An RRH Exclusive!
For our Season 2 finale, we’re focusing on our very first documentary feature, where we explore the often brutal and bombastic 1970s Italian cop and gangster subgenre of action cinema, with EUROCRIME!
In another Rad Revival House first, we’ve invited an honest-to-God member of the filmmaking crew behind this week’s review as Special Guest Lecturer, professional VFX creator and EUROCRIME co-producer, Michael Martinez!
The basic concept of “Eurocrime” (or “Politzioteschi”) is simple: it involved Italian filmmakers in the 1970s taking the era’s burgeoning cops and gangsters movement in Hollywood (with films such as DIRTY HARRY, THE FRENCH CONNECTION, and THE GODFATHER, among others), and copied as gritty action cinema but in a very distinct Italian style. The EUROCRIME documentary focused on such films as HIGH CRIME, VIOLENT ROME, VIOLENT NAPLES, and ROME ARMED TO THE TEETH (which was reviewed on the first season of The Rad Revival House), and some of the extreme measures Italian filmmakers took to make these movies. These measures often included making dangerous guerilla-style shooting, and fearless stuntmen who employed dangerous stunts that were perilous to the safety of the cast and crew! Plus, EUROCRIME sheds light on the Italian social crises that plagued the films’ productions at the time, ranging from actual mafia influences to even political terrorism.
Our host, Professor Cesare Augusto and Michael discuss how EUROCRIME the documentary came to fruition, how its director Mike Malloy (a self-styled “Tough Guy Film Expert”) worked to gather the film’s many special guests, and what aspiring filmmakers can learn from the Eurocrime subgenre to enhance their own craft should they decide to create their own gritty, no-holds-barred action cinema. Who are these special guests, you may ask? Try such icons as Franco Nero, Henry Silva, John Saxon, Fred Williamson, Luc Merenda, and Enzo Castellari, among a ton of others!
The Rad Revival House explores the mind of a violent, trigger-happy psychopath in filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich’s 1968 debut, TARGETS! Joining us for the very first time is cinephile, podcast producer, and kid brother to our host, Professor Cesare Augusto, Gabe Mara.
Horror legend Byron Orlok (played by the magnificent Boris Karloff) is contemplating retirement after decades in the movie business. Orlok is tired and burnt-out, but begrudgingly agrees to do one last public appearance after his latest film release at a nearby drive-in theater outside Los Angeles. Meanwhile, a young disturbed individual named Bobby Thompson (the chillingly effective Tim O’Kelly) is about to embark on a brutal killing spree. Armed with hunting rifles, shotguns, and pistols, Bobby indiscriminately kills innocent people from afar, painting the City of Angels blood red. Soon, both Orlok and Bobby converge together at the drive-in where a bullet-ridden climax awaits!
Together, Cesare and Gabe decipher drama auteur Peter Bogdanovich’s stunning eye for direction, producer Roger Corman’s resourceful contribution to help the film get made, the helpfulness involvement of Bogdaonvich’s creative partner Polly Platt, and the picture’s fantastic production. Both brothers shed their respective lights on what makes TARGETS such an effective film that helps elevate it from mere schlock, into a cult film fan’s dream come true!
The RRH returns to the bloodsoaked American Old West with ULZANA’S RAID!
Returning to our show is Cinema Studies Professor Peter Mascuch to offer his sharp insight upon this notoriously violent but artistically great Revisionist Western. ULZANA’S RAID stars Hollywood legend Burt Lancaster and up-and-coming Bruce Davison as Macintosh and DeBuin respectively, two officers of the United States Cavalry tasked with apprehending or killing Ulzana, a renegade Apache on a rampage all over the Southwestern United States. With an Apache scout (Jorge Luke) in tow, Lancaster and Davison head to a collision course with the ultra violent Ulzana and his war party. Carnage and death inevitably ensue!
