Do you remember Vietnam? Stephen King certainly does, and this week we're looking at two very faithful, very listless adaptations of his particular brand of social commentary.

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It's the awards recap you've all been waiting for! We're talking nominees, snubs, stars, smooches, and - of course - Dennis Miller.

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We're continuing our Tom Noonan retrospective by looking at some of his more prominent Hollywood roles. And once again, we were unable to prevent Steve from pivoting the discussion toward YA literature.

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To celebrate the life of beloved character actor Tom Noonan, we decided to take a look at his directorial efforts, which proved to be a trio of incisive, underseen gems. Did we do them justice? No we did not.

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Strap in, sizzlechest, because The Fat Boys are back. I should probably work the Pet Shop Boys in here somehow, but that seems downright undignified. Anyhow, we're looking at the cinematic exploits of various Boys.

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We're back in Hong Kong, with a trio of films that showcase a changing industry in the wake of the transition from British to Chinese rule.

This topic was selected by one of our most excellent patrons. You too can choose a topic or slate of films for us to cover. See the link below for details!

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You may know ICP as the rapping leaders of a dubious "gang" of graps-loving clowns. You may even know them for their contributions to the science of magnetism. But did you know that they're also auteur filmmakers?

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Sure, you've heard of white guy karate legend Jalal Merhi, but did you know that there was a completely unrelated Merhi who was silently pumping out high-octane DTV films by the dozen throughout the 1990s? It's time our audience got to know the name Joseph Merhi.

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Turns out this Dracula character is pretty hard to kill.

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Bloodless incompetent regurgitation. I'm sure that's how some folks would describe our podcast, but that's just a reflection of the times we live in, baby! Let's talk about remakes. Again.

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Tron is back again, after a fifteen year slumber. Why? I guess they thought a purported sex pest could help to quell growing societal anxieties surrounding the economical sustenance of the working class being wholly subsumed by the irresponsible deployment of artificial intelligence?

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The Deathstalker sequels led us down some bizarre rabbit holes, from Trump-appointed dignitaries to a bizarre A.I. infused IMDb profile hijacking? Or is it transcendence? We're still not sure. Let us know, Maria Ford.

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We're opening the new year with a discussion of the Corman classic Deathstalker, its Astron-6 "remake", and the sad state of sleaze in 2026.

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Rather than purchasing thoughtful gifts for his loved ones, Steve spent his December scrolling Tubi. Merry Christmas to none.

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Turns out there is a whole lot of Highlander media. Is any of it worth a damn? No. Definitely not. But we're talking about it anyway!

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We were short on time this week, so we turned to Steve's list of drunken half-formed ideas. Hence we're discussing two Sean Connery that vaguely deal with outer space. Does one of them take place entirely in mundane offices right here on planet Earth? You bet.

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We've been dancing around it for years, and now seems like the ideal time to get hooked on the brothers. That's right, we're back digging through e-waste, as we take a look at the brief directorial career of U.K. cyber-enthusiasts Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton.

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Does something need to be erotic to be pornographic? Do some folks just get off on misery? Maybe! Nothing says HOT AND STEAMY like isolation, grief, psychological meltdowns, art house horror, and a carrot in your butt.

Welcome to the wonderful world of feel-bad films in the golden age of pornography.

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Pornography is a different beast in the hot Florida sun, where everyone is melting and there's no infrastructure to support a competent film industry.

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Our finest theme month returns as we examine a pair of Hustler ad men who donned the monikers Rinse Dream and F.X. Pope in the noble effort to push pornography past its gonzo, counter-culture breaking point.

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I mean, the title is just as applicable to this episode of our dumb podcast as it is to Zach Cregger's film, amiright?

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We're breaking format for the (permanent?) finale of Shawntober, as we take a wide-ranging look at the origins of the American horror film.

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Shawn can't stop flapping his gums about The Substance, so we figured it was time to show him some real films of substance.

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This week we really wanted to test Shawn's mettle by exposing him to the twisted mind behind some of the most sickening works of the 20th century: Beverly Hills Cop III and Max Landis.

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For some unholy reason, Steve demanded that we kick off spooky season with the ultimate downer, as we expose Shawn Glinis to the verbose filmography of Polish philosopher king Andrzej Zulawski. You won't find any treats here. Or tricks, really. Just a great many agonized shouts.

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With the end of days imminent, we're jacking back in to look at another trio of bonkers 90s VR films and yearn for the future that wasn't.

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What happens when a Japanese ADHD-addled wunderkind with zero interest in boring filmmaking minutiae like performance, pacing and screen geography heads to Hollywood? Redbox magic, baby!

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Ostensibly, we're still discussing the uncomfortable marriage of Japanese culture and 1990s Hollywood production. In actuality, we have gazed deep into the snarling panther's maw and emerged lesser.

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This week, we're revisiting the brief period of time in post-Cold War America when our great nation affixed its racist, paranoid gaze on the shores of Japan. The result was some very strange cinema.

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There's no Hulkamaniacs here! Yet here we are, combing through the Hulkster's brief run as a cable crossover star. Was the big heel turn enough to awaken Terry's latent potential as a leading man? Results vary.

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With the recent passing of Hulk Hogan, Steve and I felt duty bound as Real Americans to educate Jack on the phenomenon of Hulkamania. I'm not sure if his film career was particularly illustrative.

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Having given the Baby Assassins a deserved spotlight, it seemed only appropriate to discuss Baby Geniuses, the passion project of OV supervillain Steven Paul. In 1999, one man dared to ask the question: What if babies possessed the cognitive capacity to mentally dominate Dom DeLuise?

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Jack already spends 10% of any given episode talking about Baby Assassins, so we thought we'd let him get it out of his system.

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Why settle for Hollywood when Kollywood exists? Join us this week as we're dazzled by Rajinikanth and baffled by 5G conspiracies.

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Like the rest of the internet, we just couldn't get enough Japanese perversion. So this week we've opted to crack open the fridge and dish up a second helping of the V-Cinema franchise XX.

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Having already covered the adventures of Xander Cage and Ti West's misguided stab at franchise horror, it was inevitable that a sage Patron would point us toward the Japanese film series XX. It promises to be a beautiful time.

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It was suggested that this episode was below even us, but once an idiotic idea has been introduced, you can trust that Optimism Vaccine will follow through. So here we are, discussing films had the audacity to attempt the impossible: Replacing Arnold Schwarzenegger.

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We decided that Jack needed more Dennis Miller in his life, which naturally led us to the cinematic world of EC Comics.

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Lord knows why, but we've decided to discuss the very relevant tech anti-thriller, The Net. And its pitiful DTV sequel.

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A generous Patron asked us to look at John Albo's perpetually-in-production feature debut Flexing With Monty. Which we took as a good excuse to check out a meth-addled oil heir's posthumously released horror opus.

Apologies for Jack's occasionally choppy audio. Hey, why not request your own episode, and help us buy him a new microphone?

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It has recently come to our attention that X's foremost Oscar-knower Matt Neglia starred in a found footage horror film. Of course we're honor-bound to discuss it.

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Well, it finally happened. Rust was unceremoniously dumped onto streaming, so we're obliged to fulfill a long-standing Patron request to look at the film. And we've decided to pair it with Twilight Zone: The Movie for... no reason. Nothing morbid happening here. Move along.

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We wrap up our tangled series of series-es with a trio of films that really left us questioning the artistic merits of the decades late, creatively bankrupt sequel.

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We're wrapping up our aughts horror binge by barely discussing Lucky McKee, whose indie horror hit The Woman was inexplicably the middle film in a trilogy of cannibal flicks. It won't make any more sense when you've watched the films.

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Our run of episodes on the stunted hopes of aughts horror gradually morphs into a look at secret franchises as we look at the undisputed king of the 3D horror revival, Patrick Lussier. Before there was Drive Angry, there was Dracula 2000. And two DTV sequels that apparently exist.

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No one typifies our mini-exploration into the horror aught-eurs that weren't more than Ti West. Annointed king of independent horror disappears for a decade, only to suddenly re-emerge to reign over a new, worse brand of independent horror. It's a story as old as time.

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Have you ever found yourself rolling credits on aughts horror classic The Descent and wondering, "Whatever happened to that guy?" Would it surprise you to hear that he married a young model and spent the next five years of his career endeavoring to make her a streaming superstar? That's right. Neil Marshall is a wife guy.

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Too hip for the horror hounds and too committed to making monster movies for the arthouse crowd. Larry Fessenden's career is defined by moments of brilliance from a one-of-a-kind filmmaker hamstrung by budget constraints and setbacks that kept him from becoming a household name. He's also the perfect example of someone willing to do what it takes to make art that he loves without compromising his vision. And damn, did you know he had a Killers of the Flower Moon cameo?

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Ah, the werewolf. Perhaps the perfect vehicle for exploring the duality of man. Or in the case of this week's slate of films: urbanization, the publishing industry, and ALS.

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Steve is back in the hosting chair, and the format has immediately turned to dust. It's a Pod Casty For Me crossover, as Jake and Ian join us to discuss screens, uncles, and I, Frankenstein. All very relevant in our quest to crack the found footage code.

