Episode 450: Porcile (1969)

Guest Co-Hosts: Jonathan Owen, Ken Stanley

Our appreciation of films from 1969 continues with a look at Pier Paolo Pasolini's Porcile. It's two stories in one -- the first is about a young man (Jean-Pierre Léaud) who doesn’t want to follow in his father’s capitalist footsteps nor in those of a student radical. The second is about a fine young cannibal (Pierre Clémenti) who ravages the countryside.

Ken Stanley and Jonathan Owen join Mike to discuss this oblique film.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 450: Porcile (1969)" on Spreaker.

Links:
Buy Porcile on DVD

Music:
"Piggies" - R.A.M. Pietsch
"March of the Pigs" - Nine Inch Nails
"Pigs in Zen" - Jane's Addiction
"Do The Pig" - Merced Blue Notes
"Piggy in the Middle" - The Rutles

Watch:

Episode 451: Venus in Furs (1969)

Guest Co-Hosts: Samm Deighan, Brad Jones

Taking its title from the notorious book by Leopold von Sacher-Mascoch, Jess Franco's Venus in Furs (1969) stars James Darren as Jimmy Logan, a musician who can blow a cool horn. He finds the corpse of a woman he had seen at a party, the mysterious Wanda (Maria Rohm). When Wanda shows up -- alive and seducing -- shortly thereafter, Jimmy becomes obsessed with her, despite his loving relationship with chanteuse Rita (Barbara McNair).

Brad Jones and Samm Deighan join Mike to discuss Franco's film as well as an alternate cut of the movie along with a few other adaptations of the Sacher-Masoch story.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 451: Venus in Furs (1969)" on Spreaker.

Links:
Buy Venus in Furs on DVD
Buy Venus in Furs by Leopold Von Sacher-Masoch

Music:
"Phantom From The Past" - Manfred Mann
"Venus in Furs" - Velvet Underground
"Venus In Furs (End Credits)" - Manfred Mann

Watch:

Episode 449: Z (1969)

Guest Co-Hosts: Keith Gordon, Eric Cohen

Based on a book by Vasilis Vasilikos, Costa-Gavras’s Z (1969) stars Yves Montand as a political activist who is killed after a rally. The film also stars Jean-Louis Trintignant as the investigator of the incident who manages to uncover a vast conspiracy.

Keith Gordon and Eric Cohen join Mike to discuss this political thriller which is a thinly veiled re-telling of the events in Greece of 1963 and the assassination of Grigoris Lambrakis.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 449: Z (1969)" on Spreaker.

Links:
Buy Z on DVD
Buy the Z soundtrack

Music:
"Psyche Rock" - Pierre Henry

Watch:

Special Report: Brainstorm (1983)

Special Guests: Douglas Trumbull, Louise Fletcher, Bruce Joel Rubin, Philip Frank Messina, Robert Stitzel, Joseph Maddrey
Guest Co-Hosts: Samm Deighan, David Kittredge

For the last episode in our Sci-Fi December series it's a five hour journey into Douglas Trumbull's Brainstorm (1983) which stars Christopher Walken as scientist Michael Brace who has helped in the discovery of a new technology that records the sensations of a person and allows for playback directly into another person's brain.

Co-hosts Samm Deighan and David Kittredge join Mike to discuss the film, the tragic death of Natalie Woods that overshadowed it, and the film's spiritual sequel, Strange Days (1995).

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Special Report: Brainstorm (1983)" on Spreaker.

