Movie Meltdown

Movie Meltdown - Episode 514 It’s time to announce the winners of this year’s Meltdown Awards! Join us as we discuss all the nominees and then reveal the winners from the 2019 films and performances voted on by our listeners.  So load up on hors d'oeuvres with frilly toothpicks, for this fancy event as we also address… that Grammy scandal, this one junkyard set, limited edition Chucks, Child’s Play, envelopes, Florence Pugh, Jim Jarmusch’s werewolf movie, that performance is amazing, Robert Downey Jr., Terminator, just let monsters fight, Cats, Alita: Battle Angel, at least they had a plot and a story-structure, It: Chapter 2, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Park So-dam, 1917, some sort of magical thing, Knives Out, Disney, they are trying to work some sort of plot in there, Ready or Not, Hobbs and Shaw, La La Land, diverse and interesting, Avengers: Endgame, Sam Mendes, distressed, Billie Lourd, The Fanatic, David Attenborough’s The Lion King, Lil Nas X, old people lanyard, Cold Pursuit, Doctor Doolittle,

Movie Meltdown - Episode 513 (For our Patreon "Horror Club") The Meltdown Horror Club is back to discuss In the Tall Grass. This 2019 film is directed by Vincenzo Natali and is based on a Stephen King story. So listen as we delve into this visually interesting and seemingly disorienting movie - plus we continually address just how well King’s writing transfers to the screen.  And as we delve into King-style, very self-indulgent, tangent side stories, we also mention… Patrick Wilson, if I'm in the middle of nowhere on a road trip, IT, hazy and dreamlike, deadbeat musician, fear and terror… or boredom, Mr. Rochester also got his head smooshed in, the bowling alley, Joe Hill, Harrison Gilbertson, grass church, werewolves, random teenagers, the Black Rock of the Redeemer, ugly writing, random child, Escape to Witch Mountain, Malevolent, Laysla De Oliveira, Revenge, enough with this field man can we go in a building or something, ending problems, giving an explanation, slowly taking over the whole world, foreshado

Attack of the Killer Soundtrack 60 This episode we're joined by composers Erich Stem and David Neville to play and discuss all the 2019 Oscar nominees for both Best Original Song and Best Original Score.  And while we kindle our memories of the intellectual components of some of our favorite films, we also cover… Beyoncé, Cats, The Oath, a classically trained cellist from Iceland, Call of Duty, that kind of exaggerated sound, Andrew Lloyd Webber, nostalgia and suicide, sounds versus themes, The Lion King, taiko drum score, various knobs, unfortunate and sad romantic, Billy Joel, Thom Yorke, pulsating synthesizers, minor third was heavily used, sophisticated electronic sounds, Hans Zimmer, classically-trained flautist, it’s an interesting parallel between him and Beethoven, the culture of myth-making, Stewart Copeland, this composer really broke out and did something quite new… with a movie, Taylor Swift, obsessed with sound, Madonna, a very dry recording, foreshadowing versus callbacks, adding some flavor to

Movie Meltdown - Episode 512 This outing we crawl our way into the disaster movie genre, as we spend a good portion of the episode trying to decide - just what makes a disaster movie. Plus we discuss our Sofa Theater feature - Crawl starring Kaya Scodelario, Barry Pepper and directed by Alexandre Aja. And while we all work on our horrendous Michael Caine impressions, we also bring up… Irwin Allen, The Swarm, The Towering Inferno, The Core, a hyper drama, technical advancements, Maximum Overdrive, go into the realm of the absurd, The Quiet Earth, toxic waste, Saving Private Ryan, being stuck in an 80’s mall, San Andres, Tropic Thunder, the old dudes… blowin’ up the thing, William Girdler, I'm like that way but with hawks, Knowing, Night of the Living Dead, this is the reception at your movie wedding, post-apocalyptic, ratchet up the tension, Hard Boiled or Hard Target, it’s boats in streets, The Road Warrior, a supplement to our Cold War fear, rabid wombats, Mega Python vs. Gatoroid, you don't even know what i

Movie Meltdown - Episode 511 This episode we celebrate Life Day and the final chapter in the Skywalker saga... The Rise of Skywalker. Join us as we discuss the finer points of this latest movie. How effective it is as the last movie in this most recent trilogy. And how well it wraps up this huge story arc that has meant so much to so many people - for generations.  And as we try to recollect just which stories are canon and which ones are legends, we also address… The Mandalorian, The Good Place, Kevin Feige, inching into evil, force powers, Maz Kanata, Warwick Davis, are there raisins in here, influenced by the fanbase, D-0, luck your way into awesomeness, Lucas’ plan, murderbot, skimming off the top, It’s like… high energy and high concept, that's why chaotic evil always fails, Samuel L Jackson, why not Chewie, J.J. Abrams, old sitcoms and burritos, five-minute morality, gentrifying Tatooine, is it okay to be massacring those people, cruisin’ the clubs, the big reveals, Asimov's laws of robotics, setting up

Attack of the Killer Soundtrack 59 As the world is about to be reintroduced to Lando Calrissian on the big screen, we thought what better time than to talk with Billy Dee Williams about his crossovers into the music industry. And of course, along the way we build a soundtrack from his different films and music tie-ins.  “...they were sort of gearing me up to become a sheik eastside nightclub singer.”  

