Hit Factory
215 episodes - English - Latest episode: 17 days ago -A podcast about the films and politics of the 1990s. Exploring the output of a seemingly bottomless decade. Hosted by Aaron & Carlee.
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Episodes
Eraser feat. Séamus Malekafzali
May 12, 2023 14:21 - 1 hour - 122 MBJournalist and writer Séamus Malekafzali joins us to discuss the 1996 Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle 'Eraser'. It's an above average & satisfyingly self-aware film that represents the waning impact of a once-dependable action formula. We discuss the film's gleeful subversions of action movie tropes and the ways it challenges Arnold's well-cultivated action hero status, the star's late-90s twilight years before his next era as a politiician, and the seemingly long-abandoned notion of...
A Few Good Men feat. @marisatomay *TEASER*
May 05, 2023 17:16 - 7 minutes - 8.33 MBGet 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.
The Limey feat. Matt Belenky
April 28, 2023 14:06 - 1 hour - 124 MBMatt Belenky returns for another Carlee-less episode to discuss Steven Soderbergh's technical tour-de-force 'The Limey'. It's both a whip-smart, crackling crime film showcasing Steven Soderbergh at the height of his power and a mesmerizing, patiently observed rumination on memory, loss, and legacy. We discuss the metatextual significance of leads Terence Stamp and Peter Fonda as mutual elegies for the British New Wave and the American films of the New Hollywood era, the film's bril...
The Taking of Beverly Hills feat. Brandon Streussnig *TEASER*
April 22, 2023 02:03 - 3 minutes - 4.76 MBGet 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.
Light Sleeper feat. Miles Klee *TEASER*
April 13, 2023 14:20 - 5 minutes - 7.02 MBGet 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.
The Heroic Trio
April 08, 2023 05:27 - 1 hour - 76.3 MBHit Factory's heroic duo take on Johnnie To's 1993 Honk Kong action spectacular, 'The Heroic Trio'. It's a super hero origin story featuring three of Hong Kong cinema's most remarkable leading women - Anita Mui, Michelle Yeoh, & Maggie Cheung - and a wellspring of imagination & style unrivaled by western action movies of the era. We discuss the dynamic burst of imagination at the center of Hong Kong's Golden Era of action cinema that birthed the talents of To, Tsui Hark, John Woo ...
Freeway feat. Ricky Camilleri & Chris Chafin *TEASER*
March 30, 2023 03:41 - 4 minutes - 5.85 MBGet 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.
GoldenEye feat. Kurt Schiller & Chris Woodward
March 23, 2023 16:21 - 1 hour - 119 MBReturning guests Kurt Schiller and Chris Woodward join us to discuss James Bond's first foray into a post-Cold War world, 'GoldenEye' featuring two notable "firsts": Pierce Brosnan's debut as the international super spy and the first Bond film helmed by director Martin Campbell (who would return to update Bond again for a post-9/11 audience with 'Casino Royale'). We discuss the troubled history of the series' 17th entry that saw the exit of previous two-time Bond Timothy Dalton, ho...
Virtuosity
March 15, 2023 14:56 - 1 hour - 81.7 MBWe venture into the near future of 1999 to take a look at the VR cyberpunk action spectacular 'Virtuosity' starring Denzel Washington and a then-unknown Russell Crowe in what Carlee argues is his best performance (with a few asterisks). We discuss the film's early arrival at the forefront of virtual reality stories that would become a lynchpin of late 90s science-fiction cinema, its impressive mixture of practical and digital special effects, and why the decade's middleweight movie...
Deep Cover *TEASER*
March 07, 2023 18:20 - 4 minutes - 4.94 MBGet 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.
Boyz N The Hood feat. Ethan Embry
February 23, 2023 15:49 - 1 hour - 109 MBActor Ethan Embry joins us to discuss 'Boyz N The Hood', John Singleton's sharply observed coming-of-age story that explores Black life in South Central Los Angeles with all its rich contours intact. We have a wide-ranging conversation in which we discuss the film as one of the earliest mainstream successes of Black stories in Hollywood, the media controversies surrounding its theatrical release, and Singleton's masterful diessection of the many faces of capitalism's systemic oppre...
Titanic feat. Emmy Potter *TEASER*
February 15, 2023 05:20 - 5 minutes - 6.21 MBGet 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.