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Steve and Miros were left to their own devices this week. The result? A far too comprehensive look at the sublimely toxic films of direct-to-toilet auteur Tom Charley AKA ctom.

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Our attempt to discuss the post-Marvel output of cinema's most profitable siblings quickly devolved into a series of shrieks and grunts, perfectly mirroring the trajectory of the modern blockbuster.

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Optimism Vaccine has a well documented love of New York sleaze, so it was only a matter of time before we discussed James Glickenhaus, and what may well be the most overlooked action film of the 1980s.

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We try our best to avoid discussing the inexplicable 2004 disaster that ended George Armitage's lengthy Hollywood tenure, The Big Bounce. Fortunately we had two far better films to distract us.

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There's a common misconception that we only do this podcast to subject ourselves to the dumbest bullshit imaginable. Not true! Every once in a while we stumble upon greatness. Do you like Michael Mann? How about Robert Bresson? Maybe a little Jean-Pierre Melville? Fantastic. It's time you join the 4 or 5 other folks who have watched the Thomas Arslan's crime dramas. Thank us later.

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What was Cate Blanchett thinking signing on to this turkey? Will we ever see the Roth cut? Did I watch the wrong movie again? Esteemed critic Esther Rosenfield joins us to discuss a true undiscovered gem, swept away in the ebb of the found footage wave.

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This time around, Jack let us watch the GOOD Soi Cheang movies. We're looking at a trio of films made with legendary cinematographer Siu-Keung Cheng under Johnnie To and Wai Ka-Fai's Wilkway Image production company. Has Soi Cheang grown into one of the most essential filmmakers in modern Hong Kong? Yes. But don't watch his movies on Tubi. Turns out they're still fucking up HK distribution in 2025.

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Forget the Whitman's. This year we got you an Eszterhas sampler for Valentine's Day. It isn't particularly sweet, but there's a lot of cream involved.

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Motion Sickness welcomes back old friends as Aaron Casias of Hit Factory joins us to discuss the perpetually fascinating career of M. Night Shyamalan. I bet you all forgot that he made a Found Footage film, didn't you? We didn't forget. We never forget.

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A generous patron's request brings us back to Hong Kong to look at a more contemporary side of the HK action-industrial complex via the films of Soi Cheung. Unfortunately, Jack has returned from his sabbatical, and decided he'd rather spend the week mired in the soapy melodrama of Cheung's early career. We vow to rectify this injustice very soon.

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Life has once again wrought havoc with our schedule, so before we debut the regular format of Motion Sickness, we're bringing you one more genre retrospective. It's a slate featuring some of the least essential films to emerge during the latter days of the format's theatrical viability! And also Cloverfield! What do these things have in common? Their marketing achieved far more notoriety than the films themselves. That's right, we're talking ad campaigns. Strap in.

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We're leaving the dusty theater behind, as Motion Sickness looks at what the children and their dang internet have done to the found footage genre. Liminal spaces, analogue oddities, and alternate personages abound in the ever-evolving world of web horror.

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We're kicking off our new series Motion Sickness by looking at the history of the found footage format in horror, from Ruggero Deodato murdering tortoises in the Amazon, to the micro-budget film that launched Blumhouse.

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What do you do when one of your co-hosts requires emergency surgery on Christmas Day? You pivot. And prepare to pivot again. So while Jack recovers from his "back problems", the rest of us are hard at work on our long-gestating exploration of found footage horror: Motion Sickness.

Is this that? Not exactly. Consider it a prologue, in which Steve and Miros look at some of the more intriguing recent stabs at the format.

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Somewhere along the line, noted shirtless hunk afficionado David DeCoteau was co-opted into the bland holiday film industry. This merits our attention. Steven Paul doesn't merit anyone's attention, but we're still talking about him.

The stars are all here: Vivica A. Fox! Eric Roberts! Burt Reynolds! Jon Voight! And half of them are voicing vestigial dog narrators!

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This December, we've decided to trudge through the snow with Liam Neeson, charting his curious journey from celebrated thespian to Charles Bronson in a parka along the way.

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We've nearly survived 2024, but subtlety didn't make it out alive. It's cinema via blunt force trauma as we examine an eclectic slate of the year's most interesting horror films.

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It doesn't get much worse than this, folks. We're exploring the origins of WWE Films via the limp, senseless misadventures of Jacob Goodnight. Will Vince McMahon's callous attempt to christen Glenn Jacobs the new face of fear succeed? Find out next Sunday at Survivor Series.

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We’ve traveled down Route 66 and across the Australian outback but one road remains: THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY. Join us as explore the dangers of chat rooms, cyber bullying, and haunted Flash websites.

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Roadvember heads Down Under, where four wheels and thin sheet metal are all that stand between you and imminent, excruciating death.

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It didn't take long for us to foul up our road-centric theme, as the deceptively titled Freeway series sends us hurtling down a winding road toward... Danny Elfman?

And we also watched Duel. For some reason.

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No, we haven't immediately abandoned our proposed annual foray into artful smut... it's just rather overwhelming to curate. So outside circumstances have dictated a temporary pivot to a different sort of pistoning action. And let's face it, Rutger Hauer is steamier than any vintage pornography we were going to dredge up anyhow.

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For the final episode of Shawntober 2024, we expose Mr. Glinis to the gorgeous Japanese folk horror of Kaneto Shindo.

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Sometimes called the P.T. Barnum of Hollywood, William Castle made his mark in the world of cinema by promoting his kitschy horror films with one of a kind gimmicks.

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We're taking Shawn on a trip across the pond to discuss transgressive auteur Ken Russell's contributions to the horror genre. Will we cure Shawn of his disdain for grand theatrical hijinks and flat British production? Probably not.

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Like an incurable rash, SHAWNTOBER returns again so we can subject respectable film lover and Wiseman Cast host Shawn Glinis to all the horror films he's managed to avoid watching for decades. This year, we're starting off with a big blind spot: Evil Dead.

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We're taking a little break from your regularly scheduled OpVac episode to prep for our favorite yearly tradition, Shawntober.

But don't worry, we won't leave you hangin'. Enjoy a little treat from the PATRON EXCLUSIVE feed: The debut episode from Caustic Content: Season 2 - The show where Steve and Miros compete head to head to find the absolute worst thing streaming on the internet.

And boy do we have a couple of beautiful specimens for you in this episode. It's a classic battle of an animal cosplay fetish film against a dollar store slasher.

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Before Jonathan Demme was hanging out with David Byrne and winning Oscars, he was pumping out exploitation flicks for Roger Corman and doing weird Hitchcock homages

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After covering Jonathan Demme's Silence of The Lambs last week we decided to keep the ball rolling and cover the rest of the film adaptations of Thomas Harris' Hannibal Lecter novels. Not that any of us need an excuse to watch Manhunter for the 74726587432 time. Maybe we could have done without Bret Ratner, Hannibal's silly Italian hat, and the Samurai training montage though. Oh well.

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People keep telling us Longlegs is the new Silence of the Lambs so we figured we had better see how Osgood Perkin's screeching Nic Cage glam rock dollmaker stacks up to Hannibal Lecter. We watched The Cell too because Miros is ride-or-die for J Lo and who doesn't love Tarsem Singh and Vincent D'Onofrio in a bad wig?

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What's that? There's a brand new reboot of the Alex Proyas/Brandon Lee film, The Crow, and it stars the guy who played Pennywise in the IT remake? While the cowards make their way out of the local Hot Topic and into the AMC theater on the other side of the mall, only ONE podcast is daring to ignore both the beloved original and the maligned remake. That's right. It's the only Crow-cast with only Crow sequels. Pull out your Discman and pop in a burned CD with your favorite Nu-Metal jams. It's time to fly high with Edward Furlong and embrace the Crow cash-ins.

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Some things are so difficult to comprehend they boggle the mind to the point of madness. Who knew Zack Snyder would create the cinematic playbook for stylized dumb guy action and modern reactionary right wing fascism? Who could have ever dreamed a wildly successful non-Snyder sequel to 300 would be released eight years later, only to be wiped clean from our collective memory? Who could have predicted parody film slop auteurs, Friedberg and Seltzer, would have a decade+ successful run in Hollywood?

And, most importantly, who ever thought Optimism Vaccine would make it to 300 episodes?

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We're joined by Aaron from Hit Factory to discuss the standard bearer for the modern American western, Kevin Costner, and why sometimes you need to lose your wife of 18 years so you can make a four-part epic about the 19th-century American frontier.

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In the late 90s, Kevin Williamson was the hottest name in horror after penning Scream for Wes Craven. Just a year later, he capitalized on his newfound fame with a script about small town teens getting their comeuppance after (maybe) committing a lil bit of manslaughter and covering it up. The resulting film is a fun giallo-inspired teen slasher featuring some of the era's biggest up-and-coming stars, including Jennifer Love-Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr, and Ryan Phillipe (oh and one of the Big Bang Theory guys).

But what about the sequel with a Rastafarian Jack Black or the direct-to-video third film starring literally no one?

OPTIMISM VACCINE INVESTIGATES.

