Retro Grade Podcast
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“YOU BETTER HOLD ON TIGHT SPIDER MONKEY.“ On this Valentine’s Day, we decided to cover a romance movie that captured the attention of an entire generation of girls, contributed to the YA adaptation craze, and gave us vampire baseball. Today, we are talking about 2008’s Twilight, directed by Catherine Hardwicke, starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. When the film franchise was making its rounds at the box office, we remember that this was a thing that was very popular for adolescent boys to hate on. Austin hasn’t even seen the film, despite being a fan of vampire films as we talked about on the Horror Movie Genre Tier List episode on our Patreon. We talk about how our tastes have evolved and why we might be more open to this film, despite not being in its target audience. Will we still find something to enjoy about it, or will we struggle to say nice things? Just in case, we will have a Twilight fan, Elle Parker as a guest to let us know what makes the film so special to her https://www.instagram.com/ellevegas/. We talk about the films commitment to the moody, blue aesthetic. How Hardwicke opted to shoot on location in the Pacific Northwest to capture the rain and the greenery. We talk about how significant her absence was in the following films, and give her praise for her craftsmanship and dedication to translating the essence of Stephanie Meyer’s novel into a film. We also talk about the reasons she may not have been invited https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/10/catherine-hardwicke-twilight-ten-years-later back to direct the sequels. We talk about the way the camera moves, the on point musical cues and soundtrack, the attention to mise en scene, the comedy, the practical effects and the relentless commitment to telling the story of a boy and girl who feel so tortured despite having pretty great lives. Seriously, even the step dad has a good relationship with Bella. Regardless of how you feel about Twilight, there is a reason why it had such an hold on its fans. After watching the film and talking about it, it was very easy and fun to find out why! We hope you enjoy this episode! Music is from Triune Digital https://www.triunedigital.com/and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes. Artwork by @jannelle_o https://linktr.ee/jannelle_o
“KEEP THE CHANGE, YA FILTHY ANIMAL.“ On this episode, we are going to be talking about one of the most popular and beloved Christmas films of all time. We will be talking about 1990’s Home Alone, directed by Chris Columbus, starring Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, and Catherine O’Hara. It is the first movie we have covered that was written by John Hughes, the second Chris Columbus movie, and believe it or not, the third movie we have covered to feature one of the Culkin brothers. When someone mentions “Home Alone,” the first thing we think about is obviously Kevin McCallister (played by Macaulay Culkin) laying traps for a pair of burglars to fall for, and experience head trauma that would kill a normal person, only to get up to fall down more stairs. However, upon reviewing we discover that there was actually a lot more to the movie than over-the-top comedic violence, but a story of a young child’s growing resentment for his family and learning to take care of himself. It’s success in telling that story is up for debate between your hosts, but we both still enjoy the film, buy maybe one of us didn’t like it as much as he used to. We talk about how successfully (maybe too successfully) the film gets us to hate the McCallister family along with Kevin. We talk about the strengths of the films inclusion of the mysterious scary neighbor who isn’t all that scary, admire the use of the fake noir film ‘Angels with Filthy Souls,’ and discuss the great charisma of Macaulay Culkins performance, and also how good Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern are at playing dumb. Can you believe there are 6 films in this franchise? Why did they make so many, and why is it that the first film was the only film with a relatively positive reception from both critics and audiences? Why did Roger Ebert prefer Home Alone 3? Why did Macaulay Culkin stop away from acting a few years after Home Alone’s historic theatrical run? What’s he up to now? We get into all of that! We hope you enjoy this episode! Music is from Triune Digital https://www.triunedigital.com/and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes. Artwork by @jannelle_o https://linktr.ee/jannelle_o
“UNTIL THE BREAK OF DAWN..” On this Halloween, we decided to cover one of the first horror films ever made. We cover the famous, German Expressionist film, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, directed by Robert Wiene from 1920. If you would like to watch the film before listening to us, the film is available for free on various sites, but we recommend watching the one that has fancy intertitles for the text and a blue tint in the beginning like this version https://youtu.be/IP0KB2XC29o?si=PtDtMKECtVO78jUy here. The film is a “silent film“ so there is no spoken dialogue which we understand maybe might be a little intimidating for some audiences. However, we encourage you to give it a try so we can go on this adventure together. What does a horror film that is over 100 years old look like? How dated is it really? (Spoilers: It actually isn’t) What is Expressionism? To put it simply, it is the artistic depiction of an emotional experience, rather than a realistic one. The set design of Caligari doesn’t resemble our own world, but a world that suits the content of the narrative. Caligari seeks to tell an emotional truth, how the characters feel living in this world, than present the world as it is. We talk about why we think this choice works and the film is rightly described as a classic, but also hope that if the film is ever remade, that this Expressionist theme isn’t lost in the translation to modern filmmaking sensibilities. The film’s strong style in its set design influenced the choices made for the actors, the costumes and even the previously mentioned intertitles. Some of the techniques used to generate audience anxiety in this film can be seen in films today such as Alien, It Follows, and even The Babadook! We talk about how the film was made, and how not everyone agrees on how that went down. The film has a “frame story.” For this film, that means the bulk of the film takes place within a story told by one of the characters. The writers of the film were allegedly very upset about this, and stay they knew nothing about it, but 70 years later when the only surviving script was made available for public viewing, we find out that wasn’t 100% true. The writers talk about being on set, but the set designers say they were never there, there are conflicting reports on who actually was the producer for the film, etc etc. The narrative of the production of the film is almost as unreliable as the film’s narrator! We also talk about the history of when this film came out. The world was different, and the expectations of what the experience of “going to the movies” was also very different. A close up on a giant screen hit different for those audiences, an authority figure taking advantage of ordinary citizens meant something different for a Germany that just got out on the losing side of a World War. Despite being 100 years removed from the intended audience, we believe the film can still resonate with a modern audience. We hope you enjoy this episode! Music is from Triune Digital https://www.triunedigital.com/and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes. Artwork by @jannelle_o https://linktr.ee/jannelle_o
“LEAVE ME ALONE!” Due to recent events in the film industry, Retro Grade Podcast decided to take a different approach to the movies we will cover on the podcast until the strikes are over in support of the unions. We will be covering films that are not under the companies being struck, starting with one of the greatest anime films of all time: Akira, directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, from 1988. We talk about how this very strange, at times confusing, violent and beautiful film fits in the conversation of nuclear power in the minds of film goers today with Oppenheimer’s success at the summer box office. While Nolan’s film tells the story from the perspective of the man that invented the bomb, what about the perspective of the people that survived it? Through the cyberpunk, alternative future of a post-WW3 Neo-Tokyo, perhaps Otomo offers that through Akira. This is the third animated film we’ve talked about on the podcast, and the second anime film after our Totoro episode https://www.retrogradepod.com/episodes/068-my-neighbor-totoro-1988. Fun fact, Totoro also came out the same year Akira did! We talk about how this film uses extreme detail, slow motion, violence, sound, and silence to give us a unique, enthralling experience. Starting with a high octane motorcycle chase, and ending with one of the most disturbing images we’ve seen since our Hellraiser episode https://www.retrogradepod.com/episodes/061-hellraiser-1987. We