Directed by Robert Aldrich (KISS ME DEADLY, THE DIRTY DOZEN) and written by Alan Sharp (NIGHT MOVES), ULZANA’S RAID is a bleak and bloody Western which took the dual cultural risks of showing a more positive light upon the Apaches and portraying them as vengefully violent. Both Peter and Cesare discuss Aldrich’s stark direction, Sharp’s expert screenplay, and the engrossing performances from Lancaster, Division, and Luke. They further analyze the film’s powerful debunking of the Western, which removed the genre’s conventional tropes and added newer, tougher edges like graphic violence that was so recognizable in 1970s cinema. ULZANA’S RAID manages to realistically capture the Old West in its bloody form while telling a compelling story.
When it comes to reviewing underrated great movies…NOTHING IS OVER! NOTHING!
Because this week’s episode is an academic deep dive in the 1982 action classic FIRST BLOOD!
Joining us this week is Wayne of the excellent film review podcast In Film We Trust. Together, Wayne and our host, Professor Cesare Augusto tackle just what makes FIRST BLOOD so unique and memorable. We all know John Rambo the man, the myth, and the legend. But what many folks might not be aware of is just how artistically well-done FIRST BLOOD is compared to its countless imitators and rip-offs, and even the rest of its own franchise. FIRST BLOOD introduces us to John Rambo, and just what made the man tick. Here, he’s fresh back stateside, out of the Vietnam War, only to be confronted by a crooked local lawman (played with brilliance by Brian Dennehy). What follows is a suspenseful private war between our hero, a highly decorated Green Beret suffering from severe PTSD, against scores of local police officers and military men out for his hide.
Wayne and Cesare explore FIRST BLOOD’s excellent characters (including Stallone’s profound portrayal of his second notable franchise character after Rocky Balboa), great use of British Columbia’s rugged natural terrain, and sharp writing, elements that its sequels sorely lacked. This episode’s analysts formally declare that FIRST BLOOD, just like ROCKY, is the only film of its franchise to be vastly superior in its artistic quality compared to its sequels. Hear our analysis and judge for yourselves!
This week’s review cuts like a Katana with THREE OUTLAW SAMURAI!
Repeat Special Guest Lecturer Jay Corso returns to lend an insightful hand on this fabulous 1960s Japanese Chanbara (sword-fighting) tale. A trio of Samurai warriors, all of which with intriguing and clashing personal backstories, become embroiled in a tense power struggle between desperate peasant farmers and a corrupt magistrate. Determined to make their voices heard after being subjected to poverty and oppression, the peasants resort to abducting the magistrate’s daughter. The magistrate retaliates using his influence and access to bloodthirsty mercenaries to strike back against the peasants. Moved by the peasants’ situation, the three Samurai rally to the defense of their new impoverished friends and battle against the magistrate’s army of killers!
THREE OUTLAW SAMURAI is a suspenseful chanbara thriller that offers as a counter to more famous period piece epics by the likes of Akira Kurosawa. Director Hideo Gosha generates feelings of claustrophobia and unnerving tension within the film, backed simultaneously with gritty acting and of course, violent sword fights.
The Rad Revival House recommends viewers interested in exploring more lesser-known Samurai epics to watch THREE OUTLAW SAMURAI for a grittier look at Japan’s Katana-wielding warriors!
The Rad Revival House visits the land of India for the very first time with a look at the legendary Satyajit Ray’s stunning debut film, PATHER PANCHALI!
Joining our discussion is host Professor Cesare Augusto’s old friend and fellow cinephile Sam B. Levy. Together, Cesare and Sam analyze what makes this black and white Indian cinematic pearl so special.
PATHER PANCHALI tells the tale of an impoverished family from the Bengali region of India in the turn of the century. Told from the eyes of the family’s youngest, a boy named Apu, the film surrounds the family’s regular lives and how they must endure difficult hardships caused by poverty, harsh weather, and the absence of their hard-working but distracted father. Cesare and Sam discuss Ray’s great direction, his eye for detail, and how he was able to generate a touching film with limited funds, for just his debut picture!
Aspiring filmmakers looking to make a film based out of a very simple story are encouraged to watch PATHER PANCHALI for true creative inspiration.
The Rad Revival House revisits its classic Criminally Forgotten Actors segment with a special showcase on the ultra-cool Spaghetti Western star, Peter Lee Lawrence!
