Movie Night Extravaganza
Season 8
A quick moving, informed and in-depth live discussion show about movies. Discussing, debating and commenting on esoteric and populist films with a panel of guests. Sometimes formatted as "theme months".
Where to Watch Movie Night Extravaganza • Season 8
25 Episodes
- Beetlejuice Beetlejuice with Eileen Jones
E2Beetlejuice Beetlejuice with Eileen JonesMNE and Eileen Jones discuss Tim Burton's Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice (2024), diving into its quirky cinematography, practical effects, Michael Keaton's chaotic performance, while debating the effectiveness of nostalgia-driven sequels. - the Nice Guys with Zach Marsh
E4the Nice Guys with Zach MarshForrest Miller, Conan Neutron, Kristina Oakes and Kt Baldassaro are joined by returning guest Zach Marsh talk about Shane Black's The Nice Guys. A film that is such a blast it was... (*checks notes*) a flop and did NOT spawn a franchise? Gosling is a cross between Elliot Gould's Marlowe in Altman's Long Goodbye and Inspector Gadget. Constantly getting bailed out by his kid that is smart, but has had to grow up too soon. It is a fine line because the movie just doesn't work if he is just inept. He IS good and perceptive. He's also lazy and self interested and haunted by tragedy. Comically tragic. He falls, spurts blood, bone, trips, drops everything, he is a hilarious mess and a bit of a fool. Meanwhile Crowe also fantastic in this, as a big lunk enforcer dude. A sober direct and violent presence. He is also a bit smarter? Or even cagier than maybe even he realizes. It is a wonderful pairing. Which is what you SHOULD have for a buddy PI (?) movie. Together, they have pathos. Even as they're very funny together. Interesting how reflective of the times this film is, tied very strongly to the Obama era while being placed in the 70s. We loved seeing Kim Basinger in this too, reunited with Crowe from LA Confidential. Tone wise, if the film goes a little more serious or a little more slapstick. It doesn't work. The balance is perfect and a bit of lazy or incomplete plotting is totally forgivable for a ride this fun. Main plot where Amelia (Margaret Qualley) goes missing in a world of 1970s Boogey Nights style Porn and Crime is hilariously convoluted at times and also not strictly necessary. It is what gets these guys together, interacting and moves the ride along. It is deeply anchored in Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe's incredible chemistry as a Buddy PI Pairing. When comedy in serious drama flops, it's cringe-worthy-but when it works, it's gold. Bottom line: this movie is hilarious. Features great and every different performances by the two principals and a great supporting performance. It is well directed and fun. We wish this was a franchise... there's still time. - Nosferatu with Matthew Film Guy Weiss
E5Nosferatu with Matthew Film Guy WeissThis film is over 100 years old and it is still wildly creative, spooky, terror inducing and arresting. It is beautiful, expressionistic and chilling. Iconic and ground breaking with the power to creep out. There is so much established here that today we take for granted, and it remains thematically bold, especially in its reminder that life and death are not opposites but part of the same whole of existence - a whole which could plausibly include vampires, but which certainly includes human beings. As characters, the difference between Dracula and Nosferatu are striking. Count Orlok (Max Schreck) is a grotesque monster though which Dracula is aristocratic and regal. The difference is notable and immediate to see. Although perhaps Orlok's self isolation can be relatable in these days. We at Movie Night Extravaganza are fans of German Expressionism. The dream like quality, the surrealistic design, the symbolic nature of it all. Murnau's Nosferatu lends itself so well to those qualities. With some of the greatest shots in early horror that stick with you as images from the dark subconscious long afterwards. The claws moving over the shadows. Those hands. The shadow on the wall. What was done with visuals here influenced everything after it. It is fascinating to see the seeds of so many things it influenced and with large spiritual themes and connections to the natural world. Nature preys on other things to live. It is notable how different the black and white public domain of this is vs. the restored tinted version. We get a little bit into that in the show too. In any case, this film is a legend, and that's without knowing the story about director F.W Murnau's MISSING SKULL. - Bram Stoker's Dracula
