Caliber 9 From Outer Space

To mark International Forbidden Desires Week (inaugural, and declared by us), Bryce drops in to discuss two films that feel worlds apart, even if they're both obsessed with love taboos. We check out Luis Buñuel's classically kinky Belle De Jour (1967), and Jean-Marie Pallardy's rather less celebrated Franco-Turksploitation riot, White Fire (1984). Sadomasochism and.. siblings. It's quite a heady mix. We don't think you can really spoil White Fire, which has a storyline although comprehending it is probably optional, but we will call out a Spoiler Territory of sorts for Belle De Jour. If you want to skip ahead from that point, you can rejoin the conversation at the 1:04:36 mark to avoid spoilers. Want to get in touch? You can reach us on caliber9fromouterspace@gmail.com Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp "Chance On A Feeling" by Jon Lord

Crime and transgression from the golden age of Italian exploitation cinema this week, as Sammy from the Gentlemen's Guide to Midnite Cinema pops in to discuss Cry of a Prostitute (1974), directed by Andrea Bianchi, followed by To Be Twenty (1978), directed by Fernando Di Leo. We discuss the amazing second act of Henry Silva's career as a genuine star of Italian cinema, and delve into the deeper themes of gender politics in Di Leo's surprisingly heavy swing at the genre conventions of the day. It's not really possible to spoil Cry of a Prostitute, but we will call out Spoiler Territory for To Be Twenty. If you want to skip ahead from that point, you can rejoin the conversation at the 2:41:48 mark to avoid spoilers. Want to get in touch? You can reach us on caliber9fromouterspace@gmail.com Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp "I Became a Prostitute" by The Twilight Sad

It's time to watch some fast cars on film, driving dangerously around narrow streets by square-jawed men (and women) tortured by the existential horror of modern life. Sakana joins us to discuss John Frankenheimer's high octane epic, Grand Prix (1966), followed by Hairpin Circus (1972), directed by Kiyoshi Nishimura. We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for both films, so if you haven't seen them before you listen, you can nevertheless avoid spoilers for Grand Prix by skipping ahead to the 1:24:59 mark, and for Hairpin Circus by skipping ahead to 1:58:45. Want to get in touch? You can reach us on caliber9fromouterspace@gmail.com Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp "Lights On The Chrome" by Cloud Control

From the sublime to the ridiculous, we're getting esoteric this week. Not to mention erotic. And not a little neurotic to boot. Jerry drops in to discuss Mandala (1971), directed by Akio Jissoji and Things To Come (1976), directed by Derek Todd. Buddhism! Politics! Pleasurebots! Pissville! It's all happening this week! We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for both films, so if you haven't seen them before you listen, you can nevertheless avoid spoilers for Mandala by skipping ahead to the 1:28:56 mark, and for Things To Come by skipping ahead to 2:16:42. Want to get in touch? You can reach us on caliber9fromouterspace@gmail.com Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp

He was a stranger... and a killer! In this impromptu and somewhat shambolic bonus episode, Ted and Sammy catch up with Rob and Joe to try and remember as much as possible from the previous night's drunken watchalong of Psycho From Texas (1975), directed by Jim Feazell - an obscure piece of cinema trash which Ted found on an old VHS but which is also available on YouTube. Smalltown oil tycoons, underwhelming hitmen, confused children, gratuitous floral print clothing, the longest foot chase in cinema history, earnest country and western odes to hatred, killing and rape, and an early career appearance from Linnea Quigley which she (understandably) would rather forget. Psycho from Texas is a strange little film and we have great fun talking about it. This movie seems impossible to spoil, as far as we're concerned, so consider the entire episode to be Spoiler Territory – honestly, I wouldn't worry. But if you want to watch before listening, it's easily available on YouTube and, loathe as we are to recommend the film, those with the right mindset might find it pretty good fun. Want to get in touch? You can reach us on caliber9fromouterspace@gmail.com Check out Ted Bennett's award-winning horror short Reel Terror! Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp "Psycho" by Eddie Noack

