Practically omnipresent and infinitely versatile, Malcolm McDowell has played, among others, a rebellious private school student, a futuristic sociopath, a degenerate emperor, Michael Myer’s nemesis, and the killer of Captain Kirk. He has worked with directors that have included Stanley Kubrick, Paul Schrader and Rob Zombie. He’s pretty much done it all, including a brief appearance as a mastermind in corporate espionage in this weekend’s environmental biography, A GREEN STORY. And, oh, has he stories.

We were able to spend some time with Malcolm, delving into the full range of his career, including his work with the iconoclastic director Lindsay Anderson and how he faced the challenge of filming a high-speed orgy for A CLOCKWORK ORANGE. Click on the player to hear the show.

Comment on the episode here or write podcast@cinefantastique.com or call 888-866-9010. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

It didn't make the box office money that Paramount hoped for, but it managed to place at the top of the box office rankings.  Can this latest trip into the Final Frontier hold onto that positition as the next wave of summer movies releases this weekend?  Michael Falkner shares the latest news and movie releases in a new episode of The Weekly Podioplex.

Check out the full show notes here and comment on the episode or write weeklypodioplex@gmail.com or call 888-866-9010.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

STAR TREK is back, Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) is still flouting the rules, director J.J. Abrams is still dividing the fan base, but amazingly, inconceivably, there's no dissent within theCinefantastique Online ranks this time: Steve Biodrowski, Lawrence French, and Dan Persons all agree that STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS is supreme, quintessential TREK adventure. Telling the tale of the Enterprise's encounter with a diabolical mastermind (Benedict Cumberbatch), the film at once delivers the big-scale action (even better in IMAX 3D) that audiences have come to expect from a major studio tent pole release while honoring the ideals that made creator Gene Roddenberry's optimistic vision of the future so compelling.

Come join Steve, Larry, and Dan as they delve deep into this top-notch entry to the TREK franchise, exploring what makes it both a superior entertainment and a worthy elaboration of Roddenberry's humanistic vision. Plus: What's coming to theaters next week.

Comment on the episode here or write podcast@cinefantastique.com or call 888-866-9010. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

Seduction of the Innocent is a work by Frederic Wertham that had far reaching effects for the comics industry besides the Comics Code.  The Soho Digital Art Gallery recently held a series of roundtable discussions on various aspects of the industry and one of them centered around Wertham and his work.  A panel of experts in the field gathered and this recording is the result.  Special thanks to John J. Ordover, owner of the Soho Digital Art Gallery for giving us access to this recording.  The panelists include:

• Danny Fingeroth - an American comic book writer and editor, better known for a long stint as group editor of the Spider-Man books at Marvel Comics.
• Denny O'Neill - an American comic book writer and editor, principally forMarvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of books until his retirement.
• David Hajdu - an American columnist, author and professor at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He is the music critic for The New Republic.
• Craig Yoe - an author, editor, art director, graphic designer, cartoonist and comics historian, best known for his Yoe! Studio creations and his line of Yoe! Books
• Dr. Sharon Packer - certified by the American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology. She is well known in the field for her prolific writing and her passion for her work and her ability to blend art and science. She has a special interest in creativity and culture.
• Carol L. Tilley - Assistant Professor
  Graduate School of Library and Information Science
  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Comment on the episode here or write john@chronicrift.com or call 888-866-9010.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

As MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000′S TV’s Frank, comedian and writer Frank Conniff became possibly the most cuddly mad scientist in history. From his debut television appearance that started with the show’s second season — for which he scripted and also pre-screened the “cheesy movies” that would torture host Joel Hodgson and crew — Conniff went on to gigs both behind and in front of the cameras for such diverse genre shows as SABRINA THE TEEN-AGE WITCH and INVADER ZIM.

I am, admittedly, an unabashed MSTie, and so when I got the greenlight to go ahead with CFQi, Frank was the first person I contacted and subsequently the first to be interviewed. The talk is wide-ranging, including an in-depth glimpse into to the work on MST3K and other shows, plus discussion of the aborted Joel Hodgson feature project STATICAL PLANETS and Frank’s creation of the satiric, audio musical, THE WONDERFUL PUNDITS OF OZ.

Comment on the episode here or write podcast@cinefantastique.com or call 888-866-9010. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

Michael Falkner returns after a brief hiatus with all new news on movie and DVD releases.  Iron Man 3is currently on top, but the latest Star Trek movie opens this weekend.  Can it knock the Golden Avenger from the top of the box office?

Check out the full show notes here and comment on the episode or write weeklypodioplex@gmail.com or call 888-866-9010.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

It is not an understatement to say that, for many who work within the industry of fantastic film and those who cover it, Ray Harryhausen was one of the key godfathers of the Sense of Wonder. In such films as EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS, THE SEVENTH VOYAGE OF SINBAD,JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS, and CLASH OF THE TITANS, Harryhausen’s collection of creatures — singlehandedly and painstakingly stop-motion animated by the man himself — exhibited a wondrous sense of life, and convinced many of us that, with dedication and love, almost anything that could be dreamed of could be realized on the screen.

Come join our special guest, theofantastique.com’s John W. Morehead, as he sits down with Cinefantastique Online’s Steve Biodrowski, Lawrence French, and Dan Persons to celebrate Ray Harryhausen’s achievements and evaluate his indelible contribution to the world of film. Plus: Dan gives his capsule reviews of SIGHTSEERS and THE PAINTING, and previews what’s coming to theaters next week.

Comment on the episode here or write podcast@cinefantastique.com or call 888-866-9010. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

Steve returns to his hometown of Ojai, California in order to settle down.  He purchases a ranch that he loved as a kid and is reunited with his parents who help him with setting up house.  He learns that his high school love, Jaime Sommers, fifth ranked tennis pro, is visiting Ojai as well.  The two rekindle their friendship and romance.  Things are looking good until Jaime is horribly maimed in a skydiving accident.  Steve convinces Oscar to rebuild her using the same cybernetic technology that saved his life.  It all looks great for the world's first bionic woman, except that the shadow of Joseph Wrona, the Onassis of Crime, looms over them and their pending nuptuals.  Joining John and Paul to discuss this episode are James Sherrard of Bionic Woman Files and Betsy Dodd of The Bionic Blonde. Special thanks to Robin Spannell for the audio recording of the promo used at the start of this episode.  Check out Robin's music at Shatner's Hairpiece.

Comment on the episode here or write abionicpodcast@gmail.com or call 888-866-9010 or better still use the "Send Voicemail" tab on the left of the page to leave a message via your computer.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

Rating: 

Bionic Wiki entry

The Six Million Dollar Blog entry
(coming soon)

James Sherrard is a first generation fan ofThe Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman. A collector of all things Bionic as a child, his interest in the shows was reignited when the first Bionic reunion movie was produced in 1987.The following year he met stars Lindsay Wagner and Richard Anderson for the first time through Lindsay Wagner’s Official Fan Club. In 1998, James reworked the Bionic Woman episode guide booklet that he had produced for the club into The Bionic Woman Files website…the longest running Bionic Woman site on the web! Over the years, James has contributed his Bionic knowledge to various books, articles, websites, and television productions. He has also amassed an amazing collection of Bionic memorabilia, from common toys to one-of-a-kind production items. Most recently, James has contributed to the 2010 DVD releases of The Bionic Woman Season One and The Six Million Dollar Man: The Complete Collection. James resides in New York where he is employed by a non-profit organization.

From Betsy Dodd's page: 

Growing up in a one-TV household, I had 3 brothers who surrounded me in age—who often teased me for being a “sissy”—and who usually controlled the voting majority for which channel to watch. Back in the 70s, our whirling TV dial was pretty much destroyed because we fought over it so often. One night while the substitute pliers were pointed to their choice of The Six Million Dollar Man(again), suddenly there was OMG ...cue angelic chorus... Jaime Sommers, the world’s first Bionic Woman. Yes!!! Score one for us sissies! I was totally hooked. And the love story between Jaime and Steve was the best. Ever. But then they killed her the following week.

Why did I idolize Jaime Sommers so much? Just as the final season was being released on DVD in the fall of 2011, I stumbled onto some internet bionic fan forums and started posting these offbeat episode reviews. I’m not sure, but when some members encouraged me to go start my own blog, I think it may have been the equivalent of being politely shunned by the Bionic Amish community— puritans of the franchise. (Really, I’m kidding. They’re all fun people and super nice. And they even let me use electricity to sign onto the internet.) Once about ten years ago, I belonged to an online fan “cult” that was framed in a similar style of farcical humor about The X-Files, so to me, this is all a completely normal approach to a television drama.

These days, I am a freelance copywriter, graphic designer and video editor living in Tennessee. No, I am not a blonde, but I am threatening to become one soon if these little gray hairs don’t stop surfacing. I must confess I also did not actually keep a diary in the 70s, but wish now that I had, so I could remember the real reason why I missed so many episodes of my favorite 70s show. For now, I’m blaming my brothers. For everything. 

