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A weekly show about bringing attention to forgotten and orphaned movies where a bunch of like-minded individuals dive head first into the septic tank of cinema in search for disregarded masterpieces.
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In this episode of the show we are beginning a brand-new monthly retrospective and this time we are setting our sights on one Stuart Gordon and his debut feature Re-Animator. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk about Stuart Gordon's beginnings, how his debut draws from exploitation cinema and how it anchors itself in literary connections to H.P. Lovecraft and Mary Shelley. We also talk about Gordon's splatter horror and its place between Italian masters, Troma, Roger Corman and Hammer Horror, the film's own self-awareness and playfulness and much more!Tune in and enjoy!Hosts: Jakub Flasz & Randy BurrowsIntro: Infraction - CassetteOutro: Infraction - DaydreamHead over to uncutgemspodcast.com to find all of our archival episodes and more!Follow us on Twitter (@UncutGemsPod), IG (@UncutGemsPod) and Facebook (@UncutGemsPod)Buy us a coffee over at Ko-Fi.com (ko-fi.com/uncutgemspod)Subscribe to our Patreon! (patreon.com/uncutgemspod)
In this episode of the show we are closing our September retrospective of David Ayer's crime movies with his 2020 outing The Tax Collector. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk about how this movie was poorly received by the critics and suffered financially thanks to its mid-pandemic rollout and how it eventually found its place on streaming where general audiences ended up liking it quite a bit. We address the controversies surrounding the movie as well as the fact that David Ayer's movies seem to be out of step with the progressive mainstream of the critical community. We also talk about The Tax Collector borrowing a lot from Shakespeare, Tony Scott and Antoine Fuqua and functioning as a piece of heightened guy cinema.Tune in and enjoy!Hosts: Jakub Flasz & Randy BurrowsIntro: Infraction - CassetteOutro: Infraction - DaydreamHead over to uncutgemspodcast.com to find all of our archival episodes and more!Follow us on Twitter (@UncutGemsPod), IG (@UncutGemsPod) and Facebook (@UncutGemsPod)Buy us a coffee over at Ko-Fi.com (ko-fi.com/uncutgemspod)Subscribe to our Patreon! (patreon.com/uncutgemspod)
In this show, we are tying into our September retrospective of David Ayer's crime movies with his found footage police procedural End of Watch. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us debate Ayer's use of the found footage aesthetic, how it plays fast and loose with its own rules and whether it adds or detracts from the experience. We also talk about this movie standing out from a crowd of police procedurals by virtue of its raw authenticity and the filmmaker's desire to tip his had to the uniformed servicemen and women guarding the thin blue line, how the organic chemistry between its leads bolsters the film's realism and how the idea of gangsters in minivans recording themselves might be one of the film's most contentious concepts. Tune in and enjoy!Subscribe to our patreon at patreon.com/uncutgemspod (3$/month) and support us by gaining access to this show in full in addition to ALL of our exclusive podcasts, such as bonus tie-ins, themed retrospectives and director marathons!Hosts: Jakub Flasz & Randy BurrowsHead over to our website to find out more! (uncutgemspodcast.com)Follow us on Twitter (@UncutGemsPod) and IG (@UncutGemsPod)Buy us a coffee over at Ko-Fi.com (ko-fi.com/uncutgemspod)Subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/uncutgemspod)
In this episode of the show, our cruise through David Ayer's crime movies continues with his 2014 effort titled Sabotage. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk about the many reasons why this movie failed at the box office and how it would have been a slayer on home video just ten years prior, David Ayer giving Arnold Schwarzenegger a rather atypical assignment and the idea of bringing authenticity into the realm of B-movie filmmaking. We also talk about how Sabotage was supposed to have a different ending altogether, how some of its resolution makes little sense and why it doesn't matter as long as the action is compelling and that making movies aimed exclusively at adult male audiences has become frowned upon over the years. Tune in and enjoy!Hosts: Jakub Flasz & Randy BurrowsIntro: Infraction - CassetteOutro: Infraction - DaydreamHead over to uncutgemspodcast.com to find all of our archival episodes and more!Follow us on Twitter (@UncutGemsPod), IG (@UncutGemsPod) and Facebook (@UncutGemsPod)Buy us a coffee over at Ko-Fi.com (ko-fi.com/uncutgemspod)Subscribe to our Patreon! (patreon.com/uncutgemspod)
