Today Matt & Todd are joined by Logan again to step into the arena for a film we love: 1988’s Bloodsport.
The words are few, but you came here for the Bloodsport, and you get it. A mix of martial arts styles, excellent fight scenes, and a dash of slapstick make this the cinematic equivalent of your older brother’s Karate Kid. For aspiring combat‑sport athletes, it might even be their Rocky.
If you’re not familiar: Bloodsport tells the inspired by true events story of veteran, martial-artist, and pirate-liason Frank Dux’s legendary performance at an underground, full‑contact tournament known as the Kumite.
Bloodsport is directed by Newt Arnold and stars:
Impressive fight choreography by Frank Dux himself with David Worth (who would later direct Kickboxer ) as cinematographer
Join us as we celebrate the punches, the splits, the slow‑motion faces of agony, and the pure Cannon‑era charm of a movie that knows exactly what it is and absolutely commits to it.
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Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and copasetic impending yearly calendar renewals.
Today Matt & Todd are joined by 00‑fanboy Mike to discuss yet another holiday classic (Hello Lifetime, get on this): 1995’s GoldenEye.
Directed by: Martin Campbell (also director of Casino Royale (2006))
Starring:
Pierce Brosnan as “Agent 007” Bond, James Bond
Whit Bissell Award Winner: Sean Bean as Alec Trevelyan
Izabella Scorupco as Natalya Simonova
(Retroactive Whit Bissell Winner:) Famke Janssen as Xenia Onatopp
Joe Don Baker as Jake Wade
Judi Dench as M
Whit Bissell Award Winner: Alan Cumming as Boris Grishenko
Whit Bissell Award Winner: Robbie Coltrane as Zhukovsky
Whit Bissell Award Winner: Minnie Driver as the woman singing "Stand by your Man" in Robbie Coltrane's scene
GoldenEye is an explosive spy thriller and widely regarded as one of the strongest Bond films; especially among those not starring Sean Connery or Roger Moore. The action kicks off immediately with a thrilling opening sequence, barrels through an all‑timer tank chase, and ends in a cataclysmic finale that keeps you locked in from start to finish.
This Bond is a bit more dialed‑back than the 60s‑era madness you might associate with the Austin Powers parodies, but what it lacks in “traditional Bond‑ness” it makes up for with a sharp, modern spy thriller sensibility that is still sprinkled with just enough Bond‑flavored absurdity. That includes the usual questionable physics and, of course, whatever murder‑sex‑wrestling hybrid defines Xenia Onatopp’s particular combat style. She’d make an interesting kumite participant.
(Todd here: In retrospect, I should have given Famke Janssen the Whit Bissell Award for the same reasons Alan Cumming earned his. She’s playing a strange, thankless, borderline cartoon character. Onattop is more caricature than role you can “live in”—but she delivers a perfectly unhinged performance and goes all-in on some objectively strange stuff (even for a Bond film) worth recognition. So, with the power vested in me, I’m giving her co‑credit.)
While GoldenEye may not top many lists of “Christmas movies,” we think this is the perfect time of year to revisit it.
Today Matt & Todd bring you a holiday‑spirited review of the 1981 made‑for‑TV horror telefilm Dark Night of the Scarecrow.
Directed by Frank De Felitta (also known as a novelist behind Aubrey Rose and The Entity)
Teleplay by J.D. Feigelson & Butler Handcock
Starring:
Charles Durning
Robert F. Lyons
Lane Smith
Tonya Crowe (Whit Bissell Award Winner)
Larry Drake
Jocelyn Brando
Cinematography by Vincent A. Martinelli
Originally airing on CBS October 24, 1981, Dark Night of the Scarecrow is a prime example of late ’70s and early ’80s creepy nighttime television. Over the years, it has become a holiday staple, remembered fondly for its atmosphere, moody lighting, and the eerie void of cornfields at night.
Charles Durning commands the screen as Otis, the town’s belligerent, but the film’s strength lies in its ensemble cast and the chilling mood that permeates every frame. While not the most gruesome horror you’ll encounter, it remains a standout thriller of its time—one that continues to hold high regard 44 years later released against
Dark Night of the Scarecrow is the perfect seasonal watch. If you’re exploring classic thrillers, this one deserves a place on your list.
