The Stacks

Episode 133 - Woyzeck + Hunt for Red October +Sister Emanuelle + Dressed in Blue

This week on The Stacks, Shana and j. return to the films of Werner Herzog in part 1 (0:00-1:30:45) with 1977's Klaus Kinski character study Woyzeck, in addition to our ongoing coverage of Ultra Q with the tenth episode, "The Underground Super Express Goes West." In part 2 (1:30:46-3:08:03), we talk about three additional features - John McTiernan's classic 1990 cold war action-drama The Hunt for Red October, Giuseppi Vari's wild swerve into surreal nunsploitation for 1977's Sister Emanuelle from the long-running Black Emanuelle series, and the 1983 Spanish documentary Dressed in Blue, from director Antonio Giménez-Rico. As usual, we conclude in our third section with briefer capsule discussion of everything else we've watched on physical media since last time and make our choices for next week's episode.

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

Episode 132 - Wizard of Gore + Die Hard + Redneck Zombies + Leprechaun 3

On The Stacks this week, Shana and j. bookend our February gore month with another Herschell Gordon Lewis feature, 1970's surrealist horror The Wizard of Gore, in addition to episode 9 of Ultra Q, "Baron Spider" to conclude part one (0:00-1:24:23). In part two (1:24:24-3:10:23), we cover three additional films - John McTiernan's peak action blockbuster Die Hard (1988), Pericles Lewnes' wild SOV Troma gore comedy Redneck Zombies (1989), and Brian Trenchard-Smith's first of two entries in the Leprechaun series, the Vegas-set Leprechaun 3 (1995). As usual, in part three we conclude with some capsule discussion of all the other physical media we've watched since last time and make our choices for next week's show.

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

Episode 131 - Oasis of the Zombies + Blood for Dracula + Black Cat 2 + Death Squad

On The Stacks this week, Shana and j. conclude our bloody February with four films and one television episode. In part 1 (0:00-1:36:49), we cover Jess Franco's notorious lo-fi 1981 video nasty Oasis of the Zombies as well as "Terror of the Sweet Honey" - the 8th episode of Ultra Q. In part 2 (1:36:50-2:49:59), we discuss three additional films - Paul Morrissey's classic Marxist vampire satire Blood for Dracula, the very heightened and ridiculous sequel Black Cat 2 (like the first, directed by Stephen Shin), and Max Pecas' ultra-violent 80s French crime film Death Squad. As usual, we conclude with briefer discussion of the other movies we've watched on physical media since last time and decide what we're going to cover next week.

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

Episode 130 - Videodrome + Hell High + Santet 2 + Cat in the Brain

This week in The Stacks, our impromptu February gore month continues! In part one (0:00-1:09:42), we discuss David Cronenberg's 1983 body horror / media satire Videodrome, while part three (1:09:43-2:25:36) features three additional bloody films: Douglas Grossman's late-80s teen slasher Hell High, the Indonesian black magic / comedy sequel Santet 2 (as with the first, directed by Sisworo Guatama Putra), and Lucio Fulci's career-retrospective 1990 black comedy / horror Cat in the Brain. As usual, we conclude with some briefer discussion of all the other physical media we've watched in-between and choose our picks for next week.

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

Episode 129 - Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals + The Iron Prefect + Black Cat + Killer Condom

Our bloody February continues this week - in part 1 (0:00-1:22:47) we discuss the sixth(ish) entry in the Black Emanuelle series, Joe D'Amato's 1977 sexploitation gore feature Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals, as well as the 7th episode in the Ultra Q series, "S.O.S. Mount Fuji." In part 2 (1:22:48-2:59:59) we have three additional features: Pasquale Squitieri's 1977 historical drama / poliziotteschi The Iron Prefect (aka I Am the Law), Stephen Shin's 1991 Vancouver-shot HK action feature Black Cat, and the 1996 satirical German queer cop movie Killer Condom, directed by Martin Walz. As usual, we conclude in part three with discussion of all the other physical media we've watched since last time and decide what we'll be covering in next week's episode.

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

Episode 128 - Blood Feast + At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul + Santet

This week, we begin a bloody February in The Stacks, beginning with Herschell Gordon Lewis' 1963 landmark gore feature Blood Feast, joined in part 1 (0:00-1:24:35) with the weird, off-model sixth episode of Ultra Q, "Grow Up! Little Turtle!" In part 2 (1:24:36-2:32:53), we have two additional gory features - the first in José Mojica Marins' classic Coffin Joe series, 1964's At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul, in addition to Sisworo Gautama Putra's 1988 black magic horror comedy Santet. As usual, part 3 features capsule reviews of all the other physical media we've watched during the week, and our decisions for next week's features.

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

Episode 127 - Dog Day + Varda by Agnes + Prospect

This week on The Stacks, in part 1 (0:00-1:46:22) Shana and j. continue to dig into the work of legendary actor Lee Marvin with the 1984 French black comedy / crime satire Dog Day (aka Canicule, directed by Yves Boisset), as well as continuing to go through the classic 1966 Ultra Q TV series with its fifth episode, "Peguila Is Here!" In part 2 (1:46:22-2:55:03) we have two additional features, the career-spanning 2019 autobiographical documentary Varda by Agnes, and the Zeek Earl & Chris Caldwell 2018 space western Prospect. As usual, in part three we talk about all the other stuff we've watched on physical media in the previous week 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 126 - Point Blank + Bandh Darwaza + The Mysterious Castle in the Carpathians

This week on The Stacks, in part one (0:00-1:38:13) Shana and j. continue exploring the films of Lee Marvin with John Boorman's 1967 neo-noir masterpiece Point Blank as well as continuing our ongoing coverage of the Ultra Q TV series, with episode 4, "The Mammoth Flower." Then in part two (1:38:14-2:56:31), we have two additional features, the 1990 Tulsi & Shyam Ramsey Bollywood horror banger Bandh Darwaza, and the 1981 Czech steampunk comedy The Mysterious Castle in the Carpathians. As usual, in part three, we conclude with discussion of the other physical media we've watched during the past week and decide what to cover next week.

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

Episode 125 - Dark Star + Cutter's Way + Charlie Victor Romeo + What's Love

This week on The Stacks, in part 1 (0:00-1:12:46) we discuss John Carpenter's debut, the USC student film expanded to feature length of Dark Star (1974), an absurdist sci-fi satire about blue collar workers blowing up planets, in addition to continuing coverage of the Ultra Q TV series with its third episode ("The Gift From Space"). In part 2 (1:12:47-2:21:36) we discuss three additional films - Ivan Passer's 1981 neo-noir Cutter's Way, the experimental theatre / air disaster documentary Charlie Victor Romeo (2014, directed by Robert Berger & Karlyn Michelson), and the totally unclassifiable erotic philosophy film What's Love (begun in the 70s by Bill Cable, completed in 1987 by Carlos Tobalina), and as usual in our third section, we chat about all the other movies we've viewed on physical media since last episode, and make our choices for next week.

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

Episode 124 - Last Year at Marienbad + Prime Cut + The Big Racket

This week, continuing our New Years Resolutions month, we kick off in part one (0:00-1:47:56) with Alain Resnais' labyrinthine 1961 art film Last Year at Marienbad, followed in part two (1:47:57-3:06:08) by two 70s crime features - Michael Ritchie's 1972 New Hollywood meat and sex trafficking picture Prime Cut, and Enzo G. Castellari's 1976 ultra-violent high-octane poliziotteschi The Big Racket. As usual, we conclude with The Watched Stacks, with some capsule reviews of all the other physical media we've watched since last week, leading into next week's picks.

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