In this episode of our 2025 series where we take on the big-hitting movies from 1975 and 1995, we are talking about the Sidney Lumet-directed masterpiece Dog Day Afternoon. Over the course of our sprawling conversation you will hear us talk about Al Pacino's towering performance, the genesis of the story taken from real life, and how this stranger-than-fiction crisis turned into a media circus, invigorated masses and presaged the almighty influence of television on society. We also talk about John Cazale's hairstyle, Pacino's vocal chords and how the movie perhaps reflects on Sidney Lumet's own position as an outside observer watching the arrival of New Hollywood.Tune in and enjoy!Hosts: Jakub FlaszFeaturing: Hillary WhiteHead over to our website to find out more! (uncutgemspodcast.com)Follow us on Twitter (@UncutGemsPod) and IG (@UncutGemsPod)Buy us a coffee over at Ko-Fi.com (ko-fi.com/uncutgemspod)Subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/uncutgemspod)
In this episode of the show we are continuing our conversations about crime movies directed by David Ayer with a chat about Street Kings. You will hear us talk about the genesis of the project as a James Ellroy script and how multiple directors had a crack at it before David Ayer, how the movie is unmistakably a relative of LA Confidential and how Ayer's hand distinguishes it from its prestige relative. We also talk about drawing inspiration from gritty cop shows like The Shield and NYPD Blue, how Keanu Reeves plays against type and how the movie occasionally undermines itself on the back of its heavily written dialogue. Tune in and enjoy!Hosts: Jakub Flasz & Randy BurrowsIntro: Infraction - CassetteOutro: Infraction - DaydreamHead over to uncutgemspodcast.com to find all of our archival episodes and more!Follow us on Twitter (@UncutGemsPod), IG (@UncutGemsPod) and Facebook (@UncutGemsPod)Buy us a coffee over at Ko-Fi.com (ko-fi.com/uncutgemspod)Subscribe to our Patreon! (patreon.com/uncutgemspod)
In this episode of the show we are embarking on a brand new monthly mini-journey through the cinema of David Ayer, specifically his crime movies, and we begin with his directorial debut Harsh Times. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk about Ayer's beginnings as a writer, his transition into directing and how his work owes a heck of a lot to Antoine Fuqua, Ridley and Tony Scott and the entire generation of MTV filmmakers. We talk about writing what you know and how the movie encapsulates stories Ayer grew up around in LA, how the movie is a hangout experience akin to Dazed and Confused until it isn't, how the filmmaker earnestly embraces violence and genre (sometimes to a fault) and how Christian Bale's performance is a stunning showcase of character prep. Tune in and enjoy!Hosts: Jakub Flasz & Randy BurrowsFeaturing: Nicolò GrassoIntro: Infraction - CassetteOutro: Infraction - DaydreamHead over to uncutgemspodcast.com to find all of our archival episodes and more!Follow us on Twitter (@UncutGemsPod), IG (@UncutGemsPod) and Facebook (@UncutGemsPod)Buy us a coffee over at Ko-Fi.com (ko-fi.com/uncutgemspod)Subscribe to our Patreon! (patreon.com/uncutgemspod)
In this episode of our Mike Nichols Marathon we are continuing through the 80s with his reunification with Neil Simon to adapt Biloxi Blues for the screen. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk about this movie being a "comfort zone" project for Nichols, the movie functioning as a favour to Simon after Bogart Slept Here fell apart in the 70s and how it is the Full Metal Jacket you can show to your granny. We also talk about how not every journal entry needs to become a story, how Neil Simon's war story lacks an identity crisis and coasts on its stage-like demeanor and the film benefits from having Christopher Walken around with his quirky line delivery, eating onions like apples and waving a gun for added drama. Tune in and enjoy!Subscribe to our patreon at patreon.com/uncutgemspod (3$/month) and support us by gaining access to ALL of our exclusive podcasts, such as bonus tie-ins, themed retrospectives and director marathons!Hosts: Jakub Flasz & Randy BurrowsFeaturing: Rich FosterHead over to our website to find out more! (uncutgemspodcast.com)Follow us on Twitter (@UncutGemsPod) and IG (@UncutGemsPod)Buy us a coffee over at Ko-Fi.com (ko-fi.com/uncutgemspod)Subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/uncutgemspod)
