Winslow Leach is a young man who wants to create heavenly music, even if he has to descend to the depths of hell to do it.
Brian DePalma's (Scarface) Glam Rock reinterpretation of the Phantom of the Opera is a perfect encapsulation of 70s musical culture in all it's campy, stylized glory. In this episode we'll discuss the film, as well as the cultural influences that play into it's story. Despite being a box office, and critical failure Phantom of the Paradise has over the years developed a cult following and had a much bigger impact on the film and music industry than anyone could have imagined.
Host Wyndham Jennings will tell you about the struggles to get it released, and why this early DePalma work should be considered one of the most important films of the 70s before discussing some of the trends it helped predict.
Other films mentioned in this episode: The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Suspiria, Carrie, The Black Dahlia, Smokey and the Bandit, Used Cars, Rocky
Continuing Season 3 after a hiatus with the John Cusack action comedy Grosse Pointe Blank. A film that dares to ask what's scarier, fighting for your life against international hitman trying to steal your contract or going to your high school reunion to face the girl you stood up at prom? Host Wyndham Jennings discusses whether John Cusack should be in action movies. Why didn't Minnie Driver become a bigger star? Is there anyone better suited to playing a lecherous Douchecanoe than Jeremy Piven? and Why don't films have soundtracks like this anymore? Discover the answers only on Celluloid Fever Dreams!
Other Films Mentioned: Mother, Jugs, and Speed. Phantom of the Paradise, Miami Blues, My Bodyguard, Ella Enchanted, and Doctor Detroit
A mix of Dirty Harry and Robocop with gratuitous nudity, over the top violence, criminal furries, and demonic gun running nuns? And it was written by the creator of Ben 10 and directed by one of the founding members of Slipknot? Why is this film not a cult classic already? This week Wyndham patrols the mean streets with Officer Downe, the LAPD's secret weapon in the war on crime. Thanks to dark science he's stronger, faster and tougher than anyone else on the force, and if he does get taken out? They'll just bring him back. He'll rest in peace when the streets are finally clean of crime.
Other films mentioned in the episode: Bubba Ho-Tep, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, Big Fish, Boss Level, The Hunt, Must Love Dogs
We're back! (The podcast, not that horrible animated dinosaur film.) To kick off Season 3 host Wyndham Jennings dives into the 1998 Tobey Maguire, Reese Witherspoon comedy Pleasantville. The story of 2 modern teens trapped in a 1950s sitcom who wind up changing it forever and learn something about themselves along the way. Learn a little history about toilets in television shows. Find out why Don Knotts is a perfect example of stunt casting. See how a fun film from the 90s would be a political and cultural lightning rod today. Celebrate the return of someone's favorite podcast from a lengthy hiatus and download Celluloid Fever Dreams today!
Other films mentioned in the episode: The Shakiest Gun in the West, Freeway, Seabiscuit, Mystery Men, Face Off, Sling Blade, Dumb and Dumber
Quick update on the podcast, and what's been going on for the past two months. It's a bit rambly, and chaotic but I'm getting divorced AND buying a house simultaneously so I'm a little frazzled. Until I can get in somewhere permanent I'm going to post these minisodes that will help me get back into podcasting again, and maybe cover some stuff that I can't touch on the regular episodes.
This week I lay out all 5 (6? 7?) different timelines that make up the Halloween(1979) franchise, and what movies you should watch in which order to see each one through. I also talk about other franchises and films that have played with alternate timelines, or Multiverse style settings. Spoiler: Gwyneth Paltrow has been in one that wasn't the MCU. So, listen to me butcher a famous quote and get this week's winning lottery numbers, for some alternate timeline out there not this one with Celluloid Fever Dreams!
It's a movie! It's a European capital! It's a psychological syndrome! Ethan Hawke(Gattaca) plays a bank robber who takes Noomi Rapace(Lamb) hostage in this 2018 heist comedy. Based on the actual events from 1973 the hostages eventually take the side of the robbers versus the police, which leads to the coining of the phrase Stockholm Syndrome to explain the psychology behind it. Host Wyndham Jennings will talk about the actual robbery, other cases of Stockholm syndrome, Steve McQueen's Mustang, and why films based on true stories should have a "Where Are They Now?" segment at the end.
Other films to check out: Shimmer Lake, Dog Day Afternoon, The Town, Trapped in Paradise, Queenpins, Have a Nice Day, Eat Your Bones, Bullit, Vanishing Point, Badlands
It's a Musical-Comedy Film, based on a Broadway Musical, based on the actual Chicken Ranch that inspired a song by ZZ Top! It's chickens all the way down! Combining the biggest Country star of the 80s with the biggest leading man of the 80s leads to one of the biggest musicals of the decade. Dolly Parton(Steel Magnolias) plays the madam of The Chicken Ranch, a brothel just outside of a small Texas town. Burt Reynolds(Stroker Ace) plays the sheriff who turns a blind eye to the goings on at the Ranch as long as they don't start trouble. Dom DeLuise(Twelve Chairs) plays the crusading reporter determined to save Texas from the sin of prostitution, despite no one wanting him to. Filled with songs, laughs, and some sexy times it's hard to believe one of the most successful films of the time has been all but forgotten today.
