The Stacks

Episode 201 - Starcrash + 8 more

This week on The Stacks, in part one (0:00-1:23:49), we talk about Luigi Cozzi's (directing as Lewis Coates) wonderful grindhouse Star Wars knockoff Starcrash, as well as "Lazarus" - the 15th episode of season 1 of X-Files. In part two (1:23:49-2:29:19) we talk in shorter format about eight more movies: The emotionally resonant 2023 James Gunn MCU entry Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3, the star-studded 1999 David "Rock" Nelson SOV epic The Devil Ant, Michael J. Murphy's final feature, the 2015 melodrama The Return of Alan Strange, the 1971 Bruno Gantillon erotic horror The Girl Slaves of Morgana Le Fay, the Coen Brothers' 1984 neo-noir debut Blood Simple, Robert J. Kaplan's lost 1972 queer art comedy Scarecrow in a Garden of Cucumbers, John Lasseter's 1999 Pixar sequel Toy Story 2, and Gaspar Noe's 2009 surrealist experimental POV drug film Enter the Void. In part three, we talk briefly about the other stuff we've watched since last time, make our picks for next week.

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

Episode 200 - The Way of the Dragon + 8 + Stacks Awards Year 4

This week on The Stacks, in part one (0:00-1:04:33), we discuss Bruce Lee's sole directorial effort The Way of the Dragon, in addition to "Gender Bender" - the weird sex-changing space Amish S1 episode of X-Files. In part two (1:04:34-2:21:06) we talk in shorter format about eight additional features: the third season of Marvel's What If? animated series, Amy Heckerling's 2012 vampire comedy Vamps, the Peter Bonerz 1989 franchise entry Police Academy 6: City Under Siege, David Dubay's 1997 SOV smalltown skullduggery epic The Killing Tide, Don Mancini's underappreciated 2004 debut Seed of Chucky, Don Bishow's 1987 lo-fi psychotronic splatter picture The Soultangler, Guy Ritchie's 1998 debut crime comedy Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, and M. Night Shyamalan's 2000 twist picture Unbreakable. In part three, we talk briefly about the other stuff we've watched since last time, make our picks for next week, and then we hold our fourth annual Stacks Awards, talking about all our favourite stuff that we've watched and talked about on the pod in the past year.

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

Episode 199 - Once Upon a Time in the West + Quantumania + Devil at Your Heels + Longlegs + Vacation! + Kill the Moonlight + Sixth Sense + Toy Story

This week on The Stacks, in part one (0:00-1:34:06), we discuss Sergio Leone's 1968 western epic Once Upon a Time in the West, in addition to "Beyond the Sea" - the beloved thirteenth episode of X-Files season one. In part two (1:34:07-2:32:04) we talk in shorter format about seven additional features: 2023's Peyton Reed MCU flop Ant-Man & The Wasp in Quantumania, Robert Fortier's 1981 documentary Devil at Your Heels, the 2024 Osgood Perkins Satanic Panic retro-horror Longlegs, Zach Clark's 2011 surreal comedy/drama Vacation!, Steve Hanft's 1994 GenX primary text Kill the Moonlight, the 1999 M. Night Shyamalan horror landmark The Sixth Sense, and John Lasseter's 1995 game-changing cg-animated film Toy Story. 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 198 - Twin Peaks pt 9 + What If S2 + Bottoms + Police Academy 5 + Bride of Chucky + Superman IV + Stranger + The Force Awakens + Return of the Living Dead

This week on The Stacks, in part one (0:00-1:53:44), we conclude our coverage of Twin Peaks: The Return with episodes 17 and 18, in addition to "Fire" - the twelfth episode of X-Files season one. In part two (1:53:44-3:06:04) we talk in shorter format about 8 additional features: the second season of Marvel's What If?, the 2023 Emma Seligman queer teen comedy/satire Bottoms, the fifth entry in the Police Academy franchise - Assignment Miami Beach - directed by Alan Myerson, Ronny Yu's 1998 Child's Play revival film Bride of Chucky, Sidney J. Furie's notorious 1987 Cannon flop Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, Shunichi Nagasaki's 1991 v-cinema stalker movie Stranger, J.J. Abrams' 2015 Star Wars franchise restarter, The Force Awakens, and Dan O'Bannon's 1989 revival / reclamation The Return of the Living 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 197 - Twin Peaks pt 8 + Echo + The Founder + Star Wars Holiday Special + Iron Angels + Child's Play 3 + Blackhat + Force Awakens + Swimming to Cambodia

This week on The Stacks, in part one (0:00-1:39:49), we near the end of our discussion of Twin Peaks: The Return with episodes 15 and 16, as well as "Eve" - the eleventh episode of X-Files season one. In part two (1:39:50-2:39:43) we talk in shorter format about a bunch of additional features - the 2023 MCU TV miniseries Echo, John Lee Hancock's 2016 Ray Kroc biopic The Founder, Steve Binder's infamous 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special, Teresa Woo San's high-intensity 1987 HK action Iron Angels, a revisit of the 1991 Jack Bender slasher sequel / video nasty Child's Play 3, the 2015 Michael Mann cyber-thriller Blackhat, J.J. Abrams' 2015 Star Wars reboot sequel The Force Awakens, and the 1987 Jonathan Demme film of Spalding Grey's one-man show Swimming to Cambodia. 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 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/