talk about what makes Kaneda a different kind of protagonist. One that might not fit the hero archetype laid out by Joseph Cambell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero%27s_journey#Summary. We talk about the ensemble cast of characters whose individual actions (and even their names) are unknown to each other, despite them having so much screen time. Does Akira even have a main character? We don’t really agree on this one, but maybe the underlying issue is part of Akira’s DNA. What is Akira’s DNA? Well, the film that was released in 1988, was based on the manga, (also created by Katsuhiro Otomo) that started in 1982 and ended in 1990. Yes, you read that right, the film came out while the manga was still in production. Although the film is a compromised version of the manga, Otomo was the one in charge of both. He chose what to change for the film, and in that process, likely changed how the manga would then end. We give a few examples on what the differences are, and maybe that might help us all understand what the film was trying to say. Interpretation of film is a fun, and enriching exercise that we love here on Retro Grade Podcast. Given the setting of a post-war Japanese government rebuilding a city that has been destroyed by an atomic force, a militaristic police force violently suppresses protesters https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968%E2%80%931969_Japanese_university_protests while Bosozoku https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/bosozoku-japanese-gangs-fashion/gangs of disgruntled teenagers battle on motorcycles.. It’s safe to say this film is sort of about the reconstruction era of Japan post World War 2. However, there may be other things going on, and only looking at it through the lens of ‘post war trauma,’ might be selling Akira short. We go through some think pieces on what Akira was about, and then provide our own analysis of what it means to us! Music is from Triune Digital https://www.triunedigital.com/and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes. Artwork by @jannelle_o https://linktr.ee/jannelle_o
“YOU CAME HERE PREPARED TO FIGHT A MAD MAN, AND INSTEAD YOU FOUND A GOD?“ On this episode of Retro Grade Podcast, we talk about an adaptation to one of the most beloved video game series of all time. One of Hollywood’s earliest attempts at adapting a video game movie, and the first financially successful one. We are talking about 1994’s Street Fighter, directed by Stephen E. de Souza, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Raul Julia, Ming-Na Wen, and Kylie Minogue. We talk about our history with Street Fighter. Austin has been a fan of Street Fighter and fighting games in general for a while, and has been playing the newest Street Fighter 6 any chance he gets. Jorge knows Street Fighter is a fighting game with a character called Cammy, and that’s about it. Will our different backgrounds with the existing franchise change how we see the film? Does the film’s departure from the source material annoy Austin? Do the references to the video game feel lost on Jorge? Although the film was a financial success for Capcom, the critics of 1994 hated the film. In fact, this film has the lowest Rotten Tomato score from all of the films we have covered up to this point. We talk about the film’s shortcomings but also talk about some of the things that make this film endearing almost 30 years after its theatrical release. We talk about the late Raul Julia’s final film role as the villain M. Bison, arguably one of the best video game character performances of all time. We go over some of the cheesy one-liners from Jean-Claude that range from “bad,” to “so bad it’s good,” and even to genuinely hilarious. And the overall campy feel to the film that makes it an enjoyable experience with the right perspective. However, Street Fighter is far from a perfect film. In fact, it might not even be a very good film at all. Despite the fact that we like parts of it, there’s a lot of stuff that doesn’t work. We talk about the lackluster fight scenes, the nonsensical plot, the bloated roster of characters, and uneven performances. We also talk about the reason why the film may not have been the best it could have been. It feels unfair to blame every bad movie on the director, the lead actors, or even the screenwriter. Sometimes, movies are set up to fail from the very beginning, because the non-creative people funding the film have ultimate creative control. We also have a fun section of the episode where Austin quizzes Jorge on Street Fighter trivia. Given that the only thing Jorge knows about the world of Street Fighter is the 1994 live-action film, how many of these multiple choice questions do you think he will get right? How many did you answer correctly? We hope you enjoy this episode! Music is from Triune Digital https://www.triunedigital.com/and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes. Artwork by @jannelle_o https://linktr.ee/jannelle_o
“THEY ARE THE BAD GUYS, WE ARE THE GOOD GUYS. UNDERSTAND?“ On this week’s episode of Retro Grade Podcast, we talk about a film from a genre we have never covered before. We talk about the 1983 Hong Kong Wuxia classic directed by Hong Kong New Wave filmmaker Tsui Hark, starring Yuen Biao, Adam Cheng, Corey Yuen, Brigitte Lin, Moon Lee, Damian Lau, Mang Hoi, and Sammo Hung. We begin by talking about the story, breaking it down by what we thought of the characters, comedy, the philosophy depicted by the use of the Dual Swords, and whether there can be a connection between the story on screen with the real-life history of Hong Kong under rule of differing governments and how the film can be interpreted as a call for unity. We talk about the depiction of the elders and masters in the film, and how their inability to enact real change has thrown the world into conflict that the new generation must find a resolution for. From there we get into the technical side of the film, from it’s impressive use of wire work during the fight scenes, to the in-camera techniques that were used to achieve the amazing choreography, to the film’s very dated visual effects (though ambitious may not have aged as well.) But the film’s editing becomes a larger focus in the episode, breaking down how the fast-paced editing helps the film, but also might be hindering it when compared to other wuxia films. Lastly, we go into the multiple versions that exist of the film, calling into question whether Tsui Hark ever got the version of the film he wanted. We breakdown the elements that go into a wuxia film, and how well follows it, and go briefly go into the history of the Hong Kong New Wave cinema, and how was a huge success for the movement but also a source of inspiration for future filmmakers. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this special episode of Retro Grade Podcast! Music is from Triune Digital https://www.triunedigital.com/and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes. Artwork by @jannelle_o https://linktr.ee/jannelle_o
On this special episode, we give a FREE preview of all the fun we have over at on the Retro Grade Podcast Patreon https://www.patreon.com/retrogradepod! We have our Modern Grade series where we review newer movies, our This Month In Movies series where we talk about current events in the industry, our Tier List Special where we make up tier lists for movie topics, and finally our Sequel Speed Pitch which is a little bit more complicated to explain. We have covered a little over 70 movies over the years of doing Retro Grade Podcast. We started this show because we love movies but ultimately, someday we wish to make some ourselves. So we put our writing skills to the test, and both Austin and Jorge come up with their own sequels to a movie they have covered. One pitch from each of us, two pitches total. The catch is, we don’t know what movie we are doing until its time to record, and only get 45 minutes to write a pitch to that sequel. We must also follow four rules: 1) Each host must include the quote we picked for the movie when we covered it. 2) Decide whether or not this is going to be a sequel, or some kind of remake/reboot of the original film. 3) Include a previous actor from the film to be included in our sequel (can be just a cameo.) 4) If a sequel already exists, the host cannot just plagiarize the existing sequel. 5) We must mention the song that will inevitably be featured as a down tempo cover in our film’s trailer. We spun the wheel and got Sam Raimi’s, Spider-Man (2002.) Later this month, we will be recording another Sequel Speed pitch JUST for our patrons. If you like this episode, let us know, and perhaps consider signing up for our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/retrogradepodwhere we do all kinda of fun stuff like this! We hope you enjoy! Music is from Triune Digital https://www.triunedigital.com/and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes. Artwork by @jannelle_o https://linktr.ee/jannelle_o
