Cinema Psychos Movie Reviews

What happens when you combine 90s anthology horror with the cosmic madness of H.P. Lovecraft? You get the oh so gooey Brian Yuzna classic Necronomicon (1993)! In this episode, KT Baldassaro (Movie Runtime, What If I Don't Like) joins us to break down why this practical-effects-heavy cult classic is one of the wildest and grossest horror anthologies of the 90's. From Jeffrey Combs playing H.P. Lovecraft looking remarkably like Bruce Campbell to characters completely unphased by K-Y jelly-covered sea monsters, we explore the best segments, insane plot twists, and glorious physical effects that make Necronomicon a must-watch for genre fans. CHAPTERS: Introduction [00:00] Necronomicon and '90s anthology horror [00:27] Release history and VHS discovery [02:17] Lovecraft, cosmic horror, and body horror [04:11] Why anthology horror works [08:21] Building an anthology through international financing [09:06] A stacked cast and practical effects [10:09] The wraparound: Lovecraft at the cursed library [13:23] 1. The Drowned [19:16] 2. The Cold [33:02] Whispers [47:59] Body horror, grief, and loss of autonomy [55:47] The wraparound ending and the unleashed monster [57:08] What the Necronomicon shows its reader [59:30] The anthology's shifting timelines [01:01:20] Listener reviews [01:04:02] 1. The gooey review [01:04:50] 2. The Victorian review [01:06:54] 3. The goop review [01:08:31] Final review: Jeffrey Combs as Lovecraft [01:11:02] Closing thoughts and where to find KT [01:16:53]   Follow The Cinema Psychos Show for more horror movie reviews, cult classics, B-movie insanity, and deep dives into the weirdest corners of cinema. FOLLOW THE SHOW: 🎧 Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://cinemapsychosshow.com/follow 📺 More movie breakdowns every week — hit subscribe + the bell 📬 Subscribe to our newsletter to vote on upcoming movies: https://the-cinema-psychos-show.kit.com/9e9a267e76

Costa Dillon, co-creator of the cult classic Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, joins The Cinema Psychos Show to discuss the 50-year legacy of the franchise, shooting on 35mm negative film on a shoestring budget, accidentally crashing a real helicopter with actors on board, and releasing the new sequel Organic Intelligence. Check out the new film and the Halloween contest at: https://killertomatoes.com CHAPTERS We crashed a helicopter [00:00] What makes a cult film stick? [00:53] How Attack of the Killer Tomatoes began [01:58] Getting started in filmmaking before digital video [06:51] Why shooting on film made the movie look professional [09:41] Turning a helicopter crash into a scene [12:18] Spoofing sequel culture [15:09] Recognizing the franchise's breakthrough [16:50] Expanding the franchise into a cartoon [18:03] Why the cartoon changed the tomato characters [21:00] How home video rescued the film from obscurity [22:57] Building a professional soundtrack on a tiny budget [24:53] Finding cast and crew who understood the joke [29:34] Returning to the franchise after decades away [32:55] Bringing the franchise back after reclaiming the rights [35:38] How Attack of the Killer Tomatoes became a cult phenomenon [36:21] Honoring the original with practical effects [40:14] The lasting legacy of a movie made with friends [43:57] Why making any movie takes a certain level of lunacy [49:03] Preserving cult films for future audiences [50:51] Where to watch the new film [53:17]   Follow The Cinema Psychos Show for more horror movie reviews, cult classics, B-movie insanity, and deep dives into the weirdest corners of cinema. FOLLOW THE SHOW: 🎧 Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://cinemapsychosshow.com/follow 📺 More movie breakdowns every week — hit subscribe + the bell 📬 Subscribe to our newsletter to vote on upcoming movies: https://the-cinema-psychos-show.kit.com/9e9a267e76

In this exhaustive filmmaker retrospective, The Cinema Psychos dive deep into the dark, beautiful, and terrifying world of Guillermo del Toro. We analyze how the modern master of monsters humanizes traditional creatures, turning them into sympathetic allegories for the 'other' while showing that humanity is often the true villain. From his indie roots with Cronos and studio struggles on Mimic to beloved blockbusters like Blade II and Hellboy, and masterpieces like Pan's Labyrinth and The Shape of Water, we break down his entire career, thematic obsessions, and world-building genius. CHAPTERS: Introduction [00:00] Guillermo del Toro, the modern master of monsters [02:19] Humanizing monsters and making humanity the villain [04:04] The influences behind del Toro's monsters [08:13] Cronos and the tragedy of becoming a vampire [18:13] Mimic and the struggle to make films in Hollywood [22:10] Blade II turns vampires into monstrous comic-book creatures [26:24] Hellboy builds a world around a working-class demon [31:13] Pan's Labyrinth merges fascist horror with dark fantasy [39:39] Hellboy II expands del Toro's fantastical world [43:34] Pacific Rim makes giant robots versus kaiju fun [44:54] Crimson Peak as del Toro's most personal gothic film [52:22] The Shape of Water redefines the monster [58:32] Nightmare Alley turns its protagonist into a monster [01:04:31] Frankenstein brings del Toro's lifelong obsession full circle [01:14:19] Del Toro's legacy as a master of monsters [01:25:05] Follow The Cinema Psychos Show for more horror movie reviews, cult classics, B-movie insanity, and deep dives into the weirdest corners of cinema. FOLLOW THE SHOW: 🎧 Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://cinemapsychosshow.com/follow 📺 More movie breakdowns every week — hit subscribe + the bell 📬 Subscribe to our newsletter to vote on upcoming movies: https://the-cinema-psychos-show.kit.com/9e9a267e76

