Episodes
Every episode, newest first.
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Lane Smith Never Was Richard Nixon No Matter What You Say
Blamison are back with a new regular episode where we cover 1987’s Prison starring Lane Smith and Viggo Mortensen. We talk about Mortensen’s dialect choice for the film, some of the background behind the making of the film and how this film is kind of a low-key favorite of ours. The boys go down to the execution chair to get haunted on this episode. Join us if you dare! Other topics discussed: camping, being sort of sick, To Catch a Predator Clip: “Poltergeist - Go Into the Light” Super Cut Sound engineer: Justin Wiechec
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Hangar? I Hardly Knew Her!
Blamison are back with our first normie episode in a while! Blake picked 1980’s Hangar 18 for the fellas to discuss. While the film is largely enjoyable, it doesn’t quite transcend the expectations of its age. Nonetheless, the guys celebrate the best parts of the film including astronauts with dad bods and the prefiguring of 2016’s Arrival. We get back to basics on this episode and we hope you enjoy it! Other topics discussed: what Jamison made for breakfast, vegetarian meat substitutions, Widow’s Bay, cottage cheese Clip: “The only expert review of ‘Batman Returns’ you’ll ever need” Sound engineer: Justin Wiechec
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(Matt) Ruff, the Way Ya Mother Likes It!
Blamison have really been racking up the podcast cameos lately and this episode is no different as they welcome onto the pod author Matt Ruff of Lovecraft Country and 88 Names fame! On this episode we discuss one of Matt’s long-standing film blindspots from the 1970s The Super Cops! The film is based on a “true story” about two Bed-Stuy cops that were nicknamed “Batman & Robin.” We switch up the format by jumping into the film right off the bat and then bullshitting on the backside of the episode. Also talked about: Matt’s writing, AI, and whether the Super Cops would use AI. Sound engineering by Justin Wiechec
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The Magnificent AI-mbersons
Blamison are back and better than ever! On this episode we welcome Brian Rose the filmmaker behind the reconstruction of Orson Welles’ second film The Magnificent Ambersons which has been in the news a lot lately including this terrific write-up by The New Yorker. In this episode we discuss what led to his work on this reconstruction and its controversial use of AI. Then we dig into the film he chose for us to watch Gabriel Over The White House from 1933 which tracks newly inaugurated president from party-line hack to an American Mussolini. We talk about how politics blended with power can end in authoritarianism and fascism from any point on the political spectrum. It’s a harrowing film, but also deeply engaging and instructive. This is a great episode and we hope you all enjoy it! Clip: Drunk Orson Welles champagne commercial outtakes Sound Engineering by Justin Wiechic
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Michigan and Again and Again and Again and Again
Blamison is back for a new episode that kind of morphed into a monster. Jamison picked Joel Potrykus’ 2018 film Relaxer and Blake doubled-down numerous times until we decided to watch Potrykus’ whole feature filmography for this episode. We cover Ape, Buzzard, The Alchemist Cookbook, Relaxer and Vulcanizadora. This episode is PACKED with Michigan goodness! Also talked about: how this episode came to be and the cultural renovation of Hell Clip: “Joel Potrykus Actually Doesn't Enjoy The Process Of Making Movies,” Brian Kelly Podcast Sound Engineering: Justin Wiechec
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Cormac McCarthy for the Bros
Blamison is back with another spectacular episode! We welcome friend of the podcast Brad Kelly, host of Method and Madness podcast and author of the new book, The Earthen Dark, to the show! In this episode we discuss the classic 1955 film The Night of the Hunter starring Robert Mitchum and Lilian Gish. We discuss how one-time director Charles Laughton took some risks in his cinematography and how it ends up making this film standout among its peers. We are dig into who the real bad guy is, the dream logic of the film and many other elements. Also talked about: A.I., tarot cards & Brad's new book. Clip: Academia Humor by Jeff Acuri Sound Engineering: Justin Wiechic
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Ye Ol’ Egg-Sucking Bunny
Blamison are back for a duo episode once again! Jamison and Blake talk about 2016's Holidays the anthology horror film and how deeply inconsistent the movie is while a couple of the segments are terrific and others are conceptually good if not executed well. We zone in specifically on "Father's Day" and "Easter" since we were recording on Easter evening. Really this was just a way for Blake to talk about an article he wrote years ago the "Easter" segment. It's a good episode and we hope you enjoy it as well. Also discussed: Easter, Jamison's mom's Easter music, child sleep troubles Clip: Jamison's son Hazel talking about the benefits of beer. Sound engineer: Justin Wiechic
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Against the State
Blamison is back and this time we get LITERARY. On this episode we have special guest Seth Wieck who just released his debut collection of poetry Call Out Coyote through Wiseblood Books. We talk about his poetry and what it means to be a poet of place. We then turn our attention to the classic Paul Newman film Cool Hand Luke. We discuss the nature of prison films, the all-seeing eye of the state, and even Foucault’s Panopticon. Mostly we talk about why this film is a stone-cold classic. Also discussed: Seth’s parenting hacks, Seth’s flirting with anarchist thought (maybe) and Christ imagery. Clip: Seth Wieck reads his poem “The Rest are Missing” Get the book here: https://www.wisebloodbooks.com/store/p172/Call_Out_Coyote%3A_Poems_by_Seth_Wieck.html Sound engineer: Justin Wiechic
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When Cringe Was Cool
Blamison are back with a new episode! Blake’s pick this episode is 1975’s Breakout with Charles Bronson and Robert Duvall. We discuss the minor parts of the film that do work (mainly Bronson) and the large parts of the film that are heavy in their cringe factor. We also discuss that there really is no main character in this movie as no one really has a character arc. Also discussed: tornadoes, rough kid days. Clip: Greipur’s Icelandic prison joke. Sound Engineer: Justin Wiechic
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The Banality of the Panopticon
Blamison are back with a new episode! On this episode we cover the debut feature from John Hillcoat Ghosts…of the Civil Dead (1988). We discuss the experimental nature of the film and how it achieves is commentary about prison life effectively by way of its pacing, its seeming banality and its indifference to temporal setting. It’s a fun discussion about a pretty inaccessible film. Other items discussed: Shia Labeouf, Montana music festivals, knitting influencers Clip: Matt Berry & Peter Capaldi on Letters Live Sound Engineer: Justin Wiechic
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The Hauer of Power, Pt. 2
Blamison are back to discuss Blake’s pick! We dig into the little known (sort of) sci-fi 90s film Wedlock from 1991 starring Rutger Hauer, Joan Chen and Mimi Rogers. We talk about the utter ridiculousness of the setup to this film and the moments it still gets right nonetheless. Plus, we get to see Rutger Hauer in full dad bod mode! Also discussed: getting fat from not running and *not* being vegan. Clip: T-Pain Freakout on Dope-Ass Rappers Sound engineering by Justin Wiechec.