“IN SHORT THERE’S SIMPLY NOT, A MORE CONGENIAL SPOT.“ On this episode, we return to the 1960’s to catch the beginning of the end of the big budget musical era. We watch the film adaptation of the Broadway musical, Camelot, starring Richard Harris, Vanessa Redgrave, Franco Nero, and David Hemmings. Although this was the 10th highest grossing movie of the year, neither Austin or Jorge have ever heard about it, and had a listener not requested it for their birthday, we may have never seen this 3 hour long musical of the Arthurian legend. Why was this film not a huge success despite the musical being so popular? Why did this drive Jack Warner of Warner Brothers, out of the company he worked hard to swindle from his surviving brothers? Will this break the streak of being the first musical Jorge doesn’t like? Sometimes describing a film as “interesting,” can be interpreted as a nice way of saying “I don’t like it.“ However, in the case of Camelot, interesting is actually a very fitting description of the film. Even though it has its flaws, it is very entertaining to watch. It has a G rating, but it is one of the most sexually charged G ratings we have ever seen. Despite this film winning some Academy Awards, it was not very well received critically, possibly due to the aforementioned flaws, but perhaps also due to its content vastly differing from the rest of the films of this era. Perhaps one of the most interesting things about the film, is what part of the King Arthur story it chooses to focus on: his wife and his best friend falling in love. We have different opinions on the quality of the music in this film, but the one thing we do agree on is how it deals with the love triangle trope. Sometimes we like to have sides to root for in the triangle, we want to see our character(s) make the correct choice and celebrate with them. Sometimes you need one or two sides of the triangle to hate, or at least sit back and watch them hate each other. Camelot takes the path less traveled, and presents the love triangle where there is no villain. Only three sides getting hurt, and feeling bad for hurting each other. We talk about the shortcomings and personal gripes with the film. This is a three hour film with a pacing problem, some of the songs don’t hit as hard as songs from previous musicals we’ve covered, and there is a question of what the film meant to say in the first place. Musicals can afford to be very direct and throw subtlety out the window, but something about the riddles the mysterious Merlin leaves Arthur leave us thinking about what we just saw, and what we were supposed to make of it. It’s not a bad thing to think about a film’s message was, but this is also the same genre of film where we get direct insight on a characters internal thought process, so why be coy about the take away? Regardless, this was an incredibly fun film to watch and talk about, and a piece of cinema history. They literally don’t make them like this anymore. Music is from Triune Digital https://www.triunedigital.com/and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes. Artwork by @jannelle_o https://linktr.ee/jannelle_o
“IT WON’T LET US LEAVE!“ On this week’s episode, we go back to another horror classic from the 1980s independent scene: ! Directed by Sam Raimi, starring Bruce Campell, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManicor, Betsy Baker, and Theresa Tilly. Already having spoken about Sam Raimi in our episode, we were excited to re-watch the film that made him famous on the 40th anniversary of the film’s wide theatrical release. Originally being released in 1981, with a different title, the film has since grown to be an iconic horror franchise with multiple sequels, reboots, and a tv series on Starz. With both of us having already seen the film and being big fans of it and of Raimi, we were eager to re-visit the film and see how well the film has held up since it’s original release. In the episode, we talk about the our thoughts on the story, and how while the film doesn’t do much too innovate or subvert the horror genre, it manages to not only be considered the definitive “cabin in the woods” film, but also influence future generations if filmmakers, from Eli Roth to Edgar Wright, to even some big time Hollywood directors like Francis Ford Coppola. We break down how some elements that were present in previous horror films, like the point of view shots from the killer’s perspective, to the blood and gore, to characterization of the villains, and how managed to add it’s own spin on them. In that process, it created something that feels completely unique and recognizable. We talk about the production of the film, and what a nightmare it was for the cast and crew. Dealing with one of the coldest Tennessee winters on record (at the time,) to uncomfortable makeup and prosthetics including glass contacts, and to the multiple injuries incurred on set, we look into all of the setbacks the production went through to finish the film. And lastly, we go into the reception of the film once released, from the cast and crew, horror fans, but also governments officials reactions to the film. The film got a lot of pushback from governments across the globe, including the United Kingdom, which classified the film as a “video nasty.” We go into that specific term and what it meant for many films that were considered too much for the general public. So sit back and enjoy this new episode of Retro Grade Podcast! Music is from Triune Digital https://www.triunedigital.com/and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes. Artwork by @jannelle_o https://linktr.ee/jannelle_o
“HERE’S LOOKING AT YOU, KID.” On this episode of Retro Grade Podcast, we talk about one of the “greatest films of all time,” 1942’s Casablanca, directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Claude Rains. What makes this film so good? Is it still that good 80 years later? Is this movie just for movie nerds, or does this film still resonate with audiences today? Since we both have a background of studying film in college, we are both familiar with Casablanca, both having sought it out after hearing it was one of the “best movies ever made.” Although it was in black and white, 4:3 aspect ratio, and filled to the brim with cheesy 1940’s dialogue, of all the films typically regarded as the best, Casablanca remains incredibly relatable and accessible to this day! We talk about the legendary performances of Bogart and Bergman. Bogart, adding an emotional layer to an otherwise tough guy, no-nonsense actor and Bergman making us feel for a character that may have not had the most depth on the script. However, the script itself wasn’t too shabby either. There is something very charming about hearing characters speak in Classic Hollywood, where even (mostly) antagonistic characters like Claude Rains’ Captain Renault, add a delightful presence that makes you forget he’s playing a terrible person. We take you back to the era of self-censored Hollywood, governed by the Production Code. How films were only allowed to portray marriage positively, crime always had to pay, and people of other nations were to be portrayed “fairly.’ The latter may not sound like a bad thing, but it doesn’t look so good when it also applies to Nazi’s. We talk about why a film with a love triangle with Nazi villains was so significant, and how the code was used to determine not only the content of films, but also the films that were even allowed to be made. This is a good one, and we learned a lot of cool stuff about film history. If that sounds boring to you, we promise you, after 72 episodes we made this FUN! Music is from Triune Digital https://www.triunedigital.com/and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes. Artwork by @jannelle_o https://linktr.ee/jannelle_o
Continuing from out last episode, we go in the Behind the Scenes and making of for the 1996 classic, Scream, directed by Wes Craven. In the first part, we discussed our history with the film, how we familiar with the franchise and upon rewatching the film, how we felt about it now. We went over the writing, characters, structure, and reception of the film. Now, we go over the actual process of making of the film, beginning with the writing process and inspirations for the films. We cover why Wes was initially reluctant to come back and direct another horror film, and what made him change his mind. We breakdown the decision and process in making the film’s first scene, with Drew Barrymore facing off against Ghostface and how the conclusion came about. We go into the casting of the main characters, from Neve Campbell to Rose McGowan, to supporting players like Jamie Kennedy and Matthew Lillard, and why they are each were an incredible addition to the cast. We talk about various aspects of production leading into the editing of the film, and how for a while the film was at risk of receiving the notorious NC-17 rating, and how one of the executives stopped that from happening. Lastly, we talk about some of the controversies the film faced, from local school boards shutting down the productions request to film at their campus, to copycat killers that went on to cause serious harm to people after the film’s release. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the conclusion of our retrospect of Scream. Music is from Triune Digital https://www.triunedigital.com/and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes. Artwork by @jannelle_o https://linktr.ee/jannelle_o
