Enter The Void

It's not too often that we examine a major Hollywood blockbuster on this show, but it's not too often that the studios release something as baffling as TOTAL RECALL, and by that we mean the original 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger–Paul Verhoeven sci-fi schlockfest. Is it all a dream? Did he read Word Up! magazine? Did Quaid ever get his ass to Mars, or is he lobotomized in the chair at Rekall? We may never know for sure, but in this first episode of our ninth season, your hosts Renan and Bill go long to discuss the film's vision of the future, its context in our recent past, Ahnold vs. The Rock, Philip K. Dick's posthumous Hollywood takeover, the long adaptation process and many almost-was versions, and other big-budget mind-benders. Also: prefacing our discussion of the film, a conversation about how the films we watch for this show might reflect on the mind-bending real world we live in. Episode links: Total Recall on IMDb Total Recall on Wikipedia Roger Ebert 1990 TR review AV Club on Total Recall in 2016 Den

Get excited... the ninth season of ENTER THE VOID begins next week, and today we present our patented "episode zero" with a short preview of the eight films we'll be covering in the weeks ahead. Once again, major thanks to the ETV Podcast Club for helping pick the films for discussion. Here's what's we've got for you: Total Recall (Verhoeven, 1990) Raw (Ducournau, 2016) Fantastic Planet (Laloux, 1973) Angel Heart (Parker, 1987) Johnny Got His Gun (Trumbo, 1971) Sunshine (Boyle, 2007) Altered States (Russell, 1980) The Killing of a Sacred Deer (Lanthimos, 2017) Show links: Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Discuss: ETV Podcast Club Follow: Facebook + Twitter Archive: enterthevoid.fm

For the final episode of our eighth season, your co-hosts revisit a dorm room film classic, the 2000 action-adventure-thriller-satire BATTLE ROYALE, about a Japanese classroom forced to fight to the death on an abandoned island. Upon release in Japan, it was both hugely controversial and hugely profitable. But in most of the Western world, it didn't receive a proper release for another dozen years. In between, it both attained an exalted cult status and maybe (or maybe not?) inspired one of the biggest Hollywood franchises of the current decade. Discussed in the season finale: the generation gap in Japan and abroad, Tarantino's inspiration, our favorite scenes, some lingering questions, multiple versions, the lamentable sequel, comparisons to other novels and films, violence in the media, and yes of course The Hunger Games.  Episode links: Battle Royale on IMDb Battle Royale (film) on Wikipedia Battle Royale (novel) on Wikipedia Battle Royale (manga) on Wikipedia Variety film review from 2001 A.O. Scott revi

For the penultimate episode of our eighth season, we consider MOON, Duncan Jones' 2009 debut science fiction picture, starring Sam Rockwell, Sam Rockwell, and the disembodied voice of someone you probably now wish wasn't involved in this picture. Discussed in today's show: how the film deploys its twists; what it has to say about cloning and artificial intelligence; references to 2001: A Space Odyssey and other films; and, what has Jones been up to since? Episode links: Moon on IMDb Moon on Wikipedia Roger Ebert review NY Times review GQ retrospective Tor appreciation Wired on influences Jones io9 interview Den of Geek interview GERTY vs. HAL essay TV Tropes for Moon A Westworld theory Show links: Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Discuss: ETV Podcast Club Follow: Facebook + Twitter Archive: enterthevoid.fm

What did you think of Jonathan Glazer's 2013 minimalist sci-fi UNDER THE SKIN, starring Scarlett Johansson? Did it all make sense when you watched it the first time? Or did it only reveal it to yourself after another viewing? Today your hosts, Bill and Renan, come at it from different perspectives and have, well, different perspectives on it. Topics discussed include how the film was made and what it means, how it differs from the book and early scripts, and how it relates to ScarJo's stardom. Plus: other films that double as commentary on their actors, big stars in weird movies, and possible foreshadowing in Glazer's music video career.  Episode links: Under the Skin on IMDb Under the Skin (film) on Wikipedia Under the Skin (novel) on Wikipedia Matt Zoller Seitz review at RogerEbert.com Peter Bradshaw review in The Guardian Richard Brody review in New Yorker Geoffrey O'Brien review in NYROB Stephen Holden review in NYT Jake Cole review in Slant io9 interview with Glazer The Guardian interview with Glazer F