Dan Persons says:

Let no one say that French director Alice Winocour isn't audacious. She chooses not only to make her debut film -- which she also scripted -- a period piece, but to use it as a conduit for some trenchant observations on class, sexuality, and gender. Based on true events, AUGUSTINE tells the tale of the titular kitchen servant -- played by singer Soko -- who is brought to an asylum after suffering a strange seizure that leaves her paralyzed on one side. Placed in the care of Dr. Jean-Martin Charcot (Vincent Lindon) -- whom Sigmund Freud would eventually cite as a major influence -- the young Augustine becomes the 19th century equivalent of a media sensation, her near-orgasmic fits under hypnosis staged for the edification (and entertainment) of French society.

I got to sit down with Winocour to discuss this richly realized and slyly subversive debut. We explore the complex process of recreating a time when a predominantly male medical establishment still regarded female "hysteria" with a mix of fascination and fear, and examine how she sculpted this true story into an enthralling allegory for both the class struggle and male/female politics. Click on the player to hear the show.

Comment on the episode here or write dan@mightymoviepodcast.com or call 888-866-9010.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

Official Website

Welcome to the banality of evil, Ben Wheatley-style: In his horror comedy SIGHTSEERS, a couple (Alice Lowe and Steve Oram, who also scripted) decides to take a caravan trip across the British Isles. But, really, who could enjoy such marvels as an antique tramway or the pencil museum when such distractions as litterers, rowdy Wiccans, and people who are just better than you keep interfering? There’s only one solution, and it’s one that requires sponges and tons of bleach to clean up after.

Wheatley has a unique way of grounding horror with credible performances and an unassuming shooting style that only accentuates the graphic violence. His hit-man horror film, KILL LIST, made my top ten last year, and SIGHTSEERS continues his streak of riveting an audience with a naturalistic brand of dread. I was happy to meet up with him again to talk about this film — click on the player to hear the show.

Comment on the episode here or write podcast@cinefantastique.com or call 888-866-9010. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

It’s felled the likes of Superman, Batman, Spider-Man and the X-Men. It’s a more daunting foe than Lex Luthor, Bane, and Magneto combined. It is, of course, the third installment of a superhero franchise, and now it’s time for comicdom’s snarkiest hero to face the figurative music in IRON MAN 3. With Robert Downey Jr, Don Cheadle, and Gwyneth Paltrow returning to their roles as, respectively, Tony Stark/Iron Man, James Rhodes/War Machine (here redubbed Iron Patriot), and Pepper Potts/Pepper Potts (somebody’s gotta stay in civvies), plus Ben Kingsley donning a bin Laden beard and a Hugo Weaving/Agent Smith drawl as the politically-incorrect terrorist the Mandarin, and with direction by pop-ironist Shane Black, can this third go for the power-assisted crime fighter break film’s most notorious curse? Turns out Cinefanatastique Online’s Steve Biodrowski, Lawrence French, and Dan Persons form a decidedly mixed jury on that front, differing on whether IM3 is one of the best comic book films to come around in a while, is just solid if undistinguished entertainment, or is an affront to all right-thinking fans of Marvel’s steeliest superhero. The conflict will be resolved with a massive, twenty minute fight scene, heavily enhanced with CG. (No it won’t.)

Plus: What’s coming to theaters next week.

Comment on the episode here or write podcast@cinefantastique.com or call 888-866-9010. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

Comment on the episode here, write thecardboardjungle@gmail.com or by call (858) 236-9102.

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Shooting a workplace comedy set in Hell may be challenging, tedious work, but at least you get to traumatize the hotel staff. That’s only one of the lessons to be gleaned from the cast of YOUR PRETTY FACE IS GOING TO HELL, a new Adult Swim comedy that takes the white-collar satire of OFFICE SPACE and adds a piquant whiff of brimstone to the proceedings. Joining Cinefantastique Online’s Dan Persons for an interview that’s part INSIDE THE ACTOR’S STUDIO, part MMA cage match are comic actors Henry Zebrowski and Craig Rowin, and Satan himself, Matt Servitto. Pour yourself a nice, brimming mug of goat’s blood and click on the player to hear the show.

Comment on the episode here or write podcast@cinefantastique.com or call 888-866-9010. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

It's a double length episode of The Weekly Podioplex as Michael Falkner's taking a week off next week.  And there is plenty of movie and television DVD releases to cover in the next two weeks.

Check out the full show notes here and comment on the episode or write weeklypodioplex@gmail.com or call 888-866-9010.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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OSI secrets are disappearing and one of Steve's friends is accused of the theft.  While he can't prove his friend's innocence, he knows there has to be another explanation.  And he has one - E.S.P. spying.  Steve decides to enlist the aid of a teenage girl with extra sensory perception to track down "The E.S.P. Spy."  Joining John and Paul to discuss this episode is Billy Flynn of Geek Radio Daily.

Comment on the episode here or write abionicpodcast@gmail.com or call 888-866-9010 or better still use the "Send Voicemail" tab on the left of the page to leave a message via your computer.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

Rating: 

Bionic Wiki entry

The Six Million Dollar Blog entry
(coming soon)

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Bill Vernon, AKA “the Wonderful Billy Flynn,” brings the funny each week on Geek Radio Daily! His daytime alter ego is mild-mannered (well, that part is a stretch) on-air talent at WRAR Radio Station in Virginia. He actually gets paid to sit on his butt and run his mouth! His “edumacation” is from UNC-Wilmington and the Columbia School of Broadcasting. When he is not gracing the podcasting airways with his comedic stylings, you can find Billy Flynn on Xbox Live (flynn71), rockin’ out on Guitar Hero or Rock Band, watching movies, reading comics, working out, or posting on the forums atgeekradiodaily.com (ding!)

Dan Persons says:

Sometime's the wedding videographers are pointing their cameras in the wrong direction. Susanne Bier's LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED takes place mostly in a villa in Sorrento, where a young and rather conflicted couple (Molly Blixt Egelind and Sebastian Jessen) are getting married. But the kids are not the only ones being put through changes; the mother of the bride (Trine Dyrholm) has just discovered her husband's infidelity -- a double blow since the woman has just emerged victorious from chemotherapy -- while the groom's father (Pierce Brosnan) has so immersed himself in business that he's lost much of the stuff that connects one human to another. Could be that each lost soul is what the other is looking for to get through the rest of their lives, but since director Bier is best known for such works as THINGS WE LOST IN THE FIRE, and the Oscar-winning A BETTER LIFE, the going in this uncommonly nuanced romantic comedy will not be easy, and the stakes will have genuine impact.

Pierce Brosnan sat down with us to talk about the challenges of bringing genuine consequences to a romantic role, the experience of shooting on-location in one of the most beautiful regions on Earth, and whatever happened to Thomas Crown? Click on the player to hear the interview.

Comment on the episode here or write dan@mightymoviepodcast.com or call 888-866-9010.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

Official Website

Click on the player to hear Dan's interview.

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Oblivion takes the top spot at the box office this week, but can it hold that spot for long what with the summer movies that are on the horizon.  But what movies are they?  Michael Falkner previews the summer blockbusters in a special episode of The Weekly Podioplex.

Check out the full show notes and comment on the episode here or write weeklypodioplex@gmail.com or call 888-866-9010.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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Weekly Podioplex Notes

Introduction

Opening Clip: Pain & Gain

Box Office Report

Top Ten

#1 – Oblivion
#2 – 42 [-1]
#3 – The Croods [Even]
#4 – Scary Movie 5 [-2] 
#5 – G.I. Joe: Retaliation [-1]
#6 –The Place Beyond the Pines [+4]
#7 – Olympus Has Fallen [Even]
#8 – Evil Dead [-3]
#9 – Jurassic Park 3D [-3]
#10 – Oz the Great and Powerful [-2]
(New Release) [Change]

Tops From the Past

2008 – Baby Mama
2003 – Identity
1993 – Indecent Proposal [3^rd week]
1983 – Flashdance [2^nd week]
1973 – Charlotte's Web [3^rd week, 8^th week in release]

Box Office Premieres for the week of April 26th

Wide

Pain & Gain – [R] 
The Big Wedding – [R]

Limited

Mud – [PG-13]
At Any Price – [R]
The Reluctant Fundamentalist – [R]

Home Entertainment for the week of April 23rd

New Releases on DVD and Blu-Ray

Jurassic Park (1993) [3D version] – [PG-13]
Gangster Squad – [R]
The Impossible – [PG-13]
Promised Land – [NR]
A Haunted House – [R]

TV on DVD and Blu-Ray

Touched By An Angel: Season Seven (2000)

Maverick: The Complete Second Season (1958)

Iron Man: Armored Adventures - Season 2 (2011)

Blu-Rays From the Past

Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984) – [PG]

The Great Gatsby (1974) – [PG]

Richard III [Criterion Collection] (1955) – [NR]

Podcast Promos

The Hollywood Outsider
The Hollywood Outsider Podcast is four guys who love the same things you do - Entertainment. Not always PC, but always entertaining, our Podcast is for people who LOVE movies & TV. Listen and subscribe to The Hollywood Outsider, a weekly entertainment podcast, at iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Reader, Zune or anywhere you can get an RSS feed as well as on RockfordCollegeRadio Thursdays from 4-6! 

