Movie Oubliette

Film critic and Horror Queers co-host Joe Lipsett joins us to explore the body snatching invasion thriller The Puppet Masters (1994), an adaptation of Robert A. Heinlein's 1951 sci-fi novel starring Donald Sutherland, Eric Thal, Julie Warner, Keith David, Will Patton and Yaphet Kotto. Astonishing practical effects abound as parasitic manta rays from space leap merrily onto the backs of unsuspecting cast members, turning them into mindless drones bent on world domination. Their only giveaway? They have no interest whatsoever in Julie Warner's cleavage. Seriously, this is a plot point. It's gleeful straight-to-video fun from the height of the X-Files era, but does it hold up? Find out! Follow Joe Lipsett on Twitter, read his work on Bloody Disgusting and check out the Horror Queers podcast! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram Support us on Patreon to nominate future films, vote on whether films should be released or thrown back, and access exclusive bonus content!

Writer, actor, comedian and all-round wonderful human being Mary Jo Pehl joins us as we try to untangle the twisted tale of Brian De Palma's Sisters (1972). Starring Margot Kidder (of Superman and The Amityville Horror fame) in the dual roles of demure French Canadian model Danielle and her psychotic, groin-stabby twin Dominique, and Jennifer Salt as the hard-boiled investigative journalist determined to prove the murder she witnessed from her apartment window, Sisters is at once a delirious Hitchcockian fever dream that would define the direction of De Palma's career and dark exposé of the forces ranged against the women's liberation movement. But is it a thrilling thriller or a shrill, tiresome pastiche? Find out! Find out more about Mary Jo Pehl on her website, watch her show at Dumb Industries, buy her book and listen to her pointedly hilarious riffs with Bridget Nelson at Rifftrax! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram Support us on Patreon to nominate future films, vote on whether films should be

Conrad and Dan discover the 1995 sci-fi fantasy drama Powder cowering away in the oubliette basement and drag it whimpering into the sunlight to see if it's the sort of baby you want to immediately disown in the maternity ward, or a misunderstood marvel that's "too beautiful for this world". The tale of a mysterious young man with a whiter-than-white complexion who seems to have supernatural powers, Powder could be a religious allegory or a heartwarming fable. But given that its writer/director is Victor Salva and the narrative keeps having to take a backseat to unjustifiable flashes of male nudity, the film could have a wholly different agenda. It stars Sean Patrick Flanery, Lance Henrikson, Mary Steenburgen and none other than Jeff Goldblum... which is quite a cast... and features a sumptuous score from Jerry Goldsmith. But, crucially, is it any good? And can we separate the art from the artist? Find out! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram Support us on Patreon to nominate future films, vote on wh

Dan and Conrad explore the late George A. Romero's personal favourite and, until now, most elusive film, Martin (1977), courtesy of Second Sight Films, whose stunning 4K remastered edition of the available to order in the UK now. It bears some narrative similarity with Vampire's Kiss (1988), the topic of our previous episode, in that its central character believes they are a vampire... but might not be. But whereas Robert Bierman's film is a meme-worthy black comedy phenomenon with an outrageous central performance from Nicolas Cage set in 80s corporate New York, Romero's film is an understated character study of a troubled young man, played with alluring yet disturbing innocence by John Amplas, set against the post-industrial decay of a small Pennsylvania town in the late 70s. But is this rarely seen and often-overlooked entry in Romero's filmography a hidden gem or a forgettable oddity? Find out!   Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram Support us on Patreon to nominate future films, vote on whether f

Writer, director and actor Lars Henriks returns to help us through another odd 80s film featuring fangs and eccentric performances: Vampire's Kiss (1988). That's right! Long before Nicolas Cage portrayed the most famous vampire of them all in this year's horror comedy Renfield, he played Peter Loew – a yuppie literary agent who becomes convinced he's a bloodsucking creature of the night after a terrifying one-night stand with the alluring Rachel (Jennifer Beals). But is it real, or is he an American psycho who's a dick to his secretary (Mario Conchito Alonso)? And will every single scene of Cage's unhinged performance become an internet meme?! Find out as we delve into the film behind so many memorable gifs to find out if there's black comedy gold to be mined or if it's a $3.99 set of plastic novelty teeth. Follow Lars on Instagram and find out about anti kyno, the new independent local film and children's theater for adults he's opening in Hamburg! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram Support us on P