In 1997, James Cameron released 'Titanic', it broke box office records entertaining and inspiring millions to this day, while breathing new life into exploration of the historic wreck that sank on April 15, 1912.
Remember that night, because today Matt and Todd are joined by "CollinsportGirl" Katherine, to discuss the 1958 British Made: A Night to Remember.
We're thrilled to be joined again by Katherine who helped us explore a little more of the 'East Wing' at 'The Great House on the Hill' in our 'Return to Collinsport' while we discuss a disaster film now 67 years old and still as impactful as it ever was.
Where Cameron's epic is a love story set amongst the backdrop of this world-changing disaster, A Night to Remember attempts to retell it as it was by giving us the closest retelling of the events this side of a modern documentary.
What makes this variation of the tale stand out is the 'matter of fact' telling of the events through the eyes of the survivors. This is a well-researched movie, it does make a few errors, but tries to tell what is ultimately a story of mistakes, and most importantly unfathomable courage that leads to survival hundreds.
'A Night To Remember' was produced with an enormous ensemble cast, featuring:
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In 1994, television gave us a criminally short-lived gem: The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.. Created by Carlton Cuse and Jeffrey Boam, the series ran for just one spectacular season—27 episodes of sci-fi‑tinged Western adventure that blended pulp thrills with tongue‑in‑cheek humor.
The cast was stacked:
Bruce Campbell as Brisco County Jr.
Julius Carry as Lord Bowler
Christian Clemenson as Socrates Poole
Featuring Billy Drago as the sinister John Bly
Kelly Rutherford as Dixie Cousins
John Astin as Professor Wickwire
And John Pyper-Ferguson (a dual Whit Bissell Award winner) as the unforgettable Pete Hutter
The story follows Brisco, driven to hunt down the gang who murdered his father (played by R. Lee Ermey), but it’s far more than a revenge tale. With its mix of Western grit, sci-fi weirdness, and comedic charm, the show delivered equal parts fun, strangeness, and thrills. Billy Drago’s chilling turn as Bly remains a highlight—an absolutely sinister performance that elevated the series.
Gone too soon, Brisco County Jr. remains one of the most fun, inventive shows of its era. If you missed it the first time around, it’s well worth rediscovering—you won’t be disappointed.
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Born July 5, 1928 in Depoy, Ky. Warren Mercer Oates came to our screens in 1953 and began a career as one of the finest actors you might never have heard of.
From his debut through 1982, Oates delivered unforgettable performances in films such as: The Wild Bunch, In the Heat of the Night, Return of the Seven, and Two-Lane Blacktop. He became a frequent collaborator with two of the most influential filmmakers of his era—Sam Peckinpah and Monte Hellman—featuring in some of their most iconic works throughout the 60s and 70s.
Oates passed away in 1982 at the age of 53, leaving behind a legacy of gritty, soulful, and often overlooked brilliance.One of the finest actors in front of a camera has an ecclectic list of some fantastic performances that ought to be recognized by film fans at large.
This isn’t a comprehensive list, but it’s a passionate one. Listen with Matt, Todd and their guest Logan in as we celebrate the work of an industry legend who remains underseen by far too many audiences.
---------------Matt has over 100+ lists for movie suggestions on LetterboxdYou can reach out on Bluesky: @MovieMattSirois Terrible movies often find him, even under under the alias Marcus at Movie Asylum of the Weird, Bad and Wonderful.
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Today, Matt & Todd are joined by Mike to discuss the 1948 comedy-horror classic Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.Directed by Charles Barton.Starring:
Bud Abbott as Chick
Lou Costello as Wilbur
Bela Lugosi as Dracula
Jane Randolph as Joan
Lenore Aubert as Sandra
Whit Bissell Award winners:
Glenn Strange as Frankenstein’s Monster
Lon Chaney Jr. as The Wolf Man
Frank Ferguson as Mr. McDougal
Chick Young and Wilbur Grey are your average porters, tasked with handling cargo arriving from abroad. Temperamental Mr. McDougal, who runs a wax museum, has two large crates containing the bodies of Dracula and Frankenstein’s Monster. Frustrated with their bumbling ways, McDougal insists they deliver the crates directly to his museum.