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Trigger Warning! Linkin Park Contained Within
Blamison is back with a regular episode! Jamison picked the movie for this episode due to living high on the hog as a teen when he purchased a DVD copy of the 2001 German film Das Experiment from a dying Hollywood Video in Paradise, CA. Blake has to settle for a shiny, ripped and AI-translated German language YouTube version of the movie which he found to be oft confusing. Turns out from our discussion, it was likely just as much the movie as the AI translation. We talk about the Stanford Prison Experiment which the book the movie was based on was loosely based on—yeah, read that sentence and make sense of it! Other items discussed: life, kids, snowfall and injured legs. Clip: Men in Tights “Welcome…to the Dungeon!” Sound Engineer & Producer: Justin Wiechec
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The Fourth Annual Fly By Film’s Flight of Fantasia Finale
Jamison and Blake are back with our year-end game and ranking of our podcast film selections! Jamison came up with a most excellent game to achieve our final ranking on the year. It is called Fantasy Celebrity. Here are the rules:We each come with a list of 10 favorite movies from FBF 2025.Flip a coin to see who chooses first.Alternate choosing celebrities untill each person has a team of ten.Active play:Starting with position 10 and moving down to 1...Draw a question at random from the stack. We read it and each choose a person from our team to battle for dominance.Send the question and options to ChatGPT and have it decide which celebrity is more likely. The person who submitted that celebrity wins that round.The winner of the round gets to place the movie of their choice in the position we are fighting forRetire the celebrity chosen and continue the game moving one position down.Movie Makers:Will FerrellKiera KnightleyJaime Lee CurtisMorgan FreemanMel GibsonMartin ScorcesesJim JarmuschJordan PeeleWill PattonBong Joon HoLaKeith StanfieldSinbadDean CainJudi DenchGlenn CloseMichael BayJean Claude Van DammeKiefer SutherlandRichard KellyKelly ReichardtQuestion Bank:Who will be uncanceled in 2026?Who will make a terrible cake in 2026?Who will befriend a bird in 2026?Who will be the first to cry by onion in 2026?Who will knit their underwear in 2026?Who will read their first book in 2026?Who will be the first to eat 25 subway sandwiches in 2026?Who will eat an orange and declare it the best orange they have ever had in their life in 2026?Who will be outed as three kids in a trenchcoat in 2026Who will hold the most potato chips in 2026?AND HERE IS OUR FINAL RANKING FOR FLY BY FILMS 2025: 10. Northwest Mounted Police 9. Joker 2 8. House of Wax 7. The Meteor Man 6. Eureka 5. Horror Express 4. House on Haunted Hill 3. Brute Force 2. Hollywood Shuffle 1. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor among Thieves Clip: "My 3 year old must argue and debate everything!" Sound Engineer & Producer - Justin Wiechec
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The Episode Where We Cratered Under the Weight of Our Own Rhetoric, Pt. II
Blamison are back just in time to then quit for the year! Jamison did not know it during our last Christmas episode, but he started a trend of subjecting each other to the shittiest films from our past. Blake decided to make him watch the 1995 Disney stunner Man of the House starring Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Chevy Chase. We try to figure out how this film got made and what kind of audience energy it was trying to conjure. Plus, we now have a producer so the episode should sound significantly better with even less effort from your hosts! Other things talked about: Chevy Chase is an asshole, duck cakes, and Lasik adventures. Clip: "News blooper: Anchors can't stop laughing at play with yourself line" Sound Engineer & Producer - Justin Wiechec
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The One Where We are Taken to Task (w/ Demetrius Sanders)
Blamison are made to be contrite for our cinematic sins when Demetrius Sanders comes back on the show to talk 1987's Hollywood Shuffle which was the filmic statement by Robert Townsend--who we covered one of his other films, The Meteor Man, earlier in the year. We talk about the anger seething underneath the satire of the film and the various traps of stereotypes in cinema. Don't worry, we also have a lot of fun talking about a true fun movie. Other things talked about: the relativity of forgettability, gaming journalism and anime, but not THAT kind of anime. Clip: Segment of Reel Brothers skit from Hollywood Shuffle.
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Wanna Know How I Got These Songs??
Blamison are back with a regular episode...sort of! We have a special returning guest--and probably has the award for the shortest turnaround as well!--Luke T. Harrington. On this episode, we talk about Joker: Folie à Deux and why it flubbed at the box office after the hugely successful Joker. We also dig into the controversies and dIsCoUrSe™ surrounding both films when they came out. It's a great episode about a very strange movie! Also discussed: going back to grad school and Luke's six pack. Clip: Werner Herzog telling about how he discovered John Waters was gay.
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Fly By Film’s Spooktober Festival of Spooks: Sins Come at a Price: GREED & GLUTTONY
Blamison have completed their fourth annual Halloween series! On this episode they finish up the final two Vincent Price films, Scream and Scream Again (1970) and The Comedy of Terrors (1963). We talk about the absolute battiness of the former narrative and the enjoyment of watching Price stretch himself in the latter (even though the film itself was not, on the whole enjoyable). Join us for this sPoOkY final installment of the series! Also discussed: HELL Clip: live performance of Vincent Price’s monologue for an Alice Cooper song.
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Fly By Film’s Spooktober Festival of Spooks: Sins Come at a Price: SLOTH & PRIDE
Blamison are back with our fourth installment of our Price Halloween series! On this episode we discuss the 1961 Roger Corman joint The Pit and the Pendulum and 1972's Dr. Phibes Rises Again. We talk about Price playing a little against type in the first film and just going full Mandy on the second film. We dig into what makes Poe scary and why Phibes might be a precursor to Saw. Also discussed: Jamison's wild week and the token doomer/greek orthodox bands Sleep and Om. Clip: Vincent Price as Dr. Frankenstein on Rowan & Martin's Laugh In
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Fly By Film’s Spooktober Festival of Spooks: Sins Come at a Price: ENVY & WRATH
Blamison are back for the third Halloween of the month! This time we take on 1974's Madhouse and 1953's House of Wax. We talk about everything from what it means to choose a resolution in the film that makes no logical sense but is pure, distilled cinema nonetheless. We also talk about scores and why they do and don't work for specific movies. Oh yeah and we, of course, discuss WRATH and ENVY and the links they have to the films we chose. Also discussed: Blake joins the dead dad club and doctors who pray. Clip: Vincent Price on Johnny Carson teaching the audience how to cook fish in the dish washer.
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Fly By Film’s Spooktober Festival of Spooks: Sins Come at a Price: LUST
Blamison are back with their first true installment of "Sins Come at a Price" with our discussion of two films for the sin of Lust: 1965's spy-comedy Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine and 1959's spooky mansion film House on Haunted Hill. We discuss all of the sexy and lusty elements of these films (or not). We also dig into the penchant for making lust always about sex and questioning the Catholic penchant for elevating these above others. Also discussed: the Sunday gloomies, is Vincent Price a comedic actor? Clip: Boris Karloff and Vincent Price singing "The Two Of Us" on The Red Skelton Show
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Fly By Film’s Spooktober Festival of Spooks: Sins Come at a Price: The Introduction
Blamison discuss their theme for this year's October series and select their films on the air. This year we are looking at the seven deadly sins through the films of Vincent Price. So join us as we dig into what you can come to expect from us this month! Also discussed: Jamison murdering his skin tag. Clip: Vincent Price on the Joan Rivers Show.
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Dingi and Dumbasses: BS Among Brothers
Blamison are back with a special episode. By "special," we mean a regular episode but with more doubly more guests! The Harrington Brothers (so Thadd and Luke say) join us to talk about 2023's highly enjoyable Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. We talk about Thadd's addiction to D&D and his wife's distain for it. We also talk about how Luke is too cool (and too chiseled) to think table top games are worth his time. Eventually we talk about the movie as we are wont to do. Other things talked about: how our wives don't really like to do things with us, getting bulked up, the most annoying thing right now, and how many times we can go off topic. Clip: "When Hip-Hop and D&D Collide" - Key & Peele
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That’s Hard Medicine (w/ Aren Bergstrom of 3 Brothers Film)
Blamison are back and we have back up one this episode! We do some exploring into Cecil B. Demille's 1940 film North West Mounted Police starring Gary Cooper. Our guest Aren Bergstrom is our resident Canadian film and history buff and schools us on Louis Riel and all of the things that went into the Battle of Batoche which this film attempts to depict and fails in ways only DeMille could pull off. This is probably our most substantive episode to date so put on your thinking caps and set your gaze up North. Other things discussed: the films we have hated this year, A.I. Clip: from the tv show "Due South" Check out Aren and his brothers at 3 Brothers Film and Filmcast.