One of our Patreons nominated Eddie Murphy's notorious 2003 sci-fi action 'comedy' The Adventures of Pluto Nash for this episode, which on paper should have been promising. Its star was coming off a string of family-friendly comedies like The Nutty Professor, Dr. Dolittle and Shrek. Its supporting cast includes Randy Quaid, Rosario Dawson, Joe Pantoliano, Jay Mohr, Pam Grier and John Cleese. It's directed by quirky action/comedy wunderkind Ron Underwood of Tremors fame and has a budget north of $100 million. What could possibly go wrong?! A lot, it turns out. Quite a lot. But despite being the biggest box office flop of all time when it was released, it hasn't emerged as either a reclaimed cult classic or a so-bad-it's-good guilty pleasure... it's been largely forgotten. So, let's take a look at this curio and decide whether we're over the moon with it... or hitting the abort button before it causes collateral damage! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram Support us on Patreon to nominate future films,

A new Dungeons and Dragons movie arrives in theatres this month, so we thought we'd take a look back at the very first attempt to bring the beloved role-playing phenomenon to the screen. As two first-level novices, Dan and Conrad needed an expert Dungeon Master to guide them through this early 2000s CGI-fest, so the sage-like Michael French of RetroBlasting joins them. At least, he does until his Internet took pity and set him free from the spectacle of PlayStation 1 cut-screen establishing shots, Jeremy Irons devouring the scenery and spitting it venomously back out, and evil henchmen in frosty blue lipstick. The fantasy extravaganza directed by first-time helmer Courtney Solomon, featuring Justin Whalin, Marlon Wayans, Thora Birch, Zoe McLellan and Kristen Wilson is a much-maligned box office disaster, but is it a powerful gem just waiting to be rediscovered? Find out! Check out RetroBlasting on YouTube! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram Support us on Patreon to nominate future films, vote on whe

Conrad and Dan are down under again, celebrating the 20th anniversary of The Spierig Brothers first feature film, Undead, a chucklesome zombie-and-alien-visitation action extravaganza made on a shoestring budget with a "she'll be right" attitude. This 50s B-movie made in 2003 has wit and inventiveness galore, a vivacious ensemble cast and a score so cheesy it should come with a lactose-intolerance warning, but, crucially, does it stand the test of time or is it better left buried alongside a triple-double-barrell shotgun? Find out!   Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram Support us on Patreon to nominate future films, vote on whether films should be released or thrown back, and access exclusive bonus content!

Conrad and Dan find themselves in the Arizona wilderness, watching the genre-defying, fast-and-furious road racing, sci-fi fantasy horror revenge thriller The Wraith (1986). It features Charlie Sheen as new boy in town Jake, who just may or may not be the reincarnation of murdered local hero Jamie and may or may not be the alter ego of a mysterious black-clad racing driver who's picking off the members of the gang who killed him while driving his super futuristic concept car. Is anyone following this? No? Neither are we, frankly, but luckily we have Sherilyn Fenn, Randy Quaid, Clint Howard, Nick Cassavetes and a killer 80s soundtrack to distract us!   Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram Support us on Patreon to nominate future films, vote on whether films should be released or thrown back, and access exclusive bonus content!