Wyndham Jennings takes a dive into the real history of the Chicken Ranch, the film's surprise connections to 2 horror classics, and why Reynolds and DeLuise were one of the best comedy duos of all time in the latest episode of Celluloid Fever Dreams
Other Films to Watch: 9 to 5, Hooper, Silent Movie, Dog Day Afternoon, Best Friends, Sharky's Machine, City Heat, Spaceballs
Sylvester Stallone (Demolition Man, Rocky) is an action star with a long list of successful films. So imagine everyone's surprise when he teamed up with John Landis (Blues Brothers, Coming to America) for a screwball comedy about a Prohibition Era gangster trying to go straight. Based on the French play by Claude Mangier, already made into a film back in 1967, Stallone must contend with rival gangsters, a rebellious daughter (Marisa Tomei in one of her earliest roles), and henchmen who would rather go to jail than do the dishes. Top loaded by a cast of great character actors, and a couple of genuine legends, this is an often overlooked piece of Stallone's filmography. Host Wyndham Jennings dives into the film's history, its influences, and the disaster that almost prevented it from being made before answering The Most Important Question of All! Is it entertaining?
Other films to watch: Clue, Stir Crazy, Raising Arizona, The Jerk, Death at a Funeral, Real Genius, Hot Fuzz, 1941
A Heavy Metal, Horror-Comedy from New Zealand that finds two teens having to stop a demon they accidentally summoned by playing the ultimate metal song from bringing about the end of the world. Lots of blood, gore, and killer music to enjoy. A film in the tradition of Bad Taste and Dead Alive that manages to balance several genres and still sneak in a bunch of Easter Eggs for metal fans. Join Wyndham Jennings as he tells the story of the film from contest entry through being renamed so Wal-Mart would sell the DVD.
Other films to enjoy alongside this one: Phantom of the Paradise, Black Sheep(Not the Chris Farley one.), Housebound, Trick or Treat, Dead Alive, Meet the Feebles, Repo The Genetic Opera
Murder! Genetic Monstrosities! Adultery! Chickens! No, seriously lots of chickens. More chickens per minute than any other giallo in history. Anna's husband has a strange hobby, murdering prostitutes in a roadside hotel. She doesn't notice because she's too busy trying to breed the world's first boneless chicken. Her cousin, and secretary, Gabrielle decides she wants Anna's chicken farm and conspires to kill her and frame Marco for it by dressing the corpse as a prostitute. From director Giulio Questi (Django Kill...If You Live Shoot!) comes one of the weirdest giallo films of all time. Surreal, dreamlike, and self indulgent in the way only films from this era can be it remains a beautiful, discordant experience, but is it entertaining? Host Wyndham Jennings explores the film, and the lasting influences of this genre of Italian cinema in another episode of Celluloid Fever Dreams!
Other Films to check out: Django Kill...If You Live Shoot!, Arcana, The Girl Who Knew Too Much, A Bay of Blood, All The Colors of The Dark, The Psychic, Eye in the Labyrinth, A Lizard in Woman's Skin
Caleb Cotton gets more than he bargained for when a little bite on the neck gives him a fatal allergy to the sun. Forced to join an undead band of criminals as they leave a trail of crashed vehicles, burned out buildings, and broken bodies across the American Southwest, Caleb struggles to retain his humanity. Told he must kill within one week or the group will end his newfound immortality themselves, he must decide between an eternity of hedonistic carnage or a mortal life. The night, comes at a price in Katheryn Bigelow's Western Horror, Near Dark.
Join Wyndham Jennings for a look at the film, its stars, and the evolution of vampires in film in this week's Celluloid Fever Dreams.
Other films to check out: Curse of the Undead, Ganja and Hess, Martin, Pale Rider, The Valley of Gwangi, John Carpenter's Vampires, From Dusk til Dawn, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, Dead Man, Silent Tongue
After the death of Josef Stalin the members of his committee plot and scheme to hold on to their positions, win the heart of the Soviet people, and most importantly survive the transition of power. This dark, satirical comedy from Armando Iannucci (Veep, In the Loop) draws some of it's most absurd elements from the historical record. Join Wyndham Jennings on a stroll through the Cold War era and a hysterical look at how power corrupts in this week's episode of Celluloid Fever Dreams. Do it, or be sent to Siberia!
