The Stacks

Episode 196 - Twin Peaks pt 7 + Danger Stories + Criminally Insane 2 + Deadpool & Wolverine + Dirty Work + Clueless + Police Academy 4 + Dark Half

This week on The Stacks, in part one (0:00-1:31:25), we continue our dissection of Twin Peaks: The Return with episodes 13 and 14, in addition to the mytharc episode "Fallen Angel" - number 10 in season 1 of X-Files. Part two (1:31:26-2:50:52) features discussion of a bunch of movies, beginning with Donald G. Jackson & RJ Kizer's Hell Comes to Frogtown (which we forgot to discuss last week), followed by the AGFA Scare Film Archives Vol.2: Danger Stories set, Nick Millard's SOV slasher sequel Criminally Insane 2 (aka Crazy Fat Ethel II), the 2023 Shawn Levy MCU crossover picture Deadpool & Wolverine, the new 'Dirtier Cut' of Bob Saget's 1998 comedy Dirty Work, Amy Heckerling's classic 1995 teen comedy Clueless, Jim Drake's 1987 franchise entry Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol, an episode of the classic 60s Speed Racer TV series ("The Car Hater"), and George A. Romero's weird but highly faithful 1993 Stephen King adaptation The Dark Half. In part three, as usual, we talk in brief about the other stuff we've watched since last time and make our picks for next week's episode.

The live list of The Stacks is online at https://letterboxd.com/jshopa/list/the-stacks

Episode 195 - Twin Peaks pt 6 + Thor 4 + Transformers + Caligula 2 + Riddick + Empire Strikes Back + Superman III + Satan Wants You

This week on The Stacks, in part one (0:00-1:39:59), we return to our discussion of Twin Peaks: The Return with episodes 11 and 12, as well as "Space" - the little-loved 9th episode of season 1 of The X-Files. In part two (1:40:00-2:58:31), we talk about eight additional features - Taika Waititi's 2022 MCU hard rock comedy Thor: Love and Thunder, the 1986 Transformers animated movie directed by Nelson Shin, Joe D'Amato's 1982 mockbuster / fake sequel Caligula: The Untold Story, the 2013 David Twohy Vin Diesel sequel Riddick, the 1980 Irvin Kershner Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, Richard Lester's totally bizarre 1983 Richard Pryor film Superman III, the 2023 documentary on Michelle Remembers and the Satanic Panic, Satan Wants You (directed by Steve J. Adams & Sean Horlor), and the 2006 'Donner Cut' of Superman II. In part three, as usual, we talk in brief about the other stuff we've watched since last time and make our picks for next week's episode.

The live list of The Stacks is online at https://letterboxd.com/jshopa/list/the-stacks

Episode 194 - Killing of America + She-Hulk + Police Academy 3 + Nosferatu + Poseidon Adventure + Ghost Rider 2 + Transformers One + Child's Play 2 + Noroi

This week on The Stacks, in part one (0:00-1:34:40), we're taking a week off our Twin Peaks coverage to talk about Sheldon Renan's mondo film / true crime documentary The Killing of America, as well as "Ice" - the 8th episode of season 1 of X-Files. Part two (1:34:41-2:39:51) features shorter-form discussion on the MCU She-Hulk: Attorney at Law TV series in addition to seven films: Jerry Paris' very silly 1986 franchise entry Police Academy 3: Back in Training, the 1922 F.W. Murnau off-brand Dracula silent picture Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, Ronald Neame's trendsetting 1972 Irwin Allen disaster film The Poseidon Adventure, the 00s extreme take on Ghost Rider with Neveldine & Taylor's 2011 sequel Spirit of Vengeance, the 2024 Josh Cooley animated reboot Transformers One, John Lafia's 1990 horror sequel Child's Play 2, and Koji Shiraishi's peculiar 2005 found footage horror Noroi: The Curse. In part three, as usual, we talk in brief about the other stuff we've watched since last time and make our picks for next week's episode.

