Mellow, spoiler-heavy discussions exploring an absurd physical media collection
Episodes
Monday Jul 01, 2024
Monday Jul 01, 2024
On this week's episode, Shana and j. begin with discussion of the first Bruce Lee kung fu picture, The Big Boss (1971, directed by Lo Wei), in addition to episode 24 of Ultra Q, "The Statue of Goga" in part one (running to 1:13:38). In part two, we go in depth on the extended version of the devastatingly good musical biopic satire Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007, directed by Jake Kasdan), in addition to two films from 1984 - David Lynch's take on Dune and the breakthrough Eddie Murphy vehicle Beverly Hills Cop (directed by Martin Brest) - and finally, a 1998 shot-on-video VR erotic thriller by Dale E. Frantz, Game of Pleasure (all running 1:13:39-2:52:08). As usual, in part three, we continue on with discussion of everything else we've watched on physical media since last time and make our picks for next week.
The live list of The Stacks is online at https://letterboxd.com/jshopa/list/the-stacks/
Monday Jun 24, 2024
Monday Jun 24, 2024
On The Stacks this week, Shana and j. continue coverage of the films of Sergio Leone with his angry and funky final western, Fistful of Dynamite (1971, aka Duck You Sucker) in addition to the 23rd episode of Ultra Q, "Fury of the South Seas" in part one (running to 1:26:54). Part two (1:26:55-2:30:42) features five additional films, mostly action-packed, including the regional Akron, Ohio martial arts picture The Instructor (1981, directed by Don Bendell), the new Severin documentary Enter the Clones of Bruce (2023, directed by David Gregory) kicking off their Brucesploitation box, the experimental Hungarian animated feature Bubble Bath (1980, directed by György Kovásznai), the early Hong Kong New Wave / triad film Man on the Brink (directed by Alex Cheung) and finally, the based-on-a-true-story runaway train film Unstoppable (2010, directed by Tony Scott). As always, we conclude in part three with discussion of all the other physical media 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/
Monday Jun 17, 2024
Monday Jun 17, 2024
On The Stacks this week, Shana is introduced to the work of Guy Maddin with his 2016 tribute to lost and unfinished films in collaboration with the NFB, The Forbidden Room, paired with episode 22 of Ultra Q, "Metamorphosis" in part one (running to 1:36:54), while in part two (1:36:55-2:48:03) we talk about four additional films: the iconic 1968 sci-fi Planet of the Apes (directed by Franklin J. Schaffner), the 2007 Kevin Munroe animated feature TMNT, The Wachowskis' 2003 conclusion to the trilogy, The Matrix Revolutions, and the 1959 tokusatsu feature Prince of Space (directed by Eijiro Wakabayashi). As always, in part three, we conclude with some capsule discussion of all the other stuff we've watched on physical media since last time, feeding into our choices for next week's episode.
The live list of The Stacks is online at https://letterboxd.com/jshopa/list/the-stacks/
Monday Jun 10, 2024
Monday Jun 10, 2024
Apologies for some initial audio issues (these clear up around 15-20 minutes in, was not aware of the problem during the recording). This week, Shana and j. discuss the classic queer counter-culture film If.... (1968, directed by Lindsay Anderson) in addition to Ultra Q episode 21 ("Space Directive M774") in part one (running to 1:30:06). Then in part two (continuing to 2:43:22), we discuss five additional films: 1991's Door II: Tokyo Diary, a thematic sequel by Banmei Takahashi to his original film; the 1970 Jess Franco Hammer take on Count Dracula; Lee Frost's greasy 1969 exploitation western The Scavengers; Lloyd Kaufman & Michael Herz's second entry in Troma's flagship Toxic Avenger series; and finally the shot-in-2003 but released in 2020 Motern comedy Druids Druids Everywhere (directed by Charles Roxburgh). As usual, part three features discussion of all the other physical media we've watched in the interim since last episode and our decision-making on what to cover next week.
The live list of The Stacks is online at https://letterboxd.com/jshopa/list/the-stacks/
Monday Jun 03, 2024
Monday Jun 03, 2024
This week on The Stacks, Shana and j. finally return to the OG Godzilla franchise with the second entry, 1955's Godzilla Raids Again, directed by Motoyoshi Oda, in addition to the next two episodes in our coverage of Ultra Q (episodes 19 and 20, "Challenge From the Year 2020" and "The Primordial Amphibian Ragon"). Regrettably, there was an issue with the separate audio tracks so the levels are a bit messy for part one (0:00-1:14:23). This is resolved in part two (1:14:24-2:23:08), where we discuss five additional features - the 1950 Ron Ormond poverty row western King of the Bullwhip, the next two entries in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, II: Secret of the Ooze (1991, directed by Michael Pressman) and III (1993, directed by Stuart Gillard), Troma landmark The Toxic Avenger (1984, directed by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz), and concluding with 2003's The Matrix Reloaded (directed by the Wachowskis). In part three as usual we talk about all the other physical media we've watched since last time and make our choices for next week.