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Unsecret Hitler & The Fun Nazis
Blamison are back! We are digging in to a lesser known Hitchcock film 1944's Lifeboat and, well, let's just say it wasn't what we were expecting. Jamison does a free-form opening for the episode and Blake waxes philosophical about why Hitchcock is revered and Shyamalan is not. Oh, and we talk about John Steinbeck's misgivings about being attributed to the writing of this movie. Other topics of discussion: our favorite songs of the year so far, parenting (duh!) and the new film Weapons. Clip: Jamison doing a spoken trailer for a partially fake movie.
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The Meatier Man
Blamison get together once again to explore Jamison's pick of forgotten films. Raw's director Robert Townsend takes a tonal shift in his 1993 superhero film, The Meteor Man. We talk, of course, about the film's weirder elements and those parts that have not aged as well, but we end up defending it from its naysayers as it provided substance that is not often present in contemporary superhero films. Join us as we get MEATIER...urgh I mean METEOR with this film! Other things discussed: actually most of the runtime is talking about film of some sort. It's our most film-centric episode to date probably. Clip: "Meatier.... meteor...?" from YouTube Clips
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God Dermot Mulroney!
Blamison are back with a totally unchill discussion of 1991's John Hughes-written Target ad Career Opportunities starring Jennifer Connelly (be still Jamison's heart) and Frank Whaley. There are several aspects of the film that would have made for a great film, but, alas, it all comes to, well, not much. Meet-cute beats out capitalist satire by the end of the film. Other things discussed: how work sucks, parenting wily children and the Mulroney brothers. Clip: "K-Strass the yo-yo man on KQTV in St. Joseph, Missouri." on Youtube.
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Never Go Full Pomeranian
Blamison are back with another terrible and justifiably forgotten film with 2003's Christian film Quigley starring Gary Busey in a dog collar, Oz Perkins as the most unmotivated Guardian angel, and Booger as an inept boss. Yes, Jamison found this film and we had to watch it since this is an Oz Perkins Parenting podcast...and not a essentially a forgotten film podcast. The stars have aligned however. Here we stand... Other topics discussed: favorite movies of the last 25 years, kids going through vibe shifts, and Joan Osborne. Clip: "Gary Busey On Spirituality, God and Only Human" via Times Square Chronicles
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The Angelic Choir Magic Hour
Blamison are back with a regular episode about a movie that know one fucking knows! We dig into the first of three feature films by Mark Romanek who is most known for doing the multi-million dollar budget music video for Michael Jackson's "Scream." The name of the movie is Static from 1985. We talk about the weird tonal shift in the final act of the film, hanging out with slackers, and grief of all things. Join us on this angelic adventure! Also talked about: Blake's post-punk journey, Blake's hatred of Pitchfork and why The Edge is not a cool nickname. Clip: Al Gore talking about creating the internet with Wolf Blitzer.
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A Level Plane Fielder
Blamison remain consistent in their inability to remain consistent as they take a break from forgotten films to talk about a show that is IN THE ZEITGEIST. This show is season two of The Rehearsal with Nathan Fielder. We dig into the true meta nature of Fielder and all of his shows--because they all feed back into this season--and what it is about this show that makes us giddy. Join us! We spoil everything so Beware! And Don't Care! Other Things Discussed: Part 1 of our diatribe on why Christian rock 'n' roll IS actually rock 'n' roll and then we talk about the best thing our kids have done in the past week. Clip: Airplane! (1980)
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Help! I’ve Been Body Sprayed! (w/ Ian from the Group Chat)
On this one-off episode of Will Blake Get Cancelled?, Jamison and Blake explain the curse that has been brought upon them by the likes of Ian Olson (of the upcoming Book of Common Terror podcast). We talk about 1992's Michael "MFumay" Mfume's Ax'Em and how nothing could save this film from its own incompetence. This is probably the hardest film we have watched to this point. Join us. Other things discussed: Ian's Native heritage, parenting (because this is a low-key better parenting podcast), and not Christian rock music. Clip from: Tim Robinson and Sam Richardson introduce the 2024 Detroit Lions game schedule.
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Schrödinger’s Keaton
Blamison made it back just in the nick of time to maintain the efficacy of their typical intro of "once or twice a month"! On this episode we play thought games with the 1996 comedic fable Multiplicity starring Michael Keaton and Andie McDowell and directed by Harold Ramis. But let's be honest, we hadn't talked in about a month, so most of this episode is just babbling. Other things talked about: Blake's mustache, his upcoming breakout talk at the NYC Mockingbird conference, and Jamison's trip to Japan. Clip: The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack
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The Hauer of Power
Blamison return to our regular length of blabbering on with this episode on the obscure and FORGOTTEN 1983 film Eureka starring none other than the man, the myth, and the legend: Rutger Hauer....and also Gene Hackman. We don't know quite what to do with this movie even though our review of it is nothing less than glowing. So, sit back and relax as we dig for gold and exploit the native populations under the guise of progressivism. Also talked about: religious faith and TA DA! our kids. Clip: Gene Hackman in Bonnie & Clyde (1967)
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Jumpin’ Jack Duggan
Blamison are back in the march towards the Ides with a banger of a film starring Mick Jagger as Ned Kelly (1970). And, get this!, Micky Boy only sings one song on this film and it is all the better for it. We talk about film, yes, but mostly about how fucking incredible this soundtrack is and why it makes the movie so much better than it actually is. Other things talked about: throwing Demetrius Sanders under the bus again and our favorite historical figures and their portrayals in cinema. Clip: "Insult Comic Restaurant" from Season 2, Episode 5 of I Think You Should Leave.
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You Give [Eastern] Orthodoxy a Bad Name
Blamison are back with a great episode on one hell of a film! 1972's Horror Express with Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, and Telly Savalas is what would happen if Hammer tried to make John Carpenter's The Thing ten years earlier. Plus if you want to talk about representation on screen, then one of the under-represented great Christian denominations (which sounds suspiciously Protestant) is shown front and center in this film. Plus Cossacks! Other thing talked about: skateboarding maths, science's increasingly shady track record and Blake gets Cossacks and Hessians mixed up. Clip: "The Impossible Dream" by Christopher Lee
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Don’t Ig-Noir This Episode!