Yes, we had a hankering to delve back into gritty, seedy, 1970's police thrillers! Our partner in crime, Nick Langdon, stops by to discuss The Offence (1973), directed by Sidney Lumet and The Laughing Policeman (1973), directed by Stuart Rosenberg. From the sleazy underbelly of San Francisco to the mean streets of, er, Bracknell, the fear and loathing is everywhere and we wouldn't have it any other way. Apart from that, it's a pretty good time! We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for both films, so if you haven't seen them before you listen, you can nevertheless avoid spoilers for The Offence by skipping ahead to the 1:32:17 mark, and for The Laughing Policeman by skipping ahead to 2:15:49. Want to get in touch? You can reach us on caliber9fromouterspace@gmail.com Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp

What would summer be without cheesy 80's rock, swimming in the lake, lounging on the pontoon, non-marital sex in a rickety cabin and brutal, bloody death? Al drops by to discuss seminal slasher, Friday the 13th (1980), directed by Sean S. Cunningham and Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985), directed by Danny Steinmann. We discuss the phenomenon of how the original film became arguably the single most influential movie for the subsequent 80's horror boom, despite being widely regarded as inferior even within its own franchise. Meanwhile, we take a closer look at one of the most derided films in the series. Is it underappreciated? Or is it really a pile of sleazy junk with nothing to recommend it? We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for both films, so if you haven't seen them before you listen, you can nevertheless avoid spoilers for Friday the 13th by skipping ahead to the 1:20:10 mark, and for Friday the 13th: A New Beginning by skipping ahead to 2:21:32. Want to get in touch? You can reach us on caliber9fromouterspace@gmail.com Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp "A New Beginning" by Wolfie's Just Fine

An episode 5000 years in the making! Heather Drain joins us at the bloodsoaked shrine of Ishtar (or is that Sheetar?) to discuss Herschell Gordon Lewis' seminal splatterfest, Blood Feast (1963), and its bonkers cult favourite homage, Blood Diner (1987), directed by Jackie Kong. Tune in for this audio feast, or you'll have to eat hamburgers for dinner tonight. Let's just say, plot is not really the reason to watch either of these films. so we won't be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for either of them. And remember: All of the mutilations, bodily dismemberments and cannibal rituals were performed by seasoned professionals. Please do not attempt any of these stunts at home. Want to get in touch? You can reach us on caliber9fromouterspace@gmail.com Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp "Stud Pony" by Dino Lee

In this brief revival of the Sundance Film Festival's Midnight program, Mike Willden from Watch Skip Plus swings by to discuss Space Truckers (1996), directed by Stuart Gordon, and The Convent (2000), directed by Mike Mendez. Join us as we regale you with tales of Charles Dance and his low energy wang, George Wendt getting his butt sucked into space, Dennis Hopper trapping women into marriage and Adrienne Barbeau killing demonic nuns with gay abandon. We don't think you can really spoil The Convent, which is more interested in horror homage than any kind of actual storyline, but we will call out Spoiler Territory for Space Truckers. If you want to skip ahead from that point, you can rejoin the conversation at the 1:08:21 mark to avoid spoilers. Want to get in touch? You can reach us on caliber9fromouterspace@gmail.com Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp

And the truth is, he didn’t die an ordinary man. In this bonus episode, Rob and Joe welcome Sammy from The Gentlemen’s Guide to Midnite Cinema back on the show to pay tribute to the troubled genius of Ozzy Osbourne, a man whose life encompassed precipitous highs and very dark lows, but whose impact on the worlds of music and, indirectly, film  - not to mention pop culture at large - was immeasurable. Along with a discussion of his life and music, they also dive deep into Mario Bava’s seminal 1963 horror masterpiece, Black Sabbath, the film from which the band took its name. After much dithering, the guys do eventually go into Spoiler Territory for the film – if you want to avoid those, the place to duck out and return later is 1:16:50. RIP Ozzy. Want to get in touch? You can reach us on caliber9fromouterspace@gmail.com Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp "Fire in the Sky" by Ozzy Osbourne