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Steve and Jack are both out this week so there's never been a better time to subject Adam "Hentai Hater" Miros to some of the best anime produced in 80s and 90s. And also Kite.

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In the horror desert of the late 90s, a group of practical effects legends and genre has-beens came together to crown Andrew Divoff as heir to the horror icons of yesteryear. We all wish that this had heralded in a new golden age of Karo syrup, squibs and latex, but if this franchise has taught us anything... wishing is for fools and suckers.

So pick yourselves up by your bootstraps, and do the work necessary for a better world.

And as always, Fear the Djinn.

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Recently, President Joe Biden tried to salvage his legacy after a disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump by going on national television and reassuring the American people he was fit to be the commander-in-chief. Unfortunately, he committed the ultimate gaff and revealed that in America, things aren't settled by voting -- We handle it all at THE BATTLE BOX.

What do we really know about the ongoing American tradition of trial by combat at The Battle Box? We look to the world of film for clues. Will Hollywood reveal the answers?

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The biggest surprise of 2024 might be that there's one person John Landis can't kill despite his best efforts: Axel Foley. Join us as we dig into the Beverly Hills Cop franchise, crown Eddie Murphy the king of on-screen improv, unpack what makes part three so bad, and figure out if Eddie has still got it 30 years later.

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Throughout the 1950s and 60s, Ron Ormond and his family made a name for themselves peddling trashy drive-in flicks across the country. After a near-fatal plane crash, the Ormonds gave up their wicked ways and dedicated their lives to God. So how does an exploitation filmmaker convert from sinner to saint? Well, in the case of Ron Ormond, that meant partnering with the Reverend Estus Pirkle and creating a trio of fire, brimstone, and child decapitation movies the likes of which the world had never seen or will see produced again.

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Can you believe we were blessed with not one but TWO made for tv Captain America movies in 1979?

Nothing says FREEDOM on the 4th of July like watching Reb Brown in red, white and blue spandex popping a sick wheelie on his lil motorcycle.

Celebrate America’s birthday like a true PATRIOT and salute the only Marvel movies that matter with us

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Knockoff month has been a dream, but sometimes you eat a supreme pizza just before bed -- and the dream curdles into nightmare. A nightmare not unlike what transpires when Wes Craven's masterpiece is entrusted to schlock-peddlers around the globe -- and David DeCoteau.

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Knockoff month marches on with a visit to Indonesia and the Philippines where we trade in Stallone’s Rambo for a Rambu, a Ransom, and a guy named Slash with a DIY rocket launcher. One of these movies was filmed in the exact same location as Apocalypse Now, but is it as good? Tune in to find out.

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Knockoff Month has jumped from fake Terminators to a scene-for-scene ripoff of Aliens (1986) inexplicably marketed as a Terminator sequel in Italy. Speaking of beloved knockoff auteurs, David DeCoteau once again makes his mark on the pod with the only Alien ripoff where Linnea Quigley takes a lengthy shower during an apocalyptic drought. Finally, we cover William Malone's Creature (1985) because we figured at least one of these Alien knockoffs should be set in space and feature Klaus Kinski eating a sandwich.

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WELCOME TO KNOCKOFF MONTH

Whether it's a TV movie of the week, a bizarre transmission from the shores of Indonesia, or just a pile of Mario Van Peebles trash, you can't go wrong with a classic Terminator knockoff. Or maybe these are Robocop knockoffs? Or Universal Soldier knockoffs? Well, regardless, they've got robots with guns and no one with a fraction of Arnold Schwarzenegger's charisma. What more could you ask for?

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After a career resurgence with the hagsploitation classic, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, Joan Crawford spent the final decade of her career in kitschy William Castle films, a Circus whodunit, and a murderous monkey man pseudo-horror flick. Sure, it ain't Mildred Pierce, but how do Mommie Dearest's final films stack up to the exploitation fair of the era? And, more importantly, can the first "Queen of the Movies" from Hollywood's golden era elevate ho-hum schlock into something special?

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The god of independent filmmaking. The mentor who helped jumpstart the careers of Martin Scorsese, Jonathan Demme, Peter Bogdanovich, Joe Dante, and Francis Ford Coppola. The cheap asshole who claims he never lost a dime making movies.

Roger Corman was a titan who left an indelible mark on cinema.

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Some cowards only celebrate moms once a year. Here, we're dedicated to eschewing that silly Hallmark holiday and respecting mothers a week later when no one is expecting it. We're absolutely not late on this one I promise. So why not celebrate moms the best way we know how: With three of the finest and most upstanding mothers in cinematic history. No Wire hangers this week. Just a juicy slab of hicksploitation, a notorious flop, and some arthouse slop.

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From the Milwaukee shoreline to the snowbanks of the Wisconsin north woods, Mike Cheslik and Ryland Brickson Cole Tews have risen to 'Sconnie cinema royalty status alongside other greats like Bill Rebane and Mark Borchardt. Join us as we dig into their unique brand of indie filmmaking and catch the beaver fever, baby!

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In the late 1970s a man named Steve Barkett with nothing but a mustache and a dream set out to make a post-apocalyptic sci-fi action epic without a budget, studio, or feature filmmaking experience. The result was not just one, but TWO films and the lifelong respect and friendship of B-movie royalty like Fred Olen Ray and Jim Wynorski. Sometimes in the world of amateur egosploitation, you can write/star/produce/direct and defy the odds by making something that doesn't suck!

Or maybe it's still just shit if you ask one of the other guys on this episode. Oh well.

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Hunk Month, AKA the quest to explore every muscleman-turned-actor in Arnold Schwarzenegger's orbit, continues with a look at some of the major roles played by bodybuilder/powerlifter/natural villain/danish dynamo, Sven-Ole Thorsen. That also means you get TWO Damnia Lee films, a Eurovision star, and all the Jesse Ventura fake Terminator action you can handle.

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Oh, you thought Arnold Schwarzenegger was the only big Hollywood star to come out of Pumping Iron? Maybe you've forgotten all about the illustrious career of Arnie's best friend: Former bodybuilder turned writer/director/producer/action star, Franco Columbu. He's 5'5", jacked to the gills and ready to kill (or at least hack your film to pieces and re-edit it himself).

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We don't agree on much at Optimism Vaccine, but one universal truth around here is our mutual admiration for hunky beefcakes. And when it comes to beefcakes, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bev Francis stand head and shoulders above the competition.

Join us as we take a magnifying glass to two of George Butler and Charles Gaines' most influential documentaries. We'll answer all of your pressing questions like "Is Arnie the most likable psycho ever?" and "Did George Butler accidentally make an invaluable contribution to the queer film canon?"

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How do you follow up the Rowdy Herrington helmed, Patrick Swayze starring, down-and-dirty shit-kicker fest that is the original Road House? You don't. You just don't touch it. And if you do touch it, don't cast Jake Busey like you're making an extended episode of Shasta McNasty. While you're at it, don't try to remake it 35 years later and hire Conor McGregor either.

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With a lucha libre wrestling career spanning 50 years and 50+ films under his belt, El Santo achieved god-like status in Mexico without ever taking his mask off in public. Join us as we survey his storied career and see if his star power can elevate low-budget genre films into something sublime.

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Last year we were blessed with not one but TWO underappreciated films named COBWEB. One is a wild Halloween-set horror flick buried at your local multiplex in the midst of Barbenheimer fever and the directorial debut of Samuel Bodin. The other is a classic film-about-a-film farce helmed by acclaimed Korean auteur Kim Jee-woon and ignored by the haters at Cannes.

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Angels walk among us and it turns out they're just white guys with beautiful hair who wear school shooter trenchcoats. Wild! Join us as we explore the world of pre-9/11 heavenly deities and the films that made them famous*

*Syndicated on the SyFy channel and collecting dust on your local video store's shelves.

That Vinegar Syndrome box set sure is nice though...

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It's that time of year again! The big award show! The hottest night in Hollywood! Step out on the red carpet with us and celebrate the stars of the silver screen!

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Paris Hilton is a global cultural icon whose titles include, entrepreneur, reality tv show star, DJ, recording artist, model, designer, sex tape haver and New York Times bestselling author.

But what about ACTRESS? Yes, that too. Optimism Vaccine investigates.

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People often accuse us of not "listening" to our "audience" so we're finally rolling out the long-awaited fetish content meets arthouse cinema episode you've been begging for. That's right! You can get your Takashi Miike shot-on-video fix while also appreciating an underrated indie film AND a softcore flick that looks like Ozu but swaps out the usual family drama for the heartwarming tale of a woman getting milked by her father-in-law. A tale as old as time!

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Nothing gets the 90s nostalgia juices flowing like watching Jared Leto with a terrible haircut pal around with Joshua Jackson and Tara Reid. Join us as we reflect on the only film franchise that dared to ask "What if Scream was dumb? No, like, REALLY dumb" before branching out into the realm of supernatural horror and fizzling into obscurity. Put on your favorite fencing mask and get the pop rocks and soda ready. It's Urban Legend time, baby.