Netflix Streaming New Releases (April 21st, 2013 to April 27th, 2013)

http://feedfliks.com/streaming/coming-soon

April 21
The Count of Monte Cristo (1998) – [NR]

April 22

None

April 23

Are We There Yet? (2005) – [PG]

April 24
None

April 25
None

April 26
Arrested Development: The Road to Season 4 (2013) – [NR]

April 27
Muay Thai Warrior (2010) – [NR]

Quick Flicks

Summer Movie Preview

May 3

Iron Man 3 – [PG-13]

May 10

The Great Gatsby – [Currently not rated]

May 17

Star Trek Into Darkness – [Currently not rated]

May 24

Fast & Furious 6 – [Currently not rated]

The Hangover Part III – [Currently not rated]

Epic – [Currently not rated]

May 31

The Purge – [R]

June 7

After Earth – [Currently not rated]

Much Ado About Nothing – [Currently not rated]

June 14

Man of Steel – [PG-13]

June 21

Monsters University – [Currently not rated]

World War Z – [Currently not rated]

June 28

White House Down – [Currently not rated]

July 5

The Lone Ranger – [Currently not rated]

Despicable Me 2 – [Currently not rated]

July 12

Pacific Rim – [Currently not rated]

July 19

Red 2 – [Currently not rated]

R.I.P.D. – [Currently not rated]

Turbo – [Currently not rated]

July 26

The Wolverine – [Currently not rated]

August 2

300: Rise of an Empire – [Currently not rated]

The Smurfs 2 – [Currently not rated]

August 9

Elysium – [Currently not rated]

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters – [Currently not rated]

Planes – [Currently not rated]

August 16

Kick-Ass 2 – [Currently not rated]

August 23

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones – [Currently not rated]

August 30

None

September 6

Riddick – [R]

September 13

Machete Kills – [Currently not rated]

Links

Visit the Chronic Rift site
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Tweet on Twitter:  The Chronic Rift and The Weekly Podioplex
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Amazon Store

Every now and then, we pause in awe of the people we’ve had the opportunity to spend time with. Doug Trumbull, John Kricfalusi, and Paul Verhoeven in earlier years, Armin Shimerman and Frank Oz more recently — now it’s Martin Landau’s turn, and we couldn’t be happier.

In an extended and wide-ranging interview, we got a chance to discuss the length and breadth of Martin’s career. In the course of talking about his roles in NORTH BY NORTHWEST, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, and his Oscar-winning portrayal of Bela Lugois in ED WOOD — and much, much more — Martin provides insights on the art of acting, shares anecdotes from the set, and talks about the sometimes seamy politics that drive the film industry. It is, all told, a fascinating exploration of the life of an actor — click on the player to hear the show.

Comment on the episode here or write podcast@cinefantastique.com or call 888-866-9010. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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OBLIVION is a fun, state-of-the-art, big-studio science fiction adventurer, action-packed and, under the direction of Joseph Kosinski, quite beautiful. That, in its telling the tale of post-apocalyptic caretaker Tom Cruise discovering his alien-war-ravaged Earth suffered its wounds for reasons other than he was told (with Morgan Freeman doing for the Morpheus role what he previously did for penguins), the film isn’t much more than an assemblage of well-established science fiction tropes shouldn’t be an impediment to enjoyment — at a time when studio films seem to have a problem getting a basic story across, coming across a corking-good adventure is not something to sneeze at. Come join Cinefantastique Online’s Steve Biodrowski, Lawrence French, and Dan Persons as they debate the pluses and minuses of the film, and once again pledge their troth to Stanley Kubrick.

Also: Steve and Dan discuss Rob Zombie’s moody, new horror film, THE LORDS OF SALEM. Plus: Nothing coming to theaters next week.

Comment on the episode here or write podcast@cinefantastique.com or call 888-866-9010. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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Case Files will be a series of interviews with the actors, writers, producers, directors and stunt people who made our two bionic shows possible in the 70s.  First up is an interview with actor/writer James McMullan (SMDM: "The Thunderbird Connectionm" BW:"Kill Oscar 3" & "The Martians are Coming, The Martians are Coming")

Comment on the episode here or write abionicpodcast@gmail.com or call 888-866-9010 or better still use the "Send Voicemail" tab on the left of the page to leave a message via your computer.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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Growing up in Long Beach, Long Island, NY during the 1950's was a magical time for Jim McMullan. His fondest memories revolved around his friends, sports and making things. He was always creating something, inventing something, building something. That explains why he went off to college to learn more about art, design and architecture. He studied Industrial Design at New York University and Parsons School of Design for a year before enrolling in Kansas University's School of Architecture. For five years he involved himself in the arts: design, sculpture, art history and even theatre. After a girlfriend coaxed him into playing the lead in a college production of "Desire Under The Elms" by Eugene O'Neill, he spent much of his free time learning the craft of acting.

Jim has been a respected and highly recognizable actor for the past 40 years and has appeared in hundreds of TV series, movies and commercials. His many feature film credits include "The Incredible Shrinking Woman" (1981) and "Extreme Close-Up" (1973). He has guest-starred in over 150 TV shows including "MacGyver" (1985), "Doogie Howser, M.D." (1989), "The Six Million Dollar Man" (1974), "The F.B.I." (1965), "The Rockford Files" (1974), "Hart to Hart" (1979), "The A-Team" (1983), "9 to 5" (1986), "Stowaway to the Moon" (1975) (TV), "Father Knows Best: Home for Christmas" (1977) (TV), "Centennial" (1978) and "The Taking of Flight 847: The Uli Derickson Story" (1988) (TV).

Official Website - http://jimmcmullan.com/

Dan Persons says:

Behold the nuclear family what has outright exploded: Mother (Kristin Chenoweth) and father (Matthew Modine) are so wrapped up in their own agendas that they don't have time to tend to anything else; the kids, rudderless, are left to their own devices to cope. Time to hit the pause button, get everybody together for a few days of bonding and healing. Oh, and better gag and tie Mom and Dad down to their chairs, 'cause that's the only way they're gonna hold still enough for this to do any good.

In FAMILY WEEKEND, Kristen Chenoweth plays one of the victims of a therapeutic kidnapping gone comedically haywire. We got to talk with her about the role and the challenges of performing while immobilized. Click on the player to hear the show.

Comment on the episode here or write dan@mightymoviepodcast.com or call 888-866-9010.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

Official Website

Click on the player to hear Dan's interview.

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In the future -- and by "future," we mean 2001 -- the Chinese prison system will be stupid. Also violent, sadistic, and quite, quite unsanitary -- what with there not being a wall, fixture or floor that isn't thoroughly coated with the viscera of its unfortunate inhabitants -- but mostly really, really dumb. That's the big take-away from RIKI-OH: THE STORY OF RICKY, an ultra-violent Hong Kong martial arts film that doesn't so much tell a story as throw buckets of gore around and hope that viewers will, Rorschach-like, synthesize meaning from the incoherent mess.

Multimediumrare.com's Orenthal Hawkins joins Temple of Bad's Andrea Lipinski, Kevin Lauderdale, and Dan Persons to celebrate ToB's first anniversary, curse Dan's name for being the one to pick this episode's feature, and engage in possibly the liveliest exploration of a bad movie since theTemple opened its doors with a discussion of BIRDEMIC: SHOCK AND TERROR.

Comment on the episode here or write dan@mightymoviepodcast.com or call 888-866-9010.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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Anthony & Matt are joined by a couple of guests to discuss challenges of gaming with physical obstacles.

Comment on the episode here, write thecardboardjungle@gmail.com or by call (858) 236-9102.

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Musician, moviemaker, iconoclastic fan, Rob Zombie has built a formidable rep for himself by taking the horror genre and turning it to his own, unique vision. Now, after such wild rides as THE DEVIL’S REJECTS and HALLOWEEN, he ventures into new territory, telling a more nuanced tale of a New England DJ facing a hellish future when an accursed record introduces her to THE LORDS OF SALEM.

Dan Persons sits down with Rob and wife/star Sheri Moon Zombie, and the result is an energetic, off-the-cuff conversation incorporating, but not limited to, Rob’s views about reaching back to the roots of horror for his own work, the challenges of steering a low-budget project to a successful conclusion, and why there can be very little difference between actors stepping onto a set and high noon in Dodge City.

Comment on the episode here or write podcast@cinefantastique.com or call 888-866-9010. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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It's a short episode this week, but there's a very big movie that's made it to the top of the box office this week.  The question is, will a movie that opened last week in Europe and did very well there manage to knock 42 from the top?  Michael Falkner tells us all about it on an all new Weekly Podioplex.

