PODCAST

Ex Rated Movies

A movie podcast by two guys who used to date but don"t anymore. We cover a broad range of movies focusing on style, substance, and originality. Or a complete lack thereof! Come join the "fun"!

tv & film visual arts

All Episodes

Episode 183 In Bruges

Ex Rated Movies ·

2020/12/21

Happy Winter Solstice everybody! For those of us in the northern hemisphere, it’s the darkest day of the year, which makes this week’s Christmas flick all the more appropriate. Superstar friend of the pod Jessica Baxter joins us to discuss Martin McDonagh’s feature length debut, In Bruges (2008). Set against the backdrop of a freakin’ medieval fairy tale fantasy, this dark comedy smartly deals with classic religious themes such as guilt and purgatory, but looks at them through a very modern lens

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Episode 182 Gremlins

Ex Rated Movies ·

2020/12/14

They’re vicious. They’re gluttonous. They’re gross. They’re Gremlins (1984)! And they happen to be the subject of our second Christmas in December movie! While somewhat unfocused, Joe Dante’s holiday horror comedy is an undoubtedly wild ride of fully committed entertainment. Boasting some glorious practical effects, a catchy score (courtesy of Jerry Goldsmith), and some grade-A hilarity, it’s obvious why this imaginative dazzler spawned so many crummy knockoffs and why we, as a podcast, were

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Episode 181 Tangerine

Ex Rated Movies ·

2020/12/07

It’s finally the final month of 2020, and every episode from now until New Year’s is going to be bursting with holiday goodness. We’re kicking off what we’re calling our Christmas in December Celebration with Sean Baker’s feel-good dark comedy, Tangerine (2015). Shot on iPhones 5 and starring two trans people of color, this simple, joyful romp might not immediately scream holiday cheer, but just beneath its gritty yet colorful surface lies a humanistic story of warmth and compassion that

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Episode 180 The Conversation and Blow Out

Ex Rated Movies ·

2020/11/23

Considering the lack of movies that revolve around audio engineers (which happens to be this week’s theme), it’s remarkable how incredible our selections for this double feature are! First up: Franny For Co’s slender goddess,The Conversation (1974). It’s an engrossing, paranoid mood-piece starring Gene Hackman as a surveillance expert grappling with the morality of his work. Second: Brian De Palma’s meta-leaning Blow Out (1981). Inspired by Antonioni’s Blow Up and rendered with characteristic De

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Episode 179 Unfaithfully Yours

Ex Rated Movies ·

2020/11/16

While we might not choose many screwball romantic comedies on this podcast, the ones we do choose definitely tend to have a dark, suicide-y angle to them. Unfaithfully Yours (1948) for example, Preston Sturges’s unique take on the jealous lover imagining revenge trope, features a long scenario set to Rossini’s overture to Semiramide, wherein our main character imagines nearly beheading his wife and then framing his secretary for the crime. And while the movie might be light on romance, it’s rife

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Episode 178 God's Own Country

Ex Rated Movies ·

2020/11/09

At its core, the gay romantic drama God’s Own Country (2017), is a quiet, tender film about personal growth and the power of perspective. It just also happens to have a lamb-skinning scene, and an elbow-deep, bovine rectal reproductive examination. While similar to Brokeback Mountain, this movie eschews pathos by giving its characters the power of choice, yielding an emotional and satisfying experience that both Matt and Ryan had to sit and digest through the credits. Brilliant performances,

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Episode 177 Nixon

Ex Rated Movies ·

2020/11/02

When it comes to Oliver Stone’s Nixon (2005), it’s a testament to the sheer volume of its possible talking points, that we yammered on for over 100 minutes and didn’t even so much as mention that Madeline Kahn is in this movie! A biopic as only Stone could make it, this film examines the life of oat boy beta cuck, Richard Nixon. Starting with his humble beginnings as the son of a lemon farmer, and ending with the staggeringly tarnished highs of his history-making presidency. Travis Vogt of The

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Episode 176 Ghost Ship

Ex Rated Movies ·

2020/10/26

Beginning with one incredible set piece in the first five minutes, and followed by 90 minutes of big-budget weak sauce, Ghost Ship (2002) isn’t exactly the Schlocktoberfest bon voyage we were hoping for. It does however provide a narrative about boat salvagers (of which the world could certainly use more), an excuse to talk about ghost ships en general (Mary Celeste anyone?), and an introduction to Ryan’s newest actor crush, Alex Dimitriades (aka DJ Boogie Monster, aka DJ Boner Killer). And while

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Episode 175 Terror Train

Ex Rated Movies ·

2020/10/19

Toot toot! All aboard for the eerie Canadian fright fest, otherwise known as Terror Train (1980). Born of the simple idea of setting a slasher on a train, this handsome flick features be-costumed college kids celebrating New Year’s Eve on a locomotive barreling through the frigid north. The revelers are unaware, however that a killer is riding among them, seeking revenge and hiding in plain sight. Featuring impressive cinematography by John Alcott, and a cast that includes scream queen Jamie Lee

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Episode 174 Repo! The Genetic Opera

Ex Rated Movies ·

2020/10/12

This week we’re mashing up our love of bad musicals with schlocky horror to bring you a god-forsaken goth, sci-fi, horror Frankenstein that fits perfectly into Schlocktoberfest. Sporting an incredible cast and a rich, promising premise, Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008) is a cacophony of dirge-y nü rock and soap level dramatics that Matt describes as “Andrew Lloyd Weber getting raw dogged by various goth bands” and Ryan describes as “Evanescence: The Musical.” And while the libretto could’ve used a

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Episode 173 Dementia 13

Ex Rated Movies ·

2020/10/05

Now that October has unfurled her macabre pall of spine-tingling delights, we can begin out annual Schlocktoberfest! Matt’s kicking off this year’s celebration with Francis Ford Coppola’s feature length debut, Dementia 13 (1963). Produced by the one and only Roger Corman, this drive-in double feature B-side is 75 minutes of incoherent terror. Imagine an unholy mashup of Psycho and Rebecca with a whisper of Diobolique and you’ll have an idea of what this movie was going for. Created in nine days, and

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Episode 172 Knife + Heart

Ex Rated Movies ·

2020/09/28

We’ve got another francophone thriller for you this week! This time it’s the neon-tinged, giallo-esque slasher set in a 1970’s Parisian gay porn studio, Knife + Heart (2018). Nominated for the Palme d'Or at Cannes, this stylish treat stars Vanessa Paradis as a lovesick lesbian porn producer, whose film company is plagued by a masked serial killer who is methodically seducing her actors before taking them out with a switchblade dildo. And while that description might make this movie sound like a

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Episode 171 Purple Noon

Ex Rated Movies ·

2020/09/21

Season 18 is upon us and we’re taking a trip to the Mediterranean with the fiendishly clever thriller, Purple Noon (1960). Loosely based on The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith and starring the oh-so-dreamy Alain Delon, this tense, imposter story is a riveting spectacle of compelling oners, difficult maritime footage, and hot mirror make outs. And while Matt and Ryan may disagree on whether this version is superior to the one from 1999, we definitely agree that Damon is no Delon. Join us as

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Episode 170 The Queen and The Cook, the Thief, His...

Ex Rated Movies ·

2020/09/07

Helen Mirren is a bit of a Mirren-cle. Her meaty acting chops, naturalist sensibilities, personal stance on reproduction, and fabulous style make her a prime candidate for one of our patented actress-loving double features. Our mini Mirren-thon includes The Queen (2006): a low stakes, multi-award-nabbing, peak behind the royal curtains. And The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover (1989): a colorfully carnal feast for the senses that’s gloriously ensconced in artifice. Both showcase this

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Episode 169 The Warriors

Ex Rated Movies ·

2020/08/31

It’s our 169th episode, so we’re sporting bottle fingers and coming out to play with Walter Hill’s cult classic, The Warriors (1979). This stylish drama follows a gang of be-vested toughs as they make a treacherous journey from The Bronx to Coney Island after being accused of a murder they didn’t commit. With thoughtful montages, a killer opening credit sequence, and wipes out the wazoo, this almost-campy romp winds up being just a good movie with a few great moments. Join us as we ask ourselves,

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Episode 168 Near Dark

Ex Rated Movies ·

2020/08/24

Kathryn Bigelow is a director with vision and her second film, the dusty, moody Near Dark (1987), proves it. Set in Oklahoma and featuring three cast members from Aliens, this thriller reimagines vampires as dirty drifters constantly on the run from the law as they slink around a dismal, forsaken landscape in search of their next kill. And while the glossy Lost Boys may have outperformed it at the box office, this movie’s visual atmosphere and tangible grit leave an impression as bright as a neon

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Episode 167 Death Becomes Her

Ex Rated Movies ·

2020/08/17

If you were a gay kid in the 90’s, you probably watched Death Becomes Her (1992) multiple times. This macabre dark comedy (our third (and likely final) from director Robert Zemekis) boasts the fabulous cast of Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, Bruce Willis, and Isabella Rossellini; all of whom deliver brilliant camp-tastic performances. Add to that a terrific script, hilarious special effects, and some brilliant Dick Smith makeup and you’ve got yourself a bonafide queer cult classic. Join us as we discuss

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Episode 166 Sleepaway Camp

Ex Rated Movies ·

2020/08/10

For connoisseurs of the 80’s slasher genre, Sleepaway Camp (1982) is a rare treat. This movie features a cast of potty-mouthed, age-appropriate adolescents who find themselves trapped at a crummy summer camp with a serial killer on the loose. And while the premise might sound achingly familiar, the movie’s final twist obliterates all expectations and leaves the viewer with an indelible, terrifying dread that lasts long after the lights come up. Join us as we dream up some COVID themed movies,

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Episode 165 Speed Racer

Ex Rated Movies ·

2020/08/03

After the success of the Matrix trilogy, the Wachowskis veered hard in the opposite direction and created the family-friendly, candy-colored, sports movie, Speed Racer (2008). Based on the 1960’s anime of the same name, this wrongfully maligned dazzler manages to pack emotional weight, astonishing visuals, and a truth-to-power message into a light-hearted summer popcorn flick that paved the way for today’s modern action fantasies. Join us for an episode that includes Matt’s mom’s strong arms,

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Episode 164 Private Parts

Ex Rated Movies ·

2020/07/27

It’s important to note that this week’s movie, Private Parts (1972), is NOT the Howard Stern biopic from 1997. It’s the Paul Bartel directed psychosexual horror/thriller with fetishized sex doll blood play and the narrator from Welcome to Pooh Corner! The movie follows Cheryl (pronounced Chair-el) as she explores her aunt’s peculiar hotel where she encounters its strange denizens and the secrets they may be hiding. And while the movie might occasionally stray into schlocky territory, its unique

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