Episode 144: THE FIST OF WATER, THE WILL OF IRON: THE LIFE OF BRUCE LEE
In this episode, The Guys Outta Brooklyn honor one of the most influential figures in the history of genre movies and martial arts, Bruce Lee. Tom and Derrick discuss the philosophy and career of this remarkable man, who managed to change the face of cinema after starring in only four movies (and yes, we do discuss that thing that claims to be his fifth film). You know it’s chinese boxing time, so get to clicking!
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BETTER IN THE DARK
Two Guys Outta Brooklyn Talk Movies
DJ COMICS CAVALCADE
Silver Age Comics Through Modern Eyes
In this episode, Derrick and Tom go out of their comfort zone to discuss the rather….large world of documentaries. Join the Boys Outta Brooklyn as the talk about some of their favorite docs, examine the way the genre has transformed and become more entertaining that some fiction films, and celebrate some of the best documentarians out there! Plus lots of talk about an election that has since passed, and a reference to an forthcoming episode that’s already aired! You know Troy Duffy thinks this show is unfair, so get to clicking!
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BETTER IN THE DARK
Two Guys Outta Brooklyn Talk Movies
DJ COMICS CAVALCADE
Silver Age Comics Through Modern Eyes
Episode 139: TOM AND DERRICK VS. THE CHINESE SHERLOCK, THE DRUNK GURU, THE ACTION TROIKA, THE SIN EATER AND THE CGI’D LIZARD
It’s time for another Review Episode, where the Guys Outta Brooklyn take a look at a quintet of movies that range from the brand-extending Bourne Legacy to the brand expanding Expendables 2 and the brand imitating Hong Kong curio The Bullet Vanishes. Plus Tom’s Tales Of Working the Licensed Fiction Mines, Derrick’s research for a new Sinbad tale, and the man with the super-power of hair (Hi, Ian!). You know you don’t want to walk from the window to the wall without getting low, so get to clicking!
BETTER IN THE DARK
Two Guys Outta Brooklyn Talk Movies
DJ COMICS CAVALCADE
Silver Age Comics Through Modern Eyes
Episode 131: TOM AND DERRICK VS. THE SAFE HOUSE, GRECIAN ARMORED ROSAMUND PIKE, THE PAST HIS PRIME MEDICAL GENIUS, THE INDIAN HOTEL, AND JOSS WHEDON
In this massive Review Episode, The Boys Outta Brooklyn discuss the movie everyone’s been waiting five years for…The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel!
Just kidding…we do cover that film, as well as others and the House Series Finale, but the bulk of over two hours of talk concerns the two films of Joss Whedon, Cabin In The Woods and The Avengers! And if that isn’t enough, there’s lots of writing talk and bitching about comics. It’s Shwarma-rific, so get to clicking!
BETTER IN THE DARK
Two Guys Outta Brooklyn Talk Movies
DJ COMICS CAVALCADE
Silver Age Comics Through Modern Eyes
BETTER IN THE DARK #123: WATERCOLOR WITH BLOOD AND BULLETS-THE CAREER OF KATHRYN BIGELOW
The Boys From Brooklyn are back to induct the first woman into their Hall of Great, Great Men as they celebrate the artistic-yet-genre career of Kathryn Bigelow. Join Tom and Derrick as they examine her whole ouvre, from the existential biker film The Loveless to the cowboy / vampire thriller Near Dark to her Academy Award-winning war flick The Hurt Locker. Along the way they examine the televisual train wreck that was Wild Palms, discuss the impact her original career as a painter had on her moviemaking, and debate whether she’s hotter than Linda Hamilton! All this plus the problems of basing your films on current events, what do you do when Juliette Lewis and / or Illeana Douglas asks you if you want to hit it, spokespeople for Jewish Hotness, and gratuitous Martin Scorsese! So get to clicking!
Written by Jean Howell and Jerome Odlum from a story by Roger Corman
Last year my Better In The Dark co-host Thomas Deja and I got the idea for a theme for the summer of 2012 which we called “The Summer of Speed” The idea was to do episodes reviewing movies based around cars or where cars play a major role. Naturally we immediately hit on doing an episode on the entire “Fast and Furious” series which you can find here . I also saw this as an opportunity to do the same theme here at The Ferguson Theater and review movies I’ve been meaning to review for the longest but have been neglecting. Movies such as “Speed Racer” “The Cannonball Run” “Smokey and The Bandit” and “Greased Lightning”. Now being anal as I am, I insisted to Tom that I wanted to start with the original THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS made in 1955. He said I could go knock myself out and now I see why. This movie does not follow The Ferguson Rule Of Truth In Movie Advertising in that it is neither Fast nor is it Furious.
Frank Webster (John Ireland) is a man on the run. Doing time for a murder he didn’t commit, he manages to bust outta the hoosegow and take it on the lam. The dragnet cast out for him is extensive and closing on him fast. He needs a quick way out of his situation and finds it thanks to Connie Adair (Dorothy Malone) who is driving a Jaguar. While sitting in a roadside diner, Frank overhears Connie telling the waitress that she’s on her way to participate in a cross country race where the finish line is in Mexico. Frank sees this as a perfect cover to get away. Frank takes Connie hostage and they head for the race.