Dan and Conrad venture into the Forbidden Zone in stunning 80s 3D for this episode, with only a 14-year-old Molly Ringwald as their guide,Peter Strauss as their store-brand Han Solo hero and Ernie Hudson as... I dunno... someone who is also there? It's 80s b-movie sci-fi at its finest, as the world-weary bounty hunter Wolff (with two 'f's) drives across a desert planet to rescue three supermodels from the clutches of the mutant dictator, Overdog, played by Michael Ironside, whose attempts to chew scenery are frustrated by his being strapped to a camera crane throughout the movie. It's an obvious cashgrab aping both Star Wars and Mad Max, but does it deserve to linger in the Oubliette forever? Find out! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram Support us on Patreon to nominate future films, vote on whether films should be released or thrown back, and access exclusive bonus content!

We're back! For our first episode of 2023, we're joined by our good friend Isaac Sutton, who invites us to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Guillermo del Toro's first feature film: the Christmas/New Year steampunk vampire tale, Cronos. As the great man explained, a director's first feature sets out their cinematic universe – and this is never more true than in this case. We have a mute central character, a child and a grandfatherly figure, a mystical insect, and the humans are the real monsters. Oh, and Ron Perlman. You gotta have Ron Perlman! But should it be granted eternal life or should it be locked away in an angelic statue and forgotten by all except GdT aficionados? Find out! Follow Isaac Sutton on Twitter and check out his new Melee Mythos YouTube channel!   Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram Support us on Patreon to nominate future films and access exclusive bonus content

Simon Barber, co-host of the Sodajerker on Songwriting podcast, joins us for our festive finale to 2022: and it's a doozy! The producing team behind the original Superman: The Movie (1978), its first two sequels and the spin-off Supergirl (1984) turned their attention to another origin story for a much-loved supernatural hero in 1985, and brought us Santa Claus: The Movie. Featuring Dudley Moore as a cheery elf determined to modernise the North Pole, David Huddlestone as the titular jolly gift-giver and scenery-munching John Lithgow as the nefarious business tycoon B.Z., the film has everything you could ever want in seasonal family adventure. Highlights include abducting homeless children to take them on flying reindeer joyrides with dangerous manoeuvres near the Twin Towers in Manhattan, John Lithgow screaming "FOR FREE?!!" and turning beetroot red when Dudley Moore attempts to explain the act of giving a gift, and Aled Jones singing on a glorious soundtrack by Henry Mancini. But is it the gift that keeps o

Dan and Conrad venture into the deep dark woods of Ireland and explore Corin Hardy's The Hallow (2015), where British conservationist Adam and his wife Claire come under attack from ancient faerie folk, parasitic fungus and – worst of all – unpleasant monosyllabic locals. It's a love letter to the director's favourite genre icons and delightfully practical in its execution, and was largely overlooked in the folk horror booms of the 2010s. But crucially, is it any good? Find out! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram Support us on Patreon to nominate future films and access exclusive bonus content

Conrad and Dan are exposed to Elvira for the very first time in this Patreon's Choice episode, and watch with delight as the busty horror movie host scandalises the small, conservative town she visits in search of her past... and the money she needs to fund her Vegas debut. Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988) stars Cassandra Peterson as the irrepressible Elvira, E. Morgan Sheppard as her scheming great uncle Vinnie, Daniel Green as the naive town hunk, Bob, and Edie McClurg as the hilariously shrewish Chastity Pariah. It's the kind of comedy they don't make any more, but it that a sad or a good thing? Does Elvira work for a dumbfounded international audience? Find out! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram Support us on Patreon to nominate future films and access exclusive bonus content

Joe Lipsett, film critic and co-host of Horror Queers, joins us on the eve of the millennium for some Strange Days (1995) with Ralph Fiennes, who saunters about in leather trousers, Juliette Lewis, who wears nothing most of the time, Tom Sizemore, who sports a very unfortunate wig, and Angela Bassett who... well, just kicks ass frankly. It's a cyberpunk Blow Out, with Fiennes' burned out ex-cop unwittingly getting hold of evidence of a politically significant murder that could destroy L.A. – if it weren't a burning hellscape already. Featuring the groundbreaking technology of recording human experiences directly from the cerebral cortex onto Sony MiniDiscs, the film is a hard-hitting techno thriller from Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow, based on a story by her ex-husband James Cameron. But does it stand the test of time, or is it a millennium bug we should just patch? Find out!   Follow Joe Lipsett on Twitter, read his columns at Bloody Disgusting and subscribe to Horror Queers now! Because he's awesom

