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.