36 thoughts on “Movie Podcast Weekly Ep. 105: The Equalizer (2014) and Tusk (2014) and This Is Where I Leave You (2014) and Frank (2014)”

1. My #LostOnLocation photos that coincidentally coincided with the 10th Anniversary of Lost.

   
   Beach Camp
   One of the most used locations for the run of the show. Several spots all along the remote Papa’iloa Beach and Police Beach (just North of Haleʻiwa) were utilized. This tree, just on the edge of the main camp, is where Hurley et al accidentally bury Nikki and Paulo alive. Just a little further down the beach is the other graveyard known to the cast and crew as “Boone Hill” where most of the other dead castaways are buried, including Boone (obviously) and Locke. Just beyond that, Mr. Eko’s church. And beyond that, the septic tank that I’m convinced was the inspiration for “the hatch.”

   
   Dharma Barracks
   A.K.A. “The Others” compound! How nerdy is it that a major highlight of my trip to a chain of tropical islands was a YMCA camp? Camp Erdman to be exact. That’s Rachel watching the crashing tail-section at Juliet’s cabin and me being devious over at Ben’s cabin. We had a great time geeking-out here among the 30 or so yellow cabins, trying to discern where different scenes were shot. The YMCA office provides a pamphlet to visitors for a short, self-guided tour.

   
   The Sydney Airport
   The oft-revisited departure place for Oceanic Flight 815. This is just a drive-by shot of the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu taken with my phone, but when I saw that escalator and lobby inside, my memory was exquisitely jogged.

   
   The Falls
   We swam in the same waterfall pool that Kate and Sawyer swam in and found Kate’s briefcase. It was a pleasant little stroll up to Waimea Falls through the Waimea Valley reserve area where they’ve filmed plenty of other movies from Joe Versus the Volcano to The Hunger Games: Catching Fire to Journey to the Center of the Earth 2.

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   • More great photos Josh. I haven’t seen Lost since its original run (10 years ago! That makes me feel old) and I kind of gave up on it when it became horribly clear that they were making it up as they went along but some of these locations still look very familiar to me and somewhat rekindled that initial excitement.

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2. The sound of Willis’ voice always fills my soul with joy. I love that guy and I’m liking the look of his youtube channel. Starcom!

   Jay you’ll be glad to know that I’m not eating anything as I listen to this episode!

   And you guys have got me really intrigued by “Frank”. It’s not what I thought at all and is actually incredibly interesting to me. I’m a huge fan of seeing bands being crazy and creative in the studio and you guys mentioned Daniel Johnston and Thom Yorke! I’m a massive fan of Daniel Johnston and Radiohead so that really got my attention.

   – David

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3. Also, and I’m probably going get hell for this, but I think “The Prowler” is a little overrated in the horror community. The practical effects are easily some of the most impressive in any slasher movie ever (In Savini’s filmography I’d say it’s second only to “Day of the Dead”) but the rest of the movie just feels a tiny bit lacking to me. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a hundred times better than most modern Slashers but it doesn’t have the same magic as “The Burning” or “Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter”. I recall the characters being pretty forgettable and the whole thing seeming kind of unimaginative. It’s still a 7/10 though, I just tend to think that the amazing kill’s distract people from some of it’s shortcomings.

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   • I thought I’d reply to your Prowler request here since it was you who started this debate.

     David, I’m probably not the best person to defend The Prowler since I’ve only seen it twice and I haven’t revisited it in two, maybe three years. But I do remember it being quite better than your average slasher. Let’s be honest, most 80’s slashers are fun, average carbon copies of each other. The few slashers that stand out do so because of the look of the killer (Friday the 13th), the kills (The Toolbox Murders), or in some cases their crazy stories (Sleepaway Camp). The Prowler succeeds in two of those categories. The killer’s outfit is, well, killer! And the kills are so gory and graphic and they’re pulled off so skillfully that they alone are a good enough reason to watch the film. The rest of the film is standard fare, sure, but it’s well paced and the kills are extremely well shot. Just look at that shower scene, my God! Like I said, I haven’t seen the movie in a few years, but just from memory this is an 8.5/10. Definitely one of the better slashers.

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     • My mistake, The Toolbox Murders is actually from the 70’s! Well, in that case let’s just cite The Burning in the kills category. Well, that was embarrassing!