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We dive back into Vinegar Syndrome's Homegrown Horrors. What awaits within? A slasher without any gore, a hard rocking horror without any music, and a homoerotic legal thriller. The fun never ends here on Optimism Vaccine.

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Before John Woo's stylish action flicks dominated the Hong Kong box office, Johnny Mak Tong-hung gave us his only feature film: Long Arm of the Law. And, like any classic Hong Kong action movie, three totally unrelated sequels were made (by Johnny's brother Michael, no less).

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Every red blooded film fanatic knows the original Wild Things is a pulpy sleazy neo-noir classic. BUT did you know that we were also blessed with not one, not two but THREE sequels? Even more puzzling is the fact that they're all basically identical to the original but without a strong supporting role from Bill Murray and Kevin Bacon's dong. Who needs Matt Dillon when you've got Ashley Parker Angel from O-Town and a guy from Grey's Anatomy (no not the one you're thinking of)

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In 2023 we were blessed with a film from one of contemporary cinema's most extraordinary new voices. Oh, and Emerald Fennell made a movie about Barry Keoghan trying to impregnate a pile of dirt. Anyway, it's time to see if either of these bourgeoise girl bosses knocked it out of the park with their sophomore efforts so we can determine once and for all if we're all getting matching Louise Linton tattoos.

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A boogeyman (or bogeyman if you're a little freak who can't spell) is a placeholder term for every faceless generic monster living under a bed or in a child's closet. It's only appropriate that when a boogeyman film is made it serves as a catch-all for whatever the hot horror trends of the moment are.

Join us as we explore cinematic boogeymen through the ages, try to figure out what Ulli Lommel's deal was, mourn the 7th Heaven Cinematic Universe that never was, and speculate on whether horror films will finally explore a theme other than grief and trauma or if we're stuck in a Babadook/It Follows black hole for all of eternity.

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If you make the greatest action film of all time before leaving Hong Kong for Hollywood, there's a good chance someone will try to make a quick buck with an in-name-only sequel. If you're really lucky, they'll just slap a new title on an old movie. Maybe even one of your own. Or someone will make an Xbox game 15 years later. This is how it works.

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We're true cinephiles around here so our New Year's resolution is to watch more late career Norman J. Warren flicks while simultaneously becoming the most POWERFUL podcast in the universe. Please tune in so we can finish the year strong and force Spotify to pay up.

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We tried our best to find some things you could watch with the whole family this holiday season. Gather 'round the Yule log and enjoy the classic combination of a glowing Christmas samurai and Santa Claus Travis Bickle. Your mom is going to love this.

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We wrap up our coverage of the incomparable Zé do Caixão with the final Coffin Joe films of the 1970s and Jose Mojica Marins' late career resurrection of the character in 2008.

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Our Coffin Joe retrospective takes a wild swerve into LSD fueled meta-fiction freakouts and we take a look at Jose Mojica Marins other reoccurring role as Finis Hominis.

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In 1964, Brazillian filmmaker José Mojica Marins introduced the world to an iconic undertaker with disgusting fingernails, a love of sadistic murder and a deep appreciation for children: COFFIN JOE.

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We're celebrating Thanksgiving like any good red-blooded American should: By watching some turkeys get STUFFED. Yes Nut November comes to a close with one of the biggest and most controversial X-rated series ever, Taboo.

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We're crankin' our nut knob higher this week and checking out the films of brilliant butt enthusiast and Italian ass-teur, Tinto Brass. Producers may have hacked apart his cut of Caligula, but they can never take away the weird bread scene in Salon Kitty.

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We finally got to fulfill our lifelong dream of covering our favorite army combat cameraman turned campy sexploitation and softcore peddler, Russ Meyer. How many filmmakers can say they had a career making the finest big-boobed, square-jawed, action packed movies in the world AND got to collaborate with Roger "Erogenous" Ebert? There's only one, baby.

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VOTE ON THE NAME FOR THIS MONTH'S THEME

ANOTHER PATRON REQUEST EPISODE!

Theres no better way to kick off November than with a trio of movies that would get a more respectable podcast shamed and criticized into oblivion. Lucky for us, most people don't care about which films we cover and those who do hold us to the lowest of standards.

We'll be tackling all the hard hitting questions this week like: Why is the greatest amount of effort Joe D'Amato has ever put into a film a few grainy snippets of people being convincingly tortured? Was David Cronenberg kind of into that shit? Is Star of David mostly anti-semitic or the most anti-semitic? How much does it rule when Peter Coyote nostalgically yearns for Roman Polanski's wife to pee on him?

All of these answered AND MORE!

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Clive Barker is a British author, filmmaker, and visual artist known for his contributions to the horror and dark fantasy genres. While his primary claim to fame is as a novelist and short story writer, he also had a brief but impactful career as a film director.

Clive Barker made his directorial debut with "Hellraiser," a horror film based on his own novella "The Hellbound Heart." The movie introduced audiences to the iconic character Pinhead and explored themes of pleasure and pain through a puzzle box that opens a gateway to a sadomasochistic underworld. "Hellraiser" received critical acclaim for its originality and graphic special effects, making it a cult classic in the horror genre.

Barker's second directorial effort was "Nightbreed," a dark fantasy film based on his own novel "Cabal." The story revolved around a man who discovers a hidden world of monsters living beneath a cemetery. While the film had a troubled production and was heavily edited by the studio, it has gained a dedicated fanbase over the years, leading to a "Director's Cut" release that better aligns with Barker's vision.

Barker's third and, to date, final directorial work was "Lord of Illusions," a supernatural horror film. The story followed a private investigator who becomes entangled with a charismatic illusionist with dark, supernatural abilities. The film explored themes of magic and mysticism and was based on Barker's short story "The Last Illusion." While it didn't achieve the same level of success as his previous films, it still has a following among genre enthusiasts.

After "Lord of Illusions," Clive Barker shifted his focus primarily to his writing and other creative endeavors, such as painting and producing films. His work in the horror and fantasy genres continues to influence the industry, and his creations, particularly Pinhead from "Hellraiser," have left a lasting impact on pop culture. While his film directing career was relatively brief, his contributions to the horror genre remain notable and enduring

Thanks for the summary, ChatGPT. Let's see if it dupes more people into listening to this.

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Shawn Glinis has never seen a single David DeCoteau movie about shirtless hunks taking showers. We're doing our best to help him live a less shameful and embarrassing life.

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Steve's Chili Recipe

1 1/2-ish lbs ground beef (nothing too lean you weirdo. 80/20 or better. Usually I just grab a prepackaged 80/20 that’s a little over 1 lb)

1/2 lb-ish thick-cut bacon, chopped (about 6 strips but fuck it man go wild if you want)

1 can (15 oz) of each: light red kidney, black, pinto, beans drained. 

1 can (15 oz) fire roasted diced tomatoes with juice

1 small can (6 oz) tomato paste

2 big ass shallots, chopped (you can use 1 regular onion, sweet or red, instead if you’re lame—just don’t use white onion)

1 red bell pepper, chopped (orange is fine too I guess. Just don’t use green)

1 big jalapeño, chopped. (Use a serrano if you need more heat and want people to think you’re interesting)

2 and 1/2 cups beef stock (maybe 3. Keep an eye on your liquid levels and add more if you need it for your desired consistency)

1 T dried oregano

2 T chili powder

2 t cumin

2 t cinnamon 

2 t kosher salt

1 t ground black pepper

1 t smoked paprika

1 t crushed red pepper

2 T Worcestershire sauce (only use Lea & Perrins unless you don’t respect yourself)

1 T minced garlic (you can do more if you want. it’s garlic. Go crazy. No one will question you.)

1 big squirt Siracusa (this is for a little extra flavor, not heat)

brown ground beef. Drain. Dump into chili receptacle. Brown bacon in same pan. Give the chopped veg a quick sauté in the fatty bacon pan. Scrape everything (yes, all those good brown bits too) into your main Chili cooking receptacle. Add everything else and give it a good stir to combine.

How to cook it all:

Stock pot - low heat for a long ass time, cover, stir occasionally

Slow cooker - low for 6 hrs

Instant pot/Pressure cooker - chili setting, 15-20 mins. 19 seems to work well. Vent after and you’re good.

Serve with sour cream, chopped scallions, cilantro, shredded cheddar and cornbread on the side

Shawntober continues with Roger Corman protégé and criminally underrated New Hollywood auteur, Stephanie Rothman.

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Shawn Glinis is back for another OpBOOism VacSCREAM October. We're kicking things off this year with a look at regional horror filmmaker and reigning king of Florida gore, Tim Ritter. Join as as we look at his early slasher films, discuss the incomparable Asbestos Felt, and try to keep Miros from howling like a cartoon wolf every time Kathy Willets is on screen.

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Optimism Vaccine sets sail for the mother continent to talk sweat soaked colonizers, blood diamonds, Sidney Poitier and if Yaphet Kotto is a better Idi Amin than Idi Amin.

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When people speak glowingly of the Hong Kong New Wave or the great Hong Kong action directors, Ringo Lam is usually the first auteur left on the cutting room floor. Yeah, you've seen City on Fire and know it's great, but some of Lam's greatest films were also his biggest critical and commercial failures.