Other Films Mentioned: Near Dark, Fargo, Jabberwocky, Black Widow, Mindhorn, Reign of Fire,
A satire of pop culture at the turn of the 21st century Josie and the Pussycats flopped hard at the theaters upon it's release. (But the soundtrack went gold!) Host Wyndham Jennings walks you through the surprising origins of the title characters, the impact they had on pop culture, and the troubled development of the film. He then attempts to figure out how a great cast, witty script, and pitch perfect soundtrack failed to blow up at the box office, and why it's started surging back as a cult classic in the last few years. So join Celluloid Fever Dreams for a stroll to the time of TRL, Boy Bands, and Grrrl Power with Josie and The Pussycats, and remember: DuJour means Happiness.
Other films mentioned: The House of Yes, Van Wilder, He Got Game, Galaxy Quest, Splinter, She's All That
Office Space meets Battle Royale in this James Gunn(Slither) and Greg McClean(Wolf Creek) action/horror. The employees of Belko industries find themselves locked inside their office building while a voice over the P.A. informs them they must kill 2 employees in the next two hours or the company will detonate the bombs implanted in their skulls and kill 4 employees. as the day goes on and the demands for more deaths continue the whole building devolves into a free-for-all with everyone determined to be the final one standing. Why is this happening? Who is behind it? Will they really let anyone survive with the knowledge of what happened? Join host Wyndham Jennings for another dive into the world of underappreciated film as he breaks down the highs and lows of The Belko Experiment
Films mentioned in the episode: Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Mayhem, Exam, The Specials, Be Kind Rewind
Another dollar movie find 2014's The Dead Lands follows Hongi, the last survivor of his tribe, as he chases Wirepa, the warrior who lead the massacre across the titular place. The lands are said to be haunted by a demon warrior who devours everyone who enters. Can Wirepa escape both Hongi and The Warrior? Can Hongi convince The Warrior to join him? What terrible secret does The Warrior carry with him?
A story of pre-colonial Maori told entirely in Te Reo, The Dead Lands is a fantasy film that shows how honor, family, and glory shape three different warriors lives. Host Wyndham Jennings discusses this brutal, and complex, coming of age story about revenge, glory, and the price of both.
We're back! This week it's the unromantic comedy Eagle Vs Shark. The first feature film from Taika Waititi, follows Lily, a introvert who's life has hit a dead end and Jared, an absurdly overconfident loser as they fall in love. A darkly comic tale with a warm heart that takes a look at being in love when it's not really a good time to be in love and they're probably not someone you should be in love with anyway.
Seconds is about Arthur Hamilton, a man who is given a second chance at life by The Company. Reborn through surgery, and outfitted with a new name, occupation, and purpose as Tony Wilson. But is it what Arthur really wants? Was his old life really that bad? Is there a way for him to go back? Rock Hudson, and Salome Jens star in this sci-fi thriller about identity, desires, and the truth of self. Directed by John Frankenheimer, and considered the last part of his Paranoia Trilogy, Seconds is a surreal, paranoid trip into modern society. Join host Wyndham Jennings as he dives into the film's history, surprising connections to McCarthyism, and tries to unravel why it failed with critics and audiences upon it's initial release.
This dark comedy adventure follows Ivan Dragomilof and Sonya Winter as they travel across Europe, avoiding assassins and trying to prevent the outbreak of WWI. Starring Oliver Reed, Diana Rigg, and Telly Savalas. One of many films made in the 60s that revisited Edwardian times, how does it hold up today? Host Wyndham Jennings will give his answer as well as talk about the novel that inspired the film. He'll also dive into the idea of the ethical assassin, and how no one in this film could be called the good guy.
Other films mentioned in the episode: The Man Who Haunted Himself, The Curse of the Werewolf, The Great Muppet Caper, Kelly's Heroes, Dr Phibes Rises Again, Clueless
This week we talk about the based on a true story, kinda, but not film Kumiko the Treasure Hunter. Rinko Kikuchi anchors this film based on a Japanese office worker who flies to America in search of a lost treasure she's convinced she knows the location of. Simultaneously tragic and uplifting, with a dark humor this is a movie that will stay with you long after the credits roll. Host Wyndham Jennings talks about the movie, the homages it makes to Fargo(1996) and the sad story that inspired it, along with the unfortunate misunderstanding that spun it into an urban legend.
This week we travel back to the 80s for a pair of Horror-Comedies made by the team behind Friday the 13th. House sees writer Roger Cobb dealing with metaphorical, and literal, ghosts from his experiences in the Vietnam War while trying to solve the mystery behind his son's disappearance. Then we head across the street for House II, which has a young man inheriting his Great-Great Grandpa's house complete with Mayan warriors, puppy-caterpillar hybrids, pterodactyls, and his zombified Great-Great Grandpa! Can he retrieve a mystic crystal skull and get justice for his murdered parents? Who knows?
Join host Wyndham Jennings as he talks about the making of the films, the way they reflect America's changing look at the after effects of war on soldiers, and the mystery of Bill Maher's success on a new episode of Celluloid Fever Dreams!
Films mentioned in this episode: Carrie, Toy Story, Problem Child, Prisoners of the Lost Universe, Gung Ho, But I'm a Cheerleader