Wow, THE HOLY MOUNTAIN sure is something! Alejandro Jodorowsky's 1973 follow-up to El Topo is a wild psychedelic trip, a critique of the militarization of 20th century life, and even a satire of the counterculture that spawned it. At least, we think. Today, Bill and Renan try to explain to each other what they think happened in the movie, what it's supposed to be about, recount how the film was made, how it disappeared from public view, how it's influenced other artists in the years since—and discuss the perfectly understandable reason why George Harrison turned down the lead role. Episode links: The Holy Mountain on IMDb The Holy Mountain on Wikipedia 366 Weird Movies on The Holy Mountain Slant Magazine review of The Holy Mountain Scott Tobias on The Holy Mountain in AV Club Matt Zoller Seitz on The Holy Mountain in NYT Screening Notes on The Holy Mountain Electric Sheep on The Holy Mountain ABKO official site for The Holy Mountain City Paper on The Holy Mountain's mythical status The Guardian on The Holy M

REPO MAN (1984) is a bit of a departure from our usual kind of film, and boy is it worth it: written and directed by Alex Cox and starring Emilio Estevez and Harry Dean Stanton, Repo Man is a gritty, funny, occasionally baffling ride through 1980s LA, through a wasteland of generic brands, smarmy televangelists, flying cars stuffed with aliens, and fears of nuclear annihilation. Your hosts explore these themes, plus: how the film was saved by punk and yet challenges the idea, what kind of kooky things Alex Cox has been up to lately, and offer a remembrance of the late, great Art Bell. Episode links: Repo Man on IMDb Repo Man on Wikipedia Criterion Repo Man essay Essay on Repo Man at Flixist Roger Ebert's Repo Man review LA Times: 25 best films about LA The Dissolve Repo Man "keynote" The Dissolve Repo Man roundtable Slate's Will Oremus on "you're the product" Alex Cox interview in Electric Sheep Alex Cox official Repo Man page Alex Cox United 93 review Trailer for Repo Chick Art Bell on Wikipedia Show links

This week, the delightful motion picture under discussion is Takashi Miike's AUDITION (1999), which you definitely should not read about before you watch this movie—not to mention listen to this podcast. Once you're all caught up, rejoin us as your hosts attempt to explain the film's second half, discuss misogyny and #metoo as well as sympathy for flawed characters, torture porn and gearshift movies, creepy romantic comedy tropes, parental advisories, and whether your hosts have ever lied to get a date. Episode links: Audition on IMDb Audition (film) on Wikipedia Audition (novel) on Wikipedia Audition in the New Cult Canon ScreenAnarchy essay on Audition IndieWire on 10 best Miike films Essay in The Asian Cinema Blog LA Times on Audition rerelease Essay on the dream sequence DVD Talk thread on Audition AV Club on gearshift movies Parental advice website Show links: Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Discuss: ETV Podcast Club Follow: Facebook + Twitter Archive: enterthevoid.fm

For our second episode of the season, your hosts return to the eerie beauty, philosophical pondering, and deliberate pacing of Andrei Tarkovsky with STALKER (1979). Less a science fiction film than Solaris and more of an unconventional road movie, Stalker takes the viewer on a journey through a mysterious Zone where three protagonists seek the fulfillment of their greatest desires at risk of equally great peril. Or... do they? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Meanwhile, Renan and Bill discuss the film's infamously troubled production, the film's influence on Annihilation and Blade Runner 2049, Tarkovsky's faith and defection from the Soviet Union, and what he might make of our relentless social media age. Episode links: Stalker on IMDb Stalker on Wikipedia Roadside Picnic on Wikipedia Geoff Dyer essay on Stalker More Geoff Dyer on Stalker J. Hoberman review of Dyer's Zona Mark Le Fanu essay on Stalker The Paris Review essay on Stalker Recollection from Stalker's sound designer A crew member's memories from the set Vox on Stalker

For the eighth season premiere of ENTER THE VOID, we're tackling Mary Harron's 2000 adaptation of AMERICAN PSYCHO, based on the Bret Easton Ellis novel of the same name. Originating as one of the most controversial novels of the 1990s to becoming one of the most iconic films of the 2000s, there's a lot to unpack here: the uneasy balance between satire and horror; how a dark fantasy of male rage became a feminist statement; how the novel and film differently present the character of Patrick Bateman; when exactly the movie becomes a mindscrew; what the film has to say about contemporary U.S. politics and society; and oh, by the way, are the murders even real? Also in this episode: your hosts revisit, update, and debate their criteria for describing the genre this podcast is meant to explore. Episode links: American Psycho on IMDb American Psycho (film) on Wikipedia American Psycho (novel) on Wikipedia Roger Ebert American Psycho review SF Chronicle American Psycho review The Guardian on the adaptation process