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4. I actually love THE ROBE. Unfortunately, I was tuning Jason out during that portion of podcast. I guess that’s what I get. Would have been fun to discuss.

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5. Well I have to say that I’m disappointed to find out that the ad that was the inspiration behind “Tusk” was just a hoax. I’ve been looking for a good deal on a place to rent.

   Also, I posted the following reviews/recommendations late on in the last episodes comment section but felt it best to repost them here for fear that no one would wade through all that noodle talk beforehand. I hope you guys don’t mind:

   Hey guys, last night I re-watched Shane Meadows low-budget revenge movie “Dead Man’s Shoes” from 2004 and it got me wondering if any of you are familiar with Meadows as a director? I’ve no idea if his films have made much ground in the US but if not I strongly recommend checking him out.

   “Dead Man’s Shoes” may not be the best starting point as it is kind of rough around the edges and somewhat flawed but I still think it’s a very compelling and interesting film. The plot involves a soldier returning from service to a rural English town to find that his younger, mentally handicapped brother has been tormented and abused by a gang of drug-culture scumbags. He dons a gasmask and begins a campaign of ever escalating scare tactics and violent revenge.

   This movie is definitely not for everyone, it contains some very uncomfortable and disturbing scenes and it’s low budget gives it a gritty, unsettling vibe (though a lot of it is beautifully shot). There are a few moments of dark comedy though and as usual Meadows makes use of pop music in place of a more conventional score. Paddy Considine (who people may recognise from “The World’s End”) is the lead and pulls the role off exceptionally and the rest of the cast do a pretty good job too, especially Toby Kebbell as Anthony the handicapped brother. He brings a genuinely sweet yet sad vulnerability to the role that makes the bullying he suffers truly haunting.

   My only major complaint with this film is an aesthetic one. There are flashbacks throughout and these sequences are given this black and white old-film sort of look which felt tacky to me. It’s something I can forgive in a film of this budget though. This is a 7.5/10 for me and a strong recommendation, particularly for Jay as he seems to enjoy revenge/vigilante movies.

   An even higher recommendation by the same director would be “This is England” from 2006. This comes off as a much more polished effort and is probably Meadows most high profile film to date though it fortunately retains the grit and realism of his earlier efforts. This is a period piece set in the early 1980’s and the attention to detail and appropriate pop music soundtrack capture the more working class lifestyle of that era vividly. It takes place in an unspecified Northern English town and follows a young outcast (played with rough-and-tumble authenticity by Thomas Turgoose) who is taken in by a gang of skinheads of the benign variety, at least until an old member of the gang comes back from prison with some new ideas about nationalism and race.

   What can I say; I love this movie, in fact it’s actually up there in my top 20 favourite films. Forget all those posh Hugh Grant romantic comedies, this is the England that I can relate to. Sure I was born late in the 80’s but the Thatcher administration cast a long shadow of disenfranchisement. This film shows just how easy it is for nationalism and racism to be seeded in the exploited underclass, how racial minorities can become the scapegoat for the uneducated discontent of the common man and how a harmless subculture that embraced multiculturalism can be subverted by bigoted, toxic bullies. These are all issues that are close to my heart; I’ve overheard co-workers make horrendously ignorant and offensive statements, I’ve been threatened by hate-spewing morons at the pub and I’ve protested the rise of the British National Party in my town. All the important elements of this movie are as important today as they ever were, maybe even more important in the current economic climate.

   Now that’s all pretty heavy stuff and so it should be, but I don’t want to put people off this film. As well as a social/political commentary it also works wonderfully as a compelling, charming, often funny character piece. This is an extremely watchable film with an unforgettable cast of characters, some lovable, some terrifying but all of them interesting and multifaceted. Politics aside it deals with the unravelling of friendships, the coming-of-age and the youthful desire to belong. I recommend this movie to anyone and give it a 9.5/10.

   Sorry for the essay!

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   • David, I’m sorry I don’t have much to say about these films, but I haven’t had the chance to see them. I’m intrigued though and I’d like to get more acquainted with British cinema. In your mind, what are some notable standouts that shouldn’t be missed?

     Oh and speaking of “This is England” here’s this: http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/10/01/this-is-england-90-will-hit-screens-in-2015?abthid=542c8054f0b8906c6d000025

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     • Man, I had no idea that “This is England ’90” was on the cards, in fact I still haven’t even seen “This is England ’88”. I’m so out of touch. The first spin off series “This is England ’86” was pretty intense but I couldn’t help but feel it elaborated on things that didn’t need elaborating upon. I think the original movie works best as a stand alone piece.

