After a two-week hiatus, Conversations of the Dark returns in a big way, with Matt-Suzaka of Chuck Norris Ate My Baby! This time out, we're talking about a difficult, painful subject for horror fans: directors who were once great but have arguably lost their way... From Romero and Argento to Craven and Hooper, we pull no punches as we dissect their respective declines. Plus, poor Matt has been a bit under the weather, so his sick voice is sure to inspire your sympathy/cause you to gloat maliciously!Listen in on the embedded player below, proceed to the actual Vaultcast page, or download the whole thing right here...
God, you know what? I actually LOVE Mother of Tears. Like I own it. Watching it was one of the best times I ever had in a movie theater, I was like crying from laughter. Then there's Suspiria, which is of course, very serious business, and I enjoy that on the exact OPPOSITE level that I enjoy Mother of Tears on.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if it makes me an insincere fan that I find such enjoyment in camp-horror, but oh well. So at least I can find enjoyment in bad Argento, because it's so over the top. I actually really love Wes Craven's Red Eye for similar reasons, because it just is like... kind of insane. Just filled with headbutting.
For me, bad Romero and bad Carpenter are just BAD. I can't find anything fun or enjoyable about either of them.
And I kinda like Cronenberg's shift, as you guys mentioned... Eastern Promises and A History of Violence are just good movies.
So... yeeeah!
It came out great and I only cringed for the first minute or so at my obnoxious voice! Thanks a bunch, Brian, it was a lot of fun and I hope to do it again down the road!
ReplyDeleteGreat podcast guys! Listening to it at the moment and really enjoying it.
ReplyDeleteDang it! Blocked at work. Will check it out when I get home.
ReplyDeleteFallon, nothing wrong with some good ol' campy horror! Maybe if I watched Mother of Tears with more of a sense of humor, it wouldn't make me wanna tear my hair out!
ReplyDeleteMatt, it was great having you on, there will most certainly be a part two.
Great Vaultcast, guys. Really enjoyed it. Almost like an NPR segment on horror directors. Great stuff.
ReplyDeleteAs an inveterate Carpenter fan from yore - I mean, who can deny Halloween, The Thing, Escape from New York??? - it's like the man just shriveled up like a dry leaf and blew away. I tried to watch The Ghosts of Mars once. Once. It's like he isn't even trying.
And Escape from L.A. might have been worse as he went out of his way to destroy one of his legacies, and undermined one of his great charcters, Snake Plisskin.
What you guys were remarking about some directors being one trick ponies shouldn't have applied to Carpenter, as he has made other genres well, like Big Trouble in Little China, which is a lot of fun and not horror, or creepy, or anything like his other movies except for Kurt Russell. Yet it looks like Carpenter has devolved into a one trick pony, the trick being to put his name in front of every title.
At least Romero has been able to make at least one decent flick, Diary of the Dead, which I thoroughly enjoy. And because Dawn was such a loving remake I think it gave Romero credibility.
I agree about Carpenter--far from a one-trick pony, but definitely lost something. And interesting points about Romero, as well. I see you're another Diary supporter! Thanks for listening, would love to have you on some time.
ReplyDeleteGood work there boys. I agree with B-Sol's point about Day-it's definitely built esteem over the years, and while I still rank it as third in the original trilogy, it does grow on me a little each time as I can look past some of what I hate about it (the shoutacting, primarily) and enjoy the rest (best opening of any Dead film).
ReplyDeleteGreat discussion on Cronenberg. The Brood is one of my favorites, but I would rank The Fly as one of the greatest films of all time. Silly Academy Awards who prefer their naked Russian wresting.
Thanks for listening, Emily!
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