Check out the full show notes and comment on the episode here or write weeklypodioplex@gmail.com or call 888-866-9010.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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Weekly Podioplex Notes

Introduction

Opening Clip: Oblivion

Box Office Report

Top Ten

#1 – 42
#2 – Scary Movie 5
#3 – The Croods [-2]
#4 – G.I. Joe: Retaliation [-2] 
#5 – Evil Dead [-4]
#6 – Jurassic Park 3D [-2]
#7 – Olympus Has Fallen [-2]
#8 – Oz the Great and Powerful [-1] 
#9 – Tyler Perry’s Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor[-3]
#10 – The Place Beyond the Pines [+3]
(New Release) [Change]

Tops From the Past

2008 – The Forbidden Kingdom
2003 – Anger Management [2^nd week]
1993 – Indecent Proposal [2^nd week]
1983 – Flashdance
1973 – Charlotte's Web [2^nd week, 6^th week in release]

Box Office Premieres for the week of April 19th

Wide

Oblivion – [PG-13] 

Limited
Lords of Salem – [R]
In the House – [R]

Home Entertainment for the week of April 16th

New Releases on DVD and Blu-Ray

Django Unchained – [R]
The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia – [R]
A Monster in Paris – [NR]

TV on DVD and Blu-Ray

In the Heat of the Night: Season Eight (1994)
Flash Gordon: The Complete Series (2007)

Blu-Rays From the Past

Repo Man [Criterion Collection] (1984) – [R]

Podcast Promos

The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences
The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences is an award winning a steampunk adventure romance series, written by husband and wife team Tee Morris and Pip Ballantine.

Netflix Streaming New Releases (April 14th, 2013 to April 20th, 2013)

April 14

Titanic: Blood and Steel (2012)

April 15

None

April 16
None

April 17
None

April 18
None

April 19
Hemlock Grove (2013)
Drop Dead Fred (1991) – [PG-13]

April 20

None

Quick Flicks

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures to open in 2017

The MTV Movie Awards

Links
Visit the Chronic Rift site
Leave voicemail toll-free: (888) 866-9010
Send e-mail
Tweet on Twitter:  The Chronic Rift and The Weekly Podioplex
Check-in on GetGlue
Listen on Stitcher Radio
Leave a review on iTunes:  The Chronic Rift and The Weekly Podioplex
Amazon Store

SCARY MOVIE V opened this week! Yeah, us neither. So instead of delving in-depth into this weekend’s big release (takeaway: A HAUNTED HOUSE was much funnier), Cinefantastique Online’s Steve Biodrowski and Dan Persons deliver a quick capsule review, and then Lawrence French joins them for a fiftieth anniversary discussion of stop-motion animator Ray Harryhausen’s epic fantasy (actually directed by Don Chaffey), JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS. Featuring such wondrous creatures as winged harpies, a deadly hydra, and an armed troop of bloodthirsty skeletons, the film stands at the pinnacle of Harryhausen’s career, and well worth discovering if you’ve never seen it before. But if you’re still faltering: SCARY MOVIE V sets a baby on fire. So there’s that. 

Plus: What’s coming to theaters this weekend.

Comment on the episode here or write podcast@cinefantastique.com or call 888-866-9010. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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Dan Persons says:

French filmmaker Francois Ozon is once again messing with your mind, telling a tale of envy, desire, and literary license in IN THE HOUSE. Wry and dark, the film is about a teacher (Fabrice Luchini) who becomes obsessed when the writings of a teenager (Ernst Umhauer) turn into an account of his insinuation into the life and household of a fellow student. When the reports go from voyeurism to acts of seduction, and possibly worse, the mentor finds himself taxed with the increasingly urgent need to determin how much is reality and how much merely a reflection of the teen's dark imaginings. A clever examination of the responsibilities artists have to their audiences, and vice-versa, the film's another twisty, enthralling showcase for Ozon.

An ardent fan of the director's, I was delighted to have Ozon on the show again to talk about bringing this story to the screen, and his intent in doing so. Click on the player to hear the interview.

Comment on the episode here or write dan@mightymoviepodcast.com or call 888-866-9010.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

Official Website

Click on the player to hear Dan's interview.

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The remake of Evil Dead made it to the top of the box office this week.  Can it hold that place for another weekend?  Michael Falkner has all the news and release information on an all new Weekly Podioplex.

Check out the full show notes and comment on the episode here or write weeklypodioplex@gmail.com or call 888-866-9010.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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Dan Persons says:

ANTIVIRAL is set in an alternate-but-not-too-alternate universe where fame is everything, and the grand bulk of the economy seems built around markets in steaks cloned and viruses farmed from celebrities. The film marks the directing debut of Brandon Cronenberg — son of David Cronenberg — and while its biologic creepiness demonstrates a clear blood-line (we can’t keep away from these metaphors), its clinical ambiance and dark humor are all its own.

I got to sit down with Brandon to discuss the promises and dangers of being gifted a distinctive legacy, and how this first feature throws a stark light on our present-day cult of celebrity. Click on the player to hear the show.

Comment on the episode here or write podcast@cinefantastique.com or call 888-866-9010. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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A doppleganger of Steve has been placed within the OSI, but when he is accidentally killed, Steve decides to take his place and find out who arranged for the duplicate. Joining John and Paul is Time Life Six Million Dollar Man DVD Collection consultant Matt Hankinson.

Comment on the episode here or write abionicpodcast@gmail.com or call 888-866-9010 or better still use the "Send Voicemail" tab on the left of the page to leave a message via your computer.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

Rating: 

Bionic Wiki entry

The Six Million Dollar Blog entry
(coming soon)

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Matt Hankinson writes, "Besides the Time-Life DVD release of SMDM (for which I served as "chief creative consultant"), I had previously worked with Herbie J Pilato on his long-in-development  The Bionic Book , and served as consultant and wrote the episode copy for Rittenhouse Archive's 2004 Six Million Dollar Mantrading card series. I also attended both Bionicon conventions (2006 & 2007) and several of Lindsay Wagner's fan events. With the exception of Lee Majors, I've been fortunate to have met all the cast members and producer Kenneth Johnson. I've known both Paul and Joe from our years at the online forum, and have met Paul in-person at the Bionicons and Lindsay's events.

"I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I've been a HUGE fan of both bionic shows since I first saw the SMDM pilot movie when I was seven years old. It's literally been a life-long fascination and dedication for me. Getting to work so extensively on the SMDM DVD release was like a dream-come-true, and being able to bring a few friends along for the ride made it extra special."

The new EVIL DEAD, directed by feature newcomer Fede Alvarez, may seem to be the latest chapter in Hollywood’s ongoing descent into creative bankruptcy. But is that actually so? Cinefantastique Online’s Steve Biodrowski, Lawrence French, and Dan Persons get together to debate whether this return to Sam Raimi’s prototypical cabin-in-the-woods bloodbath is yet another wan knockoff being shoveled into theaters in lieu of, oh, something new and different, or a fitting follow-up that respects Raimi’s delirious, anything-for-a-scream aesthetic and then throws in an emotional grounding not exhibited in the previous entries.

Then, Steve and Dan discuss the nuanced, Norwegian horror film THALE, and Dan gives his opinion of the not-quite-as-nuanced horror comedy, EDDIE THE SLEEPWALKING CANNIBAL. Plus: What’s coming to theaters next week.

Comment on the episode here or write podcast@cinefantastique.com or call 888-866-9010. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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We're back with a new episode as we play a little catch-up here.  In this episode, John features an entire run of a Superman story, one he started before the hiatus.  Hear how Superman deals with "Hans Holbin's Doll Factory" from June 1940. Please comment on this episode in the forums or write john@chronicrift.com or call 888-866-9010.

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Trivia: This episode is being released out of order as we were having issues with the encoder around the holidays last year.  

Dan Persons says:

There's something about a Don Coscarelli film, something that says, "We're gonna mess with your brain, now." But if power-drill-equipped flying orbs, interplanetary gateways stashed away in funeral homes, or Elvis battling soul-sucking mummies didn't freak you out in such films as PHANTASM and BUBBA HO-TEP, maybe the director's latest, JOHN DIES AT THE END, will do it, featuring as it does a couple of paranormal crime-fighters who have to contend with hallucinogenic soy sauce, trans-temporal cell phones, and sentient, cannibalistic sludge.

We got to talk with Coscarelli about the influences that led to the fevered insanity of his films, the shock of being hailed as one the godfathers of horror's rebirth, and odds of the world ever seeing BUBBA NOSFERATU. Click on the player to hear the show.

Comment on the episode here or write podcast@cinefantastique.com or call 888-866-9010. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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We continue our series of interviews from last October's New York Comic Con as John sits down with Max Gladstone.  They discuss his premiere novel,Three Parts Dead and how one can write an original novel in this day and age.

Take a moment to comment on this episode in the forums, or by writing john@chronicrift.com or by calling 888-866-9010.

