Get access to this entire episode as well as all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.We contracted the services of Jake Serwin, co-host of America's premier Clint Eastwood podcast Pod Casty For Me, to take on a pair of films about a professional assassin having a crisis of conscience after botching his most recent job.First up, we talk The Replacement Killers, Antoine Fuqua's first feature and Hong Kong superstar Chow Yun-fat's Hollywood debut, pairing him with recent Oscar winner Mira Sorvino for an extremely American riff on Hong Kong's Heroic Bloodshed genre, popularized by Chow and The Replacement Killers' executive producer John Woo. Then we wade in to David Fincher's latest film for Netflix, 'The Killer'. It's a sharp, potent thriller hybrid that spits copious venom at our hyperconnected modern existence, hustle culture, and the gig economy while also functioning as a kaleidoscopic reflection on Fincher's entire career and ethos as a filmmaker. Listen and subscribe to Pod Casty For Me.Follow Pod Casty For Me on Twitter.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish 

Journalist and writer Séamus Malekafzali returns to the program for a lengthy conversation about Martin Scorsese's 1995 crime epic 'Casino'. Initially viewed by critics and audiences as a retread of Scorsese's masterful crime saga 'Goodfellas', the film has since been reevaluated as a masterpiece in its own right - one enriched by the director's late period films and preoccupations.We discuss the film's dizzying construction, effectively evoking the glitz and glam of the Vegas strip through extended montages and voiceover (an effect masterfully rendered by Scorsese's deft hands as a director, a firecracker script with co-writer Nicholas Pileggi, and the brilliant editing of longtime Scorsese collaborator Thelma Schoonmaker). Then, we examine the brilliant, career-defining performance of Sharon Stone as Ginger McKenna. It's a role that deserves every possible accolade, and strikes a note that no one but Stone could conceivably achieve. Finally, we discuss the film as capitalist allegory, and how Scorsese thoughtfully weaves commentary on the corporate centralization of the American economy and its steady collapsing of the middle class.We also offer some thoughts on Scorsese's latest, 'Killers of the Flower Moon', and the evolution of the director's views on capitalism, corruption, and consequence.  Follow Séamus on Twitter.Read Séamus's Substack on Middle East politics.Read & Listen to Burnt Nitrate, Séamus's explorations of lesser-known and lesser-discussed films.Get access to all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish. 

Chicago-based academic and horror obsessive Peter Raleigh joins to discuss reliable journeyman director Peter Hyams and his 1997 creature feature, 'The Relic'. Maligned critically and a failure at the box office upon its initial release, the film has endured as an example of the tactile, sturdy genre work of the 90s with capable hands on both sides of the camera, including brilliant creature designs from legendary special effects guru Stan Winston. We discuss the film's impressive balancing act, managing to glide over a host ludicrous genre tropes and plot holes with ease while maintining a keen pacing and immersion. Then, we praise the excellent directorial work of Hyams, who serves here as his own cinematographer and generates a mesmerizing, impressionistic array of horror imagery in stark, dimly lit spaces galore. Finally, we discuss the delights of the monster movie, its flattening of distinctions among people that make for compelling survival thrills, and why the sensibilities of the decade were uniquely attuned to the subgenre. Watch the 35mm trailer for The Relic. Follow Peter Raleigh on TwitterGet access to all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish. 

Get access to this entire episode as well as all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.Loose film critic and host of Marvelous! Or, the Death of Cinema podcast Nicole Veneto joins from Boston to discuss Alex Winter and Tom Stern's irreverent, gag-filled 1993 monster comedy 'Freaked'. The film is a genuine cult classic that was greelit, following the success of the Bill & Ted films and Winter and Stern's short-lived MTV program 'Idiot Box', with an impressive $12 million budget and then quickly killed by 20th Century Fox after a change in management. We discuss the film's unique cacophony of styles, taking inspiration from a number of cultural objects including Zucker Brothers comedies, punk rock legends Butthole Surfers, classic beach party films, and The Evil Dead movies. Then we praise the legendary team of practical special effects and makeup artists (including veterans of John Carpenter films like 'Big Trouble in Little China' and Chuck Russell's classic 1988 remake of 'The Blob') who brought the hilarious cast of freaks to life. Finally, we detail the executive decisions that very nearly railroaded 'Freaked' out of existence, and eulogize the brief moment in time when big studio money was willing to gamble on spectacular, impractical filmmaking and craft. Watch & Download 'Freaked' at the Internet Archive.Follow Nicole Veneto on LetterboxdListen to & Support Marvelous! Or, the Death of Cinema.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish 