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Brought to you by our patron poll, it's original films from the best damn streaming platform in the world. Will Tubi offer us the slick style of a Netflix production? Of course not. You will get a Turkish CGI Garfield that smokes and swears though so count your blessings.

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We're not naming names, but someone with a toddler's brain took too many edibles and thought it would be a great idea to talk about movies about shapes. Or at least movies with shapes in the name? When was the last time you thought about Dustin Hoffman's performance in Sphere? Yeah, we never had either. Anyway, SHAPE CAST.

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We've looked at genre classics and Italian knockoffs, but where does the sword and sandals genre stand today? We're not sure, but let's pretend contemporary means "ten years ago" and we'll tell you.

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When you're looking for greatness (or maybe just a cheap Italian knockoff of the Conan series) look no further than Joe D'Amato's Ator series. A master class in the power of muscular men in loin cloths interacting with live animals and abysmal special effects.

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Ray Harryhausen was the king of stop-motion animation, the inventor of countless special effect techniques like DYNAMATION, and the only man who can claim to have influenced Killer Instinct and Stephen Spielberg while paving the way for future innovators like Phil Tippet. He also made some damn good sword and sandals films.

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Hercules is the buffest hunk in classical Roman mythology so it makes sense that the Italians made roughly one billion cheap movies about him. We chose three. The best three? It's difficult to say, but we were able to squeeze in Mario Bava, Ruggero Deodato, and Luigi Cozzi, which is an all-star lineup by our standards. One of the movies has Lou Ferrigno throwing a bear into space too—the universal sign of quality cinema.

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Like Christ before us, Optimism Vaccine is wandering the desert this month. Will we succumb to the temptations of the flesh? Almost certainly. Our journey begins with an able guide: Arnold Schwarzenegger.

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One film runs in reverse, one has a man who brings superheroes to life with his horny dreams, and a third has sort of sci-fi disco Hitler time travel thing going on. What do they all have in common? They're all Czech comedies in a Patreon-request episode (and they're damn good movies).

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Jim Wynorski and George Miller have a lot in common when you really stop to think about it. Just a couple of guys making little movies about witches with a few stars in them. Although, only one of these filmmakers has worked with future president sex haver, Stormy Daniels. Tune in to find out which one!

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We take a look at Takeshi Kitano's transition from TV funnyman to impromptu director to one of the greatest filmmakers of the 1990s.

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Depending on who you ask, George P. Cosmatos is either a master of blockbuster action and horror cinema or just a yes man for Sly Stallone. Only Optimism Vaccine knows the truth.

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The third time is the charm in our exploration of Takeshi Kitano. We've finally ventured beyond his odd late career dalliances and into the 90s, when Kitano felt like the most vital filmmaker on the goddamn planet.

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When a Patreon subscriber requests one of the best slapstick meta-comedy musicals of all time we are contractually obliged to pair it with one of the most maligned comedies of all time. If this were a video podcast you'd see us whipping ourselves like Flagellant Christians looking for penance.

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Takeshi Kitano does an about-face from his self destructive introspection and returns to the world of stone-faced Yakuza violence and double crosses.

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We have plenty of stories of dusty 35mm film reels rescued from obscurity and finally given the reverence and restoration they deserve. It's far rarer when a film that was never completed is rescued and reconstructed. This week, we're looking at three unique approaches to film reconstruction. From Bob Murawski's slick editing and commitment to director Duke Mitchell's vision, to a three-decade-long journey ultimately resulting in a head-spinning horror sequel, and even a full "re-directing" and re-dubbed version of an unreleased John Liu oddity.

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What do you do when you’re Takeshi Kitano, Japan’s ubiquitous, wildly successful TV and film star, and you begin questioning your own value as an artist? You get introspective introspective and try your best to self-destruct in the most interesting way possible.

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What do Oliver Stone, the guy who wrote The Hitcher and Timothée Chalamet’s uncle have in common? They’ve all made films about killer limbs. Is this loose theme enough to carry an episode? Maybe! Or maybe this was just an excuse to watch another movie starring Jeff Fahey.

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You might remember House as the dusty VHS tape at your local video store with the creepy finger ringing a doorbell. Maybe you remember House II because of the brilliant subtitle, THE SECOND STORY. Perhaps you caught House III on TV years ago because you spent a solid 20 minutes believing it was Wes Craven's Shocker. And you absolutely don't remember House IV so don't try to act like you do.

No matter what, only one is certain: We should have watched House Party instead.

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Jerry Springer survived the Holocaust and then grew up to become a sleazy, salacious gift who graced our TV screens and local multiplex/dvd bargain bin. Jerry taught us that you shouldn't pay for a prostitute with a personal check, but if you do, you can still be mayor of Cincinnati. He also taught us that it's cool to punch your mom in front of a live studio audience if she slept with your boyfriend. Most of all, he taught us that no matter what, when you're at the height of your fame, people will pay you large sums of money to be in movies, regardless of your talent.

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While noted coward and layabout Sam Raimi was busy not making Army of Darkness, the brave and noble Italian film industry stepped in with three Evil Dead sequels of their own. The La Casa series proves once and for all that with the power of Claudio Fragasso, Umberto Lenzi, Fabrizio Laurenti, and Joe D'Amato, anything is possible.

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Adam Miros returns from his heroic effort to boost Renfield's box office by seeing the film 5 times a day and demands we watch the new Evil Dead film, Evil Dead Rise. Instead, OV takes on three Evil Dead knock-offs from around the globe: A german SOV amateur nightmare, A Japanese super-8 splatterfest, and a goofy Raimi-inspired horror flick shot in the snowy woods of Michigan.

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Jake just moved into a new house so it seems like a great time to remind him that psychopaths are always hiding in your attic so they can do terrible shit and then call you up and tell you about it. As a bonus, we got to watch a couple of classic horror flicks and a long gap made-for-tv sequel that is inexplicably great.

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Wassa goin' on? Our Patrons have spoken. That's wassa goin' on. And by "spoken" we mean they voted in a cryptic poll that lead to us watching the films of Bret Michaels this week. From singing for the 80s hair metal band Poison to winning Celebrity Apprentice and starring in his own reality TV dating show, Bret Michaels has done it all. He even formed his own film production company with Charlie Sheen in the 90s to show the world what a true Oscar-caliber performance looks like. Behold the power of cinema.

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When it comes to films that are dialed in on extreme provocation and destruction, it's hard to beat Věra Chytilová's landmark Czech New Wave classic, Daises or Tom Green's unfairly maligned 2001 magnum opus, Freddy Got Fingered. One is a complex takedown of patriarchal norms and authoritarianism. The other has Rip Torn getting covered in elephant cum. Tune in to figure out which one is which!

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Ace producer Colin steps in for Adam "The Absent Father" Miros this week as we cover a pair of single shot (or pseudo-single shot) micro-budget films from Japan: Junta Yamaguchi's criminally underseen Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes and Shin'ichirô Ueda's acclaimed meta-zombie comedy, One Cut of the Dead.

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What would you do if you had access to the power of true, immersive 90's VR? Would you call tech support to complain about a video game? Would you become a virtual prison guard? Would you try to sleep with your dead ex-wife? Or maybe you'd just hang out with Edward Furlong (hopefully not). The choice is yours to make.

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It seemed downright irresponsible to engage in hollow awards discourse while the world is in the midst of a VR apocalypse, so we've instead opted to delve into the prophetic Books of Jobe in the hopes of uncovering the genesis of the sinister Net.

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A lesser podcast trying to cover some new horror films for an episode would have probably jumped on the Scream VI bandwagon. We opted instead to watch the latest M. Night Shyamalan joint and a surreal indie found footage film.

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If you google director John Flynn the first thing you'll see is people saying "why aren't more people talking about John Flynn?" And that's a great question. You should be talking about John Flynn, or at least watching something he's made other than Rolling Thunder and your third favorite Steve Seagal movie.

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The 90s gifted us with a wealth of great independent filmmakers. Tarantino! Soderbergh! Rodriguez! Linklater! And... Kevin Smith. Thirty years after the original Clerks, Kevin was kind enough to make a third Clerks film that just might be his new career low point. Not bad for the guy who gave us Yoga Hosers!

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The perplexing existence of the latest Gerard Butler actioner Plane inspired a truly terrible idea. We ventured through three of the century's finest films named after vehicles. We were not prepared for Jimmy Fallon. No one is prepared for Jimmy Fallon.

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There are two types of people in this world. Those who love and respect Zardoz, and the foolish charlatans who can't see a masterpiece when it's right in front of them. Join us this week as we celebrate one of the greatest (and most underrated) filmmakers of all time: John Boorman.

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Genius. Visionary. Degenerate. Maybe all of the above. For 30+ years, Damon Packard has been creating antagonistic independent cinema without any regard for genre conventions, copyright law or good taste. Which of course makes him a perfect fit for Optimism Vaccine. Join us as we celebrate the only director to ever receive a lifetime ban from Universal Studios.