Movie Meltdown - Episode 510 This episode we talk with Jonah Ray about art, friendship, movies, comedy, music and Mystery Science Theater 3000. And while we try to convert people to our pop culture religion, we also mention… Joel Hodgson, Mel Brooks, Weird Al Yankovic, Paul Myers, refusing the call to action, Defending your Life, Kids in the Hall, Where'd You Go, Bernadette, Hawaii, Anthony Bourdain, Ed Wood, Chris Farley, Felicia Day,Harmontown, Wayne White, Brendon Small, Jonah Raydio, The Groundlings, it’s a dream come true, Entertainment Tonight, Hampton Yount and Baron Vaughn, The Inbetweeners, Home Movies, BJ Novak, The Bruce Lee Band, you can drop a sandbag on some bullies, Mitchell, Dolemite Is My Name, Zach Galifianakis, Netflix, Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, Westerns and Alfred Hitchcock, Alan Yang, if you don't let that out it destroys you, Mr. Show, John Candy, you gotta self-generate, BBC, Jeff Garlin, G4, Comedy Bang! Bang!, MST3K t-shirts, Crispin Glover, Rebecca Hanson, a certificate of live bir

Movie Meltdown - Episode 509 (For our Patreon "Horror Club") Welcome to the Horror Club exclusive... Meltdown dysfunctional family Thanksgiving celebration! Featuring not only dinner of mostly traditional foods, but also a full discussion of the minorly Thanksgiving-related movie Kristy. And while we try to decide just what we think of the plant-based imitation turkey slices, we also cover… Castle Rock, The Irishman, baby Yoda, Song of the South, giant dinnerware, heartbreaking and gorgeous, Sissy Spacek, fire safety, why is that the expression of ultimate aloneness and freedom, and it's usually in her pants, a larger universe, puts his cigarette out in the mashed potatoes, a bar full of cops paramedics and firefighters, watching my uncle make my grandma cry every year, The Purge, having bunk beds, Disney Plus, sports equipment, but she’s got the hat, Bill Skarsgård, Legend, I think they’re taking pills, racism in movies, zooming vines of the internet, hot beverages, the premise is the star, let's try some th

Movie Meltdown - Episode 508 This episode we’re joined by special guest Tony Moore. Now you probably know Tony as the co-creator of The Walking Dead comic series. Or if you are more of a comic fan, you also may know his titles like Battle Pope, Fear Agent and The Exterminators. And of course, in recent years, you’ve seen his work as part of several huge series for some of Marvel’s biggest characters.  But as usual, in our on-going series with artists, we’re going to start at the beginning and find out where Tony’s inspiration started, how it led to his success, and of course along the way… we’ll see just how the movies tie into his journey.  And as we work as hard as we can to put the toys back in the box before we’re done, we also bring up… Saturday-morning cartoons, detail-oriented, the thrill of being legitimately disturbed by something I've watched, 28 Days Later, Image Comics, Batman Returns, this infinity of drawing space, Mad Magazine, we got a literal death threats over that book, instant access, Lobo

Movie Meltdown - Episode 507 This episode we welcome back previous guests and terrific artists in their own right - Ryan Case and Dick Starr. And as usual... once we're hanging out together, almost immediately we'll be... talkin’ ‘bout nerdy stuff.  And while we try to decide if we were inspired by or traumatized by the up-close shots of Ren and Stimpy (it’s both), we also address… The Fanatic, Searching, Puppet Master, that devil was everything for me, wait a minute… those are puppets, I'm going to go get me a funnel cake, Quentin Tarantino, Steven Spielberg, Fred Durst, the rise of Netflix movies, Kevin Sorbo, skateboard clothes, Columbia Record & Tape Club, old school movie geek T-shirts, how do you not let their money ruin your movie, Rob Zombie, you can't shut down the system, Guardians, making lattes in a haunted dilapidated house, going to the church and bob for apples, Xena, Paul Rudd, you totally just stole a bunch of other stuff and repurpose it and put your own spin on it - and that's art, comi