In this episode of the show we move out to the country to put a bow on our August with George Roy Hill as we talk about his final movie Funny Farm. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk about how this movie fits into the catalogue of George Roy Hill's directorial exploits, how it fits in the landscape of 80s comedies and whether it succeeds as a fish-out-of-water concept it was designed to be. We also talk about our feelings towards Chevy Chase's performance, the messiness of the movie's identity that seems not to be able to decide if it wants to embrace a fish-out-of-water comedy, a screwball or something completely different and how even the title seems to be completely detached from reality because neither of us thought the movie was funny and we couldn't find a farm in it either. Tune in and enjoy!Hosts: Jakub Flasz & Randy BurrowsIntro: Infraction - CassetteOutro: Infraction - DaydreamHead over to uncutgemspodcast.com to find all of our archival episodes and more!Follow us on Twitter (@UncutGemsPod), IG (@UncutGemsPod) and Facebook (@UncutGemsPod)Buy us a coffee over at Ko-Fi.com (ko-fi.com/uncutgemspod)Subscribe to our Patreon! (patreon.com/uncutgemspod)
In this bonus episode of our show we are tying into our August with George Roy Hill series with a conversation about his arguably biggest hit, the 1973 The Sting. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk about how at the time when The New Hollywood wave was cresting, this movie became one of the biggest success stories of the year, how its convoluted plot machinations have contributed to the movie being referred to as one of the best written films in Hollywood history and how it managed to succeed at the box office despite competing against The Exorcist. We also talk about whether the movie's central story makes logical sense, if Paul Newman and Robert Shaw could cheat using the same tampered deck of cards and how the movie did for men's fashion what Bonnie and Clyde did for lady chic.Tune in and enjoy!Subscribe to our patreon at patreon.com/uncutgemspod (3$/month) and support us by gaining access to this show in full in addition to ALL of our exclusive podcasts, such as bonus tie-ins, themed retrospectives and director marathons!Hosts: Jakub Flasz & Randy BurrowsHead over to our website to find out more! (uncutgemspodcast.com)Follow us on Twitter (@UncutGemsPod) and IG (@UncutGemsPod)Buy us a coffee over at Ko-Fi.com (ko-fi.com/uncutgemspod)Subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/uncutgemspod)
In this episode of the show, we are putting on our ice skates to talk about Slap Shot as part of our August jaunt through the cinema of George Roy Hill. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk about how this movie fits together with Rocky into the tapestry of 70s underdog stories, how it paints the picture of hockey as a working man's sport and small town entertainment with panache and grit and how George Roy Hill's immediate direction helped the movie become one of the most beloved sports movies. We also talk about the class and gender dynamics found in the film, Paul Newman's performance as a player-coach functioning superficially as a conversation on filmmaking and we also introduce at least one of our co-hosts to the word "goon" used as a verb. Tune in and enjoy!Hosts: Jakub Flasz & Randy BurrowsFeaturing: Carson TimarIntro: Infraction - CassetteOutro: Infraction - DaydreamHead over to uncutgemspodcast.com to find all of our archival episodes and more!Follow us on Twitter (@UncutGemsPod), IG (@UncutGemsPod) and Facebook (@UncutGemsPod)Buy us a coffee over at Ko-Fi.com (ko-fi.com/uncutgemspod)Subscribe to our Patreon! (patreon.com/uncutgemspod)
In this episode of our 2025 series in which we talk about iconic movies from 1975 and 1995 we are taking a look at one of the most successful (and yet somehow forgotten) titles in the mix - Dangerous Minds. Over the course of our great conversation you will hear us talk about whether this movie continues or subverts the tradition of teacher dramas with its MTV aesthetic and a cliche approach to the subject matter. We also talk about the ways in which the movie relates to the true story it is based on, how it reflects or warps the reality of going to high school, whether teaching teenagers karate moves in class is a safe thing to do and how bizarre it might be to watch this movie as a kid and think that teenagers somehow look as though they were thirty years old.Tune in and enjoy!Hosts: Jakub Flasz & Randy BurrowsFeaturing: Tony Larder & Hillary WhiteHead over to our website to find out more! (uncutgemspodcast.com)Follow us on Twitter (@UncutGemsPod) and IG (@UncutGemsPod)Buy us a coffee over at Ko-Fi.com (ko-fi.com/uncutgemspod)Subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/uncutgemspod)