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In the 90s Michael Flatley donned his best pleather pants and seductive plunging neckline shirt so he could set the dancing world (and your mother's heart) on fire. But once the traditional Irish music fades and you hang up your river dancin' shoes, what is the lord of the dance to do? There's only one option: dump millions of dollars into a feature-length spy thriller. And you know it's written, directed, produced by and starring Michael Flatley, because we love and respect true auteurs at Optimism Vaccine.

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We're back at it with more pre and post-Cannibal Holocaust Deodato, covering everything from art house softcore, to Mad Max ripoffs, poliziottesco, and something that might qualify as an erotic thriller under the loosest definition.

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Sure, you know him because you've watched Cannibal Holocaust, but have you fully baptized yourself in the cool waters of Ruggero Deodato? This week, we're celebrating one of the late, great auteurs of Italian genre cinema. Come for the discussion of his classic shocker, The House on The Edge of the Park. Stay for the revelation that one of the most bonkers, underrated genre films of all time has never even received a region 1 DVD release.

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While fans of nepo babies doing adaptations of Z-grade erotica might be crying out for more Dakota Johnson, real film heads know you can't beat the cinema of daddy Don. Sure you know him from the beaches of Miami Vice and the... nashy bridges of Nash Bridges, but what about the great movies Don Johnson starred in between those two hit TV series? Turns out DJ has a few tricks up his sleeve (we're not talking about his musical chops) and just might surprise you as a leading man and action film star.

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Oh, wow. They just kept making these, huh? Once again the beloved Silent Night, Deadly Night franchise swerves into another totally unrelated story about how Mickey Rooney is a weird little creep who looks like someone tried to make an obese baby out of a sponge. And there's a robot this time and some Freudian MILF business going on. And hey! Did you know someone did a DTV "remake" of the original Silent Night, Deadly Night in 2012 starring Malcolm McDowell? Shocking Twist: It has almost nothing to do with the first film or any of the sequels. Merry Christmas, I guess.

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After Silent Night, Deadly Night 2 was reduced to an underfunded clip show, you would think more sequels to the beloved holiday slasher would be unlikely. Shows what you know. As a testament to unexplained franchise resiliency, two more sequels quickly followed from the legendary Monte Hellman (with a twin peaks adjacent cast) and splatter god Brian Yuzna (with special effects from Screaming Mad George). Just for added fun, neither really has much to do with the rest of the franchise or Christmas. But hey, why would that matter?

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This year, you made it through David Gordon Green's Halloween. But can you survive three decades of Silent Night, Deadly Night?

Probably!

The first two movies are pretty great, actually. Find out why one is a stone-cold second-wave slasher classic and the other transcends meme-ification and a money-grab clip show structure to become something extraordinary.

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Murder! Jealousy! Acid trips! Claude Chabrol sure knows how to hook you. He's also made roughly one zillion movies and they all seem to be pretty great. Guess we'll keep doing these episodes!

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Turns out the scariest movie of 2022 is a zero-budget, Canadian horror film that trades cheap scares for foreboding liminal spaces.

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This year, we have a lot to be thankful for. Shag carpet, wood panel walls, Pall Mall cigarettes, half-baked Animorph murder turkeys, cool drugs, and scar tissue from third-degree burns - the list goes on. Join us as we celebrate this joyous American holiday by watching one of the most foundational no-budget Floridian films of all time, Blood Freak.

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The OV boys are joined by Hong Kong film fanatic and all-around nice guy, Dylan Cheung, to talk about HK films and the Cat III meta-comedy from Tung-Shing Yee and Chi-Leung Law, Viva Erotica.

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Three filmmakers. Three films. Three black and white vampire movies from the mid-90s. Sounds like a good episode theme (and it helps us exclude Vampire in Brooklyn). It's art house meets bat house! It's Abel Ferrara reminding us that he knows Russel Simmons! It's David Lynch playing a security guard! What else could you possibly ask for?

Jack Sholder might not be a household name when it comes to horror and sci-fi directors, but he should be. Unfortunately, one of his best films shares a title with a maligned 2005 Uwe Boll joint, another is unfairly labeled the worst in a classic franchise, and then there's one that you never bothered to watch. Shameful. Well, we're here to fix all of this. Long live Jack Sholder, king of unheralded 1980s studio shlock.

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Josh Lewis from the Sleazoids podcast helps Miros introduce Shawn Glinis to the king of 42nd St. gross-out grindhouse fare, Frank Henenlotter. An essential episode for anyone who enjoys zero-budget stop-motion animation and exploding prostitutes.

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It's time for Shawn's final exam, as we introduce him to the shocking, grotesque poetry of zero budget German maestro Jörg Buttgereit. No genitals were mutilated in the making of this podcast.

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It wouldn't be October if we weren't introducing Shawn to another Italian master of horror. This year, it's the top disciple of Dario Argento, Joe D'Amato, and Lucio Fulci, and the last artistic gasp of the Italian horror film industry: Michele Soavi.

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It's October, which means it's once again time for Shawn Glinis to mainline some horror films he's never seen. What's that? We've betrayed tradition? Knife in the Water isn't spooky? Listen, pal, Roman Polanski is wanted in 188 countries for unspeakable crimes and was extradited directly to this podcast. There's your horror. Kind of weird that we couldn't find a guest for this episode. Oh well.

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Episode 200 is brought to you by a dream. A dream that one day, Optimism Vaccine would cover the classic talking horse/Bobcat Goldthwait star vehicle, Hot to Trot, and the corresponding episode would thrust the podcast into the upper echelon of respected outlets for serious film criticism.

Or maybe we just talked about horse dicks for 90 minutes. Only one way to find out. Happy 200th episode!

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A generous benefactor demanded that we cover... Jackie Chan? What a chore.

It's certainly a fascinating slate, as the aging Hong Kong megastar begins to dial back the wild stunts and ramp up the brand identity in preparation for his inevitable move to Hollywood.

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Director Robert Davi (Rtas 'Vadum in Halo 2 and 3) and the conservative cinema vanguard have finally released the MAGA response to Adam McKay's liberal political comedies.

It's about time someone made a movie for Breitbart readers with a fetish for Gina Carano wearing an ill-fitting suit, don't you think?

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If you're still sleeping on Chabrol, Shawn Glinis is back to tell you exactly what you're missing out on with three stone-cold classics from the underrated French New Wave master.

Rothrock hitches her wagon to Beirut’s Steven Seagal in what must be the only DTV martial arts franchise to involve both an illicit arms deal with ancient China AND legally distinct spectral goons straight out of the Phantom Zone.

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Our Patrons spoke and we listened. Still a little shocked they didn't vote to make Miros watch Hentai. Oh well. Nothing says SUMMER FUN like watching teens get eaten by sharks (or maybe a prehistoric shark-like fish with tentacles) in a trio of Italian Jaws knockoffs. Or, if you're Bruno Mattei you can't be bothered to film your own scenes of a mechanical shark trying to mangia some doofus so you just steal liberally from existing movie footage. Very cool, alpha move.

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What happens when one of Hong Kong's hottest new action stars makes her triumphant return to America and teams up with the legendary director of Enter the Dragon? Shit, not much, actually. Join us for part two of our Cynthia Rothrock retrospective where the most dangerous woman alive gets to karate kick evil lumberjacks and liberate sex slaves in Utah.

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Ronda Rousey might call herself "the baddest woman on the planet" but we all know that can't be true as long as Cynthia Rothrock is still breathing. This week, we're exploring a pair of Hong Kong action classics from the five-time martial arts champion turned underappreciated action queen of 80s and 90s.

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Nobody pulls off the "exhausted Australian in dire need of a bath" look quite like Guy Pearce. Maybe that's why when it comes to contemporary westerns he's been a go-to actor for decades. This week, we're watching three films starring our guy, Guy, and making an official statement on whether or not Ravenous is a lost classic or just something horror film nerds won't stop talking to you about.

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Every once in a while we need Shawn Glinis to jump in and make our show classy again.

This week, we're dissecting three films from the underrated French New Wave master, Claude Chabrol. Over the course of six decades, Chabrol made nearly 60 films. While he was never afraid to branch out beyond genre fare, he often returned to Hitchcock-inspired thrillers which later inspired auteurs like Michael Haneke.

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Colin Tanner drops in for a scintillating discussion on the minutiae of process. Is a creative work ever truly complete? Is Harvey Weinstein the enemy of all art? Is Aladdin actually terrible? All questions will be answered. Eventually.

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Whether you're a young Mathew Broderick or just the kid from E.T., the only surefire way to protect America from a nefarious foreign power is with a little dab of Dabney Coleman. Join us as we confront 1980s cold war anxiety and Russophobia the only way we know how: By watching a pair of 40-year-old movies made for children.

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David Cronenberg is back with more body horror because the man can't resist a good goopy bone machine. Plus, it's been a while since he's tried to make a film with the title Crimes of the Future so he needs to check that box. Grab a big ol' bar of tasty synthetic waste to munch on, kick your feet up, and see if you're ready to get on Dave's level.