       And with regards to your admirable query I’m afraid to say that I’m really not an expert in my native cinema at all. I’ve always been more drawn to the escapism of films from further away.

       I guess I should recommend the “Red Riding” Trilogy which is a series of gritty crime movies set in 1974, 1980 and 1983 respectively. It’s a series that’s close to my heart because it’s set in Yorkshire where I live and deals with the utterly corrupt police force here. Similar to “This is England” it paints a much more accurate picture of what life in working class areas here can be like than is generally seen. It does lack the down-to-earth humour of “This is England” though.

       “Withnail and I” is a favourite of mine too. A sort of eccentric, dark comedy about a pair of drunken, failing actors.

       And “10 Rillington Place” would be another that sticks out in my mind. A dark drama/thriller based on a real life serial killer John Christie.

       Then there’s “Whistle and I’ll Come to You” which is a short 1968 adaptation of my favourite M.R. James ghost story. It’s a rather odd little film with almost no dialogue, utilising the percussive huffing and hawing of characters in place of verbalisms. This is a horror tale that I’m sure a lot of folks will find ineffective and boring but it’s actually my favourite ghost film.

       These are all very personal choices and probably in no way representational of British cinema in general. As I said I’m unfortunately terribly ignorant when it comes to this topic. Chances are there are other commentators here who’ll come up with much better suggestions.

       “This is England” would be my #1 recommendation though.

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6. Hi…new listener here. I really enjoy both this and horror movie podcast. Thanks to you guys for putting this together and keeping me entertained during my commute and days at work. I have a suggestion for a possible segment that I think would be fun. I thought it would be cool if you guys talked about your movie collections if you haven’t already at some point. You could list the stats (number of dvds, blu-rays, laserdiscs, etc.) and also pick a few of your favorite or most watched items in your collection. Anyways, thanks again and keep up the great work!

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7. So I’m pretty sure that the He Who Must Not Be Named from Tusk has a surname that rhymes with “Shmepp,” but I can’t decide who’s being referred to in that same capacity for “Pirates of the Great Salt Lake.” Are we talking about somebody whose last name rhymes with “Shmeyborne,” or is it “Shmagby”? Hard to imagine either of those guys throwing his “weight” around, even eye-to-eye with the director of a tiny independent film in Utah, and not being laughed off the set. Did I miss somebody’s name in the info at IMDb? I guess Shmagby would have had a semi-marginally impressive “Hollywood” resume at the time, but for reals? A six-episode arc on “Buffy” and a handful of scenes in “Walk the Line” means you’re suddenly such hot s–t that you don’t have to take direction on “Pirates of the Great Salt Lake”? What a douche. (Sincere apologies to Shmagby if it wasn’t you: Jay and Josh were being super cryptic. Jay probably would have busted out the Pig Latin if Josh hadn’t been frantically giving him the “kill” sign.)

   Fun “Lost” pics. I L-O-V-E that show, even Season 3 (I think the last scene of the Season 3 finale is one of the greatest storytelling moments in the history of television). Even though the end of Season 6 is unforgivable and almost awe-inspiring in its lameness, the Cuselof braintrust had their hooks in me SO DEEP that I didn’t turn on them until there was about 20 minutes to go in the Season 6 finale. I was STILL HOLDING MY BREATH for something completely awesome. I should have known: Really, the entire sixth season was about constantly revising and recalibrating my fading expectations. “OK, so maybe we’ll never know about Z, but Y will sure be explained.” “OK, looks like we’re for sure not making it back to X and Y, but I bet we’re about to find out something cool about W.” “OK, … ” It’s a real-life storytelling tragedy that the writers never get their crap together better than they did. Especially given that they knew YEARS in advance exactly how many episodes they had left to work with. The way it actually played out feels like it was just a normal show, stringing viewers along and hoping to get renewed at the end of each next season. Like someone handed them a note at the start of brainstorming for the final five or six episodes of Season 6 that said, “You’re not getting renewed, think fast.” Instead, Lindelof and Cuse got one of the greatest gifts in the history of television and turned it into an unmitigated middle-of-the-road letdown. Do I own all six seasons? YES. Does the utterly forgettable non-ending still make me bitter and angry whenever I think about it? HELL YES. So, um, thanks for the memories, Josh. While you’re at it, why don’t you give me a nice paper cut and pour lemon juice on it?

