We're charting how the creative team found their perfect cast, including how Tim Allen learned what Acting was throughout the film, Sigourney Weaver's campaign to be part of the film, Alan Rickman's need to do comedy, and how Tony Shalhoub wound up playing a character with an Asian name. But how did the Star Trek cast feel about it? The answer may surprise you!

Come and share our appreciation of Canadian treasure Enrico Colantoni while we look at deleted scenes, alternate plots, and how to simulate 70's TV aesthetics.

We're also getting into our personal Galaxy Quests, the fandoms that have consumed us for better and worse, how we learned to recognize "bad" media, and 1999's mammoth cinema moment. Plus, Erin brings us the Straight Dope!

We've officially come down with Oscars fever, so this week's episode does double duty as our coverage of the race itself. From OBAA's 13 nominations and SINNERS record-breaking 16, to the joys of ping pong in MARTY SUPREME and the massive snub of our beloved NO OTHER CHOICE, we're covering all of our thoughts on little gold men.

This film sees a lot of first-timers to the pod, so we're talking Leonardo Di Caprio's career, Benicio del Toro's beer, Chase Infiniti's fear, Sean Penn's sneer, and how Madonna's web connects them all. And of course we're going down a rabbit hole on Jonny Greenwood's score and the fascism of Nixon and Reagan evolving into the form found in this film.

Next time we're heading to the blood rave: join us in watching Wesley Snipes as BLADE (1998)!

We're learning Ralph Fiennes' full name, revisiting 3rd Rock from the Sun, and decide that every character in this film is a Pope, before discussing Catholicism and the Absolute Mysteries, power structures and rotting institutions, and what it means to stand for something instead of against something.

Get ready to hear a lot about specificity becoming universality as we get into each pope's candidacy, the power of presenting alternatives in the face of certainty, and how much you have to screw up to have a sin named after you. And we're here to investigate: is John Lithgow's Father Tremblay Canadian?

We're getting heavily into the ending and varying interpretations, so be warned of heavy spoilers!

Next time, we're getting into Oscar talk with Paul Thomas Anderson's ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER!

Nick and Erin are running down their favourite performances of 2025, talk instrumental & song scores, and our best theatre-going memories of the year before discussing new-to-us discoveries and our top 5 of the year.

It all leads up to the key questions of the year: how did they make Ethan Hawke just a little guy? Why is Josh O'Connor legally mandated to appear in every film? What's with all the dual roles (looking at you Robert Pattinson, Michael B Jordan, and Wagner Moura)? And just who is Damocles?

But most importantly, who will take home the vaunted Golden Garbage Can Lid? Past winners include Nolan's OPPENHEIMER and Guadagnino's CHALLENGERS.

Movies discussed - light spoilers on all of the below:

BLUE MOON - Richard Linklater

IF I HAD LEGS I'D KICK YOU - Mary Bronstein

WAKE UP DEAD MAN - Rian Johnson

BLACK BAG - Steven Soderbergh

SINNERS - Ryan Coogler

THE SECRET AGENT - Kleber Mendonça Filho

ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER - Paul Thomas Anderson

NIRVANNA THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIE - Matt Johnson

NO OTHER CHOICE - Park Chan-wook

THE NAKED GUN - Akiva Schaffer

UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE - Matthew Rankin

DEUX FEMMES EN OR (TWO WOMEN) - Chloé Robichaud

MICKEY 17 - Bong Joon Ho

Before getting into the film we're discussing the Wachowskis at large, their graphic novel and Hong Kong cinema influences, and how Bound was their Hollywood guarantor. This unique noir takes the Billy Wilder and Hitchcock influences and makes it the Wachowskis' own - we're breaking down the how's and why's, and how this feeds perfectly into the Matrix.

Gina Gershon, Jennifer Tilly, and Joe Pantoliano are in the finest forms of their career, with Gershon and Tilly fighting over casting, and Joey Pants fighting to be nude on screen. Plus we learn how the crew became fluent in Wachowski as Susie Bright's proto-intimacy coordinating, Bill Pope's visuals, Zach Staenberg's editing, and Don Davis' music bring the sisters' style to the screen.

Plus: sex, sex, SEX!

We love the insane family dynamics of our vampire trio, and so this episode importantly praises Kirsten Dunst, is okay with Brad Pitt, is in awe of whatever Tom Cruise is doing, and is surprised by least erotic Antonio Banderas performance. We are of course finding a way to make this story about class, Nick compares Rice to Charles Dickens, and we ask the ultimate question: what does this have to do with Cher?

Plus, more teenaged Erin lore surrounding her experience with this book, how this book and film changed fan fiction forever, and another edition of Graboid Onto These Facts.

Next time on the pod we're getting into Noirvember with the Wachowski sisters' debut, BOUND!

Note: there is a little audio hiccup around 46:00-47:00 -- it is temporary and does not occur throughout the episode.

We're talking Sayles' career and how his fingerprints cover Hollywood from Roger Corman to ET the Extraterrestrial before diving into thoughts on the Alamo. And in our discussion of this film's themes and central mystery that deal with the grey areas of borders we all experience, we define once and for all what "politics in movies" means.

The cast is all on fire, and we discuss how Chris Cooper plays subtext to the back walls, how we need to see more Elizabeth Peña & Joe Morton, how Kris Kristofferson is always scary, and how Matthew McConaughey has always been Daddy.

Next time we're squeezing in something spooky just in time -- Tom Cruise goes southern gothic in INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE!

We're tracing Sinners' path from conception to theatre, from Coogler's visit to a cotton plantation outside of Atlanta, to discovering Miles Caton and treating Jack O'Connell like Beyonce, to one of the best theatre experiences of the year.

This film trusts its audiences in ways that recent blockbusters haven't, so we're getting into some of the details that make up this (our?) world: Hoodoo, the Great Migration, Juke Joints, Choctaw vampire hunters, we've got it all.

Plus, Erin breaks down how Ludwig Goransson's blues-based score helps tell this story of racism, colonialism, and vampires. And how did we feel about the big Generations dance scene? The answer may surprise you!

Next week we're taking another look at racial and colonial attitudes in the south with John Sayles' LONE STAR (1996)

We're also talking about our recent cinematic obsessions, finally getting French New Wave films, guys we made up to get mad at, and lament not getting to participate in TIFF this year.

Join us next time for a return to our typical format with this year's vampire musical, SINNERS!

Full spoilers ahead as we discuss Bong's version of a feel-good love story, Edward Ashton's original novel MICKEY 7, the inherently boring faces of techno-religious fascism, reconciling your morality with your identity in late-stage capitalism, and how "lower" classes can become a self-exploitative population. Y'know, comedy!

It's the Robert Pattinson show -- his mondo weirdo energy, falling down stairs, underwear modeling, and the DNA his performances share with Jim Carrey. Plus, we're getting into Naomi Ackie's "he said no pickles" performance, Steven Yeun's underrated comedic chops, and Mark Ruffalo's fake teeth and Toni Collette's sauces.

And to wrap up the series, we're giving our top 3 Bongs. We think you'll agree that our choices are very brave.

This pair of episodes is all about thinking about the concept of a Guy. What if several guys became one guy? What if one guy was several guys? We're here to answer these questions and more, starting with Spike Jonze's 1999 dark comedy headtrip, BEING JOHN MALKOVICH.

We get into Spike Jonze's BMX and MTV lifestyle, Charlie Kaufman's sketch comedy origins, our feelings on John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, and Catherine Keener. And of course the question everyone wants the answer to: why Malkovich?

This movie's prescience lies in its surreal prediction of fan culture, and we are forced to invoke the dreaded phrase: "you couldn't make this today", while dredging up our corporate job histories. We're also drawing parallels between Bong Joon-ho's filmography and why he lists this as one of his favourites!

