108: SFFCH – Thunderbird 6

Is it a mythical bird? Is it a flashy stunt plane? Is it a cheap fortified wine for hobos…? No! It’s 1968 British marionette science-fiction adventure film ‘Thunderbird 6’ which has been plucked from modern day obscurity by Ant for the ‘pleasure’ of Rich and Abi (and yourself dear, precious listener). We cannot dispute the fact the film is a technical masterpiece, but we can question everything else such as: ‘what better qualification for being international heros than being super mega rich?’, ‘with all that money couldn’t they have afforded a better uniform?’ and ‘just what is this film saying about class divisions?’. So prepare yourself for the ridiculously lavish exploits of the ‘1%’ which involves some ‘wooden’ acting, some dark deaths and body disposal and a cold, COLD Alan Tracy.

[Ep 108, Rec 2015]

107: SFFCH – Leon

Abi wanted some Luc Besson, and the rest of us had no complaints, so this week we have a slight anomaly of a ‘Spoiler Filled’ episode as we choose a film that actually makes the IMDB Top 250 films of all time! (sell-outs!) We present to you the 1994 film with a million names ‘Leon: The Professional’ (a.k.a. Leon a.k.a. The Professional a.k.a. whatever) and see what happens when an almost super-human, childlike assassin meets the most unnervingly mature pre-teen girl and the most corrupt and evil cop ever. Don’t forget to pour yourself a nice glass of milk and make sure your potted plants have been watered as we experience Besson’s ‘improperly socialized’ characters, a clash of American and European sensibilities and a surprisingly obvious parallel with Roald Dahl. So, don’t forget to tell everyone about it! What do I mean by ‘everyone’? I mean, you know, a lot of people.

[Ep 107, Rec 2015]

106: SFFCH – Dot And The Kangaroo

Just how come the most bleak and depressing movie that Rich knows happens to be an Australian, low-budget children’s animated movie from the 70’s? Well, that’s what He, Abi, Ant and Jamie are here to discover this time as they get lost in the perilous outback that is 1977’s ‘Dot And The Kangaroo’. Get ready for a lot of tonal and emotional whiplash from this fever dream that has haunted Rich since childhood, as we follow the exploits of the meanest little girl with a 40-year-old smoker’s voice, as she gets needlessly and hopelessly lost in the Australian Outback with only an emotionally damaged Kangaroo to help her home. So, if you want to hear about the pompous platypus, the cocky kookaburra, disturbed ducks, microscopic budgets and terribly, TERRIBLY annoying songs, then you’ve come to the right place. We should thank the forest spirits for the brief beacon of wonder that is the ‘Bunyip’s Song’.

(Ep 106, Rec 2015)

105: SFFCH – Sorcerer

“An assassin, a terrorist, a fraudster and a thief are driving a truck full of nitroglycerin…” Is it the start of one big joke or is it all part of Jamie’s grand plan to review anything and everything even remotely connected to The Exorcist? This time around it’s the director William Friedkin’s next filmic effort, the somewhat confusingly named ‘Sorcerer’ from 1977, said to be one of the last films of interesting and challenging cinema coming out of America in the 70’s. With no magic. Or pointy hats. Instead we have 4 sweaty criminals from around the world driving through the South American Jungle and hoping not to explode along the way. Rich and Abi join Jamie this time around to discuss the troubled production of the film, Roy Scheider’s constant ‘strop-ons’,whether it is one of the most violent P.G. ratings ever and discover who would also like to see a remake with British comedians.

(Ep 105, Rec 2015)

104: SFFCH – The Quiet Earth

Join us on our mythical quest, as the Fellowship of Spoiler Filled journey to the far off land of Middle Ear…Oh alrite, it’s New Zealand! They’ve done more than hobbits and adventurous quests, you know. They’ve also done post-apocalyptic isolationist sci-fi. Well, what else are you gonna do with all that beautiful wide open space? I am, of course, talking about the 1985 cult movie The Quiet Earth, which is about one of Earth’s last survivors as he wakes up to find the planet deserted. Will this new world become his endless playground or his own personal form of hell? Join Rich, Ant and Jamie this time as they bring up for discussion such things as ambiguous endings, bald men in negligés and just where does someone get a lifesize cardboard cutout of Hitler and The Pope.

