Celluloid Fever Dreams

Continuing Season 3 after a hiatus with the John Cusack action comedy Grosse Pointe Blank. A film that dares to ask what's scarier, fighting for your life against international hitman trying to steal your contract or going to your high school reunion to face the girl you stood up at prom? Host Wyndham Jennings discusses whether John Cusack should be in action movies. Why didn't Minnie Driver become a bigger star? Is there anyone better suited to playing a lecherous Douchecanoe than Jeremy Piven? and Why don't films have soundtracks like this anymore? Discover the answers only on Celluloid Fever Dreams! Other Films Mentioned: Mother, Jugs, and Speed. Phantom of the Paradise, Miami Blues, My Bodyguard, Ella Enchanted, and Doctor Detroit

A mix of Dirty Harry and Robocop with gratuitous nudity, over the top violence, criminal furries, and demonic gun running nuns? And it was written by the creator of Ben 10 and directed by one of the founding members of Slipknot? Why is this film not a cult classic already? This week Wyndham patrols the mean streets with Officer Downe, the LAPD's secret weapon in the war on crime. Thanks to dark science he's stronger, faster and tougher than anyone else on the force, and if he does get taken out? They'll just bring him back. He'll rest in peace when the streets are finally clean of crime. Other films mentioned in the episode: Bubba Ho-Tep, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, Big Fish, Boss Level, The Hunt, Must Love Dogs

We're back! (The podcast, not that horrible animated dinosaur film.) To kick off Season 3 host Wyndham Jennings dives into the 1998 Tobey Maguire, Reese Witherspoon comedy Pleasantville. The story of 2 modern teens trapped in a 1950s sitcom who wind up changing it forever and learn something about themselves along the way. Learn a little history about toilets in television shows. Find out why Don Knotts is a perfect example of stunt casting. See how a fun film from the 90s would be a political and cultural lightning rod today. Celebrate the return of someone's favorite podcast from a lengthy hiatus and download Celluloid Fever Dreams today! Other films mentioned in the episode: The Shakiest Gun in the West, Freeway, Seabiscuit, Mystery Men, Face Off, Sling Blade, Dumb and Dumber

Quick update on the podcast, and what's been going on for the past two months. It's a bit rambly, and chaotic but I'm getting divorced AND buying a house simultaneously so I'm a little frazzled. Until I can get in somewhere permanent I'm going to post these minisodes that will help me get back into podcasting again, and maybe cover some stuff that I can't touch on the regular episodes. This week I lay out all 5 (6? 7?) different timelines that make up the Halloween(1979) franchise, and what movies you should watch in which order to see each one through. I also talk about other franchises and films that have played with alternate timelines, or Multiverse style settings. Spoiler: Gwyneth Paltrow has been in one that wasn't the MCU. So, listen to me butcher a famous quote and get this week's winning lottery numbers, for some alternate timeline out there not this one with Celluloid Fever Dreams!

Sylvester Stallone (Demolition Man, Rocky) is an action star with a long list of successful films. So imagine everyone's surprise when he teamed up with John Landis (Blues Brothers, Coming to America) for a screwball comedy about a Prohibition Era gangster trying to go straight. Based on the French play by Claude Mangier, already made into a film back in 1967, Stallone must contend with rival gangsters, a rebellious daughter (Marisa Tomei in one of her earliest roles), and henchmen who would rather go to jail than do the dishes. Top loaded by a cast of great character actors, and a couple of genuine legends, this is an often overlooked piece of Stallone's filmography. Host Wyndham Jennings dives into the film's history, its influences, and the disaster that almost prevented it from being made before answering The Most Important Question of All! Is it entertaining? Other films to watch: Clue, Stir Crazy, Raising Arizona, The Jerk, Death at a Funeral, Real Genius, Hot Fuzz, 1941

Murder! Genetic Monstrosities! Adultery! Chickens! No, seriously lots of chickens. More chickens per minute than any other giallo in history. Anna's husband has a strange hobby, murdering prostitutes in a roadside hotel. She doesn't notice because she's too busy trying to breed the world's first boneless chicken. Her cousin, and secretary, Gabrielle decides she wants Anna's chicken farm and conspires to kill her and frame Marco for it by dressing the corpse as a prostitute. From director Giulio Questi (Django Kill...If You Live Shoot!) comes one of the weirdest giallo films of all time. Surreal, dreamlike, and self indulgent in the way only films from this era can be it remains a beautiful, discordant experience, but is it entertaining? Host Wyndham Jennings explores the film, and the lasting influences of this genre of Italian cinema in another episode of Celluloid Fever Dreams! Other Films to check out: Django Kill...If You Live Shoot!, Arcana, The Girl Who Knew Too Much, A Bay of Blood, All The Colors of The Dark, The Psychic, Eye in the Labyrinth, A Lizard in Woman's Skin