Our long national nightmare is over! Wait, no it's not. But at least here's some good news: Season 8 of ENTER THE VOID is coming! Renan and Bill are back with today's preview episode, giving you the rundown on what you need to watch to keep up with us over the next eight weeks. And a big shout-out to our fans in our Podcast Club, who picked every single one of this season's films. Here's the lineup: American Psycho (Harron, 2000) Stalker (Tarkovsky, 1979) Audition (Miike, 1999) Repo Man (Cox, 1984) The Holy Mountain (Jodorowsky, 1973) Under the Skin (Glazer, 2014) Moon (Jones, 2009) Battle Royale (Fukasaku, 2000) Show links: Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Discuss: ETV Podcast Club Follow: Facebook + Twitter Archive: enterthevoid.fm P.S. Big thanks to Michelle LeClerc for the new logo! (The previous ones were hers, too.) You should follow her on Twitter @michelleleclerc.

For the final installment of the seventh season, Bill and Renan welcome back third season guest Ray Patnaude to discuss ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND. Chances are good you not only have heard of it, but it's very possibly a favorite film of almost everyone you know. In this finale episode, the trio discuss how they felt about it on release and upon revisiting; the techniques director Michel Gondry and writer Charlie Kaufman deploy to make it both emotionally effective as well as dream-like and disorienting; Gondry's music videos and the film careers of his fellow video directors; plus, what else belongs in the list of best films of the century so far? Eternal Sunshine links: Eternal Sunshine on IMDb Eternal Sunshine on Wikipedia Roger Ebert's Eternal Sunshine review David Edelstein's Eternal Sunshine review IndieWire 10-year retrospective IndieWire on the deleted scenes Slate on the science of Eternal Sunshine Flavorwire on "manic pixie dream girl" trope TV Tropes entry for Eternal Sunshine Gondry'

Which FUNNY GAMES is your favorite? Is it the Michael Haneke film about a bourgeois couple subjected to home invasion by a pair of sadistic killers from 1997, or the Michael Haneke film about a bourgeois couple subjected to home invasion by a pair of sadistic killers from 2007? Is either of these films your favorite telling of this particular story? In today's episode, Renan and Bill compare the two versions, try to understand what Haneke was trying to say with them, explore what is compelling about them in spite of the subject matter, make unexpected comparisons to the filmography of James O. Incandenza, and discuss other close remakes. Funny Games links: Funny Games (1997) on IMDb Funny Games (2007) on IMDb Funny Games (1997) on Wikipedia Funny Games (2007) on Wikipedia AO Scott review of Funny Games (2007) Anthony Lane review of Funny Games (2007) Jim Emerson on Funny Games as thesis Naomi Watts interview with MTV News AV Club on Funny Games remake Haneke interview with Filmmaker Haneke interview with Ci

Today we're talking about arguably 2017's most controversial film, and one of the most controversial on this podcast: Darren Aronofsky's MOTHER! (technically, mother!) starring JLaw, JBard, Ed Harris, and Michelle Pfeiffer. Plus, joining us to bring a skeptical point of view is Vulture's movies editor, Rachel Handler! In this episode: mother! as Biblical allegory and environmental parable; or, is the movie actually all about being a demanding artist?; the religious concept of eternal return vs. scientific concept of the oscillating universe; plus: what's that yellow substance, and how obvious is it he wrote it in five days? mother! links: mother! on IMDb mother! on Wikipedia AO Scott review of mother! Richard Brody review of mother! Vulture on interpreting mother! Reddit on interpreting mother! NY Times profile with the principals Rachel's mother! quiz on Vulture Aronofsky interview at EW Aronofsky interview at Vulture Aronofsky interview at IndieWire W on mother!'s F CinemaScore Rachel Handler on Twitter

Jean-Luc Godard's 1967 WEEKEND (or WEEK-END, if you prefer) is a scathing political satire if you understand what's going on, or a long strange trip if you don't. Your hosts have been on both sides of this divide, and today they come together to talk about seeing the film as a clueless undergrad; Tarantino and Wheatley as JLG fans and other films it influenced; the automobile and capitalist society; anti-colonialist speeches with sandwiches; a digression on the legacies of Hunter S. Thompson and Jann Wenner; Black Mirror, Get Out and other contemporary satires; and the puzzles of Lewis Carroll. Weekend links: Weekend on IMDb Weekend on Wikipedia Roger Ebert review Pauline Kael review Renata Adler review Richard Brody review Criterion essay Columbia essay Pop Matters essay Senses of Cinema essay Ben Wheatley on Weekend Rolling Stone interview with Godard Sticky Fingers NYT review Solution to Lewis Carroll puzzle More Lewis Carroll puzzles Show links: Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Archives: enterthevoid.fm Fol