“DO YOU LIKE SCARY MOVIES?“ On this week’s episode, we talk about the 1996 horror classic, Scream. Directed by the legendary Wes Craven, starring Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Skeet Ulrich, Drew Barrymore, Rose McGowan, Jamie Kennedy, and last but definitely not least, Matthew Lillard. In this first part, we get into our history with the film, and how even though Jorge hasn’t seen the film, he’s familiar with it enough simply because of how popular the franchise is. Once we come back from watching the film, we get into our initial thoughts about, and break down some of the biggest story beats, starting with the amazing introduction with Drew Barrymore and the film’s amazing climax. We go into the cast, how they were all perfectly assembled and how each actor dons their respective character archetypes very well, from Neve Campbell being the virgin/final girl, Jamie Kennedy being the obsessive movie buff, to Matthew Lillard being the wild-card joker. We get into the film’s subversion of the horror genre, and how in a time when mainstream Hollywood films was not embracing meta storylines, letting audiences know that the film was one step ahead of them and that their best guesses wouldn’t cut it for this film. We also talk about the use of music which Austin argues is very underrated, we talk about the overall structure of the film, the references to other horror films, and we hint at what the production of this film was like, getting more in detail in the second part. But for now, sit back, relax and enjoy part one of out deep dive into the horror classic, Scream! (P.S. Can’t believe I called Monica Geller, Monica Beller. My bad) Music is from Triune Digital https://www.triunedigital.com/and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes. Artwork by @jannelle_o https://linktr.ee/jannelle_o
“YOU THERE, OGRE!“ On this episode, we cover the first film to ever take home the Best Animated Picture at the Oscars. We talk about the first film in the Dreamworks tent-pole franchise, Shrek, directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, starring Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and John Lithgow. What was it about Shrek that permeated throughout pop culture for over twenty years since its original release? Was it the fact that it was book-ended by two catchy Smash Mouth tracks? Because it lampooned all of the Disney films we grew up with and came out during the years where we wanted more edgy comedy? Or maybe because it provided the perfect meme template rivaled only by SpongeBob? Perhaps it’s a combination of everything above. We talk about how the comedy in this film still works to this day. So much of the comedy comes from making fun of fairy tales made popular by Disney, and potentially making fun of people working at Disney https://whatculture.com/film/8-fictional-movie-villains-inspired-by-real-people?page=3, but some of the comedy is on a layer aimed for the adults in the audience. Watching the film 20 years later gives us a whole new level of jokes to notice that we might have missed as kids. We talk about how the comedy of the film doesn’t completely bury the story. While often times our entertainment media might indulge in meta humor, it might come at the expense of the sincerity of the story. Shrek is a little different. While a huge part of the movie is all the jokes made about the fairy tale genre, the film doesn’t forget about what it’s trying to say about it’s underdog characters. We talk about the legacy of Shrek. While it was great box office success in 2001, spawned two movie franchises, it also meant a lot of different things to a lot of different people. The song All-Star became a hit (again) and inspired some creative people to create mashups https://www.reddit.com/r/smashups/ and remixes. We talk about how the love story in the film has since become a source of inspiration for real life weddings. We also take a look at some fan fiction that ranges from bizarrely sincere and sweet, to criminally obscene. If you have never heard the phrase “Shrek is love, Shrek is life,” don’t look it up unless you want to revisit peak “no holds barred“ message board ‘humor.’ Seriously.. its gross. Joining us on this episode is Brittnie https://www.tiktok.com/@herecomethegrannies who chose to talk about Shrek. We love talking to people about their favorite movies, and we were very curious as to what she had to say! We hope you enjoy this episode, and keep a lookout for our upcoming PATREON launch! Music is from Triune Digital https://www.triunedigital.com/and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes. Artwork by @jannelle_o https://linktr.ee/jannelle_o
“LET THE DREAM BEGIN, LET YOUR DARKER SIDE GIVE IN“ On this Valentine’s Day, we decided to cover a romantic film for Retro Grade Podcast. Upon a listener’s birthday request, we are going back to 2004’s critically panned, audience adored, movie adaptation of the longest running show in Broadway history.. The Phantom of the Opera, starring Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum, and Patrick Wilson, directed by the late Joel Schumacher. We talk about Joel Schumacher’s reputation as a film director, and how he’s made some nostalgic, cult classics, but also a lot of movies people LOVE to hate. Perhaps one of the first directors to feel the unenviable vitriol of comic book fans after 1997’s Batman and Robin. We talk about how from the right perspective, we can find immense entertainment value in his gaudy, camp style. What does he bring to the table in adapting Webber’s widely successful show? Listeners of the pod know about Jorge’s confession of not being into musicals. However, listeners also know this is probably one of the BIGGEST LIES in our show’s now 69 episode run. Like we said, this was by no means a critic’s darling film, but will the faults of the film be too much for Jorge to find Schumacher’s entertaining? The casting of the film was also controversial. The vocals for music typically demands exceptional Broadway voices, particularly for the part of the titular Phantom.. and they cast a young, then-unknown Gerard Butler, with no singing background at all. We talk about how his singing (and age) differ from typical stage portrayals of the Phantom. Can Butler hit all those notes? Maybe not like a Broadway singer could, but we can’t help but appreciate the raw, unrefined emotive performance and exceptional cape twirls. We also get into a bit of things that don’t hold up as well. Somethings that don’t really matter, like leaps in logic that require industrial grade suspension of disbelief. And then there’s somethings we can’t overlook, particularly one scene that unfortunately perpetuates a very harmful stereotype of Romani people. In revisiting older films, these kinds of things are very common, but part of the show is acknowledging those uncomfortable moments rather than glossing over them. We do a bit of research on how this movie’s budget compared to other musical films of the era, why there was such a huge gap in time between the 1986 show and the 2004 film, some of the various adaptations https://www.phantomlibrary.com/ of Gaston Leroux’s novel, and how one of our favorite scenes in the film was created. We hope you enjoy this episode, and stay tuned for our upcoming PATREON! Music is from Triune Digital https://www.triunedigital.com/and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes. Artwork by @jannelle_o https://linktr.ee/jannelle_o
“TREES AND PEOPLE USED TO BE GOOD FRIENDS.“ On this episode of Retro Grade Podcast, we cover our first 2D animated film, Studio Ghibli’s written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki from 1988. Although we both know Totoro from seeing that fluffy, grey creature, neither of us have seen the movie he comes from. We only know him as the mascot for Studio Ghibli. However, we are going to be joined by someone who LOVES this movie. Someone who calls her favorite movie. Today, we are joined by Austin’s girlfriend, Leanna! is a critically acclaimed film, but it is very different from what one might expect from an animated film made for children. We talk about the film’s story, and general lack of a plot, and how that is one of the film’s STRENGTHS. We also talk about the timeless, utopian setting, and the film relates to each of us, coming from three different backgrounds. How does a film strike that nostalgia chord that is all so popular now, in a way that doesn’t reference any popular IP? We talk about how Studio Ghibli released the film as a double feature along with , and how looking at the two as companion pieces may add an extra layer to our Totoro viewing. Although the film is G rated and targeted for kids, the film is a lot deeper when considering the context of its theatrical run. The context may also opens up a sweet, cathartic scene to something much more meaningful, and can be interpreted as a hopeful response to national trauma. We also talk about some of the things that get lost in translation between the English and Japanese versions of the film, Hayao Miyazaki’s relationship with his films being adapted for a Western audience, and figure out how you are ‘supposed’ to pronounce “Ghibli.” This is the first episode we have ever done that isn’t marked “explicit” and we tried really hard to keep the entire episode “safe for work” and profanity free, because Totoro is for everyone! We hope you enjoy! Music is from Triune Digital https://www.triunedigital.com/and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes. Artwork by @jannelle_o https://linktr.ee/jannelle_o