German by origin, Lawrence had a different approach as a SW icon. Rather than being a rugged gunfighter by the likes of Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Franco Nero, Lawrence was a strikingly handsome young man whose good looks masked a killer deep within. Lawrence specialized in playing mysterious sharp-dressed strangers. He epitomized dapper yet enigmatic anti-heroes who were often underestimated by his enemies, and yet managed to defeat them through his wits, hand-to-hand combat prowess, and a lightning-fast trigger finger. In this episode, we showcased three of his films: KILLER CALIBER .32, KILLER ADIOS, and GARRINGO, from 1967 to 1969.
Tom Betts, the amazing co-host of the great YouTube-based Spaghetti Western Podcast, generously provided us with great insight on the short but meaningful career and life of Peter Lee Lawrence. Betts revealed that Lawrence had died at the very young age of 30 from severe stomach ailments (and not from a brain tumor, as it is erroneously reported on Wikipedia).
Despite his untimely death, the Rad Revival House places Peter Lee Lawrence high on the Spaghetti Westerns pedestal. With only 30 films in his filmography, Lawrence oozed an irresistible charisma and talent to match his matinee idol good looks. If there is ever such a truly underrated actor, Peter Lee Lawrence deserves such an honor!
Check it: the RRH reviews the 1985 hip-hop drama KRUSH GROOVE!
Our host, Professor Cesare Augusto, be kickin’ it old-school style as he reviews this great piece of 80s pop culture. KRUSH GROOVE tells the tale of Russell Walker (Blair Underwood in his debut film role), a fictionalized take on Russell Simmons, the real-life founder of the legendary hip hop label Def Jam Recordings. When his rap band Run-D.M.C. has a sudden flush of success with their newest single, Walker must desperately find the capital to produce and distribute more records to ride on the group’s meteoric rise to fame. As he discovers the hard way that finding the funds to sell the record proves extremely challenging, Walker resorts to making a deal with a shady businessman (Richard Gant) and risks everything he and Run-D.M.C. had worked for.
The film also stars 80s sensations Sheila E, The Fat Boys, and Kurtis Blow, along with budding rap and R&B singers LL Cool J, New Edition, and The Beastie Boys. Cesare deciphers how KRUSH GROOVE offers a strong dramatic edge as well as incredible musical performances. KRUSH GROOVE is a musical unlike any other, with great performances, a compelling story, and of course, a sick soundtrack that’s a blast from the 80s past!
Plus, Cesare pays tribute to his late dog/fur-baby/movie-viewing partner Jameson, who left this Earth abruptly on 4-13-25. The unofficial mascot of the RRH, James was the perfect, loving dog, and we will miss him immensely. RIP, Kipitee
The Rad Revival House is "burning" up with excitement about our newest Horror review on WITCHFINDER GENERAL!We're joined by London-based cinephile and author Jennifer Upton, who provides some very shrewd insight on this unusual 1968 folk horror chiller. Vincent Price stars as Matthew Hopkins, a sadistic witch hunter who apprehends and tortures innocent people he wrongfully accuses of witchcraft 1600s England. When Hopkins abducts a beautiful young woman, her soldier husband (Ian Oglivy) must take a stand against the witch hunter's cruelty.Our host, Prof. Cesare Augusto and Jennifer analyze the eccentric approach of the film's director Michael Reeves (gone too soon), along with Price's gloriously over-the-top performance, and the use of actual British castles to add to the picture's gloomy gothic presence!
Screen legend Robert Mitchum returns to the Rad Revival House in his classic grumbling, high-intensity fashion with his 1973 Boston-based gangster drama THE FRIENDS OF EDDIE COYLE!
Based on the novel by attorney-turned crime author George V. Higgins, THE FRIENDS OF EDDIE COYLE tells the tale of Eddie “Fingers” Coyle, an aging low-level gun-dealer doing whatever it takes to stay out of prison. Even if it means snitching out fellow criminal associates to the law. That’s what Eddie is doing, and that’s what he intends to do, and Boston’s meanest organized crime figures ain’t gonna like that he’s selling them out to G-Men!