Heavyweights feat. Matt Pais
February 13, 2023 02:00 - 1 hour - 110 MBChicago-based critic and author of the new book "Talk 90s with Me: 23 Unpredictable Conversations with Stars of an Unforgettable Decade" Matt Pais joins us to discuss the kids cult classic 'Heavyweights'. After a conversation about Matt's new book, we talk through the film's empathetic and nuanced portrayal of fatness (notably featuring an ensemble of actors of size), its place within the canon of 90s anti-conformity comedies, and why this might be Ben Stiller's most pitch-perfect ...
The Daytrippers feat. Jamie Arena *TEASER*
February 04, 2023 04:23 - 4 minutes - 5.44 MBGet 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.
The Devil's Advocate feat. Carly Severn
January 26, 2023 15:05 - 1 hour - 126 MBJournalist at KQED San Francisco Carly Severn joins us to discuss the 1997 thriller THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE. It's a film that is equal parts Faustian parable and John Grisham legal kitsch and features a scene-chewing Al Pacino as the titular prince of darkness. We praise the film's singular cast (including the aforementioned Pacino, Keanu Reeves in 90s accent mode, and an extremely commited Charlize Theron), relate the film's fixations on good and evil to some other stalwart film prop...
The Game feat. Bilge Ebiri
January 19, 2023 08:35 - 2 hours - 158 MBFilm critic Bilge Ebiri (Vulture, New York Magazine) joins us to discuss David Fincher's oft-diminished 1997 thriller, 'The Game'. It's a fascinating, intricate follow-up to the hit 'Se7en' that showcases Fincher at his most technically adept and stepping outside of his thematic comfort zone for the first time. We discuss the star power of Michael Douglas and why he is the perfect match for the movie's stark vision of trial and catharsis, uncover the film's prophetic vision of the...
Sonatine *TEASER*
January 13, 2023 05:36 - 5 minutes - 5.89 MBGet 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.
Under Siege feat. Jarrod Murray
January 06, 2023 06:53 - 1 hour - 110 MBLos Angeles-based literary manager and producer Jarrod Murray joins the crew of the USS Hit Factory to discuss 'Under Siege', the 1992 action thriller starring Steven Seagal. We discuss the exemplary direction of journeyman Andrew Davis who would go on a year later to make his opus, 'The Fugitive', praise the transcendent performance of Tommy Lee Jones as the madcap leader of a group of nuclear terrorists, and return to one of our favorite preoccupations: the meteoric rise (and as...
Serial Mom feat. Nora MacIntyre
December 02, 2022 17:51 - 1 hour - 115 MBCritic, writer, and film historian Nora MacIntyre joins Aaron to discuss John Waters's 1994 satire 'Serial Mom' starring Kathleen Turner as the titular murderous matriarch. Topics include Waters's exploitation origins and the film's ties to splatter maven Herschell Gordon Lewis, the movie's brilliant send-up of the capitalist patriarchal structures of modernity, and the immediate prescience of the story's exploration of true crime obsession in the wake of the O.J. Simpson trial. ...
Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm feat. Evan MacDonald *TEASER*
November 23, 2022 20:44 - 4 minutes - 5.88 MBGet 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.
The Rock feat. Seamus Turner Glennon *TEASER*
November 17, 2022 18:19 - 5 minutes - 6.38 MBGet 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.
American Movie feat. Arlin Golden
November 11, 2022 15:39 - 1 hour - 146 MBDirector/Programmer of Drunken Film Fest Oakland and co-host of Wiseman Podcast Arlin Golden joins Aaron to discuss Chris Smith's 1999 documentary 'American Movie', a story of artistic determination, male friendship, and one man's struggle to achieve The American Dream amidst the industrial decay of the Rust Belt Midwest. We discuss the fascinating once-in-a-lifetime dynamicism of Smith's subject Mark Borchardt, praise the film's brilliant examination the sociopolitical conditions...
The Bridges of Madison County feat. Comrade Yui
November 04, 2022 21:27 - 1 hour - 124 MBFilm writer, YouTuber, and quality poster Comrade Yui joins Aaron to discuss 'The Bridges of Madison County', Clint Eastwood's astonishing romantic drama that showcases the actor/director at his most sensuous, contemplative, and graceful. We discuss the film's delicate moral ambiguity, our single issue with Meryl Streep as an actress, and Clint's place in the pantheon of Hollywood's great filmmakers. Follow Comrade Yui on Twitter and Subscribe to their YouTube channel. Get access...