On this week’s episode, we finish our retrospective on James Cameron 1997 classic, . In the previous episode, we summarized the entire story, going through Jack and Rose’s blossoming romance to the Titanic crashing into the iceberg and the aftermath of it all. We talked about our initial thoughts, what worked and what didn’t, mainly how some of the dialogue has not aged well. But as a whole, we all concluded that while not perfect, the story has largely has well enough to still get viewers invested in the love story and in the story of those on the Titanic, both in the wealthy and poor. From here, we move into the production and reception of the film. We talk about the immense list of actors who were considered for this film, from Matt Damon and Paul Rudd for Jack, to Winona Ryder and Gwyneth Paltrow for Rose, and how Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet ultimately won out over everyone else. We talk about they’re experience filming, including Kate bruising a bone and getting hypothermia filming the climatic sinking, leading her to say that she would never work for James Cameron again unless she was paid a lot of movie. We talk about the filming techniques used to film the movie, and how they combined visual and practical effects to bring it all together. We break down specific scenes from the film and how they were shoot using different techniques including using miniatures, building actual sets, using mirrors as set extensions, computer generated imagery being composed with real life elements to bring the early 1900s to life. And we go into how all these techniques were used to film the sinking of the ship, and all the techniques they used to sell the viewer that what they were seeing was actually real. So sit back, relax, and join us in this final episode of Music is from Triune Digital https://www.triunedigital.com/and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes. Artwork by @jannelle_o https://linktr.ee/jannelle_o
“ITS BEEN 84 YEARS..” On this week’s episode, we go back and revisit one of the highest grossing films of all time. The behemoth of a movie about the “unsinkable ship,“ . Written and directed by James Cameron, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates, and the late great Bill Paxton. We talk about our early memories of the movie, how it came in a two-part VHS cassette package because the film was too long, and how we reacted to seeing the romance between Jack and Rose and the destruction of the ship. We compare and contrast the multiple times we’ve seen the film throughout our lives and how each time we walk away resonating with something we previously didn’t. We cover the story, from the very beginning of Rose stepping onto the Titanic for the first time, and how that might be one of the scenes that hasn’t aged well, to the actual framing device for the film, with an older Rose recounting her experience on the ship before it collided with the iceberg. We go into the multiple ways this framing device not only allows James to creatively insert exposition in order to keep audiences from becoming confused, but also how it creates suspense in the story, every so often remind the audience that the ships inevitable doom is coming. We go over different elements of the story, from and Jack and Rose’s growing romance, to Billy Zane’s Cal Hockley stealing the show with his incredible line delivery, to the social hierarchy seen in the ship and how that structure may have led to the death of many people on board when the ship finally sank. And there’s plenty that we still talk about, but just like the original VHS, this episode is just too long for one recording, so we decided to split up the entire episode into two parts. So join us, as we dive in on this classic film with out special guest, Aneesa! Music is from Triune Digital https://www.triunedigital.com/and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes. Artwork by @jannelle_o https://linktr.ee/jannelle_o
“YOU CROSSED THE LINE“ On this episode, we return to Pandora before the long awaited sequel of the highest grossing film “everybody forgot about.” We are talking about James Cameron’s Avatar, from 2009! We talk about how we weren’t super impressed first time we saw this movie, and how that may have changed 13 years later. We talk about the new technology used to create the the luscious, flora and fauna paradise planet of Pandora, and pay respect to the artistry of the VFX work done in the film. Also bring up how influential the “performance capture“ technique has been in the films we see today, and how influential the film was for the video game industry. James Cameron himself actually showed up on G4 TV to explain how his camera rigs were able to shoot 3D better than the previous camera set ups! We talk about James Cameron’s vision, and how time and time again he makes movies that change the way people make movies. We talk about how special the ability for filmmakers to be trusted (and funded) to pursue their crazy vision, without the studio pressure to make a certain kind of movie for a specific, unmovable date. Avatar is often criticized for its familiar plot. We talk about its similarities with films like Fern Gully or Dances with Wolves, but also talk about how that doesn’t really hurt our enjoyment of the film this time around. Storytelling isn’t always about how it ends, and this story resonated with some people so strongly, there were waves of depression http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Movies/01/11/avatar.movie.blues/index.html that hit audiences as the film left theaters. Why did people love this movie so much? What makes Avatar so special? That’s what we try to figure out. Music is from Triune Digital https://www.triunedigital.com/and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes. Artwork by @jannelle_o https://linktr.ee/jannelle_o
“I HAVE CROSSED OCEANS OF TIME TO FIND YOU” On this week’s episode, we talk about the classic 1992 film, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, directed by Francis Ford Coppola starring Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, and Keanu Reeves. Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, we revisit the film to see if what many people consider to be one of the definitive interpretations of Dracula stills holds up. We talk about Francis’s goal with the film, wanting to be true to the original novel written in 1897, and to differentiate this story from the classic 1931 Bela Lugosi film from Universal Pictures. He wanted to create a grandiose telling, with sets and costume and visual effects that were nothing short of extraordinary and that would pay an homage to classic silent film era techniques but while using modern technology to make sure they had no limitations in what they could show. We dissect the story, talking about why we liked the film, and trying to see what may be holding us back from loving it. Because for as grandiose as the film may be, that’s no guarantee that everything will work perfectly. Is this an example of style over substance? We talk about the A-list cast present, from young new talent like Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder to Hollywood veterans like Anthony Hopkins and Gary Oldman, what is the chemistry like among them all and are there some actors we feel that might not well suited for the film? Lastly, we go over the production of the film, from talking about costumes that were created by Eiko Ishika, who would win an Academy Award for her work in this film, to the visual and special effects created by Coppola’s son, Roman Coppola, and some of the things they had to do in order to get some of the more elaborate shots needed. And we go over some of the more controversial acting decisions Francis implemented on set in order to get the best possible performances from everyone, including having Gary Oldman whisper into the cast ears some potentially problematic things. So join us for our discussion of Francis Ford Coppola’s telling of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Music is from Triune Digital https://www.triunedigital.com/and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes. Artwork by @jannelle_o https://linktr.ee/jannelle_o