Next time we wrap up our set of Guys by hanging out with several Robert Pattinsons in MICKEY 17!

One of Bong's trademarks is his depiction of class in his films, and while this isn't the first example in his repertoire, it's his first film expressly focused on class. We love our family of screw up underdogs led by Song Kang-ho, and we're doing our best to determine an Official THE HOST Sibling Order.

Alarmingly, this movie's premise is based on a true life incident, the McFarland Incident! Somehow, this film is a less ridiculous version of the real story, and we're discussing this and the political fallout that chased Bong upon this film's release.

Next time on the pod: what if a guy was multiple guys? And what if you were all those guys? It's the first part of our next pairing, Spike Jonze's BEING JOHN MALKOVICH 1999!

We're discussing our journey with this movie as we went from mild haters to powerful lovers, unfiltered punk worldviews, and how the soundtrack to REPO MAN changed America's punk landscape forever thanks in large part to Iggy Pop.

We're trashing Reagan and car culture while praising Cox's beautiful ode to character through its casting choices. Plus, Nick tells Erin about the Brat Pack and we commit to at least 200 episodes for a Jazz Punk Teen surprise!

Next time, we complete the pairing with Bong Joon-ho's monster movie with a fuck up at its centre: THE HOST.

How many baby thefts is too many? We're here to answer this, how it fuses Tim Burton and James Cameron with wuxia, the mind-boggling star power on screen, and how Hong Kong's trademark tonal juggling act is pushed to the extreme.

Nick is here to impart the good word of Anita Mui's life, and Erin gives us the lowdown on what makes a wuxia and how the Heroic Trio fits into its thousands-of-years long tradition.

Content warning: as with the movie, there is discussion of infanticide

It's our first time talking De Palma, so we're breaking down his general cinematic approach and style before diving into where exactly BLOW OUT came from, and the power of a downer ending.

It'd be impossible not to delve into voyeurism, Hitchcock, John Travolta's singing career, Nancy Allen & De Palma's marriage, and our complicated feelings on John "Mr Entertainment" Lithgow. Plus we're here to answer the age old question: is there a better cinematic setup scene than putting John Travolta on a bridge with an owl?

Next time: back to Hong Kong for Johnnie To's gonzo superhero antics in THE HEROIC TRIO (1993)

As our favourite of the two 2022 Pinocchio films, we're naturally discussing stop-motion animation in depth and learning how much of a nightmare it can be. We're also taking the opportunity to slag off AI, learn how quippiness goes bad, and finally identify the British version of M Emmet Walsh.

GDT writes most of his movies because of his relationship with his father and this is very clearly no exception. We're picking up his cue to talk through the idea of individual responsibility in life and to their children, especially when it comes to fascism and war. Plus, we're here with a huge update from Erin's Dairy Corner.

Join us as we choose our favourite puppets from the cast and rank our top 3 personal GDT films! You too will believe that Cate Blanchett is an elderly, abused monkey inspired by ... Joan Cusack!?

Next time - it's time for the opposite of del Toro. That's right, time for some sleazy genre fare and we're looking at one of the best: Brian De Palma's BLOW OUT!

We're charting Del Toro's journey from the giant canvas of PACIFIC RIM to the intimately-scaled WATER, the original Creature from the Black Lagoon, and how you create a movie as a terrarium for a fishman.

Naturally, we're praising all the performances--from Sally Hawkins' confidence to MIchael Shannon's incuriousity, Octavia Spencer's jokes to Michael Stuhlbarg's stuffed shirt, and Richard Jenkins' desparation to Doug Jones' toreador energy--but we're also discussing how consumerism of the 60's intersects with our antagonists, and how 'otherness' is portrayed by our heroes.

Plus, we're playing ROOMMATE, TINDER DATE, OR BLOCK with classic monsters!

Next time we wrap up our mini-series with GUILLERMO DEL TORO'S PINOCCHIO.

Our second week of GDT In The GTA brings us Guillermo del Toro in action blockbuster mode: the rock 'em sock 'em kaiju robot punchfest, PACIFIC RIM from 2013! Join us in canceling the apocalypse!

We're diving (lol) deep into how drifting works, what separates this from other mecha anime & monster movies, and what constitutes an analog robot. And we're working to answer the question: did GDT cast Charlie Day purely on the Pepe Silvia episode of Always Sunny? And where does Gamera fit into this picture?

Nick takes Erin on GDT's journey from DEVIL'S BACKBONE to PACIFIC RIM and, spoiler alert, James Cameron is way more involved than you might think. And can Erin finally best a round of Graboid Onto These Facts?

Next week we go full Oscars mode with 2017's THE SHAPE OF WATER!

Before getting into the movie proper, we're setting the table for our mini-series by covering the highlights of GDT's life in the lead up to BACKBONE, his outlook on creativity and antifascism, and how lapsed Catholics and atheists are not the same thing.

We're discussing at length how he successfully ties together seemingly disparate elements of the gothic horror subgenre, themes of solidarity, the specifics of the Spanish Civil War, and Catholicism.

Working with children in film is always hit or miss, but we're here to celebrate Carlos' bravery, Jaime's redemption, and the death of fascists.

Next time we're just gonna go jump in the ocean: it's monster-robot fighting PACIFIC RIM!

Who will take home the coveted Trashy for best film of the year? Listen to find out!

Movies discussed:

• The Return
• Dune Part 2
• A Different Man
• Love Lies Bleeding
• Perfect Days
• Nosferatu
• Challengers
• The Brutalist
• The Substance
• Escape from the 21st Century
• Evil Does Not Exist
• Conclave
• Mars Express

Next episode we begin GDT IN THE GTA: our little series on Guillermo Del Toro, aka Papa Cinema!

It's probably Kon's most conventional film, but he brings in his reality-blurring style nonetheless. We're discussing John Ford's influence, society's marginalized populations, and the emotions we dip into when we're trying to mask or find love.

Nick gets deep into how the realism is enhanced & broken with animation and sound design flourishes, and Erin has a Baileys update! Plus, we're speculating about what happens to these characters after the cameras stop rolling, a testament to how fully-realized these titular Godfathers are.

Next time: our 2024 in review! So just watch every movie that came out this year and you'll be prepped.

Our gift this year is getting to respectfully discuss Geena Davis' biceps, our favourite Samuel L Jackson performances, their amazing chemistry, and Brian Cox's proclivity for aiding amnesiacs. In addition to how we feel about the specific subgenres to which this belongs--spy coming out of retirement & misanthropic buddy action comedy--we also get pretty nerdy about Alan Silvestri's soundtracks.

Plus, Erin has a holiday trivia segment for Nick! Will he remember enough about Shane Black's filmography & amnesia-based films to win? Listen to find out!

NEXT TIME: our second holiday episode on Satoshi Kon's most normal film: 2003's TOKYO GODFATHERS.

We're here to celebrate its 50th anniversary by recounting our experience seeing this in theatres as a first viewing experience. We're having a serious The Conversation about Gene Hackman's spite, John Cazale's killer filmography, Harrison Ford's babyface, the recently passed Teri Garr's ability to elevate everything she's in, and David Shire's amazing minimalist score, before running through the plot of this top-tier character study masquerading as a mystery. Spoilers within!

This movie's prescience really cannot really be overstated. We're here to discuss how it locked into the zeitgeist of the 70's and predicted our current way of life, and how it not only predicted Watergate, but technical advisor Martin Kaiser's life. Plus, is The Conversation part of a franchise??? Find out here!

Next time: the holiday season's already here!? We're upset about it. But we're easing the pain by watching Renny Harlin & Shane Black's THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT!

This is another big one for the household. We're obsessed with the intersection of Tom Cruise's personal vs screen personas, Bill Paxton's intersection with JFK's assassination, and Emily Blunt's intersection of aliens and her Big Sword.

