Movie Oubliette

John D. Hancock’s Let’s Scare Jessica to Death (1971) is a moody, low-budget psychological horror shot in Connecticut, emerging at the uneasy dawn of the 1970s when American genre cinema was shifting toward ambiguity and dread rather than monsters and gore. Starring Zohra Lampert as the fragile Jessica, supported by Barton Heyman and Mariclare Costello, the film follows a small group retreating to a rural farmhouse where whispers of the past mingle with Jessica’s precarious mental state. Should this eerie curio languish in obscurity like a ghost no one believes in, or should it be acknowledged as a living, breathing classic of psychological horror? Support us on Patreon to nominate films for us to cover, access exclusive bonus content, and vote on the final verdict! Rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice, and tell a friend about us. Follow us on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Bluesky. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan returns to explore The Hidden (1987), a sci-fi horror directed with slick B-movie flair by Nightmare on Elm Street 2 veteran Jack Sholder! An alien parasite with a love of fast cars and automatic weapons is jumping from body to body in the neon-lit streets of L.A., pursued by Kyle MacLachlan's eerily blank FBI agent. Flashdance love interest Michael Nouri plays the increasingly confused detective trying to make sense of exploding boomboxes, possessed bank robbers, and his new partner's alarming method of taking alka seltzer. With a synth-heavy score, gory mayhem, and Reagan-era cynicism oozing through every scene, should The Hidden be unhidden to the world? Or was it hidden for a reason? Find out! Support us on Patreon to nominate films for us to cover, access exclusive bonus content, and vote on the final verdict! Rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice, and tell a friend about us. Follow us on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Bluesky. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Serge Bodnarchuk of Cold Crash Pictures joins Conrad to take on guest co-hosting duties while Dan goes on vacation – ironically, when we pull an Australian 80s sci-fi movie out of the Patreons' Choice nominations! It's another day, another ridiculous sci-fi bra for Carrie Fisher. The Time Guardian (1987) is an Ozploitation oddity directed by Mad Max (aka The Road Warrior) co-writer Brian Hannant, featuring a giant time-travelling dome, 'hoards' of menacing cyborgs, and a modern-day geologist trying to help a soldier from the future protect humanity's last hope. It's been largely overlooked and often difficult to find since its release. Even witty memoirist Carrie Fisher failed to mention it in her self-deprecating autobiographies. Should it be preserved for the ages in a time dome, or should it be blissfully forgotten? Find out! Support us on Patreon to nominate films for us to cover, access exclusive bonus content, and vote on the final verdict! Rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice, and tell a friend about us. Follow us on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Bluesky. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this clip from our Patreon exclusive episode this month, we review the direct-to-video (DTV) sequel to The Secret of NIMH – often referred to as the worst sequel to an animated film and "every NIMH fan's worst nightmare" – and explore the DTV trend of the 90s. If you like what you hear, head on over to Patreon where you can get access to bonus content, vote on future films and join our amazing community! Support us on Patreon to nominate films for us to cover, access exclusive bonus content, and vote on the final verdict! Rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice, and tell a friend about us. Follow us on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Bluesky. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zoe Wells and Mikey Neumann of FilmJoy join us to revisit Tim Story's superhero sequel Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007). Released 2 years after Fox's surprising box office success with the original, the film marks a transitional moment in superhero cinema. Neither beloved or entirely dismissed, it's a sequel that manages to improve on its predecessor with world-ending stakes while still feeling oddly weightless and safe. Arriving just before the Marvel juggernaut truly found its stride with the release of Iron Man the following year, it flirted with cosmic grandeur (reimagining Galactus as an ominous V'ger style space cloud) while keeping one foot firmly planted in the PG, family-friendly camp with its will-they-won't-they wedding B-plot. As a second attempt at a reboot tops the box office, is it worth revisiting this one and enjoying its strengths? Or is it rightly consigned to oblivion? Find out! Check out Movies With Mikey and Deep Dive to hear more of Mikey and Zoe's insights, and look out for Borderlands 4 while being nice to Sam Winkler! Support us on Patreon to nominate films for us to cover, access exclusive bonus content, and vote on the final verdict! Rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice, and tell a friend about us. Follow us on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Bluesky. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jonathan McIntosh, creator of the excellent Pop Culture Detective Agency, joins us to uncover The Secret of NIMH (1982). Often remembered as an example of the surprisingly dark and sombre animated children's films of the 70s and 80s, alongside Watership Down (1978) and Disney's own The Black Cauldron (1985), The Secret of NIMH lacks musical numbers, but is filled with striking imagery, glorious hand-animated effects, memorable characters and a sumptuously rich Jerry Goldsmith score. The film made an indelible mark among those 80s kids who caught it on VHS or TV back in the day. But were they scarred for life by a morbid oddity or forever elevated by a magical piece of storytelling? Find out! Support us on Patreon to nominate films for us to cover, access exclusive bonus content, and vote on the final verdict! Rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice, and tell a friend about us. Follow us on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Bluesky. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this clip from our Patreon exclusive episode this month, we continue our Superman coverage by making Dan watch Superman II (1980), which he only vaguely remembered from childhood! Does it hold up? How does it sit with Superman Returns (2006) as an intended sequel? And why are there two cuts of it? We discuss all of this and more in our 1-hour bonus episode. If you like what you hear, head on over to www.patreon.com/movieoubliette and become a Patron to get hours of exclusive bonus content, nominate films for us to cover and vote on the final verdict – all for $10 or less! Support us on Patreon to nominate films for us to cover, access exclusive bonus content, and vote on the final verdict! Rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice, and tell a friend about us. Follow us on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Bluesky. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oliver Harper joins us to celebrate James Gunn's reboot of the Superman franchise by looking back at Bryan Singer's Superman Returns (2006), which tends to get lost in the mix when discussing previous attempts to revive the DC superhero. It boldly attempted to pick up the thread of the Christopher Reeve/Richard Donner era Superman and act as a sequel to Superman II (1980), with the charming (then unknown) Brandon Routh channeling Reeve in his portrayal of the man of steel and his bumbling alter ego. Despite its stellar casting, John Williams musical themes, and lavish production values, it failed to soar at the box office, leading to the cancellation of its sequel and a rethink that led us to Zack Snyder's series 7 years later. But is it a nostalgia pandering misfire or a misunderstood gem that deserves to return? Find out! Check out Oliver Harper's retrospectives and reviews on YouTube, including his recent look back at Man of Steel! Support us on Patreon to nominate films for us to cover, access exclusive bonus content, and vote on the final verdict! Rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice, and tell a friend about us. Follow us on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Bluesky. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo joins us to revisit his standalone sequel to Danny Boyle's iconic post-apocalyptic horror film. 28 Weeks Later (2007) focuses on the challenges of rebuilding a family and a society in the wake of the rage virus outbreak, while upping the stakes and the scale of the infected onslaught. In a sense, we get to see the things Jim slept through in the original. But despite a strong box office performance and positive reviews, it's often been overlooked since its release – even going unmentioned in the publicity around Boyle's own forthcoming sequel. Is it a under-appreciated entry in the series that deserves to be released from the Oubliette? Find out! Support us on Patreon to nominate films for us to cover, access exclusive bonus content, and vote on the final verdict! Rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice, and tell a friend about us. Follow us on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Bluesky. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pascal Laugier's follow-up to Martyrs (2008) is a Canadian-French horror/thriller, set in a small, poverty-stricken town in Washington where local nurse Julia (Jessica Biel) gets caught up in a string of child abductions, which the townsfolk blame on a legendary boogeyman figure, The Tall Man (2012). The result is a twisty, turny tale full of surprises and stinger-highlighted jump scares. But is it an underrated classic of sociological terror or a muddle of deceptive plot contrivances? Find out! Support us on Patreon to nominate films for us to cover, access exclusive bonus content, and vote on the final verdict! Rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice, and tell a friend about us. Follow us on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Bluesky. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this bonus episode, we take a look at Warwick Thornton's new film The New Boy, in which an Aboriginal child with mysterious powers disturbs the delicately balanced world in a remote monastery in 1940s Australia. Starring the always marvellous Cate Blanchett as the renegade nun, Sister Eileen, and Aswan Reid as the new boy, Thornton's story of spiritual struggle gets a theatrical release this Friday and will be on digital the following week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Looker, Michael Crichton warned us of a future in which computer-generated thirst-traps manipulate unwitting consumers through the media, all at the behest of powerful tech moguls. In 1981, this all seemed a bit ridiculous – especially as performed by a stodgy Albert Finney chasing around with an Atari lightgun trying to rescue Playboy models. Not surprisingly, it only hacked $3.3 million out of the box office against an estimated $12 million budget. But it is a cruelly rejected gem that was way ahead of its time? Find out! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rob Hill, author of 'The Bad Movie Bible' and creator of the fabulous accompanying YouTube channel, joins Conrad and surprise guest host Melinda Mock of RetroBlasting to explore a notorious naked space vampire film that turns 40 this year. On paper, Lifeforce (1985) has everything you could possibly want for an epic cosmic horror British disaster film: an adaptation of a popular Lovecraftian novel by Colin Wilson, co-scripted by Alien co-creator Dan O'Bannon; a sizeable budget and some of the finest production technicians in London paired with ILM alumni John Dykstra's visual effects; and Tobe Hooper in the director's chair. Unfortunately, there are only two things most teens remember about Lifeforce... and both of them are attached to French actor Mathilda May. Is this a misunderstood gem of quirky British terror, or is decisive proof that Hooper didn't direct Poltergeist? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Arachnophobia scared up only $53 million at the box office when it was released in July of 1990, thanks to stiff competition from Ghost, and has largely been overlooked in the annals of monster movie horror comedies. All this despite a fine cast, including Jeff Daniels and John Goodman, and a Spielbergian pedigree. With a Christopher Landon remake in the works, we thought it was time to celebrate the original's 35th anniversary... but is it an endangered species that should be set free, or is it an ecological menace that should be left in the tepuis of Venezuela? Find out! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Isaac Sutton joins us for our first venture into Japanese anime! Takeshi Koike's visually dazzling animated sci-fi racing spectacle Redline failed to find its audience upon its release in August 2009 despite critical praise. Does it deserve the cult status it's been cultivating on physical media since then, or is it all rev and no substance? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Continuing our theme of exploring sequels to films we cover in the main feed, it was only natural that we'd want to follow the surprisingly good Psycho II (1983) with the surprisingly bad Psycho III (1986) in our Patreon feed. On paper, it looked like a slam dunk: Anthony Perkins was returning to his iconic role as Norman Bates and taking up the director's chair for the first time; the writer is Charles Edward Pogue, who was simultaneously drawing attention for his take on The Fly (1986); and it picks up at the motel barely weeks after the shocking finale of the second film. What could go wrong? Pretty much everything, it turns out. If you like what you hear, head on over to www.patreon.com/movieoubliette and become a Patron to get hours of exclusive bonus content, nominate films for us to cover and vote on the final verdict – all for $10 or less!

Belated sequels to monumental, genre-defining classics always walk on a knife edge! They can be a worthwhile elaboration upon the original, recontextualised for a new era, or they can be cynical cashgrabs forever consigned as a footnote to cinema history. Australian director Richard Franklin's Psycho II (1983) benefits from returning cast members Vera Miles and, of course, Anthony Perkins, a twisty turny psychological mystery script from Fright Night's Tom Holland, a disturbing score from Jerry Goldsmith and cinematography from John Carpenter regular Dean Cundey. But is it just a pretender in a classic movie's clothes? Or should it be released from custody to set up a new franchise? Find out! Support us on Patreon to nominate future films, vote on whether films should be released or thrown back, and access exclusive bonus content! Follow us on Tiktok, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.

We challenge you to hear the title of this movie without the synth riff of a massive-haired 80s rock anthem popping into your head... Sorry, you'll be humming that all day now. Try blocking it out by listening to our examination of Don Taylor's 1980 sci-fi war fantasy, in which a U.S. aircraft carrier captained by Kirk Douglas is whisked through a James Bond title sequence into the past – the eve of the attack on Pearl Harbor, to be precise. Starring the U.S.S. Nimitz, lots of planes, more planes, and a cute dog... is this a forgotten gem of a movie that deserves to be restored to its place in film history? Or is it a waterlogged floater that deserves to be flushed?! Find out! Support us on Patreon to nominate future films, vote on whether films should be released or thrown back, and access exclusive bonus content! Follow us on Tiktok, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.

Here's a sneak peek at our Patreon exclusive minisode on Princess of Mars (2009) – The Asylum's adaptation of the Edgar Rice Burroughs novel that went straight to DVD a full 3 years before Disney stank up the box office with John Carter (2012). Could it possibly be worse? Sheesh... you betchya! If you like what you hear, head on over to www.patreon.com/movieoubliette and become a Patron to get hours of exclusive bonus content, nominate films for us to cover and vote on the final verdict – all for $10 or less!

Still the biggest box office bomb of all time, adjusted for inflation, John Carter (2012) was a brave attempt to give Edgar Rice Burroughs' influential sci-fi novel 'A Princess of Mars' the summer blockbuster treatment... 40 years after George Lucas and everyone else had pretty much raided all of its ideas for space opera hits. But is the film really that bad? Does it share the 'Mars movie' curse? Or did it just get lost in the shuffle in 2012 because of poor marketing? Find out! Support us on Patreon to nominate future films, vote on whether films should be released or thrown back, and access exclusive bonus content! Follow us on Tiktok, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.