Joining our discussion is longtime Massachusetts native and frequent RRH Special Guest Lecturer Frank Mandosa (host of the great film review podcast Silver Screeners). Both Frank and RRH host Professor Cesare Augusto put their heads together as they analyze the almost agonizingly-slow pace of EDDIE COYLE, as well as its fabulous performances by star Mitchum (as the titular Eddie), Richard Jourdan, Peter Boyle, Steven Keats, and other famous 1970s character actors.
Enthusiasts of thought-provoking, emotion-inducing gangster pictures should sit and absorb the quiet power of THE FRIENDS OF EDDIE COYLE. Because there’s more to 1970s crime pictures than just glamorized mobster epics and fancy-pants expensive productions!
Tuesday Night’s a great time for action cinema as the RRH reviews the 1991 cult classic THE LAST BOY SCOUT!
This doozy of a thriller stars Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans as a disgraced ex-Secret Service agent turned private eye and a fallen-from-grace ex-quarterback respectively, thrown together when a murder hits close to home. Enemies at first, the unlikely duo must naturally put their differences aside to solve the murder and bring down a corrupt pro-football owner.
Returning to the RRH is Rob of the great podcast The Cinemigos as he and our host, Professor Cesare Augusto, try to make sense behind THE LAST BOY SCOUT’s infamously turbulent production. Directed with great style by the late, great Tony Scott and written by dialogue wiz Shane Black, Rob and Cesare discuss the film’s downsides, including behind-the-scenes chaos (thanks to a clusterfuck of Hollywood egos) and uneven cinematic nature. Our speakers also analyze the picture’s fantastic dialogue and acting, putting THE LAST BOY SCOUT miles ahead of other similar, lesser competing films of its era.
Screenwriters looking to create a bold, ballsy yet thought-provoking detective thriller should absorb THE LAST BOY SCOUT and learn from both its artistic ups and downs in order to create their own masterful private eye picture!
This St. Patrick’s Day week, the Rad Revival House explores the working-class Irish immigrant historical thriller, THE MOLLY MAGUIRES!
Our host, Professor Cesare Augusto, takes the solo reins in this episode to review a film that is near and dear to his heart. A fellow immigrant himself, Professor Augusto analyzes what makes THE MOLLY MAGUIRES such an endearing film which centers upon the plight of real Irish-American immigrant workers who strike back against what they allege as workplace oppressors. Sean Connery and Richard Harris star as “Black” Jack Kehoe and James McKenna respectively, two members of a supposed Irish-American secret criminal society made up of disgruntled coal miners deep in 1870s Pennsylvania coal mining country . Kehoe is the leader of this group, who christened themselves “The Molly Maguires,” who attack and sabotage their own workplace motivated by accusations of low pay, unsafe working conditions, and management abuse. Little does Kehoe know that McKenna, the newest member of the Molly Maguires, is actually an undercover Pinkerton Detective out to derail the gang’s efforts!
THE MOLLY MAGUIRES offers a cinematic take on an obscure and tragic piece of American history. Professor Augusto analyzes the film’s strong accuracy on the true Molly Maguires story, as well as the strong performances by the cast, especially by Connery and Harris. Filmmakers interested in tackling a true historical event for their original project should watch and absorb THE MOLLY MAGUIRES for inspiration on how to take real history and generate emotionally-strong cinema as a result!
The Rad Revival House pays tribute to the late great Gene Hackman and his most underrated performances.
Returning to our show is noted film critic Jeanne Marie Denizard of “The Sleepless Critic”, as she and our host, Professor Cesare Augusto, take turns in exploring Hackman’s greatest and yet, woefully underseen roles, at least underseen by the mainstream masses. Together, they look at Hackman’s performances in HEARTBREAKERS, THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS, PRIME CUT, NIGHT MOVES, and GET SHORTY. They take turns in exploring Hackman’s gritty tough-guy roles, his hilarious comedic bits (Hackman himself did not have much faith in his funny man skills, which we wholeheartedly disagree with), and his honed, razor-sharp skills as an actor overall.
The RRH gives its sincerest condolences to Hackman and his family at this difficult time. We, as devoted cinephiles, also hope that Hackman’s legacy as an actor will forever inspire further generations of actors and filmmakers to come. He will be sorely missed!