We're getting into the title controversy and how this is film is so much greater than the sum of its parts. And we're becoming Tom Cruise scream truthers: buckle up for a cavalcade of death yelps! Come Live, Die, Repeat with us!

Next time on the pod we're visiting a stone-cold classic for its 50th anniversary: Francis Ford Coppola's THE CONVERSATION!

We're talking about the inspirations for the film, zombies in general, synthesizing genre convention vs parodying genre tropes, and the lost art of back-of-DVD writing. This movie hit at a very formative time for us, so we're talking teen years, the doors to film that this movie opened to us, and how it expanded our vocabulary. And yes, we talk about Queen.

Next time we're covering a movie we've longed to discuss: the Tom Cruise death vehicle EDGE OF TOMORROW, aka LIVE DIE REPEAT!

CW: due to the nature of this movie's story, child sexual abuse is discussed in general terms.

It's a real Freudian time on the podcast this week as we discuss Truman Capote's "skull beneath the skin" gothic concepts, Deborah Kerr's masterful portrayal of psychosexual ambiguity, why you shouldn't use flashbacks, creepy kids, and candelabras (candelabrae?). We're asking the question, how do you adapt a purposefully ambiguous tale? Fittingly, there's no exact answer!

Plus, we're talking about how this was a huge leap forward for the horror genre in its cinematography and sound design, and it's a perfect opportunity to discuss electronic music pioneer Daphne Oram.

Next time on the pod we visit a core text of the Gartbage crew: SHAUN OF THE DEAD!

We're talking robots, detectives, directorial debuts, cannibals, ghosts, nightbitches, Ralph Fiennes' dong, anti-colonial action, peacocks, ice cream truck drivers, game shows, organic buildings, Kafka-esque nightmares, punks, street fighter, time travel, and funky fresh soundtracks.

We try our best to stay out of spoiler territory, but for full disclosure, here are the movies discussed on this episode:

• THE LIFE OF CHUCK, dir. Mike Falangan
• THE RETURN dir. Uberto Pasolini
• DON'T LET'S GO TO THE DOGS TONIGHT dir. Embeth Davidzt
• 40 ACRES, dir. R.T. Thorne
• KA WHAWHAI TONU: STRUGGLE WITHOUT END, dir. Mike Jonathan
• NIGHTBITCH, dir. Marielle Heller
• FRIENDSHIP, dir. Andrew DeYoung
• I, THE EXECUTIONER, dir. Ryoo Seung-wan
• WILLIAM TELL, dir. Nick Hamm
• THE GESUIDOUZ, dir. Kenn'ichi Ugana
• THE LUCKIEST MAN IN AMERICA, dir. Samir Oliveros
• THE WILD ROBOT, dir. Chris Sanders
• ELSE, dir. Thibault Emin
• MR. K, dir. Tallulah Schwab
• THE PARTY'S OVER, dir. Elena Manrique
• DEAD TALENTS SOCIETY, dir. John Hsu
• ESCAPE THE 21ST CENTURY, dir. Li Yang
• THE MOUNTAIN, dir. Rachel House

We're going full spoilers on the movie discussion this week. Consider yourself warned!

Nick's theory that all Hong Kong movies from the time were Handover Movies continues to be true as we discuss Buddhist hell, avoiding undercover cop clichés, Andy Lau's unfathomable superstardom, and Tony Leung's cute nicknames.

To wrap up the Hong Kong series, we're going over the "twilight of Hong Kong's film industry", how Infernal Affairs avoided the pitfalls of the industry, how it completes the journey that started with our 36TH CHAMBER episode, and our general thoughts and feelings on this unique place and time in film.

While a touchstone for HK cinema today, Wong Kar-wai's big splash into the arthouse scene was anything but at the time. We're discussing how Wong found his way to his style leading up to CHUNGKING, how it captured the Hong Kong attitudes at such a precise moment, and the different relationship phases we recognized in these characters, in addition to highliighting Tony Leung's sad eyes.

We're also connecting CHUNGKING EXPRESS to our previous HK movie, YES MADAM and 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN to chart just how we've arrived here. Plus, we get some some surprise foreshadowing for our next episode and the finale of our Hong Kong series: 2002's INFERNAL AFFAIRS!

It was the high-five heard around the world: Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock's first starring roles. We're running down just how much these two women could kick one's ass, especially Rothrock's Grand Master status and how she was cooking fools even as a teenager, and take some time to shout out our numerous cameo-filled trios of doofuses.

Plus, Nick connects the threads from last episode's Shaw talk on our 36th Chamber episode to YES, MADAM!'s contemporary setting. This movie kicked off a lot of careers, many of which guided the action genre through the next few decades and we're here to celebrate that.

Next time we're heading to the 90's for a different side of Hong Kong film: Wong Kar-wei's CHUNGKING EXPRESS!

36th Chamber is an enormous tentpole in kung fu film, and one of the first post-Bruce Lee HK movies to break through to international audiences. We're probing into what made it so influential, how it established training tropes, and we opine on why it's a perfect introduction to the genre.

We're also talking about Lau Kar-Leung's approach to martial arts as a self-improvement tool, Gordon Liu and Shaw Bros' outsized impact outside of the kung fu world, and the Kill Bill siren. And yes, we mention Bruce Lee.

But who are the Shaw Bros exactly? Nick's here with a quick rundown of their history and how there's literally a place called Movietown. We also determine what chambers would absolutely wreck us personally.

Next time: we're agreeing with Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock in Corey Yuen's YES MADAM (1985)!

We've seen it all before: the taciturn, lone wolf assassin who is a perfect precision instrument has a hit go bad, his employer betrays him, and the police are on his tail. But this is the one that set the template! We're talking all parts of Melville's style, from the trenchcoat uniform and the quiet protagonist, to the otherworldly qualities that push it into the the sligthly surreal.

Plus, it's a grand opportunity to finally delve into one of Nick's favourite topics: Jean-Pierre Melville's insane personal history.

Major trigger warning if the title doesn't give it away: we discuss suicide in this episode! Also, full spoilers.

This is a film of major firsts, from directing through starring and writing, and we're here to track how it does such a great job trading in vampiric mysticism in favour of its thematic material. We're talking poutine, anti-chemistry, Canadian Film & TV regulations, our favourite Québec swears, and the screaming interiority of teen angst. Plus: welcome to swag corner!

Next week we're heading back to France for Jean-Pierre Melville's LE SAMOURAI!

We're talking Parisian slang, awful crime novels, connections with Jean-Pierre Melville, how you adapt something you hate, pistol-toting authors, and the interpersonal dynamics of France's underworld

More than anything else, we're getting into the clockwork mechanism of Jules Dassin's films, the beauty of the silent 30-minute heist, and how those elements took the world by storm. And a Hooray for Hollywood segment for a French film? It's more likely than you think!

Next week we head to Québec for Ariane Louis-Seize's debut film, the 2023 vampire romcom, HUMANIST VAMPIRE SEEKING CONSENTING SUICIDAL PERSON.

It's easy to forget now, but THE FUGITIVE was a craze in 1993 and had an outsized impact -- so easy in fact that we forgot about it! So we're reliving Andrew Davis' action heyday, praising the artistry of montage, running down its amazing accolades, and briefly getting into Roy Huggins' original 60's TV series and the real-life fugitive inspiration.

It's an episode about spectacular train crashes, both the literal one and the behind-the-scenes chaos like not having a "script", relying on Tommy Lee Jones' writing chops, and securing the cooperation of the Chicago Plumbers' Union.