Red sky in morning, brutal prison guards' warning. Red sky at night, there'll be trouble in flight! Mike White from The Projection Booth podcast joins us to discuss a couple of Japanese exploitation classics: Prisoner Female Scorpion: #701 (1972), directed by Shunya Ito, and Goké, Body Snatcher From Hell (1968), directed by Hajime Sato. Gorgeous visuals and heinous humanity will be the twin themes today. We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for both films, so if you haven't seen them before you listen, you can nevertheless avoid spoilers for Prisoner Female Scorpion: #701 by skipping ahead to the 1:21:24 mark, and for Goké, Body Snatcher From Hell by skipping ahead to 2:05:43. Want to get in touch? You can reach us on caliber9fromouterspace@gmail.com Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp "Dark Lady" by The Scorpions

It's business up front and party at the back this week - as long as the business up front is Silly-Beggars and the party involves hogs, testosterone and a psychotic Lance Henrickson making alarming threats. We're joined this week by film-maker Ted Bennett (Reel Terror) to conduct a frequently irreverent discussion on bizarre Jackie Chan vehicle City Hunter (1993), directed by Wong Jing, followed by explosive two-wheeler vehicle Stone Cold (1991), directed by Craig R. Baxley. These films are nonsensical and all about the ride, so we don't bother calling out a Spoiler Territory section for either of them. If you are on tenterhooks about the dramatic resolution of either of these films, please watch them before listening (our advice: don't worry too much about that). Want to get in touch? You can reach us on caliber9fromouterspace@gmail.com Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp

Justin Kerswell from The Hysteria Lives and The Hysteria Continues pops in to discuss Patrick (1978), directed by Richard Franklin, followed by its notorious and wholly unexpected Italian rip-off, Patrick Still Lives (1980), directed by Mario Landi. Toxic masculinity, screaming cat-fights, Holly Hockeysticks cheer in the face of psychic assault and full body impalement: these movies have similar titles but they're worlds apart. In fact we're still not sure what world Patrick Still Lives is on. It's not really possible to spoil Patrick Still Lives whose mystery plot makes little sense and takes a back seat to sleaze in any case, but we will call out Spoiler Territory for Patrick. If you want to skip ahead from that point, you can rejoin the conversation at the 1:19:47 mark to avoid spoilers. Want to get in touch? You can reach us on caliber9fromouterspace@gmail.com Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp "Patrick" by Goblin

What the bloody hell is going on?!?! Curses flying thick and fast all over the place. Adam drops by to talk A Chinese Ghost Story (1987), directed by Tony Ching, and Kadaicha (1988), directed by James Bogle. Dark magic and people getting engulfed by giant tongues (or is that just the biggest eel I've ever seen in my life?) Also, Tom Cruise's messiah complex, Sonny Chiba's cowboy yakuza, Australia's difficult racial history and gratuitous Neighbours references. It's an eclectic mix! No Spoiler Territory section for either film this week. We do discuss the endings but these aren't films that can really be spoiled, so our advice is not to worry too much! Want to get in touch? You can reach us on caliber9fromouterspace@gmail.com Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp Listen to the Warumpi Band wherever you find good music.

