Episode 379: Gattaca (1997)

Special Guest: Xander Berkeley
Guest Co-Hosts: Chris Cummins, Skizz Cyzyk

Written and directed by Andrew Niccol, Gattaca (1997) stars Ethan Hawke as Jerome Morrow...or is he? He’s actually Vincent Freeman, a naturally occurring person in a world where people can be genetically engineered... for a price. This creates a new elite class where genes determine privilege. Vincent impersonates Jerome through a rather elaborate scheme in order to fulfill his dream of leaving this planet and becoming an astronaut.

Chris Cummins and Skizz Cyzyk join Mike to discuss the film while interviewee Xander Berkeley talks about his role in Gattaca as Dr. Lamar as well as his work in Mommy Dearest, Leaving Las Vegas, Safe, Barb Wire, and more.

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Listen to "Episode 378: Gattaca (1997)" on Spreaker.

Links:
Read Extrapolating Race in GATTACA: Genetic Passing, Identity, and the Science of Race by David Kirby
Read Passing Me By: African American Women and 'Passing' As a Film Genre by Matt Mazur

Music:
"The Morrow" - Michael Nyman
"Don't Bother Me / Gene Machine" - Bad Brains

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Episode 320: eXistenZ (1999)

Special Guest: Ernest Mathijs
Guest Co-Hosts: Jessica Kramer, Dustin Kramer

eXistenZ, the 1999 film from writer/director David Cronenberg stars Jennifer Jason Leigh as Allegra Geller, a game designer who has been marked for death by a faction known as the “Realists”. After an assassination attempt she escapes with her ineffectual bodyguard, a PR nerd named Ted Pikull played by Jude Law. The pair eventually test out Allegra’s new game, eXistenZ, in order to make sure her biomass game pod is still functional. From there the film traverses many layers of game play, making viewers question what’s real and what’s part of play.

Dustin & Jessica Kramer of the Popcorn Poops podcast join Mike to discuss existentialism, Sigmund Freud, Philip K. Dick, The Matrix, and more.

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Links:
Buy eXistenZ on DVD
Buy the eXistenZ novelization by "John Luther Novak" (AKA Christopher Priest)
Buy the eXistenZ soundtrack by Howard Shore
Buy The Cinema of David Cronenberg: From Baron of Blood to Cultural Hero Buy The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldrich by Philip K. Dick
Buy The Days of Perky Pat by Philip K. Dick
Listen to The Thirteenth Floor episode
Listen to the Blade Runner episode
Listen to the Popcorn Poops podcast

Music:
"TranscendenZ By Pilgrlmage" - Howard Shore
"Freedom of Choice" - DEVO

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