Blade feat. Jamell Moses
October 31, 2022 16:40 - 1 hour - 108 MBWriter, actor, and fellow vampire hunter Jamell Moses joins us to discuss 1998's 'Blade', a Marvel adaptation that succeeds where others have failed due to its vision, ingenuity, and an immaculate lead performance by Wesley Snipes. We discuss the film's legacy as the first (and arguably best) of Marvel's ventures on the silver screen, the subversive political backbone that drives the film's interior world of elite vampires manipulating the levers of society, and why the sexlessnes...
From Dusk Till Dawn feat. Roxana Hadadi
October 29, 2022 20:12 - 1 hour - 109 MBVulture critic Roxana Hadadi returns to Hit Factory for her hat trick to discuss Robert Rodriguez's 'From Dusk Till Dawn', a rambunctious genre hybrid that blends elements of crime pictures, westerns, and gory exploitation horror to uproarious effect. We discuss the ascendancy of Rodriguez and screenwriter Quentin Tarantino during the mid-90s, the undeniable magnetism of a tribal-tattooed George Clooney (in his big screen debut), and ponder the significance of that eye-popping fina...
Cronos
October 24, 2022 14:39 - 58 minutes - 69.7 MBWe're back after a brief hiatus with a very special Spooky Season™ pick: Guillermo del Toro's debut feature 'Cronos', a magnificent modern vampire fable as indebted to Universal monster stories as it is to Cronenbergian body horror. We discuss the film's various interpretations of vampirism (both literal and figurative), the unapologetic earnestness of del Toro's work, and what the director's monsters can teach us about the complexities of postmodern existence. Get access to all ...
Braveheart feat. Hard Mike
October 01, 2022 15:35 - 1 hour - 124 MBFilm Twitter personality and fellow Mel Gibson stalwart Hard Mike joins Aaron to discuss Mel's 1995 Best Picture winner 'Braveheart' a sweeping epic about the legendary Scottish freedom fighter William Wallace. The fellas discuss the film's extremely loose adherence to historical accuracy, its celebration of 90s neoliberal orthodoxy & the myth of meritocratic ascendancy, and the rewards of exploring the complicated artisitic statements of "bad" people. Follow Hard Mike on Twitter...
BONUS: Natural Born Killers (Hit Factory x Nostalgia Trap)
September 23, 2022 14:56 - 1 hour - 111 MBDavid Parsons from Nostalgia Trap Podcast joins us for a deep dive int Oliver Stone's maximalist 1994 thriller 'Natural Born Killers' starring Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis. We discuss the movie's complicated and controversial legacy, how it (sometimes) trancsends its cartoonish pastiche to paint a portrait of American violence and media sensationalism, and how it fits into a broader conversation about problematic and difficult art that is still resonant today. Listen to Nosta...
Pretty Woman feat. Molly Lambert
September 19, 2022 14:25 - 1 hour - 100 MBMolly Lambert, creator of HeidiWorld: The Heidi Fleiss Story, joins us to talk the 1990 romantic comedy 'Pretty Woman'. We discuss the film's origins as a gritty tale of sex and drugs on the streets of Hollywood Boulevard, how the story both confronts and conforms to the sexual politics of the era, and the blinding star power of lead Julia Roberts. Later, we discuss Heidi Fleiss, her relationship to Hollywood in the era of Pretty Woman, and the frustrating trend of anti-sex discou...
Drunken Master II *TEASER*
September 13, 2022 00:31 - 6 minutes - 7.38 MBGet 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.
Trainspotting feat. Veronica Phillips
September 02, 2022 20:40 - 1 hour - 131 MBFilm writer Veronica Phillips joins Aaron to discuss 'Trainspotting' Danny Boyle's restless adaptation of Irvine Welsh's tale of heroin addiction, reluctant camaraderie, and a generation's failure to reject the principles of a post-Thatcher UK. We discuss the film's breakout performance from then-relative newcomer Ewan McCregor, explore the distinctly 90s evocation of addiction and its roots, and ponder the question of what makes a "good" drug movie. Follow Veronica Phillips on T...