E6Bram Stoker's DraculaA generationally defining vampire story. And for a very long time, the only one that people thought of when they thought of Dracula, the production design on this one is absolutely incredible top to bottom and the focus on Vlad Tepes' past is a great decision. in the first 10 minutes of this movie, you get the entire background of the character and motivation and that's done in an artful and engaging way that no other film has really done. The focus here is the love story, this is what Coppola brings to the genre/character. He also bring some of the most horny cinema in a major motion picture in a very long time. Keanu Reeves performance in this film is not considered the strongest. Especially with Gary Oldman on a much larger platform really shining as the titular ancient vampire. He is as impressive and fascinating as you'd expect, also as a Young Dracula and a strange Wolf Ape Creature Fortunately for the movie there are great character actors like Richard, E Grant and Tom Waits in supporting roles and Anthony Hopkins in a wild turn as Van Helsing. For our taste he's up there with Peter Cushing as far as one of the best to do the role. Anyway, the production design here is absolutely insane and still has yet to be touched. No surprise to us that is Eiko Ishioka who worked on the incredible Mishima: A Life In Four Chapters. The costumes and sets are extremely elaborate and all of it really works and immersive and intense experience. The focus on practical effects, things such as shadow work and techniques that are as old as film itself really makes this one stand apart. This is definitely more than the sum of its parts as most Francis Ford Coppola movies have a tendency to be. It was a huge swing for Coppola that for our panel, definitely connected and is worth mentioning in an honored place in our month of vampire movies. - The Hunger with Bonnie Burton
E7The Hunger with Bonnie BurtonAn artful and poignant look at the power of addiction and a haunting reminder of the importance of preventative pest management. Did you see all the birds in that attic? Yikes. There is a serious difference between living forever and being young forever. It's always "I'll love you forever and ever" then you give it some time and they're throwing you in a wooden coffin in the attic The vibiest vampire movie ever by the director you'd least suspect it defies conventional vampire narratives, offering a visually mesmerizing, gothic masterpiece that lingers between art-house elegance and horror. With clear influence from photographers like Irving Penn, the film meticulously crafts each frame, turning its characters into living sculptures. Scott's eye for natural light, even in a story about eternal creatures of the night, imbues the film with a haunting, ethereal quality. No surprise This film is artsy, stylish and deeply influential to the post-punk and goth community. I mean, it starts with Bela Lugosi's Dead. Is there anything cooler? Perhaps cuter might be that young Bonnie Burton thought the song was called "Bill the Goose Is Dead" According to director Tony Scott, who would later go on to make Top Gun and other big budget blockbusters, The iconic look of the movie was inspired by American photographer Irving Penn. This film also later inspired the Bryan Fuller NBC Hannibal, and specifically David Bowie's performance seems like an antecedent to Mads version of Lecter. Undoubtedly this one has great creepy and sexy vibes. This film marked a different kind of vampire movie. Did you know that it was based off a series of books too? With a crazy amount of lore that would both surprise and completely kill the vibes. David Bowie, Catherine Deneuve and Susan Sarandon are all fantastic in this embodying a chilling love triangle defined by lust, decay, and existential dread. Bowie's fragile portrayal of eternal youth unraveling is juxtaposed against Deneuve's cold, ageless predator, while Sarandon brings humanity to the inevitable downfall. Every moment is carefully designed to evoke beauty in the grotesque, making The Hunger not just a vampire movie but an exploration of mortality wrapped in visual poetry. The Hunger remains a singular achievement in Scott's filmography-dark, seductive, and elegant in every detail. It is as much about atmosphere as it is about story, a rare fusion of genre and high art that captivates and disturbs in equal measure. - The Lost Boys with Bonnie Burton and Lauren Chouinard
E8The Lost Boys with Bonnie Burton and Lauren ChouinardCertainly one of the coolest LOOKING Vampire movies. Taking major notes from the Hunger for that, this makes being a vampire look like the most longingly aspirational thing ever for a young person. With the added bonus of not aging. A quintessentially late 80s time capsule. Effortless cool, this one hits straight in the limbic system. Placing a teenaged vampire biker gang in a beachfront California town makes this one very unique. It isn't cold and inhospitable, it's the dark underside of the sunny boardwalk. The part where you are sure all kind of ominous or degenerate things are happening. This alone is an important distinction, taking Vampires out of Victorian opulence and upper class mansions and placing them somewhere new. We have seen it many times since, but this is the first mainstream-ish movie to do it. The community aspect