February 23

Enter The Dragon, 1973

Welcome back to another installment of Kung Fu February on Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers! This week Dion Baia and J. Blake are going back to the well, covering one of the original ‘tournament‘ films with a motion picture that not only, arguably, introduced the West–and the mainstream in general–to this style of movie, but also became a pillar for an entire genre. The boys are covering a classic and the legend who brought us this film, Bruce Lee and his masterpiece, Enter the Dragon, from 1973.

Enter The Dragon

Blake and Dion also have a real treat in-store for this week, because joining them to discuss all things martial arts is their long-time friend and film school colleague, actor and podcaster, Michael C. Maronna!

So come listen to the trio discuss and analyze all things Bruce Lee and Enter The Dragon, as they explore the incredible journey that martial arts cinema’s greatest legend took to get himself and this movie to the screen–and the lasting legacy it had on the world, that Lee never lived to see. It’s all going down on this all new and exciting, hilarious and action-packed Kung Fu February edition of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers!

Extras!

Check out Michael C. Maronna‘s podcast, The Adventures of Danny and Mike !

Here’s Jackie Chan’s very famous Bruce Lee story, involving bowling!

Have a look at these rare bloopers and outtakes for Enter The Dragon !

Take a look at the 40th anniversary for Enter The Dragon, with Shannon Lee, Bob Wall, John Saxon, Fred Weintraub, Paul Heller, Gil Hubbs, and Lalo Schifrin.

And as mentioned in the cast, check out the YouTube channel AikidoFlow, and their great little videos, like here and here.

 

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Category: Action, Adventure, Classic, Crime, Martial Arts, Sports | 2 Comments on Enter The Dragon, 1973
February 17

A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 3: Dream Warriors, 1987

Welcome back to another edition of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers! This week Dion Baia and J. Blake are dipping into a horror classic, one of the most iconic and famous characters within the genre and what better place to start than right in the middle of the series… that’s right, the boys are talking Freddy Krueger and specifically the 30th anniversary of A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 3: Dream Warriors, from 1987.

A Nightmare on Elm St Part 3: Dream Warriors

That’s right, Blake and Dion start smack in the middle of the franchise, and after touching on the mysterious world that exists for children inside department store circular-coat racks, they jump right into the Elm Street lore; utilizing a largely forgotten Tobe Hooper directed episode of the 1988 series Freddy’s Nightmares, A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Series which delves deep into Freddy’s backstory, something that was still really unexplored up until that time. They jump into Dream Warriors, discussing the Wes Craven‘s involvement and the original script he submitted, then deemed too dark and subsequently changed due to the subject matter. Dion and Blake get into the controversial topics that are presented in the film, which were still very taboo to cover in the 1980s, topics like depression, self-harm and teen suicide. So, how was this installment as a sequel; did it accomplish what it needed and set out to do? As an effects-heavy film, how do these practical FX hold up nowadays? How does this stack up in relation to the other A Nightmare on Elm Street movies? And what’s Dion‘s funny story about meeting actor Robert Englund back in 2009 and the autograph he asked for? Well all these intriguing and mind-blowing questions get answered, so grab some coffee or a Red Bull, because whatever you do, you don’t want to fall asleep during this week’s all new episode of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers!

Extras!

As discussed in the podcast, check out this rare episode of Freddy’s Nightmares, A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Series, that explores the child murder Freddy Krueger’s nefarious history in coming the demonic villain we know him as today.

Here are both the original Wes Craven script deemed too dark by the studio, and the one that was ultimately filmed.

Check the Dokken music video for their song Dream Warriors, for the 3rd Elm Street film.

Have a look at the original trailer for A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 3: Dream Warriors.

Take a look HERE and HERE at the photos of the unused SFXs of Freddy’s head on the nurse’s body.

As discussed in the podcast, check out J. Blake‘s appearance on the WrongReel Podcast, talking about the great Buster Keaton.

Here is the photo of Dion meeting Robert Englund in 2009.