We're discussing Carpenter's humble-yet-cynical beginnings, his love of sieges, and his inspirations to create this movie before we dive into the ASSAULT's path from period western to modern day, how this movie took a village to make, and just how much of it is lovingly lifted from other sources. (Featuring one of Erin's sickest remixes to date.) We go deep on the operations of the multicultural gang Street Thunder, the notorious ice cream scene, and our love for Napoleon Wilson.

And finally, as we wrap up Carp-winter we're taking the opportunity to show how ASSAULT paved the path to Carpenter's future career, and talk about our John Carpenter favourites.

Next time, we leave Carpenter behind for some other genre fare as we revisit the 1993 wrong man classic, THE FUGITIVE.

Reality is on trial as we explore the obvious and not-so-obvious meta layers of Carpenter's Lovecraftian universe, aided and abetted by Sam Neill's villainous energy (complimentary) and Carpenter's propensity for Wet Evil. We're getting super deep into how the heavy lifting of the narrative's unreality is accomplished through Carpenter's critical reputation, the way Sutter Cane writes, the casting, music, location shooting, budget cuts, and of course, Reaganomics.

We're also taking time to talk about our feelings on pre, current, and post-apocalyptic storytelling as we wrap up discussions on the Apocalypse Trilogy on the whole.

Carpenter is one of our best filmmakers who will notice a thing and make a movie about it, and this one is tied to his discovery of Quantum Mechanics. How much do you need to know about quantum mechanics? According to JC: nothing, it's just a horror movie.

We're discussing how Carpenter gets to PoD after THE THING upset the world, how his efficient visual style is at its peak, Victor Wong's fascinating life, the secrets of the dream and the incamera special effects, our favourite Satan taunts, and the secret to an excellent Donald Pleasence impression.

What does Born Again Christian Alice Cooper think of the theology of this movie? And for that matter, what do we think of it and how it intersects with the unknowability of quantum physics? We answer all this and so much more in our own Debate segment.

Next time, we wrap up the Apocalypse Trilogy with JC's IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS!

We're covering it all: how Carpenter set out to create a different type of horror movie than Halloween, Dean Cundey's approach to lighting and framing, Ennio Morricone's 3 soundtracks, our theories of who gets Thing'd and when, and most importantly, Jed the wolfdog. We also discuss how this is a prime example of how to express ambiguity without losing focus in your movie and why it works so well.

Plus, another edition of Hooray for Hollywood to chart the bizarre route THE THING took from getting made to the fallout after it was released. Also, Dick Warlock lore!

We're here with our year end wrapup, talking about our favourite performances, movies we saw on airplanes, and our favourite theatrical experiences. But most importantly, we put together our respective top 5s of the year and bestow the 1st annual Trashie award for our favourite of 2023!

And don't worry, we keep it spoiler free, so listen without fear! But just in case you want to be truly blind, here are the 2023 movies discussed:

• Blackberry
• Anatomy of a Fall
• Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person
• Oppenheimer
• Late Night with the Devil
• Dream Scenario
• Killers of the Flower Moon
• Concrete Utopia
• 65
• Los Colonos
• Godzilla Minus One
• The Boy and the Heron
• The People's Joker
• The Creator
• The Holdovers
• Barbie

Stop us if you've heard this one: a curmudgeon doesn't like Christmas and three ghosts want to fix that. Reviews have always been mixed since its 1988 premiere, so we're discussing what works, what doesn't, dapper Bobcats, and why we should thank Elaine May.

Plus: the return of a foundational segment, and we explore whether or not this movie is subliminal propaganda.

Next time on the pod we'll have a super special end of 2023 episode before returning to regular programming!

The Shop Around the Corner gets remade pretty often, and it's easy to see why: the movie's a timeless, breezy delight. We're discussing what makes it timeless, including how the retail experience of the 1940's mostly hasn't changed and the enemies-to-lovers tropes.

We're taking the opportunity to learn lots about Lubitsch, including his "true amorality", his relatively progressive ideas on sex in movies, and why we call it "the Lubitsch Touch." Never has it been more obvious that we did not attend film school.

Just as last week's episode on THE PARALLAX VIEW captured the anxieties of the 70's, so does this week's dawn-of-the-internet film. Anxieties like: can Sandra Bullock trust pizza.net with her personal information? Where did I put my floppy disk? And is there a modem on the beach?

Despite its airport-paperback feel, there are some intensely prescient topics up for discussion: privacy concerns, corporations controlling the government and our lives, and Sandra Bullock in crop tops.

Plus, Erin and Nick quiz each other on the early internet intersecting with film and the cultural footprint of THE NET!

Parallax is the least celebrated of Pakula's paranoia trilogy films, but we here on the pod love it: its (unfortunately) timely themes, how it feels about corporations, and its absolutely wild visual presentation. We get into deep discussion on the Parallax test and whether Frady actually fits the profile, Pakula's thoughts on idea of Americana at the time and the lengths he went to to keep politics out of this movie, and we dip our toes into the deep dark waters of 1970's conspiracy theories.

Plus, we LITERALLY define the word parallax. Is it our bleakest episode yet? Maybe! But it's all in good fun. We're not crackpots.

Beetlejuice is the movie with something for everyone in its yet-to-be-famous cast and crew: Michael Keaton, goth Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, deceptively handsome Alec Baldwin, whatever's going on with Catherine O'Hara, Michael Keaton, Tim Burton, Danny Elfman, and Michael Keaton.

We're of course getting into the extended Beetlejuice behind-the-scenes but we're also diving into this batty franchise on the whole as we chat the cartoon, its upcoming sequel, and everything in between.

We’re discussing our favourite performances, what made us laugh the most, and the best soundtracks. We also break down our top 3 movies, along with some similar titles so you can decide if you’d like to see them too! Profit from the distress we put our minds and bodies through by spending every second we could watching movies.

Next time we’ll return to our regularly scheduled programming!

Movies discussed in this episode:

• The Boy and the Heron, directed by Hayao Miyazaki
• Dream Scenario, directed by Kristoffer Borgli
• Los Colonos aka “The Settlers” directed by Felipe Gálvez Haberle
• Wicked Little Letters, directed by Thea Sharrock
• The Movie Emperor, directed by Ning Hao
• Robot Dreams, directed by Pablo Berger
• The Promised Land, aka Bastarden, directed by Nikolaj Arcel
• The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something has Passed, directed by Joanna Arnow
• Smugglers, directed by Ryoo Seung-wan
• The Dead Don't Hurt, directed by Viggo Mortensen
• Concrete Utopia, directed by Um Tae-hwa
• Snow Leopard, directed by Pema Tseden

Come with us on a journey through Canadiana as we discuss Matt Johnson's career and his breakthrough with Nirvanna the Band the Show, Nick's personal Blackberry use, the finer points of Kitchener-Waterloo, the Canadarm, Timbits, Don Cherry, and Jay Baruschel's stranglehold on 90's Canadian kid's lives. It's also the perfect opportunity to ask the question: did you know Canadians invented that?

And we're not just discussing Canada: we're also fawning over Howerton's psychopathic performance and Cary Elwes' perfect comedic chops. Plus, a new segment is born!

And don't worry, we're getting into just why the hell the vampires hang out in Waterloo.

We're fawning over the insanely stacked cast, how the cast & scientists helped shape the movie, and where we fall on the divisive third act. We're also sharing our general thoughts on the sun, explore this movie's philosophies on science and religion and our favourite depictions of godhood in cinema. And all things considered, it's impressive how little we talked about Oppenheimer.

Plus, Nick breaks Gartbage Law in an unprecedented move! You have to hear it to believe it.

Next time, we're going local with Matt Johnson's BLACKBERRY!

This may be allegedly getting a remake, but BUSAN will always be the genre gamechanger for us. We’re getting into how this changed the zombie movie world without breaking the mold, which video games inspired the zombie design, and what we understand of the South Korean political statements contained within (less than we should, more than we thought!).