Caleb Cotton gets more than he bargained for when a little bite on the neck gives him a fatal allergy to the sun. Forced to join an undead band of criminals as they leave a trail of crashed vehicles, burned out buildings, and broken bodies across the American Southwest, Caleb struggles to retain his humanity. Told he must kill within one week or the group will end his newfound immortality themselves, he must decide between an eternity of hedonistic carnage or a mortal life. The night, comes at a price in Katheryn Bigelow's Western Horror, Near Dark. Join Wyndham Jennings for a look at the film, its stars, and the evolution of vampires in film in this week's Celluloid Fever Dreams. Other films to check out: Curse of the Undead, Ganja and Hess, Martin, Pale Rider, The Valley of Gwangi, John Carpenter's Vampires, From Dusk til Dawn, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, Dead Man, Silent Tongue

After the death of Josef Stalin the members of his committee plot and scheme to hold on to their positions, win the heart of the Soviet people, and most importantly survive the transition of power. This dark, satirical comedy from Armando Iannucci (Veep, In the Loop) draws some of it's most absurd elements from the historical record. Join Wyndham Jennings on a stroll through the Cold War era and a hysterical look at how power corrupts in this week's episode of Celluloid Fever Dreams. Do it, or be sent to Siberia! Other Films Mentioned: Near Dark, Fargo, Jabberwocky, Black Widow, Mindhorn, Reign of Fire,

A satire of pop culture at the turn of the 21st century Josie and the Pussycats flopped hard at the theaters upon it's release. (But the soundtrack went gold!) Host Wyndham Jennings walks you through the surprising origins of the title characters, the impact they had on pop culture, and the troubled development of the film. He then attempts to figure out how a great cast, witty script, and pitch perfect soundtrack failed to blow up at the box office, and why it's started surging back as a cult classic in the last few years. So join Celluloid Fever Dreams for a stroll to the time of TRL, Boy Bands, and Grrrl Power with Josie and The Pussycats, and remember: DuJour means Happiness. Other films mentioned: The House of Yes, Van Wilder, He Got Game, Galaxy Quest, Splinter, She's All That

Another dollar movie find 2014's The Dead Lands follows Hongi, the last survivor of his tribe, as he chases Wirepa, the warrior who lead the massacre across the titular place. The lands are said to be haunted by a demon warrior who devours everyone who enters. Can Wirepa escape both Hongi and The Warrior? Can Hongi convince The Warrior to join him? What terrible secret does The Warrior carry with him? A story of pre-colonial Maori told entirely in Te Reo, The Dead Lands is a fantasy film that shows how honor, family, and glory shape three different warriors lives. Host Wyndham Jennings discusses this brutal, and complex, coming of age story about revenge, glory, and the price of both. 

We're back! This week it's the unromantic comedy Eagle Vs Shark. The first feature film from Taika Waititi, follows Lily, a introvert who's life has hit a dead end and Jared, an absurdly overconfident loser as they fall in love. A darkly comic tale with a warm heart that takes a look at being in love when it's not really a good time to be in love and they're probably not someone you should be in love with anyway. 

Seconds is about Arthur Hamilton, a man who is given a second chance at life by The Company. Reborn through surgery, and outfitted with a new name, occupation, and purpose as Tony Wilson. But is it what Arthur really wants? Was his old life really that bad? Is there a way for him to go back? Rock Hudson, and Salome Jens star in this sci-fi thriller about identity, desires, and the truth of self. Directed by John Frankenheimer, and considered the last part of his Paranoia Trilogy, Seconds is a surreal, paranoid trip into modern society. Join host Wyndham Jennings as he dives into the film's history, surprising connections to McCarthyism, and tries to unravel why it failed with critics and audiences upon it's initial release.