We love a mismatched double feature, and this is a doozy. Charlie Adlard is back to discuss a couple of films that couldn't be more different. We reflect on Dario Argento's masterpiece of phantasmagoric horror, Suspiria (1977), followed by Gerry Anderson's own childlike dream of mecha joy: Thunderbirds Are GO (1966), directed by David Lane. One thing these films have in common? Plot is entirely secondary in importance, and as such, we don't bother calling out a Spoiler Territory section for either of them. Want to get in touch? You can reach us on caliber9fromouterspace@gmail.com For the best overview of Charlie Adlard's amazing career as one of the world's foremost comic book artists, go to charlieadlard.com His latest book, Heretic is available on Amazon and via all good booksellers. Look out for his upcoming book, Altamont, which is slated for an English language release later in 2025. Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp

Computer game adaptations: perhaps the least respected form of film-making around. And let's face it, the ratio of good films to bad films is pretty darn low. This week, we team up with the guys from the Grandad and Mr Tech gaming podcast to have a close look at two much maligned entries in this subgenre: Street Fighter (1994), directed by Steven E. de Souza, and Mortal Kombat (1995), directed by Paul W.S Anderson. Tune in, sit back, and FINISH IT!!! Let's just say, plot is somewhat secondary in importance to the conception of both of these films. so we won't be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for either of them. If you are on tenterhooks about the dramatic resolution of either of these films, please watch them before listening (our advice: don't worry too much about that). Want to get in touch? You can reach us on caliber9fromouterspace@gmail.com Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp

Just which cop is the biggest bastard? Lieutenant Crow or Inspector Cliff? Bryce joins us to discuss a couple of tales of cops gone off the rails. First up: Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects (1989), directed by J. Lee Thompson, and Mafia Junction a.k.a. Super Bitch (1973), directed by Massimo Dallamano. We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for both films, so if you haven't seen them before you listen, you can nevertheless avoid spoilers for Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects by skipping ahead to the 1:14:20 mark, and for Mafia Junction by skipping ahead to 1:46:31. Want to get in touch? You can reach us on caliber9fromouterspace@gmail.com Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp

This week, we are trapped inside and beset by unnameable horrors in a dark corner of the Great White North. Sammy from the Gentlemen's Guide to Midnite Cinema pops in to discuss Pontypool (2008), directed by Bruce McDonald, followed by the notorious SOV act of lunacy, Things (1989), directed (if that's what you can call it?) by Andrew Jordan. As well as pondering the profound cultural influence of language as a thing in and of itself, we also tackle some other philosophical questions such as: The possibly Saxon origins of the word, "fart". Kettle or urn, which is better? And just what the hell does "no cap" mean? It's not really possible to spoil Things (because it's not really possible to understand the plot, assuming there is one), but we will call out Spoiler Territory for Pontypool. If you want to skip ahead from that point, you can rejoin the conversation at the 1:33:23 mark to avoid spoilers. Want to get in touch? You can reach us on caliber9fromouterspace@gmail.com Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp

It's another director spotlight this week, as Al stops by to discuss a couple of Riccardo Freda joints. Freda was a diverse journeyman of the Italian film industry who produced most of his output before the heyday of Italsploitation, but his late career tilts at giallo and horror were... unusual, to put it mildly. We dive deep into his Dublin-set giallo, The Iguana With the Tongue of Fire (1971), and his bizarre hippiesploitation / gothic horror / Satanic gore fest, Tragic Ceremony (1972). We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for both films, so if you haven't seen them before you listen, you can nevertheless avoid spoilers for The Iguana With the Tongue of Fire by skipping ahead to the 1:25:47 mark, and for Tragic Ceremony by skipping ahead to 2:18:24. Want to get in touch? You can reach us on caliber9fromouterspace@gmail.com Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp

This week we are talking about one of the great directors of the New Hollywood era, George Roy Hill. Sakana joins us once again to celebrate the work of this master storyteller: we will check out his divisive box office failure, The Great Waldo Pepper (1975), and his raucous, subversive sports comedy Slap Shot (1977). Death defying air stunts, stunted pretty boys, and ultraviolence on the ice rink - there's a lot to chew on here. We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for both films, so if you haven't seen them before you listen, you can nevertheless avoid spoilers for The Great Waldo Pepper by skipping ahead to the 1:28:56 mark, and for Slap Shot by skipping ahead to 2:16:09. Want to get in touch? You can reach us on caliber9fromouterspace@gmail.com Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp