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Join Kyle and Raf as they explore the shag-carpet slap-stick angel future of intergalactic love…and war. Barbarella tracks the risque misadventures of intergalactic captain Barbarella as she traverses a mythical planet in search of the nefarious Duran Duran. We talk sexual revolution, pulp sci-fi, sexy tropes and what constitutes an angel. So, if you like these things or have an interest in 60's-style free-love-sci-fi, this is for you.

Join Kyle and Raf as they venture into the heart of Australia and chat about the 1997 cult-comedy-classic, The Castle. In this episode they chat about punching up and down comedy, topical Trojan horses, and the beating heart of the blue-collar Australian dream. So, if you like jokes so impressive you forget to laugh, this episode is for you. Stalker Stats Rotten Tomatoes: 87% TOMATO METER | 92% AUDIENCE SCORE IMDB: 7.7/10 Metacritic: 56% METASCORE; 8.5 VIEWERSCORE Music credits: Intro – Bensound Trip-hoppy stinger – Broke For Free Outro song – The artist Julia Sullivan

Raf and Kyle faff in fields and ponder philosophical truths as they chat about Stalker — Andrei Tarkovsky’s 1979 cult-classic sci-fi masterpiece. Listen to the episode to learn what the mysterious ‘Zone’ has to say about hope, despair, and human desire. Stalker Stats Rotten Tomatoes: 100% TOMATO METER | 93% AUDIENCE SCORE IMDB: 8.1/10 Show Notes and Further LinkQuote from Lao Tzu concerning strenght and weakness. Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle, which relates to the difficulty of measuring atoms

Raf and Kyle slide through the 1998 cult-classic The Big Lebowski. Is it a straight-up-strike? Or gutters all the way? Want to find out what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps? Or about John Goodman’s first role? How ‘bout finding out about Kyle’s deep love for Nihilism? Want to know how Raf styled himself after questionable role-models? If you answered yes to any of these questions, roll on down to AFAF and chuck on episode 12: The Big Lebowski. The Big Lebowski StatsRotten Tomatoes: 83% TOMATO METER | 93% AUDIENCE SCORE IMDB: 8.1/10 METACRITIC: 71% Metascore | 8.7 Audience Score Show Notes and Further Link David Thewlis (Lupin from Harry Potter) This is What Happens When You Find A Stranger in the Alps Jeff Bridges, John Goodman And Steve Buscemi Talk ‘The Big Lebowski’ Music credits:Intro – Bensound Trip-hoppy stinger – Broke For Free Outro song – The artist Julia Sullivan

Kyle and Raf discuss the best movie nominations for the 93rd Academy Awards, AKA, The Oscars. We cover a lot this episode as we travel through the cine-scape of Nomadland and meander through the verdant bushes of Minari. We process our past, present, and future culture in Promising Young Woman. We dive into The Sound of Metal and wander (wonder?) through the polish of The Father before advocating our way through The Trial of The Chicago Seven and pontificate on Judas and The Black Messiah. We also unpack our predictions for which movie will win and which ones we most enjoyed. Before ListeningWhile we do try, Kyle and Raf totally get that this year’s films cover a complex intersection of identities that we don’t’ fully understand. We hope we’ve done the topics justice. Let us know if we missed the point. Show Notes and Further Link The Oscars Oscar Winners That Have Not Aged Well Carey Mulligan on Promising Young Woman Casting Controversy 1994 in Film Music credits:Intro – Bensound Trip-hoppy stinger – Broke For Free Outro song – The artist Julia Sullivan

Ever wondered what the afterlife was like for a drug-dealing-club-haunting-DMT-ghost? Neither had we. Enter The Void, directed by Argentinian auteur Gaspar Noé, is a super ambitious, psychedelic trip through various stages of the afterlife - all shot through the POV of a recently-killed ghost… we think? It’s a long journey but one thing is for sure. Enter The Void is unlike anything we’ve seen before. If you’re interested in reincarnation, the Tibetan Book of the Dead, or the Tokyo underworld, this movie may just be for you. Tune in to hear what we make of it

In ASKING FOR A FRIEND Episode 09, Kyle and Raf break out their dance movies, brush up on their regional burger orders, and slink through the Californian crime caper that is Pulp Fiction. We talk post-modernism, witty dialogue, snappy editing, and whether Tarantino's language use is offensive or not. We also hear Kyle say ‘Wolf’ and find out why you should avoid Raf if you haven’t seen this movie. WARNING: There’s a lot of explicit language in this one. Pulp Fiction VitalsRotten Tomatoes: 92% TOMATO METER | 96% AUDIENCE SCORE IMDB: 8.9/10 METACRITIC: 94 Metascore | 9.1 Audience Score Show Notes and Further Links: Now You See It video - ‘The Most Important Filmmaker You Haven't Heard Of’ - with details on Sally Menke. Mark Twain quote Music credits: Intro – Bensound Trip-hoppy stinger – Broke For Free Outro song – The artist Julia Sullivan

In ASKING FOR A FRIEND Episode 08, Kyle and Raf strap into their stillsuits, brush up on their galactic imperial knowledge and set out for the planet of Arrakis. Set in the extremely distant future, where life across the universe revolves around the mysterious spice Melange and fashion is as fluid as the sands in which our protagonists tread – Dune is David Lynch’s noble yet challenged attempt to turn Frank Herbert’s epic novel into a coherent movie. In true Dune style, we attempt to discuss a movie that attempted to capture one of the most iconic and complex Sci-Fi books ever written. It’s fun, we promise. Dune VitalsRotten Tomatoes: 52% TOMATO METER | 66% AUDIENCE SCORE IMDB: 6.5/10 METACRITIC: 3 Metascore | 7.9 Audience Score Show Notes and Further Links Kyle MacLachlan Sting’s (in)famous costume / space speedo Body-bag costumes. The link goes to Reddit, the universe’s most credible source. Crazy Lynch introductions. A kinda-sorta-maybe explanation of the cat milking scene. David Lynch interview referenced in the show Music credits: Intro – Bensound Trip-hoppy stinger – Broke For Free Outro song – The artist Julia Sullivan

In ASKING FOR A FRIEND Episode 07, Kyle and Raf leap into the Wachowski’s 2008 whirling crucible of colour that is Speed Racer. Want to know how Raf feels about comic-story-telling or who Kyle wants to be when he grows up? Or what Elvis has to do with this CGI-smorgasboard of racing action? We talk speed racing, special-effects, eye-fatigue, scenery and more. Join us as we discover why this movie has been called an “outright assault on aesthetic sensibilities”. Stats and goodies below. Speed Racer VitalsRotten Tomatoes: 40% TOMATO METER | 60% AUDIENCE SCORE IMDB: 6.0/10 METACRITIC: 37 Metascore | 7.9 Audience Score Show Notes and Further Links Roger Allam in GoT. Jeepers, seriously did not remember this guy. Like Mother!, (with Jennifer Laurence and Javier Bardem). Raf thinks Speed racer should be viewed as a visual poem, rather than an actual story - one of the many ways in which he thinks these movies are practically identical in both style and substance. This image of a hairless chimp should be all the Racer family needs to start reconsidering their safety protocols. Don’t worry, this guy has alopecia and hasn’t been shaved. Understanding Comics: The Invisibile Art, by Scott McCloud is a Masterpiece. Seriously, if you haven’t read is yet, consider supporting your local book shop and grabbing a copy. You could even gift it to someone in your inner circle for Christmas and then surreptitiously start reading it when they’re not looking. Music credits: Intro – Bensound Trip-hoppy stinger – Broke For Free Outro song – The artist Julia Sullivan