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   • Not Shmepp!

     I’m gettin’ mighty sick of that guy!

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   • Hahaha. I feel exactly the same way about LOST. Oooooooh … damn you, Cuselof! I love to hate and hate to love you! And now, I guess I’m full-on re-watching LOST between episodes of SURVIVOR. Glad I also own every dang episode.

     Oh, and it was Shmagby, who was hanging out with Walking Feeknix at the time, filling his head full of Hollywood ideas and ideals. Shmeyborne and Shmames are true gentlemen and fantastic actors that deserve to be much more renowned, in my opinion.

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8. Cody, am I going to hate Josh if I start watching “Lost”? Or will my time be better spent watching Twin Peaks and/or The Wire? I guess out of all the shows that are over that have a big hype surrounding them, those three are at the top of my list.

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   • All three are great, but LOST is actually the easiest to get into at the beginning–by far! I know you are asking Cody, but I promise you that you won’t regret watching Season 1 of LOST. The other two shows are much more gratifying in the long run, however.

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     • Oh it’s all good, Josh. Your answers are just as welcomed and valued as Cody’s or anyone else’s for that matter…except Jay. Just kidding Jay!

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     • I think one of the biggest problems with “Lost” was the fact that at the time everyone was maintaining that it was entirely planned out and it would lead to some mindblowing ending that tied everything together neatly. I could be wrong, it’s a long time ago, but I seem to remember people working on the show dispelling rumours that they were making it up as they went along and assuring us that it was all some masterful plan. That was kind of infuriating at the time but maybe if Juan goes in aware that the ending is disappointing he’ll just be able to enjoy the “where are they gonna take this next!?” element of the show.

       That said, “Twin Peaks” and especially “The Wire” are far, far more consistent and satisfying when taken as a whole.

       Apologies though for horning in on a question specifically directed at Cody. Juan, I urge you to take his word over mine. That guy knows his stuff!

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   • Juan, Josh is right on the money about the first season of “LOST.” (I go back and forth about whether to follow the show’s ALL CAPS title convention. Certainly Season 6 is less-than-worthy of an ALL CAPS title.) And if the first season hooks you, then I absolutely recommend continuing on through Season 5. Only watch Season 6, however, if you’re deeply attached to the characters at that point. It’s worth completing the journey with them. If you’re deeply attached to the show’s mythology, but feel only a lesser attachment to the characters, then stop at the end of Season 5 and preserve the possibilities forever in your mind and heart. It’s not that Season 6 doesn’t answer/resolve/reveal anything at all. Some things get tied up, and some of it is even to the good. It’s just that, overall … bleh. You won’t remotely hate Josh for watching the first four seasons, though, and you’ll only mildly reproach him for Season 5 (when it begins to seem like, “Hmm, I am no longer entirely certain they’re going to stick the landing”).

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     • Thank you Cody, for elaborating and taking the time to type more than four mere sentences (just kidding Josh!). And David! Please don’t ever feel that way. Your words and insight are always appreciated, friend… even if we sometimes disagree on certain movies (i.e. The Prowler) or technology or ramen. I guess LOST it is! But it’ll have to wait until after October. This month is all about horror. I’ll save Twin Peaks for a cooler climate, which in Houston would be around December. I’ve been saving some tasty stouts that’ll hit the spot during that time.

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       • I’d love to hear your thoughts on “The Prowler” good sir. You managed to incite me to rewatch “Scream” which was a movie I thought I didn’t like so know your opinion is always valued here. I don’t want to give the impression that I don’t like “The Prowler” though. I do. Just maybe not as much as most other Slasher fans?

         And your plan for a “Twin Peaks” December sounds great. If you could find a good Coffee infused stout then that’d be pitch perfect!

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         • You bet I have coffee stouts! I’ve also got a few others aged in whiskey barrels, bourbon barrels, pumpkin spiced, crème brûlé, chocolate. I’ve been saving them up for a while. I can’t wait to try them!

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9. By the way, while listening to your back catalog of Considering the Sequels podcast, I thought about one of my favorite trilogies: The Pusher Trilogy. Have you guys thought about covering these films? I’m a big fan of them and of Nicolas Winding Refn in general and I would love it if you could cover some of his work in the future.

