Bald Move Prestige - The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

Special thanks to Dr. Ken for the gutsy call to have us do a commissioned podcast for a black and white 60’s Western film, “The Man Show Shot Liberty Valance”. Directed by the great John Ford, and starring John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart, this movie is both insanely fun to watch and, believe it or not, serves as a great primer on American politics. It might just be the tonic you need during an especially intense political season. And I can’t stress this enough, this film is crazy entertaining. If you care at all about Westerns or classic Hollywood film-making, and haven’t already, make the time to watch this film.

Direct - Guillermo del Toro – Pan’s Labyrinth

Pan’s Labyrinth is a mythical and mystical juxtaposition of two engaging universes. In one, a brooding tyrant rules with a cruel and iron fist – representing, perhaps, one of the greatest villains in movie history. In the other, a cadre of beautifully grotesque creatures guide a young girl through a world falling apart. This sister film to del Toro’s The Devil’s Backbone is a master work of cinema, and in many ways may be Guillermo’s opus. Join us next week for Hellboy II: The Golden Army.

Bald Move Pulp - Back to the Future (1985)

Special thanks goes to Alafia McMurty for commissioning a podcast on the 1985 sci-fi comedy classic, “Back to the Future”. Starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, we’ve seen this movie a million times and love every second. Please enjoy the following mammoth podcast that covers nearly every aspect of the film, from the absurd to the poignant to the sublime.

Direct - Guillermo del Toro – Hellboy

Hellboy is a detailed, wild ride that appeals directly to Levi and Eric’s geeky sensibilities. It also represents a unique and outstanding entry into the comic book genre. Plus, there are plenty of del Toro-isms to go around. Lovecraftian monsters? Check. Catholic symbolism? Check. Glowsticks? Check. Hellboy is a big story that goes down smooth. Bravo, Guillermo. Join us next week for Pan’s Labyrinth.

Bald Move Prestige - Zulu (1964)

Special thanks to Glenn Seubert for commissioning this podcast on the 1964 British film “Zulu”. Directed by Cy Endfield and starring Stanley Baker and a very young Michael Caine, it depicts a fictionalized version of a real life stand off between 100 British soldiers and 4,000 Zulu warriors in the battle for South Africa. The film is gorgeous in it’s look and especially color palette, and the lead performances by Baker and Caine are interesting as two soldiers vying for power and making tough decisions under an extremely daunting challenge. We both cry out for more cultural and historical context for this film, and while Jim had problems with some aspects of the film being dated, I enjoyed it for the throw back to a classic age of cinema that it is.

Bald Move Pulp - Hardcore Henry (2016)

The Russian import “Hardcore Henry”, directed by Ilya Naishuller and starring Sharlto Copley and Haley Bennett, is either some brilliant, imaginative, humorous, over the top action flick, or it is an over-long, boring, tedious, graphic waste of time that may or may not make you physically ill. Or maybe it’s both? Jim and A.Ron debate the film’s merits accordingly.

Bald Move Prestige - The Man from Earth (2007)

Thanks go to Dan G, perhaps better known as the forum denizen DancesWithWookies, has selected the 2007 minimalist sci-fi/philosophic film “The Man from Earth” for his commissioned podcast. Directed by Richard Schenkman and written by the late Jerome Bixby, it asks us to entertain the idea of a 14,000 year old paleolithic man who has managed to adapt and survive to our modern day. His winding tale through history may intrigue or infuriate you, depending on your appetite for detail or willingness to engage with the ideas and concepts of the film, and move beyond the limitations of it’s budget and construction

Direct - Guillermo del Toro – Mimic

Mimic is an uneven ride through a deep and intricate del Toro world. There were some things we really loved, some we found laughable, and others that had us scratching our heads. So create an ant farm, click your spoons together, (maybe) become pregnant from a bug bite, and join us. It’s Mimic time!

Bald Move Pulp - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

We review Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. We didn’t like it. If you did, I’m really happy for you, but I’d recommend skipping the podcast because we’re going to sound like Lex Luthor explaining Greek history, which is to say utterly deranged and insane. Enjoy our spoiler-free review and very brief discussion of the trailers we saw before tonight’s main event, but if you want the whole spoiler-filled take down of DC’s risible attempt to launch a multi-movie franchise, you’ll need to join the Club.

Bald Move Prestige - Once Were Warriors (1994)

Jude from New Zealand shows some homeland pride by selecting the incendiary Kiwi film from 1994, “Once Were Warriors”, for her commissioned podcast pick. Directed by Lee Tamahori and starring Temuera Morrison and Rena Owen, it features a soul destroying portrait of life for a Maori family living in the slums of Auckland. The picture pulls no punches, and yet manages to be thought provoking, sympathetic, and even uplifting and hopeful, assuming you calibrate your definition of “uplifting” and “hopeful” to David “The Wire” Simon settings. We simply are blown away by the performances of everyone in this film, particularly Morrison who plays the extremely charismatic, extremely violent Jake “the Muss”, and are intrigued by the examination of domestic violence, crime, and racial issues as seen through the very distinct lens of New Zealand.