The mad Shogun has plunged the land into violence. This weighs heavily on the heart of the Shogun’s chief decapitator, who finds solace in his wife and child. Because of reasons, the Shogun sends his minions to kill the decapitator. Instead, they kill his wife. What follows is a veritable smorgasbord of duel-wielding destruction as Lone Wolf and Cub fight off the Shogun’s assassins – raising grammar issues with the movie’s title. Sound like a movie worth talking about? Join Raf and Kyle in episode 6 of ASKING FOR A FRIEND as they walk the lonely katana-cluttered path of pathos that is Shogun Assassin. Shogun Assassin VitalsRotten Tomatoes: 80% TOMATO METER | 92% AUDIENCE SCORE IMDB: 7.4/10 METACRITIC: NO METACRITIC!!! Show Notes and Further Links Please listen out for Kyle saying “Wolves” like a totally normal person. Afro Samurai – six episodes and a movie. Shogun Assassin, set in the Star Wars universe? Tomisaburô Wakayama IMDB Black Rain, the unfeasibly big-budget movie neither Kyle nor Raf had ever heard of. Music credits: Intro – Bensound Trip-hoppy stinger – Broke For Free Outro song – The artist Julia Sullivan

Kyle and Raf explore the song-styled ruminations of the internationally ignored rock star Hedwig (and her Angry Inch). We tackle Hedwig’s story as best we can, starting with her journey from communist East Berlin, all the way through botched gender-reassignment, heartbreak, betrayal, and infamy in the USA. Although we try our best, we’d like to note that both Kyle and Raf are cis-gendered and pretty conformist. There are points where we probably put our foots in our mouths. We hope you see through these blunderings and enjoy the show regardless. Episode Disclaimers Heya, Kyle here with a couple disclaimers on the episode, as I give you peek behind the curtain. You’ll hear that Raf and I both adore this movie but we’re probably getting a few things wrong. Our lived experience is a far cry from Hedwig’s, the titular character of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. We hope that our discussion hasn’t been insensitive. At some point we use the term “sex operation”, which is, of course, as incorrect as it is offensive. The correct term – itself a matter of debate – would probably be Gender Reassignment Surgery. We use that ugly term as it’s used in the film, which we shouldn’t have. Later, I – Kyle – also make a joke about Raf and I being a couple cissy hets. For clarity, by that I mean cisgendered heterosexual males. If we got stuff wrong or if you think there’s stuff we should note, let us know at kyleandraf@gmail.com. But as always, we hope you enjoy this week’s ASKING FOR A FRIEND. Hedwig and the Angry Inch Vitals Rotten Tomatoes: 92% Tomatometer; 93% Audience Score (Not bad at all) IMDB: 7.7/10 Metacritic: 85 Metascore; 8.4 Audience Score Shownotes and Further Links For those of you who are interested in Phantom of the Paradise and thus Kyle crazy movie pallet, here you go. Do it for the mouth-feel. Kevin Atkinson, ‘ I am a verb’ Music credits: Intro – Bensound Trip-hoppy stinger – Broke For Free Outro song – The artist Julia Sullivan

In ASKING FOR A FRIEND Episode 04, Kyle and Raf discuss the 1986 cult film, Hellraiser – a horror written and directed by Clive Barker. Want to know how a low-budget and questionably located film spawned 8 multi-million dollar sequels and a rabid fandom? So did we! To find out, listen to our exploration of spooky special effects, 80’s business suits, and the paper-thin boundary separating pleasure from pain. We also delve into the movie’s plot, characterisation, and the metaphysics of horror. Join us for a funny-smart movie review of this cult classic. Spoiler Warnings Meta-spoilers for the acclaimed series, Breaking Bad. Seriously though, if you haven’t watched Breaking Bad, what are you doing now? Just get on it. Like, dude. Also, mild spoilers for Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And while we’re at it, lots of spoilers for Hellraiser also – basically the entire plot. Hellraiser Vitals Rotten Tomatoes: 72% Tomatometer; 72% Audience Score IMDB: 7.0/10 Metacritic: 57 Metascore; 9.3 Audience Score Shownotes and Further Links Hellraiser IMDB – dive into the glorious wormhole that is the Hellraiser IMDB page. Braver souls might use it a launching pad to discover its many, many sequels. Clive Barker IMDB Pinhead character image and description An article on the black leather costume design of the Matrix, linking to our discussion on the Cenobites’ dress sense. Music credits: Intro – Bensound Trip-hoppy stinger – Broke For Free Outro song – The artist Julia Sullivan

