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PODCAST

Optimism Vaccine

The Optimism Vaccine Network

Optimism Vaccine’s panel of experts and idiots explore the dingy crevices between pop culture and forgotten trash in a never-ending quest to celebrate your guilty pleasures in the world of cinema and beyond.

tv & film film reviews

All Episodes

01:08:49

Steven Cuff Presents: F*** You Christmas

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/12/24

THIS WEEK: Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny (1972), Bikini Bloodbath Christmas (2009) and The Grinch that Stole Bitches (2024)Rather than purchasing thoughtful gifts for his loved ones, Steve spent his December scrolling Tubi. Merry Christmas to none.Donate to Palestinian Medical AidSupport Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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01:17:20

There Can Be Only a Half Dozen or So (Highlander...

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/12/21

THIS WEEK: Highlander II: The Quickening (1991), Highlander III: The Sorcerer AKA Highlander: The Final Dimension (1994) and Highlander: Endgame (2000)Turns out there is a whole lot of Highlander media. Is any of it worth a damn? No. Definitely not. But we're talking about it anyway!Donate to Palestinian Medical AidSupport Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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01:01:51

Comet, Asteroid, or Meteor?

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/12/13

THIS WEEK: Meteor (1979) and Outland (1981)We were short on time this week, so we turned to Steve's list of drunken half-formed ideas. Hence we're discussing two Sean Connery that vaguely deal with outer space. Does one of them take place entirely in mundane offices right here on planet Earth? You bet.Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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01:26:58

Trust the Fungus (The Films of Annabel Jankel and...

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/12/07

THIS WEEK: Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into the Future (1985), D.O.A. (1988) and Super Mario Bros. (1993)We've been dancing around it for years, and now seems like the ideal time to get hooked on the brothers. That's right, we're back digging through e-waste, as we take a look at the brief directorial career of U.K. cyber-enthusiasts Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton.Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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01:36:23

Let's Go to Prison (Yes Nut November 2025)

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/11/30

THIS WEEK: Don't worry about it. Nothing to see here.[DESCRIPTION REDACTED]Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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01:19:21

Nude in Florida (The Films of Doris Wishman)

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/11/16

THIS WEEK: Nude on the Moon (1961), Bad Girls Go to Hell (1965) and Deadly Weapons (1974)Pornography is a different beast in the hot Florida sun, where everyone is melting and there's no infrastructure to support a competent film industry.Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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01:16:24

The Perverts vs. Stephen Sayadian (Yes Nut November...

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/11/08

THIS WEEK: Nightdreams (1981), Café Flesh (1982) and Dr. Caligari (1989)Our finest theme month returns as we examine a pair of Hustler ad men who donned the monikers Rinse Dream and F.X. Pope in the noble effort to push pornography past its gonzo, counter-culture breaking point. Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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02:02:01

Weapons (Horror in 2025)

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/11/01

THIS WEEK: The Woman in the Yard (2025), Bring Her Back (2025), Weapons (2025) and 28 Years Later (2025)I mean, the title is just as applicable to this episode of our dumb podcast as it is to Zach Cregger's film, amiright?Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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01:05:12

The Universal Monsters (Shawntober 2025)

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/10/26

THIS WEEK: Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), The Mummy (1932), The Invisible Man (1933), Bride of Frankenstein (1935), The Wolf Man (1941) and The Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954)We're breaking format for the (permanent?) finale of Shawntober, as we take a wide-ranging look at the origins of the American horror film.Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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59:10

The Films of Brian Yuzna (Shawntober 2025)

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/10/18

THIS WEEK: Society (1989), Bride of Re-Animator (1990), and The Dentist (1996)Shawn can't stop flapping his gums about The Substance, so we figured it was time to show him some real films of substance.Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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01:04:55

The Films of John Landis (Shawntober 2025)

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/10/11

THIS WEEK: An American Werewolf in London (1981), Innocent Blood (1992), Deer Woman (2005) and Family (2006)This week we really wanted to test Shawn's mettle by exposing him to the twisted mind behind some of the most sickening works of the 20th century: Beverly Hills Cop III and Max Landis.Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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01:13:09

The Films of Andrzej Zulawski (Shawntober 2025)

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/10/04

THIS WEEK: The Devil (1972), Possession (1981) and Under the Silver Globe (1988)For some unholy reason, Steve demanded that we kick off spooky season with the ultimate downer, as we expose Shawn Glinis to the verbose filmography of Polish philosopher king Andrzej Zulawski. You won't find any treats here. Or tricks, really. Just a great many agonized shouts.Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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01:27:16

Simulation Theory Confirmed

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/09/27

THIS WEEK: Disclosure (1994), Virtuosity (1995) and The Thirteenth Floor (1999)With the end of days imminent, we're jacking back in to look at another trio of bonkers 90s VR films and yearn for the future that wasn't.Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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01:39:45

The Midnight Meat Train to Georgia (The American...

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/09/20

THIS WEEK: The Midnight Meat Train (2008), No One Lives (2012), Downrange (2017) and The Price We Pay (2022)What happens when a Japanese ADHD-addled wunderkind with zero interest in boring filmmaking minutiae like performance, pacing and screen geography heads to Hollywood? Redbox magic, baby!Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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01:24:44

I Want to Be Corpse

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/09/13

THIS WEEK: Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991), Johnny Mnemonic (1995) and I Want to Be Neenja! The Movie (2024)Ostensibly, we're still discussing the uncomfortable marriage of Japanese culture and 1990s Hollywood production. In actuality, we have gazed deep into the snarling panther's maw and emerged lesser.Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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01:28:59

The War on Japan

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/09/06

THIS WEEK: Black Rain (1989), Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. (1990) and Rising Sun (1993)This week, we're revisiting the brief period of time in post-Cold War America when our great nation affixed its racist, paranoid gaze on the shores of Japan. The result was some very strange cinema.Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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01:30:12

Not Quite Hollywood Hogan

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/08/29

THIS WEEK: Assault on Devil's Island (1997), McCinsey's Island (1998) and The Ultimate Weapon (1998)There's no Hulkamaniacs here! Yet here we are, combing through the Hulkster's brief run as a cable crossover star. Was the big heel turn enough to awaken Terry's latent potential as a leading man? Results vary.Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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01:49:33

Hulkster in Heaven

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/08/23

THIS WEEK: No Holds Barred (1989), Mr. Nanny (1993) and Thunder in Paradise (1993)With the recent passing of Hulk Hogan, Steve and I felt duty bound as Real Americans to educate Jack on the phenomenon of Hulkamania. I'm not sure if his film career was particularly illustrative.Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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51:15

The Future of American Cinema (Baby Geniuses)

Optimism Vaccine ·

2025/08/15

THIS WEEK: Baby Geniuses (1999) and Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 (2004)Having given the Baby Assassins a deserved spotlight, it seemed only appropriate to discuss Baby Geniuses, the passion project of OV supervillain Steven Paul. In 1999, one man dared to ask the question: What if babies possessed the cognitive capacity to mentally dominate Dom DeLuise?Donate to Palestinian Medical Aid Support Optimism Vaccine on Patreon

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