156 Das Boot

This week we took a significant portion of our free time and devoted it to watching the 3.5 hour directors cut of Das Boot. Divorced of U.S. war film tropes, Das Boot offers up a depiction of war that combines the psychological with action in a way that forces the watcher to feel the claustrophobia and terror of war at sea. Despite its subject matter, Das Boot is also an exposition on the mechanical wonders of undersea warfare, strangely making it one of Matt's adolescent cult hits.

Download: 156 Das Boot

155 District 9

Matt and Mark review the Oscar nominated District 9! One of the better Sci-Fi films in recent years, the film asks question about our humanity by our reaction to the inhuman. Despite its many plot holes and heavy handed themes, District 9 creates characters you feel invested in (human and alien) and builds a level of tension in its beautiful action sequences. Additional D9 is a technical achievement that uses CGI in way that compliments film making as opposed to detracting from it.

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154 Easy Rider

The ultimate movie of the short lived motorcycle genre, Easy Rider takes the societal outcast counter-culture mythos to a new level. In their road quest, Wyatt and Billy realize they too have fallen prey to the machinery which they seek to rise above. Because in the end, they're just a couple of capitalists working their end of a scheme, man. "We blew it Billy!" A 60's complete with stereotypical flaky hippies and homicidal rednecks, Easy Rider let's you once again fly the tattered freak flag.

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153 The Birds

Matt has somewhat recovered from his apocalyptic cold, at least enough to mumble about these god damned Birds!! This week we review the Hitchcock classic 'The Birds'. While many have speculated about Hitchcock's greater message with the film, the simplest answer may be the most truthful: filling a town full of maniacal swarming birds just seemed like a bad ass enough premise, right? So, sit down to a nice plate of crow, and enjoy!

Download:  153 The Birds