In 1964, Stanley Kubrick released a comedy so frightening that it opened with a warning from the American military. Why? Well, to know more, tune in to episode 3 of ASKING FOR A FRIEND. This week, Kyle and Raf discuss into nuclear war, fighting in the war room, and the awesome power of Balthorium G! We also delve into the chauvinism of the American Military Industrial Complex, boys’ obsession with toys, and what a “Slim Pickens” is. Dr Strangelove VitalsRotten Tomatoes: 98% Tomatometer; 94% Audience Score (Wowzers Trousers that’s high!) IMDB: 8.4/10 Metacritic: 97 Metascore; 8.3 Audience Score Shownotes and Further Links Stanley Kubrick’s Super-impressive IMDB Red Alert Novel My Fair Lady, the movie in which Rex Harrison won an Oscar for best actor Music credits: Intro – Bensound Trip-hoppy stinger – Broke For Free Outro song – The artist Julia Sullivan

In episode two of the cult movie podcast, ASKING FOR A FRIEND, Kyle and Raf tackle the 1995 teen-romance-Jane-Austen-inspired-bubblegum-pop classic, Clueless. Released in 1995, Amy Heckerling’s high-90s masterpiece follows the life of Cher Horrowitz as she navigates a satire-infused Beverly Hills. We talk life, love, fashion, our poor parents, and what it was like living through the 90s. So, fellow kids, if you’ve ever wanted to know the secret to being cool, what ‘fetch’ means, and how Dr. Seuss inspires fashion, this episode is for you. Clueless VitalsRotten Tomatoes: 82% Tomatometer; 76% Audience Score IMDB: 6.8/10 Metacritic: 68 Metascore; 8.3 User Score Shownotes and Further Links Jane Austen’s Emma 10 Things I Hate About You and Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew Cruel Intentions and Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Dangerous Liasons) Amy Heckerling IMDB As an aside, Legally Blonde really might be the perfect movie. Here’s a listicle explaining why. Paul Rudd IMDB and why you should wear a mask (not strictly part of the show, but gotta watch) Raf’s Susan Sontag comments are a combination of two essays, ‘Against Interpretation’ where Sontag argues that interpretation carries the assumptions of the interpreter and ‘On Style’ – where she argues that style only exists in relation to other styles. Both essays can be found in Penguin Classic’s Against Interpretation and Other Essays (2009). Africa by Toto – If any music video were a time-capsule, it would be this one. A walk around the Witch’s House Music credits: Intro – Bensound Trip-hoppy stinger – Broke For Free Outro song – The artist Julia Sullivan

Ever wondered what fleshy VR animals and the industrial revolution have in common? Or what a young Jude Law feels about being penetrated? How about teeth-powered-assassin-tech? If you are curious about any of the above, then have we got a show for you! In episode 1 of ASKING FOR A FRIEND, Raf and Kyle discuss the 1999 Baron-of-Blood David Cronenberg’s cult film classic, eXistenZ. We plunge feet first into wet body horror, the reality of virtual reality, and the jumbled philosophy of ‘what even is it, man?’ Other themes include the film’s names and the supreme acting versatility of Willem Dafoe. eXeistenZ VitalsRotten Tomatoes: 73% TOMATO METER | 69% (lol) AUDIENCE SCORE IMDB: 6.8/10 METACRITIC: 68 Metascore | 4.1 Audience Score Show Notes and Further LinksDavid Kronenberg IMDB The Fly IMDB Willem Dafoe IMBD The Matrix IMDB Actual Chekhov Quote:‘Don’t tell me the moon is shining, show me the glint of light on broken glass’ Rene Descartes’s Evil Demon Argument is found in his Meditations on First Philosophy – which presents the argument of – ‘Cogito Ergo Sum’, or ‘I think therefore I am’. Music credits: Intro – Bensound Trip-hoppy stinger – Broke For Free Outro song – The artist Julia Sullivan