“IT’LL FIGHT IF IT HAS TO, BUT IT’S VULNERABLE OUT IN THE OPEN.“ On this Halloween episode of Retro Grade Podcast, we cover one of the best movies from one of the best horror filmmakers of all time, 1982’s The Thing, directed by John Carpenter. Although the film is referred to as a remake of the 1951 RKO Pictures production, The Thing from Another World, the film is actually more of a reinterpretation of the original novella from 1938, Who Goes There. If it’s hard to believe that this movie has just celebrated it’s 40th anniversary, it may be even harder to believe that it was a box office bomb and despised by critics of the time. However, the film has lasted the test of time, being remade, turned into a video game, and then inspiring the popular pandemic game, Among Us! On our episode, we talk about how the film also doubles as a “whodunit” and a graphic body horror film. We talk about how the film tricks you in your first viewing, and inspires multiple viewings, each one giving you a new thing to appreciate about it. We discuss our theories on the timelines, trying to track down when The Thing assimilates and imitates the doomed US Outpost 31 Team, with the help of the John Carpenter approved fansite. https://www.outpost31.com When do the crew members get infected, or rather, why did it imitate who it imitates? We have a lot of fun exchanging theories on this section of the episode. We talk about the nihilistic themes of the movie, and how innate it is in human nature to distrust each other, especially when you are on a job with people you might not necessarily like. The film’s characters were (unfairly) criticized for being ‘stereotypes,’ but we talk about how realistic they actually are, and their significance to the story and theme. We talk about the amazing special effects done by a then 21 year old Rob Buttin, working with the highest budget Universal had ever spent on creature effects. We talk about the score from the legendary Italian composer Ennio Morricone, and how the early versions of the score were used in a more recent western film https://www.indiewire.com/2015/12/quentin-tarantino-reveals-hateful-eight-score-features-unused-music-by-ennio-morricone-from-john-carpenters-the-thing-98001/. And yet, despite the amount of talent from the actors, (especially the arguably best dog actor in a film ever,) Carpenter’s vision, Morricone’s score, Buttin’s effects, Dean Cundey’s cinematography, the film was disregarded as “instant trash.“ We get into why we think the summer audience of 1982 might not have appreciated the film, but why we do now. We hope you enjoy this episode, and have a Happy Halloween! Music is from Triune Digital https://www.triunedigital.com/and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes. Artwork by @jannelle_o https://linktr.ee/jannelle_o
“INTO THE LIGHT, I COMMAND THEE!“ Continuing our spooky movie themed month, we decided to cover a movie about the world’s grumpiest exorcist, Constantine! Although the Vertigo Comics character comes from the Hellblazer series, is blonde and British, certain liberties were taken in the American film adaptation starring Keanu Reeves as the titular character. Though the changes upset some fans (especially the comic series’ creator Alan Moore as he infamously refused to accept any royalties from the film http://legacy.aintitcool.com/node/17113) the film still resonated with an audience. The film wasn’t beloved by the critics, and to be honest, we at Retro Grade Podcast weren’t enamored by the film when we first saw it. However, as news broke of an upcoming sequel with director Francis Lawrence and Keanu Reeves returning, maybe it’s time to revisit the film and see how we feel about it now? Throughout our discussion, we talk about all of the things that make the movie so memorable. It sets up a unique paranormal noir world, rooted in Catholic concepts of sin, Heaven and Hell. The amazing cast AND performances from Rachel Weisz, Djimon Hounsou, Shia LeBeouf, Tilda Swinton, Gavin Rossdale, and Peter Stormare, playing both complex and archetypal characters in a thoroughly entertaining way. We even dig into the “lost” character of Ellie, played by Michelle Monaghan, and why she only appears in one shot of the final film. We get clinical about what are problems are with the movie, it’s pace, its plot devices, and the burden of taking the audience to a magical world while showing/telling us the rules in which this world operates. Are these issues enough for us to say Constantine is a bad movie? Not at all. By diving in deep https://www.polygon.com/22715780/constantine-movie-2005-reconsideration on the story and themes, and how the two main characters paths intersect, the movie is a lot deeper than critics said it was back in 2005. We hope you enjoy the episode! Music is from Triune Digital https://www.triunedigital.com/and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes. Artwork by @jannelle_o https://linktr.ee/jannelle_o
WE’LL TEAR YOUR SOUL APART!” On this week’s episode, we continue our month of spooky movies by revisiting Hellraiser, 1987 horror classic directed by Clive Barker starring Ashley Laurence, Clare Higgins, Andrew Robinson, and Doug Bradley as the famous Cenobite, Pinhead. We talk about how this film differs very much from how it was conveyed to us when we were younger. Instead of it being a film about torture with senseless acts of brutality, we see that there is actually a story present, a story about love, lust, betrayal, obsession, pain, and how in some ways, pain and pleasure are one in the same, and not as distant from each other as we may think. The characters are very relatable, and all interesting in their own way. We go into the connection between this film and the BDSM culture, even though there are some in the latter that would want to stay far away from this film, but how maybe the film isn’t insulting the culture, but merely using it as an example of how unchecked passions can be detrimental to innocent bystanders, or to oneself. We go into the production of the film, and how the film was produced for 1 million dollars, which is extremely low considering the average budgets for films at the time. We talk about how the film was shot chronologically, mostly filmed in one location, and how they had to deal with the censors when it came to rating this film. So if you feel like you’re up for it, then enjoy this week’s episode on this horror classic. Be advised this movie does have extreme scenes of violence with lots of blood and gore, it’s not for the faint of heart. If you’re trying to get into horror films but still working your way up, then it might be best to visit this film in the future. But if you’re still curious about it, then enjoy listening to this episode about it. Music is from Triune Digital https://www.triunedigital.com/and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes. Artwork by @jannelle_o https://linktr.ee/jannelle_o
“YOU KNOW, I’VE ALWAYS WANTED A CHILD. AND NOW I THINK I’LL HAVE ONE ON TOAST!” On this week’s episode, we are officially leaving behind summer and getting ready for Halloween. We start this season with revisiting a childhood classic, Hocus Pocus, directed by Kenny Ortega starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Omri Katz, Thora Birch, Vinessa Shaw, and Doug Jones. Being released in 1993, the film was received very poorly, with well known film critic Gene Siskel calling it “dreadful,” and with little to no marketing support from Disney Studios, the film was dead on arrival, losing Disney around 16 million dollars at the time, But since then, the film has grown into a cult classic, with yearly presentations on television during Halloween. Similar to It’s a Wonderful Life, this movie had a second life on television, and it was continued to grow with no signs of stopping. And with the sequel being released on September 30th, there’s a chance for a whole new generation to learn about Hocus Pocus. But how does the original hold up? We talk about one of the main reasons this film grew in popularity, the Sanderson Sisters. Being lead by the well-known Broadway actress, Bette Midler, the Sandersons Sisters antics and relationship was so charming and hilarious, that it’s easy to see why they were so impressionable to so many kids. From their dialogue to their performances, the Sanderson Sisters are brought so vividly to life, you can never forget them once you’ve spent time with them. We also talk about camp that is found in the film, and we discuss whether Kenny Ortega was intentional in the campiness, or if it just so happened to be there. We talk about the release of this film, and how the cast and crew coped with the failure that is was considered to be, and how they feel about the film having seen a resurgence in recent years. And also, we talk about moving forward, this film might or might not have the same impact for future generations. So get ready for a spooktacular episode on a childhood classic, and stay tuned for the entire month of October, because we have a whole month of exciting films we’ll be revisiting. Music is from Triune Digital https://www.triunedigital.com/and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes. Artwork by @jannelle_o https://linktr.ee/jannelle_o