To discuss Ben Wheatley's 2015 dystopian drama HIGH-RISE—based on the J.G. Ballard novel of the same name, adapted for the screen by Amy Jump, and starring Tom Hiddleston and Jeremy Irons—we welcome to the show Simon Owens, a past colleague of Bill and Renan's and a journalist based in DC. The film looks and sounds amazing, the source material is first-rate, and the acting is all around superb. So why does this movie actually make less sense than some of the crazier movies we've talked about this season? Debate ensues. High-Rise links: High-Rise on IMDb High-Rise on Wikipedia Glenn Kenny review Mark Kermode review Peter Bradshaw review Vice on Ballard's High-Rise Ballardian on Wheatley's High-Rise Spectator UK on J.G. Ballard's politics The Paris Review on translating Ballard City Lab on High-Rise and luxury architecture Wikipedia: List of tallest residential buildings New York on "fancy prisons for billionaires" Simon Owens at Medium Simon Owens on Twitter Show links: Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Archives: 

Today ENTER THE VOID considers its first (and maybe last?) Coen Brothers film, 1991's BARTON FINK, starring John Turturro and John Goodman. Examined in detail: how this movie swept Cannes and is somewhat overlooked today; what it has to say about about writers and writing; Barton Fink's real-life influences and Hollywood wrestling pictures; its amazingly detailed Wikipedia page; and, is this a classic mind-bender of the sort this podcast is supposed to be about? Barton Fink links: Barton Fink on IMDb Barton Fink on Wikipedia Roger Ebert favorable review Vincent Canby very favorable review Owen Gleiberman semi-favorable review The Atlantic unfavorable review Coenesque on Barton Fink Barton Fink film script Piotrowski essay on Barton Fink and writing Show links: Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Archives: enterthevoid.fm Follow us: Facebook + Twitter

Nobuhiko Obayashi's 1977 HAUSU (or ハウス, or HOUSE) is possibly the most insane movie we've ever discussed on Enter The Void Podcast—and that's really saying something! This week Renan and Bill are joined by Teo Bugbee, who brought this psychedelic slapstick haunted house bubblegum horror comedy to our attention. And yet, as crazy as it is, it's also immensely enjoyable, and worthy of discussion for its distillation of childhood fears, commentary on the atom bomb, debatable feminist content, and of course its pure sensory overload. Hausu links: Hausu on IMDb Hausu on Wikipedia Hausu trailer Manohla Dargis NYT review AV Club review Kogonada video essay Lady Problems podcast io9 on Hausu's insanity Blcklst on Hausu's feminist content Smug Film on Hausu's questionable content Obayashi / Charles Bronson cologne ad Show links: Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Archives: enterthevoid.fm Follow us: Facebook + Twitter

Alex Proyas' DARK CITY is a tough one to properly summarize. It's not just that it's part film noir, part horror and part science fiction. It's also that its critical esteem, cult status, and lasting influence have never really found a point of consensus. In this episode, Bill and Renan try to figure out how to regard the film's reputation, especially in light (so to speak) of the 2008 director's cut. Plus: if Dark City was made today, would it be a video game?; why Roger Ebert loved it so much; eerie similarities to The Matrix (and The Force Awakens); and so many questions left unresolved. Dark City links: Dark City on IMDb Dark City on Wikipedia Dark City theatrical trailer Roger Ebert's Dark City review Time interview with Alex Proyas CBR interview with Alex Proyas AV Club on Dark City Nerdist on Dark City Tor on Dark City BioShock and Dark City IndieWire on The Matrix vs. Dark City TV Tropes entry for Dark City Multiple discovery on Wikipedia Show links: Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Archives: enterthevoid

Season 7 of ENTER THE VOID is nearly upon us! In today's preview episode, Renan and Bill quickly run through the list of films to be discussed over the next eight episodes, so you can watch with us and get the most out of these discussions. The films are: Dark City (Proyas, 1998) Hausu (Obayashi, 1977) Barton Fink (Coens, 1991) High-Rise (Wheatley, 2015) Weekend (Godard, 1967) mother! (Aronofsky, 2017) Funny Games (Haneke, 1997) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Gondry, 2004) Show links: Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Archives: enterthevoid.fm Follow us: Facebook + Twitter