096 Children of Men

What most action movies strive to achieve but somehow completely fail at, Children of Men, the apocalyptic drama by director Alfonso Cuaron, succeeds. Filmed with such immediacy and consequence, it's hard not to be in the shoes (or flip-flops) of Clive Owen's Theo and ponder the slow whimper-filled twilight of mankind's tenure. So pull yourself up a bottle of Scotch (Matt a 20yr Macallan, Mark a 12yr Glenfiddich) and embrace the sweet oblivion.

Download: 096 Children of Men

095 Trainspotting

No, Matt and Mark did not indulge heroin for this week's podcast, even though our off-kilter and awkward Skype issues might give one the impression of a nascent junk habit. This week we review the British cult 90's classic Trainspotting. Not much of a morality tale, and as the viewer you don't much care, as it offers up a buffet of interesting characters all swirling around the desperate world of heroin use. Solidly directed with solid actors, Danny Boyle made a name for himself with this iconic film, leading to a career that continues to challenge its viewers.

Download: 095 Trainspotting

094 Pink Flamingos

With the invention of the internet and its vast inexhaustible 24/7 geek show, the relevance of Pink Flamingos has long past. Despite its obsolete status, it still does not fail to disgust (there's a little bit of vomit-in-your-mouth for everyone). John Waters somehow managed to carve out a mainstream film career from this cinematic circus freak show, which defies convention. Not really Matt and Mark's cup o' tea, we both struggle to take a little bit away.

Download: 094 Pink Flamingos

093 Akira

Matt and Mark review the Otomo classic Akira this week, taking stock of its 25 years and whether or not its message of creation/destruction is transcendent or buried in the generational zeitgeist of post-war Japan. Released at the height of the cyberpunk wave, its flashy urban grit and ground-breaking animation make for anime spectacle despite Matt and Mark's lament that the use of psychic powers is weak sci-fi sauce, but that's just nitpicking.

Download: 093 Akira

092 The Maltese Falcon

Matt and Mark get into the way-back machine and rediscover The Maltese Falcon, the hard-boiled film noir that started it all. So borrowed in pop-culture, to watch the unaltered/unmolested original, the film that started the genre, is an experiment in perception. Matt of course takes issue with old film (as usual), moaning about dialogue and realism, while Mark enjoys the quick-paced action and direction of the one and only John Huston, finding the movie uniquely fresh 70+ years on.

Download: 092 The Maltese Falcon

091 Night of the Living Dead

Q: mommy, daddy, where do zombies come from? A: from vampires of course! It's no accident that the walking dead resemble all the mythical tropes of a vampire, undead-ness, feeding on human flesh, etc... Heavily borrowed from Richard Matheson's novel 'I am Legend', George Romero reinvents the idea giving birth to the rich cornucopia of zombie entertainment today. Matt and Mark discuss this nuance, and others, like the subtext of American racial tension in the late 60's on this week's podcast. 

Download: 091 Night of the Living Dead

090 Muriel's Wedding

A little late this week, Matt and Mark, consumed with the Sisyphean chores of yardwork the prior weekend, managed to finally get the podcast out! We review Muriel's Wedding and Mark discloses his affinity for the melancholia of the ambition-less suburban existence while Matt riffs on the US and Australia's mutual affinity.

Download:  090 Muriel's Wedding