Blamison are back with a thrilling discussion about Jules Dassin's great and forgotten prison epic,Brute Force (1947). We dig into the types of prison movies that are made in Hollywood, the distinction between classic and modern acting, and how efficient filmmaking can deliver the goods over and over again. Also talked about: decentralized social media, home labs, and why Hershey's is shit chocolate. Clip:Smoky and the Bandit (1977)
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Labor-ed Breathing
Blamison have wrested control of the AI that took over last week and are getting into the nitty gritty of FORGOTTEN films. Per our rules, Blake picked out the 1988 whimsically nostalgic class warfare picture, Matewan. We talk about why the cinematography got nominated for an Oscar when it clearly sucks and also how good of a guy Chris Cooper is. Oh, and James Earl Jones. It's our first true episode of Season Four so you don't want to miss it. PLUS ITS SHORT. Other items talked about: the same typical bullshit. Clip: Office Space (1999)
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The Third Annual Fly By Film’s Flight of Fantasia Finale
The year’s come to an end, and the world of film is as wild and unpredictable as ever. Welcome to Fly By Films, where the conversation isn’t about what’s hot or what’s trendy — it’s about the films that matter, the ones that’ve burned themselves into our memories and won’t let go. No fancy lists here, just honest talk about the movies that made us laugh, cry, think, or sometimes just scratch our heads. Your hosts — Jamison Barsotti, a film lover with a sharp eye and an even sharper tongue, and Blake Collier, the eternal optimist who somehow still believes in the magic of cinema — will guide you through the mess of the year’s best, worst, and everything in between. They’ll be joined by a few voices who bring something more to the table: Ciara Barsotti, an artist whose eye for detail and depth uncovers the beauty in the forgotten frames; and, of course, William Blake, the cat who, despite not having thumbs, has an uncanny ability to judge films with a quiet intensity that puts even the harshest critics to shame. And then there’s ChatGPT. Yeah, that damn machine. The hosts can’t stand it, but they grudgingly let it in — mostly because it won’t stop talking. It spits out facts, opinions, and cold, soulless analysis with a mechanical voice that somehow knows more about films than anyone in the room. But make no mistake, the hosts aren’t here for it. They’d rather talk to the cat than let that algorithm dictate the conversation. It’s like a ghost in the machine, except the machine is mostly annoying and knows how to ruin a good time. But that’s the thing — this podcast isn’t about what’s polished or perfect. It’s about the films that haunt us, the ones that stick with us long after we’ve turned off the screen. Some are new, some are old, but they all share that undeniable power to move, disturb, or leave us wondering what the hell we just saw. So grab a drink, settle in, and get ready for a conversation that’s a bit raw, a bit messy, and definitely not for the faint of heart. It’s not a countdown, it’s not a critic’s list — it’s Fly By Films, where we talk about the films that matter, the ones that get under your skin and stay there. Or don't. And if William Blake the cat gives you that look, well, it’s because you probably missed something important. You’re welcome to argue with the machine, but it’s just not the same as listening to a cat.* *written by ChatGPT as John Steinbeck. Clip from Netflix is a Joke's video "The Second Stand-Up Comedy Special Written Entirely By Bots"
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The Episode Where We Cratered Under the Weight of Our Own Rhetoric
MERRY CHRISTMAS! Blamison are back for your Christmas pleasure. We are bringing all the goodies for the little boys and girls who listen to us. We talk (mostly tangentially) about the 1977 film The Crater Lake Monster, but more importantly we plan on going back to our roots for Season 4. Actual films that have been forgotten. We even set down rules for our picks. Other things talked about: The Chico mansion that burned down, memory, and the epistemology of forgotten films. Clip: Fatman (2020)
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FBF Presents: On Earth No One Will Hear Your Podcast, Pt. V
Blamison are BACK! On this episode we end off our Alien series with the most recent entry, Alien: Romulus. We talk about what works and what doesn't work in this Fede Alvarez film. We also briefly suggest deeper discussion of CGI ethics and then do nothing with it. Then we end off the episode with our final ranking and what is next for the podcast. Also talked about: the recent election and scary shit that has happened to us. Clip: The Goonies (1985)
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Fly By Film’s Spooktober Festival of Spooks: We’re Perkin’ for Perkins: ANTHONY PERKINS FEST!
Blamison dig into the Psycho franchise to uncover the actual heart of the whole series: Anthony Perkins. We analyze the original film, 2-4 and the 1998 remake by Gus van Sant in order to breakdown what makes this story so intriguing and how the trajectory of the series actually parallels David Gordon Green's Halloween trilogy. Also talked about: what horror we have seen recently, what we are doing with our families on Halloween, and general bullshit. Clip: "The Mike Wallace Interview" Ssn 2, Ep. 11 Intro.
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Fly By Film’s Spooktober Festival of Spooks: We’re Perkin’ for Perkins: Longlegs (2024) w/ Demetrius Sanders
Blamison talk with the man, the myth, the legend, Demetrius Sanders, about Oz Perkins' most recent offering, Longlegs (2024). We dig into how the film is set up as a crime procedural and subverts it in just about every way imaginable. We dig into the "brain" of the dolls and its links to Phantasm because why not? All in all, we dissect all of the ways that Longlegs works thematically and technically. So join us for this enthralling discussion. Other things talked about: Aliens, mythmaking, and Marshall McLuhan. Clip: Dead & Breakfast (2004)
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Fly By Film’s Spooktober Festival of Spooks: We’re Perkin’ for Perkins: Gretel & Hansel (2020)
On this episode, Blamison talk about Nepo-baby Osgood Perkins' third feature film, Gretel & Hansel. Of course, we talk about its occult geometries, the consumptive critique of society and just how damn good this movie ultimately is. This movie is primed to be Perkins' most accessible film and yet the marketing is botched by Orion. Go figure. Also talked about: nepotism, Perkins' obsession with young women, and more parenting bullshit. Clip: "Tooth Fairy Looks For a New Job" Eddie Murphy from early SNL.
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Fly By Film’s Spooktober Festival of Spooks: We’re Perkin’ for Perkins: Blackcoat’s Daughter (2017) w/ Ryan Ellington
Blamison pick up where they left off with Osgood Perkins' next released film Blackcoat's Daughter and this time they invite special guest Ryan Ellington of Grindhouse Theology and the Hardcore Baptist Convention™ onto the show. We break down how this early A24 offering is everything A24 wants to be and can never be again. We talk about how every choice Perkins makes in this film ripples into the present day "elevated horror" yet did it sincerely. Other things talked about: Backdoor Sluts franchise, the origins of Grindhouse Theology and being a Baptist minister. Clip: South Park, Ssn. 6 - "The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers"
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Fly By Film’s Spooktober Festival of Spooks: We’re Perkin’ for Perkins: I Am the Pretty Thing that Lives in the House (2016)
Blamison start off their Halloween series with a bit of a rocky start as Blake's mic seems to have been glitchy. First it sounds like Jamison is talking to himself, but eventually Blake's voice comes into the mix. This may be the case with the first three episodes...unfortunately. That being said we start our exploration with Osgood Perkins' first(?) film I Am the Pretty Thing that Lives in the House which can only be found on Netflix much to our chagrin. We talk about watching this film inebriated or high or on acid and how nothing about this film seems like something that would get made now. Perkins hit the sweet spot with Netflix. Yet we find certain charms in the film. Also talked about: parenting, coming up with the name of our series, and the typical bullshit. Clip: Nathan For You, Sn. 2, Ep. 1
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FBF Presents: On Earth No One Will Hear Your Podcast, Pt. IV
Blamison actually talk about the Alien films. They cover Alien³ (Assembly Cut), Alien: Resurrection, Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. Also talked about: just how bad Aliens is and they rank the franchise sans Alien: Romulus. Clip from Sen. Ted Stevens describing the internet.
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FBF Presents: On Earth No One Will Hear Your Podcast, Pt. III
Blamison stretch the bounds of space and time and intellect in their discussion of the Alien franchise by exploring Alien³ (Assembly Cut) through to Alien: Covenant by way of CCM music, specifically the incestuous musical relationship between Decent Christian Talk, Audio Adrenaline and Newsboys. Stick around for this mind-expanding dive into the outer fringes of the Xenomorph mythos. Also talked about: not Alien, so if that is, like, a problem for you then wait two more weeks and you will get nothing but Alien talk. Clip from Multiplicity (1996).