The bulk of the movie is taken up with Connie pleading for Frank to let her go even though there are numerous opportunities where she could get away but doesn’t take advantage of it. And for a guy who’s trying not to arouse any suspicion, Frank does a lot of suspicious things that cause many of the people he meets at the race to raise their eyebrows and ask Connie, “Hey, you sure this guy is okay?”
Turns out that the race officials have changed the rules so that women can’t participate in the race saying that they’ve deemed it “too dangerous for a woman.” So Frank has to put himself in the race so that he won’t raise any more eyebrows than he already has. It’s during his qualifying run for the race where Frank and Connie start to bond a little. He tells her what really happened to get him thrown in jail and she urges him to give himself up and even offers to help. Frank quite naturally tells her to get stuffed. Now somehow through all this back-and-forth, they manage to fall in love. So much so that Frank jeopardizes his freedom to drive Connie’s car in what has to be the most boring car race I’ve seen on film.
Thankfully the movie is only 73 minutes long so if you do decide to watch it, it’s mercifully short. Apparently the producers of the Vin Diesel remake bought the rights to the movie just because they wanted the title. And I can understand that: it’s a good title. One that is wasted on this movie. It’s worth watching if you’re a Roger Corman fan and want to watch this because of his involvement in it but that’s about I can recommend it for. I really didn’t care a poobah’s pizzle about anybody in this movie and while Dorothy Malone tries her best to inject some life into her scenes with John Ireland, he’s no help at all as his idea of acting is to just stand there and look constipated. Their romance is entirely unconvincing and when I got to the end of the movie I howled, “That’s it?”
THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS is available for streaming on Netflix and you can also see it the entire movie on YouTube which I’ve provided for you right here if you care to see it. If you don’t want to, I quite understand.
In this episode, The Guys Outta Brooklyn look at a point in the history of Disney where the company was losing money and the urge to experiment was high. From the big-budget science fictioner The Black Hole to the ground-breaking Tron to the slow motion accident that was The Black Cauldron, Tom and Derrick evaluate a sextet of Disney’s most peculiar releases. Plus video arcade memories, the ending of The Hunchback of Notre Dame you should’ve seen, and wacka-chickas. Lots of wacka-chickas. If you don’t want to be put on the game grid, get to clicking!
Well, they don’t really versus each other in the poll in the conventional sense but it did get your attention, didn’t it?
Lemme explain: My partner Tom Deja and I recorded a new episode of BETTER IN THE DARK earlier today where we inducted Academy Award winning director Kathryn Bigelow into The BiTD Pantheon of Great Great (Wo)Men. During the discussion Tom put forth that in his eyes, by James Cameron divorcing Kathryn Bigelow and marrying Linda Hamilton, he traded down. I say he traded neither up nor down but sideways. Well, as usual when Tom and I argue, slurs were hurled, mothers insulted, interjections shouted and nothing settled.
So I’m throwing it over to you guys, the loyal BiTD fans. Is Linda Hamilton as hot as Kathryn Bigelow or not? Vote below and I’ll present the verdict on a future episode of BETTER IN THE DARK. Thanks!
Episode 118: GATEKEEPERS OF CHILDHOOD NIGHTMARES–THE AMERICAN HORROR HOST TRADITION (Special Guest: Lord Blood Rah)
The Guys Outta Brooklyn return to their upbringing when they welcome modern-day horror movie host Lord Blood Rah to discuss the origins, history and resurgence of the American Horror Movie Host tradition! Of course, this being a guest host episode of Better In The Dark, it soon morphs into a freewheeling discussion of the state of horror movies in general. It’s almost two hours of fun and frights in the BiTD manner! Plus the forgotten blaxploitation mummy epic, why Dr. Frankenstein always has the upper hand when other mad scientists host tea parties, and why it might be a good thing that Guillermo delToro isn’t adapting Lovecraft. It’s time to cut up that giant ameba, so get to clicking!
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BETTER IN THE DARK
Two Guys Outta Brooklyn Talk Movies
DJ COMICS CAVALCADE
Silver Age Comics Through Modern Eyes
Episode 110: DIRECTOR’S COURT–THE CASE OF MEL BROOKS
After a long hiatus, court is back in session–and The Guys Outta Brooklyn puts the man who single-handedly created the modern movie spoof in the docket. Join Tom and Derrick as they explore their conflicted feelings about this Great, Great Man…a man whose early work is as groundbreaking and amazing as his later work is sad and unpleasant…and how his sense of humor remains timeless when many of the people who followed in his footsteps date within minutes of their films’ release. And if that’s not enough….tremble as your hosts go on a rampage against the DCnU reboot, and the state of comics in general! You know it’s a French Mistake…so get to clicking!
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BETTER IN THE DARK
Two Guys Outta Brooklyn Talk Movies