What follows is a hilarious horror adventure featuring three icons of classic monster cinema in their Universal swan song—marking the end of an era of terror.
Add in the rapid-fire dialogue and genius timing of the legendary comedy duo, and you’ve got a timeless piece of entertainment wrapped in a surprisingly solid monster movie.
Maybe you’re a fan of classic cartoons that borrowed liberally from their act—or maybe you’ve never seen Abbott & Costello in action. Either way, now’s the perfect time to revisit this spooky Halloween gem and keep these legends of comedy, screen, and nightmares alive.
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Today Matt and Todd explore (Stephen King's) The Mist, released in 2007, directed by Frank Darabont:
Starring:
Thomas Jane,
Whit Bissell Winners Marcia Gay Harden and Andre Braugher,
Jeffrey DeMunn,
Laurie Holden,
Toby Jones
Thomas Jane, his son, and a group of grocery store staff & patrons are enveloped by a thick mist with unseen menaces lurking within. Based on the Stephen King short story.This is an absolute favorite for Matt, listen to him rave about his favorite King Adaptation and one of his favorite horror movies ever!
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In 1999, we were treated to a full re-imagining of the 1959 horror classic House on Haunted Hill. Directed by William Malone and loosely adapted from Robb White’s original story by screenwriter Dick Beebe, this is one of those rare remakes/reboots/re-imaginings where homage and inspiration meet and produce something welcome at just the right time.
This update is completely different in just about every way—except for the basic kernel of the story.
Geoffrey Rush (as Steven Price) and his wife Famke Janssen (Evelyn) host a party of unsuspecting guests for a night filled with shock and terror. The animosity between the couple and the characterization of Watson Pritchett (Chris Kattan) are carried over, and yes, there’s a very large house with some very scary things. But that’s about where the similarities end.
This re-imagining updates the tone to a contemporary horror standard: heavy on computer effects, much gorier, both almost loud enough to overshadow the entertaining performances from the entire cast, but it doesn't. In the end it all works for a lot of fun.
Our party guests are rounded out by:
Taye Diggs
Ali Larter
Peter Gallagher
Bridgette Wilson
And the great Jeffrey Combs as Dr. Vannacutt
It’s slick, it’s loud, it’s bloody—and it’s a lot of fun. A haunted house movie for the late ’90s, with just enough weirdness to make it memorable.
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Today Matt and Todd welcome frequent collaborator Mike to discuss another childhood horror classic.
In 1979 we were treated to a Universal remake of their 1931 classic: Dracula, directed by the great John Badham and starring:
Frank Langella as Dracula
Lawrence Olivier as Abraham Van Helsing
Kate Nelligan as Lucy Seward,
Donald Pleasance as Jack Seward
Whit Bissell Award Winners Janine Druvitski as asylum patient Annie, Jan Francis as Lucy and Tony Haygarth as Renfield.
This retelling of Bram Stoker's gothic classic makes some changes to the story we remember, but you get what you came for, including a tremendous score by legend John Williams. A worthy successor to the 1931 classic, even if not our favorite, it offers its own haunting scenes and terrific performances that keep us rewatching.Follow Matt:
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Today Matt & Todd observe the wasteland of 1968 alongside Vincent Price in: 1968's The Last Man on Earth.
The Last Man on Earth stars:
Vincent Price as Dr. Robert Morgan
Franca Bettoia as Ruth Collins
Emma Danieli as Virginia Morgan
Giacomo Rossi-Stuart as Ben Cortman
Whit Bissell Award Winner: Umberto Raho as Dr. Mercer
Christi Courtland as Kathy Morgan
The director credits go to Sidney Salkow and Ubaldo Ragona.
Based on the novel I am Legend by Richard Matheson, also co-screenwriter with William F. Leicester.
Set in 1968 we find Dr. Robert Morgan going about his daily routine as a vampire hunter. The vengeful undead have taken over the world as far as Dr. Morgan knows, and he's taking out as many as he can before his own life or sanity give in.
It is an imperfect little gem that overcomes any detractions for us with a compelling story, haunting atmosphere, and a good cast with a classic performance by a legend.
This one is a lot of fun and a fun entry point into classic independent horror.