Happy spooky season! Actor and producer Lotta Losten makes a welcome return to the oubliette for our Halloween Special and weaves some Practical Magic on us! This bewitching rom-com, starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as the enchanting Owens sisters, failed to cast a spell on the box office when it was released during this week 24 years ago (!), but has found a special place in the hearts of many viewers since. Should it be given a broomstick and allowed to soar off the roof this Halloween, or should it be banished from the world like a warty toad? Find out! Follow Lotta Losten on Instagram and look out for Shazam! Fury of the Gods next March!   Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram Support us on Patreon to nominate future films and access exclusive bonus content

RetroBlasting's Michael French beams Battle Beyond the Stars (1980) out of the oubliette and forces Conrad and Dan to explore this sci-fi riff on The Seven Samurai (1954) starring Richard Thomas, Robert Vaughn, George Peppard, John Saxon, Sybil Danning and Darlanne Fleugel. It's exploitation entrepreneur Roger Corman's transparent attempt to cash-in on the Star Wars phenomenon, with a naive farm boy blasting into space to find mercenaries who will protect his peace loving, beige-wearing planet from the evil Sador and his planet-killing superweapon. But crucially, is it any good? And what does Michael make of it? Find out! Visit RetroBlasting on YouTube! Follow them on Twitter and Facebook! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram Support us on Patreon to nominate future films and access exclusive bonus content

Actor, filmmaker and theatre director Lars Henriks makes a return visit to the oubliette and plucks out Ken Russell's 1988 adaptation of Bram Stoker's The Lair of the White Worm. And what a sight it is to behold: future timelord, Peter Capaldi, charms a vampire/snake monster by playing the bagpipes in regulation kilt; a pre-Four Weddings Hugh Grant chops a woman in half with a broadsword; and the stunning but bewildering Amanda Donohoe drowns a Boy Scout in her jacuzzi and slinks around in snake-themed fetish wear. But crucially, is it actually any good? Find out! Follow Lars Henriks on TikTok, read his reviews on Letterboxd or look at him on Instagram! And check out his new film Covid Metamorphosen – a Christmas romcom that could easily be published in 'Weird Tales' – available for a limited time on Vimeo! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram Support us on Patreon to nominate future films and access exclusive bonus content

Serge Bodnarchuk of Cold Crash Pictures joins us as we explore a wild time in New York City's history: the 1980s! Back then, real estate moguls and their fur-and-pearls-wearing wives were savaged in Battery Park by an unknown, monstrous assailant. Luckily, Albert Finney, Diane Venora and Gregory Hines are on hand to solve the case and uncover the secret of Wolfen – a non-werewolf movie released in 1981, the year of the werewolf movie, and directed by Woodstock documentarian Michael Wadleigh in what would be his first... and last... feature film. But is it any good, or is it a shaggy dog tale? Find out! Follow Serge on Twitter and check out Cold Crash Pictures on Youtube! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram Support us on Patreon to nominate future films and access exclusive bonus content

Oscar-winning special effects genius Tom Woodruff, Jr joins us and takes us on a whirlwind tour of his first steps into the wonderful world of monster movies via The Thing With Two Heads (1972) – a blaxploitation sci-fi adventure starring Ray Milland as a racist mad scientist hellbent on perfecting his head transplanting technique before he succumbs to a terminal illness, and Rosey Grier as the innocent death row inmate who unwittingly volunteers for his experiments. The result? About three reels of cars chases with Grier gamefully dirt biking with Milland's head sellotaped to his shoulder. The film itself might not be a masterpiece, but it has a surprising number of connections to Tom's career... and many of them involve gorilla suits! Follow Tom on Instagram! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram Support us on Patreon to nominate future films and access exclusive bonus content