In this episode of the show we are soaring into the skies together with The Great Waldo Pepper, which is the 1975 George Roy Hill movie that the filmmaker held as the most personal and important movie he had ever made. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk about the ways in which The Great Waldo Pepper connects to George Roy Hill's lifelong passion for flying as well as his history as a pilot during wartime and how the movie broke all possible safety rules and whose stuntmanship would stand toe to toe with the latest instalments of the Mission: Impossible series. We also talk about the significance or insignificance of female characters in this movie, how the concept of pursuing a rush maps possibly onto the personality of a 70s Hollywood director and how there is a distinct relationship between the way commerce infringed on the freedom of the skies and how safety regulations rendered making stunts-heavy movies impossible to produce. Tune in and enjoy!Hosts: Jakub Flasz & Randy BurrowsIntro: Infraction - CassetteOutro: Infraction - DaydreamHead over to uncutgemspodcast.com to find all of our archival episodes and more!Follow us on Twitter (@UncutGemsPod), IG (@UncutGemsPod) and Facebook (@UncutGemsPod)Buy us a coffee over at Ko-Fi.com (ko-fi.com/uncutgemspod)Subscribe to our Patreon! (patreon.com/uncutgemspod)
In this episode of the show, we are continuing our August with George Roy Hill as we talk about his audacious anti-war epic Slaughterhouse-Five. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk about the ways in which this movie adapts Kurt Vonnegut's seemingly unadaptable prose, the comments it makes about the morality of war and two wrongs not making a right, and how its impenetrable structure may be a turn-off for many viewers while being an invitation to others. We also wonder whether the movie was ahead of its time or if the early 70s was the only time in history a movie like this could have come together, the places it goes towards the end with its outlandish science-fiction element, bits of incredible nuance hidden in throwaway lines of dialogue and much, much more!Tune in and enjoy!Hosts: Jakub Flasz & Randy BurrowsFeaturing: Jak-Luke SharpIntro: Infraction - CassetteOutro: Infraction - DaydreamHead over to uncutgemspodcast.com to find all of our archival episodes and more!Follow us on Twitter (@UncutGemsPod), IG (@UncutGemsPod) and Facebook (@UncutGemsPod)Buy us a coffee over at Ko-Fi.com (ko-fi.com/uncutgemspod)Subscribe to our Patreon! (patreon.com/uncutgemspod)
In this episode of our comprehensive retrospective of the cinema of Mike Nichols we are talking about his second collaboration with Meryl Streep and Nora Ephron, the 1986 Heartburn. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk about the complex genesis of this movie, how bringing a real-life story to the screen was complicated by the people portrayed in the movie, and how it marked Mike Nichols' return to his comfort zone between a woman, a man, and a bed. We also talk about the subtle hints the movie might be dropping in anticipation of its big reveal and if we had what it takes to notice them, the ins and outs of sock-shopping, dealing with spicy contractors and the silly idea of leaving evidence of one's infidelity in your desk. Tune in and enjoy!Subscribe to our patreon at patreon.com/uncutgemspod (3$/month) and support us by gaining access to ALL of our exclusive podcasts, such as bonus tie-ins, themed retrospectives and director marathons!Hosts: Jakub Flasz & Randy BurrowsHead over to our website to find out more! (uncutgemspodcast.com)Follow us on Twitter (@UncutGemsPod) and IG (@UncutGemsPod)Buy us a coffee over at Ko-Fi.com (ko-fi.com/uncutgemspod)Subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/uncutgemspod)
In this episode of the show we are beginning an entire month of conversations about the cinema of George Roy Hill and we are kicking things off with his western classic Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk about the ways in which this movie fits into the twilight zone between the withering Old Hollywood and the incoming New Hollywood tidal wave, how much it owes to Bonnie and Clyde and how it upsets the genre template while also paying due homage to its legacy. We also talk about how the bickering between Paul Newman and Robert Redford presages the arrival of a buddy cop movie, how George Roy Hill banks on realism where it matters and how this entire experience is a great hangout for those who vibe with westerns but may be a little bit tired of its old formula. Tune in and enjoy!Hosts: Jakub Flasz & Randy BurrowsIntro: Infraction - CassetteOutro: Infraction - DaydreamHead over to uncutgemspodcast.com to find all of our archival episodes and more!Follow us on Twitter (@UncutGemsPod), IG (@UncutGemsPod) and Facebook (@UncutGemsPod)Buy us a coffee over at Ko-Fi.com (ko-fi.com/uncutgemspod)Subscribe to our Patreon! (patreon.com/uncutgemspod)