Vancouver-based filmmaker, educator, and podcaster Devan Scott joins to discuss Street Fighter: The Movie, based on the hugely popular Capcom video game franchise. Dismissed by both critics and fans of the game at the time of its release as a disaster, the film has since found a small but vocal faction of champions nearly 30 years later. We discuss the film as an example of what Devan calls "The Anti-Masterpiece": A film that through no fault of its author becomes an astonishing work, either in spite or because of a distinct lack of conventional competence. Then, we discuss the pleasure of watching a film featuring a massive ensemble cast, none of whom can seem to agree on what kind of movie is being made - from Jean-Claude Van Damme's incidentially self-referential Colonel Guile to Raul Julia's genuinely great, Shakespearean take on despotic warlord General M. Bison. Finally, we discuss the film's inadvertantly prescient take on the American imperial project of the 21st century, and how its caroonishness and brazen stupidity feel right at home in a post-Trump America.  Follow Devan Scott on Twitter.Read Brandon Streussnig's "Wrapped In Plastic: JCVD's Street Fighter" for Secret Handshake.Read Chris Plante's "Street Fighter: The Movie - What Went Wrong" for Polygon.Get access to all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish. 

Get access to this entire episode as well as all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.Artist and podcaster Kayte Terry joins from Philadelphia to discuss David Lynch's 1990 Palme d'Or winner 'Wild at Heart' starring Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern as starcrossed lovers on the run in an oddball road movie that showcases the director at his most earnest and emotionally frank.We discuss what people get wrong about Lynch, his style and tone, and why pervasiveness of the the term "Lynchian" robs it of meaning. Next, we talk about the incredible ensemble that brings Lynch's romance to life, praising especially the brilliance of its leads Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern as well as supporting performers like Diane Ladd (Laura Dern's real life mother, who netted an Oscar nod for her work in the film) and Willem Dafoe as one of Lynch's most memorable villains. Finally, we key into the political textures of Lynch's career-long preoccupations, and how he interrogates the parameters of society, forcing us to conceive of existences liberated from the confines of the quotidian.Follow Kayte Terry on Twitter.Listen and Subscribe to Kayte's podcasts, Fangs For The Memories and Tender Subject.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish

This week we're joined by our good friends Ian Rhine and Jake Serwin of the teriffic Clint Eastwood podcast Pod Casty For Me to discuss the Italian director Nanni Moretti and his 1993 personal essay/anthology film 'Caro Diario', awarded Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival in 1994 when Clint served as the Jury President. We discuss Moretti as subject within his own films, and how his arch and effacing tone offers perhaps a more palatable substitute to the films of a once-prominent filmmaker (now mired in controversy) known for his neurotic, self-referential films. Then, we discuss the film's stylistic markers that place it in conversation with not just the legacy of the Italian film industry, but with cinema as a whole. Finally, we talk about family planning and the wonderful world of vasectomies. (*Editor's Note* Aaron's procedure is in November, not Feburary as stated on the show. He's not sure why he said that, but wants listeners to know that he's not planning out his recovery watchlist 4 months in advance like a loser). Listen & Subscribe to Pod Casty For Me. Follow Pod Casty For Me on TwitterFollow Jake Serwin on Twitter. Follow Ian Rhine on Twitter (if he lets you). Get access to all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish. 

