016 – ABBA: The Movie

Jen and Mike discuss the clean-cut beat of ABBA: The Movie, starring the enduringly popular Swedes and directed by Lasse Hallstrom. Note: this is the second film we’ve discussed that stars a convicted child molester. Hmm.

Sure, you could watch Lasse Hallstrom’s polite middlebrow films, or you could enjoy all the videos he made with ABBA over on their official YouTube channel! We suggest the latter!

For more musical confusion, listen to our episode on Under the Cherry Moon!

015 – 10 to Midnight

Jen and globetrotting co-host Tim discuss a boilerplate Charles Bronson film, 10 to Midnight.

Quickie spoiler warning: if you haven’t seen the Netflix doc Making a Murderer and want to avoid story details, skip minutes 23:00 through 23:38.

This one was helmed by the director of the original Cape Fear and written by the guy who gave us Magnificent Seven, but somehow doesn’t quite meet those heights. It does feature a nude serial killer, though: Gene Davis, who made a cameo as a trans sex worker in Cruising, plays the naked killer.

Speaking of, why not check out our Cruising episode, which features special guest Will Menaker?

013 – The Paul Lynde Halloween Special

Paul Lynde hosting the Paul Lynde Halloween Special (1976)
before stan culture was a thing, adult women stanned Paul Lynde

Jen and guest Paul Jay discuss a true relic of the 70s: the Paul Lynde Halloween Special! [Toccata and Fugue sting; ghoulish scream]

You can watch the whole goddamn thing at the Internet Archive, if you want to see Roz “Pinky Tuscadero” Kelly flirting with Paul Lynde’s chest wig.

Paul also joined us to pick over the weird auteur project, The Wizard of Speed and Time!

010 – Dead of Night

Cover of the BFI DVD for the British series Dead of Night (1972)

Jen and Tim discuss a classic and sadly overlooked gem of British horror television, Dead of Night. The series dates from 1972 and thus, emerging as it did during a less enlightened time when it came to archiving, only three of the original seven episodes still exist.

Watch the Paranormal Activity parody written and directed by Tim and starring your hosts (!) on Youtube.

For more British horror, listen to our episode on the controversial 1992 special, Ghostwatch.

009 – Vile Pervert

Jonathan King in Vile Pervert
why drag Spongebob into this

Jen is joined by Mike Rosen to discuss Vile Pervert: The Musical. This slice of pure internet was made by Jonathan King, a music impresario and TV presenter turned convicted sex criminal. If you’ve been looking for the perfect mix of mobile phone video, Oscar Wilde, and sheer unfettered egotism, this will have to do. The entire movie is available for free on YouTube, if you’re a masochist or love demented music as much as Mike does.

Our other episodes about the, uh, work of Jonathan King may be heard here and here.

008 – Nothing But Trouble

Dan Aykroyd in Nothing But Trouble (1991)
why

Jen is once again joined by Mike Rosen to suffer through Dan Aykroyd’s sole directorial credit, Nothing But Trouble! We have nothing else to say except that if you Google the Demi Moore picture we allude to, don’t do it at work.

For more Mike, try our episode on The Day the Clown Cried!