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Max Gladstone’s novel Three Parts Dead was published by Tor Books in October 2012.  Two Serpents Rise, the next book in the Craft Sequence, is due out in October 2013.

Max has taught in southern Anhui, wrecked a bicycle in Angkor Wat, and been thrown from a horse in Mongolia.  Max graduated from Yale University, where he studied Chinese.

Here are two ways you can contact Max:

Twitter: @maxgladstone

Email: me (at) maxgladstone (dot) com

If you’re interested in translating Max’s work, please contact:

Taryn Fagerness, foreign rights agent
Taryn Fagerness Agency
taryn.fagerness@gmail.com
www.tarynfagernessagency.com

Podcast Promos

The Castlecast
Dead Robots Society Podcast

Keith presents another story from his forthcoming collection, Tales from Dragon Precinct, "Catch and Release."  Take a moment to comment on the episode in the forums or by writing krad@whysper.net or by calling 888-866-9010.

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Michael Falkner returns with an all new Weekly Podioplex.  There's a new Joe at the top of the box office heap.  There's also some interesting new choices to view on Netflix streaming.  

Check out the full show notes and comment on the episode here or write weeklypodioplex@gmail.com or call 888-866-9010.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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With its nuanced evaluation of modern warfare and the place of the soldier in today’s society, G.I. JOE: RETALIATION represents an innovative vision of armed conflict waged on a global scale. Oh, who are we kidding? G.I. JOE: RETALIATION is the second entry in the toy-based franchise, featuring Dwayne Johnson, Bruce Willis, and Ray Stevenson  facing off the baddies of Cobra in order to make the world safe for… Not sure. Other toys, possibly?

Cinefantastique Online’s Steve Biodrowski and Dan Persons discuss whether the film will leave audiences shouting “Yo, Joe!” or “Oh, no!” Then, reflecting the rather dizzying variety of new genre films released this past weekend, they discuss ROOM 237, a documentary that examines people’s surprisingly baroque relationships with Stanley Kubrick’s THE SHINING; WRONG, Quentin Dupieux’s latest dip into skewed reality; and Dan discusses the existential survival film, DETOUR.

Plus: What’s coming to theaters.

Comment on the episode here or write podcast@cinefantastique.com or call 888-866-9010. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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Dan Persons says:

Breaking through the clichés is what writer/director Sally El Hosaini is all about. Her debut feature, MY BROTHER THE DEVIL, is about Egyptians living in London, and there isn't a terrorist among them. There are, however, artists, students, drug dealers, petty thieves, and in the middle of it, two brothers, elder Rashid (James Floyd) and younger Mo (Fadi Elsayed), the former drifting away from his life of crime, the latter being slowly seduced into it. But if you think this is PUBLIC ENEMY filtered through the Quran, guess again. When Rashid finds himself falling in love with a handsome photographer, it's clear Hosaini is prepared to take the audience to places Jimmy Cagney never dreamed of visiting.

We got a chance to talk with Sally El Hosaini and James Floyd. Click on the player to hear the interview.

Comment on the episode here or write dan@mightymoviepodcast.com or call 888-866-9010.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

Facebook Page

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Anthony, Paul & Matt set themselves up for future gaming woes by talking about some of their pet peeves. The next con should be a hoot ;)

Comment on the episode by visiting the forums, writing thecardboardjungle@gmail.com or by calling (858) 236-9102.

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Dan Persons says:

Okay, yet another reason not to move to Southern California. In DETOUR, an ambitious businessman gets trapped in his car when it's knocked off the road and buried in a mudslide. Actor Neil Hopkins carries most of the weight of this existential nightmare, playing a man confronting a modern-dayPremature Burial, trapped in a vehicle that could offer the tools for survival or very quickly become his coffin. We talked with Hopkins about the pressures accompanying the production of this small, intense film, as well as discuss his time playing Charlie Pace's brother on LOST, his role as the first abductee in SKYLINE, and much more. Click on the player to hear the show.

Comment on the episode here or write podcast@cinefantastique.com or call 888-866-9010. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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We should be grateful that mainstream entertainment has evolved enough for an animated tale of a prehistoric family not to be solely defined by how many times the work “rock” is prefixed to other nouns. The new DreamWorks film, THE CROODS, is about a primitive clan — led by cautious father Nicolas Cage — facing their own evolutionary upheavals, including a rebellious teen daughter (Emma Stone), a brainy stranger — he’s got shoes! (Ryan Reynolds), and a little thing called the continental drift. Cinefantastique Online’s Steve Biodrowski, Lawrence French, and Dan Persons saw this fanciful tale of survival, and got together to discuss the awesome production design, the occasionally-serviceable, occasionally-better comedy, and when we’ll see it’s-all-about-family plotting finally collapse from total exhaustion.

Plus: Dan discusses the low-budget horror film, A RESURRECTION; what’s coming to theaters; and Steve vanishes into a temporal rift.

Comment on the episode here or write podcast@cinefantastique.com or call 888-866-9010. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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Dan Persons says:

The subject of the documentary YOU DON'T NEED FEET TO DANCE, Sidiki Conde, is possibly the very definition of determination and resilience. Born in Guinea, stricken with polio that lost him the use of his legs as a teen, overcoming that stigma by forming an orchestra of disabled artists that toured the country, Conde eventually found his way to New York City, where he performs as musician and dancer (yes, dancer), teaches disabled and non-disabled children, and just generally meets the challenges of the toughest city in the world with his own indomitable spirit. Director Alan Govenar (THE BEAT HOTEL) takes us inside a few days in Conde's life, showing him tackling obstacles such as living in a fifth-floor walk-up, dealing with New York traffic, and motivating kids facing their own challenges.

I met up with Sidiki and Alan in the musician's apartment for an in-depth discussion on the motives for this illuminating documentary and the complexities that accompanied its filming. Click on the player to hear the show.

Comment on the episode here or write dan@mightymoviepodcast.com or call 888-866-9010.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

Official Website

Click on the player to hear Dan's interview.

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The last male golden cougar is in danger of making the extinction list as a group of ranchers want it dead.  But Steve, at the request of an old friend of his, wants to save the cat, Teneha.  Joining John and Paul is The Six Million Dollar Blog author Alex Green

Comment on the episode here or write abionicpodcast@gmail.com or call 888-866-9010 or better still use the "Send Voicemail" tab on the left of the page to leave a message via your computer.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

Rating: 

Bionic Wiki entry

The Six Million Dollar Blog entry
(coming soon)

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Dan Persons says:

It's our first Spielberg veteran here at CFQi, and a good one, too. Dee Wallace probably reached her greatest audience as the progressive but put-upon suburban mom of E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL, but she had previously developed her genre chops in two landmark horror titles: Wes Craven's THE HILLS HAVE EYES and Joe Dante's THE HOWLING, and most recently took her career in a darkly satirical direction with her work in the Asylum's gory, fractured fairy tale, HANSEL AND GRETEL. Our conversation with Dee was frank and incisive, taking in a discussion of Spielberg's personal investment in his films, the emotional complications of doing explicit sex scenes, and what it's like breaking into the business on a low-budget horror film. Click on the player to hear the show.

Comment on the episode here or write podcast@cinefantastique.com or call 888-866-9010. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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The Wizard continues to hold the top spot at the box office.  Plus, there are no new Netflix releases for this week, but we have a slew of movie news in the Quick Flicks.  Michael Falkner has all this and more on a new Weekly Podioplex.

Check out the full show notes and comment on the episode here or write weeklypodioplex@gmail.com or call 888-866-9010.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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With no new nationwide release in the genres of horror, fantasy, and/or science fiction, this week’s episode of the Cinefantastique Spotlight Podcast sets its sights on two films in limited engagements: STOKER and UPSIDE DOWN. The former is a thriller and alleged horror film (its title taken from Bram Stoker, author of DRACULA, although the film contains no vampires). The latter is a fantasy love story disguised as a science fiction film, about a boy and a girl from opposite worlds – in this case, opposite gravity, who learn to bridge the gap that divides them. Tune in as Lawrence French and Steve Biodrowski sift through gorgeous cinematography and stunning special effects, searching for signs of a good script.

Comment on the episode here or write podcast@cinefantastique.com or call 888-866-9010. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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Trivia: This was the last live episode we produced.  It got a little out of control with the folks that called in and Andrea refused to do another after that.  The discussion went short due to the longer interview and Sci-Fi Channel preview that was run, so a second part was commissioned the following year.

Dan Persons says:

It's amazing some researchers haven't figured out a way of determining personalities based on what aspect of Frank Oz's career one is impressed with. Of course there's Yoda -- Frank voiced the beloved, and powerful, Jedi master, operated the puppet for most of the STAR WARS films, and for many helped form the heart and soul of the franchise. For me, it's both the time he spent with Jim Henson -- developing characters such as Miss Piggy and Grover and innovating puppetry in that surprisingly visionary company -- and his work in the director's chair for LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, taking the musical stage adaptation of the Roger Corman's dark comedy and creating a rich and wondrous, albeit murderous, film world. I was able to talk with Oz on the occasion of the Blu-ray release of the film, which restores the original, apocalyptic Don't Feed the Plants finale that was cut from the theatrical release. We also got to talk Muppets, STAR WARS, and the mysterious allure of sequel rumors. Click on the player to hear the show.