Get access to this entire episode as well as all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.Another solo episode this week as we discuss Michael Mann's thriller 'The Insider', based on the true story of whistleblower Jeffrey Wigand and his explosive 1996 interview with 60 Minutes that exposed secrets about the tobacco industry and their complicity in manipulating their product with known carcinogens to increase the addictive effect of nicotine. The film is at once the story of the the tremendous power of corporate entities to take down those who seek to share the truth with the American public and an expressionist masterpiece that showcases some of Mann's most disciplined and mature directorial work. We discuss the film's seismic lead performances from dual leads Al Pacino and a career-best Russell Crowe. Then, we praise the Michael Mann & Eric Roth script, and its critical portrayal of its subjects, avoiding lionization. Finally, we discuss the story's terrible prescience, and how the film's shock at corporate media interests overruling the efforts of journalists can sometimes feel quaint by today's standards. Read Marie Brenner's profile of Jeffrey Wigand "The Man Who Knew Too Much" in Vanity Fair. ....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish 

Get access to this entire episode as well as all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.We're solo for the first time in a while to talk about the romantic comedy '10 Things I Hate About You', a take on William Shakespeare's 'The Taming of the Shrew' updated for the 1990s and set at a Pacific Northwest high school that looks an awful lot like a castle.We discuss the film's impecccable cast, featuring a host of 90s up-and-comers including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, David Krumholtz, Julia Styles, and the soon-to-be superstar Heath Ledger, who was taken far too soon. Then, we discuss the movie's place within the lineage of late-90s films, how it adheres to the rebellious sensibilities of the era, and (notably) the ways it disregards them. Finally, we talk about a recent article in The Washington Post which, coincidentally, references the film in its examination of the current proliferation of celebrity veneers, unattainable standards of beauty, and how these trends desecrate the authenticity and natural beauty that once defined the genuine sexual energy in media from decades past. Read 'Have you noticed that everyone's teeth are a little too perfect?' by Jessica M. Goldstein at The Washington Post.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish.

Musician and film writer Soraya Sebghati joins from Los Angeles to venture into the lurid, strange world of...Toronto, ON, Canada and its mesmerizing underbelly of desire, longing, and grief in Atom Egoyan's 1994 breakout feature, 'Exotica'.We discuss Atom Egoyan as director - his keen sense for the uncanny amongst the mundane, and the ways 'Exotica' plays with artificiality, performance, and facade. Then, we discuss the film's musings on routine and the rippling effects of grief, and praise Egoyan's (relatively) non-judgemental curiosity with regard to the habits we all adopt as a means of coping with loss and alienation. Finally, we consider the film's much-mulled over ending and how it offers both a quietly devastating moment of catharsis and a hopeful message of emotional solidarity. Follow Soraya Sebghati on Twitter.Read and subscribe to Soraya's Substack.Listen to and support Night Talks on Bandcamp. Get access to all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish. 

New York-based musician and America's Sweetheart Nick Miller joins to discuss the underseen 150-minute Extended Cut of Tom Hanks's directorial debut, 'That Thing You Do!'. It's a meandering, expansive version of the film that takes the original cut's effervescent (if slight) shot of pop nostalgia and, at its best, aims for comparisons to great surveyors of cinematic Americana like Robert Altman & Jonathan Demme (who serves as producer on this film).We discuss the two versions of the film, their differences, and how the Extended Cut showcases even further Tom Hanks's singular knowledge of the era and its musical landscape. Then, we talk about the eponymous tune, an infectious earworm written by the late Adam Schlesinger which took on a life of its own as a charting hit single and was nominated for the Best Original Song Oscar in 1997. We also discuss the film as part and parcel with Tom Hanks's decade-long fixation with postwar America and the Greatest Generation's sense of national purpose, how the movie gets right many of the intricacies of songwriting and band dynamics, and make a plea to the 300+ artists (including Squeeze and They Might Be Giants) who submitted versions of "That Thing You Do!" to finally release their recordings. Follow Nick Miller on Twitter.Listen to Nick Miller on Bandcamp.Get access to all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish. 