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FBF Presents: On Earth No One Will Hear Your Podcast, Pt. II
Blamison deride the destestable follow-up to Alien with Aliens (get it? cuz there is more than one!) by the tech-obsessed (oblivious?) director James Cameron. We talk about the horrible characterizations, the special effects seams that are everywhere in this movie and how is the villains and locations were changed this film would be no different than an 80s actioner. And it doesn't stop there... Also talked about: What we will be doing in the coming days, podcast time traveling, infant corporate takeover. Clip: Key & Peele, Ssn 4, Ep. 1 - "Alien Invaders"
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FBF Presents: On Earth No One Will Hear Your Podcast, Pt. I
Blamison start a new series covering the main entries into the ALIEN franchise starting with the greatest of all 1979's Alien. We talk about how great the acting is, how seamless the effects are (and how they hold up over time) and some of our reasons for considering this movie a masterpiece. Also, talked about: why this August is gonna be a great music month and various other tangents as we attempt to get to the movie bullshit quicker than normal. Clip from: YouTube channel How It Should Have Ended - "NUTHIN' BUT AN ALIEN - An Alien and Dr. Dre Parody"
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“I’m Calling Bolshevik!“
Blamison dig into the film/propaganda piece known as Sergei Eisenstein' Oktyabr (1927). While it's no Bronenosets Potyomkin (1925), we dig into how the film uses editing and montage to create cinema that is certainly decades ahead of its time. This is a jolly episode filled with political and economic opinions that will probably lose us more listeners, but we aren't in it for the money after all. Also talked about: dat parenting 'bolshevik', silent films and their bombastic music, and we become singular spokesmen for our cities. Clip from Season 6, Episode 24 of MADTv.
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Grief Ghost Coast to Coast
Blamison talk about the 2001 Oscar-bait film In The Bedroom by Todd Fields and the 2017 Mount Eerie album A Crow Looked at Me and discuss the theme of grief. This is a bit more of a downer episode than normal so gird your loins for some feelings (or lack there of--we're looking at you Blake). Other topics discussed: Tom Cruise's cousin, what we have been watching lately, and confirm that Frailty is indeed a superhero film. Clip from Season 2, Episode 1 of I Think You Should Leave.
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Batman on Broadway
Blamison talk about the utter confusion that is Joel Schumacher's 1995 hit film and soundtrack, Batman Forever. Is it good? Is it perhaps the only gay superhero movie? What was Tommy Lee Jones thinking when starring in this film? Why in the world was this soundtrack a multi-platinum success? All of these questions are addressed adequately and answered inadequately as only Fly By Films can do. Other things talked about: our recent bouts with parasites and what we are reading, watching and listening to.
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Video Killed The Radio(head) Star
Blamison talk about the 2018 film You Were Never Really Here directed by Lynne Ramsay and starring Joaquin Phoenix as well as the soundtrack by Jonny Greenwood. We dig into why Phoenix is a great actor and whether or not the ending of this movie is actually good. Other topics discussed: the Emerald Triangle, Missing 411, and Delillo's Underworld. Clip from I Think You Should Leave Season 1, Episode 5
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The University of Scream Phoenix
Blamison begin a new ongoing series for season 3 by talking about the 2010 film The Book of Eli and pairing it with the 2001 underground hip hop classic The Cold Vein by Cannibal Ox. We dig into the film's peculiar place in recent cinematic history, its religious text (because there is little subtext), and what a couple of rappers from Harlem have to do with Denzel Washington. Other things discussed: Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Christian hip hop giants and shitty calculations. Clip from Training Day.
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A Dingus Ate My Baby!!!!
Blake and Jamison dive into the manic pixie dreamland of Cameron Crowe's 2005 film Elizabethtown and talk about everything from daddy death issues to why reductive film criticism is annoying to what makes a great compilation soundtrack. Check it out! Things get a little emotional. Other things talked about: Jamison sets up a podcast-length game for Blake, the Brick app, and Jamison goes deep for a childhood memory that carries into the present. Clip from The Office S3, Ep. 4. Referenced: "Elizabethtown Revisited" - Roger Ebert
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Ride Your Horse over the Rust of the Machines (with Greg Shafer)
Jamison and Blake talk about the 1995 Jim Jarmusch film Dead Man, its score by Neil Young and how Roger Ebert was such a good rhetorician that even his dumbass takes are superbly written (and hilarious!). Our friend Greg Shafer joins us for this terrific conversation. Other things talked about: Catholicism, whether the invention of the automobile was good or not, and identity. Clip from the last voicemail Jamison's father left him before he died.
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Live from Casa Del Collier in Tulsa, OK
Jamison and Blake. IN THE SAME ROOM AT THE SAME TIME. WE EVEN SAW THE SAME MOVIE AT THE SAME THEATER. That's right! We watched Ethan Coen's first single outing post-Coen Bros. divorce: Driveaway Dolls. We discuss what Joel and Ethan's choice in filmmaking says about their past films and their future as individual filmmakers. Other items discussed: getting in on that parenting bullshit (but this time parenting in the same house!), what we catastrophize about and whether or not Stephen King killed John Lennon. This is an action packed live episode that should not be missed!
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A Treatise Concerning the Multivalence of Boomstick
Blake and Jamison talk about William Friedkin's 1977 work of old school sweaty-ass machismo Sorcerer. We dig into its seeming prelude to the gamification of everything down to the synth-y score by Tangerine Dream. It's a surprising take on the film that is sure to send some to permadeath by the end of the episode. Other things talked about: Jamison's plan to save all animals via veganism, parenting (again), and existential dread. Clip from S1, E10 "Fight Fighters" of Gravity Falls.
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He’s Not Straight and Narrow, He’s Wide and Wobbly
Blake and Jamison kick off a new season by trying out a new gimmick of picking films based on their soundtracks and being intentional to bring the film music into the typical conversations they have. On the first episode, we take on the 1961 Akira Kurosawa classic Yojimbo. Blake brings the film and its intentionally discordant music into conversation with Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian and it leads to a wild jaunt into chaos. Other things talked about: Jamison's Day Off, what discipline looks like in parenting, and we opine the state of capital punishment showcased by the death of Kenny Smith on Jan. 25th in Alabama. Clip from FilmCow's "The Joker's New Tattoos"
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The Second Annual Fly By Film’s Flight of Fantasia Finale
Jamison and Blake are back in a fashionably late manner to ring in the NEW YEAR with our second annual podcast film ranking episode. We ranked our individual lists of the films we watched for season two of the podcast with points and conglomerated them into our starter list. From there Blake treats Jamison to a quiz about the filmmaking during the year of his birth--1987--and based on whether he gets the answers right or not, they get points to be used to switch films around on the list. Also talked about: favorite musical discoveries of 2023 and parenting children 2023's Final Fly By Films Ranking: 10. Mandy 09. Seven Psychopaths 08. Coherence 07. Four Brothers 06. Man Bites Dog 05. The Guard 04. Thoroughbreds 03. The Rider 02. Ghostwatch 01. Calvary Clip from Vengeance (2022).
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The Inchoate Coherence of Banality
Jamison and Blake bitch about work without getting too specific as to not lose their jobs, then they talk about parenting sick kids and those who won't sleep and Blake's skype goes in and out on this recording so enjoy that. We then turn our attention to 2013's indie science fiction film Coherence where a group of friends come face to face with themselves from other dimensions and have to decide who is from what dimension. With multiverse theory is there any way for people to crossover or is this all just pop science bs? Listen to the episode and find out! Clip from Deep Impact.