Movie Meltdown - Episode 506 (For our Patreon "Horror Club") This episode our Halloween party continues as we discuss the 2018 horror anthology Nightmare Cinema. Directed by Joe Dante, Mick Garris, David Slade, Ryuhei Kitamura, Alejandro Brugués and hosted by Mickey Rourke as "The Projectionist"… so what do we think of this mixture of genre entries?  Plus as we run down some of the more inappropriate things once aimed at children, we definitely mention… Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Courage the Cowardly Dog, EC Comics, Peanuts, Diff'rent Strokes, peanut butter kisses, Legends of the Hidden Temple, The Church, the next thing you know he's on the floor with Elvis's foot on his throat, severe meth psychosis, Doug Jones, yeah lots of questions - none of which were answered, Kit Kat, a bitchin’ rockabilly act, Philip Glass, Keith Emerson, Goblin, The Omen, creepy hallways with the blinky lights, Entertainment Tonight, The ABCs of Death, The Cryptkeeper, as a kid it scared the hell out of me as an adult it just conf

Movie Meltdown - Episode 505 (For our Patreon "Horror Club") This episode, our Halloween party becomes a murder party - as we discuss Jeremy Saulnier's 2007 film of the same name Murder Party. And as we kick-off our own pagan celebration that centers around candy and Charlie Brown, we also cover… death by pumpkin bread, all these animals staring at us, independent film, Chris Sharp, free cheese, I guess that would get you in the mood to murder somebody, World War I flashbacks, New York City, The Warriors, Puff Snooty, four finger holes, the entire parade is coming towards us, Halloween costumes, over kids heads and surprisingly dark, loose candy corn, an art collective, Genie is eating a small child, Skei Saulnier, looking for an outlet, so much coke, Terry Zwigoff, toothbrushes, Sampson Saulnier, the front yard is just full of skeletons and ghosts and zombies, Macon Blair, layered for horror geeks, the thing about Rerun is, the screeching noise and the Halloween walk of shame.  “...yeah, that bothered me mor

Movie Meltdown - Episode 504 What better way to kick-off our October/Halloween fun than with our recent trip to Scarefest? Plus we talk with actor Thom Mathews about being part of the horror world starring in beloved films like The Return of the Living Dead and Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. And as we make plans to move into The Kentucky Castle, we also bring up… Eerie, Indiana, Bruce Campbell, I got a dragon, Hollywood Boulevard, it wasn’t far from the cat house, Dee Snider, the naughty boxes, Felissa Rose, Lee Majors, Pasadena, Charlton Heston, The Lost Boys, Benny Urquidez, falling off a building, I felt it the next day it was like moving up my spine, Alex Cox, I don’t have ghosts that I know of, Gene Wilder, a successful man with a successful business, Farrah Fawcett, beating up my brother, Are You Afraid of the Dark, Kane Hodder, if you have a wheel that needs to be spun, Dan O'Bannon, orange fields, Casper, dapper and dashing, Albert Pyun, Steel, Knots Landing and who is that incredibly emaciated

Attack of the Killer Soundtrack 58 This week we're coming to you "live" from Bourbon and Beyond music festival, as we build a soundtrack from the show's musical line-up. And while we use music to mark the passage of time, we also address… The Blob, Yentl, Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, Tootsie, solo career, Cable’s gun, dinosaurs, they add charm and finesse to the whole thing, Just One of the Guys, I'd rather have a remake than a sequel, classic music videos, sparkly dresses, playing a baseball bat, giddy with anticipation, such a touchstone for a culture, Janeane Garofalo, that hook from the parking lot, sparkly dresses, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, an impressive sound system, The Brain That Wouldn't Die, watching those kids grow up, robots, the cultural impact of your previous band, that 2 to 3 album arc, Twilight Zone: The Movie, the foreign movie posters take a lot of liberties, explosions, when the math hits you in the face, Deadpool 2, his skinsuit could be hanging up in a basement somewhere right n

Movie Meltdown - Episode 503 This week we're coming to you "live" from Videodrome as we continue with our Atlanta adventures. We visit with the staff of this impressive video store and reminisce about the glory days of video stores as well as what it takes to keep a business like this running today. Plus we discuss this week's movie - Police Story starring Jackie Chan. And while we find out that the cow-print nightmare that was Moovies - was a real thing, we also mention… John Woo, Scandinavian Noir, James Glickenhaus, Video Update, Maggie Cheung, Netflix, the golden age of Blu Ray releases, the foot chase, Wong Kar-Wai, David Cronenberg, doing deals with Enron, John Wick, decapitating Tom Savini, 30,000 movies, it’s a lifestyle, Turtles Records and Tapes, they tell me I'm going crazy all the time, Ringo Lam, Tango and Cash, Buster Keaton, a law from British occupation, Cynthia Rothrock, Atomic Blonde, Yes, Madam, Operation Condor, Suspiria, I'm watching more old movies than ever that I haven't seen since VHS