The Rad Revival House explores a true cinematic point of new return with the Mexican surrealist classic, THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL!
Directed by Spanish cinematic master Luis Buñuel, the film is a nightmarish combination of metaphysical madness, and class warfare satire. A dinner party attended by Mexico's rich elite find themselves inexplicably trapped in the dining room of their party. The party guests are incapable of leaving the room as they are compelled to stay as if in a mysterious trance. Time passes and chaos ensues as the guests succumb to suffering and panic while the outside world watches curiously.
Returning to the RRH is Antonio Palacios, frequent Special Guest Lecturer and host of The Cultworthy Podcast, as he joins host Professor Cesare Augusto in analyzing this beautifully bonkers piece of foreign cinema. Together, Antonio and Cesare discuss director Buñuel’s use of satire to describe the party guests’ psychological hell on earth, how the use of visuals (including a random flock of sheep and a bear symbolize followers and alleged “power”) add to the story’s escalating madness, and how aspiring filmmakers can use THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL as a creative crutch in their own scathing looks at society!
They’re coming for you, Barbara…again!
The Rad Revival House returns to the Horror subgenre of zombie flicks with the low-budget undead masterpiece FLESHEATER!
Stephen Tumolo, aka The Analog Man (and old Penn State buddy to our host, Professor Cesare Augusto), returns to lend a helping hand in analyzing this 1988 gore-fest that combines the classic George A. Romero zombie flick with the decade’s slasher craze. A bevy of drunken, sex-starved teenagers (who else?) run afoul of flesh-hungry zombies that rise from the dead on Halloween night.
Written, directed, and starring Bill Hinzman (who played the very first zombie in the 1968 classic NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD), FLESHEATER revisits the zombie genre with a cheaper, but no-less effective approach. Cesare and Steve explore the film’s strong use of fake gore and vintage zombie makeup, the lengths Hinzman took to make the picture while avoiding a possible lawsuit from Romero and his camp, and how FLESHEATER stacks up against the era’s still-strong Slasher craze.
Budding Horror filmmakers looking to give the zombie picture the ol’ college try of low-budget, non-digital production are encouraged to absorb FLESHEATER for some bloody, over-the-top inspiration!
The creepy, spellbinding 1956 science fiction classic INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS is this week’s newest RRH review!
Really strange things are happening in a small California town. Seemingly-ordinary folks are acting weird. Rather than being their usual selves, they’ve become sullen, withdrawn, and emotionless, almost like living zombies. Dr. Miles Bennell (star Kevin McCarthy) and his girlfriend Becky (Dana Wynter) discover to their horror that their friends and neighbors are slowly assimilating to a bizarre conspiracy from outer space to replace human beings with clones, stemming from giant pods!
Joining us as Special Guest Lecturer is filmmaker and cinephile Katie Kametz as she joins host Professor Cesare Augusto. Together, they analyze just what makes INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS so unique and different compared to other, more conventional 1950s sci-fi pictures. They explore filmmaker Don Siegel’s moody directional approach that adds to the film’s gripping tone (years before he took the reins as director of DIRTY HARRY), as well as the film’s supposed allegory to the alleged growing Communist presence of its era, and the film’s incredibly graphic special effects that were ahead of their time.
Aspiring science fiction directors looking to engross their pictures with more profound storytelling and deep characters should absorb INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS to make their projects more significantly out of this world!
On this special Black History Month/Valentine’s Day hybrid episode, the Rad Revival House reviews the underrated cultural romantic drama MISSISSIPPI MASALA!
Starring a young Denzel Washington and Sarita Choudhury(THE HUNGRY GAMES: MOCKINGJAY), MISSISSIPPI MASALA is a heartfelt, emotionally-charged tale about interracial romance set in the American Deep South. Washington plays Demetrius, a young carpet cleaner who falls head over heels in love with Mina (Choudhury), an Indian-Ugandan immigrant. Despite their strikingly different cultures, Demetrius and Mina fight to keep their relationship alive against overbearing traditions and tensions that threaten to tear their love apart.