Get access to this entire episode as well as all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.Friend of show Comrade Yui returns to discuss John Carpenter's 'Escape From L.A.', his raucous and acidic sequel to 1981's 'Escape From New York'. Derided by both audiences and critics, we offer a defense of the film as a vital work of Carpenter's late period that manages to thrill as an action picture, while wryly thumbing its nose at the corrupt values of Hollywood and its own existence as a prototype for modern "legacy sequels".We begin by talking Carpenter in the 90s, a time when he was taking his biggest swings (while also facing some of his most frustrating conflicts with studios). Then, we take a look at the fascinating tenor of the film, and how it balances the acerbic, raw energy and wit of the original film while taking aim at societal ills of 1996 America with even more directness and urgency than its predecessor. Finally, we compare the film to other great movies (and one 2021 sequel specifically) that have followed in the spirit of 'Escape From L.A.', reckoning with legacy, while also boldly subverting audience expecations in pursuit of revealing the deeper truths and authenticity of their creators. Follow Comrade Yui on Twitter and Letterboxd.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish. 

Fiction writer and editor A.A. de Levine joins to discuss Mary Harron's debut feature, 'I Shot Andy Warhol', featuring a seismic performace from Lili Taylor as the infamous feminist writer Valerie Solanas as well as Jared Harris as the late pop artist, and a moving turn from Stephen Dorff as trans icon Candy Darling. The film is a fascinating, frightening view into the life and experiences of Solanas that led her to an increased state of anger, paranoia, and aggression which eventually resulted in the film's titular act of violence. We take a look at the real life Solanas and her most enduring work, The SCUM Manifesto; its aims, its limitations, and its intentions as a furious feminist screed, a work of biting satire, or something in the middle. Then, we discuss the film's portrayal of New York's art scene in the 1960s and its nuanced examination of the ways Warhol and his Factory cohort offer a contradiction of the avant-garde as filtered through highly palatable standards of beauty and taste. Finally, we talk about the career of Mary Harron, who would go on to achieve her greatest acclaim with her sophomore feature, the teriffic 'American Psycho', before having her films relegated to a place of relative obscurity for the next two decades. Follow A.A. de Levine on Twitter.Get access to all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish. 

Film writer, editor, and podcaster Jake Tropila joins from Los Angeles to discuss the Coen Brothers' 1998 comedy 'The Big Lebowski', starring Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Though middlingly received both critically and commercially upon release, the film has gone on to become a genuine cult classic, launching a cottage industry of fan screenings, conventions, and even a religion.We discuss the film's patchwork of influences, including larger-than-life characters withing the Coens' orbit and the works of author Raymond Chandler, especially as adapted by Robert Altman for his 1973 film 'The Long Goodbye'. Then we discuss the film's unrivaled cast, including a superb John Goodman, who turns in an awards-caliber performance as the gun-toting, militant bowling enthusiast Walter Sobchak. Finally, we discuss the film's windy, inarticulable plot, and the way that its mechanics might conceal a deeper level of criticism about the sociopolitical landscape of America on the eve of The End of History. Watch the trailer for The Big Lebowski. Watch Mortimer Young for Forever Young Films #1 - The Grand Lebowski.Follow Jake Tropila on Twitter.Read Film Inquiry.Listen and Subscribe to Optimism Vaccine.Get access to all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish. 

Get access to this entire episode as well as all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.Los Angeles-based literary manager Jarrod Murray returns to the show to discuss Robert Redford's 'Quiz Show', a true story of the massive 1950s scandal that revealed to the American public for the first time that the burgeoning television industry and the levers of power that control media were capable of profound deceit. We discuss the film's many iterations, possible directors, and might-have-been performances as well as the incredibly deep bench of performers the film ultimately wound up with (including great character actors like David Paymer, Hank Azaria, Griffin Dunne, and even a wonderful turn from director Martin Scorsese). Then we discuss the real story behind the film, and the ways director Robert Redford and screenwriter Paul Attanasio grapple with the quiz show scandal's multifaceted ramifications in the era after the post-war boom. Finally, we discuss the film's legacy, or lack thereof, and why this film may not have found its deserved purchase with viewers in the 90s and why there's still room for it to be reclaimed in 2023. Follow Jarrod Murray on Twitter.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish 