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Today, Matt & Todd explore the world of organized crime through 1973’s The Friends of Eddie Coyle, directed by Peter Yates and based on the novel by George V. Higgins.Starring:
Robert Mitchum
Richard Jordan
Steven Keats
Peter Boyle
The Friends of Eddie Coyle is a standout in crime cinema: character-driven, understated, and calmly realistic in its portrayal of Boston’s underworld in the early ’70s. No car chases. No slow motion. No glitz. No orchestral swells or streets of blood. This is just a gritty, day-in-the-life look at hardened veteran criminals who are too far in, with few ways out.
The film opens with Eddie (Mitchum) staring down a 3–5 year sentence in New Hampshire for hijacking a whiskey truck. Desperate to avoid prison, he starts looking for help with the law, crossing paths with some of the most dangerous people in town.
What follows is a gripping tale of crime and consequence.This one’s a masterpiece, plain and simple—and Matt’s favorite crime movie of all time.
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Today, Matt and Todd get into the 1958 sci-fi horror classic: The Blob. Directed by Irvin S. Yeaworth and starring:
Whit Bissell Award winners Stephan Chase as Dr. Halen and Olin Howlin as Barney
Special mention to “Steve’s” friends, the Teenagers:
The Blob is a sci-fi horror masterpiece from the heyday of the genre. When I (Todd) first saw it, I expected to riff on 1950s quaintness and clunky special effects. What we got instead was a fantastically charming movie—where the best parts might not even involve the titular, indescribable alien mass of destruction.
Steve McQueen is a treat to watch as a nearly 30-year-old “teenager,” joined by his similarly aged pals as they battle adult cynicism and a gelatinous lifeform that dissolves everything in its path.
The Blob could be accused of being far better than it had any right to be. Charming performances and real impending dread combine into an 86-minute joyride—a true gem of 1950s sci-fi with unexpectedly strong acting and a surprisingly grounded emotional core.
Steve McQueen, a legend taken from us too soon, shines here in one of his earliest and still most memorable roles—as a vulnerable, scared, but determined teen hero.
Oh, and we also get an all-time banger of a theme song from songwriting super-legend Burt Bacharach and Mack David.
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Three O’Clock High is a 1987 teen comedy directed by Phil Joanou, starring:
Casey Siemaszko as Jerry
Anne Ryan as Franny
Richard Tyson as Buddy Revell
Whit Bissell Award winners Stacey Glick as Brei (Jerry’s sister), and co-winners Scott Tiler & Guy Massey as Bruce and Scott, amateur documentary filmmakers.
Written by Richard Christian Matheson and Thomas Szollosi.
Released in 1987, a critical moment for teen comedies. Just two years prior, we got Weird Science (twice!), Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. This one didn’t quite land the same way. It underperformed at the box office and didn’t win over critics for the most part.
So… what happened?We don’t really know. But we're talking about why we liked it!
Today, we’re talking about this overlooked gem of the genre. Loosely riffing on the 1952 western High Noon, Three O’Clock High gives us a surreal, anxiety-laced day in the life of Jerry Mitchell. He’s just a regular student who accidentally crosses paths with Buddy Revell—a hulking new kid with a violent reputation. The showdown is set: 3 o’clock, after school, in the parking lot. No escape.
Unlike its teen comedy peers, this one leans darker. It’s not Bad Boys, but there’s definitely more blood and missing teeth than the movies above.
Instead of cliques and awkward prom moments, we get likable characters squaring off against a clear villain. It’s a refreshing twist—less detention hall, more clumsy sheriff-vs-bandit showdown.
Also we get a killer soundtrack by Tangerine Dream!
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Pitch Black is 2000 a sci-fi/action horror film directed by David Twohy.Starring:
Vin Diesel as Richard B. Riddick
Radha Mitchell as Frye
Whit Bissell Award winner Cole Hauser as Johns
Keith David as Abu "Imam" al-Walid
Rhiana Griffith as Jack
Whit Bissell Award winner Lewis Fitz-Gerald as Paris
Pitch Black was an instant classic for us when it dropped back in 2000. The film that launched Vin Diesel’s career features a fantastic cast, striking imagery, and a vibe that’s equal parts eerie and cool.
It performed well as it more than doubling its modest budget and spawned two (soon to be three) sequels, animated shorts, and a surprisingly excellent video game.