The live list of The Stacks is online at https://letterboxd.com/jshopa/list/the-stacks/
Monday May 27, 2024
Monday May 27, 2024
This week on The Stacks, in part 1 (0:00-1:30:23) we discuss the landmark 1962 revisionist western Ride the High Country, directed by Sam Peckinpah, in addition to the 18th episode of Ultra Q, "The Rainbow's Egg." In part 2 (1:30-24:2:33:00), after some brief general talk on Millennium Actress, we discuss Satoshi Kon's next film, 2003's Christmas-themed anime adventure Tokyo Godfathers, as well as the 1954 Charlton Heston adventure (and major Indiana Jones influence) The Secret of the Incas, directed by Jerry Hopper, and finally 1967's Rene Cardona lucha feature The Panther Women, featuring a fake Santo. As usual, we conclude with discussion in part 3 of all the other physical media we've watched since last time and make our picks for next week.
The live list of The Stacks is online at https://letterboxd.com/jshopa/list/the-stacks/
Tuesday May 21, 2024
Tuesday May 21, 2024
This week in The Stacks, Shana and j. are talking about six movies - in part one (0:00-1:14:13) we talk about the second entry in Jose Mojica Marins' legendary Coffin Joe series, 1967's This Night I'll Possess Your Corpse, in addition to the 17th episode of Ultra Q, "The 1/8th Project" (directed by Hajime Tsuburaya). In part two (1:14:14-2:52:48), we have five additional films - The Wachowksis' seismic film event of 1999, The Matrix, Tobe Hooper's 1974 video nasty landmark The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Jon Moritsugu's latest (to date) film, 2013's Pig Death Machine, the very early silent feature Dante's Inferno (1911, directed by Francesco Bertolini, Adolfo Padovan, and Giuseppe de Liguoro), and finally Pere Portabella's 1971 experimental documentary Caudecuc, Vampir. As usual in part three, we briefly discuss everything else we've watched on physical media since last time out and make our picks for next week.
Apologies for the late post this week, there were technical difficulties.
The live list of The Stacks is found online at https://letterboxd.com/jshopa/list/the-stacks/
Monday May 13, 2024
Monday May 13, 2024
On The Stacks this week, Shana and j. return to the Sartana series in part one (0:00-1:19:27) with the excellent third entry in the series, Sartana Is Here, Trade Your Pistol for a Coffin (1970), directed by Giuliano Carnimeo, as well as the 16th episode of Ultra Q, "Garamon Strikes Back!" directed by Samaji Nonagase. Next, in part two (1:19:28-2:27:07), we have four additional features - an impenetrable digital video Schuylkill note of a film, Blood on Melies' Moon (2016, directed by Luigi Cozzi), the sunny, buzzy 1968 lucha feature The Bat Woman (directed by Rene Cardona), the 1976 Joe D'Amato quasi-Emanuelle film Black Cobra, and Douglas Trumbull's 1972 hippie sci-fi effects masterpiece Silent Running. As usual, in part three, we talk about everything else we've watched on disc since last time and make our picks for next week.
The live list of The Stacks is online at https://letterboxd.com/jshopa/list/the-stacks/
Monday May 06, 2024
Monday May 06, 2024
On The Stacks this week, part one (0:00-1:17:14) features the next entry in the original Gamera series, Noriaki Yuasa's 1970 film Gamera vs Jiger, while in Ultra Q episode 15, "Kanegon's Cocoon" we encounter a yokai rather than a kaiju. In an extended part two (1:17:15-2:52:56), we discuss four additional features, going deep on Steve Barron's 1990 kids' movie classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Amir Shervan's delirious lo-fi 1991 action b-movie Samurai Cop, the beautifully aesthetic 1990 triad film from Benny Chan, A Moment of Romance, and the bizarre 2023 sci-fi beat-em-up Divinity, from Eddie Alcazar. As usual, in part three, we discuss all the other physical media we've watched in between episodes and make our picks for next week.
The live list of The Stacks is online at https://letterboxd.com/jshopa/list/the-stacks/
Monday Apr 29, 2024
Monday Apr 29, 2024
This week on The Stacks, in part one (0:00-1:21:52) we conclude the original Michael Caine Harry Palmer trilogy with Ken Russell's 1967 spy parody Billion Dollar Brain, in addition to the 14th episode of Ultra Q, "Tokyo Ice Age." In part two (1:21:53-2:32:57), we have four additional films - Bruno Mattei's 1983 Claudio Fragasso-penned entry in the Emanuelle series, Women's Prison Massacre (aka Blade Violent! or Emanuelle in Prison), the 1973 Peter Newbrook steampunk British gothic horror The Asphyx, Banmei Takahashi's 1988 home invasion thriller Door, and finally, Michael Fischa's absurd neon 1989 supernatural horror Death Spa. As usual, we conclude with capsule discussion of all the other stuff we've watched on physical media 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/