Discussion 1: 00:02:00 - 01:03:45

Interstitial Music: Original Soundtrack - James Horner

Interview: Douglas Trumbull 01:06:30 - 02:11:44

Interview: Louise Fletcher 02:11:44 - 02:20:10

Interview: Bruce Joel Rubin 02:20:13 - 02:57:57

Interview: Philip Frank Messina 02:58:00 - 03:29:37

Interview: Robert Stitzel 03:29:45 - 03:57:00

Interview: Joseph Maddrey 03:52:02 - 04:31:03

Discussion 2: 04:32:00 - 05:02:23

End Song: "Brainstorm" - Hawkwind

Links:
Order Brainstorm on Blu-Ray
Order Brainstorm by Joseph Maddrey
Read The True Story of the Lost Sci-Fi Movie 'Brainstorm,' Natalie Wood’s Last Film by Ryan D'Agostino and Eleanor Hildebrandt
Visit the official Bruce Joel Rubin website

Watch:

Episode 447: Kin-Dza-Dza (1986)

Guest Co-Hosts: Dan Martin, Jen Handorf

Sci Fi December continues with a look at the 1986 film from Georgiy Daneliya, Kin-Dza-Dza (1986). It’s the story of two men who are transported to the planet Pluke where they have to navigate the barren landscape and strange cultures of the people there.

Jen Handorf and Dan Martin join Mike to unpack the rituals and anthropological implications of Pluke as well as discuss the 2013 animated remake, Ku! Kin-Dza-Dza.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 447: Kin-Dza-Dza (1986)" on Spreaker.

Links:
Buy Kin-Dza-Dza on DVD

Music:
"Main Theme" - Giya Kancheli

Watch:

Guest Spot: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

For my final guest appearance of 2019, Chris Stachiw asked me to be a part of his discussion of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. See if you can pinpoint the moment I lost my mind.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker" on Spreaker.

Watch:

Guest Spots: Lynch, New Releases, '90s Oddities

Chris Stachiw continues to ask me onto The Kulturecast as a co-host on a monthly (or more) basis. Here are some of my recent appearances for your listening pleasure!

Dune

Listen to "Dune (1984)" on Spreaker.

The Elephant Man

Listen to "The Elephant Man" on Spreaker.

Inland Empire

Listen to "300th Episode / Inland Empire" on Spreaker.

Dr. Sleep

Listen to "Doctor Sleep" on Spreaker.

What Lies Beneath

Listen to "What Lies Beneath" on Spreaker.

Joker

Listen to "Joker" on Spreaker.

Big Girls Don't Cry... They Get Even

Listen to "Big Girls Don't Cry... They Get Even" on Spreaker.

Holy Matrimony

Listen to "Holy Matrimony" on Spreaker.

2019 Year End Wrap-Up

It's time for our annual wrap-up of the year. The highlights, lowlight and a music mix to hopefully help you spend your time if you happen to be dashing to Grandmother's house through the ice and snow.

Most Downloaded Episodes:

1. Episode 415: The Mad Max Series
2. Episode 397: Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
3. Episode 418: Total Recall (1990)
4. Special Report: The Fly (1986)
5. Episode 394: Psycho (1960)*
6. Episode 406: Body Double (1984)
7. Episode 410: Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
8. Episode 423: Annihilation (2018)
9. Episode 419: Minority Report (2002)
10. Episode 393: Roommates (1981)*

*Released in 2018 but too close to the end of the year for proper ranking.

Least Downloaded Episodes:

1. Episode 441: The Reckless Moment (1949)
2. Episode 434: Shop on Main Street (1965)
3. Special Report: Another State of Mind (1984)
4. Episode 444: The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)
5. Special Report: Die Laughing (1980)
6. Episode 439: Dead Heat (1988)
7. Episode 440: The Big Combo (1955)
8. Special Report: Messiah of Evil (1973)
9. Episode 443: Double Indemnity (1944)
10. Episode 436: Fade to Black (1980)
11. Episode 437: Wolfen (1981)

Bonus Interviews 2019:

• Stewart Buck on Uncovering Wolfen
• Overwhelm the Sky
• Candice
• D. Harlan Wilson on J.G. Ballard
• Jeffrey Combs on Nevermore
• The Power of Grayskull
• McBeardo's Teen Movie Hell
• Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché
• The Age of Disenchantments
• A Woman's Work - The NFL's Cheerleader Problem (2019)
• Always in Season (2019)
• Producer James D. Stern
• Moseby Confidential
• Three Days with Dad (2019)
• Yannick Bisson on Hellmington

Special Reports 2019:

• Another State of Mind (1984)
• Die Laughing (1980)
• Messiah of Evil (1973)
• The Fly (1986)
• A Blonde in Love (1966)
• Taking Tiger Mountain Revistied
• Solo: A Star Wars Story
• More American Graffiti
• Other Side of the Wind Redux

Music Mix:

Collecting some songs that were used in episodes or inspired by the movies being discussed, enjoy this eclectic mix of music.