Critically, the reception was mixed. The cries of “derivative!” aren’t entirely off-base and are pretty easy things to say regarding genre films. That's not what we're about though. We're about consuming sci-fi coolness. And Pitch Black absolutely delivers every course.
Yes, it leans into familiar tropes and trappings, but if we're being honest, that’s kind of what we came for.And we’d argue that passing it as just derivative misses the point. For fans who want this kind of story, Pitch Black offers something special: great performances, a very human core, and inspired creature effects and camera work that reward you if you’re paying attention. We love it.
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Today, Matt & Todd are joined by guest Gabe Crate to explore the original Planet of the Apes saga one last time (sorta, the movies, anyway).
Released in 1973, Battle for the Planet of the Apes is the fifth and final film in the series, directed by J. Lee Thompson (who also helmed Conquest) and starring:
Roddy McDowall as Caesar
Claude Akins as Aldo
Natalie Trundy as Lisa
Austin Stoker as (Bruce) MacDonald
Whit Bissell Award winners Paul Williams (as Virgil) and Lew Ayres (as Mandemus)
Arguably the weakest entry in the franchise, with the least new ground to cover—but also, maybe, the most approachable. On one hand, it feels like an extended TV episode designed to tie up loose ends for the franchise faithful. On the other, it’s a well-directed, well-acted film with solid set pieces and the most hopeful ending of the series.
Sure, the ideas and budget may have been running low, but the performances pull you in and keep you there—right up to the confusing finale. Maybe it deserved better. But this is what we got, and honestly? It’s an awful lot of fun.
The fifth and final end to the story. Once and for all. No bombs. No bullets. Good night, nurse.
That is… except for the TV series. And the animated series.So maybe don’t lose your tack and saddle just yet.
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Our name is The TV/Movie Rewind Podcast. As a grim evening falls once again in the thick woods of historic olde New England, two men—Matt & Todd—are joined by a new arrival in town: Katherine, for part two of their discussion on the gothic horror classic Dark Shadows (1966–1971).
That’s right—we came back. There’s just too much to say.
This time, we dig into some of our favorite characters, motivations, scenes, flubs, and how the show continues to serve as a source of creative inspiration. We’re joined in our dive today by long-time Dark Shadows fan Katherine Gonzales.
Among other talents, Katherine is a content creator who shares her love for DS and Dark Shadows-inspired music on YouTube, along with her own experiences with the paranormal. She’s a veteran of many DS conventions, with an encyclopedic knowledge of the show and a genuine enthusiasm that made exploring Collinwood one more time with her an absolute joy.
You can find Katherine's DS-inspired creations on:
YouTube: like DS deep dives Here, and today's outtro:
This week we have an extra treat at the end featuring Discount Artificial Sweetener's song: 'Styrofoam Tombstones', fans should really like this one, Matt & I think its great.
Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.
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Today on the TV/Movie Rewind Podcast, Matt & Todd get reanimated and rearmed with Universal Soldier—Roland Emmerich’s 1992 sci-fi action flick that boldly blends high-octane combat with Frankenstein, war crimes, and plenty of roundhouse kicks.
Starring:
• Jean-Claude Van Damme as “LUC, SAD!” Luc Deveraux, a memory-wiped near-automaton as confused about what he is as he is about who he is.
• Dolph Lundgren as “ANDREW, MAD!” Sgt. Andrew Scott, a completely unhinged maniac with a necklace made of ears and probably loves Casualties of War for all the wrong reasons.
• Ally Walker as Veronica Roberts, a journalist just trying to do her job and not get murdered by government cyborgs.
• Whit Bissell Award winners Jerry Orbach (as Dr. Gregor) and Robert Trebor (as the motel owner), plus genre favorites Ed O’Ross and Leon Rippy.
This is great early-90s action:
• Government conspiracies
• Secret military programs
• And a plot that could be described as RoboCop meets First Blood with a dash of Short Circuit if Johnny 5 had been developed by Cyberdyne Systems.
• Van Damme kicks people. Lundgren screams about betrayal. There’s a diner fight, a farm showdown, and a final battle that ends with a hay baler and some light existential horror.