Also brought up in the cast, here is the fascinating book The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, by Malcolm Gladwell.

Lastly, also talked about, check out the amazing PBS American Experience documentary entitled The Lobotomist, about neurologist Walter J. Freeman and his once exulted way of dealing with our mentally ill in this country, by way of transorbital lobotomies.

 

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Category: Classic, Fantasy, Horror, Slasher Film, Thriller | 6 Comments on A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 3: Dream Warriors, 1987
June 17

Dario Argento’s Deep Red, 1975

Buon Giorno dear friends, and welcome back to another edition of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers! This week J. Blake and Dion Baia are taking a trip to picturesque Italy to visit a filmmaker near and dear to both their hearts, the maestro Dario Argento. The boys tackle a film they feel is a classic and a quintessential representation of a genre that was reinvigorated within the mediterranean country, by Argento, in the 1970’s. The fellas are going back to film school with this one, covering arguably the director’s most commerically successful and popular film, Profondo Fondo or Deep Red, from 1975.

Deep Red

 

As Argento the auteur is a huge favorite here at SNMS, especially for Blake, he and Dion waste no time getting into the topic of discussion, by setting the stage and first explaining the sub-genre known as ‘giallo‘ and what are the essential elements that classically make up a giallo film. They also lay out a crucial element: what it was like engaging in the Italian cinema experience of the time; how going to the movies back then and specifically that social aspect affected how Italian films of this elk were subsequently written, and even paced.  The boys examine Argento’s career rise to a filmmaker and his Animal Trilogy of films, and review how Deep Red began his seque from ‘who-dun-it’-type stories, to eventually Supernatural and straight Horror vehicles. And how on a larger scale, he singlehandedly revitalized an entire genre within Italian cinema. Dion and Blake also cite American auteurs like John Carpenter and Brian De Palma, who vocally or even subconsciously have been influenced by the Italian maestro. They also discuss the legendary Italian progressive rock band Goblin in detail, as this was the first collaboration between band and filmmaker. So get ready as the boys take you on a trip filled with mystery, intrigue and horror, in another fabulous and informative installment of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers!

*Dion misspoke when he referenced Michael Mann‘s Manhunter, when he was actually referring to the director’s 1981 film Thief.

EXTRAS!

Check out Blake’s exclusive interview with film critic and Argento lover Alan Jones.

Here is Deep Red, remastered, in all it’s original gorgeous uncut glory, courtesy of YouTube!

Now watch the shorter, exported version of Deep Red, again courtesy of YouTube!

Take a gander at one of the original posters for Deep Red, aka Profondo Rosso, which interestingly bares a very close resemblance to Alfred Hitchcock‘s 1958 classic, Vertigo poster.

Have a look at the original Italian theatrical trailer for Profondo Rosso, aka Deep Red.

And here’s a REAL treat, watch Goblin live on Italian television circa 1975 or 1976, perform the title track to Profondo Rosso!

And to preorder J. Blake’s new book Scored to Death, click here!

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Category: Books, Film, Horror, Thriller | 1 Comment on Dario Argento’s Deep Red, 1975
December 12

Bob Clark’s Black Christmas, 1974

In a very exciting Christmas Edition of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers, Dion Baia and J. Blake explore the highly underrated and highly influential Bob Clark film- no, not the uber-iconic A Christmas Story- but his other Christmas movie from 10 years prior, his brilliant horror, Black Christmas from 1974.

 

black christmas

What cinema secrets does this lesser-known gem hold that now have become cliched? Having been released 4 years prior to the landmark horror film Halloween which is usually deemed the first slasher film, does Black Christmas instead deserve that prestigious title? How does the director of such a legendary Christmas film like A Christmas Story direct such a drastically different and brilliant genre-film centered around the same holiday, nearly a decade before? Well, all the answers to the questions posed and the boy’s love for the late and great Bob Clark are all revealed in this special, Christmas edition of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers!

(Here is the entire film to watch, courtesy of youtube- Enjoy!)

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