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Irish Troubles, Part IV: An Deireadh
Jamison and Blake figured the only way to finish up their review of the McDonagh Brothers' filmographies was to go dark, real dark. We talk about 2021's The Forgiven and 2022's Banshees of Inisherin and about the general lack of listeners we have had for these episodes. Also talked about: parenting, Blake's dedication to this podcast and the Catholicity of these films. Clip: Stephen A. Smith schooling some Youtuber on the film Cars.
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Fly By Film’s Spooktober Festival of Spooks: Gravediggaz
Well, it's Halloween finally. And we here at Fly By Films are wrapping up another year of horror-related field recordings. On this final episode, we dig into our final pre-2000 found footage film The Last Broadcast. It probably wasn't the best choice for our final film in the series, but, alas, beggars can't be choosers after all. We break apart what it does well and what it sucks at. Oh, and we talking about sucking snot, digging around in our shit for candy corn, and forgotten scenes from Bambi. Have a wonderful Halloween! Blake's guest appearance on The Fear of God's discussion of Scream 6 Clip from Halloween 5.
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Fly By Film’s Spooktober Festival of Spooks: A Nightmare on My Street
Jamison and Blake bring in the penultimate October episode by talking about their shitty producer and more parent talk before they dig into the stellar 1992 Ghostwatch and how it may say something about the corruption of technology and media via Stone Tape theory. We probably go deeper than was actually needed. Also, Blake clicks his mouse a lot. So enjoy that. Clip from Lost Highway.
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Fly By Film’s Spooktober Festival of Spooks: Criminal Minded
Blake and Jamison dive right in to the typical inane bullshit without even taking time to introduce the podcast. We talk donuts, parenting, and using donuts as a means to bribe our kids. Then we turn our attention to 1992's Man Bites Dog [aka by its film title as C'est arrivé près de chez vous] a charming coming of age tale about a documentary crew and their ruthless serial killer subject. Does this tick all of the found footage boxes? Or does it transcend all the worst parts of the subgenre? Listen and find out! Clip from I Think You Should Leave: "Ghost Tour".
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Fly By Film’s Spooktober Festival of Spooks: ATLiens
Jamison and Blake start their second October episode with a rousing philosophical analysis of the word "spoop" and then we turn our attention to our favorite holidays. Mostly we are avoiding talking about The McPherson Tape because while it nails the found footage aesthetic, it falls flat on its face when it comes to scares and effects. We discuss the shift from footage with context to footage decontextualized for the audience and we pick apart what that shift is so fascinating. It's a fun (and, for us, mercifully short) episode! We hope you will join us. Clip from Mars Attacks.
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Fly By Film’s Spooktober Festival of Spooks: Native Tongues Collective
Blake and Jamison dish on their most recent book club book Michel Faber's The Book of Strange New Things and how it triggered Blake's memory of LOST. Then we talk about what we are drinking in order to prepare to talk about what some people eat...namely other people. That's right, we take on the cult classic Cannibal Holocaust as the first entry in our October series on proto-found footage films. In this episode, we talk about this film's reputation, how it started a subgenre craze, and simply whether it has anything valuable to say. Then we talk about the likelihood of watching Eli Roth's Green Inferno having now seen the original inspiration. It's a fun romp and we hope you enjoy it!
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How to Excel at Podcasting with Jamie and Blake
Blake suggests using Zencastr once again on this episode and finds out that it really is as shitty as they once thought. Jamison and Blake continue to remind their listeners to not use Zencastr because it is no longer any good. We also talk about parental leave, a Chico, CA connection Blake has at his church, and what documentary is. With this, they turn their attention to Jamison's selection of three episodes or "short films" from "How To with John Wilson." They come to the conclusion that the show is what would happen if Woody Allen made documentaries. Off-putting, yet surprisingly profound in equal measure. Clip from The Life Aquatic.
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Irish Troubles, Part III: In America
Welp. Due to technical difficulties with Blake's mic, the audio is a little wonky on this one. Jamison goes in and out of sounding like an automaton while you hear everything Blake does including clicking a mouse and breathing. My apologies for this. We were only willing to put so much effort into this low-effort podcast. Nonetheless, Jamison and Blake talk about sleep while having kids, American myths and their theme parks, and the good feeling parents get when their kids are overjoyed to see them. Then we turn our attention to the next two films in the McDonagh Bros. filmographies, War on Everyone (2016) and Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) and their requisite controversies and how non-American directors and writers write about America and what it has to teach us about the bullshit myths we outsource to other countries. Tune in (despite technical difficulties) for what was an enlivening conversation. Clip from War on Everyone (2016).
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Christ & Drug Culture (w/ Ciara Barsotti)
Jamison and Blake and special guest Ciara Barsotti (artist and better half of Jamison) talk about parenting, "Nice Cream," and her high effort, pristinely-produced podcast Chico Creates. Folks, we have hit the big time. Our first real major podcast personality joins us for a discussion of 2017's Mandy starring Nic Cage, Andrea Riseborough, and Linus Roach. We talk about how Panos Cosmatos (whether he is a real person or not) mirrors the paid film criticisms of Nicolas Winding Refn who is always said to be all style and no substance. Yet we talk about how Mandy differs from other revenge flicks and how its color palettes and heightened violence end up giving us a greater lesson about the cost of such actions. Ciara brings the neon pink heat on this episode. Come to listen to her and stay for the typical bullshit from Blake and Jamison. Clip from "Mandy" by Barry Manilow.
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Irish Troubles, Part II: Going Transatlantic
Blake and Jamison talk about getting their boys swim-worthy during the hot summer months, the inherent misogyny in grilling rice, and what books we are reading (or not reading, as it were). Then we turn our attention to the next two films in our exploration of the films of the McDonagh brothers: 2012' Seven Psychopaths and 2014's Calvary. We talk about what it means to be a psychopath and how that relates to slow motion gun shots to the head. We even get a little serious towards the end. (It's hard not to with a film like Calvary.) Clip from the film Psycho (1960).
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The Difference Between Knackered and Knockered
Blake and Jamison banter about severe weather, suss out the origin of the naming of the convenience store chain Kum & Go, talk about Shakesperean adaptations, and about our favorite music of the year so far. Then we turn to our discussion of Blake's pick, the 2021 Swedish thriller Knocking. Or at least try to discuss it and get some meaning out of it. Mostly we just talk about all the ways it could have been better. Join us for the episode and feel free to knock on our podcast door anytime. Clip taken from Catch Me If You Can.
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Irish Troubles, Part One
Blake and Jamison begin their season-long descent into Irish madness with the films of Martin and John Michael McDonagh by watching and talking about love and honor in 2008's In Bruges and 2011's The Guard. Really it ends up being us talking about our man crushes on Brendan Gleeson. We show our cards on which brother we are picking to win this battle of blood(lines) and we seek restitution for any Irish guilt we have. Also, we talk about Blake's stutter when he was younger, how EVERY movie is a completely different film for Jamison than it is for any other person, and we continue to court the attention of the sex boutique shoppe called Aphrodesia(?) in the Bremerton area of Seattle for potential sponsorship opportunities. Also, Jamison and Blake reveal how they have secretly produced every podcast that ever existed. References: Is he (bleeping) dumb or (bleeping) smart? Old country for hit men Clip from the film Brooklyn.
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“Old Horse Yells at Cloud“
Jamison and Blake put an old horse out of its misery and then proceed to kick it endlessly for just over two hours. Blake talks about screwing over his own financial portfolio in order to remain true to his Socialist values. Jamison buries the lead with his podcast sponsorship connections to a future boutique sex shop. If you are listening, yes we are serious about having you as our sponsor. We will gladly do the advertisements ourselves. Then we dig into 2017's dark comedy Thoroughbreds and try to figure out why plagiarism is the consistent crime du jour of academia. It's actually perhaps one of our best, most focused episodes. And we read listener plagiarism stories! References: Is Plagiarism Wrong? A Short History of Academic Plagiarism The Perfectly Acceptable Practice of Literary Theft: Plagiarism, Copyright, and the Eighteenth Century Clip taken from Billy Madison.
