Out There in the Dark

Roger Corman (April 5, 1926 -May 9, 2024)—an iconic figure whose influence on Hollywood is nothing short of legendary—traversed the cinematic landscape from the late 1950's to the 1990's. Celebrated as the "Pope of Pop Cinema," the "Spiritual Godfather of the New Hollywood," and the "King of Cult," Corman was a pioneering force in independent filmmaking, forever reshaping the industry with his innovative spirit.

Throughout his illu...

The recent and tragic news of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, has left movie fans around the world reeling. While the unsettling details surrounding their passing may capture attention, this isn’t TMZ. Instead, we choose to honor the life and extraordinary talent of one of the greatest actors of our time. Gene Hackman was renowned for his unparalleled ability to convey authenticity—something that is notoriously difficult ...

One of the least explored subgenres in cinema is the short-lived, radical category known as "punk film." This genre emerged in response to the rise of punk music in the late 1970s, which served as a counterpoint to the hedonistic glam of disco and dance music—a genre I also enjoy. However, punk's emergence was more than just a musical trend; it was a political reaction against the shift toward right-wing and neoliberal policies in ...

Welcome to our annual Oscar's Bitch Fest. 2025, this year with 50% less 'bitchiness'.  Largely unpolitical, this year's Oscar's seem to successfully navigate the current chaos and produce an entertaining, actually funny and drama free event. However, smooth sailing can make for an uninspiring and somewhat boring ride. If it wasn't for Adrian Brody's eccentric acceptance speech, I wouldn't have cringed at all.  

Join Azed & Tom ...

With the passing of David Lynch we mourn the loss of a true artist and spiritual guide. Anyone familiar with Lynch, the man and his work, knew him to be a study in the paradoxical.  His All-American "boy next door" character and rural common sense, always sat oddly beside the nightmare cinematic worlds he created.  Mel Brooks, who hired him to direct The Elephant Man, called him "Jimmy Stewart from Mars".  For all the debate around...

Just in time for the holidays, OTD presents Giallo! What could be more appropriate at this festive time than gorgeously designed, sexually perverse murder mysteries with a dash of the supernatural? Alright! This was supposed to be a Halloween release but Azed was too busy with his charity work and Tom is extremely limited in many ways. Instead of the usual Xmas cinema fare, We suggest a horror filled holiday this year, filled with ...

At one point in the 70's everyone was wearing clogs and in the 80's, we were handing out Best Picture awards to movies like, Driving Miss Daisy and calling it a sign of progress.  So it's a good idea to check in with your once loved cultural artifacts to make sure you aren't still listening to Jesus Jones or defending Dan Brown books . In that vein, Tom and Azed discuss two movies they both used to really like and now feel a bit le...

As the world continues to spiral down into increasing idiocy, cruelty and destructiveness, Azed and Tom are both using cinema to cope.  In this episode, we discuss some more recent releases including: Richard Linklater's Hit Man,  Alex Garland's Civil War and George Miller's Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.   Despite increasing corpulence and hair loss, we are not the new Siskel & Ebert,. We employ no thumbs up, thumbs down metric base...

After a short hiatus, Azed & Tom return for this very special epsiode dedicated to the often overlooked character actor. Although a somewhat vague label the character actor is usually understood to be a film or television performer who specializes in portraying unique, offbeat, colorful characters in supporting roles.  While leading actors receive most, if not all, of the accolades for a film or series' success, it is often the...

The Academy Awards are a reliable exercise in celebrating some of the worst tendencies in modern, capitalist society.  A bunch of privileged, back slapping industry folks handing out trophies to each other is perhaps the height of egotistical "cringe", but still we watch them. Often, with the same passion as one might watch, say a "Real Housewives" or a "Big Brother", essentially, a hate watch. Azed and Tom weigh in on this year's ...

In this episode, Azed & Tom delve into the captivating world of acclaimed filmmaker Martin Scorsese and the resounding critical acclaim surrounding his latest masterpiece, "Killers of the Flower Moon." In this episode, we explore the widespread praise and recognition that this film has garnered, exploring its profound impact on both critics and audiences.

"Killers of the Flower Moon" has captivated viewers and critics alike, pr...

It's has been said that the 70's were the last golden age of cinema. it's hard to disagree when you realize how many auteurist directors that era birthed. A modest list would have to include; Scorsese, DePalma, Bogdanovich, Coppola, Lynch and William Friedkin.  Friedkin's career is an enigma. His third film The French Connection won multiple Oscars (Including Best director), catapulted him to fame. Friedkin's next film, The Exorcis...

In a series we are calling Criminally Forgotten, we pluck out discarded, overlooked or misunderstood gems from the past.  In this episode, we unearth a relic from the archives, Bill Gunn's 1973 art/horror/vampire movie Ganja & Hess . Gunn, a literate, smart, cultured person who came from the Theatre and the literary arts was tasked with replicating the immense success of the iconic African-American vampire film, Blacula (1972)....

The recent internet phenomenon of creating a portmanteau out of two blockbusters, Barbie (Greta Gerwig) and Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan), marks a first in cinema history.  This is probably the first time the usual cage-match between competing films was usurped by a non-competitive organic marketing scheme.  Social media, usually  a cesspool of kindergarten style competitiveness, actually created an event that celebrated seeing b...

increasingly, the court of public opinion through social media has the power to make or break a film. and the ubiquitous exposure of artists' personal foibles now serves as a legitimate form of film criticism. "Bad" people, so the argument goes, are not deserving of our attention, regardless of the quality of the work.  Some questions that arise in this discussion are:

-is it fair or right to equate the artist with the art?

-Does ...

For our second episode of Out There in the Dark, Azed & Tom take a look at the films honoured by this year’s Academy Awards. Yeah, we know it’s months after they aired but hey, this is largely a vanity project for Azed and Tom, so shut it! 

As much as we find the Oscar’s an increasingly cringe-inducing affair, we figure if you’re going to do a movie podcast, you can’t avoid talking about them at some point. Everyone seems to have a...

Welcome to the inaugural episode of Out There in the Dark.  In this episode, Azed & Tom discuss Sight & Sound's decennial poll of the Greatest Films of All Time and the seemingly out of nowhere elevation of a little known, 1970's experimental French feminist film to the number one spot.  Chantal Akerman's Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, was released in 1975 to quiet acclaim within the halls of critical film dis...