And of course, we explore the Hot Dad spectrum, from business dad Gong Yoo to thick dad Ma Dong-seok, all while trying to keep from sounding like conspiracy crackpots.

Next week we’re finishing off Sunscream as summer comes to a close!

Just as Clouzot was obsessed with his wife, we're obsessed with this movie: It's got cartoonishly awful husbands with wives and mistresses scheming against him, rundown boarding schools, French Columbo, creative hauntings, and suspense by the barrelful! We're discussing it all, including how Clouzot's craft really makes this special.

Plus, find out about the origins of the twist ending and how this movie created a spitewar that changed cinema forever in in the return of Hooray for Hollywood!

It's a spoiler-full discussion about this high noon horror as we go super deep on creature design, its themes of exploitation and dehumanization, how NOPE rates as a western, and just how they made the sky look like that.

Plus, Erin has a new segment drilling down into what, exactly, spectacle means and how perception defines this movie.

Next time we're going to a classic of French cinema: Henri-Georges Clouzot's LES DIABOLIQUES!

Argento left the giallo behind for this supernatural tale, and we're here to discuss why that shift occurred, how he paid homage to his home-subgenre, and just how powerfully small Jessica Harper can get. Given how ambiguous and narratively loose SUSPIRIA is, we're getting into its underpinnings and our interpretations and off-the-wall head canons.

Plus, we're spending some time learning about fairy tales and how the filming locations enhance the spooky factor!

Scary Summer continues next week as we say yes to Jordan Peele's NOPE!

It's ROTJ's 40th anniversary and we've got it all: vaudeville C-3P0, previous script drafts, revising those drafts to shut down fan theories, our favourite little freaks, retcons, original endings, hedonism, bikinis, special editions, Jabba naptime, recasting, Ewoks, and David Lynch. Plus, we can't pass up the opportunity to do some small John Williiams soundtrack analysis, and we take the opportunity to break down what we love about Williams' Star Wars work on the whole.

And if you ever wondered what originally filled the Star Wars story vaccuum in the decades after ROTJ, Nick is here with an Expanded Universe edition of Grab-oid Onto These Facts!

Look forward to our 40th anniversary episode for THE PHANTOM MENACE dropping in 2039.

This week sees us stressed out in South America with a spoiler-filled discussion of William Friedkin's 1977 adventure thriller, SORCERER!

One of the most cynical and nerve-wracking movies from the 70's, we're tapping into the source of that cynicism, just how much of this movie is based in reality, Tangerine Dream's killer soundtrack, and evil wizards. It's pure uncut Friedkin.

Plus find out how the drama of SORCERER's creation and release give the insanity of the completed movie a run for its money.

Come lose your mind in the jungle with us!

Hop in the trunk with us as we discuss the chemistry between Clooney and J-Lo, the enormous charisma of the supporting cast, and how freeze frames got us one of cinema's best title cards. And of course we're going deep on the trunk scene and whether or not Steve Zahn steals the whole movie.

It's a massive episode this week as we're discussing what makes this such a comfort favourite of many households, the immaculate costuming and food design, our favourite vignettes, and infamous egg swaps. No movie better examines the human and cultural connections to food and the potential transgressions associated with it.

Get to know your hosts a little better through our personal perfect menus; plus, our experiences as restaurant workers, our biggest food memories, our personal relationships to food, ALL OF IT.

Next week let's do crimes and fall in love against our best interests with Steven Soderbergh's OUT OF SIGHT!

MORTAL KOMBAT was a favourite of Nick's growing up, and was recently Erin's first experience of anything Mortal Kombat. So come along as Nick has some embarrassing reminiscences, Erin decides what character she'd like to play as, and we gush over Christopher Lambert's bizarre French-Canadian charisma. And of course, you can't talk about Mortal Kombat without talking about the power of its EDM soundtrack.

Plus, we're talking about video game adaptations in general and the return of everyone's esoterically-named segment to quiz Erin on the deep lore of the Mortal Kombat series!

Next time we're warming up with a nice comforting treat: Juzo Itami's TAMPOPO!

As this is the first time we've talked Park on the pod, we're covering his work in general, how important humour factors into his work, and where DECISION fits in. We get into the movie's structure, look, mystery, intimacy, and the colours blue and green.

Plus, Erin breaks down how this isn't so different from Park's previous hyper-violent works! Warning: Decision to Leave spoilers throughout, but we only talk in general terms about his other movies.

Next time: we don't know! Life's crazy!

Its rare for movies to take children's stories seriously, so we're talking about how it's accomplished here, how Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra mirrors the film's structure, and that it's good to laugh at children. And of course, we're spending time on everyone's favourite online discourse topic: how Anderson styles his visuals and characters, and how we feel about it.

Plus, the all-important question: are you a Sam or a Suzy?

Next week we're delivering our second love-based episode, Park Chan-Wook's DECISION TO LEAVE!

Much like the space between this episode and the last, Gremlins 2 saw a long break after the original. We're here to talk about why that happened, how this is Joe Dante's most personal movie, and how reincarnation may play out in the Gremlins universe.

Plus, we're taking a look at the "little monster" Gremlin knock-offs that multiplied like mad between the original and the sequel!

Here's that Key and Peele sketch Nick references, it's definitely real.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @GartbagePod to learn what we'll be doing next!

We're getting to the bottom of how this film is both timely and timeless, what makes the depicted city-living loneliness feel so distinct and modern, and the magical balancing act of the happy/sad tone that makes every character endlessly relatable.

Plus, we've got you covered for behind-the-scenes action in these editions of the Injury and Destruction Roundup and the return of Hooray for Hollywood!

Find us on Twitter and Instagram @GartbagePod

CW: suicide, self-harm

If you only see one Canadian movie this year, make it this gem! We're going in depth on Elliott Gould's smarmy bank teller, Christopher Plummer's psychotic Santa, and Toronto in the 70's.

Ever wondered what Canuxploitation is? House Hippos? Cancon or Heritage moments? We've got the answers!

Next week we're wrapping up our 2022 with Billy Wilder's holiday classic, THE APARTMENT (1960).

Hamaguchi based his sprawling adaptation on the feeling rather than a literal portrayal of Murakami's writings, and we're discussing how he brought that to the screen. We're also touching on the performative artifice of car conversations, how language can sometimes be a barrier in communication, and how Chekhov really nailed our asses.

Next week we're slicing off a big piece of Canuxploitation with Elliott Gould and Christopher Plummer in 1978's grimy crime thriller, THE SILENT PARTNER!

Follow us over on Instragram @GartbagePod and Twitter @GartbagePod

Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe are a perfect buddy comedy duo, so we're discussing how they fit into this movie's "pop-noir" sensilibilities, our favourite of Ryan Gosling's shrieks, fairy tale LA, and we do our best (and fail) not to bring up Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Plus, Erin's here to tell you what the deal is with killer bees and smog crustiness.

Next week we're heading to Japan for last year's awards-season darling, Ryusuke Hamaguchi's DRIVE MY CAR (2021)!

Give us a follow on Instagram @GartbagePod or on Twitter @GartbagePod.

We're discussing the noir pedigree from which this springs, the absurd lengths they went through to get this movie made, the Coen's use of point-of-view to tell their stories, and the cinematic powerhouse M Emmet Walsh.

Next week we're rounding out our Noirvember coverage with Shane Black's comedy-neo-noir, THE NICE GUYS (2016).

We're diving into the real-life inspiration for the story, Billy Wilder feuding with censors and seemingly all of Hollywood, and Barbara Stanwyck's wig. This movie distilled the emerging noir genre, so we're examining the trappings from femme fatales to cinematography and everything in between.

Next week we'll be heading to the 80's for the Coen brother's neo-noir debut, Blood Simple (1984).