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Swedish director Bo Arne Vibenius may have gotten his start working with Ingmar Bergman, but he made his mark on cinema with the grindhouse classic, Thriller: A Cruel Picture. He's also the only director who has been breathlessly lauded by Quentin Tarantino and had multiple films completely banned in his home country. This week we're unraveling the slow-mo cruelty of Thriller and trying to wrap our heads around his darkly comedic XXX followup, Breaking Point.

Brian Yuzna sure did make a pile money off of Honey I Shrunk the Kids. That's the only explanation for this franchise based on an incomprehensible manga that boldly toes the line between body horror and Barney.

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We celebrate the release of Crimes of the Future by examining the only franchise to emerge from a David Cronenberg film: Scanners. Surely, each sequel will prove more cerebral than the last.

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With Steve marooned on a godless island, we've called Jake Tropila away from his fatherly duties to discuss the best film of the... year? Decade? Century? All answers are valid.

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Larry Bishop rubbed shoulders with the Hollywood elite at a young age and made a name for himself among cult film fans with roles in classic biker exploitation movies like The Savage Seven and Wild in the Streets. So what happens when Larry cashes in his clout and connections to write and direct his own feature films?

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Nicole Eggert was an American television mainstay with roles on Who's the Boss, Charles in Charge, and later alongside Pamela Anderson on Baywatch. TV made her a star but what happened when Eggert became a leading lady in feature-length films? Let's just say your mileage with her movies may vary (unless you're a big Jim Wynorski fan).

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Sometimes God calls you to do something extraordinary. Maybe he wants you to get blackout drunk and carbo load until you're accepted into the priesthood. Maybe he wants you to team up with Mel Gibson and his girlfriend to make the Catholic biopic every major studio has already declined. Either way, nothing beats mop top Marky Mark on the silver screen teaching us about redemption and how to uppercut the blessed virgin to show her you mean business.

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From the fringe corners of the zombie film spectrum comes a pair of movies that might have "dead" in the title but couldn't be further from anything George A. Romero has cooked up. One is a bleak, shot-on-video masterpiece proudly proclaiming that "God hates you." The other is about catholic romance, kaiju battles, and basketball. Normal stuff, really.

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Steve is sick, Miros is hung over, and Jack is fending off a feral dog. Ideal recording conditions for discussing two Hong Kong Die Hard clones. Does one of them exist solely to spite Jackie Chan in surprisingly vulgar fashion? You betcha!

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How do you measure greatness? When do you know you're watching an unimpeachable masterpiece? What is it like to touch the hand of God?

The closest any of us can really get is John DeHart's 1993 movie, Champagne and Bullets. Originally released to little fanfare and then re-edited and re-released multiple times by writer/director/actor/producer/composer John DeHart under alternate titles, Champagne and Bullets is an unforgettable film full of action, painfully long sex scenes, and satanic baby sacrifices.

Witness a visibly drunk Wings Hauser give the performance of a lifetime! Stand in awe of William Smith's gravel-voiced portrayal of the dastardly Normad (yes that's with a "d")!

Open your heart, dear listener, and let John DeHart gently shimmy slide into it.

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From Playboy centerfold to first-run syndication starlet and tabloid fodder, only one woman can claim the title of THE definitive cultural icon of the 1990s: Pamela Anderson. Sure, you're probably familiar with Anderson's big-budget studio film, Barb Wire, but what about the rest of her cinematic oeuvre? Join us as we dissect the 90s movies that made Pam Anderson (not so) famous, read excerpts from her semi-autobiographical novels, and try to figure out how she got involved with a Power Rangers director.

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From the crusty bowels of middle America to a crisp HD Vinegar Syndrome boxset, Homegrown Horror Volume 1 collects three regional horror films from the 80s and 90s. Join the OV boys as we wax poetic about goopy monsters shot on 16mm, claymation stop motion action, and hanging out with your St. Louis buds.

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The morning zoo crew tackles the hottest awards show in tinsel town.

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The OV Team turns their keen critical eyes to the world of shot-on-video horror films. First up, Boardinghouse, the film that dared to combine murder, music and man thongs. It also holds the distinction of being completely incomprehensible AND the first SOV film released theatrically. The chaser to this shot of 80's sleaze is Pathogen; a homegrown zombie film written, directed and starring an actual 12-year-old.

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This week: Martial Law (1991) and Martial Law II: Undercover (1992)

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I bet you saw the title of this episode and thought "Damn, the OV boys got Ayoade on the pod?" Boy, wouldn't that be great? But you should know better. This week, we're talking Ayoade's contribution to the world of film and television + maybe taking a brief aside to educate Miros on what Jeff Dunham's puppets mean to the American heartland.

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Here at Optimism Vaccine, we've always loved the great tragedies: King Lear, The Poseidon Adventure, Superman 2. The greatest tragedy of all though is the lack of widespread respect and admiration for the work of writer, director and actor, Mathew Holness.

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Jerry Lewis was the king of comedy and the only person named Jerry Lewis who didn't marry his 13-year-old cousin in 1958. He was also a cinematic pioneer and by the end of his career, a broken (but still hilarious) unchained lunatic.

THIS WEEK: Tough Guys Don’t Dance (1987)

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Stephen and Steve return to Discourse From The Big Chair after two years of slowly losing their minds during a global pandemic because a new Tears for Fears album is just weeks away.

We've gushed about our favorite Tears For Fears songs and listened to what it sounds like when they cover contemporary pop acts, but what about when bands cover them?

We also dive into the first three singles (The Tipping Point, Break the Man, No Small Thing) from the new album and discuss the upcoming 2022 tour.

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THIS WEEK: New York Ninja (2021), Me You Madness (2021), Pig (2021), Titane (2021), The Worst Person in the World (2021), Drive My Car (2021), Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy (2021), Red Rocket (2021), Licorice Pizza (2021) France (2021)

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THIS WEEK: Dirty Work (1998), Screwed (2000), Half Baked (1998)

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THIS WEEK: Cutthroat Island (1995), Swept Away (2002), Bolero (1984)

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THIS WEEK: Lost Highway (1997), Mullholland Drive (2001), Inland Empire (2006)

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THIS WEEK: Mother of Tears (2007), Giallo (2009), Dracula 3D (2012)

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But what if those dweebs were wrong? What if Argento was still making good films well into the 00s?

Or maybe they're actually all shit. There's only one way to find out.

THIS WEEK: Sleepless (2001), The Card Player (2004), Do You Like Hitchcock? (2005)

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THIS WEEK: Roy Colt & Winchester Jack (1970), Mannaja: A Man Called Blade (1977), Four of the Apocalypse (1975).

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THIS WEEK: Cowboy Bebop: Season 1 (2021)

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Listen to Woolong Club, an episode by episode look at the original Cowboy Bebop:

https://player.captivate.fm/collection/6e4352c8-9d44-488f-8b26-eea6f0657295

A quick disclaimer: Demi Lovato identifies as non-binary, and we made every effort to respect that. There are a couple of incorrect pronouns that weren't fixable in the edit. I hope the listeners understand that they were used without any sort of malicious intent. This was an off-the-cuff conversation about a show filmed during a time when Demi Lovato identified as female, and they are referred to using those pronouns throughout the duration of Unidentified. Apologies to anyone who may take issue to the content.

THIS WEEK: Unidentified with Demi Lovato (2021)

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On this episode: Spike and Jet's partnership is on the rocks, as a melancholy Faye makes a mysterious friend on the Callisto, and the sinister Vicious makes his long awaited return!

Listen to the rest of Woolong Club:

https://player.captivate.fm/collection/6e4352c8-9d44-488f-8b26-eea6f0657295

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THIS WEEK: To the Limit (1995), Skyscraper (1996), and Illegal Aliens (2007)

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THIS WEEK: It's Alive (1974), God Told Me To (1976), and Q: The Winged Serpent (1982)

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THIS WEEK: House of 1000 Corpses (2003), The Devil's Rejects (2005), and The Lords of Salem (2012)

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Buy Mike Thorn's Peel Back and See: https://journalstone.com/bookstore/peel-back-and-see/

THIS WEEK: The Black Cat (Ulmer, 1934), The Black Cat (Fulci, 1981), The Black Cat (Cozzi, 1989), The Black Cat (Gordon, 2007)

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THIS WEEK: Demons (1985), Demons 2 (1986), The Church (1989)

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In case it isn't abundantly clear, we watched a pair of found footage sasquatch films to finally dip our toes into the rich and rewarding world of Bigfoot Cinema.

THIS WEEK: Exists (2014) and Willow Creek (2013)

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THIS WEEK: Fear Street: Part One - 1994 (2021), Fear Street: Part Two - 1978 (2021), and Fear Street: Part Three - 1666 (2021)

Apparently Steve promised you sickos out there a link to the Ghosts of Fear Street pilot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_Y6duxPnsE

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THIS WEEK: Candyman: Farwell to the Flesh (1995), Candyman: Day of the Dead (1999), Candyman (2021)

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This is the cinema of Steven Paul.