New York-based film writer Jason Miller joins to discuss the strange, beautiful cinematic worlds of the unsung Alan Rudolph and his 1992 film 'Equinox' starring Matthew Modine as identical twin brothers separated at birth. We begin with a discussion of Rudolph's career, beginning as an assistant director to the great Robert Altman before branching out and producing some of the most compellingly idiosyncratic films of the 1980s (as well as his feature 'Remember My Name' from 1978, arguably his greatest work).  Then we turn our sights to 'Equinox' and talk about the film's distinctive rhythms and characters as well as the ways Rudolph imbues his fantasy world with a potent naturalism and sense of place. Finally, we discuss the injustice of Rudolph's relative obscurity within cinephile circles, and why the filmmaker's entire body of work is due for a necessary and urgent reappraisal. We're committed to getting 'Equinox' in front of as many eyes as possible! Email us at [email protected] for more info. Follow Jason on Twitter and check out links to his work here. Read Dan Sallit's teriffic monograph on Alan Rudolph here. Get access to all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish. 

Get access to this entire episode as well as all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.Writer and professional shit-talker Nadine Smith joins to discuss the mesmerizing wuxia masterpiece 'Green Snake'.We explain the storied career of the film's remarkable director Tsui Hark, often referred to in the west as "the Spielberg of Hong Kong". Then, we talk about the transcendental beauty of Green Snake - its dreamlike and transfixing aesthetic, and it's tantalizing stars Joey Wong and Maggie Cheung. We also focus in on the movie's universally resonant story, which champions difference and asks its viewers to challenge dogmas of intolerance.Follow Nadine on Twitter.Read and subscribe to Nadine's Substack.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish.

Jesse Hawken, host of Junk Filter Podcast, returns to the show to discuss 'Primal Fear'. The film is a taut piece of middlebrow entertainment which offers maximum reward as a cable classic. We discuss the film's two standout performances - one from aging handsome guy Richard Gere as a hotshot attorney looking for his next big break, the other from then-newcomer Edward Norton who took audiences by storm and wound up on the short list of actors nominate for an Academy Award for their very first film performance. Then, we talk the movie's famous twist ending, and the way that it betrays an uncomfortably reactionary streak that resonated with audiences in mid-90s America. Finally, we have some words about the death of the midbudget cable classic, and look at the current state of the industry vis-a-vis the tandem strike efforts from the WGA and SAG-AFTRA. Listen & Subscribe to Junk Filter Podcast and support the show on Patreon. Follow Jesse Hawken on Twitter. Follow Junk Filter Podcast on TwitterGet access to all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish. 

Get access to this entire episode as well as all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.San Francisco-based Drafthouse programmer Jake Isgar stops by to discuss 'Dick Tracy', Warren Beatty's dazzling passion project released during a brief, bygone moment in big-budget filmmaking when artistic liberty and studio buy-in were wed.We discuss the byzantine journey the film took to the big screen, which included several iterations under different directors and actors in the titular role. Then we discuss Warren Beatty as auteur, and how the character of Dick Tracy reflects his predilections, fears, and fetishes all in one. Finally, we look at Disney's ubiquitous promotional campaign for the film, which featured Dick Tracy iconography and songs from the soundtrack perfromed during Madonna's Blond Ambition Tour. Read Jeffrey Katzenberg's 1991 Memo 'The World Is Changing: Some Thoughts On Our Business' .

It's Hit Factory's third birthday, and you're invited to celebrate along with us! Join us as we count down our baker's Top Ten films from past episodes. Links To Episodes Mentioned Here:The Blair With ProjectRavenous feat. Matt MonagleLost Highway feat. Jonah KoslofskySafe feat. Catherine LiuThe Bridges of Madison County feat. Comrade YuiClose-Up feat. Roxana HadadiThe Game feat. Bilge EbiriSlacker feat. Robert RaymondThe Limey feat. Matt BelenkyIrma Vep feat. Brandon StreussnigCronos Get access to all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish. 

