Cinema Shock

SPEED RACER: The Wachowskis’ Candy-Colored Cult Classic | The Wachowskis' Cinema of Fluidity

After the completion of the MATRIX trilogy, the Wachowskis took a short break from directing to write and produce V FOR VENDETTA for James McTeigue, but it wouldn't be long before they were back directing again, for their much-anticipated follow-up to their groundbreaking franchise.
Their choice for a follow-up was a surprising one. In 2008, the Lana and Lilly Wachowskis released SPEED RACER, a kid-friendly live action adaptation of a 1960s Japanese cartoon.
The results were divisive and the film received poor reviews and was a financial failure at the box office. But in the years since its release, SPEED RACER has garnered a significant cult following and is often called the Wachowskis most underrated and misunderstood film.
In this episode, we'll track the long journey that the property took to the big screen, how the Wachowskis got involved, and how they created the film's unique visual look. 
BUY OUR MERCH: http://cinemashock.threadless.com
Coming Up:
CLOUD ATLAS (2012)
JUPITER ASCENDING (2015)
THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS (2021)
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, & Todd Davis.
Visit our website for episode archives and more: http://cinemashock.net
Follow us:
twitter.com/cinema_shock
facebook.com/cinemashocknet
instagram.com/cinema_shock

V FOR VENDETTA: The Wachowskis’ Radical Rewrite of a Dystopian Classic | The Wachowskis' Cinema of Fluidity

This week, our journey through the career of Lana and Lilly Wachowski takes a detour behind the camera—but not out of creative control.
In 2006’s V FOR VENDETTA, the Wachowskis took on writing and producing duties, handing the directorial reins to their long-time assistant director James McTeigue. The result? A politically charged, visually striking adaptation of Alan Moore and David Lloyd’s cult-favorite graphic novel that became an unlikely box office hit—and a lasting symbol of resistance in popular culture.
In this episode, we explore the origins of V FOR VENDETTA, from its publication in Thatcher-era Britain to its long path through Hollywood development hell. We discuss the Wachowskis’ changes to the material, the tension between Moore’s anarchism and the film’s populism, and how this movie went from polarizing release to iconic imagery for 21st-century protest movements.
BUY OUR MERCH: http://cinemashock.threadless.com
Coming Up:
V FOR VENDETTA (2006)
SPEED RACER (2008)
CLOUD ATLAS (2012)
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, & Todd Davis.
Visit our website for episode archives, blogs and more: http://cinemashock.net
Follow us:
twitter.com/cinema_shock
facebook.com/cinemashocknet
instagram.com/cinema_shock

The Cinema Shock Halloween Special: Todd‘s Favorite Horror Movies

We've been promising it for months and Halloween finally seemed like a good time to let Todd "Horror Guy" Davis tell us his favorite horror movies of all time!
In this special bonus episode, Todd and Justin sit down to discuss the picks, just in time for spooky season!

THE MATRIX RELOADED & REVOLUTIONS: Bigger, Wilder, and Deeply Divisive | The Wachowskis' Cinema of Fluidity

After the groundbreaking success of THE MATRIX, all eyes were on the Wachowskis to deliver the next chapter. What they delivered was not one but two sequels—released just six months apart in 2003—that attempted to expand the universe, deepen the lore, and blow audiences’ minds all over again.
In this episode, we explore the creation of THE MATRIX RELOADED and THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS—from the Wachowskis’ ambitious storytelling goals and high-concept worldbuilding to the jaw-dropping action sequences that pushed CGI to its limits. We also break down the backlash: why fans and critics were left scratching their heads, how expectations clashed with execution, and how the films have since been reappraised.
Love them, hate them, or still figuring them out—these sequels were nothing if not bold.
BUY OUR MERCH: http://cinemashock.threadless.com
Coming Up:
V FOR VENDETTA (2006)
SPEED RACER (2008)
CLOUD ATLAS (2012)
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, & Todd Davis.
Visit our website for episode archives, blogs and more: http://cinemashock.net
Follow us:
twitter.com/cinema_shock
facebook.com/cinemashocknet
instagram.com/cinema_shock

THE ANIMATRIX: How the Wachowskis Expanded Their Universe Through Anime | The Wachowskis' Cinema of Fluidity

In the lead-up to the release of THE MATRIX RELOADED and THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS, the Wachowskis made a bold and unprecedented move: they collaborated with some of the most acclaimed Japanese animation studios and directors to expand the MATRIX universe beyond live action.
The result was THE ANIMATRIX, a groundbreaking anthology of short films that deepened the mythology, explored side stories and backstories, and brought anime aesthetics into the franchise in a big way.
In this bonus episode, we discuss how THE ANIMATRIX came to be, the Wachowskis' deep love for anime, and how the project helped push the boundaries of franchise storytelling—blurring the lines between mediums, markets, and narrative formats. We also explore how these shorts connect to the larger MATRIX saga and what they reveal about the Wachowskis’ approach to worldbuilding.
BUY OUR MERCH: http://cinemashock.threadless.com
Coming Up:
THE MATRIX RELOADED (2003)
THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS (2003)
V FOR VENDETTA (2006)
SPEED RACER (2008)
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, & Todd Davis.
Visit our website for episode archives, blogs and more: http://cinemashock.net
Follow us:
twitter.com/cinema_shock
facebook.com/cinemashocknet
instagram.com/cinema_shock

THE MATRIX: How the Cyberpunk Classic Rewired Hollywood | The Wachowskis' Cinema of Fluidity

In 1999, THE MATRIX hit theaters like a digital lightning bolt. Combining cutting-edge special effects, philosophical depth, and next-level action, it wasn’t just a blockbuster—it was a paradigm shift.
In this episode, we trace the origin and creation of THE MATRIX, from the Wachowskis’ early worldbuilding ideas to their battles to get the film made their way. We explore its Hong Kong action influences, cyberpunk roots, and the philosophical and trans allegories that helped define it as more than just a sci-fi thrill ride.
We’re also joined by special guest Robyn Scott to help us break down the movie’s lasting legacy and why it still feels ahead of its time.
BUY OUR MERCH: http://cinemashock.threadless.com
Coming Up:
THE MATRIX RELOADED (2003)
THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS (2003)
V FOR VENDETTA (2006)
SPEED RACER (2008)
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, & Todd Davis.
Visit our website for episode archives, blogs and more: http://cinemashock.net
Follow us:
twitter.com/cinema_shock
facebook.com/cinemashocknet
instagram.com/cinema_shock

BOUND: Neo-Noir and a Queer Cinema Breakthrough | The Wachowskis' Cinema of Fluidity

Before they reinvented cinema with THE MATRIX, Lana and Lilly Wachowski exploded onto the indie film scene with a lean, stylish, and unabashedly queer neo-noir: BOUND.
In the first episode of our new series, The Wachowskis' Cinema of Fluidity, we dive into the siblings' early years—how they went from house painters and comic book nerds to Hollywood screenwriters, and how a bad experience on their first produced script convinced them to take creative control by becoming directors themselves.
We explore the making of BOUND (1996), from its pitch-perfect performances by Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly to the cinematography that caught critics’ attention, and how the film’s reputation has only grown over the years. Once seen as a stylish erotic thriller, BOUND is now rightly celebrated as a landmark in queer cinema—and the first major film directed by transgender women.
BUY OUR MERCH: http://cinemashock.threadless.com
Coming Up:
BOUND (1996)
THE MATRIX (1999)
THE MATRIX RELOADED (2003)
THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS (2003)
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, & Todd Davis.
Visit our website for episode archives, blogs and more: http://cinemashock.net
Follow us:
twitter.com/cinema_shock
facebook.com/cinemashocknet
instagram.com/cinema_shock

HOLLOW MAN: Verhoeven’s Hollywood Exit | Sex + Violence

For the final entry in our Sex + Violence: The Films of Paul Verhoeven series, we’re examining the director’s last film made within the Hollywood system: HOLLOW MAN (2000).
Often dismissed by critics—and even by Verhoeven himself—HOLLOW MAN is rarely given the credit it deserves. While its story of invisibility and unchecked power may not have landed in its own time, the film’s special effects work was groundbreaking, and its themes hit differently in a post–#MeToo era.
In this episode, we explore how Sony Imageworks and Tippett Studio achieved the film’s remarkable (and Oscar-nominated) visual effects, what Verhoeven hoped to accomplish with the project, and how the film’s reputation has shifted over time. Was HOLLOW MAN simply a misfire, or a misunderstood provocation in disguise?
BUY OUR MERCH: http://cinemashock.threadless.com
Coming Up:
HOLLOW MAN (2000)
Up Next: The Wachowskis: Walking the Path
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, & Todd Davis.
Visit our website for episode archives, blogs and more: http://cinemashock.net
Follow us:
twitter.com/cinema_shock
facebook.com/cinemashocknet
instagram.com/cinema_shock

STARSHIP TROOPERS: Would You Like to Know More? | Sex + Violence

After the critical and commercial disaster of SHOWGIRLS, Paul Verhoeven returned to familiar territory: big-budget science fiction. This time, he re-teamed with ROBOCOP screenwriter Ed Neumeier to adapt Robert Heinlein’s 1959 novel Starship Troopers—but not in the way anyone expected.
What Verhoeven delivered was less a straightforward adaptation and more a brutal, satirical takedown of militarism and fascist ideology, all wrapped in the glossy sheen of a 1990s teen soap and bug-splattering war epic. The result? Critics hated it. Audiences didn’t get it. And the film was dismissed as dumb jingoistic schlock.
In this episode, we chart the course of STARSHIP TROOPERS from Heinlein’s source novel to Verhoeven’s gleeful subversion, its troubled marketing and release, and its slow but steady transformation into one of the most critically celebrated sci-fi films of its era.
BUY OUR MERCH: http://cinemashock.threadless.com
Coming Up:
STARSHIP TROOPERS (1997)
HOLLOW MAN (2000)
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, & Todd Davis.
Visit our website for episode archives, blogs and more: http://cinemashock.net
Follow us:
twitter.com/cinema_shock
facebook.com/cinemashocknet
instagram.com/cinema_shock
 
 

SHOWGIRLS: The NC-17 Disaster That Became a Cult Classic | Sex + Violence

After the smash success of BASIC INSTINCT, Paul Verhoeven had the Hollywood clout to push boundaries like never before. For his next film, he wanted total freedom—no rating compromises, no MPAA edits. What he made was one of the most notorious movies of the 1990s.
SHOWGIRLS.
Written by Joe Eszterhas and pitched (literally) on a cocktail napkin, SHOWGIRLS was meant to be Verhoeven’s ultimate statement on American decadence and ambition. Instead, it was universally panned, laughed out of theaters, and quickly became shorthand for “Hollywood disaster.” But over time, the film’s reputation has shifted—from box office bomb to camp classic, and now to a legitimate subject of critical reappraisal.
In this episode, we trace the full journey of SHOWGIRLS: its unlikely origins, wild production, disastrous release, and long road to redemption.
BUY OUR MERCH: http://cinemashock.threadless.com
Coming Up:
STARSHIP TROOPERS (1997)
HOLLOW MAN (2000)
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, & Todd Davis.
Visit our website for episode archives, blogs and more: http://cinemashock.net
Follow us:
twitter.com/cinema_shock
facebook.com/cinemashocknet
instagram.com/cinema_shock