Comment on the episode here or write podcast@cinefantastique.com or call 888-866-9010. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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It takes a wizard to topple the giant as Oz takes the top of the box office.  Plus, there is a slew of new TV on DVD releases this week.  Michael Falkner has all this and more on a new Weekly Podioplex.

Check out the full show notes and comment on the episode here or write weeklypodioplex@gmail.com or call 888-866-9010.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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Another film that answers questions we didn’t ask, OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL is a prequel showing how the magical land over the rainbow got its formidable-but-all-too-fallible wizard. Director Sam Raimi makes his 3D debut in this big-budget project, recruiting James Franco as his soon-too-be Oz, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, and Michelle Williams as a trio of witches good and wicked, and Zach Braff and Joey King voicing some of the kingdom’s more magical inhabitants: a flying monkey and a China girl. Cinefantastique Online’s Steve Biodrowski, Lawrence French, and Dan Persons bought a round-trip ticket to this fantasy world, and are back to discuss whether the newer actors live up to their original counterparts in 1939’sTHE WIZARD OF OZ, if the CG-enhanced visuals add new grandeur to the predecessor’s production design, and if the entire experience is more like a wild ride into a tornado or a soporific stroll through a field of poppies.

Also: Steve gives his opinion of THE ABCS OF DEATH, and what’s coming to theaters next week.

Comment on the episode here or write podcast@cinefantastique.com or call 888-866-9010. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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The boys are back to recap their weekend at TotalCon..They talk zombies, dungeons, space ships, 18 wheelers, gladiators and well lets just say they talk ..a lot.

Comment on the episode by visiting the forums, writing thecardboardjungle@gmail.com or by calling (858) 236-9102.

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Dan Persons says:

Quick, when I throw out the name Keith David, what’s your first thought? Him casting a suspicious glance towards Kurt Russell in THE THING? The fistfight with Rowdy Roddy Piper in THEY LIVE? Maybe it’s the noble and ferocious Goliath from GARGOYLES or the nefarious Dr. Facilier from THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG? Face it, the guy’s been around, including a notable performance in the various storylines of CLOUD ATLAS and, on the non-genre side, a recent turn as a dying and remorseful father in the drama THE LAST FALL. That kind of career requires a plus-sized CFQ Interview, and we’re delighted that Keith consented to spend the time with us to talk about a career that has spanned the length and breadth of stage and screens both big and little. Click on the player to hear the show.

Comment on the episode here or write podcast@cinefantastique.com or call 888-866-9010. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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With apologies, here is the latest episode of The Weekly Podioplex.  It's a quiet week on the release front, but there is one great and powerful movie that may prove competitive to the Giant Slayer.

Check out the full show notes and comment on the episode here or write weeklypodioplex@gmail.com or call 888-866-9010.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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Once again, America has taken a look at the latest revisionist fairy tale and sighed a collective, "Why?" JACK THE GIANT SLAYER flopped at the box-office in its opening weekend, despite a mammoth budget, attractive leads, and director Bryan Singer expanding the story of a humble peasant vs. a ravenous giant into something that incorporates a plucky princess, an enchanted crown, a sardonic soldier, a war between giants and humanity, and much, (maybe too) much more. But is the audience's resounding apathy deserved? Come join Cinefantastique Online's Steve Biodrowski, Lawrence French, and Dan Persons as they discuss this 3D attempt to do bigger better and weigh whether this version distinguishes itself from the revisionist lot, or is just more fee-fi-fo-fum.

Plus: Steve gives his capsule review of THE LAST EXORCISM PART II, and what's coming to theaters next week.

Comment on the episode here or write podcast@cinefantastique.com or call 888-866-9010. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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Dr. Dolenz returns for one final confrontation with Steve.  This time, he's taking no chances as he replaces Oscar with one of his robot duplicates.  As Steve's most trusted friend, the robot manipulates Steve into a trap which could kill him.  But Steve has a few tricks up his sleeve, thanks to his friend Barney, the inventor.  Joining John and Paul to determine which is the real Oscar Goldman is author Dayton Ward and thesix1973.com webmaster Joseph Burns.  Special thanks must go to Robin Spannell for the use of his audio recordings of original Six Million Dollar Man promos from ABC.  Check out Robin's original music and tributes to Oliver Nelson's soundtrack for The Six Million Dollar Man here.

Comment on the episode here or write abionicpodcast@gmail.com or call 888-866-9010 or better still use the "Send Voicemail" tab on the left of the page to leave a message via your computer.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

Rating: 

Bionic Wiki entry

The Six Million Dollar Blog entry
(coming soon)

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Dayton Ward is the author of numerous media tie-in fiction works in such realms asStar Trek and The 4400.  He is also the author of such original works asCounterstrike, The Last World War, Book 2and The Genesis Protocol. When he's not writing or working for a software design firm, he's busy indoctrinating his two lovely daughters into the worlds that have so seriously warped his mind.

Joseph Burns was born in Washington D.C., and grew up there until his family moved to California in the late 70's. A film and TV buff, he attended the Film/Video program at UC Santa Cruz, getting his bachelor's in 1996. After Film School, Joe moved to LA and worked in Post Production. He is the editor of "Skywalker: The David Thompson Story," a one hour sports documentary which aired on NBA-TV and was distributed on DVD by Image Entertainment.

In addition to video editing, Joe has developed websites, interactive CD-ROMs and DVDs. He operates the SMDM fan website "The Six 1973"and is a major contributor/admin at The Bionic Wiki. In 2010, he was recruited to advise Time-Life on The Six Million Dollar Man: The Complete Collection, and was interviewed for the set at the Pasadena Rock N' ComiCon last Spring.

Today Joe lives in San Francisco and is the owner of a very large cat named Fritz.

Trivia: No trivia.

Dan Persons says:

Can a well-meaning inventor of largely useless, if not downright dangerous, gadgets find fulfillment and meaning in these desperate times? MASTER OF INVENTIONS may not have the answer, but it does have a lot of fun with the question. Produced independently and distributed for free on the web (yes, you can watch in now, here [link: http://www.masterofinventions.com/]), the comedy takes a free-form approach to telling its story, intermixing the romantic struggles of ambitious quasi-genius Jeff Murdoch (played by, guess what, Jeff Murdoch), with his attempts to escape the corporation that has saddled his name to such disastrous products as the Singing GPS system and Crystal Coffee. If you ever wondered whether the people who come up with the Clapper and the Slapper-Chopper are truly happy with their careers, here's your chance to find out.

We got a chance to talk with the film's co-director, Joe Avella -- click on the player to hear the show.

Comment on the episode here or write dan@mightymoviepodcast.com or call 888-866-9010.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

http://www.masterofinventions.com/

Click on the player to hear Dan's interview.

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Master of Inventions First 5 Minutes from Joe Avella on Vimeo.

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It's not easy playing the ingénue in the psycho-sexual farrago that is Clive Barker's HELLRAISER -- one has to maintain one's humanity while being pursued by your demonic, hell-bent-for-incest uncle (masquerading as your father!) and courted by the sadomasochistic nightmares that are the Cenobites. Ashley Laurence pulled it off, and established herself as a supreme scream queen, following up with appearances in the HELLRAISER sequels as well a numerous genre and non-genre productions.

We were able to speak with Ashley on the occasion of the release of make-up effects artist Robert Hall's semi-autobiographical drama, LIGHTNING BUG, in which Ms. Laurence plays the damaged mother of the film's teen protagonist, a boy who dreams only of escaping life in his dead-end Southern town to make monsters in Hollywood. Click on the player to hear the show.

Comment on the episode here or write podcast@cinefantastique.com or call 888-866-9010. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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Look what's back at the top of the box office.  Despite all the new releases last week, Identity Thief returned to the top.  Plus, there's a bunch of new DVD-on-TV releases and new Quick Flicks.  Michael Falkner has all this and more on an all newWeekly Podioplex.

Check out the full show notes and comment on the episode here or write weeklypodioplex@gmail.com or call 888-866-9010.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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If there’s one thing we know about a Blumhouse film, it’s that the producers of the PARANORMAL ACTIVITY franchise are convinced the American family just isn’t safe at home. In the case of DARK SKIES, the entities bedeviling a married couple (Keri Russell and Josh Hamilton) and their two young sons (Dakota Goyo and Kadan Rockett) aren’t restless spirits, but malevolent aliens, determined to put the suburbanites through the wringer for reasons unclear, even to alien expert J.K. Simmons.