The live list of The Stacks is online at https://letterboxd.com/jshopa/list/the-stacks/

Episode 193 - Twin Peaks Return pt 5 + Star Wars + Superman II + Rot + Neo Chinpira + Career Bed + Wakanda Forever + Glitch! + Pitch Black

This week on The Stacks, in part one (0:00-1:36:00), Shana and j. continue to discuss the 2017 third season of Twin Peaks with the ninth and tenth episodes, in addition to "Ghost in the Machine" - episode 7 of X-Files' first season. In part two (1:36:01-2:41:11), we discuss eight additional features in short form - George Lucas' 1977 space opera Star Wars, the 1980 original theatrical cut of Superman II primarily directed by Richard Lester, the 1999 Marcus Koch SOV splatter feature Rot, the 1990 Banmei Takahashi v-cinema feature Neo Chinpira: Zoom Goes the Bullet, Joel M. Reed's scabrous 1969 sexploitation Career Bed, Ryan Coogler's 2022 MCU entry Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the 1988 Nico Mastorakis sex comedy Glitch!, and David Twohy's 2000 sci-fi/action/horror blockbuster Pitch Black. In part three, as usual, we talk in brief about the other stuff we've watched since last time and make our picks for next week's episode.

The live list of The Stacks is online at https://letterboxd.com/jshopa/list/the-stacks/

Episode 191 - Twin Peaks Return pt 4 + Moon Knight + Barb Wire + Child's Play + Police Academy 2 + Knives Out + Day of the Dead + T2 + Amistad

This week on The Stacks, in part one (0:00-1:38:24), Shana and j. continue discussion of the 2017 third season of Twin Peaks with the seventh and landmark eighth episodes, in addition to "Shadows" - the sixth episode of X-Files' first season. In part two (1:38:25-2:40:00), we talk in shorter form about the 2021 MCU TV miniseries Moon Knight, in addition to David Hogan's 1996 post-apocalyptic Pam Anderson comic book Casablanca remake Barb Wire, the 1988 Tom Holland killer-doll slasher franchise starter Child's Play, Jerry Paris' 1985 sequel Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment, Rian Johnson's 2019 update of the Agatha Christie mystery style, Knives Out, the 1985 George A. Romero zombie apocalypse horror Day of the Dead, James Cameron's massive 1991 action/horror/sci-fi blockbuster Terminator 2: Judgement Day, the pilot episode of Miami Vice ("Brother's Keeper"), and Steven Spielberg's 1997 legal drama about the Atlantic slave trade, Amistad. In part three, as usual, we talk in brief about the other stuff we've watched since last time and make our picks for next week's episode.

The live list of The Stacks is online at https://letterboxd.com/jshopa/list/the-stacks/

Episode 191 - Twin Peaks Return pt 3 + What If S1 + Superman + Double Trouble + Duck! + Jurassic Park III + Crime Hunter + Age of Ultron + Dawn of the Dead

This week on The Stacks, in part one (0:00-1:28:37), Shana and j. continue to discuss the 2017 third season of Twin Peaks with the fifth and sixth episodes, in addition to "The Jersey Devil" - the moderately silly fifth episode of X-Files' first season. In part two (1:28:38-2:43:18), we talk in shorter form  about the first season of Marvel's animated series What If?, the 1978 Richard Donner OG superhero film Superman, John Paragon's 1992 Barbarian Brothers comedy Double Trouble, William Hellfire and Joey Smack's controversy-baiting shock SOV picture Duck! The Carbine High Massacre, Joe Johnston's solid enough dino action sequel Jurassic Park III, Toshimichi Ohkawa's ultra-stripped-down Toei v-cinema Crime Hunter: Bullets of Rage, the 2015 Joss Whedon MCU loadbearing property Avengers: Age of Ultron, and George A. Romero's 1978 zombie masterpiece Dawn of the Dead. In part three, as usual, we talk in brief about the other stuff we've watched since last time and make our picks for next week's episode.

The live list of The Stacks is online at https://letterboxd.com/jshopa/list/the-stacks/

Episode 190 - Twin Peaks Return pt 2 + Hawkeye + The Conqueror + Atomic Cafe + Nekros + Police Academy + Purge Election Year + Louder Than You Think + Sexy Night Report 2

This week on The Stacks, in part one (0:00-1:24:43), Shana and j. continue to discuss the 2017 third season of Twin Peaks with the third and fourth episodes, in addition to "Conduit" - the fourth episode of X-Files' first season. In part two (1:24:43-2:21:47), we talk in shorter form about the 2021 MCU miniseries Hawkeye, the notorious 1956 sword and sandal Dick Powell / John Wayne camp debacle The Conqueror, Jayne Loader, Kevin and Pierce Rafferty's 1982 excellent, chilling cold war documentary Atomic Cafe, Michael J. Murphy's 2015 SOV Greek pantheon slasher Nekros, Hugh Wilson's 1984 introduction of the Police Academy franchise, James DeMonaco's 2016 wokesploitation horror The Purge: Election Year, Jed I. Rosenberg's warm and loving 2023 documentary on Gary Young and Pavement Louder Than You Think, and Joe D'Amato's 1978 quasi-Emanuelle film Porno Nights of the World No. 2 (aka Sexy Night Report 2). In part three, as usual, we talk in brief about the other stuff we've watched since last time and make our picks for next week's episode.