 

We apologise for some lesser sound quality, Ant recorded this in our New Zealand branch underground science bunker.

(Ep 104, Rec 2015)

103: SFFCH: The Long Kiss Goodnight

‘Spoiler Filled Film Conversation Hooray!’ would like to bestow upon you ‘The Long Kiss Goodnight’, a 1996 action movie from the writer of the Lethal Weapon series, which one of our members may describe as ‘Die Hard…with a woman’! It’s Abi’s choice this week, so join her, Rich and Jamie as they traverse the numerous explosions, smashed windows and witty banterings of this somewhat forgotten about gem. So, if there are any mums out there with a secret appreciation for action movies, come and join our discussion on nightmarish deer animatronics, calling your appallingly cruel villain ‘Timothy’ and just how many ‘tops’ this movie manages to get ‘over’. The movie also stars an indestructible Samuel L. Jackson (sorta).

(Ep 103, Rec 2015)

102: SFFCH – Candy

Ever wondered what a porn movie would be like without any porn? Or ever wondered what Alice in Wonderland would be like if you replaced all the weird and wonderful creatures with creepy lecherous men? Well, then, you are in luck Spoiler Filled Fans as Rich has presented us with a bumper box of ‘Candy’ from 1968. Listen in as He, Abi and Jamie discuss this surreal sexual farce as they get tempted by the delicious, all-star cast, ponder whether Richard Burton should have a wind machine in all his movies and try to figure out just where these ‘humourous’ sexual situations were. Did they satisfy their sweet tooths or have they been left with a blinding sugary headache? Either way, join them as they try and satiate their giant, overpowering NEED! on Candy.

 

(N.B. For greater podcast effect, it is also performed in Welsh*)

*it is not performed in Welsh.

(Ep 102, Rec 2015)

101: SFFCH – Ravenous

Here at Spoiler Filled we ‘hunger’ for late 90’s black humour, we are ‘famished’ for shameless gore and we are ‘gluttonous’ for the inevitable homo-eroticism of supernatural cryptozoology… So listen in as Rich, Ant and Jamie ‘voraciously’ bite into 1999’s Ravenous, a tale of cannibalism in the cold American frontier. Listen as we satiate our appetites on cannibal caves, an unusual soundtrack, a freaky Robert Carlyle, a bland(!) Guy Pearce and…well, the less we say about Jeffrey Jones, the better.

Blankmange: 100 Thumbs

Drawn by Spoiler Filled’s resident artist Richard Nicholas.

http://blank-mange.tumblr.com/

http://blank-mange.deviantart.com/Bios

 

Blankmange has drawn a thumb for every movie in SFFCH’s first 100 – YAY!

100!: SFFCH – The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen

We’re not really sure how, but in three years we have managed to hit our centenary. That’s 100 movies watched, analysed, spoiled, hosed down in icy water, powdered and sent off to live on our shelf of honour or our bin of endless obscurity. We had to bring something special to the table this turn round, so Anthony finally brings forward ‘The Adventures of Baron Munchausen’ where we finally tackle a film by one of the legends of peculiar and obscure cinema, Terry Gilliam.

Listen in as  Rich, Ant, Abi and Jamie still forget how to conduct a podcast, even after 100 episodes, and discuss just how so much can be going on on-screen yet so little can be happening. Listen as the unfettered, George-Lucas-esque imagination of Gilliam assaults us on all fronts with hot-air balloons made from knickers, extravagant entrances in seashells and the floating decapitated head of Robin Williams.

We are surprised by the lack of good jokes from two Monty Python alumni, sink our teeth into our good-ol’ themes of storytelling and imagination vs. reality and, while we all can appreciate Gilliam’s ‘unique’ style, can we all stomach this exorbitant banquet of surreal decadence? Tune in now to find out!

(Also, eyes peeled for the obligatory Terry Gilliam ‘small person’.)

(Ep 100, Rec 2015)