Movie Meltdown - Episode 502  This week our Atlanta adventures continue as we talk to iZombie’s Rose McIver as well as give a general wrap-up of this year's Dragon Con. And along the way, we try to decide just how much this modern, pop-culture friendly world has affected the lives of the different generations of fans. And while we try to figure out just which one of us is the token weirdo, we also cover… A Christmas Prince, David Bowie, Scoops Ahoy, that's how you relate emotionally to the world, the journey of the relationship, an uncharted road, Dungeons & Dragons brain, straddling the generations, the most surreal thing, speak the same geek language, this gave her purpose, building a sandcrawler, David Lynch, a sweet holiday movie, of the same ilk, the world’s gotten bigger and scarier, the parade, load up the eggnog and get ready for another one guys, Jessica Harmon, being a freak, going into the tickle trunk, celebrating what makes you odd, if Liv ate Tinkerbell's brain, a white lace front wig with a

Movie Meltdown - Episode 501  This week we are coming to you "live" from Atlanta as we are lured into town to cover DragonCon. But as usual we are easily sidetracked and next thing we know - the episode ends up in Piedmont Park. And to add an even stranger twist... what happens when we meet up with a longtime listener of our show? Will one of us turn out to be a weirdo in the park... or will it just end up leading to a lot of geeky movie talk?! Only one way to find out... And as we get sucked into the ether and create a whole new mythology, we also bring up… Once Upon a Time In Hollywood, narrative arc, Peter Hyams, a fiery bus crash, a safe way to process emotions, the ravenous fickle fanbase, you’re soaking in it, and Spock shows up, the feel of 80’s horror, what is cool is like a moment in time, I just want to live in this environment, my shameful most proud moment, Land of the Dead, the seventies mavericks versus the nineties gen-X kids, War of the Worlds, aging directors, raised on these pre-packaged dre

Movie Meltdown - Episode 500 This week we round-out our coverage of Flyover Film Fest as we sit down and talk with director Ani Simon-Kennedy about her life as a filmmaker as well as her latest movie The Short History of the Long Road. And as we decide if we’re going to live off the grid, we also address… Sabrina Carpenter, Bad Times at the El Royale, Straight to Hell, Wes Anderson, one of the directors of the Tribeca Film Festival, Darius Khondji, shifting landscape of how people watch movies, van dwelling, wonderful memories of small theaters and renting movies at the video store, Days of Gray, gigantic corporation with social justice cause with celebrity, my most addictive vice, Mark Friedberg, tonal music, the magician's assistant, the great equalizer, how to manipulate people, Joe Strummer, saved up all my babysitting money, Fantastic Mr. Fox, a punk rock spaghetti western, Midnight in Paris, so many middlemen in the advertising industry, Cynthia Erivo, just the way she was able to think on her feet… was

Movie Meltdown - Episode 499 This week we return to our coverage of Flyover Film Fest as we talk with this week’s special guest - director Ilana Rein.  Listen as we discuss the tragedy that made her want to devote herself to filmmaking as well a healthy love of science fiction, which led to directing the documentary We Are All Cylons. Which of course will lead us talking about the trajectory of humanity and our connection to technology. And finally, we come to her most recent film, Perception - a psychological thriller with a touch of the paranormal.  And while we realize that we are all part of the world's biggest brainwashing experiment, we also mention… Amazing Grace, Booksmart, Andrei Tarkovsky, Neal Stephenson, so many scammers, being consumed by social media, on a level that we could afford, The X-Files, having an A-list star, spearheading a new genre about science fiction and reality, Star Trek, digital humanism, clairvoyant, virtual reality, I'm so glad I had that experience because I still feel like

Movie Meltdown - Episode 498 (For our Patreon "Horror Club") This week's exclusive Meltdown Horror Club episode, we will be discussing the recent film The Golem directed by Yoav and Doron Paz. And as we consider dismembering just about everybody, we also cover… The Torah, Mary Shelley, The Dead Don’t Die, Halloween, gory scenes, Ex Machina, dealing with loss, persecution, blood on the pillow, magical surrealism, Solomon Kane, the neighbor lady, the beast, ancient gynecologist, Friday the 13th, reading books and playing violin, Rabbi puppet, maternalish, prayer vs. action, how do you fill the day, old forms of birth control, Jeruzalem, what’s the kid doing in the barn right now, tale as old as time, the plague, puns, fancy Japanese robots, Jim Jarmusch, supernatural, specifically studies depictions of the undead and classic literature, we have to destroy it, sheets on clotheslines, by lantern light, this just made it weird, religion, fast and loose with the rules, Yael Grobglas, the reason the internet is as s