of the Vampires is notable as well, they hang out together and look they are having a great time. This isn't the solitary and lonely regal vampires. These ones are on motorbikes, and the boardwalk. Running around, giving people the business. Richard Donner's influence is all over this film. The whimsical, almost childlike touches throughout remind me of his work in The Goonies, where he tried to cast kids who weren't actors yet, hoping to capture genuine moments. While The Lost Boys doesn't feature unknowns in the same way, it retains that sense of authenticity. These characters are more than just fictional creations-they feel lived-in. Then there's the grandpa. His nonchalance is perfection, especially at the end when he casually drops a line that could've saved everyone from the nightmare they went through. It's classic 80s storytelling-a single throwaway line that delivers all the punch the movie needs. His obsession with Taxidermy also adds this quirky charm, the way it keeps piling up in Corey Haim's room, as if it were another reminder of our obsession with "living" after death. Cry Little Sister is an all time hall-of-fame song and movie working together example. The movie itself blends horror and humor effortlessly. You've got this group of young vampires running around, but instead of being terrifying, they're almost cool. Yet the threat is still real. The balance between campy fun and real danger makes it one of the best vampire films of its era. And let's not forget the perfect 80s aesthetic-it's all there, from the wardrobe to the soundtrack. Comic books as a plot device. An action training montage. The Frog brothers, generally... An invaluable entry into the history of vampire movies and has a cultural cache that absolutely cannot be denied. Perhaps more importantly, it's an enjoyable watch with some classically beautiful and memorable shots. - In a Lonely Place with Harry Marks
E12In a Lonely Place with Harry MarksForrest, Conan Neutron, Kristina Oakes, and Kt Baldassaro are joined by Harry Marks of Let's All Go To The Lobby to talk about Nicholas Ray's 1950 Noir 'In A Lonely Place' starring Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame. In "In A Lonely Place," Bogey plays a down on his luck screenwriter Dix Steele who becomes a suspect in a murder. Although she clears his name, Dix new fiance Laurel Gray begins to have doubts about whether he is truly innocent. - An Interview with Director Adam McKay
E14An Interview with Director Adam McKayForrest, Conan Neutron, Kristina Oakes, and Kt Baldassaro sit down with Director Adam McKay (Don't Look Up, Vice, the Big Short, Anchorman, Step Brothers) to talk about his filmmaking career. Adam is a writer/director who came out of Upright Citizens Brigade and then Saturday Night Live Before leaving with Will Ferrell in 2001 to start making movies, together they co-wrote Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Talledega Nights, Step Brothers, and the Other Guys. Then Adam began working on darker political satire, first directing and writing The Big Short, about the guys who shorted the housing market before the 2008 Crash Followed by Vice and Don't Look Up. We went over Adam's entire career. - Strange Darling
E16Strange DarlingA breakout performance for both leads Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner as a man and a woman whose bad date turns sharply into a deeply brutal cat and mouse game. Actor Giovanni Ribisi was behind the camera on this one for the first time and the cinematography was stunning. Deeply provocative, stylistic, violent and completely misanthropic.. Strange Darling is one of the most interesting movies of the year. - The Substance with Renee Ruin
E17The Substance with Renee RuinNow that everyone has given their thoughts on The Substance, it's our turn. Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley star as Elizabeth Sparkle/Sue, two halves of the same person created by a mysterious substance that is sold as a way to create a more beautiful, active, younger you. When Demi Moore's Elizabeth Sparkle turns 50, she's thrown out of Network TV, and into an early retirement. She's desperate to be relevant, and to be admired, and will try almost anything to get back to that point.. even The Substance. - Brazil
E18BrazilForrest, Conan Neutron, Kristina Oakes, and Kt Baldassaro start off dystopian december with Terry Gilliam's 1985 Brazil Starring a truly impressive cast, Jonathan Pryce, Robert De Niro, Michael Palin, Kim Greist, Katherine Helmond, Bob Hoskins, and Ian Holm. Terry Gilliam paints a bleak picture of a society where every day citizens are completely complacent and distracted by Hyper-Consumerist spectacle and an endless multi-layered bureaucracy holds totalitarian control. Inspired by the idea of George Orwell's 1984, Former Monty Python artist turned auteur Terry Gilliam shows a state apparatus both absurdist and terrifying... and the story of one man who hasn't completely lost his humanity.
