033 Waiting for Guffman by Christopher Guest

This week Matt and Mark review 1997's Waiting for Guffman by Christopher Guest. In the mockocumenteray genre he made famous with follow-ups Best in Show and A Mighty Wind, Guest blends ad-lib sketch and musical comedy into a film length feature. Mark explores the plight of the characters, while Matt attempts to overcome his cynicism in order to embrace their delusional yet sincere need to entertain. Both of us wonder, however, if Guest's stereotypical portrayal of gay Corky St. Clair won't be the equivalent of "black face" a few decades down the road. Enjoy! 

Download: 033 Waiting for Guffman by Christopher Guest    

032 Fight Club by David Fincher

Breaking the first rule of Fight Club, we're talking about Fight Club this week. David Fincher serves up a nihilistic schizophrenic parable about the inherent paradox of masculinity and modern civilization. Viewing the film in middle-age may have tempered Matt and Mark's ideological reaction to the subject matter, but we definitely avoid the old man "grumpitude" of Roger Ebert's less then complimentary review. More of an 'amoral' film, FC paints nihilism in a dysfunctional and harsh light when compared to our current consumerist hypocrisy; neither an attractive option. Fight Club stars Edward Norton, Helen Bonham Carter, and Brat Pitt. Enjoy!

Download: 032 Fight Club by David Fincher

031 Vertigo by Alfred Hitchcock

Usurping reigning champion Citizen Kane as the "Best Film of All Time" according to the British Film Institute (and thankfully so), Matt and Mark review Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 masterpiece Vertigo, starring James Stewart and Kim Novak. With such a weighty title, we try to give this film its due. Mark cuts to the l'essence of Stewart's John "Scottie" Ferguson character by calling Scottie out for his nascent pimp-hand as his obsession warps him into a most diabolical Pygmalion. Doing what M.Night Shyamalan attempts but rarely succeeds at, Hitchcock pulls off one of movie history's famous twists. With a beautiful mid-century San Francisco as the backdrop, Vertigo has most definitely earned its BFI accolades. Enjoy!

Download: 031 Vertigo by Alfred Hitchcock    

030 Hard Boiled by John Woo

With a body count of 307, John Woo serves up a bullet-ridden slice of Hong Kong action with his 1992 breakout Hard Boiled. Cast from the Dirty Harry mold, Chow Yun-Fat's Tequila, with his ATF-Waco style of police intervention, is a hardened cop with a vigilante sense of street justice. Matt and Mark find it odd Tequila's ability to escape multiple manslaughter charges despite his sloppy gun play, but to inject reality into HB would only detract from its charm.

Downlaod: 030 Hard Boiled by John Woo

029 Delicatessen by Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Unlike the depressing Cormac McCarthy adaption of The Road, 1991's Delicatessen is a a post-apocalyptic cannibal movie that caters to a wider audience. Jean-Pierre Jeunet would go on to direct The City of Lost Children and Amelie, garnering more praise for his Gilliam-esque style, but with Delicatessen he burnished his quirky chops with this off-beat cult classic. Matt and Mark attempt a deeper discussion regarding vegetarianism vs carnivorism, but instead get mired in the bizarre notions of cultural delicacies.

Download: 029 Delicatessen by Jean-Pierre Jeunet

028 Dead Alive by Peter Jackson

We indulge a little of Peter "Action" Jackson's earlier works this week on the podcast when we review his zombie comedy-horror film Dead Alive, released in 1993. Matt and Mark speculate how the Oscar winning director of the Lord of the Rings films got from homicidal rat-monkeys and zombie-babies to Gandalf and Frodo. Strangely, we come to the conclusion that it wasn't too great a leap. Emulating the style of Evil Dead director Sam Ramie, we're treated to splatter-fest of hilarious proportions. Enjoy!

Download: 028 Dead Alive by Peter Jackson

027 Gattaca by Andrew Niccol

Another means to keep the haves and the have-nots separate, or a Brave New World? Matt and Mark discuss the near-future world of Andrew Niccol's Gattaca, released in 1997, starring Uma Thurman, Ethan Hawke, and Jude Law. Mark takes the libertarian transhumanist stand while Matt remains a bleeding heart skeptic. Is it human nature to defy human nature? The answer is probably yes. Enjoy!

Download: 027 Gattaca by Andrew Niccol