Get access to this entire episode as well as all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.Returning Hit Factory favorites and fellow Neptune High Class on 1980 Sea Dogs Taylor Grimes and Hard Mike join for a testosterone-heavy conversation about Brian De Palma's 'Snake Eyes'. It's a throwback thriller that satisfies as both sleazy genre exercise and one of the director's most stylish metacommentaries on the craft of filmmaking itself.We discuss Brian De Palma as auteur, and how this film continues his career-long devotion to past masters like Hitchcock and their shared fascination with perversion, voyeurism, and corruption. Then we discuss the film's brilliant grasp on both form and function, as it employs its technical acuity to externalize the interiority of it's lead character (portrayed with considerable aplomb by a never-better Nicolas Cage). Finally, we discuss the film's many brilliant collborators, including the late Ryuichi Sakamoto of the influential Japanese electronic outfit Yellow Magic Orchestra who provides this movie's haunting and lyrical score.Follow Hard Mike on Twitter. Find Taylor online (if you can). ....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish.

Writer Maggie Serota joins to discuss the 1993 comedy 'So I Married An Axe Murderer', a movie that takes inspiration from classic screwball comedies, Hitchcock thrillers, and SNL-style sketch comedy in equal measure. We discuss the rise of the film's star, Mike Myers, a gifted comedic performer who dedicated much of his 90s output to an evolving pantheon characters, often involving elaborate makeup and outlandish vocal affectations. Then, we talk about the film's stunning bullpen of comedy veterans, including Alan Arkin, and the late Phil Hartman and Charles Grodin - all contributing hilarious riffs on their signature characters. Finally, we talk about Myers's career today by way of his most recent work, the dire Netflix series 'The Pentaverate' and why audiences might welcome a career pivot in the vein of other SNL alum Adam Sandler or Bill Hader.Follow Maggie on Twitter.Read & Subscribe to Maggie's Substack. Get access to all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish. 

Get access to this entire episode as well as all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.

Montreal-based film programmer, writer, and critic Justine Peres Smith joins us to discuss Catherine Breillat's 1999 film 'Romance'. It's a fascinating film that challenges patriarchal views of intimacy and desire, exploring the interiority of one woman's sexuality with a bracing level of nuance and honesty. We discuss the film's graphic depictions of (purportedly unsimulated) sexual encounters and the fearless performer who gives these raw scenes life, Caroline Ducey. Then, we examine the film's uncommon embrace of the textures of feminine sexuality, subverting reductive and confining depictions in the mainstream, and offering an alternative to the capitalist impulses of "productive sexuality". Finally, we explore sex in film more broadly, and many audience's troubling aversion to exploring sexuality in ways that consider its emancipatory power. Follow Justine on Twitter. Get access to all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish. 

Cenephile and severe weather head @MatineeMode joins us to discuss 'Twister', one of the biggest hits of 1996. It's a film that takes several well-worn, sometimes quaint, and seemingly disparate cinematic tropes and combines them into a transcendent and irreplicable experience.We discuss the rise and fall of filmmaker Jan de Bont, from his time as one of Paul Verhoeven and John McTiernan's key collaborators, to his work on back-to-back 90s action hits (this film and 1994's 'Speed'), to his gun-for-hire status for the 2003 'Tomb Raider' sequel that stands as his last film as director to date. Then, we talk about the film's host of influences, most notably its screwball comedy premise wrapped in a disaster movie's skin. Finally, we discuss the movie's groundbreaking special effects and champion the film as a state-of-the-art blockbuster spectacle.Follow EverydayMatinee on Twitter. Get access to all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish. 

Get access to this entire episode as well as all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.