We're swooning over Elliott Gould's portrayal as the world's coolest loser, Arnold Schwarzenegger's tiny moustache, John Williams' music (singular), and how this movie leverages its unique cinematography to deconstruct the noir subgenre. Plus, Erin teaches us about movie cats!

Next week we're going back to basics with the birth of the subgenre itself with Billy Wilder's Double Indemnity (1944)!

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @GartbagePod

We're getting into the Halloween/Christmas horror subgenre, breaking down Beast's unsubtle satire of Spanish Christmas lore, and decide the podcast's opinions on Satan and fascism (pro- and anti- respectively). Plus, Nick whisks us away to 90's Madrid. Turns out it's pretty dangerous!

Next week we enter Noirvember via Robert Altman and a cynical Elliott Gould with The Long Goodbye (1973).

Follow us on Twitter @GartbagePod or on Instagram gartbagepod!

We're learning about director Philip Kaufman's filmmaking philosophy, how you bring a pod person to life and the act of doppelganging, and the inherent Canadian-ness of Donald Sutherland. Plus, find out how grudges from the original movie impacted the writing process!

Next week we're rounding out spooky month with Alex de la Iglesia's horror comedy, The Day of the Beast (1995)!

We always talk full spoilers on the pod, so if you have any interest in this movie it's best to go in knowing as little as possible! To that point, we're talking about why exactly this movie's best shrouded in mystery and what we look for in a good midnight madness-typed movie. Plus, Erin gauges whether or not Nick would survive filming a zombie movie.

Next week we're getting paranoid in San Francisco: it's Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)!

We're enjoying the gleeful portents-on-superstitions filmmaking style of the aughts, rank the extreme kills, and discuss the philosophical ramifications of Death as Evil Toilet Water. Plus, yet another exciting edition of Grab-oid Onto These Facts.

Next week we're heading to Japan for the 2017 indie hit, One Cut of the Dead!

Please rate and review us on your podcast platform! You can find us on Twitter @GartbagePod and Instagram @GartbagePod.

If you're like Nick and somehow knew none of the plot of this movie, go watch it now! We're discussing how Hitchcock helped create spoiler culture's framework, how well the destabilizing story beats hold up, and, of course, perverts.

Plus, the lowdown on what makes Bernard Herrmann's score so incredible.

Next week, we're predestined to cover the naughty aughty's Rube Goldberg murder machine, James Wong's Final Destination!

What makes a good whodunnit? This week, we're trying to solve that very mystery. We're musing on timeless vs timely films, our no-spoiler thoughts on Glass Onion, and what spoilers mean for our enjoyment of stories in general. Plus, we're talking about who and what we want to see in Knives Out 3.

Next week we're kicking off spooky season with a movie you may have heard of: Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960)!

Note: If you want to hear absolutely no Glass Onion discussion, skip from approximately 43:00 - 48:-00!

We have a lot of thoughts on Wong's idiosyncratic/potentially infuriating approach to movie-making, reminisce on how this helped us survive early pandemic days, and we'd be remiss if we didn't take the opportunity to talk about how gorgeous Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung are.

ITMFL is a great entry point into the enormous world of arthouse Asian film, so jump in here if you haven't already!

Next week we're talking all things Knives Out (2019)!

For us, James Cameron was the master of movies we caught snippets of on cable over numerous sessions, so we spent our time talking about his career overall, whether we prefer T2's theatrical or director's cut, our love of Sarah Connor, and what Cameron really thinks about cops.

Plus, the return of a segment Nick had no intention of rolling out again that has us recounting some of the most idiosyncratic moments in the Terminator franchise!

Next week we head to 1960's Hong Kong for Wong Kar-wai's In the Mood for Love (2000).

We're discussing how indepth the character study of Frank goes, and how Mann loves playing cops against robbers both in front of and behind the camera. This is movie is a fantastic celebration of knowing the value of your labour and the dangers of wage theft!

Next week, we're traveling to 2029 and also 1995 for Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)!

Note: this episode has some minor audio imperfections present in the first 30 min--apologies, but we hope you still enjoy!

This movie (and its sequels) stand apart from other bad-on-purpose parodies, and we're here to talk about how it achieves that through its dialogue, structure, music, and yes, love. We're campaigning to bring back free coffin giveaways at the cinema, and Charles Bronson pops up where you least expect him.

Anyway, next week we're ringing in Labour Day with Michael Mann's Thief (1981)!

We're discussing the lengths King Hu went to portray history in cinema, how this movie plays with scope and storytelling expectations, and our struggle with what little we know about Buddhism (it does not, in real life, grant you superpowers).

Next week we're wrapping up our birthday month with Larry Blamire's indie-parody b-movie comedy, The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra (2001)!

We're reliving our first-watch experience, diving deep into the political and societal themes to rant about billionaires, and rehashing 2019 Internet Discourse. Plus, we talk about the juicy non-fiction inspirations for the story.

Next week we're traveling to Taiwan for King Hu's foundational art-house martial arts epic, A Touch of Zen!

The ram's horn has got us punchy this week as we're learning that this is somehow the least pessimistic version of the movie, sort out our feelings on Charleton Heston, and rave about Jerry Goldsmith's pioneering experimental soundtrack. Plus, we're touching on some of the original 5-film franchise's wildest moments.

You may be asking, what do the McCarthy hearings and the CIA have to do with Planet of the Apes? It turns out, so much.

Next week we're traveling to South Korea for a little movie you may have heard of: Bong Joon-ho's Parasite from 2019!

We're exploring our newfound love of director Johnnie To's implicit storytelling vs more explicit storytelling, martial arts movies vs sports movies, and real positivity vs toxic positivity. Plus, we learn a lot about judo, a little about ourselves, and far too much about embracing the power of your chosen community.

Next week we're going classic sci-fi with the original 1968 Planet of the Apes!

We're reliving cinema-going memories as we break down how this movie makes us feel about chaos & nihilism, loosing boomer moms on the multiverse, and why communication is so dang hard. Plus, we're talking about what was cut at the last minute from the movie, and We Get Real (emotionally).

You can and should consider this episode to be pro-Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan propaganda.

Next week we're heading to Hong Kong for Johnnie To's judo vs nihilism comedy-drama, Throw Down from 2004!

We're covering this movie's various inspirations from the Odyssey to Preston Sturges, its killer soundtrack, and we crown Tim Blake Nelson the king of the movie. Plus, how real is the reality of this movie? Let's talk about it!

Next week we're finally expressing our true love for Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan, it's Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)!

Whether you're listening while stranded on a roof or commuting on a CAT loader, we think you'll enjoy our discussion on what makes this a great western and a fantastic monster movie.

We're talking about how the limited budget on this movie was to its advantage, how it was born out of industrial shorts and biology, and Nick accidentally demolishes Erin with his trivia segment, "Grab-oid onto these facts!"

Next week we're sticking to the American south with the Coen's O Brother Where Art Thou (2000)!

We're talking about Robert Shaw's amazing writing contributions, the number of incredibly specific lessons this movie TRIED to teach us, and hungover tuba players. Plus, Erin wants to tell you about real life shark attacks!

Next episode, we're sticking to POV monster shots with Tremors from 1990.

We're talking about the pioneering influence this movie had on sci-fi (Douglas Trumbull and Chris Carter, hello!), we get galaxy-brained about the general ideas of language & communication, and we wouldn't be us if we didn't spend some time talking about John Williams. Plus, what was Truffaut up to with his hands? Let Erin tell you!

Next week we get even closer to the beginning with proto-blockbuster and anti-shark propaganda film, Jaws (1975)!

We're talking silly voices, real cons, and daddy issues. It's time to discuss the scam industry at large, where Frank Abagnale Jr fits into its history, what he thought of this movie, and his greatest hoax that only just came to light.