Cinefantastique Online’s Steve Biodrowski, Lawrence French and Dan Persons get together to see if spooky stuff is spookier with a science fiction twist, and how exactly a typically overextended, middle-class family manages to afford a comprehensive home security system and room-to-room video surveillance. (Possible explanation: selling the footage to Blumhouse Productions.) Plus: What’s coming to theaters this Friday.

Comment on the episode here or write podcast@cinefantastique.com or call 888-866-9010. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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MAC AND ME is another one of those transformative experiences -- a film so awful, a film so wrongheaded in all its aspects, a film so cynically devised and ham-fistedly executed that it practically redefines the idea of the bad film. An obvious rip-off of the Steven Spielberg classic, E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL, M&M (ironically one of the few products notplugged during the film) takes the scenario of a stranded alien adopted by a lonely boy and replaces stellar filmmaking with ill-advised "comedy," and a sense of wonder with endless product placements. Plus: unmotivated chases, bad alien makeup, a dance sequence at a McDonalds, a rampaging vacuum cleaner, reckless vandalism, and a boy in a wheelchair rolling down a hill to his imminent death. It's fun!

So sit back, unwrap your Big Mac, pour a nice, hearty bowl of Skittles, open up a can of Coca-Cola, keep a roll of Brawny paper towels handy, shut off your Sears power tools (we could go on), and join Andrea Lipinski, Kevin Lauderdale, and Dan Persons as they tackle one of cinema's true monuments of awfulness.

Comment on the episode here or write dan@mightymoviepodcast.com or call 888-866-9010.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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It takes some kind of actor to take the role of a Nazi sadist and make it more than just a broad caricature. And it's no mean feat to then become the flesh-and-blood incarnation of one of comics' most notorious egotists and turn him into a person you might consider hanging out with. J.K. Simmons has done that and -- besides just defining the roles of OZ's Vern Schillinger (scary) and SPIDER-MAN's J. Jonah Jameson (even scarier) -- has also played parts that include the adult son of a world savior in LEGEND OF KORRA, a skeptical police psychiatrist in the LAW AND ORDER franchise, and a reclusive hermit with the answers to a young clone's vexing questions in THE VENTURE BROS. Now he's appearing as the man who can bring some insight into the paranormal nightmare that has claimed an innocent family in the new thriller, DARK SKIES. We got a chance to speak with him about that role and many more -- click on the player to hear the show.

Comment on the episode here or write podcast@cinefantastique.com or call 888-866-9010. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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Steve is sent to recover a missing nuclear device to a remote island in the South Pacific.  There, he must deal with a Japanese solider who thinks that his country is still at war with the United States.  But this isn't the typical crazed solider thinks the war is still ongoing.  Writer Judy Burns crafts a story that far surpasses people's expectations of this type of story.  Joining John and Paul is science fiction author Robert J. Sawyer. Comment on the episode here or write abionicpodcast@gmail.com or call 888-866-9010 or better still use the "Send Voicemail" tab on the left of the page to leave a message via your computer.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

Rating: 

Bionic Wiki entry

The Six Million Dollar Blog entry
(coming soon)

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Robert J. Sawyer has won the Hugo, Nebula, John W. Campbell Memorial, Aurora, Hal Clement, and Audie Awards, all for best novel of the year, as well as the top SF awards in Japan, China, France, and Spain. According to the Locus Index to Science Fiction Awards, he is the #1 all-time worldwide leader in number of award wins as a science fiction or fantasy novelist. His 21st novel,Triggers, a 2012 title from Penguin Canada, was a Globe and Mail, Maclean’s, and Locus bestseller, and he’s hit #1 on the Amazon.com Technothrillers bestsellers list. Rob’s previous novels are all in print, including The Terminal Experiment; Calculating God; Hominids; Mindscan; Rollback; FlashForward (basis for the ABC TV series); and the WWW trilogy of Wake, Watch, and Wonder(each of which separately won the Aurora Award for Best Novel of the Year). His website is at sfwriter.com.

Trivia: The review segment would change shortly as Dan Persons would team up with David Nahmod.

It was a good day for Bruce Willis at the box office this weekend.  Can you believe it, Netflix has no new releases in for their streaming service.  Things have been sparce the last few weeks and now this.  Strange.  Plus, some great TV on DVD releases including one that is near and dear to John Drew and Paul K. Bisson's hearts.   Michael Falkner has all this and more on an all new Weekly Podioplex.

Check out the full show notes and comment on the episode here or write weeklypodioplex@gmail.com or call 888-866-9010.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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The TWILIGHTing of romantic fantasy continues apace. In WARM BODIES a few weeks ago, director Jonathan Levine managed to take the human teen/inhuman teen (in this case, a zombie) romance and grace it with humor and  genuine emotion; in the upcoming THE HOST, Andrew Niccol tackles TWILIGHT mistressStephanie Meyer’s take on INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, ideally avoiding the anticipated liberation of the genre from anything that would make it scary or effective. But for this week, it’s BEAUTIFUL CREATURES, the tale of a young man (Alden Ehrenreich) dreaming of greater things who may find it in the courtship of a soulful “caster,” or witch (Alice Englert), if only she can free herself from a curse that may doom her to a life of evil. The writer and director here is Richard LaGravenese, raising the question: Can the man who was an Oscar nominee for THE FISHER KING and has garnered praise for his screenplays for A LITTLE PRINCESS and BELOVED, among others, bring a similar intelligence to a teen-oriented romance? beabetterbooktalker.com’s Andrea Lipinski joins Cinefantastique Online’s Steve Biodrowski and Dan Persons to find out.

Then, Steve gives his verdict on the CG-animated, science fiction comedy, ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH; plus: listener mail and what’s coming to theaters next week.

Comment on the episode here or write podcast@cinefantastique.com or call 888-866-9010. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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Trivia: This episode was from an offair recording from the Manhattan Neighborhood Network, giving us a glimpse of what a transmission was like.  Note the MMN placard at the beginning and the network's disclaimer at the end.

Dan Persons says:

Friends are friends, right up to the point they move in with you. Then, they're less friends and more a Skinnerian experiment in how long one can accommodate one's life to the demands of another before the psyche fractures permanently. In the based-on-real-life comedy FRED AND VINNIE, comedian and actor Fred Stoller (EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND; SEINFELD) brings amiable, agoraphobic friend Vinnie (Angelo Tsarouchas) into his home, and discovers the man's passive-aggressive demeanor and obsessive-compulsive behavior doesn't quite sync with the responsibilities of a show-business professional. Written by Stoller and directed by RAYMOND writer/producer Steve Skrovan, the film's at once darkly funny and genuinely empathetic, a knowing examination of neuroses in conflict. We reached out to Fred Stoller to talk about the project; click on the player to hear the interview.

Comment on the episode here or write dan@mightymoviepodcast.com or call 888-866-9010.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

Watch FRED AND VINNIE on

NETFLIX INSTANT VIEW

Click on the player to hear Dan's interview.

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Two great tastes that go great together.  Reece's Peanut Butter Cups?  Better.  The Strawdog Theater Group of Chicago is producing a theatrical version of the IDW comic book, Kill Shakespeare. But there's more to it than a simple theatrical production.  This is a multi-media event.  This kind of an event needs more than one guest to enthuse about how cool this is.  John sits down with director Anderson Lawfer, co-writer and co-creator Anthony del Col, and artist Andy Belanger to find out more about this new genre of theater.  Check out the preview in the player below.

Take a moment to comment on this episode in the forums, or by writing john@chronicrift.com or by calling 888-866-9010.

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Anderson Lawfer moved to Chicago from NYC 10 years ago and has performed with over two dozen theatre companies. He is an ensemble member at Strawdog Theatre where he has been seen in Red Noses, State of the Union, Marathon '33, among others. He is a regular contributor to Paper Machete: A Live Weekly Magazine. He also hosts a few different game shows including The Game Show Show...and Stuff!and Theater Wars! He has written numerous radio plays and essays and his blog: Reviews You Can Iews has become a Chicago Theatre staple.

Anthony Del Col has worked in the music, film and television industries, produced two independent feature films and most recently assisted with the management of international pop star Nelly Furtado and her world tour.  He is the co-creator/co-writer of Kill Shakespeare from IDW Publishing.

Andy Belanger works as a freelance cartoonist/illustrator out of the Montreal-based Studio Lounak. He does work in the mainstream comic market, plus a wide variety of work for the Canadian Film and Television industry. In the mainstream comic market, Andy has worked for such comic publishers as D.C. comics, Wildstorm, Devil's Due, and Boom! He is currently the artist on IDW’s new title Kill Shakespeare.The series has sold close to 40,000 copies since its spring 2010 launch, garnering glowing reviews—The New York Times described it as “gripping, violent and dark fun.” In early December, acclaimed Broadway and Hollywood director Julie Taymor mentioned Kill Shakespeare on ‘The Colbert Report’ and Colbert replied, “Make that movie!” For D.C. Comics' Andy is the creator of the digital comic series, Bottle of Awesome, which is launching its second season. In the web collective ‘Transmission-X’, Andy is the writer/artist on Raising Hell.

