The perils of leaving civilisation behind. This week, we strike out into the wilderness to explore a couple of backwoods thrillers: the big daddy of them all, Deliverance (1972) directed by John Boorman and one of the many imitators that came in its wake, William Grefe's Whiskey Mountain (1977). We discuss the world of hillbilly and hickspoloitation film in general, as well as addressing the vital issues of how to deal with drunken psychopaths on set, the unique challenge of acting...

Sammy from the Gentlemen's Guide to Midnite Cinema is back to sing a love song to the Spaghetti Western with us. Well, not sing, exactly, but we sure do talk a lot about them. It's a bumper-length episode to cover this beloved genre for us, and we focus on a double feature of The Great Silence (1968), directed by Sergio Corbucci and Keoma (1976), directed by Enzo G. Castellari. We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for both films, so if you haven't seen them before you listen,...

Samm Deighan joins us today to talk about the cinema of resistance, as profiled in her fantastic new book, Revolution in 35mm: Political Violence and Resistance in Cinema from the Arthouse to the Grindhouse, 1969-1990. In addition, we discuss a double feature plucked from the pages of this fantastic book: Pierrot le Fou (1965), directed by Jean-Luc Godard, and The Awakening of the Beast (1970), directed by José Mojica Marins. Samm is one of the finest film historians working today in the...

Happy Halloween! We're dropping this week's episode two days early to chime in on the spooky holiday fun. Dr Ethan Lyon gets all devilish with us as we check out Haxan (1922), directed by Benjamin Christensen, and then Beyond the Door (1974), directed by Ovidio Assonitis. In our usual roundabout way, our discussion of these films leads us to some unexpected questions such as: Is Halloween America's greatest ever export? Is the hyrax nature's sleaziest rodent? Are Beatrix Potter's idyllic...

Life is too short not to binge William Friedkin movies so this week we're bringing you a deep Friedkin double feature. Jerry McGlothlin and Bryce Hamilton are in the house to discuss To Live and Die in LA (1985) and Bug (2006). Strap in and prepare to hear the best Chicago accent this side of Glasgow (Chiglasgo?), the Oxford English Dictionary's most proper usage of pornographic terms, and a thorough rundown of the frankly alarming proliferation of police forces operating inside the USA....

The exploitation world of Star Wars rip-offs: you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. This week, we're joined by part-time Dark Lord of the Sith, Walter Kafka, to check out Starcrash (1978), directed by Luigi Cozzi, and The Man Who Saved the World - better known these days as Turkish Star Wars (1982), directed by Çetin İnanç. In all honesty, we don't think it's possible to spoil these two slices of psychedelic sci-fi wonderment, so there will be no Spoiler Territory...

Ninjas ruled in the 1980's! James Eldred from the Cinema Oblivia podcast joins us this week to discuss two underground ninjasploitation classics: Miami Connection (1987), directed by YK Kim and Richard Park, and Ninja Terminator (1985), directed by Godfrey Ho. As well as marvelling in the bizarre delights of these insane films, we discuss the place of ninjas in the popular imaginations of Eastern and Western audiences, and also get an impromptu tour through the recesses of James' arcane...

About face! Sakana joins us this week to check out some seminal body-horror films: Eyes Without a Face (1960), directed by Georges Franju, and The Awful Dr Orlof (1962), directed by Jess Franco. Doctoral God complexes, the French scars of Nazi occupation, and the proliferation of blind killers in European films of the 1960's - we discuss all this and more. We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for both films, so if you haven't seen them before you listen, you can nevertheless...

Nick Langdon joins us this week to tinker and tailor another intriguing double feature discussion. We check out Funeral in Berlin (1966), directed by Guy Hamilton, and The Soldier (1982), directed by James Glickenhaus. We'll dive deep into Cold War lore and the joy of "shabby" spy stories, while exploring the usual array of oblique asides such as gratuitous blood squibs, phallic bollards, Uzi pirouettes and Klaus Kinski's manic desire to steal the tightest ski pants in the Alps. We will be...

Al joins us once again to discuss Five Dolls For An August Moon (1970), directed by Mario Bava, and My Sister in Law (1976), directed by Lucio Fulci. Our conversation ranges across such topics as aristocratic Italian actors, the advisability of wearing budgie-smugglers at a weekend house party, the many riffs of Agatha Christie's seminal slasher-whodunit, Muppets songs lifted from Mondo films, and of course a deep appreciation of the work of the great Edwige Fenech (including how to say her...

This week, special guest Jerry McGlothlin joins Joe and Rob to check out Contraband (1980), directed by Lucio Fulci, and then The Astrologer (1976), directed by Craig Denney. Explicit gory gang violence followed by gratuitous sidereal astrology and the awesome delusional ego of Craig Denney. It's a hell of a combo. It's not really possible to spoil The Astrologer, but we will call out Spoiler Territory for Contraband. If you want to skip ahead from that point, you can rejoin the...

We got Post Tromatic Stress Disorder this week on Caliber 9 From Outer Space. Special guest John Horgan joins us to discuss two schlocktastic flicks from Troma Entertainment: Mother's Day (1980), directed by Charles Kaufman, and Father's Day (2011), directed by the "Astron 6" guys. Leave all good taste at the door, you can pick it up again on the way out. We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for both films, so if you haven't seen them before you listen, you can nevertheless...

Eleven hundred men went in the water, only Joe and Rob come out, and the sharks took the rest. Also the pigs. It's Jawsploitation week and we check out Razorback (1984), directed by Russell Mulcahy, and Cruel Jaws (1995), directed by Bruno Mattei. We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for both films, so if you haven't seen them before you listen, you can nevertheless avoid spoilers for Razorback by skipping ahead to the 57:55 mark, and for Cruel Jaws by skipping ahead to...

Can a riveting thriller be based on the game of chess? This question has plagued cinema philosophers for time immemorial but Joe, Rob and Bryce deliver the definitive resolution! We check out Night Moves (1975), directed by Arthur Penn, and Knight Moves (1992), directed by Carl Schenkel. We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for both films, so if you haven't seen them before you listen, you can nevertheless avoid spoilers for Night Moves by skipping ahead to the 1:15:47 mark,...

Do you expect us to talk? Bondsploitation week here at Caliber 9 HQ. Dr Ethan "No" Lyon joins us again to discuss a couple of hits from this very deep exploitation well: No. 1 of the Secret Service (1977), directed by Lindsay Shonteff, and For Y'ur Height Only (1981), directed by Eddie Nicart. Far too many boob jokes, possibly, but the perfect portion of big blokes getting kicked in the balls by a little bloke. It's a mixed bag. We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for both...

Film-maker James T Williams joins Joe, Rob and Bryce to discuss a couple of foxy spy thrillers with an aeronautical twist! We check out Firefox (1982), directed by Clint Eastwood, and Foxbat (1977), directed by Po-Chih Leong. Clint having existential nightmares in bathrooms, Warren Clarke bashing people without warning, Henry Silva hiding cameras in his eye and microfilms in lollies... this week's double feature has it all! We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for Firefox, so...

It's Hammer Horror time! Dr Ethan joins us to review a couple of perhaps lesser-celebrated classics from the famous British production house: The Devil Rides Out (1968), directed by Terence Fisher, and Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1974), directed by Brian Clemens. We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for both films, so if you haven't seen them before you listen, you can nevertheless avoid spoilers for The Devil Rides Out by skipping ahead to the 1:27:32 mark, and for Captain...

This week we welcome novelist and Italian cinema enthusiast Marek Turner! Marek programs a couple of intriguing poliziotteschi-adjacent films for Rob and Joe to watch and discuss with him: Slap the Monster on Page One (1972), directed by Marco Bellocchio, and No, The Case is Happily Resolved (1973), directed by Vittorio Salerno. We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for both films, so if you haven't seen them before you listen, you can nevertheless avoid spoilers for Slap the...

A truly chilling true crime tale followed by a trip into Indonesian Black Magic insanity with zero grip on reality. This week Rob and Joe check out The Honeymoon Killers (1970), directed by Leonard Kastle, and Santet (1988), directed by Sisworo Gautama Putra. We don't think Santet can really be spoiled, but we will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for The Honeymoon Killers. If you haven't seen it before you listen, you can avoid spoilers by skipping ahead to the 1:01:42...

This week we welcome a very special guest onto the show: Sammy from The Gentlemen's Guide to Midnite Cinema podcast! We have two infamous cult films this week that make for a pretty intense double feature, so Rob and Sammy go in-depth and a bit of a longer discussion than usual. There's a lot to chew on with these ones! First up we have Angst (1983), directed by Gerald Kargl, and we follow that up with Bad Boy Bubby (1993), directed by Rolf De Heer. It's debatable whether either of these...

This week Rob and Joe check out Born to Kill (1947), directed by Robert Wise, and The Pit (1981), directed by Lew Lehman. You'll be amazed that one of these films was allowed to be made back in the censorious 1940's, and you'll be amazed that the other one was allowed to happen in any way, shape or form. At any time in history. We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for both films, so if you haven't seen them before you listen, you can nevertheless avoid spoilers for Born to...

Roger Corman - 1926-2024. This week Rob and Joe pay tribute to one of exploitation cinema's greatest legends. We check out The Haunted Palace (1963), directed by Roger Corman himself, and space horror romp, Galaxy of Terror (1981), directed by Bruce D. Clark, one of the many wonderful films that Corman produced at New World Pictures. We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for both films, so if you haven't seen them before you listen, you can nevertheless avoid spoilers for The...

Special guest Sakana joins us to discuss a psychotronic 60's double feature! We check out Herk Harvey's cult classic, Carnival of Souls (1962), and The Nest of the Cuckoo Birds (1965), directed by Bert Williams. From the sublime to the... totally whacked out... Both films are easily available online, so a pre-watch is highly recommended for both of these little beauties! We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for both films this week. For Carnival of Souls, you can then skip...

Special guest Ali joins us to discuss a couple of Hong Kong tales of legendary proportions. We check out Legend of the Mountain (1979), directed by King Hu, and The Legend of Wisely (1987), directed by Teddy Robin. A period supernatural epic and a rollicking Indiana Jones-esque adventure story. This is some trip to the East. We will be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for both films this week. For Legend of the Mountain, you can then skip ahead to the 1:17:42 mark to avoid spoilers,...