Next week we're going into hard sci-fi with Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)!

We're recounting how we imprinted on this movie as children, rail on billionaires who don't properly support their staff, and marvel at how impactful the dino sequences remain to this day. Plus, Nick has an upsetting game, and Erin lays out the surprising subtleties of the soundtrack.

Next week Summer of Spielberg continues as we shift into Dad-thriller mode with Catch Me If You Can (2002)!

We're here to celebrate Rita Moreno, our final musical survey, and we can't help but talk about how this compares to the 1961 and 1957 versions of the musical. Plus, we're diving into Leonard Bernstein's amazingly complex score to talk about what makes the musical storytelling so special.

Next week is the official beginning of Summer of Spielberg with the titanic blockbuster Jurassic Park (1993)!

Note for sound fidelity: there are some audio imperfections present in the first 20 minutes that subside. Apologies this was not up to our usual standard!

We're reminiscing about how we didn't know any of these popular songs when this movie came out & its one original song, how it pushes the envelope for tone & musical artifice, and how Nicole Kidman physically decimated herself so severely that it changed Jodie Foster's career.

Next week our final May musical brings us up to present day, with Spielberg's West Side Story!

This movie is a delight from front to back. We're gushing about Ellen Greene & Rick Moranis' disparate voices, the design of Ashman & Menken's soundscape, the puppetting tours de force, and how it takes the time to rub our noses in its anti-consumierism message.

We talk at length about how the three endings this movie has: the original movie ending, the off-Broadway musical, and the somehow darkest-timeline version that failed the preview process. Plus, Erin's cursed casting choices cause Nick psychic harm.

Next week we're entering the 21st century with Baz Luhrman's Moulin Rouge! (2001)

This movie got lodged early in our childhood memories, both for how we first experienced it and for how close to home its content hits, and we are still feeling its effects today. So get ready to learn a little about us, and a lot about the Deep Lore of the Blues Brothers. Plus the Musical Survey returns!

Next week, a Gar(t)bage favourite we've been looking forward to for a long time: Little Shop of Horrors! (1986)

We're talking about the surprisingly meta layers, how it's a miracle anyone survived working on this movie, and we solve the mystery of why Gene Kelly HATED Malcolm McDowell. Plus, our first musical survey that we'll be bringing to each of our Musical May episodes, including our very own dream recasts.

Next week we're looking at a very different jukebox musical, the SNL cult movie Blues Brothers from 1980!

This plot is coated with teflon, but we're doing our best to nail it down while getting into its origins as an ill-fated remake and the collateral damage it rained upon the world: poisoning the box office, tanking a video game franchise, and reverse press tours dragging into the new Willenium. Plus, Erin ranks her favourite movie theme songs.

Next week we start our Merry Musicals of May with the golden age classic Singin' in the Rain from 1952!

We can't stop talking about Bruno as the platonic ideal of psychopaths, Hitchcock's perfect suspense set pieces, and the tension of sexual ambiguity in the '50's. Plus, Raymond Chandler's not all he's cracked up to be!

Next week we're sticking with a train-heavy movie as we become wiki-wiki wild with the Will Smith vehicle, Wild Wild West (1999).

We're discussing how Domee Shi's life informed so much of this movie, being embarrassed by/for your family and, of course, boy bands by the barrel full. Plus, Nick shares a fact that shocks Erin to the very core of her being.

Next week we're hitting an important Gar(t)bage first: an Alfred Hitchcock film, 1951's Strangers on a Train!

We discuss how this movie works perfectly as both a black-comedy satire or as a straight up action movie, how Yojimbo's DNA is present in virtually every action movie that followed, and why Kurosawa regretted making what's hailed as one of the best action comedies of all time. Plus, Sergio Leone doesn't really get how copyright law works.

Next week we're returning to present-day with Domee Shi's feature-length debut, Turning Red from 2022!

We're talking about the masterful physical/screaming comedy of Dave Foley, what separates this from a bog-standard thriller parody, and discuss all things local: Kids in the Hall, SCTV, Enrico Colantoni, Colm Feore performances, and Toronto's lack of personality, we've got it all! At the time of this recording, the full movie is on YouTube for free, so you can feel arty by catching up on international cinema of the '90's.

Next week we're going to ancient Japan to discuss Akira Kurosawa's genre-establishing action-comedy, Yojimbo from 1961!

We wrestle with Pharaohs being the original job creators, the misadventures of Kevin J. O'Connor (including how camels feel about him), and talk about the upsetting Mummy trends in the 1920's.

Plus, is the Mummy's Curse real? We're here get to the bottom of it!

Next week we're talking about Canadian comedy cult classic, Dave Foley's The Wrong Guy from 1997!

We spend a little time talking about what they (thankfully) cut out of this movie, a lot of time on the amazing characterization and lived-in production design, and a medium amount discussing composer Jerry Goldsmith's contributions (or lack thereof) to the movie. And it wouldn't be Gar(t)bage if we didn't lay into corporate America!

Next week we're opting to hang out with Brendan Fraser & Rachel Weisz in Stephen Sommers' The Mummy from 1999!

We talk about stunts going good, stunts going bad, and try to determine just how many comedy bits are too many. One lesson we're learning over and over in this podcast is that best movies are spite-based, and you bet that we've got an Injury & Destruction Roundup for the week.

Next week we're switching up genres and getting scared in space with the original Alien (1979)!

We gush about the unbelievable charm of the ensemble cast, praise our local boys Gary Farmer & Neil Young, and spend time with the latter's unique approach to recording Dead Man's soundtrack.

For every western there is an equal and opposite anti-western: for our final Your First Rodeo segment, Erin takes us through the environmental & anti-western sub-genres and summing up the movies we've covered this month.

Next week we're punching the western genre out of our system with classic Hong Kong action: Jackie Chan's Police Story (1985)!

We talk about how this movie is simultaneously an anti-war epic and a goofy road trip buddy comedy, how Eli Wallach cannot be killed, and Nick can't resist going in-depth on Morricone's iconic soundtrack.

It's a historic movie for westerns history, but more importantly it is one of Erin's favourite movies! Allow her to tell you why exactly, in our Spaghetti Western-flavoured edition of Your First Rodeo.

Next week we wrap up the Month with No Name with something completely different: Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man from 1995!

We talk about the brilliance of building a plot around a transit schedule, the lure of a charismatic villain vs a weiner loser hero, and how Frankie Laine (who sang the movie's theme song) had a hand in changing movie music history forever.

Erin brings us another Your First Rodeo segment to talk about how revisionist westerns aren't your grandpa's westerns (metaphorically that is. They may literally be your grandpa's westerns). Find out if they're the right western for you!

Next week is a big one as we're tackling THE spaghetti western: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from 1966!

We talk wife guys, the cinematic power of loneliness, and how Johnny Greenwood crafted the menacing power of a well-played banjo.

Not so sure about westerns? Then you'll love our segment for this month on why you might actually like them!

Next week we dive into the past with the original train schedule western, Delmer Daves' 3:10 to Yuma from 1957.

We discuss whether Sarah's adventure is real or imagined (or if that's even important!), how Labyrinth excels at evoking Real Teen Fears, and how, like in all aspects of life, David Bowie was the boss of this whole enterprise. And, because we're all adults here, we spend far too much time breaking down the hows & whys of the Fart Swamp.

Next week is a new month, and a new theme: Febru-westerns, aka The Month with No Name! If you're new to westerns then mosey on down: this month is for you. First up is Jane Campion's 2021 neo-western: The Power of the Dog.

We talk about how this movie hit as a childhood fav vs. a first-time adult watch, Christopher Guest's inherent blankness, and we gotta call out the sheer volume of Mickey Mouse-ing going on in the soundtrack. And we spend a lot of time complimenting Wallace Shawn. Praise Him.