The show gets a little controversial when designers Robert Burke and Dirk Knemeyer drop in to discuss their game designs. Nick returns with another retro game segment and the boys welcome a new contributor to the fold. So we know who Burke and Dirk are but who is that other guy?

Comment on the episode by visiting the forums, writing thecardboardjungle@gmail.com or by calling (858) 236-9102.

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Check his IMDB listing, you’ll discover Casper Van Dien has a full, rich career, including key roles in SLEEPY HOLLOW and MONK. But if you’re a genre film fan of a certain demeanor, you see his name and you tag him as does a subtitle in the recent comedy NOOBZ: “That Guy from STARSHIP TROOPERS.” Van Dien has moved on, recently branching out into comedy with his appearance in the video-game-themed NOOBZ, and with a sharp take-down of ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER over at Funny or Die. For our conversation on CFQi, though, he was more than happy to revisit his career as Johnny Rico, talking about the legacy the character has created and confirming one ongoing legend about the notorious, coed shower scene. Click on the player to hear the show.

Comment on the episode here or write podcast@cinefantastique.com or call 888-866-9010. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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A love from Steve's past comes back into his life.  The two pick up their relationship where they left off.  But when the woman's husband, a scientist thought dead, turns up much alive and wanting to be reunited, it's a battle for Steve that bionics will not help. Joining John and Paul is author Dayton Ward. Comment on the episode here or write abionicpodcast@gmail.com or call 888-866-9010 or better still use the "Send Voicemail" tab on the left of the page to leave a message via your computer.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

Rating: 

Bionic Wiki entry

The Six Million Dollar Blog entry
(coming soon)

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Dayton Ward is the author of numerous media tie-in fiction works in such realms as Star Trek and The 4400.  He is also the author of such original works as Counterstrike, The Last World War, Book 2and The Genesis Protocol. When he's not writing or working for a software design firm, he's busy indoctrinating his two lovely daughters into the worlds that have so seriously warped his mind.

What is the identity of the movie that took the top spot in the box office race?  There's this as well as news on the individual releases of the James Bond films on Blu-Ray and a new Doctor WhoDVD.  Michael Falkner has all this and more on an all new Weekly Podioplex.

Check out the full show notes and comment on the episode here or write weeklypodioplex@gmail.com or call 888-866-9010.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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Next vacation, break away to beautiful Bodega Bay, CA, where the welcome is warm, the sun is shining, and the gulls want to peck your eyes out. Don’t order the fried chicken.

With no new genre release in the theaters, the Spotlight gang takes a fiftieth anniversary look at Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 classic of nature in revolt (and psycho-sexual tension), THE BIRDS. Having all undergone the same, formative (some would say traumatic) childhood experience when the film debuted on broadcast TV back in the sixties, Cinefantastique Online’s Steve Biodrowski, Lawrence French,  and Dan Persons return to one of Hitchcock’s most enigmatic works, placing the film into the context of his long and impressive career, discussing whether its impact still holds (short answer: Oh my God, yes), and trying to sort out its myriad puzzles. Board up the windows, block the fireplace, and click the player to hear the show. 

Comment on the episode here or write podcast@cinefantastique.com or call 888-866-9010. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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Dan Persons says:

Turns out the will of the people rather closely resembles that of the Pepsi Generation. In 1988, Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet was forced to stage a plebiscite on his administration, allowing his subjects to vote YES or NO on continuing his rule for another eight years. When Pinochet briefly opens up the television airwaves to his opposition, his adversaries call upon René, a young advertising executive (Gael Garcia Bernal) to run the campaign. But rather than create a furious indictment of the dictatorship's many offenses, René applies modern marketing theory to offer the viewing public a cheery collection of sketches, commercials, and music videos promising the arrival of happiness once freedom is achieved.

NO, director Pablo Larrain's slightly fictionalized account of the "No" campaign, provides a stirring and frequently wry glimpse into how a despot was ironically undermined via application of the capitalist philosophy he championed. The film was enough to net Chile its very first Oscar nomination in the foreign language category, and I was able to get some time with Larrain to discuss the project -- how it all came together, and what difficulties accompanied his decision to use vintage video equipment to shoot the film. Click on the player to hear the interview.

Comment on the episode here or write dan@mightymoviepodcast.com or call 888-866-9010.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

www.nothemovie.com

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Trivia: A sign of the 90s is that this episode has this unfortunate title.  It was kept as a part of the document's history.

The Witch Hunters were taken down by zombies this week.  Michael Falkner has all this and more on an all new Weekly Podioplex.

Check out the full show notes and comment on the episode here or write weeklypodioplex@gmail.com or call 888-866-9010.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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In the zombie apocalypse, you take what you can get, whether that’s scrounging for medicine in an abandoned pharmacy, sitting down to dinner with a can of year-old Spam (uh, could we reconsider getting bitten again?), or pinning the last hope for the world on the slim possibility that a chance meeting between a human girl (Teresa Palmer) and a zombie boy (Nichoulas Hoult) might reignite a spark of humanity that will make those who are walking just a little less dead. WARM BODIES takes a good deal of its commercial instincts from THE TWILIGHT SAGA, but director Jonathan Levine instills the narrative with credible drama and lots of effective humor to make this a dark romantic fantasy suited for more than just the teen audience. Cinefantastique Online’s Steve Biodrowski and Dan Persons take a look at the film, and discuss how Levine took a project that could have gone wrong in so many ways, and managed to avoid the pitfalls.

Also: Dan previews the debut this Friday of our brand-new show, THE CFQ INTERVIEW, featuring STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE’s Armin Shimerman; plus what’s coming to theaters next week, which is nothing, but we touch that base anyway.

Comment on the episode here or write podcast@cinefantastique.com or call 888-866-9010. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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Keith reads the next installment in his Cassie Kukov series of short stories.  This one, "Undine the Boardwalk," will be featured in the upcoming latest Badass Fairiesanthology.  Take a moment to comment on the episode in the forums or by writing krad@whysper.net or by calling 888-866-9010.

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This month, we feature another panel from DragonCon 2012.  In this one, Keith DeCandido and a panel discuss the hit television series, Farscape.

Dragon*Con American Science Fiction Classics Track
Joe Crowe - RevolutionSF (Introduction)

Keith R.A. DeCandido—Farscape comics/novel writer

Jenna Busch—IGN, HuffingtonPost, Cocktails with Stan

Stephanie Souders—SF Literature Track admin

Jessa Phillips—GoodToBeAGeek.com

Shaun Rosado - Shauncastic!

Comment on the episode here or write john@chronicrift.com or call 888-866-9010.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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Anthony & Paul discuss applications based on some of their favorite games, what works and what doesn't.

Comment on the episode by visiting the forums, writingthecardboardjungle@gmail.com or by calling (858) 236-9102.

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Dan Persons says:

Up until a few weeks ago, I feared I'd soon see Sally Struthers showing up on TV, exhorting me to donate to find a home for the population explosion that is comedian Nick Kroll's vast array of characters. Fortunately, I don't have to give up the change I spend on my daily Coca-Cola (I don't drink coffee) -- Comedy Central has gathered together Bobby Bottleservice, Fabrice Fabrice, Aspen Bruckheimer, plus a whole spectrum of new characters, and found them safe lodgings in the brand new KROLL SHOW. Nick Kroll visited last year's New York Comic-Con, along with cast mate Jon Daly and executive producer John Levenstein, to talk about the vast universe of self-involved douche bags and debate whether Bravo reality shows eat their young, and we were able to sit in on the roundtable interview. Click on the player to hear the show.

Comment on the episode here or write dan@mightymoviepodcast.com or call 888-866-9010.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/kroll-show

Click on the player to hear Dan's interview.

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Trivia: The interview with Takei will continue on another episode in a few weeks.

There's a new king of the heap in this week's top ten box office results.  Plus,Downtown Abbey has a new DVD release, Netflix has new releases, and there's plenty of movie news what with J.J. Abrahms taking on triple duty of three major movie franchises.  Michael Falkner has all this and more on an all new Weekly Podioplex.

Check out the full show notes and comment on the episode here or write weeklypodioplex@gmail.com or call 888-866-9010.  Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.

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It’s a childhood classic, seen in a whole new light. For clarification’s sake, CFL bulbs are whole new lights, too, but you don’t see anyone buying tickets to watch them. Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton are the titular brother and sister team in HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS, all growed up and battling Famke Janssen as a super-witch with a plan to alter the balance of power between automatic crossbow-wielding siblings and the practitioners of dark magic. All-in-all, a fun idea, but unfortunately, in the hands of director Tommy Wirkola, execution does not rise up to what’s on the page. Cinefantastique Online’s Steve Biodrowski, Lawrence French, and Dan Persons take a look at this latest attempt to revise and update classic literature, and discuss what went wrong. 

Also: What's coming to theaters next week.

Comment on the episode here or write podcast@cinefantastique.com or call 888-866-9010. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.