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Boxing Day, 2009 (w/ Thadd Harrington)
Jamison and Blake invite Thadd Harrington onto the podcast to talk about 2009's The Box by Richard Kelly against his will. Before we begin talking about the movie however we bullshit and play a little game of getting to know you with Thadd because neither Jamison nor Blake has met Thadd in the flesh. Weirdly, we also bring up Albert Camus, Jean Paul Sartre, and WWE in the same conversation. This is no surprise as Richard Kelly's brilliance lies in the mindfuck that is his adoration of watery portals and the salvation of the world(s). Over much wringing of hands, we all come to some understanding of each others' points of view and end up coming away from the conversation better people seeking to bend time to our wills. Hold on to your solar plexus, cuz things are about to get crazy! Reference: "Button, Button" by Richard Matheson Clip from the film Se7en.
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Detroit-sploitation
Blake and Jamison run the gamut of discussion between heaven and hell and the pickle that is life in between. This, too, is another episode where Blake came to the recording in a sickly state, but the upside is he brought his sexy voice with him. This means it isn't as grating as it normally is for our listeners. Then we eventually turn our discussion towards 2004' Four Brothers starring Marky Mark (sans Funky Bunch), Outkast (sans Big Boi), Tyrese Gibson (sans Fast and Furious 'family') and Garrett Hedlund (sans...well, nothing that I could find). We talk about Singleton's vision for the film, how it melds commentary on violence with typical vengeance film violence, and how Detroit plays into the film itself. References: None.
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Going For Baroque (Corelli’s Last Stand)
Jamison and Blake give some background on the lengthy time between episodes, talk about emotions and how we handle them, and make too many innuendos accidentally throughout the episode. Also, we talk shit on Ari Aster. Then we dig into 2004's much reviled Coen Bros. film The Ladykillers and try to figure out if it is in fact their worst film. As is the case with any episode about the Coen Brothers, we end up talking about their whole filmography in relation to this film. Then we talk about Noah Hawley's Fargo. Then we talk about the fact that Zencastr has made it to where we can only record 120 minutes of audio PER MONTH. We are still reeling from this discovery. Stay tuned... References: The Ladykillers (1955)
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Satanic Panic Panic??
Jamison and Blake experiment with excellence in podcasting by including as many hard pivots as possible in this episode. We talk about the Oscars and why we don't care about them, about Gavin Newsome and why we don't care about him, and lament some really great underground Christian music zines from the 90s and why we did care about them. Also, more dad stuff. Then we turn our attention to 2014's Faults starring Leland Orser and Mary Elizabeth Winstead along with a cast of incredible character actors including Lance Reddick (RIP, he had not died at the time of our recording this episode!). We talk about cults, anti-cults and how sometimes there is just a hair's difference between the two. Also, we dig into why everything can become a cult. Including our podcast. References: "Can Cult Studies Offer Help With QAnon? The Science Is Thin." - Undark
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Cheesy Poufs
Blake & Jamison dig into the 2020 science fiction comedy Save Yourselves! and try to solve once and for all what a pouf actually is and if it can be decorative. We, on a strangely serious note, speak about the nature of saving ourselves through our obligations to others and how technology--we are looking at you social media--has a penchant for dehumanizing us all and making it easy to shirk the responsibilities we owe to others. It's a great conversation about an entertaining and surprisingly thoughtful indie feature. We also talk about our kids, whether or not Covid came from a lab in China, and Blake pitches a new Jesus movie starring Christopher Walken entitled Walken on Water. References: Blake and Jamison's combined experience of being neo-Luddites.
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How to Be an Intentional Podcast Community (w/ Nate Pequette)
Jamison Bar-SO-tee and Blake Call-yer welcome Nate Pee-kwette onto the show this episode for a rousing conversation about a profound film by director Chloe Zhao, The Rider. We dig into why Nate picked the film, the fine line it walks between documentary and fiction, and the the numerous ways it addresses masculinity and "individualistic Manifest Destiny." It's a delightful conversation and we were so pleased to have Nate on to chat with us. Other topics we tangent into: intentional Christian communities, being from South Dakota and the Texas Panhandle, and Terrence Malick's filmography. References: The Rider - Chloé Zhao, Brady Jandreau, Joshua James Richards, and Alex O'Flinn Q&A
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The Ghost of Michael Cera Past
Blake and Jamison start off the new year telling the listeners what exactly it is that we do on this podcast. Then we waste about 45 minutes bantering about being dads, the doomsday clock/existential dread, and being wrong, before we jump into a discussion about the 2000 film Frequency with Dennis Quaid and Jim Caviezel aka Jesus Christ. Does it hold up? Not really. Do the mechanics of time travel in the film work? Not really. Is the acting good? Not really. Are there feels in it? Very much so. Then we go on a twisty discussion of time travel, dead technology leading to communicating with the dead, and a wannabe poet from the 15th century communicating with a teacher in the 1980s on a BBC Micro computer. It gets a little strange up in here on this episode, so please join us! References: Unexplained: S03 Episode 8: REPEAT INPUT UNTIL END
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The First Annual Fly By Film’s Flight of Fantasia Finale
Jamison and Blake are back just in time to ring in the NEW YEAR with our first annual podcast film ranking episode. We ranked our individual lists of the films we watched for season one of the podcast with points and conglomerated them into our starter list. From there Jamison treats Blake to a quiz about film rankings going back to the early 1900s and based on whether he gets the answers right or not, they get points to be used to switch films around on the list. THEN we end the ranking with a final dance with lady luck as Jamison rolls two die and the corresponding number on the list of final changes Blake put together will seal the final ranking of our films. Also talked about: favorite musical discoveries of 2022, ghosts of listeners who may have perished during this year (God forbid), and how bad Goodnight Mommy is. 2022's Final Fly By Films Ranking: 10. Cold Case Hammarskjöld 09. Candyman: Day of the Dead 08. We're All Going to the World's Fair 07. Be Kind Rewind 06. Brubaker 05. Computer Chess 04. Urban Legend: Bloody Mary 03. Down With Love 02. Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh 01. Dark City
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Frasier’s Cow-Licked Cone Conundrum
Jamison and Blake are broadcasting live from the ruins of the Hellmouth formerly known as Twitter as we try to raise the morale and liven the place up a bit with a delightful discussion of 2003's Peyton Reed-helmed Down With Love. We dig into why this film works both as a modern homage to the old Doris Day/Rock Hudson sex comedies of the 60s and simultaneously works as a smart and incisive critique of those films' rather seedy underbellies. Also discussed: how Elon Musk is changing the shape of social media as we all know it, what mathematics and sexual inuendo have in common, and we end the broadcast with a spontaneous and touching rendition of the classic "Let It Be." So join us for this wonderfully joyful conversation. References: "Down with Love movie review" - RogerEbert.com "Sarah Paulson Answers Every Question We Have About Down With Love" - Vulture
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Fly By Frights: The Night Leo Came Home
Well, folks, it was just a matter of time before Leonardo DiCaprio came back home and brought his 23 year old soon-to-be ex-girlfriend with him. As if that wasn't spooky enough, Blake and Jamison attempt to cap off our exploration of the Bloody Mary/Candyman mythos with 2021's indie dramatic horror film, We're All Going to the World's Fair. We talk about technology, about awkward singing and dancing, the film Pontypool, and what it means for the internet to finally gaze back into our souls. Other topics covered: Shapeshifting Jesus, movies that scared us, and Blake's lack of voice control. So join us on this SPOOOOKY conclusion to this year's Fly By Frights series. It's sure to get you into the Halloween spirit!
