

Hit Factory
Hit Factory
A podcast about the films of the 1990s, their politics, and how they inform today's film landscape. Exploring the output of a seemingly bottomless decade. America's first and only movie podcast.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jun 30, 2022 • 5min
The Lost World: Jurassic Park feat. Peter Raleigh *TEASER*
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.

Jun 23, 2022 • 1h 47min
Irma Vep feat. Brandon Streussnig
Writer Brandon Streussnig joins us to discuss Olivier Assayas's 1996 postmodern masterpiece 'Irma Vep'. It's a revelatory metatextual exploration of creation, capitalism, and cinema - past, present & future.We discuss the indelible magnetism of star Maggie Cheung (playing a version of herself), the film's considerations of the shifting proclivities of audiences on the global stage in the mid-90s, and the ways in which modern moviemaking seems averse to asking big questions about itself and the ways people watch it. Then, we briefly discuss Assayas's return to the property in the form of a brand new HBO miniseries that loses none of the potency of the original a quarter century later. Follow Brandon Streussnig 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

Jun 19, 2022 • 9min
Late Bloomers feat. Lindsay Lee Wallace *TEASER*
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.

Jun 10, 2022 • 1h 2min
The Fugitive
We discuss the 1993 box office sensation 'The Fugitive' a meticulously detailed and expertly crafted thriller without an ounce of fat on it. Topics include the film's unusual and effective narrative structure, the bravura performances by the film's two leads, Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones, and the anxieties at the heart of man-on-the-run thrillers. 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

Jun 2, 2022 • 7min
Unlawful Entry *TEASER*
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.

May 27, 2022 • 1h 9min
Diggstown feat. Matt Christman
We're joined by one of the hosts of Chapo Trap House, Matt Christman to discuss Michael Ritchie's highly entertaining con-man/sports movie mashup 'Diggstown'. We explore the film's distinct 70s throwback appeal, set aside personal politics to make the case for James Woods as one of the finest actors of his generation, and yearn for a time when studio movies still permitted excessive perspiration.Follow Matt Christman 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.

May 22, 2022 • 5min
Citizen Ruth *TEASER*
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.

May 13, 2022 • 1h 46min
Happiness feat. 30 Years Later
We're joined by hosts of 30 Years Later Podcast, Ricky Camilleri and Chris Chafin, to discuss Todd Solondz's grimly funny ensemble comedy 'Happiness'. We discuss the writer/director's singular talent for handling "sticky" subject matter and characters, the film's remarkably prescient and timely themes of emmiseration and depravity in modern American existence, and why current media discourse and trends are especially averse to embracing the brilliance of Solondz's deeply nuanced portrayals. Follow Ricky Camilleri on Twitter. Follow Chris Chafin on Twitter.Listen & Subscribe to 30 Years Later. 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

May 6, 2022 • 1h 6min
UNLOCKED: Jade
No new episode this week, so enjoy this unlocked Patreon epsiode...We explore a fascinating critical and commercial dud from the great William Friedkin: 1995's erotic thriller 'Jade'. Topics include the pitch perfect performance from Linda Fiorentino, the film's brilliant "bare essentials" approach to its genres, and its thematic relationship to a classic of the 70s neo-noir canon. We also talk some recent critical misreads of onscreen eroticism and explore a new paradigm of cultural myopia we like to call "The Smoothening".Read "The Sex Scene is Dead. Long Live the Sex Scene" from The New Yorker.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.....Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish

Apr 30, 2022 • 1h 14min
The Fisher King
For the first time in Hit Factory history, we're recording from separate locales to discuss Terry Gilliam's 1991 fantasy drama 'The Fisher King'. We discuss the bevy of brilliant performances (including an Oscar-winning turn from the great Mercedes Ruehl), Gilliam's singular ability to effortlessly navigate his film's disparate tones, and the subversive empathy the film employs in its consideration of people who occupy the margins of society.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