Director Mina Nair (SALAAM BOMBAY) weaves a strong story of love and culture that’s also deep with profound characterizations, grim-but-true historical references, and strong performances. Along with Washington and Choudhury’s vibrant star chemistry, the film offers a strong supporting cast including Roshan Seth (GANDHI, INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM), Joe Seneca (CROSSROADS), and Charles S. Dutton (ROC, A TIME TO KILL).
MISSISSIPPI MASALA is especially a must-see for aspiring filmmakers looking to create thought-provoking romantic dramas that will get your brain ticking, and your hearts stirring!
February is Black History Month, and the Rad Revival House is celebrating this momentous yearly observance our own way with a tribute to two iconic Blaxploitation classics, COTTON COMES TO HARLEM and COME BACK, CHARLESTON BLUE!
Master filmmaker Mike D of the African-American cinematic movement Reelblack makes his triumphant return to the RRH as he provides his grand film expertise to this week’s back-to-back film reviews. Based on two novels by legendary black author Chester Himes, COTTON COMES TO HARLEM and COME BACK, CHARLESTON BLUE zeroes in on the adventures of “Grave Digger” Jones (Godfrey Cambridge) and “Coffin” Ed Johnson (Raymond St. Jacques), two of the toughest cops from the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. In the first film, Digger and Ed must find a missing bale of cotton containing a very special monetary prize, before a thieving phony preacher/con artist (Calvin Lockhart) gets his mitts on it, first. In the second film, our two heroes hunt a long-dead vigilante who supposedly comes back from the grave and wreaks havoc on their beat.
Both Mike and podcast host Professor Cesare Augusto delve deep on how both pictures effectively capture the essence of post-Civil Rights 1970s Harlem and would subsequently lead the way for more famous Blaxploitation films as SHAFT and SUPERFLY, among others.
Aspiring filmmakers who look to explore creating urban detective thrillers should absorb COTTON COMES TO HARLEM and COME BACK, CHARLESTON BLUE for that right kind of racially-powerful and provocative inspiration!
The Rad Revival House brings back the enigmatically great Marlon Brando with our review of 1966’s THE CHASE!
Joining us is Newman, host of the excellent podcast Movies 4 Dayz as this week’s Special Guest Lecturer. Newman and our host, Professor Cesare August, put their heads together to review this socially-powerful mid-60s drama. Set in a small Texas town before the pre-Civil Rights Movement, THE CHASE surrounds the town’s panic when a notorious local bad boy (young Robert Redford) heads to their populace after escaping from prison. Amidst the emotional upheaval, Sheriff Calder (Brando) tries to keep the peace and his head from getting blown apart.
With an ensemble cast consisting of mid-century icons as Jane Fonda, Robert Duvall, Angie Dickinson, E.G. Marshall, and Paul Williams, THE CHASE is a fascinating melodrama that’s a ticking time bomb from the start. Fueled by high tension brought upon by racism, alcohol overindulgence, and good ol’ fashioned hate, this film is a must-see for aspiring filmmakers looking to beef up their talent for drama and human intensity!
On our newest episode, the Rad Revival House explores quite possibly the most BIZARRE film we’ve ever reviewed: 1977’s surrealistic nightmare, ERASERHEAD!
George Davison, a longtime friend of the RRH (and composer to our theme song!), returns as Special Guest Lecturer to lend a much-needed helping hand in analyzing this bonkers picture. Making his celebrated debut in ERASERHEAD, iconic filmmaker David Lynch (RIP) thrusts his stunningly-nihilistic tale about an introverted young man Henry, the titular Eraserhead (played with disturbing power by the late, great character Jack Nance) and his slow descent into madness. Did he, or did he not impregnate his girlfriend and conceive a snake-like creature as their baby? Just what are those visions Henry is having about sperm-like monsters, or strange women with unusual deformities?
JUST WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON IN THIS PICTURE?!
Join George and Professor Cesare as they try to make sense in this utterly senseless film that somehow, Lynch had managed to make something incredibly striking and almost beautiful in its execution. But “beauty” may ultimately depend on who you ask. Opinions may vary, but nobody can deny the crazy visuals of ERASERHEAD!