Despite 5 sequels, this one is often forgotten in the larger pool of muscley-action films. For one, Van Damme’s box-office draw was waning, and it could be said that this kind of action film a dying genre in 1992, especially with Die Hard a few years earlier establishing a new action archetype.
Lastly, at least in America alone, 1992 would be dominated by other classics such as:
Disney’s Aladdin, Academy Award Winning Unforgiven, Basic Instinct, Reservoir Dogs, A Few Good Men, Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Batman Returns, and The Bodyguard, to name a few.
This one had an up-hill battle for your memory, so we’re giving it another look. You should too!
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Today on the TV/Movie Rewind Podcast, Matt & Todd ride out with The Seven Magnificent Gladiators—Bruno Mattei’s 1983 sword-and-sandals spectacle courtesy of Cannon Films.
If you're Matt and Todd, you had us at either "Bruno Mattei" or "Cannon Films." But both?? We’ll chip in for the 4K restoration ourselves.
If you're not familiar with that glorious pairing, it’s hard to explain just how much these movies mean to us. They're not trying to win awards—they're trying to inject pure entertainment into your bloodstream, like they've got a vendetta against subtlety and the solution involves kilotons of TNT strapped to a Chevy Caprice.
What you're watching is the source code of entertainment. Just go along for the ride, and you will have a good time.
The Seven Magnificent Gladiators is wild, it’s fun, it’s dubbed... and it’s working on a budget. An inspired remix of Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (by way of The Magnificent Seven), this version asks: “What if we did that in ancient Rome… on a Cannon budget… using actors who were already wearing swords-and-sandals for another production?”
Starring (and our choice as their Magnificent Seven counterpart):
It’s Cannon. It’s Mattei. It’s awesome.
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edited 7/26/25: Apologies for the original audio, the hisses and my illness :(
Our name, is the TV/Movie Rewind Podcast.
As night falls on Matt & Todd, they find themselves drawn into the gothic madness of Dark Shadows. Dark Shadows is a show born from the literal dream of Dan Curtis in 1966, fleshed out by writer Art Wallace, and brought to moody life by directors Lela Swift, John Sedwick, and Henry Kaplan.
Set designer Sy Thomasoff, composer Robert Cobert, and writers Sam Hall and Ron Sproat helped build what would, by 1968, become a cultural phenomenon—an unlikely soap that reshaped supernatural storytelling for generations, airing on June 27, 1966 on ABC until April 2, 1971.
For horror fans today, Dark Shadows is a cornerstone. It carved a path for everything from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel to True Blood and Anne Rice, maybe this.
What begins as a tale of mysterious genetics and brooding intrigue spirals quickly into the story of a tortured vampire thrust into increasingly deranged predicaments.
We're talking soap opera insanity: At one point remorseful vampire astral-projects through time to defeat the mute ghost of a warlock… but instead helps him (with help from another warlock…) fight a phoenix that said warlock (the future-ghost one) accidentally created… this runs afoul of the plans of the witch (who created the vampire). That’s before fancy-knifed assassins, magic severed hands, a werewolf curse, yet another even more powerful warlock show up, and 400 more episodes before the narrative ends abruptly.
It’s homage. It’s theft. It’s divine melodrama. And it’s also… 1,225 episodes. Not every one is a masterpiece. Pacing? Glacial. Takes? Singular. Flubs? Frequent. Stone walls? Rattling. Bats? Unapologetically rubber. No blood, the violence is rather tame, but if you can get ‘into it’ there is so much fun to be had here.
As essential to genre history as Dracula, Star Wars, or Star Trek, Dark Shadows is a wild, shadowy ride. This is best enjoyed with someone who's ready to lean into the madness.
Dark Shadows stars (for the most part):
Alexandra Moltke (Isles) as Victoria Winters
Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins
David Selby as Quentin Collins
Lara Parker as Angelique Bouchard
Joan Bennett as Elizabeth Collins-Stoddard
Louis Edmonds as Roger Collins
Nancy Barrett as Carolyn Collins-Stoddard
David Henesy as David Collins
Kathryn Leigh Scott as Maggie Evans
John Karlen as Willy Loomis
Thayer David as … we’ll go with “Stokes”
Grayson Hall as Julia Hoffman
Joel Crothers as poor, poor Joe Haskell
Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.
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