The live list of The Stacks is online at https://letterboxd.com/jshopa/list/the-stacks/

Episode 189 - Twin Peaks: The Return pt 1 + Spring Break Roundup Pt 3

This week on The Stacks, in part one (0:00-1:41:05), we begin our in-depth coverage of Twin Peaks: The Return, covering the first two episodes of David Lynch's concluding masterpiece, as well as discussing the third episode of The X-Files, the iconic "Squeeze" monster of the week. In part two (1:41:06-2:49:24), we conclude a high-volume roundup of nine additional features - continuing MCU with Sam Raimi's 2022 film Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, H.B. Halicki's original 1974 Guinness award-winning car chase picture Gone in 60 Seconds, the great 1999 Dean Parisot sci-fi satire Galaxy Quest, the 1975 Tano Cimarosa giallo Reflections in Black, Henrik Möller's 2014 lo-fi cosmic horror Feed the Light, the dumb 2005 Rob Cohen war on terror action flick Stealth, Stephen Sayadian's 1982 post-apocalyptic sci-fi quasi-porno Cafe Flesh, James Cameron's legendary 1986 action sci-fi blockbuster Aliens, and Georges Franju's 1961 mystery Spotlight on a Murderer. In part three, as usual, we talk in brief about the other stuff we've watched since last time and make our picks for next week's episode.

The live list of The Stacks is online at https://letterboxd.com/jshopa/list/the-stacks/

Episode 188 - Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me + Spring Break Roundup pt 2

This week on The Stacks, in part one (0:00-2:03:10), Shana and j. begin a deep-dive into Twin Peaks with David Lynch's 1992 series prequel / post-mortem Fire Walk With Me, as well as continuing coverage of The X-Files with "Deep Throat" (s1e02). In part two (2:03:10-3:11:00), Shana was on vacation so we cover 10 additional features: George Lucas' 2005 Star Wars prequel Episode III: The Revenge of the Sith, Jon Watts' 2021 MCU entry Spider-Man: No Way Home, Guido Zurli's 1976 fake Emanuelle movie Black Deep Throat, the 2002 trees of life web-collective anime Tamala 2010: A Punk Cat in Space, the 1987 Nico Mastorakis boner comedy Blow Up riff Terminal Exposure, James Cameron's landmark cyberpunk sophomore 1984 film The Terminator, the 1973 Key West fishing documentary Tarpon, Steven Spielberg's 1993 and 1997 films Jurassic Park and its sequel Lost World, and the 2015 Josh Trank comic book movie trainwreck Fantastic Four. In part three, we talk about everything else we've watched in the past week on physical media and discuss our plans for the coming weeks.

The live list of The Stacks is online at https://letterboxd.com/jshopa/list/the-stacks/

Episode 187 - Stray Cat Rock: Machine Animal + Spring Break Roundup pt 1

This week on The Stacks, in part one (0:00-1:26:20), Shana and j. are discussing the fourth Stray Cat Rock film, Yasuharu Hasebe's breezy 1970 entry Machine Animal, in addition to the Pilot episode of The X-Files as we begin our coverage of the first season. Shana is on holidays so we go extra deep in part two (1:26:21-2:35:58) with nine features - Chloe Zhao's 2021 MCU ancient aliens film Eternals, Ivan Reitman's 1973 Canuxploitation debut Cannibal Girls, James Cameron's 1982 Canuxploitation debut Piranha II: The Spawning, the 1996 Joe Pytka IP slush Space Jam, Allan Arkush's notorious 1981 sci-fi romantic comedy flop (starring Andy Kaufman!) Heartbeeps, Stuart Baird's terrible 2002 mess of a Star Trek: Nemesis, the 1988 Lam Nai-choi HK rape/revenge flick Her Vengeance, Lexi Alexander's underappreciated 2008 satirical comic book movie Punisher War Zone, and Michael Mann's blissfully incoherent 2006 crime film Miami Vice. In part three, we do a brief roundup on Twin Peaks in preparation for an upcoming deep dive, as well as talking about the other stuff we've watched on physical media and making picks for next week.

The live list of The Stacks is online at https://letterboxd.com/jshopa/list/the-stacks/