Groovy! - Sam Raimi & Bruce Campbell Battle an Army of Deadites

On this week's episode, Ibrahim & I sit down to discuss A Classic Series of the Horror Genre, Sam Raimi's Evil Dead Trilogy: Evil Dead (1981), Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn (1987), and Army of Darkness (1992). The End of the 1970's brought with it a new sense of Horror. A leading voice in that movement was Minnesota born director Sam Raimi and his star, Bruce Campbell. A World of Evil was created and unleashed on the movie-going public and forty years later we continue to celebrate the adventures of Ash as he battles The Undead in three films, a reboot/remake, and a STARZ series that ran for three seasons. On this episode we celebrate the magic, inventiveness, imagery, and world creation that Raimi & Campbell have built careers on. It's a fun talk, so take a listen and let us know what you think. Questions, Comments, Complaints, & Suggestions can be directed to gondoramos@yahoo.com. Many Thanks!

"It Was Bad, Mama. They Laughed at Me. Hold Me, Mama. Please Hold Me" .  . . The Lasting Legacy of Brian DePalma's Carrie

On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Ibrahim & I swing back to a classic of the Horror Genre, Brian DePalma's 1976 masterpiece of Suspense, Revenge, and Terror, Carrie. With a "Who's Who" of 1970's first-time talent including: Nancy Allen, Amy Irving, William Katt, P.J. Soles, and John Travolta, but the heart, soul, and pain of this film lays in the performance of (Oscar-nominated) Sissy Spacek. Spacek's scenes with Piper Laurie (her screen mother) are incredibly moving, adding to an already powerful depiction of bullying, teenage angst, and religious fundamentalism. 

It's great to return to a classic. Take a listen as Ibrahim & I continue our exploration of the Horror Genre. 

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

Missing the Mark - Alex Proyas' The Crow

On this week's episode, Mr. Chavez & I travel back to 1994 to look at Alex Proyas' cult classic, The Crow. Featuring incredible set design and production value, The Crow has captured the imagination and admiration of audiences and visual artists, alike. This week Ibrahim & I discuss how this film misses the mark and the ideas we have in (the simple changes)  that would have moved the film in the direction of the masterpiece that it deserves to be. Positives & Negatives are given equal weight. Take a listen and let us know if you agree. 

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

The Undying Dead: A Continuing Discussion of Vampires (Vampires Part IV)

On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Mr. Chavez & I sit down to continue our exploration of those blood-sucking bastards the vampires. This week we discuss Neil Jordan's 1994 adaptation of Anne Rice's novel Interview with the Vampire featuring Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Antonio Banderas, Steven Rea, and Kirsten Dunst. We also look at Iranian-American writer/director Anna Lily Amanpour's 2014 directorial debute A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night. Take a listen. The discussions just keep getting better and better. 

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

Us & Them: The Horror of Jordan Peele

On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Ibrahim & I tear into the Horror genre on our way towards that most Terrifying of Holidays - Halloween. We start this series with a look at the films of Jordan Peele beginning backwards with Peele's 2019 Us and finish with his 2017 debut (one of the truly great debuts in cinema), Get Out. This week Mr. Chavez & I discuss race, race relations, racism, and the history of racism. There's a whole hell of a lot more to this episode, as we discuss the history of Horror, and the influences that have gone into creating these unique films from an imaginative and ground-breaking artist. There's a lot to digest here. We'd love for you to come on board with us. Many Thanks.

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

Yakuza, Soldier, Swordmaker, Mercenary, Bad Ass: The Legend of Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba (January 22, 1939 - August 19, 2021)

On August 19th the world lost one of the great stars of action cinema with the passing of Shinichi Chiba, known throughout the world as Sonny Chiba. Rising to fame in 60's and early 70's Japanese Cinema, Chiba would play one of the great anti-heroes of the movies - Takuma Tsurugi (renamed Terry in the English dub) in 1974's The Streetfighter. A brutal, bloody, and brilliantly over-the-top Karate action film which rocketed Chiba to fame, The Streetfighter series is one of the most influential and compelling action stories ever made. This week we pay tribute to this great actor looking at The Streetfighter, Return of the Streetfighter, and The Streetfighter's Last Revenge (all three films released in 1974). Take a listen . . . it's a really fun talk.

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

The History of Rock 'N Roll Part VI: The Dream is Over - John Lennon & George Harrison

On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Ibrahim & I continue our discussion of The Beatles with a special focus on John Lennon & George Harrison. This week we look at the late career work of these exceptional artists; From hit recordings through political stances and spiritual explorations, both of these men made incredible contributions to the society  of the 1960's, 70's, 80's, and 90's. This week we take a look at these two artists as they are profiled in Martin Scorsese's George Harrison: Living in the Material World (2011), Andrew Solt's Imagine (1988), David Leaf & John Scheinfeld's The U.S. Vs. John Lennon (2006), and Michael Epstein's John & Yoko: Above Us Only Sky. Take a listen as we discuss their creative, culture-changing, and controversial lives.

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

Favella Masterpiece - Fernando Meirelles & Kátia Lund's City of God

On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Ibrahim & I sit down to discuss a great film that deserves praise, 2002's City of God directed by Fernando Meirelles & Kátia Lund. There's not a whole lot that I can say in this post that isn't better realized in this new episode. Take a listen as we discuss the technical, acting, religious, cultural, linguistic, and artistic achievements of this incredible film. Take a listen . . . It's a fun and interesting episode.

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

Perhaps Best Known For . . . a Documentary about Val Kilmer

On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Ibrahim & I discuss Leo Scott & Ting Poo's Val (2021). We differ on our impressions of this new film, however this is an exciting and balanced episode. Take a listen as Ibrahim and I discuss the career of Val Kilmer; the triumphs, mistakes, and legend of Val Kilmer. We don't completely agree, but the conversation is a lot of fun. Take a listen as we discuss this new film now playing on Amazon.

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

The Branches, The Wind, & The Rain: Florian Zeller's The Father

This week Ibrahim & I discuss a wonderful new film featuring an exceptional performance from the iconic Welsh actor, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Florian Zeller's The Father. Please make time to watch this beautifully told, intricately paced and structured story centering on the slow mental deterioration of a man (Hopkins) brought on by advancing age. At 84 Hopkins continues to surprise, touch, and endear himself to audiences. The Father is a truly magnificent, late-career performance with wonderful supporting performances from Oscar winner Olivia Colman (The Favourite 2018), Olivia Williams, Mark Gatiss, Rufus Sewell and Imogen Poots. This is a painful film to watch, however it is also touching and - finally - affirming. Please give it a chance.

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

* Please note: This is a film best experience with as little information as possible. We recommend that you watch the film before listening to this podcast as we give away many plot details in our discussion and critique of the film*