Journalist and writer Séamus Malekafzali joins us to discuss the 1996 Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle 'Eraser'. It's an above average & satisfyingly self-aware film that represents the waning impact of a once-dependable action formula.We discuss the film's gleeful subversions of action movie tropes and the ways it challenges Arnold's well-cultivated action hero status, the star's late-90s twilight years before his next era as a politiician, and the seemingly long-abandoned notion of vertically integrated tie-in materials for big studio releases. Follow Séamus on Twitter. Read Séamus's Substack on Middle East politics. Read & Listen to Burnt Nitrate, Séamus's explorations of lesser-known and lesser-discussed films. Get access to all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish. 

Get access to this entire episode as well as all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.

Matt Belenky returns for another Carlee-less episode to discuss Steven Soderbergh's technical tour-de-force 'The Limey'. It's both a whip-smart, crackling crime film showcasing Steven Soderbergh at the height of his power and a mesmerizing, patiently observed rumination on memory, loss, and legacy.We discuss the metatextual significance of leads Terence Stamp and Peter Fonda as mutual elegies for the British New Wave and the American films of the New Hollywood era, the film's brilliantly evocative formal techniques, and Steven Soderbergh's singular position as a prolific auteur in our current era of haphazard regurgitation.Follow Matt Belenky on Twitter.Get access to all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish. 

Get access to this entire episode as well as all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.

Get access to this entire episode as well as all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.

Hit Factory's heroic duo take on Johnnie To's 1993 Honk Kong action spectacular, 'The Heroic Trio'. It's a super hero origin story featuring three of Hong Kong cinema's most remarkable leading women - Anita Mui, Michelle Yeoh, & Maggie Cheung - and a wellspring of imagination & style unrivaled by western action movies of the era. We discuss the dynamic burst of imagination at the center of Hong Kong's Golden Era of action cinema that birthed the talents of To, Tsui Hark, John Woo and countless others, the film's nuanced and progressively feminine approach to its storytelling, the brilliant costume design...and the movie's commendable contempt toward children.  Get access to all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish. 

Get access to this entire episode as well as all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.

Returning guests Kurt Schiller and Chris Woodward join us to discuss James Bond's first foray into a post-Cold War world, 'GoldenEye' featuring two notable "firsts": Pierce Brosnan's debut as the international super spy and the first Bond film helmed by director Martin Campbell (who would return to update Bond again for a post-9/11 audience with 'Casino Royale').We discuss the troubled history of the series' 17th entry that saw the exit of previous two-time Bond Timothy Dalton, how Pierce Brosnan's take on the iconic character appeals to the 90s fetishization of the business class, and why the film's embrace of a post-Soviet setting- refreshingly- doesn't feel quite like a victory lap.Follow Kurt Schiller on Twitter. Follow Chris Woodward on Twitter.Listen to Podside Picnic.Read and support Blood Knife Magazine.Get access to all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish. 

We venture into the near future of 1999 to take a look at the VR cyberpunk action spectacular 'Virtuosity' starring Denzel Washington and a then-unknown Russell Crowe in what Carlee argues is his best performance (with a few asterisks).We discuss the film's early arrival at the forefront of virtual reality stories that would become a lynchpin of late 90s science-fiction cinema, its impressive mixture of practical and digital special effects, and why the decade's middleweight movies often reveal the most about the culture of the era.  Get access to all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish. 

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Actor Ethan Embry joins us to discuss 'Boyz N The Hood', John Singleton's sharply observed coming-of-age story that explores Black life in South Central Los Angeles with all its rich contours intact.We have a wide-ranging conversation in which we discuss the film as one of the earliest mainstream successes of Black stories in Hollywood, the media controversies surrounding its theatrical release, and Singleton's masterful diessection of the many faces of capitalism's systemic oppression of people along racial and class lines. Follow Ethan Embry on Twitter. Get access to all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish. 

Get access to this entire episode as well as all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.