In this episode of the show we are concluding our July adventure with Richard Lester with a double header of Superman II and Superman III. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk about how Superman II wrote the playbook for a comic book movie sequel, how it humanizes Superman while also further denuding the many problems this character will continue to have in future movies. We talked about Lester's absurdist vibes creeping into the operation and blossoming in the third sequel, Richard Pryor as a comic relief villain and how to make Superman evil all you need to do is ask him not to shave for a day and give him eyeliner. Tune in and enjoy!Hosts: Jakub Flasz & Randy BurrowsIntro: Infraction - CassetteOutro: Infraction - DaydreamHead over to uncutgemspodcast.com to find all of our archival episodes and more!Follow us on Twitter (@UncutGemsPod), IG (@UncutGemsPod) and Facebook (@UncutGemsPod)Buy us a coffee over at Ko-Fi.com (ko-fi.com/uncutgemspod)Subscribe to our Patreon! (patreon.com/uncutgemspod)
In this episode of the show we are tying into our Richard Lester conversations with a debate about the seminal comic book movie, the Richard Donner-directed Superman. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk about the ways in which Superman wrote the playbook for what later became a comic book movie genre, how the many cuts of the movie that are in existence complicate the plot, and how Christopher Reeve was perhaps the perfect casting for the role of the Man of Steel. We also talk about Hackman's Lex Luthor functioning as a de facto Bond villain, how the movie is perhaps too goofy for its own good at times, how the Krypton sequence in the TV cut is long enough to be considered its own disaster movie and how Richard Donner sounded as though he invented the word "verisimilitude."Tune in and enjoy!Subscribe to our patreon at patreon.com/uncutgemspod (3$/month) and support us by gaining access to this show in full in addition to ALL of our exclusive podcasts, such as bonus tie-ins, themed retrospectives and director marathons!Hosts: Jakub Flasz & Randy BurrowsHead over to our website to find out more! (uncutgemspodcast.com)Follow us on Twitter (@UncutGemsPod) and IG (@UncutGemsPod)Buy us a coffee over at Ko-Fi.com (ko-fi.com/uncutgemspod)Subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/uncutgemspod)
In this episode of the show we are discussing another off-kilter Richard Lester movie, the 1979 Cuba. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk about how this movie connects to Casablanca and The Battle of Algiers, how important it is to make sure the chemistry between two romantic leads is undeniably there and whether the post-Bond Sean Connery was the man to evoke it. We also talk about how Lester finds frightening absurdity in the reality of pre-evolution Cuba, how the movie wants to be Dr. No for a brief second and how narrative indecision may be its undoing. Tune in and enjoy!Hosts: Jakub Flasz & Randy BurrowsFeaturing: Jak-Luke SharpIntro: Infraction - CassetteOutro: Infraction - DaydreamHead over to uncutgemspodcast.com to find all of our archival episodes and more!Follow us on Twitter (@UncutGemsPod), IG (@UncutGemsPod) and Facebook (@UncutGemsPod)Buy us a coffee over at Ko-Fi.com (ko-fi.com/uncutgemspod)Subscribe to our Patreon! (patreon.com/uncutgemspod)
In this episode of our ongoing 50-30 series, we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Steven Spielberg's Jaws. Over the course of our incredible conversation you will hear us talk about our relationship with this movie, the numerous production legends surrounding it and just how influential it was on the culture at large. We also talk about how Jaws fits in between the legacies of The New Hollywood and studio-driven disaster movies, how Steven Spielberg was a bilingual storyteller, how the movie conveniently fits a number of deep conversations in its simple two-act structure and much, much more!Tune in and enjoy!P.S. Also, feel free to check out our older episode where we talked about all Jaws and Orca, as well as the episode where we discussed, in depth, the 1977 adaptation of another Peter Benchley novel, The Deep. Also, check out Jakub's two pieces on Jaws, one about its relationship with disaster movies, and the 50th anniversary piece inspired by this very conversation.Finally, if you haven't already, check out the most incredible podcast about Jaws run by our friends Sarah and MJ, Let's Jaws For a Minute!Hosts: Jakub Flasz & Randy BurrowsHead over to our website to find out more! (uncutgemspodcast.com)Follow us on Twitter (@UncutGemsPod) and IG (@UncutGemsPod)Buy us a coffee over at Ko-Fi.com (ko-fi.com/uncutgemspod)Subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/uncutgemspod)
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