Ex Rated Movies Matt Fisher and Ryan Weadon

Any way you slice it, 200 episodes is a milestone. And while other, more cowardly podcasts might insist on regulating and planning every second of such an achievement, we left it all to chance and invited Lady Luck to choose our movies for us! Last week’s AFI Roulette spins yielded two paragons of pure, unadulterated entertainment. One is a dumb, colorful musical bursting with bananas fashion, stunning set pieces, and one magnificent ass. The other is a frenetic and cacophonous gangster flick that features outstanding performances, the most magnificent oner, and an in-movie commercial to rival Cheddar Goblin. Both are exemplars of their genre, and the form of cinema itself. Join us as we swoon over Singin’ in the Rain (1952) and Goodfellas (1990), this week on Ex Rated Movies!

As we approach episode 200, Matt has decided to bring us back to where it all started. Claire Denis’ vampire-adjacent Trouble Every Day (2001), is a slow and sensual mood piece that’s sparse on dialogue but brimming with ambiguity. While the movie does contain two challengingly violent scenes, the lush camerawork from Agnès Goddard, sumptuous music from Tindersticks, and sad puppy dog eyes from Vincent Gallo help to temper their biting intensity. This is one auteur treatment of vampires that we heartily endorse. Join us as we rack our brains about about actual brains, review the Tool Time segments from Home Improvement, and get mayonnaise all over the mirror, this week on Ex Rated Movies!

Pull up your pleated corduroys and throw on Bossanova because we’re taking a nostalgia trip back to the 1990’s. While Kicking and Screaming (1995), Noah Baumbach’s debut feature, definitely captures the look and feel of the mid 90’s, it also epitomizes the directionless ennui some liberal arts graduates *ahem* feel upon entering the “real world.” And while he certainly went on to make better films, this one’s charming analysis of stunted and ornery young adults refusing to grow up, goes down very, very easy. Join us for some thoughtful discussions on the Cookie Man’s politics, an abridged dissection of the exact nature of a Muppet, and a rootin’, tootin’ audition for Howdy Tasty, this week on Ex Rated Movies!

It’s a true testament to how great Gremlins is that practically everyone came back to work on Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990). And the fact that studio execs held out until Joe Dante was willing to make it with complete creative control, proves that whatever unique blend of horror and comedy that this movie achieves, is unrepeatable. Bigger and wackier than the first, yet still ringing all the same bells, this delightfully satisfying sequel is the ideal example of what can happen when art and business join forces. Join us as we reminisce about Wendy’s baked potato bar, take a stab at Andy Rooney’s tight five, and put a pin in Gremlina’s DSL, this week on Ex Rated Movies!

Evillene would be pleased because this week, we’ve got good news; we’re talking about The Wiz (1978)! Starring an age-inappropriate Diana Ross, a peanut-butter-cup-wrapper-sporting Michael Jackson, and directed by a put-the-camera-in-the-nosebleeds Sidney Lumet, this one-of-a-kind flick reimagines The Wizard of Oz with an all-black cast singing familiar story beats in soul and gospel style. Filled with huge set pieces, imaginative costume design, excellent vocal performances, and tight choreography, this unique film, while flawed, puts a fun, joyful spin on the beloved classic. Join us as we discuss a bitter and repulsive liqueur, get swept away by a blornado, and marvel at Matt’s first on-air critique of capitalism, this week on Ex Rated Movies!

It seems that for those of us who grew up in the 80’s, The Secret of NIMH (1982) either conjures fond memories of a magical adventure or summons terrifying traumas of non-stop peril. The Exes and their newly minted #1 guest Travis Vogt, are solidly in the former category. Helmed by Don Bluth and completed by a team of Disney expats, this masterpiece of old-school hand-drawn animation tells a grim tale of a nameless widow mouse who, when faced with impossible choices, finds the courage to conquer insurmountable odds. Join us for an episode that includes some imminent death chuckles, a Great Owl who is DTF, and a showering of Jimmy Stewart’s tricklins, this week on Ex Rated Movies!

And check out Travis’s podcast here:
https://thesuspenseiskillingus.com/