats // Jason Mewes | Review & Discussion - Ep. 23

This week, Chain Link Theater is stepping out of the monochromatic shadows of the Quick Stop and into the neon-soaked aisles of the Eastside Mall! We’re following the link from creator Kevin Smith to the foul-mouthed, high-energy half of cinema’s most iconic duo: Jason Mewes. We’re tracing the evolution of Jay as he graduates from the parking lot to the big leagues of suburban loitering in the 1995 cult classic, Mallrats. From the existential frustration of a Magic Eye poster and the dubious nature of chocolate-covered pretzels to the legendary wisdom of a Stan Lee cameo, we’re breaking down how Mewes’ breakout performance solidified his place in the View Askewniverse. We’re talking about the shift from $27,000 indie grit to studio-backed slapstick, and why this movie remains the ultimate tribute to the '90s mall culture. Snoogans! Watch out for the Easter Bunny, keep an eye out for LaFours, and for the love of god, try to see the sailboat—we’re diving into Mallrats!

Clerks. // Kevin Smith | Review & Discussion - Ep. 22

This week, Chain Link Theater is closing the loop on the Quick Stop chronicles by heading back to where it all began—in glorious, low-budget black and white. We’re tracing the DNA of the View Askewniverse through the man who birthed it, following Kevin Smith from the manager’s office of a burnt-down Mooby’s back to the cramped, shuttered counters of the original 1994 indie masterpiece, Clerks. From "37 in a row" and rooftop hockey to the existential dread of working a retail shift on your day off, we’re breaking down Smith’s iconic debut as the (mostly) mute Silent Bob. We’re talking about the DIY grit of a $27,000 budget, the lightning-in-a-bottle chemistry between Dante and Randal, and how a movie about nothing managed to define a generation of slackers. Don't jam the shutters, watch out for the "berserker," and whatever you do, try not to suck any dick on the way through the parking lot—we’re diving into the original Clerks!