He's My Father: James Foley's At Close Range 

On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Mr. Chavez & I sit down to discuss a 1980s cable mainstay, James Foley's At Close Range. One of the earliest films to showcase Sean Penn as a lead, Foley's film is a harrowing look at father-son/criminal relationships in rural Pennsylvania. Penn made a name for himself with this film after exceptional turns in Bad Boys (1983) and Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) and showed a hint of the work that would come to be expected from him over the next three decades, however this film is held together and overwhelmed by the presence of Christopher Walken. Walken is equal part charismatic and terrifying in a role that would test the limits of what audience are willing to accept. He is truly mesmerizing. It is with great pleasure that we look back at these classic 80s performances. 

Questions, Comments, Complaints, & Suggestions can be directed to gondoramos@yahoo.com. Many Thanks for your continued support. 

"No Hunting Like the Hunting of (Wo)Man"  - Ernest Hemingway

Dan Trachtenberg's Prey (2022)

Solo Episode . . . . this week I go it alone to talk the newest entry in The Predator Film Series, Prey. Premiering on HULU August 5th, it is a thrill seeing this film and getting the chance to discuss it, the series, the Native American presence in Cinema, and the future of film releasing. There's not a whole lot to say except this is a great contribution to a series celebrating 35 years. Featuring standout performances from Dakota Beavers, Dane DLiegro, Michelle Thrush, and - Star - Amber Midthunder as Naru. A success on so many levels, it's a thrill to talk about exciting new film. Take a listen and let us know what you think. Questions, Comments, Complaints, & Suggestions can be directed to gondoramos@yahoo.com. Many Thanks. 

Breaking Down the Gates: Defining the 70s (Part II) 

The Second Half of an earlier episode where Mr. Chavez & I discuss ten films (and a short list of Honorable Menitons) that defined the 1970s as a decade. All the usual names: Scorsese, Coppola, Spielberg, Friedkin, DePalma, Lumet, etc. are found throughout the episode. Take a listen and see if these (remaining Top 5 and The Honorable Mentions) are on your list. Thanks for the continued support. Questions, Comments, Complaints, & Suggestions can be directed to gondoramos@yahoo.com. 

Breaking Down the Gates: Defining the 70s  (Part I)

On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Mr. Chavez & I continue our examination of the films that defined their respective genres. This week we discuss - arguably (Mr. Ramos's opinion) - the single greatest decade in Cinema . . . The 1970s. The 1970s was an incredibly creative, ground-breaking, and overpowering period of filmmaking that brought us names as important as Spielberg, DePalma, Coppola, Friedkin, Bogdanovich, Ashby, and - of course - Scorsese. These filmmakers, and the names of others who fallen through the cracks, are profiled on this episode (as well as it's sequel). It's not necessarily "The Best of the 1970s" but more importantly, the films that tell us the most about the Decade. It's a fun ride. Join us for it. 

Questions, Comments, Complaints, & Suggestions can be directed to gondoramos@yahoo.com. Our Continued Love & Thanks. 

Towards a New Hope: George Lucas's THX-1138

On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Mr. Chavez & I continue our look into - arguably - the greatest of The Cinematic Decades - The 1970s. This week we pay particular attention to George Lucas and his directorial debut, THX-1138. We discuss the film, it's themes and religious connatations, as well as it's production history - including role as flagship project of Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola's Independent Filmmaking Utopia, American Zoetrope. Surprise, Surprise - one of us is a bigger fan of this film than the other, but the discussion (because of this difference) is definitely worth a listen. It's a problematic film (both of us believe this), however it's a film with an important history and role in the emergence of "The New Hollywood". Take a listen and let us know what you think. Questions, Comments, Complaints, & Suggestions can be directed to gondoramos@yahoo.com. Many Thanks for Your Continued Love & Support. 