The Hunt For Red October *TEASER*
August 27, 2022 21:36 - 5 minutes - 5.98 MBGet 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.
Bringing Out The Dead feat. Donald Borenstein
August 19, 2022 18:15 - 1 hour - 152 MBIt's our 100th episode of Hit Factory! To celebrate, we recruit New York-based filmmaker Donald Borenstein to discuss one of the undersung greatest films of the 1990s, Martin Scorsese's 'Bringing Out The Dead' written by the brilliant Paul Schrader. It's a frenzied, vividly-lensed story of death & salvation which also serves as a spotlight on the people pushed to soceity's margins by liberalism's rot. We discuss the pitch-perfect Nic Cage in a role he was seemingly born to play, th...
Summer Of Sam feat. Matt Belenky *TEASER*
August 12, 2022 15:32 - 6 minutes - 8.48 MBGet 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.
Predator 2
August 05, 2022 15:25 - 1 hour - 83.5 MBThere's a new Predator movie getting dumped straight to Hulu this weekend. In anticipation of the franchise's dimishing returns, we revisit the overlooked sequel to the 1987 action classic, 'Predator 2' - a film that brilliantly turns the imperialist anxieties of its predecessor inward to explore early-90s reactionary crime wave narratives and the Bush-era fixation with gang violence & emboldened police response. We discuss the proliferation of early 90s depictions of Los Angeles ...
The Talented Mr. Ripley *TEASER*
July 28, 2022 15:01 - 4 minutes - 5.61 MBGet 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.
UNLOCKED: Contact feat. Aaron Thorpe
July 20, 2022 14:15 - 2 hours - 158 MBUNLOCKED: Podcaster, writer, and Twitter's Most Wanted Man™ Aaron Thorpe joined us back in April to discuss Robert Zemeckis's 1997 science fiction masterpiece 'Contact' starring Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey. It's a thrilling, expansive film that explores Big Questions about science and faith while maintaining a profoundly moving sense of wonder throughout. We discuss Contact's origins as both film treatement and eventual novel by the brilliant Carl Sagan and his wife Ann Dr...
Pusher feat. Michael Snydel *TEASER*
July 15, 2022 18:19 - 7 minutes - 8.72 MBGet 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.
DOUBLE FEATURE: The War Room & SPIN feat. Grimm
July 08, 2022 23:24 - 1 hour - 130 MBPrestigious podcaster and poster Grimm joins us to discuss two documentaries chronicling the 1992 presidential election cycle from very different perspectives. First, we discuss Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker's lionizing character study 'The War Room', chronicling the efforts of Bill Clinton's campaign advisors, George Stephanopoulos and "Ragin' Cajun" James Carville. It's a hagiographic text owed a great deal of blame for the faux-proletarianization of democratic politics in t...
The Lost World: Jurassic Park feat. Peter Raleigh *TEASER*
June 30, 2022 00:21 - 5 minutes - 5.59 MBGet 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.
Irma Vep feat. Brandon Streussnig
June 23, 2022 16:11 - 1 hour - 134 MBWriter 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 i...
Late Bloomers feat. Lindsay Lee Wallace *TEASER*
June 19, 2022 01:59 - 8 minutes - 11.2 MBGet 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.
The Fugitive
June 10, 2022 13:51 - 1 hour - 77.7 MBWe 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 ...
Unlawful Entry *TEASER*
June 02, 2022 23:21 - 6 minutes - 7.78 MBGet 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.
Diggstown feat. Matt Christman
May 27, 2022 19:05 - 1 hour - 85.9 MBWe'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...
Citizen Ruth *TEASER*
May 22, 2022 14:26 - 5 minutes - 5.77 MBGet 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.
Happiness feat. 30 Years Later
May 13, 2022 08:25 - 1 hour - 132 MBWe'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 por...
UNLOCKED: Jade
May 06, 2022 16:58 - 1 hour - 77.2 MBNo 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 cultu...
The Fisher King
April 30, 2022 01:05 - 1 hour - 90.8 MBFor 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 episod...
Malice feat. Jack Wranovics *TEASER*
April 23, 2022 19:04 - 4 minutes - 5.17 MBGet 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.