Cult Film School

In this episode of Cult Film School, Adrian and Dion overstay their welcome in Fairvale to soak in the ambience of the three Psycho sequels: Richard Franklin’s Psycho II (1983), Anthony Perkin’s Psycho III (1986), & Mick Garris’s Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990). They discuss the different attempts at returning to the 1960 film, and the different ways the sequels remake and reimagine it. They also consider the many incarnations of Norman Bates while attempting to answer the question, ‘How many film references can one sequel have?’ Spoiler: Probably enough to fill a bathtub.   Chapters: 0:00:12 - Welcome to Cult Film School 0:03:00 - Personal Introductions to the Psycho Sequels 0:06:38 - Psycho II (1983): IMDb Plot Summary 0:07:38 - Contexts for Psycho II: The Hitchcock Five, Robert Bloch’s Sequel Novel, & Production History 0:14:45 - Psycho II: “This film has no right being as good as it is.” 0:24:21 - The Ambiguous Psychology of Norman Bates 0:32:34 - Violence in Psycho II 0:36:43 - Psycho II (1983): Tagline 0:37:59 - Psycho III (1986): IMDb Plot Summary 0:39:28 - The Visual Style of Psycho III: “Blood Simple by Michael Mann” X Giallo 0:43:10 - Jeff Fahey Appreciation Society (& Crotch Lamp Sex Scene) 0:48:06 - Hysteria of Psycho III 0:52:19 - Confusion with Psycho III 0:55:34 - Psycho III (1986): Tagline 0:57:07 - Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990): IMDb Plot Summary 1:01:59 - “The Rob Zombie Halloween of Psycho films” 1:03:04 - The Confusing Loose Ends of Psycho IV: The Beginning 1:08:16 - Psycho IV: The Beginning: What If Norman Bates was an Unreliable Narrator? 1:13:22 - Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990): Tagline 1:15:18 - Psycho Sequels Wrap-Up 1:18:14 - Next Episode Preview   Connect with Adrian & Dion: Letterboxd ~ CultFilmSchool Instagram ~ @cultfilmschool  Threads ~ @cultfilmschool X ~ @cultfilmschool Facebook  ~ Follow Us! Send an Email ~ cultfilmschoolpodcast@gmail.com  Don’t forget to leave a rating and review!

In this episode of Cult Film School, hosts Adrian and Dion reminisce on their relationships with film critic Robin Wood, and talk about his work on the horror film, culminating in the influential The American Nightmare film program (and book) in 1979. On its 45th anniversary, they discuss Robin Wood's contributions to the critical study of horror through two films he championed: Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960) and Wes Craven's The Last House on the Left (1972). They discuss personal memories as well as themes and reactions to the films, and the critical perspectives Robin Wood brought to bear on the horror film genre.   Chapters: 0:00:12 - Welcome to Cult Film School 0:02:09 - Robin Wood Stories 0:09:28 - The American Nightmare (1979) 0:11:22 - Thanks for the Film Recommendation, Daniel! 0:12:36 - Psycho (1960): IMDb Plot Summary 0:13:34 - Robin Wood's "Psychoanalysis of Psycho" (1960) 0:15:15 - Psycho as Exploitation Horror Film Experiment 0:17:30 - Film Marketing and Hitchcock as Showman 0:19:36 - Psycho as Transitional (and Seminal) Film 0:25:35 - Families in Psycho 0:29:18 - Psycho (1960): Tagline 0:32:47 - The Last House on the Left (1972): IMDb Plot Summary 0:34:26 - Robin Wood's "Neglected Nightmares" (1980) 0:38:39 - Tonal Shifts in The Last House on the Left 0:43:19 - Empathy in The Last House on the Left 0:49:15 - Off-putting Imagery in The Last House on the Left 0:54:00 - The Last House on the Left (1972): Tagline 0:55:05 - Taking the Horror Film Seriously 0:58:30 - Curious to Read Robin Wood? 1:02:33 - Happy Halloween! 1:03:23 - Next Episode Preview   Robin Wood on the Horror Film: Collected Essays and Reviews (2018) is available via Amazon: Amazon.ca, Amazon.com, or Amazon.co.uk.   Connect with Adrian & Dion: Letterboxd ~ CultFilmSchool Instagram ~ @cultfilmschool  Threads ~ @cultfilmschool X ~ @cultfilmschool Facebook  ~ Follow Us! Send an Email ~ cultfilmschoolpodcast@gmail.com  Don’t forget to leave a rating and review!