Brain Damage (1988) might legitimately be one of the greatest anti-drug movies ever made — it just happens to deliver that message through a talking, brain-eating parasite pumping psychedelic blue juice directly into a guy's brain. This week on The Cinema Psychos Show, we're revisiting Frank Henenlotter's wonderfully deranged 1988 cult horror movie Brain Damage. Brian thinks he's found the ultimate escape when a mysterious creature named Aylmer gives him euphoric hallucinations — but there's a catch: Aylmer needs human brains, and Brian quickly discovers just how ugly addiction and withdrawal can get. We dig into the movie's surprisingly effective drug-addiction metaphor, its grimy 1980s New York setting, outrageous practical effects, dark comedy, and the wonderfully polite voice behind Aylmer. We also get into where Brain Damage fits alongside Henenlotter's other cult classics like Basket Case and Frankenhooker. Is this profound social commentary disguised as exploitation horror…or is it simply 84 minutes of glorious B-movie insanity? Either way: drugs are bad, kids. 🎬 In this episode: Why Brain Damage works surprisingly well as an addiction allegory Frank Henenlotter's unique brand of horror, comedy, and sleaze Aylmer, blue juice, withdrawal, and brain eating The movie's practical effects and psychedelic imagery The grimy New York atmosphere that defines Henenlotter's films Some truly unhinged Letterboxd reviews Where newcomers should start with Henenlotter's filmography What's your take on Brain Damage? Is it brilliant cult horror, complete trash, or somehow both? CHAPTERS:  Introduction [00:00] Brain Damage: an 80s cult classic [02:11] A Cinema Wasteland screening turns into chaos [03:36] Frank Henenlotter's bizarre cult-film legacy [07:19] The greatest anti-drug movie ever made? [10:33] Meet Elmer, the brainstem parasite [11:59] New York's grimy streets set the stage [15:31] The blue juice turns Brian into an addict [19:33] Brian's first trip unleashes the gore [23:12] Bath time with a talking brain parasite [28:38] A punk-rock night ends in a brain feast [31:38] Withdrawal gets wonderfully disgusting [38:43] The Aylmer sings through Brian's breakdown [43:00] A public shower becomes the next hunting ground [45:25] Brian's addiction destroys his relationship [47:53] The blue juice reaches its explosive finale [52:48] Why this strange little film works [58:05] Fans weigh in on Elmer's bizarre appeal [01:00:17] Final verdict: embrace the good-bad movie [01:07:45] Where to find the hosts and follow the show [01:10:16] Frankenhooker Review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cinema-psychos-movie-reviews/id1099474123?i=1000385887086 Follow The Cinema Psychos Show for more horror movie reviews, cult classics, B-movie insanity, and deep dives into the weirdest corners of cinema. FOLLOW THE SHOW: 🎧 Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://cinemapsychosshow.com/follow 📺 More movie breakdowns every week — hit subscribe + the bell 📬 Subscribe to our newsletter to vote on upcoming movies: https://the-cinema-psychos-show.kit.com/9e9a267e76

Charlie Kaufman was hired to adapt a nonfiction book about orchids. Instead, he wrote himself into the script — twice — and made one of the strangest, most self-aware movies ever released by a major studio. Brian and John rewatch Adaptation (2002) and break down Nicolas Cage's dual performance as neurotic screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and his fictional twin brother Donald, Meryl Streep's Susan Orlean and her obsession with "The Orchid Thief," and Brian Cox's scene-stealing turn as real-life screenwriting guru Robert McKee. We also get into a genuinely compelling theory: what if Donald doesn't actually exist? 🎬 WHAT WE COVER • How Charlie Kaufman wrote himself into his own screenplay after struggling to adapt Susan Orlean's "The Orchid Thief" • Nicolas Cage's dual performance as neurotic screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and his fictional twin brother, Donald Kaufman • Meryl Streep as journalist Susan Orlean and her spiraling obsession with orchid poacher John Laroche • Brian Cox as real-life screenwriting guru Robert McKee, and the film's commentary on Hollywood formula • A theory that Donald Kaufman may not be a real character at all • Why the film's chaotic, McKee-mocking third act still works as a genuine ending CHAPTERS: 00:00 Introduction 02:12 Why Adaptation feels impossible to cover 04:37 A movie that turns Hollywood inside out 06:42 When adapting a book means adapting yourself 11:12 The artist versus the commercial machine 16:57 Donald Kaufman, Charlie's unleashed alter ego 21:01 The Orchid Thief and Florida's strangest obsession 27:50 Writer's block spirals into stalking 36:51 The moment the real movie finally begins 37:41 An ending engineered for total insanity 43:54 What Donald's disappearance reveals 45:15 Can you love a movie this weird? 49:35 The audience weighs in 50:08 1. Two brothers, one Nicholas Cage 51:20 2. A big brain and an even bigger shrug 52:34 3. Brilliant ideas, frustrating distance 55:40 The glorious chaos of Vampire's Kiss 58:04 Final thoughts on Kaufman's strangest journey 01:01:13 Adaptation as a cinematic palate cleanser FOLLOW THE SHOW: 🎧 Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://cinemapsychosshow.com/follow 📺 More movie breakdowns every week — hit subscribe + the bell 📬 Subscribe to our newsletter to vote on upcoming movies: https://the-cinema-psychos-show.kit.com/9e9a267e76