This dark comedy adventure follows Ivan Dragomilof and Sonya Winter as they travel across Europe, avoiding assassins and trying to prevent the outbreak of WWI. Starring Oliver Reed, Diana Rigg, and Telly Savalas. One of many films made in the 60s that revisited Edwardian times, how does it hold up today? Host Wyndham Jennings will give his answer as well as talk about the novel that inspired the film. He'll also dive into the idea of the ethical assassin, and how no one in this film could be called the good guy. Other films mentioned in the episode: The Man Who Haunted Himself, The Curse of the Werewolf, The Great Muppet Caper, Kelly's Heroes, Dr Phibes Rises Again, Clueless

This week we talk about the based on a true story, kinda, but not film Kumiko the Treasure Hunter. Rinko Kikuchi anchors this film based on a Japanese office worker who flies to America in search of a lost treasure she's convinced she knows the location of. Simultaneously tragic and uplifting, with a dark humor this is a movie that will stay with you long after the credits roll. Host Wyndham Jennings talks about the movie, the homages it makes to Fargo(1996) and the sad story that inspired it, along with the unfortunate misunderstanding that spun it into an urban legend.

This week we travel back to the 80s for a pair of Horror-Comedies made by the team behind Friday the 13th. House sees writer Roger Cobb dealing with metaphorical, and literal, ghosts from his experiences in the Vietnam War while trying to solve the mystery behind his son's disappearance. Then we head across the street for House II, which has a young man inheriting his Great-Great Grandpa's house complete with Mayan warriors, puppy-caterpillar hybrids, pterodactyls, and his zombified Great-Great Grandpa! Can he retrieve a mystic crystal skull and get justice for his murdered parents? Who knows? Join host Wyndham Jennings as he talks about the making of the films, the way they reflect America's changing look at the after effects of war on soldiers, and the mystery of Bill Maher's success on a new episode of Celluloid Fever Dreams! Films mentioned in this episode: Carrie, Toy Story, Problem Child, Prisoners of the Lost Universe, Gung Ho, But I'm a Cheerleader

We're back with the 80s classic The Secret of NIMH. The first feature from Don Bluth Studios(An American Tail, All Dogs Go To Heaven) it's the story of Mrs Brisby, a field mouse who must move her home before the farmer's tractor destroys it with the spring plowing. Her quest to save her family will lead her into uncovering her dead husband's secret past, and straight into the escaped lab rats from the mysterious NIMH. Full of dark beauty, betrayal, magic, murder, and sword fights it's hard to believe this got a G rating. Host Wyndham Jennings breaks down the story behind the film, the obstacles Bluth and company faced in getting it made and the continuing impact the film has on animation and pop culture today. So sit back and rediscover this almost forgotten masterpiece that dared to challenge Disney's monopoly on animated features, The Secret of NIMH.

It's taken a while but we finally dive into the John Waters filmography with his first studio film, Polyester(1981). Starring Divine as Francine Fishpaw, a poor housewife who's life is in a downward spiral, and 50s heartthrob Tab Hunter as Todd Tomorrow, the man who sweeps her off her feet. This is Water's first attempt at an almost mainstream film. Discover the film's influences, the effects it had on Hunter's career, and more in this episode of Celluloid Fever Dreams Films mentioned in the episode: Lust in the Dust, The Scent of Mystery, Grease 2, The Cockettes, Written on the Wind, and The Tingler

Imagine a fighting tournament of the world's most dangerous monsters. Wolfman versus Zombie! Frankenstein's Monster versus Dracula's Daughter! Cyclops versus...Wait, Cyclops?!?! Who invited him? This isn't Krull! Anyway, quit imagining it and check out Monster Brawl, this week's film. With tongue firmly in cheek this independent, Canadian, Horror/Comedy is a blend of Mortal Kombat and the WWE. But it must still face the Ultimate Question! Was it Entertaining? Other films mentioned in the episode: Pumpkinhead, Repo Men, Black Christmas, Porky's, A Bug's Life, Blast From the Past

Mini-sode about the only Christmas film worth watching this year! (Besides Love Actually, and A Christmas Story) Rare Exports follows a father and son trying to survive in rural Lapland, Finland when an American company digs up the original Santa Claus. Unlike the jolly, old, elf we all grew up with this horned being and his army of dwarves round up bad children and devour them. Can Pietari and his dad rescue the children and stop Santa before he becomes a threat to the whole world? Host Wyndham Jennings discusses the film, the two shorts that inspired the story and the legend it's based on in an episode Yule love!

Wyndham takes a look at the dark comedy Corporate Animals this week. Starring Demi Moore, Karan Soni, and Jessica Williams, it's about a group of co-workers on a team building exercise that get trapped in a cave in. Secrets are revealed, relationships are destroyed, and not everyone makes it out alive. Does the film live up to the promise of it's trailer? Is this another cringe humor masterpiece from Sam Bain(Peep Show)? Most importantly of all, Is It Entertaining?  Films mentioned:Deadpool, Booksmart, Cedar Rapids, Cooties, Gremlins 2