“LOOKS LIKE MEAT’S BACK ON THE MENU!“ On this episode of Retro Grade Podcast we talk about the second Peter Jackson live-action adaptation of The Lord of the Rings series, We are joined once again by our resident LOTR expert Becky https://twitter.com/beckykralle to help us talk about why this film series changed the fantasy genre forever. We talk about how this film splits the fellowship and takes our various heroes on their own journeys, fighting against the ethereal evil of Sauron. Delivering the ring to Mount Doom, defending the Rohan against the orc hordes, or recruiting more to join the cause, the ensemble cast really gets to come into their own in this film, and establish themselves as individual characters we can still relate to 20 years later. Speaking of characters, we talk about what makes Gollum at the top of many lists as one of the greatest CGI characters of all time. Not only do we get an amazing physical and vocal performance from Andy Serkis gave but also talk about the amazing work of the visual effects team at WETA Digital, and go through a brief history in the world of motion capture. The Battle of Helm’s Deep is the big, climactic set piece in the film and probably the most iconic castle siege in film history. We talk about the months it took to film the scene, the way it is lit so that we can actually see the battle at night, and how the beats of the action walk the line of being an enjoyable action sequence, but also a commentary on the cost of war. The allegory comes in heavy in The Two Towers, possibly more so here than in The Fellowship of The Ring. As we watch films, sometimes to get the most out of that experience we have to think about what the film is trying to say. When Sarumon says he wants “the old world to burn in the fires of industry,” maybe Tolkien wasn’t just talking about the old world of Middle-Earth. Maybe the reason these stories held up so well to be written as books and shared between generations and turned into films and now television series https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lord_of_the_Rings:_The_Rings_of_Power is because they are a reflection of real world concerns through a fantastical lens of dwarves, elves, wizards and orcs. And in this fantasy world, there is hope that’s worth fighting for, so maybe ours is too. Music is from Triune Digital https://www.triunedigital.com/and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes. Artwork by @jannelle_o https://linktr.ee/jannelle_o
“GET TO THE CHOPPER!“ On this week’s episode, we revisit the 1987 action/horror classic, Predator, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and directed by John McTiernan. This was an interesting film to revisit since both Austin and Jorge don’t really have a deep connection to the film, having only seen it a few times each. But it seems that they are both in the minority, with everyone else saying that this is an absolute classic piece of cinema, going down with the some of the best action and horror films, alongside Alien, Halloween, Friday the 13th, and many more. But those the film actually hold up? Does the film deliver on all these promises and how well does it stack to other films of the same genre and decade. That’s what we go over in this episode. We go over the similarities between this film and other great horror films, and how closely this movie uses those tropes to create an atmosphere of dread that soon the characters feel. And look at each of the characters, from Jesse Ventura’s Blaine to Carl Weather’s Dillon, and how they take up the role of classic horror archetypes, and how our favorite action hero, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is actually this film’s version of the “Final Girl” trope, placing right up there with Jamie Lee Curtis, Neve Campbell, and Sigourney Weaver. But we also take about the action tropes that it uses, and how well does the film balance these genres out and whether the film masters both of them equally, or if it a bit one sided. Specifically, we look into the deaths of each character and whether we think those deaths are on par with classic horror kills, like to Johnny Depp’s death in A Nightmare of Elm Street, and whether the deaths hold up. We talk about how difficult the production was on the entire cast and crew, including on the actors playing the title villain. Originally played by someone who would become very famous in the future, the actor would go on and talk about how difficult it was to play the villain in such a difficult environment that brough in extreme heat, difficult terrain to maneuver in, and a filming schedule that was brutal. We breakdown how difficult it was to place and operate a camera in this environment, just to give you an idea of how just aspect of filming was worsened by filming in the brutal jungle. From there we talk about how that actor was fired and replaced by Kevin Peter Hall, or as many people are familiar with him, Harry and the famous NBC show Harry and the Hendersons. Standing at over 7 feet tall, this change in actor and costume proved to be one of the best changes for the film, creating a creature that has stood the test of time and placed among the great villains in cinema history. We end the episode talking about the portrayal of the country the film takes place in, and how even though it might not have been intended, reflected the real history of the United State’s involvement in Central American’s politics during the cold war, and how that may have potentially been part of the inspiration for the 2022 Hulu film, Prey. Lastly, we talk about John McTiernan and the controversies he was wrapped in concerning and ex-wife and a producer on a future project. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this week’s episode on Predator Music is from Triune Digital https://www.triunedigital.com/and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes. Artwork by @jannelle_o https://linktr.ee/jannelle_o
“IS IT POSSIBLE, THAT THERE ARE NO COINCIDENCES.“ As the “family vs aliens" genre receives another entry in Jordan Peele’s Nope, we at Retro Grade Podcast decided to talk about a similarly themed movie that recently celebrated it’s 20th anniversary. We are talking about, M Night Shyamalan’s Signs, starring Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin and Abigail Breslin. We talk about how this movie left an impact on our childhoods, and it’s unexpected relatability in a post-911, mid-COVID America of today. We talk about the scenes that scared us, the scenes that made us laugh, the scenes that made us want to cry, and how Shyamalan packs all of this into one emotional roller coaster of a movie, that still makes us feel all of the things. We gush about the strengths of the films cohesive structure and rant about how the current obsession over finding “plot holes“ is ruining our ability to enjoy movies. Seriously, stop trying to find plot holes. If you want to find them, you will find them in every single alien invasion movie, and perhaps any movie you want. Suspension of disbelief is something you need to have to appreciate storytelling, especially when it comes to movies. We talk about the writer-director’s fall from grace, and whether or not he deserved the degree of criticism that he got. Shyamalan became known as the twist director, but how many of his films actually have twists? We talk about how widespread it became to ridicule Shyamalan https://www.vice.com/en/article/kb4kwv/what-a-twist-m-night-shyamalan-doesnt-deserve-to-be-a-running-joke and purposefully mispronounce his last name, and how he alone seemingly took the fall for the failure of the film adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender. During the late aughts we saw a lot of terrible adaptations of beloved franchises, but how many of them do we still hold a grudge against to the person that directed them? We discuss the different style of acting we see in this film. We don’t see big emotional performances, but instead get these grounded characters in the quiet moments of an impending apocalypse. Performances that help make the film so incredibly personal and charming. Even Mel Gibson, despite his controversial statements, outbursts, wild conspiracy theories, questionable politics and hateful comments, makes us want to root for Graham Hess. The severity of the controversies is something we touch on in this episode. Some people should probably be in jail, or perhaps not be allowed to make films ever again, but how does Hollywood decide who gets a second chance? Music is from Triune Digital https://www.triunedigital.com/and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes. Artwork by @jannelle_o https://linktr.ee/jannelle_o