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Fly By Frights: Podcasters Can Lick Too
We are coming upon the final weeks of spooky season with our penultimate episode of our Fly By Frights series where we are investigating FILM about Bloody Mary and Candyman urban legends. No discussion of this subject is complete, however, until an entry from the Urban Legends franchise has been talked about. People, Urban Legends: Bloody Mary is the [plateau] height of horror cinema. Jamison and Blake talk about how this film prophesies the successful careers of Kate and Rooney Mara and the writer of the film, Michael Dougherty (Trick 'r Treat). Also on this episode, we compare this series to long distance running, we bare our souls with our adult fears, and briefly talk about how everyone is wrong about the David Gordon Green Halloween films. So join us as we ride the spoop into Halloween!
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Fly By Frights: Dia Del D’Errico
Jamison and Blake move along into the third film of the Candyman franchise with Candyman 3: Day of the Dead, the straight-to-video continuation of the McKeever storyline. Somehow they imagined 2020, the setting of the film, as magically reminiscent of 1999 including a protagonist played by Baywatch alum Donna D'Errico. It's a dreadful film and we let you in on all the reasons why you should not watch this. However, before we dig our honey-dripping hooks into the meat of this episode, Jamison asks how much it would have to be for us to pick up a shit-covered piece of paper money. Then we talk about how we feel about the upcoming decade of Avatar. It's our shortest episode so far so we hope you appreciate our mercy on you, our listeners.
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Fly By Frights: Sweet Home Louisiana
Jamison and Blake dig into the first selection of their FBFocktober series with the 1995 sequel to Candyman, Candyman 2: Farewell to the Flesh. It's not great and we point out several of the reasons why including its complete waste of New Orleans as a setting unlike Cabrini Green which became its own character in the first film. We also discussed what scared us today (technically the other day, but you know what we are talking about!) and Jamison gets strangely cagey when it comes to discussing any connections there might be between him and the porn industry. So get your pot of honey, cover yourself in bees and join us as we flay the skin off of this underwhelming sequel.
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Fly By Frights: Reflections of Semantic Satiation in the Dark, Reflections of Semantic Satiation in the Dark, Reflections of Semantic Satiation in the Dark
Welcome to the first episode in our Fly By Frights October series where Blake and Jamison dig into the urban legend of Bloody Mary and Candyman in preparation for a delicious assortment of lesser known horror films that present this urban legend in one form or another. Beside setting up the Candyman and Urban Legend film universes, we talk about why dogs are so scary, how films being "boring" is the laziest form of criticism, and, perhaps most terrifying of all, LUTHER LAZERLIPS. Join us as we bring our worst fears to life by the powers of our tulpas.
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Be Kind...Remind
Jamison and Blake celebrate their fifth record-breaking film podcast by talking about 2008's Be Kind Rewind by director Michel Gondry starring Yasin Bey (formerly Mos Def), Jack Black, and the cheerleader of the working class, Danny Glover! However, we don't just celebrate this milestone by ourselves. No! We have guests! Two of them! Our wives, Melissa Collier & Ciara Barsotti join us briefly to give us their #hottakes on the film. We fully understand if you just want to shut the episode down after they finish. What more could be said? However, that has never stopped Jamison and Blake from continuing on anyways as we talk about video store memories, bad dog experiences and how the future doesn't exist anymore. And we reveal our exciting news for the podcast going into the SPOOKY month of October! Listen in and enjoy! References: "Rewind: VHS Tapes, Imperfect Memory, and Hope" - The Curator "What is Hauntology?" - Film Quarterly Sweded YouTube
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Labyrinth: The Assembly Cut
On this episode of Fly By Films, we gush on the power and the glory of Jennifer Connelly ̶(̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶W̶i̶l̶l̶i̶a̶m̶ ̶H̶u̶r̶t̶)̶ and how much Jamison despises—AND I MEAN DESPISES—the band Genesis. We do a little looking forward in the podcast's future to see what might become our Oasis moment. We spend a surprising amount of time talking about music and Blake's weird infatuation with hauntology. Then we turn our attention to 1998's Dark City by Alex Proyas and what it has to say about humanity and memory. Is it possible to be human without true memories? Is the ending to the film bleak? Is Nathan Fielder the devil (or at least a Stranger)? You might find the answers to all of these and more on this episode, but probably not. References: The Rehearsal Severance "Four ways of looking at The Rehearsal" - Vox "What Nathan Fielder's The Rehearsal says about us" - Vox
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Holy Sh!t, That Was Morgan Freeman!
Jamison and Blake debut their alter-egos Blake and Jamison while both being very sick at the recording of this episode. It was a hair's edge on covering up coughs on both sides, but don't worry dear listener we left the sniffles in there free of charge. The boys introduce the official name of the podcast, talk about the podcast and social media artwork by the talented Ciara Barsotti, and play our first voicemail live on the show! We then move into Blake's film selection for this episode 1980's Brubaker starring Robert Redford, the guy from Twin Peaks and the other guy from the Quaker Oats commercials. Oh! And don't forget M. Emmet Walsh! We break down the movie and along the way discuss the complexities of prison reform. Come for the quirk, stay for the good discussion. And don't forget to clap for the guy who "changed your life" but didn't actually change your life. References: Keeping Watch on the Evil and the Good: Worshipping the State in Cool Hand Luke (1967) and Minority Report (2002) - Reel World Theology The Fatal Shore: The Epic of Australia's Founding by Robert Hughes The Arkansas Prison Scandal - Arkansas Times Opinion | How to Fix Our Prisons? Let the Public Inside - The New York Times Memphis Ousts DA and Judge Who Oversaw Its Notoriously Harsh Court System - Bolts Magazine Locked In: The True Causes of Mass Incarceration and How to Achieve Real Reform by John Pfaff
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The World Championship of Finger-Breaking
Jamison and Blake talk about their world travels as well as getting as far away from each other as possible. They finally decide on their podcast name and then the sentient internet decides to give us technical difficulties before we jump into our discussion of Jamison's film pick from 2013 entitled Computer Chess by Andrew Bujalski. The film takes the conversation into far flung worlds of sentient chatbots, elephants, humans acting like robots, robots acting like humans, and, of course, breaking a seven-year-old's finger. Then Blake unleashes his next film pick and starts the podcast down a trajectory of which Jamison finds unfortunate. References: "Do Elephants Have Souls?" - The New Atlantis "Google AI researcher explains why the technology may be 'sentient'" - NPR "No Minds Without Other Minds" - Justin E. H. Smith's Hinternet "Chess Robot Goes Rogue, Breaks Seven-Year-Old Player's Finger - Newsweek "Google fires engineer Blake Lemoine who contended its AI technology was sentient" - CNN
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Pilot [Error]
Blake I. Collier and Jamison Barsotti talk about what they want to name their podcast and what they want the podcast to look like from here on out. Then they turn their attention to Blake's film selection, 2019's Cold Case Hammarskjöld, a documentary about the search to figure out who killed Secretary General of the United Nations Dag Hammarskjöld in 1961 and what the documentary has to say about facts, truth, conspiracy theories and information overload. Also, we alienate certain segments of our listeners. References: "The Paranoid Style in American Politics" - Harper's