While obscure German arthouse cinema might not scream “party time” to most, here at Ex Rated Movies, it’s a downright jubilee! Throughout the 70’s and into the early 80’s, Ranier Werner Fassbinder (not to be confused with Michael Fassbender) was a talented and innovative voice in cinema. Though problematic (and sometimes hard to watch), his films combine difficult subject matter with creative visual flourishes and breathtaking imagery. Our double feature Fassbinder Filmbender includes the maybe masochistic made for TV movie about marital misery, Martha (1974) and the sumptuous and sleek monochrome nod to Hollywood noir, Veronika Voss (1982). Grab yourself a plate of pig kidneys in Burgundy sauce and settle in as we consider the exact nature of verandas, don our furs to impersonate fancy ladies, and give our Ambie Award presentation the Elizabeth Taylor treatment, this week on Ex Rated Movies!
Happy Birth (2004) Day! This episode has been a long time coming so we’re giving ourselves a congratulatory pat on the back as we tackle this icky squicky drama about a woman whose decade-long dead husband is seemingly reincarnated in the body of a 10 year old boy. Directed by the gifted Jonathan Glazer and starring Nicole Kidman in what may be her finest role, this muted, solemn tale challenges its viewers to accept the preposterous premise and truly wrestle with the messy implications contained within it. It’s Kidman vs. Kid Man as we toss out some controversial opinions, find out that Matt was a teen loan shark sensei, and learn a fun fact about shag carpet from Willy Nilly, this week on Ex Rated Movies!
On paper, Notes on a Scandal (2006) has our names written all over it. A sapphic British psychosexual thriller starring Judy Dench and Cate Blanchett? Yes please! However in practice, the movie doesn’t quite live up to its promise. Despite its rich subject matter, stellar performances, and competent production, the film relies heavily on tired voiceover, leaves important themes virtually unexplored, and muddies many scenes with an oppressive Philip Glass score (sorry, Philip). It all adds up to a decent viewing experience that ultimately leaves us wanting. Join us for some special friend arm strokin’, an odd shoutout to Bob Geldof, and more cat talk than you’d think on this velvet tippin’, finger smithin’, oyster slurpin’ bonanza of an episode, this week on Ex Rated Movies!
We’ve hinted about doing Dangerous Liaisons (1987) for ages and today, my dear listener, is the day. Based on the late 18th century epistolary novel by Choderlos De Laclos, and directed by Stephen Frears: The King of Middlebrow Cinema™, this wicked little gem dares to paint the French aristocracy as snipey manipulators bent on vindictive sexual conquest and calculated emotional revenge. Come for the extraordinary cast, elaborate intrigue, and opulent production design. Stay for the exquisite direction, delicious dialogue, and abundance of heaving bosoms. Grab a glass of bone water and join us as we dust off the Oblique Strategies deck, mention a filling of our Dench Trench, and hear tell of a dangerous Dangerous Liaisons liaison, this week on Ex Rated Movies!
It’s Valentine’s Day season and Matt is reviving an old tradition we have here at the podcast of celebrating a day devoted to romance with a movie that doesn’t have a hint of romance in it. Possession (1981) is a movie that defies categorization. Part relationship drama, part sci-fi horror, part Cold War allegory (maybe?), Andrzej Żuławski’s emotional tour-de-force stars Isabelle Adjani (giving an impassioned performance) and Sam Neill (once again playing an unwanted husband) as they reckon with the pain of infidelity, the tribulations of divorce, and the hopefulness of rebirth. Oh, also sopping wet betentacled sex aliens. Join us as we discuss the 80’s sitcom Heinrich and Heinrich, Bob the kid, and Ryan’s harrowing viewing adventure, this week on Ex Rated Movies!
January 2021, a month that will surely only be remembered for Bean Dad and Game Stop stock, is now behind us. That means we’re back to our regularly scheduled programming with the only Hollywood film noir directed by a woman, The Hitch-Hiker (1953). Based on the real-life cross-country killing spree of Billy Cook, certified “cool lady” Ida Lupino tells this brutal and emotionally wrought tale with empathy and flair. While perhaps not a typical noir, this desert-set, chiaroscuro-drenched affair manages to feel propulsive and tense, even at a brief 71 minutes long! Join us for some hard serial killer face, a bit of boomer humor, and some sex flashcards that taught us the word lingam, this week on Ex Rated Movies!
After more than six hours and four bottles of wine, we’ve reached the end of our journey. And while we neglect to mention the episode’s title, we did remember to look up the production designer! Heaven, I’m in Heaven closes out Angels in America on a supremely satisfying note. Unfortunately, the play’s dismal analysis of conservative American politics remains accurate to this day, but it’s message of hopeful progress through adversity endures as well. Join us for the tired and tearful final installment of our Angels in Americathon!
Part five, Beyond Nelly, left us dirty, tangled, and torn. It also confirmed Ryan’s bi-ness. This installment finds Hannah calling Prior “Batman”, Belize describing a fabulous version of heaven to Roy, and Harper learning about change from a bitter lady of the plains. Things are getting heavy as the grindy gears of justice slowly spin towards their inexorable ends as new relationships begin to bloom while other fade away. Join us for an episode that includes a three wiener callback, beautiful Balenciaga ballgowns, and a petrichor detecting palette, as we continue our Angels in Americathon!
Perestroika begins with Stop Moving!, a slower chapter that takes its time establishing the new places and situations our characters find themselves in. Louis and Joe are shacking up and talking about smells. Prior is home and having wet dreams about an angel with eight vaginas. And Belize is reluctantly taking care of Roy who is now slowly deteriorating in the hospital. What is the pterodactyl sex move? Where does Ryan land on the Kinsey scale? How would middle toe sex work? The answers to these questions and a funeral with wigs out the wazoo on this episode of our Angels in Americathon!
Part three of Millennium Approaches, The Messenger, serves as a nice tonic to the emotionally difficult previous chapter. It starts with Michael Gambon and Simon Callow looking like they’ve been dredged in flour and it ends with Meryl Streep dressed as Ethel Rosenberg gleefully commenting on the melodious sounds of a touchtone phone. We’re halfway through and the cracks are starting to show as we discuss the lamentable consequences of venery, purple v mauve, and our undeniable similarities to Frasier and Niles on this installment of our Angels in Americathon!