“WE’RE NEVER GOING TO TALK ABOUT THIS, OKAY?” On this week’s episode of Retro Grade Podcast, we talk about 2007’s 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, from Romanian filmmaker Cristian Mungiu starring Anamaria Marinca and Laura Vasiliu. Over the past few weeks, the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, giving states the ability to make abortions illegal to millions of people. We wanted to watch a film that covered that same scenario, and try to see the challenges that those characters went through to try and get an abortion. We go over the story, which see’s Gabita trying to get an abortion during the1980s in Romania where they are illegal, and what her friend and roommate Otilia does to help her. We cover the setting, the structure, pace, tone and see how they all add to create a thriller that resembles a few other films that we have talked about on this podcast. We cover how the film was shot, with many long takes to add to the realism of the film and how the cinematography was used to put the viewer directly in the head of Otilia as she is constantly running into obstacles. We talk about the themes of the film, not only about what it says about abortions, but about oppression towards woman, the tactics some men will use to establish dominance over women, but also the camaraderie and friendship that will arise between women when facing oppression. Towards the second half of the episode, we begin to go over the real life setting that the film is based on, how Romania fell into economic turmoil, and how this lead to Decree 770, the decree by communist Romanian government of Nicolae Ceausescu. It restricted abortion and contraception, which did double the birth rate in the first few years, but would also increase the death toll of women from having illegal abortions, and increased the number of orphans in the country. We also try and see why so many films about unplanned pregnancies were released in such quick succession during 2007 (Knocked Up, Juno, Waitress, 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, and lastly Revolutionary Road). This is the most difficult film we have covered on the podcast, but thankfully we have a special guest that will help shed even more light on this topic, Victoria https://twitter.com/village_witch, co-host of the Impure, Rethought https://www.impurerethought.com podcast which covers how purity, patriarchy, and profit have shaped Western culture, be sure to give them a listen! Music is from Triune Digital https://www.triunedigital.com/and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes. Artwork by @jannelle_o https://linktr.ee/jannelle_o
“IT’S NOT EASY HAVING A GOOD TIME.. EVEN SMILING MAKES MY FACE ACHE.“ This month, we at Retro Grade Podcast decided to cover one of the most beloved cult classics and recognizable LGBTQ+ themed movies of all time, The Rocky Horror Picture Show! Directed by Jim Sharman, written by Richard O’Brien, starring Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Patricia Quinn, Nell Campbell and Richard O’Brien themself! Austin is a huge Rocky Horror Picture Show fan, but Jorge has never seen it. Throughout the course of recording this podcast, Jorge has a preference for movies with strong plots, and the musical genre is not exactly his favorite. However, after starting this show, Jorge has watched even more musicals and may actually be a secret music fan. Will he be converted to the House of Rocky during this episode? We talk about how the movie serves as an homage to the campy sci-fi and horror movies of the 50’s and 60’s, references old Hollywood, glam rock, and classic art, all to tell a very fun movie with catchy music. However, beneath the fun exterior lies a story about a sexual awakening contrasted with the conservative sexual politics from the world the main characters come from, a fictional town in middle America. We talk about how the film can be empowering and inspiring, and also get a modern perspective of how some of the ideas can seen as problematic, and we give our opinions on controversy. We talk about how the Rocky Horror show was born from the mind of Richard O’Brien, a transgender person in 1972 going through gender dysphoria while trying to be an actor. Without any of the resources (some) people in the LGBTQ+ community have today, Richard unintentionally wrote about what they were going through as a stageplay that turned into something the Library of Congress deemed “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.” How did The Rocky Horror Picture Show go from box office flop, to the longest running theatrical release for a film of all time? We get into all of that and so much more! We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did making it! Music is from Triune Digital https://www.triunedigital.com/and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes. Artwork by @jannelle_o https://linktr.ee/jannelle_o
“FEAR IS THEIR GREATEST DEFENSE!“ On this episode of the podcast we take a look behind the scenes of Star Wars: A New Hope. We go back to before it was even called Star Wars. Before George Lucas was even interested in making films in the first place. On this journey through the creative process of not only one of the most profitable movies, but entertainment and merchandise franchises of all time, we see that it all started with a guy and his friends driven to make a movie outside of Hollywood and the studio system. The same movie that would later be owned by one of the biggest Hollwood studios of all time. Ironic isn’t it? We go back to George Lucas’ time at USC and all of the people he met that would be instrumental in the creation of the first Star Wars movie. We go back to how he met Francis Ford Coppola (director of the Godfather,) the short film that he made that left an impression on Steven Spielberg (Jaws, Jurassic Park,) the help with the famous crawl text he got from Brian De Palma (Carrie, Scarface) and perhaps his most important collaborator, Marcia Lucas (his then-wife) in editing the long, wordy space epic into the movie we know today. We talk about how George Lucas positioned himself to be the owner of his own movie, and how important that fact was in the creation of the franchise, and perhaps how that may have caused the quality of the saga to waver. Thanks to the Wookiepedia, we found several of the early drafts http://www.starwarz.com/starkiller/ of Star Wars and how concepts like a floating city, a jungle planet, kyber crystals and the names like Mace Windy and Starkiller all existed in early drafts of The Star Wars, but were ultimately cut out and repurposed later on in the expansion of the universe. We talk about the lines that almost were, and also the people that were almost playing the iconic characters. What would famed samurai actor and frequent Akira Kurosawa collaborator, Toshiro Mifune bring to the film by playing Ben Kenobi? Or what about Kurt Russel playing space smuggler, Han Solo? We talk about a lot of ‘what ifs’ and ‘could have beens’ on this episode, but by the end we discover that the film was never about making the most amount of money possible, it was about taking an audience to a place they hadn’t been to before in a film, and unlocking the imagination of the children going to see it. It just happened to make a lot of money on the way. We hope you enjoy this episode! And stay tuned for our next episode on another 70’s film, one that may not have had as much money, but has just as long lasting pop culture staying power. A different set of ‘Jaws’ if you will.. Music is from Triune Digital https://www.triunedigital.com/and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes. Artwork by @jannelle_o https://linktr.ee/jannelle_o
“HOKEY RELIGIONS AND ANCIENT WEAPONS…"“ On this week’s episode, we finally get to talk the about the one that started it all: Star Wars (1977). Or rather: Star Wars: A New Hope. In 2022, the film is celebrating its 45th anniversary and we thought now would be the best time to revisit the film and see how it holds up. We begin by talking about our earliest memories with the film, from how we first watched and loved it as children to how we remember it today. We go into the box office success, and how this is still one of the highest grossing films of all time after adjusted for inflation. From there, we cover the entire story, beginning with the iconic introduction with John William’s score with the yellow text scrolling by, leading into an action-packed shootout and the introduction of one of the greatest villain in cinema history: Darth Vader. We talk about the extended sequence in Tatooine, where we are introduced to Luke Skywalker and Obi Wan Kenobi. What’s surprising about this is how long this section truly is, and how it focuses on developing each of our characters and developing this universe, showing us how this universe’s underbelly or villainy and scum, to the outsiders like the Tusken Raiders and Jawas. And we cover the introduction another set of legendary characters, Han Solo and Chewbacca. We talk about how these scenes from the film on Disney+, actually differ from when we originally saw them on our home video VHS tapes. During the Death Star, we focus the relationships between out three main leads, Han, Luke, and Leia, and how future installments don’t quite reach the same level with their characters. And all this leads us to the finale, with an epic space battle that combines groundbreaking computer graphics and practical camera work to deliver one of the greatest climaxes in cinema history. On the next episode, we will talk about how George Lucas wrote and re-wrote and re-wrote Star Wars. We will get into how over the years the versions of the films have changed (and address an error made in the episode.) We will get into the troubled production and how the film we love was created in the editing room. We will talk about the impact Star Wars has had not just on us but on movies in general, and of course, we will get into our trademark quote section where we summarize how we feel about the film using one of its quotes. This is where the fun begins! Music is from Triune Digital https://www.triunedigital.com/and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes. Artwork by @jannelle_o https://linktr.ee/jannelle_o
