Episode 25: Animal Blood

John Landis!

This week, the Soapbox Office celebrates a mini-milestone and Faults in the Vaults takes aim at the works of director John Landis. We're finally expelling those criminal miscreants from 1978's Animal House in order to shed some (sun)light on 1992's horror/comedy, Innocent Blood.

Elsewhere in the episode, a Soapbox Office FAQ, we reintroduce our robot assistant S.T.U.R.G.E.S. to new listeners and finally reveal the history and meaning of the phrase "See You Next Wednesday"...

A letter drops into The Mailbag from Sam regarding the best and worst of Australian cinema. Diggin' Up the Docs has Josh showcasing a portrait of manic depressive genius musician/artist, Daniel Johnston in Jeff Feuerzeig's 2005 The Devil and Daniel Johnston. Mitch goes Slipping Through the Tracks this week with an offbeat selection highlighting the little praised and forgotten early works of the great Elmer Bernstein, namely his score for the notorious Robot Monster (1953).

Also, a brand new segment gets introduced in the form of Recycled Cinema, which attempts to remove some of the stigma associated with the word "remake". Up first, F.W. Murnau's immortal silent horror Nosferatu, A Symphony of Terror (1922) gets a profoundly beautiful and tragic update by living legend Werner Herzog in Nosferatu, the Vampyre (1979)!

Episode 24: Hearts of Burden, Dreams of Darkness

Chaotic Filmmaking Docs!

This week, Faults in the Vaults heads deep into the jungles and the depths of the human psyche in order to analyze a pair of documentaries on the chaotic nature of filmmaking. Specifically, we're taking a look at Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (a 1991 document of Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now) and Burden of Dreams (a 1982 document of Werner Herzog's Fitzcaraldo).

Elsewhere in the episode, Mitch shakes open The Mailbag once more to read aloud some fan follow-ups to a previous episode (Ep.22: Heavy Rock & Rule). In This Week in Torrents, Josh picks a PBS broadcast of American Masters featuring George Lucas and his associates discussing his work in the field of filmmaking.

It's Josh's turn to go Slipping Through the Tracks as he tells the story behind the great Bernard Herrmann's unused score for Alfred Hitchcock's Torn Curtain (1966). Also, Josh explains the show's absence and recaps this month's SDCC while Mitch explains his fear of coyotes. Plus, Herzog impressions!!!

Episode 23: Wayneheads!

Metal Comedy Galore!

This week, Faults in the Vaults heads into the pit to discuss a pair of headbangin' comedies from the 1990's. We're declaring that the party is over for 1992's Wayne's World in order to fight for some air-time on behalf of 1994's Airheads! 

For the first time on the podcast, we had the honor of interviewing the writer of our featured movie. That's right, in the latest edition of the The Soapbox Spotlight we have Airheads! writer Rich Wilkes on the show!

Elsewhere in the episode, This Week in Torrents highlights the long sought after Mexican TV edit of Evil Dead 2, featuring scenes never before seen on any release.

Mitch goes Slipping Through the Tracks this week to discuss the many subgenres of heavy metal that comprise the soundtrack to Harmony Korine's Gummo (1997). And in Total Recast, like Uatu the Watcher, Mitch & Josh wax hypothetical about cinematic could have beens. This time, the guys imagine worlds in which other SNL skits had reached the blockbuster success of Wayne's World.

Episode 22: Heavy Rock & Rule

Canadian Animated Rock!

This week, in Faults in the Vaults, what better way to celebrate the freedoms of this great America then by discussing a pair of animated fantasy films from the Great White North?! O Canada! That's right, we're steering our starship away from the anthology film, Heavy Metal (1981) in order to set a course for the lesser seen, Rock & Rule (1983)!

Elsewhere in the episode, Josh brings attention to an industrious fan who has strung together all the cut scenes from South Park's The Stick of Truth video game to form it's own movie in This Week in Torrents. The Soapbox Rant has the guys all fired up about the House of Mouse.

Josh goes Slipping Through the Tracks in order to throw a spotlight on an impressive score from the great Alan Silvestri. Specifically, his work on the film, Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). And in Total Recast, Mitch and Josh once again, wax hypothetical about cinematic casting scenarios that could have been. This time, the guys imagine some animated franchises that never were!

Episode 21: Mannhunter

Michael Mann Magnificence!

This week's Faults in the Vaults takes a look at a pairing of crime thrillers from the prolific oeuvre of the director. Specifically, we're sticking to the discipline and walking out the door on 1995's Heat in order to pick up the old scent of 1986's Manhunter!

Mitch emerges from the depths of The Mailbag with a question about films that make you cry. In Diggin' Up The Docs, Josh forays into the world of the Beat movement with Chuck Workman's The Source: The Story of the Beats and the Beat Generation (1999).

The Soapbox Rant stokes the fires as the guys make time to take down generational coveting. Mitch takes a turn Slipping Through the Tracks and chooses to champion composer Elliot Goldenthal's genre-bending score to Julie Taymor's Shakespeare adaptation, Titus (1999).

And in Total Recast, Mitch & Josh wax hypothetical and ponder some cinematic casting scenarios that could have been. This time, Mitch imagines a Pacino-less Heat, while Josh finds himself a different Midnight Cowboy!!!

Episode 20: Independence Day Arrival

Alien Invasions Abound!

The boys are uploading a virus to Roland Emmerich's Independence Day in order to boost the signal for David Twohy's alien conspiracy sleeper, The Arrival. That's right, this week we're talking the year the aliens invaded earth, 1996, in Faults in the Vaults.

In Diggin' Up The Docs, Josh and Mitch gush about a mutual love of the band The Descendents in the form of 2013's documentary Filmage: The Story of Descendents/All.

The Soapbox Rant gets the guys riled up as they take the offensive against internet spoilers while Josh takes a turn Slipping Through the Tracks and draws attention to the punk rock/bluegrass sounds of Mark Lanegan with the Lawless soundtrack (2012) .

And in Total Recast, Mitch & Josh wax hypothetical and pick their cinematic Presidents to lead the nation against imminent alien invasion!

Episode 19: American Romper Stomper

Skinheads, Oi! Oi! Oi!

This week, Faults in the Vaults presents a pair of dour skinhead dramas from the 1990's. We're putting to the curb, the very troubled production of Tony Kaye's American History X (1998) in favor of Geoffrey Wright's Romper Stomper (1992). Oi! Oi! Oi!

This Week in Torrents Josh highlights a very titillating and little seen uncensored HD version of Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)! For Slipping Through the Tracks, Mitch chooses an underappreciated Carter Burwell score from David Mamet's The Spanish Prisoner (1997).

In The Soapbox Rant, Josh gives our listeners a history lesson on the origins of the skinhead movement and attempts to correct some all too often made misconceptions.

Finally, in Total Recast, Mitch swaps Edward Furlong from the problematic American History X while Josh chooses to find him a more suitable acting role!

All Music by Cam Mosavian