In this episode of Cult Film School, hosts Adrian and Dion dissect David Gordon Green's Halloween trilogy. They discuss the successes and shortcomings of Halloween (2018), Halloween Kills (2021) and Halloween Ends (2022). The conversation spans the trilogy's themes, character arcs, and narrative choices, while also comparing the recent films to previous entries in the iconic Halloween franchise.   Chapters: 0:00:14 Welcome to Cult Film School 0:02:47 The Halloween multiverse (of continuities) 0:06:21 Halloween (2018): IMDb Plot Summary 0:10:26 2018 Michael Myers “on brand” + futile searches for motivations 0:16:29 Why comedy kills tension in Halloween (2018) 0:20:40 Legacy Sequel / Soft Reboot / Halloweens Redux 0:26:39 Halloween (2018): Tagline 0:28:08 Halloween Kills: IMDb Plot Summary 0:31:19 Michael Myers - Man or Supernatural? 0:36:35 “Evil Dies Tonight!” (And Other Attempts at Subtlety) 0:38:29 “It’s Not About You! It’s About Me!” 0:42:31 Is Halloween Kills a Black Comedy or Satire? 0:52:24 Halloween Kills: Tagline 0:52:51 Halloween Ends: IMDb Plot Summary 0:53:32 A Halloween Love Story 0:55:45 Carpenter’s Halloween or Carpenter’s Christine? 1:00:53 A Character Arc for Laurie Strode? 1:06:17 Allyson forgotten 1:11:43 Halloween Ends: Tagline 1:14:23 Trilogy Postmortem 1:20:13 Next Episode Preview   Connect with Adrian & Dion: Instagram ~ @cultfilmschool  Threads ~ @cultfilmschool Facebook  ~ Follow Us! Letterboxd ~ CultFilmSchool Send an Email ~ cultfilmschoolpodcast@gmail.com  Don’t forget to leave a rating and review!  

In this episode of Cult Film School, hosts Adrian and Dion take listeners "on a strange journey" through two unique films: The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) and its lesser-known follow-up, Shock Treatment (1981). They dive deep into the cultural impact, themes, and the differences between the original cult classic and its sequel that never quite captured the same magic.   Chapters: 00:15 Welcome to Cult Film School 03:14 Personal Experiences with Rocky Horror 08:55 The Rocky Horror Picture Show: IMDb Plot Summary 09:38 The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Context 12:02 Why The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a Cult Classic 22:30 Cult Film as Community 27:45 Stage Play vs. Film Adaptation 29:58 The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Tagline 32:43 Shock Treatment: IMDb Plot Summary 33:43 The Backstory of Shock Treatment 39:06 What is Shock Treatment About? 50:53 Shock Treatment's Music "Bigger" Than the Movie 54:04 Shock Treatment: Tagline 55:47 "Cult Film is Found Not Made" 57:07 Unmade Sequels and Attempts to Revive Rocky Horror 1:04:03 Next Episode Preview   Connect with Adrian & Dion: Instagram ~ @cultfilmschool  Threads ~ @cultfilmschool Facebook  ~ Follow Us! Letterboxd ~ CultFilmSchool Send an Email ~ cultfilmschoolpodcast@gmail.com  Don’t forget to leave a rating and review!  

In this episode of Cult Film School, Adrian and Dion dive deep into the cinematic underworld of E.T. ripoffs with a focus on Mac and Me (1988) and Nukie (1987), two infamous examples that scraped the bottom of the bargain bin. From laughable special effects to questionable plot decisions, join them as they dissect these cult classics and explore what makes them so enduringly bad.   Chapters: 00:13 Welcome to Cult Film School 00:45 Suggest a Film: Thanks Andrew! 02:14 Memories of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial 04:58 Mac and Me: IMDb Plot Summary 06:00 The McDonald's E.T., Product Placement, and Delicious Coca-Cola 10:37 Infamous McDonald's Dance Scene 15:27 Mac and Me's Alien Character Design 17:50 Music in Mac and Me 20:20 Mac's "Phone Home" Telepathy 22:26 Final Act of Mac and Me 28:57 Wheelchair-using Protagonist 32:47 Critical Reception and Razzie Wins 33:38 Mac and Me: Tagline 34:44 Nukie: IMDb Plot Summary 37:13 Nukie "Plot" Breakdown 39:26 "Miko..." "Nukie..." 44:41 Plot Incoherence and Talking Monkeys 50:16 "The Nukie Dance" and Plot Questions 52:35 Nukie's Alien Character Design 59:40 Nukie: Tagline 1:00:36 The Trainwreck of Nukie 1:02:30 Closing Thoughts 1:06:44 Next Episode Preview   Connect with Adrian & Dion: Instagram ~ @cultfilmschool  Threads ~ @cultfilmschool Facebook  ~ Follow Us! Letterboxd ~ CultFilmSchool Send an Email ~ cultfilmschoolpodcast@gmail.com  Don’t forget to leave a rating and review!  

On today’s episode of Cult Film School hosts Adrian & Dion kick off a new semester with none other than the King of Teen Movies himself, John Hughes. Taking a deep dive into Pretty in Pink (1986) and Some Kind of Wonderful (1987), get ready for the start of a great semester ahead. So grab your book bag, sharpen your pencils, and don’t be late to class!    Chapters: 02:27 John Hughes and Teen Movies 06:38 The Impact of John Hughes 10:43 Pretty in Pink 37:41 Some Kind of Wonderful 59:14 Comparing Pretty in Pink and Some Kind of Wonderful 01:03:10 John Hughes' Legacy in Teen Cinema 01:04:54 Favourite John Hughes Movies 01:06:20 Upcoming Episode Sneak Peak   Connect with Adrian & Dion: Instagram ~ @cultfilmschool  Threads ~ @cultfilmschool Facebook  ~ Follow Us! Letterboxd ~ CultFilmSchool Send an Email ~ cultfilmschoolpodcast@gmail.com  Don’t forget to leave a rating and review!  

In this Extra Credit episode of Cult Film School, hosts Adrian and Dion take a break from their summer hiatus to discuss the films they've watched. Expect a mix of humour, horror, and deep dives into cult cinema as they cover: The Redeemer: Son of Satan!, Ninja Terminator, MaXXXine, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Phenomena, Twisters, Arcadian and two standout films they spoil for each other: Longlegs and The Coffee Table.   Chapters: 01:37 Summer Break Catch-Up 33:28 Longlegs (2024) 01:00:30 The Coffee Table (2022)  01:27:58 Next Semester Sneak Peak   Connect with Adrian & Dion: Instagram ~ @cultfilmschool  Threads ~ @cultfilmschool Facebook  ~ Follow Us! Letterboxd ~ CultFilmSchool Send an Email ~ cultfilmschoolpodcast@gmail.com  Don’t forget to leave a rating and review!  

Get a behind-the-scenes sneak peek on the next season of Cult Film School as hosts Adrian and Dion bid you farewell for summer vacation.    Connect with Adrian & Dion: Instagram ~ @cultfilmschool  Threads ~ @cultfilmschool Facebook  ~ Follow Us! Letterboxd ~ CultFilmSchool Send an Email ~ cultfilmschoolpodcast@gmail.com  Don’t forget to leave a rating and review!  

In this episode of Cult Film School, hosts Adrian and Dion dive into the evolution of sex comedies with a focus on two iconic films: 'Animal House' and 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High'. They explore the origins, cultural impact, and legacies of these movies, while sharing fun facts and behind-the-scenes stories.   Chapters: 01:10 Cultural Impact and Origins of Animal House 41:11 Insights and Fun Facts about Animal House 43:03 Fast Times at Ridgemont High 50:09 Plot and Cultural Significance of Fast Times 01:08:18 Comparison Between Animal House and Fast Times 01:12:25 Conclusion and Reflections   Connect with Adrian & Dion: Instagram ~ @cultfilmschool  Threads ~ @cultfilmschool Facebook  ~ Follow Us! Letterboxd ~ CultFilmSchool Send an Email ~ cultfilmschoolpodcast@gmail.com  Don’t forget to leave a rating and review!  

In this episode of Cult Film School, hosts Adrian and Dion revisit two early '90s lesser-known superhero flicks - Captain America (1990) and the unreleased The Fantastic Four (1994) produced by the late Roger Corman.   Chapters: 01:34 Marvel in the Early 1990s 07:18 Captain America 1990: Plot and Production 17:18 Red Skull and Captain America's Awkward Portrayal 33:29 The Movie's Reception and Legacy 39:38 The Director's Cut and Teaser Poster 41:16 Synopsis of the 1994 Fantastic Four 43:26 The Production Journey 45:16 Casting and Filming Challenges 46:37 The Unintended Release 50:04 Character Analysis: The Thing and The Jeweller 52:20 The Film's Tone and Authenticity 52:57 The Jeweler's Role and Critique 01:09:20 Hypothetical Reception and Tagline 01:12:44 Marvel's Evolution in Film   Connect with Adrian & Dion: Instagram ~ @cultfilmschool  Threads ~ @cultfilmschool Facebook  ~ Follow Us! Letterboxd ~ CultFilmSchool Send an Email ~ cultfilmschoolpodcast@gmail.com  Don’t forget to leave a rating and review!