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   • Juan, the only film that I’ve seen by Refn in “Drive” (which I thought was amazing). Is that representational of his work in general. I’m unfamiliar with the “Pusher” Trilogy. Do you think it’s the sort of thing I’d like.

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     • David, I think you would absolutely love the Pusher Trilogy! Yes, Drive and Pusher are similar in a way. They both share similar levels of intensity and boldness. At the same time, they’re sort of at opposite ends of the spectrum. Drive is a full-on arthouse film, and as such, has a more vibrant and stylish look and feel. It’s slow and quiet, but violent. Pusher on the other hand is very gritty. It’s a more aggressive film full of energy and a sly sense of humor that is completely lacking in Drive. All three films are very rewarding, but the first two are masterpieces in my opinion, in particular the first one. I can’t wait for you to watch them and let me know what you thought of them.

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       • I was actually expecting the “Pusher” movies to be more arthouse than “Drive” for some reason.

         I’ll definitely add these to my list!

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         • If you want more arthouse cinema from Refn, I urge you to watch Bronson. It’s absolutely fantastic and it was my first exposure to him. I’d recommend Only God Forgives, but it’s my least favorite of his films and definitely his weakest effort. If you do see it, do it for the visuals alone.

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         • Wow, I had no idea he directed “Bronson”. I’ve been curious about that movie for a while. I’ll avoid “Only God Forgives” for now though, I’ve heard a few people describe it as being visually stunning but not much else. My tastes veer more towards “Drive” which as well as being beautiful to look at was extremely emotional and compelling to me.

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10. I hope you guys get to cover this sometime: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp_Tl3yhjuA

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    • I can’t tell if you’re joking or not, David. I actually really enjoyed Young@Heart–I actually cried, to be honest–so I’d give this a shot.

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      • Aside from the humour inherent in old people doing Hip Hop dancing I was being serious.

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11. @David — Yes, we actually covered the “Red Riding” trilogy on Considering the Sequels and thought it was pretty impressive:

    http://ctspodcast.blogspot.com/2011/03/ep-8-red-riding-trilogy-january-2011.html

    @Juan — I was equally as impressed with the “Pusher” trilogy and agree that David would love it, especially since he appreciates “Red Riding.”

    Josh and his wife are very photogenic.

    Jason

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    • That was actually the first episode of CTS that I ever listened too. I was pretty impressed that you guys covered it because I’d imagine it’s fairly obscure in the states.

      I’m re-listening to to this episode now and it’s actually pretty funny. Karl thinking something like that wouldn’t be made for TV over here and you asking the meaning of “Bullocks” (sic). Richard Gale saying “It doesn’t ever make you want to go to that part of England” (my home county!).

      For me “Red Riding” isn’t quite as highly recommended as the Shane Meadows films that I mentioned in my earlier comments but it does hold a similarly important place in my mind. The horrible thing is that little of the corruption and evil portrayed in the “Red Riding” trilogy is an exaggeration. A paedophile ring operated with immunity in my home town and the chief investigator who I’m pretty sure was in on the cover up is now a town councillor. All through the 80’s several local business men (one of them the ex-major) and the now infamous Jimmy Saville were getting away with horrible abuse here and absolutely nothing was done about it. I’ve done independent research on this and lots of stuff is still being covered up to this day. There was no real internal investigation into why reports of abuse were outright dismissed and ignored. There are still victims of abuse out there that the police have been made aware of but have made no attempt to contact or interview. People are happy to just pretend it didn’t happen because the accused in question brought revenue to the town and were regarded as important local figures. Apologies for being tangential again but this is something that preys on my mind a great deal. It makes me sick.

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    • And on a somewhat lighter note: “Bollocks” is slang for “testicles” but is often use as a synonym for “nonsense” or, as several voices in the CTS episode suggested, “Bulls***”.

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      • Come on, CTS! You guys would know that if you watched Survivor. Or listened to the Sex Pistols.

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12. I like this movie. Although Robert, the main character, is already a retired agent but he cannot stand on the wickedness brought around on his place by the russian mafia. Many people were affected. Even the local police was force to corruption or face death if they fight. When Robert realized that Alina and other whore was forced against their will to sell their body and been badly beaten, he decided to end this wickedness. It is really a good story for a heroic act. Although it is not reveal exactly what happen in the past aside that he was an agent and her wife died, I highly recommend this movie. I give 5 star on this. Thanks.

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