THIS WEEK: Falling in Love Again (1980), Slapstick of Another Kind (1982), and Eternity (1990)

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THIS WEEK: Emanon (1987), The Legend of Simon Conjurer (2006)/Deadly Lessons (2013), and Reverse Heaven (1994)/Heaven & Hell (2018)

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THIS WEEK: A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon (1989), Double Team (1997), Knock Off (1998), and Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (2010)

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Oh and then we just jump to his return to HK filmmaking in 2000 after a brief stint in America because it's our podcast and we'll do whatever the hell we want.

THIS WEEK: Dangerous Encounters of the First Kind (1980), Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain (1983), Shanghai Blues (1984), and Time and Tide (2000)

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We're knee deep in Tsui Hark goodness in Part 2 of our journey back to Hong Kong. A lesser podcast would dedicate an entire episode to Wong Fei Hung's acclaimed series of epic adventures, but we got the gist after the first one and moved on to soup-stuffed fish.

THIS WEEK: The Chinese Feast (1995), Love in the Time of Twilight (1995), The Lovers (1994), and Once Upon a Time in China (1991)

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THIS WEEK: The Blade (1995), The Butterfly Murders (1979), Green Snake (1993), and Peking Opera Blues (1986)

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THIS WEEK: Danger: Diabolik (1968)

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THIS WEEK: Death Promise (1977) and The People Under the Stairs (1991)

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THIS WEEK: Danger USA (1989), Action U.S.A. (1989), Invasion U.S.A. (1985)

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THIS WEEK: Our Man Flint (1966) and In Like Flint (1967)

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That means we'll be checking out the 1997 Ivan Reitman joint starring Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Sugar Ray, and a skankin' ska soundtrack. If you're wondering, Father's Day (1997) aged about as well as The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and is somehow less memorable.

We're also discussing our first Astron-6 film on the podcast, Father's Day (2011). It's a gore-and-incest-heavy Troma pastiche that your dad will probably hate unless he's the sort of guy who stands in line at a horror convention for six hours with a half-chub waiting to take a picture with Elvira. Your dad is better than that.

THIS WEEK: Father's Day (1997) and Father's Day (2011)

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THIS WEEK: Real Life (1979), The Heartbreak Kid (1972), and Midnight Run (1988)

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THIS WEEK: Running Out of Time (1999), Turn Left, Turn Right (2003), Mad Detective (2007), The Office (2015)

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THIS WEEK: PTU (2003), Breaking News (2004), Election (2005), Drug War (2012)

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THIS WEEK: Running on Karma (2003), Sparrow (2008), Don't Go Breaking My Heart (2011), Romancing In Thin Air (2012)

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THIS WEEK: Exiled (2006), A Hero Never Dies (1998), Throw Down (2004), The Mission (1999)

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Maybe these aren't the films we need, but they're certainly the ones we deserve.

We're joined by Film Inquiry's Editor-in-Chief, Kristy Strouse, to determine once and for if Louise Linton should be the only person allowed to make movies anymore.

THIS WEEK: Promising Young Woman (2020) and Me, You, Madness (2021).

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THIS WEEK: Mortal Kombat (1995), Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997), Mortal Kombat (2021)

That's right, it's Oscar season, and we're contractually obligated to discuss all of the bland prestige films that you'll completely forget about in another week. This year, we're broadcasting LIVE from your favorite left-of-the-dial AM radio station for a comprehensive breakdown of the 58th Annual Academy Awards with international film correspondent, Alistair Ryder.

THIS WEEK: Out of Africa (1985), Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985), Prizzi's Honor (1985), The Color Purple (1985), and Witness (1985)

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Join us as we take another detour from the mainline Bond series and dip our toes into the world of Weng Weng; an unheralded cinematic superstar in the Philippines and arguably one of the greatest unofficial Bonds of all time.

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So how did we end up with a Monsterverse anyway? And, more importantly, do any of the contemporary Godzilla/King Kong movies satisfyingly scratch the "watch shit get demolished in a cool way" itch?

THIS WEEK: Godzilla (2014), Kong: Skull Island (2017), Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) and Godzilla vs Kong (2021).

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Now we can finally answer pressing questions like "Can doubling a bad film's runtime make it good?"

This week we're diving into The Snyder Cut, comparing it to Joss Whedon's 2017 Justice League hatchet job, and dissecting the cinema of Snyder to find the essence of his popular appeal.

Also, where the hell is spooky Jesus Joker, Zack? The promotional materials promised us spooky Jesus Joker.

THIS WEEK: Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021) and Justice League (2017)

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Ladies and gentlemen, this is O.K. Connery

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Dry hair is for squids! And Tim hates fucking squids!

THIS WEEK: Dollman (1991), Trancers (1984), Cherry 2000 (1987)

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Maybe you should listen to this podcast because we watched the director's cut AND theatrical versions of every R. Kelly film, and dammit that has to be worth something, right? RIGHT?

THIS WEEK: Donnie Darko (2001), Southland Tales (2006), The Box (2009)

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THIS WEEK: The Barbarians (1987), Think Big (1989), Double Trouble (1992), and Twin Sitters (1994)

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Wouldn't you know it, people got pissed off at Music before it was even released. What a shame!

We decided to do what Sia begged us all to do: Watch her shitty movie before we call it shitty. We also use this very special episode to talk about her career as a dedicated poster and discuss her large adult sons.

THIS WEEK: Music (2021)

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THIS WEEK: Slinger (2013), Knights (1993), Omega Doom (1996)

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Justin Decloux, author of Radioactive Dreams: The Cinema of Albert Pyun, joins us as we explore Pyun's wild filmography and one-of-a-kind cinematic voice.

It's time to get Pyun-pilled, baby.

THIS WEEK: Radioactive Dreams (1985), Vicious Lips (1986), Alien from L.A. (1988), Journey to the Center of the Earth (1988), Cyborg (1989), Deceit (1989), Captain America (1990), Arcade (1993), and Nemesis (1992)

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Join us on a journey of self-discovery as we learn about America's obsession with Australia, Paul Hogan's Oscar nomination, Mick Dundee's weird sexual hang-ups, and how we ended up with Larry David-esque Crocodile Dundee movie in 2020.

THIS WEEK: Crocodile Dundee (1986), Crocodile Dundee II (1988), Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (2001), and The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee (2020)

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THIS WEEK: Cyborg (1989), Cyborg 2: Glass Shadow (1993), and Cyborg 3: The Recycler (1994)

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For this episode, we're digging into the gorgeous new 4K release of Don Coscarelli's Beastmaster from Vinegar Syndrome. We're also getting way too deep into He-Man lore and proving once and for all that Lucio Fulci can do anything if you give him a bucket of fake blood and a fog machine.

THIS WEEK: Masters of the Universe (1987), Beastmaster (1982), and Conquest (1983)

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THIS WEEK: Let My Puppets Come (1976), Liberté (2019), and The Telephone Book (1971)

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THIS WEEK: Things to Come (1976), The Dirty Dolls (1973), and Final Flesh (2009)

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THIS WEEK: Joe (1970) and Death Wish 3 (1985)

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Crank up the Bonnie Tyler record, baby. Christmas has never been more festive.

THIS WEEK: Saving Christmas (2014), Fatman (2020), and Deadly Games: Dial Code Santa Claus (1989)

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THIS WEEK: City Hall, Undine, Fourteen, Tommaso, Siberia, Da 5 Bloods, On the Rocks, Days, Bacurau, The Assistant, I'm Thinking of Ending Things, First Cow

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Anyway, we paired this with a Frank Henenlotter grindhouse classic and some vintage Brian De Palma to really dig deep into the power of twin magic. Probably going to start dropping some hot fleets about Gemini season now.

THIS WEEK: Twins (1988), Sisters (1972), and Basket Case (1982)

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Anyway, we're covering the latest, greatest DTV movies in the year of CINEMA DEATH. Cool!

THIS WEEK: Run (2020), Alone (2020), Jiu Jitsu (2020), and Possessor (2020)

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Join us as we suffer in solidarity this Thanksgiving the only way we know how: By watching vaguely related, Thanksgiving-ish splatter films in preparation to make a blood sacrifice to a long-lost Egyption god. It's what the pilgrims would have wanted. Or at least it's what Herschell Gordon Lewis would have wanted.

THIS WEEK: BLOOD FEAST (1963), BLOOD RAGE (1987), and BLOOD DINER (1987)

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Stephen Kohlmann and Steve Cuff return to Discourse From The Big Chair after a three year hiatus to discuss the recently released 4xCD/Blu-ray box set of Tears For Fears' 1989 album, The Seeds of Love. The guys talk alternate versions, B-sides, weird backstage tour gangs, and recording studio opulence. And hey, when is that new album coming out anyway?

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THIS WEEK: Unhinged (1982), Unhinged (2006), Unhinged (2011), Unhinged (2017), and Unhinged (2020)

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THIS WEEK: The Lie (2018), Evil Eye (2020), Black Box (2020), and Nocturne (2020)

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THIS WEEK: Castle Freak (1995), Dagon (2001) and Stuck (2007)

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THIS WEEK: Re-Animator (1985), From Beyond (1986), and Fortress (1992)

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THIS WEEK: Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key (1972) and Torso (1973)

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THIS WEEK: The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh (1971), The Case of the Scorpion's Tail (1971), and All the Colors of the Dark (1972)

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