Cinema Oblivia

Anthony Abatte returns for my 100th episode! To celebrate this momentous occasion, we discuss a women in prison film from the mid-80s. But not just any women in prison film, we're here to talk about The Naked Cage, perhaps one of the sleaziest, trashiest, nastiest films Cannon ever released (and that's saying something)!
Content warning: This is a women in prison film, so expect discussions about scenes that feature sexual assault, unflattering LGBTQ stereotypes, violence against women, and so on. Also, some iffy racial politics and racial slurs.

Anyone who listens to this podcast knows that I love me some Peter Cushing, so I thought I would take some time to rattle off 20 or so Peter Cushing films that I feel are absolute must-sees, and three that you should avoid like a zombie plague.

Heavenly Bodies is blatant low-budget Canadian rip-off of Flashdance that completely bombed when it came out. It's gone on to have a dedicated cult following because it is, quite frankly, one of the lightest, happiest, most energetic and delightful films ever made. And it has a banger of a soundtrack that almost never stops. Anthony Abatte and I talk about this charming as hell movie, and do a deep dive on every single song and musical artist that appear in the film. (That's why this episode is over two hours long.)

Madeleine Koestner returns to Cinema Oblivia to talk about American Gothic, a supremely gnarly late-80s hidden gem of a slasher about a seriously dysfunctional family and the idiots yuppies they decide to slay. 
Content Warning: We discuss fictional depictions of graphic sexual assault, and considering the tone of this film, our tone is certainly not serious when doing so.

The Challenge, directed by John Frankenheimer and starring Scott Glenn, is not the greatest film in the world. It was certainly not the greatest film to come out in 1982, but it's about a giant white dipshit living in Japan and making an ass of himself. And as a giant white dipshit who lives in Japan who routinely makes an ass of himself, I felt seen. Although I've killed far less people than Scott Glenn does in this movie (at least, so far).
Fellow American in Japan Diamond Feit joins me to talk about this very silly film.

Last month it was Ant with Anthony Abatte. This month it's Bees...with Anthony Abatte...because I don't know anyone whose name is Bee. 
You've never seen a killer bees movie like The Bees. Believe you me. In a time of great strife and war, the themes of unity and togetherness that are touched upon in The Bees should inspire us all to make the world a better place.
And John Saxon. John Saxon is great (and oddly attractive).

ANThony Abatte joins me once more to discuss this ANTagonistic film about killer ants. It's real great bad movie, even if the ending is really ANTiclmatic.
Sorry. (No I'm not).

Ever wish that every other person on the planet would vanish in a puff of smoke? Feeling that way more than usual lately? So have I! And so has Scott Sharkey, who wanders in from the wastelands to talk about The Quiet Earth, the hugely influential New Zealand classic about what it would be like to be the literal last man on Earth (and then suddenly not be).

We're closing out this year at Cinema Oblivia by offering a virtual smorgasbord of lesser-known film recommendations. Diamond Feit joins me once ore as we browse the absolute depths of Letterboxd to find the weirdest, most out-there, and criminally under-seen films we've watched, as well as our picks for the best movies we've seen this year!

Depressed over the current state of the world? Have you considered using a monster truck to solve your problems?
 
Diamond Feit and Anthony Abatte join me to talk about Rolling Vengeance, the world's only monster truck revenge movie. Yes, it is Canadian. And it rules.