Easy Drugs & Raging Egos: New Hollywood & the Auteur Era

On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Mr. Chavez & I take a look at Ted Demme & Richard LaGravenese's IFC Documentary, A Decade Under the Influence and Kenneth Bowser's Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs and Rock 'N' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood.  It's a great time for a couple of cinema nerds to look at one of the greatest periods in the history of cinema. We look at the big names and the legacy of the 70s that continues to fascinate us 30+ years later. This week we talk the usual names: DePalma, Coppola, Spielberg, Bogdanovich, Schrader, and many more including - of course - Scorsese. It's a whole lot of fun. Take a listen and let us know what you think. Questions, Comments, Complaints, & Suggestions can be directed to gondoramos@yahoo.com. Our Continued Thanks for Your Love and Support. 

Rome Before Christ, After Fellini: Fellini's Satyricon

On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Mr. Chavez & I sit down to discuss one of the great names in all of cinema - The Great Italian Master Federico Fellini. Fellini's Satyricon (1970) is a powerful, overwhelmingly beautiful, and incredibly conflicting film based on Petronius's Late 1st Century AD look at Imperial Rome during the reign of Emperor Nero. Whether a commentary on Ancient Rome, The Contemporary Italy of the late 1960s, or both, Fellini's vision is on display through the lens of the great Italian cinematographer Giuseppe "Peppino" Rottunno, and is breathtaking and troubling. Fellini was a director unafraid of tackling images, subject matter, and tastes. This is an incredible visual feast that will challenge your sense of cinema. It's a wild ride that offers so much while dancing on the razor's edge of offense. A truly remarkable film that challenges it's viewers on many, many levels. We're proud and thrilled to be talking about this great piece of cinema. Take a listen and let us know what you think. 

Questions, Comments, Complaints, & Suggestions can be directed to gondoramos@yahoo.com. Many Thanks for your continued love and support. 

Highway Without Horizon: Monte Hellman's Two-Lane Blacktop

This week, Mr. Chavez & I sit down to discuss a seminal film of the 1970s, Monte Hellman's Two-Lane Blacktop. Featuring musical icons, James Taylor and Dennis Wilson (as, respectively, The Driver & The Mechanic), Laurie Bird, and the great character actor, Warren Oates as GTO. There's not a whole lot I can put into this description, but I will give my all . . . Ibrahim & I are thrilled to be discussing a cult classic that has only grown more powerful and enduring as the years have gone by. There's a whole lot packed into this story of a cross (or mid) country race between Taylor's The Driver, his co-pilot The Mechanic (Dennis Wilson) and Warren Oates's GTO. An existential look at men and their need to bury themselves in car culture, speed, and mythology.

We cover a lot of bases and are thrilled that you are joining us on this incredible ride. Questions, Comments, Complaints, & Suggestions can be directed to gondoramos@yahoo.com

Many Thaks!

Frontier Justice: William Wellman's The Ox Bow Incident

On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Mr. Ramos goes it alone to discuss a seldom seen, little discussed film in the Western genre, William Wellman's The Ox Bow Incident. Henry Fonda leads a cast of noted character actors in an early look at the Western,  closer to it's actual truth. A controversial and disturbing look at mob rule and lynching in American society, Wellman's film is a challenging examination of the Western genre. Take a listen as I ramble on for about an hour. It's a li'l bit of fun. Questions, Comments, Complaints, & Suggestions can be directed to gondoramos@yahoo.com. Many Thanks.

Madman's Miracle: Jodorowsky's El Topo

There are a few filmmakers that when you watch their work you can step back and honestly say that you are watching a visionary work. The great Russian-Chilean filmmaker, Alejandro Jodorowsky, is a filmmaker of immense talent and visual uniqueness. From his earliest films, including his earliest film Fando y Lis thru The Holy Mountain and his ill-fated adaptation of Frank Herbert's Sci-Fi Classic, Dune - Jodorowsky has been an admired, venerated, controversial, and polarizing figure.

On this week's episode, Mr. Chavez & I sit down to look at one of his masterpieces, 1970s El Topo. A beautifully poetic Eastern-Western, Jodorowsky's midnight movie masterpiece is justly regarded as a classic. This week, Ibrahim & I express our admiration, confusion, and love of his cinema. Take a listen . . . it's an interesting conversation that covers the poetics, the beauty, and the controversies surrounding this exceptional film and it's even more exceptional director.

Questions, Comments, Complaints, & Suggestions can be directed to gondoramos@yahoo.com. Many Thanks.