Chicago-based critic and author of the new book "Talk 90s with Me: 23 Unpredictable Conversations with Stars of an Unforgettable Decade" Matt Pais joins us to discuss the kids cult classic 'Heavyweights'.After a conversation about Matt's new book, we talk through the film's empathetic and nuanced portrayal of fatness (notably featuring an ensemble of actors of size), its place within the canon of 90s anti-conformity comedies, and why this might be Ben Stiller's most pitch-perfect performance. Follow Matt Pais on Twitter. Check out Matt's new book "Talk 90s with Me: 23 Unpredictable Conversations with Stars of an Unforgettable Decade".Get access to all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish. 

Get access to this entire episode as well as all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.

Journalist at KQED San Francisco Carly Severn joins us to discuss the 1997 thriller THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE. It's a film that is equal parts Faustian parable and John Grisham legal kitsch and features a scene-chewing Al Pacino as the titular prince of darkness.We praise the film's singular cast (including the aforementioned Pacino, Keanu Reeves in 90s accent mode, and an extremely commited Charlize Theron), relate the film's fixations on good and evil to some other stalwart film properties of the decade, and unpack why the late 90s was a period uniquely positioned from a prime reappraisal of America's spiritual condition. Follow Carly Severn on Twitter. Get access to all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish. 

Film critic Bilge Ebiri (Vulture, New York Magazine) joins us to discuss David Fincher's oft-diminished 1997 thriller, 'The Game'. It's a fascinating, intricate follow-up to the hit 'Se7en' that showcases Fincher at his most technically adept and stepping outside of his thematic comfort zone for the first time. We discuss the star power of Michael Douglas and why he is the perfect match for the movie's stark vision of trial and catharsis, uncover the film's prophetic vision of the inescapable and constantly-surveiling eye of big tech, and tease out the myriad pleasures of its controversial "happy" ending - a rarity in Fincher's ouevre. Follow Bilge Ebiri on Twitter. Get access to all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish. 

Get access to this entire episode as well as all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.

Los Angeles-based literary manager and producer Jarrod Murray joins the crew of the USS Hit Factory to discuss 'Under Siege', the 1992 action thriller starring Steven Seagal. We discuss the exemplary direction of journeyman Andrew Davis who would go on a year later to make his opus, 'The Fugitive', praise the transcendent performance of Tommy Lee Jones as the madcap leader of a group of nuclear terrorists, and return to one of our favorite preoccupations: the meteoric rise (and astonishing fall) of Steven Seagal, movie star. Finally, we mourn the loss of a bygone staple of Hollywood: Cool Boat Cinema™, and contemplate who might be able to take up the mantle and revive the genre in 2023. Follow Jarrod Murray on Twitter. Get access to all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish. 

Critic, writer, and film historian Nora MacIntyre joins Aaron to discuss John Waters's 1994 satire 'Serial Mom' starring Kathleen Turner as the titular murderous matriarch. Topics include Waters's exploitation origins and the film's ties to splatter maven Herschell Gordon Lewis, the movie's brilliant send-up of the capitalist patriarchal structures of modernity, and the immediate prescience of the story's exploration of true crime obsession in the wake of the O.J. Simpson trial. Follow Nora MacIntyre on Twitter.Read Nora's work at her website, Notoriously Nora.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish

Get access to this entire episode as well as all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.

Get access to this entire episode as well as all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.

Director/Programmer of Drunken Film Fest Oakland and co-host of Wiseman Podcast Arlin Golden joins Aaron to discuss Chris Smith's 1999 documentary 'American Movie', a story of artistic determination, male friendship, and one man's struggle to achieve The American Dream amidst the industrial decay of the Rust Belt Midwest. We discuss the fascinating once-in-a-lifetime dynamicism of Smith's subject Mark Borchardt, praise the film's brilliant examination the sociopolitical conditions of working class America, and investigate the ethical and artistic criticisms of the movie's construction.Follow Arlin Golden on Twitter.Read "American Movie at 20: why this portrait of a working-class Wisconsin auteur endures" by filmmaker Robert Greene.Listen and Subscribe to Wiseman Podcast. Check out Mike Ott's film 'Kid Icarus' on Tubi.Get access to all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish.