Death By Video: Recent Episodes
Death By Video
Broadcasting from the creepy old abandoned video store just off Highway 7, join Kit, Phil, & their programmer Graham as they watch some of the weirdest movies ever made in order to keep the ghosts that haunt the video store from escaping and taking over the planet.
After a slight delay we are back with the final entry in our TIFF coverage! Films covered on this episode include Matt and Mara, The Shrouds, Dead Mail, Presence, It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This, Superboys of Malegaon, and The Shadow Strays.
Graham's back to discuss three more films that he saw at the 2024 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival. The films discussed are: VIKTOR (dir Olivier Sarbil, Ukraine), Triumph (dir Peter Valchanov & Kristina Grozeva, Bulgaria), and Harvest (dir Athina Rachel Tsangari, UK).
Graham breaks down the films he's seen so far at the 2024 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival!
We're back! The boys from DBV took a trip waaaaay out to the East End of Toronto to see Harmony Korine's infrared synth wave freakout! It's (sort of) about an assassin who goes on a mission to fight a giant bad guy (maybe?). It's a whole lot of weirdness in a very short episode! Enjoy!
We're back to discuss our some of our favourite films from the year that was 2023! Featuring some of your favourites and probably some not so favourites!!! It's more merry movie mayhem on DBV!
We're back with a cold blast of yuletide terror!!! We dig into the 2022 soon to be classic: Christmas Bloody Christmas! It's Christmas Eve and there's a maniac robot Santa on the loose! And only two metalhead record store workers can stop it! Listen in as we discuss all the Merry Movie Mayhem!
We're back! Sorry for the delay but here's an extra long episode that dives into our favourite films of the 1990s! There's plenty of well known favourites and some weirdo freakouts!
We're back! Join us as we discuss Mario Bava's 1965 sci-fi/horror freakout: PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES!!! It's a colourful blast from the past that more than likely was the inspiration for Ridley Scott's Alien (or was it?). There's thrills, chills, and snazzy jumpsuits!!!
We kick off the year with our first ever episode on a shot-on-video horror movie! It's Night Feeder! See a New Wave band trapped in a hair-metal world try to act tough while a mysterious brain sucking maniac is on the loose! One determined reporter is all that stands between her community and a deranged individual who only feeds at night!
We take a look back at our favourite films from 2022 as well as our favourite first time watches of the previous year. Pretty straight forward. But we find a way to get off track. Enjoy!
We're back with what just might be our most rambling, and at the same time tightest, episode! We dive into the 1990s time capsule The Brady Bunch Movie! It was a time when television shows from 30+ years in the past were turned into big budget feature films! We discuss the original show; watching reruns of shows made from the 1960s; baby boomer and gen-x culture clashes (which we had to sit quietly through as millennials); and the general ubiquity that the Brady Bunch had on the send half of the 20th century!
It's the spooky season and your sort-of-favourite podcast is back with a terrifically, terrifying, triple feature. First up we dive into the world of heavy machinery possessed by intergalactic stuff that makes it run amok! Then we take a hard turn into 1990s cheese with the weird and whacky: Teenage Exorcist! Finally, we throw down with an all time 1980s classic: Friday the 13th Part VI: JASON LIVES! It's all kinds of spooky goodness in the latest episode of Death By Video!!!!!
We're back with an episode on Drive! No, not that movie; it's Drive from 1997! Starring Mark Decascos, Kadeem Hardison and Brittany Murphy! It's a martial arts extravaganza as the movie's heroes Toby & Malik fight their way from San Francisco to Los Angeles! Listen in as our hosts dive into the action insanity of this film! There's high kicking! There's fast punching! There's chainsaw shenanigans! And so much more!
We're back with a Jean-Claude Van Damme late 1990s classic! From director Tsui Hark it's Knock Off! It tells the tale of a couple clothing bootleggers just trying to make their way in Hong Kong, only to get caught up in an international nano-bomb smuggling scheme. Good thing one of them is a secret agent! And it isn't Jean-Claude Van Damme! All this and more in the latest episode of Death By Video!
We're back with the first part of our Canadiana series! We dive into the only authentic Canadian Giallo; appropriately named American Nightmare! It's the skeeziest Toronto has ever looked on film. There's murder! There's sex! There's grungy 1980s' Toronto! There's Michael Ironside!
We're back with the 1960s rags to riches to rags to riches rock-and-roll extravaganza: WILD GUITAR! There's guitar slinging, record company swindling, hoodwinking, ice dancing, and a whole lot of rocking! Listen in as our hosts point out how the main character's naiveté borders on just being straight up dumb! Plus we discuss all the cast's inability to pronounce the word "café." All this and more in this episode of Death By Video!
We're back!!! And so is David Cronenberg with his body horror freakout: CRIMES OF THE FUTURE!!! Listen in as our hosts report live from Downtown Toronto; the home of David Cronenberg (or as we in Canada call him "Uncle Dave")! There's open heart operations for fun and influence! There's micro plastics! There's all kinds of gooey gross mayhem in this episode of Death By Video!
While we're gearing up for another series of themed episodes here's an episode about the films we're watching lately. Films discussed are: Wobble Palace, Blood & Black Lace, Single White Female, Sudden Fury, Nightmare Alley (2021), Drive My Car, Def-Con 4, Bigfoot's Wild Weekend, His Name Was King, The Good The Bad & The Ugly, Bingo Hell, Freaky Farley, and X!
We finally watched Blood Feast II!!! Are we happy about it? Not really, but listen in as we dive into this decades later sequel to the original Blood Feast! There's lots and lots and lots of names that are puns! There's "whacky" office humour! There's a song by the Butthole Surfers! There's bumbling cops! Did we mention the whacky office humour? We watched it all and lived to talk about it!
We're back with one of the strangest love stories ever committed to film! It's the age old tale of a man who meets a woman, who then meets her giant ape companion! There's vine swinging! The cheetah twirling! There's six different kinds of monster movie mayhem! All this and more in our episode on The Mighty Peking Man!
We're back with the final instalment in Herschel Gordon Lewis and David Friedman's "Blood Trilogy." It's a beatnik run amok in this 1960s art scene freakout! Listen in as we discuss the totally in efficient way that the murderous painter uses his victims' blood on his canvas! Hear us marvel at the cringy beatnik couple that wear matching wigs and dress shirts! The art world will never see it coming!
Yeehaw! We take a trip to the deep deep south only to run into Two Thousand Maniacs!!! It's the second part in our David F. Friedman/Herschell Gordon Lewis series! It's also the second part in their notorious "Blood Trilogy!" There's barrel rolling, there's horse racing, there's rock falling, and a whole lot of blood and guts in this southern fried freak out!
Listen in as we dive into the first "gore" film in history. It's Herschell Gordon Lewis' BLOOD FEAST!!! We explore the exploitation film environment that birthed this movie that shocked audiences coast to coast! There's Egyptian lectures, inept cops, haphazardly composed scenes, and a big helping of gore and viscera! This is the first part in our four part look at the partnership between director Herschell Gordon Lewis and producer David F. Friedman!
We're back with what is probably the most controversial film we've ever covered! Or is it? We innocently dive into Dasha Nekrasova's The Scary of Sixty-First! It's a tale of madness, murder, and Manhattan! Listen in as Phil & Kit try to explain what the "dirtbag left" is to Graham and what it has to do with this whacky movie!
Happy New Year! Listen in as your humble hosts take stock on the year that was and the films they watched! We discuss Censor, Dune, Titane, The French Dispatch, The Forever Purge, Power of the Dog, and a whole lot more!
It's the Christmas season and we dive into the overlooked Christmas horror film: To All A Goodnight! Directed by notorious actor David Hess (Last House on the Left, Hitch-Hike, House at the Edge of the Park)! It tells a tale that suspiciously sounds a lot like another Christmas horror film: several university students are left alone at their sorority house over Christmas and a mysterious killer arrives to cause mayhem! All this and more in Death By Episode One Hundred and One!
We made it to 100 episodes!!!!! To celebrate we watched an all time classic: Repo Man! It's the punk rock, muscle car, sci-fi, cult classic that put Los Angeles on the map! Directed by DBV all time favourite Alex Cox (even though this is the first film of his we've covered). Listen in as Phil & Graham wax poetic about their genuine admiration for this film, as Kit slowly joins the cult of Repo Man! Plate of shrimp.
We're back with the rattastic Canadian rat movie: Of Unknown Origin!!! It's Peter Weller (Robocop himself!) versus a giant rat that has invaded his family home in the French Canadian section of New York City! There's an all star cast of Canadian supporting actors! Listen in as our hosts describe in great detail their distaste for rats and their jubilation at watching Robocop eliminate a whole family of said rats!
Hey! You're favourite slow to update podcast is back with a Halloween Special on the classic Japanese shocker: EVIL DEAD TRAP! The spooky season is in full bloom so we traveled back to the old abandoned video store only to find it torn down so we found an even older video store to hang out in and discuss all the frights and scares in Evil Dead Trap!
After a bit of a break we are back with an episode on the Canadian cyberpunk not so classic: Johnny Mnemonic! Listen in as we point out the local Toronto landmarks that appear in this film set in New Jersey, USA! Hear as we describe the terrifying vision of the future technology known as... the internet! All this and our terrible Keanu impressions in this episode of Death By Video!
It's the real Bruce Lee! Finally! We dive into the film he wrote, directed, choreographed and starred in! It's a fish out of water tale as Bruce Lee travels to Rome to take down the Mafia that's shaking down some Chinese restaurants! Fists and feet fly as we discuss Bruce Lee's lesser known magnum opus! This also marks the first appearance on our show of 7 time world karate champion Chuck Norris! (In the movie, not as a guest).
We bring our Bruceploitation series to a close with The Dragon Lives Again aka Bruce Lee Goes to Hell! Listen in as we dissect the distastefulness of film producers not only depicting Bruce Lee's real death, but then having the character of "Bruce Lee" go to hell where he has to team up with Popeye, Kwai Chang Kaine, and the One-Armed Swordsman to face off against the forces of evil: Zatoichi, James Bond, The Exorcist, The Godfather, Emmanuelle, Clint Eastwood and Dracula! All this and more on Death By Video Episode Ninety-Six!
Hey what's better than Bruce Lee? Three Bruce Lees!!!! Well... in theory. Phil, Kit & Graham are back to discuss one of the most distasteful subgenres of films: Bruceploitation! We dive into the film that tells the tale of what happens when you clone the recently deceased Bruce Lee! Spoiler alert: not a whole lot. Listen in as we discuss which Bruce is better: Bruce Lee 1, Bruce Lee 2, or Bruce Lee 3!!!
Whooo! It's our most divisive episode! We tackle the wild, wacky, and wickedly fun movie: Psycho Ape! Listen in as Phil and Kit try and tear down the mighty Psycho Ape, while Graham just enjoys the chaotic/kinetic energy of the film and defends it valiantly!
We're back with a dive into the revenge fueled Spaghetti Western: Django The Bastard! Listen in as we discuss the Django westerns produced in Italy that had nothing to do with the original Django! Hear us describe the ghostly manner in which Django stalks the men who wronged him... from beyond the grave!
We're (finally) back! And we're spreading the good word about Night of 1000 Cats! It's the tale as old as time about a man, his helicopter, his 1000 cats, and the people he feeds to said 1000 cats! Listen in as Phil, Kit & Graham discuss the film that could best be described as a hypnotic lava lamp, soundtracked by the smoothest music this side of Loggins and Messina!
Hey! The guys get together for an informal chat about all the movies they've been watching lately! Films discussed: Trash Humpers (sigh), Den of Thieves (double sigh), Psycho Goreman (!), The Irishman, Venom, Vampire's Kiss, Affliction, Miami Vice, Hard Core Logo, The Black Cat, The Brady Bunch Movie, Wes Craven's Shocker, Burn After Reading, Mission Impossible 2, De Palma, Easy Riders Raging Bulls, and the AGFA Horror Trailer Show!
We're back with a trip to the land down under for a rollicking good time with BMX Bandits. Make yourself a Vegemite sandwich, open up a can of Fosters, and kick back as we take you through this tale of bank robberies, walkie talkies, waterslides, and BMX Bikes!
We're back with another slice of cinematic insanity!!! We're joined by special guest Krissy Foley to discuss the 1970s crime odyssey: MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE! Produced, written, directed, soundtracked, and starring the immortal Duke Mitchell (Gone With The Pope). Listen in as we decipher the meandering story of a 31 year old mafioso who decides to take down the Los Angeles mob one gangster at a time!
We're back! It's our first episode of 2021!!! And we're covering the far out Italian odyssey: Paganini Horror! It's a classical tale of an 80s soft rock band who purchase the lost final composition of violinist Paganini, and use it for their new pop single which they're film a music video for in the actual house where Paganini sold his soul to the devil! What could possibly go wrong? Find out on our episode on Paganini Horror!
They guys are back to discuss the rest of the films that watched during this year's Spooky Season. Films discussed are: Never Hike in the Snow, Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula, Hellbound-Hellraiser II, The Convent (2000), the Amityville Horror, Witchboard, The Monster Squad, Subspecies, Cabin in the Woods, & Poltergeist (1982).
Our intrepid hosts are back to discuss the film that kicked horror in the 1980s in the butt and made Hollywood sit up and take notice. They discuss the origins of the film as well as the difficulties in getting the film to the screen. Plus they try and force metaphors about mattresses, and nails! It mostly works. All this and more in. the 87th episode of Death By Video!
Just when you thought it was safe to put up your Christmas decorations! We're back to discuss the final films we watched during the spooky season! Films discussed are: The Cleansing Hour, Fade to Black, Creep, Creep 2, Haunt (2019), The Island of Dr. Moreau, Return of the Living Dead, Hell House LLC, Hell House LLC 2, Hell House LLC 3, Night of the Demons, Ghoulies, The Shining, Doctor Sleep, The Brood, and Kung-Fu Zombie!
The march towards Halloween continues with a dive into the transgressive slasher movie: Sleepaway Camp!!! The guys discuss the short shorts and cropped tops that adorn the male actors in the film and the creepiness of many of the camp's older employees. Plus we get Kit's unprepared reaction to the infamous reveal that happens during the film's climax! So, pack some hiking boots and join us on a trip to Sleepaway Camp!
It's part 3 of our special series about all the spooky movies we're watching this Halloween season! Films discussed this episode are: Long Weekend, The Ring, Let's Scare Jessica To Death, Friday the 13th Part 3, The Evil, Twice Dead, The Purge, Deathgasm, Demonia, Lake Bodom, The Creature With The Atom Brain, and The Beach House!
We're back with another special episode celebrating the spooky season! Here's a rundown of the films that are discussed: Driller Killer, The Witch, Vampires vs The Bronx, Ghostbusters 2, Survival of the Dead, Night of the Living dead, Scary Movie (1991), Paranormal Activity 3, Deadline, The Ghost & Mister Chicken, and The Haunting of Bly Manor. We also talk about Joker at the beginning, but who cares about that movie?
We dive into the bizarre world of 70s Spanish horror films with the hard to find classic Demon Witch Child! Listen in as we discuss this tale of one child's journey from happy-go-lucky kid to the double-possessed Demon Witch Child. As in she gets simultaneously possessed by a demon and a witch! It's the perfect way to kick off your Halloween season!
Join in for the first in a special series detailing the horror films we're watching this Halloween Season. We discuss the films It Follows, C.H.U.D., Blood Feast (2016), and Glenn Danzig's Verotika!
We're back with a dip in to the deep end of 1980s horror films! It's Scott Spiegel's INTRUDER! We discuss Spiegel's adventures in Hollywood involving some of the biggest filmmakers in history and his expert direction of grocery store employees being terrorized by the titular Intruder!
We're baaaaaaaaaack! After an extended hiatus we return with the heavy hitter that is George Romero's Day of the Dead!!! We discuss the circumstances under which the film was made, the cast's connections to previous Living Dead films, and the hurdles that horror filmmakers in the 1980s had to jump over to get their films seen!
In honour of Albert Pyun's recent birthday we decided to take a trip to Eastern Europe for his Bratislava odyssey: Crazy Six! Featuring a star studded cast featuring Rob Lowe, Ivana Milicevic, Ice-T, Mario Van Peebles, and Burt Freaking Reynolds! Will Rob Lowe & Co be able to defeat Ice-T's gang of drug smuggling nuclear arms dealers, while simultaneously trying to kick a meth habit? Tune in to find out!!!
We're back with the hip-hop not-so-classic film BELLY!!! Starring Nad & DMX as low level criminals who attempt to work their way up, and work out the demons inside them. There's a whole lot of stuff going on and very little of it makes sense! But it definitely looks cooler than cool and the soundtrack is great!!!
We're back with a dive into the abyss of 1980s genre cinema with our episode on SURF NAZIS MUST DIE!!! Join Phil, Kit & Graham as they discuss the plot (or lack there of) and how one gang of goose-stepping surfers take over the beach only to be thwarted by an unexpected foe! They also discuss some of the films they've been watching during this current period of quarantine and how they think Surf Nazis Must Die could make an incredible remake today!
We're back! We're quarantined! And we're still watching insane movies! Listen in as the guys watch Enzo G. Castellari's swan song to the spaghetti western genre with the psychedelic freakout: KEOMA! Starring the legendary Franco Nero, along with Woody Strode and Olga Karlatos! There's shootouts! There's flashbacks! There's plague mines! There's an attempt at a socialist uprising! There's singing! So much singing! All this and more in Death By Video Episode 79: KEOMA!!!
We're back with an episode dedicated to the oft-overlooked sci-fi film Trancers! It stars Tim Thomerson as Jack Deth; a Trancer Hunter from the year 2247, sent back in time to 1985 to stop the creator of the trancers from killing the ancestors of the City of Angels justice council. Along the way he falls in love with 1980s punk rocker Helen Hunt! We sincerely hope that everyone is safe and healthy right now and that our silly podcast can serve as a distraction from the seriousness in the world at this time.
We're back with our take on Re-Animator! Our intrepid hosts have to record remotely due to the current goings on in the world, but that doesn't stop them from digging the groovy grave robbing exploits of Herbert West in Stuart Gordon's Re-Animator! They also discuss the late Stuart Gordon's career as a filmmaker, as a theatre director, and his impact on cinema, literature, and stage production!
Phil, Kit & Graham are back to discuss the 1990s surf-tastic masterpiece POINT BREAK!!! (not the 2015 remake) They discuss the radness this movie exudes and marvel at Keanu Reeve's command of the English language. They discuss the oeuvre of director Kathryn Bigelow, and the insanity that is Patrick Swayze doing all of his own skydiving stunts! Plus Gary Busey just annihilating the scenery as a drunk-uncle/loose cannon FBI agent!!! All this and more in the latest episode of Death By Video!!!!!
Graham & Kit take a trip to the cinema to check out this weekend's hit smash: the surprisingly charming Sonic The Hedgehog!!!
The whole gang is back to try and understand the lunacy that is Tammy & The T-Rex!!! Starring Denise Richards, Paul Walker (RIP), and Terry Kiser it's the classic tale of boy meets girl, girl's exboyfriend causes trouble, mad scientist kidnaps boy and puts his brain into a robotic Tyrannosaurus Rex! Luckily she's not just into him for his body. All this and more in DBV 74: Tammy & The T-Rex!!!
We take a trip to a distant future! The year 2019 to be exact!!!! Kit, Phil, & Graham dive into the kinda-sorta-maybe Mad Max/Escape from New York Italian knock-off 2019 After the Fall of New York!!! They guys also discuss Martin Scorcese's, er I mean Todd Philips' Joker! Although they pronounced it with a Swedish accent, making it more enjoyable for all! Graham opines about the lack of cape wearing in modern society, and how henchmen in gangs should bring it back! They discuss the career of Sergio Martino and the different paths he took to get to 2019, After the Fall of New York! All this and much much more in the latest edition of Death by Video!!!!!!!!
The whole gang is back to discuss the 1970s classic: Smokey & The Bandit!!! Hear the tantalizing tales of daring risks and dangerous runs that this movie had to endure to make it to the screen! Listen in as Kit repeatedly insists that "smashing" did occur! Admire in astonishment Lil's disgust at Jackie Gleason's sandwich eating! Stand by or against Phil's degree that Phantom of the Paradise is better than Phantom of the Opera! All this and more on Death By Video!!!!!!!!!!!!
Happy New Year!!! Phil, Kit & Graham discuss their favourite films of 2019! Hear Kit talk about the Irishman! Here Graham discuss his love for some little seen films like Sole & Lost Holiday! Here Phil dig in deep on The Souvenir!! All this and some surprise picks! Even the dreaded James Cameron rears his head in this year end episode of your (least) favourite film podcast!!!
We finally watch the creepy Canadian Christmas classic! Listen in as Kit, Graham & "Death Wish" Phil dive into the history and infamy of this Toronto shot slasher! Spoiler alert: the guys declare it the best slasher ever! If you disagree make your own darn podcast!
Just in time for Halloween! We complete our 1990s odyssey with the horror film that defined the decade: SCREAM! Hear Graham call out the dumb people who watched this movie and thought it was everything there is to know about horror movies! Listen to Phil as he waxes poetic about his dislike of dutch angles! And discover Kit trying to elevate the show by tying Scream to the work of Michael Haneke, only for Michael Haneke to show up! All this and more on our special Halloween episode!
Freddy Krueger finally makes an appearance on Death By Video! Kit's long help hope wins out as the gang tackle the "last" Nightmare on Elm Street movie Freddy's Dead! Listen in as Phil reminisces about various 90s alt rock bands to try and get needle drops on the soundtrack, and Kit waxes poetically about his love of a Nightmare on Elm Street. While Graham doesn't really care for the series, he does enjoy the yucks and guffaws found within Freddy's Dead. And Lil' just tries to keep the guys in line.
Horror in the 1990s keeps on rolling with Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation!!! Join Phil, Lil & Graham as they dive into Austin, Texas' weirdest attempt to make a mainstream film! Hear all about Matthew McConaughey's remote controlled leg! Listen in as the gang give props to Renee Zellweger's performance of a survivor of abuse! Plus we try and figure out what exactly is going on with the Illuminati and Leatherface's cross dressing! Enjoy!
We kick off the Halloween season with a film with Halloween in its name! In what some are calling our best episode ever, the gang watches and learns from Halloween 6 The Curse of Michael Myers. Graham tries to keep everything together and explain the ins and outs of the curse of the thorn mythology that was a plague upon the Halloween films from 1989 to 1995. Both Kit and Phil find the the whole mythology dubious and secretly hope it never gets mentioned again!!!!!
The whole gang is back! And they watch the gnarliest film they've ever watched!!! If sleaze gained sentience and directed a film New York Ripper would be it! Filmed in the early 80s in grimiest period in NYC history you can smell the dank!!!
It's the last group podcast from this years Toronto International Film Festival!!!! Phil & Graham check out Olivier Assayas' newest film WASP NETWORK. It's a tale of espionage and counter-espionage as done by civilians for and against Cuba in Miami in the 1990s! Our hosts agree this film is really good and definitely worth a watch!
Graham is (briefly) joined by special guest host Nathan Dharamshi as they watch the new film from Todd Philips: Joker. Featuring Joaquin Phoenix in a very different take on the clown prince of crime.
We're live at the Toronto International Film Festival. Kit & Graham discuss the fantastic new film Dolemite is My Name!!!! Staring Eddie Murphy as Rudy Ray Moore!!!!
Listen in as we reflect on Quentin Tarantino's most sentimental movie! It's a visual feast full of audio treats as Tarantino takes us back to the year 1969 and all the goings on of Hollywood California! Graham champions the film while Kit & Phil play the role of crotchety contrarians! There's music cues aplenty and growing anxiety in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time in Hollywood!!!
We're back! We discuss recent films we've seen and then dive into the amazing hellscape that is Lucio Fulci's The Beyond! We bask in the glory that is David Warbeck! We recoil in terror at the gooey-gory set pieces! We dig into the eyeball trauma that Fulci ramps up to 6000% in this film! There's zombies! There's head trauma! There's carnivorous spiders! There's satanic painters! There's ghost dogs! And so much more! Plus we're joined by two very special guests!
It's the gnarliest movie we've ever done! Our second instalment in the Lucio Fulci series has us take a trip to the charming small New England town of Dunwich aka the City of the Living Dead! These aren't zombies! These are much much worse! Listen in as Phil, Kit & Graham try to rationalize the hell which gets unleashed during this film. Graham tells the story of how teenage-Graham discovered the VHS tape of the film (then known as Gates of Hell) in an independent video store in Nova Scotia! Phil gives massive props to Fabio Frizzi's dynamite score! And Kit grooves on the eerie atmosphere! There's brain drilling! Priest hanging! Corse stealing! And intestine puking!
It's our first episode in our Lucio Fulci retrospective! We dig into his notorious 1979 gut muncher: Zombie (aka Zombi 2, aka Zombie Flesh Eaters)! We dive into the zombie craze that took over Italy in the late 1970s/early 1980s! It's a long episode but we go all the way through this landmark Italian film! There's gut munching! Scuba diving! Shark fighting! Jeep driving! Spanish conquistadoring! And all the zombie brain exploding you can fit into 90 minutes!!!
PUT YOUR WEIGHT ON IT! Yes! This is the episode you've been waiting for! We dive into the 70s Rudy Ray Moore classic DISCO GODFATHER! It's toe-tappin', hip swayin', pelvis thrustin', belly swingin', and roller skatin'!!!!! We also explore the death of disco and how it affected this film's release and issues around it's anti-drug message (despite the cast and crew being verrrrrrrry pro-drug). So slip into a leisure suit, put some disco beats on your turntable, and listen to the soothing voices of Death By Video!!!!!
We're back with a little seen comedy about a man and his slight resemblance to Bruce Lee! Featuring nunchuck action! Mechanical bull riding! Pasta making! Fish punching! Chop stick untensilizing! And so much more! Everyone on the podcast likes the same movie for once! We also discuss the feud between Nicholas Winding Refn and William Friedkin, and discuss Refn's free streaming service (byNWR.com). Hear us massacre the accents of several different nationalities on our way to uncovering the genius of THEY CALL ME BRUCE?
After an extended hiatus we're back with the Alice Cooper led MONSTER DOG!!! It's the classic story of a rockstar who's accused of being a monster dog and committing horrendous crimes just because his father was accused of being a monster dog one time 20 years ago! Hear Lil swear like a drunken sailor while the gang breaks down this surprisingly fun slice of Italian 80s horror cinema!
A day late and a dollar short here's our Oscars Episode! We rag on the awards for Bohemian Rhapsody and The Green Book, and we cherish the awards for Roma, The Favourite, and Blackkklansman. Listen in as Phil, Kit and Graham go through various stages of eyerolling! We're also joined by special guest: documentarian Vanessa Jung!
It's 2019 (the future) and Neo Tokyo is about to explode! Listen in as we discuss the groundbreaking Japanese animated feature film Akira. Kit gives us a deep dive into the history of the production of the film and the impact it's had on culture as a whole. Lillian is back and she brought her brother Max to join in on the discussion!
Listen in the gang tries to survive the 1994 atrocity "Clifford." It's one of the worst movies we've ever watched. Phil loves it, Kit likes it, and Graham begins to question the value of human existence if a movie like this can exist. It stars Martin Short, Charles Grodin, Dabney Coleman (!), and Mary Steenburgen. All of them are actors who deserve a better film than this. Except for maybe Martin Short.
EPISODE 50!!!! We celebrate the magnum opus of Ed Wood: Plan 9 From Outer Space! It's Bela Lugosi's final film (sort of), and the screen debut of Vampira! This is the original gangsta of outsider cinema! Listen in as Phil, Kit & Graham attempt to decipher what exactly the plan of the "menacing" aliens is? It involves the resurrection of a doctor, his wife, and a police lieutenant, and that's about all we know. There's pointless exposition! There's a bomb that splits sunlight particles! There's flying saucers! There's terrible continuity! All this and more (including our new theme song) in our landmark episode!!!!!
Happy New Year from DBV! Phil, Kit, & Graham meet to discuss their favourite films of 2018. The conversation meanders and meanders and meanders! We talk about Mandy! We talk about Let the Corpses Tan! We talk about Wes Anderson! We talk about a lot of films you probably haven't seen and almost nothing about the films you have seen! So raise of class to good films and good cheer and the year that was!
LOST EPISODE! We cover the weird, wild, and whacky CHRISTMAS EVIL! It's an oddity about one man's obsession with all things Santa Claus, and how listening to Christmas music waaaay too early will lead to murder and mayhem! There's DIY toy making, polka party prancing, and crazy Christmas singing! And the police declaring war on all things Santa! It's John Waters' favourite Christmas movie (and it just might become yours too).
'Tis the season for some holiday hell as the Death By Video gang check out the notorious 1984 slasher "Silent, Night Deadly Night!" They recount the controversy surrounding the film and how it nearly destroyed TriStar Pictures. There's much discussion of yuletide trauma and how tough love on children just doesn't work. Especially when they grow up to be homicidal Santa Clauses! There's axe swinging, carol singing, office partying, gift wrapping, antler skewering, police shooting, and enough snowman decapitation to leave you wondering why there were four sequels to this film!!!! So throw another log on the fire, crack open some vegan eggnog, and eat all the Pot of Gold chocolates while we dive into SILENT NIGHT DEADLY NIGHT!!!
It's LOST EPISODE time as we rescue the one missing podcast from our True Crime series! It could best be described as Graham vs. NyQuil, when our heroes try to keep him focused on the plot and not drift off to sleep to deal with the cold he was fighting. There's an in-depth discussion about the dental work of the actors in the film, and Harry Connick Jr's unusual euphemism for ladies undergarments. This film touches on the heavy hitters of 20th century serial killers, and how their influence could produce something more terrifying then all of them combined!
The gang are back to close out their series on the American Horror Project Vol. 1!! They view the amazing forgotten 1970s classic The Premonition! Listen in as they discuss the plausibility of mime-photographers! Hear them marvel at the unnerving scenes of terror that filled their screen! And listen to their hearts breaking with the tragedy that fills this film! This film probably has the best take on parapsychology of all time, and was incredibly forward thinking with it's treatment of women and people of colour. We promise we'll get back to the sillier films soon! But until then enjoy this dive into the deeper end of the regional cinema swimming pool.
In a rare case of a serious film finding its way into our whacky world of weird movies; the gang are blindsided by the moving, haunting, and heartbreaking The Witch Who Came From The Sea! Join your hosts as they dig into the deeply effecting and emotionally shattering 1970s lesser known classic.
The entire gang is back to dive into the regional horror oddity Malatesta's Carnival of Blood. Get ready to explore the dirty plastic hell that is this film! There's possibly vampires! (we're still not sure)Possibly cannibals! (still not sure) And maybe the devil himself (no idea). Join Phil, Kit, Lil & Graham as they try to make heads or tails out of this freak-show freak-out!
BONUS EPISODE!!! Phil, Kit & Graham watch the just released for the first time ever: NINJA ZOMBIE!!! They discuss the film Mandy (which they also saw)and a whole host of other films. They also come to the conclusion that Ninja Zombie has the best "fist pump" in movie history. There's high kicking, an evil spider cult, a Night of the Living Dead parody (that isn't the film we're watching), various lake adjacent scenes, trike riding, tennis playing, and a voodoo priest known as "Brother Banjo!"
We're kicking off October with the "Boston" set slasher film PIECES! It was banned in Britain for nearly 30 years and unleashed in Canadian video stores in the late 1980s. Listen in as we try and decode the very strange gender politics of this New England nightmare from Spain! There's chainsaws, aerobics, and puzzles! We're not kidding; puzzles are an important plot point of the film and drives the narrative!
Our adventure at the Toronto International Film Festival comes to a close for another year. On this episode Graham is joined by returning guests: Vanessa & Philip S! They discuss the films Cold War (awesome!), The Man Who Feels No Pain (great!), Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy (less-awesome!), the Image Book (what was that?) and The Standoff at Sparrow Creek (dog-poo).
Part 3 of our TIFF coverage! Graham goes solo to see Zan (aka Killing), Legend of the Demon Cat: Director's Cut, and Jessica Forever! Then Phil returns to check out the newest euro freakout from Peter Strickland! It's thrills! Chills! and Fabric Spills! All in this episode of Death By Video!
It's a smorgasbord of cinema as Graham goes for broke trying to squeeze as many films a logic will allow into a single day. He's joined by Ermina Perez for Outlaw King, then goes solo for Sunset and the Gasper Noe freak-out Climax, before introducing first time guest Amy Force to discuss the great new Canadian film Freaks! Will he survive? Tune in!
We're LIVE at the WORLD PREMIERE of HALLOWEEN 2018! Hear us as we ramble on with our on the spot thoughts on the movie and the shenanigans of the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival. We see Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Danny McBride, David Gordon Green & Jason Blum! We get the crap scared out of us, see Michael Myers in person and live to tell the tale!
It's the thrilling conclusion of our Kung-Fu movies from around the World Series! We watch a film featuring the deadliest style: CANADIAN STYLE! Featuring international martial arts superstars Cynthia Rothrock & Bolo Yeung, and staring former Toronto jeweller Jahal Merhi!!! It's a vanity film project in the growing genre of "Dojo-core." Featuring extensive scenes filmed on Toronto's Danforth and China Town neighbourhoods. It's got high kicking, hard punching, lazy gunfights, & Cynthia Rothrock's trademark Scorpion Kick!!! it's Crap-Canadian-KungFu at its best!!!
This week we go to Turkey for the bonkers, balls-to-the-wall, berserk martial arts masterpiece: The Sword & The Claw. There's daringly dashing do-gooders! Dastardly dangerous despots! And a legendary leaping Lion Man! Plus a whole lot of dubious dubbing... This is probably the first and only martial arts film from Turkey (excluding Turkish Star Wars). Listen in as Phil, Kit, Lil & Graham wax lyrically about this film's quite straight forward and understandable plot. Which is a very rare occurrences for an episode of Death By Video.
The gang are back to suffer through one of the most inept martial arts movies ever to come out of Italy! We explore the final entry in the bizarrely long running Karate Warrior series! Wherein a group of jerks from "Miami" go to Greece, get tricked into thinking Mermaids are real, lose their money, have the slowest motocross race ever filmed, and then the aforementioned Karate Warrior (aka "the boy in the golden kimono") faces off against the Isle of Hydra's greatest karate master (and lamest karate master) to free a girl from an arranged marriage! At least that's what we think happened.
We take a trip to Ireland for the one and only Irish Martial Arts Movie: Fatal Deviation!!! It's the story of one man's struggle to find the killer of his father, find love, fight in Ireland's most deadly karate tournament, and go on picnics!!! Staring Ireland's answer to Jean-Claude Van Damme: James Bennett! There's kicking, punching, running, motorcycling, monks, & much more! You will hear the worst attempts at Irish accents from our four intrepid hosts! And we have Philip Sportel as a special guest.
After a bit of a break we're back with a deep dive into the seedy teenage underbelly of the 1950s with Ed Wood's The Violent Years!!! While not directed by Mr. Wood it was written and his unique turns of phrases are rife throughout! Listen in as we experience the shock and horror of pajama parties, gas station robberies, and wild women whipping weak willed men into shape! It's The Violent Years! Hosted as always by Phil, Kit, Lil, & Graham! Featuring special guests Vanessa Jung & Philip Sportel!
In honour of Albert Pyun's birthday we watch two of his films! His director's cut of Captain America and Mean Guns! Joined by special guest and future star of Albert Pyun's Bad Ass Angels & Demons: Ermina Perez! It's a double shot of action, romance, and adventure in this special edition of Death By Video!
We're back! Join us as we conclude our brief Albert Pyun series! We tackle his sophomore (but not sophomoric) post-apocalyptic nuclear boogie-woogie epic: Radioactive Dreams! Featuring the the pair with charm to spare: Michael Dudikoff & John Stockwell! Listen in as Phil, Kit, Lil, & Graham discuss the ins and outs of probably the most fun apocalypse you'll ever see!!!!
Our Albert Pyun series continues with his high school thriller DANGEROUSLY CLOSE!!! Hear Lilian curse up a storm and profess her love for the character of Kruger! Listen in as Phil almost checks out completely! And Kit & Graham try to figure out if Albert Pyun was or wasn't a sleaze-meister!! The entire gang comes to realize that Roger Ebert was probably a joyless grump! All in this action packed episode of Death By Video!!!
Jean-Claude Van Damme, aka the patron saint of Death By Video, is back! Just in time for Easter we get the first episode in our Albert Pyun series! We watch and discuss the not-so-classic from 1990 Cyborg! Hear as we debate whether yelling "yar" every time you try to sneak up on someone is a good idea. Also, listen to us marvel at the magnificence of Van Damme's epic leg splits. And we find out if Van Damme has what it takes to survive "The Passion of the Claude!"
We're back with a LOST EPISODE!!! It's Firecracker! Originally billed as the world's first "erotic martial arts classic." Listen in as our intrepid hosts discover it's neither erotic nor a classic. It's actually a loose remake of TNT Jackson. It does star the fantastic Jillian Kesner and features a score from an entirely different movie (that got the producers in some trouble later on). It's nothing but high kickin', gut punchin', eye gougin' non-stop action with Firecracker!!!
Holy heck! We're back again! Join Phil, Kit, Lil & Graham as they discuss the biggest monster mash in history: Godzilla Final Wars! See our mythical-nuclear-fire-breathing-dragon-dinosaur-man in suit do battle with more monsters than ever before!!! The real monster of this film is "plot." As in there's so much of it!! There's monsters, x-men like mutants, evil aliens, baby Godzilla, multiple MMA stars, motorcycle chases, monster beatdowns, and much much more!!! Plus a dude named Gordon will a killer moustache!!!
WOO!HOO! The whole gang is back for this 30th anniversary episode! We tackle the legendary shoot-em-up A BETTER TOMORROW PART II. HONG KONG GANGSTERS! SOAP OPERA ROMANTIC TRIANGLES! CHINESE CUISINE! NEW YORK CITY! EPIC BATTLES OF GOODGUYS VS BADGUYS!!! Listen in as we get confused over the many similar sound names (Kit even makes a chart). Lilian returns and slays everyone with her perspectives. Phil is... strangely agreeable for this episode. And Graham sighs repeatedly at having to edit this in to making sense.
SHOGUN ASSASSIN! Listen in as Phil, Kit & Graham (no Lil unfortunately) watch the grind house classic! They love the heck out of this film and it's main character of Lone Wolf as he cuts a bloody swath through feudal Japan! He is accompanied by his son, "Cub," and they are the greatest father & son team in mass slaughter (according to the trailer). Hear about the league of lady ninjas, marvel at the discussion about the evil guards known as "the masters of death!" It's non-stop action from start to finish!
The Death By Video gang is back in their kick off for Asian Action Month! They dive into the 1988 action classic Tiger on the Beat! Starring Chow Yun Fat! They discuss the logistics of having a chainsaw duel while wonderful incense wafts through the air, wether the film can be forgiven for being of its time, tease future movies they'll be watching and try to get to the bottom of who exactly is living in the abandoned video store off highway 9! Plus they sing the Inspector Gadget theme song!
Holy heck! We're back with special guest Ermina Perez to discuss and wax poetic on Elvira's second feature film: Elvira's Haunted Hills!!! Listen in as Kit, Phil, Lilian, & Graham go in-depth about their love and admiration for the one and only Cassandra Peterson (aka Elvira). Phil kinda doesn't say much in this episode, but the energetic Ermina more than makes up for it!
HAPPY NEW YEAR! This is the episode that breaks Graham into many little pieces. We're joined by award winning filmmaker Scott Scheirich to tackle the infamous cult film THE ROOM. Staring the dastardly Tommy Wiseau! Hear lots of vaguely European accents and the shocked and appalled reactions of Kit and Lilian who are watching the room for the first time! Listen as Phil realizes that watching the Room a second time does not cause it to make any sense whatsoever!
For this very special 25th episode we bring back documentarian Vanessa Jung to join us in discussing The Killing of America. It's a film that was unavailable in North America until this past year. In the age of Donald Trump this documentary feels more necessary than ever. The gang try to keep their signature sense of humour while engaging in the images and themes contained in the Killing of America, but are overwhelmed by the tone and content. This is probably the closest they come to academic discussion in their cinematic exploits. And they all tease Graham as usual. Will they survive the Killing of America? Listen to find out!
DBV return with their hot take on the 1970s regional exploitation film oddity: Another Son of Sam! It actually has nothing to do with the Son of Sam murders and was retired to cash in on all the hoopla! Hear them describe the strange methods used to pad the film's running time! Expose your eardrums as the gang tries to figure out why cast was almost entirely made up of local newscasters! Listen in as the co-hosts gang up on Graham's personal taste in movies! It's non-stop thrills and chills to begin this holiday season. NOTE: this podcast was recorded in early September 2017.
The ghosts of the abandoned video store have chosen Friday the 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter as their last challenge to our intrepid hosts! Join the gang as they delve into this highpoint in the Friday the 13th series as they discuss the tension between young star Corey Feldman and veteran stunt man Ted White! Also will a young Crispin Glover achieve his weekend goal of canoodling with a woman of similar age? Tune in to find out on Death By Video!!!
The gang of usual misfits are back to discuss a most unusual film! This time it's Exorcist III!! The overlooked gem from William Peter Blatty. Featuring George C. Scott destroying the ear drums of his fellow actors! A nearly unnoticeable Samuel L. Jackson! Fabio! and the fight between good and evil for the soul of a dead man! It's thrills, chills, & spills in Exorcist III!
Just in time for Halloween! The gang are close to half way through their horror filled month and this time they tackle the super problematic Psycho Cop 2!!! aka Psycho Cop Returns! Hear them use the former PM of Canada Stephen Harper to describe the epic douchebagery on display! We also take some time to discuss schlock v. satire and can something be both (short answer: yes!) So tune in and enjoy Psycho Cop Returns!
Holy Smokes! Phil, Lil, & Graham kick off the Halloween season with a doozy! A maniac in a cop uniform (some would say "maniac cop") stalks the streets of NYC offing innocent people. It's so timely!!! Staring the impressive chins of William Smith, Robert Z'Dar, & Bruce Campbell! The less impressive chin of Tom Atkins leads the investigation into the Maniac Cop and has to fight the greatest villain of all(bureaucracy to get justice! Does he succeed? Tune in to find out!
Phil, Lil, Kit & Graham are back with yet another deep dive into the clunky VHS tapes of the old abandoned video store! This week they tackle the whacked out 1971 film "THE ZODIAC KILLER"!!! Which was actually produced and released while the real Zodiac was still active in an attempt to catch the killer! Did the producers succeed? No. But listen in to hear their takes on this rarified piece of regional filmmaking!!!
We're finally back!!! Join Phil, Kit, Lil, and a barely alive Graham as they plunge into the Cult Canadian Kiddie Classic: Tommy Tricker and The Stamp Traveller! Graham makes a hero's effort of trying to keep everyone on topic while incredibly ill and having little to no voice! Hear them discuss Canada Post's attempt to make stamps (or licker stickers as the cool kids call them) the hip new thing for the kids!!! And listen in as they discuss every stereotype about China and Australia that the movie embraces! It's thrills, chills, and Kazoo music galore!
Phil, Kit, Graham & special guest Lilian return to chat about David Cronenberg's crazy cult Canadian classic Rabid!!! Hear them attempt awful Quebecois accents. Listen to Graham alienate more and more of Canada! And absorb the discussion of the body-horror works of David Cronenberg!!! Plus there's some references to Ace of Base!
In this episode Graham remembers the late George A. Romero and his contributions to cinema. Then Graham, Phil, Kit, & returning guest Star Lilian discuss the bafflingly amazing early 1990s cyborg action fiesta Nemesis!
Join the DBV gang as they tackle the 1988 Canadian Camp Classic HEAVY METAL SUMMER (aka STATE PARK in the United States). Listen in as they discuss the plot of a bunch of friend teens who team up with a couple heavy metalers to take down a crooked businessman who wants to dump toxic waste into their beloved state park! Will they save the park, fall in love, and jam with Ted Nudgent? Phil Bardach calls this movie "watchable."
We kick off Canadiana month with HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN!!! It's a shopping cart ride to the seedier side of Atlantic Canada with this neo-grindhouse thriller. Listen in as Phil and Kit fight with Lilian & Graham as to whether or not this film has any redeeming qualities. Lilian & Graham make valid points and Phil & Kit bicker! It's thrills, chills & spills as one Hobo stops begging and starts demanding change!
DBV Ep. 12: Jason Goes to Hell!!! Join Phil, Kit & Graham as they go to hell and have to endure the early 1990s cinematic slog that is Jason Goes To Hell. Hear Graham wax lyrically about all the other great entries in the Friday The 13th series, and then hear him be totally defeated by Jason Goes To Hell!!! Bet the guys wish they were the ones were going to hell after this one. Anything to get away from this terrible film. Check it out!!!
The guys are joined by return guest Lilian Perez as they discuss the 1993 not-so-classic Best of the Best 2!!! There's vague martial arts, a secret underground fighting competition, sports journalism, board kicking, brick breaking, bo-staff fighting, and wrist's a poppin'! See Julia Roberts less famous brother Eric Roberts! With Wayne Newton as the evil mastermind behind an underground martial arts tournament that ends in death!!! And Chris Penn!!!
Phil, Kit & Graham are joined in the abandoned video store off of Highway 9 by the lovely ladies Vanessa Jung & Lilian Perez. Listen in as they try and get to the bottom of what exactly is Geteven? Is it a vanity project turned work of genius? Short answer: yes.
Warning! Phil, Kit, & Graham dive into the problematic subgenre of Italian Cannibal Films with the 1981 film Cannibal Ferox!
The 1993 saga that nobody liked finally comes to an end as Phil, Kit & 1993 Graham watch the 1981 slasher film Graduation Day! Hear them marvel at teenagers who are clearly in their late 30s. Listen to them try and figure out who is the main character and why someone would choose the name "Patch MacKenzie." Featuring a pre-Wheel of Fortune Vanna White!
Death By Video returns with the long lost Mafiasploitation near-classic Gone With The Pope! Listen in as Phil, Kit & Graham discuss the odd tonal shifts and complicated ethics in this 1970s freak-out of a film! Racism, religion, & the holocaust all weave their way into Duke Mitchell's final film!
Probably the best episode yet! Phil & Kit are still stuck in 1993 with an alternate universe version of Graham. They watch the fantastic film Tuff Turf (1985) and reality is shattered!!! Graham goes on an epic rant about modern life being rubbish as Kit & Phil try very very hard to reign him in.
Join Phil, Kit & Graham as they travel back in time (literally!) and revisit the cable television & video store staple Gleaming The Cube! What does that even mean? Listen to finally find the answer! This episode also contains a brief tribute to the late Jonathan Demme.
Phil, Kit & Graham take a trip to New York City as Robert Ginty cleans up the town by burning it down. They discuss the difficult ethics of revenge films and how it's better to sometimes just turn the other cheek. They laugh, they cry, and are haunted by the ghosts that still linger amongst the battered VHS tapes.
Phil, Kit & Graham enter the brutal world of roller derby in the 1972 classic "Unholy Rollers." Staring Claudia Jennings and produced by Roger Corman it's dynamite on roller skates! Also, somewhat edited by Martin Scorsese! They laugh, they cry, and are haunted by the ghosts that still linger amongst the battered VHS tapes.
Phil, Kit & Graham gather in the ruins of the abandoned video store off highway 9 to watch the 1988 not-so classic "Zombi3." The VHS box cover says it was directed by Lucio Fulci. The box cover lied. They laugh, they cry, and are haunted by the ghosts that still linger amongst the battered VHS tapes.
Phil, Kit & Graham gather in the ruins of the abandoned video store off highway 9 to watch the 1986 Jean-Claude Van Damme, Kurt McKinney classic "No Retreat, No Surrender." They laugh, they cry, and are haunted by the ghosts that still linger amongst the battered VHS tapes.