Listen to "2019 Year End Music Mix" on Spreaker.

2019 Music Mix Track Listing

Title	Artist	Episode
Big Trouble in Little China	The Coupe de Villes	Big Trouble in Little China
Trouble In Paradise	The Crests	Trouble in Paradise
To Be Or Not To Be (The Hitler Rap)	Mel Brooks	To Be or Not To Be
Bring Me Edelweiss	Edelweiss	It Happened Here
Hava Nagila	Dick Dale & His Del-Tones	Plump Fiction
Cheese And Onions	The Rutles	The Rutles: All You Need is Cash
Just An Illusion	Imagination	F/X
Rollin' With Kid 'N Play	Kid 'n Play	House Party
Ain't My Type Of Hype	Full Force	House Party
Skate Dancer	Vinzerelli	Get Rollin'
Trouble Man	Marvin Gaye	Trouble Man
Superfly	Curtis Mayfield	SuperFly
Relax	Frankie Goes To Hollywood	Body Double
Human Fly	The Cramps	The Fly
Genius From The Waist Down	The Lovemasters	Me & Him
Scentless Apprentice	Nirvana	Perfume: The Story of a Murder
Hey Man Nice Shot	Filter	Heaven
Power House	Spike Jones	Who Framed Roger Rabbit
B Gas Rickshaw	Jan & Dean	American Tiger
High Moon	Star One	Outland
Sky High	Jigsaw	Kulturecast Ozploitation Month
A Man and A Train	Marty Robbins	Emperor of the North Pole
Minority Report	Los Straitjackets	Minority Report
Chick Habit	April March	But I'm a Cheerleader
Helplessly Hoping	Crosby Stills & Nash	Annihilation
I Am Legend	White Zombie	The Omega Man
Han Solo	MC Chris	Solo: A Star Wars Story
See You In September	The Tempos	The End of August at the Ozone Hotel
96 Tears	? and the Mysterians	More American Graffiti
Laugh, Laugh	Beau Brummels	The Joke
The Dead Don't Die	Sturgill Simpson	World War Z
The Killing Moon	Echo & The Bunnymen	Wolfen
Flying Dreams	Jerry Goldsmith & Paul Williams	The Secret of NIMH
All I Want Is Love	Robbie Benson	Die Laughing
Tryin' To Kill A Saturday Night	Keane	McBeardo's Teenage Movie Hell
You're So Strange	The Zippers	Fade to Black
No One Lives Forever	Oingo Boingo	Dead Heat
Another State of Mind	Green Day	Another State of Mind
The Robots	Kraftwerk	Creation of the Humanoids
Blue Bayou	Roy Orbison	The Man Who Fell to Earth
Total Recall End Theme	Basil Poledouris	Total Recall
Belladonna	Masahiko Satoh	Belladonna of Sadness
Daughters Of Darkness Opening	François de Roubaix	Daughters of Darkness
Jesus Christ Superstar	Terry Wallace	The Passover Plot
In The Hall Of The Mountain King	Electric Light Orchestra	M
Main Title and Colwyn's Arrival	James Horner	Krull
Road Warrior End Title	Brian May	The Mad Max Series
Solaris	Photek	Solaris
The Shop on Main Street	Prague Symphony Orchestra, Libor Pešek	The Shop of Main Street
Prelude (film version)/First Scene	Miklos Rozsa	Double Indemnity
Theme From The Conversation	David Shire	The Conversation
Main Theme From Kin-Dza-Dza	Andrei Pushkarev	Kin Dza-Dza
Rosemary's Baby Vs Drunken Butterfly	Gamma Ray	Rosemary's Baby