Hit Factory

Vulture critic Roxana Hadadi returns to Hit Factory for her hat trick to discuss Robert Rodriguez's 'From Dusk Till Dawn', a rambunctious genre hybrid that blends elements of crime pictures, westerns, and gory exploitation horror to uproarious effect.We discuss the ascendancy of Rodriguez and screenwriter Quentin Tarantino during the mid-90s, the undeniable magnetism of a tribal-tattooed George Clooney (in his big screen debut), and ponder the significance of that eye-popping final shot. Follow Roxana Hadadi on Twitter.Read Up "All Night with George Clooney: From Dusk Till Dawn at 25" by Roxana at Crooked Marquee. Get access to all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish. 

We're back after a brief hiatus with a very special Spooky Season™ pick: Guillermo del Toro's debut feature 'Cronos', a magnificent modern vampire fable as indebted to Universal monster stories as it is to Cronenbergian body horror. We discuss the film's various interpretations of vampirism (both literal and figurative), the unapologetic earnestness of del Toro's work, and what the director's monsters can teach us about the complexities of postmodern existence.Get access to all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish. 

Film Twitter personality and fellow Mel Gibson stalwart Hard Mike joins Aaron to discuss Mel's 1995 Best Picture winner 'Braveheart' a sweeping epic about the legendary Scottish freedom fighter William Wallace.The fellas discuss the film's extremely loose adherence to historical accuracy, its celebration of 90s neoliberal orthodoxy & the myth of meritocratic ascendancy, and the rewards of exploring the complicated artisitic statements of "bad" people. Follow Hard Mike on Twitter. Get access to all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish. 

David Parsons from Nostalgia Trap Podcast joins us for a deep dive int Oliver Stone's maximalist 1994 thriller 'Natural Born Killers' starring Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis. We discuss the movie's complicated and controversial legacy, how it (sometimes) trancsends its cartoonish pastiche to paint a portrait of American violence and media sensationalism, and how it fits into a broader conversation about problematic and difficult art that is still resonant today.Listen to Nostalgia Trap and follow the show on Twitter. Follow David Parsons on Twitter. Get access to all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish.

Molly Lambert, creator of HeidiWorld: The Heidi Fleiss Story, joins us to talk the 1990 romantic comedy 'Pretty Woman'. We discuss the film's origins as a gritty tale of sex and drugs on the streets of Hollywood Boulevard, how the story both confronts and conforms to the sexual politics of the era, and the blinding star power of lead Julia Roberts. Later, we discuss Heidi Fleiss, her relationship to Hollywood in the era of Pretty Woman, and the frustrating trend of anti-sex discourse in film and media.Follow Molly Lambert on Twitter.Listen to HeidiWorld: The Heidi Fleiss Story ....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish

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Film writer Veronica Phillips joins Aaron to discuss 'Trainspotting' Danny Boyle's restless adaptation of Irvine Welsh's tale of heroin addiction, reluctant camaraderie, and a generation's failure to reject the principles of a post-Thatcher UK.We discuss the film's breakout performance from then-relative newcomer Ewan McCregor, explore the distinctly 90s evocation of addiction and its roots, and ponder the question of what makes a "good" drug movie. Follow Veronica Phillips on Twitter.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish.

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It's our 100th episode of Hit Factory! To celebrate, we recruit New York-based filmmaker Donald Borenstein to discuss one of the undersung greatest films of the 1990s, Martin Scorsese's 'Bringing Out The Dead' written by the brilliant Paul Schrader. It's a frenzied, vividly-lensed story of death & salvation which also serves as a spotlight on the people pushed to soceity's margins by liberalism's rot.We discuss the pitch-perfect Nic Cage in a role he was seemingly born to play, the film's sly indictment of Giuliani's broken windows crackdown on NY crime in the late 90s, and Schrader's virtuoso ability to blend stories of spiritual catharsis with profound examinations of institutions. Later, we take a moment to reflect on 100 episodes of Hit Factory and share some messages of congratulations from friends of the show. Follow Donald Borenstein on TwitterSpecial Thanks to all our friends who sent messages of congratulations!Listen to The Odd Podd. Follow The Odd Podd and hosts Trevor and Valerie on Twitter.Listen to Pacino Pod. Follow Pacino Pod and hosts Jane and Kalie on Twitter.Listen to Junk Filter. Follow Junk Filter and host Jesse Hawken on Twitter.Listen to How Have You Not Seen. Follow How Have You Not Seen and host Caroline Thompson on Twitter.Follow Lindsay Lee Wallace on Twitter.Read The Pitch of Discontent and follow its creator Owen Morawitz on Twitter. Listen to Podside Picnic and Parents Just Don’t Understand.Read and support Blood Knife digital magazine. Follow Karlo Yeager Rodriguez, Pete, Kurt Schiller, and Chris Woodward on Twitter.Check out American Jank and follow its host Gus Lanzetta on Twitter. ....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish

Get access to this entire episode as well as all of our premium episodes and bonus content by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.