Cinema Shock

Cinema Shock Roundtable #15 | Announcing our next Cinema Shock Roulette entry!

Well, we just wrapped up our 7 episode series on the career of Sam Raimi, and you know what that means: It's time for another Cinema Shock Roulette episode!
Roulette episodes are randomly selected from an ongoing list (which you can find over on Justin's Letterboxd) and are designed to function as standalone episodes, not part of a larger series. It allows us to explore the history behind cult films that may not fit into a larger theme or filmmaker's filmography.
What's our next Roulette episode gonna be? We don't know! We'll choose it during the course of this episode, so you'll have to listen to this week's Roundtable to find out what it is!

Sam Raimi: The Entertainer | DRAG ME TO HELL (2009)

When THE QUICK & THE DEAD failed to make a splash at the box office, Sam Raimi blamed himself. Or rather, he blamed his inability to adapt his filmmaking style to fit the film that he was creating.
This led to some soul searching, after which he directed three dramatic films that are conspicuously void of the type of bold visual flourishes that we've come to expect from Raimi.
After that, he was pulled into a nearly decade long endeavor to bring Spider-Man to the big screen. But that's a story for another day.
In this episode — the conclusion to our Sam Raimi series — we're focusing on the development and production of Raimi's follow-up to the SPIDER-MAN trilogy, his return to the type of Spook-A-Blast films where he made his name: 2009's DRAG ME TO HELL.
GoFundMe for Alyssa Fowler: https://gofund.me/60e5d127
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, and Todd A. Davis.

Sam Raimi: The Entertainer | THE QUICK & THE DEAD (1994)

In the early half of the 1990s, the Western suddenly became popular in American cinemas again, thanks to films like UNFORGIVEN and TOMBSTONE.
Coming near the end of this cycle was Sam Raimi's THE QUICK & THE DEAD, a stylish interpretation of the genre that whittles the Western down to its basest elements, all while using a visual style that's distinctly Raimi-esque.
In this episode, we'll track the development of the film, including how Sam Raimi wound up being hired to direct one of the most star studded casts of his career, in the first film he'd made in which he had no hand in writing.
The Playboy Interview with Keanu Reeves: https://www.playboy.com/read/the-playboy-interview-with-keanu-reeves
GoFundMe for Alyssa Fowler: https://gofund.me/60e5d127
The Love-Alive Charity: https://love-alive.org
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, and Todd A. Davis.

Cinema Shock Roundtable#14 | The ARMY OF DARKNESS Extended Comic Book Universe

In this Roundtable discussion, we're talking bout the many (many, many) ARMY OF DARKNESS spin-off comics, which see Ash facing off against the likes of everyone from Dracula to the band KISS in what we'd like to refer to as The ARMY OF DARKNESS Extended Comic Book Universe (otherwise known as the AODECBU).

Sam Raimi: The Entertainer | ARMY OF DARKNESS (1992)

After the success of DARKMAN, both Universal Pictures and Dino De Laurentiis — who'd produced EVIL DEAD 2 — were willing to move forward on a new entry into the EVIL DEAD franchise.
The third EVIL DEAD film, which would eventually be titled ARMY OF DARKNESS, moved the franchise even further from its gritty exploitation horror roots and into the world of Harryhausen-inspired fantasy adventure, but with Raimi and Campbell's signature humor intact.
In this episode, we'll discuss the creation of ARMY OF DARKNESS, including all of the ups and downs of its production, delayed release, and eventual ascension to cult classic status.
GoFundMe for Alyssa Fowler: https://gofund.me/60e5d127
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, and Todd A. Davis.

Cinema Shock Roundtable #13 | DARKMAN 2 & 3

For this bonus episode, we're taking a look at the direct-to-video sequels to Sam Raimi's DARKMAN! What they lack in Liam Neeshums, they make up for in Larry Drakes and Jeff Fahey's!

Sam Raimi: The Entertainer | DARKMAN (1990)

After paying his dues in the indie world, it was time for Sam Raimi to make a honest-to-god major studio film. His opportunity to do so came in the late 1980s, on the heels of the massive success of Tim Burton's BATMAN, which set off a wave of imitators.
And Sam Raimi wanted in the superhero game. He had, in fact, been trying to get a superhero movie off the ground for years, but the success of BATMAN was the impediment he needed to make that happen. When he was unable to get the rights to an existing hero, he made one of his own: DARKMAN.
Unfortunately, his first project with a major studio — in this case, Universal — was fraught with interference, but the resulting film is still one of his most beloved. In this episode, we'll track DARKMAN from its earliest days, through its production, release, and legacy, and how all of that effected the direction of Raimi's career.
Watch the unaired DARKMAN TV pilot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgiScRY0FRA
GoFundMe for Alyssa Fowler: https://gofund.me/60e5d127
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, and Todd A. Davis.
 

Sam Raimi: The Entertainer | EVIL DEAD 2 (1987)

After the failure of CRIMEWAVE, Sam Raimi knew he needed a hit. His future as a professional filmmaker was in jeopardy. So, at the advice of his mentor and publicist Irvin Sharpiro, he went back to the well to create a sequel to his breakthrough film, THE EVIL DEAD.
But Sam Raimi being Sam Raimi, he wasn't content do just create a cash grab sequel. Instead, he used the bigger canvas — and bigger budget, thanks to producer Dino De Laurentiis — to create a film that was closer to his sensibilities than the first one. EVIL DEAD 2 is the distillation of all of Raimi's influences, equal parts Three Stooges and Hershel Gordon Lewis, and it remains one of his most popular films.
In this episode, we'll track the creation of the film from its earliest concept as a time travel picture, all the way through its eventual release and ongoing legacy.
GoFundMe for Alyssa Fowler: https://gofund.me/60e5d127
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, and Todd A. Davis.
Episode archives & more: www.cinemashock.net

Cinema Shock Roundtable #12: Tips on starting your own podcast from the Cinema Shock gang

For this bonus episode, we're doing something a little different: We're giving some tips and tricks for anyone who might be interesting in doing this whole podcasting thing. Ever thought about doing a podcast but didn't know how to start? Now you can get some advice from three dudes who *sort of* know how to do it.

Sam Raimi: The Entertainer | CRIMEWAVE (1985)

After the success of THE EVIL DEAD, Sam Raimi and his Michigan Mafia were given the chance to work on their first "Hollywood" film. Working from a script co-written by the Coen Brothers, the resulting film, CRIMEWAVE, was hindered by studio interference and remains the one film in his career that Sam Raimi has all but disowned.
This is the story of the making — and un-making — of CRIMEWAVE.
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, and Todd A. Davis.
Episode archives & more: www.cinemashock.net