Plus, the return of Injury & Destruction Roundup, we highlight an amazing crew member's history, and the real-life inspiration for the Dread Pirate Roberts!

Next week we wrap up JAN-Uruk-hai-RY with Jim Henson's Labyrinth from 1986!

We talk more about the major differences between the extended and theatrical editions, the literally toxic work environment of Mordor, and, yes, everything about Skullvalanche. Plus, it wouldn't be a Lord of the Rings movie without injuries and destruction to round up!

Next week, JAN-Uruk-hai-RY continues with The Princess Bride (1987)!

We talk about the warning signs to note if you think your King and/or Advisor are evil and/or possessed, the return of Injury & Destruction Roundup, and Nick is mad about Karl Urban.

Howard Shore is the star of this episode as Nick breaks down a bit of the composer's history, and how he approached and developed the soundtrack for the trilogy.

Next week we finish off the trilogy with the Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)!

Beyond discussing the psychic damage caused by this movie being 20 years old and feeling nearly brand-new, we talk about how Jackson's attempts to get this movie made were as doomed as the Fellowship's mission and we try to figure out where exactly Uruk-hai come from. Plus, we premier two new segments to take us through this trilogy!

The adventure continues next week with The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), including a deep dive into Howard Shore's soundtrack!

We talk about the much, much darker original script, how Dante & Spielberg crafted their fake reality, and the intricacies of Gremlin society (it's mostly clown hammer-based we think?).

Plus we wrap up the year by choosing the most diametrically opposed double bills in our short history and boy it's a doozy to go out on.

We talk about approaching a classic for the first time, the deep fantasy lore of Clarence Odbody, and the Capra cinematic universe's implication of a James Stewart cloning campaign. Our double bills this week are nice and family friendly, so you don't have to feel too awkward watching them if you're home for the holidays.

Plus, it wouldn't be the holidays without the FBI trying to ruin it for everyone!

Come back next week for our last episode of the year: Joe Dante's Gremlins (1984)!

CW: suicide

We spice in (heh heh) loads of details on how Villeneuve envisioned and built Dune's universe, plus we go on record to say that psycho-active space drug monopolies aren't great.

Next week, we begin the end of the year with the first of two holiday spectacular episodes with the Frank Capra classic, It's a Wonderful Life!

We talk about what this movie says about sex/canning your preserves, what the 1930's looked like through the eyes of a child (not good), and we set a record for number of most unfortunate impressions done on the pod.

And we couldn't talk about this movie without going behind the scenes to explore the unique ways Charles Laughton expressed his southern gothic fairy tale.

Next week we return to the present to discuss our local boy Denis Villeneuve's Dune from this very year!

Join us as we discuss the holiday comforts, our love of Val Kilmer, and how to write from a deep well of spite. Plus, let's learn a little about noir novelist Brett Halliday and his desk full of pen-names.

Next week we continue to straddle the line between noir and Christmas with Charles Laughton's one and only: The Night of the Hunter (1955)!

We talk about Wilder's fascination with movies on movies, red flags all freelancers should recognize, and that yes, Sunset Boulevard is actually a street name.

Plus, a short history on why Norma Desmond could only be played by Gloria Swanson!

Next week, Noirvember zeroes in on the upcoming holiday season with Shane Black's Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)!

We learn a lot about the lengths they went to to combine live-action with cartoons (including the resulting halliucinations) and what didn't make it into the movie, but we cannot comprehend the legal quagmire of Warner Bros and Disney's IPs fighting on screen. We have decided that this movie is impossible.

Next week: Billy Wilder's seminal noir from 1950, Sunset Boulevard!

Plus, Nick gives a quick overview of Bill Duke's career for the uninitiated, ie. us a few days before watching this movie! Profit from our recent ignorance.

Next week we continue Noirvembering with Robert Zemeckis' Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)!

But Price is our main course. We discuss the man's personal history, how we interpret his performances, his time as Egghead, and most importantly, his sense of style.

Next week we leave spooky season behind and move into moral ambiguity season with Noirvember, starting out with Bill Duke's 1992 undercover cop drama Deep Cover.

Ever wonder how one makes a man invisible in 1933? What about if he was on Mars? Is it worth consulting the original book you're adapting while writing the screenplay? And just how do you audition for an invisible person? We've got answers!

Next week, we round out spooky season in the best way possible: Vincent Price in Theater of Blood from 1973!

Plus, Nick gives a brief history of the most cursed resort in Utah that served as the inspiration of the movie. Overall, this is one of our favourite kinds of media, where the history behind it prove that it's a miracle that we're able to watch it today.

Next week, we go back to early talkies with the Invisible Man (1933)!

They discuss the fact that this movie is actually a terrifying void wearing the skin of a police procedural, how J-Horror is different from any-other-letter-Horror, and whether or not they'd make it under hypnosis.

Next week: independant classic B-movie, Carnival of Souls (1962)!

The world owes Kathryn Bigelow an impossibly huge debt for using this movie to make Keanu Reeves a huge star.

Next week we start out our Spooky Month with Kiyoshi Kurosawa's J-Horror masterpiece, Cure (1997)!

Nick then takes Erin on deep dive into composer Tōru Takemitsu's pre Hara-Kiri life to explore the context for this movie's unique and powerful soundtrack.

Next week: Kathryn Bigelow's Point Break (1991)!

Join Nick & Erin as they discuss picking up on slang, what makes a good monster, and the scariest monster of all (a lack of a social safety net).

Next week: Kobayashi's Japanese masterpiece Hara-Kiri (1962)!

Nick & Erin talk about what eroticism looked like in the 40's, how audiences of the time reacted to it, and the kind of legacy it left. Plus, the Catholic Legion of Decency makes an appearance!

Next week: we talk monsters with Joe Cornish's Attack the Block (2011)!

We talk about the troubled production and various circles of development hell of Total Recall and recount how Paul Verhoeven is the master of making superficial action with layers of world-building and subtext you can explore. Or not! You can enjoy the movie just as much if you're into it for just the violence!

Next week: Powell and Pressburger's technicolor marvel, Black Narcissus (1947)!

Join us as we explore William Friedkin's technically-legal antics, how even in the 80's we were going hard on ACAB messages, and hear Nick die! (Again!)

Next week: Total Recall (1990)!

Hard Boiled is rightfully a mainstay in Hong Kong action cinema, and works as a great entry point to the subgenre. Watch it ironically or earnestly, the choice is yours!

Next week, we continue our accidental neo-noir theme,with To Live and Die in LA (1985)!

No talk about The Lighthouse would be complete without discussing Edgar Allan Poe, old folk myths & new world history, and the best way to ingest poison. Plus, we have an historic Gar(t)bage Podcast first.

Next week: Hard Boiled (1992)!

This movie's claim to fame is for being featured on the 90's run of Mystery Science Theater 3000, but if you've never heard of this movie then don't worry, no one else has either.

So don your denim and come on a Canadian adventure!

Next week, more Canadiana: The Lighthouse (2019)!

Next week: the Canadian cult classic, The Final Sacrifice (1992)!

Yes, they spend a lot of time talking about The Fight, and yes, there is a heaping helping of sociopolitical content in this episode. It's They Live, how could you not?

Next week: The Housemaid (1960)!

Next week: John Carpenter's They Live (1988)!

Next week: Akira Kurosawa's Dreams (1990)!

Next week: seminal spaghetti western, Django (1966)!

Next week: A New Leaf (1971)!

Theme Music: VHS Dreams by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

Join us as we discuss a movie-of-the-week and then each pick a 2nd film to create a thematically spicy double bill. Our goal: to pair art with trash and vice versa. Because after all, one person's E.T.: The Extraterrestrial is another person's Mac & Me.