Who's that silhouette I see through a piece of cheesecloth backlit red? It's BFI regular Alex Campo, here for a discussion of Ralph Bakshi's 1978 film The Lord of the Rings! This week we dive deep on the first ever theatrical feature adaptation of Tolkien's work to discover if there's anything worthwhile in it. A strange, compromised adaptation of Fellowship of the Ring and about a third of Two Towers, LOTR '78 is a strange piece of the puzzle that is the franchise. At what point do the live...

At long last, we're starting our Lord of the Rings series. This week, Devin and KeriAnn kick things off with a movie that everyone definitely remembers: Rankin Bass' 1977 adaptation of The Hobbit!   A TV movie created under dubious legal circumstance, The Hobbit is nonetheless the first released film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's world. How is it? Honestly, it has its moments! Listen in as we make our first deep dive into a Lord of the Rings movie by arguing if any of this movie's many,...

Welcome to our first ever meta-podcast. Not really! We just like to say RaNdOm stuff like that sometimes.   From the Skeeter Stevenson Variety Hour, Kevin Wingertzahn and Sebass Maroun along with Bobby Martin make their return to the show for a... discussion? of the latest blockbuster MCU film: Deadpool & Wolverine. Why are we covering this movie? SEO, mostly. Did we like it? You'll just have to listen and find out!   Remember to rate five stars, follow, and leave us a review!   ...

We forgot we had our long legs on! Nicolas Cage expert Alex Campo returns to the show to discuss the new release: Os Perkins' Longlegs! It's a fantastic suspense film even if it doesn't live up to the marketing campaign dubbing it "one of the scariest movies of the decade," and it features an absolutely gonzo supporting performance from Nic Cage that rivals any of the work he's put out during his current career resurgence. So strap in, because Alex and I go very long(legs) discussing the...

We're going there and back again... Again! KeriAnn Eng is back to kick off our new miniseries together: a comprehensive review of the entire Lord of the Rings franchise! What do we hope to gain by doing this? Honestly, we're not even sure yet, so join us as we figure out why- after taking a three hour bus each way to see each of the LOTR original trilogy movies' extended editions in Staten Island- we are using this series to drive ourselves further into insanity. It'll be fun!   Follow us...

It's the end of an era! Lily Steinberg is back to close out this season of Guest Defense episodes by discussing Kevin Smith's schmaltzy family comedy Jersey Girl. We get into the weird baggage this movie was asked to shoulder and why Kevin Smith should make his extended Snyder Cut of Jersey Girl more widely available. Also: We are so, so sorry for this episode's art work. Are you following us on social? There are episode clips as well as coverage schedules, including for our upcoming Lord of...

Is that a naked space vampire? So close! It's Max Evry- author of A Masterpiece in Disarray- coming on the pod to discuss Tobe Hooper's box office bomb Lifeforce. But first, Max talks to me about his experience writing an exhaustive history of the production, release, and legacy of David Lynch's 1984 adaptation of Dune and some of the insights he got from talking to over three dozen people involved in the production of the film. Once we switch back over to Lifeforce, discussion topics...

Co-owner of Myfriendsbasement Studio and comedian Connor Kwiecien steps away from the controls and in front of the mic for a defense of Netflix's Kissing Booth Trilogy! I sat down and watched this whole trilogy- without even going to Staten Island- and I have questions. Connor, the world's foremost Kissing Booth scholar, has answers! Chief among those questions are: Is The Kissing Booth 2 the longest movie ever made? How are we supposed to relate to these characters' problem when they live...

Boasting an almost impressive 1% on Rotten Tomatoes, The Master of Disguise is often cited as one of the worst movies ever made. But is this movie actually turtle-y enough to be considered a good time? That's what guest Cameron Lindsey, host of Everyone's Better Than Me, is here to argue. We dive deep on this movie to try to understand why it was received so negatively and what about it might be worth sticking around for. Did Dana Carvey hold a moment of silence for the victims of September...

When we have repeat guests back, they often start to develop patterns with the movies they're on to discuss. Having said this, Bad First Impression is extremely proud to welcome back Bobby Martin as our resident Explicit Nudity on Puppets Expert for a discussion of Meet the Feebles! A somewhat forgotten curio from Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson, Meet the Feebles is a... showbiz satire? Proto-edgelord parody? Softcore fetish content? Aping the framework of The Muppets, Meet the...

We're getting too old for this franchise! Filmmaker Alex Campo returns to the podcast to defend Predator 2 as fun trash... that simply happens to be the sequel to one of the greatest action films of all time. Put on your sweatbands and jump in!   Follow, like, and leave a five star review wherever you get your podcasts!   Spotify | Apple Podcasts   Subscribe, like and comment on YouTube, and make sure to turn channel notifications for clips and show updates!   Follow us on social...

Now, before we get started, we just wanna ask: do you guys wanna guess how much you think we can bench press?   Comedian Charlie Flynn joins me this episode to discuss Best in Show and how it was a bizarrely important film for him from a young age. We discuss unhealthy emotional investments in pets, pioneering queer representation in mainstream film, and the late, great Fred Willard.   Follow us on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts! YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts   ...

Don't turn your back on this guy! Comedian Bo Ballew joins the show to discuss Terence Malick's feature directorial debut Badlands dressed to the nines.   Make sure to subscribe on YouTube for video as well as wherever you get your podcasts!   YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts   Follow us on social media for updates about the show!   Instagram | TikTok | Letterboxd   Make sure to follow Bo, as well as his podcast Talk Sauce!   Bo Ballew | Talk Sauce   Logo artwork by Kristen...

Bobby Martin returns to the pod to discuss Howard the Duck: the very first movie made adapted from a Marvel comic.

KeriAnn Eng is on this week, (kind of) talking about The Lord of the Rings! Mostly we talk about Staten Island and Quest for Camelot   Are you following us on social media? You should be! Instagram | TikTok | Letterboxd | Threads   Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts   Logo artwork by Kristen Eng Episode artwork by Alex Campo Social media management by Lily Steinberg

This episode is for the birds! Alex Campo returns to the pod for a format-breaking guest's choice episode on the cult classic documentary American Movie. Not subscribed yet? YouTube | Spotify | Apple Follow us on social media! TikTok | Instagram | Letterboxd Promotional images by Lily Steinberg Logo artwork by Kristen Eng

Have we been here before? On the heels of the release of "Dune Part Two," Alex Wolz returns to BFI to discuss Denis Villeneuve's other sc-fi sequel: Blade Runner 2049. How does this movie speak to the modern way of life? What can we glean from Denis Villeneuve's intentions for the future of the Dune franchise from this movie? What is the functional difference between K's relationship to JOI and the American moviegoing public's to the Dune 2 AMC popcorn bucket? All this and more! *Note:...

This week on BFI: I discuss the second Twilight movie: New Moon. I and my guests Lily Steinberg and KeriAnn Eng dive into what two of us contend is the best movie in the series.   Follow the show on social media!   Instagram | TikTok | Letterboxd   Follow on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts!   YouTube | Spotify | Apple   Promotional artwork by Lily Steinberg Logo artwork by Kristen Eng

Director of the Unnamed Footage Fest Madeleine Koestner joins me this week to discuss Nikos Nikolaidis' opus Singapore Sling! The Unnamed Footage Fest runs 3/26-3/31 in San Francisco. Tickets are still available! Check out the Unnamed Footage Fest's website! Get tickets here! Follow the show on social media! Instagram | TikTok | Letterboxd Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts for new episodes every Friday! Apple | Spotify Promotional Images by Lily Steinberg Logo artwork by...

Surf's up! Recent winner of Virginia Emerging Filmmakers Festival's Best Production Design and Best First-Time Filmmaker awards Alex Campo returns to the pod to discuss horror master John Carpenter's only sequel: Escape from L.A.! We go deep on Carpenter and how his highest budgeted movie fits within his collaborations with star Kurt Russell and his career as a whole.   Rate, review and follow to keep up with the latest episodes and be sure to watch this episode on YouTube, where new...

Welcome to our awards coverage! In the spirit of the arbitrary and sometimes unfair, we've come up with a fun game as we discuss the nominees for this weekend's 96th Oscars!   Watch the video version of this episode here!   Spotify | Apple | YouTube   Instagram | TikTok | Letterboxd   Logo artwork by Kristen Eng Promotional artwork by Lily Steinberg

Jump in this week as we discuss the new Amazon series "Expats," the fifth episode of which screened at Film at Lincoln Center with director Lulu Wang in person. Additionally, Lily and I talk about some of the Valentine's Day-themed programming we went to around the city. Guest: Lily Steinberg Youtube | Instagram | TikTok | Letterboxd Promotional images and social media by Lily Steinberg Logo artwork by Kristen Eng

Photographer and host of the Too Much Dialogue podcast Doyin Ayo makes her debut on Bad First Impression to discuss the 1997 Quentin Tarantino film Jackie Brown!   Discussion topics include: Is the chemistry between Pam Grier and Robert Forster believable as romantic? Does Tarantino's track record mean he deserves our skepticism that he could write a black woman well? Does Robert DeNiro know he's Doyin's boyfriend? All this, and more!   Make sure to watch this episode on YouTube as...

We're back with another new movie: 2024's first major wide release Argylle! But who is the real Agent Argylle? Find out in our spoiler-filled discussion of Matthew Vaughn's flop!   Also discussed this week: 1992's cult artifact The Lawnmower Man. This film screened at the Museum of the Moving Image earlier this month, and we not only watched this movie but also it's sequel Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace (alternate subtitle: Jobe's War,) the 1987 Dollar Baby short film adaptation, and...